Mixed in Pensacola: Old Hickory Whiskey Bar's Summer Menu

Summer weather has arrived, and with it has come Old Hickory Whiskey Bar's summer cocktail menu. It is always a pleasure to capture photos of the beautiful drinks the OHWB crew creates every season. If you haven't sampled the new menu yet, every cocktail is a pure delight.

Client: Old Hickory Whiskey Bar

Photographic Assistant: Annie Gray

Creative Portraits: Lana - Wild Thing

All good things are wild and free. - Thoreau

Sometimes you get an idea stuck in your head. Somewhere in the back of your brain, it barks like a dog until you give it your attention. This was one such concept. I wanted to shoot a "wild" modeling session for several months, a project capturing a model as part of the landscape around her as much as she is an entity in her own right. With the styling assistance of my lovely wife (her website is under construction right now) and the modeling talent of the effulgent Allana, whom I discovered on Instagram over the winter, we finally made it a reality. I am very pleased with the raw/classical/gritty/pleasing mix of images we captured.

Model: Allana Jade

Stylist: Annie Gray

Hey! You read it to the end! You freaking rock!

If you enjoyed these images and want to help me get them out to the world at large, both for my own publicity and Allana's as she campaigns for agency representation, I would sincerely appreciate it if you used one of the buttons below to share this post to your favorite social media. Thanks!

Creative Headshots: Jarrin in Downtown Pensacola

Out of the three or four sainted individuals who follow my progress, a few of you might remember some work I did for an online publication called Five Magazine. Five was one of the many projects of this man. Jarrin Stokes. Fashion guru. Serial entrepreneur. Tech expert. He's an incredibly multi-faceted guy and a visible figure in Pensacola's downtown renaissance.

We got together for some headshots at the south end of Palafox Street and for a guy who is used to styling others but rarely steps in front of the lens himself, Jarrin very naturally took ownership of the frame.

Creative Portraits: Evelia in Bohemian Style

It only took us a year, but I finally got to shoot with the lovely Evelia. Sporting an amazing wardrobe from Pensacola's own Sobo Boutique, we collaborated on a bohemian concept against my favorite backdrop, natural Florida woodlands.

Pensacola Opera: Backstage at The Merry Widow

The stage is a different world behind the curtain...

Something I haven't publicized enough over the last year is that I have spent this past season as the in-house photographer ("photographer in residence" as my ever-so-patient wife wearily conceded this evening) for Pensacola Opera.

I've never been an opera devotee. I certainly appreciate the talent and training behind the voices and incredible detail and craftsmanship in the costumes and sets, but it's never been a performance genre I followed closely. However, since my wife began working at Pensacola Opera last year, and I became absorbed in by association to assist with media coverage, I have enjoyed getting to know the art and the people behind it immensely.

About a week ago, the Opera wrapped up its spring performance run of The Merry Widow. For those who don't know (myself counted among that number until I actually saw the show), TMW is a welcome respite from the typical opera tropes of mad scenes, death scenes and arias that hang into infinity. The story is hilarious and, thank God in heaven, it's sung in English. The Merry Widow was a joy to watch and to photograph.

I took an extra day during tech week and logged some shots backstage and in the wings. The energy and focus behind the scenes was amazing.

The Merry Widow

Artistic Director: Kyle Marrero

Maestro: Jerome Shannon

Director: Dean Anthony

Lighting Design: Charles Houghton

Costume Design: Glenn Breed, Wardrobe Witchery

Performed at the Saenger Theatre, Pensacola, FL.