Rick Hawkins Photography

monkey number 1

<><><><><<><<><><>><<><>><><>>><><><><><<><><><><<><<>><><><><><<>><><><><><><<><> I attended Jackson's birthday. Year number one is in the bag. Jackson can have his cake and eat it too! He can roll in it for that matter. Jackson had a big time and the collection of kids made for interesting photo chances. I'm curious to how much all these kids will change in one year. I hope we do it again next year. Maybe we can go ten years! That would be a neat photo essay! >><<><><><><><<>><<><>><><><<>><><><><><><<><><<<<><<><<><><<>>><><><><<><><<><< <><<><<>><><<><><><><><><<><>><><><><><><><><><><><<><><.<>><><><><><><><><><

June

<>><<>><>><><><<>><<><><><><><><><><<><><><<><><<>><><><<>><><><<>><<><<>><<>>< I met June at a wedding party. We talked about doing some pictures. She said she needed some to send to her mom in Japan. I don't often get to photograph adults in portrait sessions so I jumped at the chance. June is is into music and is a musician as well. I treated the shoot like an album art shoot. That's the real sky! Thanks to the McFarlins again for letting me use the farm! <><><><><>><<><>><<>><<><<><>><><><><><<<><<<><><><><><><<<><<<><>><<<<><>><<> <><<><><><>><><><><><><><<>><<><><><><><><><><><><><<>><><><><><><><>><><><<<><<>

Who is this guy and why is he taking my picture?

<><<>><><><><><><><><<>><.,><<>><<>><><><><><><><<>><><><><><><>><>><><>>< I met these siblings in a chance encounter through a mutual friend. I'm currently spending all my available moments working on this craft. A simple social interaction can be an opportunity to gather and work on images. I went out to visit Debra at the stables where she works with horses. There I met the grandchildren of the stable owner. I think the kids said they were from Eureka, California. We journeyed over to another stable and the kids played around with a very gentle and sweet horse. These are some very cool kids. They were game for adventure and quite funny. <><><<><>><>><><><<>><><><<>><><<><><><><<<>><<><><<>><><><<><><<>><<><><> ><><><><><>><><><><<><><<><>>><><><><><><><><<><><><><><><><><><><<>><<>><<> <>><><><><>><><<><>><><><<><><<><><><><><<><<>><><><<<><><><<<>><><><><><><><

dispatches from the road....Milledgeville , Ga.

<><>><><><><<><><><><<>><><><><><<<><>><><><>><><><><><<>><<><><><><><><><><><>< I was supposed to join Bill Lewis in a sailboat race while in Milledgeville. Even though I was just going to go along to document I got caught up in the idea. But, alas it was not meant to be. Bill injured his knee the night before the race. So I tried documenting from the yacht club dock. As the boats came back in the sky was doing some very dramatic things! This has been a good summer for cloud shots for me but this evening yielded some otherworldly colors and formations. More clouds in the dispatches folder! Hello to captain Ken! Click on picture for more detail! <><<>>><<><<>>>><><<><><><><<><><><><><><><><><><><><><<<.,><<><><>><><><><<><<>> <><><><><><<>><<>><><><><><><><>><><><><><><><><><<<>><><><><><><<><><><<><><><><>

dispatches from the road....Milledgeville , Ga.

><><>><><><<>><><><<><>><<><><><><<><><<>><<<><><><><><><><<><<<><><<><><><<>< On the way back from Fla. Erin I stopped in Milledgeville to hang out at the Lewis boy's lake retreat. I took a "walk about" one day to gather images. One day maybe I'll attempt to take a walk without a camera. <>>><><>><>><<><><><>>><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><<<><><<>><><<><>><><<><>> <><><><><<>><><><><><<><<>><><<><><><><><><><><><<><><<<<><>><<<><><>><<><>><><

scallops and a lesson learned

<<><><><><><><>><><><><<>><><<>><><>><><<><><><<<><<>><<><><<><><><<><<>>>><>>< It was scallop season when we hit the bay. So I pushed the teenagers to find me some while snorkeling. They complained a bit about having to do a job while enjoying their adventure. I turned on the stern and probably a tad bit sarcastic parental voice. "Ok..While your snorkeling along if you happen to see a scallop... ....PICK IT UP"! Well two hours later they return in the kayaks with about 25 pounds of these things! They dropped them and headed to the cabin. I think I heard one of them say...HAVE FUN! as they walked away. What you see in the white plastic container is easily 50 or 60 cleaned scallops. As you can see in the cooler I wasn't even halfway done at the point that the picture was taken. Cleaning scallops isn't the easiest job! Note to parents: Be careful what you ask for!

dispatches from the road....forgotten coast 4

<><><><><><><><><<><><<><><><><><<><>><<><><><><><><><<><><<<>><><><><><><><><><< Here are a couple of more shots from the Florida trip. These are experimental in nature. This first image is the moon rising over the back of the bay. I tried several long exposures of the moon in focus and then tried one out of focus. I like the effect. I generally don't do a whole lot to my images. Photoshop is used for clean up and the tweaking of levels but otherwise I try to get interesting effects at the moment the shot is taken. The following picture was taken around the same time. The tripod was moved to the end of the bay walk. My son's friend William walks towards the camera. He's wearing a headlamp. More photos in the dispatches from the road folder. ><<<><<><<><><><><<<><><<<><><<><><<<><<>><><<<><><<><><><<<<<>><>><><><><<><>><><< <><<>><><<<>><><><<<><<>><><<>><><><<>><><<><><<>><><><><<><><><<><<>><<><<<>><<>

dispatches from the road....forgotten coast 3

<>><<><<><><<><><><<><><<<>><><<><><<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><.,><><>< I really like the cloud formations you get over the ocean. When the barometric pressure changes and you can feel the weather changing quickly it seems to excite the nervous system. The clouds that precede the front line are dramatic. ><><><><><<><><>>><><<>><><><><><>><>><><><><>><>><><><><><><><><><><><>><><>> <><><><><><><><><>><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>>><<>><><><><><><<><><><<><>> ><<>><><><><><><>><><><>><<>><><><<><><><><><><><<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>>>

dispatches from the road....forgotten coast 2

><><>>><<<>><><><><><><><><<>>><>><<><><<<>><><<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>< Heres a couple of more from Appalachicola. I like visiting the boats down at the docks. I really like the old ones that have seen service and the salt of the sea. Salt does interesting things to metal and wood. The colors seem more vibrant as the boat parts slowly dissolve. When I was finished roaming the town and was looking over what I had taken I was surprised to find not a single picture of an entire fishing boat. Apparently I was more interested in the individual pieces. <><><<>><><><><><<><><<><><><><><<><><><><><><><><><><><><><<>><><><<><><><><><<> ><><<>><><>>><<><><><><<><><<><><><><><><><><><<><><>>>><><><><><><><<><><<><><>><

dispatches from the road....forgotten coast 1

<>><<><><><><><<<>><<><><<><>><><<>><><><<><><>><><><><<><<<><><<><><><<<><>>< They call the Appalachicola to St. Joes area in Florida the forgotten coast. Don't tell the real estate agents! The area is pretty wild in the nature sense. But a series of constructions built on bad loans threatened the "forgotten" scene. Maybe it works out for the old Florida charm. It does give me a smile to see the million dollar condo in the gated community up for sale...price slashed. God save Florida from the gated community! This building is in Appalachicola. Old and salt weathered it attracted my attention. In the photo below you will see the ceiling above the doors. There someone has mounted a manual film camera. I contemplated the motive and scenarios that might have occurred there and prompted this action. Then I noticed the light was on. <><>>><><<>>><>><>><>><<><>><<><<><><><><<><><<><><><><<><><><><<><><><><><<>><> ><><<><><<>><<><<><><><><><><<><><><.,><><<><><><><><><><><<>><><><><><>><><><><><

addendum to July 4th

<><>><><<>><<>>><<><><<><><><><><<<<>><><><><<><<><>><><><><><><><><><><><><><<> I love rock and roll. I've studied it and photographed it. I left this picture out of the previous post because at that moment I was playing it safe for my "business". After introspection I felt it was a glaring mistake. Was I saying to myself...that ones too rock and roll? Silly me.

July 4th incidentals

<><><><><><<><,.><><><><><><><><><<>><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><<>>.><><><> The Keerans came over to my house on July 4th. Jeff brought over some large sparklers and smoke bombs. I took a bunch of pictures but none came out as well as the ones with Lawton. So this is Lawton's post. ><><><>><>><><><><><><>><<><>><><<><><><>><><<><>><<><><>><><><<>><><<><><><>< ><><><><><><<><><><><<>><><>><><><><><><><><>><><><><><><><>><>><><><><><>< <<><><><><><><><><><><<>><><><>><><<>><><><><><><><><><><><><><.>><><><><><> After fireworks we went back in and Lawton tried on my guitar. I wish I looked that cool with my guitar. <<<><>><><<<><>><><><><><><><<<><><><><<<><><>>><><><<><><><><><<><><><><><><><

down to the lake

<>><><<><<><><>><<>><<><><<<><><<>><<<<><<<><<><>><<<><><<<<><><<><<<><<><><<<> It's not hard to get me down to the water. I am a water guy. When the Duffs wanted to shoot down at the lake I was down for it. They spend a lot of time down on the water. Once again my job is easy with friendly folks and happy children. I like these two of the young one! I'm fond of the shots of kids mugging for the camera. This comes easy for them at this age. How quickly it goes from boy posturing to teen attitude. I like to catch it while theres still some naivete. ><<><>><<>><<<><<><><><><<><><<><><><<><><><><><><<><><><><<><><><><><><><<<<> <><><>><><<<><><<<><<><><>><><><><><<><>><><<>><><<><><><><><><><><><><><><<><

old wood... young skin

<>><<>>.<<><<><><><<><><><><><><><<<><><><><><><><><><<>><<><><><><><<<><><> I met the Herods down at Cannonsburgh. Cannonsburgh is a unique spot because of the various backgrounds that you have to pick from. The more I shoot there the more the more I remove Cannonsburgh from the picture. I have found several small patchs of ancient wood siding that are great. Specifically when you put a child's beautiful skin in front of it. The combination of the texture and coloration of the wood makes the child almost pop out of the picture. Of course it doesn't hurt when you're photographing beautiful and receptive children! <>>><><<<>><><><<><>><><><><<>><><><><><<<><<>><><<><><<<><><><><><><><><>< <><><><<><<><><><><><><><<>><><><><><><<><><<><>>><><><><<><>><>><><<>><<>>< The last thing Isaac said me before I left was.."I had fun". That maybe one of the greatist kids quotes I have put on here relating to what I do. Heres one for you Isaac.."You're making me look good"!

Josie meets Lucy and other adventures

<><>><><<><<>><><<><><<>><><<><><<><><><>><<><><>><><><><><<><><<><><><<><><<>>< I met Josie and her parents out in Lasscassas for a photoshoot. Josie was ready to get to work. We shot a few pictures at the landscaping business outside the McFarlin's farm. We then proceeded into the farm where Josie met Lucy the farm boxer and some beautiful horses. Josie was energetic, expressive and easy to work with. Her energy made me realize that the years I spent doing rock and roll photography has come in handy. ><<>>><<>><><><><><>><<><>><><><><<><><><>><><><><><><<>><><><><><><><><<><><>< <><><>><>><><>><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><<<,><<<><><><><>,<><><><><><<><><<> We took many pictures. Mom is going to have a difficult time picking shots for prints. I have picked several to display here in the child and family portraits folder. This folder acts as an ongoing portfolio of my current adventures in children's portraiture. The folder is growing daily and probably is overwhelming to look through but I believe its a more accurate example of what a photoshoot delivers than if I simply displayed what I thought were my best shots over time. ....thats what most photographers do! <>><><<><>><><<><><><><<>><><><><<><>><><><><>><>><><><><><><><><><><><<><> <><>><><><><><>><><<><>><><<><><><><><><>><><><><<><><><<><><><><><><><<><><><

Ella and the incidental portrait

><<<><><><><<<<<<><><<<><<><<><<>><<>><<<<><<>><><><><<>>><>><><><<><><><><><<><< Incidental portraits come from a different place. They are influenced more by time and place than the needs or expectations of paying clients. They aren't taken with a goal of being framed or ending up as part of a families story. Ironically they may at times be more illustrative of a persons story than traditional portraiture. I take alot of incidental portraits because my camera is connected to my hip. I recently went over to visit my friend David Adkins. We were going to play some music and I was going to shoot some pictures of some sculptures he was working on. Then I met his daughter Ella. Ella was all about the camera and showing me her drum set. I have a fondness for kids starting music early. And like I told Ella when I saw the set. Oh honey...somebody loves you! Giving a young one a real working drum kit is a sign of love and patience! <><>><><>><<><><><><<><><>><<><>>><><><><><><><><><<<>><><><<><><<><><><< <<><><><><><><><<><><><<>>><<>><<><<<><><><><><<><><><><><><><><><><><>><><<><>< I often talk to clients and potential clients about attempting incidentals at their homes. I like the idea and hope people will open up to the idea of photographing kids amongst their own stuff in their own comfort zone. I think it opens up some interesting possibilities. ><<><><><><><>><><>><><><><><><><><><<><><><>><<<>><<><><<<><><><<>><>><><><><< <><><><<>><><>><><><><<><<>><><><<>><><<><><><<>><><><<><><>><><><><><<><<><<>