Photography: Personal Work
This July 4th we spent the weekend on Cape Cod. We have been doing so for the last 4 years. Last year a hurricane came through and pounded the coast, flooded Provincetown, and delayed the celebration of the birth of America. This year was a much nicer weekend and with it I was able to capture some photos from a unique vantage point.
While I was out exploring parts of the outer Cape, I pulled out my handy dandy iPhone 6 and made a panorama, not featured here, shot, edited, and posted the image with the quote, "To explore is to learn." I strive to find what is unique about the places I visit, travel to, spend time at. I want people to see what goes unseen. I want to show others how I see what is around them that they otherwise are not viewing. I took a drive to a place I found last year on the 3rd. I stood on the bluffs and watched as the impending hurricane filled the bay side of the outer Cape with threatening clouds and a lighting show. I was eager to get back and see what it would look like with a nicer day. While the path is well walked, I have never seen a single person walking in or around that specific area. Off in the distance, down the beach, people can be seen exploring.
Everyone loves a great sunset, right? When the sky lights up like the inside of a fireplace, it commands your attention. I find joy in making photographs, I always have. I have also found extreme joy in closing out the day with an incredible sunset. I love warm, natural light that makes a late afternoon glow. While watching the sunset, we were surrounded by what seemed liked hundreds of people, more so than the pervious years. At least half the people that were walking the bay had their cell phones out. I found it quite irritating that people were to busy making photos of each other instead of watching the sunset. Occasionally I would see someone using their phone to capture a few shots of the sunset. Being one of the only people that had a real camera, undoubtedly, I was able to capture what others were either to busy to or unable to do with their phone.
Have you ever seen a sunset in black and white, see below.
There are places that we visit that hold special memories that have now evolved into places of new memories. One such place is Rock Harbor. After 4pm you're allowed to bring your dogs onto the beach at Rock Harbor. We have a new little dingo, hound, shepherd mix that we adopted back in October. This is his first summer at the beach and at the Cape. We are extremely happy that we have a place we can take him to frolic and play.
If you are familiar with Cape Cod, explore what you have yet to see. If you are new to visiting the Cape, get out and explore. It is easy to get caught up in the tourist traps, the fishing nets of the cliche establishments that everyone thinks are "the best." Find what you like, find what is unique, and find a place to call your own. To simply put, go enjoy Cape Cod.
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.
Photography: iPhone, iPhonography, iPhone 6
Since the winter I have had an iPhone 6. I am a brand whore but at the same time I rely on Apple to run my businesses. While my iPhone does govern my day to day life through the alarm, calendar, camera, a few business apps, and a few editing apps, I value my phone as a device that can make some pretty incredible photos. I have been longing for one of those little Fuji cameras, the ones with the cropped sensor, possibly the one with the fixed 35mm lens, for shooting day to day things I find interesting, in between work and work. The Fuji cameras are pretty awesome, but they can not take a photo, edit, and share across a multitude of social media platforms.
Apple has been releasing 30 second commercials on the television that show stills and videos that are shot on the iPhone 6. Some of the clips are in slowmo and look pretty fun. I admire the photographic aspects that are packed into this device because I know they are powerful, both from my use and because it is an upgrade from the 5s. I have seen large ads, very large scale billboards, promoting the iPhone through strong images that were made using the device. I have mentioned using an iPhone in the past. I think right around when I first picked this model up. Regardless I enjoy pulling my phone out and making some photos.
I went for a bike ride last evening and was rained on. I kept my phone in a ziplock bag, zipped up in my backpack. It stayed dry while cold droplets of rain broke the heat I was pedaling through. Even when the sun came back out and I found some charming spots to make photos of, I still managed to keep my phone dry. I am always very careful when it comes to my devices. I am not in the business replacing equipment, I am in the business of making photographs and getting paid.
I made some photos. You can see below.
Aerial Photography: My Drone
Wow, it has been a long time since I have posted. There are some extreme reasons for that, which will be explained in an upcoming post.
When I have down time I play with my drone and make aerial photographs. Photography is my life, my occupation, my hobby, as I have said in the past. I wanted to share a few recent images before I head out to shoot some architecture. Not having been able to post in a while has been annoying me, so without further ado.
Cambridge Ma/Charles River
Mt Tom
Upper Canal, Holyoke
Downtown Holyoke
Veterans Park
I take my aerial photography very seriously. Operating a UAV, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle is a HUGE responsibility, liability, and should not be taken as a joke, lightly, or if you are using a toy. Irresponsibility can cause serious harm and injury. I have seen people laugh and joke that they crashed, with some drones a crash can be worth thousands, that is if it is just the drone that is getting damaged from the crash. Be responsible if and when you fly.
Professional Photography: The Creative Process
One of my favorite photographers, Melissa Rodwell, openly discusses details of her life, which impacts her work; both where she resides and where she works. Over the years I have read various things about how her work has been affected by the events in her personal life. Until now, various aspects of my personal life have intersected with my professional practices, allowing me to produce work based on those crossroads. There has never been a time or a crises that interrupted or prevented me from working until this past week.
Being a professional photographer differs drastically from the amateurs that are out there slinging a camera around, filling up memory cards, posting photos, and claiming they are something special. It is a creative position that has a multiplicity of components that require a time, energy, effort, and above all creativity. Being a creative person means that I am always working, always thinking, always ready to produce work. There are times when the process can be daunting, but the end result is usually worth it.
Over the last week, starting with last Monday night, I have been in the middle of a medical emergency with my fiance. Life was put on hold for a few days as I spent as much time as I could taking care of her, bringing her to the doctors and then the hospital twice, until she was admitted. Since then it has been minimal work and daily trips to her room to visit her.
I have hit the backspace dozens of times as I am having a hard time expelling exactly how I feel. There has been a lot of emotions, but not enough ways to express them. The hardest part is watching her go from feeling better, seeing that incredible smile to seeing her fade to a painful place that I am locked out of. I feel like I have gone through the 5 stages of grief 10 fold. At times I am numb, the laughter is a mask, the smile is as fake, and my words suppress the sadness.
Creativity requires a certain amount of strength. Some people find inspiration in the time of crisis, while others are derailed from their processes. I fell into the latter of the two over the past week. Yesterday and today I had two shoots with a client. I was able to turn my the pain off and reduce the stress by focusing on the tasks at hand. Between the shots, between the set ups, my mind wondered to my fears and concerns. Every time my phone vibrated, buzzing my back pocket, I was shocked back to reality as if I was stunned by a taser.
How a person works through what is placed in their hands determines their character. I am doing what I need for both me and my fiance. The most important things are checking on her and being there to comfort her, checking in with the doctors and providing updates to those who need them, and working how I can, when I can. I have always heard that keeping yourself busy will keep your mind from wondering to places it shouldn't, but that isn't always possible. The only things that I like to do are work and read. I am too exhausted to read, but working is a healthy distraction at times. When it comes to some of my work I rely on a specific set of skills to accomplish the needs of the shoot and things flow quickly and smoothly. Other times I need to think so far outside of the box and create processes and setups that are complex rule based. Creativity can be hindered when a crisis presents itself.
It has been a very long time since I have produced a personal post that discusses personal details. In fact, I can not remember the last time I did so. Most of my posts are about recent work or something a bit more specific. Sooner than later I will have positive news and share some of the awesome work that I have recently done, as well as some of the upcoming projects.
iPhone 6: Photography
Earlier this morning my friend sent me a link to Apple's website, specifically a gallery of insanely awesome photos that were made using an iPhone 6. Li am no longer envious of the Apple technology that is changing how people make view photographs. While cameras in phones are nothing new, every phone I've replaced since 2004 has had a camera, but major advancements and improvements have been implemented into these devices that give real cameras a run for their money.
Cell phones are what disposable cameras used to be. Remember those plastic little wind up film cameras? Yea cell phones have replaced those. Apps such as Instagram are where people go to view the world, connect with people, network, share their visual thoughts and feelings, and more recently their inner most private fetishes. Yes, fetishes. There are countless IG accounts out there, some private some public, some ambiguous, some flagrantly flaunting ownership, but the common thread is they exist for the vouyer and vouyee. I know that some where there is a team of psychologists and sociologists working hand and hand to both diagnos and write papers in how people are creating relationships through social media and the incessant need people have to share every thing they see, smell, eat, touch.
There are that many more IG accounts that provide the world with original images. My IG page is the inner workings of a photographer. A bit vouyeristic, when I post behind the scenes photos or share what I am thinking. I'm not being hypocritical, merely a trend follower. IG for me is about connecting with the world. I started out using a crappy Droid phone to post photos to IG. I've since changed platforms to an iOS based device. my computers are Apple and so is my phone. I am a loyal Apple user and here is why. I am not part of s cult, as accused of being a few weeks ago, by a friend of mine, photo below. Apple create a great product. The prices are a bit steep for some, but their machines, both computing and cellular, are easy to use and make my professional life more efficient. Recently I upgraded a few components on my 2011 MacBook Pro. That tiny upgrade has now made my life faster, smoother, and I can pump out edits much quicker. How many PC based users are still running a machine from 2011? Probably a lot less than Apple users. Truth be told Apple's technology is top of the line, at least in my opinion and probably most of the Apple users world wide.
My iPhone is a business tool as well as an extension of my right arm. I post photos daily, respond to emails for business as well as personal, I make photographs, connect with people on a multitude of social networks, and blog. This post was written on my iPhone. The photos in this post were made shot and edited using my iPhone. I've seen a Bently Commercial filmed in an iPhone, I've read blogs about iPhoneography, I've seen iPhone portraits and even a fashion shoot having been shot on an iPhone. These devices are powerful and can do some pretty amazing things. There is still a need for high end cameras, as phones are not there yet. A device than can multi task with as many options as an iPhone has is still quite limited in all its creative freedom.
As I told my friend when I shared with him two photos I made recently with my iPhone, it is about light and composition. With good light and composition, incredible photos can be made with an iPhone. In short, knowing the device and a set of rules pulled from analog photography, and just like that you're an iPhoneographer.
These two photos were shot in my studio. They were lit by a bank of windows. I processed them in a new retouching app that I just found. I've completely by passed the computer, the camera, the ideology that photography must exist with just a camera. On most days I do not credit people as photographers who Rome around using just a cell phone, but in all fairness, they are. As I leave behind weddings and move more into the commercial photography I desire to be in, I no longer worry about the threat of not gaining clients due to the silliness that is the iPhoneographer stealing clients.
Take and run with technology. Half the time I am merely creatively playing but at the same time exploring the possibility of something new. Stop and enjoy what you see but keep you iPhone handy for when you want to make a great photo of what you're experiencing.
Zakim Bridge, Boston, Ma
Landscape Photo
Follow this link to view the Apple iPhone gallery.
http://www.apple.com/iphone/world-gallery/