Kelly Verdeck Photography

Photo Friday: Sing Me Away

// February 3rd, 2012 // No Comments » // Concert, Photos

As a long-time music fanatic, it’s a treat for me to combine my loves of live music and photography. I don’t get to do it a whole lot, though, because I generally only make it to shows when they happen at the local theme parks or something similar (like this shot of Night Ranger’s Jack Blades in concert at EPCOT last November). Looks like I might make it to more live shows than usual this year, though! Next month I’m taking a business trip to Nashville and planning to catch a Grand Ole Opry show while I’m there, and then at the end of March I think I simply must attend the Backline Music Festival over in St. Petersburg–the headliner is Tonic, who I’ve long liked, but the clincher is that Will Hoge was just added to the lineup and he’s one of my favorite singer/songwriters. I’m hoping both of those shows will be good for photography. In June I’m seeing Roger Waters’ tour of The Wall, which was a can’t-miss since that’s long been one of my desert-island albums. I wouldn’t mind catching Huey Lewis in downtown Orlando next month either. Hopefully before long my daughters will want to come along!

WDW Wednesday: Dead Men Tell No Tales

// February 1st, 2012 // No Comments » // Photos, Theme Parks

Just a quick photo from Walt Disney World’s Pirates of the Caribbean ride. The new camera does pretty well in low light, I must say! Interesting bit about this attraction–even though it’s so iconic and feels right at home at WDW, it wasn’t in the original plans for the Magic Kingdom. Walt and Co. felt that since Florida was so close to the Caribbean (and New Orleans, the setting of the Disneyland version), there wouldn’t be much interest in a pirate-themed ride here like there was in Disneyland. But there was an uproar, so the ride was added and opened in 1973. It certainly remains one of my favorites.

Photo Friday: Betty Jane

// January 27th, 2012 // No Comments » // Photos

It’s contradictory of me that I despise the effects of war, but I love the machinery of it. I’ve always had a fascination with aircraft in particular, especially military aircraft, and especially vintage military aircraft. So I couldn’t pass up the chance to visit with a few World War II-era planes that were passing through the area this week. This shot is up close and personal with Betty Jane, a beautiful P-51C Mustang. She belongs to the Collings Foundation, who fly some of their airworthy collection to small airports around the country on their Wings of Freedom tour. They do good work, keeping these beautiful old ladies flying and bringing a bit of history to people all over.

WDW Wednesday: Building LEGOLand

// January 25th, 2012 // No Comments » // Photos, Theme Parks

I’m mixing things up a bit this week with a non-Disney theme park photo. I think I’ll do that from time to time, though I still like the ring of “WDW Wednesday” better than “Theme Park Wednesday”.

We’ve been to LEGOLand Florida a few times now since it opened. We’re definitely fans–I’d say it isn’t a park in the same league as Dieny or Universal, but for what it is, and for its target demographic, it’s a great park with lots to see and do. Heck, we STILL haven’t made it back to the old Cypress Gardens part of the place! And they continue to slowly add things, and plan to re-open some areas before long. We’re definitely looking forward to the opening of the attached water park this summer, I’m sure we’ll give that a try. Lazy River rides are the best, I imagine even more so when big foam LEGO blocks are involved!

WDW Wednesday: Practically Perfect

// January 18th, 2012 // No Comments » // Photos, Theme Parks

You know, you can say it backwards, which is “docious-ali-expi-istic-fragil-cali-rupus” – but that’s going a bit too far, don’t you think?
-Mary Poppins

Photo Friday: Friday the 13th

// January 13th, 2012 // No Comments » // Photos, Travel

Sorry, I don’t have many particularly creepy photos that fit the bill for this Friday the 13th. This is a little old roadside church that we often pass when driving up to Mount Dora. And since this is a long weekend, we’re planning a bit of a road trip that will hopefully result in some more good photo opportunities. And maybe some geocaching, a hobby I’d like to get more into this year as well!

WDW Wednesday: The Distant Pyramids

// January 11th, 2012 // No Comments » // Photos, Theme Parks

Just a quick shot from EPCOT, with the Imagination pavilion’s pyramids in the background. Imagination is one of many things around EPCOT that used to be so much better. I rather wish for an EPCOT renaissance at some point. Bring back Wonders of Life!

Photo Friday: Queens In The Garden

// January 6th, 2012 // No Comments » // Nature, Photos

Aside from a cold snap in the past few days, so far we’ve been having an unseasonably warm winter. It seems to have fooled the local butterfly population, who have been winging about and laying eggs like it’s spring. We have a little butterfly garden at home where the Gulf Fritillaries and Monarchs have been hanging out, and the pair of Queens in this photo were at the garden planted by some Girl Scouts at Central Winds Park in Winter Springs. Nature photography is what originally attracted me to the camera, and it’s something I’d like to do a bit more of this year.

WDW Wednesday: A New Lock

// January 4th, 2012 // No Comments » // Photos, Theme Parks

Well, we have arrived at the doorstep of 2012–Happy New Year to you! If you think about it for a moment, you’ll realize that January 1 is an entirely arbitrary point to choose to mark the end of one trip around the sun and the start of the next. Even so, I must admit I buy into the notion of using this annual occasion to reassess things–who I’ve become, who I want to be, what I’ve accomplished and hope to accomplish. I relish the sense of closing the door on the old year and welcoming the new, like a blank page or a new lock to open. I wouldn’t go so far as to say I’m big on New Year’s Resolutions, but I always make one or two, and they’re generally along the same lines–be more often positive, more often creative, more receptive and more giving. This year I’m hoping to be almost relentlessly positive, since I feel there’s already so much negativity in the world–indeed, for many people it seems to be the default state–and now and then I find it dragging me along for the ride. I’ve always prided myself on being, if nothing else, a bit apart from the majority. So this year I will work at making myself and the world just a bit better, a bit more positive and hopeful, and I’ll hope you might resolve to do the same. It’s never too late for that.

The Best of 2011!

// December 30th, 2011 // 1 Comment » // Family Lifestyle, Photos

Every year I make a post to review the year that was, and to post some of my favorite shots. So here we go!

2011 was certainly a good year for me personally–we welcomed our third adorable daughter, Amaryllis, back in February. Because we were expecting a child, I kept the first few months of the year pretty clear as far as my photography business was concerned, but the second half of the year certainly made up for it. I met some great folks, saw some great folks again, and had a lot of fun trying to capture their personalities and special occasions. On to the photos!





















































Thanks to everyone for making this a great 2011–here’s to an even better 2012!