Spring Has Sprung

Heaven, originally uploaded by jonnyups.

Spring has sprung, and I officially have a cold. The stuffy head...when your ears can't seem to stay opened. The stuffy/runny nose, it can't seem to make up it's mind. The cough, oh the cough.

All this unpleasant stuff at once, yet I can't help but feel good. I'm wearing new shoes. It's amazing what a new pair of Sketchers can do for your day. I bought them a couple months ago, packed them away in my closet, then moved. They moved to my new closet, but I had forgotten about them until Leslie told me I needed new shoes.

Sidenote...

What is it about girls? They have the ability to make you do things. My shoes were great. I had just broken them in how I like them...and BOOM! Time for new shoes. Who cares if they smell, look awful, or don't contain my feet at times. They were still comfy.

And we're back. Long story short, I'm looking to revolutionize my presence here on the web. My plan for the next 6 months or so is this:

* New Website
* More focused blog **with more updates & less personal commentary**
* Better Photos

I'm in the process of beefing up my gear, and metaphorically growing a pair to get myself started stronger than before. I want to be your photographer. For anything. And everything. Be patient, I am on my way.

Moving Forward

Desirae 2, originally uploaded by jonnyups.

I like to look back often at what I did last year. This photo was taken about a year ago, and it was a total mistake. I do not enjoy editing photos, although I can do it well if I try. This time around, I tried something new. I'm not a fan of it, but I'm posting it anyways to get feedback. I don't like some of the midtones on the left side of the shot. Basically, I've posted a photo I don't like, that I've edited poorly...but I am totally curious to see what you guys think. Let me have it. Thanks!

Big News!!!

As I Lay Dying - This Is Who We Are, originally uploaded by jonnyups.

Here it is, the time has come. I had to wait for the record label to release this art before I could put it out there.

As I Lay Dying - This Is Who We Are (DVD)

Yours Truly took 4 of the 5 images on the COVER of As I Lay Dying's first DVD. Don't you worry, it doesn't stop there. The back cover is my photo. The inside sports more of my work, including the image that is the background to all 3 DVD's inside, the front and back covers to the insert in the dvd, the centerfold of the insert, and a few others.

Yes, I'm tooting my own horn. Thank you very much. My photos will be released worldwide, to a very large market of people. This is a massive accomplishment for me, so let me toot for just a minute. ha! I said toot.

Seriously guys, Tim and this band have been a blessing to me and my career as a photographer and I can't thank them enough. They are all true friends, and sincere hearts.

The release date is April 14th, 2009 and will be all over the place. Look for it, buy it, and enjoy. It was a blast spending a week with these guys shooting, and seeing them go from pre-show, to post-show and loving every minute. The audio on this dvd is great and was recorded/mixed by my good friend Daniel Castleman who is a master at what he does. You won't be disappointed.

Thank you for listening to me toot. Please check this DVD out on April 14th!

PUBLISHED!

PUBLISHED!, originally uploaded by jonnyups.

What do JonnyUps and Celine Dion have in common?

On AltPress.com my photo is currently published! I know, this doesn't answer your question, but it will.

The feature is called "Embarrassing Album Confessions" and my friends in We Shot The Moon were asked for their confession. Jason de la Torre answered that Celine Dion was his. Most might think this is a joke. It's not. Jason loves him some Celine. And I love me some Jason.

Needless to say, this isn't a huge accomplishment. However, it is an accomplishment and I'll take it with pride. I do have another announcement as far as photography goes. I will try and make that appear next weekend.

Anyways, no word yet if this photo will be published in the actual magazine and not just online, but I will be looking through the issues to see it. Thanks for sharing in my excitement!