2011 Portraits, People and Events

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2011 brought me many new opportunities to photograph people, something I didn’t do a lot of in 2010. It started December 31st, 2010 with a beautiful wedding. I went on to shoot a couple parties, several engagement sessions, 3 weddings in September, many family sessions and even a few newborn shoots!

 

If I posted all of the photos from these sessions that I really liked there would be hundreds! The easiest way to share them is to share this short video I made.
Thank you to all of my clients for helping to make 2011 extra special! I hope to see you all again in 2012!

 

Click the photos to view the videos!

Portraits

 

Weddings

 

 

If you are interested in having me shoot your wedding or family session in 2012, Contact me!

The Best of 2011 – Landscapes/Cityscapes and Scenics

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So 2011 is drawing to a close. I feel like my photography world has grown exponentially this year. It started with the completion of my “This Week at the Lake” project. That was a project that I truly enjoyed and was proud that I made it the entire 52 weeks. I honestly wasn’t sure what I was going to do once that was over. Was I still going to take many photos? Of course the answer was YES!

 

2011 brought me many new clients and friends. I photographed engagement sessions, family portraits, babies, weddings, and parties. I grew my stock photography collection on Getty Images from just a couple photos to over 180. I’ve licensed photos to companies all over the world and mailed prints to clients all over the US. October brought an amazing opportunity  to display my Radnor Lake photos in a gallery next to extremely popular local artist Phil Ponder. I even covered a couple college football games and the Murfreesboro Christmas parade for HobNob Murfreesboro.

 

I’m going to break up “The Best Of” posts into sections. This first post features my favorite landscapes, cityscapes or scenic photos. I hope you enjoy them!

This Week at the Lake - 47/52

This first shot was taken on a cold snowy morning at Radnor Lake. It was the lead shot for Week 47 of my project. I was the first (and only) one out there. No footprints to mess up the scene! Standing on that deck is where I get a lot of my sunrise photos at Radnor Lake. This time, I decided to include the snow covered deck and benches in the shot. I like how it turned out!

 

Wrong Side of the Tracks

This is a shot I got at Shelby Park in Nashville. I met a few local photographers there and we walked around taking photos waiting on the sunset. I really liked how this turned out. I think it’s a good reminder to look around when taking photos. Look up, look down. Try to get a unique angle.

 

Vanderbilt at Night

Years ago, I took a shot similar to this on film and I really liked it. Finally, I made it back there and tried it with my digital. This was taken at Vanderbilt University. I like the colors and lights in this shot.

 

Lightning - in HDR

I have to admit, in photography you have to have a LOT of luck. Be skilled enough to put yourself in the right spot at the right time, be skilled enough to know what to do when it happens. But other than that, you need some luck. I was set up to shoot the sunset this evening as some storms were rolling through. I had seen some lighting but not much. As soon as I pushed the button, the lighting streaked across the sky. Seconds later, it began pouring. This was the only shot of this sunset that I got. This might just be one of my all time favorites!

 

A Self Portrait

This was my first attempt at a window reflection self portrait. I really liked how this turned out and I’ve done several others. I find them very interesting to look at. Trying to determine what’s inside and what’s reflected. This one was taken downtown Murfreesboro Tennessee. I have an album on facebook that has the others if you are interested in seeing them 🙂

 

Cannon

As soon as I left work this day, I called my wife and told here we were going somewhere to shoot the sunset. I could tell the skies were shaping up to make for an awesome sunset. We decided to head to the Stones River Battlefield in Murfreesboro and this is the result!

 

The Linn Cove Viaduct at Sunrise

This is the Linn Cove Viaduct on the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina. I was vacationing there and knew that I wanted to get a shot of the viaduct. I scouted out this area the day before and realized that the sun would be rising over this scene. So the next morning (and the last morning of the vacation, so it HAD to be a good sunrise!) my brother and I drove, hiked, climbed in the dark and waited for the sunrise. We were not disappointed as this beautiful sunrise took shape over the viaduct.

 

Morning Rays on the Blue Ridge Parkway

On the way back to the house from getting the sunrise shot above, we came across these sunrays breaking through the trees onto the Blue Ridge Parkway. I took a couple shots but decided they needed something else in them. I told my brother to go stand in the rays.

 

LP Field at Sunset

Sometimes you get a shot in your head that you want. It’s rare (at least for me) that it ever happens exactly the way you envisioned it. This one, however, did! I’ve envisioned this shot in my head for a long time. I’ve been to a few Titans games but never at sunset. This year, I was invited by a friend to a preseason game. The timing was perfect and the seats were already near the top. All I needed was some color! Sure enough, the sky started lighting up so I headed to the 50 yard line and got this shot.

 

Follow the Light

Not much to say about this one, I just really liked how it turned out. I love the light and color and the path leading you in.

 

Nashville, Tennessee

This is my favorite Nashville Skyline photo taken in 2011. I like the lighting and colors. This is such a classic spot, every time I’m downtown I just have to get another skyline shot. It’s really an impressive scene from the Shelby Street bridge.

 

Radnor Lake

Just another beautiful morning at my favorite spot in Middle Tennessee. When you shoot at the same places over and over, it’s hard to make the photos unique. For this one, I backed up to include the path into the water and waited for the sun to peek over the ridge to give me a flare.

 

State Line

This one is from my hiking trip along the Appalachian trail. Straight ahead is Jane Bald, and Round Bald. The left of the photo is North Carolina, the right side is Tennessee. This is near Roan Mountain Tennessee.

 

Another from my hiking trip. This tree was near my camping spot on the first night. The fog and the mist gives it a mysterious look.

 

Foggy Tree

Taken on a foggy morning in Murfreesboro. I just loved the fog, the fall colors, and the look of this old tree. This is one of my top favorites of the year.

 

Foggy Fall Morning

This was taken on the same morning as the shot above it. I really love shooting in the fog. Everything looks so mysterious.

 

Radnor Lake Sunrise

Another shot of a Radnor Lake Sunrise. There was so much color in the sky this particular morning.

 

A Christmas window display

Finally, it’s another shop window/reflections shot. The key to these is to find the right window with enough interesting stuff inside and interesting reflections from the outside. I knew I wanted to get one of these of a shop window with Christmas decorations. I circled the square in downtown Murfreesboro several times trying to find the right window. Finally I came across this one, it has a great display inside and the reflections worked perfectly showing the courthouse clock tower.

 

 

And that’s it! Just a few of favorites from this amazing year. Thank you to everyone who continues to support my photography and here’s to an even better 2012!

 

Don’t forget, most of my photos can be purchased by visiting the Storefront Site.

 

Are you a photographer thinking about HDR photography? Purchase Photomatix from hdrsoft.com and use the coupon code MALCOLMPHOTO and get 15% off! Then check out my tutorials!

 

Happy New Year!

Erica and Justin – Murfreesboro Wedding Photography

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Erica and Justin contacted me only a few weeks before their wedding. They originally planned to have a very small wedding, just them and a pastor. They later decided that they should add one person, a photographer. They contacted me, I was available, and the rest is history! I even had to sign as a witness on their marriage license!

Erica and Justin were amazing and I thoroughly enjoyed shooting their beautiful wedding at Cannonsburgh Village in Murfreesboro.

 

 

Thanks for looking!

Find me on Google+ or Facebook

MTSU Vollyball – 9/2/11

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More action for you today! I was able to shoot at the MTSU Blue Raiders vollyball game last Friday as they took on East Tennessee State University. Again, the bulk of these photos are up on HobNob Murfreesboro, so here are just a few of my favorites from the night.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for looking!

YMCA 9th Annual Corporate Dodgeball Tournament

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I had the pleasure of shooting at the 9th Annual Corporate Dodgeball Tournament at the Rutherford County YMCA yesterday. Here are just a few from the incredibly entertaining event – look for more action shots to be posted on the HobNob Murfreesboro site soon!

 

 

 

 

Thanks for looking!

 

 

The Fant Family – Portrait Session

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I had the pleasure of meeting the beautiful Fant Family thanks to Paige! Paige was nice enough to purchase a gift photo session for them. What a great gift idea! We met at the new park near the Middle Tennessee Medical Center along the Murfreesboro Greenway.

Thanks for looking!

Want to purchase a gift photo session for one of your friends or family? Contact me! m_macgregor[at]comcast[dot]net. I look forward to hearing from you!

Motorcycle Shoot

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I recently met up with John of Hobnobmurfreesboro.com to shoot his new motorcycle. I was excited about this shoot, and had a lot of ideas in my head. I got several that I planned and several that were not planned. We met downtown Murfreesboro for some dark urban photos. Here is a sample of what we got:

Want shots of your bike or car? Send me an email – m_macgregor[at]comcast[dot]net

Thanks for looking!

Avi and Carrie – Engagement Session

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Still catching up! A Couple weeks ago I met up with Avi and Carrie, who are newly engaged, for some engagement photos. We met at Cannonsburgh Village in Murfreesboro, and then walked along the Murfreesboro Greenway.

Congrats to Avi and Carrie!

Looking for engagement photos in the Middle Tennessee area? Shoot me an email! m_macgregor@comcast.net

Thanks for looking!

A Whole Lot of Randomness…

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So I haven’t posted many blog entries lately except for my This Week at the Lake posts. So now is the time to catch up! There are a lot of photos here, if you follow me on facebook or flickr you may have seen some of these but many are being published for the first time.

Here is the Randomness, in not so random order:

Here I was practicing with using a flash

A random office building in Franklin, TN

From the Laundromat from when my washing machine broke:

A Self Portrait…

Looking out at the snow on my car during my 4 hour commute home one snowy evening

On the way to work one morning, didn’t look like a very good day for a hot air balloon ride!

Vanderbilt University at Night

Swish!

More portrait/lighting practice

I like the one above of my daughter but I feel like I blew this one of my son. I should have been able to get more sky in the photo…

A neighbor

Jump!

See? Random wasn’t it!? Hope you enjoyed them though!

The Best of 2010

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I feel like this year has been pretty good for my photography. I’ve taken tons of photos and learned a lot. I’ve brought together a collection of what I feel like are this years best photos. I hope you enjoy!

In chronological order, here are my favorite 25 from 2010:

1)

Taken in January, I got the idea for this shot when I took this shot on my way to work one morning. I was trying to get a composition without the light trails but I couldn’t do it. When I got home and saw the shot, I realized that the light trails could be an awesome inclusion next time. So, a couple days later the skies were shaping up for a great sunset. I pulled off of Highway 840 on my way home from work onto an overpass and captured the shot. On flickr this shot has over 950 hits and 109 faves and appears in 4 galleries. The location of this shot

2)

Another shot taken in January. I saw a shot from this location on flickr and I asked the photographer about the location. He was nice enough to share and I headed out there one evening. I really like the shot because there is so much to look at. The light is different on every floor, the trash cans are all in different locations – I just found myself looking at this shot for quite a while. I never expected it to be popular on flickr, but it has received over 800 hits and 95 faves. The location of the shot

3)

A third from January, I spent a long time in the cold to get this one! This was pretty much the start of me chasing birds and other wildlife. I took tons of shots of this bird all over my back yard and got a few that I liked, this one probably being the best. I had the camera wrapped up in plastic because it was really snowing hard. By the time I got inside, my fingers were frozen and my clothes were pretty wet – but it was worth it! Over 750 hits on flickr and 65 faves. The location of this shot

4)

Taken in March. This is a sunrise at the Stones River Battlefield in Murfreesboro Tennessee. I snuck out early one Saturday morning to get this. I think the composition and tones are very nice in this shot. Over 375 hits on flickr and 37 faves. The location of this shot

5)

Taken the same morning in March as the previous shot. I really like how it turned out. I was fairly new to using textures at that point so this was me experimenting some. I just like the vintage look and feel to this image. Over 180 views on flickr and 21 faves. The location of this shot

6)

This shot was taken at the end of April at the same location as shot number 2 of this series. I went up there on a stormy afternoon hoping to catch some awesome storm clouds or maybe even lighting over the city. I never got lightning and the storm clouds dissipated but I was able to come away with a definite keeper! Over 3,700 views on flickr and 29 faves. The location of the shot

7)

Taken in May when Nashville endured the flooding of the Cumberland River. I think it rained like 18 inches in 36 hours in Nashville. Though this may make the flood look beautiful, it really was a tragic event. This was taken from the LP Field parking lot. Over 1,200 views and 28 faves on flickr. The location of this shot

8)

Also taken in May. This shot felt perfect for black and white, the skies are pretty amazing. This shot won a small local photo contest this year also. Over 260 views and 10 faves. The location of this shot

9)

Taken in June. I love the skies in this shot and I think having my Wife stand in was a great idea. I almost didn’t get this shot. The kids were both taking a nap so my Wife and I decided to take a short walk down the street. I originally didn’t even bring the camera, but after a couple minutes I saw these skies and I had to run back to get it! 370 views and 36 faves. The location of this shot

10)

My first shot to make the list from Radnor Lake. This shot was taken one evening in June. This is one of my favorite Radnor Lake Lakescapes to date. I love the sky and colors throughout. Over 1,000 views and 35 faves. The location of this shot

11)

Woooooooow! I love this shot! Taken in June at Radnor Lake. I saw the deer eating on either side of the trail so I decided I was going to wait there as long as it took. I knew eventually one of them would cross the path. Sure enough, about 15-20 minutes later, she crossed. I’m very lucky there were no other hikers out to scare them off while I waited. Radnor Lake is usually a very busy place. Over 650 views and 48 faves. The location of this shot

12)

I think this is one of my all time best Nashville skyline shots. I took this July 4th weekend. I like that there was a concert going on and that the General Jackson showboat is there. Over 390 views and 40 faves. The location of this shot

13)

I may be the only one who would pull this shot out as one of my best in 2010. I love the light, her hair, and the fact that you can see her smiling and having fun even though you don’t see her face. This shot was just perfect for black and white. Over 130 views and 7 faves. The location of this shot

14)

Taken in July at Radnor Lake. I spotted this little guy all by himself near the path. I crouched down to get the shot and was stunned when he actually turned and took a few steps in my direction. Not the sharpest of photos but it was taken with a fairly slow shutter (1/50) at 200mm. I was lucky to get it this sharp. Over 350 views and 19 faves. The location of this shot

15)

Hours of work here! Taken in July in my back yard. We set up hummingbird feeders and had several hummingbirds visit frequently. I sat out there for hours over the summer hoping to get an in-flight hummingbird – and here is the result! Over 180 views and 21 faves. The location of this shot

16)

Definitely my favorite sunrise or sunset shot of 2010. This was taken in August at Radnor Lake. The sun rays coming over the clouds are just amazing! 4,950 views and 36 faves. The location of this shot

17)

Also in August. I was bored at the house one Saturday afternoon. I decided to try a splash shot so I got some lemonade and headed outside. This was the last shot I took, I literally threw the lemon into the glass! Over 1,850 views and 17 faves. The location of this shot

18)

Maybe one of my faves for personal reasons but I think it’s an awesome shot all around. I had the idea in my head before we even got to the school and it worked out perfectly. I love the colors and tones and the composition is perfect! This will be one we hang on the wall eventually! Over 260 views and 20 faves. The location of this shot

19)

My fourth from August. I just love the flare in this one. I think the colors and light on the porch are great too! Almost 200 views and 23 faves. The location of this shot

20)

Just a beautiful September sunset! Middle Tennessee really gets some great skies. Almost 500 views and 43 faves. The location of this shot

21)

Another sunrise at Radnor Lake. This one taken in October on a stormy morning. I really didn’t think I was going to get much from the skies that morning but then some color finally broke through probably 30+ minutes after the sunrise. 82 views and 1 fave. Location of the shot

22)

Another from October. I’ve had this idea for a while and finally decided to try it. It was much harder than I thought. I stood under some trees at Radnor Lake for probably an hour on a windy day. I took hundreds of attempts, finally snagging this one – A leaf in mid fall. 128 views and 18 faves. The location of this shot

23)

I spent a lot of time on this shot and I love how it turned out. This was really an impressive cathedral. 165 views and 12 faves. The location of this shot

24)

What can I say? Absolutely adorable! I was taking some pet photos for a vet clinic and this guy was there watching. I just had to snag a few shots and I love how they turned out! 109 views and 10 faves. The location of this shot

25)

Last but certainly not least, a shot I took in November. This is the Kentucky lake from the Big Sandy Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge. I love the reflections and the hazy, dreamy look to this photo. Over 200 views and 21 faves.

I hope you enjoyed viewing as much as I enjoyed taking the photos. I have a lot to learn and a lot to work on but I’m really looking forward to viewing 2011 from the viewfinder of my Canon.

Thanks to everyone for the support, comments, tips, and advice shared throughout the year – I really appreciate it!

Happy New Year!