Kirk Pullen Photography interview in the May/June issue of Wildlife in NC Magazine

Check out my interview in the 2018 May/June issue of Wildlife in NC Magazine. I shared tips on how to photograph wildlife. They also included some of my non-wildlife images. This is my second time this year being in the magazine. I won several categories of the Wildlife in NC photo contest back in January.  #wildlife #wildlifeinnc #kirkpullenphotography #capehatteraslighthouse #mountolivephotographer

Waterloo Diorama

I have a client who creates incredible dioramas of historical events. For this scene of Waterloo he spent countless hours painting each figurine by hand. I photographed several images and this one was selected for the Fine Scale Modeler website. LINK

Dance photography sessions with no sitting fees!

No sitting fee dance studio photo sessions on Saturday, March 24th! I am waiving the studio fee that I normally charge and you can buy prints or digital files. Limited spaces available, so contact me to schedule a time. Stay tuned for dates announced in April and May. #dancer #dancephotography #dance #mountolivephotographer #kirkpullenphotography

Photography Equipment for Sale

I recently changed lighting systems for my Kirk Pullen Photography business. I have a large selection of lighting equipment at great prices. If you are interested in any of this equipment give me a call or text at 9105907761. The prices are listed and I am open to negotiation on some of it. 

Two Alien Bee 800 strobe lights, one Alien Bee 1600 strobe light and one Einstein strobe from paulcbuff.com, (power cords for each unit included) set of 4 grids and nose cones ranging from 10-40 degrees, 2 unopened strobe light replacement bulbs for the Einstein unit and 2 unopened replacement bulbs for the Alien Bee units. Everything is in good working order with some slight cosmetic wear from studio use. $1025

5 pocket wizard plus 3 flash triggers. All 5 triggers are in excellent condition. These can trigger flashes or cameras from great distances and their reliability is the top in the industry. Each one comes in original box with sync cords. $500

Have all the power you could ever need on a photo session. This can be used to fire multiple flashes/strobes at once. The casing shows signs of use but I just replaced the internal battery in it. Works with a power strip as well. Could have use beyond photography for anything that you need to plug in. Comes with a charging cable. $75

 Vagabond Mini Lithium Battery for Photographers. Have all the power you could ever need on a photo session. This can be used to fire multiple flashes/strobes at once. The battery has been replaced by Paul C Buff with a new battery. Works with a power strip as well. Could have use beyond photography for anything that you need to plug in. Comes with a charging cable. $200

Kirk Pullen Photography in the January/February issue of Wildlife in NC magazine

I was notified a few weeks ago that I came in first place in the bird category of the Wildlife in NC photo contest. I also placed third in the invertebrates category. I received a package in the mail today from them, so I wanted to give the viewers of my blog a sense of what you receive when win the contest. The winning photos from the magazine will be in the science museum in Raleigh, NC for the remainder of the year. I also received four copies of the magazine, a check and a printed copy of each of the winning photographs. 

Photo Editing Style

I like to edit older photos from time to time. Here is a photo of my daughter from several years ago that I really like. Her expression and sense of peacefulness caught my eye as I was sifting through my hard drive of older photos. Over the years, I've noticed that the way I edit photos has changed a bit. When I first got into photography, I made the mistake of cranking up the colors to an unrealistic level. The problem with that is skin tones start to turn a nasty orange color. I think that it is most important to get skin tones that are as realistic as possible. I still like bold colors, but as you get more advanced in your photo editing, you learn how to keep skin tones where you want while making the rest of the photo bold and vibrant.

Wildlife in North Carolina Magazine Photo Contest Winner

Every year the Wildlife in NC magazine holds a photo contest. This year I came in first place In the bird category and third place in the invertebrates category. HERE is the link for my picture on the NC Wildlife Resource Commission Facebook page. Ten years ago I also came in first place for the bird category, with a black crowned night heron coming in for a landing on a branch.

Here is the description I gave in the magazine. "I was near a pond that had several birds perched on sunken tree branches. I made sure to walk slowly and take a few steps at a time so as to not startle them. My technique wasn’t quite good enough because all the birds except one flew away. Lucky for me, this egret hung around for portraits. I took a few shots and noticed that if I changed my angle the lighthouse would be in the background. I got some good shots of the bird with the lighthouse before moving again, a few more steps around. I noticed that the calm water and unique branches would frame the bird even better. The lesson I learned is always search for different angles because it can take a good photo and turn it into an extraordinary one." 

(Nikon D750, Sigma 150–600mm lens at 280mm, f/8, 1/800 of a second, ISO 1,600)