W P Branham Photography

The Italian Job

2010-10-25T16:19:00.001-04:00

This was my first real Destination Wedding; what a place to start it out!

Hope and Christopher

2010-10-25T07:43:00.001-04:00

This last Summer was one of the busiest I have had in a long time. Between jobs and travel, my blog updates have suffered, but it has been one incredible year so far. I shot this wedding at the beginning of the summer season and then immediately headed out to Italy for the next wedding. I decided to take Lisa along with me for the Italy shoot, and we spent a day in Paris and three in Venice before heading to Verona for the Mata Wedding. Upon returning from Italy we shot the Leavell Wedding the following weekend.

I was ready for some vacation time by then so we headed out to visit our friends in Georgia. When we left there, the guys separated from the wives and headed out to the beautiful state of Utah for a week of fly fishing on the Green River below the Flaming Gorge. We had a great time fishing and laughing and eating the wonderfully prepared food at the resort.

I came home physically tired but mentally rested and ready to process the 3000+ images I had taken on the job, not to mention the personal ones from Europe and Utah. Needless to say my computer got a workout over the next two months and I am surprised I did not develop a case of carpal tunnel syndrome while at it.

While I post some of the images form this busy season, please feel free to comment.

Busy Month / Three Weddings in Four Weeks

2010-05-18T08:10:00.001-04:00

I just got through shooting a wedding this weekend on the 15th. Next Monday I leave for Verona, Italy to shoot another wedding, and on my return the 31st I will get ready to shoot a third wedding that weekend on June 5th. Tis the season.

Last weekends wedding went very I think, and I am looking forward to the next two. I am taking my wife on the Italy shoot and we are leaving a few days early and hitting Paris for a day and Venice for three days before Eurorailing it back to Verona for the wedding. I should have lots to post for a while upon our return. I may try to blog from Italy, but internet access will be sporadic.

See you all then...

The Last Snow Day

2010-02-05T22:51:00.005-05:00

A few weeks back we finally got a snow big enough to go out in. Looks like we may get another one tomorrow :) I love the snow.

Shallow Depth of Field

2010-01-15T16:00:00.001-05:00

Sometimes I get questioned as to why I would spend so much more for a lens with a faster (smaller) f-stop. The answer is creative focus control. If you want a certain image to just pop or draw the viewers attention to a specific area of the image, try using a smaller f-stop. Sometimes you want the whole image to be seen in focus, but you run the risk of creating a snapshot and not a possible piece of art; make that decision before you click and you will be much happier with your photography.

Street Photography

2010-01-01T23:36:00.002-05:00

I love just walking the streets and looking for what I see and trying to capture it.

Below the Depot

2010-01-01T02:11:00.002-05:00

Not a place you really want to go alone; though I did. I would love to go back and shoot some more HDR in these conditions as they lend themselves so well to the process, but there too many eyes looking out from behind pillars and under boxes for my safety to be ensured down there. They were probably mostly harmless addicts and homeless, but my comfort zone shrank considerably in just a few minutes.

Merry Christmas

2009-12-28T23:32:00.005-05:00

Rebekah and Michael - Before and After

2009-12-23T22:03:00.010-05:00

My nephew's wedding on a hot July evening. They were a joy to work with and took direction like pros, even though the best shots were captured in such a natural way. If all weddings were this much fun I might have to lower my prices.... :) Don't forget to click on these to see the larger versions.

Grandpa's Pride

2009-12-20T21:43:00.002-05:00

Lisa Caught Off Gaurd

2009-12-20T21:33:00.005-05:00

She hates having her picture taken so I have to sneek up on her when I can :) People having been telling her she reminds them of Sarah Palin; she says it's just the glasses.

Linde & Erickson Wedding

2009-12-12T22:07:00.004-05:00

Beautiful outdoor wedding on a beautiful summer day. The sun made for some tricky shooting with shadow play, but the cheerfull bride and groom and the romantic setting made up for the challenges.

Hometown Fall Colors 2009

2009-10-31T14:22:00.002-04:00

We had a very wet summer and it lead to the beautiful colors we had this year. It only lasts for a few weeks, but oh what a few weeks they are. These were all taken in two days, but that was all the time I had this season between work and weather conditions. Hope you enjoy what we get to see each fall.

Indiana Fall

2009-10-23T18:45:00.003-04:00

I know there are a lot of reasons to live elsewhere; like Arizona where I grew up or Arkansas for the fishing or Colorado for the absolute beauty of everything, but you know there are times when this state has something to offer you can't get just anywhere...

Black and White

2009-09-09T20:49:00.003-04:00

To me there is just something about black and white that at the end of the day just draws me back. If I can take away the color; the obvious catalyst in most images, and still keep your attention long enough to see the beauty in an object or plant or reflection by just showing you its contrast and form, then I believe I have accomplished something. I trust I do every now and then... Please click the images to get a closer look.

Happy Labor Day

2009-09-07T19:02:00.005-04:00

I remember when this meant something...

Zoo Fun

2009-09-06T19:44:00.012-04:00

The usual and maybe a few unusual... Just have fun!

After The Rain

2009-07-24T18:19:00.003-04:00

There is something about the time just after a rain when all things look as if you are seeing them they way they were meant to be seen.

Sweet Rides

2009-07-24T07:40:00.019-04:00

Nothing like a well kept car, especially one that is 50 plus years old. I am always so intrigued by some of the work put into the engine compartments of these beautiful classics. I hope you enjoy my take.

Playing with the new camera

2009-05-30T22:46:00.014-04:00

A few weeks ago I got my new camera in after quite a wait for it to be in stock. I even had to wait for two weeks for the extra battery to become available. I got a Canon 5D Mark II to go with my almost three year old original 5D. The 21.1 megapixels are a little taxing on the editing process, but i will put up with it for the extra data :)

I have shot two paying jobs with it so far and have really enjoyed it. I have two wedding in the next 5 weeks and the extra camera with different lenses attached will be so helpful. The images are probably no better than with the 5D, but the size and cropping options are incredible.

There is nothing special about these captures; they are just some fun testing of different lighting situations and processes. Hope you like something.

Engagement Shoot / Michael and Rebekah

2009-05-16T23:23:00.011-04:00

I have been a little busy lately with multiple shoots and a lot of personal things to take care of, but here are few shots from Michael and Rebekah's engagement shoot. I have two weddings coming up in the next 6 or so weeks, and I just finished a portrait shoot yesterday. I will post some of those images when I can. The client bought the shoot as a gift and I must wait until after it is given so they don't accidentally see it.

BTW, I got my new camera a couple of weeks ago to supplement the arsenal. The new body is a Canon 5D Mark II. I used it this weekend on the job and just love the outcome. It's 21.1MP so my files have more than doubled in size. Lightroom coughed every now and then when doing extensive processing, even with a 4GB Ram Macbook Pro. It seems to be well worth the extra clock tics though.

More Maine

2009-03-14T16:44:00.006-04:00

More examples of the beauty of the Maine Coast. On a couple of the days we had some heavy fog roll in off the ocean, and what I first seen as a problem turned into some interesting opportunities.

Maine Coast in Color

2009-03-05T20:13:00.003-05:00

My main purpose in shooting the Maine Series was intended for Black and White long exposure as featured in earlier posts, but I did get some nice color images that I have been enjoying a lot more lately. I thought I would share a few occasionally as I had time. This is one of my favorites taken on a rainy day at Sand Beach in Acadia National Park. It was very cloudy, but I still worked with a ND filter to get the waves to crash a few times and get that smooth surreal effect I have been doing for quite some time now; enjoying the challenge of capturing motion in a still frame. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Take the opportunity to click the image to get a closer look at the water effect and the mist that permeates the image.

Take a Drive

2009-02-14T13:41:00.009-05:00

Sometimes you just get bored and need to hear the shutter release to calm the nerves. You never know what you will see; it does not have to be earth-shattering, but just look.

Storm of 2009

2009-02-01T08:08:00.006-05:00

Starting last Monday we got 4 or 5 inches of snow followed Tuesday night by an inch of ice followed Wednesday morning by another 4 inches of snow. We missed three days of work and were in the house for days. Fortunately we had power which is more than I can say for 200,000 plus households in the area. As of this morning (Sunday) there were still more than 90,000 without power.

Gabriel

2009-01-10T00:09:00.005-05:00

My grandson Gabriel is now 4 1/2 months old already. He has PaPa wrapped around his little finger. His dad and I sat around and tied flies for fishing this afternoon and I was fantasizing about the day I will get to teach him to fly fish. He looked so cute in his winter outfit and toboggan I just has to try to capture it. I have only taken about 800 pictures of him so far.....poor guy. Click this one for the full view; he's such a doll!

Another View

2008-12-29T00:12:00.003-05:00

Here is another view from the same spot but filtered for a longer exposure and a more intimate view of the precipice.

Niagara Falls

2008-12-27T23:47:00.003-05:00

Ever been to the falls? Its just a tourist trap now I know, but it really is an awesome display of nature's power. I shot this from the Canadian side this summer. I was happy we had some drama in the sky that day; it added some depth to this ever so often seen view.

Children of Africa

2008-12-26T19:43:00.008-05:00

After looking at the dirty air and the harsh living conditions in Ghana and Nigeria I have shown, I thought I would show you one reason why these places have a way of endearing themselves to you so easily; and especially why they did me.

Children are children the world wide, but the children of Africa are special; no matter what their lives may be like, those smiles tell you they are still children and can enter your heart in an instant. Long after your trip is over those faces will be seared into your memory and your soul.

Legos Nigeria

2008-12-21T00:09:00.002-05:00

Legos may be one of the most polluted and populated cities in the world, but there is something about it; I'll never forget that visit. Don't get me wrong, I would not suggest living there, but the people have a way of getting into your heart. I used a selective tilt shift technique here to give this image that almost toy city look. Like it?

The Gatekeeper

2008-11-29T23:19:00.006-05:00

I was in Ghana, West Africa driving along a road when we turned into a driveway to speak with a man about the use of a truck the next day. We pulled up to the gate and the driver honked the horn prompting the gate to open moments later. After exiting the van I noticed the gate had been opened by a Muslim man working for the home owner. This face made me want to know everything about this man, the weathered skin, the kind eyes with more that a touch of mystery; I just wanted to sit and have him tell me about his life. A few minutes later we were pulling away after setting up the use of the truck for a video shoot the next day, so my fantasy interview was thwarted; but I did get a picture with his permission.

Assorted Inspiration

2008-11-26T22:32:00.010-05:00

Sometimes a subject just jumps out at you, almost begging to be photographed; other times you must have your minds eye open, ready and willing to see what may normally go unnoticed.

Briana

2008-11-13T16:33:00.030-05:00

Briana was another one of those pleasurable shoots. You mix together a pretty young lady with a photogenic face, an easygoing personality, throw in the last week of fall's magnificent color and stir it all up and what do you get; a successful part-one to a two-part Senior Photo Session. She wanted a more traditional style shoot with a litle fun thrown in so this was the traditional part. A lot of rules were broken on purpose in composition and direction in many of these shots for effect, and I believe they worked. We are planning a little less nature and a little more retro in the next segment, and I am sure it will be just as productive.

The Matty Family / Lifestyle Shoot

2008-11-08T20:39:00.038-05:00

One of the popular products with some of our clients has been the Coffee Table Book from a lifestyle portrait session. These are a few images from over 80 produced for the Matty's book last weekend. It was easy work. what with two beautiful young ladies and their adorable little brother Grant. He was more interested in playing as would be expected, but occasionally he tried to mimic his sisters posing and I got lucky. If all clients were as pleasurable to work with as this family it would not be called work. I may post the entire shoot on my website later next week.

My New Love

2008-11-08T12:01:00.007-05:00

Every now and then something comes along to make your life even more enjoyable than it was. I was already a happy man, a wonderful life, a beautiful wife, two precious daughters who we raised and adore; what else did I need? My, my, was I ever wrong. My oldest daughter Grace and her husband David gave us the gift of a lifetime; though they seem to think he is theirs. Meet the new love of our lives; Gabriel David Jones.

The Art of Life

2008-11-05T19:17:00.013-05:00

I find the rural life in Southern Indiana to be something quite special. Whenever I pass a farm or home on my daily travels, I try to imagine the story behind it. We all have a story, a life that we live with our families and friends and sometime overlook that of others. I stopped in one day at a farm I pass quite often near my home and asked if I could walk around and shoot. I just wanted to get a little more insight into the life of the family living there, even if it was just out of curiosity. Here are a few images from the series I shot one warm afternoon. I hope you enjoy; and maybe the next time you pass a familiar location you will walk a moment in their shoes even if it is only in your minds eye.

Ghana, West Africa

2008-11-01T01:21:00.008-04:00

Last October just outside Tema, Ghana, West Africa, we came across a small fishing community on the beach. They had their hand carved fishing boat embellished with personal and tribal carvings, a shelter from the weather crafted from palm trunks and fronds and the pots where they cleaned and prepared the catch for sale right on the beach. All this not a mile, and within view, of a hustling and bustling metropolitan area of Ghana with its banks, oil, Mercedes dealerships and suit-wearing business men. It was so different from my experiences in Kenya and Eastern Africa teaming with zebra, giraffe and gazelle, but it was still Africa; primal, sad, beautiful and life changing in so many ways.

More from Maine

2008-10-27T20:50:00.006-04:00

A few more of the thousands of images taken during the Maine 2008 series. I was there to shoot the Black and White series but I could not help but capture some of the color while I was there.

Indiana Fall Fire

2008-10-25T23:57:00.009-04:00

I grew up in the West, Tucson to be exact, and I will always consider the desert and mountains my home; but never let it be said that the Midwest does not have its own beauty. The light was nice today, and even with the lack of water this summer I found some fall fire to capture. I would say we will peak next weekend.

A Fish Tail

2008-10-24T23:26:00.005-04:00

I considered taking a picture of the rest of this huge Rainbow Trout, but I thought it best to leave it just a Fish Tail :)

Elegance in the Alley

2008-10-24T23:05:00.005-04:00

I find that putting competing elements together can be very interesting. Here you have the beauty and the grunge, the silk and suede with the rust and run-down. The added element of the breeze just at shutter release was a nice surprise.

Midnight Minimalism

2008-10-24T01:04:00.005-04:00

Another long exposure, night shot. Sometimes you just want to keep it simple, you see something in your mind, even with choppy water and hardly enough light to focus so you just wait for your eyes to acclimate to the dark conditions and hope you get the focus and the composure the way your visualize it. I love minimalism in photography.

Old Truck Love

2008-10-24T00:53:00.008-04:00

Broken down, rusting away, neglected to the point of no return; and yet I am still so attracted to them I will stop the car and trudge through the tall grass of someones side yard to get a shot. I found this one in just that manner while in Maine shooting the coast series.

More Maine

2008-10-22T21:55:00.005-04:00

Here are two more images from the summer shoot in Maine. I really like the texture that the wet rocks give the one; the drama is palpable to me. The Lighthouse image was taken at just the moments when a thunderhead was moving behind the light itself. Though it was dark at the time the thunderhead was tall enough to catch the last rays of sunlight that had already fallen bellow the horizon to those of us on the ground. It's time like this that we as photographers wait for.

Hope you enjoy.

Maine 2008

2008-10-21T21:31:00.007-04:00

My latest series comes from a trip I took this summer to the rocky coast of Maine. I had been working on a new technique of night, long exposure photography for some time and this was the perfect place to really exercise these.

I will post more as time goes on, but here is one of my personal favorites (and there are many) from this very special shoot. These prints will be exclusively for sale through a retailer who commissioned me to shoot some images for his new store in Kennebunkport. We are really excited about the response we will get from the series.

Come back for more images from this series.

Natural Abstraction

2008-10-20T21:01:00.004-04:00

We took a drive Sunday up to Cliffty Falls State Park to have a look at what the fall colors where doing. We are about a week or so away from peak, but it was still quite beautiful. In this shot I was trying to capture the absolute sensory overload that can occur when the sun is coming through the leaves and reflecting on some and bringing out shadow in others. It just reminded me of an abstract piece of art where the artist seems to have just thrown the paint onto the canvas and accepted whatever happened. Your eyes don't even know where to go as there is so much to attract your atention.

Saturday Fly Fishing

2008-10-18T22:42:00.004-04:00

My son-in-law David and I went fishing on the Cumberland River today. The fishing was slow, a dozen or so, but it was a nice fall day. I could not resist pulling the camera out for a few minutes. We have not had the best color this year due to a drought this summer, but it was still a nice scene though.

Challenge and Reward

2008-10-17T20:48:00.004-04:00

Last Christmas my wife Lisa, who helps me with my group projects, and I done a photo shoot for a family's three children. We produced a coffee table book for them that they gave away to family members for gifts. Maybe I will link the whole book sometime with their permission but here is the image we used for the book cover.

These kids were a joy to work with; I hope we get a few more of these jobs this year, they are quite challenging and yet rewarding.

River Dock at Night

2008-10-16T17:02:00.008-04:00

Here is another one from a nighttime shoot. It was almost pitch dark at this point, and the river, thought quite choppy at the time, became just a fog of exposure. I really started in earnest honing my technique after this night because I just loved the results.

Movement in a Still Shot

2008-10-16T16:25:00.005-04:00

Back in May I got very interested in attempting to capture motion, movement, in a still shot to the point the viewer could feel it. I love night photography and long exposure; this is one of my first successful attempts at doing just that (in my opinion).

I have since done hundreds of experiments, bought many ND filters, spent hot and cold nights in the dark shooting extremely long exposures from 10 seconds to 120 seconds just to learn and enjoy myself. I spent the summer in Maine trying out these new techniques; I'll share some with you over the next little while.

This is just a feild of yellow flowers that were blowing in the breeze; the correct exposure here froze the stems and 70% of the flowers, while letting the wind capture the rest and move them before your eyes. If you just let go a little you can almost feel the breeze...

The Bailey Gang

2008-10-16T06:47:00.006-04:00

A few months back I did a wedding where the groom was an old dear friend. He and his wife to-be met while riding horses competitively. They wanted to do a Western Style wedding so we did the entire engagement shoot with horses on one of their farms, I will post a few more of those later on, and this is one of my favorites from the Wedding Day itself.

Almost everyone of the groomsmen were riders so it had that authentic feel and not something you pretentiously set up. They were so much fun to work with. I was told by someone that this looks like an album cover for a country music band :) I took it as a compliment because I had that type of feel in mind before we got on location.

The bad weather on the day of the wedding added to the drama of the outdoor shots immensity, giving me a chance to use it to my advantage. I hope you enjoy. Don't forget to click the image to get a bigger version.

Lightroom and Photomatix Plug-in

2008-10-12T00:14:00.007-04:00

Pseudo HDR

Normal Export

This is a rainbow I caught a few months back on the Cumberland River in Kentucky. The fish was a nice specimen of how the day went, even if a little on the lean side; but this entry is a tutorial of sorts and not a fish story.

Sometimes its nice to have the time and forethought to shoot multiple exposures of an image even its only meant to be a memento shot like this one, but when you don't you still have options to get a little more dynamic range into the final.

Using Lightroom 2.0 I exported three different images using an 2-stop over / normal / 2-stop under technique then import those images back into Lightroom. Using the new Photomatix Plug-In for Lightroom from HDRSoft I created a pseudo HDR image from one exposure and I was able to get more range therefore getting more detail in the shadow areas like the black net and detail in the rock's texture; and in this case I believe a much more pleasing version of this capture.

I don't care too much for HDR images that take Tone Mapping to an extreme, unless that is what you are shooting for. I believe HDR can be utilized to bring out detail that the eye sees with it's mega dynamic range and put some of it back into the photo with it's limited range.

Let me know what you think.

One-Person Show

2008-04-16T22:54:00.008-04:00

I just got a call today from a Gallery owner in New Albany that is giving give me a One-Person show for the month of May. That only gives me and Lisa two weeks to get everything ready; and that with a Wedding Shoot this weekend, but we will get'er done somehow. I have been wanting this for some time and it is finally going to happen! I will update here and on the Regular website when I have Grand Opening dates for you.

In the meantime here a few images from the next update that is coming up soon.

Gallery Update Demo

W P Branham Photography

Slide Show of Web Update

2007-12-12T22:29:00.001-05:00

I have a doctor who seems to appreciate my work and has put 5 framed pieces up in her office and home; a couple were Limited Editions and she was pleased that one of them was 1/25 as it was new the day she was shopping the site. (I always keep the first print as an artist print and number it 0/25). I have an appointment Friday and she wanted to see some new work as she was interested in some Christmas gifts for family and friends. I created this slide show of a few new pieces I had been working on to link-up for her to view. I thought I would just go ahead and put the link here as well.

It takes a few minutes to load completely, but the thumbs are there rather quickly. Take a click if you are interested.

Slide Show

I went to West Africa (Ghana and Nigeria) in October of this year, and she has a real love for the African people, but I have not had the time to process the hundreds (forgive me, 2500+) of images from that trip. I know she will love many of those. I will share them here as well as my website sometime in January.

Visit the website as well if you get time. Have a great rest of the week.

W P Branham Photography

William P. Branham Jr.

Train Depot

2007-12-08T23:49:00.001-05:00

I was driving through old Louisville with my wife the other day and came across this old train depot. I have got to get access to this place! Under the concrete, just to the right of this image, is an old set of stairs that was walled up with cinder block but the local homeless, and a few drug user as well from the looks of the type of waste in there, broke through the block and made a hole to get up top. I am going to get up there soon, maybe during a snow to add another element to this already magnetic spot. I know, maybe you would not go in there, but that is just the kind of place I can't get my mind off of until I have completely explored it to see what it has to offer me...

Visit my Web Page W P Branham Photography.

Welcome

2007-12-08T21:43:00.001-05:00

Hello to all those who may stumble across these ramblings from a creative (sentenced to life at birth) who spends more time in the right hemisphere of his brain than is probably healthy but who has very limited control over the border crossings.

I was born to create, in one medium or another, and have settled into the digital age quite comfortably. Early on just the nub of a Red Crayola or a #2 pencil would be enough to spark hours upon hours of enjoyment, then it took that gritty feel of charcoal and the softness of pastels to express myself more. Next it was the semi-controllable surprise of pigment and water that grabbed me by the subconscious and gave me great joy. I eventually went full circle and ended back up with a pencil in my hand, only now I called it 'graphite' because it sounded more artsy; right? I won a few local and regional gallery competitons for my artwork, but being a newlywed and a young father were taking up more of my time and I did not want to miss out on that wonderful part of life; the time for highly detailed surrealistic realism was just not there.

Oh well, I was taking images in 35mm most of this time; capturing images to develop so that I could go home and paint or draw them. I started to notice that my photographic work was giving me more and more satisfaction and getting a little attention; then the digital image came into its own and the rest is history...

There are a few cameras around the house, but my current workhorse is a Canon 5D with a stable of "L" Series lenses like the Canon 85mm 1.2L, a Canon 24-105MM L IS, a Canon 70-200mm L, a Lensbaby, a tamron 16-35 3.5 a couple of old primes (a 28mm and a 50mm) that I am currently playing around with; trying to make a homemade bellows and using them for creative work. They will act like a tilt-shift and give me some cool DOF options. I am even playing with an attachment for the 5D to use it as a digital pinhole camera. I am always doing something, prolific may be a better description, as my image counter is proof of that--the 5D alone has logged over 35,000 images in under two years!

I will be posting things that interest me, whether part of a commission or part of my personal fine art portfolios; even my ever growing sideline of wedding and portrait work will find its way here. I trust you enjoy what you see; comment on them if you wish--my muse is not deterred at all by criticism...it has has a mind of it's own, usually with it's tongue-in-cheek and laughing at its control over me anyway.

Visit my Web Page W P Branham Photography.