Headshots: Brian

Brian is a actor/dancer from Columbia, South Carolina. He has lot of talent and will definitely go far in his pursuits.

The First Time is Always the Hardest.... I Hope

It's early Sunday morning and I have to admit I'm still in a state of shock. Just 5 days ago, I received a text from my friend Whitney about possibly shooting a wedding. Whitney has been so supportive of my photography from day one and is probably the best hype-man anyone could wish for (and the prettiest, too). Via text, she had already negotiated pricing and everything but there was only one kicker... the wedding was in 4 days!! 

I'm not scared of much but this was kind of intimidating. This would be my first wedding and I only had 4 days to prepare, so I did what I always do.... follow my instincts and hope for the best.

To make a long story short, the wedding turned out great!! It was way more physically demanding than expected but after 2 cameras, 3 memories card, 8 batteries and a whole lot of sweat I think I pulled off some great pictures.  I really have to say thanks to the beautiful couple, Kim and Jayson for including me in their big day and showing me a great example of true love.

Here are a few teasers.... more to come, I promise.

Lisa + Terrance

So this was a huge day for me! I have officially shot my first engagement session,  and it couldn't have been with a more perfect couple. Lisa and Terrance are both from Alabama and have been together for nearly 2 years. 

From the second we met I could see this couple was meant for each other. They are both outgoing and equally hilarious (they had me laughing in between almost every shot). They were very comfortable in front of the camera and were surprisingly open to all my ideas, as crazy as they may have been. 

I wish this couple the best as they approach there wedding date and I thank them for allowing me to capture the love that they share.

I Smell a Good Weekend....

south beach + new friends + random guest appearances x great drinks = A hell of a weekend!! (and its only Friday)

The Glass

It was a slow photography week so I decided to make my lenses do a little modeling. (they're kinda sexy right?)

These three beauties are so important to my business, but more importantly, they are important to my vision. My mind sees a lot of things that my eyes don't and I've learned that great equipment can help close the gap between vision and reality. Another gap that I'm trying to close is the huge gap in my bank account. These three instruments were not cheap; however, they were well worth every dime.

Here's a little back ground on each one:

Nikkor 85 mm f/1.4 - this is the best portrait lens ever!! I call this one my "David Copperfield" because its pure magic.

Nikkor 35 mm f/2 - this is the "Sex and the City" lens because it great for fashion shoots. I use this primarily when I shoot models, it works great close up and far away.

Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 - My favorite lens of all time!! This lens takes the most beautiful, buttery images ever. I keep "fitty" on my camera 90% of the time because its so flexible and the images are super sharp.

In the end, quality lenses are going to cost you but they are worth it in the long run. Start saving now.

Google Me Baby

So, I was sitting around bored the other day and I decided to google my own name (everyone's done it, I'm sure). 

I was hoping that my website would be the first thing listed, instead I found something very surprising. I, Elton Anderson, was actually a very popular blues singer in  the 50's.... who knew?

Here's a little history on Elton Anderson:

Elton Anderson, from Lake Charles, LA, was a guitarist as well as a vocalist. During 1956 and 1957, he was featured with the Sid Lawerence Band regularly at the Southern Club in Opelousas, LA.

Anderson’s "Secret Of Love" charted in 1960 and did very well nationally. But his two follow-up 45's for Mercury in 1960 and 1961 did not fare nearly as well; and the label dropped him. 

After Capitol tried again with another Anderson 45, they lost interest; and the guitarist/vocalist's few remaining releases were issued on Lanor around 1963. When they did not sell, Elton Anderson left Louisiana for California; and, as far as I know, did not record again. 

After reading his story I felt bad for Elton and decided to buy one of his classic singles "(Love) I'm gonna have to pass". Found it on EBAY for $7.99... hopefully he'll get at least $.45 from this purchase. 

Now all I have to do is find a record player, download it to an MP3 file, get T-Pain and Kanye to do a remix and then the original Elton Anderson can make a comeback (after I get my 30% of course).

I'm Official!!

Elton Anderson Photography is now on the web!! 

I haven't really announced it to anyone because its still under much construction, but for the 5 or 6 people that actually look at my blog please go check it out and tell me what you think.

I'll be really busy for the next few weeks adding more photos to my portfolio. Hopefully I'll have an official launch in August. Stay tuned!!

www.eltonandersonphoto.com