Last weekend was a crowning achievement for the University of Arkansas’s School of Art. What started out as an idea, turned into a rather large grant (the largest in the history of universities, save athletic programs). And along with that huge grant, came plenty of meetings, lots of plans, the reworking of those plans, even more meetings and the collective support of the faculty and students. And now, a major milestone has been achieved: The Grand Opening of the Windgate Studio + Design Center.

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Spend enough time in Northwest Arkansas and you’re bound to hear someone mention Fox Trail Distillery. They’ll probably mention that Fox Trail is the only distillery in this area. And in the same breath, you’ll also probably hear that their drinks are delicious. And this person would be right on both accounts. What you may or may not hear from this person however, are some other subtle details which in my opinion, make Fox Trail even more of an experience than just a place to “grab a drink”. (Click to Read More).

Today on the blog: Recent editorial photography work for the latest issue of Arkansas Wild Magazine, featuring the 2021 “Champions of the Wild.” Champions of the Wild salutes those individuals who have gone above and beyond to keep Arkansas’s wild places clean and accessible, develop the next generation of sporting Arkansans and conservationists, and improve the quality of life for us all. (Description courtesy of Dwain Hedba)

Click the link above to find the issue online or keep an eye out at your local newsstands.

Cheers!

I have always enjoyed working with the University of Arkansas’s Art Department so when the fine folks who head up the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences asked me to spend a couple days photographing the facilities and student life, my answer was an enthusiastic yes. I’m always fascinated by the quality of the education here in our area and I’m very grateful to be a small part of it.

I recently had the opportunity to work with political candidate Nicole Clowney, to create some photos for her campaign. I would attempt to summarize how cool she is, but her Facebook Page does such a good job that I feel I should simply copy and paste it here: 

A heartfelt thank you to all of my friends and clients who made 2017 such a memorable year. This blog post contains some of my favorite commercial and lifestyle images from 2017. I couldn't pick just a few favorites, so there's a lot. Send me your medical bills for injuries related to excessive scrolling and Have a Happy New Year. 

I recently had the opportunity to hit the road and create a portrait series for the latest issue of Arkansas Wild Magazine. The upcoming issue, entitled Legends & Young Guns, profiles individuals in Arkansas who are extremely active and experienced in areas of outdoor sports and conservation. Today, I'm sharing the portrait series here on the blog. Enjoy!

I'm convinced that you cannot live in Northwest Arkansas and not hear about The Preacher's Son, a fairly new restaurant and bar concept from the brilliant minds of The Ropeswing Group. The atmosphere is beautifully dramatic, yet homey and subtle. And the food...well the food is downright delicious. (You may recall a recent blog post for Food and Farm Magazine recipe for a salad that I couldn't stop eating.) Executive Chef Matt Cooper and his well-trained and good natured kitchen staff use locally sourced ingredients and insane amounts of creativity to create dishes as delicious to eat as they are beautiful to look at. I recently had the opportunity to hang out in the kitchen and create some images for the restaurant and today, I'm sharing a few of my favorites. Enjoy.

For full menu and hours, visit The Preacher's Son website.  

I recently had the opportunity to work on a publication project for Susan Schadt Press out of Memphis Tennessee. The project, a book chronicling the history and newly revitalized Shelby Farms Park, was recently completed and published. A couple weeks ago, I attended (and participated in) a book signing/launch event, a first for me as a photographer and as a living/breathing human. The finished product looks amazing and I am truly honored to be included in such a talented group of collaborators. Book design by DOXA.

Say hello to the the fine craftsman at the company, Assemblage. Nestled in the beautiful hills of Madison County, this small company hand-crafts (in their own words), "bespoke wall coverings" for a wide range of high-end clients. I had the opportunity to hang out at their workspace, an older but renovated rural factory building and photograph them for Arkansas Made Magazine. Here's a few of my favorite images. Enjoy. 

The historic downtown areas of Northwest Arkansas are alive with revitalization and growth. And thanks to the wonderful people at Highstreet Development and Stronghold NWA, a rather large building in downtown Rogers is poised to be a huge part of that process. Formerly known as "The Dollar Saver Building, the large structure is in the process of being gutted, cleaned out and outfitted for a number of retail and living spaces. A large portion of the building is slated to be the new home of Onyx Coffee's production and day-to-day operations while also housing a coffee shop. There are also rumors of an upscale restaurant, a bakery, a craft cocktail bar and loft apartments being planned for the structure. I was hired by Highstreet Development to photograph the building in its current state. Enjoy the tour. 

I am very drawn to the culinary world, simply because the process, and the artistic vision behind it is fascinating to me. So it was fun for me to have the opportunity to hang out with and photograph Chef Matt Cooper of The Preacher's Son. Wow, what a nice guy. I thoroughly enjoyed following him around the local farm as he literally picked the ingredients for a delicious salad, the recipe of which is soon to follow in the upcoming issue of Food and Farm Magazine. And when all was said and done, Matt let my try the salad...and I couldn't stop eating it. 

Many know Scott Schroen (Shh-rain) as a tall, lanky mountain biking machine. As the General Manager of Phat Tire Bike Shop, it's true that he spends most of his time working in the cycling world. What you may not know about Scott though, is that he loves (and is equally talented at) wood working. And lately, he's been balancing out the stresses of work and life by quietly designing and building high quality wood furniture out of his well-equipped garage/workshop. His most popular product is the Ozark Chair which features the state of Arkansas in the design of the chair, beautifully carved out of wood and perfect for porch or lawn sit'n. 

I recently had the opportunity to hang out with Scott for a bit and to document some of the building process for Arkansas Wild Magazine. Scroll down to see a few of my favorite images from my afternoon with him as well as information on Scott's wood-working business, Timbernak Designs. 

I recently had the opportunity to work on a project for Cycling Illustrated Magazine, OZ Trails NWA and Laneshift Mobility.  The project features legendary mountain bike racer Brian Lopes and his first trip to the area. I had the honor and privilege of spending a couple days with Him, along with Andre Pepin of Ellsworth Bikes and locals Clayton Woodruff of Progressive Trail Designs and Dustin Slaughter of Slaughter Trail Guides. It was a unique opportunity for me to not only witness first-hand some of the best mountain biking I've ever seen, but also to create images of it. Many many thanks to everyone for letting me be a part of the adventure. Enjoy the images and the link to the video. Cheers!

This week, I am honored to be featured on the Bear State Bank blog. I've been working with Bear State for years now and they are great clients and good friends of mine.  I've visited most of their branches in Arkansas, Missouri and Oklahoma and I have to say that in all honesty, every one of those branches is operated by friendly, hospitable and knowledgable people. I love being a part of their ever-growing business and laid back, personable culture. Thank you all so much for the feature.

Amidst my time off, I have had the opportunity to work on a few commercial and lifestyle projects. This was easily one of my favorites. Micah Goodwin is a resident of Little Rock, Arkansas. When he's not working his day job as a lawyer, you can find him, suited up and "running" some of the country's craziest whitewater environments. Thanks to Arkansas Wild Magazine for the opportunity to not only photograph, but even witness this guy in action. Enjoy. 

As I was driving through a town recently, I was struck by this building with no roof. I promptly stopped and parked. As I walked around the premises quietly surveying the remains, I realized that what it lacked in functionality it more than made up for in personality and character. As best I can tell, it was an old automotive store/shop. I'm not sure what happened to the roof, or portions of the actual building. But I can tell you that I felt right at home there. 

For years, I've had the idea in my head to make a video for Novo Studio. The idea for the video was inspired by a voicemail message I created years ago that, in my mind, accurately describes why I would not be answering my phone. And to have a video that started from the voicemail message and then, journeyed into my life as a photographer and as a person seemed to make sense. Plus, I could put some music to it and avoid the awkward challenge of talking about myself and my business. 

But of course, life happened and with an incredibly busy season and twins, my idea remained an idea until I decided to take a creative sabbatical. When writing out my sabbatical bucket list, the creation of this video went right to the top and with the help of my dear friends and creative colleagues and my wife, I am happy to (FINALLY) share this video with you. Many thanks to Bryan Fittin, Jason Miller, Murray Williams and Kristen Thomas for making this whole thing possible. Enjoy. 

Another post from the unpublished drafts section of the blog: These are from a commercial project creating imagery for the University of Arkansas Art Department. Enjoy!