Shootin' Cousins
Published!!
I am SOOO excited that one of my images is featured
on the cover of this month’s EventDV magazine, the leading
industry magazine and resource for event
filmmakers! I took this photo at the In[Focus] Event in Austin, Texas
this past January. It was an incredible event that
brought the industry’s most creative and
innovative leaders from around the world together
in one place. It was amazing to sit at a table
over dinner with some of the filmmakers who have
inspired me the most and who I consider my “film
heroes!” And the coolest thing? Not only did I get
to meet them in person and learn from them, but I
now call many of them my friends!
I love that Steve Nathans-Kelly, editor of
the magazine, chose this particular image because
it features the AMAZING Ron Dawson of Dare Dreamer Media, who kicked off
the conference with one of the most inspiring
presentations I have experienced.
It also features one of the In[Focus] co-founders,
the beloved Julian St. Pierre of Studio Vieux Carre, located in the
French Quarter of New Orleans. I got to meet
Julian last August in Dallas when Patrick Moreau,
Kevin Shahinian, and Michael
Wong held a one day seminar, sponsored by
In[Focus]. Sadly, Julian passed away suddenly in
November. He and his wife Terry and son Joe, along
with Chris Jones of Mason Jar Films and Don Pham of
Take 1 Productions, worked
tirelessly planning this highly anticipated event.
Julian was an inspiration to so many in our
industry, as well as to everyone who had the
pleasure of meeting him. He is GREATLY missed.
Presenters included:
Ron Dawson, William Gaff, David Perry, Steve and Laura Moses, Loyd Calomay, Mark and Trisha Von Lanken,
Chris P. Jones, Patrick and
Konrad of Still-Motion, Joe Simon, Matt Davis, and Ray Roman.
Some of my favorite
images from the week:
It was great to reunite with friends! Here, Raymond Vega from Puerto Rico
gives Terry Taravella a big “hello
again” hug!
Chris P. Jones of
Mason Jar Films taking a minute
for Mac.
David Perry shows how easy it
is to overcome obstacles with the help of Chris McClain
David Perry’s
presentation included a very special guest to show
how important it is to make real connections with our
clients. It moved many of us emotionally, including
my sweet friend Joanna Banks-Morgan.
And of course there were
toys to play with!! Eric Kmetz and Stewart Smith are checking out
some Canon goodness here!
Loyd Calomay wowed us with his
3D presentation - well, it was more like he teased
us with the idea of a 3d presentation! 
Ahh, the Von Lankens got Von Real! I
loved their “how-to” demonstrations! Especially
the one on how to know when too much is TOO MUCH!
My favorite magazine
editor, Steve Nathans-Kelly
I shared a table with
Rodrigo Zapico from Brazil!
Such a nice person!
Nearly three years ago, I
stumbled upon the Still-Motion Blog and my view of
wedding filmmaking changed forever! This is Patrick Moreau and it was so
cool to meet him and get to talk to him after
being inspired by him for so long! He pushes
himself and his work to absolutely unbelievable
lengths! All of these guys were so down to earth
and eager to teach and share. Coolest. thing.
ever.
My roomies from our local
Dallas PVA, Theresa and Aggie! Loved getting to spend
time with them!
Just looking at these two
makes me smile! Brian Gunn and Christine Moore are also
members of the Dallas PVA.
Yet another example of
industry heroes getting down and dirty to teach the
rest of us the tricks of the trade! It was great
getting to see and have some hands on experience with
the latest and greatest gear! Here Joe Simon shows us how it’s
done!
Everybody loves
super-coach Matt Davis!
Did I mention there were awesome toys (gear) and
people to show us how to use them? Here’s Patrick
again and John Moon on the right. John
and Jen Moon were the first filmmakers I met
online and hit it off with. They were GREAT to
answer all my questions, plus, they are just great
people and we became fast friends. I got to have
lunch with them last November and it was wonderful
to see them again at In[Focus]. They too are
constantly broadening their business horizons!
Check out what Jen and
her friend Reagan Zugelter have come up
with for all of us women filmmakers and
photographers! Would LOVE to be a part of POSH!
One of my favorites -
Meg Simone! Loved finally
getting to meet her! Felt like meeting an old
friend! This girl has had and INCREDIBLE 2010 so
far! She’s received honors and awards almost on a
weekly basis!
Meg used several of my
images from the In[Focus] event to produce an
inspiring short film about the event that put into
words what I think we all were feeling. Oh, and did I
mention her video won first place???
There were many more wonderful people and inspiring leaders at In[Focus]! Too many to include in one blog post! Thank you to all of you who made the event so special and lifechanging for so many of us! And a special thank you to you, Julian.
The Elrods!
WCS Pride Invitational
I recently had the
opportunity to photograph a wrestling tournament in
Weatherford, Texas and I absolutely loved it! I
honestly had never been to a wrestling tournament
before and only vaguely knew what to expect. But the
organizer and coach of the Weatherford Christian
School Wrestling team, Bill Ford, did an amazing job
organizing the event!
I love these images because of the emotion on the
faces of the competitors, especially the younger
ones!
Enjoy!
WCS Faith Promise Dinner
A Rockin' Reception!
photo from Emerald City website
John
and Kate’s reception was one of the funnest and had
the highest energy that I have ever seen! In addition
to all the amazing flowers, food, lighting, and the
venue itself, the band Emerald City set
the tone and kept the mood rockin’ the entire
evening! There were close to 500 guests of every
age, and just about everyone hit the dance floor
at some point in during the party.
Emerald City is a Dallas based band founded in 1983
and have several high profile clients! They have
entertained President and Mrs. Bush at the White
House, several Fortune 500 companies, and performed
at the weddings of Emmitt Smith, Mark Cuban and Angie
Harmon!
I loved that the horns, with crazy hats donned, and
occasionally the vocalists got right in the middle of
the dance floor and performed while interacting with
the crowd.
And the BEST was how they led a conga line out of the
ballroom down to the “getaway” car! Then the horns
escorted the bride and groom out, while playing a
jazzy tune, which you’ll see in the video below!
Emerald City plays locally here in DFW at different
venues. If you are in the area, check their schedule
and go dance the night away!
Dallas, Texas
Ceremony: Highland Park United Methodist
Church
Reception: The Belo
Mansion
Photographer: Simple Moments
Photography
Reception Entertainment: Emerald City
Kate + John: A Presidential Event!
One of my very favorite local bands, Emerald City, entertained EVERYONE at the reception! I will be featuring part of the reception in tomorrow’s post and you will NOT want to miss that!
The beautiful Stacey Pinkney of Simple Moments Photography was so fun to work with and did a fabulous job!
More fun facts:
•I’ve known Kate and most of her bridesmaids since they were in high school. It was a fun reunion!
•John’s brother, Michael, and Kate’s bridesmaid, Lauren, were engaged and I was privileged to film their wedding in November! You won’t want to miss their film trailer coming soon!
*This video tells Kate and John’s story from their arrival at the church up to the reception. Check back for reception highlights!!
Ceremony: Highland Park United Methodist Church
Reception: The Belo Mansion
Photographer: Simple Moments Photography
Reception Entertainment: Emerald City
Aron Kay + Brandon
I was honored to film Aron Kay and Brandon’s beautiful wedding last summer! You may remember this super fun couple from their San Antonio engagement photo session here.
Aron Kay, with the help of the amazing Wendy Kidd of Each and Every Detail, did an AWESOME job planning and fun and very unique wedding. One of my favorite parts was the fact that the reception was at the Fort Worth Zoo!
It was also a pleasure to work with Dallas[in]Focus Photography! (Click on their link to see their amazing images of the day!)
Thank you Aron Kay and Brandon for letting us share in your special day!
Ceremony: University Christian Church
Reception: Fort Worth Zoo
Wedding Planner: Wendy Kidd, Each and Every Detail
Photographer: Dallas[in]Focus
Reception Entertainment: Drywater Band
Cakes: Crème de la Crème Catering
Make it a Perfect '10!
I LOVE this card I custom designed for the Garvin Family! If you are like me, you were late getting those Christmas cards out and have decided on a New Year’s card!
Contact me and let’s design one for your family!
Cute X 2 + A Bunch More
Here are just a few of these beautiful babies, toddling around in all their cuteness! I love it!
The Barnes, Part 1
I’ve barely scratched the surface of their images, but I couldn’t wait to share some of my favorites so far!! Enjoy!
All in the Family
While we were in Cleburne for the wedding, Becky suggested I photograph her growing family! They just recently welcomed Emma into the clan - the first granddaughter! We shot at the beautifully restored Liberty Hotel. If you are ever in Cleburne overnight, it is the hands down place to stay!
I had a blast with this special family I am proud to call my friends!
Lion Pride
Ella Grace
So, I’m thinking Jet the dog is a pretty big Ella fan
too!
Tyler
Brooke
Jared
I arrived to the location early to photograph the Mickles’s (club owners) four amazing longhorns. Jared arrived and we got a couple of shots with them in the background. Right after this image was taken, we started talking to them and Tonto the Bull did NOT appreciate that at all! He charged us! I don’t recall running that fast in quite some time!
After we finished at
Canyon West, we headed to some of my favorite spots
around town!
Alex
We
started out racing the ominous looking weather around
downtown Midland and then safari-ed around until we
ended up at the Midland Christian School
fieldhouse.
Special thanks our good friend Greg McClendon for
letting us use the facility!
What a wonderful day with my wonderful friends! Thank you for making the drive!
Baby Momma
In Case You Were Wondering...
Toughest
Cowboy is moving to Wednesday Nights on SpikeTV at
10:00pm CST - right after UFC! Don’t miss
it!
Football, Anyone?
Note: You have to stay with it until the “21 Gun Salute!” (3:30) It’s such awesomeness!!!
About to Rock
from Gravitt
Productions on Vimeo.
You
can see #99 Brandon Henderson at SMU and #7 Will Ford
at Texas Tech next Fall!
P.S. If any of you work for the Cowboys or the NFL, I
really want to work for you! That would be
uh-mazing!
Face Plants, Knock Outs, and Bull Wrecks
Bandy Murphy,
Toughest Cowboy of Tournament 2
(Poster designed by Matt Minnichsoffer of Grit Rock
Rodeo)
Okay,
this is a little different from the last post! I’m
bringing the cowboys back to remind you that you
really need to set your DVR for Toughest Cowboy
tomorrow night! I’m totally hooked! It’s definitely
not for the faint of heart! It’s exposed this really
“gladiator” side of me I didn’t know I had!
I photographed these guys back in December before
they shot the show, and I didn’t have a clue what
they were willing to endure to be the last cowboy
standing and win a ranch! Here are some of my
favorite cowboys (they’re really all my favorites!)
and some highlights: (CLICK ON THE GREEN LINKS TO SEE
VIDEO!)
This
is Steve Woolsey
from
Payson, Utah. He was the Toughest Cowboy in
Tournament 1 and has been doing GREAT! Plus, he’s
a super nice guy. And tough.
I
really liked Jared Green (Socorro,
New Mexico) and was really sad to see him go last
week. He was injured so badly here in
the first tournament, he just had a really hard
time coming back. And that wreck was after he had
been injured in his first ride and couldn’t lift
either one of his shoulders! But the dude went for
8 in the knockout round on a bull - the fourth
animal he had ridden that night - to make it to
tournament 2! I didn’t think there was going to be
any stopping him.
Ha, I love this guy! Erik Wolford (Adrian,
Michigan) would give you a beat down then eat a
lollipop! And you would never suspect it just
looking at him! He BROKE his collarbone
here in
Tournament 1, but he just kept riding and scoring
like nothing ever happened! I do not know how he
does it.
Well,
there’s a fine line between tough and just nuts, and
I’ll let you decide where this falls.
Charlie Barker
(Terrebonne,
Oregon) got his face kicked in here in
tournament 2 on his first ride of the night. He
didn’t really know where he was, and he had a roll
of toilet paper up his nose the rest of the night,
but he just kept riding!
Okay, that’s all for this week, even though I haven’t
even told you how Chad Eubank (Cleburne,
Texas) nearly cut his finger completely off. Oh,
and Weatherford’s own Tommy Joe Lucia, Executive
Vice President of Grit Rock Rodeo, is the
Commissioner of this deal!
You gotta watch this show! Do you really need any
more reasons?
And then leave me some comments and let me know what
you thought!
San Antonio Love
We started out at where else? The Alamo! I am not really sure what all was going on that day, but I’ll tell you one thing, the Alamo is a happening place on February 14!
These ladies were all
decked out in their southern Civil War Era best and
were great to play along with us!
Aron and Brandon are both
studying to become dentists, and met at dental
school! We thought it would be fun to get some shots
up at school. This one was just for fun!
They are pretty excited
to graduate in just a few months!
I wonder how many times
they’ve passed each other in these halls? Bet it’s
the best part of their day!
Thanks guys for such an
incredible weekend! Your love is inspiring! I can’t
wait to video your wedding in June!
We Love Jack Bauer
Music Video
Born Again
Believer from Gravitt Productions
on Vimeo.
WCS Website
The Garvins
Jordan + Tim's Highlight
I
finished this project a while back but wanted to show
you one of my favorite excerpts from Tim and Jordan’s
DVD! It was a beautiful wedding and an amazing, FUN
couple! It was an honor to produce the wedding DVD’s
for Tim last year and his sister Kelly in 2006.
Jordan and Tim's
Highlight from Gravitt Productions
on Vimeo.
Toughest Cowboy!
Amanda + Josh
Election Day & Cougars
I have been super busy with editing, videoing, photographing, and building websites! So much fun and not near enough time to get it all done as quickly as I would like to! Over the next few days, I’ll give you a peek into what I have been up to!
Today, here are some snapshots of some (not all!!) of my favorite Abilene Cooper Cougars! I’m excited to announce that these as well as other player portraits are available for sale on my website!! Click here to see the galleries!
Jordan at Traci's
Tim and Jordan had a
beautiful wedding in Midland, Texas! Here is Jordan
and her crew at Traci’s Salon getting their hair and
makeup done for the big event!
Jordan
at Traci's from
Gravitt Productions on Vimeo.
I'm Still Here!
Here’s last week’s Cooper video!
Storm Saturday Night from Gravitt Productions on Vimeo.
We started school since I last blogged, so here’s the obligatory first day of school pic! The boys aren’t really big fans of group photos the way they used to be. I think you will find that quite obvious!
It’s the first time all three boys have been in school together, and I have had a little boy at home with me for the last 12 and a half years! I am working on getting a routine established for myself.
Part of that routine for the last two days has been going to Boot Camp at 5:30 in the morning! I thought I would absolutely hate it, but I actually love it! I may feel differently later today when the soreness kicks in! Pretty sure I am not going to be able to make it up the stairs by tonight!
I Rocked the Desert!!! And some other Stuff!
Here’s one of the videos. He’s singing “Only In Time”
that he wrote last week after one of his friends
drowned.
This is Glimpse, one of my favorites out of his
original songs.
Check out the rest of the videos at http://www.youtube.com/user/txlonghorn2314.
They include his amazing original songs and
several great covers as well!
August 7-8 I was in Midland at Rock the Desert, my
favorite! It’s hard work, but so much fun. The lineup
was great this year and it was fun interviewing all
the bands with Shigity Sean!
This is Mr. David Grosse and I love him! He is so
awesome at Op Camp and then he came to RTD to be my
boom mic guy. He was so nice to carry the huge
camera, drive me around and make sure I always had
tape and batteries. I could use someone like him
pretty much all the time!
This is Kevin Copeland. In a word, he’s
amazing. He can do anything in the world of video
production and pulls off the production for this
huge event every year! I am so thankful he calls
me to come out and help!
I grabbed this shot of the Newsboys on stage. I kinda
like it.
Here’s Jason from Hawk Nelson. They are so great!
They always end up signing autographs for HOURS after
their performance!
Mr. Soul Glow Activatur from Family Force 5! There is
no one who puts on a show like these guys!! He’s
looking rather tame here. Must have caught him in an
“off” moment!
After resting a little
bit from Rock the Desert, it was back to Abilene to
shoot my favorite Cougars on their first morning of
two-a-days! This is Cole who will be a sophomore this
year! There is so much talent on this team!
Funny story, the head coach’s son is in the Marines
and just finished working at the White House. Coach
Spradlin got to meet President Bush at some kind of
ceremony the soldiers go through after their
assignment is done at 1400 Pennsylvania Avenue. They
walked into the room and President Bush asked Coach
what he did for a living. When he answered that he
coached the Abilene Cooper Cougars, the President
said, “Oh! Ya’ll just dropped to 4A!” I love that!
Currently, my coogs are ranked 3rd in the state! Whoo
hoo! It’s going to be a great season!
These boys are ready to play some football!
I also met Monday with Donny and Randy Vaughn, the
Marketing Twins and was excited to hear about things
they are doing and how I may be able to do some
production for them in the future! So fun catching up
with old friends. I was a little tired that day and
forgot to take a picture of them, among other things!
But check out their blog - they have a lot of
exciting things going on!
Okay, Tim and Jordan Philbeck are up next! Stay
tuned!
Amanda and Nathan
Check out Amanda and
Nathan’s Highlight from their wedding day here.
