Cute video of a brilliant dog. Or maybe a chicken dog. Either way, you won't get this brilliance from a cat.

Hope you enjoy our weekend.  ~gregory byerline

Friends and fellow Americans,  8)

Check out this blog entry for the new East Nashville Care Action Network (East C.A.N.). Mark your calendars for a fun day celebrating our furry friends. Drop by the event with your barking buddy to be included in the upcoming calendar. All the cool dogs will be there. Make sure yours is. (wink wink)

Cheers.  ~gregory byerline

Nashville's Dog Day Festival 2008 was a huge tail-wagging success. How fun it was to meet so many wonderful dogs and their doting owners. We were enthusiastically greeted by dogs for whom we have already had the privilege of photographing as well as new furry friends simply excited to be the center of attention for the day. The saying is true: every dog has its day, and Saturday at Centennial Park in Nashville was that day.

This week, we will announce the winner of the complimentary portrait session after we have notified the lucky winner.

Many of you inquired about having portraits made for the upcoming holiday season, and it's time to add your session to the calendar to ensure that your images are ready on time. Thanks so much for stopping by our booth. We look forward to photographing your barking buddy soon.

Cheers.  ~gregory byerline

Remember the old saying "Every dog has his day"? Next Saturday, every dog has his day with thousands of other dogs at Nashville's Dog Day Festival 2008,  benefiting the Nashville Humane Association, from 10am-4pm at Centennial Park.

Meghann and I adopted our furry girl, Sunday Delaney O.S.P., from Nashville Humane Association several years ago, and she's quite the welcome addition to our home.

STOP BY MY BOOTH

You're all invited to this great event, and I hope you'll stop by my booth. I'd love to meet your barking buddy and show you some mounted and framed dog portraits.

SHOW SPECIAL

Through September, we are offering $100 in free product with any dog portrait package. This product credit can be applied to your choice of prints & enlargements, storybook albums, coffee table books, or photo greeting cards custom created from photographs of your dog. Great product options for your home, office, or holiday card list.

I'd be honored to shoot your dog. I mean, photograph your dog. 8) Click here for complete event info.

Hope to see you Saturday at Centennial Park. Cheers.  ~gregory

Chromatics’ Second Floor Gallery announces the opening of MINIMALISM, a showing of photographic interpretations of this movement by 16 regional artists...including yours truly. While the movement took root in post war Western art, most typically it is associated with American visual arts in the late 1960’s and early 70’s.

Features often associated with Minimalism such as geometric, often cubist forms, equality of parts, neutral surfaces and industrial materials are present in the Chromatics’ Second Floor Gallery show, but in a quiet, subtly creative context.

The public is invited to the opening reception Thursday evening, September 18 from 6-8pm and I'd be honored to see you at the opening. The show runs through January 9, 2009. Gallery hours are 8:30am-5pm Monday through Friday.

Chromatics’ Second Floor Gallery is located at 625 Fogg Street in downtown Nashville, a few block south of the Sommet Center. Drop me a note or call if you have any questions. Here's to a great week.

Thanks to my wonderful web programmers, www.GregoryByerline.com is now iPhone enabled. If you're an iPhone user, pop over to my website ... www.GregoryByerline.com ... on your uber-cool mobile device and have a look around. Woo hoo! Gregory

Hey gang, This summer, I had great privilege to photograph and design an independent CD project that is now available for your listening pleasure. While focusing primarily on photography for the past few years, from time to time I will take on a graphic design project, and I'm thrilled with how Unchangeable by Shelley Jennings developed.

Shelley Jennings is a singer your ears and heart needs. For years, Shelley has been a background singer in Nashville's studio music community. In 2006, Shelley released her first solo recording, and Unchangeable marks her third solo release.

If you know anything about Meghann and me, you probably know that we are big time music fans. Folks...this lady can SING! Perhaps best-suited for the Broadway stage or a Disney feature film, Shelley's calling toward encouraged broken people through inspiring and healing music is apparent on Unchangeable, a new recording of beloved worship songs, performed with exceptional vocals that are powerful at times and tender at times. Just the right amount of vocality on gorgeous songs.

Meghann and I were even invited to the recording studio to sing in the live worship choir. What an exciting time to rub shoulders with and blend voices with some of Nashville's finest singers...THEM, not us. 8) Learn more about Shelley and her music at www.ShelleyJennings.com or at Shelley's profile page at www.IndieHeaven.com. Have a look and listen. Would love to know what you think. Cheers. ~gregory

Hey gang, Quick note to let you know about an exciting bridal show this weekend. Click here for a discounted admission coupon. Hope to see you there. Stop by my booth to say hello. Cheers. ~gregory

Friends & Fellow Dog Lovers, You are all invited to celebrate our furry friends this Saturday, August 9 at Puptopia, taking place at the uber cool Edgehill Village near Music Row. Details listed below in the event's flyer followed my my latest dog photography promo card. Hope to see you there.

We recently hopped on a tour bus to go on the road with award-winning country band Shenandoah to photograph their performance at SomerBlast 2008 in Somerset, KY. Fantastic players and pickers! Nothing like the live setting with extended solos and rockin' concert-only cover tunes combined with their string of top country hits. Fun times hearing this great band perform live. Here's a short slideshow of several selects from the concert: Opening the event brought Cowboy Crush to the stage. Cowboy Crush is a five-member, all-girl country band sitting high on a rising star. Great songs and killer performances. Check out their pics set to their raucous song, Hillbilly Nation: Catch them when they're in your area. Check their tour dates at www.myspace.com/shenandoahfans and www.cowboycrush.com. Cheers. -gregory byerline

This is a must-share. Dog lovers everywhere will fully understand. Dogs rule. Period. Had a great photo shoot with Douglas Bader Adair, the English Setter this week. Images from that shoot will be posted soon. Also, mark your calendars for August 9 at Edgehill Village in Nashville where Lucky Pup Boutique & Bath hosts Puptopia. Stay tuned for more info on this doggy event. And now, here's a sleepy salute to our barking buddies:

A few months ago, I started a structured, 60-week running program to train for the 2009 Music City Marathon and Half Marathon, and the benefits have been welcome additions to my world. I feel better. My health and fitness has improved. I sleep better. And I've almost reached my original goal pace for the running event (may need to re-establish that goal pace).

So far in the program, my long run has been 7 miles. The thought of running this distance eight weeks ago was quite daunting, but the program steadily increases with end goals in mind. After running the 2005 Music City Half Marathon, I'm mentally accustomed to the distance, but my cardiovascular strength and joint health after over two years of inactivity posed as limiters to reaching this distance.

After this week's 6-mile run at competition pace, the training plan for today called for an easy 2-mile jog for recovery. Two whole miles. "Whoopdidoo" is my general response to short easy runs; however, they are beneficial for overall fitness progress, and, as I was reminded today, for other benefits as well. After lacing up my shoes, plugging in the iPod, and leashing up our furry girl Sundae for the short, easy run, Sundae and I are heading to the greenway, enjoying the fresh air rinsed clean from overnight rains. Puddles still on the road.

Just over a half-mile in, here comes the rain. Gentle sprinkles at first, so we moved to the tree-covered side of the neighborhood greenway trail. “Another mile and a half, Sundae. Let’s see if we can stay dry or if this rain will blow over quickly.” That was my first reaction. The rain continued and gently increased to a steady rain.

Then, the aforementioned “benefit” occurred to me. When I was a boy, the opportunity to play in the rain was welcome and seized upon. At what point in my lifetime did I lose that boyhood thrill? Why are we grown-ups so averse to spontaneity? Time to be a boy again. Time to continue running in the rain, away from the tree canopy, out in the open where I would get covered in rain … completely soaked.

I turn 38 in three days. Big deal; I feel 28. Today, covered in rain on my seemingly insignificant 2-mile run, I felt 8. And it was good.

Happy 232nd birthday, America. Here's a favorite shot from Nashville, TN's downtown fireworks extravaganza.

Four selects from a recent modeling portfolio shoot with Elizabeth are pictured here. Elizabeth is a new fashion and modeling client from Cheyenne, WY who drove 34 hours round trip for our half-day shoot. She is an air traffic controller for the Air National Guard in Cheyenne, WY, and she is taking steps to pursue modeling work. First step is a professional photo shoot, and I am honored that she asked me to make her initial images. Additional selects from Elizabeth's shoot can be seen on my photo blog at Flickr.com Cheers. -gregory byerline

This week I received a copy of the debut EP from country/pop starlette Ashlee Page (pictured here).

Additional selects from Ashlee's shoot can be seen in the Music gallery of GregoryByerline.com as well as my photo blog at Flickr.com Learn more about AshleePage.com Cheers. -gregory byerline