When I first fell in love with photography I was around 19 or 20 years old.  That is when I picked up a camera and asked my friend Steve, hey can I borrow this?  He said sure, you have to buy the film and pay for it to get developed. I was like hmmm......ok. 

Back then when posters were a thing, I was always mezmorized at the lighting posters. How the photographer got the shot just blew my mind! I couldn't understand the process.  Photoshop wasn't a thing back then so these posters are all real.  Great photographers creating awesome work.  THAT was my goal with photography.

I wanted to learn HOW to create awesome imagery like those posters I used to love. 
I can easily say today I captured my bucket list image of lighting. I'm here at the beach with my family and I noticed heat lighting starting to happen.  Then the first strike hit the water and I ran to get my camera and tripod.  Time to go to work!
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Staying focused on your dreams is constant work in action.  If you don't take the action you don't see the results. The more you practice the more opportunities become noticeable. The more opportunities you have the better chance you have at greatness.  First...you need to start!

Who knew it would take me 26 years to capture this kind of lightning I could be proud of. 
I could have stayed in my chair on the balcony, staying relaxed on vacation, and simply watched the light show in the sky......I'm glad I took action.

​Check out this image. Don't worry about the settings I had the camera set to. Just appreciate the aspects we all go for in photography. The sharpness is ridiculous, the light gracefully shows off the lace design in the dress while enhancing the girl's eyes with a twinkle while falling off their faces leaving a beautiful soft shadow that enhances their sweet jawlines.
Is this a candid image? Yes and No. I did direct them where to stand and asked them to look up at the dress. Them doing the directions is the candid part but good direction will always give me the results I really want.
To answer your question...YES.....this is how we think and see through the lens ALL OF THE TIME!!!!!
by the way...this is straight out of the camera...NO PHOTOSHOP!

Today I was updating my seniors on the GK web site and I was loving the variety within each person.  Everyone definitely gets their own personal experience with me and I think that is so important.  Take a peek at my senior page and share it with anyone you know who is a senior to be!  :)
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 This is the new digital business card provided by dot.com.  I have always wanted a way to show you all of my social media and contact information on one page and this is the way. :-) 
www.dot.com

This post was not on my mind today but after reading a recent email from a close family member going through medical hard times, I just had to share his powerful words.

"Faith does not mean having answers; it means being willing to live without answers.  And while we may have to live without answers, we are never alone and God’s love is always greater than our pain. All we can do is live the mystery."

These words stopped me in my tracks and I had a feeling someone out there reading this post needed to hear these words as well. If you are going through really tough times right now just know how faith carries a much larger purpose than both you and I. 

Share this post with someone you think needs the love.

 Well this was a very nice surprise today!

Hey George,
I’m excited to let you know that you have been selected for Giggster’s "Top Food Photographers" list of 2021. Our team has searched for the best of the best food photographers in New Orleans to share with our customers, and your work landed at the top of the list.
Guests and property hosts count on Giggster to connect them with the perfect spaces and clients, but they also look to us for help finding experts to handle their most important projects and events. We publish our “Best of” articles to narrow their search for the perfect pro.
We’re pleased to recommend GK Photography and help our customers connect with you. 
https://giggster.com/blog/food-photographers-new-orleans/

My oldest daughter Julia, was a senior last year when the pandemic was at its peak.  She had so many school traditions get cancelled because of Covid-19 so her experience was very different than this year's graduating seniors.  The joy of a new beginning can be exciting! Especially when the life around you is normal.  Last year was anything but normal.  So many nights Elizabeth and I prayed for her to get through that challenging 2020 year and just move on to the college years hoping for better days.

I Know the 2021 parents were doing the same because we all love our children and pray for the best.  Last year was the example of EVERYTHING NOT going your way!  This year the seniors are still having certain restrictions due to the pandemic issue so it's not over yet.  Making the tough decisions like the grandparents can't go to graduation because only 4 tickets per student is allowed.  Can you imagine being that grandparent waiting for the day to watch you walk across the stage!  The depth of many different ways this virus has had a ripple effect on all of us, moving forward and celebrating our futures just doesn't feel like it used to.  

Cheers to our 2021 seniors because better days are here and you are leading the way! I have the pleasure of working with these beautiful people for their senior portraits and what an experience this year has been for us!!! We all look forward to the future but most importantly we also celebrate this 2021 class for having the high school experience that was still different yet very much worth celebrating.  

#NewOrleansSeniorPhotographer #NotTheSchoolPhotographer #Seniors2021

I am so ready to dance and celebrate life here in New Orleans.  This past year with the covid restrictions has us all fed up with it.  I can't wait for the day when wearing masks was a thing and we can hug and high five again without caution.  I believe we will be there soon but until then, get your dancing shoes out of the closet become New Orleans is ready to party!!!!!