Happy Mothers Day to all of the wonderful moms in the world.  My mom holds a special place in my heart because she showed me how to be confident and loving.  Being a mom isn't easy by any means because of the many roles they must play.  Flip the switch and she is a mother, then a wife, then a friend then in the process of life they try and not lose their personal identity along the way.  My mom even helped me run my business is the very beginning.  I barely had enough money for the bills in my life but that never stopped her from being there for me.

These days I'm a dad of 3 beautiful kids and playing the roles like my mom did is exhausting.  I remember as a child when I was scared or nervous about a situation my mom was always the guiding light I needed.  Her advice may not have always been spot on, but she was always there for me.  They say "Showing Up" is half the battle and my mom was always wearing her armor for life.  

My mom protected me from life's bad things, supported me with my dreams and never asked for anything in return for her exhausted work.  They say it's not work if you love your job.  Well my mom not only loves being a mom but looks forward to every chance she can get to still be there for me and now her grandkids.  

Call your mom today and say "Thank You" if your mom is anything like mine.  We as adults are the results of parenting from childhood.  I know I'm the sensitive, loving father I am today from all the years she showed me how to love and be loved.  
Happy Mothers Day Mom!

Thank You!

Once again I ham so excited to work with the culinary team at the New Orleans Marriott Hotel on Canal.  The reconstruction of the space they designed for "The Pantry" is simply stunning!  The brightly lit area has a Kiosk you can walk up to, click some images you would like the chefs to make and hit complete order.  A large handmade pizza with their amazing crust is in front of you within minutes.  You can walk in off the street and have this experience.   WAY COOL!!!  It's always fun to see my images being put to use on a corporate level!  Thank You Team Marriott for including me on your team!

Courtney and Jimmy have something special between them  You can see it in their eyes when they look at each other.  Courtney is a past high school senior of mine and I ALWAYS take care of my seniors when they become brides.  It has always meant the world to me when my seniors come back to me as a bride.  I love staying in the family because here in New Orleans, we are all about family.  Courtney's dad works at Storyland in City Park, so we had special access when the park was closed. This was one cool experience I Won't forget.  :)

The morning sunlight enters your bedroom and your alarm starts to go off.    Your day is about to begin. Are you happy or thinking about the things you would rather be doing to earn money? I remember those mornings when I was in my early 20s.  The possibility of making a living through photography was a real shot in the dark.  I had many MANY doubts about my future.  The one thing we have in our younger years is time.  Time to fail and get it right.  Time to figure it all out.  Time to psych yourself up into a frenzy that nothing can stop you...but YOU!

Well I'm well aware that when you are older all of those options seem to not be on your side.  The biggest word we all fear in our older years is "REGRET!" If you hav a burning desire to try something new or make your hobby into a career, then what are you waiting for?  In this video I remind you we only have "One Today" and you need to make it count.  When you go to bed tonight and your head hits the pillow ask yourself...do I love my job?

I love my commercial jobs that pay me to experience unique things in my own city, like an airboat tour! New Orleans Air Boat Tours LLC are run by a team of guys that grew up on the bayou.  These guys are basically showing you their backyard and how they work to preserve it.  When you go on the tour ask for Mr. Russell and tell him GK sent you.

 I had the privilege for the first time in my life riding on an air boat while taking pictures for a company enjoying the New Orleans Air boat Tours.  I have seen the boats before but was never an acting participant.  The morning was cool with a crisp breeze and the sun was ready to light up the horizon for us.  The best part of the tour isn't the alligators, the pelicans flying overhead nor the bayou water itself...it's the people.  I was talking with the captains who drive these boats and these guys all grew up in the area preserving the wetlands as if it was their own.  I guess it is actually theirs because it is a huge part of their life.  This little homegrown business is not sponsored by any super large companies that help them do what they do.  They give back to the area because they always have. This is how they were raised.

While we were driving the air boat back to the pier, the captain was telling me how they have cypress trees getting ready to be planted.  They also pay attention to the area making sure nothing is obstructing the natural habitat of the wetlands itself.  This tour isn't just a fun boat ride, it's a learning experience on it's culture.  These people love being just far enough away from the city to enjoy the simpleness are beautiful wetlands have to offer.  They fish, crab, hunt and preserve everything in the area.  I guess you can say your tour is more like the locals showing off their BACKYARD! 

Make sure to check these guys out if you are a local or a visitor because it's an experience you should do while in New Orleans.

https://www.neworleansairboattours.com

Senior Portraits for my has always been about the high school senior. This is the time in their life when separation from boy to man or girl to woman happens. I love capturing imagery that brings out who they are as humans at this point in their life.  Bo was so much fun to photograph because he knows who he is and his place in this world.  His personality is outgoing, talented, smart, kind, daring and full of positive light he loves to share with others.  

I love my high school senior photography because the experience we give is bar none! Whenever I get the chance to use my beautiful New Orleans as backgrounds it just makes me excited to take pictures.  I am always impressed with what I get from my city for backgrounds and texture.  If you want the New Orleans experience you need to email me immediately to schedule your session because I only do 1 senior per day!
​George@gkphotography.com

OMG my Godchild "Mallory" is now a wife to Patrick.  Last weekend was such an emotional rollercoaster for me.  I was super excited to see Mallory and Patrick be married but at the same time new beginnings also embark new chapters in our lives.  The days from long ago when Mallory was our flower girl standing in our wedding has leaped forward to her wedding day.  When people say, "Where does the time go", I have to remember the many years that has taken place up until today. When Mallory was our flower girl I was about 5 years into being self employed.  Last October 1, 2017 made 23 years of GK Photography being open for business...that's a lot of years!  :)

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I have many many MANY images to go through and develop but these were some quick favs I had to share.  I will never forget the day when I was way younger when Rob and Sydney asked me to be Mallory's Godfather.  My first thought was..."Do they know what they are doing?"   :)   Fast forward through all the years I had the chance to watch her grow up into this beautiful bride she is today.  I don't see that little girl anymore...I see the woman she is meant to be with the man she will raise a family with.  Ok now that's deep but so true!    :)

Life is fast - take a picture you'll cherish! 

Stay Focused- GK

The image above was one of the last images taken at my senior casual session tonight.  We started the session with lots of light but I love for my sessions to breathe and show range.  My clients usually love the albums we offer, so telling a story is key.  I believe this image will be the cover for her album.  I do not have the school contract so I have all the liberty to be as creative as I want because each and every high school senior is my individual client.  Brandy was the perfect subject because we quickly found that sweet spot between photographer and subject and creative images were happening all throughout her session.  I love walking around with just camera in hand as I look for the background that work with her outfit while paying close attention to where the sun is in the sky.

Since I'm a natural light photographer, direction of light is everything.  I'm trained to use as many strobes as I need to create a scene but when it comes to telling a story I lean towards the organic side a lot!  Being organic means you work with what you have and make it great.  I found that shooting as a photographer and shooting as a story teller is two different things.  The pro photographer brain wants to add the flash and show off all the skills you have learned.  The organic photographer is more in tuned with the process of how to tell the story of the day.  I could have brought an led light source and lit up her face but it wouldn't have balanced the natural light sources.  You would have known I added that light source for her face.  Nothing is wrong with exposing for darkness.  

Low light photography is sexy and not easy to comprehend if you are in the beginning learning phases of capturing light.  I had to show off this image tonight because I always strive for creative imagery and tonight this was it! The relationship between Brandy and I  with her family behind us was not only fun, but an experience the entire family enjoyed...and I was their photographer and tour guide.  #humbled