New Work: Portraits, Fashion, Architecture

I often discuss upcoming posts that I intend to make. I tend to do this after I travel to some where cool and make some great images that I want to share. However, when I am back, I usually get slammed with work and it takes me twice as long to post. This has been the trend for the last year or more. It is not because I do not want to make regular posts, it is because I have experienced a new kind of busy. In fact, the last 5-6 months have been crazy super busy.

Just how busy? So utterly busy that I haven't been able to get a whole list of things done, mostly personal work. I have had some major life changes happen, such as getting married on May 23rd. That was kind of a big deal and took up a bit of time, but a very happy kind of work interruption. The kind that makes you happy. I traveled to Florida immediately after the wedding. A small honey moon, as we will be in Italy for almost two weeks in August/September. Fun times to come! You would be able to see in a post made a few months ago that, my now wife, was in the hospital for a few weeks. That was a major thing and took some time away from work. Life happens, right? Sure does! But through it all I have been able to make some incredible images, work on some incredible shoots, meet some new clients, and have had fun. 

My drone now has a set of eyes in the sky and I am enjoying that, because that is a thing and within this crazy career of being a photographer, it is not just an occupation, obsession, love, it is my hobby. My drone is a toy as much as it is an economic device. 

Over a year ago I photographed Devin. He is a child actor quickly building a resume that is sure to land him much success in the near future. Devin is a great kid to photograph and when we work together, he gets some great images and I get a great addition to my portfolio. The first shoot I did with Devin was for comp cards to get him noticed. He had already done a few awesome projects, including Sex Tape with Camron Diaz. That shoot was in studio. His mother requested we do something different, so we shot outdoors in a location that we both knew and thought would be a great backdrop. 

I am very happy with the above photograph. It is a mixed variation of natural and artificial light that I used to create this image. I truly enjoy working on location and combining natural and artificial light. 

As a portrait photographer, it is my job to make portraits that capture who a person is. The end result is to get incredible images of my subjects so they can use them as they need. In Devin's case, he needs get images to land him the work that he needs and wants to do. 

My day to day work, at the moment is Architecture. I work with agents, brokers, and developers to photograph a multitude of properties. This is where my drone comes into the mix. I am using it to capture landscapes as well as properties, buildings, high end homes. For me architecture is a fun kind of busy. 

A few years ago Kelly asked me to do a shoot. We knew each other from school and had connected outside of the classroom. She needed some good shots of her as she was asked to model for a company. I obliged and we had a great time in the studio. Since then I have photographed her a few more times. Recently we had a chance to catch up and do a small shoot. 

Alyssa is a super talented model and dancer. I had the pleasure of connecting with her when a photographer I am friends with brought her to a shoot we had. I quickly realized that she was super talented with dancing, but had no idea until the second shoot her and I did. What makes Alyssa so unique is that she can jump into a number of "roles." She can be the face for a portrait shoot, the model for a fashion shoot, the talented dancer for a shoot the encompasses dance and fashion. The super pop art image, her on the ladder in color and black and white is one of my favorite dance images that I have made. It is super fun, edgy, colorful, yet the right amount of dramatic. I have more of those to come!

I am navigating my work and career into the direction I want to be in. It has taken a few years to get where I am, but I can say without a doubt, I am no where near where I want to be. I have a set of goals and ideas for the future and I am taking drastic steps towards them. But for now, while I am in between the hard work and play, I take steps back to just relax and enjoy myself. My job as a photographer is as rewarding as it is fun. 

Dance Photography: In Studio

Last weekend I shot some dance in the studio. The moment Sarah arrived I stressed that I did not want to see anything technically perfect. There is a time and place for perfection, this shoot was not one of those moments. One of the most important things for a dancer is to be just that, perfect, well nearly perfect. The pose, the movement, the right position within the dance, etc. Perfection or nearly perfect can make or break a performance. With this shoot, I wanted to convey a sense of portraiture, a sense of fashion, throw in some personality and lights, and we have a shoot. I like shooting dance, like I do fashion. The more I shoot, the happier I am.

The following set of photos are an homage, kind of an inspiration to Edgar Degas. Degas is known for his paintings, be he also made photographs of dancers. His work is both beautiful and iconic. I have had the luxury of seeing some Dagas paintings in real life. Yup. I stood right there looking at his brush strokes. Breath taking, for sure....