Jason Stockdale Photography

welcome home

2011-09-20T07:30:00.001-05:00

this was the most humbling experience i have had in a very long time. the bravery of the dad to fight for our country, and the bravery of the mom to raise a little guy practically at home is so moving to me. i get discouraged when i haven't seen my kids in a few hours, he hasn't seen his son since christmas. wow...

blessings to you guys.

The Fortenberrys

2011-09-19T07:00:00.000-05:00

i will be posting more from another session from this family soon. all i can say is they are my heros.

The Corley's at the beach

2011-09-17T01:09:00.001-05:00

i have photographed this family so many times and each time it becomes more and more special. when i started shooting them #3 was just a tiny little baby and to see these guys grow up is so special to me. about a month before this shoot, we discovered that we would be on vacation at the same time, so we had to sneak in a shoot! since this shoot they have moved to jackson, ms so i am not sure how many more times i will get to photograph them which makes me very sad! best of luck to you guys!

The Thomasmeyers

2011-09-13T22:22:00.002-05:00

i love these 3 people!

when mommy is away...

2011-08-01T07:30:00.002-05:00

...the kids dress themselves, we eat at chick-fi-la (a lot) and go to the zoo...fun times

contax g1
28mm 2.8
cheap china bw400cn

Ava turns 4!

2011-07-25T07:30:00.001-05:00

----

yes, longest blog post in history, i know

april 15th, my ava turned 4. its crazy to think one of my babies is turning into a little girl, but that is just what is happening.

kelly laid out the most amazing spread of themed decor. since the party was easter weekend, we had and easter party! complete with easter eggs and rabbits!

ava, i love you and i am so proud of the little girl you are becoming!

nikon f100
fuji 400h
yashica mat-124g (square images)
portra 400

memphis botanic gardens

2011-07-20T07:30:00.001-05:00

no matter how many times we go, this place never gets old...

contax g1
28mm 2.8
400h

my boy!

2011-07-15T07:30:00.001-05:00

males are pretty scarce around the stockdale house. basically its me, a dog and 2 cats. this dude has a pretty special place in my heart! walker is an 80lbs treeing walker coonhound. he houls so loud it literally will stir dogs up blocks over, he knocks over everything in his path (kids included) snores like a 300lbs man, and has gas like one too. but me and my family love him!

contax g1
28mm 2.8
fuji 400h

Picking strawberries

2011-07-10T07:30:00.000-05:00

we LOVE going to shelby farms in late spring and picking fresh strawberries. this trip however was not as much fun. i took 4 frames then lila grabbed a handful of strawberries, attempted to eat them, fell down in some mud, then i got a saturday morning "crisis mode" call from the church...so the story goes. taking pictures of family things with 3 kids is really hard.

contax g1 (favorite camera of all time)
28mm 2.8
cheap china bwcn400

The Whiteheads: Oxford, MS

2011-07-08T07:30:00.000-05:00

this is the second time i have been able to photograph these guys. we met in oxford, ms at probably one of my favorite locations of all time, William Faulkner's home, Rowan Oak. if you have never been to oxford, its worth the trip to see the grounds.

nikon f100
fuji 400h
yashica mat-124g
ilford delta 3200

zoo day

2011-07-05T07:30:00.003-05:00

contax g1
28mm 2.8
cheap china bw400cn

Jessica and BJ: Tupelo, MS

2011-07-01T07:30:00.002-05:00

this was shot last fall. still one of my favorite weddings i have ever been apart of shooing!

contax 645
80mm f2
nikon f100
fuji 400h and 160s

i love my kids

2011-06-28T00:30:00.001-05:00

i love these kids with everything i have in me...wow

contax g1
28mm 2.8
cheap china bw400cn

The Corley's: Tupelo, MS

2011-06-27T07:30:00.000-05:00

do i ever love this family. i have been photographing these guys for 3 years now and have seen them grow up, and grow in number! you guys always hold a special place in my heart.

shane come home safe and fast!

nikon f100
fuji 400h

Daniel and Allison: Memphis, TN

2011-06-24T12:30:00.000-05:00

nikon digital
nikon f100
yashica mat-124g
fuji 160s, 400h
kodak portra 400
ilford delta 3200

The Crowe Family: Tupelo

2011-06-13T07:00:00.001-05:00

i had the privilege of meeting these guys last month and a fun time we had shooting at the grandparents home. what a great family and such a sweet little girl!

nikon f100
contax g1
fuji 160s
china c-41 black and white

FIND Memphis

2011-06-09T07:00:00.002-05:00

FIND Memphis

wow, where to begin.

back, earlier this year, i reached out to jonathan canlas to see if he would be interested in bring his one day FIND (film is not dead) workshop to memphis. after a few emails we found a date that would work, he began promoting it, i booked models, the venue for the teaching session, and lined up the shooting locations.

all that work, was all worth it!

if you are reading this and you are a photographer here is what you need to know about this workshop...ready...

it will change you...

it will change the way you view your clients

it will change the way you view film

it will change the way you shoot, expose and compose

it will re-energize you to want to go out and shoot more (personal and paid gigs)

it will give you more confidence with shooting film

it will give you friends that are going through some of the same struggles you are having as a photographer and in your business

it will leave you with TONS of resources, forums, access to the FIND lab, workbooks, private facebook groups (literally, people are chatting on facebook right now, with jonathan, as i type this)

it will equip you more in your skills (basic or advanced)

and the best thing about any FIND workshop is this...

it doesn't end when everyone goes home.

i think the thing that jon does better than anyone, better than his photography, better than his teaching ability (an open book FYI and no ego at all), even better than his ability to make everyone, no matter what skill level they are on, feel right at home, is this,

he creates a community through the FIND workshops.

by the end of the day, no one, i mean no one wanted to leave. we laughed all day, shot a ton of film, helped each other pose models, and we all asked a million and one questions. and even almost two months later, that community still exists. i personally feel like i have a place to go if i have question about business, shooting, film, rant or crazy client and that place is the FIND community.

so, what do you need to do? go to http://filmisnotdead.blogspot.com/ and look for a workshop near (or far) from you. get there whatever it takes (sell a car, camera, kidney, whatever it takes) buy a film camera, and prepare yourself for an amazing time.

here are the dates for the 2012 FIND workshops

OREM UT @ Canle' International (jon's studio): April 23rd-25th
Boston MA : June 11th-13th
Chicago IL : July 16th-18th
Vancouver CANADA : Aug 13th-15th
Ibiza SPAIN : Sept 24th-26th

here are some shots from the day.

rendezvous the night before

breakfast at cafe ecclectic before the workshop started

jon, laying the smack down (probably about metering or something)

jon, cudos to you for making this thing happen.

i already want to schedule a 2013 memphis find!

contax g1
nikon f100
ilford 3200
fuji 160s and 400h

Elisa and Rocky: Engagements!

2011-06-06T23:05:00.002-05:00

i love this couple

i love film

i promise to love blogging more...

nikon f100
yashica 124g
fuji 400h (35mm)
kodak portra 800 (6x6)

save the last dance for me...

2011-05-06T10:57:00.003-05:00

i don't know what it is about these receptions lately. i love them.

taken at another recent wedding at hillwood. these people are awesome and know how to throw a party!

the brides best dance...

2011-05-05T15:31:00.005-05:00

i love these moments during receptions.

more from this wedding coming soon.

A day at the Memphis Zoo

2011-02-21T22:59:00.003-06:00

a couple of saturday's ago, we woke up to beautiful weather. and what unfolded was about the most perfect day i can remember in a long time...

1. cafe' eclectic for lunch(ish)l
2. memphis zoo for an afternoon of fun (a seriously amazing zoo...no really, it's amazing)
3. back to the house to help the kiddos with decorating valentines day cards.

the "amazing" memphis zoo aquarium (haha)

ava learned how to write her name later that night!

nikon f5
nikon 35mm f2
ilford xp2 film (it's a color negative black and white)

The Vaughn's

2011-02-21T13:43:00.003-06:00

I shot John and Laura's wedding 2 years ago and last november she asked me to do some family pictures for them a few months after the baby was born. these were all done in about the first 15 minutes, then the baby decided she was done taking pictures for the day. maybe we will get some more in the spring.

Nikon N80
Nikon 50mm 1.4D
Kodak 400nc

i'm tired of photography...

2011-02-04T21:57:00.009-06:00

no, don't misunderstand, i love photography. there is a creative expression and emotion that comes from photography that is so fun.

what i am saying is i am tired of the "industry" of photography...

let me show you what i mean

industry says something is cool------------>makes a blog/magazine/website and tells everyone its cool and that every bride in the world should try and copy this wedding and design----------->every bride now wants the $250,000 "staged" (read not real, fake people, fake names, fake love) wedding that was featured in that post, all on their $45 budget-------->enter disappointment--------> enter unreal expectations on their $45 budget (read= i am not jose villa, jonathan canlas, jasmine*, or anyone else, i'm me)------->

and enter me, 3 years after shooting my very first wedding, i'm burned out on what the industry says i should be....

so, that's why things are changing. BIG TIME...

i mean, who says you have to shoot 5000 images and deliver 1500 to the client...huh? (i've never done that BTW)

i know a wedding photographer that would shoot a hassy in the 60's, take 3 rolls of 120 film (read a total of 36 frames) and come home with an extra roll! and you know what, brides were happy, he was one of the busiest guys around...

hello, not every bride in America needs to look like "anthropology" threw up all over their wedding...and somehow that's bad????

i want to work with people that match my vision, my style, my strengths when it comes to photography...

you know what that means...

- it means shooting enough to cover the day (ie, maybe only 200 images...total...GASP)
- it means not working off a "shot list" to take a bunch of pictures someone will NEVER print...ever
- it means color pics for formals, details, and the rest just might have to be in black and white..why, cause you are getting married in a black hole! (read, in a huge cavernous church, where the (so-called) wedding coordinator won't let you come within 400 yards of the stage, and doesn't care that you were hired by the bride to cover her wedding, and Jesus doesn't care that i walk down the isle a little)
- it means i want the BRIDE to be happy cause this is her day...not the mom's or mother in laws day...you've had yours once (or twice, or three times...)

i know this is somewhat a rant, mostly because i took 3 months off from looking at hardly any wedding photography, just to think about what i want to do in wedding photography, and now that i am looking again, it grosses me out. everyone is shooting the same cameras (canon 5dmkii), same lenses (85mm f1.2), using the same actions (bleh) equaling the same results, or shooting the same camera (contax 645, which i love and want to buy) shooting the same film (fuji 400h, overexposed 1 stop, sent to richard photo lab) and using the same aperture (f2 on the contax 80mm f2 lens).

i just want something different, i want to shoot something different. not cause i am just wanting to be different, it's because you (read potential bride) deserves something different. you deserve something that will...

1. capture your day, the way you saw it, and want to remember it
2. stand the test of time (read no "green skin" PS sucktions...opps...actions)
3. be real...real to the photographer...real to you

see, i think alot of photographers out there are bad (i am including myself into that category currently), but i think they could be better. if they would shoot how they want to shoot, find the right clients to allow them to do that, and stop shooting to be in some new southern based magazine (the mag is awesome btw) i think they would be better overnight...

just one problem...

we can't...(refer bad to the top for a reminder why)

but i am going to...i don't know what that looks like yet, i don't know how to get there honestly, but i will, or i'll quit. that may take a month to figure out, or a year(s) but i am on a quest to make it happen

i mean, why could i not shoot a whole wedding in 6x6 square format...who says i have to have 3 camera bodies, 14 lenses, 250gb of memory cards, and 3 assistants to make compelling images????

why wouldn't it be ok to shoot most of the day in black and white film??? (i wouldn't, i mean, have you seen how good the new portra 400 looks???)

i am going to take the next year and settle some of these questions for me, maybe for you....

*******if you are a 2011 bride of mine, and you are currently freaking out thinking you have made the worst mistake ever, don't worry, i don't experiment at weddings, that is what personal work it for. you will get from me, what you wanted and we agreed on when we signed the contract...maybe even better now!*********

******* this also applies to child/family/kid photography as well, that post is coming next week********

The Tooley's

2011-02-04T09:30:00.004-06:00

i love this family. this is the 3rd time i have done a session with them, and the kids keep getting more awesome each time!

all these were taken with 35mm film. it's amazing to me the awesomeness of film. there is so much detail and depth to the images, especially the black and white ones. everytime i get scans back in the mail, its like christmas all over again.

Color images
Nikon n80
Nikon 35mm f2 lens
Kodak 400nc

Black and White Images
Leica r3
Leica 50mm f2 lens
Kodak Tri-x 400 +2

Family Thanksgiving

2011-01-21T07:00:00.001-06:00

the thanksgiving tree

we have a tradition every year that we go to "nana's" house for thanksgiving. everyone shows up around 11am for brunch, then we watch a little football, work on the thanksgiving tree, and finish cooking dinner. around 4pm "bliss" ensues with dinner. my wife is an amazing cook, and never disappoints.

the camera i shot these with is almost 40 years old, fully manual (read no meter, no auto-focus) and its 100% awesomeness! everytime i get scans back from this camera, it completely amazes me.

yashica mat-124g
kodak tmax 400 +3

Daniel and Allison: Engagement Shoot

2011-01-18T21:14:00.002-06:00

yeah, i didn't forget how to blog, i just took a little time off from blogging!

nikon n80
nikon 35mm f2
kodak 400nc
kodak tmax 400 +2

Jordan and Desiree: Tupelo MS

2010-11-08T07:00:00.000-06:00

this was shot immediately after this shoot. i did their engagement shoot at the same location where their wedding will be held in april. i don't think they could have picked a better location for either! can't wait till the wedding in 2011.

these pics were taken by using 3 different cameras. the mamiya 645af, mamiya rz67, and a leica r3.

mamiya 645af 80mm 1.9 lens
mamiya rz67 110.2.8 lens
leica r3 50mm cron
all fuji 400h and 800z

The Corley's: Tupelo MS

2010-11-05T07:00:00.001-05:00

i asked the kids to "love on daddy", this is what happened!

mamiya 80mm 1.9 lens at f1.9!

i have seen this family grow so much. both literally and physically! mom has asked me to photograph her kids for almost 2 years now, so i have seen these guys get taller, older and add a new one to the bunch. these guys are getting ready to go through a special challenge for the next year (dad is getting deployed overseas) so my thoughts and prayers are with them.

mamiya 645af
kodak 400vc (i love this film!)
leica r3 w/ 50mm cron (b/w)
tmax 400

The Tybor's: Tupelo MS

2010-11-02T23:17:00.006-05:00

i love this family so much! steve (the dad) was very influential in getting my family from dallas to tupelo and has since become a very good friend. there were times in tupelo when this family kept us afloat with their encouragement, thoughtfulness, and kindness they showed us. at random times they cooked dinner for us, watched our kids, and loved on my family the way a husband could only dream of. like i said, i love these guys. stephen (the oldest) is off to boot camp now, but charmaine wanted some family photos before he left. i was incredibly honored to get to do their pictures, thanks again guys. we miss you so much!

these were taken at high noon, with little to no shade available, one more reason i love film. the dynamic range (with a good scan) in film is amazing. these were also all taken with the 80mm 1.9 (yup, that's right, 1.9) lens. this is the fastest lens ever made for medium format film and i bought it from keh for $100! all the "portraits" were shot at f1.9, everything else was f4. this is quickly becoming my favorite lens!

mamiya 645af w/ 80mm 1.9
Kodak 400vc

The Patton's: Tupleo MS

2010-10-26T23:06:00.005-05:00

i met these guys at a wedding i shot back in may of this year. jennifer asked me shortly after that wedding to shoot some family pictures for them. in the meantime, her sister in law (to-be) booked me for her wedding (that blog post coming soon). so, a couple of weeks ago, i finally got to hang out with these guys in tupelo out on the family farm. thanks again, i had a blast!

mamiya 645af w/ 80mm 1.9
fuji 400h & 800z
leica r3 w/ 50mm cron
400 tri-x +2

a little trip to nashville

2010-10-05T22:08:00.003-05:00

we recently took a last minute trip to nashville. it was on a friday afternoon, kelly looked at me and said, "let's get out of town for a couple of days", that was all she had to say. i jumped on expedia, found a great hotel deal, picked emma up from school and off we went. i grabbed my old TLR yashica and 2 rolls of film. the color should come back next week, but here is the black and white.

lila is not happy about this....

yashica mat-124g
ilford delta 3200

Jason and Elizabeth: Starkville, MS

2010-10-01T09:02:00.003-05:00

jason and elizabeth were married in starkville, ms. i have to say, it is a beautiful campus. these guys live in boston but met while at school at MSU, so they decided to exchange their vows on the campus where they fell in love. everything about the day was amazing and i am so glad i got to be part of it. best of luck to you guys!

i shot a little bit of everything at this wedding!
mamiya 645af
mamiya rz67
nikon 35mm
fuji 160s, 400h and 800z
ilford HP5 +2 &+3

leica love

2010-09-23T21:34:00.003-05:00

over the last few weeks, i have found a new love, the leica camera. its small, quiet, and takes the most amazing photos. its amazing that a 50 year old camera, and a 50 year old lens still looks as good (if not better) than some of the newest lenses and technology.

on a separate note....i love my kids!

leica m3
400h
tri-x 400 +2

one day...

2010-09-15T01:15:00.000-05:00

she's gonna kill me for posting this...

but for now its just funny!

mamiya 645af
fuji 400h +2

Justin and Julie: Starkville, MS

2010-09-07T01:30:00.002-05:00

Nikon 35mm
fuji 400h and 800z
ilford hp5 +2

tupelo teaser...

2010-09-03T01:18:00.001-05:00

this is from a recent wedding in tupelo, ms. i have LOTS more from this wedding to blog about so stay tuned for that!

mamiya 645af
fuji 160s

another "geeky" film post...

2010-09-02T01:02:00.002-05:00

why is this so geeky you ask?

its pretty common to see black and white film pushed a few stops of ISO in processing, if that just made your head hurt, go here to see what i was talking about. sometimes at the end of a blog post, you might see me write, "ilford hp5 +3". that means i actually metered and had the lab process my film at ISO 3200. i know...pretty geeky!

but, you say "these are in color, whats the big deal"?

well, this is fuji 400h (a color negative film) pushed (+) or rated at ISO 1600

that means, the ISO 400 film i usually shoot at ISO 200, i shot it at ISO 1250 and had my lab process it at ISO 1600.

notice how on the scans there is almost NO noticeable grain, i have shot some digital cameras at ISO1600 that gave me more grain...oops, i mean "noise" than these film scans are giving!

these are not perfect, i want to continue to tweak the look some more, but being able to do this opens up WORLDS of possibilities for me as a photographer. i can't wait to shoot some more and share the results!

mamiya 645af
fuji 400h +2

Emma's First Day...

2010-08-31T00:55:00.002-05:00

i can't believe that my baby girl has started kindergarten, its seems like only yesterday she looked just like this!

i love you emma, and i am so proud of you!

nikon 35mm
fuji 800z (RIP)

Katie and David| Memphis, TN

2010-08-20T23:42:00.006-05:00

katie and david might just be the two nicest people on the planet. they were married at katie's grandparents church here in memphis, tn and they are so loved by all their family. you guys are awesome, and i can't wait to see your family grow over the years!

all film:
mamiya 645af
fuji 800z
fuji 400h
hp5 +2 and +3

an age old aurgument

2010-08-12T01:55:00.002-05:00

there have been so many debates over "film vs digital" till i am blue in the face over it. but, the reason i am making this post is for this, when new or prospective clients call, here is how recent conversations have gone...

CLIENT- "there is just something about your pictures, the colors are bolder, the clarity is greater, there is almost a 3d look to your pictures. what do you do to them?"

ME- "thanks for the kind words. the main difference you are noticing is that everything you are seeing is 100% film."

CLIENT- (either) "silence" (or) "film???" (or) "oh really (insert very confused tone) my grandfather used to shoot film"

so, i thought i would make a little post just to compare. this isn't exact science, but, it does give a view into why i have chosen to build my business around using film.

the first two examples are going to be wedding dresses from a recent wedding. why, dresses are extremely hard to capture. there is so much dynamic range in the dress (they are normally white) and second, there are normally TONS of details on the front and back of the dress, that are very hard sometimes to capture. neither of these images are editied, the digital version is the straight jpeg and the film is the straight scan. GO!

first the digital version:

and the film version

yes, i could have converted the digital to b/w but then the differences would have even shown up more! note, these were taken with the exact same lens, using the exact exposure settings. the only difference being the cameras and film.

consider dress #2
digital:

digital loses again. yes, again, i could go in and edit the digital, but that wouldn't be fair for the comparison. and even then, film would still trump it!

now, a formal shot...

digital first

and the film:

again, the clear cut winner, film.

the reason i shoot film is for this one simple reason...

1. it gives my clients better looking images.

are there great photogs who shoot digital and make their work look amazing...yup

is film expensive...yup

but it gives my clients better looking images.

is film better than digital....not at all

is film better for me and my clients than digital...absolutely!!!!!

mamaw...

2010-08-10T01:45:00.002-05:00

these photos are very special to me. just a couple of weeks ago, we took a trip to visit my grandparents in louisville, ky. mamaw now has alzheimer's and spends most of her days sitting on the couch watching old "i love lucy" and "golden girls" episodes. i was watching her one afternoon while we were there, her hair wasn't fixed, her socks were not on straight, she wasn't "put together" like i always remember my memaw being. but, there was such a peace in her eyes. i quietly grabbed my camera, and snapped these pictures. she didn't care, she didn't shy away, or say " oh my hair is not fixed, please don't", she allowed me to capture a few photographs of who she is, thank you...

nikon f5
35mm f2 lens
ilford hp5 +3

yes, i blogged...

2010-08-07T01:31:00.004-05:00

and yes...life is crazy with a capitol C right now...

this is one of our favorite things to do during the summer, go to nana's house and swim! nothing beats being able to spend a lazy friday hanging with my family by the pool. hopefully we will get a few more months of "swimming weather".

here are just a few things going on in my world right now...

1. my baby (emma) starts kindergarten in 2 days. she is our oldest and just turned 5. wow...
2. the launch of the church i am helping to launch is a little over a month away. way too much to write about now...
3. i have too much stuff to blog. but it will get blogged sooner rather than later. i have to figure out a simple way to blog these weddings...
4. i turn 30 in a month...i am still undecided how i feel about this...
5. having a child that is 3, is harder than having a child that is 2, i am convinced of this...

mamiya 645af
kodak 400nc

Happy Birthday to my Wife!

2010-07-31T08:28:00.005-05:00

today is my wife's birthday. she is amazing, and i am so thankful that God brought her into my life almost 7 years ago. here are a few thoughts about her....

1. she is a fantastic wife, who loves me, challenges me, and is always supporting me
2. my kids could not ask for a better mom...period
3. i wouldn't want to make coffee each morning for anyone else in the world
4. she has an amazing decorating style, which makes our home always look amazing
5. kelly is a fantastic cook, i mean, have you seen me lately!
6. she loves Jesus, and that is more important than anything else on this list!

i love you kelly, and i am so thankful God brought you into my life!

The Tooley Family

2010-07-15T23:57:00.004-05:00

this is the second time i have been able to take photographs of this family in the last year and this time we shot here in memphis. they were in town for a few days and mom called me to see if we could squeeze a session in while they were in town. we met up at overton park at the brooks museum of art and shot around the grounds of the museum.
thanks guys for a letting me take your pictures...again!

mamiya 645af
kodak 400vc

The Memphis Zoo

2010-07-14T07:00:00.001-05:00

back in june, we took the girls to the zoo for "members night" for a little family fun. i must say, i am in love with my kids!

thanks again!

taken with:

mamiya 645af 80mm lens
Ildord HP5 pushed to 1600 (love that look)

Seth and Hannah's Wedding: Tupelo, MS

2010-07-10T23:45:00.004-05:00

this was an amazing wedding. Mt. Vernon Place in Tupelo, MS might be one of the prettiest places to have a wedding i have seen to date. Ms. Billie and her staff did an amazing job pulling together all the details, and the day went off so smooth.

seth and hannah, i feel so privileged to have been part of your wedding day. grace to you guys as you start life together.

nikon digital
mamiya 645af- fuji 400h and 800z

seth is the lead guitar player for the band wavorly, check out their music, it will blow you away its so good!

News....

2010-07-05T23:58:00.005-05:00

back in february i made this post

the goal was simple, i love film, the look, the color and the image it gives my clients and i wanted to be 100% film by July 1 of this year. Well, I'm almost there, as a matter of fact, everything from this point on, every wedding, every family session, every senior session, everything...

everything i shoot...

will be 100% film.

every wedding i have shot this year i have shot with film, and i can honestly say that i have gotten some of the most beautiful images i have ever shot over the last 3 months while shooting with film.

please hear me, this is not a slam on digital (i am sick of that debate). digital has it's place, and i totally respect many digital photographers and the work they produce, but for me, digital doesn't have a place in my photography.

i am so excited about this choice, not only for me, but for my clients, and i can't wait to share some images from recent weddings that i have been able to photograph.

post are always better with pictures, so here are a few from a recent family session with an amazing family in corinth.

thanks again!

mamiya 645af
fuji 400h (b/w was converted)

Amber and Brandon: Wedding

2010-06-29T00:20:00.008-05:00

no, i didn't forget that i had a blog, its just been a crazy last month for me. we have moved, we are launching a new church, and its the height of wedding and family session season for me! but, i had to stop tonight and post a few images from a very special wedding i got to photograph just a few weeks ago.

this is amber and brandon....

I love my mamiya rz67...

every so often, i get to spend time with a couple that can't take their eyes off each other, i never have to ask them to show any kind of affection, love and care just oozes out of them, well, thats amber and brandon. these guys are so very special to me in that, not only were they the most amazing couple to work with, but this was my very first 100% film wedding i have shot! (ok, i had a 2nd shooter there shooting digital, but who's asking right?) we also did a polaroid photobooth with the mamiya rz67, that was amazing!

i think i could literally blog about 50-60 images from their wedding but, i am only going to post a few tonight.

amber and brandon, thanks again for letting me be a part of your day, it was truly amazing!

nikon 35mm
mamiya 645af
mamiya rz67 (last 2)
ilford delta 3200 (black and white)
fuji 400h and fuji 800z (color)

if you would like to book me for your wedding or family session, you can email me at jason (at) jasonstockdale dot com

2010-06-29T00:20:00.001-05:00

More to come

2010-06-12T00:50:00.003-05:00

i shot the most amazing wedding in tupelo last weekend. there will be MUCH more to come from this wedding, but i had to just put something up on the blog from the day.

have an awesome weekend!

mamiya 645af- fuji 400h

Kaite and David

2010-06-11T09:17:00.003-05:00

I met Katie and David in downtown Collierville back in May. Katie brought along her daughter "J" as well for some pics, and I have to say, she stole the show! Katie grew up in Collierville so having pictures around the square were so important to her. We ended up having lunch at P.F. Changs because that is where they had their very first date!

Katie and David, I can't wait to be there for your wedding in July.

Mamiya RZ67- Fuji 400h (color)
Yashica Mat124g- Ilford Delta 3200 (b/w)

Charlie and Beka

2010-06-02T14:07:00.002-05:00

my personal favorite from the day!

this is the negative from a fujiroid that i scanned in after the shoot. fp-3000b is an amazing film.

charlie and beka are getting married this saturday! i have known charlie for 7 years and i am so proud of him and so excited that he is marrying such an amazing person in beka. praying for you guys as you start this new life together!

mamiya rz67 and kodak 400vc
yashica 124g and kodak 400nc

Olivia's 1 year party

2010-05-28T07:05:00.006-05:00

last week we celebrated my niece olivia, turning 1. i grabbed 2 rolls of kodak 400nc (120) as we ran out the door. i've said it once, i'll say it again, i love film!

my sis did a great job on these details!

2 of my girls, falling all over themselves looking at the presents!

mamiya 645af
kodak 400nc (120)

Happy Sunday

2010-05-23T11:39:00.004-05:00

Happy Sunday! I hope you get to worship, play, eat, and lay in the grass in your pj's!

mamiya 645af
fuji neopan 400

Polaroids from the Farmers Market

2010-05-19T11:16:00.004-05:00

yeah, i love hanging with these kids. we took them out to the farmers market yesterday in memphis. not only was it a blast, but we picked about 7 lbs of strawberries for about $7. and we got all of our produce for the next 2 weeks (all organic FYI) for about $26.

mamiya rz67
fuji fp-100c

Matt and Kim: Wedding!

2010-05-17T01:42:00.011-05:00

i can't say enough about these two people. kim has been a friend to my family for so long and my wife and i were so excited to know that kim was marrying such a great guy in matt. it was such a privilege to get to shoot their wedding in april. matt and kim, you are wonderful people and we can't tell you enough how much your friendship and love for our family means to us.

they had their wedding at the amazing savannah woods plantation in collierville, tn. peggy and her staff did a fantastic job on the day. kim's wedding coordinator, katy, was the best i have seen, she was so helpful and sensitive to everyone's needs on the day. if you are looking for a place to have your wedding, call peggy at savannah woods!

also, a big thanks to josh malahy for helping me shoot the ceremony. i was also singing in the wedding, so he came to help cover the ceremony with me.

i shot all the details and getting ready shots in digital but all the bride and groom, family formals, and ceremony were all shot on film. between josh and myself, we had a ton of cameras and shot a ton of film on the day. this was the first wedding i was able to shoot the rz67 with the polaroid back on it throughout the day. it was awesome to be able to hand them a stack of 10-15 polaroids as they were leaving for their honeymoon, that i shot throughout day. they were able to take images from the day with them immediately. kim is going to get me the polaroids i shot so i can scan them in. i will do a post on those soon.

contax 645
mamiya rz67
nikon 35mm
kodak 400vc (mamiya rz67)
kodak 400nc (contax and 35mm)

2010-05-15T15:30:00.000-05:00

today, katy got married.....

these were all taken in about 20 minutes. she was in tupelo for a bit so we met downtown at first pres. unreal light, film and a beautiful bride equals a great combination!

mamiya rz67
nikon n80
kodak 400vc

The Jones Family

2010-05-13T00:45:00.006-05:00

i loved spending time with the jones family. aimee got in touch with me back in december about doing a family session when it warmed up, and so we met up back in april at their home.

i wish i had their backyard!

thanks again guys.

the blog has not gotten much love over the last 2-3 weeks. we have moved officially to memphis and trying to get settled. this first is the first of about 10 blog posts that are coming over the next 2 weeks. its been crazy to say the least!

Polaroids...Polaroids!

2010-04-21T23:44:00.006-05:00

i have found a new love in film, but i have found a new obsession in fuji instant film! this stuff is amazing. i finally got my scanner so i thought i would share just a few images that i have taken over that last 2 weeks. the black and white is fuji fp-3000b and the color is their fabulous fp-100c film. these are all scans done from the actual print of the polaroid.

if you are a regular blog reader, you are gonna be seeing lots of this stuff over the next few weeks and months!

this is what happens when your kid is allowed to wear what they want to wear, they go outside dressed as ni hao kai lan and wearing her red sparkle "dorothy shoes"!

The Old Farm

2010-04-16T07:30:00.001-05:00

these were all taken during this engagement session.

i am trying to challenge myself to always be able to find a photograph in everything, even old broken down farm equipment!

nikon 35mm
contax 35mm
fuji 400h

Julie and Justin

2010-04-12T07:30:00.006-05:00

julie and justin are wonderful people with huge plans and dreams for their future. shortly after they get married in july they are packing up the uhaul and moving to pursue those plans and dreams. i love it when people are willing to take risk!

i met up with these guys in downtown tupelo and then after shooting there, headed out to my new favorite field. i spent a lot of time this winter scouting out the perfect field and i may have finally found it!

thanks again guys for letting my be part of your wedding day, i can't wait till july!

this was again, another 100% film shoot, i didn't even take a digital camera with me! the more i shoot film the more i love the look, the feel, the depth that each image has to it. again, i have to shout out to Northcoast Photo Lab, these guys and gals process and scan all my film and they always amaze me each time , thanks so much guys!

mamiya rz67 (huge frames)
nikon 35mm
contax 35mm
fuji 400h
fuji 800z

Amber and Brandon

2010-04-08T07:30:00.002-05:00

i loved this shoot. amber and brandon are such fun people and are madly in love with each other. we "journeyed" out to the old farm where brandon grew up and had some amazing views and scenery to work with. guys i can't wait for the wedding in may! enjoy...

this is the spot where he told her he loved her for the very first time!

this was a 100% film shoot, i didn't even take a digital camera for backup! this was also the first weekend i got to shoot my mamiya rz67. it yields MASSIVE 6x7 negatives (all the huge pictures on the post are from that camera) it also is going to allow me to shoot polaroid's on sessions as well, i am super pumped about getting to do that.

i also have to shout out to Northcoast Photo Lab and particualry, marsha, my scanner, in california. these guys and gals process and scan all my film and they always amaze me each time i get my scans back from them, thanks so much guys!

mamiya rz67 (huge frames)
yashica mat-124g (square frames)
nikon 35mm
contax 35mm
fuji 400h

mamiya rz67+fuji fp-3000b= awesomeness!

2010-04-06T22:23:00.003-05:00

some people choose to take digital photos then send them through photoshop and run "polaroid" actions on their photos...

i am choosing a different route, i am actually shooting real-life polaroid pictures!

now, these are just digital shots of the polaroids, i am working on getting a scanner soon so i can scan these babies in! these snapshots cant even do the polaroids the justice they are due, the detail, and dynamic range in the polaroids are so amazing!

for you photo nerds out there, this is an ISO 3000 b/w film, you take the picture, pull the film out of the back, wait 15-30 sec, peel apart and BAM, you have an awesome, amazing print right in front of you.

the plan is that as long as i can keep buying this stuff, i will shoot a few images on each session, then let the family/senior/ couple/bride and groom have the prints from the polaroids when we are finished with the session.

also, i would LOVE to shoot a whole session in nothing but polaroids, i can do color or black and white. email me at

jason @ jasonstockdale . com

if you would be interested in the all polaroid session, i guarantee you, that you would be the only one on the block with a bunch of polaroids!

Christy, Cole, and Samuel

2010-04-05T16:00:00.002-05:00

you may remember this post here that i did back in december last year. as emails began to come in, i was stopped in my tracks as i read the email from a dear friend of this family. to hear of the courage, the determination of this mom to raise her family and all that they have been through, their story stuck out more than any other story i read. as i shared their story with my wife we both agreed, i HAD to meet this family and take their pictures.

fast forward 2 weeks ago, we finally got to meet and what a joy it was to spend time with this wonderful family. christy, you're a fantastic mom, and you are raising some wonderful little boys, i am so excited to share these pictures with you!

thanks again guys for letting me take these pictures for you. blessings!

also, i guess this is as good of time as any to announce something HUGE for me and my family. we are moving BACK to memphis! even though God has blessed our time here in tupelo so much, over the last 6 months we have felt that God might be calling us back to memphis to plant a church in the germantown/collierville area.

i am so excited and blessed to be planting with an amazing lead pastor. sam shaw, along with his wife ruthe, have become so dear to my family. sam is one of the most gifted communicators of God's word that i have ever heard, he is one of those guys that "just get's it". we are moving back to the "3rd most miserable city to live in" to plant "the orchard fellowship", which will launch this fall. my role will continue to be pastoring the church in worship, but as many of you know that have been around church planting, when you plant a church, you pretty much do anything that needs to be done!

i am so excited about this transition and can't wait to share more about what's coming in the future. for now, follow sam's blog for updates, we are working FAST to get a full website up and going and hope to have that up in the next 2 weeks.

thanks again!

Johnna- Maternity

2010-03-21T22:38:00.006-05:00

yeah, you read that right, i did a maternity session. this is truly the very first one i have ever done, and truth be told, i loved it! Johnna wanted to not only do a maternity shoot, but also do some new pictures with her husband Jimmy (and a few with the pup!).

guys, i can't wait to meet "baby J" in may!

to book your family/maternity/senior session or wedding, contact me at jason at jasonstockdale dot com

Alyssa martin: senior shoot

2010-03-18T23:23:00.005-05:00

tx-400 may just be my favorite film...

alyssa, i wish you many blessing as you step into this next stage of life. you and your family are wonderful people!

films:
fuji 400h
kodak tx-400

Caleb and Mallory

2010-03-12T05:07:00.001-06:00

recently my friend caleb smith was in town, from Illinois with his family. caleb is a great worship leader and i always enjoy the times we get to spend together. before they left to go back home, we were hanging out and i literally had about 5 frames left on a roll of kodak 400vc in the yashica. we went out to the field behind where they were staying and snapped off the rest of the pictures i had left. here are just a few of my favorites!

yashica mat-124g
kodak 400vc (120 roll)

sneak peek: alyssa martin

2010-03-08T00:00:00.004-06:00

i had to post a little sneak from this weekend's senior shoot i had. i can't wait to see the film!

Hotty Toddy!!!!!

2010-02-22T17:07:00.001-06:00

back in october, i took all my girls (my wife included) to their first ole miss football game. emma still talks about it to this day!

Lila's Room

2010-02-17T07:30:00.000-06:00

and here we have LOTS of pink for a very girly girl! everything you see in these pictures was either hand made by my grandmother or my wife and i refinished all the furniture. i can't wait to see our little girl grow up in this room with so much sentimental meaning and love for the things in her room.

- mema (my grandmother) made the raggedy ann and andy dolls
- we think she made the quilt, either way, i remember sleeping with that quilt when i was emma's age (4)
- kelly made the block name, door hanger, the canvas over the bed, the pillows and much, much more

mamiya 645e
fuji 400h

Lazy Days

2010-02-13T17:07:00.000-06:00

my favorite kind of day!

pentax k1000
ilford delta 3200

From the Hospital...

2010-02-10T07:30:00.000-06:00

i am in love with all my girls. lila is doing so good. she turns 4 weeks old this week (amazing). kelly and i are both really trying hard to treasure and remember all the little moments that happen as our baby starts to change everyday. thanks for your continued prayers, going from 2 to 3 is a challenge, but its so fun.

enjoy!

i just got these back from northcoast photo lab. these guys are going to be my lab from here on out. this winter has been a lot of trial and error with different labs and these guys did an amazing job. two things you learn real quick when you shoot film
1) you have to know exposures
2) the quality of your images depends largely on the lab you use.

i am so happy to finally feel like i have found a lab that i can work with. i look forward to showing off more of their amazing work over the next few weeks and months. sessions start back up around here in 2 weeks for me! can't wait!

mamiya 645e
color- fuji 400h
b/w- ilford delta 3200

times are changing...PT 2

2010-02-08T01:00:00.000-06:00

back in april of 2009, i was given a large amount/collection of film cameras. a sweet lady in memphis gave me all this equipment because it had been her husbands, he had recently passed away, and it was too painful for her to keep it. most of it didn't work, or was too outdated to even buy film for. but there was one little gem in the bunch...

i didn't even know what to do with it, but i was intrigued. i downloaded a manual, bought 2 rolls of kodak 160vc and loaded it up on vacation. what i got back amazed me. the colors were spectacular, the depth to the images was almost 3D, and the detail blew my mind.

so i started wagging this little camera around to every session. shooting 3-4 frames sometimes, and after a month, i would send them off to be processed and scanned. here is what i started noticing. the 3-4 frames of film i had from each session, were my favorite ones that i shot all day long, without exception. i would shoot 150 images on a family session in digital, and 5 frames on film, and the 5 frames would be my favorite. the other thing i started noticing was this, when i would post proof pics for all my wonderful clients to order prints from, they all started ordering the film shots without realizing it! amazing!

here is another thing that became very interesting to me, all my favorite photographers, jose villa , jonathan canlas , elizabeth messina , bryan johnson and gina leigh all shoot film. i didn't even know most of them shot film when i found their websites, but after digging around, found they all had 2 things in common, great images, and film!

so over the past few months i have studied film photography, the art of it, the reason why i think film is better than digital (in most cases) and what it is about this thing called "film" that i love so much, and i have come to this point, the big goal for 2010, so here it is......

i am moving to 100% film by july 2010!

i know you are asking yourself "why" would anyone shoot film in a digital world?

well, here are a few reasons.

1. shooting film is making me be a better photographer. when you cannot see your image on the back of your camera and when each "click" of the shutter cost $1, it forces you to really learn, not just your camera, but so many details of photography (FYI, i am still VERY much learning and growing)
2. shooting films slows me down. i feel like i get to engage with my subject more when i am shooting film. i believe that is one of the reasons why i find i like my film images better, because i am focused on the subject and really making sure i am getting the shot
3. shooting film helps me be different. truth be told, it shouldn't matter what "medium" you use, your images should stand out and be great. but in a world today where everyone has a digital camera, can get on the internet and learn about photography, start a free blog (i think i did this very same thing once haha), shooting film allows me to create images that digital shooting can't.
4. i was trying to make my digital images look like film! so why not shoot film!
5. most important, shooting film allows for more time with my family. 95% of the images in film i have posted here are completely unedited, they are straight off the negative scans. i don't do a lot of post editing to my digital images, but shooting film allows me to get back more of the time i was spending in the office, sorting and editing because i am a husband and father first.

from now on, with rare exception, every image i post here will be film. i can't wait to share some images with you and try to show you what i have found in my love for film. thanks again!

oh, just a few "facts" for clients that have sessions already booked for 2010

1. you will still get your image DVD's, even if i shoot film on your session. jpegs (digital scans) from film are amazing!
2. you will get a "hybrid" session (both film and digital) if your session is before July 2010
3. image quality WILL NOT go down, i promise, if anything, its better in film
4. after July 2010, weddings will be the only thing, for the time being, that will still remain both digital and film capture.

Film and Snow...

2010-02-03T04:26:00.000-06:00

no, it didn't snow here again, i just got the film back that i shot!

yashica 124g
kodak 400nc
mamiya 645
portra 800

Miss Ava

2010-01-27T00:54:00.005-06:00

i have gotten to know ava and her mom because they come to our church on wednesday nights. she might just be the most well documented kid of all time (her mom is a photographer as well!), so one day, close to closing time around the office, they were up at the church, i happened to have my camera and some film, so we stepped outside for about 10 minutes and grabbed these super fun shots. one day, we are gonna do a full shoot, but for now, these will have to do!

mamiya 645e
ilford hp5

The Becks

2010-01-22T23:39:00.004-06:00

i had to post a couple from a recent session. more to come from these for sure!

mamiya 645
fuji 400h

Lila- our gift

2010-01-20T09:18:00.005-06:00

we have been given such a great gift....

some film from the fall

2010-01-18T10:09:00.004-06:00

there is something magical about zeiss lenses and fuji 400h, happy monday!

sometimes the best memories...

2010-01-15T08:44:00.003-06:00

happen at 4:30am

ava heard lila crying and came downstairs to check on her, she had to help feed her, and i was glad to let her do it.

i'm in love...

2010-01-13T22:06:00.004-06:00

Baby Lila

2010-01-12T18:49:00.006-06:00

today, we were blessed with another amazing little girl. Lila Kate has already captivated our hearts and we are treasuring these precious moments. to everyone that has prayed for us, thank you. here are a few from lila's first "birth-day".

Snow Day!

2010-01-07T14:05:00.006-06:00

i hope you have as much fun today as we did. this was our first snow, and probably only snow this year! needless to say, we took advantage of it all!

Christmas 2009

2010-01-02T23:15:00.008-06:00

this will be the start of a couple of blogs about our christmas adventures this year around the stockdale house. here is the routine each year...

- i lead the christmas eve service at our church
- we go to outback for dinner (i know, but its our family so don't knock it!)
- the girls open one present each on the 24th
- christmas day, santa comes!
- my wife fixes an amazing brunch
- i "open up, put together, cut my fingers on, teach them how to use it" every toy the girls got
- we pack around lunch
- head to memphis to spend christmas with my wife's side of the family
- sometime around new years, we celebrate christmas with my side of the family

i am exhausted just writing it out! but it is a blast. here are just a handful of images from the first-half of our christmas this year.

also, these were all shot on my new camera my in-laws got me (how cool it that!) check it out

(not my photo and i couldn't find the copyright, sorry)

i got these journals for my wife, they came from the amazing sarah drake design. you should check her work out, it is fantastic!

christmas dinner...yum!

for 2 years i have been working on a little project at "nana's house". she has all these collections of things, interesting signs and pieces that mean a lot to her. i want to be able to always remember how their house looks so i wander off and grab a few images here and there. i love these because they tell about our "nana"!

i will post a few from my side of the families time together in a few days. thanks!

for the geeks:
- mamiya 645E
- ilford delta 3200 (rated at 1600)

The Hardins

2009-12-31T21:23:00.005-06:00

look at the hair on the baby! how awesome is that!

i get to take pictures of a lot of families and i am grateful for that opportunity. its not everyday though that you show up to a house and sense and feel the love that a family has for one another within the first 10 minutes. these guys only get to come together once a year so getting to do a portrait session with them was really important to "mom". i am saving their big family portrait for them to see when i deliver all the pictures to them. thanks guys!

happy new year, watch for some exciting announcements over the weekend. can't wait to share with you where things are going for 2010!

stickers, juice and some crayons...

2009-12-31T00:25:00.005-06:00

i found this picture today as i was transferring some files onto another hard drive....

i wish i had a "freeze" button for life and could always remember them this way. peaceful, innocent, simple...

yashica mat124-g
fuji neopan 100

times are changing...PT 1

2009-12-30T02:07:00.007-06:00

i hope everyone had an amazing christmas holiday. we had a blast and it was great being close to home again, and fun to spend time with family!

i keep getting film back from the lab and each time it comes back i fall more and more in love with it. i am going to make several post over the next few days about film and what role it will play into my photography for 2010. but for now, here are some shots from kim and matt's engagement shoot i did back about 2 months ago. i was really happy with what we got in digital, but wow, the film just has an amazing romantic/dreamy quality about it that i really don't think digital can touch!

my two favorite shots from the whole shoot...

have a great wednesday!

for the geeks:
yashica mat 124-g and 120 ilford xp2 for b&w
contax and fuji 400h color

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-24T23:44:00.001-06:00

Seth and Hannah- Engagement Shoot

2009-12-23T07:45:00.006-06:00

my favorite shot of the year!

their favorite restaurant in tupelo, kyoto, seriously amazing food.

this was the first shoot that i used film on. here is a little fuji neopan 100 out of the yashica.

seth is the lead guitar player for the band wavorly, and hannah is going to be a rockin hair stylist. both of these guys have become friends of mine since the shoot and i am so honored that they asked me to be their photographer. they are getting married in june at the amazing mt. vernon place here in tupelo. its going to be an awesome outdoor wedding!

i have wanted to blog this session for 4 months, but i was waiting until we could finish the session. we had all these really big ideas and plans for the session and of course it rained on us. we are still going to get the rest of the pictures we didn't get that day guys, i promise!

thanks guys for letting me hang out with you, can't wait till the wedding!

and the winner is.....

2009-12-22T13:41:00.002-06:00

well, i can't tell just yet! i have picked the winner, and notified them, but i can't share any of the details on the blog just yet. but here is what i can tell you.

- the session is going to a single mom in the memphis area
- if she is half as amazing as the she sounds in the story, well, then she is really amazing!
- the story was submitted by one of her dear friends, and the single mom has no idea (makes it even better!)

i can't wait to tell you more information, and i can't wait for you to meet this family (i can't wait to meet the family!). i would like to thank all the people that took time to share a story, check your email, you have a little christmas present from me!

merry christmas, huge engagement shoot blog post coming tomorrow!

Time to give back...PT 2

2009-12-21T10:13:00.003-06:00

Ok, all the entries have been submitted and now i am going through and reading all the stories. man this will be hard, but i can't wait to contact the winner tomorrow morning! thanks to everyone who submitted stories and took time to share with me about their family or a friend in need. the stories were so good, i may just have to give away two!

if you have no idea what i am talking about, read this.

here is a sneak peak of an engagement shoot i will be blogging this week. thanks!

time to give back

2009-12-17T07:30:00.003-06:00

friends,

this last year has been such a blessing for me and my family. we have found a wonderful place to live and raise a family in tupelo, ms, we are expecting our 3rd daughter in just a couple of weeks, and everything has been healthy for both momma and baby! it has been a great year for us.

back in february i launched this little "side project" hoping to just do 1 or 2 family sessions each month. i very much underestimated everyone's response and for that i am grateful. September thru December has proven to be the most crazy with doing over 25 family sessions, 3 engagement shoots, and one wedding. needless to say its been very busy.

that is what brings me to today. a little way of saying thank you for such a great 2009, i am giving away a free family session for 2010! here are the details.

write to me at jason@jasonstockdale.com and tell me why you think you or someone you know should be the one to get the free session. you may have had a hard year, or bad photography experience recently, or just share a funny story. you can submit your story December 17th-20th. i will notify the winner via email, and then post the winner here on the blog. like every good thing, there are some rules/fineprint. please read below*

thanks again to all my clients and new friends i have made this year. can't wait for 2010!

*session has to be booked in february or march of 2010. location will be in tupelo, ms or memphis, tn. anything outside of these areas i am happy to travel, but travel fees will apply (sorry). contest is for one (1) family session, this includes up to 6 people in the session, any additional participants and additional fees will apply (again i am sorry!). this does not include prints, but does include a final disk with high rez jpegs. prints will be available on the web, via my instaproofs site. this cannot be combined with any other session/package. thank you for your understanding.

end of the summer in film...

2009-12-15T00:07:00.007-06:00

our favorite time of the year as a family is defiantly the summer. no disrespect to the rest of the seasons, but for us, nothing beats being outside in the evenings, or grabbing lunch together on friday afternoons at one of our favorite local restaurants. i shot these at various times over the summer, either finishing off a roll of 120 film, or just throwing a new one in the camera as we were going out on one of our little adventures.

cafe 212...yes!

the girls eating a little rock candy sucker! sugar high!

also, a BIG and i mean HUGE announcement is coming thursday morning on the blog. please check back then. you won't want to miss out i promise!

Hailey and Tyler: Wedding

2009-12-12T10:34:00.006-06:00

i was so honored that hailey would ask me to be her photographer for her wedding. there are few things more special to a photographer than a bride who is willing to trust you with her day. i take it VERY seriously.

these guys got married on what was probably the most beautiful day of the year. the talk of the day was that they could have gotten married outside and how amazing that could have been. i think that when 2 people are in love, it doesn't matter where you get married, its always awesome!

tyler is stationed in hawaii for the next 7 months, so they skipped a "formal" honeymoon and went straight to hawaii. i don't think either of them was complaining about that. what a great place to spend the first 7 months of marriage.

here are a few (well, alot) of the images from their wedding day. enjoy!

a little explanation is needed for this shot. when we were finishing up the bridesmaids shots, we got attacked by a swarm of mosquitoes! this is hailey's maid of honor trying to "cover up" the bites on her back. this takes the dedication of a maid of honor to a whole new level!

and what would a wedding be without a little film? when i took hailey and tyler out for the bride and groom shots, i shot some fuji 400h. it was processed and scanned by the amazing team at richard photo lab.

thank you guys for letting me share your day with you. it was a joy to be around you and your family.

also, i will be making some pretty big announcements over the next week here on the blog. please check back soon for some exciting news!

contact me at jason@jasonstockdale.com for pricing and availability for your wedding!

Little Amelia

2009-12-04T01:47:00.005-06:00

meet amelia!

i had to work hard to keep up with this little one! she showed up with LOTS of energy, but hey, that's the way it ought to be right! this little bit does pageants locally, so mom wanted some headshots and then also wanted to just capture her sweet self having fun.

enjoy your friday and i hope you enjoy this post!

Lizzy and Film! AGAIN!

2009-12-01T01:41:00.006-06:00

i blogged this session 2 weeks ago. today i got film scans back from Richard Photo Lab and i had to share these images. seeing these images, the depth, the colors, and the dynamic range of film makes me want to shoot film exclusively!

Richard Photo Lab is THE industry leader in film processing, scanning, and customer support/satisfaction. i have spent several hours on the phone with these guys over the last month, picking their brain about film and some of the technique of how to shoot it. they are downright nice people. i promise you will be seeing more of my work being processed by them. as a matter a fact, i have 4 rolls i will be sending off to them tomorrow. i can't say it enough, i love film.

the color is all medium format kodak 400NC shot with my yashica mat 124g. i provided the link in case anyone wants to buy me some more for christmas (ha!)

its crazy to think that a camera this old can make beautiful images like this. all the b&w is delta 3200, it just might be my favorite film to shoot!

enjoy!

The Whiteheads

2009-11-23T00:08:00.009-06:00

i love when families are not afraid to get in front of the camera and be themselves. thats exactly what i got when i met up with the whiteheads. mom wanted this session to go really well for them for christmas cards and for some new portraits around their house, and we were all thought through, planned out and had all the details perfect. when we met up it was so easy to work with them, when families are this cute you just tell them to go stand in a field and have fun! thats not exactly what i did, but pretty close!

you all did so well, the images are so sweet and fit you guys and the love you have for each other. enjoy

my two favorites from the day...

on a side note, they are going to start building a totally rad (did i just say that!) house in the spring. we started discussing some "projects" for artwork/portrait features for their new home. be on the lookout for some concepts that i will be doing for them in the near future!

The Winters/Wiers- WHOLE FAMILY SESSIONS

2009-11-22T23:42:00.010-06:00

hope everyone had a great thanksgiving! we are in memphis for the weekend spending time with family and trying our best to avoid all the craziness that is black friday.

even though i am on "vacation" for a few days, i had to go ahead and post pictures from this awesome session. i drove out to the winters house to meet up for a massive family session. they wanted to do get a family picture taken with all the family, and then do a mini-session with each individual family. the light that morning was amazing, and the woods that are by their house provided the perfect scene.

thanks so much guys for letting me share a little time with you. i hope you enjoy your images!

i asked him to "walk towards me", he stuck his hands in his pockets and took off! perfect!

The Peaks!

2009-11-22T23:15:00.009-06:00

huge post waits ahead...reader beware!

what can i say about this session. i was probably more nervous to shoot this session than any other session i have i ever done! why you ask, well ashleigh is an amazing photog! as a matter a fact, if you live in the memphis area, if you dont want to wait on me to come to memphis, and need family pics done, call her, she is one of the best in the memphis area.

so, i always walk into each session with nerves in my stomach, will the kids cooperate, will dad smile, hows the weather, where's my lens cap (all things i am thinking before and during a session), but taking family photos for an amazing photographer took all those thoughts to a whole other level. moment of confession, i have taken longer to edit these images than any other session i think i have ever done! i wanted them to be really, really good.

we met up in shelby farms in memphis a few weeks ago. the light was perfect, we had to walk a ways to find it, but once we did it was amazing!

ashleigh and paul, you have an amazing family, thanks for letting me share some time with you!

i love these two...

he could seriously be the cutest kid...

blogging some film is always fun! this is 35mm, their 120 is at richard photo lab right now. i can't wait for them to see it!

ok a little "disclaimer" on the next few images. i have been massively influenced by the work of A Bryan Photo. I don't know if they are happy mistakes, or intentional, but sometimes he post the most wonderful b&w "blurry" (gasp!) images. they are so romantic and dreamy looking. well i thought "what the heck" lets try slowing that shutter speed down, shooting some in-camera b&w, cranking the ISO to 3200 for the film grain and see what happens...for me, i love it!

image on the left is my favorite from the day

Emma Reed

2009-11-22T23:05:00.006-06:00

please tell me this little one is not stinking adorable!

it never gets old taking pictures of adorable kids...i love it!

Lizzy and Film!

2009-11-17T18:11:00.007-06:00

lizzy's mom saw my post about an all film shoot and she took me up on it. between weather and life, i think we rescheduled this thing 10 times, but we finally got it in.

film does not have the look that digital has. it is a little softer, a little more contrasty, there is a little more depth, and the film grain is wonderful (to me). if you are looking for a super clean image, then film is not always the best choice. but for me, i want to keep shooting more and more of it. there is something amazingly special about film.

on the day i shot some fuji 400h, kodak 400NC, ilford delta 3200 and some ilford 400. i cant say it enough, i love film!

Fuji 400H

i tried shooting delta 3200 outside in the sun, it might be my new favorite!

Ilford 400