Winter park

My sister at the park in Mansfield, TX.

websites

I've been productively trying to figure out the logo and website to the business (lovingly named Blue Firefly Studio)... somewhere along the way stumbled upon carbonmade.com... I remember hearing about it... anyhow its a great website for those wanting to make one but not wanting to pay or learn the programs!

bluefirefly.carbonmade.com

Less words, more photo... next time!

I feel like I've been a bit too neglectful of my poor little blog lately. Even though the process of shooting images hasn't been as active as I would like it, I have been busy working backstage at getting everything ready for Austin.

I have a name thought up. I'm creating business card holders tomorrow. I need to work on the new logo. My theknot.com listing is launching tomorrow as well. So look forward to maybe a few shots of card building factory, maybe the 5k run this weekend and some family Thanksgiving shots. :)

Why am I moving to Austin in January?

Well its more a combination of many reasons that makes me think that it is the perfect city for me.

It's a career move for sure, but even without mentioning my career the town itself fits more of my personality. I firmly believe in sustainability and Austin is a city that makes it easy to be green. And when I am surrounded by a productively green city, it makes me happier.

When I get to Austin I will be living in a housing cooperative which is basically where a group of people co-own the house and live together and function together (cook, clean and everything else) in order to share the profits and benefits. I would put in a few hours of work a week and the rent, utilities and even meals are covered under my monthly rent for a lower cost than it might be to live in a house.

I had a conversation with someone the other night and to him a co-op sounded liked a prison, but for me, I'm a minimalist. I'd rather not own any more that what I can shove in a backpack and pedal away with. When I was in college I lived in a one room studio where my bathroom sink was also my kitchen sink. I didn't mind it because I only came home to sleep and shower. I spent my days doing photo, working or going to school. I'm more content with a back to back schedule of events than I am hanging out at home.

Something that I've always wanted in a city was the ability to be able to ride my bike as a mode of transportation. Arlington really doesn't have the layout, bike lanes, or even knowledgeable drivers for a bicyclist to safely ride on the road.

In Austin and especially around campus and downtown, there are bike lanes as well as trails that make it easy to run errands and daily activities without having to own a car.

In the case of rain or farther trips, the city does have a bus system and I will also be sharing a car with my sister, who attends UT.

Thats another reason to be down there. My sister and I both seem to be at a place in our life, that having each other at a close distance will come to benefit both of us mentally and socially.

Now career wise, I think that Austin is a better fit for me and my shooting style/creativity. The way I see people, the details I want to bring out, the photographs I want to portray all seem to be the exact opposite of what I find in DFW. Three of my favorite photos that I would absolutely love to have printed on my business cards, I had to hold them back because I knew that the clientele here would be turned away from them.

Basically I believe that if I moved to a more liberal city then I would have the capabilities to express myself more freely than I would get to here.

Besides a homemade business card holder consisting of some boards and screws would only look right in a place like Austin! :)

p.s. and no this move is not for a boy, no boy in my life at the moment. Simply a selfish move all about me! :) (maybe sis is thrown in there too)

Spooky Spa!

I shot interiors of a spa for my client and I really liked this one... its got a strange dungeon eerily look to it! I'm sure he's not trying to portray that for a spa! :) But nonetheless I like the oddness of the pic! :)

An impromptu Marissa photo session

Quick sunset photo session at the park in Grand Prairie. 

Mud Run 2008

"Mud Run is a combination of regular citizens, Civil Servants, companies, teams, colleges and some military personnel competing together through a series of boot camp styled obstacles that have been surrounded by (or consist entirely of) mud. The race is 10K and it is unique to the state of Texas."  http://mudrundfw.com/

Don signing into his male individual race.

Lacing up with the chip that'll track his time.

A quick military pull-up session for ole times sakes :)

The low crawl.  **note** I lost Don after a few obstacles... so his friends benefitted in ways of photos instead :)

Over and under.

The Stairway to Heaven.

Tim going through The Tubes.

Albert in the low crawl.

The mud run is meant to be fun! :)

Final obstacle, the last wall and then a hop, skip and jump to the finish line!

Next year... I'm doing it with my siblings and friends. It's right around my bday so I'm gonna hire a photog to document it :) So if you are reading this and want to either join or shoot, send me a message! :)

Updated self-portrait

A self portrait I shot the other day with my new lighting set-up!

Firing range fun!

For my birthday, I wanted to go to the firing range, and my friend Don took me.

Don being taught how to use the rifle by his friend Joe. 

The boys shooting.

I'm a great marksman! I think it has to do with the aiming and holding still that I'm used to with the camera! Was a fun time! :)  Next up is photos from Mud run for this coming weekend!

Some work samples from a few weeks ago.

I was asked to shoot lawyer shots, but to make them seem less like the typical shot of a lawyer in front of books. 

I went with a simple approach at the park, this is my favorite one of the set. 

This is a good example of a headshot!

And of course I had to add a photo in that represented what I thought was the most fun photo! :)

Cain Cocteau: Hair, Make-up and Designs

Thanks Jain, Eric, Rebeca, Giovanna, Kryss, Cain and my sister for everything. (Not everything is posted... this is the cream of the crop... just my favorites)

fashion shoot... coming soon...

I promise I haven't been intentionally slacking on my blog... I'm currently working on toning some fashion stuff I shot for a friend in Austin. I don't want to release any of them yet until I have most of them done so that it will look better as a whole complete set. 

So they are coming... soon! :)

Disbanding of 23/32 Studio.

Dues to some new information I have decided that the previously mentioned business partner Nauman Saghir is not a good fit for me.

For more info click here.

Presto... Pesto!

I'm working on my stock photography skills... actually I decided that my 3 overgrown bushes of basil needed to be eaten... I made about a cup and a half of pesto! mmmm!

If you live around me and want either basil or pesto. I've got plenty to go around! :)

Balloon festival... minus the balloons :)

Thong and Tam at the Plano Balloon festival on September 21, 2008.

New endeavours

A new phase in my photo life has turned. I've decided to join forces with Nauman Saghir and tackle on those bigger photo projects that I, as a solo photographer, could not handle before.

Expect many new updates and greatness in the weeks to come. :)

Also as expected, I'm planning my next big trip. Thinking Asia in January 2009.

Sleep is for the weak...

So I've been this multimedia,-card-producing,-photographer-partner-recruiting-machine in the past 27ish hours of nonsleep.

Wedding slideshow is done... watch, marvel, critique. (it will be added to the website officially in a few days... sleeplessness has rendered my brain tired for now)

2 more card fronts are at the presses and on their way to me.

And in my state of delirium/brilliance last night, I decided that I need to be proactive and find myself an amazing photographer to help tell wedding stories. I can produce a pretty okay story on my own, but with another set of eyes, the coverage would be that much better. And hopefully in the process we could both feed off each other and inspire ourselves to do even better.

09/06/08- Nick + Brandy | TWU Little Chapel / Denton Woman's Club | Denton, Texas

New number, watermarks and cards!

Wow lets see... there's been a multitude of updates that I need to blog about...

First of all I have some stuff that I shot a week or two ago for the Star-Telegram.

Then I also have updated my website... its about 75% complete, but I've added more portrait sections and a wedding section to the commercial part of my portfolio...

I still have my 315 cell number, but I've added a new number to the mix... I got a local Fort Worth number so that it would be easier to contact me. 817.522.3914

I'm starting a whole new series of business cards... the ones with my pretty pics on one side and contact info on the other!


I also have a new watermark that I'm gonna start imprinting on all my pics for myspace/blog to help get my name out there a bit.

And last of all, I started a myspace for Thao Nguyen Photography!


Sheryl Crow preforms at her concert at the Superpages.com Center in Dallas on August 15, 2008.



I tried my hand at doing senior portraits the other day. Thanks Clint for modeling, you rock!

Also if anyone knows of any great locations in the DFW or more specifically Arlington/Mansfield area, I'd love to hear your suggestions :)

New studio tester shots

My model Brad graciously gave me some his time today and let me tamper and play with my new studio set up! yay! :)

He came in the other day with the blue bandana on and that coupled with his blue eyes and the ink on his face... well they looked awesome, so I had to try and take a picture!

By the way, did I say that it was a super portable, super home made, and super effective studio that I set up in his front yard. Also lemme mention that all of em were shot with natural light. (good ole sun during broad daylight) :)  

Also note to self... next time pick a more solid ground... grass isn't as effective... tis slightly a bit bumpy)

Tylerton, Smith Island, MD

Robert Stevens, 71, sits with Kristen Corbin, 22, as they ride the Jason II ferry to Tylerton, MD. Tylerton is one of three towns that make up Smith Island. Smith Island's populations is around 300 people and the island is made up of mostly crabbers. Tylerton is separated from the other two towns and is accessible by boat. The easiest way to get to Smith Island is to catch a ferry from Crisfield, MD and take the 45 min ferry to the island.

Bobby Marshall, 71, measures a crab to see if it fits regulation size. This crab got tossed back in the water. The watermen are having a harder time making much of a profit due to stricter regulations and shorten harvesting seasons. 

Bobby Marshall crabs an average of 1-2 bushels a day and brings them back to the Smith Island Co-op where they are to be pressure cooked and made ready for his wife to pick the crab meat and prepare it for sale. 

This machine is used to cook the bushels belonging to the 5 families that work at the co-op. The pressure cooker can hold 20 bushels at one time and they are usually put in around 2 to 3 p.m. It takes 40 minutes from start to finish to steam the crabs. 

A bushel of freshly pressure cooked Maryland crab caught earlier in the day sits by an open screen window to cool off before being picked by the women of Tylerton.

Tina Corbin, 52, picks crab from the bushel that her husband brings in daily. Her as well as the other 4 women have been picking crab at the co-op for 13 seasons. 

Ed Smith, 53, drinks a Maine root beer while sitting around with the boys at the Drum Point Market in the evening after work. The island is a dry island so no alcoholic beverages are consumed in public.

The boys come to Drum Point Market daily in the evening after their shift to sit around and hang out before heading home for the night. Drum Point Market is the only grocery store/convenience store on the island. 

Sunsets.

Robert Stevens, 71, is seen through his daughter's shack on the dock during sunset in Tylerton, MD.