Saturday, December 19, 2009

Hey Santa

Last Year's Christmas

This is, most certainly, one of the first pictures I ever took with the D80. It is difficult to imagine that a year has quickly come by since. I'm looking forward to developing as a photographer and a better human being; maybe next time I'll be able to tell Santa to pick up his 'belly' before I press my shutter...

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Monday, December 7, 2009

It's snowing!

It's snowing!

Im back home in Virginia and I must admit, I do miss the warm Florida sun. On Saturday though, it snowed! I hadn't seen snow in a while... I'd almost forgotten how much fun the white cold stuff can be. My kid sister made a note to remind me.

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Friday, December 4, 2009

Psd

flyerfront

So December is supposed to be this event-filled, season celebration with gifts, Christmas and New Year parties abound. Well before the festivities start I wanted to try my hands at a few marketing publications to advertise my photography... and this is my first attempt at it.

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Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Fantasy Land

Flame Eater

Outside of being a tad bit preoccupied with my internship at Africare and editing for the New Ghanaian newspaper, Virginia weather this week has been dreary, murky and completely 'picture unworthy' in my opinion. Unless gray splattered with rain is your favorite color, I'll pass.
I find myself often times day dreaming, kinda in fantasy land, thinking about my top 10 experiences in Florida, and the medieval faire is definitely high on my list.
I appreciate the medieval faire lover who invited me, and of course, the Scotsman who apparently went to the same grade school in Ghana as my mom and found the time to introduce himself to me.
Ah, good times.

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Saturday, November 14, 2009

Shola For President

Shola for Prez

Shola wanted to have a business professional-esque shoot. After we got the shots we needed we played around with the 'presidential Obama-shirt-no-tie' concept a little bit. Quite possibly Mr. Tojoula could be the next Obama Nigeria, the most populous West African country, has been looking for. History will tell.

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Monday, November 9, 2009

Product Placement

itake model: Vic 03

More of the Victoria shoot. I forgot we did the evening dress-something-to-drink shoot as well...

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Thursday, November 5, 2009

Angelique Kidjo @ Africare Dinner

Angelique Kidjo huging a fan

Angelique Kidjo a Grammy Award-winning Beninoise singer-songwriter interacting with a fan during her performance.

Angelique Kidjo

Angelique interacting with the crowd and getting the audience to croon to the hook of her song.

John Legend Applauds Angelique Kidjo

John Legend, bottom right, applauds Angelique Kidjo after her outstanding performance.


Angelique Kidjo's phenomenal performance at the Africare Bishop Walker Dinner to honor John Legend.
I intern with Africare a non-profit that serves 25 countries in Africa and the dinner is one of the end-of-year programs to honor outstanding contributors to Africa's cause. Of course the D80 came along, it would be a travesty for me not to have taken pictures!

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Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Cater to You

itake model:Vic 01

I've been playing around with the idea of getting a website for a while now and finally settled for a decent photoblog template till I figure out how to work with flash. I'm working on a marketing scheme to promote itake photos est. 1985.

This was a fun shoot with Victoria, a friend from UF. After the shoot we concluded that even though our paths crossed briefly while I was in Gainesville, we should have made an effort to meet up more often! Now in grad school at UF, I naturally, wish her all the best.

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Thursday, October 29, 2009

Daddy's Girl

Daddy's Girl

This picture reminded me of Eric Benet's video 'You're the only one' with his daughter, India. To all the responsible dads out there who treat their daughters like princesses.

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Monday, October 26, 2009

Lemme get yo Numba!

Lemme get yo numba

So I don't get to see too many people of African American descent with green eyes. This young lady was an exception. Post the event I wondered why I didn't ask her for number?
O yea, she's like maybe 16...no bueno!

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Friday, October 23, 2009

Schnoor Fam

Schnoor Fam

I saw Eian, my frat brother, and his family at a wedding recently. I remember going to the baby shower earlier in the year and now their baby, Soleil, is a little toddler. Makes me note how time flies!

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Recycling

Perpetua00

So I've parted ways with the D80 for a few days. I've found an enclave and in the hopes of making progress in other spheres of my life, I have relegated myself to fully concentrating on studying. Yea I know, I know. I just graduated right? Well that's what happens to all who pursue [even] higher education. Anyways this is from the collabo shoot in Gainesville a few weeks back. To those who've been a fan of the blog since day 1, you may see a few familiar faces, but very different pictures.

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Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Cultural Diversity

Indigenous Peoples

I am reminiscing about my time at UF and the fact that I have become the product of my experiences in Gainesville.
An invaluable lesson that will definitely serve me well was my exposure to cultural diversity. Not just in the text book sense of the word -more black or white people- but in the true appreciation of different cultures such as the Aztek & Mexika peoples.

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Monday, October 19, 2009

All it takes is a smile

A Smile

Every day doesn't bring the same amount of joy, and for some reason our painful memories may outlast happy ones. In some instances however, despite those dreadful times a smile can be contagious, and a healthy habit. I didn't feel like smiling today until I saw this picture I took from a wedding: hopefully it makes you smile as well.

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Thursday, October 15, 2009

Sneaker Head

Sneaker Head

I never was a sneaker head and from what my homeboys Wali and Eian tell me, I probably could not have afforded to. This was a fun shoot, yes in the woods somewhere. More stuff from the collabo with Edson Andre.

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Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Me, a Musician?

Musician

If I ever take on a singing and/or dancing career, I may just look like this. Um or maybe not. Dude was super confident though. Looked at the audience like they should have known that he just 'kilt' it.

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Monday, October 12, 2009

Short Hair & Proud

Short Hair & Proud

I remember back in prep school in Ghana, almost all the teenage girls were required to cut their hair and back then I didn't think there was much wrong with it. My mother, when she attended prep school, got hers cut as well and the tradition has continued till this day. Of course most ladies in the States tend to only do so in college, after quite a bit of soul searching, as it can have a noticeable impact on their appearance. Chris Rock's movie Good Hair is out, and this post celebrates all who've braved the criticism to cut their hair and are very proud with it.

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Friday, October 9, 2009

the art of Shakara!

Shakara

Apparently shakara means "to show off" in Nigeria. As the models walked up and down the catwalk, there was a lady asking them to 'shakara' to the audience [more here] Fashion courtesy of the Nigerian embassy.

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Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Lil Princess

LilPrincess

As I was editing pictures from a wedding I recently covered in Gainesville, I realized that I was proving my previous theory on kids being best dressed at these events, right. Who could pass on sharing such a pretty smile with the world? I know I couldn't.

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Monday, October 5, 2009

Maxi Priest in DC

Maxi Priest @ Zanzibar

I didn't know I was a Maxi Priest fan till I was actually bobbing my head to familiar hit songs of his during the performance this past Saturday. The non-conventional Reggae artists with #1 hits including "Wild World", "Just a little longer" and "Close to You", had middle-aged women crooning to all his songs at Zanzibar On the Waterfront.
He's one of my dad's favorite artists and of course pops was shaking and bopping to all Maxi had to offer as well, sigh. Considering this was the first time I'd ever seen Maxi Priest in person, I could not help but find some resemblance with him and Ice Cube... Maybe a 'dreaded-up' Ice Cube could pass for a Reggae artist.

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Saturday, October 3, 2009

President Atta Mills in DC

President's Visit

Pres. Evans Atta Mills came to Washington DC after giving his address at the UN General Council earlier this week and spoke at a town hall meeting at the Gh embassy. Adolph Afful, President of the Council of Ghanaian Associations presented him with a plaque and yours truly was there on behalf of the New Ghanaian Newspaper.

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Friday, October 2, 2009

Nigeria's 49th Celebration in the US

Nigeria

I haven't posted a journalistic picture on the blog in a while so this is to spruce things up a little.
I attended Nigeria's 49th Anniversary of Independence celebration yesterday at the Nigerian consulate in D.C. with my dad-per an invitation to the New Ghanaian newspaper staff [one of the few perks that comes with the job]. This picture is of the recently crowned Miss Nigeria, sharing a laugh with the Charge D'Affaires, Mr. Baba Gana Wakil.

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Thursday, October 1, 2009

Collabo

Themed shoot

My boy Edson Andre and I go way back as he was there before the inception of this blog or itake photos est. 1985. A link to his website is on the right of this blog and when I went to Gainesville last weekend, I had the opportunity to make good on the promise to do a collabo photo shoot project with him. Of course his new strobe lights and equipment made me even more anxious to do so. This picture is one of the many products of the project. A special thanks to all the models who responded to the casting call.

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Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Love is a Partnership

Love partnership

So I'm back from my line brother's wedding, catching up on work, stuff to do at the internship as well as reflecting on the past weekend's events in Gainesville. When our line of 14 brothers crossed in 2006, a little over half of us had significant others- maybe that should have been an indication that one of us would get married this soon. Well that and the over a dozen recent weddings in the chapter already. Congrats Mr. & Mrs. Roe. [more pix to come]

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Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Dr. Sol.

Dr. Sol

A friend has an advice column in the New Ghanaian newspaper I work for. His pseudonym is Dr. Sol (for Solomon) and yes, he thinks he's too cool for tv.

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Thursday, September 24, 2009

Momma's Boy

Momma's Boy

To those of us who've survived the first marriage, triumphed through life's challenges with our first love, and are not ashamed to celebrate May 10th every year.

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Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Wedding Blues

The Bride

The bride is beautiful, naturally, and her wedding was the first I'd attended that was held at an Army Base (Ft. Belvoir in VA). The food was delicious and the ceremony pretty quaint for black folk - memorable nevertheless. Usually you notice these things but it took me a few looks to realize that she had no jewelry on except her ring.

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Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Best Dressed

Kids are best dressed at Weddings

Weddings are wonderful, joyous occasions and mark the commencement of a new, hopefully wonderful life together of a married couple. There are usually good food and decent music but more importantly, very well dressed kids.

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Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Ghanaian Couture

Ghanaian Couture

As promised the pictures from the Asante Association dinner & dance. And yes, I am placing an order for my own personal kente.

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Friday, September 4, 2009

Out The Box

Out The Box IV

Eddie aka Captain Ekuban, a fashion designer/painter, came by the studio and we used a glassless frame as a prop. The shoot was during a much needed break, after spending most of the day editing for the September edition of The New Ghanaian newspaper. Itake photos est. 1985, we back. [more pix here]

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Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Queen Mother

Queen Mother

I attended an Ashanti Association Dance last weekend and I was pleasantly reminded of how beautiful Kente is. There were so many patterns and styles that I could not help but feel proud to know how intrinsically Ghanaian they were...only for the search for my own Kente cloth to prove fruitless. Sigh. [more pix to come]

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Friday, August 28, 2009

The Brother I never had.

Reflection

Much of what I have to say is in the poem.
Till we meet again.

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Monday, August 17, 2009

To the Greatest

To the Greatest

I deliberately waited on CNN and every other news channels to quit using Michael Jackson's legacy and life story to increase their ratings, before I posted this blog. Everyone knew and loved Michael Jackson- from Africa across to Asia- he was the other MJ that I grew up respecting for his incredible gift. And it was unfortunate growing up to see such an icon criticized and made a media-spectacle of. To the National Enquirer and all others that never gave him a chance, there isn't much to say other than the fact that one of the world's greatest musicians ever was also one of the world's greatest philanthropists to ever live. Gutter press, print that.

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Thursday, August 13, 2009

I am not my hair

I am not my Hair

Akon has a line on Indie Arie's song: "Nappy headed brothers never had no ladies//then I hit the barber shop real quick//had a mini lil' twist and it drove her crazy" makes me smile every time. So true. The funny thing is this is true in American and Ghanaian culture. Indie spoke words of wisdom in her song but it did not occur to me that my little sisters also have perm till I saw Chris Rock's trailer to his upcoming movie Good Hair. I guess the pandemic is closer than we think. Click movie title if you're curious.

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Sunday, August 9, 2009

Adiós Gainsville

Friendship

There's an African wise-saying that goes like this: 'It takes a village to raise a child', and this is certainly true of the support system of anyone who has been successful. It took my village of University of Florida supporters to graduate. To you all, I can never express enough gratitude, thank you.

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Thursday, August 6, 2009

Educated Black Males

Bruhs

The stats on black males matriculating from high school are disappointing, and from college even stark. It is monumental to see any group of young men graduate and it is a privilege to celebrate my line brothers. This is to all educated black males- and not just my class of '09.

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Wednesday, August 5, 2009

B.A.M.N.

I-Phi B.A.M.N

I apologize for the two week Hiatus. I've been traveling a lot these past 14 days-from Winston-Salem NC to Miami, FL- half of which I spent commuting on the Amtrak or in traffic, sigh.
This picture was taken at our 32nd Conclave in Miami and epitomizes my mantra for the rest of 2009. There is so much that I strive to achieve and though I don't agree with Malcolm X's acceptance of violence, I am darn near ready to be successful By Any Means Necessary through honest hard work, perseverance and commitment. ShOWt OWt to my chapter for winning International Chapter at the 2009 conclave and the International step show competition. G.O. get it!

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Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Wont Stop, Can't Stop

itake model: toni-ann

These past few days have been my most challenging and inspirational this summer. For starters the laptop had a virus, literally hours from getting back from the repairs! Yes I'm at a computer lab keeping the blog relevant, and recovering from the worst flu I've ever had in my life. 76 hours of tossing and turning in bed and guzzling down thera-flu, and to think that amidst all of that itake photos est. 1985 was birthed. Can't wait till the laptop and I are 100% again.

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Monday, July 13, 2009

PBS: Gospel Explosion

Gospel Explosion collage

Gospel Explosion is one of the events that UF members of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. put on to herald their Blue and White summer week. I was at the event for a while, and then was griped by an unexpected flu. Full recovery is in order, and the laptop has returned from repairs!

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Wednesday, July 8, 2009

itake photos est. 1985

itake photos 03

itake photos 02

For those who are on facebook I'm sure these pictures are not exactly new to you, if we are friends on fb you've already received an invite to join the group. If you don't know what I'm talking about please click here.

itake photos est. 1985 is my business moniker. One of the main reasons I fell in love with photography is because of the stories and events that lead up to a picture and as I continue to develop as a photographer and human being, this moniker is most appropriate as it has its own story to tell. [ask about it]

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Monday, July 6, 2009

What To Have.

Reggie 'igotswag' Laroche

So in light of my laptop crashing this morning [moment of silence here, please and thank you] I posted up this picture of Reggie, one of the groomsmen from Saturday as a reminder more to me than anyone else, that it is what to have regardless of the circumstance or situation: swag.

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Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Kente

Kente

Signature

One of the indigenous products made in Ghana is the Kente cloth. Apparently, the first Kente maker got his queue from the spider and learned how to interweave strings to create elaborate patterns. Back in the day Kente was worn by royalty on special occasions. In modern times, more people wear Kente and I caught two people adorning the sometimes colorful cloth at an event.

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Monday, June 29, 2009

Mini Me

Mini Me
I went to a Catholic church choir robing event with my dad over the weekend. It was a day long affair with choirs from different denominations in attendance; Pentecostal, Presbyterian and Methodist. I sang along to a few songs that I surprisingly remembered from my prep school days and witnessed priceless moments like the one above: The girl and her mom, both in the choir, as they admire the younger's certificate of appreciation.

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Friday, June 26, 2009

saintless Saint

Saintless Saint [for blog]

Saint, his actual name, is a friend of mine and also a musician/producer who came by the office earlier today. He had a hilarious story to tell about how he cut his hand opening a can of corned beef with pliers [lol very reminiscent of my days in boarding school] and hence the picture on the left. Shortly afterwards my dad set up his studio for a shoot with a client, Saint and I snuck in to take a picture with my camera and a 18-55mm fixed lens. Juxtaposing the two, we both laughed at how quickly his fortune had changed during the day, well thanks to the camera.

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Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Take a Picture

Take a Picture

Members of Kappa Alpha Psi.

D in front S in front of T

Members of Delta Sigma Theta.

I did not get a chance to go to the Atlanta Greek Picnic this year, actually never have, and these pictures serve as a memento for high school students who visited UF through the Alliance program earlier this summer.

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