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Hey guys and gals, I’m happy to announce that on Saturday, February 11, I’m going to be taking a limited number of Mini Portrait Sessions throughout the day. I typically leave weekends open for portrait sessions, but, on the 11th, I’m opening up the day for those want to schedule a mini photo shoot but can’t set it up during the weekday. To make it even more of a value, these sessions will be priced at only $50. Here’s all the info:
Who: You!
What: Mini Portrait Session for $50 + tax
When: Saturday, February 11th (available session times below)
Where: Willow Branch Park, Riverside, Jacksonville, FL (Google Maps Link)
How: Pick a session time below and call me at (904) 383-7768
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Jan 30, 2012 | Categories:Photography, Promotions | Leave A Comment »
My name is Jacob Vorpahl and I run One Bright Spot Photography, based out of Jacksonville, FL. I’ve been dabbling in photography since 2007, after I returned from a tour in Iraq with the United States Marine Corps. After many years of public service, I’ve decided to make photography my primary vocation in life. I hope you’ll return to the blog often to follow me on this journey.
Currently, I’m engaged in 365 photo project, which is basically a photo for a day for a year. Anything titled “365 2012…” is part of that project.
Jun 02, 2010 | Categories:Uncategorized | Leave A Comment »
I was traveling through the Riverside area of town today and I recalled that they have some of the old brick-paved roads still intact in some of the streets down there. I’ve never really payed much attention to them, so I decided to check it out a little closer. Scattered throughout these sections was this imprint formed on the tops of random bricks. It made me curious: Who was this company? Where are they now?
A little internet research says that the Southern Clay Manufacturing Company was big back in the 1920s. These bricks in particular were likely sold to Jacksonville around the late 1920s. Unfortunately, a hurricane struck Florida around this time and the building boom that had been taking place halted abruptly. Eventually, with less business from Florida and new road paving techniques having been developed, the Southern Clay Manufacturing Company filed for backruptcy in the late 1920s and was sold in pieces shortly thereafter.
Things like this make me want to continue my project of photographing Jacksonville. There’s actually a lot of history here, if you look for it. For instance, did you know that Jacksonville used to be a Hollywood-esque town back in the day? Film was a big part of the city, and for some reason I’m not quite sure of, it drifted away. Interesting stuff.
Feb 02, 2012 | Categories:Daily Photos, My 365 | Leave A Comment »
Sarah and I had our friends Devin and Shannon over for a game night after Sunday night church, and I figured, why not take a picture? (Because that’s the typical thought you’d have when company comes over, right?) Devin decided to play along and we went outside and tried to take a photo for my 365.
It wasn’t working out quite how I wanted, but I wasted enough time lugging everything outside and getting my ratios down. So, instead of trying to perfect the shot, I just took what we got and called it off. I mean, when Rook is waiting inside, you got to get moving. It should be noted that Sarah and I won. In case you were wondering.
Feb 02, 2012 | Categories:Daily Photos, My 365 | Leave A Comment »
I had a few minutes during the day, so I wanted to see what kind of set up I could throw together really quick made up of from my pool of photography gear.
I put up a quick shoot through background with a flash behind it (that’s how it’s all white), then I set Jaxson next to the living room window in a Bumbo seat. Click. Done.
It helps that he loves to smile.
Feb 02, 2012 | Categories:Baby, Daily Photos, My 365, My life | Leave A Comment »
Occasionally, when I have no business that takes me out of the house during the day, I’ll keep Jaxson home with me. It’s just really hitting me that he truely isn’t going to be as small as he is today, and he’s only going to get bigger and continue to change. So, I want to spend time with as much as possible to take it all in while I can.
So, on this day, I had him on the ground on his mat and he kept trying to roll over. Moreso than usual, as he was literally laying on his side and burrying his face into the mat trying to get all the way over. I had been watching him like a hawk for over an hour, looked away for 5 minutes typing something up, and I look past my my laptop screen and this is what I saw.
I was happy, and so sad. I missed it. Technically, he DID make onto his stomach, but his left arm was stuck underneath him. So, in MY mind, I’ll just act like this one didn’t count.
Feb 02, 2012 | Categories:Daily Photos, My 365, My life | Leave A Comment »
Today I was working with Dan Riddick (@DanRiddick), the Communications Director at Trinity Baptist Church. We were taking some promo shots for some material they’ll be sending out soon highlighting some positive aspects of the Trinity Christian Academy. Our model for part of the shoot, Morgan Woods is the daughter of a friend of ours, as well as being a student at the academy.
I know the family pretty well, which means I also know Morgan, and I know that she’s a pretty laid back girl, as well as someone who wouldn’t get embarassed by a goofy picture of her surfacing on the internet (I did get her consent, promise!). So after we finished getting our shots for the promo, I told her about my 365 and she was happy to oblige with a potentially-embarassing-but-fun-lighthearted photo. Thanks Morgan.
Here is an actual image from the shoot:
Jan 27, 2012 | Categories:My 365 | Leave A Comment »
I’ve been riding my bike for exercise in recent weeks, trying to enjoy Florida’s uncharacteristically warm winter. We usually are hanging around the 40s and 50s as highs during January and February, but it’s been keeping in the mid-70s for almost the whole month. And you won’t find this guy complaining, that’s for sure.
I have a number of bike photo ideas that I’ve wanted to do, but I just don’t have the equipment in hand to get it done. Additionally, I have no reason to purchase something expensive to mount the camera just how I want it when I probably will not use it for actualy business purposes and that’s not a smart way to spend your money. So, I just keep resorting to using the tools I have on hand to create images, and this is my latest effort.
I wanted to convey a sense of motion, and the shadow turned out to be a happy accident, so I decided to instead focus on it.
Jan 26, 2012 | Categories:My 365 | Leave A Comment »
Well, you can’t win ‘em all. Basically, this 365 shoot turned out nothing like what I’d hoped. I thought the location we were going to had different characteristics to it than it did and pretty much things went downhill from the start. The sun wasn’t in the right position, the fence wasn’t whole, the flash started acting up on me, etc. etc. Pretty much it resorted to: ok, we’ve got lemons, what’s the best lemonade we can make? I had Moises sit down next to this fence post and start reading, and I just couldn’t compose the image I wanted with the environment we were working in. So, I tried anyhow, and then nailed a quick portrait to make myself feel better. That’s just how it goes somedays*.
*Unless you’re a client, and then this off the cuff, seat-of-your-pants style wouldn’t happen because commissioned shoots are preplanned, these 365 photo shoots aren’t. They’re the equivalent of tinkering.
Jan 25, 2012 | Categories:Daily Photos, My 365 | Leave A Comment »
I solicited my Facebook and Twitter friends for a volunteer model this afternoon and my friend Victoria quickly jumped on the opportunity. I took her senior photos and we had, what may have been for me, one of, if not, my best photo shoot yet. She’s a natural in front of the camera and a genuinely sweet person. She also happened to be on my side of town this afternoon and our schedules worked out perfectly.
I was looking for someone to pose for some ideas I had for a portrait at sunset. I’ve done a pretty good job at nailing portraits using natural light but the next step is to master using flash. I’ve been using flash for a few years now, but never as a major part of my style. I’m hoping to change that. We took a few shots and I wanted to accomplish two things: get a regular, standard portrait with a nice fading sky, and something else. Thankfully we were able to get both.
Jan 23, 2012 | Categories:Daily Photos, Flash, My 365, People, Photos | Leave A Comment »
