Being a graduate of the Hallmark Institute of Photography is no small matter. Its not an easy school to get into and its even harder to get out. No one goes through unscathed. Having been a graduate of 2 years I still find myself in awe of images the students create year in and out. I often find myself scrolling through an eternity of bookmarks just to get a look at “where they are now.” So many talented photographers, so much inspiration and so much curiosity piqued my interest to meet some of them, chat with them and maybe even learn a thing or two from them…and then the idea hit me like a ton of bricks….

PHOTOGRAPH THEM!

but don’t just photograph them… Study their work, their style, their lighting and photograph them in their style yet still infusing your own vision. Wow! That’s a challenge because there are so many Uber-talented photographers with so many unique styles who have graduated from Hallmark, but unless we challenge ourselves there can be no growth, right? So Hallmark Redux was born.

I plan to photograph every willing Hallmark graduate (still working as a photographer) in the South East United States. This will involve a lot of traveling, a lot of planning, a lot of studying and a lot of fun. I’m excited to take this on and I know the rewards will be many. I will be sharing what I’ve learned along the way about the business of photography, the technical tips and tricks, and any life lessons I’ve learned from my fellow alumni. It’s going to be an interesting ride. So come along. You’re invited.

Tennessee Alumni are on deck. At the top of the order…

Sara Renee Murray (2009) – www.sararenee.com
Lexey Hall (2008) – www.lexeyhall.com
Michael Bretz (2009) – www.mrbimg.com
Tracye Taylor (2001) – www.tracyesphotography.com
Daniel Meigs (2006) – www.danielmeigs.com
Crystal Martin (2005) – www.crystalmartinphoto.com
Felicia Franklin (2008) – www.feliciafranklin.com
Mark Denman (2008, 2009 Hon ) – www.markdenmanphotography.com Yes, a self-portrait series

I’m still considering East Texas, Oklahoma and the Virginias. We’ll see!

When photographing children it doesn’t take long before they lose interest. After all there are some many “other” wonderful things to explore. You can’t really ask children to pose. Its not a concept they understand very well. Emmaline, however, was a trooper. She hung in there smiling and giggling along the way. Then of course it was time to swing. I was okay with that. Sometimes the best images are not what you imagine for the camera but when they are simply being themselves…unaware and carefree.

Meet Emmaline.

Meet Annabelle and her little sister Lydia.

One of the most adorable and happiest little girls I’ve have every met.  I photographed her in Birmingham, AL and she really put me to work.  Annabelle had her own idea of how our photosession should go and not even the big bad photographer was going to tell her otherwise.  So what was I to do? Well, the only thing I could do.  Let Annabelle be Annabelle and capture her in the process.

Some people jokingly ask me as I’ve photographed their children,  ”Are you sure you want to do this?”  I have to admit its rough sometimes.  It’s a challenge and when I make it home and I look over the images I captured, I say to myself, “yea, I’m sure!”  Sometimes the best images are the one you aren’t trying to capture.

She never knew me as a photographer, but she knew I would be whatever I chose to be.  I vividly remember talking to my mother saying to her that I did not want to work for someone else for the rest of my life. That was in November of 2006.  She was 21.5 years into her battle with cancer.  Some might have said she was winning.  To see her you would never have known what was going on inside.  She offered two simple words in response to my plight…”well don’t!”  Years of her telling me that I was smart enough to do anything and accomplish anything wrapped nicely into two little words.  

It was not the least of her gifts to me.

At that point I decided to take control of my own life and pursue something that I enjoyed.  I decided to take a leap of faith and pursue a career in photography.  I chose not to tell my mother until I was sure that the finances were in order that would allow me to enroll in school.  By the time I had secured funding, I had less than a month left with her. Unbeknownst to me at the time.  She was in the hospital and desperately weak.  I told her that I decided to pursue another career and enroll in photography school.   She said not a single word.  She smiled… and whatever I was expecting her reponse to be, that smile is more than I could have asked for.  I’ll never forget it.  A life time of instilling confidence, a life time of hope, a life time of encouragement, all behind one gentle smile.  I know that she was proud that I chose to be what every man and woman has a right to be – what she’d always wanted me to be…Happy!

This is the last photograph I took of my mother in December of 2006.  She passed away 5 months later.  It was hand held on a dark bus for about 2 seconds.  When I first looked at this picture, I thought to discard it, but now its more valuable to me than any picture I’ve ever taken.

I wanted to take a minute to pay tribute to my mother with this first post.  Joyce Marie Denman – the reason I am who I am today.  She will always be remembered.