Colby's Photography

Knoxville News Sentinel recently did an article on the clients and prize that I won. It was written by Adria Amos and you can see it on their website by clicking here.

“When Mike and Robin Maddux of Karns hired a photographer for their new business, Moonshine Mountain Cookie Co., they didn’t expect to receive an award-winning photograph.

The couple wanted quality images to use on the business website, www.moonshinemountaincookies.com, so they hired West Knoxville’s Colby McLemore based on their website designer’s recommendation. What they didn’t realize is McLemore, owner of Colby’s Photography, often submits his work to local, regional and national contests and has won many awards. This spring, the photograph he took for the Moonshine Mountain Cookie’s home page won Best in Show in the commercial images division of the Professional Photographers of East Tennessee’s annual competition. Robin and Mike, 53, were thrilled when they heard the news.

“I thought that was awesome,” Mike, who also owns FunMakers and Rocky Top Dog Fence, said. “That was a pretty big honor for him, and obviously pretty good exposure for us, too.”
Robin added, “I thought it was very impressive for Colby, and it confirmed the direction we were going in and that he was able to capture it.”

McLemore chose to submit this photograph because he knew it was a strong image. The Madduxes provided the vision, cookies and props but gave the photographer creative freedom to “play.”

“When somebody has the trust in my capabilities to say, ‘Here’s the vision. Here’s the look. You run with it,’ there’s a certain joy to that because there’s often strong teamwork,” McLemore said.

Moonshine Mountain Cookies, owned by Mike, Robin and their close friend, Rick Dunlap of Nashville, has been in operation for only about three months. Robin said it really started in 1988 when the couple owned The Pizza Doctor. On Halloween of that year, they decided to send some free, freshly baked cookies with each delivered pizza as a special treat for customers. The response was overwhelmingly positive. The cookies, which are thick and chewy, became a sensation with customers, family and friends, including Dunlap. Mike believes the success is wrapped up in the cookies’ secret recipes, which include good, wholesome ingredients such as real butter and fruit. Several of the cookies now feature something you might not expect in a cookie: moonshine. “We use Tennessee moonshine in the cookie,” he said. “We only use flavored moonshine. … It really is an enhanced flavor burst, and it helps keep the cookies moist.” “It makes for fun cookie flavors,” Robin added. Currently, they offer four flavors: Berry White, a strawberry and white chocolate cookie; Happy Pappy, an apple and oats cookie; Rocky Top, a creamy chocolate chip; and John Lemon, a lemon blueberry cookie. Two more will be offered beginning in June. But don’t worry. The alcohol bakes out of the cookies in the oven, so they are safe for everyone to consume.

“If you get a buzz off these cookies, it’s from the sugar,” Mike said.

The company recently sparked interest when the owners participated in the “Shark Tank” casting call during the show’s recent visit to Knoxville. Mike said they are currently working through the
process, but it’s too early to know whether or not they’ll make it on the television show.

“They really liked what we were doing, really liked the cookies,” he added. “They asked us to give them a follow-up video presentation about a week later.

Orders can be placed through the company’s website, and delivery is free in Knoxville.”

I’m excited to announce that I was recently nominated to be on the national council of the Professional Photographers of America (PPA). PPA is the largest professional trade organization in the world. If elected, I’ll be representing Tennessee’s professional photographers at the national level in the organization.

I have been very active in promoting professionalism within the industry at the local as well as the state level. I’ve been very active and instrumental in transforming the organization’s local affiliate, Professional Photographers of East Tennessee (PPETN). When I first joined the PPETN board, membership and funds were down and the affiliate was in danger of folding. During my tenure on the board, the organization grew to more than 50 members and became fiscally strong.

I’m now serving on the board of the state affiliate, the Professional Photographers of Tennessee.

If I’m elected, I look forward to helping Tennessee’s photographers to have a stronger voice at the national level. I’ve always appreciated being surrounded by some of the best photographers in the industry.