Lovers and Fighters

This is why I love photography. There are no boundries, no rules. Hmm...kinda sounds like love and cage fighting to me. You may capture a moment, pure emotions, stories, art. It all comes down to what you are shooting and how you want to portray it. I was fortunate enough to cover the American Fight Leagues MMA pre-event party in Atlanta, and the next day meet with my first wedding photography clients to shoot some engagement photos. Interestingly enough, the day of the fighting event at Philips Arena falls a day before the wedding.

The Fighters:


The AFL Atlanta event was plenty of fun. All of the fighters seemed like very cool guys. Maybe its just an Atlanta thing, since everyone I have ever met in Atlanta has been extremely nice and outgoing. The photos of the event looked a lot better than I thought they would since there was next to no light in the building. My SB-600 Flash got a real workout. My f/1.8 50mm lens also a life saver. It was a little long in reach tough, but I needed every ounce of light I could squeeze out of that little fantastic lens. There where plenty of times when people where posing and it was so dark my camera hunted and hunted to find a focus point. I can really see where the professional 17-55mm Nikon 2.8 lens would have been very handy for a event like this.

The Lovers:




Joe and Jina. I would like to thank them for the opportunity to capture such a important event in their lives. I also want to thank them for being a very photogenic couple. Lol. Never hurts to have good looking young people in your portfolio. The little engagement session was a fun experience. Watching Joe and Jina interact with each other was a blast. These guys smile nonstop because of each other. The shot took place at the site of the wedding and at Mill Springs in Monticello, KY. Mill Springs opens up a wide set of photography challenges. Harsh and spotty shadows from all the overhanging trees ruining what would be great pictures in most areas. When you do find a good shady spot your background is usually extremely bright. I am quickly learning how useful it is to use flash outside in such situations.