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Recently I worked with a new company called, Eco-Site . They have a lot of great ideas! Their business takes blighted urban and rural areas and turns them into rehabilitated spaces that create a revenue stream for the communities in which they are located. Nice, huh? So, when they called to say they needed photos of their team for their web site, we decided that a solid, white backdrop would be good for versatility, but that a natural background says a lot more about who they are as a company. The challenge in getting this done is that many of their team members work around the country and are rarely all together. So, on a day that a company-wide meeting was scheduled, I came into their offices and set up my backdrop in a neighboring vacant office and used the large windows as my natural backdrop. The whole thing was done in two hours and now they have a set of beautiful faces to go with their great ideas. To read more about KPO Photo Head Shots, read this helpful article .

This year I am photographing the Carolina Performing Arts as they celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Rite of Spring, which took place on May 29th, 1913 in Paris. They are many important parts to this photo story- the artists, the work itself, the hours of rehearsal, the venerable Memorial Hall, and the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. But none of this art would be seen without the hardworking staff at Carolina Performing Arts.

The image above shows the artist team outside the green room in the wee hours of the night after the Yo-Yo Ma concert in September of 2012. I remember how tired I was at that point. I can only imagine how they felt! Recently I had the pleasure of photographing this fabulous artist team at Memorial Hall. From left to right below, Tiffany Gay, Marnie Karmelita, Sarah Mixter and Erin Hanehan handle and care for the artists that present work for Carolina Performing Arts. These ladies endure long hours in high heels and always seem to have a smile on their faces and a joke at the ready. These images were shot for an upcoming article that will focus on a week in which they all worked more hours than they thought humanly possible. Thanks, ladies, for always smiling and being so great to work with!

You may see the WHOLE STORY here.

Recently I had the honor of taking photographs for the Hospice of Wake County annual report. They are an organization of incredible people who help families through the death of a loved one with grace and dignity. It became apparent to me how special this place was when I met with Michael Blanchard, the Vice President of Development, to plan our shoot. As Michael explained it, hospice is about peace, comfort and hope for patients and their families. Everything from the design of the facility, to the artwork that adorns the walls and, especially, the people who work and volunteer there, reinforces this notion. So my goal became to create visuals that communicated this feeling of comfort and hope and to give viewers an insight into the unique people that make hospice what it is today. Thank you so much, Michael Blanchard, for asking me to work on this project and a huge thanks to Linda Noble who designed the report. You know I always love to see how you work your magic! Here are my favorite parts of the report.

Glenn E. “Chip” Anderson, pictured on the left had this to say about the report: Mike,

Judy and I had dinner last evening with friends and they both told me how much they had enjoyed the Annual Report. We had not received ours yet, so I didn’t know exactly how to respond – except to say thank you. This AM, a colleague walked into my office with the report in hand, to tell me what a beautiful document it is. She was particularly impressed with the “In Their Own Words” portions and the visuals. She appreciated the focus on mission and stories, instead of “dollars”. She receives reports from many organizations, but said she was “riveted” by the stories. Of course, I stopped what I was doing to read it and found my eyes welling up with tears. Maybe I just have too much invested here, but it was a very powerful message and I congratulate all the people who contributed to making this report happen. It should be a very useful piece of communication for the coming year.

I have never seen a more appropriate report from our Foundation, Mike; this is a high water mark for us and I’m not saying this because my name and picture are prominent (really!).

Sincerely,

Chip

Michael Blanchard wrote me a note after he saw the final result. He said, “What beautiful images you gave us to work with. Thank you so much!”

By Kristin Prelipp Oguntoyinbo Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Some gardeners know how to gently coax life out of even the most delicate plant. They study the soil, the available light, a plant’s specific needs and even give plant food and sprays to keep their plants healthy. My kind of gardening would be opposite of that. It could be called survival of the fittest gardening! I love my plants but once they are in and established they either need to thrive or they will be replaced. I will weed and mulch the beds but I don’t water and I rarely fertilize. So my favorite plants are made for our climate and are hardy as well as beautiful. I want to talk about my two favorite April plants today. Kerria

Kerria Japonica is not very common. I see a ton of forsythia, which is also yellow and blooms at the same time, but this plant, called The Japanese Yellow Rose, is overlooked. The branches have a weeping willow feel to them and the yellow blooms last for weeks. I have both the “Plenaflora” and the “Honshu” variety, but prefer the former. When mature this deciduous shrub is 3 to 5 feet in height. I have heard that some Kerria plants rebloom off and on all summer long but I have not seen this. Perhaps it is because I don’t baby them enough. They like well-drained soil and perform best in partial shade. Below are three photos of this magnificent plant.

Azalea Azaleas are very popular here. When I bought my home 11 years ago there were 20 azaleas bushes in the yard. They have all thrived with little care. Every April they bloom, turning my yard into a wonderland. Azaleas are in the genus Rhododendron. They are generally healthy, long-lived plants when their basic requirements are met. They like well-drained soil and partial shade to full sun. To see if you have well drained soil, dig the hole and fill it with water. If the water has not drained out of the hole within one hour, the soil is poorly drained. It is best to trim your azaleas right after they bloom. Here are three photos of some of azaleas in my yard.

Thanks for reading! I am always looking for great photo stories to tell in the Chapelboro area. Just write to me with any questions.

Recently I had the opportunity to spend a whole day photographing cakes and other wedding treats. Southern Bride and Groom asked me to photograph some of the best area bakers work at the King’s Daughter’s Inn in Durham, North Carolina. The incredible setting really led the way for our shoot! Donna Parks, Jenna Parks Olender, Tracy Adams and I had so much fun wandering the Inn to look for the perfect room for each cake. Each and every room is decorated completely differently and all with incredible style! If only I could channel some of this into my own home. And after a long day shooting the cakes we were able to taste some as well. In particular, the kids and I really enjoyed the cupcakes! Thanks to everyone who participated in the shoot.