2012 Tool Dealer Expo

The Fuller Hot Rods Rodan CB 836 motorcycle sits on a stage awaiting it's new owner to be drawn from a container of prize tickets.


This past weekend, I photographed the 2012 Tool Dealer Expo for the company I work for. You can view my image gallery by clicking: here.

2011 Tool Dealer Expo

This past weekend, I photographed the trade show that my company puts on each year. A lot of the images I got were photojournalistic / record shots of the crowds and booths that were involved in the event. The above image is one of my personal favorites, though. The clean lines of this Nissan 350z, which was one of six prize vehicles being given away, inspired me to make this image.

You can view the whole gallery of images I captured of the 2011 Tool Dealer Expo by clicking here.

2009 Tool Dealer Expo

June 26 & 27 was the 2009 Tool Dealer Expo held at Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center in Kissimmee, Florida. The Tool Dealer Expo is a trade show held for resellers in the automotive tools industry. I work in the print media department of the company who hosts this show every year for it’s customers. One of my main jobs for that weekend is to photograph this huge event.

So much time and energy is spent preparing for an expo like this. Before we know it, the show comes and goes almost without a trace, but leaves a lasting mark on the industry each year. It’s a very proud moment for the company I work for and everyone that’s a part of it.

It is because of this that I take extra pride in using my creativity behind the lens to capture our show. It’s an event that deserves to be documented well.

To check out the gallery of images that I captured this year, please click here.

"Last Ride" by Dozer Cycle part 3

One More View.
Ok, I had to give you one more view of this frightening ride.
I guess when it comes to “Bikers” having a sometimes scary wrap, this bike is the ultimate ride for that stereotype.

In the words of “Joel Reynolds”, “Ghost Rider called - he wants his bike back.”

"Last Ride" by Dozer Cycle

Yeah, I thought this would get your attention.
You’re looking at the front of a Motorcycle that is known as “Last Ride”. It’s a bike that sports a human skeleton made of steel that covers the length of it’s body. It literally looks like a skeleton on two wheels. I overheard a show patron say that if he saw this bike pull up beside him, he’d probably pull off the road.

I’ll be showing you a few more views of this unique machine and the man who built it, in the next couple of days.

I'll borrow an idea from my photoblogger friend, Carmi, and ask you a question. What first came to mind when you saw this image?

Show Time

I just photographed the annual trade show that the company I work for puts on each year in Orlando, Florida. The show consists mainly of automotive tools and equipment with the occasional cool bike or car to look at. We had a few special guests at our show this year, one being “Dozer Cycle” company. They brought a few of their motorcycles for all the show attendees to enjoy gazing at. As I was photographing the great bikes, I aimed at one of the mirrors to see if I could get an interesting reflection of the girl working the booth who was sitting about 15 feet away. I was able to see her in the mirror, but couldn’t capture her smiling. So, I went over to her and showed her what I had photographed so far and explained why I needed her to look my way and smile. Once I grabbed this image and showed the result, she said, “Wow, that’s amazing!” She made me feel like I had just performed a street magic trick for her.

This was one of the many images shown in a slide show on four huge screens during a 2,000 attendee dinner Saturday night. As everyone enjoyed their meal, some of the 600 images I took from the previous two days were on display. Later that night, one of the vendors complimented me on my photography and mentioned this shot as one of the ones that stuck out to him.

I hope you all enjoy the new look of the photog blog. The phrase “every image has a story” is something that came to me recently. I think it applies well to photography and what my Blog is all about. Not only does an image “tell” a story itself, but there is always a story as to how and why that image came to be. At this Blog, I hope many stories are enjoyed; the stories that the images tell and the stories that I tell of how those images were created.