When I was in LA last week I met up with model/actress Maggie Arias to do a quick studio session. We did such a broad range of setups over the 2-hour session that I decided to split it into two posts. This set had more of a dreamy, classic romantic aesthetic.
Read More
Femme Fatale Vibes with Molly Ridge
This was a short, impromptu study of color and mood, with Molly Ridge. Once again I used the Lindsay Adler Optical Spot to create sharp, bold shadows.
Read MoreAll the Things with Annika
This was my first shoot with Annika Peterson and we did all the things. I started off with some light lighting, using a black fiber optic brush and orange gel from Light Painting Brushes. After that I explored making long exposures while rotating a linear prism FX filter and multi-strobing my flash. Finally, I took some shots with my fungus-filled lens, using shutter drag and an LED with changing colors.
Read MoreMy Story: A Short Documentary by Brandon Goodyear
Brandon Goodyear is a local videographer that has an ongoing series focusing on makers and what motivates them to do what they do. Over the span of a month he captured a couple of my photo shoots, me climbing at my home gym, and me watering my vast collection of plants. We also got deep and chatted about my journey through trauma and where I find inspiration as an artist. Check it out.
Read More
Cyberpunk Flapper Girl and Other Photographic Mashups
It’s a rare occasion when I do a team collaboration on a personal shoot. I typically prefer to work directly with the model, having them bring their own wardrobe and arrive with their hair and makeup already done. It not only saves time and is easier to coordinate but I also love the challenge of coming up with a cohesive theme for the shoot, basing my techniques, lighting, and color palette on the items that they brought with them. That said, when I do get to work with a great team such as this, I can see how the images really elevate…
Read More
Playing with Bold Colors and Silhouettes
How to Create Practical Effects in Photographs without Photoshop
Lately I’ve been exploring different ways to manipulate my images after the fact. Since I’m not great at Photoshop creating realistic effects in Photoshop and don’t like the absence of “happy accidents” when working on a digital file, I prefer to print the images and then physically modifying them. So far I’ve explored crumpling prints, poking holes in them, submerging them in water, and lighting them from below before re-shooting them…
Read MorePlants and Plastic with Chyna
I’ve collaborated with Chyna a dozen times now, and we’ve since become friends. She recently came by the studio and we chatted about work, life, and plants, among other things. I had recently propagated one of my plants by splitting it into two pots, one of which I gave to her. Before she left I asked if she would want to do an impromptu shoot with her new green friend. After snapping a few frames with the plant I convinced her to let me shoot some colorful long exposure images…
Read More
The Unmasking: Shoot, Print, Shoot
Last week I shot had a brief session with @mundermonster. I shot for about five minutes, capturing a range of poses. Then I took a break to import the images, select a favorite, and print it out on an office inkjet printer. Then the shoot resumed and I directed Mary in using the print as a prop. I really love this as a visual metaphor for the perceived self…
Read MoreShutter Drag with Window Light / Creating Dappled Light with DIY Reflector
I wanted to create a dappled light effect, similar to sunlight reflected off of windows. I actually came across this effect by accident. I bought some mirror stickers used for crafting, which I adhered to a piece of cardboard. I had scored the cardboard on the back which made it an easy-to-carry tri-fold reflector. The happy accident came about in that the corrugated cardboard texture created the dappled light effect when lit with a bright light source, in this case a flash…
Read MoreNew Photo Tutorial (Creative Portrait #3)
I’m excited to announce that I just dropped the third episode in my ongoing tutorial series, The Creative Portrait. It covers ten scenarios with each scenario showing real-time raw file capture, camera settings, and color grading in Lightroom.
Read MoreFungus in Lens Creates Ethereal Glow in Images
The above image is a raw file— straight out of camera with no editing. It was created by shooting with a kit lens— which are very inexpensive and poor quality to begin with— that was made worthless by most anyone’s standard once it grew a fungus inside. I found this flawed treasure on eBay and have been exploring its possibilities over the last year, with this latest shoot being the most successful by far...
Read MoreFractals: Photographing Time and Space
Though I’ve been exploring long exposures and shutter drag in my portrait photography for years now, I’ve recently began to explore it in a new way. For some time now I’ve implemented intentional movement into my shoots but I was always doing the moving— not my subject. I’d shoot at exposures longer than 1/30th of a second and I’d move my camera around as my subject sat there. I’d mix in a strobe light with a continuous light source so that at least part of the subject was sharp while the rest of the frame fell away to blurred movement. Lately, however, I’ve decided to ditch the strobe and fully embrace the blur…
Read MoreGetting Spooky with Rachel (Digital Pinhole)
Last week I shot with frequent collaborator Rachel Luree and made a range of ghosty images, including some digital pinhole images. If you’re unfamiliar with pinhole photography, it’s essentially any light-tight object with photo sensitive material inside and a tiny hole which acts as the aperture. An entire room can then be a pinhole camera (see camera obscura). I’ve made pinhole cameras out of LEGO, oatmeal boxes, film canisters, and cigarette tins. While each iteration has offered unique results, exploring digital pinhole has been a quicker and easier experience by far.
Read MoreMy Travel Gear Kit
This is my travel kit. I’ve whittled down my gear over the years to get the leanest and meanest kit possible. With this two camera, two lens, two light setup I can easily travel and solo shoot, creating a broad range of indoor and outdoor scenarios.
Read MoreLiquid Color
This was a fun little test shoot with Jona. For some of the frames I projected video footage onto her and made multiple exposures. Other frames I used a pulsing, multicolored LED and had Jona do the moving. There was an element of control and chaos in each scenario, and all of them led to discovery and delight.
Read MoreEphemera: A Collaboration with Hana Mendel and Celeste Malvar-Stewart
Last week I collaborated with Hana Mendel (an amazing photographer, illustrator, guitarist, etc) and clothing designer Celeste Malvar-Stewart. In an effort to maintain social distance guidelines, Celeste dropped off her garments, giving us permission to style and shoot them as we saw fit. Hana showed up ready to shoot and I kept my distance, wearing a mask the whole time. Save for the addition of wearing a mask, the shoot wasn’t any different from my other personal shoots— I always work with a minimal or non-existent crew…
Read More
Exorcise Routine
Yesterday I shot with Katy and really leaned into creating dreamlike (nightmarish?) images. I’ve been experimenting with mylar for over a year now and continue to find new ways of interpreting the material. I love the soft reflection it offers, which give the photos a painterly quality. With the warping of the material, otherwise dreamy images turn into those depicting an exorcism.
Read MoreA Rose by Another Name
As quarantine restrictions are starting to loosen I am slowly resuming shooting with people IRL, which is such a blessing. This was a quick study of soft pastel colors, which I selected based off Rose’s wardrobe. For the final scenario I (subconsciously?) had Rose cover her face in one of her shirts, which gave the image a mysterious, even mournful look. Though we are beginning to go back to work and return to “normal”, the quarantine has left an obvious mark on human interactions.
Read MoreZoom Photo Shoot with Roarie Yum
I first met Roarie Yum three or four years ago at a shoot I was doing with a different model. The two of them had been on the road together, taking modeling gigs one city at a time, and while I was shooting with the other model Roarie hung out on my studio couch and caught up on her email. I wasn’t aware of her work at the time and when I later saw her incredible portfolio I kicked myself for not working with her when I had the chance.
Read More