New Logo Design

Okay, after experimenting with several different design ideas, I came up with my current/final design while trying to create a DIFFERENT design I had in my head. It often happens that I stumble upon something I like on the way to something else. I guess life is like that though. You never know what you're going to find, but it's all about the journey.

Anyway, philosophical rambling aside, here is the design I finally decided upon. It's simple, stylish, and not gimmicky like several of the other designs I was playing around with. So take a look, and let me know what you think (if you haven't seen it already.)

Changes Over On Facebook

Okay, I have now changed my photography business name from "FMD Photography" to "Matt Fulkes Photography." I did this for a couple reasons, but the main ones were because no one really knew what the FMD stood for, and there wasn't any mention of my name so no one knew who the actual photographer WAS. So while it's not as cool sounding as FMD Photography, hopefully the new name will be beneficial and better to use as a branding platform.

I also created a new logo, based on the existing FMD Photography logo. I switched a couple letters around, rotated one 180 degrees, and you go from fmd to mfp. Then I reworked the logo a bit more, and uploaded an alternate version. So please stop by the site, and vote on which version you think looks best!

Matt Fulkes Photography on Facebook

That's it for now. Stay tuned for further developments. And please stop by the site and "Like" the page if you haven't already. Thanks, and have a great week!

Troubled Times

Suspended above rock bottom by a gossamer thread;
I feel like a caged beast,
Trapped within the bars of his own undoing.


Times are tough at the moment, REALLY tough. And I'm just talking about OUR life, yet alone the state of the Nation, and all the political nonsense that's being carried on around us. We need Sir Richard Branson to take our failing economy/country and make it prosperous again. I think he could probably do it, if he were in charge of things, WITHOUT interference from the Left, Right, or anyone in between. Because that's what he does. He takes failing ventures, makes necessary changes, and turns them into thriving enterprises. He's not afraid to take chances, and he doesn't let others dictate his course of action. If he sets his mind on something, he does it, not afraid to take life altering (and sometimes threatening) risks that may stand in the way.

At any rate, things are not looking so great in our small part of the world at the moment. I left I job that I was starting to hate, but that provided guaranteed income, to chase a dream that I've had for sometime now; the chance to turn my hobby of photography into an actual paying job. And it's something that's starting to unfold, and will become rather busy, and hopefully very profitable in the near future, but at the moment the situation does not look good. We've been down before, but I don't  think we've ever been this low. Poor Monica has been carrying us, as she always does when I venture off on one of my wild tangents, but it's not fair to her, and I hate myself for putting her through the stress and worry that our situation has inflicted on her. It's affecting her mental and physical well being, and that makes me feel all the worse, because she's had to endure so much over the past 10 years.

We are like the banking industry, in desperate need of a bail-out, but no government life-lines will be thrown our way. If WE screw up, we're basically SOL, and no one is going to come to our rescue. It really makes my blood boil to watch all these politicians and large corporations make one mistake after another, and then receive financial aid to bail them out, get them out of legal trouble, etc., all at the tax payer's expense. And then they turn around and claim that benefits that we, as working Americans, have funded for years might not, and probably won't be available when we need them. Now this does not come as a surprise to me, because it's basically something I've known and feared for years, but that doesn't prevent the anger and outrage I feel towards those parties who are sending this country spiraling into the ground.

At any rate, I hope that we can hold out for the next few weeks, until things start to pick up for me. I know that busy times are ahead, because I'll be helping with Senior Portraits, Sport Portraits and Action Photography, some Weddings, and numerous other projects, aside from any photography work I get on my own. But right now, we're in dire straits, and in need of an actual miracle, before things fall completely apart, and we crash into the rock bottom and end up broken and bleeding, lying in squalor with the neglected masses of the poor, the lonely, and the forgotten.

First Time In The Studio

I went to DC4U yesterday and practiced taking some portrait shots in the studio. Amanda, the niece of one of Mason's best friends (if I understand correctly,) was there with Mason's wife and one of his daughters, and Mason asked her to pose and be my model so I could practice taking some shots under controlled lighting situations. That was probably the worst photography session she's EVER had, because I'm not used to posing people, or telling them where and how to stand, and I'm also not used to taking pictures of people who are willingly standing still! Most of the time I'm taking pictures of our nieces, nephews, and other kids in the neighborhood, and they're always running around, making silly faces, and generally being kids. NOT the easiest little monsters to photograph! But it was almost more difficult for me, taking pictures of someone who was actually posing to have their picture taken. It was weird. Still, it was entertaining and informative (for me anyway. I'm sure Amanda was glad to get out of there! lol)

I took several shots, and I have at least one additional picture up on my Facebook page, but I thought I'd post this one here, because it's one of the ones I like best so far. It's simple, and I did very little editing to it. So here it is, one of my first studio portrait attempts.

Rise Of The Phoenix

Okay, so I just left a job that I've been doing for the past 5 or so years. I ran the print center at 2 different OfficeMax stores, one in Acworth (now closed apparently,) and the other in Athens (which is the one I just left.) The job was heading in directions that I didn't want to go, with more responsibilities being added to the position for no additional pay (and I was already earning less than what I started at 5 years ago, when I had zero experience with the job. But that's another story.)

At any rate, I left to work with a local photo studio, and pursue my dream of a career in photography. I'm not a GREAT photographer at the moment, but it's definitely something I enjoy, and I've been enrolled in the Complete Course In Professional Photography with the New York Institute of Photography since the beginning of the year. It's a study-at-home course that teaches you everything from the basics of camera operation, all the way to how to open and run your own photo studio. So far it's been quite informative, and there are all sorts of perks of being a student. If you're interested, check it out, and mention my name if you decide to register for any of the training.

So, back to the job situation. It was hard to give up a set M-F position, with essentially set income, but that job was stifling my creative side and at times it felt like it was crushing my soul. There was nothing wrong with the job as a whole, per se, and I liked the people I worked with, but it was time to move on. So when I was presented with the chance to pursue my dream job, I jumped at the opportunity. The ironic thing is that the studio is run by a guy who used to work at the same OfficeMax in Athens that I worked at. He was the Sales Manager at that store, until the position was eliminated several years ago, and he was laid off. He'd been doing photography on the side, out of his home, and after leaving OM he decided to open his own studio so he'd have somewhere official to work, and so people would stop asking if they could come over to his house and get their picture taken. :-)

He's trying to put together a team to handle all the photography, video, and graphic design services that his business offers, and he's apparently been having trouble finding someone who both had their own equipment, and who had the desire and drive to do the job. That's where I come in, because I have both, and one of them in abundance! (If you've seen my gear, you know it's the "drive and determination" that I'm referring to. *g*)

For months I've driven past the studio on my way home from work (it's about 3 minutes from our house,) and I always said to myself, "I'm going to go in there one of these days, and see what it's like," but I never did. That is until a few weeks ago when I decided to finally drop by and pay them a visit. I should have gone in sooner. If I'd stopped by back in February, he would have put me straight to work! Oh well, I've never been the best at being in the right place at the right time, but this time was different. I'm going to the studio this week to start learning how things are done around there, and I should staring working as one of the studio photographers shortly. I don't want to stop there though. I want to learn how to do EVERYTHING! I want to learn anything that he can teach me, and be able to run that place during the times he has to go out of town to do IT work, which is one of the several things he does on the side. He's trying to put a team of photographers and editors together so he never has to tell anyone, "The studio is closed on such-and-such days, because I'll be out of town." My goal is to become his right hand man, his 2nd in command. Someday I will open my own photo studio, but in the meantime I want to learn how to run this one, and be able to provide any of the services that they offer. I already know how to do a lot of it, and the rest should hopefully come easy, because it will be learning how to do things I actually WANT to do.

One of the best things about the work I'll be doing is that I'll basically set my own salary. The more I work, the more I get paid, but there's no set schedule for the most part. I honestly believe that this freedom from the constraints of a M-F, 8-4, same thing day-in/day-out job will allow my creative side to rise from the ashes like the mythical phoenix, and that I will flourish and prosper in this exciting new line of work. I'll continue to do work on the side as well, and MAY end up getting a part time job, just to have a set pay schedule, but I intend to put everything I have into this new pursuit, and to learn everything I can, and be the best that I can be. A new door has opened, and I'm boldly stepping through, not without a little trepidation, but I have my eyes, mind, and heart set on a new goal, and with a little luck and a lot of hard work, I shall succeed!

New Blog Design

They rolled out a new template designer here at Blogger, so I decided to change the overall look of my blog (I'll change my other one(s) soon.)

If I can't visit the beach, I can at least look at it. *smile*

A Sunny Saturday At Oakland Cemetery

It's been a long time since I've posted to this blog, because most of my posts lately have been predominantly photographs I've taken recently. And that's what this blog post is about, but I probably won't post any pictures right now, because I still have to sort and post process them, and that's going to take a while.

At any rate, Monica and I participated in the I HEART Faces Photo Walk at Oakland Cemetery in Atlanta this morning, from 9 - 11 AM (give or take 30-45 minutes each end.) It's amazing how several hours walking around on a hot, HUMID day can just knock you right out (I just woke up about 30 minutes ago from a several hour nap!) It was a lot of fun though, and interesting to meet some other photographers from the area.

After the walk, Monica and I left the rest of the walkers, the majority of whom were meeting up at Six Feet Under for a post-walk lunch, and met up with Amy and Jason at Little Five Points to enjoy our own lunch together at Vortex Bar & Grill. After lunch we walked around Little Five Points, visiting a couple of the local shops, before returning to our respective homes, where Monica and I passed out. We both needed the rest though, Monica especially, who is battling a sinus infection.

All in all it was a good day out, and after I work my magic on the pictures in Photoshop, I will post some of my favorite ones, so stay tuned.

Have a great rest of the weekend everyone!