Fresh Loaf

Whatever you do, don’t call Freddy O the paparazzi. Though he’s had run-ins with celebs from Kanye to Beyonce, Freddy says he merely captures images and subjects that are relevant to the times.

How did you get started?
I worked for V-103 for about two years. During that time, I was also a producer for Jermaine Dupri. And I’m an artist, so I would have arts shows and worked with the National Blacks Arts Festival and other events around Atlanta. I was trying to figure out a way to make more money, and I’m not a very focused person, per se, so I decided to just go buy a camera. I started taking pictures around the radio station, and then one day 50 Cent came into the station. It was during the time he and Kanye West were having their fake beef, and he had a teddy bear with him that he was calling Kanye. I took a picture of him with the bear, and soon all the blogs were requesting my photo because they had seen it online. It pretty much started from there.

Have you ever had a negative run-in with a celebrity?
Oh my God, yes. In this business, especially now that I have my own blog, celebrities immediately recognize me by face. I had a run-in with Kanye West a little before his mother passed away. He was at a bowling alley here in Atlanta. I didn’t even know he was going to be there, but when I saw him I took out my camera to take my three pictures. As I was walking out, Kanye ran up to my car and was saying, “Don’t disrespect me.” The funny thing about it was, later that night he took a whole lot of pictures at the Velvet Room.

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I met Angela Arnold this morning in the parking lot of Helping Hands Thrift Store in southeast Atlanta, where she was hard at work serving up plate after plate of affordable grub.

“I make barbecue ribs, barbecue chicken, hot dogs, hamburgers and fried fish. Everything here is home-cooked and it all comes with a side order of potato salad, baked beans, coleslaw and two slices of bread. It’s $5 for the chicken dinner, $6 for the barbecue ribs and $6.50 for the fish. You can’t beat it.

“I keep the prices lower down so everybody will be able to eat here. I quit my job as an administrative assistant to sell food here, and now I will be out here every Thursday and Friday. Yesterday was my first day, and we sold 20 meals without any advertisement.”

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

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1) Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit play the Earl.

2) The Ebony Fashion Fair brings high fashion to Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre for the Runway Report.

3) Eclipse di Luna hosts the World Needs People Who Buy Art, Atlanta Photography’s silent auction.

4) Atlanta Wine School explores Sexy, Seductive Pinot Noir.

5) Professor Judith A. Miller examines British society in Emory’s final Great Works Seminar, Jane Austen’s World, at the Bill and Carol Fox Center For Humanistic Inquiry.

(Photo Thirty Tigers)

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This photograph was taken in front of The High Museum, where a gallery show titled History Remixed: Road to Freedom and After 1968 was on display. I couldn’t help but try to get a shot of these two men holding hands walking past the gallery’s sign on the museum, which depicts Martin Luther King Jr. holding hands with fellow peaceful protesters. Alas, I wasn’t quick enough to get the shot. Instead, I decided to simply capture a moment between the two of them.

(Photo by Dustin Chambers)

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This week we have the first monthly winner as well as our weekly winner.

Tajphotog wins the weekly prize (IMAX tickets) with this fashion photo.

I know your first thought is probably “they chose that photo because it’s got a bunch of Creative Loafing papers as the background!” I assure you this is entirely not the case. I didn’t even notice that’s what it was until after I’d chosen the photo. And then I figured it was equally ridiculous to NOT pick what I deemed the best photo just because of that. So, there you go. Feel free to argue.

The lighting is understated, the concept is minimal and yet the effect is anything but. Tajphotog presents a fashionable capture in a simplistic way and it stands out. I like. It is a little different from the Atlanta building/skyline/hotspot pics we’ve been seeing up on the group but many of those are so equally stunning it’s becoming difficult to pick just one.

The monthly prize (Braves tickets) goes to kajatl. He uploaded 6 photos we were able to use on our Urban Explorer site and 119 total images to the group.

Thanks for all the photos guys. You’re making this group amazing. We have one more month of this contest so keep ‘em coming!

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