Fashion

Things I learned from my first fashion shoot...

Having an idea and vision, experienced models willing to do anything you ask, lots of time, an assistant, hot chocolate for those models, music for models to listen to, someone who actually knows something about womens fashion, knowing people who own a laundry mat, leaving your car running so models can sit in it and stay warm, taping your strobes to flash stands so they don't fall off and hit concrete... twice, something (or someone) to hold your flash stands so they don't blow over in the wind... twice, pocket wizards, and most importantly reflectors are the most useful tool you can have besides your camera.

The first time i shot fashion for my lighting class, my pictures were complete crap, so for my lighting final i gave it one more shot with a lot more passion and determination not to suck, here are the pictures i got. The theme was vintage fashion. Let me know what you think.

Funeral Home 2.0

This is the second funeral home director portrait that ive posted to my blog, and i think that i like this one better. I was helping a friend with her assignment shooting a portait of this guy and so i decided to take one myself. This guy was really cool. He was only 19 years old and he just got back from running a funeral home in Mobile, Alabama. He told us stories about hurricane victims and how people so accustomed to death react when they see a hearse drive down the street. I kinda liked the light and the exit sign above the door. Heavenly? Maybe its a stretch, but i thought it might work.

Bad day to be on the bottom of the food chain.

I was driving around today with Briana and as we pulled up to a stop, she pointed out a hawk that was attacking another bird. I just happened to have a 300 2.8 in the back seat from shooting football, so i hopped out of the car and shot a few frames. It was really wild to see this through a lens from only a few feet away.

Wrinkles and a smile

Two things i noticed in the first 30 seconds of meeting Mr. Laurent. His awesome wrinkles, and a smile that reminded me of a teenager's. Although he turns 75 this coming January, his aged face and worn hands show the signs of having seven kids and 16 grandchildren, making him appear a decade older. Its not until he laughs, which he does often, that a feeling of youth springs forward and his weathered features become almost secondary to his genuine, youthful grin. Despite his age, he has surpassed a much deserved retirement along time ago. With at least 6 children and 8 adults crowded into his cozy living room he explained how he spends most of his time now. He still works on cars, washing machines, tractors, and about anything else with a motor or moving parts. Noticing a bit of shock in my face as he gave me a laundry list of daily jobs and tasks, he responded, "Retirement is like letting a house just sit there. Eventually it will just fall apart. The same thing happens to our bodies."

Mountain Workshop 2007: Danville, Ky.

The 2007 Mountain Workshop is underway and the second day of shooting and critiquing is just getting started. While i am not shooting the workshop this year i can already tell it will be an invaluable week of experience. I am working as a "labbie" on the other side of things, and have spent the last four days setting up things in preparation of the arriving shooters and coaches.

Yesterday, during some down time i went to a local coffee shop with a group of coaches, and while they explored the downtown area, i found this feature picture in the coffee shop. The couple in the picture are ages 16 and 14 and they met on My Space. And they havent told their parents yet. Ill continue posting pictures from the workshop throughout the week, of all of the coaches and shooters. I cant believe i am im the presence of some of the greatest photographers in the country right now.

Why i should always carry my camera with me

After losing a last minute battle with my car transmission, i ended up stuck in Bowling Green this weekend instead of Knoxville where i was headed. It all worked out though, i ended up going to a wedding with a friend in Muhlenberg County and having an awesome time. Just before the ceremony began, i grabbed this picture. Im going to send it to the bride as a "Thank you for letting me come to your wedding and eat your cake even though you dont know me" present. Hope she likes it.

First in a while

At the request of Bryan Bosch, who continues to be my photo editor, i am posting a picture for the first time being back from Monroe. I was waiting to post something awesome, but this is what I've got so far from being back. WKU's president made an announcement the other day, and i was sent to photograph it for the College Heights Herald. I was looking for something a little better than a podium shot. This is what i got. I give it one and a half thumbs up.

Hey Mickey

I just wrapped up shooting portraits of a local boxer named Mickey who's turning pro next year. I hung out for his practice, but i wasn't too thrilled with anything that i got, so i tried a few portraits. Mickey was a really nice guy and was much less threatening than he looks in the pictures. I actually though he was so nice, that its hard to actually see him hitting someone. He even hung around after practice and asked me if i need help carrying my equipment. I get to shoot him boxing on Saturday, so well see how that goes. I think we are going to run the first one in the paper, i like the some what mysterious feel that it has to it.

one final detail

I was going back through my edit for work of the pageant stuff and i ran across this image i forgot.

Miss Monroe Pageant

Well, it was an interesting night to say the least. I finished up our papers coverage of the Miss Monroe County Pageant with a look at what goes on backstage during the Pageant. Ive got to say that besides really REALLY bad light, and LOTS self concious women who hate having their picture taken, I actually had a blast. It doesnt sound like a killer assignment when you tell someone that youll be covering a pagaeant, but i was actually pretty excited about it for a while. I dont usually get assignments with lots of emotion built into them but i knew this one would. Overall i think im happy with most of my shots, however, I was really looking for that one storytelling image oaf someone practicing their dance in a hallway alone, or maybe someone praying before they went on. I looked for these moments all night, but i never could find one. Fell free to let me know what pictures you like, or dont like, and what works and what doesnt.

Miss Monroe: Backstage

Here are a couple of features from being backstage at the Miss Monroe Pageant dress rehearsal. I will be shooting the actual pageant all day tomorrow. I really enjoyed shooting the dress rehearsal. The girls were cool with me being there and didn't mind too much me taking pictures. After they got over the fact that i wasn't going to let them strike a pose every time i lifted up my camera. I think the most interesting part of the whole deal was when i walked into the room where they were all eating. They freaked out. A couple of them actually covered up their plates and several more refused to eat if i was taking pictures. One girl covered up the chips on her plate and said her mother would kill her if she saw a photo of chips on her plate. I don't think she was kidding.

More Portraits

I had a freelance assignment with a small farming insurance company to shoot a portrait of a farmer that uses crop insurance. After rescheduling because of bad weather, we finally found a couple of hourse when the weather cleared, to bring out the lights, and shoot some pictures. I started off, as you can tell, doing what i usually do by using one light off to the side. While, it provides decent dramatic light, it gets really old and boring, and i really would like to start adding lights to create that ( and im quoting my friend Dave here) "Super-real" light. Its the kind of lighting that separates the boys form the men. So, i added another light off to the left hand side for 3rd and 4th picture. The last one is natural light, and proof of why it helps to have a way to power your flashes with out plugging them in. It could have been awesome if i could have used the lights in the middle of hs corn field. Oh well.

My lil sis

Two posts ago i posted about taking senior pictures of my cousin. Well, shortly after i took pictures of my sister as well. ( someone who could probably care less about having her picture taken). But it was more for posterity than anything i suppose. My point is, however, that i didnt post a picture on here because i had not edited them yet, and im just now getting around to it.

So, because it took most of my life (and alot of time spent away from form her) to realize just how amazing and important she is to me, here is a pic i shot of her. She's like a little hippie, without the odor. Love ya Sis.

Its Bulls and Blood, its the dust and mud...

I stole the title from a Garth Brooks song from back in the day (were talking late 90's here) when i listened to his music. Anyway, the son is called rodeo and thats what i just got back from shooting.

I have found recently that whatever it is i shoot, i wasn to be closer. I want to be so close to the actioin that i can shoot it with a 16mm lens. Last night, it was the Demolition Derby, and tonight it was the Rodeo. I got there about an hour early and hung out with the riders not really shooting but more just hanging out and joking around with them. When the rodeo started i was able to climb right up onto the top of the chute where the bulls and horse were held before they were released bucking and kicking. I was pretty much right in everyones way, but they were coll with it and volunteered to work aound me with no problem. I even came home with crap on my camera bag. (dont worry Bryan, i cleaned it).


These were my favorites, i couldnt decide which one i liked best. Feedback?

A busy vacation

Its been a while since ive updated and there has been a good reason for that. Ive been on vacation. Not vacation so much as just a 4 day break from working in Monroe and instead shooting senior portraits for my cousin, and the real reason i left in the first place, to shoot Amy and Nathan's wedding in Bowling Green. I think i drove 1,200 miles in about 4 days, but it was definately woth it. I got to spent time with my family who i havent seen all summer, and i got to spent time with friends in Bowling Green, like the good ole days.


The wedding was beautiful . Not just beacuse of the scenery, but because Amy and Nathan are probably the sweetest couple i have ever known. Here are a few of my favorite images from their wedding.






My cousin posing for her senior portrait. I told my aunt that if she made me take a picture of her sitting on a rock or by a tree, i would quit. I think there isnt too much about this that screams typical senior portrait.

Rudy

Ok, so his name is not really Rudy, but it might as well be. His name is mike and for anyone who has actually seen the movie Rudy (if you haven't, you should) this guys story couldn't be closer to the film. It was always Mikes Dream to be a part of Notre Dame athletics. His father graduatd from Notre Dame, and his son wanted nothing more than to follow in those same footsteps. There were however several problems blocking his path. The obvious, an most paramount of his obstacles was his severe muscular dystrophy which pretty much sealed his fate as far as becoming an athlete. The second was being actually accepted into Notre Dame. This didnt happen immediately, so he attended Holy Cross (which is right across the street from Notre Dame, and the same pre-fighting irish path the Rudy took.) Still striving to overcome these hurdles he found a spot on the Notre Dame rowing team as a coxswain, the person who rides in the boat and calls out commands. He was a perfect candidate for this because of his small, compact, lightweight body structure. And finally to complete his goal, he was accepted at Notre Dame and will now officially become a Notre Dame athlete, just like Rudy.

Solitude

"You cannot build up character in solitude, you need formed character to stand solitude."

~Austin O'Malley

National Geographic

On my way to the office i stopped to take advantage of some nice light. I know there arent any people in the pictures, but great light is great light. I think ill be calling national geographic.

A Day on the River

This was one of the coolest assignments that ive ever had. I spent the whole day kayaking down a river with a group of volunteers from the Huron River Watershed Council. A lady named Liz was swimming the length of the river ( about 120 miles) and yesterday she swam the part that passed through Monroe county. She is swimming the river to show that a once polluted river is now clean and should be utilized for recreation. I had an amazing time both kayaking the river and spending time with a fun, passionate group of people. So to sum things up i got paid to paddle down a river all day. I feel like i should act unhappy about this, because one day someone will figure out that its wrong to have so much fun on assignments, and theyll just stop paying me.

My Kayak (I want one!)

Several other voluteers go alongside liz and watch for underlying debris, depth, and check the current to make sure its safe.

The water she is swimming in is clean, but not that clean.

When the water is too shalow, Liz has to use her floatie. Shot from a bridge.

Liz gets out of the water after swimming almost 5 miles.

Just a fun shot.