Boone NC with Bex Sunglasses

So as I have happily mentioned many times, I love sunglasses. It might be the only thing I truly collect. So when the opportunity presented itself to work with a new company out of Las Vegas, NV called Bex Sunglasses, I was pumped. I had worked with the newly sponsored model, Miss Olivia prior and when they asked who she preferred to use, well I was lucky enough to be that person.  After speaking with the company over the phone and introducing myself a plan was in motion. I spoke to them about their vision and how I can accommodate it but stay true to who I am and how I work. They were quick to mention I am only 1 of 3 photographers ever to work with them which I take as a compliment in itself. After talking with Olivia and Lorie ( her mom ) we had a decision to meet in Boone, NC to give them an urban look for our first outing. I mentioned it to Wes, and he was quick to agree to join us for the session. This was cool for me for a few reasons. One he has had a session with me in the past but has never really seen my work on the other side of the lens, and I was happy to have the company for the long ride over and back. We met the ladies at Mast General store and we were off.  Unfortunately, I can't share the images from the session as they haven't seen them yet but trust me when I say, I'm excited about how well it went. The Fuji Xpro2 did exactly what I needed it to as it always does.  We spent the better part of 2 hours walking around downtown trying to keep it casual, unposed, and genuine. The company also voiced branching out to the outdoors sports world ( yes please ) so we were also on alert for anything that may tie those together. Unfortunately, the climbing wall I envisioned was closed, but we had about 60 seconds inside Magic Cycle after hours to try a few shots. I admit those will not make the cut. I felt like we were imposing and rushed more than I should have to not wear out our welcome. We used any and everything we could think of or stumble upon. I have 1 more session to knock out prior to starting in on these but then its on. I guess you will have to follow us on IG @throatpunchproductions and follow them @bexsunglasses to see Olivia rocking their gear! Until then, head up and keep clicking that shutter button.
P.S. Coming soon to IG is images from another sunglass company that has reached out to us called @southernmostshades as well as some incredible spices ( for you foodies ) from @thespicebeast. 
 

No Fluff

A sample from the session I refer to later in my ramblings. 

I want to try and write more freely and more regularly but hey, life happens.  We are currently preparing for court in the morning where we make the adoption of Austin official and we couldn't be happier about it.  I have just sat down and decided now is the best time to try and get my thoughts into print.  First thing first though. I shoot mirrorless and since switching over ( best decision ever ) I find myself shooting much less in general.  Normally because I like the system and it works exactly how I like to shoot so getting the shot I want is easier to capture. Thus leading me to shoot less for the desired result. That is what I am talking about in this article. I volunteer at our church and I am on the Photography Crew that helps capture moments and events. We recently had a team meeting and while conversing someone asked why I shoot mirrorless, and I explained like I did above and they responded, " I bet you shoot light huh?"  On an average wedding day, this person said they shoot between 2000 and 3000 images, while I shoot between 500-800.  I explained I don't have a need to exhaust my equipment, clients, and self to have multiple images of the same moments from the day. He then replied " well I prefer to shoot for the emotion and not a perfect moment", where I replied Yep me too.  I completely understand what he's saying. It's easy to see a moment and snap with proper exposure and compensation but miss a feeling.  It is easy to assume you have it and move on to something else but I do not do that. I strive for feelings in my work, not perfection. I strive for unique moments in time, not the average posed imagery. I'm in no way saying he does this and it was a great talk and I was happy to discuss it and still am.  There were no "church league softball fist fights" over the topic LOL
I love everything related to photography, and I am finding a new passion for shooting video even though it makes me want to smash my fist through my monitor every single time I try to edit one. Why is that crap so friggin hard?
Speaking of I am working, with much-needed help from Wes, on a new BTS video from my latest session now. I love shooting video while I shoot stills, and I think the video editing may need to be left to the pros.  While they are doing that I am going to keep on shooting, throwing light at people, rewinding time by shooting film, and making my clients feel like the Rock Stars they are! Thanks for reading and as always be sure and follow all of our Social media accounts. I did the legwork so just click the link below you lazy bum.  

IG @jeremy.gouge

    @wes_mckeehan 

    @Throatpunchproductions

Keep ya head ringing!

Some of my favorite accessories.

So I'm starting to think I should change my address to Best Buy's I have spent so much time there of late. I am a gear junkie and I have acquired 3 laptops and 2 sets of new headphones.  I am not saying I'm picky, I prefer the term, particular lol. This post is all about headphones though and one brand in particular, AfterShokz.

I should start by saying I have a very hard time finding headphones that fit me correctly that stay in place. I have some over the ear from Sony that I love when I can be tethered to my music via laptop or my phone. For those times when I want to go for a run or hit the gym I want something without a cord. I want something sweat resistant and comfortable. All things I have finally found via the AfterShok Trekz Titanium.  As of writing this there is a new version out that I hope to get my hands on to review as well.

So what makes these so different? Well to start off, they don't go in your ears at all! What? Headphones that are not glued inside your ear canal? These offer a different technology that has intrigued me for some time. So after picking up a set of Jaybird wireless headphones that wouldn't stay put, I pulled the trigger. They deliver your music, podcast, or audio book to you via Bone Conducting Technology. They set over your ears and against your head in between your temple and ear. Since they are not jammed inside of your head, I have found I can wear them for hours at a time! I think my favorite feature is how you can FEEL your audio. It takes a little getting used to but I am digging it! I have found the battery life to be great and I'm getting very close to the 6 hours the company promises. They do have a button on the left that is easy to reach and serves many purposes so your not always grabbing your device to pause or skip tracks. The volume/ power on and off buttons are on the right side and very easy to get to and use as well.

BOKEH!!!

I have also really grown to love the fact that you can listen to your audio, whatever that may be, and still hear your surroundings. For example, 2 days ago while sitting in a coffee shop editing a session for a client, I could listen to my podcast by Wolf and Iron and still hear the conversations around me. I could also here when my order was called out, all without disturbing anyone around me. These fit super tight and at times a little too tight for me but I also have a head like a melon but the benefit of that is, they will not bounce off. If I'm running, I can hear traffic around me or know if a rabid dog wants to make me his lunch. Don't let me fool you, I'm not an avid runner by any means but trust the design of these headphones to alert me those scenarios. Speaking of, maybe you love your audio but are really location observant and extremely cautious as the world is a horrible place some days, these let you be alert of sirens and alarms because they are not blocking out the world around you.  If you prefer noise canceling headphones, they do include a set of ear plugs with the device. I found them to be too generic and easily lost, but a cool experiment is to crank them up and just plug your ears with your fingers. They get loud fast! I haven't used them much for talking on the phone ( I despise talking on the phone ) but the first time and only time, they didn't perform as well as I would have liked. I was told I sounded like I was in a tunnel. I will experiment further before making a harsh call on that feature.

Magic 8 Ball

The magic 8 ball says "Heck yea you need to try these" LOL

Thank you for checking out my review, I hope you found it helpful to some degree. I was not asked or indorsed by anyone and these are my honest opinions on this product.  Please let me know what you think below in the comments. All images taken by me using my faithful Fuji Film Xpro2 and XF90mm lens!