On April 26th I had the pleasure of being a judge for a Virginia high school skills competition. This year’s state level competition was organized by SkillsUSA and held at the Hampton Roads Convention Center. High school students competed in areas ranging from brick laying to automotive repair to… photography. For the photography competition, there were four judges including myself and photographer Greg Adams.

My task was to judge studio portrait lighting. So, students had to position, meter, and adjust two flashes for a studio lighting setup. They took ten photos and choose what they felt was their strongest image… and explained why. After the competition, Greg and I answered a few questions and showed the students some lighting basics. Your’s truly “modeled” a little, to help show different types of lighting.

Photos by Greg Adams

On April 22nd, Hampton University Athletics honored their student athletes during an awards banquet at the university’s student center. Coaches from each sport recognized their top performing players and presented MVP and other achievement awards. Here are some of the award winners and other photos from the event.

Hampton University 2008 Male Student Athlete of the Year

Hampton University 2008 Female Student Athlete of the Year

On April 19th, Milton Bingham directed the Petersburg GMWA Choir, during a performance at Tabernacle Baptist Church in Petersburg VA. Bingham conducted a workshop with the choir prior to the concert, where he taught them several of his songs. The VA Mass Choir also sang on the program, directed by Minister Earl Bynum. This was quite a treat for all who attended… and for everyone else, here are some photos from the event.

Ed Stephens introducing the VA Mass Choir

The Virginia Mass Choir

Milton Bingham directing the Petersburg GMWA Choir

Deanna and Natario’s engagement session took place at Huntington Park in Newport News VA. The warm weather was right on time, and the morning sunlight was perfect for photography. Click here to view the wedding photos.

On last Thursday, I had the joy of photographing Amy and Michael for their engagement session. We met at the Ocean View Fishing Pier in Norfolk, where sand and water served as a natural backdrop. Their one year old son joined in the fun too! Here’s a sneak peek into some moments from their session. Click here to view the wedding photos.

Last weekend, The Virginia Mass Choir performed at Calvary Seventh Day Adventist Church in Newport News VA. This concert was well attended by members of the community, who joined together in worship. The evening started out with a performance by a saxophonist, ending with a selection by the VA Mass Choir. Here are some of the highlights…

Ms. Jane singing “Holy Ghost”

Pastor Kinlock

On April 12th, The Virginia Mass Choir performed in Hopewell VA as part of the grand opening for a Smithsonian exhibit. The New Harmonies Roots music exhibit will be in Hopewell from April 12th to May 24, 2008, along with a variety of weekly lectures and concerts. The musical performances for the grand opening were held outdoors, next to the Appomattox Regional Library. Thanks to everyone in Hopewell and surrounding areas for your contribution to this event. Here are some images from the VA Mass Choir’s appearance.

I recently had the honor of photographing Ciara in the studio. She is a contestant in this year’s Miss Virginia Pageant, and currently holds the title of Miss Southeastern Virginia. The goal of this session was to have a couple of strong images to use for the pageant’s publicity. Well… we got more than a couple. Thanks to Ciara’s pageant director, makeup artist and other supporters for helping to make this a success. Here are some of my favorites…

Ciara

Makeup artist, Natalie