My mother used to tell me to get my head out of the clouds all the time. I was always cooking up crazy business ideas, or working on music, or drawing, and I always had an unfaltering faith that no matter what I chose to do with my life, I could figure out what it takes and make it work. I still have the same faith. I'm not going to lie to you. It's hard work, often thankless work bootstrapping a new business. Budgets are so small as to be almost unmeasurable. Little things like how to replace the flash that got knocked over can seem like insurmountable obstacles if you let them.

Key words -- if you let them.

This is a mental challenge; a test of your will. If you have what it takes, you will come out the other side of this gauntlet with solid foundations on which to build something that resembles a life not just survived, but well lived. I like living life with my head in the clouds. The air up here is a bit cleaner, and looking down from way up high at the big picture, something like a broken flash doesn't seem like the end of the world. Just another milestone on a beautiful path, full of twists and turns. I live for the challenges. I welcome them. I thrive on coming up with creative solutions. Want to make a photo book? Try funding it with pre-sales. Want to break into sports shooting? Volunteer for the local little league to get your portfolio started. I currently have what might seem like an insurmountable problem. I have a lot more work on my plate than I can handle on my own, and this is the sort of work that really needs to get done. That's not the problem, though. The problem is that I'm still in bootstrap mode, and I simply don't have the budget to hire employees and pay benefits and an hourly wage.

I could stumble on this obstacle. I could give up and decide I just can't hack it as a photographer because "it takes money to make money". Or, I could look at what I do have -- a solid reputation, great connections, a strong network of friends, and a lot of knowledge to share. The solution to this problem was a college internship program. Offer school credit for hands on training in a real photography business. No, this business doesn't have the best cash flow, but I can get interns VIP access to big shows, give them a chance to meet people who genuinely are successful. Let them associate and do business with people who have been there, done that, and made a thriving career of it. That's how to pay them. Reward them with the faith that a kid from nowhere with a dream can look at the big bad world, take it on, and become a productive part of it. Maybe when they've talked to photo editors from influential mags, and met major celebrities and discovered that they're real people -- maybe after all that they'll catch the bug, boldly thrust their heads high into the clouds, and realize that there is always a solution. If you have a dream, and you relentlessly pursue it in spite of all the warnings from concerned friends and family, you can make it come true.

"What you're doing by being a successful creative is violating all the rules of business already, so forget about realism." - Leslie Burns-Dell’Acqua

Realism? Who needs it? All due respect to my mother, I think I'll keep my head in the clouds for just a little longer. Come and join me, if you're not afraid of falling.

Labels: business, going pro, photography

You should learn to use the word "no" as a tool to shape your portfolio and your future career. Take work that could be used in your portfolio to land your dream job, and turn down the work that doesn't excite you. It helps keep your portfolio looking fresh, sharp, individual, and creative to photo buyers, and it keeps you sane. The trouble is, how do you say no to a job without offending the client?

Turning down a job doesn't have to be a heart wrenching experience, with sad faces and gnashing of teeth. One way to say no without being offensive is to quote a high price for your services. When somebody asks you how much you would charge to shoot, don't allow yourself to think about how much they can afford or how much you think other photographers would charge. Think, "how much money would it take to make me excited about this job?" The funny thing is, I've had some clients enthusiastically agree when I was trying to turn them down gracefully by quoting a high price to them. I just smiled and ran with it, and what could have been a nightmare if I felt like I was wasting my time turned out to be a good experience for everyone, and it gave me hope, by proving to me that there really are people out there willing to pay a premium for a pro, even when there are hordes of amateurs out there happy to work for free.

I've turned down three jobs this week using this method, and no tears were shed by anyone. If you think I'm crazy for turning down paying work -- watch this space. You're gonna love the jobs I said "yes" to!

Labels: business, going pro, photography

Tommy Lee drops some electro house at The Playground in Park City, UT.

The gig was fun. I only had ten minutes to shoot while he was playing, so I only nailed a few really good shots. We were supposed to hang around after and get some more intimate portraits with Tommy but I guess he was having an off night. He hid in the green room after his set with his tour manager popping his head out every few minutes and saying, "Yeah, we're gonna do the photos", and then he'd vanish back into the room and close the door. After waiting around for about 30 minutes, the entourage comes out, makes a b-line to the door and into their waiting truck without a word.

Maybe he wasn't feeling it. Maybe he was in a bad mood (though if he was, it didn't show -- he was friendly in a very detached way, smiling and waving). The opening DJ, Skeet Skeet was really cool. He grew up with The Cobra Snake -- probably in the top 5 most famous nightlife photographers. We talked a little about him, and shared stories about going days without sleep while working back-to-back nightlife gigs.

The crowd was terrific. Some of the most friendly people I've met, and very diverse. The electronic music nightlife scene in Salt Lake City is pretty incestuous, as a rule, and most of the people here already know who I am and where to find my photos... at this gig I gave out over 100 business cards, which is a rarity these days, because I frequently try to hand somebody my card and they're like, "dude, I know who you are, I look at your photos all the time!"

It was cool to meet some new people who'd never heard of me. Refreshing and really fun. I almost felt normal again. I haven't really experienced that since last October. I generally feel a bit awkward when people know so much about me and I have never met them before. It's kindof weird. Truthfully, I wasn't prepared for all the scrutiny I've had in recent months, it kindof hit me unawares.

One day nobody knows my name, and the next, I'm surprised to meet somebody who doesn't know who I am. I always feel guilty when people are like, "Hi Eric!" and I don't know their names or recognize them at all. I feel like if they know me, I should know them, too, and if I don't, I've somehow let them down...

So it was cool not feeling that at all tonight. I didn't realize how much that was messing with my head. It was a breath of fresh air. I wonder how it must be for somebody who really is famous, and then I am a little more understanding about Tommy bailing out on the photos. It would have been nice to actually talk to him a bit and get some pictures of him just being a regular guy, but over all it was a great experience, and I'm looking forward to my next chance to meet him.

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Labels: celebrity, gallery, nightlife, park city, party, photography, the playground, tommy lee, utah

Local photography interest groups can be huge assets to beginning photographers. There's a common stereotype that photographers are mostly solitary and don't like to share their secrets. Average photographers are afraid that if they share their secrets, they'll lose business to competition. Great photographers are secure enough to share what they know. In my experience, you'll gain access to a wide array of studios, equipment, and knowledge if you can tap into local meetup groups. I have participated, given talks, and assisted at several local groups here in Utah. Here are some of the best in this area:

• Photowalking Utah
• Utah Photo Safari
• Provo Area Digital Photography Meetup
• Utah Photoshop User Group

Labels: education, going pro, photography

I got an email yesterday that reminded me a lot of my confusion when I first started out. Before you've established a name for yourself, gaining access to events can be difficult. Organizers know that access is valuable to new photographers, and they will do everything in their power to exploit that. Here's the question:

"Last week I got invited to shoot a heavy metal video. I went and took a bunch of photos, and then the company demanded pics for free. When I said they cost money, the guy got really angry. He said that letting me on set was my payment and if I ever want to work for him again he needs the pics. He said that the exposure that I get from the band's publicity should make it worth my time. What do I do?"

I think every photographer has a story just like this to tell. For me, replace "heavy metal video" with "fashion catalog" and that would be exactly how I felt less than a year ago.

A lot of pundits on Flickr will tell you to NEVER work for free, for good reasons. People in this industry will push you around if you let them. It sounds to me like this guy has no intention of ever paying you, and he would not be a good client if you're looking for money. However, if you are willing to work for them free to build up your portfolio, absolutely do it, just be clear that you retain the copyright and that the image license is non-exclusive. If they want extras like exclusive rights, feel free to charge for that! When you're just getting started, this is probably the best way to build your portfolio and break into the industry. If you don't need these images for your portfolio, brush them off your radar and walk away.

When I was just beginning, I had friends who were part of the biggest electronic dance music promoters in Utah (V2 Events). Before long, I was being invited to shoot some shows with some big headliners, like Rabbit in the Moon. Knowing that V2 constantly brings out top names in the dance music community, I agreed to shoot a series of shows for them in exchange for access. Those shows helped me build up a rich nightlife portfolio that targets exactly the kind of work that I love most, and it introduced me to some great connections that have been a huge asset to my career. This image was shot at an event in exchange for access. It's now being used on Rabbit in the Moon's MySpace profile, which has boosted my recognition and given me some credibility with other artists and production companies:

Imagine your dream job, and ask yourself these questions:

"Will the images I get from the access they're giving me help me land my dream job?"

"Will the contacts I make introduce me to a network of people who can help me achieve my career goals?"

"Can I still buy food and pay my rent if I'm doing this work without a paycheck?"

If you answer yes to these questions, you need to stop thinking "free" and realize that ACCESS is your payment, and it's worth every bit of effort you put into it. If you answer "no" to these questions, working with them will not benefit your career. It will only make you angry and resentful over non-payment. Tell them you're not interested and move on.

Another question I get frequently is, "when should I stop taking free work?"

Personally, I stopped doing free work when I had enough paying work to make it easy to say no to the free stuff. It seems like a pretty good indicator to me. At first, I had a hard time saying "no". I didn't want to hurt people's feelings, but this is business. Your portfolio comes first.

Think of your career as a sculpture, and the word "no" as a chisel. When you're just starting out, your career is a big block of marble that represents everything you could possibly do. Chisel away everything you don't want to do by saying "no" until what's left is your dream career, and the perfect portfolio to represent it. Personally, freeloaders and jerks are not part of my dream career. Saying "no" to somebody who wants to pay too little, or isn't offering work that I'm really excited about doing, is very liberating.

P.S. For a lot of perspectives from the magazine world, check out the Pay to Play posts on APE and AVS.

Labels: education, going pro, photography

This is one of the most important lessons I've learned since I dropped everything and started shooting full time about a year ago:

Learning who you are as a photographer, what you like to shoot, and how you like to shoot it, is the first and most important step you can take into the world of professional photography. Learn what you love, shoot what you love, and then figure out how to make money shooting subjects you're passionate about. You don't have to shoot weddings for a living if you don't like dealing with in-laws. No matter what the subject is, chances are there's a market for it somewhere. The more you shoot, the quicker you'll discover what you're really passionate about, and if you're passionate about something, chances are you'll find a way to translate that passion into great photos!

It's a lot easier to create photographs that evoke feeling if the subject you're shooting evokes feeling in you. Photographers don't just share what they see - they share what they feel, even if that feeling is detachment or apathy. Those things translate in your photographs.

There are benefits aside from creating better photos. If you're shooting subjects you're passionate about, you're less likely to get burned out doing the busywork that goes along with professional photography. I spend most of my week at the computer, editing photos, drumming up new business, scheduling shoots, networking, estimating, billing, accounting, hiring, etc... Shooting is just a small part of what a photographer must do to earn a living. It helps if your shooting time rejuvenates you and gives you a sense that everything you did to land and produce that gig was worthwhile.

Before I took up photography full time, I was running an MP3 blog on electronic music and producing nightlife events. I wanted a professional photographer to come take photos of the events, and I had a hard time finding somebody I could count on to do a good job, so I started bringing my own camera and taking photos for myself. When other people noticed that I had a pretty good camera, they started to hire me to shoot their events, and when I started making more money at that than I was with my other work, I dropped it all and made the switch.

At first, I thought, "Okay, now I'm a professional photographer. How do other photographers make money?" I considered weddings, high-end portraiture, tourist photography, etc... At that point, I was willing to do whatever it took to rake in the money, so I started developing a portfolio of product photography, family portraits, lifestyle photos, fashion, you name it! I was all over the map, because I thought I had to be.

But I kept going to nightlife events and taking photos there. At first, I thought of the nightlife photos a personal project. And then one day it hit me -- "Hey! There's money in this!"

I can go to the shows, enjoy the music I love, work with a network of people who have become like family to me, and make money doing it. Why did it take me so long to figure that out?

Shooting what you love also helps to differentiate you from the swarms of other photographers competing for art buyer dollars. Art buyers don't want to see what you might think is safe and sellable. They want to see what makes you special and unique. Get edgy if edgy is your thing. Love sports? Get out there and start shooting sports! Cars? Motorcycles? Landscapes? Macros? Your tastes and passions define your style as a photographer. They make you special in the eyes of art buyers. Don't hide them!

Rob Haggart recently interviewed an anonymous art buyer from a big shot agency who had this to say:

A good photographer has their own style and can’t shoot anything. Nor should they want to…because they’re so good at whatever it is that they’ve focused on, that they’re not shooting everything. Take any great legendary photographer, they didn’t shoot everything, they had a particular style, focus, interest, and then made it their own. When you look at these photos, that’s how you know it’s theirs and not anyone else. Photographers reading this should ask themselves “are they passionate about what they’re shooting and do they recognize the difference of their own work compared to someone else?”

Having read Elyse Weissberg's Successful Self-Promotion for Photographers, and listened to a sample photography consultation with Leslie Burns-Dell’Acqua, I can tell you that one of the first things that consultants for professional photographers emphasize is the importance of highlighting your unique vision in your portfolio. You can't do that unless you trust yourself enough to be true to your own style and career goals. Try to imagine your dream job, and then focus your portfolio on landing that job. In the linked interview, Clay Stang made the mistake of saying, "but realistically..." and Leslie's reply was revelatory and inspirational:

"What you're doing by being a successful creative is violating all the rules of business already, so forget about realism."

The median photographer's wage is only $26,170, yet PDN reports that there are many photographers making quite a bit more than that. I assert that what separates the average photographer from the successful photographer is that successful photographers believe in dreams. Speaking of dream jobs, I have a photo shoot with Tommy Lee tonight. I'd better wrap this up and get ready for it.

The bottom line is, you're an artist, and art generally sucks when it isn't genuine.

Labels: education, educational, going pro, photography

Paul Oakenfold @ In the Venue (V2)

Second Sun @ Hotel / Elevate (KickAss Entertainment)

Bunny (Rabbit in the Moon) @ Star Bar, Park City (V2)

Future Sound of Breaks @ In the Venue (V2)

Bassnectar @ DTHL (V2)

Labels: afterparties, afterparty, fun, nightlife, parties, party, photography, photos, pictures, rave, sexy, sundance film festival

So you're interested in portrait photography, and you want to know what separates snapshots from art? Here are the things I consider vitally important:

Light

Light is the single most important aspect of photography!

STOP right now, and read that back again and again until it sinks in. After all, the essence of the photographic art is the process of capturing light from the scene in order to create an artistic rendering. In a very real sense, photography is painting with light.

Long before photography and flashes were invented, classical painters posed their subjects next to large windows that acted like big soft boxes in order to create the right light to capture the mood they wanted to paint. Always pay attention to the light, and go to whatever lengths you need to (scheduling, rescheduling, adding light, etc...) in order to make sure you get the light right.

If you can't get great light, don't even bother clicking the shutter release -- your photo is just going to look like every other amateur with a point and shoot camera, otherwise.

Subject

You absolutely must have light to make a photograph, which is why it got top billing. It is absolutely the foundation of photography, but equally important is the subject. A strong subject is more than a good looking model. The setting, clothing, props, accessories, pose, and emotional expression all work together to tell a story. It's up to the photographer to make sure it's a story worth telling.

Focus

Focus isn't just about what to focus on, it's also about how much depth of field to show in the portrait. How much do you want to blur out background/foreground elements? How much of the subject really needs a sharp focus? With the right set of lenses, you can really have a lot of control over that aspect, and it makes a significant difference in the resulting images!

Also, don't discount the possibilities with regards to alternative points of focus. Generally, it's good to concentrate on eyes, but I often focus on lips, and sometimes create dramatic tension by having the primary subject out of focus, and instead focus on things like hands, or some object being held by the model. In one of my favorite shots, I focussed on a chess board with a very shallow depth of field, and lit up the subject's face so much that the highlights are all blown out.

Background

For backgrounds, the general rule is to keep it simple. It is possible to do nice environmental portraits (and I have shot many), but it's very easy for backgrounds to clash and distract from the focus of your image. One thing to watch out for when you're just starting out is mergers -- background and foreground images have a tendency to seem to merge together in a photograph, so, for example, watch out that it doesn't look like trees are growing from the subject's head, and so on.

Composition

One key difference between an amateur shot, and a professional shot is composition. A great portrait photographer considers shapes, lines, framing, angles, negative space, where to place the point of focus in the frame for maximum impact, and so on.

Texture

Photographs are two dimensional, which makes it challenging to get a good sense of texture. The best way to play it up is to use strong shapes, composition, and light angles that compliment the textures in the scene.

Color

If you're shooting for color, make sure that the colors compliment each other. If they don't, change up the wardrobe, the setting, etc... until they do. Painters don't choose random colors for their paintings. Why should photographers allow outside forces to dictate color choices?

Exposure

Exposure isn't just about getting a proper exposure to record the scene. In especially high contrast scenes, for example, you have choices. You can get a proper exposure for shadows, or propper exposure for bright areas, but often, not both, and that can be a good thing. You can choose to take a high-key or low-key approach, and expose to emphasize certain areas of an image over others.

Keep in mind that you can use color, texture, and exposure to emphasize shapes in your compositions.

Conclusion

When you can coordinate all of these things, and get them working in harmony, that's when magic starts to happen. Like music, visual arts rely on harmony (shape, color, exposure), rhythm (texture), and plot elements to tell a story (setting, model).

Next time you point a camera at somebody, consider some of these ideas. Are you taking a snapshot, or creating art?

Labels: education, going pro, photography

My photo workstation is fixed, and the 80's prom photos are online!

From the SmugMug gallery, you can purchase prints (at very low prices), or purchase the high-res (printable) versions of the photos for unlimited personal use. Buying prints and high-res photos helps me pay the bills so I can keep offering my photo services to the nightlife community at affordable rates.

Feel free to use Flickr photos for personal MySpace pages, etc, but please credit me so I don't have to start stamping photos with silly water marks. If you wish to use the photos for promotion or commercial purposes, please contact me for permission, first.

Labels: nightlife, photo, photography, portrait, saints and sinners

I didn't have a model today, but I wanted to shoot, so I took selections from the Dhammapada, and illustrated them with photographs. Enjoy:

Labels: buddha, buddhism, photo, photography, religion, religious, sacred

This Saturday, 6-30-07

Blazed is a daytime/nighttime electronic music festival / BBQ featuring 10 DJ's playing 12 hours of music, fire spinners, go-go dancers, etc. The DeviantSociety models have been invited to come for a fun out-door photo shoot during the day. If you like, feel free to hang out for the bonfire and fun when the sun goes down!

Models are encouraged to come out early to prepare for the photo shoot. Me and Katie are planning to roll in around 3:00 pm to scout the location and set things up.

The party will be up American Fork Canyon, past Mutual Dell. There is a map available here. Come dressed to kill in your hottest summer fashions. Have fun, and get some killer portraits in a pretty outdoor location.

Labels: model, models, party, photo, photography, photos

Body landscapes with Melissa.

Labels: art, melissa, nude, photo, photography, photos, sexy

Melissa got her bachelor's degree. Yay!

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Labels: graduation, melissa, photo, photography

Eight camera raw exposure HDR merge. This photo was taken in the evening, just after the sun sank behind the opposite canyon wall, casting the falls into deep shadow. I shot eight exposures and merged them in order to get something close to the true sky color, while retaining the highlights and details of the waterfall.

Those cables you see near the top used to be a lift that would run up to a restaraunt at the top. While it was operating, it was one of the steepest lifts in the world. This waterfall has seen its share of rock slides and avalanches. It was decided that operating the lift was too dangerous. It hasn't been in use for years, but the cables are still there. Probably just to annoy photographers.

Labels: bridal veil falls, canyon, hdr, mountain, nature, photo, photography, waterfall

Photo shoot with Nivi. She's a great model, and a terrific asset for other models at photo shoots. I'm looking forward to a lot more shoots with Nivi, whether she's modeling or helping out behind the camera.

Labels: model, nivi, photo, photography, tfp

I had a ton of fun at the first Saints and Sinners party at The Trapp Door. Thanks to everybody who made the night so much fun!

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Labels: club, nightlife, photo, photography, portrait, saints and sinners

These are photos from the free headshot night 2007-04-04. Thanks to everybody who participated! As you can see, these shoots are kid-friendly.

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Labels: photo, photography, portrait

I'm growing my model contact list in order to handle some upcoming fashion/product catalog work. Last night I met with Shelly and Vanessa for the first time. I was really impressed with their work.

Labels: fashion, glamour, lingerie, photo, photography, sexy, shelly, vanessa

Need some new headshots for your portfolio? Just want to have the hottest profile pic on MySpace? Come join us for free headshot night at Warm Springs park at 7:30pm, Wednesday night (April 4th).

Here's what you can use your free headshots for:

• MySpace - free
• Personal websites - free
• Share with friends and family - free
• Portfolio (modeling, acting, voiceover, resume, etc...) - free
• Commercial ventures, business cards, flyers, etc.. - price negotiable
• Buy prints

Labels: free, headshots, photo, photography

The Krishna Temple's Festival of Colors was a lot of fun! You may download web-sized images for free (1024 pixels/side max, about the size of a standard computer screen, not good for printing). Be sure to caption your images with "www.dilvie.com" if you upload them to websites like MySpace.

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Labels: color festival, festival of colors, holi festival, photo, photography, photos

We had so much fun at Noah's last time around, we decided to do it again. This time around there was a very cute baby to photograph. I did a lot of moody low-key shots with dramatic shadows this time, but I still show off my stylistic range with some normal exposures, and a couple of bright, sunny photos. I think it's important to cover a range of styles during a photo shoot. You never know what magic you could be missing if you always shoot straight (normal exposure).

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Labels: noahs, photography, photos, portrait

No matter what field you're in, chances are, you could use some current headshots from a professional photographer. Corporate executives, business people, actors, models, or professionals in any field can use headshots to enhance resumes, provide visual flair for website biographies, and much more. Even if your only bio is on MySpace, how cool would it be to have the best looking profile image around?

The basic headshot package costs only $150 and includes:

• A variety of web ready sizes are included. Prints are available for a small fee, ranging in size from 4"x6" to wall-covering canvases.
• Royalty-free use for website bios, portfolios, MySpace, and event flyers. If you need a particular size for a print flyer, I can supply it for you.

NOT Included

• Magazine / Newspaper editorial use (press-releases are okay)
• Magazine / Newspaper advertisements
• Commercial direct mailers / brochures
• Any other advertising / commercial use that isn't explicitly granted above

I will retain all commercial rights to the images, but if you wish to use your headshots in corporate marketing materials, advertising, or editorial projects, additional uses can be negotiated on a case-by-case basis.

Musicians / DJs / Bands: Sign a model release form and save $50!

Labels: buy, headshot, headshots, order, photo, photography, price, prices, pricing

Packages

Unless otherwise noted in writing, these license terms apply.

Pricing for photography generally falls into two different categories:

• Shooting Fees / Expenses, and...
• Use Fees

Shooting Fees

Shooting fees pay for the photo shoot, and cover expenses like equipment costs and overhead. Shooting fees do not cover extra expenses, such as pay for models, makeup artists, pre-production days, set design and construction, or catering.

Shooting fees range from $150 - $500 per photo shoot, depending upon the complexity of the job. Shorter time blocks do not always translate into smaller shooting fees. After all, it takes a great deal of skill and ingenuity to create a great photograph under intense time pressure. You don't pay for time, you pay for creative vision, and the experience to transform that vision into powerful imagery.

Use Fees

Certain uses are free, including web-sized images for portfolios, MySpace profile pages, and personal (non-commercial) use under these legal terms. If you use an image for free on your website or MySpace profile, you must link to my site, or mention the URL. Here is the proper form of attribution:

Copyright Eric Hamilton, www.dilvie.com

Fees for other uses vary depending on what the photos are for, and how you intend to use them. I always retain copyrights. Every commercial use of an image (even if it's the same image) requires purchase of an image use license. Copyright violators will be subject to prosecution under international copyright laws. All commercial image use must be cleared in advance!

Commercial Uses for Commissioned Photos

Commercial use prices are based on the market average, utilizing the latest prices from an industry standard database that tracks average rates by geographic region. The Plus System is used to come to an agreement that clearly spells out your use needs so that you can be sure that the contract covers everything you need it to cover, and that the pricing for that coverage is arrived at fairly.

Contact Me today!

Labels: buy, commercial, commission, order, photo, photography, price, prices, pricing

A water main broke in front of my house today. I got to take some photos of the repair work.

Labels: photography, photos

Not working? View the set on Flickr.

Labels: beauty, fashion, glamour, photography, portfolio, portrait, style

Not Working? View the set on Flickr.

Labels: nightlife, photography, portfolio

If you see a photo you like, and you want to buy a print, visit my print gallery, and place your order online.

Labels: buy, photo, photography, photos

Ramsey and some friends decided to go to a new place called MyNoah's and rent a billiard room for the evening. Of course, I took my camera with me...

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Labels: photo, photography, portrait

Karen is a local DJ who needed some headshots and portraits for her bio materials.

Labels: female, karen, photography, photos, portrait

The University of Utah Med Student Date Auction was a blast! Click the photo below to see the full set on Flickr.

P.S. My brand new SB-600 flash was damaged during the shooting. I did this shoot pro-bono to support the cancer research fundraiser. If you would like to contribute to the repair or replacement of the flash, I would deeply appreciate it. Please use the paypal button in the sidebar.

Labels: auction, med, photography, photos

More photos from Johnny's Tuesday night.

Labels: dj, photography, portrait

I like the way this shot turned out -- particularly the hair highlights, and the light spilling over onto the change machine in the background.

Labels: jesse, photography, portrait

Jeremy and Heidi are a year older now. What better way to celebrate than with a little off-camera flash practice. Mostly hand-held flash, but I experimented with placing the flash on top of various surfaces, as well. Shooting in raw mode saved me. My screen was too bright, and I wasn't paying attention to histograms when I shot these pictures.

Labels: family, photography, portrait

The Utah Photo Safari group met at the Salt Lake City Public Library to shoot strobist-style minimal off-camera flash photos. It was a lot of fun, and I eventually figured out how to fire my brand-new SB-600 with the remote CLS system built-in to my new Nikon D80.

Not much, but it's a good start. This is day two with the new camera, and I clearly need more practice with it. Here's a shot of the new kit:

Labels: photography, portrait

Last night I fixed my broken tripod, and decided to test it out with some mirror self-portraits. Here are the results.

Labels: me, photography, portrait, self

Lately, I've been trying to shoot some photos every day, whether I have a paying gig lined up, or not. This time around, I convinced Monster to pose for me. It took a bit of prodding, but he eventually agreed. This set is the result. Again, my taste for long exposures comes through, and it makes for some very interesting effects in these photos, because Monster is not capable of sitting still unless he's fast asleep. Actually, he's sleeping on my arm as I type. Too bad I don't have my camera within reach. Enjoy.

Labels: cat, cats, monster, photography