Carl Weaver Photography

Kateri came to the studio to get some photos for her portfolio. She does belly dance, among others styles, here in the DC area and was curious about trying out modeling as a sideline or something to round out her portfolio.

The funny thing about her was that even with the large number of photos I took (about 900), not a single one was bad. She is not just beautiful, which you can tell from the photos, but is so well poised that every time I snapped a photo she was on point and looking sharp. I have never worked with someone whose gracefulness and beauty made its way into photos as consistently. It was a true pleasure to shoot with her.

Check out some other photos from my shoot with Kateri.

I had a great visit to Albuquerque a couple months ago, during which I took some artistic shots in the very scenic Old Town section. I love the extremely shallow depth of field possible with this lens. Everything is clear and crisp, too, a feature well known to those who have used many Pentax lenses.

I spent this past weekend in Harper’s Ferry, WV. Usually I am not particularly interested in photographing monuments and standing in line with the other tourists to photograph what someone decided was the best view of the town. However, I almost always travel with a camera.

You never know what you might find along the trail you know not. For instance, just this morning, my wife and I wandered into Beans in the Belfry, a lovely coffee shop and restaurant in Brunswick, MD that was built in an old church. Check out some of the photos I got of the place and the old stained glass.

We got good coffee, a great meal and just a bit of church this Sunday. So maybe the church part doesn’t count. However, I find it difficult to gaze upon stained glass and not feel something. I guess the church part counts after all.

If you are out that way, be sure to stop in. It’s a great place.

My last post featured an unedited photo of Vasara Noxxul, a model who came by to participate in my tattoo project. Vasara was a lot of fun to work with. She is the type of person who is really an expert at what she does and it is clear that she enjoys it. Seeing that type of expertise and passion is a lot of fun to watch. Here is another photo from the shoot. Click on it to see the select edited images.

I was recently approached by a new Masonic regalia company and asked to do some catalog photographs of their products, including gloves, aprons and tiny lapel pins. I did not think twice about and gladly accepted the assignment. A bunch of photos, I thought, some time in the studio and then adjusting things in Photoshop and I will be done in a flash.

Little did I know that this assignment would find me climbing on a ladder, bending and stooping, and leaving me soaked with sweat and sore for a couple days. The issue was trying to get all the corners of these aprons square. Shooting from an angle – in fact from any perspective other than straight on – made them look more like keystones than squares. I found myself, in my own way, having to scaffold myself and bend down, over the items in my light tent so I could get a decent view of them. In the end, after I was satisfied and got everything properly adjusted in Photoshop, I noticed that even the originals were not even quite perfect, deviating ever so slightly!

The pins were especially challenging, as some of them were coated with a resin or something that made them super reflective. Usually with reflective items, it works to simply aim the lights at an angle that will reflect the hot spot toward a different direction than the camera. In this case, the resins formed almost a dome over the image on the pin, so a tiny reflection would be evident no matter where the light source was, unlit the pin were back lit, which would have gotten rid of any detail in the image. In the end, I am happy with the results, and so is the client. There is a benefit to leaving that little edge of glare in the picture. It rightly shows the pin to be reflective. Imagine buying something whose picture does not adequately represent what it is. That would be far worse than seeing a tiny bit of glare.

Need something photographed? Give me a call and I will take care of you. Whether for your catalog, documentary purposes, for insurance or maybe just to hang on the wall, I can handle it. Photography is my middle name. Maybe not literally, but you get the point.

Technorati Tags: Masonic, photographs, photos, catalog, documentary, insurance, Photography

If you are in the Washington, DC area before the middle of May, be sure to check out the Frog exhibit going on at the National Geographic Museum. It’s easy to get to, right in the heart of DC in what the city has branded the Golden Triangle, which to me has always meant Thailand, Laos and Cambodia. In DC, it refers to an area in the core of downtown. You can get to the museum by going to 17th and M.

I have always had a special love of frogs, ever since I was a lad in short pants, running around my grandmother’s yard in Florida, trying to catch any little critter I could get my mitts on. These frogs at the Nat Geo Museum were incredible to behold, with all their colors and varying sizes. I think in the span of an hour I saw what must be both the largest and smallest frogs in the world. What could be more thrilling than that? I have an answer – photographing them. Don’t forget to bring a camera and a steady hand. Photography is almost a requirement, as it is right easy to get a shot of these little guys when they are already captured. When will you have that chance again?

Check out some more of the pictures:

Technorati Tags: Washington, DC, Frog, National Geographic, Nat Geo, Museum, camera, Photography

I got to do the photography at the installation of officers at a Masonic lodge recently and have the best photos online. Entering the line of officers is quite an honor and really a big deal, especially as you progress toward becoming Worshipful Master. John Clair, this year’s Master, asked me to get some photographs at this event. It was a fantastic, moving ceremony, encompassing many different facets of emotion, from pride and celebration to sadness and remembrance. Check out the photos:

Technorati Tags: photography, Masonic lodge, photos, Worshipful Master, photographs

These are not new pictures but there are quite a few that were not in the gallery before. Food is one of the most interesting, sensual subjects to photograph. Challenging, too. You wouldn’t think that photographing edible subjects would be a challenge but it is. Unlike working with models, you can’t get a chemistry with an inanimate object, leading to a creative energy that permeates the shoot.

Interested in trying food photography? Let me know and I will put together a workshop on the subject.

Anyway, here are a couple examples:

Technorati Tags: Food, photograph, photography, workshop

My garden has given me some real joys this season. The feel of the soil, smell of the compost seeing my food grow right from my own yard are priceless rewards. If you have never plucked a tomato from your own plant and eaten it right there in the garden, you are truly missing out on one of the greatest pleasures life can give you.

Just as rewarding as eating this spread of food is being able to photograph it. I don’t claim to be the next Edward Weston but I particularly love the form and color of peppers. Each one is slightly different from the next, with different curves and lines, colors and shapes. They can range from ordinary to very sensual and I am never bored by photographing them.

Check some out:

Technorati Tags: garden, photograph, Edward Weston, peppers, sensual, photographing

Amy is a model in Arlington, VA and a delight to work with. When I met her, it was like reconnecting with an old friend. We had an instant rapport and shooting with her was a blast. Not only is she beautiful and easy to work with, but she’s smart as a whip as well and willing to work hard to get the job done.

I hope to photograph her again sometime soon. If you need a model, let me know and I will put her in touch with you. Check out some of her pictures:

Amy - Swimsuit

Amy - Dress

Technorati Tags: Arlington, VA, shooting, beautiful, photograph, model