Ruby Marx - 2020.

Ruby is no stranger to this blog. We have shot together several times now, and even once before the shutdowns started earlier this year. She messaged me about shooting some grad school graduation photos and had a very specific set of ideas in mind (that ended up changing a couple of times, but such is the creative process).

We ended up spending part of an afternoon walking around Atlanta’s Piedmont Park trying to find some interesting backgrounds that didn’t have people enjoying their Labor Day Weekend in them. I think we did pretty well.

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On a technical note I’m actually pretty excited about how these photos turned out (and the previous two cat shoots) while using the Capture One Beyond Styles that were released just a short time ago. Out of all of the various film emulations and presets I’ve messed around with, these seem to be both the easiest and for the most part the most true to their representations. I can’t wait to be able to play around with these more in a studio environment.

Ryan (Charlee and Yara) - 2020.

“…We named the dog Indiana.”

Henry Jones, Sr. (Sean Connery) - Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989).

I’ve been wanting to make that joke publicly for the longest time. I promise it’ll all make sense in just a few moments. As with many of my performing friends, Ryan was introduced to me with a different name. If you have spent any time on this Blog or any of my social media accounts, you may recognize her as having been listed under a stage name.

All of this to say, when I met her long time cat-roommate Charlee (the fluffy brown lady), I had Connery’s line running through my head (and still do just about every time we spend time together). Although to be fair, in this chicken/egg scenario…I’m not sure which Charlee came first.

When I was coming up with the idea for this project and pitched it into the world, was just about the time that Yara (the tiny black one, just a few weeks old) came into Ryan and Charlee’s world. They are still in the process of getting to know and love one another, but in due time they will both accept their roles and sisterly love.

There’s no podcast this update, but hopefully soon I’ll sit down with Ryan herself to talk about some of the interesting things she’s currently working on. Stay tuned for that, but for now…CATS!

Nathan and Sara (Bishop and Church) - 2020.

Nathan and Sara were some of the first friends I made after I moved to Atlanta in 2010. At the time Nathan was DJ-ing at a club where his wife Sara was bar-tending her way through her Doctorate. The first time Nathan and I actually “spoke” to each other was after a Friday night event on the same week I had all four of my wisdom teeth removed.

His Facebook message poked fun at the fact that I mostly sat by myself not paying attention to anyone in particular, and it wasn’t until I let him know of the recent dental surgery that we started the first part of our friendship. Flash forward sometime later and Sara invited me over to their home at the time, where Nathan and I got into (no shit) a 3 hour conversation about the “Terminator” franchise of movies. We’ve been close ever since.

I’ll get into it more when the time comes, but for now please enjoy the first steps into a long term project “Cats who live with my Frinds”

Let Me Take Your Picture - Episode 2
Nathan & Sara (Bishop & Church)

In this episode, Blake describes a new project that he is starting and sits down with some of the first friends he made after moving to Atlanta a decade ago to talk about one of the things he loves most in the world...cats.

At the end of the podcast I mention how much Church is just done with all of us and has retreated to the blanket fort, below are a few extra photos of that as it actually happened.

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Rivers Langley - 2020 (2018).

So, naturally, I’d be the guy who would want to start a podcast about taking photos of people…during a time when it’s not wise to get closer to 6 feet from someone. I can’t say I’ve ever had the best timing, but when the idea strikes, you have to act on it. Thankfully I know some awesome people who are willing to step up and take on a challenge.

Back in 2018, I had the chance to meet up with Comedian and Podcaster, Rivers Langley, and take some new head-shots at the Standard Deluxe compound in Waverly, Alabama. Check out the first batch of these photos from when Rivers and I first shot together here.

So going back to the podcast, I took a look back at some of the photos I didn’t use back in 2018 and came across a few great moments that I felt needed to be shared and figured I’d chat with the man himself about what he’s been up to in the time of Corona.

Let Me Take Your Picture - Episode 1 - Rivers Langley:

Blake sits down virtually with Comedian and Podcast Host, Rivers Langley to talk Headshots, Comedy, Podcasting, and some experiments with long gone Polaroid film. To see the photos talked about in this episode, make sure to visit the blog at: UNEXphotography.com/news/2020/7/19/rivers-langely-2020.

During the episode Rivers and I talk about some of his experiments with Polaroid film. He sent me these photos to share with everyone, and I think they are pretty cool. I knew this kind of thing was possible, but I’ve never really tried it myself!

And if you liked the cut of Rivers’ jib, make sure to check out and subscribe to his very entertaining podcast:

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