I wanted to take a moment to give an update on where things are at and what’s new! It feels like it’s been a while since I’ve written. But sometimes, the silence is good because it can mean that things are moving. And this time, it does!

It has been an absolutely crazy few months since February and my trip out to Colorado with Dan Ballard. I was hoping to work through those images much faster than I have, but life happens and I’ve only shown two so far since getting back. I wouldn’t say we had any 1 incredible day of weather during the trip, but there were a few moments here and there which lent themselves to some awesome photography opportunities and I’m really pleased with what I managed to get. The photo attached to this post is a new one called, ‘The Sunset at Cordova Pass.’ People, I worked for this shot! We’re not positive, but Dan & I figured we snowshoed about 8-10 miles total for this view. Not to mention we got his car stuck at some point in the process and had to dig it out with those same snow shoes. I won’t lie to you, I was tired after that hike. Really happy with the image that I managed to get though!

Speaking of Dan; I got a pretty awesome phone call from him a month or two ago. Turns out, He has put together a landscape photography trip to Alaska along with another photographer – Joseph Roybal, and they wanted me to come as well! Long story short, I got the time off of work and will be traveling around Alaska for 2 weeks of landscape photography! We’ll be there June 6th-22nd and I cannot even begin to explain to you how excited I am for this trip. Especially traveling with other photographers, I am really looking forward to seeing how our different approaches and styles may open opportunities for me to learn and grow as a landscape photographer! It should be a great trip. It’s my goal to post photos throughout the trip and maybe an update or two on my blog and twitter. We are doing things as cheaply as possible though and will be camping/hiking most days so no promises. Let’s be honest, there’s a part of me that absolutely cannot wait for a chance to not be plugged in for a few days. It’s good to get away.

There’s been even more cool stuff going on though! As many of you know, I have been working especially over the past year and a half to get my name out as a landscape photographer here in Florida but also in general. Working as a portrait photographer, of course I love when someone connects positively with a shot of mine, but there is something much more enjoyable about someone appreciating a landscape image of mine! Several things have happened in this area that I am SO excited about.

• My photo ‘Steady’ was chosen as a top-ten finalist in Tampa Bay’s Creative Loafing photography contest. As a result, it has been on display in the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts. And, I sold a print of it to someone who lives in NYC and had seen it on display while visiting the area.
• I was asked to speak at Snap! in Orlando which is a 5 – day photography celebration of sorts. They offer all sorts of exhibits and galleries along with bringing in speakers to give workshops on various topics. I was able to present a workshop on HDR photography & processing which seemed incredibly well received. The people were incredibly kind in what they had to say about the workshop!
• I was contacted by a local hotel which wanted to feature my work at their Art-Night to show local art to their guests along with people from the community. The night went incredibly well and I managed to sell several pieces of my work including my new image, ‘The Pier at Ballast Point’ as a framed piece that will be shipped to the buyer’s house in Atlanta!! I also got to meet and talk with all sorts of people who happened to be there that night and seemed to genuinely appreciate my work. Awesome experience!
• I was given the opportunity to present my work at the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts as part of their 15 minutes of fame series! I talked briefly about some of my favorite images, where and how they were taken along with taking a few moments to show a few of my framed pieces.
• Lastly June 5th is the opening night for a MONTH-LONG show that I am being given the opportunity to participate in at Bamboozle Cafe in downtown Tampa. I am planning on having a little over 20 framed pieces on display and available for sale throughout the month! If you happen to be in the area on the evening of June 5th, I would absolutely LOVE for you to stop by to say hello and check things out! Even if you can’t make it that night, you’ll have the entire month to swing past and check things out! All my printed & framed pieces will be priced at $150 for the show!
• I am SO excited to now officially be selling fine art framed prints of my work. You can get more info here.

And, that’s it for now! Along with those things, we have added an additional 127 high school seniors to my normal 200 seniors to be photographed each year, so I have been slammed finishing orders for the class of 2012 and planning things including a few cool changes for the class of 2013. Want to keep up with my Senior work? You can like our Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/VernonPhotography. I’ve also been helping to spearhead a big website update for my studio’s website (it’s badly needed) and just finished actually designing a website on the side for a very close friend of mine.

Phew! How’s THAT for an update. Thanks so much for following along. It has been an adventure for sure. Hopefully things won’t be slowing down anytime soon.