For those of you who aren't around me often, you might not be aware that my latest addiction is photography. I've always loved photography, but I've never had a good enough camera to take shots that I would consider anything more than sentimental. That is, until I picked up my Canon XTi a few weeks ago. It's not the top-of-the-line camera by ANY means at all, but it's worlds beyond my old stuff.

I like all kinds of photography. I'm the Discovery Channel type of guy, so I really like scenic and wildlife photography. I'm also a fan of portrait photography, as long as it's of the photojournalistic style. I'm not the biggest fan of traditional studio photography.

With all that being said, I'd like to direct your attention to a few links of photographers whose work I enjoy and admire...

Mark Eric - Mark's Blog

Mark was the photographer at me and Shari's wedding on April 7, 2007. Shari knew Mark from POA in Alexandria, and evidently had heard he was pretty darn good. Come to think of it, I can't remember how we go hooked up to have Mark shoot our wedding.

The day of our engagement shoot, we roamed around downtown Shreveport, and Mark talked about how he didn't care for the traditional wedding photography style, with poses that were talked through in detail. He liked the natural look, with real emotions. We were totally sold on it even before seeing our engagement shots.

Mark's business has exploded. He's been featured in the New York Times, interviewed by Good Morning America and other nationally-broadcast shows, and all of the attention he's getting is well deserved. Go check his stuff out.

Steven Myers - Steven's Blog

Steven's another great photographer of the photojournalistic ilk. He's from West Monroe, and does some of the best portrait photography you can find, along with his wedding/bridal/engagement/etc. stuff. His latest stuff has had this really sweet textured, gritty look that I'm really impressed with.

Simply stated: he's gooood.

Steven shot Kris and Sarah's wedding (friends of mine) a few months ago, and really milked everything he good out of the beautiful plantation setting. He's a great, humble guy, and really knows what he's doing behind the lens.

Daily Dose of Imagery

This is the site of Sam Javanrouh, an Iranian-born Canadian living in Toronto. Apparently the pictures he posts on this site are taken for his personal enjoyment. He just happens to have a really good eye, along with some great equipment to capture the beautiful shots he comes across, mostly in the Toronto area. I check his site every single day, and I just wanted to share the love.

Steve Bloom - Some Wildlife Shots by Steve

Baron sent me the second link the other day, and this guy takes some REEEEALLY cool wildlife pictures. I'm all about the monkeys, so those were particularly cool. I don't know a lot about Steve Bloom's work, but everything I have seen, I like. A lot.

I check Mark, Steven, and Sam's sites every single day to check for new material. I really like the stuff I find there, and it's very helpful for getting new ideas, even for everyday amateur photography of a personal nature. Check 'em out.