Seth: Studio Swimmer Session

Tried out some new ideas with Seth yesterday in the studio.  The idea was to have water "exploding" around a streamlining swimmer, as if breaking through a curtain of water.  Best shot of the session is the one above.

Lighting a Hangar: Rachel Seniors

(aka: a decent into the land of the gels)

Rachel's dad worked as a mechanic on the National Guard helicopters, so she wanted to do some of her senior photos with the helicopter in the background.  The dress was planned, but the camo vest was grabbed on a whim from the pilot's seat.  We ran two studio strobes (one each with red and blue gels) behind the helicopter, lighting the hangar door.  My assistant was standing on a ladder camera right lighting Rachel with an SB-900 and a Lastolite softbox.

Sheer Dumb Luck 2: Anna Seniors

These are shots from Anna's senior photo session.  She wanted something more fashion-y looking than traditional and my friend Cal was kind enough to let us borrow his motorcycle for the shoot (and Mike loaned us his Porsche as well).  While shooting in a downtown parking garage, we kept having to pause for people walking off the elevator.  Eventually, on a spur of the moment idea, we decided to incorporate the elevator into the shoot.

It came from the Caribbean

I think everyone who is passionate about a particular discipline has an “ah-hah” moment, that instant where the spark of a budding interest turns into an obsession.

Mine was on a ship patrolling the Caribbean Sea. It was just after sunset and we were preparing to send a boarding team over to another vessel, myself included. We had geared up, and in the fleetingly relaxed moments before putting our “game faces” on, my friend Kevin and I were on the flight deck joking with fellow shipmates on the level below.

Having played with my first camera (a tiny point and shoot) for a month, I noticed then for the very first time in my life the varied colors of light surrounding the scene, and the tense yet jovial mood. Handholding my tiny camera on a rolling ship for a full second, I managed the picture above.

Now, this image is blurry, noisy, somewhat out of focus and perhaps not really a great image at all. Nonetheless, at that moment, I remember thinking to myself, “wow, cameras can do that?”

The images in this journal represent the years since that moment in 2004, that one second exposure in the middle of the ocean. They document my first, exploratory steps into understanding light, capturing humanity, and telling stories. It has been a fulfilling journey of learning and frustrations, but I also know the learning and frustrations have only just begun.

I can’t wait to see what challenges and opportunities to learn are coming next.