Swimwear Shoot at White Sands

September 23rd, 2010

Rounded up the crew and all the gear a couple of weeks ago and headed out to beautiful White Sands National Monument to shoot some swimwear for a couple of days.  It's really a great location to shoot, with the only hazards being a tremendous glare and instant sunburn since the sand acts like a giant reflector of the sun.  It' super-bright out there- I was shooting at ISO 50 and around f/16 in the high sun because it's so bright.  The sand is as white as snow, and in fact, it turns out you can buy sleds out there and ride them down the dunes...so my assistant Brian didn't think twice about getting one.  I mean, you're going to get sand (actually gypsum) all over you anyway, so you might as well go for a sled and a good wipeout at the bottom of a 40-foot dune.

With the primary focus being on fashion swimwear rather than glamour, I blocked shot concepts based on showing the designs and the cuts of the suits, while at the same time emphasizing the beauty of the location for natural effect.  I also worked with some of my own styling designs on this shoot, with one look using a net as a wardrobe accessory and another shot using a bikini I designed with glitter.   When given the chance, I like to produce my own styling concepts in my shots.  For some looks I'm very specific on what I want. Everything from hair, makeup, wardrobe and styling as well as shot design.  On other shots I like to let someone else create the look that they see, and yet on others it's a collaboration of ideas.

To capture the detail and natural texture of the environment there, lighting and exposure are really critical.   The sun is extra harsh, and again the sand acts as a giant reflector which bounces harsh light all around.  The tendency is that for most of the day, the sunlight is so bright that it makes it hard to see and capture the texture of the wind-blown waves of sand on the dunes.  You end up with what looks like 255 blowout, just blank-white all over.  Compensating by dropping the camera exposure can result in a bland-looking, colorless grey sky, as well as an under-lit model.  So a lot of diffusion screens, reflectors, mixing of artificial light with natural light, plus a bunch of metering gets put to use to get the model lit well while at the same time retaining the natural look of the environment on digital film.  If you can't get the look and feel of the environment itself correct in the shot, what would be the point of going there?

A year ago I made a trip down there and we were plagued with problems, including a totally overcast sky once we set up to shoot.  This time actually went off without any hitches.  Well, there was one, we sorta ran out of water 1/2 way through the second day and had to drink the beers just to stay alive.  Hey, ya gotta do what ya gotta do.  We had more time to relax on this shoot since it was two days.  I like the crew to be able to have a good dinner, and enjoy some relaxation back at the hotel.  The makeup artists and models had to be up early the next morning, before the sun came up actually,  so we could get back out to the location and get the early light characteristics.  White Sands is one of the most quiet places on Earth.  If there's no breeze, you hear nothing.  At night it gets really dark there- I mean pitch black- because there are no lights out there and the nearest town is about 30 miles away.  Great place to meditate, if you're into that sort of thing.

While the models were busy in makeup and hair, my assistants Brian and Sarah along with myself had time to get some sledding in as well.  Poor Sarah, she doesn't weigh much so she couldn't get going very fast.  Me on the other hand, could get going so fast that I'd go shooting-off the bottom and crashing into whatever was in my way.  We took some videos of us sledding the dunes, maybe when I figure out how to put video on here I'll add it in.  It's a good time shooting down there, just be sure to pack your SPF 86 sunscreen and some good canopy shades. Thanks to my crew and models for working hard to get the shots by getting sun-stroke, as well as sand in every crevasse!  Ah, what we do for pictures.  Here's some behind-the-scenes shots. Hover your mouse over an image to see caption, click to see full-version.  Enjoy!  (Photos by Sarah Rohr/Matt Timmons)

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Connecting in Vegas.

September 20, 2010

A couple of weeks ago, I had the pleasure of being flown out to Las Vegas' Photoshop World to help my LA photographer bud Nick Saglimbeni and his studio crew promote his Mastering Retouching series DVD and the launch of PhotoKamp- a 2.5 day clinic for photographers looking to improve their skills.  We stayed at the Mandalay Bay hotel, which is a beautifully designed adult playground complete with beaches and tropical sensations outdoors, with classy restaurants, clubs and shopping indoors. Photoshop World is in my opinion more about photography than software.  Most of the vendors there are photo-gear suppliers, print houses and instructional resources.  There are some great classes to take as well, with some being taught by world renowned photographers like Joe McNally.   Plus, there's a lot of great deals on equipment at the dealer expo, and I love good deals.  It's a great place for me to connect with my photography friends and colleagues whom I mostly get to "talk to" online, but rarely get to hang out with in person.

While I was there, I took some time to go check out City Center, a modern/futuristic hotel and residential complex with a beautiful shopping area featuring top designer labels.  I love how Vegas always has to "one up" the last hotel or shopping area that was built.  The style and panache just keeps getting better and better.  I didn't have very much time to shoot anything, and to add to my lame excuses, my feet were killing me after doing so much walking around.  But I did want to shoot the City Center area, and I did, until the tripod police ran me off- 3 times.  There's a lot of stuff to shoot in Vegas, but it can take some effort to not shoot the cliche', touristy-looking stuff.  So I'll climb around looking for a better angle until some security guard stops me.  They always ask me the same thing too, in the same, stern, accusing-type of manner:  "Who are you working for?"  For once I just want to answer with, "I'm on her majesty's secret service, and that's all you need to know."  Anyway, it's just pictures, mate.  Don't get your shiny fake badge all crooked on your donut-crumbed uniform.

So to my friends Clint Davis, Michael Green, Rob Humanski (long time no see!), and industry guys Jack Rezniki and Ed Greenberg, it was great connecting with you and I hope we can do it again in yet another city.  Oh, and thanks to the crew for introducing me to Korean barbecue, it was great!

Shooting for Elite Model Management in L.A.

August 25th, 2010

About a month ago I flew to Los Angeles to shoot some model test/portfolio shots for Elite Model Management.  For those who may not know, modeling agencies send their models to approved photographers to get photos for their comp cards, portfolios and for the agencies' website.  The key aspect of delivering usable shots for a major agency is to know what the agencies particular style and cliental is, and to recognize what the model needs in their portfolio.  The basis is to shoot the model in a way that is going to get the attention of clients and therefore get the model booked.  Each agency has their own look, or style that they represent themselves with, and will sign a model based on the model's ability to fit that look.  As mentioned before, a photographer must also understand and represent that style in their creative approach, otherwise the photos could misrepresent the agencies' style format and therefore be rejected.  As the photographer, I have full creative control, but I'm not going to waste the model's time by shooting stuff that they can't use.  It's important to remember the model's needs first, then create something that is going to hopefully not just satisfy, but impress.  In a place like L.A., that's may not be easy.

What is easy though, is being really good to work with.  Keeping a positive energy, allowing the model to be a part of the decision-making process, and always respecting everyone and doing your best under any circumstances.  I was surprised at how the models were so easy to work with. They were willing to try any idea I had, and genuinely had a good time throughout the sessions.  Sometimes their own ideas worked great as well, and me being willing to go with it really made them feel that they were a part of the process and not just someone being told where to stand.  I was equally impressed with the model's ability on camera.  There's no substitute for professionalism, and Elite's models just know how to inspire me to want to shoot all day.  In fact, you just can't call it "work", it's more like a challenge to see how good you all can correlate to get the shot.

To see the shots go to Elitemodel.com, hover your mouse over Los Angeles, click on Elite and scroll alphabetically to Alexandra Cobrin, Jana Banker and Jena Sims (the models I shot with).  Not all the images in their portfolios are mine, but two of their main photos are and you can reference their shots with ones in my AGENCIES gallery at mtmstudios.com to see which ones are mine.

So, to models Jena, Ali, and Jana, and my L.A. makeup and hair team Jyoti and Jaque, I just want to say "thank you"-  you all are such professionals and it was so much fun shooting with you.  Much love!  I'm looking forward to my next trip back again.  Below are a few screen captures of the model's online portfolios.

Charity Bikini Bike/Car Wash at Twin Peaks this Sunday!

This Sunday from 1-5 pm at Twin Peaks restaurant there will be a charity fund raiser bikini bike/car wash to benefit one of the charities that I support, Watermelon Mountain Ranch. The girls are coming out in full-force to wash your car or bike to raise donations to help the ranch obtain much needed supplies, food, medicine and  shelter upgrades for the animals in need of homes.  Why not come down , get your dirty car cleaned up and maybe even find a new friend to bring home- I'm talking of course about a cat or dog that would love to have you as their friend!  There's also a charity raffle currently going on for a $100 gift certificate to Twin Peaks for $1- and all proceeds are going to WMR- ask your server for one!  Come out this Sunday and show the animals you care!

Project New Day Runway Photos!

August 2nd, 2010

For those of you who attended last week's Project New Day runway show, you know it was a great event.  Not only for the styles and production put into it, but for the cause as well.  Participating in a fund raising event for a well-deserved charity  is always high on my list of things to do.  I shot the "official" runway photos for the event, and am making the high-resolution images available to the models and their families for $25- and 100% of it is going to the New Day Youth and Family Services.  Check out the online gallery of the runway shots here: www.mtmstudios.com/pnd. If you would like to purchase the digital download of the file, which will be suitable for printing up to poster size, than email me the file name located below the picture (such as PND-253, etc.).    I will get back to you and we can go from there.  A couple of notes:

• There is a little white rectangle above the thumbnail images- click on that and you get a larger view of the photo, plus there are some forward/backward buttons too.
• The photos are $25 per full-resolution file- which means you can make as many prints as you want, at nearly any size.  100% of all sales are going to the New Day Youth & Family Services house.  I'll make them a check at the end of the month so I don't have to write a check every time someone buys a picture.  So you are directly helping them by buying a photo.
• All photos have been proofed for quality (took 3 days), some shots are a little soft on focus, but still good.  Anything that was less than usable was deleted.
• The runway shots are first, there are several hundred- I got everybody.  After those there are some backstage shots, hair/makeup behind-the scenes, and just general shots of the party.   It was a great event and everyone was looking fabulous!  It was fun to shoot it!  Oh- and sorry about the big, obnoxious watermark on them, you know how it is. ;-)

If you saw me running around with my camera taking pictures of you and friends, then I probably have shots of that too.  Check the end of the gallery for those.   Here's a shot of me and my crew taken by Thatcher Dorn, who is also offering photos from the event taken front of the event signage and also donating 100% of the sales to the New Day Youth & Family Services.  Way to go Thatcher!  You can see those images by clicking here.  I also want to say a big THANK YOU to my assistants Bryan and Sarah for taking some of the extra photos and helping out that day.  You guys rock non-stop!  Had a blast!  More to come soon!

An Evening With Mike Ruiz

June 29th 2010 I recently had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Mike Ruiz, celebrity fashion photographer and one of my personal most favorite fashion photographers over the last few years. Mike has shot covers, editorial spreads, celebrity portraits and commercial ads for the largest magazines and companies in the world. You might have seen him on several cycles of Americas Next Top Model as photographer and judge. He was in town for the 2010 Pride events being held here a couple of weeks ago, and was chosen as the Grand Marshal for the event. I attended a fund raiser for New Mexico AIDS Services one evening in which Mike was offering to shoot photos of those who made donations to help find research for victims of AIDS as well as support for those living with the disease. I chatted with Mike a bit, showed him some of my work and just hung out and enjoyed the evening. He was a very friendly guy, and looks more like a model than a photographer. I made a donation and thought it would be more fun for me to shoot Mike instead of having my photo taken by him. He was up for it, gave me his camera and jumped on set. I snapped a few looks and a few days later received a couple of files from him large enough for high-quality print. I also saw that he used one of my shots for his Facebook profile picture- which really made my day! Here's the shot he used, and I just want to say thanks Mike for the opportunity!  It was good fun and for a great cause.

My First Double-Page Spread!

June 25th 2010 Check out the July issue of Albuquerque the Magazine and you'll find my first double truck ad for the Project Hew Day fashion show on July 30th. I was proud to shoot this ad for such a great charitable cause. All the proceeds from the show go to help A New Day Youth & Family Services, so check it out at projectnewday.org and come to the show!

Scenes from Italy

May 27th 2010 I was commissioned and flown to Italy this month to shoot some commercial work for Podere Gli Scassi, an organic olive farm in Northern Tuscany.  The owner, Lars, has been a long time friend of mine since back when we were in flight school getting our pilot's licenses (see it's always who ya know, right?).   The business needed new advertising photos for their website and brochures that go all over Europe.  They have won awards for the quality and natural growing process of their oil, and the taste is above anything you've ever tasted.  I encourage anyone to buy a bottle of their award-winning, healthy oil, and use it on pasta, pizza, salads, anything where pure extra-virgin olive oil is good.

I also shot some advertising work for rental properties in the Tuscany area.  There are these absolutely beautiful places that anyone can rent for a week or however long you like, and they are situated in some of the most gorgeous countryside you've ever seen (more on how you can visit these places in a future post).  Although being in Italy is a vacation in itself, I didn't find myself lounging around.  On any average day, I was up before sunrise, and the latest I ever slept was 7 am.  The best times to shoot are in the morning and evening, so I planned my days around best shoot times had to be ready when it was time to go.  Some areas could only be shot during certain times of day, because of the hillsides and sun angles, I had to be there when I could get the best light.  Then, the weather was also a factor.  It was beautiful most days, but sometimes we would get set up to shoot a location, and a huge cloud would come over and last for a couple of hours.  By the time it let the sun back through, the scene was in shadow.  So we try again tomorrow.

The time there was so educational, and I felt more familiar since it was my second trip to Italy.  My travels took me from Tuscany to Rome and Milan, and back to Tuscany.  The people are just so helpful and friendly, and of course the food is some of the best anywhere.  I would encourage anyone going there to at least learn some basic Italian, because they respect that you will try and most of them are happy to help you in English once you've reached the limits of what you know in Italian.

I also shot model comp cards for agencies and models in Rome and Milan, and will post up more about that in my next couple of posts.  I tried for the most part to avoid taking tourist photos, and therefore shot things that represented where I was and the stories of the real lives of the people who live there.  There are some tourist photos mixed in, just to document the location.

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Shooting in L.A.

May 7 2010 I flew out to Los Angeles for a couple of days to do some business, and also take some time for myself to see my old stomping grounds in Hollywood where I used to live.  Most of my time was spent around the Wilshire Blvd area of Beverly Hills with some meetings at Elite Model Management, Ford Models in West Hollywood, as well as Nous Model Management and Next Models on Rodeo Drive.  After the meetings, I went down to see some friends at Slickforce Studio in Downtown L.A. and go grab a bite and a beer.

I spent the night and headed out the next day to Hollywood to see my old place and where I used to go to school back when I was in the music business.  Actually, a lot was still the same, but I was pleased with the new Kodak Theatre that was put in next to Mann's Chinese Theatre.  Plenty of great shopping and food, all in one area with very clean decor and a welcome atmosphere.  Hollywood is a very touristy place, so I didn't want to stick around long.  My old apartment building was still there, and everything looked the same as it did almost 20 years ago when I was fresh out of high school and moved to L.A.  I even had dinner at one of my favorite pizza places, Shakey's Pizza.  They still got it.

I headed out to Rodeo Drive to shoot some back plate stuff for some upcoming projects and to enjoy window shopping in the perfect weather.  One of the most interesting things about this area is you never know who you are going to see.  I walked right past Perez Hilton, on his way to some thing he had going on involving calling the paparazzi down to hang out as background extras in a TV segment for some comedy show.  I'm not at all impressed by celebrities, nothing disrespectful to them, it's just that I'm not into that whole thing.  However, one thing that I do enjoy is seeing professional models and photographers at work.  While I was shooting, I noticed another shoot going on across the street involving a model, and several other personnel.  They were just shooting on the sidewalk in public without any interference from the public and no security.  I noticed that they were using a laptop on a tripod, So I walked over to what they were using to hold it on there securely.  I walked right passed the model (they were in between takes) and thought she looked familiar, but couldn't place her.  I'm pretty up on who most professional models are and since I didn't exactly know her, I figured she must be a local model.  It turned out to be Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, one of the 2010 Victoria's Secret models, as well as a fashion/editorial/catalog model from the U.K.  She's on the cover of the Victoria's Secret Swimwear catalog, as well as in photos all over the stores.  I knew she looked familiar!  They were shooting a fall catalog for a U.K. client, and were using Rodeo Drive as the background.

I asked the photographer, named Ben Watts (Australia, New York) if I could hang around and do my thing, and he didn't mind as long as I didn't take any hi-rez shots of Rosie.  I'm totally cool with that, but other's aren't.  It wasn't long before a few people gathered, which interested more people and soon there was a small crowd.  One guy was just sapping away with his DSLR, which really aggravated the photo crew.  He had every right t shoot, because they are in public, but it's just bad form to shoot someone else's project and have it all over the net before the client even has their photos published.  I watched for a while as Rosie did her thing, walking down the sidewalk, spinning, smiling a lot, and generally just trying to get the best shots.  It was fun to just hang out and watch the pro's do their thing.  I took only one picture- of the crew- with my iPhone and the quality is so bad that I'm not even worried about getting on anyone's nerves.  Rosie is in the shaded area, but again, you can't even see her so I'm cool with it.  All in all I really enjoyed getting back to L.A. and look forward to next time I'm out there.

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Fashion Editorial at the Very Large Array

April 26th, 2010 Here's one that I was actively working on for quite some time.  It started about 5 months ago with the idea to do a shoot at one of the really interesting locations here in our own backyard, the National Radio Astronomy Observatory Very Large Array (VLA) near Socorro, NM.  Finding the outfits was one of the hardest things, but after a couple of months I was able to stumble upon some designs that I thought best fit the idea I had in my head of bright, flowing vibrant colors against muted desert tones.   The array itself provides a unique environment that isn't over-saturated with photography (aside from the numerous movie appearances it's had), and lends itself to a story-line of exploring what a fashion model would be doing out there in the first place.

For our model, we selected new-comer Megan from Albuquerque.  At 5'9", she's got every requisite a designer would want showing of their latest work on the runway.  For me, I cast her previously for the Project New Day ad shoot (see previous post) and saw then someone who really wanted take direction and do the best job they could.  I can tell you that I made no mistake casting her this time either, as she again blew us away with shot after shot of usable frames.  For me in particular, I enjoy working with someone who actually has a vested interest in the modeling/fashion industry and is a goal-driven individual who works hard at everything, yet is humble and like a sponge at learning.  We've gone over just about every bit of advice I can give a new model, and I'm always happy to share all I can.  I don't know everything there is to know about being a highly-paid model in the fashion world, but the information I do know is good information.  How to look professional and be impressive on camera is one of those things, and it makes a long day go so much better when there is a constant positive-energy on set and your subject is being such a professional.  Megan's got a future in anything she wants to do- mark my words.

Her folks not only came along on the shoot, but brought their RV to provide a place to do hair/makeup, a place to change and just get out of the wind and dust.  Really nice people that you don't meet everyday.  Very helpful with providing anything, and Megs' mom even provided lunch by making delicious croissant sandwiches for all of us.  This was a very different shoot for me- not my usual situation, nor my usual modus operand of always being the one providing the hospitality, refreshments and food.  But I was welcoming every bit of it.  In fact, maybe I should ask more models if their parents can come to the set and bring some sandwiches or something. Might help the expense reports numbers at the end of the year.  All kidding aside, it was really a breath of fresh air to have such good people and positive supporters for their daughter along to see how this all comes together and how to capture a compelling, energetic shot in expensive dresses- not something anyone can just walk up and do- trust me.  If anyone wants to know the fundamentals to being good at modeling, it starts with always being on time, dedication, and keeping a positive energy and willingness to understand that it's not about having your picture taken, but rather, bringing the photographer's vision to life.   That's how professional models get the large checks.

Here's the behind-the-scenes, and I do apologize for the quality, but I did not have my usual behind-the-scenes shooters with me (unavailable) so we were stuck with iPhone cameras and pocket cameras.  We just enjoyed the day, hung out and got some great stuff.  The results can be seen on my main website, in the fashion gallery.  Oh and I totally faked my logo on the side of the RV, I just had to see how cool that would really look.  :)   Mouse over the thumbnail image to see the photo captions.

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Project New Day: July 30th 2010!

April 6th, 2010 The ad for Project New Day is out!  The launch party was last Friday and we got to see the final posters, flyers and magazine print ad campaigns.  It's such an honor and a pleasure to be part of such a worthy project and I was happy to have shot the ad.  Look for the ad to run the in May, June and July issues of Albuquerque The Magazine.

And here's a picture taken with my iPhone of one of the models in the ad , Natasha, who was at the party.

You can see the behind-the-scenes shots of the photo shoot in a previous post.  I hope to see you at the runway show on July 30th!

Shooting for Charity: Project New Day

March 15th 2010

I was honored to be asked by the Project New Day committee this year to shoot the official ad campaign and the photography for the runway show for this years event.  For those who don't know, Project New Day is an annual event organization that hosts the largest fashion runway show in New Mexico to generate proceeds to help A New Day Youth & Family Services.   They are a multi-service agency providing clinical services, educational programs and emergency shelter to low income, at risk youth and their families.  To be a part of something that helps kids in tough situations is something I'm not only eager to do, but gracious that there even is a place like this to contribute to.  I personally feel that everyone should give something of themselves to help others who need it- especially kids who need adults that will give them something positive to look forward to while growing up.  So when they asked me if I would be interested in shooting for them, I was quick to answer a whole-hearted, "You betcha".

The ad concept was designed by a team of people made up of contributing businesses in New Mexico including fashion retailers, an ad agency, a modeling agency and many other companies who put it together.  They wanted two models photographed laying down, inverted to each other, shot from overhead.  Hair, makeup, models and wardrobe were all provided, I just had to get the shot.  So after putting together a scaffold-type rig to shoot an overhead from, we set up for an all-dayer.  Here's where it gets interesting.

The day of the shoot while I'm on my way to the studio, a guy backs into by truck at a stoplight and crunches my front fender.  So I'm almost late to the shoot from having to do the whole insurance exchange dance, and it didn't put me in the best of moods to start the shoot day.  Next I arrive at the studio and one of the committee team members informs me that the color theme changed and as of right now they're going to do this other thing instead.  So I'm handed a list of exactly what models are supposed to wear what and how it's supposed to look.  Ok cool, I can switch gears fast.  Next, the construction workers in the loft above mine begin their ultimate teardown and start sending chunks of concrete and dust through the plumbing holes right into the hair and makeup area.  Models and hair designers are scattering and refusing to go over there (can't blame them).  So I call the building manager and they send over a maintenance worker to help me move my hair/makeup studio into another room where the workers aren't above us.  Next my assistant Jason calls me and says that he is stuck at an insurance meeting and can't make it for another 2  1/2 hours and I'm on my own for awhile.  Rats!  Only that's not the four-letter word that I'm thinking.  The thing is, whenever things are going the wrong way, you still have to pull off a good shot.  People are counting on you.  So I never did lose my cool, I knew that if I didn't keep a positive energy going, that there would be no excuse for a failed shoot.  So we commenced with the shoot, and everything went according to plan after the initial disasters of the day.  We had fun, the client was happy, the ad agency was happy, the models were happy and all-in-all it was a great end-result.  It's like prepping your bike for a motorcycle race.  Even though everything might be going to hell in a hand basket in your pit area before the race, it doesn't matter as long as you cross the line in first at the end.

I'm excited to see the ads when they come out in our local magazines, television ads, posters and whatever else they do, but I'm even more excited to be a part of something that helps kids who really need it.  More to come on Project New Day event, for now here are the behind-the-scenes.

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Gertrude Zachary Billboard Shoot

March 6th, 2010 Here's some behind the scenes from today's new Gertrude Zachary billboard and print ad campaign.  We had an 8:30 am start time, and basically went all day shooting about a dozen or so different styling concepts for their various ad medias.  I know the quality of these behind-the-scenes shots kind of sucks, but the battery in the little camera we use was dead (forgot to charge it the night before) and so some of the shots I had to take with my iPhone.

They brought in about a hundred pieces of jewelry ranging in stone type and color.  The jewelry is just gorgeous by itself, but when we put it on our beautiful model Alma, it really gives it life.  The makeup, hair and styling can take some time, and amounts to about as much time as the actual shooting of each sequence.  As part of my job I decide whether the hair should be still, fanned, wet or brought up.  Our makeup artist for the day Whitney works on all the makeup designs and touchups, and Gertrude's staff does the jewelry selection and styling, with input from me on what's going to work best with the general shot concepts or sequence themes. The model follows the direction I give to bring out the energy, mood and overall essence of each shot as I see it in my head.  Is all a collaboration of creative and technical aspects that molds together to become what you see out on the freeways and in magazines.   Around noon we broke for lunch and had some pizza brought in, which always makes everyone happy.

As always, big thanks to the crew for such positive energy on set and for doing such a stellar and professional job.  Look for the finished billboards up around the end of March or so I'm guessing. :)

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Portfolio projects-

March 5th, 2010 Part of loving creative work is that you get to do stuff you like.  It's always a good idea to shoot stuff for your portfolio and just get in and create new images to show your clients.  I found this mask back around Christmas time and it brought about ideas as soon as I saw it. We went in this past Sunday and shot it with model Audrey.  She has these amazing blue-turquoise eyes that I knew would just pop through the darkness of the mask surrounding them.  I came up with the makeup design including the lip jewels, and Audrey applied it herself as she is also a makeup artist on some of my shoots.  A big part of what I do is getting into the styling of a shot.  Wardrobe, makeup, hair, accessories- everything down to the shoes I get involved in.  It's more than just setting up lights and taking the picture.  Sometimes trying to direct the model to do what it is I see in my head can be a challenge, but with patience and a positive energy it can be done.  More to come soon...

We made it on the front cover of the Dex White Pages!

February 14th, 2010. Got a delivery at the front door today.  Turned out to be the 2010 Dex phone directories with my photo on the front appearing in an ad for Gertrude Zachary Jewelers.  Man, if ever there was a photo that is making it's rounds, this one is.  Billboards, magazine ads, digital billboards, banners, pretty much any print media- it's been there.  But I always love seeing my work anywhere I can- as long as I'm getting paid!  :-)  Much appreciation.

My latest project is finished!

Ugh!  After 3 grueling weeks I finally finished my latest time-consuming, stress overloading, production hours totaling and overall scheduling nightmare.  But it looks great!  The 2010-2011, "Hottest Calendar in the 505" is off to the presses!  You can find them at Twin Peaks, especially during lingerie week starting Friday, February 5th and throughout the weekend.  I'm excited to have put this together and want to give a HUGE thank you to my crew, the makeup artists and everyone who gave something of themselves to make this happen.  To the girls of Twin Peaks- thanks for doing such an amazing job and for being so professional!  Ya'll rock non-stop!

Happy New Year 2010!

Back in town now after visiting my folks for Christmas.  It was an unusual holiday scene this year because A. my folks are renovating their house and there's no where to sit, and B. we were snowed in from Christmas Eve for the next three days and couldn't leave the house.  Instead of visiting relatives and eating a big meal, we had our dinner from a toaster oven.  Thankfully, my Mom is a great cook and was able to make even that really good.  So despite their being abandoned cars strewn across the city imbedded in snow drifts and parts of the city without power, we made it through the "blizzard of ought-nine" I call it. We did get to do some things before the big one hit, including seeing "Avatar" (my second time) which is incredible and doing some holiday sight seeing around the city.  The big thing now that I see is the new LED lights being used for Christmas decoration lights.  And somehow, these people who decorate these trees were able to damn near light every branch of these trees.  Seeing it in person is really something else.

I hope your Holidays went well for you!

What Makes a Good Photo?

Simple question it would seem. But how many times have you looked at a shot that really blew you away? Was it a certain element that did it or the image as a whole? Did you know exactly why it was great or was it one of those situations where you didn’t know exactly why you liked it- you just did? Of course the terms “good” or "great" are interchangeable according to any given individual’s taste and preference. However sometimes a “good” photo can cross boundaries and inspire almost anyone to agree that it is impressive on whatever level or perspective that they appreciate. I think that a great shot is an amalgamation of several elements occurring at once. I saw a shot recently that impressed me and I asked myself why I liked it. It was by some no-name model mayhem photographer but it was just a beautiful shot. It was of a model, doing her model thing- but I wondered if had it been an average person in the shot would it have the same impact? If her hair wasn’t styled that way? If it would have been shot in a different environment? It was just a good shot all around. The model, her expression, the lighting, the location, the hair, the makeup, the wardrobe and the photographer’s vision were all elements that occurred at the split-second the shutter clicked. One can plan all-day to put together a great shot, but if all the elements (and frequently, luck) don’t come together at the button push, you could be looking at a lackluster performance at 1/125th of a second.

It's funny to me how much my "eye" improves the more I shoot. What used to be a great shot to me a year ago now falls short. And what is a great shot to me now falls short to someone else who has more experience than me. I love to see my work through the eyes and opinions of others because it helps me to see with less "tunnel vision" why my shot might not be so great, or just that I missed the mark here or there.

How to improve your odds of getting the really great shots? Practice. Practice and knowing what elements you want to come together. Casting the right people, knowing what the vision is and how to light it. Directing those in front of the camera to perform what’s in your head. Making the photo instead of taking pictures. It’s a major factor in what makes photographers that are shooting commercially and those that are shooting as a hobby. Especially 5 years from now.

A good photo is still a good photo even if the only ones who tell you it is is your mom and your friends- or just yourself. But the shots that turn heads are the ones that just about anyone can agree that they are impressed by it in some way- or would pay money to buy it or have it advertising their business. Getting all the elements to come together when you click the shutter is the pathway to getting the shots that can cross visually-opinionated boundaries. Learn from others. Practice what you enjoy shooting. Get out of your comfort zone. Define your style. Feel free to make mistakes and just keep applying what you learn.

All great photographers sucked at one time, but I think that they figured it out, moved ahead and as a result we look up to them now. It's not impossible to conceive that many others may look up to you one day

Thanks Scott Kelby for including my idea in his book.

Back in June Scott's book, "Photoshop CS4 Down & Dirty Tricks" came out.  It's the 2nd book he's done purely on the topic of Photoshop tricks and graphic design.  I had sent him an email about doing a section on how to make fake "star brights" or lighting flair/sparkles that you sometimes see in ads and places where it looks like the lighting has reflected and dazzled a little bit.  I sent in an example of how I was doing it, but I wasn't satisfied with the way it looked.  The way I did it was somewhat cool, but not totally convincing of what a lens does when the aperture is closed down to around f22 and you are shooting directly into a bright spot.  So he liked the idea enough to include it in his book, and with the aid of graphic design super-genious Cory Barker, they dove into how it can be done more realistically.  So Scott sent me over a copy of the book with his thanks, and a phone conversation as well.  You can buy the book HERE and the trick is on page 256.  Thanks Scott for the acknowledgement.

Behind the Scenes: Swimwear & Jewelry at White Sands Natl. Monument.

So we took a trip down to White Sands to do some shooting with two different purposes.  One was some swimwear and the other some jewelry ads.  It was an early call time at 6:30 a.m. and we were on the road.  I love location road trips, even though they are a lot of work.  But as the saying goes, a bad day on location is better than the best day at the office.  We pretty much took everything, and other than a few issues with the sunlight going in and out of the clouds making keeping up with the exposure settings really tricky, it was good fun.  We had food in the production tent, but by the end of the day the crew was starving.  We made our way over to the local Chili's and tore it up.  It's about 7 hours round trip from Albuquerque, and we got back in around midnight, a 19-hour day for us (well the girls at least got to sleep the whole trip).  I recommend getting down there if you can, but bring some sunglasses and some sunscreen because you can't even see it's so bright on that sand without eyewear.  Definitely a repeat next spring. [gallery link="file" columns="5"]