MudEyes

BIG news on the business front!

When Holly and I met she was looking for someone to teach her more about photography and trying to find out if she should go to school again for that instead of sticking with graphic design which is what she graduated with.

At this time, I was looking for someone to design me a logo and website. That’s the premiss of how we met essentially for those of you who didn’t know. So she was looking for a photographer to show her the ropes…We technically have to say we met on-line… Which is kind of embarrassing for us =) She always makes me tell the story when people ask because I can tell it in a way that doesn’t spotlight that fact but doesn’t lie about how we met either!

My point is that at first Holly was with me shooting weddings because I could use a hand being pretty inexperienced, and because she wanted some more practice. We quickly became a great team and have actually been together since my first paying wedding!

So the whole point of this story is that Holly has been more in the background where I got most of the credit for her amazing editing, and a lot of her shots that no-one knew were hers! You can’t say we are just Ryan Richard Photography anymore. It’s not just me, it’s us! She has improved by leaps and bounds and there is no way I could produce what I promise without her. So to celebrate and recognize the goodness she brings to the table, we are now GAUPERPHOTO!

What do ya think? I struggled for a while about changing it to my last name because no one can seem to say it right! If you actually look at it and sound it out, it’s not that hard. Gaw-per. Not Galper, Glopper, Grooper,Goopie,Golper,Gumper,groper or Galapanokis.

GAUPER … I have gone through a lot of frustration, but I am putting my trust into mankind one more so please don’t let me down! Even with Ryan Richard people would always call me Richard for some reason, or say Ryan Richards…So I am counting on you guys to get it right… got it? =)

So anyway, we have a bridal show coming up where we are the only photography vendors. The Radisson is putting on a non-traditional show that is going to be really great! Unfortunately, we have a wedding in Long Island the same day. I have been super pumped to do that wedding but we are bummed to not be able to do the show but we figured a big NY wedding and a big bridal show would be the perfect time to unveil a new logo and name!

Part of the deal of having a free booth and being a preferred vendor all year for the fanciest hotel in town was that I had to shoot the bridal show. Since I obviously couldn’t I asked if I could hire someone out to do that so I could still have the booth. I had someone great in mind and they accepted! My favorite new wedding photographer is Diana Vermeulen of Moxie Photography. I have been referring people to her left and right because she does great work for the price so if we are booked on your date or are a little out of our range, be sure to look her up!

Since we are getting an all new identity, we needed a few fresh new images of us to display at the Bridal show we will be doing a full session soon, with another one of my new favorite photographers we have been hanging out with, Melissa Gregersen

But since we didn’t have time to do a full session we went out for a few shots with my brother in law Dave who we are thinking about hiring on as an intern this summer.

He graduated from Western with a marketing degree and we think he has a lot of potential not only on the business side but possibly behind the camera with some practice! These are a few shots he took for us. Thanks Dave!

Pretty nice for his first time wielding a nice camera right?

We wanted to do a giant overhaul with a new website and blog but that just wasn’t going to happen by the NY trip and we really wanted to do it for the show and the wedding. Be on the lookout for at least a new blog by the beginning of the summer because a nice blog is LONG overdue and we know that. The new one will be much more enjoyable to visit!

But anyways, that’s the big news! I hope you guys like it. I feel like we have more of our own style and the old logo only portrayed our traditional and classic side but had nothing to do with the rustic and industrial side. I think it suits us much better and is much more modern. Let us know what you think!!

Gauper out =)

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Well we had our first workshop in Kalamazoo this weekend and after all that planning and scouting and hard work we got to have some fun!! We found some excellent locations and even more excellent models to be our subjects!

I started out the Day cramming their brains full of technical knowledge while trying to only melt their brains a little bit! I think it went pretty well but there’s only so much you can take in at once!

Then came the shooting. We started out at this cool loaction by some train tracks, only these train tracks had extra rail material! It worked out even better then I had hoped.

Jessie’s head isn’t this big in real life =) I am using the Amazing Canon 14mm f/2.8L II Ultra wide angle lens to get this effect as you can tell later I have a lot of fun with it!! Our second model Alli was awesome as well. Thank you ladies for trashing the dress for us. I think it was worth it =)

Our next location was behind the building we used on Sunday. I found some kind of washing machine graveyard!

And behind THAT was a bunch of old trailers and onother cool yard that made for lots of great variety.

I was pretty proud of everyone for really getting in there and not standing back at eye level I thought I would really have to get on people to get close and use angles but they were great!

You may recognize Noah and Alex since we haven’t updated our website’s front page in a while but they were one of our favorite engagement session and wedding so we thought that would be pros by now, and they proved to be just as comfortable with 12 people snapping away!! You just can’t go wrong with them. Thanks guys!

Holly really stepped it up this weekend and may have gotten better shots then me! Seems like that’s what our models think since they keep using her shots for their facebook profile pictures! =) Good thing she’s not competition is all I have to say.

I think I still held my own though 😉

The next day it was nasty snowing rain so I have to thank Mark Kieser for giving me a key to his building downtown so that we could still get a lot of good indoor natural light shots. Our Models Holly and Lauren really did great!

A big thanks to Brandon who helped us with a little bit of male subject matter when he wasn’t shooting with us! =)

We Had soooo much fun and I met some great people that I think have a ton of potential. We didn’t get to edit as much as I would’t have liked but we are thinking about doing some editing focused workshops soon. I can’t wait to do another one! Huge thanks to our future Bride Gillian for doing hair and make up!! We can’t wait to do a tour and meet even more great photographers and models!!!

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So the title says it all… We may be a little to ambitious for our own good right about now! We are behind on last weekends 52 so I will start out with that!

What the deuce week are we on again…. ah, [12/52] I shall call it… Don’t bug me, I’m busy!

I finally have my own computer and it only costed me 5 grand to get Holly one! But I guess it is all worth it… At least she won’t pull her hair out editing 25 weddings this summer.

I have Been working on a time lapse video for the move. Once I find the time to edit it nicely its going to be awesome! we have like 14,000 shots from paint prep to moving and some fun stuff in between heres a couple previews of some fun stills, pretty much unedited just so ya know!

All taken with the fisheye and the D700…it is going to RULE!

Lets see… I have also been putting together a Keynote show for the workshop THIS weekend… I love keynote… I love mac… 100 times better then anything I have seen power point produce and it was my first time. Here’s a couple screen shot previews

I am pretty pumped about it, I’m not gonna lie!

Now the weather, I am NOT pumped about, but we will be praying the rain away 😉

Preece preview to come soon!

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Hey Guys! we have been getting a great response for the workshop and I have been rounding up some models for us to practice on and found a great location that hopefully the city wont mind me using! I can usually get away with sneaking around abandoned places but its a little harder with like 16 people =) There is like one spot left in the kalamazoo workshop and a few in the Dayton one so I am really pumped to have some fun soon!

Holly has really been nailing the editing process which is great for all you workshoppers! So without further adue, here is Jessie!

Man I wish I could post them all this big but it barely gets cut off of the right side. Dont worry we are planning to get a new fancy blog soon with big pictures for all! heres some more =)

I don’t know why but I always like seeing pictures of people on shoots. So I thought I would share one of my own!

Wasn’t she great?! Now I don’t know if I mentioned this before, but this is a NON zoom, prime lens ONLY workshop! I may have someone bring a kit lens or even a pro zoom but only to illustrate how much better a prime is. Notice also that I am close to my subject using a 50mm. I have seen a lot of workshops where they all stand 10-20 feet back as if there was a line, but that is not going to happen in ours. You will be pushed out of your comfort zone to get different angles and get close, because primes loooove to get close!

Hope you enjoyed this! We have a hair and makeup artist come in from Detroit that is actually one of my brides so our subjects are going to look edgy and stunning! Get excited!!

p.s. I only put 10 on here because I dont like to log jam my blog but if you add me as a friend on facebook, you can see 27 of them! =)

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Details for the Kalamazoo and Dayton workshop have been set! We are still working out locations and the fine details but here’s the story!

I have been really getting pumped about getting sponsorship from borrowlenses.com and if these two workshops go well I would really love to do some traveling around the country and do a workshop tour. I sure know enough people in a lot of states to make it possible!Here are some of the cities where workshops could happen this fall:

Salt Lake City, UT
Detroit, MI
Denver, CO
Dallas, TX
San Francisco, CA
Cedar Rapids, IA
Nashville, TN
Phoenix, AZ
New York, NY

So if you are a fan or a friend and would like to see us come down and do a workshop for you and your friends please let us know! Wish us luck =)

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