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…
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New Work with Muse
Back in November I flew out to LA to shoot two of the members of Muse. One of the members wasn’t able to attend the shoot, so a week later I met up with him in London where I set up a makeshift studio in a lobby. While I was shooting at the studio in LA I had to be cognizant of the fact that the space I would be shooting in a week later would have to be recreated on a 4-foot wide seamless in a hallway. Thankfully I had the Lindsay Adler X Westcott Optical Spot, which allowed me to control and sculpt light in a small space (historically I would’ve used a projector or flags, which requires working in a dark or large space)…
Read MoreColorful Long Exposure Portrait Shoot with Lily
It was a blast exploring color and motion and shapes with @humbleflowers for my final shoot of 2021…
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Shoot with Fashion Photographer Gail Shamon
This was a fun, quick little shoot with fellow photographer and friend @gabrielleshamon. Gail did her own hair, makeup, and styling. I did three lighting setups, sticking to a red/yellow/blue color triad. I simply rotated out gels on my main, background, and rim lights for each set. This allowed me to have a broad range of looks that still felt related to each other, all in a short amount of time (I think we shot for about 45 minutes).
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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 MoreWhy We Choose to Suffer: Conceptual Portrait for Wall Street Journal
I was recently commissioned to create a conceptual portrait to accompany the @wsj article, “Why We Choose to Suffer.” The essay is an excerpt from Paul Bloom’s upcoming book, The Sweet Spot: The Pleasures of Suffering and the Search for Meaning, which touches on why we humans often choose things that create unpleasant moments for ourselves, and how these moments can ultimately lead to growth and even pleasure…
Angels and Airwaves: "Lifeforms" Album Cover Shoot
Here are my favorite shots from the @angelsandairwaves cover shoot I did last year with @tnsndvsn. Creative direction by @brandonrike. Hair by @hairdavinci. Modeling by @yesandso
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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).
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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 MoreInterplay: Exploring the Relationship Between Light and Movement with Dance Couple Carly and Gabe
Last October I began experimenting with wrapping dancers in LEDs and making long exposures in the dark. In essence this turned the black room into a blank canvas and the lights turned the dancers limbs into (light) paint brushes (check out the old post here). Since that point I had it in the back of my mind to use this technique when photographing a dance duo to see how their light trails interacted. That time has finally come…
Read MoreMarissa Nadler - If I Could Breathe Underwater Music Video
I recently worked as cinematographer in creating a music video for Marissa Nadler’s new single, If I Could Breathe Underwater. This was my first underwater shoot and I definitely learned a lot in the process (I used a Canon 5DIV with an Outex camera housing). I love this song and I’m happy to see this out in the world!
Read MoreKey Art Shoot with Charlamagne Tha God for New Comedy Central Show Tha God's Honest Truth
Back in June I joined forces with the creative team at @comedycentral to create the key art for @cthagod’s new show @cthashow. It’s been so cool to see images of the art out in the world and I’m really looking forward to watching the show premier this Friday…
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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 MoreDreamy Shoot with Actress Aleksa Palladino
Always great to shoot with @aleksa_palladino. Thanks to @nalanihmelo for co-directing and styling the shoot. Also, how amazing is that light through my fungus lens?!
Read MoreThe Score- Head Up Photo Shoot
Grateful for the chance to create photos and motion for @thescoremusic upcoming album cycle. Super cool to work with @jesseleestout and @grantjamesorchard of @metaform.studio on their vision. Thanks to @baileykobelin for assisting and to everyone on the creative team for a great shoot!
Read MoreRyan Bingham for Easyriders Issue #2
In February of 2020 I shot portraits and a short film about @ryanbingham_official for @easyriders magazine. Then the pandemic hit and the issue was placed on an indefinite hold. For a long time I didn’t expect that the story would ever see get to see the light of day, but the day has finally come…
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…
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