A Dream Come True

It's funny how fast life can change sometimes whether it be bad or good. Mine has changed for the latter! I found the love of my life! 

For many years I've had the worst luck in the dating world and with relationships. I never could find someone stable, honest, knew what they wanted, and who was on the same page as myself. What's funny is that the love of my life and the person right for me was right in front of me the whole time. She works at a local restaurant that I have visited at least once or twice a week for many years. We knew each other from there and that was pretty much it. I had kind of given up on dating and pretty much solely focused on my passion for photograpy. So I did not have dating eyes I guess you could say. My mind was in other places. But I did eventually over time pick up on some interest from her and we had dinner a few times but my mind was not quite there yet so we didn't go out again. I was pushing her away because I had to break down that wall I had put up and I wanted to be fair to her & wait until I was completely ready to date again. But to make a long story short..... I thankfully finally woke up, broke the wall, and saw the signs before she gave up on me. :) We started dating seriously again after a couple of months since the last time and everything felt 100% right with me. We had the best date ever!

Then a couple of months went by and everything was going great with us..... so I proposed! No hesitation at all. And not too long after that we decided to make it legal & get married civilly (on my lunch break as a matter of fact). It felt 100% right with no hestiation or doubt. I had found the love of my life! Then in the months to follow we planned for our big move of merging our two homes together. And on top of that while respecting my wife's religious beliefs we planned for our official wedding ceremony via the Catholic church. So I'm happy to say as of April I'm a married man twice over (civil & church) to the only woman meant for me! 

It's truly a dream come true for me to have met the love of my life and I now have my own family to come home to. I couldn't be happier! Here's to a long life of love, support, & inspiration for us all! :) 

All the best,

-Kevin

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I'm back!! Well sort of... haha

Yep... I'm still alive. I've been on hiatus for a good while so I thought I would update everyone. Photography will always be my passion but sometimes I have to break for life. As you can see from my last post in September of last year, I've had a lot of good changes in my life. For one I got married and I have my own family now! I'm truly happy about this and I'll be posting another blog discussing all that. :) 

Here's my plans at the moment.... After having some family time this summer, I plan on getting back into my photography in the fall. I'm not sure which direction I'm going to go but I'm sure I will have a new direction for sure. I tend to get bored with specific types of photography and I have to move on. I'm always wanting to try something new. In the meantime, I'm going to be redesigning my website, organizing a more focused portfolio, and getting inspired.  

I hope everyone is doing great! Expect KevShots to be back in the months to come!  

All the best,

-Kevin

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Life happens.... with a smile!

Hey everyone!

I hope life is treating you well. I just wanted to update anyone who cares since I haven't blogged in a little bit. Lately I've kind of taken an early hiatus from photography this year. I guess you can say that life & love happened! Sometimes life changes direction and you just have to go with the flow & let it happen. I can't ask for anything more in my life. I'm a very happy person and very grateful for the people I have in my life. Always make time for the people you love! ;)

I'm still going to be planning some shoots in the coming months on a sporadic schedule. Every year I always have to take a break from shoots in order to find new inspiration or direction. I get pretty bored with a lot of the photography work these days and really sometimes the best work in my opinion is work that is not so planned out and the end result is just a beautiful portrait of the person. That is what is timeless. 

I'll be going to Los Cabos, Mexico next month for 5 days for my friend Shawn & Deanna's wedding. So I'll be doing photography for them in a beautfiul location. It's going to be a good time. 

Besides that, there is not much going on. Life in general has been changing a lot for me lately but it's all good changes and I'm happy. :) The next blog post will probably be after I come back from Mexico. Until then I hope everyone else is safe and happy! Enjoy life with the ones you love........

All the best,

-Kevin

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Podcast #4 posted!

Episode 3 of the Sleazoid Podcast is now posted! Check the podcast tab above to listen or click the cover art below to go directly to iTunes. ;) 

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Podcast #3 posted!!

Episode 3 of the Sleazoid Podcast is now posted! Check the podcast tab above to listen or click the cover art below to go directly to iTunes. ;) 

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Podcast #2 Recorded Last Night!

Well, we recorded another successful podcast last night! It just keeps getting better & better... I'm pretty excited about this! :) 

Look for Episode 2 to be ready for your listening pleasure on Monday! Let us know what you think! 

This week we had special guest model/actress Sabrina Davenport with us for some good times....

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Podcast!!

Well as I stated in the previous blog post, I've started a new podcast with Mike Ashcraft & Michael Carty. We'll be recording every Friday night and the episodes will be posted on Monday or Tuesday. The first episode posted today! I'll be adding the links below along with links on the site & sidebar. The first podcast went pretty smoothly with some minor technical glitches that we're working out. I'm expecting the quality to be stepped up a notch on this next episode!

Anyway, it's just a creative outlet for all three of us discussing the things that inspire us and whatever else that is on our mind. To quote Mike, "It's blunt, honest, and one heck of a great time!" I'm a big podcast fan so I'm pretty stoked about doing these. Stay tuned for more! And feel free to comment about the podcast on my site or Mike's site at Thumbin.com

You can find the podcast on iTunes at Thumbin' Sleazoid Cinema Podcast and also at Thumbin.com as stated above. 

Hope you like what we're doing! 

-Kevin

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Dexter, Shoots, & Podcasts

Soooo here I am again! I actually had written a full blog a few nights ago and this website decided to crash on me. I lost everything I had written. :( So here I am writing in an offline text editor and doing the copy & paste routine. It's a shame that a website can't be more reliable to trust when writing a blog.  

Anyway, I know it's been since March since I've written. I'm a bad blogger. haha…. But a lot of times I feel more compelled to focus on my photography work & projects instead of writing. I have a tendency to fear writing because I know once I get started I will write a novel and take up even more time. Thankfully I don't have a lot going on this weekend so I'm able to relax and hopefully focus on some computer work I need to do. I love computers but when sitting at one & working, the day can fly by before you know it. 

Well as far as what I've been doing this year, I've been really spreading myself all over the place and focusing more on particular projects or shoots instead of shooting randomly. My goal always is to create great work that means something and/or makes people come back to it later because it influenced them in some way or another. A lot of times I feel people are doing photography for all the wrong reasons, its more about the atmosphere, the clicks, the looks, and the glamour instead of about the work in the end. And in my opinion it really shows in the work too. After a while it gets pretty boring because it all begins looking to same. It's more about the crazy makeup, wardrobe, furniture, and ridiculous poses instead of creating something special that conveys the subject honestly in the photo. That is what is timeless. Everything else is just a passing fad. I know I've ranted about that before. I just think that with so many people in the field of photography & modeling these days people should challenge themselves more instead of following everyone else. 

Like I said I've been spreading myself across smaller but more important projects this year. I accomplished one goal and that was to create a shoot based on the Showtime series Dexter. I'm a HUGE fan of the show and I've been planning the shoot since last year. I decided to base the concept of the shoot on the last season of Dexter with Julia Stiles. Basically a Dexter's Apprentice type of shoot. I had many scenes in mind to recreate but ended up only doing the kill room scene on the day of the shoot due to the lack of time and energy on my part. I constructed everything myself and it was very tiring to say the least. It was a 9AM to 9PM day for me. I know most people would seek assistance on shoots like this but I guess I'm stubborn and like to do everything myself. It feels like more of an accomplishment to me if I do it all myself. Anyway, the shoot went very well overall and I'm happy with the few shots I got. I guess ultimately I just wanted to see if I could construct the kill room like the show. I'm more proud of that than anything. I used the same materials as the show and even when it came to the wardrobe & props it was pretty close. I guess it was my tribute to the show. I rented the Canon 35mm 1.4L lens for the shoot from Lensrentals.com and I have to say that is the sharpest lens I have ever used. I love it and that will probably be my next big investment.  

I've had a few smaller fashion type shoots that have been great this year as well. I've been shooting seriously since 2007 and still to this day I learn something new with every shoot. That's what I love about photography. Whether you learn something new from a technical aspect or an emotional aspect, photography changes with you over time. The opportunities are endless. My last shoot was with Sabrina Davenport a week ago. We met back in 2009 when she found me on Model Mayhem. We've worked together a number of times since then and it's been a great working relationship. I probably have to say that she is my favorite model in Nashville. Not only is she a looker but she's a great person and down to earth. Believe it or not that is sometimes hard to find in the industry. People's egos tend to get in the way and there's a lot of fakeness flying around. You have to learn how to read through the BS at times. I don't feel that way with Sabrina which is good. Anyway, at the last minute before the shoot we had the opportunity to work with Coquette Swimwear. They rushed some of their pieces to us right before the shoot. They have a classy & vintage style to them which I dig. At the moment I have completed 3 photos from the shoot but I will be finishing a few more this weekend.  

On another note, I've always been a geek when it comes to technology & computers. And I love to listen to podcasts particularly ones from the Leo Laporte TWIT network. I've been a fan of his since high school when he was a on the show Call for Help from TECH Tv/ZDTV.  Well, last night I got to be a part of my very first podcast with Mike Ashcraft & Michael Carty! This was the brainchild of Mike Ashcraft from Thumbin.com. He's another one I think I kind of met through Model Mayhem and the scene. He's a great photographer and filmmaker. We're kind of on the same level when it comes to our work and opinions about the craft & scene. His main focus at the moment is filmmaking and in the process of putting together a full length feature for the Cyclone short film he did a couple of years ago. That's going to be great when it all comes together. You can check out Cyclone on his website. I met Michael Carty recently through him. Carty did the musical score and other sound goodies for Cyclone. He did an awesome job as well. Anyway, we're all three in the same boat when it comes to our interests and the music/film arena but we all have something different to offer too. Even with this first podcast we each learned something new with each other which is great. It's a great outlet for us to discuss what we love and what we're up to. The podcast will be called Sleazoid Podcast and we plan on doing an episode a week. We'll get in our groove over time and the episodes will improve with time as well but overall I think the first episode went pretty well. It's currently being edited at the moment and should be posted by Tuesday or Wednesday this week. But I'll be letting you know once it's posted! So stay tuned…  

That's all for now….. I hope I didn't bore you. I tend to do big updates like this. All I can say is that I'll try to do smaller updates for the future but I can't promise anything. :-P

 -Kev

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New Year... New Direction

Hello..... me again. Yes, it's been nearly two months since my last blog I know. I'm terrible at posting and updating sometimes. Simply for the main reason that I know once i get started writing that it will turn into a novel. So I will try my very best to keep this blog brief. And I will try my very best to post more shorter blogs. Crossing fingers & toes here...... 

Well as the title states it seems like it's been a trend for me to change direction with each new year. Maybe it's the artist in me. But as many others tend to wade around in the same unoriginality, I like to go the other direction when something becomes popular. I have always liked diversity. Some people make the mistake of thinking diversity is something off the wall, weird, or odd. But instead diversity can be in the most simplest things that are often most overlooked. I know it might sound strange to say. My diversity is not following... or let me know rephrase that, not copying what everyone else is doing.

As with any artistic field, the arena can be very flooded. The key to being a real artist is to stay true to yourself and be able to express in an artistic form what you feel, see, or hear. When you lose track of that then you stop being an artist. The real artists always rise to top. The copy cats get left behind. I saw a quote today from an old Japanese Proverb, "Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare." I can definitely see how this can relate to photography as well. 

Anyway, to make a long story short.... learn your craft to the best of your ability, gain inspiration from others but don't copy, and most of all find yourself & stick to it! 

Through the experience I have gained with my photography, I have come to a point where I'm really appreciating the small details that makes a photograph rememberable and timeless. It's about connecting with a photograph or the subject in the photograph in a way that it's etched into your brain and that you will want to come back to it time & time again. It's not about the flashy effects, strange wardrobe, pseudo furniture, or crazy makeup. This is all sugar coating for something that might or might not be there. It's about the feeling you get from a photo. It's about life. Everything else to me is just a one hit wonder.

Well enough philosophy talk....... this past weekend I did my first real shoot after a small hiatus. It was refreshing and especially since I got to shoot outdoors. I love shooting outdoors probably the most simply for the randomness of nature and the surroundings. The world is a nice studio because it's always changing for free. Anyway I had the pleasure of working with Megun Pritchard. She had never modeled before and was very nervous. But we were both very pleased with the results of the shoot though. It's funny because the original outdoor locations I had in mind were places I had shot before but it turns out that they looked nothing like they once did. Urban environments are always changing quickly it seems. But we worked it out and found locations that filled the vision we had in mind for the most part. I've learned over time that not a lot of things can be planned. Locations is by far one of the hardest things to do when it comes to photography. But I like the challenge. It can be stressful to me at times but it is always worth it in the end. I always seem to work it out. I love the diversity of random locations and I have always hated the idea of a studio. It reminds me of high school senior pictures for some reason. haha.....  

But another thing I have come to appreciate even more is the shaping of light. I've never been into studio strobes so much. I like simplicity. But ultimately no matter if the light is natural or artificial, shape the light into the way that best fits the vision you had in mind and hopefully looking the most true to life. I hate seeing photos where it was very obvious that strobes were used. Shape the light so that the photo has the best possible exposure so that we don't think about the strobes! When someone starts thinking about how a photo was made instead of the subject of the photo which is most important then something is wrong. 

Well, I have already typed almost 800 words ..... so it's not very brief as usual. haha.... But I think that is all I have to say for now. Hopefully I can blog again very soon. I have some exciting shoots in the works and I can't wait to show them to you! In the meantime, check out the latest photos of Megun in the Beauty/Fashion and the Black & White albums. 

Be the best you that you can be....

-Kevin

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Forget the Gear & Just Shoot!

Photography is my passion and it is one of the main things I think about on a consistent basis. My mind is always racing with images and ideas. It never stops. I'm a photographer & artist for life. 

 

Back in late 2006 when I started to dive back into photography head first I was determined to learn as much as could as fast as I could and with as little amount of gear as possible. I've always lived by the philosophy to do as much as you can with what you have. The gear is not what makes the photography. For example, you wouldn't assume that a chef's food is great because of the pots & pans they used! Same difference. The equipment is as only as good as the person using it. 

Lately I've been a little disappointed with a lot of the work I've been seeing coming out of photographers & models. A lot of it is trends, recycled work, and nothing awe-inspiring at all. I think a lot of it is the times that we live in these days. With budget SLR cameras getting cheaper & cheaper these days just means more & more people thinking they can become a "professional" photographer just by buying nice gear. So it makes it harder & harder for photographers to stand out amongst the market being flooded with hipsters & wannabe photographers just because they want to be apart of the scene. All that comes with recycled garbage that they play off as something new. In my opinion there are too many people trying so hard to be different that the work produced is either ridiculous, lacks emotion, or is just an exact copy of something else. The truth is these are the ones who will not last because they have missed what truly makes a great photograph. It's the small things that mean the most. That is what makes a photo timeless. All the rest will be forgotten and never looked at again on down the road. 

Up until the end of last year I've been using only one camera, one lens & one flash since 2007. Now I just have a newer (not latest) camera model, 2 lenses, & one flash. People have been surprised that I used a Canon 20D for so long and that I don't have any lighting gear. It's all about knowing the equipment you do have and using it to it's fullest capabilities. Exposure & composition are two words that every photographer should know and be able to execute. Those are just the basics and everything else comes after that. And it doesn't matter what you shoot with either. There have been a couple of photographers over the last year proving this point as well. For example, Lee Morris of www.fstoppers.com did an experiment last year where he did a photoshoot with an iPhone 3GS as his camera. Granted he still had studio lights, makeup & hair, & a photo retoucher but his point was that you didn't need an expensive camera to create a great photo. He posted these photos on Flickr without describing how he took them. Everyone was commenting on how awesome they were and that they thought it was his best work. He found it quite hilarious. Later he posted this video describing how they were shot at the dismay of the fans of the photos. 

The iPhone Fashion Shoot - Lee Morris Shoots With The 3GS Fstoppers from FStoppers on Vimeo.

 

Then just a couple of weeks ago Jeremy Cowart went back to Haiti with Hope International for the one year anniversary of the Haiti earthquake disaster. And in between the work he was doing instead of shooting with a DSLR which can intimidate people and draw a scene he quickly became interested in the possibilities of using his iPhone 4 shooting and documenting his surroundings in a respectful way. He also completely used apps on the iPhone to edit the photos. You can view the work he created with such simple equipment here: Jeremy Cowart Haiti iPhone. I think you'll agree that most people would never know that these were taken with a mobile phone. 

 

The truth is I think technology has made people more likely to forget about what's really important and take things for granted. I mean the photography greats that we cherish from the past did not have tons of equipment. They had a single camera, barely any lighting at all besides natural and just a good eye. And don't forget about the final post processing work that was also done to the photos in the darkroom. I have the upmost respect for the traditional photographers of yesteryear. The photography was about capturing that moment in time with how you saw it through the use of emotion and light. There was no gimmicks, faux environments, crazy unnatural poses, unusual attire, or ridiculous hair & makeup involved. It was about portraying the people, what they saw, felt, and their experiences in the truest form possible. These are the photos that will always be remembered.

Maybe I'm an old soul at heart and don't get me wrong there is nothing wrong with experimentation because I do it myself. Experimenting makes you a better artist by exploring all avenues. But the point is don't make that experimentation your complete portfolio either. Most of the time a great portrait can conquer all.

To quote my friend Mike Ashcraft again, "No amount of art direction or creative pandering can ever top the power and greatness found in the simplicity of a great portrait." 

 

To make a long story short, in my opinion more photographers need to get back to the basics, learn what is most important, forget the gear and just shoot! And I'm talking about the ones who are really into photography because they love the art and not because they're trying to become famous or be in the scene. Those are the photographers who will not die a photographer. 

 

-Kevin

 

1932 Winter Olympics

When I was out in California this past November, my friend Patrick & I were at his dads and we were looking through some of his old family photo albums & came across two photos that we think were taken at the 1932 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, NY. This would have been the III Olympic Winter Games that were opened by then New York Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt before he was elected President later that same year. 

Here are the two photos I have scanned & restored. I have ordered 16x24 enlargements and we're going to make frames for them. Pretty cool we came across some American history like this.


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More updates & blogs coming soon!

I know I know.... I can be terrible at updating sites and writing blogs. I love doing it but there seems to never be enough time for it all unfortunately. But I'm going to try harder especially in the blogging department. I need to force myself to write updates at least every week or so. So crossing my fingers that I can keep it up!

Lots of new projects in the works and more to come soon! I'm changing direction a little bit again in photography. :) Always looking for something new that intrigues me that's for sure. I love photography though and how diverse it can be. Soooo many options..... 

Anyway, I'm back so keep checking back! More very very soon! :) 

-Kevin

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Just a quick update...

Hopefully I'll be able to write another real blog soon. Lots of changes happening. One of which is that I hope to start blogging more. I'm starting to limit my work with musicians to a great degree (more on this later). I'm finishing up an album layout for my good musician friend Georgia Thomas. I'm excited for her!

But I'm going to be branching out a lot soon to show more of my creativity. I'll have a book in the making soon. Gearing up for Halloween and shoots involving horror or intense themes. And I'm heading to California next month!

Anyway I'll be following up with a proper blog very soon! ;)

-Kevin

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New Blog Eventually.....

Maybe one of these days I'll have the time or energy to write a new blog. I'm way behind on my yearly birthday blog. But I swear this lack of sleep is really dragging me down..... :( 

 

To be continued...... eventually! Thanks for checking back!

Until then.... keep smiling!! :)

-Kevin

©Mike Ashcraft

©Mike Ashcraft

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August = Busy & HOT!!

Very short because I'm off to bed here shortly but I just wanted to let everyone know to keep your eyes open. I will have more updates, photos, & blogs very soon!! With August being a very HOT month, I sure do keep busy with my photography. Good things to come though!! I'm doing what I love & collaborating with some amazing people who I'm so thankful to have met over the last couple of years. 

Anyway, hope everyone is good and I'll be in touch very soon with new stuff! Plus I have another birthday coming up on Monday so you'll at least get another birthday blog from me by then. :) 

The last time I went to Pei Wei with my good friend Kyle, my fortune read "Your creativity takes you to great heights." I thought that was very fitting. :) 

To be continued.....

All the best,

-Kevin

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The Shooting Begins!!

I still have a little bit of editing left to do but I'm back to shooting beginning tomorrow! Woohoo!!! I have a number of projects in the making already that I'm very excited about. I'm shooting with the lovely country musician Ashley Adair tomorrow and the amazing versatile model/tattoo artist Lucille Furr on Sunday. 

I'm also going to begin putting together my first photo book soon as well which is kind of overdue. It's always nice to have your work presented in a book and I think I have more than enough material from the last 3 years to fill a book. It's definitely been non-stop for me that's for sure but I've been very thankful for everyone that has supported me along the way. I've worked with so many amazing people and with that I have grown as an artist. It's such a great feeling when people say they can recognize a KevShots photo just by looking at it even though I don't have my name plastered all over the photo. :)

People seem to be shocked at times that I don't have a lot of equipment too. I only have one camera, one lens, and one flash. I've always tried to prove that it's not about the equipment entirely and I've always tried to do as much as possible with as little amount as possible too. It's about knowing the equipment you do have in order to capture that vision. Having the latest & greatest in gear is not always the best option. The best option is learning the fundamentals of photography that's always been there first. And by being limited on options makes you a better artist. ;) 

On a side note: the recent photography & album layout I did for Megan Conner's EP is going to be used as promotion in Discmaker's next month catalog. That's pretty cool since Discmakers is basically the largest & most popular CD duplication service around and I'm sure they get a lot of albums made each month. So it's an honor to have something I've done chosen as one of the few they use to promote their products. With this and the photo of Rachel Williams I did that was presented in Country Music Weekly Magazine, I guess you could say I'm a published artist now. I mean I've had my photos in local newspaper articles in the past but having national publications use my work is what means the most in my opinion. Having your work recognized and used by credible sources without even having to do anything except do the work is a wonderful feeling. I'm sure some would disagree but this feeling means more to me than money. I'm all smiles here...... :)

Anyway, the batteries are charging and I'm almost off to bed. Early morning start for me in order to prepare for a day of shooting. Looking forward to it! I used to be so caught up on planning for a shoot & finding the best locations.... but now I'm a little more relaxed because I know it all works out in the end. When you think about too much then that's when you fail sometimes. Just believe in yourself, relax, and everything will work out! That's what I keep reminding myself at least and I think it's working so far. :)

-Kevin

 

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Proof is in the Pudding

Ok here I am again! One month later..... 

Hopefully one day I will be able to blog a lot more. I really do love to write but unfortunately there is only so much time in the day! So I do what I can... :) 

This year I've slowly but surely been trying to catch up on photos & projects that were already in the works or from last year before I take on more work or shoots. I hate the feeling of being behind on work or things I want to do. And of course I hate putting people off too. So very soon I will have my slate clean and start shooting again. This time I will take on work a little more slowly so I don't bombard myself. 

At the moment, my Canon 20D camera is at the Canon Factory Service Center getting cleaned and serviced. That camera has seen about 25000 photos so I figured it was about time to do that since I never have. I had heard through some other photographers that sending it to Canon is the best route. I was debating on upgrading to a newer model of camera but I just couldn't justify spending at least another $1000 on a new body. I weighed out the advantages I would have over the money I would spend. The 20D has served me well over the years since I took the plunge into the photography world especially with shooting portraits of people. So I thought at the moment spending $200 to get the 20D refreshed by Canon would be the best economic choice for me. I figured that on down the road if I'm going to spend thousands on a new camera then I might as well get a full frame camera anyway.

All the photos on my site were taken with the 20D and it's only a 8 megapixel camera. So it's not about having the latest & greatest. The tools is only one aspect of photography and it definitely does not state whether you are good or not at the art. It's not about what you have, it's how you use it! ;) And I've tried to do as much as possible with as little amount as possible too. Just think that years ago and some still to this day use film cameras. Some of the greatest photos can be taken with the most cheapest cameras. Hell I can take simulated Polaroid photos on my iPhone with ShakeItPhoto that I just love! It's about capturing the moment and the emotion. It's the simple things that means the most. The technical aspects of a photo is not what's going to make people continue to come back to look at the photo. It's the emotion & story that it conveys. How well a photo portrays someone means a lot.

For a while now I've been running on fumes and I really have to push myself a lot these days due to a sleeping disorder I've had for the past 8 years. I never feel fully rested or feel like I have as much energy as I should. It's been affecting many aspects of my life. But soon I will be seeing another sleep specialist so hopefully we will be able to find me a good solution to better sleep. The sleep disorder stemmed from a brain tumor I found out that I had 8 years ago. We beat the tumor by surgery, the side effect was the sleep issues. But I really can't complain too much. It definitely could have been much worse and I'm making the most of every moment with the little amount of energy I do have. No complaints here because I get to continue to do what I love. :)

I dived back into the photography world head first back in late 2006 with a little band called Lady Antebellum. This was way before they were the award winning touring artist they are today. But they believed in me and encouraged me to push ahead with what I do. I'm definitely grateful for that. Concert photography was just the beginning until late 2007 when an artist by the name of Megan Conner took a chance with me and I started into the world of promotional portrait photography for musicians. Since then I've had a chance to work with many musicians and I have acquired friends because of it. It's really been a great ride. The photography I did lead me to doing graphic design work in the form of posters, website banners, and album layouts. I've completed 3 album layouts this year alone along with a poster or two. Through out this blog I will insert some of the work I've done lately when it comes to this. Just recently I completed an album layout & photo shoot for Megan that I'm kind of proud of. It's been a long time coming for her and I definitely share the excitement with her. It's great when you can have long term working relationships with people. 

Last year I ventured into the model world and thought out of the box a little bit. I had a chance to work with a handful of great models. It was a lot of fun because it was very freeing for me since I was working with other creative people who were only out to create something special too. So I definitely intend to continue working with models this year along with the musicians I have working relationships with. I think the mix in the different types of photography not only helps be in being a better photographer but it makes it a lot more exciting because of the differences too. In order to become a better photographer you've got to take the steps to do something you normally wouldn't do. Not only does it give you more nerve & confidence, it gives you experience as well. Time, experience, and having an open mind is what makes a great photographer. Not the equipment. Of course better equipment is nice and can help but only if you're already experienced in knowing how to use it to the best of it's ability. Otherwise it is wasted money.

By having the courage & confidence and getting out there in the scene back in 2006 has made me the photographer I am today. No one taught me and I never went to school for it. It was all up to me to decide on what I wanted to teach myself. And I'm still learning to this day. The best feeling to me is when I see an artist improve over the time I've known them. That means they are listening to themselves and the people around them. It's the ones who don't listen that never improve. You're only going to get out of something by what you put into it. As they old saying goes "The Proof is in the Pudding". 

Well I have already written over 1200 words now so I guess I better bring this to a close. Forgive me if I rambled too much or I said things that I've already said in the past. Expect more from me very soon whether it be with website updates, photography, or design work. I'm still going as strong as ever and I'm very grateful for all the opportunities that come my way!

To be continued as always..... :)

All the best,

-Kevin

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Leaving on a jet plane!

Hey everyone!

I'm starting to write this blog while sitting at the Nashville airport. I'm leaving on a jet plane to Tampa! I'm so looking forward to getting away for a bit. I'm actually going to see my good friend Michelle that I haven't seen in a little over 10 years! Looking forward to catching up. A lot has happened in both of our lives over the years and we've matured a little too.

Anyway, I'm slowly but surely getting back on track with my life and my photography. A lot of the pressure is starting to lift which is a good feeling. Last year I got a little overwhelmed with everything. I'm always pushing myself and wanting to do so much but unfortunately I can't do it all when I would like to so it stresses me out at times. Over the last couple of years I've been shooting more than I've been editing & releasing photos so that was weighing heavy on me. I love doing both but there needs to be balance especially since I work the day job as well. So I decided to take a step back from shooting and catch up on what I already have on my plate along with other life projects before I really shoot again. It will be more fun to shoot again without the pressure of existing projects and hopefully I can stay ahead too. Plus I know people would like to have their photos too! So I appreciate everyone who has been so patient with me. ;)

So that's a little more insight with what's been going on with me! Life is good and I can't complain too much. I'm making the most of it as always. This little trip to Florida is really going to help I think. So hopefully I will come back refreshed and ready to take on the world again! :) Expect more from KevShots in the very near future!!

Life is what you make it!

Always smiling...
-Kevin

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Updates....slowly but surely!

Hello everyone! 

I finally started updating the site again today. It can be very time consuming but it seriously needs a refresh since the site hasn't changed much since last summer. I've been too busy doing shoots, design work, and just letting life take over more. There's only so much time in a day so I'm always having to divide my time up between it all depending on order of priority. 

But even though I'm getting a late start this year, I'm glad to finally start making some lead way on my photography. I still have some shoots from last year that I would like to finish editing as well as updating this site before I really start shooting full force again. I don't like having work piling up that's not getting finished. Even though I like shooting, I like editing just as much or even more. Strange huh? Then again it all comes down to time though. Slowly but surely I will be getting closer to being caught up!

On top of all that I've been trying to organize my personal life somewhat too. I'm close to being finished with the de-cluttering project here at home. I can't wait! A cleaner & more organized working environment helps with productivity in my opinion.  

That's pretty much my update for now. Life is good with me. I'm just keeping busy and trying to make the most of it. I can't complain much. So I hope everyone is doing good as well! Keep an eye out for more updates with my work & this site very soon. I can tell you this much, I'm so happy that I moved to Squarespace last May for my website. They're such an awesome company. So easy to work with and they have such top notch service & support. Makes having a website so much easier! You can check out their service by clicking the link on the right. 

Stay tuned! 

-Kevin

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