Lighting Tests With Jillian

Had a great test shoot with  Jillian the other day, As you can see, it was a beautiful day at a beautiful location :) The tests came out great! So happy with the light, and my model.

Enjoy!

Noir Blanc

One of my most Dark shoots ever. Tried a lot of new techniques with my photography in many aspects on this shoot. So there were frustrating times, times I wanted to stop shooting, and many times I wanted to go back to what I know best. But I pushed through it and produced some great images!

Big huge thank you to my model, for dealing with me and my frustration at times and for being an amazing model!

This is a small series of photos that tell a bit of a story. Also Look for more antler photos as the year goes on :)

enjoy!

Black & Whites with Lauren

Some old style lighting, with some new style lighting, all black and white. Made for a good learning shoot :) Thanks Lauren for being such a trooper with it all!

The Ending of a good thing

Had a fun and different shoot the other day with Cierra, felt good to do something different with lighting, and location, and wardrobe ect... but very sad that summer is coming to an end. but on the other hand I can do without the heat of chico! Once winter hits I'll be trying more studio stuff, so I've got to get all of my outdoor stuff done with this fall...

Enjoy

Kaile outdoor session

Here are a few of the images from the other day when I worked with Kaile, she was so easy to work with, and most of all fun :) Looking forward in working with her again!

Stay tuned for another post with Kaile :)

Enjoy!

Senior Portraits with {[Sami]}

Great shoot yesterday from another one of my old swimmers, man its crazy to see them all grown up and soon to be leaving for college! Time goes by so fast, it seems like I was just looking at schools and wondering what I was going to do with my life, hahaha I still wonder that one!

Enjoy :)

Summer Skin

Had a great shoot with Amie up in Tahoe the other day, this was a two part shoot, 1 part for my aunt's tshirt line and a little for me. here are some of my shots. you'll have to wait till my aunts website is up to see the others ;)

enjoy

Senior Portrait Season {[with Kassie]}

Oh yes, it's that time of year again! time to get your Senior Portraits done!

Yesterday was my first Senior session of the year, I had the honor to photography my good friend Kassie, Back when I swam I first met Kassie, and when I came back from college I coached Kassie, seeing her grow up over the past 8 or so years has been pretty neat. She's become like a sister to me.

Here is a sneak peak from yesterday's shoot.

We had just hiked through the trees in the 100 degree weather and we were all hot, Kassie just cooling off in the amazing light :)

Summer Storms

This summer has been such an odd summer for me (bear with me, I'm getting deep and posting more then just photos on this post) It's been different in a lot of aspects, like one, I have only been doing side jobs for work, which has lead to loads of free time, free time to have a chance to really think. Well needed thinking, but I've yet to come to any real answers to the questions that I've had about the world, others and most of all myself. I think one thing I've found for sure is that all the answers do lay within me, and no one or nothing else. So, I've been doing a lot of soul searching, trying to find "ME" yes ME! who I am, who I want to be, what I want to do with my life. I know a few facts that are true about me, 1. I care deeply about the ones I do let my guard down for. 2. I am a natural giver / protector and last, I have a need for helping people.

Seems to me I need the chance to help others once again, I'm not sure how, or when, but I know in my heart, and in my soul I need to make a difference in this world. I wasn't brought into this world to be famous, or rich, to be the best photographer or to even be remembered at a large scale. At the start of my day, my only goal is how I can make a difference in someones life, even if its something small, like picking up a friend from the airport, even if you have no idea how to get there, and you get totally lost on the way home with them, or if its a shoulder to cry on, or if its just to lend a helping hand with a task. I just want to help, I've had the idea of going to Africa, or India and help out over there, it'd be good for my soul, for my mind for my heart :) though a one on one help is great, I feel in the need of more! (tell you the truth I feel like typing this out is really helping me too, answering a few of my own questions as I am writing.)

A few weeks ago, my aunt called me, telling me she needed a load of help with her many businesses, (this lady has too much on her plate!) Being free as a bird, I said I'd come help out with whatever she needed for the week. So my brother and I went up to Gardnerville Nevada to see her. The week, well not even week, 5 days has helped me see the true me, opened a my eyes a little wider and really helped with some soul search. (my aunt is a very spiritual woman as well, and has many friends in the same mind set, inwhich I had the opportunity to meet)

Here are some of the amazing places I got to see while trying to clear my head, my aunt says its rare to have such cloudy skies this late in the summer. So maybe its a sign that change is on the way, and not just for me, for you as well if you are in need and of change and willing to do what is necessary to do what it takes to get change.

A few quotes that have always stood out to me, and really ring true lately

"insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results"

-Einstein 

"there is only do or don't, no try"

-Dumbledore

This next photos is one of my all time favorite photos I've taken, not really sure why yet, but it speaks to me, I'm also so greatful I was able to spend some time in water :) I've been craving to be in a lake or ocean for days! this trip was well needed in so many ways!

 The skies up here were epic! so amazing :)

Arial view of South Lake Tahoe :)

As always, Enjoy!

Test Shooting

Bernadette

As much as I love shooting normal people, its always great to work with a fantastic model, someone who knows what to do in front of the camera, and someone who you can carry on a conversation while shooting. (Some small Insight from me) when I first saw Bernadette, I wanted to work with her, but I thought my work was shit, yes shit! so I never thought that we would work together, and I knew she was a career model, so I was somewhat intimidated of her, some people fear great beauty. Funny thing is, a few weeks ago she tells me how much she loves my work and that she wanted to work with me. So you beat your soul I was nervous when we first started shooting, but Bernadette is so easy and fun to work with, any fears were washed away. And we got some fantastic images together, very much looking forward to working with her again :)

Enjoy!