Grit City Photography | Blog | Grit City Photography
Grit City Photography is a Tacoma Washington-based business specializing in weddings, portraits, and editorial photography.
Grit City Photography for Washington State Magazine
Baseball has always been my favorite sport. So when I got the call to photograph Mikal Thomsen, the new owner of the Tacoma Rainiers, for Washington State Magazine, I was pretty excited. Add to that a free hot dog tasting, and all-in-all, I’d say this assignment was a real winner.
Here are the photos the magazine chose to run … one in the print edition and two online here.
Grit City Photo: Puyallup spring wedding
I’ve known Dan and Anne for quite some time. Dan’s a great Tacoma-based Subaru mechanic and his girlfriend – now wife! – sells Subarus on a small lot in Puyallup. Over the years the couple has provided me with outstanding customer service and great cars – so when they asked if I could photograph their intimate wedding, I jumped at the opportunity. The ceremony was held at the lovely Meeker Mansion – a fantastic place for a small gathering. The historic nature of the place is enough decoration for most people.
We began the day at Peppers Salon in Puyallup, stopped at their car lot after the wedding where Anne showed a car to a waiting customer (how cool is she?), and ended the day in an uncut field of daffodils (how many brides will traipse through dirt and mud because their crazy photographer wants a flower photo???).
Congrats Dan and Anne!
Free Facebook covers!
Almost everyone enjoys getting something for nothing. So today at Grit City Photography, we’re giving out free Facebook cover images. Stop by our Facebook page to see the entire gallery and take what you like to snazzy up your page. Examples of cover art are here:
Grit City newborn photography: Baby Vivian
Remember Niki and Jeff? Well, they had their beautiful little girl – Vivian Diane – nine days ago. I love photographing new parents captivated by their baby, and Niki and Jeff were no exception as Vivian is a gorgeous baby with quite the personality. As with any newborn shoot, you pretty much have to sync with the baby’s schedule and little “Vivi” didn’t want to sleep, so my plans for cute sleeping baby poses went out the window. But in some ways, being able to photograph a newborn’s curious looks is more fun than their sweet dreaminess.
Congrats Niki and Jeff!
Grit City newborn photography: baby Clara
Say the words “March Madness” and people typically think of basketball brackets, ESPN.com and good, old fashioned rivalries. But this year when I heard the classic phrase, all I could think about were my five friends expecting babies.
Carrie and her husband Sergio welcomed little Clara Isabel (March baby #1) on March 7, so when I finally got around to photographing her last Saturday, she was just a little over two weeks old. Baby Clara wasn’t too sure she liked her first photo session, and was awake during most of it. I think she just wanted to make sure that no one photographed her naked.
Little Clara sports eyes that sparkle and a fantastic head of hair. She also has great parents and will soon realize she’s one lucky lady.
Congrats Carrie and Sergio!
Grit City Photo image on MSNBC’s The Week in Pictures
Lynden Christian head coach Roger De Boer hugs Nolan Wolffis following the Division 1A high school basketball state championship game against Zillah in Yakima, Wash., on March 3. Lynden Christian won 57-45.
Sometimes you just get lucky.
This week has been a fun one for me. First, the above image of the Lynden Christian head coach hugging his player was selected as one of the AP’s top images on the day of the tournament. Then it was selected as one of MSNBC’s best sports images for the week. Yesterday it was included in MSNBC’s The Week in Pictures.
The story behind the image is pretty simple. During the final minutes of shooting a championship basketball game on deadline, I am looking for two things. 1) A nice image of the losing team showing their dejection. And 2) a celebratory victory photo. If the game is a close one, these images might not be made until it is over. Then it is really a scramble to get both a “dejection” photo and a “jubilation (or jubo)” shot as you try to keep an eye on each team for split second responses. Fortunately for me, this game wasn’t close. As the game clock showed three minutes remaining, I concentrated on the losing team’s bench. Two starting players had fouled out, so I focused on them. To my surprise, the head coach crouched down in front of the two starters and visibly showed his frustration with the direction the game was taking. I had found my dejection photo and there were still two and a half minutes left on the clock.
Zillah head coach Doug Burge covers his face in the final minutes of the the Div. 1A high school basketball state championship game against Lynden Christian Saturday, March 3, 2012, during in Yakima, Wash. Zillah lost to Lynden Christian 57-45.
I returned to the Lynden side of the court and waited for the final seconds to run off the clock. I had my wide angle lens ready and trained on the players on the bench. The coach had placed all the starters there and given the reserves a chance to play during the final minute. As is customary, we photogs rushed the court when the players do at the point the clock runs out.
This moment for a photographer is typically filled with half skill and half luck. Skill because you have anticipated your needs, gear and position-wise, and luck because you just hope one of your “hail Mary” type shots is in focus.
Below is the sequence of events that took place during the celebration in the first seconds after the victory.
Starting players begin to celebrate as the final seconds run off the clock.
Once the victory is sealed, players go crazy.
Continued on-court celebration. Had I not gotten my "lucky" image, I might have considered this one as a lede photo.
More celebration. But I am completely out of position.
Magic trophy moment ruined by someone's flash.
Classic trophy kiss. Might have used this one, too.
Contact sheet of final frames leading up to "the moment." Yes, I got lucky.
Editorial photography: state basketball tournament time
It was that time again this past weekend … state basketball tournament time. I’ve photographed this event just about every year since I started working as a photojournalist. First the 1 and 2B in Spokane, then the 3 and 4A in Tacoma, and most recently, the 1 and 2A in Yakima. While I don’t photograph editorial assignments as much as I used to, I never pass up the chance to shoot the final game of a tournament as I love to photograph raw emotion and true candid moments. So when the AP asked if I could make the drive over to Yakima to shoot four back-to-back games, I said yes.
Below are some of my favorite images from Saturday night.
March Special: Does your Facebook need a face lift?
“Does your Facebook need a face lift?”
For just $75, you can update the face on all your social media outlets with an on location 30-minute business portrait or headshot session.
the fine print:
Regular business portrait/headshot fee is $100. Sessions must take place during the month of March. You will receive a minimum of 5 images per session professionally toned in color and black and white.
Maternity portraits: Niki + Jeff
Spent some time with Niki + Jeff on Sunday. They are expecting their first child and are nearly certain it’s a “she.” I can’t wait to meet their little one sometime in March!
Pretty pictures: red mountain
Got out again for a few minutes tonight. This February “spring” is both spoiling me and delighting my soul. Tonight we hung out at Fireman’s Park in downtown Tacoma. From there you can see the Murray Morgan bridge and Mount Rainier.
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