Author: brian-bohannon
Bohannon Reunion 2022
Events
The Bohannon Family Photo
Over Elkhorn Creek past the covered bridge and up the hill to Scott and Kay's.
It was great to see y'all!
That’s not all the Bohannons, but those who could make it to Scott and Kay’s place. We missed those who didn’t, and will work harder on attendance next time!
The photo above is the full-size version, but I’ve made a version at 10×8 inches for printing and sharing. If you’d like a downloadable file, Send me an email.
Fairdale High Gets Down
Events
A High School Senior Prom
The Fairdale High School Prom at the Muhammad Ali Center Saturday, May 18, 2019, in Louisville, Ky.
The assignment was to capture kids arriving, parents taking pictures, dancing inside, the DJ, some fun and maybe the King and Queen crowning, until deadline.
I stayed as long as I could before I had to leave to edit photos and send them. Thankfully they crowned the king and queen and it was beautiful!
See the gallery on the Courier Journal website:
Louisville’s Fairdale High School has a night to remember at the 2019 prom | 44 Photos |11:13 a.m. EDT May 19, 2019
New Years Eve 2019
Events
New Year's Eve 2019
I covered the New Year’s Eve celebration at Fourth Street Live! for Sniper Photo, Tuesday Dec. 31, 2019 in Louisville, Ky.
Strike A Fighting Pose
Events
8th Annual Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Awards
“AN EVENING TO CELEBRATE GREATNESS”
Uniquely KENTUCKY
Editorial
Unabridged
Kentucky Living recently assigned me a Uniquely Kentucky page. My subject was the Beech Fork Covered Wooden Bridge and the husband and wife team of Arnold Graton and Meg Dansereau that had been restoring it for a year and a half. It’s 210 feet, the longest covered wooden bridge in Kentucky. My piece was a follow-up to coverage the magazine had given at the beginning of the restoration process. The bridge was nearly complete with an opening date of Dec. 25, 2017.
We discussed various situations I might photograph him in for the full-page photo spread, all sorts of ways to make a large photo with space for a text box to be placed over the photo. But when I arrived, I learned that Arnold had turned his ankle a couple of days before. He was in pain walking around on it, so this greatly reduced his mobility and restricted him to level ground.
So I was limited in what I could do with Arnold. There wasn’t much level ground around the bridge to stand him on and still have him “candidly” working on it in any believable way. Putting him out on the highway with the replacement bridge that ran parallel to the old bridge placed him too far away and would cause him to walk too much.
When I arrived, I expected a finished bridge, based on our discussions and the photos I’d seen. But there was no floor in the bridge yet, as that was their goal for the day. It was after lunch when we finally had enough floor installed to give us enough room to stand inside, but it gave me enough space to see that it was the best place to put Arnold for the photo, even if I wouldn’t be able to get him “candidly” working.
Shooting the video and portrait inside was my best option and the only way to make a clean background and control the ambient light. As workers continued adding floor boards, I set up a light with a shoot-through umbrella and almost lost it – the bridge was a wind tunnel! I had to rely on the frosted cover for my light to diffuse the output. Later when I shot the video, I bumped up the gain on my microphone. Almost too much, but I had clear audio.
I was thankful for the walking stick he was using, as it gave him something useful to do with his hands. I asked him to look around at the work he’d done to keep him from looking directly at the camera and also have at least one eye in the frame!
It was a beautiful day and a great drive home. After uploading everything, Kentucky Living posted the video on their site. I received the print issue a few days ago, but the Uniquely Kentucky page won’t post on their website until their next issue hits the mailboxes.
A green mohawk and pinball photoshoot
Portraiture
It all began with a text from Antz ...
"A person from the Pinball collecting community is visiting Zanzabar tomorrow. She reached out to me and asked if I knew any photographers who might be interested in doing a shoot around my pinball machine collection. Any interest?"
Antz Wettig, Zanzabar
Antz also attached a photo from her Instagram account, which helped sealed the deal. Her bio said:
Antoinette Johnson • NYC Artist & Hairstylist • Tri-hawk ™ • pinball nutcase • www.antoinettejohnson.com
Friday rolls around, and I get to thinking … This is in a bar on a Friday evening about dinner time and Mary Jean has planned on cooking dinner tonight. So I resolved to make it a quickie!
But after carrying in all my gear on a rainy night, I set up and we started shooting. She was an experienced subject with big green hair and we had the perfect arcade with bright pinball machines, so we worked it.
An hour or so later, I realized it was no longer a quickie. We moved through another costume change and dinner started weighing heavy on my mind. We called it a night. I told her the photos would post soon, and to enjoy her Christmas present!
Antoinette posted an Instagram photo of me that Antz shot with her phone of me shooting the session:
I recently met Arnold and his wife Meg as they and others worked on the Beech Fork Covered Wooden Bridge last Wednesday near Springfield, Ky. They were adding the floor boards that day, and Arnold was having a hard time getting around. He’d twisted his ankle three days prior, so he was limited in what he could do for the camera. I had so many ideas of where to place him, but the setting dictated how I would photograph him, and it would have to be inside the bridge.
Kentucky Living Magazine sent me there for a portrait of Arnold for use in an upcoming issue, and asked for a short video interview. They used some of the photos for an online feature published this week in their Explore section as a follow-up to an earlier story about the restoration of the bridge.
Take a look at the story and video online at Kentucky Living’s Explore section:
Christmas Day opening predicted for historic covered bridge, by Joe Arnold.
Scenes along the the Kentuckiana Pride Parade Route
The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) community and their friends, family and supporters walked and lined Main Street from Floyd Street to the Belvedere for the Kentuckiana Pride Parade, Saturday June 16, 2017 in Louisville, Ky.
See the colors of love and pride on parade with additional photos of the festival by Kathryn Harrington, as published online on the web-only June 19, 2017 issue of the LEO Weekly: Photo Set: 2017 Kentuckiana Pride Festival
Here’s my take from the parade: The 2017 Kentuckiana Pride Parade
Today the LEO Weekly published a story by Creig Ewing on UofL’s star pitcher/hitter Brendan McKay, UofL’s Major League Baseball double threat Brendan McKay that I shot at a cold Friday night game in April. It was the first time I’d shot baseball in ages! I had to walk back to the car for my jacket after the second inning or freeze.
It certainly helps to not have to worry about game action and only focus on one player. Thankfully he played all but the last inning, so there were plenty of opportunities to catch him at work.
When he returned to the dugout, I kept watching for his face from where I was allowed to shoot from along the first base line. He leaned over the rail to watch the last inning and I made about four different versions of him there. the Leo used the one where he’s looking at the camera, but I liked him looking out, as a guy standing to the right of McKay kept moving, changing the background.
At the end I was supposed to meet with the media rep and go out on the field with the players. He wasn’t around, so I went on out looking for a last photo of McKay. The coach was talking to his players and I was walking around when I heard a whistle and a “hey.” A different coach caught me and chastised me for being on the field as we returned to the dugout. Without explaining, I said I was sorry, and left.
The 10-year anniversary celebration of Republic Bank’s Private Banking and Business Banking divisions Wednesday, May 17, 2017, at the Speed Art Museum in Louisville, Ky.
Shot for TOPS Louisville:
I shot groups for TOPS Louisville.com at the 10-year anniversary celebration of Republic Bank’s Private Banking and Business Banking divisions Wednesday at the new Speed Art Museum. This was my first event there after the renovation. It’s a beautiful space with lots of light! Big windows to shoot against. Great mix of people.
Interested in purchasing a digital download? $ BUY THIS PHOTO
Shot for TOPS Louisville:
Groups at Macy’s Kentucky Derby Festival Spring Fashion Show Thursday, March 30, 2017, in the Showroom at Horseshoe Southern Indiana in Elizabeth, Ind.
Great to see my Kentucky Derby Festival photographer friends there for the event! Race day isn’t far away …
Interested in purchasing a digital download? $ BUY THIS PHOTO
Shot for TOPS Louisville:
I dressed as a photographer for this India-themed event … I was amazed by the Indian attire the men wore for this event. Where did they find these outfits?
Interested in purchasing a digital download? $ BUY THIS PHOTO
Shot for TOPS Louisville:
Supporters party at the Wrapped in Red Gala, the signature philanthropic event held to benefit the American Red Cross Louisville Area Chapter, Saturday, March 18, 2017, at the Marriott Downtown in Louisville, Ky.
Now a red event after a green St. Patrick’s Day-themed event … There was a beautiful red lounge to capture couples and groups in before the show. Photographed Virginia Ferguson of YUM! fame with her husband and friends – we go way back to Long John Silver’s shoots in Indiana … Glad to meet some more TOPS Louisville folks, too.
Interested in purchasing a digital download? $ BUY THIS PHOTO
Shot for TOPS Louisville:
Hosparus Health celebrates the launch of its new brand and expanded services at an invitation-only kick-off party Friday, March 17, 2017, at the Hilton Garden Inn Louisville Airport.
St. Patrick’s Day was the theme for this re-branding party.
Interested in purchasing a digital download? $ BUY THIS PHOTO
The Bulleit Distilling Co. ribbon-cutting ceremony held Tuesday, March 14, 2017 in Shelbyville, Ky. included Pietro Di Pilato, SVP, Technical, DIAGEO North America, Ky. State Sen. Paul Hornback, Deidre Mahlan, President, DIAGEO North America, Gov. Matt Bevin (Ky.), Tom Bulleit, Founder, Bulleit Distilling Co., Shelby County Judge-Executive Dan Ison, Ky. Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles and Eric Gregory, President, Kentucky Distillers’ Association. (Brian Bohannon/AP Images for Bulleit Distilling Co.)
This saw widespread distribution through the PRNewswire. Mary Jean was my on-site editor for this AP Images job in Shelbyville, where I had shot the ground-breaking for the distillery years ago. Happy birthday and wedding anniversary to Tom Bulleit, on the same day as the ribbon-cutting! And many more …