Today I was styling food photography images for Marion's Smart Delights-brand gluten-free goodies for her new packaging that is being designed by my L/A Events partner Andrea's design firm After5 Design. Amazing shots we caught (here are a few sneak peeks).


But I had quite a few lemons leftover that were used for props, so when photo shoots give you lemons, make lemonade. Or Justin's Famous Amazingade Lemonade. It's really simple. (Recipe below images)






Justin's Famous Amazingade Lemonade


INGREDIENTS
2 cups sugar
8 cups water (1/2 gallon)
3-1/2 cups fresh lemon juice with pulp (10-16 lemons depending on size)
1 lemon sliced into 1/4-inch thick rounds


Bring 2 cup of water and two cups of sugar to a boil making a simple syrup. In a one-gallon container combine simple syrup, 6 cups of cold water, lemon juice with pulp and stir until well mixed. Add lemon slices and pour over ice. If you want to be real fancy, you can garnish with a mint sprig.




This makes for a very tart and very sweet lemonade. Use 2 cups of lemon juice to make for a less tart lemonade. You may also add up to 4 cups of additional cold water to temper the sweetness. Me personally, I like my lemonade intensely tart and sweet, the kind that tickles your cheeks after a heard day of work.


Enjoy.

Labels: Food, Justin Schuck Photography, Justin's Famous, Lemonade, photography, Recipe

We're coming up on the best time of Spring, and Summer's just around the corner. There are loads of reasons to hire a photographer, be that for an engagement portrait, an advertisement, a website, or for personal use.

Only a professional photographer can give your business the edge your it needs to effectively compete in this economy. Only Justin Schuck understands how

Give Justin Schuck Photography a call today: 301-300-1350

I've put together two graphics as part of my new spring marketing push. Check them out:




Justin Schuck Photography, since 1997
JustinSchuck.com / Facebook / Flickr / Twitter

Labels: Advertising, Justin Schuck, Justin Schuck + Company, Marketing, photography

Justin's photography will be appearing in the latest issue of Washington Spaces magazine, a sleek and informative shelter publication without the pretense. Emily Lyons' article about The Erie, an 11-unit luxury condominium residential experience. Carl Becker of Premiere Properties is the principal broker.

Take a look at the article featuring Justin's photos and to learn more about this magnificent structure, click here: http://www.washingtonspaces.com/2009/3/articles/embracing-change-in-adams-morgan

To view more photos of The Erie not appearing online or in print, check out Justin's Flickr.com photo set: http://www.flickr.com/photos/justinschuck/sets/72157613578253654/

Labels: Justin Schuck, News, Newsworthy, photography, washington dc

I've said this before, but it bears repeating: my friend Yogstar (Matias Vellutini) is one of the most brilliant musical minds in the world today. His proprietary console program for mixing sound by manipulating video is the most forward-looking and forward-sounding production I have ever witnessed. I am not usually struck in complete awe of someone, but the talent of Matias never ceases to astound me. His sound is fresh and the experience he creates is spectacular.



The Lemur Yogstar Show from Yogstar on Vimeo.

Since I am in DC for a couple of days working, I thought it would be fun to stop by and check in on his progress. Matias performed a portion of a set he was putting together for his first show at an event in DC on Saturday. It was sick, wicked sick. Here are some snapshots I captured of Matias working the Yogstar Show Controller (YSC) which he developed specifically for his music/video.






See the rest on my Flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/photos/justinschuck/sets/72157616907914143/

Please check out Yogstar online:
Yogstar.com
vimeo.com/user554973
www.myspace.com/yogstarmusic
www.facebook.com/pages/Yogstar-Matias-Vellutini/21759302532

(He does events. Some of his ideas for a truly transformational musical experience should be explored, sooner rather than later.)

Labels: Justin Schuck, Matias, Music, Newsworthy, Photo, photography, Podcast, Vellutini, Video, Yogstar

You'll have to follow me on Twitter to catch a sneak peek of the new design direction for JustinSchuck.com, the refreshed logo, and and other elements. (Hint: you'll have to look a little deeper than just my profile page.)

Follow me at http://twitter.com/JustinSchuck

And if you get the chance, vote for me at Twibs (you don't even have to sign up. Just one click.): http://www.twibs.com/business?business=JustinSchuck

I hope everyone's on Daylight Savings Time. It is winter after all. ;-P

-Justin

Labels: design, Justin Schuck, Justin Schuck + Company, photography, Social Media, Twitter

Here's the new ad I'm running for Headshots. Here's what the ad says:

Headshots for the people. Do you need headshots to help you jump-start your acting career? Are you looking for portraits that show your style with spontaneity? We are offering a $75 Headshot Special: 30 minute location portrait session, 3 high-res images on disk with retouching, and PDF for 8x10 headshot with your name. Call 301 300 1350 or email info@justinschuck.com today. Check out our images at Flickr.com/photos/JustinSchuck or follow us on your favorite social network.

Check out the ad here: http://newyork.craigslist.org/mnh/crs/1054235264.html

Labels: Advertising, design, Justin Schuck, Justin Schuck + Company, New York, photography, washington dc

Here's the new NYC Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Event Special ad. We're offering from now through February 22nd event photography coverage for just $150 for up to 3 Hours. In addition to photo coverage, we're including high resolution images on disk, and we can even FTP them to a server within hours of your event for press and web release. For an additional $50 we can place the images online through Collages.net for your guests to view and order prints. It’s time you see the high-quality images our clients have come to expect. Call or email us today to take advantage of this limited-time offer.

See the ad: http://newyork.craigslist.org/mnh/evs/1034726542.html

Labels: Advertising, design, Justin Schuck, Justin Schuck + Company, photography

Check out our new ad on Craigslist in Washington DC!

Labels: Advertising, design, Justin Schuck, Justin Schuck + Company, photography

Here's a sneak peek at the new ad to be gracing Craigslist in Washington DC and New York. Let me know what you think. (Thanks Chris for you input!)

Labels: Advertising, design, Justin Schuck + Company, photography, Sale

As you may have noticed, there have been some changes to JustinSchuck.com recently. Well, it's official, I'm focusing on my corporate and commercial business. Some people may not believe this, but I actually like doing those "boring" events on Capitol Hill or at some hotel. The clients are easy to please and require relatively little production compared to weddings and families.

2008 was an extremely difficult year for me and the business, making it difficult to meet all of our obligations. It was my decision to not seek new wedding or family portrait clients after some very difficult deliberations. If you're one of my favorite families and are wondering what this means for you, drop me a line and we'll see what we can do. :-)

I've updated the site with a few images and links to Justin Schuck Photography on various social networks. I've also introduced a new special for first-time clients.

New Client Special: Running now through May 1, 2009 first-time clients will pay just $150 for up to three hours of event photography in Washington DC or New York. In addition to photo coverage, you’ll receive high resolution images on disk. We can even FTP them to a server within hours of your event or place the images online through Collages.net. It’s time you see the high-quality images our clients have come to expect. Join the Schuck family. (Ask about our assignment and extended-day specials.)

There will be an official press release coming in the relatively near future.

Labels: Big News, business, Justin Schuck, Justin Schuck + Company, New York, News, Newsworthy, Photo, photography, washington dc

Take a moment to look through the 1490 photos online from the Torray-Garcia Wedding. Visit TorrayGarciaWedding.com or check this out:

Labels: Photo, photography, Wedding

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

HUNTSVILLE, AL – Justin Schuck and Company, an innovative provider of photography, design, consulting and event planning services, announced the soft launch of L/A Events’ website, anLAevent.com, via webcast from his family’s home outside Huntsville, Alabama.

“This is only the beginning ... We are actively developing our proprietary system within the company and through partners. It’s very exciting.” company president Justin A. Schuck said as he started his webcast. Andrea Kuchinski, president of After 5 Design and co-founder of L/A Events, designed anLAevent.com and has worked with JSDS on the branding. “The idea for the site and logo is to create modern luxury. We want everyone who comes to anLAevent.com to feel like they are stepping into a boutique. And while we offer services for every income bracket, I wanted to make sure that those using the consultancy also felt like they were working with a luxury boutique.”

L/A Events announced in November that it will push back the release date for aLAevent.com to sometime in the second or third quarter 2009. Schuck sited the news in his webcast calling the move “necessary to ensure that a stable beta version reached the market. I want our site to have the benefit of several months of in-house testing, rather than rushing an unfinished product live. This means we’ll have to push back the launch party to the summer, but in the long run I know it will make the difference.” Schuck continued saying that “a lot is riding on the software package Andrea and Dustin are putting together. Our developers are some of the best minds in the field and this was partly their decision. I’m smart enough to know that when an engineer needs more time, you give it to them. I’m not Lee Iacocca pushing the [Ford] Pinto to market.”

L/A Events also announced the signing of a alliance with Traveller’s Beach Resort in Negril, Jamaica. Not only will L/A provide event planning and coordination services to guests at Traveller’s, but Justin Schuck Photography has been tasked to capture images that better reflect the resort’s style.

Schuck ended his webcast with wishes for a happy holiday season and a more prosperous new year.

PR-LA_Events_weblaunch.pdf

Labels: After 5 Design, Andrea Kuchinski, Big News, Dustin Keefer, Holidays, Jamaica, Justin Schuck, Justin Schuck + Company, L/A Events, News, Photo, photography, Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WASHINGTON DC – Justin Schuck and Company, an innovative provider of photography, design and marketing services, announced today a partnership with L/A Events of Gainesville, VA to provide a range of event planning services to existing photography and design clients. The new partnership announced this morning by company president Justin Schuck is part of the company's larger goal of "providing more opportunities to give our clients value-added services."

L/A Events is named for the middle names of the founding partners Andrea Lynn Kuchinski and Justin Andrew Schuck. Along with partner Shannon Jacobs, Kuchinski has developed custom invitations for businesses and individuals for special events. With over 14 years in the event photography business, Schuck brings his first-hand experience on both sides of the planning spectrum.

"I've done some really crazy, intense weddings and corporate events through the years. I always talk about this one wedding in 2003 that went from awesome to insane and back to awesome. The church put up scaffolding the morning of the rehearsal, and the bride wanted photos at the U.S. Capitol where the couple met among other things. It was Memorial day weekend and the limo driver disappeared while we were shooting at the capitol – which took a while because of the enhanced security and permit verification process. In the end, we piled the wedding party of 16 into a Honda Accord and a small limo. It was insane, but amazing." Schuck went on to say that the bride and groom still send him messages thanking him for his help that day. "I've had to coordinate permits, lighting equipment, and large staffs for every event under the sun, so it's a natural addition to the business."

Kuchinski, a design graduate from the College of Saint Rose in Albany, NY began her career in design working on brand development, logos and website design. She brings a conceptual eye and a terrific balance of print and web skills to every project. Kuchinski started planning events in New York and Washington, including several weddings. "I'm excited about teaming up with Justin. We work really well together, and by combining we can do what no other event planner can do: everything, well. I'll never say we're perfect, but we enjoy what we do and that comes out in the process and the final product."

L/A Events will be announcing the launch of it's new website in the coming weeks and asks people to expect a party. The first event of the new partnership is the "Raise for Cancer" fundraising event in Washington DC benefiting the American Institute for Cancer Research in September.



PR-LA_Events.pdf

Labels: business, Events, Justin Schuck, L/A Events, New York, News, Newsworthy, photography, Press Release, washington dc

In addition to publishing press releases, I thought it might be a good idea to showcase some projects I've been working on. The first design you see is from December 2006 when Justin Schuck Photography opened it's interactive photo/media studio in one of the Dubai Media City free zone with our GCC communications partner Sabi Communications.



The following two designs are current works-in-progress. They need help and I've been focused on other things at the moment, but I wanted to post these just to get a feel for what both of my readers (joke) think. I keep going back and forth as to whether I want them to be more of a poster or a magazine spread.

Labels: business, Case Study, design, Dubai, JSDS, Justin Schuck, Marketing, photography, studio

I just want to let you in on a well-known secret. I have, along with others, gone over and over on the various design directions for my main photography website, JustinSchuck.com — where this blog is hosted. I'm a consummate perfectionist with a revisionist streak. Here now are some screen shots (in chronological order) of my design evolutions.

The design below was originally designed as a placeholder. Theoretically there was going to be a flash version of the site where the boxes moved around on mouseover and the images would change up and have lots of funky transitions. After about 6 months or more of the placeholder, I started making updates and expansions which leads us to the next design.



So this was the last real evolution of the design still visible on the vintage (legacy) site still hosted on the main server. I eventually reached the point of frustration and admitted that the site wasn't going to change much and I made some adjustments to typeface and the structure of the site.



Before I settled on the semi-permanent design direction above I started working on several new design directions at once. The next four designs were worked on simultaneously. You can clearly tell which design directions received the most attention. You may also note the temporary name change. At the time we were starting this project we were also taking on financial partners to build what could have been "The Justin Schuck Gallery & Studio." There were several designs in this direction, including full identity and letterhead designs.



Again, playing with typeface and trying to think how I wanted my brand represented, I worked towards the following design, but I was really unhappy with it. The "logo" appearing below was also used for marketing materials and display items, some of which I still use today, although not often. We were still going back and forth as to what the new company should be called, ultimately Justin Schuck Photography was the most appropriate.



I was going back and forth on a daily basis as to whether or not I should use my "tag" signature, which I still really like to this day and hope to find some way to use it. But who knows, it's the alt-rocker in me. The following design is a better example of logical navigation occurring "above the fold" as it were. This design was also the first time all four cities appeared in a design. The four cities were later incorporated into the "vintage" design and still appear there today.



This is a progression of the above design. The navigation would animate and "light up" the tab color. This also recalls design elements of my acclaimed original JustinSchuck.com which functioned solely as a personal website. That design is buried somewhere on a CD in storage. Anyhow, back to the design below... I really liked this design, but there was something holding me back from implementing the design. I think the biggest barrier to it's implementation was navigation partially obscured below the fold on a 640x480 template. I honestly can't remember.



What was most likely the death knell for the site above is the design below. It's one of those epiphany designs that occur between the hours of first darkness and first light. I remember working on the design for at least three days straight before making additional changes as evidenced in the following design.



I love the picture of the kids below and seeing this again reminds me that I need to put together a serious gallery of all my work for the last 12 years. There's some really good stuff in there if I do say so myself. Back to designs...

I changed the background to gray, put telephone numbers and email at the top which would allow for navigation going down the side. This is also when our company tag line became "Photography for the way you live.™" which is still pending. We also developed a working click-through for the Online Previews service. It was great to see the design come so far. This really was my favorite, but after some server-side testing, some focus groups and a changing design team, this too was abandoned.



This little piece was for our other-branded sites as part of a broader internet ranking strategy for our Dubai sites. It was an extremely effective campaign – perhaps too effective – but was eventually taken down due to the closing of our full-time Dubai operations earlier this year.



After no real progress had been made, and with the current design at the time reaching five years of age, I finally threw the following design up on the site. The "vintage" site is such a mess, especially with so many revisions and so many hands touching it. The code is all kinds of fouled up, and I consider myself as one of the most organized and obsessive-compulsive HTML coders on the planet. The only reason the vintage site is still live is so I don't have to create another temporary site that would likely become semi-permanent.




I really like where the most current site design is going, and it serves as the inspiration of the next site. Hopefully some time soon we will have the new site design templates posted. Because seriously, I've had way too much JustinSchuck.com. (That's why I've transfered "the power" over the new design direction over to my lovely Andrea.)

Labels: Advertising, Art, Case Study, design, Dubai, Identity, Justin Schuck, Photo, photography

Who is watching the meter maids (or better yet, the Meter Nazis) when they are out giving tickets?

Today I caught a Meter Nazi double-parked on Elm Street in Bethesda, next to the PNC Bank branch on Wisconsin Avenue, who had parked in TWO metered spots, not leaving enough room for any car to fill either space.

When I asked the Meter Nazi if he would be so kind as to move his car up some so that I may park, he said "No." No?!?!?!?! "N-O," as in a "I will not move my car, and you may park on the other side of the street [illegally, so that I can get another parking citation]" NO?

Well, that just set me off! And I turned on the camcorder on my cell phone and captured this video:


PLEASE SHARE THIS VIDEO WITH EVERYONE YOU KNOW!

I want to do whatever I can to bring the hypocrisy of parking officials (Meter Nazis) to the attention of the citizenry, local officials and the media. Why should Meter Nazis not be held to the same standard as the ones who are paying HEFTY property taxes to pay his salary?

After the Meter Nazi moved his car (I had to raise my voice some to get his attention. Or perhaps he didn't understand my English!**), another car tried to slip into the newly open spot on the street -- the very one I was waiting 10 minutes for. Thankfully, that nice gentleman waited until I got out of the bank and he took my spot which had 18 minutes remaining on the meter!

(In case you wanted to know the license plate number of the Meter Nazi, it's "HZG-691")

**NOTE: I recently received a comment via E-mail (9/2/07). I want to make sure it is posted here in its entirety: "I found your comments about the parking officials lack of english rather racial. It would be like me saying that your voice in the video sounded rather gay. Your photography site is linked to this and on it you say you treat everyone equally. I feel that your video comments say the exact opposite of your professional website. I won't be using you for my wedding to a beautiful lady I met who is from India. Have a nice day. "

MY RESPONSE: First off, I don't care if my voice sounds gay. I am gay. It's not an insult. In fact, I think that probably makes me a better judge of style than you. (Granted, I have no idea who you are, nor would I attempt to make assumptions.) In this blog I did make a comment about whether the parking officer was able to understand the words that came out of my mouth. This was due more to the fact that he was willfully ignoring me when I kindly asked him to move his car. I know plenty of blond-haired, blue-eyed "Americans" who have an even more tenuous grasp of the English language. See, what this video does NOT show the viewer is that for almost 5 minutes prior to activating the camcorder feature, I was (honestly) kindly asking if he would move his county-issued vehicle forward. After several refusals, and his suggestion that I park on the other side of the one-way street (where there are "NO PARKING" SIGNS!!!), that is the moment the camera came on. I did this in hoping that he would feel compelled to move or I would turn the video in to a supervisor.

NOWHERE in the video do I make racially-motivated comments. Nor did I EVER make them off camera. This is NOT how I was raised to be a loving respectful human, and it goes against everything I believe. I'm sorry that you feel that I was rude, wrong, ignorant or all of the above.

So to you, ANONYMOUS COMMENTER, I wish you many happy years of marriage, and hope that your photographer does a splendid job.

Labels: bethesda, Bethesda Urban Partnership, Blog, Government, Justin Schuck, Maryland, Meter Maid, Montgomery County, Parking, Photo, photography, Street Parking, Video, washington dc

So I was sitting at my desk listening to the news this morning when a bulletin came across saying that there was a developing story related to a fire on Elm Street in Bethesda.

According to news reports, Pepco was responding to a manhole cover explosion on Thursday on the 4700 block of Elm Street in Bethesda. Pepco employees may have been working on a feeder line into a transformer when the explosion occurred shortly before 10:00am this morning.

Emergency response teams were on site investigating the explosion. As seen in the images here, smoke was billowing out of a vent in the street, and there appeared to be considerable fire and/or smoke damage to a truck belonging to First Class Plumbing, LLC of Virginia. (Their slogan: "We put the Squeeze on Pricing." Their new slogan: "We're Smokin'!")

From a photographic perspective, I was disappointed that there wasn't greater chaos, but I'm glad no one was reported as injured.

Justin Schuck Photography & Video media contact number: 301-760-7476

Read/See the NBC-4 news report:
http://www.nbc4.com/news/13425533/detail.html?dl=headlineclick

Labels: bethesda, Blog, Explosion, Fire, Fire Department, Justin Schuck, Maryland, Montgomery County, News, Newsworthy, Photo, photography, property-casualty, washington dc

As you may know, I have been actively pursuing my dream of opening what will be the premiere photography and design studio in the Washington DC area. Justin Schuck & Company LLC will be bringing together the various operations under one roof, including facilities to manufacture our small line of clothing products.

The innovative Justin Schuck Studios of Washington will have an oversized studio space; a small cafe and gallery; private client meeting areas; back office space for my staff; and a "gray room" for proper color balance adjustments for photography, videography and print design among other things. Together with our architects, we are putting together an extremely efficient design for the layout of the space.

The hard side of the business is raising the capital needed to not only lease space in an extremely expensive market, but also to support the construction and operational functions of the studio. I have invested a great deal of time and money to put us closer to the realization of my dream.

I have been very fortunate to have a group of investors who share my vision. Without their belief in me and what Justin Schuck & Company LLC can do, I wouldn't be here writing this blog.

Labels: bethesda, business, design, photography, retail, studio, venture capital, washington dc

I am pleased to announce the formation of the new Justin Schuck & Company, LLC. I would like to thank my attorney, Jason W. Shoemaker, of the Law Offices of Bennett & Shoemaker, for helping me put everything together and to organize my various companies under one name. (Fitting title don't you think?)

This is a very exciting move and it is going to make it easier for the various divisions to work together and streamline operations.

The companies coming under the umbrella of Justin Schuck & Company, LLC are:
Justin Schuck Photography
Schuck Interactive Group (owns JSDS)
Justin Schuck Design Studio
Innovative Brand Concepts
L'Agence de Schuck (Formerly JS&Co. Media)
The Church of Helveticology/HelveticaSaves.org
Politics Aside (a consulting firm)

We're really entering into an exciting time, and just in time for the holidays and the new year.

Labels: bethesda, business, design, Identity, photography, washington dc

In late July I was hired by the Committee to Elect Scott Rolle to document the campaign on its quest for the Attorney General's office in Maryland. It is little secret that I am a registered Democrat and an outspoken advocate of individual rights and freedoms, but I've often found my loyalties lie with no single party. Rather my loyalties lie in truly American principles of governing and honesty that no party can claim solely as their own.

I have worked on national and local campaigns for both parties, most notably Sen. John McCain's unsuccessful presidential bid in 2000. Even as a young boy I found excitement and joy in learning about and participating the political process.



The image that you see above was captured after a luncheon in Hagerstown, MD with Lt. Gov. Michael Steele. I caught Scott literally in a moving car speeding on his way to the next community event. It's certainly one of my favorite images of the year, not so much because it's Scott Rolle (who is a handsome gentleman), but because this one image conveys so much more than it might let on. In looking at this image, I'm struck by his measured expression and strong posture. It conveys warmth, heart and vigor all in one. I've been lucky enough to capture the essence of a man before, and I've been lucky once again with Scott Rolle.

Interestingly enough, the folks on the campaign loved this image so much that they used in on the banner of his website: ScottRolle.com. Check it out! I think it looks fantastic. And hopefully soon you'll see all of the other images I've taken for the campaign.

I'm excited to be working with Scott Rolle and his staff. Of all the campaigns I have worked with over the years, this campaign seems to put forth a youthful optimism and sense of duty that I've never seen before. Of the leading candidates, Scott Rolle strikes me to be the least affected by partisan bickering. It is refreshing to know that he surrounds himself with trusted advisers whose base ideology may be different than his own. I've watched him take counsel from everyone -- from me down to the 16-year-old volunteers and everyday citizens on the street. I am glad to see real democracy in action with Scott Rolle. While I may have initially said that I wouldn't vote for a Republican for Attorney General, Scott has proven himself to be a Republican of a different stripe. His ears and his heart are open to everyone and I hope he wins come November. It would be a tremendous win for the State of Maryland and a warning for sexual predators and violent offenders. I guess you could say I'm a bit of a convert. But that's okay, I'm voting for integrity and justice, not by the tired party line.

Stay tuned here for my perspective on Scott Rolle, the campaign and his journey to become the next Attorney General for the State of Maryland, now occupied by the retiring Attorney General Joseph Curran.

Labels: Attorney General, Democrat, Doug Gansler, Frederick County, Hagerstown, John McCain, Justin Schuck, Maryland, Michael Steele, Montgomery County, photography, Republican, Robert Ehrlich, Scott Rolle

I recently returned from a photographic expedition to New Orleans. Having not experienced the pre-Katrina New Orleans, I long for something that, for me, never was. But the New Orleans of old is still a sad and painful memory for most. The old mind's picture is of children playing and going to school; of families enjoying loving meals in their dining rooms; of a community that served each other.

It could be said that I toured the devastated areas, and visited and patronized others, but to me, there was no neighborhood that was not devastated. I had the great fortune to volunteer in New york immediately after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. I witnessed and documented the devastation, and the massive loss of human life.

In New Orleans, the devastation is far greater than that in New York. The devastation of the entire gulf coast is about more than destroyed homes, schools and the physical structures that man erects. The devastation has separated families, in many cases by thousands of miles. The devastation separates pets from their families and friends. The devastation turned cities with astonishingly low homeless rates into cities with low home-dweller rates.

It's honestly the saddest thing I have ever witnessed. I will continue to occasionally post items here about my stories from New Orleans, including selected images for my new rotating gallery show.

Labels: Art, Gallery, Gulf Coast, Hurricane Katrina, Justin Schuck, New Orleans, photography

The sky was glowing different colors throughout the day and if the world were to have ended, I would have believed it. I've always been fascinated by thunderstorms, ever since I was a young boy, but I had yet to capture one with my camera lens. Until this night. I happened to be on the ball, in the right place, and prepared.

I was up on my balcony in Bethesda, scanning the sky. There was a lot of lightning activity in Silver Spring, but even with my telephoto lens, it was difficult to capture accurately. There's a whole series of shots leading up to this one. It was amazing to watch the sky churn with anger. I was mesmerized.

To capture this image, I had my shutter on the "bulb" setting for increments of about 80 to 180 seconds. Due to the increasing darkness and the heavier rain showers, I was worried that I would not be able to capture anything. There was a triple lightning strike in-between my shutter opening and closing. I was disappointed. But in one frame, after I had held the shutter open for about 50 seconds, lightning struck within my frame! I was so startled and excited that I let my finger off of the shutter release too soon. (That's why there are details missing in the foreground and why you can almost see the cars on Wisconsin Avenue.)

But when I saw the image on the screen, I was so happy. I loaded it on my computer and just stared. I began to wonder if it would be stupid to hang an enlargement of that image on my wall, when the view is just outside. The jury is still out on that one. So now I've finally captured lightning, harnessing the powers of Zeus himself in my hand. It's not the first or the best lightning photo ever taken, but it's not my last, so there's still time to capture another great image.

Labels: bethesda, Justin Schuck, photography