My Feature in an Online Magazine

Here is the link to the OTS online magazine.  One of my pics is page 6, then I am featured on pages 82-87.  Thanks Marc and Robin Binder!

ALexandria

First time model Alexandria did an great job in front of the camera.  She had contacted me about modeling and I suggested we did a test shoot and see if she really liked it. Modeling is work and involves a ton of patience.  She was good at taking direction and was eager to learn and improve.  I am looking forward to our next session as we are planning  to shoot to build her portfolio.

Hidden Secrets

There has always been some profiling and stereotyping that goes along with people with tattoos – especially women.  This set hopefully breaks away from that a little.  I tried to show the model – Sarah, as a working professional-before you saw the tatts.    She has a brain, she goes to college, she can do most anything any other business woman can do-the only difference-she has ink. But that ink covered up, she doesn’t get the weird looks of disgust, apprehensiveness, or the automatic “come hither” looks from guys.

People have their reasons for wearing ink  and having other body modifications done. The meaning of this art is usually significant only to the wearer, but does give the rest of us some cool art to look at.

Click on each pic to enlarge!

Faux Natural Morning Light

This shot was actually made about 3pm and on a cloud covered day! The door you see is actually an interior door-it opens into another room-not outside.  So, to make it look like bright daylight-I used my AB800 and 5ft soft box. I put the soft box right in the door frame, filling it up.  Triggered it full power and got the results you see here. Beautiful soft light.  The white draped fabric over the door glass diffused the light, but the burst next to her head gives us a little interest.

You may recognize Amanda by now. I shoot with her quite often and I’m not sure she is capable of a bad picture! She is always so patient when I get on my, “let me try this”  kicks!  Thanks Amanda!

Snow Days!

C’mon now! Don’t laugh! We just don’t get that much snow here in East Texas. But this year we have had quite a bit.  It is beautiful for picture taking, and melts fairly quickly-so we don’t have too many problems the northern states have with lots of snow.

It is great in some ways. When walking around our farm taking landscape shots, I noticed that the snow is like a great big reflector.  In many places where there would normally be deep dark shadows, were light and airy and had lots of detail!

Old School vs. New Age

Stera is the model in the image above-yes, twice. This is a composite, meaning there were several images that were combined to make what you see here.  After shooting one character, she changed and we shot more.

I like challenges like this. Making it all seem real. The store front that you see here is not anywhere in Palestine I can tell you that! It is a drop in, that makes the image better.  The actual background is pretty ugly!

Here is one of the original files that I started with. See the ugly vacant store? It just wasn’t going to happen! After some digging around I found a decent store front and dropped it in.

Tips for this type of images: Keep your camera on a tripod, use same focal length,  make the light make sense!

In a new Light

Poles

At mile 322 on the Intracoastal Waterway,  the sun was getting low into the sky and was a weird color (I did tweak it a little in post), but I saw the poles in a different way. I have by this same spot hundreds of times, but they just seemed to look different.  I figure it is  because I have studying different composition elements. They seemed to make a pattern that I havent been paying attention to.  It was kind of like seeing them for the first time.

Look around you and try to see things a little differently. Look at the big picture in front of you, and maybe even squint your eyes a little. Do you see geometric shapes that stand out? Do you see patterns? There is more to just about any scene than you might first see.   Take the time to find something interesting about it by changing perspective, the time of day that you see it, etc.  There may be a great image just waiting to be made there.

Behind The Scenes

I thought this scene was a little funny-models dressed up in their latest greatest fashions toting bags in the wilderness on location! They seemed a little out of place.  It was unbelievably hot, and the photographers and crews were wearing shorts and t-shirts.

This shot was taken with a phone as we were doing a bike shoot. It was in a parking lot downtown on a Sunday, but we  (I mean she),  got a lot of looks by passers by. With generator running, lights and crew standing all around, and a beautiful girl on a cool bike, what was not to look at?

Most people think that modeling and photography is easy,  just stand there and some guy snaps pics! Not so! There is plenty planning, gear set up and logistics involved. The model takes direction and tries her best to give the photographer what he is looking for.  It is not as glamorous as most think, but it is a lot of fun and rewarding when you are done and see the results of everyone’s hard work.

Doll Face

I like  still life photography because they hold really, really still- and they don’t seem to mind!  It also gives me a chance to work with the light endlessly.  This doll was made by a  family member and I wanted to photograph it for a book showcasing all the dolls she has made. This shot was made using a strobe with a 10 degree grid and I like the fall off of the light.  The grid allowed me to light the doll like a spot but with soft edges, and  not contaminate the black background with light spill.  Using an umbrella for this application would have given soft light but would have illuminated the background making the black -not so black.  When deciding what light to use in a setting-the method of controlling the light is just as important as the angle, f/stop etc.

A New Look for Love!

A Lovely Couple

I love to play with light. This image was taken with an Alien Bees strobe- bare bulb and a 7 inch reflector directly behind the couple. More than 20 shots were taken until I found the sweet spot I was looking for.

Because of the camera angle, the soft light wraps around the young lady’s face and her expression is captured nicely. The profile and the harder shadow shows masculinity in his face.  This is such a great portrait. It shows their closeness as a couple and is a little different than the normal portrait look.  Today’s younger people are looking for something different and you must experiment a little to find that new look.  So now I have another trick to add to my bag.  Continually experimenting with light will pay off!