Posts Tagged ‘phoenix lifestyle photographer’

shooting for collages

May 27, 2010

Photo collages including panels, diptychs, triptychs and more can be a fun way to bring a series of images together and help tell a story. On a recent test photo shoot with The Agency Arizona, I set out to create two of these emotion packed, full-page collages. Generally they work best for these half-body and portrait frames to really get involved in the emotions with your subject.

How you go about them and what you want to bring out is a matter of your own preference. For these two, I wanted to use a few of the accessories I brought along (a few hats and sunglasses) and change up the angles. Another way to go about it is to set your model in a seated position, fix a tripod down and have them alter their expressions from the exact same angle. Since I far prefer to shoot handheld and change the angles to interact with my subject, my photos each have a bit more variety.

Knowing what to bring out in each of your models can really add an extra punch to the images. You may be able to get some smiles out of a model with more of a fashion look, but chances are they might not turn out as well as ones where you worked with their natural expressions and talent. Lia’s bubbly personality lent itself perfectly to just joke around and create these playful set of images.

Whereas Britt had a great softer smile and those lock-on eyes. Being able to work with each models natural talent really helped deliver the best images.

This was an incredibly fun photo shoot where I started to push a few personal boundaries. It’s so important to work outside your own comfort zone. I certainly don’t do it enough. When you do though, you open the door to learning new techniques and expanding your vision. I’m looking forward to sharing more images from this test. Stay tuned.

finding your passion

May 18, 2010

Undoubtedly, being a photographer may be one of the best jobs in the world. It doesn’t come without its own trials, moments of grief and a nagging self-doubt. However for many people, photography is the fulfillment of a dream. A personal love with creativity and technology blended into a wonderful mash of a new and personal vision of the world. I can honestly say since advancing my eye with a camera I look at the world in a completely different way, and it continues to grow every day. It’s not only the discovery of a passion that’s been hidden and refreshed ( I thought I might be an artist in the early part of high school but eventually gave it up for the sake of practicality), but a way of looking at and appreciating the world in ways I never thought of before.

The “plight of the artist” can often be something to laugh about (I’ve had a good chuckle a number of times over people who thought they could change the world and ended up flipping burgers at McDonald’s), but it’s also a driving force in the life of many people. I count myself among those people now. Since I began taking my work in photography seriously, it’s been a new adventure in life. It’s a new passion. I don’t find myself laughing at the McDonald’s artists so much anymore – just wishing they could find a way to channel their passion into an applicable business practice. I doubt myself. All. The. Time. Who could ever like my work? Why can’t I be better? What is so wrong with my perspective?

But then I realize, it’s not what’s wrong, but what I need to continue to refine. We’re never wrong as artists, we’re just continuing to refine our vision and improve the technicalities of the tools that allow us to do that. Sure, we’re wrong on the technicals all the time, but never doubt your vision as an artist. Listen to others. Learn from others. And most importantly, always be you.

Whatever the venture, passion is the driving force. Passion for photography. Passion for life. Passion for laughter. These are what drive me forward. Passion is what drives all of us forward, if only for ourselves. I got to thinking about this a little more when someone asked me what my goal was for my photography. Well it is and continues to be, “To laugh with honesty every day the rest of my life and to inspire everyone around me to laugh as well.”

My photography is an extension of who I am. I try to show that a bit more every day in a creative way. I hope to laugh every day. I hope others can share that laughter with me. I can honestly say since working toward this lifestyle, I have. I hope to continue that, and to share it with more people. I believe in laughter we find ourselves.

Thank you all for helping me live my passion every day. Learn to recognize your own passions. When you do, never let them go. Always advance in the face of doubt, external or internal. Keep an ear open to advice. An “artist’s vision” is never an excuse for achieving less than you are capable of because you’re unwilling to take criticism of your work or learn from others.

Be proud. Be humble. Be you. Follow your passion and life will reward you in ways you never dreamed possible.

If you feel like some of your photo shoots are just lacking some umph, it might come down to the production placed into them. Production is a critical part of putting together a great photo shoot. Whether for a client or for my personal book I like to put as much production as time and money allows into my shoots.

Production is all the little (and big) details that go into a shoot. Location, permits, models, wardrobe, props, food/drinks/catering, image delivery timetable and method. The personal style of how you run your shoots and interact with your crew and team members can even be said to be a part of your production. It all comes down to knowing your vision and being able to put together the pieces to execute it, within a reasonable time frame and budget constraints.

Your budget is often the ultimate deciding factor in what you can produce. I’d love to be able to shoot on a three deck yacht through the Caribbean, but it’s simply not a budgetary reality (yet). That being said, I encourage any photographer looking to put together fresh images for their portfolio to put some personal money into it. That doesn’t mean you have to go overboard though.

In the photographs below I picked up these colorful pairs of socks at Target for $2 a piece and matched them to the outfits that these fun models from The Agency Arizona brought with them. The $6 investment was well worth an image that will help grow my book.

For these images I went to a local grocery store and picked up around $15 worth of different fruit. They helped foster a fun feel and style to a number of images.

And for this last set I spent a few more bucks at Target grabbing colorful sandals and an extra few at the dollar store for a snorkel and floaties. None of these are expensive items, but they help create the right atmosphere for the photos.

Lately I’ve been putting around $100-200 into my personal test shoots, and that number grows as I continue to book bigger jobs and more clients. It’s a repeating cycle. Larger clients want to see the time and production you put into your images and they want to see new personal work on a regular basis. It shows your passion for what you do. It’s one of the comments I hear the most in any new client meeting – my apparent passion for creating images. Passion + production = progress. Put some more passion and production into your own work and I guarantee you’ll start seeing similar results.