The Lighten Up and Shoot gang

I have been busy reading the "Lighten Up and Shoot" V book and practicing the methods. I gotta you these guys make a lot of sense. I have learned more from their YouTube videos and Vbook in the last month than I have in the last year of trying to do this photography stuff right or at least what I consider "right". Andy and Mike have a great philosophy on teaching and and make it funny and fun. I don't have any excuses and I cannot blame my camera or lack of gear. I am not going to get caught up in the trap of saying I need this or I need that to get good shots. I am now shooting in M(manual) and it is taking some time, but I am determined to get it down cold. Thanks to Mike and Andy for guiding me in the right direction. Do yourself a huge favor and get their VBook. You will not believe the amount of information that you can use NOW for $15.23. Follow the link to Lighten Up and Shoot Vbook in the links area and be sure to get on their forums and I'll see you there.

The Strobist David Hobby and Joe McNally

Starting out with my new camera I of course(not) read the manual first. Ok thats a lie I did finally wade through the manual. Whew. Check out this link on camera manuals in the links section. I have areas marked that I can review when I need to. I started researching photography online and discovered some great sites and Youtube videos. I began reading David Hobby's Strobist Blog and following Joe Mcnally's adventures. I learned that I have a lot to learn! I am really interesting in lighting and light. Well photography is a study of light. In September I signed up for a two day seminar with Joe McNally in Houston,Texas. If you don't know who Joe McNally is please do yourself a favor and look him up or follow the link in the links area. Better yet go see him. Check out this video of Joe McNally  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEAKQFddTLI
An amazing photographer and very generous with information. You won't be sorry. I figured this would be a good time to visit some relatives ,my hometown and see Joe McNally. I live in Memphis, Tennessee and it was kind of a long drive. I had an awesome time visiting with my aunt and cousins. The seminar was at a meeting space in the Houston zoo. I got to meet a lot of great photographers. Joe is a very funny and entertaining guy as well as a master of lighting. besides going over different lighting examples and stories about some of his famous and not so famous shoots, he did several shoots right there in the seminar. He would walk through his thinking process and trial and error lighting setups. I gotta say at the end of two days I was in lighting overload. There was so much information. Now I gotta get his two books! Thanks Joe!

Ernest C. Withers and the STAX Museum of American Soul shoot

I had the good fortune to shoot all the festivities for the grand opening of the STAX Museum of American Soul Music. It was a week long event and a lot of the artist from STAX were there. At one of the venues the Gibson Guitar Lounge there were several performing artist and a large pack of photographers. The pack was running back and forth in front of the stage trying to get the shot. I don't do packs. Below is an example of a pack at the Blues Music Awards. I like the guy with the little point and shoot next to all that big glass (lens)

There was kind of a moat thing in front and on the sides of the stage. I sat on the steps in front of the stage to the left. I left enough room between me and the handrail so that someone could walk through. I watched the pack running back and forth and I would wait for the artist to move in front of me on stage to take my shot.
I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked expecting security to tell me to move as I was a fire hazard or something. It was Ernest C. Withers the iconic civil rights and music photographer. Not to mention one of my hero photographers. He sat down next to me filling the space between me and the handrail. He did just what I was doing and waiting for the shot. I was on cloud nine. Here were all these photogs from all over the world running back and forth trying to get THE shot and Mr. Withers and I sat in our little spot and waited for the shot to come to us. HA. I waited till he took his shot before I would take mine. I watched him closely to say the least. That is when I got the photo bug again. Maybe I am doing something right. I got to meet and see him in action several times after that. But I'll never forget that experience. Thanks Mr. Withers!

It Starts Here with my father Frank A. Pusateri

Hi I have been interested in photography most of my life. My father was a staff photographer for the Houston Chronicle and I would go with him for some of his fluff assignments. While he would be in the darkroom developing, I would be right outside with a pan of water and photo paper developing clouds. Well that is what the image looked like. He was also a Deputy Sheriff (what was a $1.00 a year position) and shot crime scene photos. I never got to go with him for those. I put photography on a back burner to work on my music. I could not afford to do both. I still shot as much as I could with cheap cameras with predictable results. I mostly shot musicians and bands. After a few years of this I felt like I was just taking snapshots. I have been hired a few times for event and band shoots, but I still felt like it needed more. I needed to learn more about the art of photography. I bought my first real digital camera and began to learn how to use it. I learn something new everyday. I plan on documenting my journey here. more to come. I ask my dad one time "what does it take to be a photographer" I was thinking he was going to tell me about classes or college or something like that. He said "you have to be fearless and get the shot". It took me years to really get that. Here is a photo of my father Frank Pusateri with Edward G Robinson and some other actor who I do not know.