Painting With Light

What I love about photography is that there innumerable ways to create an image. The key ingredient to a photo is light, and with that one thing, and a camera to see it, you can do pretty amazing things.

Steam will rise.

These images were made in complete dark with a flashlight. You literally paint the light over whatever it is you're photographing and after several dozen tries, you get something like this.

From the Shadows into the Light

I've seen images where someone paints an entire scene with one flashlight. Houses, or coffee shops, I've even seen a mock stage productio with sets and all, created with this technique.

I'm not there yet, but these few attempts were pretty fun. I wonder what I'm going to create next time.

J&Y Wedding Preview

Mr & Mrs.

Let's be serious. If you can get a couple to take a fun photo like this on their wedding day, you know they're having a great time.

Thanks Jerms and Yue for letting me help capture your day.

Another Vision of Smoke

I keep on hearing how pop is dangerous for your health.

All that sugar rots your teeth, makes you gain weight, and tastes amazing.

So mixing it with smoke makes sense. There are people that love cigarettes, which are far worse then the sweet deliciousness of ice cold cola.

Playing With Smoke

Being stuck indoors while its been cold outside, I wanted to try photographing something different.  So I tried photographing smoke.

It didn't turn out exactly as I expected.

You know smoke is its own thing, not at all like a person or landscape, and trying to control how it rises was a challenge. For some reason it always wanted to lean  a little to the right. But I think this was an interesting exercise that I will try again another day.

Tribal Smoke

Ribbons of Blue

Christmas Arrived A Little Late

I started several years ago with a EOS XSi, and moved on to the 7D a few years later. I've had a lot of fun and taken some amazing photos with these cameras. Learned a lot about photography, and helped capture memories, of family and friends.

But this Christmas I wanted to treat myself. Yes, Yes, in photography vision is more important then gear, but I wanted new gear.

A new addition to the workflow. Hello Friend. Photo taken with my old 7D.

I'd like to introduce everyone to the 5D Mark III.

Oh what a beautiful camera. I look forward to 2013 and all the photos I'll take.

Happy 2013 ...

Happy New Year everyone.

I just wanted to wish everyone the best for the coming year.

Looking back on 2012. These are some of my favourite images.

A quick look at my photographic 2012.

Full of amazing opportunities, great people, and fantastic memories. Here's to 2013.

10 of 2012

I think I enjoy this part of the year. Besides all of the excitement for the holiday's and the promise of the coming new year, the next best thing is to reminisce of what made the last year awesome. Now as we get ready to leave 2012 to the Mayan's, and greet 2013 as if it were the greatest year ever, I present you my top 10 of 2012 

10. The New Age of Autumn

I'm going to start off selfish because I'm excited with how the new site looks and what will be happening in the future. Lots of plans for 2013 and the blog will be the heart of it. 

09.  Disney Buys LucasFilms

And on top of that announces Episode VII for 2015. The same year Justice League and Avengers 2 are supposed to be released. 2015 looks like its going to be one great year for summer blockbusters.

It will not be as bad as Episode I. It can't be as bad as Episode I. Please don't let it be as bad as Episode I

08. Epic Rap Battle of History

YouTube, the provider of unexpected awesomeness, has once again suggested something for me to watch. I have no idea why I find this so funny. It's not, and it shouldn't be, but watching a rap battle between Obama and Romney, or Batman and Sherlock Holmes, even Leonidas and Master Chief, I can't help but laugh.

Make it stop. Sorry I lied, I want more. 

07. Doctor Who 

No this didn't premier in 2012, not even during the 80's, the greatest decade, no matter what those hippies from the 40's say. But I just rediscovered Doctor Who as an adult and find that the maddeningly random jumps through time and space are both entertaining and heart wrenching.

All I know is the Christmas special premiering on Christmas Day stars evil Snowmen, voiced by Ian Mckellen, Mr Gandalf/Magneto himself. How could it possibly be bad?

When you're done watching it, go back and start with Season 5. Trust me.

06. Django Unchained. 

Ok, this is a slight cheat. I haven't seen it yet, and as it's out on Christmas day, I probably wont see it until closer to New Years. But Quinten Tarantino, Jamie Foxx, Samuel L. Jackson. I have no doubt this movie will end up on my top three movies of the year. 

05. Space

How many of you were up at an ungodly hour to see if the Curiosity Rover landed successfully? How many of you watched the news and saw the remaining shuttles head towards there various homes across the US? Did you see the Space X shuttle make its historic docking, at the same time China made a historic space flight of its own?

Plans for a real life mission to Mars, and the possibility of asteroid mining. Talk of space elevators, and super earths. 2012 has been in awesomely interesting year in space related industry. There's a lot nerds like me can get excited about. First we head back to the moon, and then somehow warp travel is created. Here's hoping for it all to happen in the next 30 years.

04. JL8

This unofficial web comic homage to the Justice league, imagines they grew up together in grade school rather then fight villains as adults. It's Peanuts, a little Tiny Titans, and a lot of fun.  Its the kind of simple story telling you don't see much of in comics anymore, but I'm glad is out there.

03. Good Job, Brain. 

I like trivia. I might not be a Pub Trivia expert like the hosts on this podcast. But I learn enough to make this an interesting listen on my trip to work in the morning. Answering questions about things like what came first Ice Ice Baby or Under Pressure, what the heck a velocipede is, Hollywood celebrity secrets, and holiday foods and where they come from, its fun filled facts worth listening to.

02. FTL (Faster Then Light)

This PC game is like a love ballad to the legions that watched Star Trek and knew the they could do a better job than Kirk. It's the Kobayashi Maru of video games. You're meant to lose again and again until you figure out how to succeed. And as annoying and frustrating as that sounds, its not. In fact, when I'm done this list, I'm going to go back and continue playing.

01. Marvels' The Avengers 

Take Joss Whedon, a god among nerds, and B-List comic book characters no one really knows about, then mix. And somehow the marriage of these two things made one of the greatest summer spectacles of the year. Over $1,500,000,000.00 of awesomeness. Dark Knight was a great film, this is a great movie.

See it again. Buy the Blu-Ray. And love every time Hulk smashes Loki with a derisive "Puny God."

Beneath Perfect Skies ...

Another wedding i photographed with Sweet Bow Photography

Claudia & Marchello with their entourage. 

Hats & Shadows ...

I love Film Noir. Who doesn't love the classics?

Whenever I get the chance to play around with light and shadow during a session, even a little, I do.  One of these days I'm going to build a whole set and recreate scenes from movies like Dark Passage, The Big Sleep, or even old serials of The Shadow. Casting, Crew and all.

Shadows

But for now, my friends will just have to put up with my crazy ideas.

Shadows

Shadows