Firat Place Winner DSBG 2010 Shutterbug Contest

I won a first place spot in the Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens Shuttebug contest again this year and pulled off two second place seats too. My wife Margaret won Honorable Mention in the Wildlife category which she is very proud of since she just picked up a camera this past summer.

First Place Winner Events/Celebrations

Second Place Winner Artwork in the Garden

Second Place Winner Plants

Margaret's Honorable Mention Wildlife

Hollywood Style Lighting Portrait Session

I really like the feel of this portrait. Reminds me of a old movie Billboard.

Hollywood Portrait Lighting

One more photo of Susan from Thursday nights Hollywood Portrait Lighting session held in Charlotte, NC by the Portrait Photography Group.

Hollywood Style Lighting Portrait Session

This is another portrait of Susan taken during the Portrait Photography Groups Classical Black And White Hollywood Glamour Session held Thursday night in Charlotte North Carolina.

Black And White Hollywood Glamour Session

This evening we had a B/W Hollywood Glamour Photo Session this evening with Susan Williams. She was photographed using Classic Hollywood Glamour lighting styles reminiscent of the 40's & 50's.

Portrait Professional 10

This is the first edit I have done using the new upgrade of Portrait Professional. Version 10.

New for Version 10:

• Greatly improved face enhancing function
• New ClearSkin®2 defect elimination and skin regeneration technology
• More and better face shaping and slimming controls
• Improved brushes
• Child Mode
• Enhance Skin Only Mode
• Better presets

Missed the FedEx delivery of my camera and lens

Looks like I will be spending the morning waiting for FedEx to show up with my 40D and Lens. So I will have to reschedule my morning trip to Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens. At least I will have some tine to work on my slideshows.

Daniel Stowe's Orchid Spectacular

Daniel Stowe's Orchid Spectacular is running January 14, 2011 through February 14, 2011. These are a few on my shoots from last years event. I am planning to head to the gardens tomorrow 1/27 at about 9 am to capture some more Orchid photo's. If you have the time you should join me. I will be doing some off camera flash and Macro Ring light work. I would be glad to share some of my gear if you have never done any of this type of photography. 

These are a few examples of what is possible when flash is properly used to capture these wonderful specimens.

Amy's Bridal Portraits

A few more of Amy's Bridal Portraits, taken on location in Belmont, NC.

New Waxhaw Portait Locations

Spent the morning searching for some new locations for some up coming portrait sessions. Found a few great location for seniors and family portraits. Historic Waxhaw has some great old building that make wonderful portrait back drops.

Early Morning Photo Shoot Lake Wylie SC

I woke at 5:30am and packed my gear to head to Lake Wylie SC for a sunrise photo session on the lake. I had my truck loaded with all my photo gear by 6am and head out of Waxhaw. I arrived at Like Wylie about 6:45 am just in time to catch the Golden Hour and a wonderful sunrise. I had the chance to meet some of the new members of the Charlotte Photography Meet-up Group. We shivered, shot photo's and talked for about two hours. Well worth getting out of bed and braving the cold!

Friday Portrait Session

A few portraits from Friday Nights Coffee and Strobes. Held at the Dilworth Coffee House in Charlotte, NC on 1-21-2011.

Photograph of the moon over Waxhaw, NC

Waxhaw Seniors and Family Portraits

Spring time is right around the corner. Historic Waxhaw is a great location for Senior Portraits and Family Portraits. I live less than a mile from Downtown Waxhaw and love to make Portraits in the Downtown area. Contact me through my website http://www.ghholtphotography.com/ if you would like to schedule a portrait session.
These are a couple photo's from a few of my 2010 session.

Pandora's Bad Hair Day

Well I think it may be more than a bad hair day! I'm thinking more like a bad hair couple of months!

Kimmery

This is another portrait from the Charlotte Portrait Photography Groups Sculpting with light event held om 1/12-2010. Kimmery was lit with two studio lights set at a 3:1 ratio.

One more Black and White Portrait from the light sculpting event

This is another in a series of Black and White Portraits from the Charlotte Portrait Potography Group's Sculpting With Light event in Charlotte, NC. During this event 13 photographers photographed  4 models using a two light set-up with a 3-1 lighting ratio, There were two light stations, one with a dark background and one with a white background.

Another Black and White Portrait

This is another Black and White Portrait rendering from the Sculpting With Light III event held by the Portrait Photography Group in Charlotte North Carolina on January 12, 2011. The model is Kirby Ann her portrait was made using a two light set-up and the image was processed in Photoshop CS5.

Another portrait from Wednesday Nights Lighting Session

Dakota 1-12-2011 4
Originally uploaded by ghholt

This is another portrait of Dakota from Wednesday nights "Sculpting With Light" session in Charlotte, NC. Thirteen members of the Portrait Photography Group practiced their lighting ratios.

Cold week in Waxhaw

Twas a cold week in Waxhaw, NC. It was a little too cold for any out door Portrait Photography. We did have a lot of fun at the Sculpting With Light Workshop with the Portrait Photography Group-Charlotte Wednesday night. Dakota was one of the four models we photographed.

Kirby Ann-Sculpting with Light III

Kirby Ann 1-12-2011
Originally uploaded by ghholt

Kirby was another one of the models that sat for Wednesday evenings portrait shoot in Charlotte, NC. Sculpting with Light is an ongoing event with the Portrait Photography Group-Charlotte.

Sculpting With Light III

Kimmery 1-12-2011 2
Originally uploaded by ghholt

We had a fun shoot Wednesday night with the Portrait Photography Group of Charlotte.

Amy's Bridal Portrait Shoot

A couple photo's from Amy's Bridal Portrait Shoot. Her wedding was on December 4, 2010.

Pets are people too

Pandora my favorite furry portrait model.

Ready to head to the hospital

Well at least I have my truck pointing in the right direction to go to work tonight @ 10:30pm. Hope I can make it up the hill to Providence Rd.

Snowy Monday morning in Waxhaw

Yucky morning in Waxhaw! I had about 6 inches of snow on my truck and it is still coming down. Hoping it continues to snow and does not switch over to the freezing rain they have predicted. I have to be at work by 10:30 pm so the roads should be real crappy for my journey downtown. I guess I should get my camera out and shoot a few photographs.

End of another perfect Lake Wyile Day!

I don't know why every one thinks my Lake Wylie Sunrise photo's are Sunset photo's. I guess they just don't get up at the crack of dawn, drive from Waxhaw to Lake Wylie to take photographs of the sunrise over Lake Wylie. One of my photo's was featured in the slide show of the Lake Wylie Buzz this morning.

Why can't the leaves just stay on the trees and look pretty?

Well I finally broke down and raked all the leaves in my yard. I need to run out side and take a photograph of my nice neat lawn. I ended up with 13-50 gallon bags of leaves stuffed to the hilt! It would be nice if the leaves just stayed nice and pretty till summer than turned green again!

Portrait Photography Groups 3+ Photo Chat Breakfast Meetup

Had a nice 3 hour photo chat with seven other members of Charlotte's Portrait Photography Group this morning at the Quail Corners Dilworth Coffee House. There was a wide array of topics ranging from Photography Websites and Hosting to off camera flash and software.

Dancers @ Dusk

Dancers @ Dusk 11-13-2010 21
Originally uploaded by ghholt

This was a fun portrait shoot in Fort Mill South Carolina.

Hobb's

Suzie's Pride 1-1-2011 17
Originally uploaded by ghholt

This portrait of Hobbs was taken at Suzie's Pride in Rockwell, NC on New Years Day 2011.

Myra 1-5-2010

Myra 1-5-2010
Originally uploaded by ghholt

I went over to Deborah Du Plessis house today to help her figure out her new studio light set-up. Myra and Debra's puppy were elected to be the model for this portrait.
Lighting Info:
Small Octabox camera right and small softbox camera left. Set to achieve f14.
triggered with radio trigger.

Isn't this portrait just yummy?

This portrait is make me want some rib's, how about you?

suzie's Pride 2010

This video was created in thanks to Suzie's Pride for inviting the members of the Charlotte Photography Meet-up Group to photograph their Big Cat's up close and personal!

Suzie's Pride

Suzie's Pride 1-1-2011 7
Originally uploaded by ghholt

We had another great trip to Suzie's Pride on New Years Day. I still have about 600 photo's to edit. Stephanie was one of the many volunteers that got up early New Years morning so our photography group could photograph their Big Cats.

Suzie's Pride New Years Day 2011

Suzie's Pride 1-1-2011 2
Originally uploaded by ghholt

Margaret and I spent the morning at Suzie's Pride in Rockwell, NC this New Years morning.

Were heading to Suzie's Pride in Rockwell, NC

Big Cats 11-14-2010 9
Originally uploaded by ghholt

Margaret and I are heading to Rockwell, NC to Suzie's Pride to shoot the Big Cat's. Hoping the rain holds off so we can get a couple hours to shoot.