The time has come to send out the annual Christmas card. I wanted to include my buddy Atlas in the card again this year. Paying tribute to the movie "A Christmas Story," this is what I came up with.

And now for some details...

Three images of Atlas were used in order to get the proper look. He has a short attention span and won't hold still for very long. He doesn't naturally like the flavor of cardboard, a little peanut butter does the trick

This is the main photo of Atlas that was used.

I used his tongue and ear from this photo.

The other ear was clipped from this photo and added.

Self portrait of me looking shocked.

The blue color makes it easier to isolate and remove the background.

This fence post served as the flagpole.

An out of focus photo of Broad Ripple park serves as the background.

Combine everything together and...

Check out cards from years past.

www.shawnwilliamsphotography.com/2009christmascard.swf

www.shawnwilliamsphotography.com/christmascard.swf

AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days

It’s about time I get caught up on some posting, so here goes…

In July of last year I went to the AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days in Lexington, Ohio at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. It was a rainy weekend, bikes were sliding off the track into the grass and people were wading through the mud pit that was the swap meet. Being the hardcore bikers that vintage motorcycle enthusiasts are, despite the torrential downpour, the air was filled with the rumble of classic machines.

The sun finally came out on the last day of the event and we witnessed some great vintage motorcycle racing. Here are some Pictures from the event:

Vincent/Ducati hybrid

A nice Honda in the cafe racer tent

I love cafe racers!

2009 at Vintage Motorcycle days was the year of the BSA

I'm not sure what it is but I like it

My personal favorite: The Triton

A rare Ariel square four sitting in the rain

The unapproachable Norton waiting for it's turn on the track

Time for some racing!

Kenny Cummings on his Seeley Norton. Check out the evolution of this bike on his site: http://www.shelbynyc.com/nycnorton/index.htm

Sidecar racing on vintage BMW's. What a kick to watch.

See you next year!

This is my buddy Atlas.  He's an 11 month old Great Dane/Boxer mix.  Atlas made his way to my studio from a shelter and is happy to be here.  Being part Dane makes him very large but he's as gentle as can be.  This "sweet horse" as my friend Brad calls him, will be hanging out with me in my studio from time to time, learning the ins and outs of the photography business.

Why should I hire a commercial photographer?

Almost everyone has heard the saying "A picture is worth a thousand words."  It is up for debate weather a picture is actually worth a thousand words, ten thousand words, or fifteen words in some cases, but there is an element of truth to the phrase.

If you are trying to make a living selling a product, a picture can make or break a sale.  What does it say about a business if the photographs on their websites, catalogs, or publications are of poor quality?  How many words is a bad picture worth?

I often have clients come to me after trying to do their own photography and not getting professional results.  They have an expensive camera and flash but this is the kind of results they are getting:

Both of these photographs were taken with the same camera.  The top photo was taken using a flash mounted on top of the camera.  The bottom photo was taken using studio strobes.

This is just a simple illustration of what a commercial photographer can do for the image of your product.  Which photograph do you want speaking for you?

Classic Bike Show at the Melody Inn

Last Friday was the 3rd Annual Rockers Reunion and Vintage Motorcycle Show & Party at the Melody Inn in Indianapolis.  This sounded like something that was right up my alley so I hopped on my bike, made sure my girl was securely fastened behind me, and headed on over.  Needless to say, I wasn't disappointed.  There were so many impressive classic bikes, it was hard not to post all the photos here.  I tried to whittle it down some but I still ended up with a lot.  

Awards were given out for the best bikes in several categories: Best Cafe Racer, Best Rat Bike, and Best in Show. Try strapping a large trophy made of jagged old bike parts to your vintage cafe racer...  not an easy task.  

After the show, we rode our bikes down through the city circle and finally to the Brass Ring in Fountain Square, where we spent the rest of the evening snacking on chips and artichoke dip.

I'm a sucker for old British bikes.  This BSA is a great example.

Winner: Best Rat Bike

The cloud of smoke that came from this bike when started was quite admirable.

A vintage Vespa with all the bells and whistles.

Yahama SX-650

Triumph Thruxton 900

A new classic.

A very nice BMW 750/5 cafe racer.

Winner: Best in Show

This was my favorite bike of the bunch: A 1971 Norton Commando cafe racer owned by Tim O'Donnell.  Tim is the owner of Shamrock Cycles where he hand builds bicycle frames.  Check out his website: http://www.lugoftheirish.com.

I really like the old Triumphs.

Honda CB 750 Four

Moto Guzzi

Winner: Best Cafe Racer

I believe this is a Honda CB 350 Four.  What a beautiful bike!

Suzuki 250

Kawasaki kZ900

Photos by Shawn Williams Photography