I have taken many workshops and courses in an effort to continuously improve and advance my photography skills. One aspect of photography I am always working on is building a more solid understanding of lighting and flash photography. A few years ago while Googling the phrase “flash photography”, one of the first pages I accidentally stumbled upon was that of Neil van Niekerk’s Tangents photography blog. I read as much as possible and eventually purchased both of his books. One is a book about on camera flash and the other is a book about off camera flash. Both were very helpful, but I wanted to learn more with a real live teacher.

In October I had the opportunity to take Neil’s photography lighting workshop in NYC. Listening to Neil speak and explain things in real time, really made his books come alive for me. Bells were going off left and right. I finally felt like I was “getting it.”

Neil taught us the bare basics up to more advanced techniques and along the way he made sure each and every participant reached a firm understanding before we moved on to the next lighting concept. He makes sure the foundation is solid before building and adding more, so nothing was ever confusing or overwhelming – just enlightening.

We learned how he uses his famous black foamie thing to create studio quality lighting with only on camera flash, off camera flash, gels, video lights and how to balancing flash photography with natural lighting.

My only regret is that I didn’t take this workshop years ago when I first started photographing weddings and taking photographs of my daughter inside my house, where the black foamie thing has been a particularly useful concept.

Below are a few of my favorite photos from the workshop. Thank you so much to Neil and the beautiful models — I had a great time and learned a lot!

Flash Photography Workshop

Here are a few photos from the snow we got in Delaware last Saturday. Now we’re due for another wallop tonight and tomorrow!! I can’t imagine what it’s all going to look like!

This is definitely the most snow I’ve ever seen. Growing up in Texas, it was a wonder to just see it falling from the sky, much less actually accumulating! Of course, this is the most snow in one season that everyone else here has ever seen as well – as long as the predictions come true.

The previous record was set in the 1995/1996 winter with a measurement of 65.5 inches and we have already gotten to 56.3 inches this year with the latest prediction estimating another 12-18 inches on its way!!

Isn’t this an amazing snow fort that my husband build with our daughter? She is such a lucky girl to have such a fun (and awesome) Dada!

In January I had the privilege of attending Imaging USA in Nashville, TN. Imaging USA is Professional Photographers of America’s (of which, I am a proud member) photography convention and trade show.

While at the conference I had the opportunity to attend many classes on photography and marketing from some of photography’s most successful industry leaders; all of which, were extremely inspiring. The majority of classes I attended were focused on wedding photography, with a few technology, marketing and portrait classes thrown in for good measure.

Here are a few paparazzi photos of photographers I ran into while walking around the tradeshow.

The Bebbs (with funny background expo-attendee) & Allison Rodgers

Celebrity wedding photographer, Joe Buissink

California photographer Becker (see my friend Karen’s blog for a picture of his actual face :p)

The tradeshow was great too! I grew up as the daughter of a “professional fisherman” and have attended many Bassmaster’s Classics, which all had their own tradeshows and were, obviously, focused on fishing paraphernalia. It was the first time for me to visit an expo full of gadgets/gizmos/companies that I actually had a major interest in. It was amazing! Whatever your hobby/interest/love/passion – imagine going to a large convention center FILLED to the brim with items and ideas that were solely focused on your interest — it was THAT awesome.

I had so much fun rooming with another photographer that I admire, Karen Jacot. It’s always nice to be able to talk with others who are as obsessed with photography as I am (and I learned a lot from her, too!) I sure was glad to have her as a ‘partner in crime’ with which to roam the halls of (*cough*guide me through*cough*) the huge Opryland Hotel (resort!!)

Below are a few other photos from the convention/parties I attended.

“Bill Clinton” and “George Bush” at the WHCC sponsored, “Photographers in the White House” presentation.

A waiter that was happy to pose for me in front of an awesome light during the “Ole’ Party”, a homage to next years convention site, San Antonio, TX.

After the Imaging, I flew with Karen (on the left – and I’m right) back to Houston to visit a friend of mine and attend a wedding in Austin, TX.

It was such a wonderful experience and I was deeply inspired during my visit. I have many new goals to accomplish and hopes and dreams for my future as a successful photographer! I am so thankful for my husband (CIO of Blonnie Brooks Photography, LLC for “sponsoring” my trip and taking care of the house and family while I was away. Without his appreciation of my abilities and belief that I can do anything, none of what I’ve accomplished or hope to accomplish would be possible. Behind every great woman there’s a great man.

*Walks up to the mic* — *tap*tap* — is this thing on? Hi! My name is Blonnie Brooks, and I’m an addict. I’m addicted to taking pictures. I’m addicted to editing pictures. I’m addicted to looking at photographs. I’m addicted to learning about photography. I am so thankful for this addiction, because it helped me realize my dreams and discover what I’m going to spend the rest of my life doing.

I bought my first camera from a gypsy peddler on the side of the road. First, she told my fortune — My fate is to be an extremely talented, unique, world-renowned photographer. Next, she brought out an ornately carved silver box and told me that within it lay the key to my destiny. She opened the box slowly and a smokey glow began to envelop her caravan. Heavenly music filled the air as she carefully removed a turquoise Kodak Pazzazz 110 film camera. From that moment on, I knew my future as a photographer had been set. It was destiny.

Ok? Ok. Actually, I just wanted a fabulous story to share about how I knew I was going to be a photographer.

To be truthful, I don’t have a wonderful story about how I “always knew” that photography would play such a large role in my life. I wish I had realized it earlier — because maybe I’d have actually gone to college with the sole purpose of being a photographer. I would have been on the fringe of still being able to learn about film and dark room development methods, while still being young enough to enter into the digital age with ease.

So the real truth: My first camera was, in fact, a 110 film Turquoise Kodak Pazzazz. I took pictures of my friends at school – that was about it. Film was expensive and my parents paid. The transition I had into photography was very gradual. I wish I had realized where my interests were leading me sooner, so I could have begun my “love affair” a little earlier. I actually started by using Photoshop — without photos. I made my first webpage in 1994 with my own graphics that I’d designed in Photoshop. I have played with Photoshop from that point on (and had a webpage from that point on as well).

I bought my first digital camera in 2000 – another Kodak – a DC210. A 1MP camera. Seriously. But I loved it.

Around 2002, I started to get very involved in restoring old photographs. I would beg for people at work to give me their old torn and stained photos just so I could have fun seeing how well I could fix them. I would even find antique photos online and restore them just for fun! I had no one to give them to; I just wanted more to play with. I also did a little bit of digital painting in Photoshop with my Wacom tablet (I wasn’t all that great, but it was fun My favorite digital painting was of my doggy, Izzy!

We eventually got a better camera – this time it was a Canon PowerShot S400 (I still think that is a great camera!) I began taking it with us on motorcycle rides and would photograph pretty scenery from the back of the motorcycle. I never knew if the picture would turn out — but I took many and hoped that one or two wouldn’t be blurry! This was my ‘shoot and pray’ era.

The big epiphany for me came (like many other photographers of my generation) when my daughter was born in 2006. There were not many pictures of me as a baby. Actually, just a few (about 4?) and I had resolved that this would not be the case for her. I upgraded to a Canon G7, learned how to use it in manual mode and eventually outgrew the camera’s capabilities (I still use it as a casual/walk around camera – it is great!) I upgraded to a Canon Rebel XTi which gave me the opportunity to learn about RAW files and finally gave me the capability “develop” my photos in my own “digital Lightroom” (literally!)

I have since upgraded to my current camera, a Canon 5d Mark II. My DREAM camera. I am in love with it… seriously. If I weren’t already Mrs. Brooks, I would gladly be Mrs 5d Mark II, if it would have me. My “love affair” has reached an entirely new level.

During this time, I believe I have taken more pictures of my daughter than she will probably ever even get to see! In fact, my goal this year is to take -fewer- photos of her, but make the ones I do take, very meaningful. I want to capture the true emotion and detail in the moment and show exactly why I took my camera out to photograph her, in as few pictures as possible.

My journey into the depths of photography has only just begun…. I would love for you to follow along with me by keeping up with my blog. I hope to fill these pages with tidbits about my life, notes about my favorite things (sometimes photography related and sometimes not) and most of all, beautiful pictures.