Back from the Grind 3: Detroit (More than Glamorous)

Well, I had an absolute blast in Detroit, Michigan leading The Grind3: Detroit workshop. Our class was amazing and our models were fantastic. We did two days of intensive photography and photoshop work, and folks got a lot out of it.

Special thanks to Julie Lowry of Chanterelle Photography in Montgomery, AL who once again came through as my assistant for this workshop and she co-lead some of the breakout shoots.

Next weekend we head out to Portland to conduct the No Limits: Portland two-day workshop with Mike Long. There are still seats available, so join us if you can.

Here are a few images from Day 2 of the event. When I get the Day 1 (engagement couples) done, I'll post some of those as well.

Working with Leighann in Some New Space

I had the opportunity Saturday to shoot in some new Studio Space down in the Old City in Knoxville. Leighann Nitzband was gracious enough to be my guineau pig. Here are some of the results.

I can finally show you...

...the work I did for the 2008 Christmas card of fellow photographer, and incredible friend, Julie Lowry. If you recall, last year we did a GAP Ad theme for her Christmas Card, and this year we went whole hog: Breakfast at Tiffany's.

The concept and costume was all Julie, I just decorated the set, set up the lights and shot the images. I can't wait to see what we come up with next year.

The Many Faces of Katie

My daughter, Katlynn gleefully agreed to be my model for this fun session of pop-art style photographs. These turned into some great presents for the grandparents.

Post Processing Fun

Sometimes it's fun to composite a whole bunch of you into one image.

Joy appears eleven times in the pano image above. That's right - ELEVEN times. Creative composite images can be a lot of fun, especially for seniors and children.

Take the time to look around...

A few years ago, I was driving home when I spotted a rainbow on the horizon. It caught my attention, because it has literally been years since I'd seen a rainbow. As I stared at the natural prism of colors that sat in the sky, I wondered why I hadn't seen a rainbow in a long time.

Were there less rainbows these days? I remember seeing them all the time when I was a kid. Why weren't there the same amount of rainbows in the sky as an adult as there was when I was a child?

Rainbows hadn't changed. I changed. There weren't less rainbows. I had just begun to trudge through my life with my head down, dealing with my daily duties, and worrying about this and that - I had stopped looking for rainbows. I had changed, and it wasn't for the better.

From that afternoon on, I made a promise to myself to take the time necessary to see the rainbows - to remember that life is more than a daily struggle. Try it. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at the "rainbows" that become visible to your life.

My daughter at Halloween

Yep, that's my little evil cheerleader. She's 10 now. She'll be 11 at the end of Decemeber.

More from my latest session...

Heather Levitt (the model in these pics) has been one of my best friends for ten years or so now. We always have fun when we shoot a session.

Getting a Little Funkified...

The crazy wig was Heather's idea. The crazy post work was my idea. We shot these with a ringlight and just a plain old hotel wall. What fun.

A few fashion glamour videos...

Falling in love with Corel Painter

So, I have a new software toy. It's called Corel Painter, and quite frankly it's one of the most amazing artistic programs I've ever seen (other than Photoshop). This program let's you use every type of paintbrush, pen, marker, crayon or pencil known to man.

Here's an example of what can be done. Imagine this on a canvas.

Your wedding day is a special day...

...why not remember it with incredible images?

I find myself drawn back to the images I shot of Morgan and Jamie at their wedding this summer. It was such a beautiful day and such a beautiful wedding. And though I'm not a member of their family and I didn't know them at all before their wedding, I feel like somehow I am a part of their life in a way that will last forever.

Ah, the things I'll do...

...to make people laugh. These images are care of Tina Poppa who participated in my Grind workshop in Nashville, TN. In the first photo, I was sneaking into the back of the frame and trying to make Tina relax and laugh...and yes, I admit it freely. I look a little freakish. LOL

Chisa, me and Julie - posing with the Krispy Kreme, and then they shoved it in my nose.

Because your family doesn't live life in front of a blue mottled background.

Few things are as precious as the family portrait. In fact, most people say that if they had only a few minutes to gather belongings from their homes before an imenent disaster, they would grab their family photos. Why? These are precious moments of our lives saved forever on a piece of photo paper - a glimpse of who we were and how we became who we are.

Let me be blunt for a moment. I am not a fan of the department store portrait. You know the kind. The ones where we put on our Sunday best and our fake smiles, and someone with the same training as the person who might sell you a tie in another department snaps a photo in front of a mottled blue background.

While they are an accurate account of what we looked like in that year, these photos tell us nothing about the people in them. They show no interaction, and they never show the real us.


You don't live your life in front of a blue mottled background.
Why remember it that way?

What makes a family is the interaction between family members in a setting that is comfortable to them. How a toddler takes his mother's hand. How a daughter snuggles into her Daddy's neck when she's feeling shy. That's who we are, and that's exactly what I want to capture when I shoot family portraits: Your family the way it really is.

If you're looking for a standard family portrait that you might get at one of those photo factories in the yellow pages, then I'm probably not the photographer for you. If you're looking for someone to tell the story of your family's life through photographs - if you're looking for more than a standard family portrait - if you're looking for a timeless piece that hangs in your home and is the starter of conversation, a source of joy, and brings a twinge of longing to go back to that time in your family's history - then I'm here to capture that for you.

Glamour & Boudoir images are becoming popular gifts

It's no secret that men love photographs of beautiful women, but what you may not know is that more and more women are creating a special gift for their significant others.

Glamour/Boudoir photography is the gift for your man that just keeps on giving, and it's easier than you think. Beauty comes in all shapes, sizes and ages. I've photographed women in their 20's and their late 40's. I've photographed women who were size 0 and women who were size 15. All of them were beautiful, and their husbands absolutely loved the special gifts they received.

The key to getting great glamour/boudoir photos is finding flattering light and apparel for your figure, and then working with me to find the best pose for your body. I recently shot a session with a woman who describes herself as a "heavier person." She was uncomfortable with how her legs looked, so we hid them and not only did SHE love her photos, she knows her husband will fall over when he gets his Christmas gift this year.

There are lots of options with glamour/boudoir photos. You can find more information about my glamour/boudoir sessions here: http://www.andyarmstrongphoto.com/pricing-glamour.htm

The Power of Krispy Kreme

Ah yes, that hot, round, melt in your mouth, OMG I could eat half a dozen without even thinking about it that we call Krispy Kreme. It's one of those things that if you haven't tried it and don't live near a Krispy Kreme store - you shouldn't try it. You'll crave it forever.

At my workshops in Nashville we had many participants who hadn't had the glory of tasting a Krispy Kreme, so we bought three dozen each morning. Mmmmm. As always, they were a huge hit. Even the models loved 'em.

Back from the NoBS Inferno in Nashville!

I'm back from the NoBS Inferno in Nashville where I conducted The Grind and The Grind:Remix (pre/post glamour workshops for photographers) and was a featured presenter during the NoBS Inferno.

I must say that we had a blast, and I have to give a shout of thanks to all the participants and a few folks especially.

First and foremost, thanks to everyone who participated in The Grind and The Grind: Remix. We had two outstanding groups of photographers and three great models: Chisa Meador, Leighann Nitzband, and Kaitlin Walker.

Second, let me thank Rob Provencher and James Hodgins of NoBS Photosuccess. These guys put on a great seminar and provided me a stage to present to their membership. I can't thank them enough for their encouragement, direction, and hospitality. If you haven't checked out NoBS Photosuccess, then you should.

I'd also like to give a major thanks to my assistant (and sanity keeper) for the week, Julie Lowry of Chanterelle Photography . Julie is an incredible source of knowledge on how to build a photogrpahy business and how to market that business. Her Monkey Business mini-sessions during the workshops were full of great information for all who participated. So, thank you, Julie. I truly appreciate your time, energy, and support.

Here's a group shot.



And me getting goofy during The Grind. Special thanks to Josh Carter of Carthage, Missouri for providing this pic to me (and using some killer designhouse effects to make it kick some butt).



That's me competing as a digital retoucher during the Inferno Shootout!




Here's some model shots from the workshops!

Oh, Miss Ashleigh!

What can I say? It's Miss Ashleigh - one of my favorite models, and it's been way, way too long since we had a shoot together (over a year).

Last monday, we got together at in a hotel room setting and shot a wonderful, quirky, crazy, fun session. Here are some of the results. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

Ah, it's Brittany... finally

About two years ago, I was lucky enough to be asked to be a judge for dance team tryouts for the Knoxville Ice Bears. I say I was lucky, because that's the very first time that Brittany Rinehart and I crossed paths. During those two days of tryouts, I remember thinking to myself, 'Wow, this young lady is beautiful. I've got to do a shoot with her.'

She made the dance team, and it wasn't long after that, that I asked Brittany to shoot with me - and while she didn't say no, she didn't say yes either.

Well, finally - two years later - she agreed to shoot with me. And, just as I thought - her images came out beautiful. Here are a few from our session at The Cove in Farragutt. Thank you, Brittany for shooting with me, and thanks for bringing your buddy with you to help me out.

The Evans Girls - Always a Joy

It's always a joy to shoot with Angela Evans and her family. This last session we concentrated on her two beautiful little girls. The World's Fair Site is such a nice place to shoot, with so many options. I hope you enjoy looking at these as much as I enjoyed shooting them.

Portfolio Session with Jeni D. Sanabria

Ok, so I was up at the buttcrack o' dawn this morning (4:45am) to get ready and out to a sunrise portfolio shoot with model, Jeni D. We shot at the lake.

First off, Jeni D. was awesome. Sweet, cute, kind, respectful - couldn't have asked for more from her. Secondly - my hope was to do strobe shots with the sunrise.


It was gorgeous when we arrived. Golden orange sun and clouds. I set up the equipment and got through about 20 frames or so, when it started to ran a little. Luckily, Jeni brought another "Andy" with her, and he helped me rush the electrical equipment back to the car.

Who says you can't shoot outdoors in the rain?

We were not deterred. I grabbed two golf umbrellas and had the other Andy hold them over himself and me while I continued to shoot through the rain... Special thanks to the other "Andy" at the shoot for holding umbrellas and toting equipment. I appreciate it.

I was using my new 70-200 L IS and my new 34 1.4 L - and yes, I was petrified I was going to get them wet.

Here are some of my favorites, followed by a slideshow link to all the whole set.

http://andyarmstrongphoto.com/jenid08/index.html

Morgan & Jamie's Wedding Photos

I'm just going to say it. I loved this couple, and I loved this wedding. I can't thank Morgan and Jamie enough for letting me capture their special day.

I hope you enjoy looking at the photos as much as I enjoyed taking them.

A "Cyn" Full Session

So, I had the distinct pleasure of meeting and shooting fellow photogapher, Cyn (or Cynthia, but don't call her that yet, she might just kick your butt) last Monday. We had so much fun in the studio that it almost didn't seem like a photo shoot.

I was looking for someone who could do a little "punk glam" for me in the studio, but we got way more than that. Thanks, Cyn. I look forward to the next time.

If you'd like to see the slideshow of the whole shoot, go here: http://www.andyarmstrongphoto.com/cyn200806/index.html

What do buttercups taste like anyway?

I'm not sure either, but little Ryan Finchum certainly does. He was infatuated with the putting the little buggers in his mouth during our family portrait session this past Saturday.

Greg, Katie, Ryan, Jamie, Bruce and Darius were all a delight to shoot with, and I would say we got some outstanding images, but I'll let you be the judge of that. Enjoy!

Doug and Jeanne: An Engagement Session

What fun - roaming around the World's Fair Site in downtown Knoxville, TN - shooting an e-session with Doug and Jeanne.

They make it official on May 17th, and I'll be there to cover it all.

Morgan and Jamie: Engagement Session

It rained, but we didn't care. Not at all.

I had the distinct pleasure of shooting Morgan and Jamie's engagement session today. I'll be shooting their wedding later this summer, and if these photos are an example of how they perform in front of the camera, then I can't wait to see what the wedding photos look like.

I'd like to give a special thank you to Heather who assisted me this afternoon, and to Nostalgia a unique "Vintique" store that allowed us to shoot inside their shop. You can find it on Homberg Drive right beside Jerry's Art-o-rama and right down the street from Side Street Tavern.

Morgan and Jamie's YouTube Video

Mountain Man

I want to give special thanks to Chase Pipes for helping me with a commercial project yesterday. Not only did Chase show up in full "over mountain" regalia with tons of goodies to shoot with, he suggested an excellent location by a waterfall on English Mountain, just outside of Sevierville, Tennessee. Thank you, Chase - for helping me put this all together and being an excellent model.
Thanks also to Jonathan Cox for being my assistant during the shoot. You were a lifesaver on many occassion yesterday.

Knoxville Tennessee Photographer Andy Armstrong - Glamour, Fashion, Portrait, Wedding and Commercial Samples

Andy Armstrong is an international portrait photographer based in Knoxville, Tennessee. He specializes in portraiture, but also covers event photography, wedding photography, commercial photography, fashion photography, glamour photography, and family portrait photography. His style is mainly photojournalism, and he believes that his photojournalistic style is the key to good storytelling in his work. Andy Armstrong Photography is based in Knoxville, TN, but also serves, Maryville, Oak Ridge, Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, and surrounding Tennessee counties. He has covered weddings and events nationally and internationally, including, Boston, Denver, and as far north as Canada.

Knoxville TN Photographer Family and Senior Portrait Sampler at GoFish

Knoxville TN Photographer Wedding Photo Sampler at GoFish

Knoxville TN Photographer Glamour, Boudoir, and Fashion Sampler at GoFish

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Knoxville TN Photographer Family and Senior Portrait Samples at MySpace TV