Veteran Portrait Series Continues...

As many of you know, I have been working on a project that is near and dear to me heart. I have photographed well over 100 veterans in Charleston and today I visited the Veteran's Affairs Hospital located downtown.

I actually get my medical care at this facility and know my way around well. Me and my crew (Des'ola Gunter and Shannon Di) met up with VA Public Affairs Officer, Michael Dukes. He's been my main point of contact throughout this adventure. He took us up to the resident veteran's ward.

On the residence floor, I met several wonderful people. Actually, they were playing poker and listening to the oldies station on the radio. I thought to myself, "I sure hope I can learn poker before I get my paycheck check swindled by a bunch of veteran card sharks!"

After I photographed all of the residence folks, I headed downstairs to the lobby. From there, I started shooting VA Hospital patrons as they walked through. Again, some of the best people in the world.

Next week I will be at Veteran's Village, which is a housing development for homeless veterans. I really look forward to meeting the souls that reside there.

More to come...

- Stacy

Shoot with Julie Liley by Stacy Pearsall

Here's a funny story...

I was taking my step-daughter, Hayley, to the stables and we decided to stop for some Dunkin Donuts on the way. As we walked in, all I could see was the really tall blonde's back to me. Her figure was stunning and her height was towering.

I looked her up in down and thought, "This is too good to be true. I bet somethings wrong with her face." Then she turned around with her donut goodies in hand and I was floored. She was a knock out!

So I did what any inspired photographer would do... I ran after her! I was dressed in my shabbiest riding clothes, which had to look very suspect. I approached her car with caution and said, "Hey, I don't mean to bother you but I couldn't help but notice how incredibly beautiful you are."

She smiled awkwardly at me and so I whipped out my card. "I'm a photographer and I have a studio downtown on King Street," I said. "Will you let me shoot you sometime?"

A few weeks past and I thought she tossed my card out. To my surprise, however, she e-mailed me. I'm glad too, because stunners like her are hard to find. She's a registered nurse and works nights, so it took a few weeks to sort out a good time for both of us.

My goal was to get her in front of my camera and see how she moved. I had nothing ready when she showed up, so I had to spend a few minutes prepping my gear. From start to finish (that includes imagery ingestion and post production), we were done in under an hour!

Julie was amazing. She needed little instruction in front of the camera and gave me a lot to work with. I used a simple lighting set up with only two Nikon SB-900 strobes. I placed those on Justin Clamps, which sat on my Manfrotto light stands. I hauled them underneath my studio's neighboring overpass and BAM! I was done. Within just a few minutes, I had five solid looks.

-Stacy

Ashley Brokop is Coming Soon to CCforP

From time to time, I will have the wonderful opportunity to shoot alongside acclaimed and award winning wedding photographer, Ashley Brokop. Our roots go all the way back to our Combat Camera days. After we separated from the military, she started her own wedding photography business, Ashley Brokop Photography, and I took over CCforP. However, we remain freinds and colleagues to this day.

This past weekend we shot a wedding together, which was really fun. I can see why brides love Ash so much. She is a gifted shooter who truly cares about her clients.

Ashley recently won the Wedding Photojournalists Association 'Creative Portrait' category with the image you see below.

When I'm around Ashley, my energy levels increase by a factor of 10. She never stops moving or smiling. I find that she's contagious and I like it!

Weddings can be a challenge because there are so many people to coordinate. However, Ashley is great about commanding attention in a soft-subtle unobtrusive way.

Her creative abilities always shine when there's a beautiful bride nearby. Just look at these stunning portraits she created!

This girl is as fit as a whistle and can even stop traffic! j/k..... but seriously.....

Please join me in welcoming Ashley Brokop to the Charleston Center for Photography on November 9, 2009, at 7 p.m. She will be giving a free lecture about her wedding photography, what it takes to run a wedding photography business and more! See you there.

-Stacy Pearsall

Whats Happening

What’s happening November 2-8,2009

Nature of the Low Country

November 4,2009--Charleston South Carolina--The Charleston Center for Photography and Kenny Mckeithan are heading back to the outdoors for this years second Nature of the Lowcountry workshop. For three days students will get a new perspective on the Lowcountry as they photograph places like the Audubon Swap Garden, Francis Beilder Forrest and Morris Island Lighthouse. Apart from shooting landscapes students will also shoot sunrises & sunsets, gardens, and wildlife. The workshop will start on Wednesday night to discuss shooting techniques and what students will see. This will allow everyone to start shooting at first light Thursday morning. Friday and Saturday are solely dedicated to shooting followed by review and critique sessions. Tickets are $300 per student. The Charleston Center for Photography is located on 654 –D King St. Charleston, Sc 29403. If you have any questions or concerns please call (843) 720 3105 or e-mail us at Info.ccforp.org.


High Dynamic Range (HDR) with David Despeaux

November 7,2009--Charleston SC--The Charleston Center for Photography is giving a-one day workshop on how to use HDR photography to record the range of tones, clarity and contrast and sharpness of your subjects . in ways unobtainable in traditional photography. In order for the workshop to move smoothly we ask that participants have a solid understanding of the relationships between shutter speed, aperture and exposure values. An Intermediate level of knowledge about Photoshop is also a must ! This workshop is $100 per student and runs from 9:30-5:00 with a lunch break from 12:00- 1:00. The Charleston Center for Photography is located on 654 –D King St. Charleston, Sc 29403. If you have any questions or concerns please call (843) 720 3105 or e-mail us at Info.ccforp.org.



Photoshop CS3 with Alice Keeney
November 7 2009--Charleston SC--This one-day workshop at the Charleston Center For Photography, will walk you through the work area and help you to become more familiar with the tools used for basic photo corrections. We will use Adobe PHOTOSHOP CS3 software to make color corrections, crops, dodging, burning and more. Class is from 9:30 -5:00 with a lunch break from 12:00-1:00. Tickets are $100 per student. The Charleston Center for Photography is located on 654 –D King St. Charleston, Sc 29403. If you have any questions or concerns please call (843) 720 3105 or e-mail us at Info.ccforp.org.


Art Copy Workshop with Mahmood Fazal

November 7,2009--Charleston South Carolina--The Charleston Center for Photography wants to help you preserve your favorite art through photography. This hands on workshop will teach the basics of how to photograph paintings , watercolors and more. Art Copy work can be used for record keeping, contest submissions and instances where a high-resolution file is essential. Students should bring a piece of art to shoot during the workshop. A digital SLR camera is recommended but not essential. A tripod is required for the workshop. The class fee is $60 per student. The Workshop will run from 9:30 a.m- 1:30 p.m. The Charleston Center for Photography is located on 654 –D King St. Charleston, Sc 29403. If you have any questions or concerns please call (843) 720 3105 or e-mail us at Info.ccforp.org.



Studio 101 with Amelia Phillips Hale

November 8, 2009--Charleston SC--It’s all about the lights, cameras and action at the Charleston Center for Photography during this one-day workshop, Studio 101. Amelia Phillips Hale will teach students how to assemble lights and properly use a photography studio. Classroom instructions are from 9:30-12:00, lunch at 12:00-1:30 and shooting from 1:30-4:30. Students must bring a camera with lenses. This workshop is $100 per student. The Charleston Center for Photography is located on 654 –D King St. Charleston, Sc 29403. If you have any questions of concerns please call (843) 720 3105 or e-mail us at Info.ccforp.org.



Basic Photography with Douglas Cunningham

November 8,2009--Charleston SC-- Instructor Douglas Cunningham from the Charleston Center for Photography will be giving a one-day workshop on the basics of Photography. Class will be held from 9:30-12:00, lunch from 12:00-1:00 and Shooting from 1:30-5:00. All this class requires is a camera with lenses and an open mind. Tickets are $100. The Charleston Center for Photography is located on 654 –D King St. Charleston, Sc 29403. If you have any questions or concerns please call (843) 720 3105 or e-mail us at Info.ccforp.org.


2-Day Adobe Elements Workshop

November 8,2009--Charleston South Carolina-- The Charleston Center for Photography is teaching students how to use Adobe Elements. Day one of the workshop will cover basic aspects including up loading images, the basic interface of elements Including the Organizer and the Editing Models. The Interfaces of both of these options will e covered in detail .Students will learn to properly organize their images, and begin to learn basic toning and cropping.
Day two will delve further into the editing and toning of images. Basic retouching of blemishes using clone stamp tool and healing brush tool will be covered in depth. Students will also learn to use the dodging and burning tools .Students are welcome to bring 5-10 images of their own to work on during the “lab” section. Class in on November 8, 2009 and the 15. Workshop fee is $200. The Charleston Center for Photography is located on 654 –D King St. Charleston, Sc 29403. If you have any questions or concerns please call (843) 720 3105 or e-mail us at Info.ccforp.org.

What's in My Bag?

I did a survey today, which asked me to list the equipment I normally bring to a shoot. I just did a commercial photography shoot this weekend and loaded everything that I might possibly need. At which point my assistant said, "You certainly bring a lot of stuff!" I don't really think as my gear as STUFF, but rather tools to get the job done.

People commonly ask me what I pack in my bag, so I thought I'd talk about that for this particular blog entry.

(2) Nikon D3 Bodies

Nikkor 14mm

Nikkor 24-70mm

Nikkor 70-200mm

Bogen Tripod

Manfrotto Monopod

(6) Nikon SB900 strobes

Nikon SU-800

(2) Ezybox softboxes

(4) Lastolite tri grip diffusers

(2) Lastolite tri grip reflectors

(8) Manfrotto light stands

(8) Justin Clamps w/ hotshoe attachment

Bogen Seemless backdrop kit w/ roll paper

(4) A Clamps

Orange Gaffers Tape

Domke F-2 Shoulder Bag

Rosco Gels

(8) Lexar Pro UDMA 8GB 300x Cards

I think that's about it.... well... I might have forgotten a few tidbits. But, that's the nuts and bolts of it. I've linked all of my equipment so you can see what I'm talking about. Just in case you were curious.

I am in the process of sweet talking my husband into buying me a Nikon D3s for Christmas. We'll see how that goes. In the mean time, I'm happy with what I got!

-Stacy

EAW XXII

Hey everyone, I'm back on the radar! I spent a week and a half up in Jeffersonville, NY, for the annual Eddie Adams Workshop. For the past several years, Andy and I have donated our time and manpower to the cause. It's a great one too. EAW is a tuition free workshop for photojournalism and 100 students are accepted a year.

Photo editors and top photographers from our nation's top magazines and newspapers come to the barn to help out too. Everyone involved is a volunteer!

I took the next few pictures with my i-phone, so don't hold the quality against me. I was just having fun.

The weather was chilly, so I put on every fleece I had in my arsenal and topped that off with a jacket and gloves!

This year I was assigned to help the National Geographic team's David Griffin and Gerd Ludwig. Despite their rock-star status in the photo world, they were both very easy going and fun to work with. Watching their approach to editing was an eye opening experience. Gerd looked at images from a poetic point of view in my opinion. He noticed subtleties in images, which I would not have thought twice about. David would breeze through 500 pictures in no time and have the edit locked down. He is a master at the art of editing I can assure you.

EAW is more than students going out and making a story. There are also several lectures throughout the workshop. Photographers you would only dream about meeting share their tales and pictures. Photographers such as Gary Knight, Carolyn Cole, Howard Schatz, Nick Nichols and Clay Patrick McBride. The room is packed with students from wall to wall and what space is left is filled by other famous photo-folks.

When you look around the farm you are bound to see something interesting. In this case, Andre Constantini and Geoffry Rittenmeyer set up a rig with Nikon cameras. The concept was to fire all of the cameras in succession and then do a flip-book style presentation. The end result was a "Matrix" looking 3D effect. Totally blew my mind. The guy posing for this picture is Mac Group's Cliff Hausner.

The biggest sponsor of EAW is Nikon. Each year Nikon sends there very best Nikon Professional Services technicians to share and demonstrate their excellent cameras and lenses. What is NPS? If you are a Nikon user, you should be an NPS member. Click HERE to find out more!

The rest of the pictures I am going to share with you were taken by NPS representative Mark Suban. He's been a longtime friend and I always turn to him for techie advice.

These wonderful folks were the EAW NPS crew this year. Some of you had the pleasure of meeting Anne Cahill (lady on the right) when she came to Charleston, SC, this past May. She's a smart cookie who knows her stuff and happens to be married to another talented guy, Joe McNally!

The NPS crew sets up shop at EAW and provides equipment for students who need it. They also repair minor damages and clean any Nikon gear that needs it. Wonderful! Here is Melissa Debartolo and Anne Cahill doing there thing.

The food is excellent and I never missed a meal. This is a shot of me looking slightly guilty as Irene Colton (wife of the late Sandy Colton) gives me a hefty portion of yum-yums.

100 students arrive to the sounds of cheers and clapping. It's awe inspiring to see there tear filled eyes and enthusiasm.

Even though we are all sleep deprived, we managed to have as much fun as humanly possible. I am known to whistle while I work too!

The workshop is held in an old restored barn in Jeffersonville, NY. It's a beautiful scenic site and makes for a really great backdrop.

Every year, hundreds of hours are spent prepping the barn for the annual EAW. It's a labor of love by many and I am proud to be a part of it.

Soups up!

EAW was established by Eddie Adams. What an amazing man. Even though Eddie is no longer with us, he lives on through the workshop. His wife, Alyssa Adams, keeps the dream alive. Thank you Alyssa. There is also Mirjam Evers who is the workshop producer. She's an amazing gal who keeps the machine running. She also has her own company, Photo Quest Adventures.

I purchased this book at EAW and think it's fantastic. You can get it through Amazon right now for $31.50. It's definitely a book you want for your collection and would even make a great gift. Check it out.

Well, that's about it for now. If you like the idea of EAW and would like to be a student or even volunteer, simply check out the EAW website or drop me a line. I can help you in the right direction.

- Stacy Pearsall

Whats Happening

What’s Happening October 19-25,2009


Fall Colors of the Smokies

October 21,2009--Charleston SC--The Charleston Center for Photography is having a 3-day workshop photographing the Smokey Mountains with instructor Kenny McKeithan. Students will spend three full days( October 21-24) exploring The Mountains, the Tremont area, Roaring Forks and Clingmans Dome in Tennessee. Shooting will include landscapes, mountain scenes, sunrises, sunsets, pioneer cabins and wild life. Students will also learn a wide variety of techniques for capturing dramatic mountain landscapes and waterfalls, macro techniques, techniques for sunrise/sunset, and effective use of filters. For more information you can visit The Charleston Center for Photography website at www.CCforp.org and www.great.smoky.mountains.nationalpark.com/www.nps.gov/grsm/,www.mysmokeymountainvacation.com/cadescove.html. Tickets for the event are $300 per student and for Hotel Reservations contact Valley View Lodge, Townsend TN. (865) 448-2237.




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Basic Photography with Douglas Cunningham

October 24,2009--Charleston SC-- Instructor Douglas Cunningham from the Charleston Center for Photography will be giving a one-day workshop on the basics of Photography. Class will be held from 9:30-12:00, lunch from 12:00-1:00 and Shooting from 1:30-5:00. All this class requires is a camera with lenses and open mind. Tickets are $100. The Charleston Center for Photography is located on 654 –D King St. Charleston, Sc 29403. If you have any questions of concerns please call (843) 720 3105 or e-mail us at Info.ccforp.org.




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Ariel Photography with Yve Assad

October 24, 2009--Charleston SC--The Charleston Center for Photography is souring over the Charleston harbor for a one-day workshop on Aerial Photography. Students will meet at the Center for an hour of classroom instruction on aerial photography with Yve Assad. After an hour on intensive Aerial photography instruction students will be taken on a flight over the Charleston Harbor. Only 6 seats are available so sign up quick! Tickets are only $200 per student. Everyone is required to meet at the Charleston Center for Photography at 8:00 a.m for classroom instructions, at 9:30 everyone will meet at Atlantic aviation for take off at 10:00-12:00. The Charleston Center for Photography is located on 654 –D King St. Charleston, Sc 29403. If you have any questions of concerns please call (843) 720 3105 or e-mail us at Info.ccforp.org.



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Photographing Your Baby with Alice Keeney

October 25.2009--Charleston SC--Photographer Alice Keeney will be giving a one-day workshop on how to photograph your baby using a digital SLR camera. The workshop will cover how to choose a location, position the infant and adjust natural-light settings. She will also cover how to choose the proper aperture, shutter speed, ISO and lens for each unique scene using manual camera settings, the workshop would be great for moms’ dads and grand parents who are crazy about their babies. Students must bring their own digital camera with interchangeable lenses and manual settings and have full knowledge of how to use their cameras. Class is from 12-4:30 p.m, only 10 seats are available for this workshop, tickets are $ 60 per student. The Charleston Center for Photography is located on 654 –D King St. Charleston, Sc 29403. If you have any questions of concerns please call (843) 720 3105 or e-mail us at Info.ccforp.org.