My Art Fantasy – D Major Photography

The leaves are changing, and in the midwest, that gives me some exceptional backdrops for outdoor

photos.

I’ve been busy, busy, busy. First was Kayleigh’s first two sessions for her senior portraits. We are doing a set each of the four seasons… Summer and fall are now done. I find it hard to believe she’s a senior this year!

Next was the Roemer/LeGrant wedding. I had a great time with the couple, and got some wonderful shots with them as we travelled back to Lake of the Woods, where we took their engagement set. A link to the majority of their wedding photos is to the right in the client galleries, with options for print purchasing available. I wish them the both very best!

Halloween is rapidly approaching, which means COSTUMES!!!! This is the most exciting time of the year for me. I got started early with a Dia De Los Muertos influenced costume shoot, right in my front yard… Keep a look out for more to come…

Well, it’s been a pretty quiet summer for me. Hot days on the back of a motorcycle, trips to the pool, vacations in California… I’d say it was successful!

Have been doing some photo shoots with my theatre and carnie friends the past couple months, which have been tons of fun. My daughter has had a blast joining in the costuming fun, and between myself and my other photog buddies, we have pulled together some pretty amazing pictures. (check the cosplay samples)

Upcoming projects are a four seasons graduation set, the Roemer-LeGrant wedding, a motorcycle shoot, and the Carnivale’s Halloween show. I am very excited! In the mean time, here are some awesome sky shots from my front porch.

The photo shoots have been coming in regularly and there are more to come. And I couldn’t be happier with the shots from my most recent two shoots. First was the promo shoot for Carnivale Debauche’s upcoming show “It’s a Carnie’s Life For Me”.  We had access to an amazing warehouse of props which let us create some fairly awesome scenes. I should probably give most of the credit to the superior costumes and good looks of the entire troop. We had a great time, and everyone was thrilled with the pictures. I look forward to the pics we will get at the show on June 25th.

The very next day was the engagement shoot for Barb and Jon. We decided to take the pics at Lake of the Woods park for a couple of reasons. First, it’s a beautiful park, with several good spots to use as photo backdrops/scenes. Second, we wanted to scope out the park for possibly doing the October wedding shoot there. After making our way through the park, and getting some pretty great photos along the way, we decided that (weather pending) we will definitely be doing the wedding photos there as well. Barb and Jon were very easy to work with, and were able to bring their personalities out in front of the camera, which always makes for pics with visible feelings. I had a great time, and was incredibly happy with the results, and I look forward to the wedding in October.

I have also started a Facebook page to get my photo biz out there a bit more. Be sure to stop by my page and click the “like” button. From time to time I will offer Facebook friend only specials and coupons, so be sure to keep an eye out for that.

Looking forward to a more personal shoot coming up this weekend with some friends and I, as well as a Mother/Daughter cosplay shoot I have planned for my daughter and I. Keep a look out for more shoots, as they are coming in faster than I can edit them!

Finally! The weather in the middle of the freshly planted cornfields has given us a break! Flowers are blooming, the breeze is warmer, and wedding season is upon us once again. My first wedding is already shot, processed, and delivered. Kaedee and Nicholas proved to be an incredibly laid back couple, and very easy to work with. The ceremony was small and intimate, just family and close friends, followed by a shoot at the arboretum, and then to the reception. Thanks to the superior subject matter, I got some great shots. I wish them both the best and I feel blessed to have been a part of their day.

Next weekend, I have a double shoot day. Saturday morning I am doing family portraits in Urbana, and Saturday afternoon I am doing an engagement shoot at the Lake of the Woods in Mahomet. And then the following weekend (which I am super excited about) is the promo shoot for the Carnivale Debauche’s show June 25th. I have done some work with the carnies before, and I am definitely looking forward to another adventure with them. There will be samples posted soon. Keep a look out!

Besides my camera and charcoal skills, I have rediscovered my talent for story-telling! I had been writing a short story for my muse over the past couple months, and I just recently finished it. After reading it over, and having several other people tell me how much they liked it, I decided to add it to the site. I started going through some old journals and scrapbooks and have found several old poems and narratives I have written over the years. I will be periodically adding them to the site over the next couple days. For now I have added my recent story, “feu de joie” and the accompanying poem “Come Into my Garden“. Rest assured, more will be flowing out of my mind soon enough. Just keep an eye on The Author pages for updates.

Until then, stay beautiful and colorful my friends.

Life has been a big ball of crazy the past few months, and I haven’t updated the site in quite a while. Lots of different things have been happening, on the art front as well as the day to day insanity that is life. So, there will be quite a few additions to the site today, and possibly for the next few days.

Wedding season began to wrap up after July, my last of the season being Brandy and Andy. This was a last minute shoot, and I am proud to say that I stepped in and saved the day for them when they found themselves without a photographer. We did the shoot at the U of I’s Arboretum in Urbana. It was a perfect day for pictures, and the wedding party was a blast to work with. I wish the happy couple the best for years to come.

I had a very educational and incredibly rewarding wedding season this summer, and I feel blessed to have been able to be a part of each of those couple’s memories. I hope next year is just as fun!

This past August, I got to be a part of CU’s 1st annual Pride Fest! Organized by the UP Center of Champaign County the event hosted performers of all types; singers, dancers, musicians, and a couple very entertaining drag shows! All sorts of vendors were set up, including art vendors. I had my own artists booth, three booths from the main stage! I brought my kids along and they got to be a part of the 2500+ attendees of this incredible event. I look forward to Pride Fest 2011.

I have become one of the regular marquee painters for The Station Theatre in Urbana, IL. It seems that I paint that big, heavy, wooden sign every other play that gets put on there. I love being able to be a part of the show, even if it is just from the outside.

Now onto my favorite part, my own personal art.

Having taken a semester off in school to deal with personal issues has given me plenty of time to use my favorite emotional outlet, loud music and charcoal! I have found a knack for this messy medium, and have been creating a series of rather large fetish art pieces. Ranging from close up vinyl boot shots, to whipped angels, I have been on a roll lately. My favorites have been the ones drawn in reverse, using white and gray charcoal on black paper. I actually sold 2 of my most recent pieces (yay for commissions!) I have been having a lot of fun, and helping myself at the same time. My bedroom walls have never looked so awesome!

I am going to try and stay more active on here from now on. I received an email from someone who had been looking for my site since Pridefest, and wanted me to know that there were people like her out there that were interested in me and my art. So that got me motivated to do some work on keeping things current. I need those outside pushes from time to time, so if you guys see me slacking, be sure to make mention of it. I promise I won’t bite (very hard).

This has been a busy month!  Three weddings, a portrait session, and a commissioned Picasso painting for a local theatre. I even managed to find time to go camping with my family. Twice.

I have been steadily working on getting the website finished. I have updated the galleries on the wedding and portrait sample pages, and will rotate the images on a monthly basis. The site should be complete by this upcoming weekend.

I was contacted at the beginning of May by the Station Theatre in Urbana, IL, about replicating Pablo Picasso’s painting Les Demoiselles d’Avignon, for the play “Picasso at the Lapin Agile.” It was a challenge for me in many ways. The biggest challenge was, well, it was big! The original painting measures approx. 8′ x 8′. The director was wanting to replicate the painting as close to life like as possible. I ended up stretching a 6′ x6′ canvas, by far the largest painting I had ever done. I was incredibly pleased with how it came out, as was the cast and director of the play. I even got a mention in the play review!

Wedding season is off to a great start! I have been having a wonderful time, with some exceptional subject matter.

Memorial Day Weekend was the wedding for my long-time friends Troy and Jennifer, which was a lot of fun for me and a LONG time coming for them. Lots of memories were shared while I captured them in such a wonderful moment. I wish them both the very best.

Next was Corrine and Grant. This was a beautiful wedding, with a shoot that followed them all around downtown Champaign. The poses from this were fun and definitely veered away from traditional wedding photos. I was assistant photographer alongside Tim Brya on this one, and we had an awesome time. I hope for many years for the newlywed couple.

My third June wedding was for Jennifer and Michael. This was a much smaller group than the previous two weddings, but it was definitely not lacking in beauty and intimacy. Both the bride and groom are also friends of mine, as well as the majority of the wedding guests. It was fun and an honor to be a part of creating a memory for their special day.

This past weekend I had a portrait session for an adorable 18 month old little girl named Leilah. Although she was a bit uninterested in having her picture taken, she warmed up to me once we got some swings and slides into the scene. We ended up with a very cute photo shoot, and a happy little girl!

So, with June behind me, I have added some awesome work to my ever-growing portfolio. I am looking forward to July and the rest of the summer, and hopefully I can get some more drawing and painting in! Until next time, keep smiling!

The website is definitely up and going… still a few things to update, and some pages to complete, but for the most part, it’s off and running.

Just got back from assisting on a wedding with my friend Tim Brya, and have been busy for the past couple hours editing the few hundred shots I took. Congrats to Ann and Adrian! It was an honor to assist in making their day beautiful and memorable. I have updated my wedding sample gallery to include a few of my faves from today. A link to the entire gallery will be made available as soon as the rest of the photos are edited.

A few weeks back I shot a wedding for Josh and Sara Southard in Philo, IL. They were a very laid back, down-to-earth couple that were incredibly easy to work with. A link to their wedding gallery is located in the Client Galleries box to the right.

Be sure to check back often, as I will be constantly updating and working to make this site amazing. Thanks to Josh and Sara, and Ann and Adrian, for being superior subject matter!

Under construction. Check back soon!