Raw Emotion - People of the South

Someone once told me that you'll take enough pictures until you finally figure out what you "like" to shoot. Well, I've got a year of photography under my belt and it's a clear favorite that I like capturing natural emotions of people. No "say cheese" shots for me, no way no how. I like to capture emotions that are natural and spontaneous. That is hard for a photographer, not only because of the legalities of it all, but because you have to actually be there with the perfect lighting, perfect attitudes, perfect everything to get that perfect "people" shot. Here are some of my favorites from 2009.

These young men were at the Veteran's day celebration we had in Vicksburg, Mississippi this year. That was one awesome event. I talked to the old timers and loved hearing their stories. I know that they loved telling them. For more Veterans' day photos of that day, click here.

This is my Godson, Brayden. He is a Southern character! He is one of a kind that has this personality that is infectious. He is spoiled rotten, but somehow you put up with it. Which is not me. I have a tendency to try to "fix" spoiled children. But Brayden always gets me laughing before I can "fix" him.

 

Here are some shots from Downtown Vicksburg this past summer. Kids playing in the water at "Catfish Row" water park. My wife and I had the best time just talking with the parents and kids. After we took the pictures, we give the parents my website so they can go download them all for free!

 

Of course, my favorite character of the year was Mr. Clovis. See my blog just on him. Check out these random shots of the many Southern characters I met in 2009. The second shot is Mr. Earl, and the third shot is Mr. Rodgers.

 

But, because I am married and my wife makes me take some "say cheese" shots, I do occasionally takes the kids and their friends out to take a few candid shots. Here are my kids.

 

Well, that is a pretty long blog. Thanks for hangin in there with me. This will be my first full winter to shoot photos in, so I am looking forward to revisiting some of the same places we went to this summer, but from a winter perspective. You guys have a wonderful and merry Christmas!

The year was 1943, and I was part of a bombing squadron that had already lost over 60 bombers in World War II. With 10 crew members per bomber, that is over 600 airmen lost. This day I went up in my bomber and sometime during the mission we collided in mid-air with another plane, knocking the tail section off of our plane. The collision caused our plane to turn upside down and start barrel rolling toward the ground. I was in the back and I had to pull a string to release the flight suit and allow me to move. I pulled once and it didn't release, I pulled twice nothing and I began to feel like that was it, I was a goner for sure. Then I pulled a third time and the flight suit released and I was free. With my parachute I dove toward the large hole in the back of the plane where to this day I don't know how I missed all the scrap metal that was sticking out. I parachuted safely to the ground. I lost a leg that day, but my crew mates lost much much more. I was the only survivor. I am a WWII veteran.

That was the first story I heard as I walked around the Veteran's day celebration of 2009. I was there to take pictures, but I left with many stories from the Veteran's that were lining the grass with their wheelchairs watching the celebration. The picture to the left is a picture of the Veteran that shared this story with me. Here are a few more pictures from the day's events.






To see all the pictures of the day - click here