Celebrating a Victory with an American Hero | Aaron Brooks Photoshoot

Today I got a great honor.

This is Aaron. 

Aaron is a Veteran of the Iraq War.

... a true American Hero.

Aaron has been a friend of mine for a while now, so I jumped at the chance to work with him! I was even more excited when I found out why....

While in Iraq, Aaron lost a fellow soldier and good friend in combat.

He was devastated.

As a result of the pain, he found himself addicted to Heroin shortly after returning home.

...but now things have changed. 

Aaron made the decision earlier this spring that he would not be defeated by drugs. He decided that he was going to have victory no matter what.

He was tired of letting substances control him.

As of today, he has officially been sober for 3 months.

Aaron hired me to create some portraits for him to commemorate this day, and I could not be more honored.

(We went to buffalo wild wings to celebrate after the shoot)

:)

If you or someone that you love is struggling, let Aaron's story give you hope.

There is hidden strength to fight inside of all of us.

Together - we can overcome anything.

If you know Aaron, or if you were inspired by his story, then click the little blue "Share" icon at the top of this post to share it on Facebook. Join me in congratulating him on this great victory!

If you would like to congratulate Aaron personally, leave it as a comment on this blog and I will give it to him myself.

Join Me in Honoring Him Today.

God Bless America.

~Brandon

www.BrandonBartee.com

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The Best Girlfriend Ever | The Coolest Thing Ever | See My New Haircut

So it is May 22nd - and we are still here. So either we missed it... or the whole thing was a (another) hoax...

Anyway - on to cooler things to talk about.

So... In case you did not know. My girlfriend is an artist.

AND... she is the best girlfriend in the world. 

(Like seriously - Stop looking - because I already found the best one)

Anyway - we have been talking about what true portraiture is, and we came up with this definition:

Portrait: An image that represents the sum total of who a person really is.

So... she stole a photo that I had taken of myself that day, and thought about all of the things that make me, me (I am sure that I said that wrong), and after about 5 hours in photoshop... she came up with this:

A Portrait of Me (All of me)

If you look closely - you will see:

Me - Pretty Awesome Right?

Georgetown - My favorite neighborhood in DC, and the namesake of my new wedding company

My Brand - If you look closely at my left eye - you will see my logo

My QR Code - If you don't know what that is - grab your iPhone - download "QR Reader" and scan this image:

My Life Verse: Revelation 12:11 (Hence the name 1211photo)

My First Camera - If you look at the upper left corner - you will see a camera lens beloning to my first ever camera, the Pentax k1000 (Circa 1983)

Sean - The person in this world that inspires me the most.

Rana - Of course she included a photo of her self - she is in the middle of my lens :)

And about 20 other things.

Anyway...

A 16x20 Canvas Print of this is on its way to my house right now as we speak.

Why do I mention all of this?

To prove to you just how awesome my girl really is...

(did I mention that she just graduated from college last week?)

... and to let you know that if you are interested... I am pretty sure that you can commission her to create one for you...

(Seriously though, wouldn't it be ridiculously cool to have a canvas in your house that represents your family 100%, and that would remind you of some of your most precious memories together every time that you walk by it???? And that will last for generations to come? And that people will OOOOHH and AWWWEEE over when they come to you house???)  -I think that is all...

So yeah - here is her contact info: Rana@Ranamarie.com

On a different note...

I cut my hair off today. I think I like it - but I would love to know what you think :)

so tell me.

That is all.

~Brandon Bartee

PS - I am not just trying to sell to you - I really do love my composite piece from Rana - and I think that you will too. I honestly could not be more thrilled.

PPS - If you liked this post, like Rana's Work,  or think that one of your friends would be interested in commissioning one of these, please hit the little blue "Share" button at the top of the screen.

PPPS - How many of these can I put on here before it is tacky?

PPPPS - Check back tomorrow for some more photos from my "Do you ever get tired of Just Pretty" shoot with Susan McGowan.

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End of the World May 21st | Harold Camping Prediction | Macho Man Randy Savage

This is Harold Camping

(Photo taken from http://www.jesus-is-savior.com)

So - it is 9:51 pm (at least when I started typing this) on Friday, May 20th, 2011.

7 days after my 23rd birthday.

1 day after my moms ?? birthday.

1 day before the end of time?

Now before I start - Yes I do realize that this has just about nothing to do with photography - but in case you have not noticed, I blog a lot about what is on my mind.

So anyway - if you have not heard - Harold Camping has been all over the news lately about his prediction of the end of time being some time tomorrow.

Do I think it is true? Maybe.

But probably not. 

But that is not the point of this post either.

My point is that whether or not tomorrow is the end of time for everyone on earth, it might be the end of time for you - or for me. I know that is a morbid thing to say - but it is true. We are not guaranteed our next breath.

So live your life TODAY is if it were your last ever.

Remind your family exactly how much you love them.

Right a wrong.

Get right with God.

Help someone without reason.

Do something that you have always wanted to do, but never have.

Start that website you dream about.

Make today that "someday" that you are always talking about.

(Image borrowed from http://www.wrestlingvalley.org/wwe/macho-man-randy-savage/)

In case you don't know - the crazy guy with the obnoxious belt is Macho Man Randy Savage! (Wrestler)

He died in a car accident in Tampa, Florida earlier today.

When he woke up this morning - he had no idea that today would be his last on earth.

When is your last? 

It could be today. Could be tomorrow. Could be 80 years from now.

But we don't know.

So live every day like it is your last...

I leave you with this.

See you Sunday!

~Brandon Bartee

www.BrandonBartee.com

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Do you ever get tired of "Just Pretty"? | Edgy Portrait Photography

Do you ever get tired of pretty?

I mean don't get me wrong... this girl is stunning...

Very Stunning.

This is Susan - and she is looking into pursuing a career in modeling in the near future.

When she booked me for this shoot, I was very excited because she has a very strong and dynamic look to her. Her past photo-shoots have been very "Cute" and almost "Elegant."

I had the idea to show the world a different side of Susan.

The Edgy side of Susan.

The dark side. :)

I think we pulled it off.

What do you think?

Do you want to show the world your edgy side?

Contact me for booking information.

~Brandon

www.BrandonBartee.com

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(Seriously - I want to get to know you)

This is the day that the LORD has made. (Another Look)

Do you ever sing a song and have no idea what the words actually mean?

(Yes, I realize that this has nothing to do with photography)

Psalm 118:24

This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Everyone remembers the song from sunday school. Some people might even still hear the song at church from time to time. This song, though, has been sung so many times through so many generations, that the words have almost lost their meaning to most people that hear it.

If you have no idea what song I am talking about... CLICK HERE

ANYWAY...

This song somehow got stuck in my head as I was driving to the beach the other day, and it was honestly starting to annoy me. To me, this wasn't a song of praise, but a reminder of when my parents forced me to go to Vacation Bible School instead of hanging out with my friends.

BUT...

As I was trying to get the song out of my head, a deeper meaning to the words of the song hit me.  All of the sudden I realized why all of the people in the gospel choirs were so happy while they were singing it. (I guess it isn't a deeper meaning, because it is exactly what the lyrics of the song are)

God Made Today.

Before the beginning of time, God decided that May 12th, 2011 would happen, and he made a plan for it.

God didn't just make the day that Jesus died.

God didn't just make the day that we had a really good church service.

God didn't just make the day that we got a promotion.

God made today.

Likewise he has a specific plan for you TODAY - not tomorrow - TODAY.

As you go through the rest of your day - think about this painfully simple concept the flew over my head for years. 

God has dreams and goals for you today.

God has a purpose for you today.

God wants to use you to be powerful for him today.

God's destiny for you does not start someday. It is happening right now in this day that He created before the beginning of time.

Find your purpose. Change the World.

~Brandon

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Sale on 16x20 prints thru Monday (05/16)

Hey Guys!

To celebrate national photography month, my supplier is having a major sale on one of the most sought after print sizes available.

16x20 prints (Normally $105) are currently on sale for only $55.

This sale is good for any orders placed through me by Monday at midnight, and it applies to any clients photographed after October 2010. 

It also applies to all of my artistic prints as well.

Anyway - that is all for tonight!

Contact me directly to see if you qualify.

~Brandon Bartee

brandon@1211photo.com

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Don't forget about the Tornado Victims (Is this starting to sound like a news blogs?)

OSAMA BIN LADEN IS DEAD!

*** Tornadoes and Storms rip through the south, killing hundreds ***

Everyone is excited about the recent death of Osama Bin Laden, and rightly so!

...but do not let the news of his death make us forget about the great suffering that is going on right here at home.

Here is the story: Taken From Fox19.com

"TUSCALOOSA, AL (RNN) - An especially violent spring storm tore through the state of Alabama on Wednesday, tearing a path of destruction across the state and killing at least 131 people.

The storm ripped through six states killing 200 people, with the rate expect to rise. Hardest hit was Alabama with 131, 32 in Mississippi, 15 in Tennessee, 13 in Georgia, eight in Virginia and one in Kentucky.

In Tuscaloosa, a mile-wide tornado killed 15 people and injured hundreds, tossing boats from a store into an apartment complex, ripping holes in rooftops, and destroying a swath of retail establishments along a busy street.

Hundreds of buildings and homes were leveled by the tornado, and Wednesday night there were fears more victims could be buried beneath the rubble..."

So Now What?

I am not saying to stop celebrating this victory...

(Like this guy)

I am just saying that we should not forget about what just happened in the south last Wednesday.

There are thousands of American's suffering from this devastating storm. Hundreds were killed and thousands more were injured or lost property. Please do not let Osama Bin Laden's last act be to cover this up and prevent us from helping our brothers and sisters in need.

CLICK HERE to donate to a reputable organization that is already on the ground helping families (World Vision)

I will be donating 100% of the profits from the next photoshoot that books to this effort as well.

God Bless America.
Brandon

If you were inspired by this post, please feel free to share it with your friends via Facebook, Email, or Twitter. All images Copyright Brandon Bartee Photography 2011. If you would like information on licensing the above images, please contact me directly at brandon@1211photo.com

More Photos from the Celebration!

Hey guys!

There are some more photos (and full sized versions of the old ones) from the other nights celebration in DC on my main website!

Click the Above image  (or HERE) to get there)

Thanks.

Brandon

www.BrandonBartee.com

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Bin Laden is Dead! - Celebration at the White House - Justice is Served

In case you have not heard, Osama Bin Laden, public enemy number 1 and murderer of thousands, was killed in a special forces raid yesterday, May 1st!

As this news reached the American people around 10pm EST, the streets across the country erupted with celebration.

I was lucky enough to take part in once such celebration... the celebration in front of the White House.

It was about 1:30 AM EST when we arrived in downtown DC. From blocks away we could hear the sound of cars beeping their horns, police chirping their sirens, and people rejoicing in celebration over our nations great victory!

People were running thru the streets wearing flags on their backs like capes, and "High Fiving" each other.

As we got a bit closer to the White House, we could hear the crouds chanting "USA! USA!" and randomly breaking out into our national anthem and God Bless America. Others were holding signs and waving flags while jumping up and down screaming.

As we looked around we noticed many fire fighters and other emergency services personel being congratulated and encouraged as they stood there in tears of joy over the justice that had been served for their brothers and sisters that had fallen in the rescue on 911. 

As I stood there in the crowd of literally thousands of people, I could not help but stand in awe of what was taking place all around me. 

A nation that had been downtrodden for nearly a decade...

A nation that has been divided for so long...

A nation that had all but given up on justice...

Was finally coming together in celebration.

As we headed back to the house, I was literally in tears of joy and awe over what was going on, and what I had just experienced. 

I knew that on this day, good had triumphed over evil.

On this day, the good guys won.

On this day, the nation would be filled with the far reaching cry of celebration and peace...

...even if only for a moment.

God Bless America.

Brandon.

If you were inspired by this post, please feel free to share it with your friends via Facebook, Email, or Twitter. All images Copyright Brandon Bartee Photography 2011. If you would like information on licensing the above images, please contact me directly at brandon@1211photo.com

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