IvanWatkins.com - The Blog

Using photography and video to share my experiences and thoughts.

January 2010 Snow - Durham, NC

It is a rare thing for Durham to get any amount of real snow.  Usually we see some flurries and then they are gone.   Today it started to snow and I decided to capitalize on the moment by taking my children outside for a few shots.  Below is what we captured before we rushed back in from the cold.

 

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Posted 1 week, 3 days ago at 9:50 pm. 9 comments

New Kwanzaa Poster For Roy’s Kountry Kitchen

I’m sure that you’ve heard of the phrase Finger Licking Good. Well that phrase applies to Roy’s Country Kitchen in Durham, NC.  If you want to give your taste buds a treat then take some time to stop by Roy’s Country Kitchen.

Roy’s Kountry Kitchen
2514 Fayetteville Street
Durham NC 27707
(919) 682-0939

Mrs. Brown has graciously allowed me to feature several of my photographs on the walls of her restaurant.     Through those pictures I met the contact which hired me to shoot the Kwanzaa celebration earlier this month.   Last Thursday I found myself really wanting some classic Turkey & Dressing.  While I was there Mrs. Brown asked if I could bring some of the Kwanzaa pictures in to put on the walls of the restaurant.   My response to her was that I would make her a large montage to display on the wall.

 

 The poster below will be printed at 30 inches by 40 inches. It will be printed onto UV protected vinyl. An additional 3 inches of material is at the top and bottom so that pockets can be created for 1 inch dowels. It will be hung to the wall via thin black rope attached to the top dowel. The dowel on the bottom will help it to hang taut.  A well thought out presentation and attention to fine detail can make all the difference in how our work is perceived.

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Posted 1 week, 6 days ago at 8:50 am. 1 comment

American Institute of Architects Triangle Chapter - Video

I had the opportunity to work with the AIA organization on a video featuring some of their architects.   Unfortunately, I did not perform the video taping of each person therefore I had to work with footage given to me.  However, my job was to create the intro and marry all the video clips together into a streaming video for the internet.  It was a fun and challenging task to create the 3D world that you see in the beginning of the video.

Posted 3 weeks, 6 days ago at 3:36 pm. Add a comment

New Business Card For 2010

I decided that for 2010 I would change my business card. At first I was going to go with a very simple minimalist approach which consisted of my logo, website and other contact information on a solid black card.

You know….. the whole “less is more” train of thought….

However, I rethought that and said that I’d like a card that is visually engaging and encourages the person to look at the card.  Sort of like a mini billboard or advertisment.

While eating dinner and watching my kids play Mrs. Pac Man on my T.V. the card below slowly started to take shape.

Here is my new card for 2010 .

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Posted 4 weeks ago at 10:07 pm. 2 comments

The Christmas Decor of Dianne Eurquhart - 2009

Yesterday I was invited into the home of Dianne Eurquhart to photograph her Christmas Decorations for 2009.  Her decorations are breathtaking and it is always a pleasure to capture these.  Take a little while to sit back and enjoy.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE FULL GALLERY

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hallway

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fireplace

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VIEW THE SLIDE SHOW BELOW

Posted 1 month ago at 10:27 am. 7 comments

Kwanzaa - Durham, NC Celebration 2009

This past Friday I had the “rare” privilege and hired PERMISSION to photograph the Kwanza celebration in downtown Durham.  WOW is all that I can say because there were many colors,  faces and movements to try and capture.  The number of people that attended was impressive and the crowd really enjoyed the dancers, spoken word artists and other aspects of the event.  Not everyone wants their picture to be shown therefore only a few are shown below.   If you’re in the Durham area next year then be sure to come out and help support the many vendors and the promoters of this historic African American Cultural Celebration.

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Posted 1 month ago at 11:23 pm. 4 comments

ILW Photography & State Farm Insurance/ Black Enterprise Magazine Calendar

I had the privilege to work with the Sanders/Wingo Advertising Agency to get three of my images into the 2010 State Farm Calendar which is featured in the January 2010 edition of Black Enterprise Magazine.

Below is the cover to the January 2010 edition of the magazine.

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In the three pages below the three images are featured.  The first is of the couple Chris & Candice out of Raleigh, NC.  The second picture is of Julian when he played for the band at Hillside High School.  The last picture is of my son BJ being covered in sand at the beach by Aleah.

Click The Pictures To See A Larger Version

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The original images can be seen below.

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Posted 1 month, 1 week ago at 11:06 pm. 12 comments

Studio Plus Hair Salon - 2009 Christmas Party

Last weekend I was hired to photograph the Christmas party for Studio Plus Hair Salon in Durham, NC.  The event was held at the Marriott Convention Center in Downtown Durham.   There were a few presentations that took place followed by entertainment and dancing.    We saw people imitating Ike and Tina Turner, Pattie Labelle and others.  The show was simply hilarious…   Below are some memorable moments from the party.  I thought I would die laughing when these two came out acting like Ike and Tina Turner.  They did everything from dance & sing to just cut up.  Of course in true Ike Turner style he forced her to eat cake at the end of their performance.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE STILL PHOTO GALLERY

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The owner below had a lot of guests that were decked out in their “night on the town” attire.

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I encourage you to view the slide show to see the entire night

VIEW THE SLIDE SHOW BELOW

Posted 1 month, 2 weeks ago at 3:11 am. 2 comments

Raynard & Winona - 25th Wedding Anniversary

On December 19th, 2009 I had the privilege of capturing the 25th Wedding Anniversary for Raynard & Winona Tyson.   These two are living testimonies to what God can do within a marriage.  After almost 30 years of being together they still give each other compliments and don’t just “Love” each other but are “In Love”.    On Friday for the rehearsal we fought against snow and ice.  However, come Saturday morning God had made sure that the temperature was warm enough to ensure that we would have roads without ice.

Special Appreciation  To:

Doris B. Eurquhart, Wedding Coordinator and Directress

Victoria Guthrie, Wedding Coordinator

Kenny Pruitt, Videographer

Flowers by Ingrid Charles, Beauty from Above

Wedding Cake by Rosie Coleman

Musician and Vocalist Kent Brooks

Harpist Winifred Garrett

Below you will find collages which provide a snapshot of their day. You’ll also be able to view their “Special Reflections” video and last but not least  watch a slide show of their entire day.

CLICK HERE TO VISIT THE STILL PHOTO GALLERY

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One of the memorable moments for the family during the reception was the showing of the video called  “Special Reflections From The Tyson Family”.

VIEW THE “SPECIAL REFLECTIONS” VIDEO BELOW

VIEW THE SLIDE SHOW OF THEIR SPECIAL DAY (WITH MUSIC)

Posted 1 month, 2 weeks ago at 10:39 pm. 5 comments

Family Reunion 2009 - Turkey Day

This past Thursday I was blessed to spend time with my family.  Each Thanksgiving we have a family reunion and it is a memorable experience to break bread, laugh and just spend time with the people that have played an important part in my life.    Below are a series of images that I captured on Thursday in between relaxing and savoring all the food.  We had everything from youth showing their latest dance moves, to talent shows and just children having fun clowning around.

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Posted 2 months, 1 week ago at 9:41 pm. 2 comments