The Oklahoma Standard
On April 18-19, I volunteered to highlight the volunteer activities of Miss Oklahoma and Miss Oklahoma's Outstanding Teen participants during their #MissAmericaServes project with the American Red Cross. On day one, they packed care packages for the attendees of the 20th anniversary ceremony of the Oklahoma City bombing and listened to first-hand accounts from survivors and responders. On day two, the queens handed out the care packages to the memorial ceremony attendees. By taking a little time out of my weekend, I learned a true meaning of the term "Oklahoma Standard" and gained a deeper appreciation for what these young ladies stand for as representatives of the Miss America Organization. Click on the images to view the individual galleries.
Day One - April 18th
Day Two - April 19th
Unexpected Support
With the countdown to Miss Oklahoma almost over, I want to share a story of appreciation. I began photographing local and state level youth pageants back in 2010. After about three years of changes, I began to see the consistent results I wanted every time out. In 2014, I looked into transitioning to the miss and teen pageant arena, especially covering Miss Oklahoma events. Even with my knowledge and years of experience, I still doubted my abilities to properly photograph these events. That all changed after I attended the Wonderland Anniversary party for Liberte on June 11, 2014. I arrived at the party and noticed a young lady wearing a crown with people crowding around her. I found out that the young lady was Alex Eppler, who had been crowned Miss Oklahoma 2014 only four days prior. I strayed away from the crowd and floated around the store for a while only to have Alex come right over and speak to me. In our five minute conversation, I told Alex about my pageant coverage experience and my doubts about transitioning to miss-teen pageants. She assured me that I could do it. Those words of wisdom became the unexpected support that I needed to expand my work as a pageant photographer. Thanks Alex for the support, and I know that you'll excel in your future endeavors.
Photo by Shevaun Williams and Associates via Facebook
State of Euphoria
Last Friday, May 22, I had the opportunity to attend the Euphoria Artistry Show at OKC's Magnolia building. The event served as a showcase for models, photographers, artists, and entertainers in the Oklahoma City metro area. I attended the event to setup the lighting for the fashion show and live performances. Once I completed that setup, I took some behind the scenes images and additional details throughout the show. Even with all of the changes that occurred in the week prior, I enjoyed how the artists united to showcase an awesome event. Hopefully, we will be able to have more of these events in the future and bring more unity to the community. Follow this link to view the entire gallery http://www.versaphoto.com/p39452328
Still Moving Along
I am happily updating versaphoto.com to improve the experience. Although it's taking more time than I expected, I am still moving along with the updates. I want to know what I can do to make your session experience as enjoyable as possible. Please comment or message me with your ideas, and I will take these suggestions into consideration.
My First Post
After an extended period of thought, I decided to start blogging about my work as a professional photographer in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. I expect these posts to evolve and provide more depth into my photographic process.
