klindseyphotog-blog

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Prom Pictures in the Wind

Face it. Sometimes outdoor pictures are tricky. Especially in south Mississippi in late-spring to early summer, you sometimes get four different seasons in one day.

Back in April, I was tasked to take prom pictures for two lifelong friends who were attending prom together. It started as a beautiful day, until around twenty minutes before our session time. The wind picked up as clouds rolled in. Luckily, we managed to avoid rain, however, we could not avoid windy conditions.

This was a tricky session to shoot as both the client's hair wanted to go whichever way the wind swirled. Being on a timer due to prom festivities, every shot had to count. I was able to use the wind to my advantage in some cases, as seen below. 

In this picture, I was able to shoot with Aaron into the wind, with it looking as natural as he could possibly look within this pose. there are little things, such as strands of hair out of place, and his jacket a tad bit folded, but it beat the opposite where the back of his hair was flying to the front of his head or his jacket flying forward.

Below is another example as to where I tried to use the wind to benefit the shot. 

In this photo, I attempted to use the wind to blow the dress out a bit around the slip. This gave the shot a great look, while Aaron was looking off-camera and she was looking at the camera.

One of my favorite shots below features when we had little-to-no wind and I was able to capture a great image.

Overall, when shooting outdoors you rarely get perfect conditions. Sometimes you have to adapt to the best of your abilities. Sure, I lost some shots due to heavy winds, but you cannot stare into your viewfinder and give up. Just keep shooting until you get it right!

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G'day from Laurel, MS

Today I had the chance to meet and talk to a couple who flew in all the way from Australia. The couple - Audrey and Phillip - flew in just a week ago to LA, then Chicago, down to Atlanta, back west to Birmingham. Knowing how close they were to Mississippi, they braved the tropical storm and came down to Laurel, MS.

Mr. Phil is a teacher and basketball coach for a private school in Melbourne, Australia and had several weeks of vacation time. He and his wife flew in for a wedding and to see family. This lovely couple decided to visit Laurel - specifically downtown - after hearing so much about it on television. They were so complimentary of everything our town had to offer, and loved the sweet tea! As of today, they had visited the Lauren Rogers Museum, Pearl's Diner, and many other locations including some of the houses from Ben and Erin Napier's HGTV show.

The couple could not get over how welcoming, warm, and inviting Mississippians were, and how Laurel was. Contrary to most national media's opinion, they absolutely loved what the south has to offer.

Below is a video attached from our new friends. I certainly hope they have a lovely time and safe travels as they visit other places in the USA! Also, Mr. Phillip is a Chicago Bulls fan and occasionally watches "gridiron ball" but said it is much too slow compared to Aussie rules ball.

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Walking Dead Ends, What's Next?

Monday evening I caught wind that issue 193 of The Walking Dead comic could be meeting its end. As it turns out, those rumors were true. After sixteen years, Robert Kirkman's famed zombie series has met its demise. It was not cancelled, nor did it go out on a sour note. In Kirkman's farewell address, he knew that this moment had been coming for years. He admittedly hoped to make it to 300 issues, but stated that he could not drag out content in fear of it just feeling like filler.

To get people up to speed without throwing too many spoilers, issue 193 features a massive time jump after the death of Rick Grimes in issue 192, and Carl Grimes has married - assuming marriage is still a thing - Sophia. They have a six-year old daughter named Andrea. In the 70 page comic we see many familiar faces and a couple new ones. Charlie Adlard made a return as inker, and his style was felt on the pages.

Overall, I felt that this issue was strong, and the conclusion was satisfying. I would have liked to have had a glimpse into the funeral of Rick Grimes and what happened after the events of Sebastian killing the iconic character, however, you can certainly feel Rick throughout the pages with his legacy.

If you're a fan of the television show then you might enjoy the comic. Fair warning, the language can be a bit colorful, but I've felt the stories are stronger even though I love the television show. As for what is next, I feel like this is the end at least for a few years. The compendium and likely re-covers will come out, but as far as new story that is doubtful. Who knows though. In a few years, we might get a 12-24 month feature of stories from what happened between 192 and 193. There is definitely things to explore. We could also dive into what happens post-193 with the advancement to the west. This does feel like good closure, and I would not want a quick re-visit.

A big thank you to Kirkman, Adlard, and everyone who contributed more than 16 years of their lives to this amazing comic. The Walking Dead got me into comics, and I will need to find another series to get my fix next month. It will likely be tough to find a first printing of issue 193, but they are in the process of doing a re-print, which will likely be the first of many. Be sure to check with your local comic book store. In Mississippi, you can check with Bombshell Comics. I will leave a link to Bombshell here.

[klindseyphotog-blog]

Downtown Hattiesburg

Hattiesburg, Mississippi nicknamed “The Hub City” got its name from a result of a contest via a local newspaper. Many know Hattiesburg as the hub because of important rail lines, now important roads that lead to New Orleans, Birmingham, Jackson, and countless other locations. What most are missing is the revitalization downtown Hattiesburg has been receiving. Local artists, musicians, and business owners are slowly but surely revamping “The Hub” into the place to be. Still, there are so many historical landmarks in Hattiesburg, and taking a stroll photographing the area, they are easy to find. These were photos I took a while back and decided to re-touch with Luminar. 

 Coney Island Cafe is a staple in Hattiesburg opening in 1923. The Fokakis family own and operate the classic diner and it is a hit. You should stop by and give it a try if you’re new to the area.

Southern Mississippi home of the Golden Eagles where legendary quarterback Brett Favre threw touchdowns. This mural was beautiful. 

More mural work in downtown Hattiesburg. 

As much credit as downtown Laurel gets, I believe Hattiesburg and their downtown movement is just as exciting. There is always something to do and sights to see. Give it a look if you want something fun to do. Downtown Music Media is a great source to find out what’s happening! 

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Editing Photos in Luminar

Recently I downloaded the photo editing software Luminar after a friend recommended it. At first I was skeptical. When I first started in photography I used basic editing software, and looking back on those years, my images suffered. I began using Adobe products, and I've noticed my photos and editing getting better. Back to Luminar though, I have been impressed with the filters and customization the software runs. It does have its bugs, but I won't get into that right now. I would like to show what it is capable of.

Below is a picture of a senior photography session where I used an online editing software. Looking back, and to be honest, I would probably never let this get into a client's hands. Not because I believe the photo is terrible, but I do believe I can do better.

Looking back, the model was and is absolutely gorgeous. Kendalen is a great client. But let's look at what Luminar can do.

Luminar absolutely makes this photo pop. Her shirt does not look faded, and it draws out the blue. Her face has wonderful color, while leaving a soft and airy feel. Luminar also keeps the subject crisp, which is important. This was a simple filter that is standard in the set. I backed off of the filter a bit, while adjusting exposure and contrast.

Knowing what I do now, I would recommend giving Luminar a try. The company offers a free trial, and you only pay a one-time fee to purchase, as updates are also free. I'll leave the link here if you would like more info.

You can also follow KLindsey Media on Facebook, view my site here, and follow me on Instagram at klindsey_photog.

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Senior Photography

This is a shoot I did with senior Jessy Gardner from West Jones High School in Mississippi. We walked around downtown Laurel, which is now famous for the HGTV television show Hometown featuring Ben and Erin Napier. 

Jessy was an awesome client to shoot, and the downtown setting was utilized. Here are a few images from the shoot.

In post, I utilized a few different filters in Adobe Lightroom, as some tend to highlight her brown hair and outfit. I did keep some photos relatively natural as I do not like to over filter things. Below are a couple of my favorite shots. 

The Laurel, Mississippi area is certainly booming, and I cannot wait to experiment more with Lightroom, and dabble into Luminar and Aurora as I have recently tapped into it. You can find samples of my work at klindseymedia.com . 

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New Blog

So, today I started a new blog. I don’t know what I’ll talk about. Maybe photography? Life? Who knows. Let’s just see where it goes!