I gave myself a fun little challenge – one camera, one lens and one film stock. Then lens wasn’t even a zoom and there was no digital “crutch”. Below are a few favorites with minimal commentary -

Above – St. George, Grenada. Below, my father at the helm and Brooke taking her first turn.

Sailing has it’s own language. Unless you speak it, things can get really confusing.

My brother moving us through the water at six knots, and Brooke taking a sunset swim.

Pulling into Hillsborough Harbor on Carriacou Island at sunset.

My brother waiting at the fish market while our Dorado was cleaned at fileted.

We almost made Peter the new masthead on the boat.

Above – colors from Clifton Harbor on Union Island. Below – Angelo photobombing my brother.

Above – Happy Island and rum punches. Also my brother making some iphonography.

Above- Brooke looking radiant at Happy Island and back on the boat.

Above and below – Mopion Island, which might be the most photographed island in the world. The island is tiny and the single umbrella is perfect. We left our mark, albeit in temporary charcoal. I can say one thing – the island definitely needs a bottle opener.

Sunset dinner of spiny lobster in the Tobago Cays.

Detail of a fishing boat and sunset in Hillborough above.

Above – pulling back into St. George and the Timoneer, the largest sail boat I have ever seen. Below, enjoying one last Carib in St. George.

See y'all soon,
Hunter

During out little trip, I simply brought one camera and a box of film. Over a few days, we toured Sonoma and Napa valleys from our base in Santa Rosa. Included below are a few photos from our exciting vacation, with notes where it makes sense.

We flew into San Francisco and had a brief layover for lunch. We practically picked a place at random and it was excellent. Note – they had clam pie on the menu

Above – a little stop in Muir Woods on the way north. Below, Brooke is planning our daily stops the old school way – a map on the hood of a car.

I must admit, I really wanted to buy the chicken during some shopping. Alas, it would not fit in our backyard. Below is our favorite winery – Littorai. It is not open to the public, but gave us a personal tour of their bio-dynamically farmed vineyard. I also wanted a duck.

Stag’s leap was one of the best “public” tasting we went to. Also, Stag’s Leap Artemis Cab is a favorite of ours.

If you recognize the building above-left, then two points. If you can name the chef, then 5 marks. If you were lucky enough to eat there, then 10 points. Best.restaurant.experience.EVAR!

We spent a good 30 minutes waiting to get into Bouchon Bakery one morning. It was totally worth it. We then walked across the street to a Yountville park to eat our bounty.

Above left – scenes from Yountville. At right is Elyse Winery. We discovered them at the French Laundry. They make the only Zinfandel wine I love. Their Howell Mountain Zin is a peppery heaven.

For those interested in the technical details, the above was all photographed on my Mamiya 645 AFD-II with mostly Fuji Pro 400h film. No digital at all.

See y'all soon,
Hunter

Michael has been working with me for almost two years. His work is always superb. Even more important, our clients gush about how nice it is to work with Michael. Below are just two simple portraits to enjoy, one at our office and one in downtown Cleveland.

See y'all soon,
Hunter

I have eaten
the plums
that were in
the icebox

and which
you were probably
saving
for breakfast

Forgive me
they were delicious
so sweet
and so cold

- William Carlos Williams

This also happens to be my second favorite poem of all time. It makes me imagine a couple who are so comfortable together. The description of the plums also makes me think of romance.

See y'all soon,
Hunter

So, below are a collection of recent scenery shots from around Cleveland and Lakewood. Some of you may even recognize the locations. When I saw the alliteration between the images, I knew I had to post them.

Above is the Cleveland Jazz and Rib fest held each Memorial Day weekend.

I have always wanted to photograph Blackbird’s red door against the green summer ivy.

Most of you will probably recognize the Nautica Queen parked on the Cuyahoga River is downtown Cleveland. I just love how the film was able to handle the bright white while also opening the shadows. It really does amaze me sometimes. So, that’s a bird, a boat, a bike and a bridge. For those that get into the techie stuff, all of the above is Kodak Extra shot on a mix of Mamiya and Hasselblad.

See y'all soon,
Hunter

Having the right idea is the most important part of a tattoo. A close second is finding the right artist. Neither Brooke nor I are big into tattoos so we thought searching for the right artist would be difficult. Turns out, finding Cole was really easy. Fast even.

Cole was recommended by some friends and he has a great portfolio. Brooke wanted a realistic honey bee…behind her ear! It was clear Cole could really make the tattoo shine. Meeting Cole for the first time was awesome. He truly is a great and very funny guy. Not to mention, he is in Lakewood as well. Cole is also part of the team behind Classic Tattoo Cleveland located on Lorain near Westlake and North Olmsted.

Needless to say, Brooke is very happy with the results. Something tells me this will be the first of a few tattoos for her. Personally, I love the tattoo. It is very fitting for her.

I really enjoyed coming along to watch and photograph the experience for her. Then again, I had no choice. If someone is sticking your wife with a needle, you need to be there. The pictures may seem like a departure from my normal wedding photography work, but taking portraits of various subject matters helps to keep me engaged.

P.S. – I am next on deck for a tattoo

P.P.S. – It will be a chicken and strangely, it has meaning

See y'all soon,
Hunter

Click image for a larger preview, if you dare!

We’re having a BBQ Y’all!

We may live in the north, but I am from a southern family. We hold to certain traditions, including summer BBQ. This ain’t “grillin’ out”. This is an honest-to-goodness BBQ featuring pulled pork, corn pudding, mac ‘n cheese, beans and greens, and beer, beer, beer. Do you know us personally? Do you follow me on Facebook or Twitter? Are you a wedding client? Then y’all are invited. Complete details after the jump…

When?

Saturday July 31st starting at 2:00 PM. Dinner will be served at 3:00 PM

Who?

Personal friends, work acquaintances, people who follow me on Twitter or Facebook, and certainly current or past wedding clients of Hunter Photographic.

Tell me more?

OK, that wasn’t a question, but I know what you meant. Here’s more -

• We’re smoking enough pork shoulder to feed an army. We’re also making corn pudding, greens, beans, mac ‘n cheese and more
• Families with kids are welcome
• We will have a photo booth to capture all the crazy pictures
• Are you local to Cleveland? Do you have  a Weber grill? We need loaners!
• Do you have a cooler? We need those too!
• Chances are someone will embarrass themselves, starting with me.

What do I need to do?

Now that was a question. It’s simple -

• RSVP is sincerely requested – use the Facebook Event page, call 216-526-1675 or email Hunter [at] hunterphotographic.com
  
• BYOB. If you need beer, there is a great mini mart around the corner
• Can you bring a side dish? Great!

Seriously, that’s all?

Again, not technically a question but we’ll let it slide. Yup, that’s all. We would love you to join us. After all, look how much work we put into the flier! I nearly lost my eyebrows

See y'all soon,
Hunter

Screen shot credit Professional Photographer Magazine, article by Allen Murabayashi

The package waiting for me at home could have been a surprise, but PhotoShelter kept me informed throughout the process. In the end, I was expecting the two glossy copies of Professional Photographer Magazine nestled inside the padded package. Nonetheless, I am thrilled to be published in this month’s issue.

Read or download the complete article

PhotoShelter had contact me to see if I use Google Analytics and SEO. After a short discussion, I was invited to participate in an article about how photographers successfully market themselves online. One short interview later and I was published. I have certainly worked very hard marketing my business online, which is like having a second job. In just a year, traffic on my site has tripled and my business has doubled.

Still though, it is not all about marketing. My two central pillars remain exceptional service and excellent photography. Marketing is just a necessary chore.

Take some time to learn more about Professional Photography Magazine, or the article’s author, Allen Murabayashi. By the way, Allen is also the head honcho over at PhotoShelter.

P.S. – Allen has the looooongest bio I have ever seen, but it is humorous at least. I dare you to read it all.

See y'all soon,
Hunter

Where are the photos?

The photos from the competition are here. The photos are being hosted by Royal Arts Fencing. From the site, you can view all 800+ photos, order prints and share images to social networks.

How do I find specific photos?

I know, there is a lot to sort through. To help make the hunt easier, I did my best to keyword each photo with the names of competitors. Here is a quick way to find photos -

1. From the Royal Arts Photo site, locate the “Search” link in the upper left and give it a click
2. Enter the name of the competitor and search
3. If you competitor was recognized and keywords added, you will get results

However, the keyword search is not perfect. If your competitor did not have a name on their lame or pants, then keywords were likely not added. Try browsing the photos and looking for something familiar – like the color of shoes, gloves or a patch on the lame.

But I still have questions!

Then just contact me anytime. I am happy to help!

Next for me is a more in-depth blog article regarding the competition. Check back soon for my favorite photos and a re-cap of the fencing weekend. You will get to see the photos again in a whole new light. I promise!

See y'all soon,
Hunter

Not too long ago, I was contacted by Tim Mills from the Royal Arts Fencing Academy in Columbus, Ohio. They are planning the world’s largest fencing event and wanted to know if I would like to be a part of the action. My little brother is a fencer, so I jumped at the opportunity. I just finished editing some photographs and have a little to share.

Tim and company will be running the fencing competition as part of the Arnold Sports Classic in March. Today, I got a chance to meet Tim and the team at the academy for a little practice. Both their practice and my own. Getting great shots of fencing is very difficult. Funny enough, it is like photographing a wedding. You are in a dark room, cannot use a flash, and you have people dressed all in white.

Needless to say, I am really looking forward to the action in March. It is a great chance to grab some great action shots, portraits, and maybe even a photo or two of Arnold. Yes, the Govenator will be there.

See y'all soon,
Hunter