Combination of Talents :: Photography + Fused Glass Art

ALM Photo + Sassy Glass Studio = Great Photography for Great Art

The holiday shopping season may be over, but the "shop" we set up for the Sassy Glass Studio Open House has been left open so Allan and I have access to the inventory and can shoot photographs of all the pieces. There are a couple of reasons why we need the photographs- one is so the pieces can be listed in the Sassy Glass Studio Etsy shop and another is to create a portfolio showcasing my one-of-a-kind fused glass art so I will have an actual book to take to shops and boutiques to see if any would be interested in carrying my art. Allan and I set up the light table and lights in the still unfinished photography studio, but at least it is a huge space to work in and I can work on the photographs in stages. Some of the photographs we took the other day are shown below. This project will keep us busy for a while as there are over 100 pieces to shoot, but it will be so worth it to have great photographs that really show off the uniqueness and beauty of each work of art. Be sure to check out the Sassy Glass Studio blog for updates on this project in addition to the Etsy shop.

ALM Photo will be announcing two absolutely fantastic new photography packages in the next week...stay tuned!! Also, if you know an artist who needs professional photography for their on-line shop, website or blog, pass our information on to them...they will thank you!

ALM Photo :: Carlene Steenekamp - 2008 Tennessee State Figure Champion

Allan and I recently had an opportunity to photograph Carlene Steenekamp, 2008 Tennessee State Figure Champion and nationally qualified figure competitor, for a calendar as well as her portfolio and website. Carlene's month for the calendar is May, so I developed a season appropriate concept for the photographs involving the outdoors even though it was November. The one thing none of us expected would be for the temperature to be at it's lowest of the season so far- maybe 40 degrees for the high. Carlene arrived in good spirits and full of enthusiasm even though she was within days of her next competition, NPC National Bodybuilding and Figure Championship in Atlanta, and getting her body ready for the stage. Donning a gorgeous green and gold two-piece posing suit (designed and created especially for her by her mother) Carlene braved the cold temperatures for a few of the concept shots outside before turning a particularly unattractive shade of blue and being whisked indoors. Some of you may know that the ALM Photo studio has been a work in progress and is still not completed. Carlene was an absolute trooper as we continued the session in the less than toasty unheated studio. Below are some of the shots from this session and we look forward to capturing more images of Carlene in the near future. She is on her way to the top!

Please click here for more information about Carlene and her fitness and wellness business, Mommy's Body. Yes, it's true! Carlene has a Mommy's Body! She is the proud mother of three beautiful children. Determined to get back her pre-baby body after her third child, Carlene made her personal fitness and well-being a priority and was soon in the best shape of her life. Soon after this achievement she decided to pursue her dream of being a figure competitor and went straight to the top. Throughout her training Carlene met lots of women, many of them also mothers, who wanted to know how she got in such great shape. This lead to the development of Mommy's Body. Mommy's Body helps clients through pre-natal, post-natal and all the years beyond by educating in the areas of strength training, cardiovascular endurance, and proper nutrition. Contact Carlene today, whether you have a Mommy's Body or not, if you want to get in the best shape of your life. Just don't forget to contact ALM Photo for your fabulous "after" photographs!

ALM Photo :: Pierre Steenekamp Corporate Portrait Session

Pierre Steenekamp
COO/Managing Director
Bel-Essex Corporation
Knoxville, Tennessee


Allan had a corporate portrait session with Pierre, who needed some professional photographs to use in company printed materials, as well as for the board room. As you can see, Allan was able to capture several different expressions from Pierre while still keeping them very professional. These photographs were captured against a dark grey background, but soon ALM Photo will be able to incorporate their Virtual Background system into their portrait work for an infinite number of background options. Stay tuned to this blog to follow the completion of the ALM Photo studio and the installation of the Virtual Background system. It's going to be like nothing you have ever seen before. We guarantee it...

Contact ALM Photo should you have a need for corporate portraits for advertising, business cards, websites, blogs, or conference rooms.

Studio Update #11

Things were getting kind of crazy around our property and we finally got a new walkway and stairs installed thanks to Adam. It was a little embarrassing for our visitors to have to walk up stairs, through the unfinished studio and down the connecting walkway in order to get into our house. Much better...

Stairs just before completion

The studio's interior is ready for insulation and once that is installed we can have the drywall put up and the floor laid. This studio is truly a labor of love...if Allan and I didn't love each other so much we would not have survived this project this far into it.

We haven't forgotten that we have a business to run, so we have been busy shooting and are looking to log some studio shooting as soon as the new space is ready. Look for us every Thursday at Wild Wing Cafe shooting the rail jam. Photos are also on Flickr @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/almphoto/sets/.

Lisa's bunny garden - viewed from the porch of the photography studio

Bubba waits patiently for a chance to see his friend, Baby Bunny

Studio Update #10

Allan and Adam moving the dog pen

The porch complete with ceiling fans

It's been one month since the last general posting and even longer since an update on the studio progress; however, there has been some progress, though not as much as we would like. Lisa is still waiting for the plumbing to be completed so she can move into her new glass studio and the siding upstairs needs to be finished before the insulation and drywall can be finished. Allan, Lisa and Adam have been working on other aspects of the construction in the meantime since it would be foolish to just sit back and wait. Lisa and Allan are getting antsy because they want to get into the studio and set up the new background system and become one with it. Here are some recent photographs of how things are looking and if you are in the neighborhood feel free to stop by and say "Hello", not only to see what we've gotten ourselves into but to feel better about the chaos in your own home environment. Seriously. In order to even get into the house you have to practically circle it completely which is not ideal when carrying glass out to the kilns. All the frustration, messiness and treacherousness will be well worth it in the long run...or so we keep telling ourselves.

(L to R) The art show tent drying out, the back deck and evidence that plumbers are here

(L to R) The front porch and back deck, the dog pen, and a side view

Brief Update...

Allan and I are getting ready for another art show for Sassy Glass Studio, this time in Blowing Rock, NC. Work has been progressing on the studio with much it being of the virtually unnoticed kind, such as landscaping and cleaning and organizing. Long, hard hours have been logged over the past couple of weeks and Adam, Lisa's brother has been a wonderful help. He not only has kept Allan and Lisa slightly more sane but has done a ton of work, willfully and skillfully. Check out the Sassy Glass Studio blog (see link over on the lower right side) for the show recap early next week.

ALM Photo: Studio Update #9

It's been a while since the last studio progress report...but most importantly Spring has arrived. Beautiful sunshine and warm temperatures make my heart happy!

The studio is shaping up and there are now stairs to get up there so I can wander up and see how the light shines in the windows and on the porch. The weather has been so wonderful I wish I could sit on the porch all day, but the glass business has been keeping me very busy and as soon as the studio is done I know I will have plenty to do in there as well. Here are some photographs of the studio from a week or more ago. The concrete has been poured and the yard between the house and the studio is a total wreck- trenches for electric and water have been dug- but the inconvenience will be well worth it when I can work in a space bigger than a thimble. The glass studio is progressing also- lights have been installed, so I don't have to be scared going out there after dark. I will post some more photos soon...There has been quite a bit of progress since these photos were taken.




Stairway to studio

Extra garage...for the motorcycles

Glass studio...it's getting there

ALM Photo: Studio Update #8

Even though we have been having a lot of rain, the studio construction is still progressing. We now have windows and doors and Allan and I have been making a lot of decisions on colors, hardware and lighting. These are big decisions that will impact the studio space and our work stations. We returned from Pennsylvania on Monday evening and have been very busy this week. The Glamour Workshop in PA was great and we got a bunch of nice images and also met some local photographers who were a lot of fun. I have been working on my fused glass inventory for the Dogwood Arts Artist's Marketplace which starts next Friday and runs through Sunday afternoon. Allan has been an electrician all week in an effort to get the large kiln power supply hooked up outside my new glass studio. Not a free moment around ALM Photo this week! Check out the photos below and stop by and see us next weekend downtown on Market Square. Look for the booth manned by people barely able to keep their eyes open!

Glass studio floor (very important!)

Entrance to Sassy Glass Studio

Hobo fire- great for cooking hot dogs and waste disposal

Inside looking out

ALM Photo: Studio Update #7

Wow! Now the studio is starting to look like a studio. Doors and windows were installed this week and work has also begun on the Sassy Glass Studio (http://sassyglassstudio.blogspot.com) space in the lower part of the former garage. It is so exciting to see the daily tranformation. It is also fun to spend a lot of time at Lowe's picking out doors, door hardware, ceiling fans, light fixtures, and flooring. Too bad I don't root for Jimmy Johnson and Lowe's NASCAR Sprint Cup team! Some recent photographs of the progress are below.

Windows installed and roof over deck

Patio door installed- Love it!

Allan stoking the hobo fire

Sassy Glass Studio

We are headed to Pennsylvania today for a glamour workshop with Rolando Gomez of San Antonio, Texas. This will be my third workshop with Rolando and Allan's fifth. He has written two books and produced several videos on the subject of photographing glamour. We will return home with some great images and new knowledge. Every day is a learning experience! More updates on the studios next week.

ALM Photo: Studio Update #6

Progress has taken a Spring Break of sorts but it looks like things will pick up after the bad weather predicted this weekend rolls through. The deck off the front of the studio, which will be the entryway, is being constructed and should be completed next week. There will more updates next week.

ALM Photo: Studio Update #5

Some of you may be wondering why ALM Photo is building such a large and beautiful studio and the reason is obvious if you have ever stepped foot into the space in which we currently work. The photo below shows the current ALM Photo studio/office and has not been altered in any way. As you can clearly see it is cramped and not conducive to creativity or efficient productivity.

ALM Photo Studio/Office

Today's rain has halted construction temporarily but the photographs that follow clearly show that progress continues to be made. Allan is shown modeling the open feel of the ginormous bathroom. The deck work will continue as weather permits and new photographs will be posted after the weekend.

Allan catching up on the latest photography information

We leave for the WPPI convention in Las Vegas in a week and are looking forward to learning from other successful professional photographers and see all the new products available. Allan will be like a little kid in a candy store when he hits the trade show. Enjoy the weekend!

ALM Photo: Studio Update #4

The ALM Photo studio is really starting to look like, well, a studio. Four walls and a roof make a huge difference in the appearance of the structure. Baileigh still tries to climb the ladder although I don't know if she has thought through how she will get back down. Bubba actually winces each time a hammer strikes a nail. Poor little guy!
The photographs below are of the progress over the last couple of days. Today, the deck should be going up and the rest of the roof completed. We expect the studio will be finished in May. Keep your eye on the blog for more updates and information.

Trusses are up

Baileigh trying to climb the ladder

Sunroof

View of the pond from the kitchen window

Plywood and tar paper

ALM Photo: Studio Update #3

The construction of the ALM Photo studio is progressing smoothly, except when we are experiencing torrential downpours, and the roof should be covered within the next few sunny days. The photos below show both the outside and inside of the studio. I made sure I took some photos when the sun was rising so I could see how beautiful the view is. Baileigh was so excited about the studio she tried to climb the ladder several times.

One wall

Four walls

Sunrise

Bathroom (in back corner) and
kitchen area

Allan's workspace