About Mark - Click Here
Sports Action Photography - Click Here
Evansville Stock Photography - Click Here
Indiana Scenic Photography - Click Here
Senior Pictures & Portraits - Click Here
Custom Collages - All handmade with no templates - Click Here
Current Projects - Click Here
Display Art for Home or Office - Click Here

                 "In Tune" - Music & Friendship

             The River Basin Blues Society & The "Blues Co-op"

To read the article on The River Basin Blues Society and "Blues Co-op" and find the link to the photos and videos associated with it, click on the graphic below.
River Basin Blues Society article - Click Here


Wedding coming up?
Now booking weddings again!
Contact early to reserve your date!

Click image below for a gallery of a wedding from March 26, 2011
Wedding Sample

To purchase photos from games or other events, click the link below:

markmccoy.photoreflect.com


Click below to go to my Facebook page
Click to go to my Facebook page
As of Feb. 1st, 2010, one of the primary goals of this website will be to help promote local and area bands and musicians.
Click on the graphic below to go to "The Evansville Music Scene page, where you can find photos, articles, and even video clips of local artists of various genres of music. These people work hard for your entertainment. Please support them!
Evansville Music Scene
Guide to the Evansville Music Scene - local and area bands and musicians - Click graphic above

 

"In Tune" - Music & Friendship
-Rod Austin-

*NEW ~ Nov. 26, 2010*
Rod Austin

Not much moves or inspires me more than making a good friend through music.
It's been my good fortune that music has been....well.....instrumental..... in forming a few bonds tight enough to last a lifetime. Not too shabby, I rekon, considering a man can count himself lucky if he has but one or two such friendships in a lifetime.

I'd only been writing articles for News 4 U Magazine for a short time when I was given the name of Rod Austin as a potential subject by my editor. (Thanks D.G.)
Rod is a third generation wood craftsman from Calhoun, KY. All I knew at the time was that I had heard he made an awesome guitar for local guitar legend Tommy Stillwell.
It was apparent from our first meeting on a "Deerhead Tavern -Sunday Night Blues" night, that we had similar interests in music and seemed to share a wavelength on life and a shared passion for our respective professions.

What began as a simple subject for a story evolved into a "real life" story. One of friendship.; not the run of the mill "hey how ya doin'?" variety, no, this one sprouted roots. It's been an honor to count Rod as my friend in what I can only describe as a near brotherly kinship - born through music - Stoked by a mutual love and respect for the blues, live performances in general, quality conversation, and a healthy dose of B.S. - It's been inspirational to bear witness to the "piece of himself" that he puts into every project he takes on.

Some initial small talk about having him make a guitar for me had been fun, but I'm not sure I ever really imagined the talk would ever go much further than one of those "pie in the sky" daydreams like hitting the lottery, or scoring that bad-ass car you always pictured yourself cruising around in, but one day last Spring, the stars lined up and we began discussing styles, features, pickups, etc, and the next thing I know we were at the lumber yard picking out wood!

Photographing various stages of construction was cool! Like watching a dream come true right before your eyes. We both marked time while my income struggled to keep up with my carbon based desires, but Sunday, November 21st, we met again at The Deerhead for the delivery of my new ax - and to hear Tommy Stillwell take her out for a test drive! Now if I can only one day play it as well as it deserves to be played.....but then again, that's part of the beauty and joy of it....spending some time with it....whadda ya know.....yet another "friend" through music! I LOVE it! THANKS Rod!

Pictured below: My new guitar!
Handcrafted by my friend, Mr. Rod Austin. Not a drop of stain....just the natural beauty of the wood with a sweet Tung Oil finish!
Gorgeous inlay work, and even the tone and volume knobs were hand crafted from wood!

* For those interested, here is a list of the materials used:
*
A beautiful piece of highly figured Flame Maple for the body. Blood Wood from South America, for the fretboard, and Lace Wood (sometimes called Silly Oak) from Australia for the neck & pickgaurd. Ebony was used for the accent dots on the inlay on the headstock, and on the body inlay, as well as the "shark tooth" below the pickguard. Gotoh gold locking tuners, and Schaller gold locking strap buttons. Pickups are Golden Age single coil pickups right now, but I may switch to a set of Kinman Blues pickups down the road.


Click the "Guitar Shop" graphic below to view more photos of the guitar, contact information, and a selection of images from the creation process!

Delivered, Nov. 21, 2010. - The proud owner of an Austin Guitar!
-- Mark Mccoy


Rod Austin Guitar Shop - Click Here

Click the graphic below to read the News 4 U Magazine article from Dec. 2009
Rod Austin Article - News 4 U Magazine


"Owed" to Petey

He was just a dog with no name. Found laying in the middle of the road, with no collar or tags. We called him Petey, as he reminded us of the dog from The Little Racals. Petey was in sad shape. It looked like he’d been hit by a car, but our vet said it appeared he had been kept in bad conditions, such as on concrete, as he had dried; bloodied pressure sores all over. He looked to be a Pitbull mix, with his one blue eye. Having never been around a Pit Bull, I was initially concerned, especially since he was injured. But "Petey" was as sweet as he could be. I washed him up gently with warm water and medicated shampoo, got him some medicine from our Vet; got some straw for the old long unused dog pen in the back yard, and bought tarps to protect him from the sun and rain, and started him on the antibiodics for his many raw pressure sores.
Being the owner of two other males dogs already, I knew we’d likely not be able to keep him. While I searched for a home for him, I made sure he would spend his time at my home in comfort.
After many emails and phone calls I finally found him a home, but somehow he got away, and wound up at a shelter, where they said he also had prostrate cancer, and had already put him to sleep. I felt aweful about the outcome, but happy we were able to give this poor guy with no name, who had obviously had a rough life, a nice last couple of days on this planet. But in the process of dealing with Petey I learned much to my surprise, that dog fighting is apparently a thriving activity in our area. I heard the same stories from our Vet, from the Warrick and Vanderburgh Humane Societies, and even from some Law Enforcement friends. I felt a bit naive, as I’d just assumed this was something that occured "somewhere else", but sadly, it seems, I was wrong. They say it’s common to find the “losers” dumped around the river bottoms. I was also told to warn
people that these sub-human beings also scout for, and steal dogs right out of their own backyards, for use as “Bait Dogs” in the training of their “fighters. This is a sad and sick thing. They say it’s very tough to root out these dog fights, but I, for one, have great faith in our area Law Enforcement, and have always told friends that I’d rank them at the very top of their profession, even when compared with larger cities, so let’s pray they have some success, and if you know of anybody who participates in dog fighting, please call the proper authorities. Also, please do whatever you can to support the local Chapters of the Humane Society, and places such as Paaws (www.paaws.org). Many thanks to Daryl at Warrick Ainmal Control for contacting to let me know the dog might have been taken to the Vanderburgh Humane Society. Thanks also to the kind folks at VHS for the kindness they showed him as they ended his suffering.

Finally, THANKS to "Petey" for bringing a gentle ray of sunshine into my life.

He was a sweetie, and deserved better than what life dealt him.

Peteypain.

 


NEW! - Joe Bonamassa Live at The Victory Theatre, Evansville, Indiana - Aug. 18, 2009
I'm a photographer. I make no claims to be a music critic, or concert reviewer, but when something moves me I tend to get the urge to write about it, and on Tuesday, August 18th, at The Victory Theatre in Evansville, Indiana, I was moved! I had the opportunity to photograph and listen to a concert by Joe Bonamassa.To be one of those fortunate enough to have been at The Victory that night was to be treated to some of the finest guitar playing around! Joe, his band and crew brought their gear and their incredible light show to our fair city, and put on what I can only describe as possibly the best concert I've ever heard! The word needs to be spread far and wide about Joe and his band! Joe has been playing the guitar since his parents gave him his first one at the age of 5, and he began playing on stage at the age of 12, (check out the YouTube video here),so at the ripe old age of 32, Joe already has 20 years in the music business!True to the artwork on his bus, which reads "Always on the Road", Joe plays all across the country, and overseas as well., and in May of 2009, he played to a SOLD OUT Royal Albert Hall in London, England where he was joined on stage by "Slowhand" himself, Eric Clapton.His band is tight, his playing is clean, powerful, and impressive, and if you enjoy excellent blues guitar, you owe it to yourself to seek this guy out, buy his music, and catch his live performance! You WON'T be disapointed!Don't just take my word for it, here are a couple of links where you can check out some of my personal favorite tunes: "Stop!" "So Many Roads" and for an acoustic treat, "Woke Up Dreaming". Take a listen.The only thing that impressed me more than his playing was that he seems to be "Just an average Joe" (I know, but I couldn't help it). He came out about 3 hours before the show and signed guitars for various people; spent some time just talking, posing for pictures, and answering questions, and unlike many of today's musical artists, Joe just seems to "get it" when it comes to the Internet, "New Media" and spreading the word. He encourages photography and audio recording at his shows, and has a special connection with his fan base. HIs website www.jbonamassa.com, is a real treat as well. It is chock full of music and video, and you can also sign up to be a member of the Joe Bonamassa "Street Team", and help spread the word about Joe and his music. Check it out! Again, that's http://www.jbonamassa.com.

Also check him out at his MySpace page at www.myspace.com/jbonamassa

It seems that Joe is beginning to get the recognition he deserves, and I wish him well, and I'll be doing what I can to turn others on to Joe's music, and will be looking forward to attending future shows, anytime I get the opportunity. Indy, Oct. 21st.....St. Louis, Oct. 25th....Road Trip?? You betcha! Tuesday, August 18th 2009 opened a whole new musical door to me, and I'd like to extend my thanks to Joe and his people for their kindness and courtesy!To view a web gallery of images from the Evansville show, just click on the graphic below.w
Click to ViewWeb Gallery





Mark McCoy - Staff Photographer for Atoma Publishing; including News 4 U Magazine; Go Team Magazine; Tri-State Bride Magazine, and What's Cookin' Magazine, and freelance photographer for Tucker Publishing Group, including Evansville Living Magazine; Evansville City View Magazine; and Evansville Business Magazine. (Click photo below to view Bio)
About Mark-Click Here
Updated photo/Feb. 2009/Photo by: Casey McCoy

"NEW SECTION"
As a public service, and a way to pursue some ongoing projects, I've started a new section of my website devoted to the city of Evansville.

If you are seeking information about Evansville; where to go; what to do; media; government; schools; local bands and artists or favorite locally owned eateries, click the "Evansville Links" button below!


For links and helpful information about Evansville Indiana, Click Here!

One of the things that makes my job so much fun, and challenging, is the wide variety of assignments.
Between my daily shoots for the magazines I work for (News 4 U & Go Team Magazine), my freelance work for other local magazines (Evansville Living Magazine), and shooting for private clients, you just never know from day to day exactly what you might wind up shooting.
Subjects range from sports action, to emotion, both among the players as well as the fans; to shooting bands, portraits, personalities, food, and festivals.I think as with anything else in life, we all have "good days" and "bad days" in our personal, professional, and private lives and I think the key to being successful is to just work hard and do the very best job you can do wherever you go, and your hard work and passion for what you do will show in your work, and keep people wanting your images!
Ziggy


WELCOME HOME!

On Sunday, November 24, 2008, the troops of the 163rd FA arrived safely back in Evansville from their most recent tour in Iraq.

Many familes will have much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving, and topping the list will be the answered prayers for the safe return of every soldier who deployed!

Thank You to each one of our local soldiers who served our Country with honor! We're glad to have you back!

Click here, or on the photo below to view a web gallery of images.

Troops Return - Click Here

 

Friday, Oct. 3rd 2008
While scouting for an image for a friend's office, I decided to swing by Dress Plaza and along with a few people preparing for the Evansville Half Marathon and a few guys fishing, was treated to one of the best sunrises in quite some time. Nothing extraordinary about the sky, but with the water temperature being higher than the air temperature, a large bank of steam had enveloped the water on the Ohio River. As the sun rose higher and the steam began to burn off a single tugboat appeared from the steambank, and from the other direction, a barge slowly made it's way around "horseshoe bend".
What a great morning for making some photographs.
Many thanks to Tom Gabe. Had he not commissioned me to make an image for his new office I'd likely have just been home drinking coffee!--Thanks Tom!

 

Saturday, Aug. 23, 2008 - Ellis Park - Weiner Dog Racing
Kids, Clowns, burgers on the grill, pizza, beer.....and Weiner Dog Racing!
Does it get any better than that on a summer day?
The folks at Ellis park have done an outstanding job providing some great family entertainment for tri-staters!
The grandstand was full, as were the numerous picnic tables, for the Weiner Dog Derby, held prior to the 11 scheduled horse races on Saturday. This was the final Weiner Dog event of the summer. Ellis Park will wrap up their last week of live racing, Saturday, August 30, with another fun treat, Camel and Ostrich races!

James Otto at Woody's!

Sunday, August 3, 2008 - James Otto at Woody's Bar in Evansville, Indiana.
Standing 6'5", James is a big man with an equally big voice. It was a rare treat to see in a small venue, an artist with a tune that topped the country music charts at #1, with "Just Got Started Loving You". (click the title to check out the video on YouTube) Check James Otto's Myspace page.

Thanks to Woody's for bringing James to town!

*All images © Mark McCoy/Publications of News 4 U*

To view more photos of James and his band, click on the rollover image below to go to the web gallery.

James Otto at Woody's Bar - August 3, 2008 - Click Here




Pictured left: Tommy Stillwell. If you've seen him play, no words here are needed. If you've not seen him play,
you need to get yourself to a Beat Daddys gig.

Pictured below: The Beat Daddys.
These guys have rocked their way around Evansville, the USA, and the World now, for over 20 years.
If I had to pick the area's top band, and/or the hardest working band, it'd be these guys!
"No, they ain't from Clarksville, but they still play the blues"! (Larry Grisham)
Keep an eye out here for an upcomming article! - Mark



*NEW!* Evansville Music Scene - an ongoing project - Click Here

Sportsshooter.com website - Click Here


Bosse Bulldog Football - Click Here!

Click on thumbnails below to view samples of recent work.
Vincente Fox - Click Here
Former Mexican President,
Vincente Fox

Victory Theatre - 4-10-08
Barack Obama Rally - Click Here
Barack Obama Rally
~
Roberts Stadium - 4-22-08
Earth Day 2008 - Click Here
Earth Day 2008
~
Sunrise Park
2008 Dragon Boat Races - Click Here
Dragon Boat Races
June 7, 2008
Eagle Crest Lake
Recent wedding - Click Here
Ashley & Jeremy's Wedding
May 17, 2008
Vand. County 4-H Grounds

The Bob and Tom Comedy All Stars - Click Here
The Bob and Tom Comedy Allstars - Evansville, Indiana - May 3, 2008
Click photo above to view more pictures

Semi-Pro Football
Tri State Titans vs. Ohio River Bearcats - Click Here

Tri State Titans vs.
Ohio River Bearcats
6-21-08

     

August 4, 2008 - Grand Opening of Mesker Zoo's Amazonia Exhibit
The Queen of Amazonia - Beliza

Click rollover image below to view a Web Gallery of photos from Paddle Fest 2008
PaddleFest - Click Here

Aug. 16, 2008 - New Harmony, Indiana-
The Fourth Anual Wabash Heritage Paddle Fest


*Click the image above to view a Web Gallery of images from 2008*

I always enjoy shooting the Paddle Fest, and this year was AWESOME!
There were upwards of 400 canoes registered, and mother nature chipped in with one of the most gorgeous days one could hope for, as we got a break from our typical "Dog Days" heat, haze, and humidity
.

It was a "Perfect Day". The canoes paddled the 9.7 miles from Grayville, IL, to New Harmony, IN and topped the day off with a nice lunch and some great music by Swan Dive.


Check out Swan Dive at www.swandive.org, or their Myspace Page

This is a great summer event, and between the canoeing, food, music, and various activities and games for the kids, it should be on everyone's calendar!



It w


Aug. 19, 2008 - University of Evansville vs. University of Southern Indiana - "The Mayor's Cup"
Final Score: UE-3 - USI-0



Promotional composite for a new local band, "Calling Corners".

Evansville Riverfront - Spring, 2008


Dr. Anthony Hall of Hall Wellness Institute.
Assignment for Tucker Publishing/Evansville Living Magazine


Please drop by and sign the new Guestbook!

About Mark
Sports Photography
Evansville Stock Photography
Indiana Scenic Photography
Senior Pictures & Portraits
Custom Collages!
Current Projects
Display Art for Home or Office!