A little history

I guess everybody that starts a blog has to do a little catch up and this is mine, so first a little history.

I began the journey into professional photography in the summer of 2008. I have always been known by family members as the person with a camera in hand. In June of 2008 I left teaching (Certified in high school math an science.) I decided to do something I wanted to do and enjoyed for a change and photography was it so I began the long process of establishing a photography business. It consists of a lot more than just taking pictures and printing them. You become knowledgeable in web creation and design (photography requires a little different design than average due to business demands), blog creation and design, contract formation, legal issues on copyrights, permission to use, etc.

I began acquiring the needed equipment as I wanted to use digital instead of my old 35mm Minolta film camera. I had a digital point and shoot but it is unsatisfactory for professional use and even my personal use. (P&S cameras have come a long way since then and have improved significantly in design.) I chose to go with Nikon, getting a D300 with a 17-55mm f/2.8 lens and a 80-200mm f/2.8 lens. Canon is also a great camera but I had always wanted a Nikon so I went that way.

In August 2008, I finally acquired my LLC (Limited Liability Company) license. About the same time I set up my web site for HLD Photography LLC I decided to name itwww.HLDPhotos.com as that seemed easier for everybody to type and I keep misspelling Photography. 

In February I won the Black and White category at the Raleigh Capital City Camera Club open competition. That was a good feeling. The shot was a landscape shot taken at Umstead Park, in Raleigh NC. http://www.hldphotos.com/Galleries/Competition/CompetitionPhotos/9234768_UQr78#616568424_oy5hW

In May of 2009 I was a second shooter for a wedding. Wow, weddings are demanding. We got there at 3PM and left about 10PM. Shot over 750 shots and took 3 days to process for the main photographer.

In September 2009, I photographed the Englewood UMC Softball team in action.

In October 2009, I photographed some ceramic pieces for Nicola Godfrey Tiles in Zebulon NC. She is an amazing lady who makes the tiles by hand. 

During the month of October and November, I also began working on photographing the Historic Oakwood Community for a Photo contest. http://www.presnc.org/Community/Images-of-Oakwood. A quote from the Preservation North Carolina Site – “Raleigh's historic Oakwood neighborhood. Oakwood is Raleigh's most intact 19th-century neighborhood and a vibrant historic district. The neighborhood's full range of Victorian architectural styles and details are set off by tree-lined streets and carefully cultivated gardens. The district also includes the expansive Oakwood Cemetery, a fine example of the 19th-century park-style cemetery. Submitted photographs must be taken within Historic Oakwood (see submission form for map) and fall into one of three categories: Private Home Exteriors, Cemeteries & Parks, Public Buildings."

Got to run (again). Will talk more about the Raleigh Hebrew Cemetery next. A fascinating place I found as part of the Oakwood photo work.