Bill Dabney Photography: Blog

Family Portraits: Rowan Oak with the Hotards

Wed, 29 Apr 2015 16:25:43 GMT

I'm always surprised by the ways in which I get a photography job. Only rarely do I get contacted by someone out of the blue. Typically, I'm discovered by someone who knows somebody who knew me or had worked with me in the past. The connection was a little closer, however, in the case of one of my most recent family portrait sessions: the Hotard family.

Ashton Hotard wanted to give her mother-in-law, Wendy, who has three grown children, a family portrait for her home in Missouri. Turns out, the whole family would be together in Oxford in late fall 2014 when the autumn colors would provide perfect accents for their images. So Ashton began searching for North Mississippi photographers in the Oxford area.

When she discovered Bill Dabney Photography, the name struck a familiar chord. Years ago, when Ashton (who is married to Wendy's oldest son) was an undergrad at Ole Miss, she would babysit to earn some spending money. I wasn't working in professional photography at the time, so Ashton wasn't sure I was the same person she knew during her college years.

A quick email to my wife confirmed it and we thoroughly enjoyed reconnecting with Ashton and hanging out with her husband's family on a beautiful afternoon at Rowan Oak. Continue scrolling for some of my favorite images of this fantastic family.

Family Portrait: Hotard Family by North Mississippi photographer Bill Dabney, based in Oxford.Family Portrait: Hotard Family by North Mississippi photographer Bill Dabney, based in Oxford. Family Portrait: Hotard Family by North Mississippi photographer Bill Dabney, based in Oxford.Family Portrait: Hotard Family by North Mississippi photographer Bill Dabney, based in Oxford. Family Portrait: Hotard Family by North Mississippi photographer Bill Dabney, based in Oxford.Family Portrait: Hotard Family by North Mississippi photographer Bill Dabney, based in Oxford. Family Portrait: Hotard Family by North Mississippi photographer Bill Dabney, based in Oxford.Family Portrait: Hotard Family by North Mississippi photographer Bill Dabney, based in Oxford. Family Portrait: Hotard Family by North Mississippi photographer Bill Dabney, based in Oxford.Family Portrait: Hotard Family by North Mississippi photographer Bill Dabney, based in Oxford. Family Portrait: Hotard Family by North Mississippi photographer Bill Dabney, based in Oxford.Family Portrait: Hotard Family by North Mississippi photographer Bill Dabney, based in Oxford.

Family Portrait: Hotard Family by North Mississippi photographer Bill Dabney, based in Oxford.Family Portrait: Hotard Family by North Mississippi photographer Bill Dabney, based in Oxford.

Dabney Photography Gets Billboard Magazine Credit

Mon, 27 Apr 2015 15:20:42 GMT

Good news for North Mississippi-based portrait, wedding and event photographer Bill Dabney!

I was especially excited this week to learn that one of my headshot photographs of country music singer Mickey Utley had been published in Billboard Magazine's online edition along with a feature story on the Nashville recording artist's latest release. Utley is represented by Tuff Duck Records of Jackson, TN.

Here's the picture with my photo credit underneath (faint, but there nonetheless!).

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Good stuff.

Wedding Photography: Claire Hearts Will

Mon, 20 Apr 2015 20:54:58 GMT

Take a look at my favorite photography from Claire & Will's wedding.

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Event Photography: Theatre Oxford

Sat, 18 Apr 2015 21:35:40 GMT

Last night, I had the distinct privilege of shooting stills from Theatre Oxford's production of No Exit. I then stayed around for the performance. If you have a chance to see this show, you should definitely go. It's playing tonight (April 18) at 7:30 p.m. and tomorrow at 2:00 at the Powerhouse. Director Leyla Modirzadeh has done a superb job in bringing this dark comedy to life on the stage. Likewise, the cast, starring Chasity Nicole, Billy Phillips, and Bethany Tarpley, is amazing. They have a fantastic, palpable chemistry together, while also delivering individual performances that draw you into their characters so much that you truly begin to feel their frustration in ever being able to change their hopeless situation. The show is as intellectually stimulating as it is entertaining. Click here for tickets.

Photoshoot: Headshots with Aspiring Model Petric

Wed, 15 Apr 2015 00:00:00 GMT

A number of years ago, I did a fashion and headshot photoshoot for aspiring model, Petric Federici. Since our session, the quality of my work has become significantly better. But I wanted to share the images with you because I have recently learned something about this young man--a discovery that has given me an even higher degree of respect for him.

Petric is a 28-year-old, easy-going medical assistant in Fairfax, VA. He seems like so many others his age—young, carefree, not yet weighed down by the responsibilities of life—yet he is not like them at all. No one would guess that his past includes horrific and indescribable human indignities.

A native of Romania, Petric is a survivor of one of the country's cruelest orphanages. Many of Romania's institutionalized children--particularly those left at the orphanage as infants--were so neglected that their brains never fully developed. Children like Petric, who was admitted into the system at age 7, were often tied to their beds and left lying in their own excrement--cold, naked, starving--fearing physical and mental abuse from staff and older children. Most children were too frail to eat or walk; instead, they would crawl on the filthy floors or simply sit and rock back and forth, their arms wrapped tightly around their knees. Bodies of the dead were stacked under the stairs until burial, which only occurred on Wednesdays. These were concentration camps for kids.

Model headshot: Petric Model headshot photoshoot: Petric

To protect themselves from appearing weak and thus vulnerable to attack, many of the children, though emaciated, quickly learned that they needed to seem tough and unapproachable. They accomplished this by continually beating other children. Injuries were left untended. Petric, himself, suffered a broken leg that was left to heal on its own, leaving him disabled and unable to walk—a death sentence in the orphanage.

At age 10, Petric had at most two months to live when he and both his brothers were rescued from the system by American physician Ron Federici who adopted the boys and raised them with love and care. Surgery to correct his broken leg helped Petric walk again, though with a slight limp—a constant reminder of his terrifying past. He recently returned to Romania to bring closure to that part of his life which has haunted him for so long. The trip included an angst-inducing visit to the now abandoned orphanage and, after 16 years of separation, Petric was able to visit his mother in a tearful reunion, full of grace and forgiveness.

Someday, when he is financially able, he wants to return for an extended stay to help those who were less fortunate than him, using his own experience to make a difference in the lives of others. His ultimate goal is to somehow bring hope to those who feel hopeless.

He knows the feeling well.

Here is his story:

Engagement Photography: Kathryn & Jordan

Tue, 07 Apr 2015 15:16:34 GMT

As promised in an earlier blog, posted below are images from my wedding engagement photography session with Kathryn and Jordan. I was privileged to be able to spend a beautiful, casual afternoon sharing some special moments with this happy couple. The warm temperatures of a Mississippi March combined with fantastic late-afternoon light gave us perfect conditions for our photo shoot. I hope we are equally fortunate for their wedding photography on the big day in July.

Our session began on the Ole Miss campus where Jordan proposed to Kathryn a few months ago. In the University's historic Grove, famous for hosting thousands of tailgaters on game days, we were able to locate the exact table where they sat together for the proposal. We snapped a few portraits there and then progressed to Memory House, a beautiful, pre-Civil War-era home that currently houses the offices of The University of Mississippi Foundation.

From there, we moved on to Oxford's commercial district--the Square. After a quick change, we captured the couple enjoying each other's company at some of Oxford's renowned landmarks: Square Books, Faulkner Alley, and the British-style telephone booth at City Hall. Walking to our next setting, the Church of Christ, we noticed a bed of tulips. One of us may or may not have picked one of these city-planted tulips to use in the shot below.

As the sun began to sink low in the sky, our session closed at Rowan Oak, home of the world famous Oxford-based writer, William Faulkner, whose classic works include The Sound and the Fury (which was recently released as a major motion picture directed by James Franco); The Long, Hot Summer; As I Lay Dying; The Big Sleep and many more.

Engagement Photography Kathryn & JordanEngagement portrait of Kathryn & Jordan at Memory House by north Mississippi based wedding photographer Bill Dabney. Engagement Photography Kathryn & JordanEngagement portrait of Kathryn & Jordan at Memory House by north Mississippi based wedding photographer Bill Dabney. Engagement Photography Kathryn & JordanEngagement portrait of Kathryn & Jordan on the Oxford Square, by north Mississippi based wedding photographer Bill Dabney. Engagement Photography Kathryn & JordanEngagement portrait of Kathryn & Jordan on the Oxford Square, by north Mississippi based wedding photographer Bill Dabney. Engagement Photography Kathryn & JordanEngagement portrait of Kathryn & Jordan at Square Books by North Mississippi based wedding photographer Bill Dabney. Engagement Photography Kathryn & JordanEngagement portrait of Kathryn & Jordan on the Oxford Square, by North Mississippi based wedding photographer Bill Dabney. Engagement Photography Kathryn & JordanEngagement portrait of Kathryn & Jordan on the Oxford Square, by North Mississippi based wedding photographer Bill Dabney. Engagement Photography Kathryn & JordanEngagement portrait of Kathryn & Jordan on the Oxford Square, by North Mississippi based wedding photographer Bill Dabney. Engagement Photography Kathryn & JordanEngagement portrait of Kathryn & Jordan on the Oxford Square, by North Mississippi based wedding photographer Bill Dabney. Engagement Photography Kathryn & JordanEngagement portrait of Kathryn & Jordan Rowan Oak in Oxford, by North Mississippi based wedding photographer Bill Dabney. Engagement Photography Kathryn & JordanEngagement portrait of Kathryn & Jordan at Memory House by north Mississippi based wedding photographer Bill Dabney. Engagement Photography Kathryn & JordanEngagement portrait of Kathryn & Jordan Rowan Oak in Oxford, by North Mississippi based wedding photographer Bill Dabney. Engagement Photography Kathryn & JordanEngagement portrait of Kathryn & Jordan Rowan Oak in Oxford, by North Mississippi based wedding photographer Bill Dabney. Engagement Photography Kathryn & JordanEngagement portrait of Kathryn & Jordan Rowan Oak in Oxford, by North Mississippi based wedding photographer Bill Dabney. Engagement Photography Kathryn & JordanEngagement portrait of Kathryn & Jordan Rowan Oak in Oxford, by North Mississippi based wedding photographer Bill Dabney.

Check out my other engagement sessions here and comment below to congratulate Kathryn and Jordan and wish them all the best in their life together.

Thanks for stopping by.

The Friendship Phenomenon

Thu, 02 Apr 2015 01:00:00 GMT

I’ve been shooting a lot of headshots for local actors recently. I love shooting these types of portraits because when you work with someone one-on-one, a bond forms. As the camera captures pieces of their soul and reveals the person behind the eyes, a connection is made, a friendship begins. A sense of ease settles in and the shoot warms to something very natural.

Though you’re only together for a couple of hours, you’ve together created something that will last forever.

Because I’ve shared a special moment in their lives—a time when they were working to build their careers—I have become good friends with many of these aspiring actors. We talk. We text. We laugh. We hang out. We plan our next shoot.

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My hope is that my work will contribute in a small way to their ultimate success, not only in their chosen career path but also in life.

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Click here to check out my other actor headshots.

Event Photography: Rugby Reunion

Tue, 31 Mar 2015 03:23:36 GMT

I’m continually amazed at the variety of images I have the opportunity to shoot. One day, I’m shooting the intense, fast-paced action of a sporting event, trying to catch a great shot when and where I can; the next day, I’m shooting a portrait in which the subject is posed and still, giving me time to compose the shot in the best way possible.

Last weekend is a great example. On Saturday, I was hired to shoot a rousing reunion of the Ole Miss Rugby Club and on Sunday I had the opportunity to stroll casually around town with a newly engaged couple, shooting intimate portraits in their favorite settings. I’ll post pictures from their session in a later blog.

The highlight of the Rugby Reunion was the annual match in which the “Ole Boys” (alumni of all ages, ranging from 23-73 and beyond) faced off against the current team of collegiate players.

“Remember, we’re all on the same team, so play tough but play fair,” the official reminded both sides as the game was about to begin. And that’s exactly how it played out. The Ole Boys came out hard, giving the Young Guys competition they never expected. Bodies were bruised. Blood was drawn. But all in the name of good, clean fun. Ultimately, the Young Guys scored the win, but in a match that returned the Ole Boys to their glory days, there really were no losers.

Enough said. I’ll let the pictures tell the story…

Get It! Photo Session with Nashville Artist Mickey Utley

Fri, 27 Mar 2015 19:45:19 GMT

Last Saturday, I had the distinct pleasure of working with Nashville recording artist Mickey Utley. The singer-songwriter recently released a new album, “Get It! Get It!” – an energy-filled compilation of country rock that includes seven all new, original songs. Mickey’s label, Tuff Duck Records, hired me to capture images that will be used to promote and publicize both the artist and his new release.

I hope you enjoy this exclusive, first-look at some of the images from our shoot (more back-story below):

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And, as promised, a bit of back story:

Most often on a shoot, it’s just the subject and me. For this one, however, I had an audience. Mickey arrived at the shoot with a small entourage that included his college-age daughter, a couple of representatives from his label, and the curator of our venue—all of whom had ideas for images. I love collaborative creativity!

During the shoot, Mickey cracked up several times when his daughter told him to try not to look constipated. I’m grateful to have had her along to generate some genuine smiles and natural expressions.

Several times during the shoot, Mickey suggested the setting. In fact, he discovered the blue couch in a closed-off room of our venue and knew instantly that it would make a great set for a shot or two.

At one point, he spotted a red chair in front of an antique shop across the street from our shoot and exclaimed, “What if we put that chair in the middle of the street?! That would be a cool shot!” I agreed and, before anyone could object, Mickey and I grabbed the chair, moved it to the center line, and shot off a few frames. It’s that kind of spontaneity that makes a shoot so much fun.

Late in the shoot, we stopped by a barbecue joint frequented by the Tuff Duck guys. This is the kind of place that has fresh pork grilling in the alley behind the restaurant, filling the air for blocks around with that tantalizing scent. Whenever the grill was opened, plumes of smoke would billow out. Always one to take advantage of my surroundings for a more interesting photograph, I suggested that Mickey stand where the smoke could be captured on camera, swirling in front of him. The result was some amazing images that lend themselves to great ad potential: “Mickey Utley—Nashville’s smokin’ hot singer-songwriter!” or “This boy is on fire!” The possibilities are endless.

I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Mickey Utley and his people. If you get a chance, catch him in concert at a venue near you and, for more about Mickey, watch this short video.

Welcome

Thu, 26 Mar 2015 20:25:55 GMT

Hello & Welcome!

I'm Bill Dabney. I consider myself a photographer of life.

Life events take many shapes and forms, the most obvious of which are those timeless milestones we all experience as we grow older: a graduating senior, a couple newly engaged, the first kiss of husband and wife, life at home with children...

Life is also found in landscapes, cityscapes, and special events, which each have palpable energies of their own merit.

I love to capture the essence of all of these forms of life.

But, perhaps what I love most about photography is the pleasure my work brings to others.

Thank you for stopping by. I hope you like what you see and if I can help you capture memories of your own life, it would make my day.