I love BIG pictures. Richard Avedon is one of the reasons I am a photographer, he printed VERY large images which I have always loved. Today I got to see a couple of my pictures really big! I was standing on the corner outside of a great new lunch place, and the Birmingham area Habitat for Humanity van drove by. Earlier this year, I worked with Jason Bickell a great designer at Lewis Communications, on some Habitat work. Today, I was able to see some of that work brought to life-size on the side of that van. Thanks to Charles Coppedge who did the vehicle wrap for these photos. The van was moving too fast for me to grab a photo with my phone!

I love Habitat for Humanity. One of my early memories, is my dad going on trips with President Jimmy Carter, serving Habitat for Humanity. This organization partners with people to get them into homes. I hope that one day, my legacy is that I have done something to affect people based on the Gospel of Jesus Christ like this organization has.

The latest fashion series from Thicket Magazine. I wanted to do things a little different, I didn’t use electrical lights at all, just that great big one that God made for us, and a couple of modifiers here and there.

They are coming to Birmingham. So, in anticipation of that, they are doing a press tour, where 4 of the dancers travel around the country doing all kinds of media events and PR work to promote the show. One of the agencies I work with a good bit, BIG Communications, has the job of helping get the word out. So, they asked me to be a part of photographing the Rockettes in different places around our fair city. We started atop my old studio’s building, and then ended up at Sloss Furnaces, an historic part of the steel boom in Birmingham in the first part of the 20th century. The wind was quite fierce on top of the roof, so I found some very willing guys (I mean who wouldn’t want to hang out shooting the rockettes?) from my good friend Bryan’s studio, to help tether down the gear in the high winds. Thanks for suffering through that guys! And as always, my trusty sidekick Alan was right in the thick of it!

If you are smart and funny, you would love Mental Floss magazine. I am neither and I like it. I like even more the fact that they asked me to shoot a couple of portraits for the Genius issue that is on newsstands now. As I have said so many times before, I have the best job in the world. The fact that I get to do something I enjoy doing, and meet some of the most intriguing people on the planet blows my mind. For this issue, they asked me to make a portrait of Chef Homaro Cantu, of Moto Restaurant, in Chicago Illinois. I love food, I love to cook (thought not great at it), and I love photography, so this was one of the best fits for me. Chef Cantu, one of the most gracious subjects, is truly a genius. He not only has amazing food, but is using it in ways to better the world. This portrait of him is at the back of his kitchen, with his liquid nitrogen tap, that he uses regularly while cooking. You know the liquid nitrogen tap, don’t you have one in your kitchen?

The second portrait they asked me to make was of Erin Lavik. Erin is a professor at Yale, but also a fantastic wedding cake maker. Erin was tapped for this issue because of her work reconstructing severed spinal cords in rats. Yes, you read correctly. They sever the spinal cords and use a polymer and other scientific things to reconstruct the spinal cord, and the rats regain mobility in the lower half of their bodies. So, one day when people walk after having trauma to the spinal cord, you can say you read it here first. Again, I meet some amazing people.

Every one needs a donkey in their portfolio right? I was making selects from a cookbook I am working on that will be out next year. It’s really cool, highlighting the places and people that food comes from. This particular day we were harvesting wild strawberries, and naturally there was a donkey near by, so naturally I took a picture.

We are still working on getting a tour up for everyone to see, but I had to photograph the new space for my architect last night. So, here is a preview of the place.

I would love to shoot for Rolling Stone someday in my career. But, I don’t mind riding someone else’s coattails! My friends Kiss Me at the Gate, a band I shot a couple of years ago had a review this week on a Rolling Stone blog, and they used one of my photos! Here’s the link http://www.rollingstone.com/blogs/breaking/2008/10/hype-monitor-kiss-me-at-the-ga.php.

We were able to work with Big Communications recently to help launch the new Books A Million (BAM) website. I have heard they are in stores now, so if anyone sees one, send me a picture. The art director has become a great friend and collaborator, Ford Wiles, a genius in his own right. I finally got to use some of the more finished photoshop techniques I have been working on. Then Ford took it over the top!

This was an ad we shot with Lewis Communications for Alfa Insurance. It was the first of at least 2 (hopefully more) ads addressing our current economic climate and how Alfa can find ways to save you money. David Paprocki was the art director, and brains behind the shot. Andy Cargile, is the master retoucher at Lewis, and pulled it all together.

This is the cover of the current issue of Thicket, although the next one is about to hit newsstands.