Meet the Spruills

When I go into a photo session with a family, I try to incorporate something they like to do together. It can be either an outdoor or indoor activity. I actually prefer outdoors because it seems people aren't as "stuffy."

On the day of the Spruill family session, we were scheduled to shoot outdoors. But as I traveled to their home, the sky got darker and more ominous the closer I got to their home. By the time I parked in their driveway, the sky had opened up with a torrential downpour. It's a good thing my equipment was nicely packed... it stayed dry but I was soaked.

Rain or not, everybody was upbeat and ready to shoot. When plan A gets squashed, I shift gears for plan B. So I set up for an indoor shoot. As you can guess from the first photo, this is a football family. Sometimes when you shoot indoors, you have to move things. They really were great, and very accomodating. I had them rearranging furniture, clearing out space for my lights... but I made sure everything was back in order before I left.

Just as we were finishing up, low and behold, the rain stopped and the sun came out nice and bright. So I suggested we go out and get a few quick shots. I love when a plan comes together... even if it means weathering a storm first.

Free December 2011 Desktop Calendar

This desktop image is sure to get you in the holiday spirit. I know it's hard to believe we are in December already. Where oh where did the year go? As the saying goes, "Time waits for no one." So why fight it? This images may look familiar to some of you because it's from a series I took a few years.

There are several sizes, so select the one that fits your monitor. To download, click the link for the size you would like:

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Happy Holidays!

Meet New Author Sadeqa Johnson

Sadeqa Johnson, author of the new forthcoming novel, "Love in a Carry-On Bag." I few weeks ago I mentioned a design project for a book cover that I had completed—Love in a Carry-On Bag." After the pages were sent off for a final proof-reading, it was time for the new author to get photos. For weeks, Sadeqa was bubbling with excitement about the shoot. We talked about possible locations, what type of look she wanted (it had to be glam), what to wear, etc, etc. She sent me text messages while out shopping for outfits, "...purple or black? Mary what should I get?" My advice, stick to colors that make you look good. I had a vision in my mind how the photo should look, but honestly, I had no clue (shhhh...) of what I was going to do until the day of the shoot when I walked onto the location and began to set up. One thing was for sure, I wanted to capture Sadeqa's energy and personality. When Sadeqa arrived, I knew she was a bit nervous so I needed to be reassuring to help her bring forth her best.

In the book's story, quite a few scenes take place in a jazz club. So the idea came to try and play off that. I didn't want a stuffy "I'm a writer" look. A big thanks and shout out to Dawn Fitch of Pooka Boutique in Orange, NJ for letting us use a section of her shop. With the beautiful exposed brick wall and seating area, I felt I could really get the environmental feel that I wanted. In the shop that day they were playing The Dana Owens Album* by Queen Latifah, which give a perfect vibe to the setting. It turned out to be two hours of great fun, as you can see from the images. The day was not without it's drama though. You can read Sadeqa's account of the experience in her blog entry, Pose for the Camera Now Click! Find Sadeqa on Twitter, @Sadeqasays.

By the way, the fantastic job on hair was done by Betty at Anthony Garubo Salon salon in Maplewood, NJ. Makeup was by celebrity makeup artist Lenny Hamilton, who has an office in Newark, NJ.

*Feel free to use my affiliate link to check it out to check out the album.

 An alternate to the opening shot. This image almost didn't make it in the final cut because I thought it was too dark. Sadeqa liked it so much, I attempted a bit of post production adjustment in Lightroom.

All My Struggles 2 - The Play

Dameon Reilly and Hope Wade, in a scene from the stage play - "All My Struggles 2 - The Wedding Plan?" Nov 12, 2011, Apollo Theater, New York City.Just image... you've planned the wedding of your dreams, and just before the big day you get devastating news about your future spouse. Surely the news of betrayal rock your world. But does the wedding still go on?

All My Struggles 2 - "The Wedding Plan?" is the second part to the story created by writer, director and producer Monique Lisa. It's a "dramatic comedy of love, betrayal, lies..." I had an opportunity to check out the first part back in June while visiting in Washington DC. They were having a debut there during the DC Black Theater Festival and I believe several of the cast members have won awards for their performances... kudos to them!

On Nov 12, 2011, the new show debuted at the Apollo Theater in NYC and I had the pleasure of shooting the show. I tried not to get too caught up in the show, but couldn't help myself... I was working after all. ;)  I was also pleased to photograph the show because it gave me an opportunity to support Monique Lisa, who is an old friend, along with many others who are in the play and part of the crew. I suggest you keep Monique Lisa and Dream Achievers Productions on your radar. I see big things on the horizon. Kudos to them all for another production well done.

I don't want to give away too much of the story, but here are a few images to give you a peek into the stage presentation.

Anissa Chalmers presents Monique with a bouquet of flowers in honor of her birthday, which was the next day.

Monique with her husband Dameon Reilly, who plays the role of Pastor Robert in the play. 

The Wedding of Stephanie and Andrew

The day may have began a little bit overcast, but it turned out to be a great September day for a wedding. The started off with hair and makeup preparations at the home of the the bride's parents. By afternoon, it was time to head over to the Muttontown Country Club for some final preparations, some fun pre-wedding shots and the outdoor twilight ceremony. Stephanie and Andrew were so easy going and such a pleasure to work with. Considering how long of a day it was for them, their energy remained high and they were up for some fun and non-traditional shots. Take a glimpse at their magnificent day.

The Preparation

The First Look

A Little Bit of Fun

The ceremony began just as the sun was setting, and it was dark very quickly.

And they partied into the night.