This blog post is personal.

I have been around life and death all this year.  I'll be 48 this year and I just can't help but wonder where do I fit in this space and time.  They say, "Life is Fast!" - but it isn't for most.  Life can be hard, depressing, uplifting, fascinating, wonderful, mind blowing, confusing, dumbfounded, inspiring, loving, filled with anxiety, and most importantly self fulfilling or self loathed.   So many of these things happened to me just this year.

I'm exhausted.  I'm emotionally drained yet super charged to share this post with you.  
I truly believe that life is either what happens TO you or what you CREATE for yourself.
Both of these options are equally hard to deal with.  When I'm dealing with life happening TO me...I'm confused, angry, hopeless and depressed.  When I create the life I want I find myself working so hard in fear to protect what I created, so I still lose sleep, I'm still anxious and I can never enjoy the moment long enough because I have to create the same if not better every day.

The one common factor of both situations is money.  Life is so depressing when you NEED the money and can't figure out how to fix it. When I have money I love that relaxed feeling of bills are paid and I'm not losing sleep over the next job that may or may not come through the door. When I have money I love helping others.  
Money is the one drug that always needs a fix or has you on such a high for life it feels unstoppable.  

Life and death. Life is for you to DO something amazing in this world for yourself and others to benefit from.  Death is something your loved ones have to deal with for the rest of their lives. Whether you live or die...you affect someone else somehow...some way. 

I choose to create a life my children can become because it's all they know.  They only know love and support from all angles of the family.  My children do not know hate, segregation, white privilege or any other negative thing you see on the news as if we are all rolled into one grouping.  My children know compassion, self awareness, kindness to others, self gratification from hard work ethics and most importantly love.  They see Elizabeth and I love each other.  They see the hurt and the pain of life and how it affects me and Elizabeth, but they also see how we get through it together. 

I'm typing this post as I think of the words, so forgive me if the context or spelling isn't spot on. In a world of everyone wants to be PERFECT...I just wanna be me ya know. You the reader deserve something real from someone who is going through the exact same thing you are.  Life and death.  Both are painful. Live today as if there is no tomorrow.  How would you be remembered from your actions today?

If you are coming to New Orleans to elope, October and November are fabulous months to visit.  We locals are ready for a break in the severe heat so Fall is a blessing.  New Orleans offers many options for you to stay during your visit, whether you want the large fancy hotel or the quaint cottage tucked away in the French Quarter.  
I love elopements in New Orleans because you can have a small ceremony in a French Quarter courtyard then have a brass band escort you via second line to your favorite restaurant for lunch or dinner.

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If you are interested in more information for elopement in New Orleans just enter your info below and I'll be happy to guide you in the right direction.  :)

What can I say...I'm hard headed!  I just don't know when to stop moving forward and creating content everywhere I go.  The simple fact that I have supported my family with this beautiful photography business is amazing to me.  Thank You to all of my clients over the last 25 years who bought a 4x6 or hired me for an important event.  No job to me is as important to me than the one I'm working at the time.  I have always put my client wishes first because reputation is EVERYTHING in New Orleans.

We are small enough of a city for which your public presence can carry you a lifetime or shut you down quickly.  I'm only 47 years young so please keep referring me as I'll be working another 25 years to come. 
I love my job. I love my family. I love my life.

-George    (aka GK)

Yesterday morning my daughter Ellie walked outside and said, DAD COME SEE! This image was right before the sun was rising in the distance.  This is the time frame that mimics a sunset because the ball of light isn't in the sky just yet. It's almost like the universe is showing you a preview of what kind of day is to follow.

Naturally I ran to my camera and snapped a quick image showing the beautiful radiant colors the dawn sky had to offer.  You hated to see it go as the sun rose over the horizon, but it was a simple reminder to take in all the beauty around you WHEN IT HAPPENS! 

The one thing I have always cherished with my job as a photographer was having the ability to notice everything around me.  I see the world in many different angles.  I notice a lot of emotion within people, nature and animals.  We all have this crazy place in the world where we need to evolve, thrive and survive. Somedays I just want to enjoy the the colors in the sky ya know.  :)

I truly don't have a better title than "I'm so Angry" right now.  The world lost another wonderful soul today and he was in his early 30s.  Cancer was the demon that stole a young photographer and husband from all of us.  Lee Lopez was a positive force that saw people for who they were and treated you like a best friend when you were the real deal.  I'm blessed to have our recent family portrait created by Lee because his memory will forever be seen in our images.  Our smiles in the portrait are there because we were smiling at Lee.  In our midst of crazy family chaos Lee had a sense of humor that made you smile, relax and smile some more.  Photographers like Lee share a gift that cannot be duplicated. I will NEVER understand why bad things happen to really good people?  I truly thought Lee would prevail in his fight but the good Lord had bigger plans for Lee.  
Lee- you will be missed but NEVER forgotten because I know our smiles in our family portraits were all because of YOU!

Please pray for his lovely wife, Hilary as her world is forever changed.

I was at the beach last weekend and all I could think about was how difficult life can be.  I had an entire vlog I wanted to create but I found myself creating something inspirational.  I figured someone needed this video today.  Please let me know in the comments if you needed it today?  :)

Events that come to New Orleans are always unique to say the least.  I get to see industry leaders talk about their business and future business plans.  I think it's so cool that the same conversations we are having in my business is the same types of discussions in theirs.  We are all setting the pace to move forward and change with the times.  This is an important factor to every single event I cover.  Keeping up with the times is more difficult now than ever before.  Whether you like or dislike social media, as a business you better be doing it.  

I love being an event photographer here in New Orleans because I make friends with people from all around the world.  I just direct them to my Youtube channel and follow along.

Recently I watched someone get talked down to and it made my blood boil.  Just because you have more money than the other person does NOT give you rank! Even if you did have rank, speaking to another person in a demeaning way isn't cool.
What and How your words come out of your mouth is exactly how other people will remember YOU. I had to make a video so you can share it with someone who needs it.  :)

Well, it's another school year and I have to say, I'm not ready for this chapter.  When your kids are all in school life is hectic yet easy.  They all live under your roof. We all share meals together.  We laugh at the dumbest things when everyone is being silly....all of this will be different sooner than later.   Elizabeth and will look at each other a certain way when the kids are doing something memorable and we both know times are changing.  I remember being younger wanting that larger than life story to happen for me. 
I used to think of all the time in the world I had to make any dream come true in my future.  To think I'm living that future right now is exciting and scary.  Do you ever feel like you aren't exactly living your dream life as an adult? 

I can tell you this for certain..."Today is the first day towards the new chapter in your life IF YOU WANT IT TO BE!"

I know self motivation is the hardest thing in the world sometimes, but only YOU are in control of YOUR LIFE.   If you want a new job start searching and stop complaining about the one you have.  If you want a new car but you are broke, stop buying coffee and put $5 a day in a jar for a down payment on the car you really want. If you are tired of you...then create a NEW YOU! You don't need a gym to get fit, just go outside start jogging, cycling, walking fast, push ups on your front door step, etc.

The coolest thing about us humans is how we can literally change our surroundings when we want to.  You are the most talented and gifted mammal on this planet and you dwell on is what you don't have in your life.  Today, my life starts a new chapter with the kids back in school.  Julia is a high school senior.  Ellie is a freshman in high school.  Jack is 4th grade.  I am getting older yet always reinventing myself.  Life is good.

It's not my fault I'm aging but my inner soul is still that younger version of me who wants to create everything in life I deserve with hard work.

"Today is the first day of the rest of my life!"  Today I choose to attract the positive and destroy the negative.
Let's do this thing!!!!!!!!!!!!!    

When your first child enters this world, words cannot properly describe your emotions. This is one of those moments when a picture is truly worth a thousand words.  You hold in your hands someone who can change the worlds way of thinking or be the next creator of an invention that can altar our worldly universe.  I know that's deep but you get where I'm going with this.  NOBODY will ever love your child the exact same way YOU DO! 

These are the emotions I love to capture within seconds during a session.  The lighting, the background, the tone of the image, means NOTHING if the image does not speak to you emotionally.  This is something I cannot teach because you are equally living the moment with your client.  When that baby smiles at dad after crying for what seemed like forever, and the parents both light up with smiles...that's the shot to get.

​At times you may feel like you are just taking pictures...but are you really?