A Presidential Decade

Last month I was fortunate enough to be able to shoot photos for the 10th Anniversary Celebration of the George Bush Presidential Library & Museum. I had to get media credentials and get approved by Secret Service to be able to move freely in front of the public crowd that arrived. (Even my camera gear had to be sniffed by the K9 Federal Agent, named Simon!)

Former President Bush made a surprise entrance to the event:



And when they announced the arrival, everyone was watching the skies:



President Bush ended his speech with a GIG 'EM to all the Aggies in the crowd:



After the ceremony and lunch, the newly renovated museum was open to the public:

A "Commemorative" Photo Shoot

I was able to shoot some night shots of the George Bush Presidential Library recently for a commemorative publication in honor of the library's 10th Anniversary. I had a great time and was glad that the shot "in my head" actually came out like I'd hoped.

The Cover Shot


I was glad the security guard walking around didn't mind (or notice!)
me up on the wall surrounding the library with my tripod!

After the building shots, I went over to the horse statue and got a few night shots of those as well.
I had forgotten how much I liked night shots & long exposures!

I've been Blogged!

Thanks to Justin at trainspotterinc.com
who found my work on my Flickr account (Here) and blogged
a photo from my trip to Colorado this summer! I appreciate the recognition!

A Glorious Decade...

Time flies faster and faster as we get older. It's funny really. As a kid, you can't wait to grow up - then when you do, you ask yourself, "Where did the time GO??"

It's hard to believe it's been 10 years. But what a wonderful 10 years it's been. Can't wait to have 10+ more!


Isn't my husband just too sweet!
(This is a daily feature on the front page of our local paper)

The First... but far from Last!

This past weekend I had my first official (paying) photo shoot! It was an engagement session with a friend of mine from work, Joy, who HATES getting her picture taken. She was dreading doing this everyday - and then it was time. We met at a local park which is great for photography. Joy and Casey were pretty nervous and very stiff, but I finally got them loosened up! And we ended up all having a blast!

I love to be able to capture moments like this in people lives that they will be able to remember forever.




And by the way, she was THRILLED about the photos... that's what made me the happiest!

A Rehearsal Wedding

Yep, a "rehearsal" wedding. Not for the bride & groom, but for me! This wedding, which was a couple of weeks ago, was for friends of the family, and they didn't have a professional photographer to take photos. It was a small affair, just some close friends. This made it a nice learning experience. Here's a couple of shots:

The cakes!




The guestbook table

More Portraits

Last week I had the opportunity to shoot more portraits of my daughter. We went outside for some fresh air and to try some creative poses. As always, she has to get in her silly faces first, then I can get in the real ones! We tried out some new ones this time - and Samantha is a real trooper - did it with no complaining until we were all finished. Here's a couple of shots after a little post processing:

Ahead of The Rest

Yesterday Nikon announced 2 New Cameras and FIVE, count them FIVE new PRO lenses! All the pro Nikon users out there are jumping for joy. Finally, the long awaited D3 and D300 have been announced!

And to add to the joy of the waiting and waiting... the D3 is the newest FX format - Nikon's first digital full frame camera, which boosts 9 fps at FX and a whooping 11 fps at DX format.


To make the announcement even better - FIVE new lenses have also been introduced. The 14-24mm f/2.8, 24-70mm f/2.8, 400mm f/2.8 VR, 500mm f/4 VR & 600mm f/4 VR.

Nikon hasn't released that many lenses, especially all PRO, over the last 3 years, if not more....

Nikon has introduced the new lenses as "N" lenses to be comparable to Canon's L lenses.
The Nikon N's have an exclusive Nano Crystal Coat and a meniscus protective glass element that combine to further reduce ghosting and flare for even greater image clarity.

I am looking forward to seeing what that gold "N" can do....


Way to go Nikon! You've done it again....

It's Here!

It's here - it's here - it's finally here!
I can no longer say I have lens envy... when the shipment came in today with my new...



I can't wait to be able to use this lens to really show what it can do. It's so fantastic and I'm thrilled to be a new owner of the Nikon 17-55mm!

Calm Before The Storm

A big storm, Tropical Storm Erin, was making landfall and heading
near town, so rain was expected. But I wasn't expecting the sunrise
this morning on my way to work.

What a beautiful way to start a rainy day...

Candid Camera

Was I seeing things?
Was this a joke?
I did a double take.
This can't be for real....

So I read it closer. And there it was. "The Camera Phone Book: How to Shoot Like a PRO"?? There's one thing to make a camera phone book for the novices of new phone technology who would like better direction... But to say the word PRO in the title just baffled me.


pro·fes·sion·al (prə-fĕsh'ə-nəl) n.
1. A person following a profession, especially a learned profession.
2. One who earns a living in a given or implied occupation.
3. A skilled practitioner; an expert.

The definition of professional means to be an expert - okay, fine - but to also EARN a living in a given occupation. Who in their right mind would make a living on photos off a camera phone? (Well, more like who in their right mind would PAY someone that well off of their camera phone photos? - can I have their names & numbers please??)

Has our society become so camera obsessed that everyone considers themselves a pro? Yes, I've seen some amazing stuff from point-and-shoots and even camera phones. It's not the camera that makes it good or bad, it's the subject, composition, etc. But the fact that the word PRO is used. I have gotten paid for my photography before (not from my camera phone!), and I do NOT consider myself a pro by any means.

I feel like this book is very misleading, at least the title anyway. The Publisher - NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC (who is KNOWN for their amazing photography) has endorsed a book that literally makes the claim that you can shoot professional photos with your camera phone. What will society think now? Can you imagine - the sidelines of an NFL football game - surrounded with the AP photographers holding up their camera phones??

And still it makes me wonder.... were the photos in this book taken with a camera phone?

Lens Envy

It's THE lens.
The one to drool over.
Wonderful sharpness.
Wonderful bokeh.
The best.
The Nikon 17-55 f/2.8.
And I don't own it.

....yet.



I have rented this lens twice - but NO more. The next lens I own will be this lens. It's completely worth the money, just look at the picture of my daughter I took one night after dinner! The softness is fantastic. Any professional or person wanting to go professional has to have this lens!

Welcome

Well, hello everyone! I have been meaning to add something to my website where I can give people updates or show new pictures, etc. Then I thought - what a better way than a blog?
I will try and keep any new updates, news, or new photos right here before they are actually posted on the main website: HerrickDesigns.com.
So, for my first post - here's a new photo that I took this weekend!