Shutter Release

Charlottesville Wedding Blog - Best of 2011

2012-01-21T14:26:00.000-08:00

I'm really excited William Walker Photography has been featured on the Charlottesville Wedding Blog's best of 2011 today! Head over to the blog and check it out!
http://www.charlottesvilleweddingblog.com/2012/01/best-of-2011-william-walker-photography/

Audi Q5 Rebuild Timelapse

2011-12-12T08:21:00.000-08:00

As promised, I've done another time-lapse. This time, I photographed an Audi Q5 getting the front end rebuilt. It was a long process but the results are awesome! Here's the video and a behind the scenes look at how I did it for the Fstoppers.com BTS contest! Head over to Youtube to watch them in HD and full screen. Enjoy!

Emily & Ryan 11-19-11

2011-11-23T08:05:00.001-08:00

Read about Emily & Ryan's beautiful November wedding after the jump!

This past Saturday we had the privilege to photograph Emily & Ryan's wedding at Veritas Winery. It was a beautiful day and quite a unique ceremony. The ceremony couldn't be held until 6pm and with daylight savings time, that meant it was going to be dark. The ceremony was beautifully lit with a TON of candles! It was gorgeous!


Ceremony site with candles

We knew it was going to be dark after the ceremony so we did a "first look" or "reveal" shoot as some call it. The light was gorgeous, Emily and Ryan are a great looking couple, and it was a great day!

Timelapse Test

2011-11-08T15:03:00.000-08:00

Untitled from Will Walker on Vimeo.

A Trip to the Lake

2011-09-26T09:43:00.000-07:00

Well folks, I have an important announcement. At our recent trip to Smith Mountain Lake, I asked Jess if she would marry me. She said yes! Now, I'll tell you all about it. On a side note: That's not us in the canoe. It's my sister Meaghan and her boyfriend Kyle. I didn't have any pro gear with me so this was shot with Jess' Canon powershot D10.

I had been putting some money away for some time knowing I wanted to ask Jess to be my wife. I mean, why wouldn't I? Over the 2+ years we've dated, she's only gotten more awesome. From our matching (ridiculous) sense of humor, to our shared love of camping, wine, beaches, off-road adventures, and music. We just fit together. Jess has been so important in the growth of the photography business. So, when I reached my predetermined monetary goal the next step was to go ring shopping.

I enlisted the help of my Mom and my Sister to help choose the perfect ring. Two ring shops worth mentioning are Andrew Minton Jewelers and Reines Jewelers. They are both owned locally and the people were just amazing. Andy Minton gave me a very helpful in-depth education on diamonds, where he pulled out diamonds from super duper to not so super to point of the differences. Ultimately, I bought the ring at Reines. They had the perfect ring at the perfect price.

The next day (a Friday) I called Jess' parents on their way back to California. I asked for their blessing and was answered with resounding "YES!". Now with ring in hand, I needed a way to ask Jess. My original plan involved The Avett Brothers in town for two concerts and the local radio station "106.1 the Corner". I asked Brad over at the Corner if he could get the Avett Bros. in studio for a private performance and I was going to make up something like "Hey Jess, Brad asked me to shoot the Avett Bros. in the Corner Lounge, want to come along?". Sadly, Brad couldn't get the guys in the studio so further planning was unnecessary. Now, I have this super sparkly tell-tale heart of a ring screaming "Find me!" from its hiding place in my office.

My Grandma had rented a house at Smith Mountain Lake for a week and we were heading down that Tuesday after work. I decided I was going to bring the ring and if the opportunity presented itself, I'd pop the question. Tuesday comes, the truck is packed, Jess gets home from work and we're off to the lake. We arrive just around dark, and are greeted by my Grandma, Mom, and Dad. We get settled and are given the tour of this amazing lake house.

We all get comfortable sitting on the deck next to a romantic fire popping and crackling in the outdoor fireplace as we gaze over the lake to the multi-colored lights glowing off the water in the coves across the lake. It's peaceful and relaxing. Jess and I are wide awake from the drive as the rest of the family retires to bed. So now it's just the two of us in this idyllic setting. I am wearing a fleece with a very special box in the right pocket. In true Edgar Allen Poe fashion, I imagine muffled cries from the inanimate ring in my pocket "Look at me! Look in the pocket!". Jess and I are talking about the future, and house plans, and how she want's an outdoor fireplace exactly like this one. All I can think about is the ring in my pocket and my hearts racing. A few deep breaths, a pause in the conversation, and I drop to a knee.

"What are you doing?!" Jess exclaims, as I fumble with the box. "Oh my god!" she says as she starts crying.
In my head I was collected and suave, "Jess will you continue to make me the happiest man..." in reality I don't think my nerves let me be that suave. Tears are rolling down Jess' face, her hands are over her mouth, and she still hasn't actually said "yes".

"Wait...so is that a yes?" I nervously babble.

"Of course! YES!"

Talking the rest of the night, and clearly not sleeping well with the excitement, I wake to see Jess the next morning staring at her ring with a huge grin. The rest of the week we enjoyed the lake as fiancée and fiancé.

A few weeks later, and some planning has been done. We are getting married June 26th in the Outer Banks, North Carolina.

Will Walker
www.williamwalkerphoto.com

Mina and Atulya

2011-09-02T14:12:00.000-07:00

I haven't been this wordy about an event shoot in a very long time. But, this was a new experience for me, and I decided I had to share it with you fine folks. To read all about it with a bunch of photos, follow the jump>>

I was recently contacted by a young woman, Mina, telling me she was getting engaged on such-and-such a date, and she needed a photographer. I had to read the email a few times because I was a bit confused. "How did she know she was getting engaged on that particular Sunday?", I thought, "Does HE know he's getting engaged?". So, I emailed her back giving her my rates. Not five minutes later I get a phone call from Mina. It turns out her and her boyfriend (soon to be fiance), Atulya, were both from Nepal, and in Nepalese culture, there is an engagement ceremony with both families, two rings, and a Buddhist lama blessing the ceremony. Well, of course I wanted to take this job, it sounded awesome!

When I show up on Sunday, I'm greeted by the family, and directed to go inside to check in with Mina. I walk through the front door and am met by an absolutely BEAUTIFUL Nepalese girl donning a sari, and henna on her hands, this is Mina. Right off the bat, I suggest that she MUST have her portrait taken before the ceremony. She obliges gladly.

It is now time for the ceremony, so we head outside to meet Atulya. He is a tall, handsome guy with a smile that could only suggest excitement. Mina and Atulya sit next to the Lama, who begins his prayers. Meanwhile, I seek the help of Mina's best friend, Sabee Nah, to give me the run down on who's who. I start to shoot, capturing the ceremony interestedly.

Once the ceremony is over, we take some family shots then Mina, Atulya, and I head down the road for some portraits. This is when I get really excited. As I start directing the couple, their happiness is so apparent. Exuding joy with every shot. Their smiles were so infectious I didn't want to stop shooting! I didn't have Jess with me to hold a reflector, and the light was less than perfect at 11:30am but it didn't matter. What's important in the photos is their expressions.

Lastly, I want to tell you that Mina, Atulya, and their families were some of the most gracious, and hospitable people. As an event photographer, I often try to blend in and not draw too much attention to myself. That Sunday, no less than 10 people throughout the day, made sure to insist I was drinking water/soda, or eating food (I was only there for about two hours). One person even offered to hold my camera while I got some food. And, as I was just finishing up, one of the cousins came up to me and said "Hey man, I'm going to the cooler. Can I get you a beer?"

I politely declined saying "Oh, no thanks. I'm working."

To which he looked at me slightly confused and replied "...Wine?"

--

Will Walker
William Walker Photography
www.williamwalkerphoto.com

3rd Place in the "Views of Shenandoah" Photo Contest

2011-08-08T07:13:00.000-07:00

3rd place winner "Icy Run"

On Friday, Jess and I attended the Shenandoah National Park trust's "Views of the Shenandoah" photo contest reception. The contest was held to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the park. I was honored that my photograph "Icy Run" took 3rd place in the adult category!

A few weeks back I was notified that all three (of the maximum of three entries per contestant) of my submitted images were selected to be three of the 45 finalist's in the contest. That alone made me blush. The contest was judged by photographers: Hullihin Williams Moore (www.hullihenmoorephotography.com), Robert Llewellyn (www.robertllewellyn.com), and Will May (www.willmay.com).

I'll sign off today with a look at the other two finalist images:

Finalist "On Yonder Boulder"

Finalist "Shoe Creek Waterfall"

-Will Walker

Sam and Francesca

2011-07-28T09:16:00.000-07:00

Recently, Jess accompanied me on a wedding as my second shooter. I've been training her for a little while now, and this was her first wedding. Jess did a great job! Follow the jump to see more photos of Sam and Francesca's wedding
Sam and Francesca had a gorgeous July wedding in Ivy, Virginia just outside of Charlottesville. Sam a lieutenant in the Navy, and Francesca the spunky bride from Sicily tied the knot on 7/9/11.

One of Jess' shots

Another of Jess'

Metal Prints!

2011-06-30T10:39:00.000-07:00

William Walker Photography now offers Metal Prints in a variety of sizes! With these new products I thought "What better way to show off metal prints than with a 16x24 of my new niece Piper?"

The Metal Prints feature rounded corners and a 1.5" float block back for mounting on your wall.

Can't you just see one of these standing out on your wall? Maybe you get a few in a series from your engagement session, or your family portrait.

Will IS an Uncle!

2011-06-13T11:37:00.000-07:00

So, my new niece Piper was born! She is absolutely gorgeous and healthy. I got a phone call on the busiest day of the busiest weekend of the year. In the middle of a 17 hour shooting day Piper was born at 7lbs 5oz! She is a wonderful new edition to the family, and the poor girl is going to have sooooo many photos taken of her as she grows.

More photos after the jump!

-Will "Bear" Walker

William Walker Photography

www.williamwalkerphoto.com

Will's going to be an uncle!

2011-05-09T11:03:00.000-07:00

Last week I had the very special opportunity to photograph my pregnant sister Meaghan. Due in three weeks, my soon-to-be niece Piper will grace us with her presence. I am very excited to become an uncle!

-Will Walker
www.williamwalkerphoto.com

See more photos after the jump>>

Bianca and Dain

2011-04-22T11:19:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, I had the awesome privilege to photograph Bianca and Dain's rainy day wedding at Belmont Baptist Church here in Charlottesville, VA. The gray skies couldn't put a damper on their spirits and excitement. Congrats you two!

The Workshop!

2011-04-11T15:07:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday I had the amazing opportunity to help instruct the Art of Photography Learning Series workshop, hosted by Jen Fariello and Robert Radifera. I absolutely LOVE teaching photography! I was invited as the "Canon Guru", as both Jen and Robert shoot Nikon. Read more about the day and see more photos after the jump...

I often am approached by friends and clients thinking I have this "Rock Star" job and they say things like "Man! I wish I had your job! You just get to shoot photos all day and go to pretty places!". While photography my seem like a "Sweet Gig", do NOT be disillusioned. 90% of my job consists of me spending hours upon hours in a dark office with no daylight (gotta keep those monitors calibrated) editing with no human interaction. The other 10% is me shooting photos...kinda backwards huh? Don't get me wrong, I love my job. I couldn't imagine doing anything else, but I wanted to paint the picture of a photographers life.

That being said, imagine my pure joy when I showed up on Saturday morning to a room full of eager shutterbugs, wanting nothing more than to ask me questions about the craft I love so much, and actually being interested in what I had to say! I got to make things "click" in peoples heads! Have you ever experienced when someone is confused about something, so they come to you because they respect your expertise, and watching that light bulb go on above their head? It's a really awesome thing.

It was an absolutely great day! We had wonderful models, a great energy, fun photo toys for us to play with, and I even got to see my old art director Mitch!


This is Mitch, we had fun with studio lights.

I got to teach about posing, flash, first and second curtain sync, exposure, metering, aperture, and other photo related things. It was amazing! I'm not sure when I'll get to teach next, but I'm certainly looking forward to it! Here's my group in action:

A special thanks to: Jen Fariello, Robert Radifera, The Art of Photography Learning Series, Shawn Cossette, Beehive Events, Jen Skriloff of Elan, Maliha Creations, Daphne D'earth Latham, "Rock, Paper, Scissors", Harvest Moon Catering, Albemarle Vintage Limousine, our gorgeous models, and of course all the aspiring photogs who attended.

I love comments, so leave em!

-Will Walker
William Walker Photography
www.williamwalkerphoto.com

Super Moon

2011-03-20T08:02:00.000-07:00

Last night, the full moon was bigger than it had been in 18 years due to its elliptical orbit. So I went out to my favorite field, set up my tripod and waited... and waited. The Moon was supposed to rise as the sun set at 7:20pm. I, however, did not take into account the hilly piedmont of the Blue Ridge Mountains delaying this moonrise by about an hour and a half.

Once I started to see the Moon peak its yellowish head over the tree line, I set up my tripod and started snapping. I was hoping for a bit more ambient light, as I was anticipating the moon to come up at sunset. Also, I would've liked to have shot this with maybe a 500mm lens to accentuate the enormity of the Super Moon.

I love to read peoples comments so start posting!

-Will Walker
William Walker Photography
www.williamwalkerphoto.com

A photo of a photographer

2011-03-17T13:07:00.000-07:00

I thought this was kinda neat. Jess captured of me working at creating one of the images from the previous post!

-Will

We have returned!

2011-03-14T12:41:00.000-07:00

Jess and I had a blast in Mexico! While we were there I had a chance to photograph some really cool scenes. These photos all share the common theme of sunset and sunrise, and while I am happy with the images, I underestimated the brightness of the Mexican sun leaving me with some obstacles to overcome once I was on site. For those photographers getting ready to travel, I've got a few notes on what I would have with me next time. Follow the jump for more photos and my notes on gear.

First off I'll list what gear I had with me. Now keep in mind I was trying to keep everything with me carry-on so my bag got considerably slimmer.

In the bag I had:
1 Canon 1D mk II n
24-70 f/2.8 L
70-200 f/2.8 L IS
15mm fisheye f/2.8
580 EX Speedlite
550 EX Speedlite
cable release
a couple of radio triggers for my speedlites
and of course my trusty Manfrotto tripod w/ Giotos ball head cleverly "ball-bungeed" to the outside of my camera bag.

Now this was a pretty good kit for traveling, but the one thing I wish I brought with me was a set of neutral density filters. I was hoping to get a lot of water movement in these shots, but I reached the limits of my equipment at ISO 50 at f/22 and the slowest shutter speed I could get without completely over-exposing was 0.8 seconds. Usually I like to be at about 1.5 seconds to really get a good flow.

I'm really really happy with the images and I hope you all are too! Drop me a line if you'd like to purchase any signed prints.

I'd love to hear your comments

Adios Amigos!

2011-03-04T10:38:00.000-08:00

Well, Jess and I are headed to Mexico tomorrow morning! Our friend Bernie is taking care of the house and animals. I'll be bringing my gear so I'll capture some more great images! I know all of you would miss me for the week, so I'm leaving you with this photo of a beautiful sunset. We'll be back in a week!

-Will Walker

Newborn Baby Maxwell

2011-02-02T09:36:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I had the great pleasure of photographing Maxwell Stephen Smith, the newborn baby son of two of my very close friends, Tyler "Tank" and Tiffani. Although being about a month premature, Max was born at a healthy weight of 7lbs 11oz and to my surprise has a full head of hair! As I watched the new Mom and Dad with wee Max, I could tell Tank and Tiff are going to be great parents.

Follow the jump for more photos of little Maxwell.

Let's hear your comments,

-Will Walker
www.williamwalkerphoto.com
www.walkerphotoblog.com

A Brand New Look For Shutter Release!

2011-01-28T07:20:00.000-08:00

Shutter Release has a shiny new prettiness to it. I'm still fine tuning it, so please everyone leave comments. Tell me if you like it or hate it.

-Will Walker
www.williamwalkerphoto.com
www.walkerphotoblog.com

DIY Octa Bank Softbox

2011-01-14T06:59:00.000-08:00

So, during January I don't get the opportunity to shoot much. It's cold and dark, and people seem to have the "New Year's Resolution" mentality, where they say, "I am not getting my photo taken until I lose ten pounds!". Great for you, boring for me. With all my editing done, albums made, and meetings met I find myself with nothing to do.

"There's always SOMETHING to do!", you say. Well, your probably right, but this is the time of year I seem to buy a lot of new photo toys, and with my resolution this year, to be more frugal (as well as the slimming down bit), when I started looking into the Elinchrom Octabox systems, the price tag seemed a tad hefty. So not to be deterred from using such a highly acclaimed tool of light, I set out to build my own!

With about $25 of bought materials and some junk I had on hand, I think I made a pretty useful little (big) do-hickey.

-3 pieces of black/white foam core (about 5 bucks a pop)
-Spray adhesive (had on hand)
-Aluminum foil (who doesn't have that?)
-White muslin fabric (44"x44" was about $3.50)
-a metal rod from the hardware store ($3.00 for 3')
-velcro tabs were $2
-the all important duct tape (you should always have this)

So, what does that come to about $23.50? I could have saved my hard earned money, and forgotten all about this great experiment in light, but it's just not in my nature not to tinker. So I embarked on my arts and crafts endeavor. Here's how I did it:

I started with the foam core. I figured I could get three sides of my octagon out of one 22"x28" sheet. Each side measured 14" at the base and 22" to the top of the triangular blade.

I got to cutting, and soon I had eight identical pieces. I arranged them together with the black side down:

First, I used duct tape on the inside seams (not shown). Before I attached the eighth section, I cut a hole for the flash. Since I would be pointing the flash head toward the back of the softbox for reflected AND diffused light, I cut the hole near the front.

To help control light spill, I patched the hole with a piece from a folder I cut. I finished taping the inside seams, and then it was time to make the inside shiny and reflective. With spray adhesive, I lined the white side of my soon-to-be octagon with aluminum foil (shiny side up). I didn't attach a photo of that either, but it's pretty self explanatory.

Then it was time for the beast to take shape. Pulling the outer edges together gave me my octagonal cone, and now it was time to tape the outer seams.

I tried to tape them as tautly as possible to give the cone some sturdiness. The time has come to mount the octabox on the light stand. For this, I used a metal rod I found at the hardware store. I bent one end of the rod to make a "T" shape and fed the metal through the umbrella mount located on the swivel bracket atop the light stand. I secured the octabox with duct tape and an A-clamp.

My next task was to put my diffuser on the front of the octabox. For this I attached a piece of white cotton muslin fabric with velcro. So now, I have the octabox mounted on the lightstand, my flash set to manual and mounted on a cheap chinese radio trigger I got from ebay, the diffusion is in place, and it's time to check the light spread...

I stopped down my exposure to see how evenly the light was dispersed (and heck yeah that's a disco ball!). I'm pretty happy with the wall of soft light this homemade octabox produces. One thing that I'm not crazy about is the shadow of my flash which is kind of distracting in the catch lights. Also, I might need to make a few tweaks in the wall supports. After I stowed the octabox overnight the joints are becoming a bit flimsy.

Here are some shots straight out of the camera, and since I had no one to photograph, the photographer had become the model:

Overall, it was a pretty fun January project that cost about $25. I'd like to do some more projects on location with my new octabox and see what results I get. I want everyone to let me know what they think.

Will "Bear" Walker
William Walker Photography
www.williamwalkerphoto.com

Post tons of comments!

Castle Hill Cider

2011-01-05T13:48:00.000-08:00

I am always interested and excited about new event venues in/around Charlottesville. I am usually even MORE excited when they involve tasty adult apple cider. A preview of "The Barn" of Castle Hill Cider.

Recently, I was graciously invited to Castle Hill Cider by Wendy Sherry, the event coordinator of the new venue. Set to be up and running by June of this year, Castle Hill Cider boasts a gorgeous, magnificently huge barn, that is absolutely a photographer's dream!

Located on the historic Castle Hill estate, originally owned by Dr. Thomas Walker (no relation, but has a fascinating history and a close friend of Thomas Jefferson).

Its rustic post-and-beam construction evokes a feeling of warmth, and history. While the wide, permanent stage should invite a "rock-and-roll" flare to future events to come. The barn also has a large loft area overlooking the main floor. Also upstairs, is the brides gathering area where she and her bridesmaids will be before the ceremony. The loft and bride area are going to be connected soon, via catwalk.


Permanent Stage


The Loft


Bride's Room

The back of the barn has been kept open and screened, to keep an open air feel. The back of the barn faces a lake that has been recently landscaped (imagine how beautiful it will be in the spring when the grass is lush and green).

Open Back (Screened)


Back of the Barn


Lake

Just outside the barn, a beautiful crop of mature hardwoods sets an idyllic scene for a potential ceremony site.


Hardwoods

Potential Ceremony Site

Hardwoods

And let's not forget about the cider! Still fermenting, the first batch of cider is to be released this upcoming spring. Made from apples from around Virginia, while Castle Hill's freshly planted orchard matures, tastings will be offered in the brand new tasting room also located in the barn.

Vats of Fermenting Cider

Wendy seems absolutely dedicated to making the space work however the client needs it to. Thank you again Wendy Sherry and Castle Hill Cider, for inviting me to the spectacular, almost finished, new venue!

Below are just a few more photos from around the estate.

As always, I love feedback and comments!

Will "Bear" Walker
www.williamwalkerphoto.com
434-960-2297

From the Stage

Front of the Barn


Historic Barn

The Year in Review

2010-12-31T12:56:00.000-08:00

2010 was a great year, and I'm excited about the possibilities of the year to come. So let's ring in 2011 with a year in review!

Here were some of my favorite 2010 posts:

- A Bear in Italy
Parts I, II, III
- A Strike of Dumb Luck
- Seein' Red
- Kill Devil Hills
- Miles and Josh
- Tiff and Her Beautiful Belly (I threw this one in there because I feel like, in 2010, a lot of friends started moving into the next stage in life.)

I wish everyone a happy, prosperous new year. I sincerely wish the absolute best to all. Let's make 2011 a fantastic year full of lots and lots of beautiful photos!

As always, I love comments!

-Will "Bear" Walker
www.williamwalkerphoto.com

Seein' Red

2010-12-06T15:13:00.001-08:00

I'd like to pose a topic of discussion. Recently, I've been the mark of an attempted fleecing. This is the second time I have been targeted by a scam of this ilk I might add (article from “The Hook” can be found here). For anonymity purposes the character opposite myself will be known as “Joe”.

So here's how it works:

“Joe” emails me saying that he is in fact in charge of arranging a photographer for his boss's son's December wedding just outside of Winston-Salem, North Carolina (about 4 hours due South). There are a few typos in the email, but nothing that screamed “SCAM”.
In light of the fact there is a clear and present sense of urgency, I forward my packaging list along with mileage and hotel costs. I also ask in this email, where EXACTLY the wedding will be held, i.e. name of the bride and groom, the name of the church, the address, etc.
The very next morning I receive a reply from “Joe” excited to move forward with things hastily as we are on a deadline. He asks me to quote him an exact price on a certain package, asking if they could swap 4x6's for 5x7's and shortening my shooting time by 2 hours. I add my package together and I forward him the $xxxx.xx quote along with a very basic contract/information sheet stating my deposit fee is 25% of the total cost.
A couple of days pass with no word from “Joe” until I get an email saying that I would be paid half up front by check and half upon completion of services rendered in cash. I read this and a few red flags go up in my mind. I STILL haven't received any actual wedding information. So as to not aggravate my chronic “foot in mouth” condition, I reply that I generally require a 25% deposit and the rest be paid on my arrival on the wedding day, and “Did you receive the contract I sent you?”, “What are the names of the happy couple?”.
“Joe” emails back after a few days “Please bear with me William...” followed by, and here's the kicker, “You will receive a check and contract in the mail this week for $RANDOM.BS. Please deduct your deposit and forward the rest to the wedding planner...”
I send a very stern email back that reads something like “Dear “Joe”...I'm not comfortable receiving a check for any number different than we previously discussed...WILL NOT FORWARD ANY MONEY...call me by 5pm Monday to discuss...yada yada yada”

As someone who runs an honest, modest, “I do it because I love it” business this makes me FURIOUS!

Not only because I hate crooks trying to get over on other people just trying to make a living, but mainly because it wastes my precious time. If this was your run of the mill “Dear Gentle Sir, I want to give you $10 million...” email, it would have been trashed in an instant and I can go back to serving my clients better, but this scam robbed me of time. As I think back on what I could have done differently, I come up with nothing new as I try to serve everyone with the customization they desire.

So I'd like to hear everyone's thoughts or similar experiences. Please post, and please discuss!

Will "Bear" Walker

www.williamwalkerphoto.com

434-960-2297

Christin, Jared, and wee bairn Scarlett

2010-11-22T15:12:00.000-08:00

We had a blast this weekend shooting photos of the Poff family. Wee Scarlett is about 12 weeks old. I'm glad we did this session just in time for the holidays!

I love comments so be sure to post what you think!

-Will "Bear" Walker
www.williamwalkerphoto.com

Niketa and Shanna

2010-11-15T14:58:00.000-08:00

Late last month I had the opportunity to photograph Niketa and Shanna at the Dominion Club in Richmond, VA. We had a great time and the photos turned out great!

American Photos in Paris

2010-10-28T06:02:00.000-07:00

I know, I know... I haven't blogged in quite sometime, and I do apologize. It's been sort of a whirlwind October. 'Tis the wedding season and what not. While I have been busy snapping that shutter, Jess was busy with work in PARIS! Tough job huh? Her and two other colleagues at Afton Scientific were participating in an international pharmaceutical industry convention, and guess what, all of their trade show material featured images from William Walker Photography!

That's right folks, my photos were on display in another country! Now, I know it's not exactly the Louvre or anything but I still think it's pretty neat.

As always, I love to see people post comments and feedback.

Will "Bear" Walker

William Walker Photography
www.williamwalkerphoto.com

Fall family and friends event

2010-09-30T15:30:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful time for photos in Virginia! I love shooting family and friends, and to show my appreciation, I'm offering special discounts to all my buddies. If you've seen this ad, it means you either visit my blog or we're friends on Facebook, which in my eyes makes you a friend. Take advantage, book today!

-Will "Bear" Walker
www.williamwalkerphoto.com
434-960-2297

Kill Devil Hills

2010-09-20T13:27:00.000-07:00

Jess and I just returned from our vacation to Outer Banks in North Carolina with my sister Meaghan, her boyfriend Kyle, and our two very good friends Jackson, and Johnna. We had so much fun, I almost forgot to shoot photos! But, I didn't forget, and I did get an opportunity to capture this image.

One of my favorite places, since I was just a wee lad, is the town of Kill Devil Hills. Named for the rum, pilfered by "wreckers" of the frequent ship wrecks in the colonial days. The scavengers would hide their loot behind the large dunes (the same dunes, in fact, where the Wright brothers would later take their famous flight, even though Kitty Hawk, the neighboring town, has been accredited as the "birthplace of flight"). The rum was rumored to be strong enough to "kill the devil", and the town was then aptly named "Kill Devil Hills"... Get it?

The weather was beautiful the whole week we were there. One day in the middle of the week, the winds changed, the sea laid flat, the sun was more golden than usual, and the insufferable biting flies took to the air and to biting the CRAP out of me! Seriously, I still have bites on my legs, and they still itch. Even though the flies were horrible, I hiked up my big boy undies, gathered up my gear, and headed down the beach. As the tide was coming in, my timing got better, and my legs were enveloped in those little biting things I can only assume are the devils spawn, the image really started to take shape.

The sun was setting quietly behind me as the colors and clouds seemed to appear to offer the sun a fond farewell. My shutter opens as the small swells slide up the smooth sand, only to be pulled back by the immense ocean.

Will "Bear" Walker
www.williamwalkerphoto.com

As always, I encourage comments and feedback.
_____________________

I am offering signed prints on metallic paper in 11x14 size for $50
or a set of 25 press-printed folded 5x7 cards with envelopes for $100
for more information about ordering please contact me at
will@williamwalkerphoto.com

New Website!

2010-09-03T14:07:00.000-07:00

Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you... the brand new William Walker Photography website. Let me know what you think.

Will "Bear" Walker
William Walker Photography
www.williamwalkerphoto.com

2010-08-19T09:00:00.000-07:00

William Walker Photography now offers Slide-shows! I am very excited about this! It's a great way to "go green" in this digital era. By purchasing your very own High Definition slide-show, you, yes YOU, can help keep paper waste to a minimum. The really neat part, is you'll be supporting a great organization...William Walker Photography, your friendly neighborhood photog.

The sample posted here, is a low resolution video displayed in this venue to show you the chic stylishness of the slide-show, but imagine what it would look like in High Definition on your TV, or your computer screen, among friends and family oooh-ing and aaaah-ing over how awesome YOU look in this awesome product that showcases YOUR awesome day. Yes, ladies and gentleman, this truly is a great product, and if you call in the next 15 minutes, I'll throw in my boyish charm and a smile for no extra cost!

-Will "Bear" Walker
www.williamwalkerphoto.com
www.walkerphotoblog.com

The Parr Family

2010-08-17T14:05:00.000-07:00

Here's just a few shots from a Sunday portrait session I did with the Parr family. Enjoy!

Miles and Josh

2010-07-27T13:10:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, July 24th, Miles and Josh had a beautifully simple ceremony at the UVA Chapel, followed by a great reception at Escafe on the Downtown Mall. As both Miles, and Josh use to be UVA transit drivers, they drove the shuttle bus downtown in their tux's! It was a great, very HOT, day. I wish them the very best.

-Will "Bear"Walker

Nags Head

2010-07-21T11:12:00.000-07:00

On July 7th, Jess and I drove to one of my all time favorite places for a long weekend. The Outer Banks, North Carolina. My parents rent the same house every year for the week of the Fourth of July, I usually make it down for a couple of days each July and this time was no different except for now Jess was with me. Jess had never been to the OBX and dating me, the guy who visits the outer banks no less than three times a year, this was unacceptable.

We drove down after work that Wednesday. Not hitting much traffic, we arrived just before eleven. Mom and Dad were still up, and my sister Meaghan and her boyfriend Kyle, who had driven down earlier in the week, were rearin' to go. I think we stayed up til two or so, laughing and imbibing, relaxing and smiling. This is Nags Head.

The next day I'm up at seven-thirtyish and I'm itching to get my feet in the sand and surf. Mom, Dad, and I take my sisters dog, Cassidy the lovable yellow lab, down to the beach, just yards away, to throw the ball and such before too many people arrive. After a pleasant walk in the still cool morning down the beach I've walked since I was a child, we head back to the house where the others are starting to wake. Breakfast is made, along with the plans for the day, and eventually we end up right where we belong, on the sunny beach with our feet in the sand enjoying ourselves immensely. Later that evening, after a dinner of little neck clams and shrimp straight off the grill, my cousin and his girlfriend arrive, for a few impromptu days at the beach. As we give them the same reception as we received, I notice a lightning storm brewing over the Atlantic. I grab my gear and trot down to the sand to set up my shots.

The sea oats flutter in and out of focus while the textured sand stays effortlessly still. Waves crashing and receding into the deep blur of an ocean with a storm carefully tip-toeing on its horizon. I use a cheap ten-dollar flashlight to paint the scene with light, alone on a normally swarming beach. A beach where pirates and ship-wreckers used to gather. Plundering fertile trade vessels by running them aground with lanterns hanging around the necks of horses, imitating lighthouses. Lights around Nags' Head.

-Will "Bear" Walker
www.williamwalkerphoto.com

p.s. As always I love feedback and comments.

Animal House

2010-07-02T15:06:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the sabbatical folks. I know I sound like a broken record, but we have been extremely busy. Along with my busy wedding season, Jess recently moved into our quaint (tiny) farm house, and I'm sure everyone has their own fond memories of consolidating their cherished junk on moving day(s). Also, Jess' parents came for a visit, while entirely more fun, left little time for this humble blog.

After we hauled the furniture into our dollhouse sized home, decided what was "Feng Shui", and after the 'rents went off on their way, Jess put her foot down and decided she was going to get the cat she has been talking about for the last year. Spike.

Spike is a two pound ball of hair with a ferocity akin to that of a mighty jungle beast. Jess, Jackson, and I took the field trip to the Charlottesville/Albemarle SPCA on Tuesday, and came home with this cat. If you compare Spike to an old man they are quite similar: Long whiskers, hair growing out of the ears, he has to get up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom (multiple times), you get the idea.

I am glad we got the chance to give another animal a good home, as I am a huge supporter of the CASPCA. In fact, as my charity of choice, I have donated photos of some of the animals in the past in hopes of their adoption. Also my hundred pound hound dog pound-pup "Delilah" is my best buddy in the whole world. I've also done some work with AARF! (Animal Adoption and Rescue Foundation) in Richmond.

While, I am inherently not a "cat person", this kitten has ironically become exceptionally fond of me. Spike sleeps in the crook of MY knee, on MY pillow, and, don't ask me how he got in there but, in MY dresser drawer. I am getting used to the curious cat boxing me in my sleep, and the midnight pouncing to ensure our safety from the menacing comforter which has obviously enveloped our bodies. This cat is an adorable punk.

-Will "Bear" Walker
www.williamwalkerphoto.com

A strike of dumb luck

2010-05-28T09:20:00.000-07:00

Well, there ain't no rest for the wicked. On returning home from Italy, I was glad to be right back at work, giving myself no time for jet lag. My flight landed in Charlottesville at about 6pm or so on Monday, May 17th, and my next shoot was on Tuesday, then Thursday, Friday, Monday, and so on, and so on. I am ecstatic I can stay busy doing what I love, but in lieu of my constant shooting schedule and the endless hours of post-production, and administrative work that comes along with it, I've had no time to blog about the things that really get me excited and I apologize.

Last night however, it's about 11:30, and I think I hear the rain start. I open my front door, not to rain, but a beautiful light show and wind ripping through the giant oak in my front yard. I have been saving a special tree, down the road less than a mile, for this very occasion. I look towards Jess with excitement, and she at me with a brief moment of worry then realizes this is a battle not worth fighting and say's "Alright but you're not going alone". Now, I'm as giddy as a slightly overweight, hairy schoolgirl and we grab our rain coats and photo gear and head out the door.

There is a big field about a half-mile wide along Rt 20 where we live. I'm not sure who owns it but I'm fairly certain it belongs to Foothill Farm which is protected by some historical farmland conservation act. For those of you who don't know me, I am quite prone to "Exploring" other peoples property to find the best shot (the word trespassing just has such a negative connotation). So we get to the end of the field and we turn on to a gravel road, there is a gap in the fence providing access to the field, so I shift my trusty 4runner "Flo" into four-wheel-drive and into the field we go.

The atmosphere is surreal and amazing. Long grass, due for bailing, is lapping over the hood of my truck. The blustering wind is making the field dance to the music being made by the trees. The hangman's tree is directly in front of us, I stop Flo, grab my gear and we exit. The sky is bright and purple and black and orange. Lighting crashing all around us in every direction, we seem to be in the eye of this storm, yet we haven't felt rain yet. Flo's lights are off but we can still see everything as clear as day. I set up my tripod, frame the shot, and open my shutter. I put my arm around Jess, we don't worry about the lightning striking us, because this is one of those very special moments.

As always, I love feedback and comments.

Will "Bear" Walker
www.williamwalkerphoto.com
williamwalkerphoto.blogspot.com

A Bear in Italy Part III

2010-05-14T06:10:00.000-07:00

A Bear in Italy
Part III

The last few days, I have opted to stay in Città della Pieve while some of the other family members have gone to nearby towns. It's not that I don't like an adventure, or exploring, or exercise for that matter. What I don't fancy is trekking a mile and a half in the pouring rain to a bus stop. Once on the bus, there is an exciting ride to the train station in the adjacent town, Chiusi. Once at the train station, I am usually elected to be our italian speaking spokesperson, even though I have adamantly stated "I don't speak Italian".

My last endeavor, away from the familiar Città della Pieve, was to Florence. I of course was, reluctantly, encouraged to be our communications expert once we arrive at Stazione di Chiusi. I try my best, however, and am very proud of myself when I finally convey, to the nice man behind the glass at the ticket counter, that I want 5 round trip train tickets. With a smile on my face, I wait for the man to print my tickets. This is when he looks at me with anticipation and says, in italian, what I can only imagine is "That's great that you want some tickets, but where the hell do you wanna go?".

"Oh right!" I embarrasedly squawk, "Firenze!"

Our train does not depart for another 30 minutes, so we walk across the street to a small cafe. My mom tells me that she want's some coffee with steamed milk - what we Americans generally refer to as a Latté - So I step up to the counter, ready to confuse the Barrista, and out of habit say "Latté?". To my relief he says,
"Si. Latté Caldo?"

I assumed he was asking if I wanted a hot latté instead of an iced latté. "Si", I said. So I proceed to order three "Latté Caldo's", an espresso for my cousin, and a donut for my sister. My cousin gets his espresso, and the barrista puts three glasses on the bar and starts pouring "Hot Milk", which translates in Italian to "Latté Caldo".

Now I'm quite embarrased, so I try to explain to him that I wanted espresso in the hot milk, while he looks at me with a glance that says he either "really wanted to understand me." or "I can't believe this damn American had me pour hot milk when he wanted coffee." It's hard to tell really. The saving grace, was a very well dressed italian business man, sipping his Macchiato, who quite smuggly states "Cappuccino". The barrista complies and we receive our coffees. We downed our cappuccinos, which weren't exactly what we wanted but sometimes you just have to cut your losses, and went back to the train station.

Once boarded, we slowly start to pull away from the station, the conductor comes over the loud speaker with the stops we would be making and we quickly realize that in the confusion of buying the train tickets, I did not ask for the express train. Two and a half hours later, we arrive at the Santa Maria Novella train station in Florence. I had been to Florence once before, but this all seemed unfamiliar to me in the sea of tourists and pouring rain (see a trend?).

After some lunch in a small cafe down a side street, we weave our way through the people and the rain to the Uffizi. The line was around the block and it is still raining, so we decide to pass on Boticelli. We find "Il Duomo", it's raining harder now so we duck into some of the little shops around the piazza. The rain let's up a little so we venture down the street to the Galleria di Accademia. Michelangelo's "David" is seemingly more popular than Botticelli's "Venus of the Sea", because the line is much longer here than at the Uffizi. Again we choose to pass, and stroll along the streets, until we decide, after having viewed the "Ponte Vecchio", we are ready to go back to our quaint Città della Pieve.

After an even longer train ride than the ride to Florence, due to an unexpected 30 minute stop in Arrezo, I am quite content becoming more familiar with the small town, which I hadn't had a chance to really explore until yesterday. I am not trying to sound like I am not having a good time, or that I'm not appreciative of this wonderful opportunity, I am simply documenting our trip to Italy.

Here are some of the images I have captured through Umbria and Tuscany while the weather was permitting.

As always, I love feedback. Please leave comments.

-Will "Bear" Walker
williamwalkerphoto.com
williaamwalkerphoto.blogspot.com

A Bear in Italy Part II

2010-05-13T10:03:00.000-07:00

A Bear in Italy

Part II

One of the great things in Italy is the wine! One of the not so great things about vacationing in Italy is waking up the morning after an exciting marathon of wine tasting all night. I felt like my head had been pickeled, jarred, and put on the top shelf in the back of the pantry never to be used again. A van is coming to pick us up at 11am to drive through the country side into Tuscany, and eventually to a winery for a tasting. It's going to take a miracle for me to feel anything like a Human being by the time we get there.

Our drivers name was Luciano, and he is a very nice man who speaks decent english. Through Tuscany we stopped on the side of the road a few times to capture some of the surreal beauty all around us. The sky was overcast, which for some of my street scapes is great, but some of my landscapes look cold, gray, and
boring. I wish I had brought a tripod, all shots were handheld so I had to keep my apertures wide and my shutter speeds fast. I would've loved to have experimented with some longer exposures in the moving ocean of wheat that blew in waves over the landscape.

When we arrive at "Altesimo" around 3:45, I see the workers in the endless rows of vines trimming the bare plants. I ask Luciano to stop so I can exhibit my cat like prowess and scale a wall of a hill to get a decent angle on the workers. I snap a few photos and am not as happy with them as I would've liked, so I turn around and bound off my ledge to the drive below with extreme precision and grace like an elderly billy goat. We continue up to the winery, to tour the grounds and get back to the boozing we had so ecstaticly partook in the night before, to which I am still recovering from. I am in awe of the expansive property. In touring many of our fine wineries and vineyards back home in my beloved Old Dominion, I have never seen such an impressive display of size and production. The buildings must've been at least 15,000 square feet full of barrels, vats, and more barrels. This particular winery had emloyed 44 hectares of vineyards, which one hectare is equal to 2.2 acres according to our tour guide. That is 96.8 acres of grapes, which doesn't seem like much coming from the land of rolling hills and the expansive farms of the affluent, but once looking at the grapes it seemed enormous.

Now it's time to taste! We try three wines: The Brunello di Montalcino, the vintners mix, and the Rosso di Montalcino. The latter was my favorite. After purchasing a few bottles between all of us, we departed with a "Ciao". Luciano says he'll take us back to our villa on a different route so we have the chance to stop at some spots he had taken some pro photogs before, which was nice of him to suggest, but for those of you who know me, I'm really more interested in photographing the un-photographed. I'm extremely exhausted right now, so I'm not sure how the photos look, but it would be counter-productivefor me to edit right now in my zombie like state.

More to come when I recover consciousness.

-Will "Bear" Walker
www.williamwalkerphoto.com
williamwalkerphoto.blogspot.com

A Bear in Italy

2010-05-12T03:51:00.000-07:00

Part I

Friday was one of the most interesting travel days in recent memory. We are headed to italian villa for my grandma's 75th birthday. We boarded a flight in Charlottesville at 2:30pm. I have traveled with my travel camera bag many times before, including the Dominican Republic for a wedding, Aulstralia, and Mexico, but this flight however, was a fine example of how not to start a trip. The bag is a large Delsey Pro travel backpack with a laptop pocket. As I did not want to stow my expensive and fragile camera equipment under the plane, I opted to bring the bag in the cabin to the dismay of the cantankerous flight attendant, which to MY dismay, would not fit under the seat, nor in the overhead bin. After a few minutes of frantically trying to stuff, scoot, shimmy, and asking it nicely to "please fit", I convinced the stewardess to strap my faithful workhorse to an empty seat.

This was the start of my travel day...

Once boarded on our slightly delayed connection at Washington/Dulles (IAD), we took off in a reasonably timely manner. soaring through the air at 35,000ft, the turbulence started just after the first beverage service of our nine hour flight. I'm a pretty calm flyer and the main frustration of the turbulence was trying to read my book to pass the time while trying to hold my cocktail without spilling it all over my slumbering cousin in our generatiously spacious shoebox of a seat. The flight crew was even more pleasant than the first flight attendant from the puddle jumper we had taken from Charlottesville. I do not sleep well in planes, trains, or automobiles, so when I finally found a slightly more ordinary pose, I was a bit miffed when the wicked witch of United Airways, who I'm fairly certain collects social security, slammed the food cart into my slightly over-sized head. The only good part of our flight, was that due to the turbulence and the irony of the witch being afraid of bumpy flights (I guess she would've prefered her broom), our drinks were free because the lady was in too much of a hurry, to take her seat on the floor of the cabin, to charge us.

we land more or less on time and I am exhausted. We are hearded like sheep through the international arrival terminal in the airport in Rome to the immigration counter. I am greeted by an italian immigration officer with the disposition of a lame bulldog, it really was amazing to watch him hold the immigration stamp in his paw then gently throw my passport at me. Due to what I can only assume is a union break, our bags are gathered from baggage claim in record slow pace. We walk through customs and meet our driver who is actually very nice and speaks fluent english, he is to take us to the train station in Rome.

As our driver pulls up to the train station, he warns us of the pick-pockets often lurking in what oddly enough seems like a wee mall. It feels like a week since I've slept last, and we have 2 hours before our train departs for Chiusi. I find a perch on the second story of the station, overlooking the odd mass of well-dressed people in non-sensible but "damn if they don't look good" shoes. I'm not sure if it's due to the lack of sleep, my complete exhaustion, the difference in culture, or if it was just genuinely interesting, but for any of those reasons I couldn't stop watching the people. There are some odd characters dressed in all black, trying to direct us (against our will) to certain platforms with great urgency. They come closer and closer to us, hovering on multiple sides and I'm paranoid, I think they are pick-pockets trying to thin the herd and take our wallets and our American passports. Our train pulls into station and we are lined up next to the train door, directly in front of two women with no baggage, one with a baby and one of the women is pregnant, Gypsies. in the harried rush of boarding the train in the busy station and watching the men in black intently, I failed to stay aware of the gypsy women behind us. We enter the train and find our seats, and I am relieved to be away from the M.I.B., when my grandmother tells us when of the gypsies tried to stick a hand in her purse! Luckily, my normally docile, well traveled, 75 year old grandma, karate chopped the woman with child and was able to save her wallet and passport. My Grandma Bitch Slapped A Gypsy!

2 hours later,we pull up slowly to the platform at the Chiusi station and I have gathered all of the families bags from the overhead storage. We are waiting patiently at the door and when the train stopped I go for the latch...locked. "hmmm..." I said, and realized there was a red light above the door that I imagine meant "Locked". The light goes out and I reach for the latch again, it still won't open. I look to the car in front of us and the people there seemed to be having the same issue. The train starts to move slowly again so I run to the front of the next car to find an italian porter in shock that there are still people who haven't exited the train at their rightful stop. I signal the rest of my family to come to the door I have found open, and the porter is quite irate with me. I haven't mentioned this yet, but I speak absolutely no Italian, but I do my best to explain to him that the doors were locked, which he, less than politely, yops at me that they were most definitely open. In any case, we are now off the train a bit flustered, but off the train none the less.

We emerge to the front of Stazione di Chiusi to find two cabs available for fare and I succesfully butcher the italian language enough to let the drivers know that there are seven of us and we'd like to take both cabs to the adjacent town, Città della Pieve, to the Villa my Grandma has so generously rented for the whole family. We hand them a piece of paper with the directions on it, written in Italian, that the property representative had provided us with. The two cab drivers debate back and forth on to where exactly this place is, then encourage us to get in the taxi's. As we wind through the hills of Umbria, I am in the front seat of a taxi, sitting next to a very chatty italian man who hasn't figured out that I don't speak Italian. I accomplish, miraculously, to not offend the man with a stumbly, smiley combination of "Si...Bene...Preggo", which I'm not sure what I said "Yes...Good...Thanks" to. When we arrive at what we are fairly certain IS our villa, the person who is supposed to meet us there is nowhere to be found. We have a telephone number for the person and have one of the cab drivers call since A) We don't speak Italian, and B) We only have a very pricey international cell phone that no one has any idea how to use. Apparently, we are at the wrong house and we have to meet the person at a mutually agreed on spot somewhere in the town itself. I can tell the drivers are getting a little frustrated with our party but we head to town to meet the guy. I still haven't slept and it's about 5pm Saturday now in Italy. We meet our man and follow him through what seems to be the roads we were just on and when we arrive at the house, we realize it's the same damn house we were already at! At this point, I'm pretty sure, my cabbie is pretty pissed off, but I'm not certain because like I said before, my Italian is a little
rusty.

We are finally here! And after a long grueling trip I am happy. There was plenty more that happened which I have chosen to omit due to the already lengthy post, but I will post more photos of the beautiful Città della Pieve nestled in the hills of Umbria in days to come.

As always, I love feedback.

-Will "Bear" Walker
www.williamwalkerphoto.com
williamwalkerphoto.blogspot.com

Afton Scientific

2010-05-06T16:05:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I started a multi-part shoot at Afton Scientific where Jess is gainfully employed. Afton is a pharmaceutical manufacturing company here in Charlottesville. The goal was to capture images to utilize in trade show displays, website, brochures, and just general marketing.

The shoot was really fun because I got to suit up in sterile garb. We played with interesting and expensive looking equipment, and shot LOTS of photos of sterile vials. I look forward to the next stage in the Afton Scientific campaign.

Will "Bear" Walker
www.williamwalkerphoto.com
williamwalkerphoto.blogspot.com

Camping

2010-04-21T08:58:00.000-07:00

As I stated in my previous post, Jess and I had gone camping last weekend. We take a few trips annually, and this was the first of 2010. We had a blast. We stayed on the back side of Crabtree Falls at Shoe Creek, which is a very popular Jeep trail. One of my favorite feelings, is crawling up rocks to the top of a mountain in Jess' Jeep.

Another highlight of this weekend was being able to capture some new images for my "Water Series". All prints are available for purchase on metallic paper. For more information please contact Will Walker and William Walker Photography.

-Will "Bear" Walker
William Walker Photography
Charlottesville, VA

New in the Rustic Series

2010-04-21T08:32:00.000-07:00

Jess and I got out of Charlottesville for the weekend and went camping with some friends. As always, I brought my faithful Canon along, in the event we found a rustic barn or something really cool on the way into the mountains. Shooting in mid-day isn't ideal but sometimes it can make for a really contrast-y sky if there are any clouds present.

I know spring is in the air, and there is beauty abound, but I just love these barns in black and white. It gives me a sense of chronological ambiguity. Timeless in a world of electric cars, iPhones, and...ahem...blogging.

I hope you enjoy. There is more from the camping trip coming soon.

-Will "Bear Walker
William Walker Photography
www.williamwalkerphoto.com
Charlottesville, Virginia

Ted Pitney

2010-04-08T16:34:00.000-07:00

Another really fun shoot was Ted Pitney. Ted now has his own band, but has also been a part of the band "King Wilkie", and plays often with Sarah White. I had an especially good time shooting Ted. He was a great sport, and wanted to make sure we came away with some really great shots. When we started talking about shots by the Moormans River, I could see the wheels turning in his head, and with a slight bit of hesitation, Ted tossed around the idea of him in a suit, wading in the water. I immediately got excited about the idea, and encouraged him that those shots would be the best of the day.

As we drove around the county, Ted and I discussed musicians and music trends. I look forward to seeing Ted play live in the future and I hope walking through the frigid Moormans was worth it.

Read about other local musicians in the April 15th issue of "The Hook" on newsstands, or visit www.readthehook.com on or after april 15th.

-Will "Bear" Walker

Drunk Tigers

2010-04-08T16:07:00.000-07:00

This week, I've had the pleasure of photographing some Charlottesville area bands for "The Hook" local music issue. "Drunk Tigers" were really fun. They have that "whatever looks cool" attitude that I look/yearn for every year when I shoot this issue. It also helped that the bass player (second from left), Daniel Sebring, is a long time friend of mine from my musician days... and yes! I am a mediocre musician with far-fetched visions of grandeur, rock-and-roll status, and talent... a kind of, "Closet Rock Star" I guess.

This issue is always an exciting challenge for me. Trying to coordinate all members of a band, at a suitable time, and at a less than suitable location, is a bit like herding scatter-brained yet artistic, instrument playing, idea-filled, nay-saying cats. And did I mention, on a dead-line? Once assembled, however, the photo session is extremely fun and liberating, knowing that I don't have to cater to the "Norms of society" because it's "Rock and Rock" and that we should all "F*** the Man!".

There will definitely be more posts with other bands from this issue. As always I thank you for reading this blog.

-Will "Bear" Walker

Ivy Inn

2010-03-28T08:31:00.000-07:00

Those of you who know me, know that I LOVE to shoot food. I am quite the cook myself, and I'm always interested to watch Chefs in their kitchens. Friday, Angelo from the Ivy Inn was kind enough to let me hang-out with him while he made his "Lobster Raviolo" (apparently it's "raviolo" instead of "ravioli" because the pasta was large and singular.). I had a lot of fun and the dish was delicious!

You can read more about it in "Kitchen Confidential" in this weeks "The Hook" which will hit newsstands Thursday.

-Will "Bear" Walker

RBS in DC

2010-03-20T09:55:00.000-07:00

The Ron Brown Scholar Program is an amazing opportunity for a very select group of above average minority high school seniors from less than affluent families. RBSP offers a full ride to any school (usually Harvard, Yale, Brown, Dartmouth, etc.) of the students awarded this prestigious scholarship's choice. Along with the extraordinary education, RBSP puts these young adults in touch with a "family" of powerful and influential leaders of business and politics, plugging these students into the champagne circles of the world.

This weekend I have the privilege to cover the RBSP Selection Weekend in our nations capital. This is a very humbling experience. Last night I met the finalists for this years scholarship(s), a group of funny, charming, nervous, and extremely gifted students. Among the guess list were a couple of Senators, an Ambassador, the President of the U.S. Peace Corps, President Obama's Chief of Staff, and the Secretary of Transportation, to mention just a few members of the Ron Brown "Family".

Right now I'm off to cover the RBSP Alumni meeting and solve the worlds problems with some of the brightest minds in America. My hotel Roommate is among the Alum, and is currently studying law at Columbia in New York. I feel truly honored to be among these brilliant people.

-Will "Bear" Walker

Rustic Series

2010-03-16T19:05:00.000-07:00

As Spring is fast approaching, I thought I'd say goodbye to the gloomy grayness of Winter with a new series. The 2010 "Rustic Series" captures the forgotten pieces of history in Central Virginia. With captured images from Madison, Albemarle, Orange, and Greene County, signed prints are available by contacting William Walker Photography. Also, William Walker Photography and Bear Frames (Jessica and I's custom wood picture framing outfit) are slated to be a non-reserved vendor at Charlottesville's City Market this spring.

For more information about William Walker Photography or Bear Frames (website and online store coming soon), please contact Will Walker.