That Ah…ha… Moment

This photo is the first image you see when you visit my website and blog because it defines that “ah… ha…” moment for me as a photographer.

What do I mean by “ah… ha…” moment?  It was this image that made me realize a photo can be so much more then a simple picture.  A successful image evokes emotion and feeling, not only through the actions of the subjects, but by the strength of the lighting. Lighting is extremely important to the overall success of an image.  This image conveys the love and guidance of an older brother as he imparts his wisdom on his younger brother. 

My goal as a photographer is to capture this type of feeling and emotion in all of the images I take.

Window Light

Light through a north facing window provides an excellent quality of light for photography.  This photo was taken with all natural light (no strobes or flash of any kind).  I could have used a reflector to lighten up the shadows just a little but I kind of like the deep shadows in this image.

Shakin’ Things Up at the Studio!

Colleen came over to the studio on Friday.  She is in high school and needed a head shot so we took this photo.  I think it  is a nice image and successfully conveys who she is.

After the “standard” shots I wanted to be a little more creative so I suggested that she shake her head and let her hair fall where it may.  I told her not to fix her hair and look straight into the camera without smiling.  I also tossed a tye-dye sheet over the large soft box we were using for the background.  This is the image we got.

These two images were made within minutes of each other.  We got a whole new look by shaking things up just a little (specifically… her hair).  I like it.  I think it has an edgy look to it. 

The creative aspect of making multiple images of a single subject that convey a completely different “look” or “feel” is what I really enjoy about photography.

Extreme Black & White

Yesterday my friend and fellow photog Chris came by the studio for a photo session.  We had a blast.  Here are a couple of the black and white images I created using studio strobes. 

Close Up

Self Portrait

The other night I was in the studio by myself so I shot this self portrait.

Today I ordered a 69" octogon from B&H photo.  That's one big soft box.  As soon as it arrives I plan to shoot some beauty head shots using it as the background.  I want to test out some techniques I learned from Scott Kelby.  Stay tuned!

Snowball Dance

My daughter Courtney and her friends Willow and Jessica posed for some studio shots before the Snowball dance.  It's always a lot of fun.  This was the third year in a row.

"Charlies Angels"

I'm not sure.  "Kung Fu Fighters" maybe?