For our first year anniversary, my wife took me out for a picnic and to take photos at the Spirit Ranch here in Lubbock. Though it’s located mere minutes outside of town, the entire area is lined with enormous trees and really feels much more secluded and serene than you would think possible.Read More
Somewhere between falling asleep and waking up, idea nuggets were dropped into my brain. There are a lot of things going on in and around my life right now, most notably a baby on the way, and a couple friends and family members battling various health problems. These events have seeped into my brain, into my being, and are feeding the ever-growing pressure on myself to create more than just photographs with my photography. Digital art is my medium, my outlet, and I want it–need it–to say something that I can’t begin to express with words (be they spoken or typed).Read More
I became aware of Richard Matheson’s work as a child, mainly through my dad’s love of The Incredible Shrinking Man and the Twilight Zone. It wasn’t until much later, probably high school, that I actually read any of his books. I started off easy with a few of his more popular works (specifically the ones I that already had big screen adaptations) What Dreams May Come, A Stir of Echoes, Somewhere in Time/Bid Time Return, and I Am Legend (which, despite trying and failing three times, Hollywood just can’t get right).Read More
First of all, happy early birthday, Red. Sorry I can’t be there (*sad face*).
That being said, I’ve got a special present for you! It started a few months ago when I got the itch to play some guitar (which, though a rare occurrence, is still something I can’t ignore). I started off re-learning songs I used to know long ago, but somewhere along the way I thought it’d be a cool idea to record a song with your name in the title. This turned out to be a loftier mission than expected (seems there aren’t many to choose from aside from Rod Stewart’s song and a few others).Read More
I recently read in a magazine about a lighting setup called the “clamshell” where the subject is lit from the front by two softboxes (one larger one up high and a smaller one set lower to half power) and a reflector right above the subject.
Seemed simple enough. I didn’t have any softboxes, but eh, I improvised. Lending out some of my lightstands and gear to a friend for a shoot, I was pretty limited, but still had one lightstand with an umbrella, a Lumiquest 80/20, small tri-grip reflector, and two speedlights. Yeah, that should work…Read More
That’s right. Time to start a new trend. Self-portrait Monday or SPM for short. We’ll see how long this actually lasts (me being notorious for not sticking with
What was I saying? Right, so Reese’s Peanut Butter cups are hands-down the best candy ever.Read More
By popular demand (read: one or two requests), here are a few more shots using our DIY ring flash set up from last weekend. A lot more tweaking remains to be done to the rig itself, as well as to how we’re using it, but it’s a pretty cool toy to play around with.Read More
This weekend I dove into a DIY project with the help of my partner in crime, Max McDonald from mondayshift. After reading David Tejada’s excellent (not to mention affordable) ring flash tutorial, I decided it would be the perfect project for someone like me (i.e., someone completely inept at anything remotely resembling handyman-dedness).
After raiding Home Depot for supplies, Max and I set to work. It was an arduous task requiring literally minutes of physical and mental labor. Following Tejada’s tutorial to the T (give or take skipping the last eight steps), we were able to create a crude flash adapter referred to in certain photographic circles as a “ring flash.” Or just a ring flash without the quotes.Read More
This shot was an outtake while I was still setting up my lights (I didn’t even wait to get a full smile from my beautiful model!), but I love the way it turned out. Aside from it being shot head-on, mugshot style, her hint of a smile is very reminiscent of the Mona Lisa, in my opinion.Read More
So I’ve got this box. I love this box. Bought it at an antique store in… I don’t remember, but it turns out that it’s an old munitions box from who-knows-when.
For as long as I’ve owned it, sadly I’ve had no idea what to do with it. It’s not really functional in regards to its original use (I don’t have many munitions), and it’s too heavy to use as a wallet. What to do???Read More
This shot came about from another one of my lighting test setups. Always willing to help out, my favorite model brought the whole ’20s vibe with her (which I tried to hone in on in post). Her wistful expression conveys a sense of longing and made it my favorite of the day.Read More
The importance of goofing off is something that never really gets expounded upon, which is just sad. A lot of the time, it’s even frowned upon. But I think goofing off, like most things in life, is good when used in moderation (and downright valuable at times). This is especially important when it comes to doing what you love for a living. The saying goes, “if you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.” That’s awesome for the 2% of people this applies to, but I (like the majority of people, I’d wager) get tired/bored/frustrated sometimes even doing the things I love. It just happens.Read More
Drop what you’re doing! Go outside! It’s snowing out!!! Read More
So I finally got around to buying Joe McNally’s book The Hot Shoe Diaries: Big Light from Small Flashes and have been reading it religiously (that is to say, not often enough). Joe’s got a lot of experience, a great sense of humor, and tons of practical tips (if you’re lucky enough to be a Nikon user, that is). If you own a Nikon DSLR and a speedlight, buy his book today.Read More
Been wanting to post on this for some time now, but as usual I’m dragging my heels. I am looking forward to the new year as a time of discovery and adventure. I’ve got my new site up and running and I have the motivation to get back to work on a lot of projects I’ve let fall by the wayside over the past few years. It’s gearing up to be a fun year and I can’t wait to see where it takes me.
Here’s to a new year.
Photography assistant: Maisie. Tattoo by J with the Black Pearl Tattoo Parlor. Shirt by Black Lab.
