Murdock Fine Art Photography

Stuff People Say to Photographers

2012-02-09T14:47:00.002-05:00

Silly, yet so true.

Martin Luther King Jr

2012-01-16T17:23:00.000-05:00

A few months ago we visited Martin Luther King Jr's childhood home. There is a MLK museum, his boyhood home, the church he preached at, and his grave site, all within two blocks.

We didn't make it in time for the home tour, so we couldn't go in. We'll be here in Atlanta for 4 more years, so I'm sure we'll make it in someday.

Right outside the museum there is a huge mural depicting different events in the civil rights movement and King's life. I thought this particular section of the mural had congruence in some of todays events.

Ebenezer Baptist Church is where he preached from the pulpit. It is also where his funeral services were performed.

While you are sitting in the pews, they have an old recording of him giving his last sermon. This is a video of the funeral, where they played a recording of that sermon.

Its actually pretty easy to imagine him standing at the pulpit, speaking. Being surrounded by his congregation. I can imagine that this is almost a spiritual experience for some people.

These are the hymns they sung at his funeral.

This is the exact time his funeral service began on April 9th, 1968.

As we were crossing the street from the museum to get to the gravesite, we just happened upon Martin Luther King Jr Jr! What a strange coincidence! There were camera crews surrounding him. I'm still not sure why he was there.

Where he buried, next to his wife.

It's a great place to look back and reflect on this important man and what he did for the African American population.

We've now been to the place of his birth, the place where he preached, the place he was killed, and where he is buried. We still say that the Civil Rights Museum in Memphis at the Lorraine Motel is one of the best museums we've ever been to. If you're ever anywhere within 100 miles of this place, GO.

Zion National Park

2012-01-06T12:40:00.002-05:00

We decided to take a fun little family stroll down one of the paved paths in Zion National Park. 3 strollers, 3 dogs and 9 kids.

As we were walking back, the lighting was perfect. It was so beautiful. There aren't many more beautiful places on earth I'm sure.

Most of these images are straight out of the camera with maybe the slightest adjustment. Super super slight.

Atlanta Child & Family Photographer - The Plumbs

2011-12-23T19:47:00.000-05:00

I'm in Utah for the next few weeks, and got the chance to photograph one of my favorite families :)

Hot Mama!

I'm sure you'll be seeing a few more in the next few weeks :)

The Gubler Family - Atlanta Family & Child Photographer

2011-12-19T10:22:00.000-05:00

I had the opportunity to photograph another family this past weekend. Meet the Gublers!

Wintery Sunday Evening.

2011-12-12T07:04:00.000-05:00

The Call Family - Atlanta Family Photographer

2011-11-28T16:41:00.000-05:00

Take a look at this incredibly photogenic family! I had a blast photographing the Call's :)

Back Road Drives

2011-11-17T07:53:00.000-05:00

There is nothing we enjoy more than taking the back roads. Especially here in the south where you find many treasures along the way.

Have you ever had "Boll'd" Peanuts?? (aka boiled peanuts). I first had them a few years ago when we traveled to Charleston. They are the most addictive food I've ever had.

Cinemagraph

2011-11-11T09:07:00.001-05:00

Have you seen these? They are called Cinemgraphs and they are addictive!

"The History of Cinemagraphs

A Cinemagraph is an image that contains within itself a living moment that allows a glimpse of time to be experienced and preserved endlessly.

Visual Graphics Artist Kevin Burg began experimenting with the .gif format in this style in 2009 but it wasn't until he partnered with photographer Jamie Beck to cover NYFW that Cinemagraphs were born. Marrying original content photography with the desire to communicate more to the viewer birthed the cinemagraph process. Starting in-camera, the artists take a traditional photograph and combine a living moment into the image through the isolated animation of multiple frames. To quote supermodel Coco Rocha "it's more than a photo but not quite a video".

Beck and Burg named the process "Cinemagraphs" for their cinematic quality while maintaining at its soul the principles of traditional photography. Launched virally through social media platforms Twitter and Tumblr, both the style of imagery and terminology has become a class of its own. The creative duo are looking forward to exploring future display technologies for gallery settings as well as pushing this new art form and communication process as the best way to capture a moment in time or create a true living portrait in our digital age while embracing our need to communicate visually and share instantly.

Jamie Beck and Kevin Burg reside in New York City."

I'm going to try one. I'll show you the result when I get things figured out :)

All of the images were taken from http://cinemagraphs.com/.

Don't you wish life was really like this??....

Logan, UT

2011-11-07T13:50:00.000-05:00

Logan, UT 11.5.11

6 Months Old - Atlanta Child Photographer

2011-10-23T14:50:00.000-04:00

I can't believe my little baby is already 6 months old! Time flies!!

2011 Holiday Sessions - Atlanta Family Photographer

2011-10-17T08:45:00.000-04:00

Atlanta Child & Family Photographer - Moreno

2011-10-10T11:10:00.000-04:00

Evangeline's Story

2011-10-06T07:04:00.000-04:00

Here is a video I made. It recounts my pregnancy. One year in the making!

*click on the HD button and click on "watch this video in High Definition on Vimeo" for much better quality :)

Atlanta Child & Family Photographer - Lyla

2011-10-02T16:49:00.002-04:00

How sweet is she. I'm so jealous of her gorgeous hair color!

Virginia

2011-09-26T09:17:00.000-04:00

We've been in Virginia for the past few days. We've explored historic Fredericksburg (where the bloodiest battlefield of the Civil War is), and DC.

Chatham Mansion, Fredericksburg, Virginia.

Mount Vernon, Virginia.

The Capitol Building, Washington, DC.

Atlanta Pregnancy Photographer

2011-09-13T13:14:00.000-04:00

I figure because I haven't been shooting portraits lately that I'd post some of my favorites from the past. First up.....Sherri.

I LOVE willow trees. As you can tell from my blog header. We used to have three in my backyard growing up.

You can click on this one. Its a panorama. Its my favorite from this shoot.

Labor Then & Now

2011-09-07T09:13:00.000-04:00

These images from the NYTimes instantly reminds me of Lewis Hine's documentary photographs from the 1930s. Its interesting to contrast the two.

Labor Day is a great time to reflect on and show gratitude toward Lewis Hine. He was one of the main instruments in bringing to pass child labor and human rights laws for workers in the United States.

Icarus atop Empire State Building
New York, 1931

Man on hoisting ball
Empire State Building
New York, 1931

"Old-timer, keeping up with the boys. Many structural workers are above middle-age. Empire State [Building]"
By Lewis Hine, New York City, New York, 1930
National Archives and Records Administration, Records of the Work Projects Administration

"Photograph taken after midnight on April 17, 1912, G St. near 14th. These boys, 10, 11, and 12 years old, were stuck with over fifty papers in their hands, and vowed they would stay until they sold out if it took all night. The oldest said, ‘my mother makes me sell.’"

"Some of the doffers and the Supt. Ten small boys and girls about this size out of a force of 40 employees. Catawba Cotton Mill. Newton, NC"
By Lewis Hine, December 21, 1908

Norma Lawrence is 10 years old and picks from 100 to 150 pounds of cotton a day. Drags the sack which often hold 50 pounds or more before emptied. Lewis W. Hine. See 4569. Location: Comanche County, Oklahoma.

488 Macon, Ga. Lewis W. Hine 1-19-1909. Bibb Mill No. 1 Many youngsters here. Some boys were so small they had to climb up on the spinning frame to mend the broken threads and put back the empty bobbins. Location: Macon, Georgia.

Group on Court St., selling around the "Shea" Theater, 8 P.M. Boy in center - Vito Bucheto, 10 years old, 162 Court St. Behind him to left: Tony Gregoria 12 years old, 69 Front St.,. Location: Buffalo, New York (State)

"Boy Wanted" sign. West 19[th] Street. Location: New York, New York (State)

Title: Tony Tomarila [or Tomasula?], 11 Fly St., 8 years old. This newsie had just gotten his afternoon papers, after school, and was starting out on his rounds. I found him later in a saloon, at 10 P.M. Has no badge. Location: Buffalo, New York (State)

Children from school No. 2 in the Italian district Terrace[?] nr. GeneSt. Many of these children spend their summer vacations in the canning and fruit picking settlements where their parents go to work during the season. Feb. 8, 1910, Buffalo, N.Y. Location: Buffalo, New York

All images were taken from either the National Archives or The Library of Congress. There are hundreds of images and captions to look through. The Library of Congress' website makes it very easy to search by subject, as you can tell with the Buffalo and Italian Buffalo images I chose (I am an Italian from Buffalo). Near and dear to my heart is also the images of steel workers in Pittsburgh (my mothers family is from Pittsburgh).

Especially emotional to me are Lewis Hine's images of the coal mines in Pennsylvania. My great grandfather worked in the coal mines in Scranton. It actually could have been this mine pictured below. He passed away of Black Lung. He had the death rattle for two weeks before he finally passed on December 3, 1940. My great uncle as well as my great great grandfather also died from Black Lung.

Coal Miners Pennsylvania 1911.
Coal miners at Ewen Breaker Pennsylvania Coal Company South Pittston, PA.

As a young girl in middle school I had to interview one of my grandparents and have them tell me about their childhood. I interviewed my grandmother (nani) Constance Petritis (Gagliardi). She told me all about her father working in the coal mines. My family took a trip to the Lackawanna Coal Mine in Scranton and took a tour. It was an amazing experience I still have with me today and will never forget. Here is a copy of the report I wrote in middle school. Click to enlarge.

Irene NYC

2011-08-30T22:56:00.001-04:00

Two young filmmakers went out during "Hurricane Irene" to document their Manhattan neighborhood. www.buffalopicturehouse.com

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'Where Children Sleep'

2011-08-17T15:10:00.000-04:00

This collection is fascinating. It reminds me a lot of the "Documentary" project I would give my High School students.

"As much as the project is about the quirkiness of childhood, it is, more strikingly, a commentary on class and on poverty. But the diversity also provides a sense of togetherness."

Click on the images to see the captions.

Please click here to see more of the images. Definitely choose to see them full screen.
http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/08/04/where-children-sleep/

Allatoona

2011-08-14T18:00:00.000-04:00

Yesterday.

Happy Birthday Lucy

2011-08-04T21:03:00.000-04:00

Lucille Ball would have turned 100 this Saturday. Here are some unpublished photos (until now) exclusively through Life Magazine. Enjoy!

Phillip Schumacher

2011-08-01T11:50:00.000-04:00

Looking at the prowess of these dreamy photos, you might never guess Phillip Schumacher is only 16 years old. I came across his images a few weeks ago and I instantly fell in love. Not surprising, if you know me, I LOVE surrealism.

His "Something About Me" on his Photography Website melts my heart :)

Hello Guys,

My Name is Phillip Schumacher but you can call me Pipo. I live in Duisburg, Germany.

I felt in love with photography back in 2009. Some of you might call me an editor but I hope all of you call me a crazy mind. I love to create surreal and magical pictures. But don't think I am not able to take some good portraits :) I work with a Cannon eos 550D and Olympus e-420. The most of you may know me from flickr under my synonym Superpipo2010.

For any any question contact me: phillip.schumacher@yahoo.de

or flickrmail me: http://www.flickr.com/photos/46332129@N06/

You can find him on Facebook, Flickr and his Website. I love looking through his Flickr and reading his titles and explanations.

Little Five Points

2011-07-25T21:40:00.000-04:00

The weekend before last, we explored our new city. Little Five Points is a district in East Atlanta. L5P is known for the alternative culture that it brings to the city of Atlanta.

There is a smorgasbord of street art in the neighborhood.

And great vintage/recycled clothing shops.

I hate walking around with a huge heavy camera/lens. Most of the photos taken on "adventures" are taken with my crappy point and shoot. Lo siento.

Panorama

2011-07-18T11:42:00.000-04:00

Look what I found while walking around my new home, Atlanta.

Athens

2011-07-15T10:59:00.000-04:00

We took a day trip to Athens last Saturday. We are poor. But we will always spend money on gas for trips. Our most favorite thing to do is to see new places. (as if you didn't already know that).

Some 90's pop-culture. Ohhhh I love 90s pop-culture! One of the first nights Brett and I hung out, we stayed up in my living room for HOURS listening to the 90s Hip Hop & R&B station On Demand. Every song he would ask who sung it and I KNEW EVERY.SINGLE.ONE. Who wouldn't be impressed by that? Anyway, REM and The B52s are from Athens. Here is a little proof...

The tree that owns itself.

When we're in a new place, we NEVER EVER will go to any sort of chain restaurant. We always research and make sure we go where the locals go, and eat what the locals eat. Thus.....Jot Em Down. . .

Mmmmmmm. I'm hungry.

After seeing this video, who wouldn't go!?!?

Downtown Athens reminds me of a lot of other small American cities like Boulder Colorado, Burlington Vermont, Asheville North Carolina, Santa Barbara California etc etc. The little cities I love :)

Ohhhhh we love Georgia.

Holy Monkey!

2011-07-05T23:03:00.002-04:00

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