This  link was forwarded to me by another photographer and I think it’s a sad (but accurate) commentary on the state of photography.

Sometimes it seams like everyone with a digital camera is calling themselves a professional and many people are confused and end up being disappointed.  I hear stories like this everyday.

If you commission photography you have a right to expect professional results.  Unfortunately there’s a plethora of photographers entering the marketplace making unrealistic promises they can’t keep due to the lack of experience and inadequate preparation.

Great photography requires experience, preparation and  teamwork.  Just take a look at our behind the scenes video from last’s years Biltmore Estate wedding and I think you’ll understand the team effort behind great photography.

Most people don’t have a lot of experience commissioning photography and are easily mislead.   Please be careful so you don’t end up heartbroken.

So when The Black Rooster Gallery at the historic General Francis Marion Hotel in Marion, Virginia asked us to hang a sampling of our photographs there we were honored.

Although you won’t find the snake wine (a.k.a. Vietnam’s Viagra) on the menu, The Black Rooster is an especially yummy place for lunch or dinner.

Our friend David Radford was the cinema photographer and he convinced Lisa to skip out on me for a couple of days to help him and director Jerry Sword with this project.  Thanks Dave!

Brothers is a story of love, devotion and brotherhood and will be released sometime next year.

Every year I shoot a couple of assignments for the Tennessee Department of Tourism.  This month my project was to photograph some of the attractions in Upper East Tennessee to update the agency’s files.  The photograph above is my son, Matthew, enjoying himself in Bristol Caverns.  Below is the new projector in the Bay’s Mountain Planetarium and the action at Thunder Valley.

After the photo-op of the Governor reading to the kids I caught him in a private moment with Amanda Baker. Amanda couldn’t hear Gov. Bredesen read; she has grown up deaf. However this program and the love of reading is helping her thrive. She took part in the library’s summer reading program and read more than 150 books!

It’s important to note that the rest of the media were standing around socializing or giving the TV “talking heads” wrap up after the photo-op. They missed this moment. However, I kept watching for relevant photographs and didn’t leave till the Governor did.

I think this is what separates the true photojournalist from the faux pretenders. Often I wonder if some photographers are paying enough attention to the moment and to their craft to qualify themselves for the labels they’re assuming.

In many ways photography is like golf. Anyone who plays enough will hit a good shot every now and then. However it takes a lot of practice and determination to elevate your play to championship level.

In 1999 I went to Carnoustie, Scotland to help a colleague cover the British Open. Arriving at the course early one morning I saw that Tiger Woods was the only player practicing. And of players there, I think he was one of the few who needed practice the least. I think it’s the same in photography.

I’ve worked for 10 newspapers as college internships or staff. The last five years were at the Ft. Lauderdale News (part of the Chicago Tribune family). And along the way I’ve won numerous awards in photojournalism. Although I moved on to other work, I believe the ultra competitive discipline learned there is still an asset and keeps me focused on my work.

You can tell from the photograph that this was one of the smaller venue’s that he would be speaking at from this point forward.

It’s alway exciting being this close to history. As a photojournalist, I’ve witnessed a lot of history. And I’ve met my share of those in the limelight, too. But it doesn’t really matter to me if it’s world history or personal family history, I just appreciate the opportunity to be there and to document something that will be remembered for a lifetime.