BIG NEWS!!!!

Hey!!!! Guess what!!! I have a new blog!!!!

Yeah, I'm not even kidding, it is so exciting. I have been thinking about doing this for a while now but in the midst of growing businesses, I am just now getting it completed. I imagine that there will be several tweaks & updates I need to make as it grows, but for now, I am ready for you to see it. And, I already posted my first entry. Instead of me rambling on & on about it, why don't you see for yourself.

The new blog is located at www.benfinchphotography.net. Isn't that easy! My main portfolio website is .com & my blog is .net.
For those of you who do not deal well with change & have grown deeply attached to this blog... I will keep this blog available for you to revisit & view entries from the past to help you try to move forward. Ha! See you soon!

PartnerCon Friends & Review, Part 1

Two weeks ago to this day I was in New Orleans at Pictage's PartnerCon. It was great to be back in NOLA though I had not visited since my mom lived there & lost most of her possessions due to Katrina. And honestly, I was a bit nervous going into the conference because I didn't know anyone. There were several people there that I knew their work & was really hoping to meet but was uncertain about how it was going to play out.

So... I arrive at my hotel room, unload a few things & head on over to the hotel & conference center for a 'mixer.' As soon as I walked in the lobby I noticed Melissa Jill; I have been following her blog/work for a few years. I thought to myself, "Are you kidding me? I was so hoping I would get to meet Melissa... of all the people I wanted to meet... now I'm all nervous... this is crazy! Why am I nervous? Dang! What's wrong with me, am I in 6th grade again? Ahhh, who cares, I am going to introduce myself... here goes!"

I walked over & introduced myself to Melissa & one of her roomies, Jennifer Keim. They were so warm as we briefly chatted & next thing you know, I am off to dinner with them! I was so thankful for that first evening; it welcomed me to what would be an incredible few days.

Now... the goal of this post is to introduce you to & highlight some of my new friends from New Orleans & share a few photos from my trip. I don't have pics of everyone as I was too busy learnin' but I managed to find a few.

Melissa Jill @melissajill: Melissa Jill Hester became such a good friend almost immediately. Beyond her photography, which we all know is amazing, she is wonderful & a great pleasure to be around. Prior, I was a big fan of her photography; now, I am a big fan of her person. We hung out throughout the week & I am so glad to have a new friend in Melissa. Despite my not knowing anyone at the conference, she said "you walk around here like you own this place!" My response, "uh, yeah I do!" Her stomping ground is the beautiful Phoenix, AZ.

Rhonda Danner @rhondadanner: Rhonda & I have so much in common given both our backgrounds in music & worship leading. She plays the guitar... yeah! We have a friendly competition brewing as to who can be the first to host Melissa Jill's 2-day workshop. Although I love Greenville, I am thinking that East TN is the perfect fit. Her work is based out of Greenville, SC. Rhonda snapped this pic as I was mimicking the mime; Lauren Dennard put me up to it & as I moved in close, the mime moved forward as though he would kiss me. I was sweatin.'


Jennifer Keim @jenniferkeim: I met Jennifer the first night in New Orleans & the rest is history. Jennifer made for great company as we roamed the streets of the French Quarter photographing everything that moved. We soon realized we both have two boys; she says it is the only way to go! Jennifer is based out of Marysville, WA.

Erin O'Neil @erinoneil: Erin approached PartnerCon after having run a 1/2 marathon a few days prior, which she attributes to a "momentary lapse of sanity." She was a pleasure to get to know & is quickly in route to defining her style as a photographer. Erin is also based out of Greenville, SC.

The Gotchers @ryangotcher, @denisegotcher: Ryan & Denise Gotcher are such a great couple to be around & are very sharp behind the lens. They are the dynamic duo behind Simply Knot Photography in the Phoenix, AZ region. They took me up on my suggestion that they must visit Preservation Hall for an evening of smooth jazz; apparently it was a big hit for them both! Yeah!

Cassie Jacklin @cassiejacklin: Located in the great land o' Canada is photographer Cassie Jacklin. Cassie was kind enough to let me join the table the first night at Emeril Lagasse's restaurant NOLA. I don't recall ever seeing her without a smile on her face.

Laura Parker @laura__parker & Lauren Dennard (I'm still trying to get Lauren to Twitter!): Based out of the Dallas/Plano, TX region is Laura Parker Photography & Fairy Tale Photography. Laura is quite the busy lady, shooting along with Lauren Dennard, around 95 weddings a year. Wow! They were such a joy to be around & I loved getting to know them both. They are shooting a big wedding coming up for Melissa Rycroft from the Bachelor! That'll be fun... I'm slightly jealous!

Mary Margaret Chambliss: Mary Margaret is a fellow southerner based out of the close-to-home Birmingham, AL. We met one morning as we were walking to the conference from our hotels. Apparently, we were the only ones not staying at the hotel/conference center because we are in rebellion. She is super-cool & is launching her photography biz full-time after being a photographer for Southern Living.

Abbie Rufener: Abbie is such a sweetheart; her & her husband are currently calling Nashville home as he pursues studies at Vanderbilt. Yeah, he must be smart. Abbie had to leave the conference early due to being sick but I am for sure planning on meeting up with her family sometime in Nashville.

Alec Vanderboom @alecmv: I had to mention Alec although we only talked a few times briefly. I met Alec as we were going separate ways on the escalator & he yelled, "Ben Finch," & held out his hand for a big high-5. I enthusiastically responded with a high-5. Let me assure you that you will hear more of Alec in the future; his work is phenomenal & his modern/retro style is well-defined. I'm a big fan!

Shawn Reeder @shawnreeder: I only met Shawn briefly but his work, landscape especially, is too amazing not to show others. I found Shawn to be humble & inspiring. I've already talked to him about bringing our guitars next year & playing some blues in Jackson Square (he is quite a talented musician as well).

More to come... stay tuned as I have several more photog friends that you will want to meet & view their work. I will add some of my favorite images I was able to capture from NOLA. Thanks & enjoy!

8 Kids = Party in the studio!

As the title says, 8 kids is a riot! Last Sunday, November 5 I did a portrait session for 8 kids, all of which but one were under the age of 4 except one. They are: Matthew, Hunter, Madison, Abbigail, Chase, Sienna, Hudson, & Lilli.

What happens when all of these kiddos come into the studio? Well... it was certainly a wild night.

We began playing around in the floor trying to ease the anxiety kids sometimes get when getting their picture taken. All was well so it led us to strategically position the kids for a group portrait. Yeah, that part wasn't quite as smooth as the kiddos had caught onto our plan & decided to launch a rebellion against the adults. We responded with lollipops but our counter-attack was futile. I managed to capture a few suitable images before I called an audible & started taking pics of them individually. See the results for yourself, enjoy! The rest of the pics can be viewed by visiting: http://www.pictage.com/756894

Matthew^

Hunter^

Madison^

Abbigail^

Chase^

Sienna^

Hudson^

Lillian

The whole gang!

Isaac & Ashley's Wedding Photos

On Saturday I had the opportunity to shoot the wedding of Isaac & Ashley. If you recall, in August I had the opportunity to shoot their engagement session (click here to check it out) which was a blast. They are such a great couple & it is priceless to see their eyes light up when they see one another.

The wedding was wonderful. I had the super talented Ashley Hodgson as my associate photographer (check out her blog here). The day began at Ashley's parents' home where we got plenty of detail/preparation shots & a few bridal party portraits. It was then that I exclaimed to the bride how incredible her flowers were. She proceeded to inform me that she did them herself in addition to designing & making her cake. "Dang! That girl is good," I said. I then digressed & spent the next few moments trying to talk her into starting her own floral business.

The following are some of my initial favorites from the shoot that I wanted to share with my readers. Again, thank you & congratulations Isaac & Ashley (& your families) for your trust & allowing me the opportunity to document this special occasion. You guys are great!

If you would like to register to view all of the images from the engagement shoot or the wedding images as they become available, visit this link: http://pictage.com/706287.

The reception was held at the beautiful Springbrook Golf & Country Club in Niota, TN.

'69 Mustang "get away vehicle"

The official family portrait^

Caleb, Isaac & Ashley's little boy^

The McDonald Family | Brandon, Ashley, & Madison

I think Madison is used to me photographing her by now... I believe I have done 4 or 5 shoots with her. She is a beautiful little girl. I hope to keep photographing her all the way up to her wedding day & beyond... a long time from now. Her dad, Brandon, was one of my best friends growing up; he was like a brother to me. Now... he literally is family to me as a result of my sister, Amy, marrying his brother, Travis. Brandon married Ashley several years ago & I had the privilege to sing/play guitar in their wedding. Fast forward several years as we now spend our time chasing little bare feet around our houses.

This year Ashley contacted me to do a fun family portrait as well as pics of Madison for their Christmas card. It was great fun.

Fun Day in the Leaves

Prior to my trip to NOLA (more on NOLA & Pictage PartnerCon to come this week), it was my pleasure to photograph several kiddos on a Thursday afternoon in my front yard. My sister, Amy, & two of her friends, Kerri DeBusk & Dana Tumlin, scheduled a fun/candid portrait session for all their children: Hunter & Chase McDonald, Isaac & Grace DeBusk, & Jason Tumlin (my son Brennan managed to get in on the fun too). When we considered locations for the shoot, we decided that my front yard would be the perfect place for the kids to jump in the leaves, swing on the rope swing, & run around the yard. It was so much fun. If you would like to register to see all the pics from the day, click here.

Here are some of my favorites:

Chase McDonald ^

Hunter McDonald ^

Jason Tumlin ^

Grace DeBusk ^

Isaac DeBusk ^

This picture pretty much sums it all up!!! What a great day! ^

Alison Nation Maternity

Meet my good friends Don & Alison Nation. When we found out that they were pregnant, Joy & I were thrilled. I couldn't wait to do Alison's maternity & newborn photos. Alison is an incredible graphic artist who works with our marketing & design company, The Visible Group (in addition, she is becoming a very good photographer & has been a 2nd shooter for several of my shoots). Don patrols the city as an police officer for the APD (I think he just likes to wear the uniform). They are such a fun couple to be around & I'm pretty sure we laughed during the entire shoot. This was especially the case when Don began his Zoolander poses. And, Alison proved herself to be a rookie when it came to blowing bubbles but we finally got some good ones after Don coached her!
The Fall weather was incredible & we took advantage of the colorful leaves that served as a blanket on the ground. I couldn't have asked for a better time shooting; it was a great reminder of why I do what I do. Thanks Don & Alison!!!