Steller Presets…
Luke June 20th, 2008
So I have a friend Dustin, who is also a great photog and designer. He has created 50+ presets that you can purchase for Adobe Lightroom. Check them out: http://Stellergear.com.
Ahhh…so much to do!
Luke June 16th, 2008
So much going on in the Cornwell world lately. Still working on the new blog and figuring out how to give time to this thing.
It’s all good though. I can’t wait! Finished some stuff on the house this weekend so I can get some time in the evenings for the blog development.
Shot two weddings in the past few weeks. Here are a few from Adam and Olivia…such an amazing couple!
new blog coming soon!
Luke May 20th, 2008
I just wanted to let you all know that a new blog is coming soon. With a new blog will come a renewed pledge to post often - a LOT more often! I will be expanding some of the things I talk about and hopefully you all will enjoy! Look for it in the next two weeks!
Got me a 30D backup…
Luke April 24th, 2008
So this past week I received another 30D with the extra grip. I purchased it from a fellow photog off of www.fredmiranda.com. It’s a great place to buy used equipment. I don’t think I have ever been ripped off and in fact, the stuff I get off of there from the Buy and Sell forum is usually in better condition than described.
I really wanted a 5D, but I just couldn’t spring for the 2300 it would cost me. Not to mention having to buy larger CF cards to handle the 12MP! That said, doing weddings this summer would have been really nice to have. I am thinking of shooting this first with the 30D and then possible trading up for a 5D. Hmmm…anyone have any thoughts on that?
As for shooting. I have been trying to shoot more, but I have been with a few website projects and working on the house. I expect to have a TON of photos in May. So hang on there :)
Casey Senior Photos - Part II
Luke April 20th, 2008
Casey is senior from Branson Missouri. She and her mom, who are originally from California, came down two weeks ago and we braved the warm indoors as it was 43 degrees outside (not exactly California weather). Our hope was to venture outside into Nixa, but the temperature was way to cold for both of us. Next week they will come back and we can try again! For now…here are some fun stuff we did in the studio:
Kyle and Lindsay Engagment - Continued…
Luke April 15th, 2008
Lindsay and Kyle are good friends of Amanda and I. Truth is, we haven’t known Kyle for very long (so we keep a watchful eye on him :). But for real, these two are such a great couple and there is no doubt in my mind that they love each other to pieces! Their wedding is coming up in August and I can’t wait to capture their big day!
We took a venture down into Springfield a week or so ago on a cold Saturday morning - one of my favorite places to shoot since I like the urban style. We also stopped by Drury University where they have an old chapel. We had a lot of fun. Here are a few…more after the jump!
Casey
Luke April 15th, 2008
Had the privilage of shooting with Casey last Saturday. It was really cold outside for some reason this late into the Spring, so everything was inside. We will be shooting outside in a couple of weeks. Here is one from the shoot…more to come.
Kyle and Lindsay Engagment
Photoshop Express - Online Photo Editing for the World!
Luke March 27th, 2008
So this morning I was introduced to the coolest new photo editing application. Not only is it simple to use and easy to manage, but it is fully on the web!!! Welcome world to Photoshop Express!!
I love it for a couple of reasons.
- It’s online. Ever want to edit photos on vacation or empty that tiny flash card you took with you on your trip to Grandma’s house. Well, PS Express rocks at this. Just upload your photos (2gb Free Storage)!
- It looks and works great! It is built on Flash 9, so it is universal across platforms and simple to use.
- The thing has a ton of features! NO, if you are used to all the advanced features in PS or PS Elements, than Express is not going to match up. But if you are on the go and you need to crop a pic or do some simple adjusting. JACKPOT!
- Last, but not least…it can sync up with your favorite online galleries (like Picasa) or you can create your own shared galleries and make them public!
So…umm…stop working and check it out!! you won’t be sorry :) https://www.photoshop.com/express
back at work
Luke March 20th, 2008
So I am on my feet and back at work again. It’s been an interesting ride this past week! I have never experienced anything as painful or weird.
well, enough of all that. I hope to be back shooting within another week. At least i can sit up long enough to edit some photos now! :)
flat out!!
Luke March 18th, 2008
This past week I did a crazy thing. I dislocated a rib! I don’t really know how I did it. It could have been at work or taking photos or just getting up to quickly from my desk. Anyway…it hurt like no pain I have ever experienced! The pain wasn’t to bad last week on Wed when I am pretty sure I pulled it out of place. Then towards Friday it started to get worse.
Friday night I was out with Amanda and one of her friends at a local university. They were having a concert for their college days. While I was there it just seemed to get worse and worse till I couldn’t hardly walk back to the car. Me being a guy and all, I thought I would be macho and not complain much. well, that didn’t get me anywhere.
Saturday and Sunday I spent pretty much in bed flat out on my back.
Sunday night I broke. With all the pain and discomfort and the thought of being like this for a while, I couldn’t hardly sleep.
Monday, I got up and actually didn’t feel to bad. Looking back I can completely understand why I would go through spurts of horrible pain and then times where I could manage. It was because my rib was moving in and out of its socket on my spine! Crazy!
Long story…just a bit longer - yesterday I got in to see the chiropractor and stupid me, drove my self. Almost didn’t make it from the car to the door, but managed. got in and described what horrible pain I was in. The Doc proceeded to tell me I had a dislocated rib and that it was easy for him to fix, and very painful for me. DUH!
Anyway…after a few X-rays to make sure it wasn’t broken, he set it back into place and it has slowly been getting better since. I leave in an hour to go see him again and find out what my long term process of recovery will be.
I hope to be back to normal soon.
Thanks to all who have prayed and are praying for my quick recovery! And if you need a good
chiropractor…give me a call!
- Luke
P.S. all this talk about ribs is making me hungry! :)
Baby Kylee and Groupies
Luke March 13th, 2008
Yesterday I had the privilege of capturing baby Kylee in her element, hanging out with mom and dad! She is about 6 or so months old and the cutest little thing ever! She is just finding her voice and loves to scream and talk non-sense that only God must be able to understand! There is no doubt she loves snuggling with her Daddy or playin’ with Mom!
Here are a few shots from yesterday. (So many good ones, I could not post them all…the rest are in their gallery!)
Baby Kylee and of course…Mom and Dad!
Luke March 12th, 2008
Ok…so I promise I did not leave our good friends Blake, Erica and baby Kylee out of my last post. Instead I wanted to give them their own post.
The past few months they have opened up their home for Amanda and I and a few other couples to get together on Sunday nights. We do a short Bible study and many times feed our faces with delicious food!
I have been telling them for the past two months that I would love to shoot some photos of their young family and I think I finally will have some time in March. so…expect a post soon filled with sweet baby Kylee. In the mean time….here are a few from the other night:
She loves to smile!
Not sure what she was looking at here:
or here…
one with Angela…
Babies Everywhere!
Luke March 12th, 2008
No…Amanda and I are not expecting…yet! But it seems like many of our friends have recently had a new baby enter into their family. It’s awesome for us…we get to spend time with the little ones and then hand them back to mom and dad when they start crying. Which happens to be quite often in my case! LOL!
Drew is the man! He is just starting to find his laugh. The other day Amanda and I were at the Amsler’s and baby Drew was just laughing at the TV.
Here is drew just a couple of months ago…my has he grown since then!
High key drew!
Alexis (Lexi for short) has the biggest bluest eyes and the kind of cheeks grandmas love to pinch!
She loves to play with her feet!
I love this shot of Lexi and her dad!
VeryPerri in February!
Luke March 11th, 2008
Sorry…I couldn’t resist the rhyme. Thanks to Perri for helping me test out my new Vagabond II System from Paul C. Buff and Alienbees. Which, by the way is a great way to take your strobe lights out with you where ever you go. It is a simple little battery system that I use to power my Aliebee AB800s.
Here are a few from the other day:
Butterfly Palace - Branson, MO
Luke March 10th, 2008
A couple of weeks ago, my Grandparents, my sister Ali, and her friend all came to visit us in Nixa. We decided one day to go to the Butterfly Palace Gardens in Branson MO and then go to the famous Lambert’s Cafe for dinner.
We had a ton of fun. Who knew there were so many types of butterflys and that I could eat so many rolls?!?!
Check out this guys tongue!! (More below and in the Butterfly Palace Gallery )
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Wow…been a while…
Luke March 10th, 2008
So I apologize to any readers I have out there. i haven’t posted in a few months. I promise it will be way more often in the near future!
What’s been happening in my life lately? Well…it has been a busy time! I have made a switch at my 8-5 job that has taken a bit more of my time. My wife and I entertained family for 10 days at our house. Springfield/Nixa has had a few ice storms! And…my wife and I have been sick off and on.
Believe it or not, with all that going on, I have taken a few photos here and there! I will post a few over the next couple days…
Winter Fun:
Quite time:
Valentines day:
Welcome 2008!!
Luke January 2nd, 2008
Wow! It’s the new year already. So many things that I wish I could have done in 2007 will now go on the list for 2008! I can’t wait till I can get my head out of the vacation fog!!
(Note to self: Get to WORK! :)
MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
Luke December 18th, 2007
I know I am getting ahead of myself. But Christmas is only a week away! I know many of you will probably take a vacation away from your email and RSS reader, so I figured I would get this out!
I want to thank everyone for their support they have given this past year! I have grown leaps and bounds since this time 2006 and I owe much of it to my fellow photographers, my wife Amanda, and all my amazing friends! I look forward to an amazing 2008!
Lucas and Amanda Cornwell
Guest Book
Luke December 18th, 2007
Hey friends, family and visitors!! I have noticed that tons of people come to the site, but I don’t know who you are. So please leave a comment on the guest book page to let me know you stopped by!! Thanks! - Luke
The Greene Family Christmas
Luke December 14th, 2007
My wife and I had the privilege of having Andy and Sarah Greene along with their three kids (Lilly, Clare, and Max) come over to the house this past Monday evening. I knew as soon as their two daughters jumped out of the van and ran into the house, we were going to have a blast. They had never been here before, but they felt right at home :) We had tons of fun and got some sweet shots in the process. Here are a few and of course you can see the full gallery here:
Baby Drew’s First Christmas!!
Luke December 13th, 2007
My wife and I have some good friends Darian and Kristie. Only a few weeks ago they had their first baby boy named Drew. He is the cutest little guy and they wanted to get some photos they could use for Christmas cards and of course to document this once in a lifetime event. So after a couple of hours, and some tears on Drew’s part, I think we got some great stuff! Thanks Darian and Kristie for letting me be apart of your family for the day!
Alicia ‘08 - Senior Photos
Luke November 27th, 2007
Alicia and her family live in Branson Missouri and came up to visit me on a Sunday afternoon a few weeks ago. After a few hours of driving around Nixa and having some fun in the studio here is what we came up with (full shoot in the gallery):
Alicia is sweet girl and it shows in her smile:
A bit of contrast…
Having some fun with a fan and lime green background:
An abandoned steel barn:
A couple that look like they are out of an LL Bean Catalog:
Thanks Alicia for a fun afternoon and to Bethany who assisted.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL!!!
Luke November 21st, 2007
Thanks roll….
- I am very thankful for my amazing wife Amanda who supports me in this crazy roll as a photographer :) (she was my first model!). We have been married for over 6 years now and it has been awesome! Love you babe!!
- Thanks to all the models and fellow photographers who have shared in the fun and my learning experiences over the last year.
- Thanks to Bethany for all the times she has assisted me with weddings and senior shoots. She has also been very patient with me as I started to explorer the world of stock photo models. You can see a lot of her in my stock photo portfolio on IStock.
- Thanks to IStock for the slow but steady income that helps pay for my photo equipment habits!
- Thank you Readers! For your comments and critiques!
What are you thankful for?? Drop a few in the comments…
kaley ‘08
Luke November 15th, 2007
Kaley and her boyfriend Buddy (as he is affectionately called) drove down from Salem, MO to the house 2 Saturday’s ago. We shot a few (**smiley**) photos in the studio and then went for a drive, stopping here and there in Nixa. We had a blast! and I think the photos came out great. Thank you to Kaley for being patient with me as I woke up that early in the morning! and to Buddy who hung out and even held the reflector for me!! I also need to say a thank you to Bethany for her creative ideas and the assistance she gave in the studio! Here is a sample from the day (the rest can be found after the click):
Tried my hand putting together a series. What do you think?? (click to see a larger version)
Brandon’s Senior Photos
Luke October 31st, 2007
Fall is in full swing in Springfield Missouri! With the changing of the colors and cooler weather comes great chances to shoot photos outside!!
This past weekend I got to take some photos with Brandon. He didn’t come alone and that was good! Among all the photos of him we got a chance to include his brother Derek and his girlfriend Katie (hope I spelled your names right guys!) We had a blast and I think it shows! Thanks Brandon! Here are a few samples from the afternoon (click here for more):
“Brothers gotta hug!”
Walking to the next spot…
This one was an sort of an accident cause I snagged it as he turned to walk away…I think it turned out to be one of the best of the day!
Another of my favorites:
Life is busy!
Luke October 23rd, 2007
I have found over the past few weeks that the fall season is extremely busy! especially when you own a home! In the past few weeks because the sun is going down earlier, so much of what I want to do outside has to be done with the BIG light on. It’s kinda hard to mow the grass in the dark. I suppose its possible, just not very practical. With all the house items and regular work hours…time has been flying by! So what about photos?
I have bunch of shoots coming up this next 3 weeks. Fall is officially here and the trees are starting to change colors! I can’t wait to get some great shots of those! So stop by often…and let me know how I’m doing!
by the way…how has your fall been? Busy?
New photos of the wife…
Luke October 23rd, 2007
Been cleaning up all the digital file cabinets full of photos I have. I don’t get a chance to shoot with Amanda very often since we are both crazy busy. Came across some of my beautiful wife that I never edited…just wanted to share a few:
The Holiday Season will soon be here!
Luke October 4th, 2007
We will be offering a $50 special for this Holiday Season on in home sittings for Christmas, Thanksgiving and other Holiday cards. The sitting covers 30 minutes to set-up and shoot inside or outside your home, basic edits to your photos, and on site ordering of your photos cards (wireless internet required). Your cards will then arrive in about two weeks to your home. You will also receive a CD of up to 5 of your favorite photos to email to friends and family. Contact us today to reserve a time for your family! or check out some of our other available services…
Photo Card Details:
There are a number of designs, layouts, and sizes to choose from. Packages start at $32.50 (plus the above sitting fee) for 50 cards and matching envelopes.
Chad and Monica Wedding Photos
Luke October 1st, 2007
I was just looking through some of the photos I have taken this past summer. One of the first shoots we did this summer was Chad and Monica’s wedding. It was a very hot day in July, but the photos came out great. Not to mention they were a great couple to work with. Here are a few highlights - more after the jump…
UPDATED: Got a new lens today….
Luke September 24th, 2007
update: Ok, so I took my new lens out for a test this past weekend as my only wide to mid zoom and it rocks! Its great for being able to push the shutterspeed down and not have to worry about that little bit of shake that causes photos to be good, but not tack sharp. I have a wedding coming up at the end of October that will really put the lens to good use - all shot by candle light!! :) Some photos can be seen in the Christmas is Coming and Country Girls albums.
Today a revolutionary lens came from UPS. Randomly? NOPE! I traded a fellow photographer for my Canon 17-40L for a Canon 17-55IS. Yes, for those of you who shoot Canon you might realize that the 17-55 is a bit of a step down since it is not considered an “L” or pro Canon lens. But let me tell you something…this baby is awesome!! I can’t wait to be able to shoot practically in the dark with it! Check back early next week for some test shots….
Country Girls
Luke September 23rd, 2007
Got to shoot with some good friends of my wife and I yesterday. We were saying good bye to summer in a good old fashion southern way :) (side note - anyone who knows me, knows I am not southern. This was a stretch for me :) Most of these were taken with my new 17-55 2.8 IS (a few 70-200 2.8 IS). Great lens for you Canon shooters!! more after the jump…
Where did you learn about Photography??
Luke September 12th, 2007
Where do you get all your Tips and Tricks for those amazing photos you turn out?? These are some of the questions posted over on www.digital-photography-school.com.
So where did you learn or where are you learning how to take photos? I learned from lots of trial and erorr and lots of reading on this blessed internet.
Rachel’s Photos…
Luke September 4th, 2007
Had a chance to shoot with Rachel on Friday night. We had a ton of fun! Photos came out great. more after the jump…
New photos coming…
Luke August 30th, 2007
So Tuesday night I went out and bought a couple of new backgrounds, some other fabric to play with, a fan, and another stool. Then last night I bought some other stuff: a cool iron bench with leather seat, a couple of fun hats and 2 pair of sunglasses.
Will be shooting with a senior tomorrow night! Looking forward to using the new stuff. So check back soon to see some pics!
New Method for Image Resizing
Luke August 22nd, 2007
So there are all sorts of technical ways to resize your digital images these days. For every 2 methods there are 20 different software programs that use those same methods.
Well, check out this new way of image resizing:
Adria Studio Shoot
Luke August 21st, 2007
This past Saturday we had about an hour to get some studio shots in for Adria. Here are a few samples:
New Canon Camera Gear!!
Luke August 20th, 2007
Its official! Canon has released information about a slew of new camera gear today!! Everything from a new flagship EOS 1Ds MkIII to the budget A650IS. For those of you who are still shooting with a few year old 20D or maybe even a 10D you should probably check out the new 40D for sure! It has a slew of new features and updates to help you pull off those creative photos!
I for one am happy right where I am at for now with my 30D. It is a great camera and does everything that I can ask right now! I may be interested this time next year if they decide to update the 5D full frame camera to something new. That will be a hard update to pass up! Time to start saving my pennies!
Marae
Luke August 17th, 2007
Here are a few photos from last Saturday. She is just starting out for the most part as a model and this was our first shoot together at the beautiful Nathaniel Green Park. We had a great time and boy was it hot! I will be glad to see summer go! More photos after the jump….
a thought for the day….
Luke August 17th, 2007
I am sure every photographer struggles at one point or another with too many photos to edit! I have had a real busy last few weeks in all aspects of my life. So I am finding that I need to hit the highlights in many ways. This means that I don’t have time to spend doing a thorough job - at least what I consider thorough. I guess that is just something I am going to have to learn - my own limits and the point at which enough is enough, maybe not everything that I want to do. I suppose that is where wisdom comes in. Still learning…
Adria Senior Photos
Luke August 16th, 2007
Adria, I and her sister went out for about an hour last week. It was escruciatingly uncomfortable (HOT) for all so we cut it short. We will be finishing out in the studio soon! Here are a few we picked up before we quit. More after the jump…
Megapixel what?
Luke August 15th, 2007
In my day job, I am a technology consultant. I love keeping up with the newest and the greatest. However, sometimes it just becomes a sales gimic. The newest is not always the best. Well, maybe its the best, but not worth a 30-40% cost premium.
One of the areas of tech that is getting out of control is in the area of digital cameras. The consumerist has driven the manufacturers to produce higher and higher megapixel cameras, but at what cost? Many times the newest digital cameras with 12 and 14 megapixels are no greater than those that “only” have 6 megapixels.
Steve’s Digicams has a good article on the megapixel war that is going on and some of the things we as consumerist and professionals need to watch for. The Megapixel Masquerade
Portfolio Work with Kristen
Luke August 12th, 2007
This past week has been crazy hot! Even still Kristen and I went out and shot downtown Springfield. It was difficult since we were both sweating like crazy!! Well…I believe she was glowing. Thanks for her patience and work! Here are a few we came up with. More after the jump…
JPG Magazine Vote
Luke August 10th, 2007
Stop by JPG Magazine’s website and vote for my photo to be published in the next edition. I have entered in under the Passport category. Click the photo below to vote!! Thanks!!
Alexis Faith Phillips
Luke August 9th, 2007
A couple that is good friends with my wife and I just had their first baby!! We are so happy for them. They are so happy and proud (especially John the dad)!! I just wanted to say congratulations to Kristin and John! Start saving for the wedding guys!! LOL
Here is a photo I snagged at the hospital…after all…what would a photographer be without his camera??
mac mini media center …
Luke August 8th, 2007
So yesterday Apple updated all kinds of products from the IMac to the Mac Pro (it has a new RAID card if you hadn’t heard) to ILife software. If you haven’t seen the cool new tech check it out at www.apple.com or www.engadget.com has some good info.
But what do these new toy’s have to do with photos?? The answer is EVERYTHING!! LOL! Well, not everything, but here’s the 411.
I have a 40″ Samsung LCD HDTV that just has an awesome picture. I like to show clients who come to the house their photos up on the big screen. Normally, I would have to hook up my laptop via an ugly/ cable, and have to worry about putting the photos on their from my desktop computer or trying to access them over the wireless network which can be dog slow. I also would love to be able to hook it up to my stereo with the digital audio out for great mp3’s and downloaded videos :) What’s my solution??
I say…get a Mac Mini. Now, I probably should check with the wife first :) because there are things that she has been begging to do with the house since we moved in, but she is away for a week on business so I think I could get away with it.
Here are the details:
- Buy a Mac Mini - I think the $599 is all I will need for this stuff. Especially the updated one.
- Get a DVI to HDMI cable from newegg.com. They are about $15.
- Run CAT5 cable down through the wall to the router in my office which is in the basement below the living room.
- Transfer all the MP3’s and downloaded videos to the Mac Mini.
Sounds pretty easy to me. I can add an external hard drive later when I replace one of my backup drives for images. Then use the IF remote that comes with front row on the mac. But that would mean, i would have to use ITunes. And sorry all your Mac people out there…I can’t stand Itunes!! It just drives me nuts! I’m not against Macs…just ITunes.
So, if you are reading this…what do you think?
So the blog is almost done…
Luke August 7th, 2007
Good afternoon everyone!!
For real! This CSS stuff is easy…once you figure it out! But gosh, you can rack your brain and try every combo in the book to get the style right and then its right in front of your face…simple as can be! Oh, well…I guess thats why I don’t do this stuff full time!
Anyway…enough about that. Would be glad to hear what any of you think of the look so far. Trying to keep it simple and plain. I want the photos to be the main attraction once its done. I got my smugmug account all tied in now so its almost seamless. www.smugmug.com is a great online gallery that is super flexible. It does cost a bit of money per year…but not bad depending on what you want to do with it.
I have 3 shoots this week so expect a variety of shots over the next few days. I am looking forward to trying out my (new to me) Canon 50mm 1.4.
For now, check out some past photos of the Redcay wedding (full gallery here):
New Lens Comes Today!!!
Luke August 6th, 2007
Today I am getting a used Canon 50mm F/1.4 in the mail! I am so excited!! 
Look for a test gallery in a day or so.
First shots from a senior photo shoot.
Luke August 5th, 2007
Here are a few shots of a recent shoot with an upcoming High School Senior Kate Lorimer. We had a great time and the photos came out marvelously! We didn’t get to do many shots outside since it was blazin hot! We will have to do some fall shots once it cools down. Thanks to Bethany Whitlock for adding some of her creative flair. Click for more from her shoot…
Senior Photos now available.
Luke July 11th, 2007
Senior photos are now available in Nixa Missouri, Springfield Missouri, Ozark Missouri, and other surrounding areas. Please check our Available Services page for more information.
