Atlanta-based photographer David Walter Banks spent a couple of days in Daytona Beach as part of his ongoing project on Florida.

I rolled into town near dusk and made my way to the KOA where I would spend the next couple nights camping in my little tent amongst the roar of motorcycle engines propelling bike week revelers.  Within moments of my arrival, a biker camped next to me made his way over to laugh at my curious attempt to fit an air mattress into my tiny orange backpacking tent.  Shortly after my triumph over spatial reasoning, I was sharing whiskey next to a fire with my newfound friend.  Fortunately my new comrades steered me away from Main Street, and advised that I make my way to a biker compound outside of town called the Cabbage Patch Bar.  I decided to trust my new friends and my gut, and threw my plans to the wind.  One of my favorite parts of this photographic life that never ceases to amaze me is the relationships and bonds we form along the way, both the ones that last and those that are more fleeting.  I was speaking to a class of college students at SCAD recently, and they asked how to find something to shoot for an essay based more on a place.  My wife, Kendrick, and I answered that you do as much research as you can, make contacts, schedule your trip, and then plan to throw all those plans out the window once you get there and allow those you meet to lead you.  We always have to prepare, but so often serendipity is our best friend.

Continue reading and see more photos on David’s blog.

Portland, OR-based photographer Sol Neelman shares photos of the Quidditch World Cup outside Orlando, FL.

Quidditch really surprised the shit out of me, words I never thought I’d type.

First, the play is way more physical than it’s possible to truly comprehend without seeing it firsthand. Think rugby with a broom between your legs.

And secondly, there’s crying in Quidditch. Crying?! There’s no crying in Quidditch!

Yep, I saw it all recently at the Quidditch World Cup outside Orlando.

Continue reading and see more photos on Sol’s blog.

Atlanta-based photographer David Walter Banks shares photos of spring breakers in Panama City Beach, Florida.

The first stop of my recent trip to work on my new project, ‘Florida: Eden Isle’, took me to the sunny shores of Panama City Beach where I spent a day hanging out with drunken revelers celebrating the not-so-timeless tradition of Spring Break.  It was scary to think that not so many years ago as a high school junior and senior that this was me, and rather odd to see how little the place had changed.  When you think about the annual migration south as something more than just a given, the whole phenomena is actually pretty spectacularly weird.  It is here that the figurative masks are put on by co-eds as they conduct themselves in a way they would never see fit back at home or school or wherever they hail from.  These masks may not be as obvious as the upcoming MegaCon convention images I’ll share, but if you look a little closer into those bloodshot spring breaker eyes, you can see that the neon bikini-clad alter ego of this once wholesome youth is fully in control.  The mask is on.

Continue reading and see more photos on David’s blog.

Sarasota, FL-based commercial and wedding photographer Chip Litherland shot a very original wedding which included fire dancers.

The internet is a funny place. So incredibly ridiculous at some times, other times it can be an amazing place. Take Yolanda and Joe. They met there (wherever the internet actually is) 4 years ago. As of yesterday, they are now married – in real life. How amazing is that? Much better than grumpy cat.

Yolanda and Joe put a lot of themselves into this wedding. They did most of the details themselves, even setting up their reception with the help of their family and friends after getting married. The morning wedding was intimate with just their siblings and immediate family at the beautiful Sundy House. The reception in the back courtyard of Tropical Touch Garden Center in Ft. Lauderdale was one of the most original I’ve seen. The venue itself was beautiful, but it was the personal touches these guys had: Def Leopard playing? Check. Vegas magician? Check. Hula and fire dancers? Check. Jamaican food to die for? Check.

All in all, it was just them.

See more photos on the Eleven Weddings blog.

Orlando-based photographer Steven Barnhart shot he Quidditch World Cup in Kissimmee, FL.

Quidditch, the high flying sport of Harry Potter, has had a real world equivalent since 2005 when students at Middlebury College in Vermont figured out how to play a ground based version. Eventually they formed the International Quidditch Association, which held its World Cup on April 13 and 14 in Kissimmee, Fl.

Continue reading and see more photos on Steven’s blog.

The quaffle can be passed in any way to get it between players. Whether by hand, foot, head or hip.

Central Florida’s seeker attempts to grab the snitch ball away from the snitch carrier to end the game against the University of South Carolina.

The Paris Phenix became minor celebrities due to their hard style of play and exotic flavor.

Laia Prats is a freelance graphic and web designer based in New York City. Born and raised in Barcelona, Spain, she moved to New York in 2006 after graduating in Graphic Design & Art Direction. Laia co-founded the Photo Brigade with her husband Robert Caplin and is currently editor and designer of the website.
 

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to test a Lensbaby Pro Effects kit. I went on a short trip to Naples, Florida to visit family and thought it would be a good time to test the lenses. The Lensbaby Pro Effects kit comes with different components: the Lensbaby Composer Pro, the Sweet 35 Optic, the Edge 80 Optic, and Macro Converters. It all comes in a little bag which includes an over-sized lens cleaning cloth.

Composer Pro with Edge 80 Optic

I started experimenting with the Edge 80 lens on an airboat ride through the Everglades, but I had a hard time focusing on anything while in motion (those boats go pretty fast). I was able to get a couple of decent shots, but it was difficult to use this lens while in motion or when trying to photograph moving subjects like birds. Nothing a little practice won’t fix.

Composer Pro with Edge 80 Optic

Composer Pro with Edge 80 Optic

I found the Sweet 35 lens easier to use, but it probably has a lot to do with the fact that I wasn’t moving around so much when I tried it. This lens creates a soft, dreamy look, which I know a lot of photographers dislike and think it’s gimmicky (which it can be if you overdo it) but being in the graphic design field, I think it’s a cool effect.

Composer Pro with Sweet 35 Optic

Composer Pro with Sweet 35 Optic

Composer Pro with Sweet 35 Optic

Composer Pro with Sweet 35 Optic

Composer Pro with Sweet 35 Optic

As for the Macro Converters (8mm & 16mm), I originally didn’t have any plans to use them, but then I noticed they haven’t been very popular in the “Lensbaby Pro Effects Traveling Kit” reviews until this date, so I decided to give them a try around the house.

Obviously photographers who don’t have an interest in macro photography wouldn’t find any use for these, but I quite enjoyed playing with the various combinations of both macro converters and the two different lenses.

Composer Pro with both Macro Converters and Edge 80 Optic

Composer Pro with both Macro Converters and Sweet 35 Optic

Composer Pro with 16mm Macro Converter and Sweet 35 Optic

Composer Pro with 16mm Macro Converter and Sweet 35 Optic

The only con I would say is that it’s a little hard to change the lenses with the Composer Pro. The first time I went out with the kit I didn’t bring the instructions with me; I thought I’d figure out how to change the lens on the fly. Well, I was wrong. After fighting with it for 5 minutes, I gave up and decided I would stick with the lens I had on. Even after reading the instructions, it took me a little bit of practice to get it right. It’s not like it’s hard to understand how it works, it’s just a little difficult to twist the lens to the right point while applying the right amount of pressure to get the lens out, especially if you’re on the go.

Below, I was using the 35mm lens to shoot the sunset and at the last minute I decided to switch to the 80mm. I was proud of myself because it “only” took me 30 seconds to change the lens, but it was actually enough to miss the sunset. It still made for a pretty photo though.

Composer Pro with Sweet 35 Optic

Composer Pro with Edge 80 Optic

Overall, it was fun playing with these lenses and I’ll definitely use them again.

Atlanta-based photographer David Walter Banks recently traveled to Florida for work and has decided to start a personal project documenting his own view of the state.

This most recent trip led me throughout the state, from the magical world of Disney to a small town’s big parade to the sunny shores of South Beach with a great little circus thrown in to top it off.  These early visits on this new project have been broad swaths, whereas the next couple trips will be based around specific events and gatherings.  I feel as though I’m just now beginning to gain an understanding of the topic I will be grappling with, but I’m excited with the nearly endless prospects of images out there waiting to be found.

Continue reading and see more photos on David’s blog.

]]> http://thephotobrigade.com/2013/01/florida-sense-of-place-by-david-walter-banks/feed/ 0 http://thephotobrigade.com/2012/11/kelsey-ryans-wedding-siesta-key-florida-by-chip-litherland/ http://thephotobrigade.com/2012/11/kelsey-ryans-wedding-siesta-key-florida-by-chip-litherland/#comments Sun, 11 Nov 2012 16:39:31 +0000 admin http://thephotobrigade.com/?p=12102 do_sud_thumb("http://thephotobrigade.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/ChipLitherland_SiestaKey_wedding_2.jpg","Kelsey + Ryan’s Wedding | Siesta Key, Florida – by Chip Litherland")

Sarasota, FL-based editorial & wedding photographer Chip Litherland shot a wedding in Siesta Key, FL.

Most of the time we try to disappear as photographer to get the best photos, but some brides just know where it is at all times.

Kelsey and Ryan got married this weekend just a few yards away from where they got engaged last year on the white sands of Siesta Key.  Just a stone’s throw from my house, these guys took full advantage of what this town has to offer.  They were blessed with a very beautiful, cloudless sky and perfect sunset as they celebrated in a private house along the beach where I’ve spent many nights chasing that sphere as it dips below the horizon.  Their beautiful night ended with sparklers and an impromptu crashing of The Beach Club in Siesta Key Village.

Continue reading and see more photos on the Eleven Weddings blog.

Orlando, FL-based photographer Octavian Cantilli shot a story on craft beer parlors for the Orlando Guestbook.

This is from a story on craft beer parlors around the Orlando area for the Orlando Guestbook. Posted below are my favorite images along with the layouts the magazine decided on. A big thank you goes out to Teege Braune, manager at Redlight Redlight Beer Parlour, and John Cheek, President of Orlando Brewing, for letting me photograph at their establishments and being so helpful.

See more photos on Octavian’s blog.

Sarasota, FL-based photographer Chip Litherland prefers taking feature pictures in the stands than action photos when shooting football games.

Normally when I tell people that I get to shoot for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, their first reaction is “Wow, you must have the best seat in the house!”  That is true, however, I spend most of the time under-using my credential to stand right next to those who ask that very question in section 328.

My job helping out the awesome photo team on game day is to capture fans like these from the last two Bucs’ home games against the Chiefs and the Saints.  These are the dots of people up in the nosebleeds that are just a blur of color on TV as the ball is kicked-off.  These are the sweat-soaked, beer-toting, screamers that pay the money to actually come sit and watch Sunday after Sunday as their team scurries up and down the hashmarks hundreds of feet below them.  These are the fans that come to the game earlier than I do and sit in the parking lot being just an NFL fan and, well, sitting there.

Continue reading and see more photos on Chip’s blog.