Jon Leidel Photography

Contributing Photographer to WNC Magazine

2010-07-07T13:01:00.000-04:00

I am proud to be a contributing photographer to this month's issue of WNC Magazine. This months issue cover story is on the burgeoning recording industry here in Asheville. There are several wonderful recording studios here in town and the story featured three of them, Echo Mountain (who I have worked with in the past on several projects), Collapseable Studios (I have known Aaron Price a long time here in Asheville) and Audio Robot Studio. I was asked to visit these studios to capture images that reflect their different atmospheres, recording technology, and philosophies.
I love working for a magazine and getting to see my images in print. Working with the good folks at WNC allow me to shoot stories that I would not get to shoot on my own and it enables me to meet new people in Asheville and hear their stories which I really enjoy.
Here is a link to the on line version of the story...
http://www.wncmagazine.com/feature/music/making_tracks
Please go by your favorite magazine rack and grab a copy of this months issue. Along with the story on the recoding industry, I shot the images for the Love It! spread as well as some of the images for the Lifestyle section. My good friend Suzie Phillips has a great story in this issue as well. Check out her out as she creates beautiful mid-eastern cuisine with a style and flavor that is all her own.
I am working with WNC this month as well.. stay tuned more to come!

Hope you are enjoying this wonderful weather....

Asheville, NC Downtown Fireworks 2010

2010-07-05T14:45:00.000-04:00

I have to admit, I was excited to watch Asheville's Downtown fireworks display this year, especially because I had the fantastic vantage point of being on the roof of the Flat Iron building on Battery Park. As I made my way to the roof, I was imagining a beautiful display, colors filling the sky, streams of light cascading down over the city, the cheers, oohs and ahhs of the crowd down below, followed by a deafening roar of voices as the crescendo peaked during the finale.
I set up my tripod, put my Canon 24-105 f4 L lens on, set the camera to 400iso, f8 @ 3.2 seconds, cracked open the most patriotic of July 4th drinks, a Corona, and I was ready to rock. I watched as crowds of people pushed toward the launch site. In the distance behind me I could see the wondrous display of fireworks coming from Lake Julian and thought, our are going to be better than that! As the red glow of the Biltmore Fireworks began over the mountain my friends and I sat with bated breathe as we glued our eyes toward the center of town.
Having grown up in NY, I had the privilege of watching the Grucci Family light up the East River every 4th of July. Their fireworks are like a dream, the concussions from the dynamite hitting me in the chest, the throngs of people screaming to each new explosion in the sky, the Brooklyn Bridge glowing in the night air. This was not, that. Not by a long shot.

The Asheville fireworks began slowly... one could say meagerly, frankly. But I maintained hope! I thought, surely Asheville will pick up the pace, our fair city will not be outdone by the coal burning folks at Progress Energy!

As the lights got brighter from the skyward explosions, I was feeling better, clicking open the shutter, I extended my exposure times to 4 seconds then to 5 seconds to let in more of the ambient light, to help give perspective to the size of the displays. Our fireworks show was off and running. I glanced over to my right to see how the Progress Energy show was going, I could see lights blooming in all directions, circles in the sky within other spheres of alternating lights, bulbs of color cascading down in all directions and I thought : "Come on Asheville.. lets go already!"

And this is what I got. LAME. Oh well, maybe the next one will be better... the kids in my neighborhood did better when I was in grade school...

Ok, thats kind of cool.. I like the streams in random directions...

Eh. not bad.. but we can do better!

My expectations were lowering. I was enjoying the show but I really thought we were working to some great crescendo of light and sound.
And then....
It stopped.

A collective sigh was heard throughout the city. "What the hell just happened?!" was the thought running through my mind and the minds and mouths of all those around me. I heard people say: " Really?!" "Is it over?" "it cant be over.. that wasn't the finale.. no way!" I heard a little girl say : " Is that it Daddy?" I was sad.
My fellow viewers and I sat and thought, surely, there must be more to come, this is just a pregnant pause....
And we waited....
And waited....
Nothing.
People began packing up their chairs, gathering their little ones, cleaning up their empties and marching home.
And still I waited. Surely there must be more, Asheville didn't go out like that.
I looked around and I was the last one on the roof. It was over. 12 minutes had gone by. Below, I could see the sea of people making their way back to their vehicles, pushing sleeping babies in their strollers, Dads carrying blankets, chairs and diaper bags with sad looks on their faces. I decided to pack up my gear. I guess it was done. Oh well, so be it. July 4th has come to a close.

As I was walking away, tripod folded neatly under my arm, camera safely in its bag, empties in hand... a huge explosion went off behind me... figures! Asheville's 15 plus minute pregnant pause had come to an end. All at once, fireworks began exploding without rhyme or reason in the sky. It was as though someone had said.. "Screw it!, lets light all this stuff off at once!" I quickly grabbed my camera and hurriedly unfolded my tripod to grab a couple last effort shots...

I dont mean to complain... but I was not impressed. I have heard through the grapevine that there was a fire on the ground where they were lighting off the munitions and that most of them blew up on the ground. I hope everyone is ok and that Asheville receives some kind of refund. Maybe next year will be better.
If you would like to see the whole set of images, please visit me on Facebook.. here is a link...

Hannah and Andrew

2010-04-29T14:49:00.000-04:00

Not every pregnant woman likes to have their picture taken, in fact, some women do not like to be the center of attention at all, and therefore do not like to have their picture taken whatsoever. This was the case with Hannah... she told me point blank that she does not like to have the attention on her and dislikes having her picture taken, and she wanted me to come to her and Andrew's home and capture some images of them as they are expecting their first child. Hannah told me that she knew it was important for their child to have some images of Mom and Dad as a couple before the birth and that she would tough it out for the sake of their child.
Going into the shoot, I knew I would have to have my "A" game on more than ever... I wanted to make sure that Hannah was comfortable with me and the camera before we started shooting at all, so we 3 spent some time chatting in the kitchen, simply hanging out in their home, playing with the cat, discussing possible spots to shoot in and laughing a lot. By the time the camera came out and we were ready to shoot, Hannah was having a good time, goofing around with Andrew and doing great in front of the camera. In fact, she let me take some shots that she had said "no, thanks" to during our consultation, so I knew I was gaining her trust and she was feeling more comfortable by the minute. I don't want to discount Andrew's role in this process... he is supremely supportive, funny, and loving with Hannah... it was this combination that allowed us to get some great shots that range from documentary to down right goofy (those are not public) for their new child to look at when the time is right.
Hannah went into labor on Tuesday and I am anxiously awaiting the news of their child... they choose not to know the sex before the birth... I am sure Hannah and Andrew are home basking in the joy of child birth and taking it easy and I will hear form Andrew soon enough.
Blessings to Hannah and Andrew and their new baby.. hopefully I will be shooting images of the baby very soon... stay tuned...
Here are a couple of my favorites from the shoot...

Hope and Alan's engagement images

2010-04-21T16:40:00.003-04:00

What fun I had shooting Hope and Alan's engagement images 2 weeks ago! As you may know, I first met Hope and Alan when they came to the Asheville area 2 years ago on vacation when they first started dating. They invited me to their vacation cabin to shoot some images of them as Alan was stationed in Afghanistan and was going back soon and Hope didn't want to miss the opportunity to get some images with her sweetie.
Well, fast forward to 2010 and Alan has rotated back to the states, which makes Hope a happy lady! What makes Hope even happier is that Alan proposed to her! I knew he would from the first moment I saw them together, they are so in love, their joy and happiness simply fills the room, or the street...!
So, Hope and Alan drove down from Camp Lejeune (where Alan is stationed and a 6 hour drive) to come to Asheville to have me shoot their engagement images and we had a great day together! We walked around, stopped into the French Broad Chocolate Lounge, had lunch at the Lexington Avenue Brewery and went to the veterans memorial in Pack Park. As we cruised around downtown enjoying the gorgeous spring weather, I was consistently taken by how in love these two are. I will let the images speak for themselves..

Under the stunning Bradford Pear tree in bloom...

A quick stop for a hug as we walked to the Chocolate Lounge

Hope has Alan right where she wants him!

How can you not have a good time at the French Broad Chocolate Lounge!

I love how content Hope looks in Alan's arms... too sweet!

Hope giving the railing a slide... how could she resist?

It is not hard at all to get these two to show some affection for the camera!

Had to grab a shot with the classic truck...

No caption needed :)

Alan showing his love for Nebraska... his home town.

Hope wanted to make sure she got a couple of shots with Alan in his dress blues... We walked down to the veterans memorial as we thought it was a fitting place to shoot and captured some wonderful images... this is one of my favorites.

Beautiful Little Stella

2010-04-07T13:00:00.000-04:00

It is one of my great joys when I get the opportunity to capture a wedding then get a call a year or so later asking me to take pictures of the couple's new child. That is exactly the case with Stella. Her Mom and Dad got married in June of 2008 and I was honored to be asked to shoot their wedding at Hidden River here in Asheville. About 3 months ago, little Stella came into the world, her bright blue eyes and blonde hair bringing a smile to anyone's face who has the pleasure of being around her.
Stella is a very happy little girl and if you know her parents, you would know why! Stella has recently learned to make "raspberry" noises and loves to show off her new talent with any chance she gets... this is one of the funniest things I have witnessed a little girl doing and often during the shoot Stella had all 3 of us laughing out loud!
Thanks so much to Pete and Jen for including me in their lives and the life of their beautiful little girl. I cant wait to shoot some more images of this little lady as she grows up.
Here are a couple of images from the shoot...

What a happy girl.. such a beautiful smile.

I love Stella's hat... too cute!

Is there anything more precious than little toes?

Daddy and his little girl...

Umphrey's McGee February 6th 2010

2010-02-09T17:57:00.002-05:00

As many of you know, I started out in photography shooting images of live bands. During the 10 years I have been shooting, my favorite band has become Umphrey's McGee from Chicago.
Umphrey's or UM is a band that draws on classic rock, prog rock, and has inspirations ranging form the Beatles to Zappa. I have gotten to know the band members, crew and management along the way to my 70th show and have been blessed to shoot some amazing experiences. This show at the Tabernacle in Atlanta was no exception.
UM is at the cutting edge of technology both on and off stage. In addition, UM loves their fans... I mean really loves their fans. It is this love for their fans, combined with technology that brings us... the Stew Art Series.. or s2.

For those of you new to UM... they call their "jams" "Jimmy Stewarts". A Stewart is a section of a song where the band will improvise live on stage, having one band member take the lead, the band allows the music to unfold however it is meant to unfold in the moment. It is this spontaneity, creativeness and energetic exchange between the band and the crowd that keeps me coming back for 70+ shows.
Which brings me to why Atlanta was a special night for me. UM has started doing the Stew Art Series... this is a private "concert" before the night's show begins. They limit ticket sales to 50 people and for $100 a person can attend a private concert where they control how the music is going to be played. How do they do that you ask? With your cell phone, of course!

UM uses a live text screen that the audience can text suggestions of musical styles, specific songs, genres, or goofy suggestions to in real time. The band reads these and plays the music that fits the suggestions on the fly without pausing to discuss what they are going to play or batting around ideas. It is truly amazing to see. As a "for instance", the image above says Waful on acid. Jeff Waful is their lighting engineer... so not only is the band involved in this interaction with the crowd, but the entire crew is in on it... so in response to the "lighting guy on acid" suggestion.. Jeff light the stage like this:

I use this example because without being there it is difficult to put into words what the "Moog Metal Haji" suggestion sounded like. As the S2 continues, the band pauses to take questions from the crowd. This interaction with their fans allows the fans to get to know their favorite band better, get a deeper understanding of the music, where it comes from, how it gets there and where they draw their musical styles from.

Here Brandon Bayliss answers a fan's question regarding who is early musical influences were and who he aspired to be as a musician when he was a child.
One of the suggestions that was posted to the board was "oh no, Chris cant play drums!" As the fans know, Kris Myers is one of the best drummers playing live right now, they also know that Jake Cinninger (one of the lead guitarists) is also one of the better drummers out there. So, Kris Myers left the drum set and Jake jumped up there to bang out some nasty drum solos. This instrument is not uncommon... but what happened next was uncommon. Kris picked up Jake's guitar and stated ripping some metal licks on Jake's axe. This was certainly a crowd pleaser and I was excited to get a shot of this special occasion. Here Jake looks on in amazement as Kris puts on his best "Jake face" as he leans back into some power chords.

The rest of the S2 saw more instrument swapping, with another suggestion coming in to have the bassist, Ryan Stasik, show off his piano skills. One of the things I think makes this band so good is their ability to understand and play each others instruments.

I felt really lucky to have been invited to attend the S2 event. I highly recommend it to any fan who wants to peek behind the curtain so to speak and get to know these amazing musicians a little better. Once the S2 was over, the band came out to mingle with the crowd and eat some pizza, answering more questions, signing autographs and posing for snapshots with the people who love them. I am taken again and again by the bands lack of ego and their willingness to connect with their fans.
Here are some images from the full show Saturday night...which was sold out, by the way! 2600 people!

Taken with a tilt shift lens

Brendon Bayliss

Jake Cinninger

Ryan Stasik gives the official UM salute. Too much rock for one hand.

More tilt shift fun

Best Fans in the world!

Thanks to everyone who stopped by the Booth at WNC Bridal Party

2010-02-08T14:24:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone,
Just a quick post to say thank you to the WNC Magazine crew... you did a great job putting on this years Bridal Party. Despite the threat of some bad weather, there was a great turn out to the event. The guests had a great time, martini in hand, as did I. We had a lot of traffic at the booth and got to meet some wonderful brides and grooms to be, plus a lot of wonderful people in the wedding business. The fashion show was a big hit to round out the evening, the gowns were exceptional and the flowers were extraordinary! My friend Cami took shots during the event and you can see them here.
Thanks again to all of you who took some time to stop by and say hello! It was good seeing you... keep an eye out for the Jon Leidel Photography booth coming around again soon at the next Bridal event in your town.
Have a great week!

Think No Freezing Rain...

2010-02-04T16:15:00.000-05:00

So here I am on the eve of the WNC Magazine Bridal Party. I am excited to be participating, this is sure to be a great event! WNC Magazine said they have been selling tickets like mad, so it sounds like we will have a great turn out.. as long as Mother Nature cuts us a little slack. Looks like we could have some freezing rain first thing in the morning, then it should warm up enough that it will be just a light drizzle.. not too much to keep people away.

In preparation for the show and with the new year, I have launched a new website with new images and a new style. Please drop by and check it out! www.jonleidelphotography.com

I hope to see some of you at tomorrow night's event! Stop by my table and Ill shoot a couple of shots with you and your loved one.

Stay warm!

I want one of these!

2010-02-01T18:10:00.000-05:00

Ok, I have been a mac user since 2000-01, in fact my first computer was an Apple IIE back in the day. I used PCs for a while, but luckily came to my senses in 2000. I love Macs. I have a G5 with 9 GB of Ram, Dual 21 inch Cinema Displays, a 24 inch IMac, and a laptop... oh, and an IPhone. That being said...
HOLY COW I want an iPad. This device is beautiful. For those of you who may not know what I am talking about... watch the video here.
Apple has out done themselves this time... they have created a new type of device that will certainly change they way we think of portable computing.
The I Pad surfs the web on WiFI or 3G...
Gets your email
Holds your contacts
Has your appointments
Holds All your music
Views your videos
Shares and shows your photos
Does word Processing
Does Spread Sheets
Makes the Kindle look like a coloring book
Allows you access to I tunes for music and video, the App store for over 140,000 apps and gives you access to I Books, Apple's new online Book store.
All this for $499!

Ye Haw! I cant wait to see this in person. 1.5 lbs, 10 hours of battery, less than a 1/2 inch thick, full touch screen for everything. It looks like a beautiful and efficient way to show images to customers, plus read on the plane, get my email, keep my appointments and play games. When I think that Amazon wants $299 for a Kindle and all that is is a gray and black screen for books... I think this is a sweet deal. Go Steve Jobs!
I heart Mac. What can I say? :)

Winter Beauty

2010-02-01T12:23:00.000-05:00

So we got another healthy dose of winter this weekend and I was initially saddened by the weather because we had to postpone our Fundraiser for Journeymen due to the snow, but I managed to make the best of the weekend. I got up early yesterday and saw that the snow had a beautiful crust of ice on it and I knew that I had to get out and shoot before the sun hit it, so I got my boots on and headed out my door. Living on the north side of the mountain, things tend to freeze more quickly and stay frozen a little longer, great for photography, not so good for the road.. but that's another post. :)
Here are a couple of shots from the bushes and tress around my home...
Happy Winter!

Loved the light coming through the pine boughs on this shot.

A leaf holds on from fall.

The frozen snow crystals on this vine looked like a beautiful, natural barb wire.

The delicacy of nature reveals itself to me when I take the time to stop and look.

Frozen "hitch hikers".

The red of the berries against the white of the snow caught my eye here.

Ok, coolest example of mother natures magic right here. This is a spider web that has collected moisture and frozen. It was gently blowing in the morning breeze and to my amazement, the ice crystals did not break, but gently flexed with each breeze.

One of the prettiest blue skies I have seen in a while. No manipulation here... this is the real color.

WNC Magazine Bridal Show - February 5th, 2010

2010-01-20T13:51:00.000-05:00

I am excited to be a part of the the WNC Magazine Bridal Show coming up on February 5th. This is an exclusive event limited to only 5 participants per category. I have worked with WNC Magazine in the past and I know they know how to throw a party, and this is no exception. There will be a fashion show for gowns and tuxedos and to top it off, each guest gets a bottomless martini, sponsored by Absolut Vodka.
So, if you are engaged, know someone who is thinking about tying the knot in the mountains, or want to check out all the wonderful possibilities for a mountain wedding, grab a $20 ticket and come on down. Be sure to stop by and say hello!
Hope to see you there.. cheers!
For more information... click on this link...

Chambers Transportation

2010-01-12T11:55:00.000-05:00

Greetings from the winter wonderland of Asheville! I hope everyone is staying warm and safe this winter.
Back in July, I was contacted by Chambers Transportation in Charlotte, N.C. to capture images of their big rigs on the road here in the mountains. Ryan Chambers wanted to update his website and marketing materials with more stylish images of his new rigs. I posted some of the images from that shoot on my blog in July (here is the link).
Ryan contacted me yesterday, the proud parent of a new website with the images from our shoot. Please take a moment to visit ChambersTransport.com to see the images and view what I think is one of the coolest trucking websites I have seen.
Congratulations Ryan on your new site! I am glad to have been a part of this makeover for you and your company.
More posts coming soon!

Happy New Year!

2010-01-06T15:12:00.001-05:00

Greetings everyone! I hope all of you are off to a beautiful start to your new year. I am excited about 2010! There are so many wonderful things going on in my life both personally and professionally that I know 2010 is going to be my best year yet!
In addition to all the positive aspects of my life and business, I got the wonderful opportunity to spend New Year's eve with my extended chosen family in Tarpon Springs, Florida. I was in Florida for a family wedding on the 2nd and we went down early to spend some time with everyone and to enjoy the sunny warm weather. The weather didn't quite cooperate, it was sunny, but not nearly as warm as I was hoping with the temperature only getting into the 60's once while we were there. Despite the chilly temperatures, the celebration was warm and the connections with family were a welcome start to the new year and decade.
The wedding I attended was one of the most beautiful, loving and largest weddings I have been to. This experience was unique in that I was there as a guest and not as the hired photographer. I hope you can imagine what a different feeling it was to not be running around, chasing shots, lugging gear and organizing people. I must admit that it was extremely challenging for me not to be doing those things! I often found myself seeing a beautiful moment and wanting to run over and grab the shot, only to remind myself that I was not there to do that, but to enjoy myself and celebrate the love of Antigone and Nikita. That being said, I did offer myself to the brides parents, telling them that it would be my pleasure to take some family shots as I saw them come up, both during the new years eve celebration and during the pre-wedding and reception. (its hard not do be what you are). So, I did that. I casually grabbed candid shots of the family and the bride and groom and didn't worry myself with all the other concerns I usually have during a wedding shoot. And I must admit, that was pretty nice!
Anitgone and Nikita's wedding followed many of the Greek wedding traditions. They were married in a beautiful orthodox church in Tarpon Springs and the ceremony was mostly sung by the Papa's (priests) and the male accompaniment. For those of you who may not have experienced this before, it is truly graceful and elegant. The way that the Greek language was mixed with English during the blessings and prayers was a sonorous gift to the ears. During the service, the bride and groom were blessed many times by family. This was done by the switching of the crowns from head to head in addition to the switching of the rings from hand to hand. This gesture truly resonated with me as these two are about to live a life that is shared while maintaining their individuality, and I felt that the swapping of the rings and crowns exemplified that.
The reception was held at Innisbrook, which is a 900+ acre resort and golf club in Tarpon Springs. This is where I witnessed some of the most alluring dancing and community blessings I have ever had the pleasure of being part of. As the bride and groom dance, the MC called the parents, then grand parents then wedding party to join them. As each couple joined the bride and groom on the floor they showered them with paper money as a blessing for their prosperity in their new life together, then kissed each on the cheek and joined the line dance. I could not interpret a single word that the band sung, and I understood every one. Watching the children collecting the money after the 3rd song I was told that the new couple was now blessed to have children and that the collection of the money ensured their children's prosperity as well.
As the night went on, the dancing got more lively as the tempo increased. I tried to keep up with some of the movements while holding hands with various people in a line that circled the dance floor several times but I was not doing that well. :) It was at that point I decided to grab the camera and capture some of the energy and joy that was exemplified by the men dancing together in the traditional Greek dances.
The night went on until the wee hours of the morning, closing out with a gorgeous serenade by a family member to the new couple. I went home with my heart open and full of joy for Antigone and Nikita and for the new year ahead.
Here are some of the pictures from new years eve, the pre wedding festivities and the reception... hope you enjoy them.
Blessings again to Antigone and Nikita... may you have a life full of love and joy together.

The Happy couple share a new year kiss.

2 of the cutest cousins ever!

A blessing kiss from Mom for the crowns

The rings and the ring pillow

A Daughter honors her Father

The beautiful bride moments before going to the church

The best man with the ladies...

The cake!

A niece gets to grab some money for the piggy bank

Nikita the Groom showing his moves...

Antigone's turn to show her husband her moves...

The proud Father strutting his stuff... I absolutely loved watching this!

The bride's brother Lefty, kicking it up for the new couple.

The final serenade and the close to a magical evening...

Sabrina and Rob

2009-12-08T14:28:00.000-05:00

It is a real blessing in my line of work to be able to shoot someone's wedding then have the gift of being able to shoot images of them during pregnancy and on to pictures of their children. I shot Sabrina and Rob's wedding in June of 2008 and now, here we are closing out 2009 and Sabrina contacted me to do a maternity shoot and I was thrilled.
I spent some time talking with Rob and Sabrina about what they were looking for in the way of images before they came to the studio. They expressed to me that they wanted classic black and whites with simple poses, something understated that displayed their love and showed Sabrina in her beauty as a pregnant woman.
The soon to be parents came by my studio after their work day last week and we started shooting. During the shoot, we laughed a lot and saw the baby moving around and we concluded that the baby was having as much fun as we were. Rob and Sabrina are so wonderfully in love with one another, they are a joy to be around. Their love shines so brightly that it infects all those around them.
Here are some of the images from their shoot. I think Sabrina is radiating as many pregnant women do this close to the birth...
Thanks so much Sabrina and Rob for including me in this wonderful time in your lives... I can't wait to meet the little person in a couple of weeks!

Katelyn

2009-11-23T13:27:00.000-05:00

Katelyn is a young woman making her way into the modeling industry. She contacted me because she had done several shoots with other photographers and was not getting the resluts she wanted. She felt the images that she had received from her earlier shoots lacked depth and emotion, so she and I had a cup of coffee a week before our shoot and talked about what she is looking to add to her portfolio.
We decided to do a couple of different looks, including some black and white more traditional looks, to some more adventurous looks including some formal dresses and added a little fun with a blue wig she had.
Katelyn and I are going to shoot again after the holidays, concentrating on a "grunge" look that she wishes to add to her portfolio. She was a lot of fun to work with, having a playfulness that was balanced with a serious work ethic in front of the camera. I am looking forward to working with her again.
Working with models is always a wonderful learning experience for me. The connections I make with the model, the creativity that this type of shoot allows plus the technical aspects of the lighting provide a challenge and great rewards at the end of the shoot.
Here are a couple of images form our shoot last week...

The Lee Family

2009-11-19T18:26:00.001-05:00

As a photographer in Asheville, and as a resident of the Asheville community I offer my gifts of photography to local charities and local institutions. Last year I was asked by the Carolina Day School if I would be willing to donate my servies to their bi-yearly auction to raise money for their school and I said I would be honored to. I put together a package that included a family portrait session and a large 20x30 inch Mantle Giclee Print. The winning family was the Lee family of Fletcher. Mrs. Lee contacted me and we had set a date a while back to do the shoot, but then their son (a HS quarterback) injured his shoulder and Mr. Lee had some knee surgery and we had to postpone the shoot. Recently, Mrs. Lee contacted me and said her family was healthy again and wanted to get t he shoot done in time for them to order prints to go along with their holiday mailings. It was short notice and I had some other things on my plate but I wanted to make sure the Lee's got to use their generous gift, so I made the shoot happen this past Sunday.
I was tired from being part of a weekend with my mentoring group, Journeymen, and I was slightly concerned if I was going to have the energy I needed to do the shoot in a good way. Once I arrived at the Lee house, all my concerns were assuaged. The Lee's had the Panther's football game on and Mr. Lee and I hit it off instantly, talking about our favorite teams and how difficult it can be sometimes to be a Panthers fan. :) The energy and love in their house was palpable. This family is so much fun to be around! Mrs. Lee's Mom was there and we started taking pictures with the 2 boys and Grandma. I knew once the eldest son gave Grandma a nuggie and picked her up in his arms that I was going to have a lot of fun shooting images of this family.
We took some shots in the house, then moved outside to their yard and got some shots with a beautiful Japanese Maple in the background that was in full autumn brilliance. The boys put on their jerseys and we shot a couple of shots of them playing football in the yard. One of my favorite shots is of Caleb and Andrew.. the look on Andrew's face as he is next to his older brother is one of true love, very sweet.
I am really thankful that I was able to make this shoot happen for this wonderful family. Hanging out with them for the hour and a half I was there, filled my heart. Seeing Grandma with her boys, Dad with his sons, and Mom with her gang brought a big smile to my face.
Thanks so much Lee family for inviting me into your home and supporting your local school!

Here are some images from the shoot...

How great is the look on Grandma's face!

I think this is my favorite. Brotherly love...

The wonderful family.

Grandma and her boys.

The matriarchs of a great family.

The boys lookin' tough.

Sunset in Asheville

2009-11-04T17:41:00.002-05:00

If you are lucky enough to live in the mountains...
You are lucky enough!

Bed and Breakfast's Before and After

2009-10-29T17:41:00.001-04:00

Greetings People!
Often, I am asked by people how I can help their place of business look it's best, whether it be for a new website, print materials, or other digital media. I tell these folks about the skill set I have as a commercial photographer, tell them about creating images that are more like what the eye and the brain take in when in a space, and in the end, it is all visual... I think it is easier to display what it is I do.
The following images are form a recent shoot I have been doing at a local bed and breakfast. The owners of the B&B had attempted to capture images that represent their gorgeous inn and they were not able to get the rooms to look like they way they see them each day, so they called me.
I have shot several B&B's, homes, and new construction and I have developed a method that allows me to re-create what the space looks like to the eye, and that is what these B&B owners were looking for.

Take a look...

Before - This is what the room looks like to the camera on the first shot.

After - This image is created using several shots that I composite in Photoshop into one image. In addition, I perform a lot of tweaks to color balance the different light sources (window light, tungsten and fluorescent) and make an image that accurately represents the room.

Before - Notice the yellow light form the bed side lamps and the blue light form the windows.

After - I have balanced the lights and composite several shots to create the final image.

Before - This room was a challenge due to the color of the walls and the positions of the windows. In real life, the room is nice and bright and inviting, in the initial capture, the room is dark and morose, with the only real lighting coming from the yellow glow of the fluorescent bed side lights.

After - I have brightened the room evenly (like the eyes sees), balanced the exposure outside and inside, and reduced the yellow cast that the fluorescent lights create. Our eyes and brain are wonderful devices and do all of this for us all day, every day.. I have really come to appreciate what the brain does with the eyes to allow us to see the way we do.

Before - I think this is typical of an image that people get when they try to shoot their spaces themselves. The inside is too dark, and the outside too light. There is no detail in the room, especially in the bookcase, which is important as this is the Library Room.

After - Again, I have made a composite of several images, balanced the colors and brightened up the book case and the entrance to the bathroom, making it more inviting.

***If you have attempted to capture images of your space and they look like any of these before pictures, give me a call, I can help!

Ye Haw!

2009-10-27T16:18:00.002-04:00

Well, folks, we are back up and running. I must say that doing a domain transfer required me to jump through many firey hoops! Waiting for the orgininal host to alow the transfer, to the new host awaiting the transfer, to email addresses, to billing, holy cow!
This is why I am a photographer and not a web designer.

Thanks to all of you who were concerned!

We're back, baby!

Jon

www.350.org Climate Rally

2009-10-24T16:49:00.001-04:00

Asheville was one of the host cities today for a 350.org climate change rally. 350 represents the parts per million of c02 gasses that scientists and climatologists say is the tipping point for our planet.
350.org has organized rally's in chapters all over the world where people can together to show their dedication to the 350 ppm movement. The images from the different global events will be uploaded to Times Square to bring awareness to the world leaders meeting to ratify the Kyoto Treaty later in the year.
I was honored to be asked to shoot this very important image...

Updating

2009-10-21T16:26:00.000-04:00

So, Jonleidel.com is down for a day or two as I move my domain from an old provider to a new provider / web host. I should be up and running again in 48 hours. Sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused. Keeping the best technology working can sometimes have it's challenges! Thanks to all who contacted me with concerns, no worries, all is well.

All the best! Hope you all are having some of the beautiful weather we are having here in Asheville!

Jon

A video Perspective

2009-10-01T17:12:00.003-04:00

As you all know, I shoot stills, not video. I did however, bring my Canon G10 Point and Shoot which shoots video because I thought it would be fun to have some video from the trail. This is an unedited (if that wasn't obvious) video of me standing on a a ridge crest at mile 4 on the Kalalau Trail. I added this because I think it adds a sense of space and beauty to the stills I shot form the same place.
Hope you enjoy.

View from the Kalalau Trail from Jon Leidel on Vimeo.

Hawaii - The Big Island and Kauai

2009-09-30T17:12:00.000-04:00

Aloha everyone!
I have just recently returned from an amazing journey to the Big Island of Hawaii and Kauai Island. I had the pleasure of joining Nikki and Dan on their honeymoon to document their experience and the beauty of the places they chose to spend their time together.
We saw an amazing array of landscapes... from the desolation of the lava fields outside of Volcano, HI to the sandy beaches of Kauai, to the lush jungles of the Na Pali Coast and the Kalalau Trail. We stayed in Hilo and Kona on the island of Hawaii, Halalei (where Puff the magic dragon is from) on the island of Kauai, and camped a night on the Kalalau trail... which Sierra Club rates a 9 out of 10 for difficulty. If that is a 9, Everest must be a 10!
Here are some preliminary pictures from our big adventure, hope you enjoy them. I may post a video as well, so stay tuned!

Many, many thanks to Nikki and Dan for including me during this special time in their lives. I have become good friends with both of them through our travels and challenges and enjoyed seeing all of these wondrous places with them.
Mahalo Nikki and Dan.
Aloha to all the people who love Dan and Nikki...

Hilo - Big Island
View of the observatory on Mauna Kea.

Birds of Paradise near Hilo

Volcanoes National Park - Big Island

Volcanoes National Park - The great Pacific Ocean meeting the Volcano shelf

A blessing from Pele the goddess of fire

Pele in all her glory - This is where the lava meets the cool waters of the Pacific... it was absolutely amazing to witness this.

This is the private viewing platform we went to with a local. It was so nice not to be with 1000 other people during this event!

Akaka Falls State Park - This falls is over 400 feet!

Right outside Akaka Falls Park

Wouldn't be Hawaii without some surfing!

One of Hawaii's beautiful beaches. The day we were there there were 100's of families grilling food, hanging out, kids surfing and running on the beach, a true local experience.

Wind Farm near Kohala, big island

The beautiful couple of the Kalalau Trail.

View from the trail

Hanakapiai Beach

View from about mile 4 on the trail

Creek at mile 6 where we camped.

Kalalau Trail Head signed adorned with Lei's and walking sticks.

Hanalei - Ke'ee beach

Ke'ee Beach

Hanalei Pier - one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen. Amazing cliffs and mountains right into the bosom of the Pacific. The mountains look like a sleeping dragon..

On Ke'ee beach our last night on the island...
Love this shot!

Great Job Everyone!

2009-09-16T11:11:00.002-04:00

Nikki and Dan have a lot of people who love and care about them, that's for sure. That was the fastest 25 comments in the history of this blog!
Can you take it to the next tier?
50 Unique comments gets Nikki and Dan a 16x20!

Feeling the love...

Jon

Nikki and Dan - The wedding preview images.

2009-09-15T13:33:00.001-04:00

Hello all! I am proud to present a small sampling of images from Nikki and Dan's wedding this past weekend. You may remember Nikki and Dan from the engagement images. Well, this weekend at Hidden River Events in Swannanoa, Nikki and Dan tied the knot.
It was an absolutely gorgeous weekend to have an outdoor wedding in the mountains, the sky was blue, there was a light breeze and the humidity was low. Nikki and Dan's families flew in from all over the country to be with them this weekend and Mother Nature rewarded them for their love for Nikki and Dan.
After knowing Nikki and Dan for a year, I felt like one of the family as I went to capture their wedding this weekend. Nikki looked absolutely stunning in her dress, orchids in her hair, a beautiful smile on her face, she looked radiant. Dan and the boys looked dapper in their tuxes as they made their way to the ceremony, walking along the rose pedal lined path where Nikki would soon join them.
As I accompanied Nikki and her Father, Larry, in the horse carriage to the ceremony area, Nikki was calm, full of love and glowing. It filled my heart to be around her in this moment. Her love for Dan was evident in her every move and breath.
The young couple wrote their own vows and recited them to each other during the ceremony. I must admit, a bug must and flown into my eye while Nikki was reading hers becaue my eye started to water as she declared her love for Dan. (ok, I was crying a little).
The ceremony over, Nikki and Dan rode off in the carriage, made a lap around the beautiful venue, and returned to the ceremony area to take some pictures with me while the guests made their way to the reception tent.
All day long, through the ceremony, the reception, the toasts, the dinner, the cake cutting, everything that was done, and said, one thing was obvious, these two were meant to be together. From the stories shared, both new and old, I believe that these two were destined to be together, and I, along with the guests, reveled in their love and joy.
It was a wonderul, enchanted day and Nikki and Dan enjoyed themselves and loved on each other in a way that was inspiring to behold. I am so glad I was able to be a part of their wedding day.

Thanks so much Nikki and Dan!

If Nikki and Dan receive 15 comments on this post I will give them a free 8x10 ($40 value) If they get 25 comments, they will recieve a free 11x14 ($80 value). Tell your friends, people.

Needs no explanation.

The Beautiful Bride.

The Boys!

I love their embrace here!

When it comes to love, this says it all!

Nikki and her smile!

In the comfort of each other...

Your carriage awaits, my lady.

The gang!

Remember I said during their engagement images that they had been practicing their first dance. Whoa! It was hot! Not your normal boring first dance! I know this is representative of their union...great stuff!

The beautiful bride.

Loving embrace. What a day!

Asheville Gems: Moog, Toubab Krewe and Echo Mountain Recording Studio

2009-09-15T12:46:00.000-04:00

I have once again been blessed by the Moog Foundation. This time in the form of an invitation to Echo Mountain Recording Studio to capture images of Toubab Krewe's finishing touches on their new album. Toubab Krewe has been a big supporter of Moog Music and the Bob Moog Foundation throughout their wonderful career. 2 of the members are Asheville locals and have known Bob Moog since they were young and have been using Moog equipment for almost as long.
The guys in the band were kind enough to grant the Moog Foundation access to their recording sessions so that they could capture Toubab using Moog equipment on their album. In addition, Drew Heller, guitarist for Toubab, gave an interview with the Moog Foundation about how Moog insturments have influenced him and how he uses them to get the sounds he wants.
During all this, I got to be a fly on the wall, taking pictures and hanging out, in, what is one of the most amazing spaces I have had the opportunity to be in... Echo Mountain Recording Studios.
No detail was left undone in the building of Echo's second space. The opportunity to record an instrument lies in every corner and crevice of the building, including the bathrooms. And when I saw that, I had the thought: "Why not! Even my singing sounds pretty good in the shower!" From the lighting to the choices of wood for the baffles, to the amenities, to the control room, to the lounge, Echo has it all. Balconies over looking downtown Asheville, roof access to get a breath of air, video editing... it's all right there. Another wonderful feather in the cap of Asheville, N.C..
So big thanks to Moog for the invite. Big props to Toubab for the upcoming album, which is rockin' if I do say so! And many thanks to Echo for allowing all of us in to document this wonderful occasion.
I love this town!

Recording in the bathroom, Luke said it sounds like the home his teacher lives in, being constructed from stone and corrugated metal. **Note the Zildian cymbal light fixture.

Holdin' down the rhythm in the back.

Giving the low end some flavor.

Toubab uses a lot of unique instruments accumulated form their extensive travels... check out the cigar box guitar. Mix that with a bank of Mooger Foogers and you have Toubab Krewe.

Drew upstairs in Echo laying down the guitar tracks. He had the whole room to himself. It was amazing to be in that space with him while he communicated with the band and laid down the various tracks and sounds for the new album.

David feels the beat as he works the Rickenbacker.

Drums and bass keep the beat moving along.

This is one of my favorites. This is the space Drew sat in as he recorded. What a gorgeous room, the light coming in through the windows, mixed with the wood floors and red curtains, and the solitary light on Drew... to cool! I love Drew's shadow on the floor as well.

The setup for the interview with Drew.

Drew talking with Meg from Moog Foundation.

The Beauty of Being Pregnant

2009-09-15T10:45:00.000-04:00

I love shooting images of pregnant women. I think it is due to the awesome transformation that is taking place, the "glow" that pregnant women get and the overall aesthetic of a woman, heavy with child. The curves of the belly and knowing there is a little person in there soon to join this world, fills my heart to be around.
These shots are from a recent session I did with a soon to be Mom and Dad who wish to remain anonymous. I must say that Mom looks wonderful! Her belly is gorgeous, her skin is flawless and her glow is full of joy and fills the room when she walks in. Mom is probably about to give birth any moment now, and I wish her and Dad all the best as they prepare to bring their first child into the world.
I hope to be able to capture baby's first moments here on Earth really soon!

All the best to you three!

I am really digging the subtle color tones in this image.

Mom and Dad sending love to the little one.

The heart of Mom's hands with the strength of Dad's.

Nikki and Dan - Engagement session

2009-09-15T10:30:00.000-04:00

One of the aspects of my work I enjoy the most is getting to spend time with, and document, people in love. Nikki and Dan are perfect examples of this.
The new couple hired my a year ago to shoot their engagements, wedding and bridals shots. During the year since we signed the contract, I have gotten to know Nikki and Dan really well. We have had many email and phone conversations and the subjects of those conversations have ranged from the many aspects of planning a wedding, to Buddhism,vegetarianism, live music and everything in between.
Nikki and Dan are one of the couples you hear people speak of... the couples who were made for each other... "a match made in heaven"... This is not lip service. The support each other fully in their endeavors, they stretch each other to grow, they laugh a lot, honestly listen to each other and to be around them is a real joy.
Recently, after battling scheduling Dan in Ohio, Nikki in Cary NC, and a non cooperative mother nature, we finally got together in Asheville to shoot their engagements images. We spent time downtown, in the Flat Iron building, and at one of my favorite locales, the botanical gardens at UNC Ashevile. We ate chocolate, walked around and laughed as I kept the camera to my eye looking for images that best represent Nikki and Dan's deep connection. I think I got several images that show their love...

Thanks Nikki and Dan... I had a blast with you guys!

Love the big smile on Nikki's face. This was shot walking around downtown Asheville.

A quiet moment by the creek at the botanical gardens. One of my favorite images.

Lounging on the grass. They are so comfortable together, and this image captures that.

Nikki and Dan spent four months working on their "first dance" for the wedding. Knowing how much time and effort they put into it, I asked them to give me a little demo during our shoot. I was impressed, these two know how to move around the dance floor! * More to come of the dancing couple from the wedding.

Another sweet moment of their deep, loving connection.

Too cute! Hanging out by the river.

This is my second favorite. Nikki leaning on her man, and Dan there for her completely. Love it!

Grace W.

2009-09-15T10:07:00.000-04:00

In addition to weddings, children and families and commercial work, I shoot with some local models in Asheville. I had the pleasure of working with Grace for a second recently. We were working in the Flat Iron Building, which is the building my studio is in. This building has a wonderful history and is blessed with wonderful spaces in which to shoot. It has a nostalgic energy, often feeling like an early 20's or 30's romance, slash, detective novel. Originally, we were going to have Grace's hair done in a style of the period but there was some confusion with the hair person, so we made the best of what we had and had a wonderful shoot! Thanks a lot to Moria for the make up help.
Hope you enjoy the images. You will probably see more of Grace in the future.

Grace in the window

I like the back lighting and the clean feel of this pose and composition.

The shoes off give a great casual, sexy feel to this image.

Playing around with the faux mink Grace brought with her.

This is the only shot in the series where I used studio lighting. The was no way for me to get the look I was hoping for with natural lighting. I like this shot a lot, Grace's modeling ability really shines here.

A few more from Montreal...

2009-09-15T09:46:00.000-04:00

A couple more shots from my visit in Montreal that I forgot to add to the last post...

Wonderful Statue in Old Montreal

Fountain in old Montreal

Fountain Statues in Old Montreal

Anna and I enjoying ourselves in Montreal... thanks David for capturing this one!

On my birthday we went to La Ronde.. Six Flags Montreal, this was the view as we were going back to the car after a great day of riding roller coasters and acting like a kid! What a wonderful way to spend my birthday.
Much love and thanks to David and Lisa, Eli, Alana and Dylan for putting us up in their beautiful city and making us feel like family.

Airports, Apartments, Old Cities and Birthdays

2009-09-14T18:58:00.001-04:00

Hello all... I hope you have been enjoying this wonderful pre-autumn weather.
I have been really busy with photography, mentoring and traveling over the past couple of months and I realize I have been ~~kind of~~ slack in updating my blog. I appreciate all of you who reminded me that I needed to update...keep holding my feet to the fire!

While I was on the road, I went from Asheville to Colorado to Montreal back to Asheville over a 2 week stretch. I was visiting other chapters of the Boys To Men International Mentoring Network, helping them initiate boys so that they may begin their journey to manhood. Along the way I got to stay in Golden, Co. with some dear friends, then I got to visit the oldest city in North America, Montréal, again, staying with dear friends while I was in Canada.

Here are some images from the Denver Airport, Old Montréal, a 9,000 square foot apartment overlooking Montréal. Much love to our host at the palace, thanks so much for having us over for some wine, that was a beautiful way to spend my birthday evening!

Hope you enjoy.

Denver International Airport

D.I.A.

D.I.A.

D.I.A.
*I was amazed I had not been arrested by this point, walking around taking pictures of how the airport works with a professional digital SLR. (AND.. the Threat level was Orange - so said the announcement)

Laying on the floor at D.I.A.

Buggy Mania

Airport Café

D.I.A.

Denver Airport's imitation of the Rocky Mountains

The Biggest outdoor patio I have ever seen... attached to the largest apartment I have ever been in. You are looking at the 3 floor main bedroom sweet. Yowza!

Enjoying a vino by the fire

Looking away from downtown Montreal.. the Ferris wheel is where I spent my birthday... La Rondé: 6 flags Montreal

The Oldest city in North America... and one of the prettiest.

Clock tower and River
***Keep in mind these were all taken from the terrace of the apartment we were visiting. Oh, and I dint have a tripod.

***Much thanks to our gracious host!!!

Lobby of the building

Stairs from above

Lobby water feature

Lobby water feature

Lobby

Anthony DeVito - Local Potter

2009-07-15T17:18:00.005-04:00

I am blessed to live in Asheville and be surrounded by so many wonderful local artists. As you know, I have worked with Gabriel Shaffer in digitally reproducing his wonderful mixed media on canvas art pieces and now I have had the recent pleasure of working with Anthony DeVito, a local master on the pottery wheel.
Anthony came to me to help him capture the beauty and nuances of his pots so that he can can utilize on line merchandising opportunities. When I said yes, I had no idea how much I would enjoy shooting these pieces. I have shot many products before and I enjoy that type of studio work. Close the blinds, set up the table and the lights, get my favorite tunes going, or these days, my rockin' Pandora station, get out the camera and go to work. I find a lot of Zen and beauty in working with static objects in the studio but I did not realize how much of a relationship I would develop with each of his pieces.
The way that Anthony uses glazes and a wood fired kiln add many dimensions and unique personalities to each of his pieces. It was with those subtle qualities that I found myself building relationship. By examining angles under different lighting, watching carefully how the reflective surfaces picked up the lights and seeing the glazes come alive with my reflector, I really felt that I got to know each piece that sat on the table.

If you want to contact Anthony his number is : 404-545-9156. Once he has his web presence, I will add a link to this post. Again, I love this town and the people that I meet here!
Thanks, Anthony for the opportunity to get to know your work. I am already looking forward to your next round of pots and bowls!

Large Jar about 7-8 inches tall.

Another Large Jar about 7-8 inches tall

Breakfast collection - bowls and cups

My favorite Vase - about 10 inches tall

3 Sides of my favorite vase

Large Vase about 14 inches tall

Big Boys Toys

2009-07-15T09:57:00.004-04:00

Wheels wheels and more wheels!
After my shoot yesterday, I have a renewed respect for tractor trailers and the people who drive them. I was hired by Chambers Transportation in Charlotte to shoot images of their big rigs here in the mountains for their website and some new art in their offices. I got to spend a day with Ryan Chambers and one of his new Kenworth rigs.
Wow, that is a big machine! I have seen millions of trucks in the road and it was not until I stood next to the truck to take pictures that I got a real sense of how large one of these transportation devices really is. Ryan told me that fully loaded, that the trailer and rig could weigh 40 tons...that's 80,000 pounds for those of you keeping score at home. The cab has two bunk beds and is 72 inches across, room for a tv, bed side tables, built in drawers and Ryan said some of the cross country trucks could have bathrooms and showers as well. Working in teams, these trucks can run non stop 24 hours a day to make it back and forth across the country in 3 days.
In addition, the truck holds 300 gallons of fuel and gets about 7 miles a gallon. Lets do the math on that when diesel was 5 bucks a gallon and your shipment has to go 3000 miles... no, never mind, you get the idea.
For those of you, like me, who may have in the past cut off a truck or two when on the highway... this rigs needs a full football field to stop when going 65 mph. That's a long way to come to a stop, please take that into consideration the next time you want to make a quick lane change with your kids in the car.
Ryan, Chris (my driver and assistant extraordinaire) and I had a great time shooting images of the big rig. I got to sit in the drivers seat and look out over the hood of 500 horsepower of diesel love. We shot in Swannanoa, and in Canton and the weather could not have been better. We had to wait out some early morning cloud cover in Canton and once it broke, it was one of the nicest days we have had up here. I particularly enjoyed hanging out the back window of my 4 wheeler (that's big rig cb talk for passenger vehicles) and shooting Ryan's truck going down the road. We got some confused looks from some of the other people on the road which just added to the fun. Thanks to Chris for a great job driving!
These are a couple of preliminary images from the shoot. I have artistically tweaked a couple of images as I find myself really enjoying the lines, size and aesthetics of this big truck. These trucks really are pieces of art in engineering and functionality and as the trucks evolve, the shapes, curves and body styles become more and more stylish in my eye.
So, with a newly renewed respect for the men and women who cart my stuff from here to there and the machines they use to do it... Ill let you decide if you think these big rigs are as cool as I think they are.
See you down the road...
Jon

Movin'!

Optimus Prime kicking it in the mountains.

Truck Portrait

WNC Magazine Artist Profile

2009-07-02T13:40:00.005-04:00

Hey Everyone,

I am excited and honored to be the artist profiled in this month's issue of WNC magazine. As July is their music issue, they called me up in May to do an interview with me for my involvement in the music scene here in Asheville. The interview and the images can be found on page 26.
I must say that that the entire experience has been wonderful... from the interviewer, J. Hansburg, to the editors and art director and everyone in between the folks at WNC magazine are a joy to work with. Big thanks to Melissa, Brian and Matt for all of their efforts and support.
It still catches me in a certain spot in my heart to see my images on the pages of a magazine that I read on a regular basis, especially one of the caliber of WNC Magazine. I hope I never get used to that. :)
In addition to the article, my images can be found accompanying the "Sound Advice" article on page 52 and again in the "Fete Set" on page 92.
Please support this wonderful magazine and drop by a newsstand and pick one up, it looks great on the coffee table, especially open to page 26.

Thanks to all for your continued support, I hope to see you all through my lens soon.

Jon

Link to WNC Magazine article

Soundtrack to my youth

2009-06-30T14:29:00.003-04:00

Allow me to take you for a ride in my time machine...
Go back... the year is 1986... High School is about to begin, I'm out of school for the summer, riding my bike around town on Long Island. A few miles to the west, 3 Jewish kids have put together a new album that breaks through the walls of what hip-hop is, and I love it. The album is License to Ill and the Beasite Boys just became a household name and the heroes of NYC. I play the album until I wear it out. I sing all the lyrics, my parents hate it... so I love it all the more.
Now it is 1998, I am a sophomore in High School, boarding school to be exact, in upstate NY. I am in my dorm room, headphones on, blasting Paul's Boutique, learning the lyrics and throwing my arms in the air, mimicking the movements of the boys from Brooklyn. I love "High Plains Drifter", who samples a shot gun cocking? The Beastie Boys, that's who.
Fast forward to 1992...college, I live in Charlotte NC now, mostly known for being a yankee on campus, driving to fast and playing the stereo too loud and Check Your Head is the album that most people hear as I drive by. It's played at parties, in dorms, in the clubs,it is everywhere, it is college to so many people my age. 1994 brings Ill Communication and "Sabotage". My friends and I bang our heads, jump up and slam into each other, having our summer highlighted by the Lollapalooza tour at BlockBuster Pavillion in Charlotte and headlined by the Beastie Boys themselves!
I gaduate college and look for my place in the world, and I am listening to Hello Nasty more than anything else as I try to figure out life after school. It is a cd that I reguraly wear out, swapping it from car to house, to walkman and back again.
The twin towers, symbols of my youth, a place I went on field trips every year in grade school are removed from the landscape of lower Manhattan in 2001. My Mom passes is 2003 and my relationship with NYC comes to a close... enter To the 5 Boroughs and with it my pride of being a New Yorker returns.
This is how the Beastie Boys have been with me all these years. They are a huge part of the soundtrack of my youth, of my life. Thanks to Michelle Moog and the Moog Fondation I had a rare opportunity to hang out with the boys from Brooklyn, shoot images of them in a casual setting with about 10 other people and go to their sold out show in front of a mere 900 people at the Orange Peel. The BBoys agreed to do a ribbon cutting ceremony for the mini-Moogseum installment at the Orange Peel as they are avid Moog equipment users and all around cool guys.
I could go on about the ties I have to these guys and how their music was playing during so many monumental moments in my life...but I wil save you the details. I think you get it.

Money Mark, MCA, Ad Rock, Mike D

Ribbon cutting

The BBoys get their learn on about new Moog equipment

Ad Rock listens to all the fly sounds of the new Moog Guitar

A little style to round out the shoot!

Brooklyn in the House!

Working with a Model

2009-06-30T14:14:00.004-04:00

Hello again,

As I realized the many shoots I have done without posting, I am taking some time to post some of my recent work.
I love photography and I am continually looking to add to my portfolio and develop my skills. I do this by branching out of my comfort zone and shooting scenes that I would not have normally shot 6 months or a year ago. Enter Trecy.
Trecy is a friend of a very close friend of mine and a beautiful model. She and I had coffee recently and hit it off immediately! We brainstormed on some shoots we both wanted to do and have started working on that list. The building where I have my studio has a great 1920-40's feel to some aspects of it and Trecy and I decided we would start with a film-noir inspired shoot.
The idea here being a heroine looking for her salvation. She does not know where that is, yet she feels drawn to the door she stands in front of. Some of the shots, she is fearful she is being pursued, others she is confident she is in the right place, yet others she is inviting her hero to join her.
Hope you like the shots, more to come as Trecy and I work on the list of ideas we have.
Cheers,
J

Jessica and Benton

2009-06-29T18:46:00.003-04:00

Greetings All,

As life continues to stay busy, I have neglected my blog :( I feel badly about that and I promise not to let it go so long again, I have missed you guys. I have been shooting a lot and have not made the time to post, such a bad blogger I am! I did not want that to be the case with Jessica and Benton's wedding, so here we are, reunited at last!

Jessica and Benton got married at a friend of the family's farm outside of Tryon, NC and could not have picked a better spot. The barn, the fields, the dance barn (yes, dance barn!), the whole pig roasting in the background, cooked by the #1 whole pig cooker in all of Tennessee, 100's of friends and family and blessed by wonderful weather and capped off by a jump in the lake, I don't think there was any way to have a wedding be more perfect. I feel so lucky to have been choosen by this beautiful couple to document their special day. The blessings bestowed by so many freinds and family on the couple were a testament to this couple and their love for one another. Did I mention they are high school sweethearts?!

Jessica and Benton, thanks for having me there to share in the beauty and magic of your union! I look forward to seeing your family grow and being there to capture all the stages of Holden's life.

Here are a couple of shots from the big day! Special thanks to Jessica for being such a wonderful sport and being so excited to shoot the "trash the dress" session by jumping into the lake.
See you all soon!

So much love for one another!

These two are so much fun to be around.

Beautiful Jessica struttin' her stuff! You look great Jessica!

The beautiful family...

This sums it up! Taking the plunge, loving each other, life is good!

Having a blast at Hatch fest

2009-04-16T11:54:00.000-04:00

I am sitting here at Hatch Festival learning about social networking
and decided to take a pic and blog it. How great is technology?
Artists teaching artists. This is how life should be all the time.

The Muscarella Family

2009-04-15T15:54:00.004-04:00

Hello All -
A little while ago (in February... see blog) I had the privilege of taking pictures of a wonderful pregnant woman who let my friend Gabriel Shaffer paint here belly to look like the earth... we called her Earth Momma. Well, as the Earth tends to do, she gave birth... to a beautiful little boy named Leif.
Today, Leif, his big sister Kaia and his Mom and Dad came by the studio to take some pictures. I simply love the opportunity to take pictures of children before the join this world and then be able to shoot images of them soon after their arrival, it is a real blessing to have that connection to my clients, to children and the human experience as a whole.
Leif is one happy, little (well not so little for 8 weeks) man. He is very chill, not very fussy and comfortable in front of people. Basically, he made my job easy.
I loved getting some time with just Maria (mom) and Leif in front of the camera, the bond between Mother and child is so beautiful to behold and I love being able to capture it.
After we got some of the Mom and son shots in the can, we had an opportunity to shoot a couple of images of the whole family and they performed like old pros! Even big sister Kaia got some time with Leif by herself.
Thanks so much to the Muscarella's for stopping by and allowing me to be a part of their family!

Hope you enjoy the images...

The look of love on Maria's face melts my heart!

I think Leif is actually giggling at me.

The Muscarella's!

Kaia and Leif... it is so obvious how much this big sister loves her new little brother. Too sweet.

Sedona Arizona

2009-04-14T14:20:00.003-04:00

Just got back from 5 days in Sedona, Arizona supporting the Boys To Men International Mentoring Network's chapter there. I had a wonderful experience being part of teenage boys getting initiated and blessed for being on their journey to manhood.
The landscape in Sedona is visually breath taking, the red rocks rising from the ground to meet the deep blue sky, the multi colored rock formations reminding us that all of that area was under water not too terribly long ago and on top of all that, 1,700 year old trees. I will let the images speak for themselves...

This tree is not the oldest but the energy it put off was incredible.

Moon rise

1,700 + year old tree. The age can be determined by the "alligator" bark.

Mountain XPress

2009-04-01T18:04:00.002-04:00

Nice to get some good press form the Independent Music Award in the Mountain Xpress:
http://www.mountainx.com/ae/2007/040109arts_journal/

PUSH Asheville Fashion Show

2009-04-01T17:35:00.003-04:00

Greetings rock stars and slaves to fashion... this one is all for you!
Last Friday I spent the night with 30 beautiful women, rockin music and killer threads and it was all in the garage! Actually, it was the PUSH Asheville inaugural fashion show at The Garage in Biltmore with Jen and Juice providing some great jams.
The PUSH Asheville Fashion show showcased local designers and encouraged everyone to go support local thread shops. The models were wearing clothes from all local shops like, Hunk, Union, Frock, Hip Replacements and the Honey Pot to name a few. There was standing room only at the Garage as they models strutted their stuff on the cat walk.
It was great to see Asheville supporting a locally driven fashion show, I am sure it quieted several nay-sayers regarding Asheville's ability to host a fashion show. The energy in the room was high, the support great and I am already looking forward to next years show!
Enjoy the images... If you want to see the all the images from the show go to www.jonleidel.com then click on link #3 Performance Images, then PUSH Asheville.

Dancer from Asheville Dance Revolution

A dancer from Asheville Dance Revolution gets the crowd warmed up with some high flying dance.

Jen from Jen and the Juice... love the hat!

Local fashion, who says the men can't look stylish!

More local fashion...

Pink pants are back! (I guess they never really went away)

Miss Lilliana Lula Garrett

2009-03-23T11:51:00.004-04:00

Yesterday I had the privilege to spend some time with Miss Lilliana Lula Garrett at Lake Louise in Weaverville. Say that 5 times, fast! :)
Miss Lilli is an adventurous little girl who loves to climb, feed the ducks and go down the slide, which is what made Lake Louise park perfect for our shoot. The weather cooperated wonderfully and though it was a little chilly at first, the sun kept us warm as followed Miss Lilli from the swings to the slide, to the ducks, to the rocks and back to the bouncy bridge with a ride on a springy turtle in between. Miss Lilli, or "Lill Bit" as her Dad called her (which was one of the sweetest things) showed no fear and she ran back and forth on the play structure, looking over the edge at the sliding pole and keeping me, Mom and Grandma on our toes as we attempted to keep up with her energy.
I had a wonderful time starting my morning out with this energetic little girl and I hope that I get to see her again soon!
Hope you enjoy a couple of these images from yesterday monring!
Cheers,
Jon

Swingin' Lilli - her blue eyes are so beautiful!

We laughed as it looked like Lilli was imitating the Duck's walk, too cute!

Adventurous Lilli climbing up the play structure. The 2 front teeth + the blond hair + the blue eyes... that is one cute little girl.

Lilli goes for a ride. I love the side lighting on this shot.

Face Book!

2009-03-11T14:57:00.003-04:00

Hey Everyone!

Just a quick update before I depart for the weekend.
Jon Leidel Photography now has a Face Book Business page. You can search for Jon Leidel Photography on Face Book, or try this link. Once you find the page, become a fan and post something to the wall. I have started a discussion as well, so add your .02 cents to the topic.

Hope to see you all out there soon!

Cheers,
Jon

Roxanne and Michael

2009-03-10T16:59:00.003-04:00

Whew! I just realized that I have not lifted my head form the computer in a couple of days. I have had so much going on between photography, Journeymen Asheville's movie screening and my life outside of my studio that things are zipping by. It is 70 degrees outside and I am sitting here editing... kind of sad. I am going to get out of here and take the quadrapet out for a spin, she will like that.
Before I leave, I thought I would post some images from the surprise wedding I attended in Charlotte 2 weekends ago.
Roxanne and Michael decided that instead of dealing with the stresses of a "regular" marriage, that they would elope at their own engagement party. So...
They invited 150 people to their engagement party at the Levine Museum in Charlotte. All of them showed up and I think a couple brought friends :). Micheal took the mic on stage and thanked everyone for coming and addressed the rumor that Roxanne and he were already married by stating that indeed, they were not yet married... AND... they are getting married in 20 minutes, so sit tight!
Once the news washed over the crowd, they applauded jumped up and down and had wonderful looks of disbelief.
The bride and groom rushed out of the room, went into back rooms to get changed while the staff of the museum took out cocktail tables, brought in 160 chairs and set up an aisle.
Now starts the fun for yours truly. So, I knew this was going on before hand and that didn't make my job any easier. I was running around like the proverbial chicken! I had 20 minutes to capture the essence of the groom, groomsmen and Michael's Dad changing into their suits, plus capturing the bride changing into her gown with her bridesmaids. WHEW! Stairmaster... who needs one?! :)
Roxanne and Michael came back in and got married, went upstiars for the quickest wedding party shots ever done, the staff rushed out the chairs, brought in the band and partied for several hours.
Everyone had the time of the life... Roxanne looked beautiful, Michael had a smile on his face all night and bothe of their parents got down and boogied a little on the dance floor.
I certinaly feel that if I can shoot in those circumstances, I can shoot anything, anywhere, anytime!
Here are a couple of images from the wedding... I hope you enjoy them.

The Beautiful Bride

The ladies in the world's fastest wedding party shoot.

Gettin' down!

The happy couple on the dance floor

Roxanne looks like Sophia Loren here...

Michael feeling supported by his fellas.

A wonderful sparkler departure.

Wow... Where does the time go?

2009-02-25T14:06:00.000-05:00

Hello People!
I am back from a whirlwind weekend that included a trip to Atlanta to cover 2 Umphrey's McGee shows at the Variety Playhouse, a trip to Charlotte to shoot a wedding, another Umphrey's McGee show at the Neighborhood Theater, and trips to 2 friends homes to visit their beautiful children. Now that I am back, I am posting some pictures of another beautiful child that I shot right before I got on the road.

Meet Banyan! This is the newest addition to the wonderful Keliher family, of which, the now famous Pyper is the oldest child. Banyan is totally rockin out, sitting up very comfortably on his own, very engaging and has a lot to say about his sister and his Mom. Banyan came by the studio to hang out with me for a couple of hours and we got some great shots from our time together. He is a very curious little man that was looking all around checking out all the cool new stuff he found in the studio. He is also very in love with his big sister Pyper and had her singing itsy bitsy spider to him during our shoot (which was one of the cutest things I have had the pleasure to witness). When Pyper was out of sight, Banyan let fly with some "hollywood" tears to get her back where he wanted her. Smart little man.

Here are a couple of imaegs from our shoot. Hope you like them.

So engaging!

Looking for Pyper

Tummy Time with Banyan singing

And a little acting to get big sis back by his side.

Mother Earth

2009-02-18T15:52:00.003-05:00

Hello all...

I realize I haven't posted in a couple of weeks, I have been busy with the volunteer work I do, plus a good deal of shooting, editing and marketing. I feel like I have been in front of the computer for weeks! I did get out to do a little hiking and disc golf during the nice weather we have had recently, thankfully! I also had a great Valentine day with my sweetie and hope all of you had a wonderful time that day as well.

A while back I took pictures of a family that I have been shooting for several years. Mom was pregnant with their second child and I thought it would be fun to have their first daughter paint Mommy's belly with her finger paints. That shoot went great! We had so much fun painting Mommy, getting paint everywhere and even Daddy got in on the painting as well. During the editing I thought that some stages of the painting on Mommy's belly looked like a globe... and a light bulb went off... why don't have I have my artist friend Gabriel Shaffer come by the studio and paint a pregnant Mommy's belly like a globe. So, last week we did.

Thanks so much to Gabe (drop by his site and check him out) for donating his artistic talents and to Maria for being such a wonderful model. I love the way the image came out and I hope to do more paintings with some local face painters and pregnant Mommy's, so if you know a pregnant lady (preferably one who is late in her term) let me know.

Hope you like it!

Rain out my window

2009-01-28T15:02:00.002-05:00

Another glorious day of weather that changes by the hour in downtown Asheville. One minute I look out my window to the sun shinging through the clouds, the next moment there is thunder and rain. At least it keeps it interesting.

I have been working on a project for a friend who is working with the Red Cross Asheville, helping them with their Under the Silver Moon Gala on Mrach 21st, 2009. In so doing, I bought some roses to use in a shoot I am doing for them. Stepping away from the table, I looked over at the roses I had left in a cup by the window and thought they looked beautiful against the rain on the glass and the neutral background. I hope you like it too.

Enjoy the weather, whatever it may be.

Roses and Rain

Hope and Alan

2009-01-23T15:00:00.005-05:00

This weekend I had the pleasure of spending time with Hope and Alan in Bryson City. Hope and Alan are madly in love, super cute and are a real joy to be around. Alan is home for R&R from his tour in Afghanistan and contacted me to come and get some pictures of he and Hope while they spent time together in a beautiful cabin they rented from Carolina Mountain Vacations on the edge of the Smokey Mountain National Park.

I had not spent much time in Bryson City previously and didn't know what photographic opportunities there would be where they were, so it was exciting and a little nerve racking walking into the situation. Once I arrived and met Alan, I knew that we would have a good time, no matter where we went.

Their cabin didn't have long range views so we went up the hill to the next cabin that was not rented and started shooting some images along a fence with a good view. In the middle of our shoot, a man came up the driveway and told me that he owned the cabins and his home was at the top of the hill and proclaimed that it had the best view in the county and told us we could go up there to shoot all we wanted. So we took him up on it... and he wasn't kidding.

We could see 5 sets of mountains from his house, looking due west. Simply breath taking. We shot there for a while then took a quick drive into the Smokey Mountain National Park to grab some shots along the river, knowing we would come back to shoot the sunset at the same place.

Hope and Alan and I had a lot of laughs during our shoot this Saturday. It was great to be around two people so in love with one another. I could feel how precious this time was to both of them as Alan is shipping off again soon and it will be several months before they will be together again. Thanks so much you two, for allowing me to capture your love while Alan was in town. I hope that I get to see you both together again when Alan gets back!

Here are a couple of shots from the top of the mountain and from the National Park. Enjoy!

The playful couple by a waterfall in Smokey Mountain Natl Park

Such a cute couple!

Love the jacket on Hope! Too cute.

Love the sunset... and the kiss. These two are so in love!

For the love of Dog

2009-01-19T18:43:00.003-05:00

Just a quick post with some new images to keep up with my 365 project.
So, today I volunteered at the Manna Food Bank here in Asheville. There were a wealth of volunteers both young and old and we had a great time sorting all the food that they have on hand into boxes for their affiliates to shop from. Manna is an amazing operation, giving away over 6 millions TONS of food last year. That's a lot of food. The problem is, the need is increasing while their food supply is decreasing. I took a tour and learned about how the efficiency of our food delivery system in the US is actually hurting food banks because manufacturers are no longer over producing, they are producing on demand. Manna used to get a lot of their food from large food manufacturers and now they are not, so their stocks are lower this year than last. What was great to hear is that in Western North Carolina, the personal donations are the highest they have ever been. In fact other food banks have been checking in with Manna to find out how they have gotten so many homes to donate food. I believe it is because the people who live in Asheville and Buncombe county truly believe in helping each other out!

So tomorrow is the big day! I am excited to watch Obama come into office and I will be at the Orange Peel tomorrow night at 7pm to re-watch the inauguration and to celebrate with Josh Phillips Folk festival. If you are not going to one of the 100 parties in town, drop by the Peel for some great music.

The Pop Asheville festival was a big hit. I had a blast all weekend long and when I sort and tweak images from that adventure I will let you know.

Hope everyone has a great day tomorrow...

Hope is alive.

"Dirty Red"
From Pop Asheville -

For the Love of Dog
Suzie - doing what she does best...

Meditation and Pop Asheville

2009-01-16T18:09:00.003-05:00

I usually write "Hello" but I don't really think that is necessary anymore... if there is anyone out there, we're past the niceties... aren't we?
Today, for the first time in my life, I woke up and meditated. I have wanting to incorporate a meditation practice into my life for some time and with it being a New Year and all, I thought this would be a good time to start.
Now, let's get something straight. I didn't sit there in the lotus position humming "Om" until I levitated off the ground. I didn't hum or chant or any such thing. I have kept myself away from meditating for so long because I thought that's what meditation was. Sit still for hours, mind blank, back straight, chanting or humming, butterflies landing on my shoulder, floating six inches off the ground. Meditation doesn't have to be all that. I mean, that's cool if you can levitate, more power to you, if little winged creatures land on your shoulder, hey... far out... good for you. But it's not that for me and its mostly due to a book I read that helped me get my head around meditation called "Hurry up and Meditate!" by David Michie.
Michie helped me realize that the whole "blank mind" ideal some people (me) have or had around meditation is not all it is about. In fact he makes a strong case that blank mind is NOT what it is about, but I won't go in to that here. What Michie does well, is to break down all of the physical benefits of meditation, backed by scientific study, that people who meditate have known for ever. One is happier, less stressed, lower blood pressure, higher serotonin... all that good stuff. Then he provides step by step easy instructions to follow on how to get started.
So this morning, I started. I set an alarm for 10 minutes, got a pillow, sat down, closed my eyes and concentrated on my breathing. I counted my breaths as they passed through my nose. Stuff came up... what time is it? How long have I been here? Is there enough money in the bank? What do I have to do today? Each time something came up, and broke my counting, I started counting again. Before I knew it, the alarm had gone off and I was done. I must admit, it was really wonderful to sit still for 10 minutes. Each time a thought arose, it had less traction than the last one until I could sense something coming and concentrated on my breathing and it went away.
Now, those of you who know me well, if you are still reading, may think, Jon's lost it, he's gone to the deep end. Jon doesn't sit still... he talks to himself so he'll have something to do. And that's the point. I don't want the constant concern of the monkey chatter of my brain anymore. I have too much going on to let all the little annoying thoughts that have occupied my precious brain space for so long, hold down that realty anymore. I want my brain back.
I believe that Meditation is the way for me to make that happen.

So, tomorrow I will sit again. I have no expectations of what it looks like, so I won't judge myself, I'll just sit and count my breaths and see how I feel when I am done. I gotta admit, today was a pretty good day.... and I have only just begun.

Tonight I am off to Pop Asheville, a super cool independent music festival / weekend multi-venue thing. It's cheap, great music at different bars... how can I miss out? I am excited to see some good music, take some pictures, have a couple of beers and hang with some friends. And who knows... maybe a butterfly will land on my shoulder.

Enjoy the image, I shot it yesterday in my studio. The sun light was bouncing off a window in the building across the street, coming in my studio window and gently laying across my floor. I couldn't resist. That's double diffused, reflected, super soft morning light... for those of you who aren't photographer's... That's some damn fine light.

I am honored to be the recipient of the 2008 Independent Music Award for Concert Photography

2009-01-14T15:07:00.002-05:00

Hello everyone...

After my last two posts yesterday, I was checking my email in preparation for leaving the studio and came across an email from the Independent Music Awards program director.

I had been contacted by the IMA board in early August of last year asking me to submit images to the Photography category of the IMA's. I was blown away that people in the music business in NY and NJ had found my site and liked my work enough to invite me to submit images to their competition. The stipulation was that the image had to have been shot between January 2008 and August 2008 and had to be of an artist who was either unsigned or signed with an Indie label (which was further defined as not being owned by a large parent company).

I could submit to the live concert, or artist / band publicity categories, which I did. I submitted 9 images to the live concert category and 6 images to the artist / band publicity category. I was thrilled when I found out in November that I was a finalist in both categories with 2 of my images in the running for artist / band publicity and 1 of my images in the running for the live concert category.

The IMA's are the Independent Music Industries most prestigious awards for all aspects of music, ranging from Gospel to Punk to live performance to children's music. The judges this year included Peter Gabriel, Roger Daltrey, Suzanne Vega, Buddy Guy, Clint Black, Keith Urban, Kurtis Blow, Ice T, Rob Wasserman, Steve Vai, "Play" from Kid-n-Play and Lisa Loeb, to name a few.

The winners of every category get included in mass amounts of marketing, including CD's and print and web and are included in the Musician's Atlas which is available at Barnes and Noble, Borders and Guitar Center and numerous other brick and mortar retails hops.

So, as I opened the email from Martin Folkman, the IMA program director, I was delighted to see that I had won the 2008 IMA Award for Live Concert Photography. I must say that I am blown away to have been a finalist in 2 categories and to have won in 1 of those categories.

I am honored to be recognized in this way and want to say thank you to all of those people who have been supportive of me and my photography over the years. This is a big step in the right direction for me and look forward to seeing how 2009 will continue!

Thanks again everyone for being there for me.

Jon

The Winning Image...
"The New Familiars" @ Am Jam
Deer Fields, N.C. 05/24/08

JPG Magazine Submission

2009-01-13T17:20:00.002-05:00

JPG Magazine is a great magazine that takes all of it's images from the website of the same name (www.jpgmag.com)
JPG on line is a community of photographers from novice to professional that post, comment and support each other in our craft. I have found many inspiring images, great people, constructive feedback and I enjoy posting images to the site. This particular image I have submitted for their monthly contest titled "ZEN". The contest is for publication in the next print isssue of JPG MAG and a small monetary prize.
Check it out, vote for me if you like it, and search for JonAvl and you can see more of my work.

As the project progresses...

2009-01-13T16:27:00.004-05:00

As I continue on with my 365 project, I find myself searching for new ways to process my images to make them more visually appealing. This comes from both a desire have my images stand out and the fact that some days I take some pretty boring pictures.
There have been a couple of days already that I have remembered to shoot something at the close of day, almost missing my self imposed deadline of an image a day. I haven't fully missed one yet... but I have come close. The few times that this has happened, I have found that I have not felt good about the image OOC (out of camera) and have felt a need to spend more time in post production enhancing the image. This is both good and bad. It is good because I am learning new ways to process my images and bad because it takes more time to get the image ready for viewing... and time is something I could use more of.
That being what it is, I like the way this image came out a lot. I spent some time in Photoshop working it over and like the texture quite a bit. I feel that the colors, texture and edge burning really brought the image to the place that I saw it in m mind's eye and that is what I am after.

Early morning light through the trees off my deck.

Midnight Bowling

2009-01-12T16:42:00.002-05:00

Greetings All,

Friday night I went midnight bowling with a bunch of friends here in town. The lanes are covered in neon colors and black lights, pitchers of beer were 6 bucks and we had a blast!

During my experience I had some Zen-full moments... I fully anticipated on reporting on them here, but, alas, they are gone. Zen can be funny that way sometimes... especially when it is found at the bottom of a 6 dollar pitcher.

Bowling does remind me that I can get injured doing the most mundane of tasks...

Hope you enjoy the photos.

Lights

Rollin' Low

Light Shadows Flowers

2009-01-09T17:03:00.002-05:00

Just a quick post.
This is in the lobby of my building... I liked the way the light was creating shadows on the table with the flowers.
It was really cool watching the light and shadows intensify as the sun streamed in through a window up the stairs. The clouds were passing in front of the sun so the shadows would get stringer, then weaker, really beautiful to watch.

Going bowling tonight, should have some good pics for tomorrow!

Happy Friday.

Benefits from a photo.

2009-01-08T15:27:00.004-05:00

Yesterday, I was at my local organic grocery store to get my morning muffin on my way to the studio. As I am dedicated to my new project of producing an image everyday for a year, I had my point and shoot camera with me and was looking around the store for an interesting image. My eye was drwan to the vibrant colors and perfect shapes of the peppers in the produce section. I liked the symetry of the peppers and the visual aesthetic was enhanced by their bright yellows, deep reds, earthy greens and contrasted by an almost unnatural orange. In addition to the colors, they were so lovingly organized on the shelf with all of their tops pointing out, laying on top of one another so that they won't roll away I knew someone had taken their time in setting them up so that they looked their delicious best.
As I took out the camera to get my shot, I was moving around to get myself out of the reflection of the mirror that the peppers sit in front of, giving them the appearance of almost going on forever, when I noticed that the sign said:
"Organic Yellow Bell Pepper $4.99 lb. Israel"
I thought: "Wow! That's expensive!", then it hit me, these very peppers, here in Asheville, that I was so lovingly examining to be part of my 2009 project, had come all the way from Israel to be placed with care on the shelf in front of the mirror and lighted to perfection with high pressure sodium and fluorescent bulbs and surely washed with reverse osmosis water. And I thought... I'm an American. If I had forgotten how spoiled I was, here was my reminder. January 7, fresh peppers from a place so far away, I dread to think how long these little peppers had been on a plane or boat to get here. Stacked neatly for my choosing. Dressed to the nines. All of this was mine for the taking, for a mere $4.99 / lb.
It was then I started to think about what shopping in the place where these very peppers came from must be like. I wondered... do they have out of season fruits and veggies year round? Are their fruits and veggies treated to such care as to be washed with reverse osmosis water? Are they stacked neatly and perfectly lighted with a wondrous blend of high pressure sodium and fluorescent lighting devices? Can people there stop in to a comfortably heated, well lighted store on their way to work to get a cup of Joe and foods from thousands of miles away and stroll leisurely over to another aisle where there is fresh cooked food sitting patiently waiting for people to eat it? I don't know. Maybe they can. Certainly in some sections of that country they can right?
From that point forward I was gently disgusted at myself and the pleasures I have available for the taking as an American. What would I do if this store wasn't here? I don't know the first thing about growing an organic perfectly colored pepper. I know it has something to do with dirt, seeds, water and the sun. That's about where my education ends. As I continued around the store I was bombarded with all of the lavish cheeses, delicacies, meats, fishes, wines, breads, milks (both from animals and vegetables), cereals, beauty supplies, nick-nacks, chocolates (my favorite), oils, soaps, and things I know not what they are or for what purpose they serve, and I thought... wow, I am one lucky devil.
I am sure all of these items come at a cost. That cost may be monetary at the very least. I am sure there are more costs involved in getting produce from Israel to Asheville, some of which I am sure would make my stomach turn over, brain bubble and blood boil. I want to know, and in the same moment, I think and feel that ignorance is truly blissful.
These are my observations from yesterday. I am a spoiled rotten, lazy, highest expectation having, throw it away if it don't look right, cold beer wanting, no line checkout, 200 types of cheese exploring, consumer of the American way. I am not going to be a farmer tomorrow. Nor the next day. I feel good having had this epiphany and I know I do my part to make this a better place. I recycle, buy organic, help my community, buy local (unless I need peppers damn it), carpool, walk places and confront my shadows. And I am an American.
I expected to learn something from my project... if you would have asked, this would not have been one of the lessons I would have guessed I would come across... but that's why I am here, now.

America on the shelves.

365 Project

2009-01-06T17:25:00.008-05:00

Greetings 2009!

As it is a brand spanking New Year, I am incorporating new projects into my life, both personally and photographically.

Photographically speaking, I often find myself so busy with the work that I have that I forget to make time to go out and shoot for the fun of it. Well, since I have recently purchased a Canon G10 I now have a great small manual camera that has lots of resolution, a great optically stabilized zoom and fits in my pocket. Too often in the past I did not bring my Pro Slr (that's Single Lens Reflex for those who want to know) the Canon EOS ID Mark III out with me when I went to lunch, or to pay my taxes, or to walk around with friends due to it's size and weight. Therefore, like the proverbial cobbler's child, I didn't have pictures of my day to day adventures, nor was I shooting candids for the fun of it. Well that way of life is so 2008, and I'm over it.

Welcome the 365 Project!
I plan to take a picture a day for a year. This means that I will, no matter what, take at least one picture each day for a whole year. I feel confident that this will remind me why I love photography so much, hone my skills and produce some wonderful images of the world I live in. The great thing about it is, you get to be part of it as well! I plan to post most of the images here (notice I said "most" and not "all") and am encouraging all of you to give me feedback on the images. Drop me a comment, send me an email, throw up an emoticon, link me, however you feel inclined to participate, all of it is welcome.

So, in the spirit of new beginnings, I am posting 3 of the 6 images I have snapped this year so far, below. I look forward to your feedback!

Happy 2009 everyone!

January 04, 2009
Buddha with Light and Shadow

January 05, 2009
Golden Staircase (coming back from paying my biz taxes)

January 06, 2009
View from Baird Mountain (where I live)

It's a New Year

2009-01-05T16:32:00.003-05:00

As 2008 gave way to 2009, I thought about those aspects of my life that I wanted to devote more energy to, the places I felt that I could improve upon, the details of my life that I was not completely satisfied with. This blog is one of those aspects.

I thought about how I could share more of what I see, what I experience and what I feel and think with my community, both geographically and on the web. During that stream of thought, I realized that I neglect my blog. I get caught up in my head about nobody caring about what I am up to, convincing myself I don't have time or I plain forget. All of these distractions from my blog are me getting in my own way and they show up in a lot more places in my life than just on my blog. Some of those places are harder for me to control and apply new technologies to than others, this blog is certainly one place I can control and do something about.

Call it a resolution, a renewed dedication, guilty conscious or a new leaf. Call it what you will, I am going to work at keeping this blog fresh with stuff that comes out of my head. It may be ramblings such as this, photography, a book review, shameless self promotion (another aspect of my life I am going to devote more energy to so watch out), or something I have not yet even thought of. The beauty of all of it is, it feels good. It feels good to put dedication out into the world. It feels good to create. It feels good to share.

Keeping in the spirit of sharing, I have to cut this short without posting any images because I am off to a facilitator training for Building Bridges. BB is a program in Asheville that brings groups of diverse people together to have conversations about race, racism and how it continues to show up in our world. The course is nine weeks long and I attended the winter session last year. BB provides all of their "students" with a workbook that has different articles, studies and readings that are designed to promote conversations during the nine week course. We meet together as a large group for a presentation, then break into smaller groups to have our discussions. I learned a great deal form the last session, having the opportunity to sit with over 100 people in a room to hear a presentation then the privilege to sit in an intimate group of 12-15 people of all walks of life to discuss the readings is truly inspirational.

The Spring session will start January 26th and meet Monday nights from 7-9pm until March 23rd @ MAHEC 501 Biltmore Avenue. See their website for more information.

This session they have invited yours truly to be a small group facilitator, so I must go now to attend my first facilitator training. I promise to bring back snippets of wisdom, insights or at at least my own musings about what I learn to this medium. Maybe some of you will read it.

Bridal Shoot

2008-09-16T18:21:00.003-04:00

Hello All,

What a pleasure it was for me to be able to take pictures of Melissa recently. She was great in front of the camera, relaxed, beautiful and fun. We took shots in the building where my studio is, on the balconies and downtown during the LAFF (Lexington Avenue Art and Fun Festival) which was a hoot. People thought Melissa was in a costume and that we had come to the festival dressed as Photographer and Bride... people were really interested. Here are a couple of my favorites from the day.
Thanks so much Melissa, I had a great time with you!
Thanks also to Pi Salon in Biltmore for doing Melissa's hair and makeup and Studio Flora Diva in the Grove arcade for the flowers!

Formal in Studio

Love the pom pom bouquet

Love the green shoes

In the elevator in my building

Balcony of 20 Battery Park

On the Sky Bar balcony

At LAFF

Last one of the day

Gabriel Shaffer - If You Want Blood

2008-09-15T12:55:00.003-04:00

My favorite local, scratch that, my favorite living artist is Gabriel Shaffer who lives here in Asheville. Anna and I are friends with his wfe Suzie and him and we love spending time cooking food, talking enlightenment, politics or the state of the artistic mind with them whenever we get the chance. When Gabriel called me and asked me to shoot some images of some of his new pieces that are going up in the Satellite Gallery for him, of course I said yes.
I love being around Gabe's art as the colors, textures and media he uses blend together to form a whole that is far greater than the sum of it's parts. The way Gabe's mind seems to flow seamlessly onto his canvases causes me to stop and wonder about everything from the beauty in the world to the ability of the heart to provide life or take it away in the blink of an eye. Knowing Gabe personally adds another dimension to his work that allows me to drift more deeply into the details of the recycled paper, bible passages and obscure sci-fi images that find themselves blending perfectly with a mythological creature or city scape.
Certainly my favorite aspect of Gabe's work is his use of colors and the color palette. The way he portrays the pure light energy that radiates to and from his creatures in his paintings inspires me to search more deeply for the power of colors in my own work.

Below are some of the 17 new paintings Gabe is showing in a solo show at the Satellite Gallery located at 55 Broadway.

The show started this past Friday and will be up through September so be sure to drop by and take a look. The digital captures of these pieces of art pale in comparison to standing in front of a 3x5 foot canvas and being able to see all of the dimensions of the different media mixing together.

Holy cute kids and Mommies Batman...

2008-09-15T11:13:00.004-04:00

Talk about your cute kids... Here again is Pyper, one of my favorite models and her Mommy with her new little brother who was about to join the world (which he did about a week after this shoot) and Poppa too.
I had the idea of Pyper painting Momma's belly because I know how artistic Pyper is and I thought it would be a lot of fun to do in the studio and I was right! Momma was such a good sport as Pyper mixed her paints and got down to decorating Momma's belly with loving hand prints and her own artistic flair.
Once Momma got cleaned up Pyper informed me that she had brought her parasol and wanted some pictures of herself with it, so I obliged. Pyper is a great model and looks fantastic with her paper parasol, such a natural.
Thanks so much, gang, for coming by the studio to have some fun with me. Now let's get some picutres of the new little man to go along with these!

Enjoy!

Momma, Belly and Poppa

Pyper giving her soon to be brother a little love... too cute!

Belly Painting

Peeps, just chillin' with her Parasol

Pyper pondering with Parasol :)

Big smiles for the camera, having a blast!

Scenes form downtown Asheville

2008-09-05T12:16:00.002-04:00

Lately I have been spending a lot of time in front of the computer, editing, emailing, and doing research. All of these things are necessary for me to do in order to maintain my business and the development of Boys To Men Asheville and I need to keep my sanity, so I have been forcing myself to put the mouse down and go and shoot for an hour or two.
The following images are from 3 different days that I looked out my studio window and said "Wow, it's too nice outside to sit here anymore!" and went and shot some images around downtown.
I am putting together images in preparation of making cards and small prints to sell during the Holidays (if I can get it all in order) so I would love to hear some feedback.

Hope you enjoy the images.

Jon

Tired

Asheville Commute

Wisdom in his stare

Moped

Nature finds a way

Society's reflection

Sometimes

Light and Heavy

Purple Mountain's Majesty

Relics

Round and Blue

Round we go

Moving in place

City Hall

Charmed moments

Back of the bus

Light Shadow

Yellow window

Plug In

Pay Up

Remember to leave something for them...

Bare Beauty

Who is holding up who?

Art and Metal

Self Portrait

Fan Blew

Hello Lamp post...

Light Lines

Garage with a view

Golden Afternoon

Aspire

Your table is red

Health and Safety

Colorful get-a-round

Spicy

Independent Music Awards

2008-08-27T11:31:00.004-04:00

The 8th Annual Independent Music Awards added a Photography category this year to their existing list of award categories. They describe themselves as follows:

The Independent Music Awards helps Indie artists & releases worldwide overcome mainstream obstacles by placing Winners & Finalists in front of more than 15 Million new fans via yearlong promotion, marketing & distribution programs.

Supporting a wide spectrum of music genres from Punk to New Age and design categories including Music Video, Album Art & Swag, IMA Winners benefit from yearlong promotion, marketing & distribution programs via print, broadcast & online initiatives.

Entries received from the United States, Canada, Australia, Belgium, Japan, Guam, Argentina, Cuba, Israel, Spain, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, Poland, Italy, Greece, Nigeria, Turkey, Estonia, Russia, Ireland and the UK reflect the program’s stature and reach throughout the independent music community.

Created by Music Resource Group, publisher of the Musician’s Atlas and interactive AtlasOnline, and co-sponsored by online retailers eMusic & PureVolume; digital network ManiaTV; radio promotion gurus The Planetary Group, HIP Video Promo, The Coalition of Independent Music Stores (CIMS), Burnside Distribution and MediaGuide, IMA Winners & Finalists are promoted to more than 15 Million music fans and key industry players including:

Commercial, Public & College Radio Programmers
Music Journalists
Film, TV & Gaming Music Supervisors
Club & Festival Talent Buyers
Ad Agencies
National & Regional Promoters
Music Fans

So, I was very excited when they contacted me directly to ask me to submit images to the competition. The trick was finding musicians that are unsigned, or signed to completely independent labels in my archives. I decided to go with all LOCAL Musicians images. Here are the images I submitted.
The categories I submitted to are:
Artist / Band Publicity Photo
Concert Photography
Keep your fingers crossed for me and go support local live music!

Laura Reed @ AmJam

The New Familiars @ AmJam

Back Door Slam @ OP (The only band that wasn't local. They are from the Isle of Man off the coast of England) Watch out for these guys, the are young and rock the blues like early Led Zep, no joke!

The Goodies @ OP

Yo Mamma's Big Fat Booty Band @ Mooged out @ OP

Menage @ Mooged Out @ OP

Yo Mamma's Big Fat Booty Band @ Mooged Out @ OP

Strut Promo - The best dressed band in Asheville

Love the sweet rides!

Bass in yo face

Love this shot

Mad Style

My Favorite

De La Terre

2008-08-27T11:10:00.002-04:00

I had the opportunity to shoot some product shots of a new line of skin care products about to hit the market recently. Normally, product shots aren't all that exciting but the product and the packaging itself is so beautiful, I thought I would post a couple of shots from that afternoon.

Full Product Line - I love the packaging, very simple, very elegant.

Herb Rich Clay

Herb Rich Salt

Herb Rich Oils

Herb Rich Tea

Facial Massage Stones

Facial Massage Stones in action

Crystal Bowl - This was the most challenging shot of the day. It is also my favorite.

Max and Lindsey

2008-07-11T16:18:00.002-04:00

A week and a half ago I got a chance to go down to the Piedmont to visit with some dear friends of mine from college. They have just had their second child, a little girl named Lindsey who is absolutely gorgeous. ( I think the pictures will speak for themselves) I had so much fun with all of them and going to the pool brought back such wonderful memories of my own childhood when my only concern was how long I could stay in the pool until I turned into a complete prune. If life could only go back to being so care-free.
Their first child, Max, is already becoming a little man, his personality shining through all of his expressions, and I tell you, he has plenty of them!

Here are a couple of my favorite images from my visit.

Love you guys!

Max's eyes say so much already.

Miss Lindsey... I wasn't lying about the eyes... was I?

Dad and his little girl... too cute.

One thing learned during my visit... Lindsey is not a big fan of carrots.

Rockin out with the toothbrush microphone!

"Hey buddy... Is that an expensive camera you brought into my bath tub... can I see it?!"

Family Fun at the Botanical Gardens

2008-07-09T17:03:00.004-04:00

Hello All! What a great day I had with Avigial, Cashion and Reid's extended family at the Botanical Gardens 2 weeks ago. I just love that their Grandma wanted to get the family together for family portraits but wanted to make sure that we would have fun with the kids at the same time. I told her that having fun with the kids was my specialty and that I don't take pictures without making sure we mix in a good helping of laughter, silliness, and plain 'ol fun! The Gardens on UNC Asheville provided the perfect spot to get some great images, let the kids play in the water and have a good time. I got to hang out with 2 fantastic brothers and their cousin who was visiting from New Jersey and I had such a wonderful time with all of them. Thanks again to Bunny for setting it all up! I kept the shutter snapping and got some beautiful shots of the kids and of the family all together, not that it was too difficult with such a gorgeous group!

Caught in the act!

Avigial is a natural, what a smile!

Two cousins having a blast in the creek.

The Reid man cometh. This boy loves mud!

I love the colors in this shot, the blue sky reflecting in the water...perfect!

Sabrina and Rob June 22, 2008

2008-07-01T15:35:00.004-04:00

Congratulations to Sabrina and Rob who joined together in a beautiful ceremony on June the 22nd in the sacred mountains of Western North Carolina. I have known Sabrina for many years and was truly blessed to be in the presence of her and Rob as they got married. Thanks to Michael for allowing the bride and groom to have their ceremony take place on his land, the magic and energy of the place permeated the entire day. The rain that we experienced was the perfect gift from mother nature to bless Sabrina and Rob's union.
Here are a couple of the images from the special day.

A prefect dress for Sabrina.

I love how happy Sabrina looks in this image.

A little rain didn't dampen anyone's spirits.

What a beautiful setting with a beautiful bride.

The blessed couple.

An ancient tree cradles the new couple.

Jen and Pete 06/21/08

2008-06-30T12:09:00.004-04:00

Congratulations Jen and Pete!
I wish both of you all the best as you begin anew as bride and groom. And what a way to start things off! The ceremony was beautiful, the way everyone was included in the blessing of the rings was really touching and the fun that was had was uniquely Jen and Pete. I am so thankful that I got to be a part of their special day.
Pete and Jen were married on the beautiful grounds of Hidden River Events nestled in the mountains of Western North Carolina. Thanks to Jeanne for being such a wonderful host and for being so accommodating of all of my needs. It was a real pleasure to be on their property to witness Jen and Pete tie the knot.
Here are some of my favorite images from the big day.
Thanks a lot Jennifer for being such a good sport during the "Trash the Dress" shoot, you did great and you look absolutely beautiful.
Enjoy the images everyone, the reception shots will come later.

Jen in preparation.

Yes!

Love the look on Pete's face.

Jen and Pete get down.

Sealing their union.

Much love for the bride and groom.

You look great Jen!

Green Fern

2008-06-12T15:33:00.003-04:00

Spring Flowers

2008-06-12T14:48:00.004-04:00

Hello All,

Ahh, spring. I love this time of year. I have forgotten in the past how much I enjoy this time of year and this year, I promised myself I would go out and shoot for the fun of it. So I did. I took time for myself to go and enjoy the fruits of mother nature and it has filled my heart.
Here is a sample of the images I shot over the past month...
I hope you too take time to go and enjoy the beauty that surrounds us here in the mountains this time of year.

Be Well...

Tulips

King Solomon

Grass with Dew

Green Field

Texture Study

Perspective Shift

Bamboo Trio

Reaching for the Sky

Singular Strength

Great and Small

Light Study 01

Light Study 02

Old Soul

Green Morning

Land of imagination

Pictures of Lily!

2008-04-22T14:57:00.007-04:00

Ahhh, Lily. What a fun little girl Miss Lily is. From the moment I walked into her house, she had me playing with all of the wonderful toys she has, from her rocking horse to her bouncy balls I could barely keep up with her. I chased Lily all over her house, from room to room watching her eyes light up as the "peep-peeps" (birds) went by the window, stopping only for a second to give the dog a kiss. Lily also showed me some of her beautiful dance moves in her play room and I was lucky enough to see her in her tu-tu, which, was possibly the cutest thing ever! Despite being a little gray outside, it was all sunny and full of energy inside with this energetic little girl. Thank you Kelly, for giving me the opportunity to come spend some time with you and your little angel!

Here are some of my favorite images from my afternoon with Lily.

I love the light form the window in Lily's playroom.

Playing a little hade and seek with Lily's favorite blanky.

Lily and her favorite toy from Daddy, her riding horsey.

Check out those fly dance moves!

I love the "Oh Boy!" face, that is too cute.

Joanna

2008-03-26T11:51:00.005-04:00

Oh Baby! I had the pleasure of spending time with a beautiful, blue-eyed little lady named Joanna a couple of weeks ago, and what a great time we had. She is such a wonderful little girl, so happy all the time. Even with a bunch of people moving all around her, she never got upset, a little thirsty now and then, but never upset. Mom and Dad are doing a great job with this little girl!
Joanna's parent's home gets beautiful window light in the living room and Joanna's room in the afternoon, and I took full advantage of it. We got to capture images all over the house of Mom and Dad with Joanna, Casey the dog with Joanna and even both sets of grandparents came by to hang out with us as well. Joanna's room is absolutely beautiful, filled with lots of big, plush toys, soft colors and all the amenities a little girl could ask for. All the amenities Mom and Dad could ask for too!
Thanks so much Joanna for hanging out with me...you to Joy and Jeremy, I had a really great time with all of you and hope to do it again soon as Joanna grows!
Here are a couple of my favorite shots from the day.

Enjoy!

Love the Colors!

Mom and Dad loving their little girl.

Grammies got ya!

I think Grandpa is already spoiling this little girl.

Casey loving on Joanna.

I love the light in this room.

Dad looks like an old pro.

Mom and her little lady.

Nest Organics Customer Appreciation Day

2008-03-10T20:07:00.005-04:00

Greetings All!

I hope everyone is well and beginning to get a taste of the coming Spring weather.

On March 1st I did a promotional shoot at Nest Organics in downtown Asheville. I set up my studio in the store and families signed up for free portraits weeks in advance. I got to meet 17 families and over 30 children in one day, and I had a blast! The kids ranged in age from a few months to a very precocious 6 years old. The energy level was very high and I got to play with children for 7 hours straight. These images are in no particular order, but a mere sampling of what the families can expect to see when I finish editing all 3000+ images.
I left that day with a huge smile on my face and a lot of love in my heart after getting to spend time with so many beautiful, smart, funny children. Being around children on that level really re-instills my faith in humanity.
My deepest thanks to all the families, children and parents that participated in the event. For those of you that may have missed it, keep an eye on the paper or drop by Nest to see when we are going to do it again.

Enjoy the photos!

See you soon I hope,
Jon

Georgia Aquarium

2007-12-27T16:48:00.000-05:00

I got a chance to visit the Georgia Aquarium while I was in Atlanta recently, and I highly recommend it to anyone of any age. The sheer size and and scope of the aquatic life and the tanks that they live in simply amazing. They have 4 Nurse Sharks, 4 Beluga whales, Hammerhead Sharks, Electric eels and my favorite (visually) Sea Nettle Jellyfish, to name a few. I spent four hours in the Aquarium wandering around in awe at all the beautiful aquatic life they have on display. Bringing a camera is fine, as long as you don't use a flash. I shot with my 24-105 mm f4 wide open at 800 iso and wished I had brought my 16-35mm 2.8 for the speed and the wider view to greater show the scope and size of the tanks. The picture with the little girl spinning, and the little boy with the fish right in front of him were taken in front of the largest tank they have, which is made of 24 inch thick plexi-glass weighing 220 tons, brought in in sections. Amazingly, the plexi provides no distortion, so the fish are viewed at their real size through the tank walls. The tank is 33 feet deep and 280 feet long, and holds 2.8 million gallons of sea water. Cool stuff!

Super Cool Organic Baby Gear!

2007-12-14T14:55:00.000-05:00

My friends Kristen and Kristen have just launched their new website to showcase their fantastic Organic Cotton Baby Slings! Their company is called Honeywear and the website is www.honeywear.net All their products are organic cotton and mommy approved! Stop by and check then out.
I am also proud to say that I was honored to shoot the product line up for them and had so much fun with all of the little models running around the studio!

Congratulations Kristen and Kristen!
Best Wishes,
Jon

Jill's Family

2007-12-13T16:37:00.001-05:00

Hello All -
I hope all of you are having a happy holiday season so far and getting to spend some time with family and friends.
I was honored to have the opportunity to shoot pictures of my friend Jill's family. Jill is a fellow photographer and I must admit I was a little nervous going to shoot pictures of a photographer's family. Jill and her husband Scott were super sweet and we had a blast, playing with her children, baby Reid and Mary Rose. They are such a loving family and they all made it so easy for me to capture their lives.
Thanks a lot Jill, Scott, Mary Rose and Baby Reid, I had a great time with all of you and hope to do it again soon!

Moog Foundation Benefit @ The Orange Peel

2007-11-16T17:05:00.001-05:00

Last night I had the privilege of photographing the 1st benefit for the Moog Foundation at the Orange Peel, put on by the Asheville Affiliates. It was an wonderful event showcasing the life and mind of legendary synthesizer inventor and electronic music innovator Bob Moog, who has his production facilities here in Asheville. The Moog Foundation is raising money for scholastic musical programs, scholarships and a hands on electronic museum.
The several hundred people in attendance got to play the theremin, Moog synthesizers, keyboards, Moogerfoogers, and witness a live "studio recording" take place on stage, all while enjoying complimentary food and beverage. To cap the evening off, local band Telepath rocked out with a great set of music to send us on our way.
Here are a couple of the images I captured last night. To learn more or make a donation, please go to : http://www.moogfoundation.com
Enjoy!

Galactic @ The Orange Peel Nov 8th

2007-11-09T18:14:00.000-05:00

What a night at the Orange Peel last night! Galactic brought the guests and the funk as they support their new album: From the Corner to the Block. Guests included Boots Riley, Mr. Lif and the Lifesavas. Stanton keep the house rockin' with his signature style hard hittin beats, being catapulted off his stool by his own energy as he came down on the cymbals like a ton of bricks. This band continues to impress me with their ability to change and edit their style while staying true to the NOLA Funk that runs through their veins. Great show!

Boots Riley keeps the crowd bumpin'

Mr. Lif

Ben Ellman with Stanton Moore up off his stool

Mr. Lif

Boots Riley

D'Aiello Family

2007-11-05T19:26:00.000-05:00

Recently I had the pleasure of spending a beautiful afternoon with the D'Aiello family at the Arboretum. It was a perfect autumn day, dry leaves were on the ground, the air was crisp, and the fall colors surrounded us. We spent a couple of hours just cruising around, snapping pictures, laughing, and of course, playing in the leaves. Spending time with these girls reminded me how much fun I had when I was their age, running around with a big smile on my face all day and playing to my heart's content.
The D'Aiello's are a very loving, fun family and I had a blast hanging out with them! I hope I get a chance to do it again really soon.

In front of the "Big Purple Dandelion"

I got lots of big smiles from these two!

Playing in the leaves was a blast!

A Piece of Musical History

2007-11-05T11:42:00.000-05:00

I must share with you an amazing and once in a lifetime opportunity I had recently. I am the photographer for the Moog Foundation which is based here in Asheville and is preparing to host their first Fund Raising Event at the Orange Peel on November 15th. The night will include the opportunity to see some of Bob Moog's personal archives, play Moog instruments, and see the band Telepath, all while raising money for a great cause. Please check out the Moog Foundation website for all of the details and to purchase tickets. While preparing for the big event, I had the unique privilege of photographing some of Bob Moog's instruments, one of which was the Moogfooger. In fact, it was the first ever (check out the serial number) Moogerfooger to be produced. In addion to the Moogerfooger, I got to photograph a patch board that belonged to Bob Moog. It was really amazing standing there with all of these amazing instruments and knowing that I was one of very few people to see these pieces of musical history. Bob Moog was a legend in his own time, and a pioneer in the music industry. A lot of my favorite bands use Moog equipment on stage today and Bob's products and legacy live on nightly in clubs and venues across the US and beyond.
I hope everyone will take the opportunity to come out on November 15th to support the Moog Foundation and take part in the celebration of a local musical legend, and the brilliant mind that was Bob Moog.

Note the serial number.

Detail of the Patch Board

Patch Board belonging to Bob Moog

Mr. Max Turns 1

2007-10-31T10:50:00.001-04:00

My dear friend Max has just turned 1 year old, and I had the pleasure of being at his party to capture images of his exquisite cake eating skills. Max had a great day, having a whole cake to himself to do with as he saw fit, any 1 year old boy's dream! Max ate to his heart's content as family and friends surrounded him to wish him well and shower him with love.
Happy Birthday old man! See you soon.

Boys To Men Mentoring Weekend

2007-10-24T11:22:00.000-04:00

Hello All...
I am posting to let everyone know I am off to take part in a Mentoring Weekend that helps boys (ages 12-18) in their transition to becoming young men. I am very excited to have the opportunity to be involved with this work. I feel strongly that society no longer honors the Rights of Passage and that lack of importance in society has larger, broader implications on the lives of boys and men.
The organization that puts on the event is called Boys To Men and they have several chapters around the US, mostly in major cities. The weekend is called the Rights of Passage Adventure and it takes place in the woods and allows boys to look at what works in their lives and what does not. Boys to Men provides boys with mentoring and modeling so that they learn integrity, accountability, compassion and respect. They help boys develop responsibility and guide them toward healthy manhood. It is my intention is to create a chapter here in Asheville to serve the South East.
I will be out of touch from Wednesday the 24th of October until Monday the 29th.
I hope you all have a great weekend, and look forward to the pictures I will bring back form my adventure.

"It is easier to build strong children than to repair a broken man." - Fredrick Douglas

Blue Ridge Parkway

2007-10-12T16:30:00.001-04:00

My buddy Andy and I made it up to Grandfather Mountain and to the Linville Viaduct about a week ago and I grabbed this shot. I got very lucky and had one car coming and one car going while I had the shutter open. I like the detail in the railing supports that the headlights from the car moving away from me provided a lot. It is a heck of a perch to sit on and shoot from, you have to balance on the top of a very small, very steep rock outcropping to get the right angle. Hope you enjoy it.

New Website

2007-10-12T16:25:00.001-04:00

Hello Again,
I wanted to let everyone know, after many hours and much ado, I have updated my children's portraiture site (www.jonleidelphotgraphy.com). Please drop by and check it out. It now has a calendar function for booking, slideshows and a whole new look. I am looking for feedback, so shoot me an e mail from the contact section and let me know what you think.
Thanks.
-Jon

An Afternoon with the Twins

2007-10-12T15:48:00.000-04:00

Hello All...

I had the opportunity to spend a wonderful afternoon with 3 lovely children, two of whom were twins named Ella and Lauren. I met them and their brother and parents and went to UNCA campus and the Botanical Gardens for an afternoon of fun. The weather was great and we were able to roam around enjoying the sunshine. We cruised through campus, (some people may have thought that Ella and Lauren's folks were checking out schools a little early), played in the creek and ran around in the fields.
The girls are gorgeous and I am sure their brother will have his hands full when they grow up!
Here are some of the pictures from our adventure. Enjoy.

Oh, by the way, the word for the day was : Goldfish!
If you know anyone at Pepperridge Farms, let them know I know some new models for them!

Perry Farrell's Satellite Party @ The Orange Peel

2007-09-25T16:11:00.001-04:00

Hello All,
New pictures from the Orange Peel. I got to rock out with Perry Farrell of Jane's Addiciton and Porno for Pyro's on September 10th. The show rocked, the setlist included a lot of Jane's songs, including Stop, Jane Says and Been Caught Stealing and Under a Tahitian Moon from Porno for Pyro's. Perry's energy level was through the roof and he sounded as good as ever. Hope you enjoy this sample of pictures. To see the whole gallery, please visit www.jonleidel.com and go to the "Band Images" link.
Enjoy. See Ya soon...I will be posting more pictures from the OP in the next couple of days, including Andrew Bird, and Rail Road Earth.

Eli Wolf McConnell

2007-09-19T14:51:00.000-04:00

I recently had the pleasure of doing a photo shoot with a very hip, smart, funny, little man named Eli. Eli's Mom works in my building, and from the first minute I hung out with him, I knew I had to capture some images of his personality to share with everyone. Eli took direction in the studio very well, and was so much fun to "work" with that I was laughing and smiling the entire shoot. He loves school, loves to learn, likes his teacher, and is just a blast to be around. Since he likes learning so much, I thought it would be cool to bring in some props from my school days. As you can tell from the images we had a big 'ol time playing in the studio with the books and out on the balcony with his skateboard.

Ashefest

2007-09-19T13:58:00.002-04:00

Hello again everyone...
I have been very busy, and I have not updated my blog in a while, so I hope you except my apologies.
I spent a great weekend at Ashefest, which took place at one of my favorite venues, Deer Fields. I was honored to be one of the festival photographer's and I got to spend some time with my good friend Margaret Lauzon of VillaSonica who is a very talented videographer, and was capturing video of the festival that you can check on MoBoogie's home page.
I got to get in Thursday night for the meeting, and to witness a great little electrical storm that passed our way...I shot this image (left) at midnight, leaving the shutter open for 30 seconds on my tripod. The lights in the bottom right are from the porch of the main cabin, and the reflection they cast on the smaller lake. The lights in the lower left are from a parked golf cart near by.
I also got the image on the right from the cabin porch...

Again, long shutter , the lights are from a car driving past the lake on its way to the camping area. I like playing around with the long exposures as it gives you a view you do not normally get to see.
I also got my LensBaby out and shot a couple of images...I especially like theone with the VW Bus coming around the lake.

To see the entire catalog if images from the weekend please visit my site: www.jonleidel.com and go to the "Band Images" link on the bottom of the home page, follow it to the Ashefest link and you can view the images by day there. Drop me a line and let me know which one's you like best.
Here are a couple of shots from the Fire Dancers on Saturday night. This was one of the highlights of the weekend for me because fire dancers make for great images, Particle played (who I have known for sometime and have not seen in a while) and my friend Dave Hamilton from the Moog Foundation played Theramin with the band!

Take Care...Be good to Yourself...
Jon

A Day at the Botanical Gardens of UNCA with Quinn

2007-08-17T12:29:00.000-04:00

On Monday I was able to spend the afternoon with a very special little man named Quinn. We went to the Botanical Gardens at University of North Carolina Asheville where we spent some time fishing, playing with trucks in the creek and just having a good time. Quinn is a very bright young man with an inquisitive mind that can be playful and very serious as well. Being with him as he played with his trucks in the creek brought back many a fond memory of my own childhood and I felt blessed to be able to share in Quinn's playful energy. His parents Tom and Libby came a long and we got some really special shots of Quinn and his family.
Thank you Quinn, Libby and Tom for such a wonderful afternoon, I hope we get an opportunity to do it again really soon.

Pacific Nortwest

2007-08-15T10:29:00.000-04:00

I love where I live...Asheville is a special, beautiful place....that being said, if I had to move, it would be to the Pacific Northwest. Washington, Oregon, everything I have seen in that part of the country continues to amaze me. Chris is from Redmond, Wa. and gave me quite to tour. We went through Leavenworth Wa. which is a small Alpine / German village at the base of the Cascade mountains. Lots of great beer and brats....and from what Chris tells me one of the most stunning Christmas celebrations around. It's pretty wild to come off a 2 lane highway and all of a sudden there is this German village in the middle of these monster peaks, every building there has to be built according to the Apline village code, including the McDonalds and the Bank of America.

Outside Leavenworth, we followed the Icicle river over the Cascades back into Seattle on Rte 2. What a road! It creeps along the river until it crests the peak of the Cascade range and drops back into Seattle. Along the way we stopped at Desolation Waterfall and got some great shots that represent the Pacific Northwest really well. The forests are so lush and green, the cedar tress are really spectacular, and what I noticed as one of the main differences, and a fact that Chris explained to me, is the cleanliness of the forest floor. The needles from the Cedars and other evergreens are so rich in acid, that they dissolve everything that lands on the forest floor so quickly that the forest floor is really clear of clutter and debris like we have here.

I have been slowly working on a series of images that I feel are quiet and Zen like. Images that make you slow down and relax when you look at them. Images that almost force you to be quiet and still. At Desolation Waterfall Chris and I found some spots to capture images like that. These images have had only minor corrections done to them, the colors and light are straight out of the camera. Enjoy... (you can single click on these images to view them individually in a separate window)

Backyard Fun

2007-08-15T10:14:00.000-04:00

The highlight of my trip out west was getting to spend time catching up with old friends, cooking tons of food on the grill and enjoying a couple bottles of wine in Tamara's backyard. Tamara has three beautiful girls ages 3, 7, and 13. Their energy is contagious and it is such a pleasure to be reminded what summer is about watching them play in the yard, chase some chickens around, or just being silly with one another.

This is Gracie watering the garden...
This is her sister Chloe playing in a play tunnel they have for the rabbit. I miss chasing those kids around already!One more of Gracie being too cute...

Chris and I @ Yellowstone Lake

2007-08-15T10:09:00.000-04:00

My friend Chris and I on the edge of Yellowstone Lake. The were a lot of deer out in the field we were in that we so accustomed to people that we were able to walk within 40 feet of them to take pictures. My dome is looking fresh after 2 days of rain!

Back From Missoula

2007-08-15T09:59:00.000-04:00

I have returned from a hot 12 days traveling around Montana with my friend Chris. We spent two days in Yellowstone, 2 days in Seattle and the remainder in Missoula.
The two days spent in Yellowstone was less than optimal, it rained pretty much non stop for both days. It did stop once, long enough for us to think that it was done raining, and to go for a 5 mile hike. However, it started raining again (raining in Biblical proportions) about half way through, and we had the unique pleasure of hiking the rest of the way with all of our camera gear in ankle deep water. Nothing spells excitement like coming out of the woods into a large field carrying a tripod in a lightning storm. We did not get to see as much wildlife as we would have wanted to due to the rain, but the bison are always nice enough to pose for a couple of candid shots.

Little Benjamin

2007-07-18T15:01:00.000-04:00

I had the pleasure of meeting this fantastic little man not long ago in my studio. Benjamin is less than a year old and has been walking since he was nine months. He is quite the little whirlwind, running all over the place, exploring and checking things out. Benjamin came to the studio in May with both of his parents and the three of us had our work cut out for us keeping him in front of the backdrop. It is so much fun to have a child with so much energy in the studio...he really keeps you on your toes and reminds you how great it was to be his age. Here are some of the pictures from that shoot. Check out the red hair and eyes on this child...too cute.

Smashing Pumpkins @ The Orange Peel 06/23/07

2007-07-18T14:44:00.001-04:00

I was lucky enough to be able to attend two Smashing Pumpkins shows at the Orange Peel. I got to go to the first and last show. I must say that Billy Corgan and his band were one the hardest working acts I have seen before, and I have seen a lot of music! They were in the club doing full energy four hour practices every day before they went on that night. In addition, Billy was writing everyday, sometimes writing after the shows until late in the night. Everyone I encountered with the Smashing Pumpkins were down to earth, good hearted people, that really appreciated the hospitality shown to them by the venue and all of the good people here in Asheville. Here are a couple of images from the shows. To see the full gallery visit my site, go to the "rotating galleries" section and choose the Smashing Pumpkins. I will start posting a couple of images from the shows I attend here, but the full galleries will reside on www.jonleidel.com and, once the dust settles, on www.theorangepeel.net. Hope you like the images.

Smashing Pumpkins @ The Orange Peel

2007-07-18T14:37:00.001-04:00

Welcome to Jon Leidel's Brand New Blog!

2007-07-17T12:39:00.002-04:00

Hello Friends,
I would like to welcome all of you to my new Blog. I have been inspired by my friend Corey McNabb's blog; "McBlog" and have decided to join the blogging community.I have never had a blog before, so you will have to bare with me as I post content and learn the in's and out's of this medium. I am excited to be able to share with the world my images, emotions and whatever else I feel like sharing. I invite all of you to give me feedback on what you find here. For those of you who have been at this a while, please feel free to impart any wisdom you may have gained on me. Stay tuned, I am off to Montana, specifically Missoula, to say hello to friends I made while I was attending the Rocky Mountain School of Photography's Summer Intensive program. I will be traveling around and hope to spend a couple of days in Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks, and I will be posting images from my trip here. You can find a collection of my images from the last time I was out west on my site: www.jonleidel.com.
I wonder how many other photographers out there have as much trouble as I did finding a picture of themselves to post. My friend Tom Fullum took this picture when he was visiting me here in Asheville over the Christmas holiday. He is a talented fashion photographer, and we were playing with his Leaf digital back for his Mamiya RZ67. If you visit his site, the shots of the model Amber, were taken at the top of the mountain I live on, using a Profoto portable battery pack and D4 heads. If you can believe it, it was still very light out when the shot was taken.
Well, folks, that's it for now. I hope to hear from you all soon.
Cheers,
Jon