Memories of Charleston

This has been a great year of photography for me.  I learned so many new things that I will use for the rest of my life as a photographer.  I look back now and see how far I have come in just a year and I get excited to see what happens next year.  I believe the New Year is a great time for reflection and it allows you an opportunity to see what will happen in the future.

What are my goals?  I still have much to learn and I want to put my learning into overdrive.  I used to spend so much time learning and practicing but I hit a dry spell that was hard to get out of.  I have found a lot of inspiration from photographers from all over the world.

I want to market better and more effectively.  Marketing has always been the hardest part of this career choice.  Its not enough just to take good pictures, you have to get out there and show it.  So with this in mind I have been putting a new marketing plan.

I also want to publish a book or start making the plans for it.  I have been putting together a plan to see how different aspects of a photograph affects the individual viewing the picture.

I have huge plans for the upcoming year.  I want to take a look at the pictures that have gotten to me where I am now.

My friends Steve and Jessica's Engagement.

My trip to Washington D.C. which was a milestone for me personally.

 A very lucky morning on Isle of Palms.

New Features

The only thing that remains a constant in our lives is change and sometimes change is good.  I have made up some changes to the website (www.garsteckphotography.com) and I would like to show you those changes.

Changed banner and new page added:

The Specials and Offers page is a new page that I have been waiting to launch.
I am now able to send out coupons to people and I have setup a monthly special.  On the Specials and Offers page you will be able to see the monthly special coupon.  Along with coupons for regular customers, I want to be able to offer special offers for those who sign up for the Garsteck Photography Marketing Team.  When you sign up you will be given a coupon code and people who you have refered will receive 5% off any order and you will receive 10% of the profits from those sales.


New portfolio page:

I have heard several people tell me that they wish my pictures were easier to find.  I took the advice and placed everything into appropriate categories.  So instead of a hundred galleries that you have to sort through, you only have a few categories to sort through.

What about upcoming changes?  Soon I will have a "Stock" page where people can sort through the entire Garsteck Photography catalog and people will be able to download the desired image and have it liscenced to them under varying terms and conditioned.  Theres no need for extra costs for meetings and no more invoices.  Just select the license and download the image.

If you are interested in signing up for the Garsteck Photography Marketing Team, contact me through email at g-photography@hotmail.com.

Black and White.

Black and white is what I prefer to shoot in.  I want to show you a few bw photos that are a favorite of mine.

This shot was for a long exposure challenge that I placed 4th in.

This picture is taken inside of the Cotton Dock at Boone Hall Plantation in Mt. Pleasant SC.

 

 This is taken on a lucky foggy morning on Isle of Palms the day before my first art show.

Some new old photos

A few months ago I was just out to watch the sunrise and take some pictures of it.  I never edited the HDR's that I had prepared and I stumbled upon them and decided to finish the job.  Here is one that came out which is now available in the Nature's Calling gallery.

www.garsteckphotography.com

Newest updates!

Today has been a very productive day.

First off, the portfolio page has been revamped and re-organized.  Now you can find the picture you are looking for easier.  If you have any suggestions for changes to the site in any way, please let me know by emailing me.

Im excited to now offer coupons through the Garsteck Photography website www.garsteckphotography.com.

There are three different coupons to your benefit.

1.  Membership - Become a member of Garsteck Photography by signing up for the E-Mail list or this blog and you will receive 10% off any order (with no limits or minimum to buy) for as long as you are a member.

2.  Tell a Friend - Refer a friend who orders or books an assignment and you receive 15% off your next order of prints or booked assignment.  (You must have their email address on hand to receive the coupon)

3.  Monthly Specials - Receive $20.00 off an order of $100 or greater.

I cant wait for the next development and I will keep you in the loop so make sure you subscribe.

Let me share...

So much has been on my heart lately.  Ive been going through major life changes and sometimes I cant make heads or tails of most situations.  I take a step back from my life and look back to what is written in the Bible, where we are being tossed and turned back and forth by the waves and its attributed towards our weak faith.

This is not where I want to be in my life.  I know I shouldnt be doubting certain aspects of my future, but the flesh in me gets the best of me.  Yet I have the choice to go with it or go another path.  Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.  So if I say I have faith but I am doubting because I cant see whats in front me and it causes me stumble around back and forth, then do I truly have faith?  The Bible says we dont and this is where I am often finding myself.

My stumbling block comes from not being sure if photography is what Im really called to do or if this move is really what Im called to be doing or Im just getting ahead of myself and bighting off more that I can chew.  Honestly when we find ourselves in situations like this, just take a step back.  Realize that God gives us the desires of our hearts.  We also need to realize that God gives us anything we ask for as long as its in His will.  Most of the time when we dont receive what we pray for its probably not because God doesnt want to give it to us, but rather because we dont ask and believe it will happen.  We dont accept that God really does want to bless us or we doubt that God can or will.

I hope this finds you in good standings.

New Images added.

Thanksgiving this year I found something extra to be thankful.  I woke up to heavy fog outside and I was like a kid in a candy store.  Fog is my favorite environment to take pictures in.  I have added a few of them to the nature gallery on my website.

United Live!

 Last night the North Charleston Dream Center hosted United Live.  The event included a Gospel Rap duo as well as an intense drama skit.  Ben Mayer brought it home with an amazing testimony and message.  The energy was intense and I am looking forward to seeing the next event.

God is doing great things in this community and throughout the rest of the world.  I cant help but excited to see what happens next.  Change is coming and its coming from above.

Help Needed.

An opportunity has come about recently for me to pack up and move out to Los Angeles for ministry.  I will be doing a 6 month internship with the Los Angeles Dream Center as a photographer on the marketing team.  I will be showing the great things that the Lord is doing in one of the most poverty stricken places in our country. 

This is a great opportunity that is full of opportunity and great blessing.  My heart is to show just what the church is doing in our very own back yard.  I truly believe that God will use me to bring awareness to those who would otherwise be ignorant to what is going on right in their own city.

However, like all great things there are a few road blocks in my way.  I dont have the funds at the present to partake in this internship.  This is where I am humbling myself and asking for help.  Im not asking for handouts but am offering my services as a photographer and an artist. 

With Christmas coming around the corner many people find that family portraits are better than any gift they could possibly give to a loved one.  I also have galleries full of fine art that is available.  If you wish to donate it can be accomplished through paypal and donating to g-photography@hotmail.com.


This is for a great cause to further the Kingdom of God.  If interested, you can contact me through the information found on my website.  Ive seen great things come from the Church when united.

Brent Grenda and Lindsey Watkins' Engagement

Brent and Lindsey are both good friends of mine that recently became engaged to each other.  We were hoping that the weather would hold out for either Sunday or Monday but the forecast looked grim for weather.  We decided to play it by ear and prayed for good weather.  Instead of just good weather we got amazing weather with an amazing sunset to finish off the day.

I cant pick my favorites because I love them all.  I love capturing these moments of two people in love.  Capturing life, its what photography is all about.

Controversy

I have a reputation of being controversial and having the ability to say whatever no matter how bad it might seem.
I thought to myself that I need to change a lot of my speech to glorify God, however, God made me a controversial person. In times such as these, we need to be able to be controversial so that truth might be established.

So, why not use this gift of controversy that God has given me? I like it when people say, "ouch" after something I say, I just need it to be a necessity when spoken as well as truth.

My favorite photograph is one that has to do with my dislike for the military. To this day, no other photo has caused as much controversy. I want to bring this side out of me again. Anybody can take a picture of a pretty sunset, but not many can inspire and move people with a meaningful photo that speaks truth.

This is my goal, and this is my next phase in photography. Stay tuned, for the photos I have planned are coming your way.

Man Up - Men's Retreat

Last weekend a group of about 40 guys went out to the mountains of North Carolina for fellowship and spiritual renewal. This trip was an amazing experience and I am glad that I was blessed to go.

The weather conditions werent ideal for camping, it rained and was very cold. Yet despite these few set backs we still continued to do what God intended for us to do. Needless to say, the weather didnt stop anything from happening.

The mornings started off with breakfast and then some prayer and worship followed by a message. On Saturday one team headed into the mountains while another group went white water rafting. Those that went into the mountain hiked to the top and then rock climbed. It was quite a workout to say the least. The greatest part of the trip was seeing so many people conquer their fears with their fellow brethren.

We all came back with a great bond with our fellow brothers and we all knew it was a "marker" in all of our lives.

A few new photos just added.

Today I escaped to Fort Moultrie to just catch the sunset out there and I got a few lucky shots off that I think you will enjoy.

Thoughts on the protests in Washington this past weekend.

This past weekend I was able to travel to our nation's capital to photograph a special protest. I was amazed to see so many people come together and unify once again under one goal, making their voice heard.

The thing that upsets me is that we are supposed to be unified under this president but there is so much seperation, moreso now than ever before. When was the last time nearly a million people got together to march and protest together in our country? The thing that upsets me about this is that it seemed to get no press from the media. I feel there is a problem when people will try and cover something up when it becomes detrimental to their "cause." Their is a major lack of morality in our country today and its truly bothersome to say the least.

People are trying to stand up for what is right and instead of doing the right thing and taking responsibility for their actions, they are going to place the blame somewhere else. It doesnt matter what political party the fault belongs to, its a matter of morality and that was a major topic at the protest.
Something that was interesting to me about the protest is that there were a few that seemed to be uneducated about the subjects being protested. There are people on both sides that dont think of the issues at hand but just stick to their "party" they have been associated with. So many people voted for Obama because he is a black man regardless of his policies. On the other side people protest whats going on in Washington just because it doesnt sound right to them or they have a personal agenda to deal with.
Does anyone else have a problem with this mentality in our country? I think that if we are to truly change things, we do have to stop playing sides but we also have to have true accountability. I know for a fact that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. The people in the leadership position have a problem because their position puts them in a place where they can be corrupted much easier. I think our politicians are more concerned about re-election instead of taking the interests of the people first.

All I have to say is that you need to stand up for what you believe in, just be sure that what you believe in is right. Just because you believe strongly in something doesnt justify doing something wrong. Be 100% sure of anything that you do.

These images along with other images can be found on my website www.garsteckphotography.com in the gallery called "The March On Washington"

March on Washington

I was fortunate enough to make it to Washington to photograph a major protest. Whether you agree with the views or not, the movement in the people of America. We all need to work together and its amazing to see hundreds of thousands of people unite for one cause. This is where we can move forward, as one unit and one people.

I placed all the images in a special gallery on my website, www.garsteckphotography.com.

Fountain

I was waiting for my party to arive for a shoot downtown near the fountain at Waterfront Park. This is a great place to come and just relax and sometimes you will find people playing in the water. I took a few snapshots of the kids playing in the water. The sun was just perfect at that time. I love taking pictures of watever, whether its a slow shutter speed, fast shutterspeed to capture every last drop or even the reflections of trees by a lake.

New Gallery - Hootie and the Blowfish Homegrown Roundup.

http://garsteckphotography.com/gallery/9255583_Bn7Xy#618119268_4N68c

I was fortunate enough to shoot an amazing event today. A friend asked me to shoot a community outreach for priveledged children in the area. Back to school supplies were given out as well as new shoes, free dental exams, hair cuts and much more. Darius Rucker was there along with other folks from the band Hootie and The Blowfish were there to take pictures and sign autographs.

New Gallery

I just created a new gallery on my website

the gallery is called Studio Work.

Take a look see if you like. :)

New Studio

Ask and you will receive.

I have been wanting a studio for some time. Most the projects that I want to get done require me to have studio lighting and since I didnt have much access to a studio on hand, I couldnt get the work done.

Now thanks to a generous friend, I have all the studio equipment that I need. The only problem is now I have to get the pictures done which isnt really a problem at all. I have a whole new world of photography to discover.

I hope that you will take the opportunity to come by and get some photographs taken so that I can bless you as I have been blessed by others. Dont forget that senior portrait season is upon us.