How about some old work?

Everyone likes to post the latest and greatest. You should always be moving forward and trying new things...but there is something to be said for the great work you've already done. When I first started I thought I wanted to shoot models and started to do a lot of model tests. Eventually I changed direction to more real people and story telling, but I don't regret those early shoots even though they don't really have a place in my current portfolio. Sometimes I like to go back and take a look at the old stuff and try and figure out where I was coming from and what was inspiring me.

Every time Romo gets blamed, I picture him doing this. Then I hope and pray someone will give me lots of money to run the pic.

Yousuf, I suf

One thing you don't see in contemporary people photography very often is the traditional seated portrait. So, recently, I was commissioned to photograph a bank CEO for a trade publication cover and I decided to shoot a photograph the way I thought Yousuf Karsh, one of my heroes, would shoot it. If you don't know who Yousuf Karsh is, google is your friend. I know you've seen his work in some history book or something :). Basically it's a stripped down study of a subject's personality through their eyes and body language. At least that's what I get.

Covers can be tricky with mastheads and taglines, so often clean and simple is the best choice. I was lucky in finding a great simple location that still had some personality, and I was lucky that I had such a patient and willing subject.

Dust in the Wind

You may recognize Krystal from a few posts below. I went to Lubbock to photograph her for Entrepreneur magazine and the original idea was to do an outdoor shot with some of her crafts. Well, they forgot to mention that Lubbock was in the middle of a severe drought and winds were approaching 40 mph.

Luckily, Krystal's workshop had an adjacent door that opened down-wind which allowed me to stand in the workshop and shoot her as she was just outside the door protected by the large building. So the sky is brown because of the dust giving you about 100 yards of visibility.


Here is the image as it appeared in the magazine. I have to admit I have a surplus of luck when it comes to these things.

Kids say the darndest things.

This is Riley, she recently signed on to be the daughter of some good friends. They don't visit often, they live too close, but when they do I like to take a few shots for posterity.

I really like the look of setting up seamless in open shade...you just can't replicate natural light.

Look what I found.

Remember the old guy I shot in a diner in Lubbock? Well I was in Lubbock to shoot Krystal O'Mara of Remain Designs for Entrepreneur Magazine and I wanted to let you know that issue is on stands now. And while you are at it...if you like Krystal's designs get it now because I believe she hasn't fully realized the value of her work and is selling is extremely cheap for custom art/functional furnishings.

As I've said before, I always like to come back with something extra and after the shoot we played around for a little while shooting an extra scene (above). Krystal was extremely charming and completely open to me trying out an idea that I had no idea would work or not. What a champ! The photo has no relevance to the story I was shooting and would have been no use to the magazine, but it's a picture I would want to shoot even if I wasn't on assignment. I'm not sure the message or meaning of the picture...the room, which was unoccupied, just gave me a haunting loneliness feeling so I had Krystal pose in such a fashion.

Check out Krystal's work and the article in Entrepreneur.

Remain Designs

Entreprenuer

What's up, Homy?

This is the Homy Inn, in Omaha Nebraska. The place is about 400 sq feet of dark paneling, kitsch liquor bottles and smiling faces.

I was in Omaha this past week and the client we were shooting for had heard of a place in Omaha that served Champagne on tap! That's right, champagne on tap. They also had about 15 beers on tap and many more in bottles...but it was the Champagne we hunted them down for. There is a lesson to be learned in the fact that we drove 15 miles out of our way, past 20 other dive bars to get to this one. It's because they were offering something different...or something extra. I know that I'm supposed to take this lesson and apply it to my own business. I'm not sure how yet, except to carry around kegs of champagne to my shoots, but the lesson has not been lost. I should also mention that we were treated very nicely by the staff and patrons (over all the citizens of Omaha were as nice or nicer than Texans). I guess you can say we came for the Champagne and stayed for the people.

I wish we had our own Dallas version of the Homy Inn but I'm not sure we deserve it...yet.

Pick me!

There's a wonderful feeling when you are chosen. No deep thoughts here, just feeling lucky.

face lift

I love seeing my work in print as finished pieces.

Old Time Rock 'n' Roll

Today me and a buddy drove from Dallas to Lubbock, shot a job, and drove back...makes for an extremely long day. And as I explained before, I often look for something extra to shoot when on a road trip, even if it turns out mundane.

Today was different. We randomly stopped at an old cafe. The first table we chose had ants on it so we had to move to a different table. The new table provided a much different view than the first one and I spotted a great location to shoot someone. Trouble is, we were the only ones in the cafe. Just as I was about to put the camera away, an elderly gentleman wearing a beautiful cowboy hat walked in and sat down with his wife. I knew this was the guy I had to shoot at that spot. I let them get their order in and their drinks and I approached them. I politely asked if I could photograph him and he said, "let's go". I sat him down, fired off 4 shots...and viola, we were done.

It's probably one of my favorite photographs I've ever taken. Not only did all the stars have to align for this opportunity, I had to take advantage of it by actually getting off my butt and meeting someone knew. What a great reward.

Hollywood

Can't believe I haven't posted something like this before. I started my photography "career" trying to recreate George Hurrell type photos. At the time, I never suspected that this would turn into a career, I just like Hurrell photos and I couldn't afford a real print, so I decided I'd make my own. That's how all of my artistic endeavors have started. I'm a do it yourself type. I remember when I was in 2nd grade and all my friends had sticker collections on their trapper keepers; I never even considered asking my mom to buy stickers at the store, I just drew my own pictures and glued them to my books. When I liked a painting I saw, I learned to paint. When I heard songs I liked, I learned to play the guitar. For some reason I've always wanted to see my what vision would look like played out.

I still love this type of photography, but unfortunately the market isn't really there for it. Maybe I should return to it for fun?

The naked truth

I very rarely do any kind of nude or figure work. Truth is, I've always been a little afraid of it and there are so many good photographers out there, even amateurs, that are doing very good stuff. And I'm not sure that it really fits into my work. But "work" isn't everything, and I sometimes get requests for this kind of shoot. And when you are afraid of something, you should probably confront it head on. So this was the perfect opportunity since the model is a friend whom knows me pretty well.

There's a whole different mindset that goes into working with a model whom is in various stages of undress. The process of making everyone on set comfortable can be really difficult, and to describe it as a "process" is as truthful as I can be. You really have to move slowly as the model's comfort and security are the most important ingredients. Not only is it your duty to make sure the she feels safe, but it sure helps the mojo of the shoot if they trust you.

The one thing I learned though, is that "show me tiger" and "make love to the camera" are not the best phrases for motivation no matter what you've seen on TV.

Keep on trucking

Here's another one I got on the way back from Austin to Dallas. Saw this little guy relaxing on the side of the road and I gave him a cold "Lone Star" to let me shoot him. After a quick call to some Teamster friends, I was able to get the big rig on set.

Just kidding, I obviously just jumped out of the car and shot. I was thinking of adding my logo to the back of the truck in some sort of lame attempt at metaphorical humor...but I don't feel like offending anyone.

Horsing around

I've been going to Austin about once a week for the last month to shoot some jobs...and while the drive is a beating, I always try and come back with something unexpected.

new people?

It seems I've picked up a few new followers. Welcome and thank you...it really keeps me motivated to keep posting when someone is out there reading.

In the light of our new friends, I'll post a few more new images...not necessarily port worth.

When it rains it pours.

Man, I've been super busy! I just wrapped up my 6th job this month for Entrepreneur magazine. Yep, 6 in a row. Throw in a few other jobs and it just keeps getting better. Now I'm regretting not listening when people told me about working capital and cash flow, etc. But, I suppose it's a good problem to have, no?

Unfortunately, I can't show much of what I've been working on because it hasn't been published yet so I'll leave you with some other stuff I've been doing.

Wow, it's been a long time since I updated the ol' blog. I've been very lazy. No excuses, that's it, I've been lazy...and scared. Scared that I'd have nothing new to say or show. Infact, I was just questioning the value of the blog when something really special happened.

I recently went to a seminar by Ian Summers who is a blogger, former art director, artist, raconteur, photo consultant, etc. He has a great blog called Heart Storming that is really great for anyone (not just artists) that contemplates their existence in relation to the work they are doing. One of the benefits of the seminar was a speed dating portfolio review by some really great local art buyers and Ian himself. The downside is that the line for Ian was long and I wasn't able to show my work to Ian. Now Ian doesn't necessarily buy art, but it would be good for the ol' mojo to get some feedback from someone that doesn't have a vested interest in finding work. And he's seen a ton to compare it to. Here's the special part: last week Ian called me personally to let me know he looked at my work and read my entire blog; every entry. He told me he loved my writing and asked if I had spent much time writing before. What an incredible compliment and encouragement to keep on adding. He also had some great things to say about my photography...but the unexpected compliment really threw me for a loop.

In other news, this first quarter has been one of the most productive in years. I've had some great work and last week I got to do one of my favorite things: shoot an album cover. I love shooting album artwork because it lives eternally unlike the ads or editorial images. It will always be in the cultural lexicon, good or bad. To top it off, I got to bring my ideas to the table and execute them the way I wanted. The client loved my ideas and totally bought into it, making it a great experience. I also got to work with long time pal, David Lobban, whom gave me my first job in the business. The above picture is the lighting test we did on the subject's road manager. I'll let you know when the album comes out.

Thanks a lot.

Fantasy Land

There's no picture to post this time, and I think it's appropriate given the nature of this post. I've been in the photo world for almost 5 years now and I still find myself fantasizing about being a photographer. It's great to love your job, but at some point...if you're not careful...the fantasizing will overtake the actual doing. You'll spend your time thinking of all the jobs you want to get, all the cool images you want to create, all the money you want to make instead of actually getting out there and making images. It's healthy to stay creative in your mind but you also have to actually make these things happen. And they don't happen in fantasy land. They happen by getting out there and shooting good images...and bad images. Getting cameras in your hands, finding locations, etc. Getting out there and socializing when you don't want to. Cold calling, sending promos, hustling.

One pitfall I continually get trapped in is perfection. I often avoid shooting an idea until every thing is perfect. The right model, the right location, the right idea. But then it becomes an excuse to NOT shoot, not be productive. I have to avoid this trap and continue to create new material. You do to.