I recently worked with award winning DJ and producer, Kallaghan. I employed a range of camera and lighting effects to create a broad range of images that encapsulate the energy in his energetic music.
Read MoreCannabis Campaign Photo Shoot
Psychedelic 60s and Futuristic Sci-Fi Vibes with Rachel
Photo Shoot with Starset for Horizons
Here’s some recent work I did with the band Starset in promotion of their new album, Horizons. Creative direction by Brandon Rike of Tension Division.
Read MoreUsing a Fungus-Filled Lens with Long Exposure and Prisms to Create Psychedelic In-Camera Effects
Whenever I’m doing a personal shoot I try to make at least one small change to a tried-and-true technique in an effort to see how the resulting images differ from previous sessions. For example, let’s say I’m shooting long exposures in a darkened room while my subject is wrapped in strands of LED lights and moving around the room. Each image is different based on their movement, which creates unique light trails. In the following shoot I might have the subject and camera stationary as I swing the strand of LEDs around the room, thus framing the subject in light. Another session might involve me moving my camera while the subject and lights are unmoving. Each tweak of the formula creates dramatically different results and I frequently discover new techniques through these experiments…
Read More
Hair / Beauty Shoot with Chyna Tené
A few weeks ago my friend and frequent collaborator @chyna.tene stopped by my studio to hang out. She brought some of her crafting materials with her to work on some of her art while we chatted. We got to talking about hair and I showed her a book of hair portraits from J.D. ‘Ojeikere before suggesting that we do a similar, hair-themed session. She selected some jewels and I cut some strips of wire from her crafting materials and we styled her hair in several different ways. I used the @lindsayadler_photo x @westcottlighting Optical Spot and gobos to illuminate her in a variety of patterns. The whole shoot only took about 45 minutes but the act of creation and collaboration stuck with me for the rest of the day.
Read More
Bold Colors and Shapes with Ballet Dancer Kristie Latham
My latest shoot with dancing queen, Kristie Latham. We’ve been shooting together for over a decade now and it’s fun to look back at how our work together has evolved over the years. I started off with a simple color and shape study with the Lindsay Adler Optical Spot (Kristie styled her wardrobe). Then I finished the shoot with some long exposure work (I don’t think I’ll ever tire of this technique).
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 MoreShoot with Ballerina Francesca Jordan Dugarte
My latest attempt at capturing the beauty of movement over time. Been exploring long exposures while rotating my @prismlensfx linear filter and multi-strobing my flash. Excited at the possibilities! Also really loving the hard light and fast falloff I can get with my @lindsayadler_photo @westcottlighting Optical Spot.
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 More
Images From My Creative Portrait Workshop
This past weekend I hosted a 2-day Creative Portrait workshop at my studio. In an effort to keep the atmosphere intimate and allow for a lot of hands-on time for students, I capped the workshop at 5 students. We covered a range of techniques such as using flags to shape light; color theory; making and using snoots; long exposure portraits; and lighting with projectors. We packed a lot in, as you can see below…
Read MoreMaking Light in Darkness
Talking about light and darkness and then making light in darkness. Had a great time chatting and making with @dust__shape
Read MoreThe Boy Who Was Struck By Lightning
When @mengesdesign was 8 years old he was struck by lightning. That random fact immediately came to mind as we looked over the first two images from our latest collaboration…
Read MoreWater Drops, Light Painting, and Lens Fungus (Oh My)
When Lily arrived at my studio I decided to start off with some colorful water drop portraits before getting into the light painting…
Read More
Coors Light: Hold My Coors Campaign
I recently teamed up with the creatives at Five Hundred Degrees studio to shoot the Hold My Coors campaign for Coors Light. We spent a day on location and a day in studio capturing this clever line of beer accessories. I legit want one of those hoodies now.
Read MoreWhat Nightmares May Come: Exploring Prisms and Mylar
I’ve worked with prisms from time to time over the years and enjoyed the effects that they offer but never really fell in love with them. Last week I decided to see what would happen if I used a prism while photographing mylar. The beautiful nightmarish images that were produced are the closest visual representation of a panic attack that I’ve ever seen. Now I’m in love.
Read More
Americana / Film Noir with Skrizzly Adams
One day last year (what is time) I worked with @alexhaldi of @pawncreative to create art for the new @skrizzlyadams album cycle. We shot a bunch of smoky images on location at a bar to match the classic Americana aesthetic of the artist. My assistant @sethmosesmiller helped me position a snooted speedlite up near the ceiling for the first setup, which created a shaft of light in the smoke. For the second setup we wanted to imply sunlight coming through the window blinds but since it was in fact a rainy morning we had to fake the light with a projector. Less is more, more or less.
Read MoreWhatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Vesperteen Promo Shoot
My buddy Colin Rigsby has a music project called Vesperteen, and he reached out to me to do a shoot last month. Colin and I go way back. His wife was friends with my wife before I ever met her. I attended his wedding, did several shoots with his old band, House of Heroes, and shared many great moments over the past two decades. It was great to catch up, shared some laughs, and create some beautiful art. We created a wide range of vibrant, kinetic images in promotion of his new music…
Read MoreWhat is Time?
The Descent: Capturing Movement with Dancer Sophie Bolton
Whenever I am planning a shoot with a dancer I face the challenge of coming up with fresh ways to capture their movement. Sometimes I put my camera on a tripod and use a long exposure to capture their fluidity. Or I might have the dancer stand still while I move my camera, which creates a similar-yet-different effect. Or I might fire a strobe multiple times during an exposure in order to crisply capture how they move through a space. In this shoot with dancer Sophie Bolton I opted to do it all…
Read More