Neipp 2014

Portrait of Harry in Boston

5 am in Downtown Boston

Getting ready for NEIPP

Getting ready for another great year at NEIPP on Cape Cod. You will hope fully see some great photographs if I can keep control of this blog.

Riding a Bike

Today I was asked why I ride my bike as much and as many miles as I do. My response was really quite simple.I needed to get into shape to start.. BUT then when you think about doing a 100 mile ride for a cause and it may help someone that changes things. So here is the question: If you could ride a bike 100 miles and you knew it would save a child's life from cancer, or some other life threatening disease would you do it? Not to mention in the process you may save your own.. That's why! So since my mom died of cancer, my sister is a cancer survivor as is my step mom,my father has diabetes as does one of my very best friends, last but not least I just Had a friend just collapse from a serious heart issue and Thank God he is still alive but still in the hospital, I will pedal my BUTT off for any worthy cause no matter how far it is if I feel it will help out one person or perhaps save a persons life. Not to mention in the process I will be prolonging my own life so I can enjoy my family,children,grand children as long as I can..

A great week at MAIPP

Just finishing a great week a MAIPP, a few outdoor photos of our model Sam.

An amazing Man as well as an artist and a Vietnam Veteran

Everyday in this profession we get to meet cool people, today I had the chance to meet and photograph a truly amazing man. Having the chance to photograph a man like this was an honor. He wore his VietnamVeteran hat from serving in Vietnam and one of the students in the class said, Thank you for your service, he responded by saying " No one ever said thank you to him until a few years ago, that hit me like a ton of bricks, the reality of what that generation of people have endured out of shear ignorance by those which did not support the troops that served in Vietnam.... Thank you Paul for your years of Military service and also for allowing me to photograph you. I hope you enjoy these images.

Maipp Images

Just a few images so far from Maipp 2014

Just The Facts

Wow as I sit here eating lunch and packing up my gear for my trip to Iowa to teach at MAIPP this year, its hard to believe a year has gone by since last years class. Funny how time just flys by. I am really honored to be back at MAIPP again this year, when I started doing these classes I wondered why would anyone want me to teach a class to anyone about art and photography. The one thing I will say is I learn new things every time I teach a class and that's really what it is all about, people sharing with other people. Someday I will look back and say to myself "WOW I was able to do that once" and hopefully I will have helped mentor someone to become successful in what they are doing in their life, as my Mom and Dad did for me as well as some of the great photographers I have studied with and learned so much from. Looking forward to seeing everyone this week at MAIPP it will be a Great week.. I also what to Thank ACI ( American Color Imaging .  www.acilab.com) for making this all happen year after year.

Keeping it Simple

Over the weekend I finished this a small set of images. In this session I went back to my roots of plain black and white and as little photoshop as possible with a digital file. It is so refreshing to me to be able to do this and not have to have all the photoshop and other filters and garbage out there to try to help make a photograph look good and artistic.. Just shows you what you can do with good lighting, proper exposure and vision. I will be at Maipp in Iowa next week teaching David Deutsch and we will be teaching all these great priciples and techniques.. hope to see you there.

Being in New England

Being here in the Boston area / Cape Cod this week has been great for all of us at the NEIPP school, however I will say it was tainted badly by the events at the Boston Marathon and we should all keep those people who's lives were changed forever due to the ignorance and cowardly act of someone that would attack and harm so many innocent people for no reason. I know I'll be leaving here with a very heavy heart and keeping those who have lost so much this week....When I get home i know I will be hugging my children those close to me not taking for granted any moment i have with them...

NEIPP 2013

Well it's 2013 and here I am on Cape Cod ready for another fantastic year teaching at NEIPP. I am really looking forward to anoter fantastic class and creating some great images with the photograpers in our class.

Just a self Portrait illustration

This is a little concept I had in my head since I started cycling seriously a year ago so with the use of some tools purchased by the one and only Woody Walters I made this self Illustration. Its has now become the logo for our cycling club. Lets just say the cycl-paths liked it

Neipp School

I have been teaching at Neipp school on Cape Cod all week and it has been awesome, have a great class. Here are some of the images we have done this week.

Total Enjoyment

This is just the therapy I needed after avery busy past few months, a beautiful day on the river in Michigan

It's official

Ok so many of you know I have been on a mission the last 7 months to get healthy and it has worked out very well for me. I was recently approached by a beach body coach because they new I was doing P90X and having some amazing succsess. SO I have become a coach for them which means I will help people who want to get into shape and offer them free support and help them to reach there goals in weight loss, Health and fitness. Thats whats happening now,, Yes I am very excited and I already have over a dozen people I am help with their efforts now. Looking forward to many more. you can go to my site at:  beachbodycoach.com/iceman100.com there you can purchase any beach body excersise routines and products or you can call me and I will set you up. I can assure you it will change your life forever.

Something Big

Well it's been a crazy month of February and I certainly have not held up my part of the deal on this blog so with that said I will be back and keeping this up to date. So as of this morning I have lost a total of 52lbs in the past seven months and feel fantastic, I can tell you it'snice to have 6 abs instead of one big one : ). I was approached about helping some people who want to get rid of some extra weight and perhaps even get in shape. SO I am going to be starting some 5 to 10 person personal groups and toally walk you through what I did and how I did it as well as supprot you throught this journey. I have in the last 7 months been taken off all perscription medicine, so there is no reason why you can't do it to...non at all. I don't care how young or old you are you can do this,,, IT IS NOT A DIET! it's a change in your life style.... SO with that said I only want those who are truely serious to let me know via a message on here or e mail me at Jim@jameschurchillphotography.com and I'll get you set up and started on your life of great health. When you e mail me in the e mail Title simply put: G.O.Y.A I am out for now.

Kentucky Convention

Well I am headed to Covington for the KYPPA convention. I will be judging there and really looking forward to the judging process. PPA has the best print judging protocol and I know at Kentucky this year there adding a new twist to it. Hopefully they will not be making a mockery out of this process. I know if it does turn into a donkey show and or mocks in anyway the judging or the process I personally will walk out. That's all for now. I will keep you posted..you know I will.

Simply Amazing

I am sitting in Orlando attending the SPI convention, this morning while designing the ACI tropheys for the KPPA convention I came across this photo I took years ago of Tucker playing with a deer I rescued after her mother had killed by a car. He used to play with her so tenderly and it was an amzing thing to watch between to animals that typically would not get along. I just thought I would share it with you all, I know it may not be that interesting but it just struck me when I found it so I thought I would share it.

Roller Coaster Ride

So I have not posted here in a while but I have been very busy with Imaging USA in New Orleans. I took over as the President of The American Society of Photographers, I will say this is truley and honor and I am very humble to serve these pillers of this amazing industry. Never could I have imagined being the leader of such a Prominant assn. This year in taking over as the President having 4 of my very dear friends recieving the ASP Fellowships, this is the highest achievment you can earn in our profession. CONGRATS TO: Dave Huntsman, Jim Chagares, Dennis Hammon and William Branson.  I left New Orleans only to go home and put my best friend ever Tucker the wonder dog to sleep. This was without a doubt the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. I am now in Orlando for the SPI convention and the weather is amazing accually got a sunburn yesterday. This morning as i was unpacking my clothes i found a stray dog hair on one of my shirts,, all i will say is " NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF A STRAY DOG HAIR "  Now with all the sappy stuff done i will try and do much better at keeping this blog up to date. I will be leaving here on friday and will be off to Portland Maine for the MPPA convention.

Simply Amazing !!

Every one and a while someone will come into your life that will become a TRUE friend, we all have many we call friends but are they really TRUE? I probabley can count my TRUE friends on one hand. About 15 years ago I met a man, his name is Woody Walters, I have been so lucky to be able to call this man, his wife Ninya and there wonderful children my TRUE friends. Last month while I was at ACI in Iowa Woody and I spent some time together as we always do. I asked Woody if he would do a portrait of me in his vision of me and I didnt want to see it until it was done. Well here about an hour ago I recieved this portrait in my e mail. I will say typically I hate my photo being taken, however I love this image he did of me, I think it really depicts me and my passion for my craft I so love. Woody did this portrait with his new brushes he just created and they are truley amazing. You can get these fine brushes and many other fantastic photoshop tools and tips by going to his website, Woody is the man that put Illustrations/composits on the map. No matter what you hear from anyone he is the man who started it all and I have learned a majority of my techniques from him and then moved in my direction to do the things I do. I hope you all enjoy this portrait as much as I do and please do let Woody know via facebook or e mail. His e mail is Woody@woodywalters.com and his web site is www.woodywalters.com

On the road

Sorry I wasn't able to get my post down yesterday, I was in airports and driving most of the day. Today I will be working on competition prints with one of the photographers I am currently mentoring. several of you have sent me images to review and I have looked at most of them. I will be responding to you personally once I have reviewed them in depth. I am planning on going step by step on this blog with the creation of a few competition images if that will interest you let me know with a message on here and perhaps you will see what comes out of this small pea size matter in my noggin.

What Really Matters

Today was kind of a crazy day, it was full of good and bad emotion but I do realize there are people who have it much worse today than I do. Today some friends of mine, there father had an elective surgery, what was suppose to be simple lead to him passing away very suddenly aftter the proceedure. This couple has lost a mother and a brother and now her father today, all in the past few months. Thats a lot for a heart to bare. So if you think and dwell on how bad you have it, just realize you don't really have it that bad after all.

The Simple Things

Sometimes we tend to make things more difficult than they need be. This image was taken rite behind my house. The simplicity of it is what really makes it so nice. The weather looks cold but yet you seem to get a calm feeling from it because of what it depicts, fishing is a very relaxing thing to do so your mind goes directly to that fact. The composition of this image was just what it was with no manipulation at all. The only thing done to it was the Black and white conversion. I guess the point I want to make here is that no matter what the weather or what your day was like just take a walk and enjoy the silence. You never know what you may see. These fisherman never even knew they were photographed. Let alone that they were selected for the International Loan Collection the ASP Traveling Loan Collection and then displayed in Korea. Guess it pays to be in the rite place at the rite time...BUT! You still have to see it.

First post on this Blog, I can assure yout it will get more interesting as it goes.

I was asked several times about a blog last year, never had I even thought or considered it. Some friends of mine seem to think I have things in my head that others may be interested in, well I am not sure about that however I do have things in my head, they may give you nightmares as you follow me, they may give you an awesome cooking recipe and you may even learn what makes me tick in the photographic world as well as in my photographic mind. There will be the occasional rants on politics, religion and whatever else may set me off from one day to the next. So with that said, sit back, hang on and enjoy the next year. The image I posted today is Titled : " The Stand "  I posted it today because it's a beautiful sunny and snowy day here in Michigan today.