Always Looking

Coolest.Dog.Ever

2011-12-08T09:27:00.002-05:00

Last week I shot a 6 hour time-lapse project with Philadelphia artist, Chelsea Thoumsin—there'll be a full post on that once the reel is fully edited and complete. But I needed to share this post because Chelsea brought her amazingly cool dog, Juni, with her to the shoot.

I was apprehensive at first, fearing that Juni would be running rampantly into our setup and botch the timelapse. No such thing happened. Juni, an Australian cattle dog, is a very smart, very chill pup. She casually observed the goings on and always stayed in the background. Never even made a peep, definitely the sweetest, best behaved dog I've ever met.

Once I had my time-lapse interval/exposures setup and clicking, I was afforded the opportunity to shoot some pickup portraits—not only of Chelsea, but also of Juni, and sometimes the two of them.

Here are some of the results. Thanks for being such a cool dawg, Juni. Let's do it again soon.

A Girl and Her Dress

2011-07-01T11:48:00.007-04:00

Typically, shooting wedding preparations at bride-to-be headquarters can be a stressful experience, not just for the photographer, but for everyone involved. So it's always a treat when the bride-to-be is relaxed enough allow herself some fun with the shots. Such was the case with Elizabeth, who, in an extremely good-natured way, allowed me to get the shot of her "diving" into her dress—a huge and surprisingly heavy garment which needed to be lowered over her by her mother and sister.

The moment caught me by surprise but not off guard. When I saw Liz's hands poking through the little opening at the top of the dress I asked her to pause very briefly, `dialed in my focus and banged off two frames. This one was the keeper. Is it technically perfect? Nope. Could I have shot it differently? Sure.

Looking at it now I hear little voices saying "you need a light under the dress—camera left—to make her pop; and another off-camera flash—camera right—to give some fill detail on the dress; you could've used such and such F stop...should've......" blah blah blah. Perhaps I could've done any of those things, and I usually do when I can. But what's key here is that this little moment transcends all the technical imperfections and/or subjective shortcomings of the shot; I'll take that any day of the week over a technically perfect, but staged-feeling photo; I'll wager that Elizabeth would agree with me on this one.

Sometimes photographers get so blinded by sticking with the "formula" for wedding and bridal shots that they are afraid to stray from the beaten path. We can also beat ourselves up over not having technically perfect shots every time. But sometimes you've gotta stray. Straying is where it's at; that doesn't mean you don't take the time shoot more serious bridal portraits during the wedding prep (like the one below)....

...you absolutely need to get those shots. But never overlook shooting the unexpected moments, even if you don't have them lit like the little voices in your head want them lit (for the technically perfect shot). Technically perfect or not, these moments usually make for some of the best pictures. It's all about the moments, not about the script.

—Bryan

p.s. Congratulations Elizabeth & Frank, hope your honeymoon is amazing.

simple

2011-05-20T10:01:00.002-04:00

From Erica and Jay's Engagement Shoot

2011-05-04T15:43:00.003-04:00

It's hard not to love natural light light this. Perfect time of day, combined with knowing where to look, resulted in some pretty sweet shots.

How Do You Take It?

2011-04-29T09:01:00.001-04:00

Rule-Breaking Happy Accident

2011-04-26T10:00:00.005-04:00


Phil Jackson powering through a backside lip slide at The Warehouse. This shot was selected as the Weekly Image at SkateDaily.net on 4/25/11.

Sometimes you gotta break the rules and shoot it anyway. That's what happened with this shot of Phil Jackson ripping through a backside lip slide at The Warehouse.

The "rule" here is: if you know a skater is going to do a backside trick—for you non-skateboarders in the crowd backside means the skater is facing inward toward the bowl, whereas a frontside trick would have him facing the edge of the bowl and the camera—don't shoot it from a spot directly behind him, or you'll end up with a throw away shot of his butt.

I knew that Phil was setting up for a backside trick but I decided to pop off two frames anyway. And boy was I stoked when I saw the results after importing my images to Lightroom. Sure, his gluteus maximus figures prominently in the shot, but his gameface is framed perfectly by his legs, which completely pulls your focus to that spot.

Admittedly, this image is a happy accident; it's a shot which I would be hard-pressed to replicate even if this were the result I was after. I could sit here and tell you I planned for it, but where is the fun in lying (to you or to myself)? `Point is, sometimes you just have to shoot it, regardless of the rules. Doing that helps to keep it fun, and assures that you will be [very] pleasantly surprised by the outcome on occasion.

Toward What End?

2011-03-24T18:18:00.118-04:00

Inspiration can surface in the most mundane circumstances—while you sleep, in the shower, the way sunlight hits a building as you walk by, an individual you meet, and so on. But how often do we rush through those moments, or are bombarded with so many things vying for our attention, or getting interrupted, distracted and pulled away from those opportunities, that we miss out on the gifts presented by our muse(s)?

If you're like me, it's way too often—thanks to screaming kids, ringing phones, burning food—that the moments of inspiration (even the simplest variety) evaporate before I can get to them. But sometimes conditions align and I am present enough to follow through, and actually act on the moment; here's an example I'd like to share.

When it's my turn to cook, and spaghetti happens to be on the menu; and I happen to have enough time to watch the pot boil; I am consistently and pleasantly mesmerized by the evolution that occurs at bottom of the pot as the water heats toward boiling. Sounds silly, I know, but it's a captivating thing, entrancing even, watching those tiny bubbles appear out of nowhere, filling the entire bottom of the pot. At times I step out of my trance enough to realize that "I need to photograph this"—only to drift back into observation mode, or get interrupted and quickly transition to cooking-spaghetti-the-kids mode.

Not long ago, I snapped out of the trance long enough to grab my camera and pop off a few frames of this simple occurrence. Fine art? Doubtful. Worth the frames? Absolutely. In fact, I'd go so far as saying they be the basis for a dedicated shoot in the near future—one of these days, during all my free time.

Seriously though, I'm [eventually] going to shoot these bubbles properly, maybe even exquisitely. But what's important now is that I've shot them. Perfectly. Nah, but well enough I'm okay with sharing them. But toward what end? Following through on my inspiration, of course. The shots may never amount to anything in and of themselves. But having followed through—that's the ticket. Following through is the stuff that helps us grow, builds character, gives us muscles.

To be honest, who knows what roll making such seemingly mundane photos plays? At minimum, they serve as a visual notebook for places or ideas we may wish to revisit and develop further. At best? Not sure, but they could be the key to solving a creative problem we have yet to encounter. Whatever the result, it's worth it, for me. How about for you?

Good Clean Fun

2011-03-04T10:18:00.003-05:00

Sometimes you just gotta get down and dirty. I fondly remember the afternoon many, many, many moons ago that my mom and I went out to the park behind our house to run through a torrential downpour. That was a blast, but the bonus came when we realized how nice and juicy the baseball diamond dirt had become as a result of all that rain. The joyful mud slinging that ensued is a highlight memory, even now, some 37 years later. After all, what's better than getting totally grimy with your parent(s)?

Cut to last weekend. Tatiana decided it was a good day to get muddy. Between the snow melting and several days of heavy rains, we had excellent conditions for a mudfest. So we trekked out in search of some good earthy squishiness. Didn't have to go farther than the school yard a block away.

It took a few minutes to convice the kids that this was A) alright ("go ahead, jump in that mud as hard as you want" was met at first with confused looks) and B) going to be fun. Once they got the message it was on. I admit being a tad late to join the fray, as I was busy trying to document the fun—and keep my camera from getting gunked up—but I soon caved and joined in.

Apart from the chilliness of the mud, it felt wonderful. Just letting go, being in the moment (also reliving a fond memory). THANK YOU, Tatiana. Good call.

Uncontrollable Urge

2011-01-31T22:44:00.001-05:00

Nothing deep or profound about this post. Just the uncontrollable urge to make a pic of these bad ass boots. I stumbled upon them at my friend's office the other day and was totally smitten by their attitude. Hell, I'd rock `em if I could pull it off, but alas, I doubt I could do it with much panáche, at least if it weren't Halloween. But they were too cool to pass up, so I arranged a little impromptu shoot, and got down on all fours between slush mounds on the wet sidewalk. Whaddy'all think? Was it worth the wet knees, elbows, and weird looks from passersby?

Pay it forward...

2011-01-24T11:06:00.001-05:00

What better way to start the new year than to make a sick kid happy? That's what my friend, Susan Morris, is trying to do with her Sponsor-a-hat program. She owns Bull and Bear Wear which makes really fun, funky, and cute hats and is working with Saint Christopher's Hospital for Children (in Philadelphia) to make kids happy, by having you sponsor a had for a child. She's hoping to deliver 25 hats to them by THIS FRIDAY, January 28th. For $25 you can sponsor a hat through Etsy. Please, pay it forward.

Check out more details on her program here.

Wild Hare

2010-12-29T01:21:00.002-05:00

So I catch wind that a blizzard is on its way to pummel Philly the day after Christmas and my brain starts reeling about possible photos to be made. A couple months ago I was talking about shooting fire spinning in the snow with some friends who are amazing at it; I figured this would be the time to go for it. But to be 100% honest, I wasn't totally proactive about making it happen, other than posting my desire to shoot fire spinners and glow hoopers in the snow. Leave it to my friend, Matt Diefer of Funtown Productions, to dangle the carrot that got me out of the house despite the 19° temperatures, 40mph snow squalls and nasty driving conditions. But I figured you gotta play to win, and we had a performer who was game, so I knew I had to be.

I had all kinds of ambitious ideas about how I was going to shoot the fire spinning—hands down, one of the most challenging things I've photographed—fantasizing about having Terry spin his nunchuckus in the middle of the street (in full blizzard conditions) while I made it look cool with back lighting to spark up the snow behind him, and used a gridded spot to pull his face out of the ambient exposure caused by the flames. Ah yes, artistic inspiration strikes again and runs rampant in the face of reality. Remember those little details about 19° temps and snow squalls? Turns out they were major players in determining how the shoot would happen. That's just how Mother Nature works.

This is Terry. He spins fire like nobody's business.We shot this just before heading out into the [West Philly] Tundra.

Time for a reality check, Bry....shooting photos in 40mph gusts is one thing, adding snow to those conditions is a game changer. You see, snow has a tendency to stick to lenses, which in turn makes it really hard to focus, which ultimately makes it almost impossible to get great shots. Then there is the minor detail of clothing. You see, Terry, would have to strip down to a tee shirt in order to spin his flaming nunchucku because if he wore anything heavier, that dangled below his armpits, the fire implements would get stuck and he would catch on fire. If we tried out my street idea, we'd have been fully exposed to the elements. Seeing as we had a killer spot in the back yard of Matt's abode, and it was relatively sheltered from the snow squalls, we opted to shoot there. And Terry still toughed it out and rocked only a tee in 19°. The added bonus of shooting out back was incorporating the incredible mural painted by Philly's Joe Tiberino in the shot.

So, we headed out and got some shots; this is pretty much my favorite, despite it not being what I initially envisioned. Mega thanks to Terry for being an amazing sport despite the elements, and to Matt for dangling the carrot that helped make this shot happen. Next snowstorm, I'll find a way to make plan A—the ambitious one—reality.

Terry spinning flaming nunchuku.

Lemonade

2010-12-02T10:57:00.042-05:00

You know the old saying: "When god gives you lemons...." Probably heard it a thousand times. Makes a lot of sense actually, especially when you're doing a location shoot at an unscouted spot. Such was my situation a few weeks ago when I arrived to capture dance images of the lovely Rachelle. We had to change our original plans of shooting in the main dance studio because of the chaos caused by a major film production. No problem, I thought, alternate dance studio with higher ceilings.

When I first walked in and saw the muted mango walls I was taken aback, perhaps even a tad disappointed. I'd been expecting clean white walls. Then I realized I was totally going to make this wall work for me. The color palette for dance wear that I gave Rachelle ahead of time would work nicely against the wall. In fact, that wall color was actually a blessing, considering that I also brought along rust colored shear, white lace and grey silk; and Rachelle had brought black shear and white silk, all of which worked beautifully in the overall palette. The added benefit of the wall was that it kept my shots from getting too stark by providing nice mid-tone contrast. This also allowed for very nice black and white conversions.

Glad I rolled with it. If I'd gotten all hung up on the wall color I wouldn't have reaped the reward of several choice frames that resulted because of its color. Of course, I still want to photograph Rachelle's graceful dance against a stark white wall.

BW vs Color - What do you think?

2010-11-15T16:03:00.002-05:00

In the realm of image editing I'm usually pretty clear about whether an image should be presented in black & white or color. Occasionally, however, I find myself in a quandary as to which is stronger. Such is the case with a fun shot I stumbled into the other day while waiting for the bus.

I sat on some apartment steps behind the bus stop and my eyes were drawn to the feet and stance of a well dressed business man leaning against the bus shelter, feet crossed as shown in the image. I snapped a couple frames because I thought it was cool, but then things got interesting. A young woman rocking low-cut chucks with neon laces and accents walked onto the scene, creating instant, worlds-apart juxtaposition. My question for you is, which is stronger: the color version or the black and white? Also curious what ideas this image conjures for you?

I think strong arguments can be made for each, but I'd love to hear your thoughts on which one you think is stronger, and why.

Cornfest 2010

2010-10-20T13:15:00.002-04:00

In mid October, every year for the past 8 years in North Carolina's Outer Banks, skateboarders have celebrated Cornfest in honor of one Marc Corbett's birthday (and his penchant for eating corn). Mr. Corbett is the guy who built one of the best backyard ramps on the East Coast, the Wanchese bowl, aka "The Chief," (see shot below) and is arguably the spearhead, or at least has been a major catalyst, for the incredible skateboarding scene that has flourished on this barrier island.

Wanchese local, Mikey Weeks, tucks n hucks a juicy stalefish that gave him major flight time and distance.

Cornfest draws skateboarders from all reaches of the country, but mostly from up and down the East Coast. October 16th marked the 8th iteration of the fest, and did not disappoint. While it wasn't the mob scene it has been in years passed, it wasn't too thin either. Skaters came from as far north as Boston, as far south as Atlanta, and as nearby as Virginia Beach to catch up with old friends, BBQ, drink beer and skate The Chief (along with the other backyard jewels that grace the Outer Banks). Thanks for having us, Mr. Corbett.

Kids rule

2010-10-12T13:25:00.027-04:00

`Wanted to share this frame from a recent shoot that I did as part of a fundraiser for the Parent Infant Center in Philly. They host an annual event called Art Start, which is a pretty cool deal. Every kid in the [daycare] Center creates artwork which is displayed and local businesses also contribute items for auction. I donated a location portrait session to the cause.

I had beautiful, late afternoon open shade to work with, which was great, but as I was sizing up my location I happened to look up and see this beautiful tree glowing with late afternoon sun. It was worth trying to incorporate into the shot. So I took a calculated risk and figured I'd go non-traditional on a few shots. Accordingly, I laid on my back, camera in hand, and directed the kids lean over a bit towards the lens. And voilá....a keeper.

One from Avalon

2010-09-27T12:17:00.000-04:00

`Love being second shooter at weddings! The stress level is much lower than when you're running point; and you're freed up to catch angles, glimpses and moments you might otherwise not get the chance to shoot. Here's one of Karen just before her ceremony in Avalon, NJ.

On Assignment in Funtown

2010-09-20T10:32:00.004-04:00

Got a call last week from a client who needs PR shots to help market a big upcoming gig he has with Crayola. PR shots sounds pretty run-of-the-mill, but this client is Funtown Productions, a Philadelphia marketing and talent agency. In this case the performers were of the of the hula-hooping, fire spinning, UV dancing ilk. I'd recently photographed some glow hooping shots with them, on a job for the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau, so I knew what to expect, and was in my comfort zone with capturing the fire hooping and glow hooping shots on our list. But, to be honest, I wasn't 100% sure how I was going to handle the dayglow/blacklight dancer shots we had lined up for the end of the night.

Funtown had arranged a makeshift blacklight studio space for me, replete with whatever dayglow items they could get their hands on. Rachelle, my subject for this phase of the shoot—decked out in ultraviolet fashion—made my job easy because her extensive training as a dancer and comfort level in front of the camera. We shot several non-action frames to make sure we had our bases covered before introducing the element of movement.

This is one of my fave "non-action" frames. It wasn't all that tough to capture the ambience, once I figured out that the key was to bounce as much of that UV light as possible to help fill in and give some shadow details.

But for the dance shots I wouldn't be as close so I had to somehow introduce a flash to get some extra pop, but without ruining the UV vibe. Enter two SB900 speedlights: one in my 50" Apollo Softbox, gelled blue and dialed down to 1/64th power, and another (also gelled blue) to the side of the softbox with a 10° grid spot to give more localized pop (power level on that pup escapes me presently). The shot below is a sample of the results.

Overall, a fantastic night of image making (and learning on the fly). Thanks much to Matt, Jen, Rachel, and Rachelle for being so easy to work with and such great collaborators. You made my job easy. Big props to Rachelle for her fortitude, and her ability to hold amazing dance poses while isolating her movements. That was key to our success on the UV set. Be on the lookout for the Funtown crew at an event near you.

Don McCloskey rocks B to the R-I-S-T-O-L

2010-08-31T01:32:00.006-04:00

A few years ago a good friend of mine turned me on to a song called "Son of it all" by a PA musician named Don McCloskey—amazing lyrics, catchy melody, unique delivery, very very listenable. I became an instant fan.

Six months after that introduction, the same friend who turned me onto the song called and asked if I was available to do a photo session with Don for his [then] soon-to-be-released disc Northern Liberties. I made the time, met Don and we became fast friends. Over the past several years I've had the pleasure of shooting Don numerous times; the guy never disappoints. With a razor-sharp wit and tongue, Don is an amazing songwriter and musician. He also rocks a rare gift for showmanship. I won't belabor analogies trying to explain his unique sound to you...listen and decide for yourself (make sure you check out several of his tracks) at EnormousD.com. You might also want to check out the brillant and (not-surprisingly) award-winning video for his song, Mr. Novacaine.

When the opportunity to shoot Don performing for his hometown crowd at a sold out Bristol Theatre recently presented itself, I jumped and I'm glad I did. He and the band (featuring Chuck Treece, Tom Spiker, and the Hazelrigg brothers) performed two great sets. `Scored some nice performance shots during the gig, but my gears were turning and yearning for something more, something I hadn't shot before with Don.

I decided to take advantage of Don's familial Bristol connections in the house that night, and corraled a bunch of his friends and family for a little stage-diving fun. Just so ya know, I'm telling you straight up that this shot was post concert, not that that matters terribly, since it was amazing fun to orchestrate. Cutting to the chase, we gathered about 30 folks in front of the stage and had Don hurl himself into the mob a few times. This is one of the keepers.

As for lighting, I kept it simple, one SB900 in my 50" Westcott Apollo softbox, which was angled overhead to light the Don and the crowd. Can't wait to get a "real" shot of this at one of his upcoming shows. Meanwhile, keep your ears peeled for a chance to see Don live. Like I said, the guy doesn't disappoint.

Not This Time

2010-08-25T02:02:00.003-04:00

My relationship with cancer over the past few years has consisted listening to the tragic, painful stories so typically associated with it, no matter what its type. This scumsucking disease has left a nasty wake through the families of so many of my friends and loved ones, you might say I've become a wee bit jaded. Typically, I would agree with you. But not this time. You see, I recently had a booster shot of hope which allows me to laugh in the face of that cynicism—hopefully for a good long time.

Here's how it happened. Last month I reconnected with an old friend, Ezekiel, after losing touch for 25 years. I ran across his card and decided to drop in on him at his guitar shop down at 4th and South. I listened to him jam with some friends; we reminisced, sharing war stories about the early days of the Philadelphia Punk and skateboarding scenes; we discussed who wasn't with us anymore—neither of us is getting any younger. Then he introduced me to his 13-year-old son, Yoel, who, he proudly informed me, is tearing it up on a skateboard these days. (I hope my knees last long enough for me to be able to skate with my son). At any rate, I meet Yoel; this kid has a big personality, tons of energy, and is constantly texting—your garden variety teen, almost.

At the age of three Yoel was diagnosed with leukemia; he fought long and hard and beat it! He's alive and kickin today. In fact, I've had the privilege of skateboarding with him on several occasions. Naturally, my inclination was to make a really nice portrait of Yoel, I suppose partly as a gift for my friend and partly because meeting him awakened so many things in me, like not taking loved ones for granted, like reinforcing living for the moment, and last but not least as a tribute to the hope and fighting spirit we all need when confronted with a challenge like cancer.

I'm honored to know you, Yoey. You're good medicine, kid.

Bodies in Flight

2010-08-20T11:51:00.004-04:00

In the thick of a big photo project last month I was down at Rittenhouse Square checking out people and what they do. I noticed a young guy doing some crazy acrobatic moves that reminded me of the Brazilian martial art, Capoeira. I introduced myself and asked if that's what he was doing. I learned that what he was doing was a derivation of Capoiera that adds hip-hop/breakdancing elements along with other martial arts components; it's called "Tricking."

Fortunately, he was cool with me shooting some images; fortunately, I have no fear when it comes to getting the shot. So I popped on my fisheye and laid down on my back just before his takeoff point. He counted out his steps and the last one before his takeoff was about 6" from my head—really not a big deal considering how many times I've been hit by skateboards while shooting. He went for it and this is one of the frames we got. I'm happy with it because it makes you look twice trying to figure out what the hell is going on. But mostly because it looks like he's coming out of a swan dive from above.

Brandon coming in for a landing.

I am amped to shoot more of tricking now that I've gotten a taste and captured a few tight frames. Next time you're in Rittenhouse Square (when you're in Philly) keep your eyes peeled for flying bodies.

Wrong Side of the Lens?

2010-07-19T09:52:00.001-04:00

Just because I'm accustomed to being behind the lens 99.9% of the time, it doesn't mean I don't know what to do when the rare occasion to get in front of it comes my way. Case in point: yesterday was the last day of our family vacation in Ocean City, MD and I wanted to make sure we got a shot of Dashel, our 22 month old, doing his [almost] famous circus trick before we left. So, with some trepidation, I brought my camera out to the beach so we could take care of business—trepidation because the thought of sand getting in my camera housing is a scary thought.

After setting up the camera for seven frames a second for Tatiana. Dash and I got down to business and did two takes. A brief aside, Dash has been "palm surfing" since the tender age of two and a half months. Yes you heard that correctly, dos punto cinco meses. Sofia used to partake too, when she was a wee one, but she wanted nothing to do with palm surfing after she learned to walked.

I'm proud that Dash has decided to continue his pursuit of this rarest of circus tricks—perhaps with a modicum of encouragement on my part. At any rate, it's always a treat to watch the shocked, appalled, and otherwise astonished expressions of nearby onlookers. It's also fun to be on the wrong side of the lens once in a while.

The Moments Between

2010-07-10T01:58:00.001-04:00

So I was doing a shoot at NorthBowl in Philly's Northern Liberties last week—btw, go if you haven't been...great vibe, really tasty food, and a very cool staff. Sarah was our waitress for the evening. She was down to earth and easy to talk to; I decided I'd like to get her portrait before the night was through. I had actually made several attempts, but none of results quite did it for me, all feeling a bit forced.

Finally, right before I left, I did one last quick setup and gave her some kind of goofy direction; that's when this little gem of a moment presented itself—genuine, and nothing forced about it. A really nice way to end a long night of shooting.

Fourth of July, FDR-style

2010-07-06T18:23:00.004-04:00

Mikey Leven was strictly business at FDR skatepark's Fourth of July jam, going big with style and power over the pyramid—employing the additional powers bestowed by a serious gameface. Mikey was clearing the pyramid by a mile on this grab, landing a solid 8' out into the flat before rolling away. This is what it's all about at FDR on The 4th. Oh, and maybe a little bit of this.....

and last but not least, some of this.....Happy INDEPENDENCE Day folks!

Residual Benefits of a Storm

2010-06-24T22:43:00.003-04:00

A freight train of a storm plowed through Philadelphia this afternoon, snapping hundreds if not thousands of trees in its wake. Destruction aside, a big plus of the storm was that it left huge puddles everywhere; and my son somehow knew instinctively what to do in them.

I'm absolutely fine with my kids going for it in the puddles. After all, ain't life about having fun, gettin wet and muddy? I think the ear-to-ear grins on all passersby who witnessed his glee might lend themselves well to supporting this theory.

Portraits on-the-fly

2010-06-18T11:47:00.001-04:00

`Went to an old school punk show last night for the first time in many, many years. A great night— running into old friends, enjoying a few beers, and shooting. I had wanted to shoot performance shots of my friend, Mike's, band, The Prisoners, but arrived too late to get many. So I resorted to plan B: making impromptu portraits them in front of the club. It certainly wasn't the most relaxed environment—but I pushed through to see what we could get under the circumstances. Lighting gear was my run-n-gun set up—a single SB800 speedlight, Manfrotto Nano light stand, and a Westcott 43" collapsible shoot-through umbrella.

Run-n-gun it was. I shot all four of them in less than 15 minutes. The guys were great sports about just rolling with me shooting their portraits in front of 25 or so onlookers, hecklers and lurkers. It'd be nice to do it without all the chaos around us, but it was definitely fun, and I can't complain about the results.

To Blurb or Not to Blurb

2010-06-08T20:59:00.008-04:00

`Just got my first book project back—hot off the presses from Blurb.com and I'm stoked on the finished product. I went with the premium lustre paper; it feels and looks great. The hardback image wrap option is clean and professional; and color reproduction is excellent—I had my doubts, but I'm now a believer.

Endless Thanks by Bryan Karl Lathrop | Make Your Own Book

The preview shows a few sample spreads (best viewed with the full screen option). But it gives you the flavor of this self-assigned project, the objective of which was to create a memorable and suitable thank you gift for an amazing kindergarten teacher and her student teacher. My daughter was in her class, along with 18 other great kids, whose parents enthusiastically supported the project.

Shooting 19 location portraits was no slam dunk, but wasn't as bad as it could have been. It was really fun once we had the kids assembled. Thankfully, I kept the group sizes to 4 or 5 kids max. The hardest part was getting the kids to sit still long enough to write thank-you notes or make their drawings—much akin to herding cats. That's where collaboration with the other room parents was crucial. The book wouldn't have been completed on time, had I tried to collect all the drawings and letters myself. It probably wouldn't have been kept a secret either. It was a gratifying moment to be able to present this book as a gift to Ms. Silver. Hopefully, she will look back on this memento fondly in the years to come.

Cage Lighting for Cage Fighting

2010-05-26T14:30:00.001-04:00

Recently I was invited to shoot some Mixed Martial Arts exhibition bouts at Daddis Fight Camps. I'm very much in my comfort zone shooting action, but since this was my first time shooting live MMA, I wanted to make sure I did justice to the action. I've seen too many mediocre MMA photos and I don't want my images to rank among them. The available light in the gym was terrible, so I knew I needed to use a light modifier to give pop to the images without nuking the fighters by using straight hand-held flash. I also needed a light source that would cover most of the real estate in the cage but that wouldn't be distracting for the fighters or obtrusive for the spectators. Solution: 50" Westcott Apollo softbox on a C-stand extended to 9 feet and angled at about 45° over the rim of the cage.

This set up, while not providing even lighting in every square inch of the cage, produced rich lighting and shadows throughout most of the cage and allowed me to catch some good stuff. Looking forward to experimenting with more set ups to give optimum results for photographing MMA.

On all fours...

2010-05-17T11:07:00.004-04:00

...sort of. Actually I got down on my elbows and knees on the sidewalk to grab this shot of a NYC dachshund yesterday. It certainly gave passersby a chuckle, but then they saw this guy's expression and nodded approvingly. Got the shot. Now, to wash off those elbows and knees.

Nepotism? Not this Time.

2010-05-10T09:55:00.003-04:00

The photographer's dilemma: he has two beautiful kids (so I've been told—and I happen to agree with the consensus) along with a multitude of great shots of them to share with the world. What to do? Post away, right? Nope. At least not every time I get a solid shot of one of them. `Best to limit the posting of such shots; and use them as seasoning, so to speak.

I've ~~rationalized~~ er um, decided to post this shot not only because I love the feel, but because it's representative of a fun self-assigned project having to do with my daughter's kindergarten class. Said project entails making portraits of all 18 of her classmates. Thoroughly looking forward to making each and every shot. Look for a link to the finished product once all is said and done.

Bait n Switch: the tale of a dwarf fire hydrant

2010-05-07T03:48:00.003-04:00

Sometimes cool scenes that would otherwise remain invisible present themselves to you. Such was the case with this buried hydrant. I had originally been eyeing up a shot of long stretch of concertina wire; I finally had the chance to shoot it yesterday after running errands. When I got out of the car to make my pictures I found this funky little hydrant with a wisp of grass protruding from a sea of asphalt. I may have to go back there and shoot it again when the sun isn't so wicked-bright behind it. But for now I'm happy with the shadow play, along with the added fence texture, which will all be lost in an even light. We shall see.

Flyin Ryan Hamburg, back in the saddle

2010-04-25T21:09:00.006-04:00

I first met Ryan Hamburg and his dad, Larry, last summer. In fact, I believe my first or second post was about Ryan after I photographed him up in North Jersey at Garden Sk8. All the positive things I said in that post remain true, except that Ryan had the minor setback of suffering a broken tibia at the end of his first week at Camp Woodward. Such a shame, as he would have learned a ton had he been able to skate for the entire four weeks he had be slated to stay. Regardless, he is healed up and back in the saddle—same amazing energy and style he had before his injury.

Ryan (and his dad) made time to visit Philly's warehouse the night before the Schooled series qualifer for the finals. I was psyched to see the look on Ryan's face as we climbed the ladder and perched ourselves on the deck inside the warehouse. (It bears mentioning that he had his pads and helmet on before he and his father even arrived). He was awestruck; within 5 minutes he had lines to a big transfer over the euro-gap. Within the hour, he had about three different grabs over it, sometimes boosting so high that he landed in the flat on the other side.

It's a wonderful thing to watch Ryan tear around hucking airs and tricks at will, with style to boot. Again, expect big things if this kid if he keeps skating. Judging from the ear-to-ear grin he rocked all night, I'd say that's a pretty safe bet.

Heads on a Shelf

2010-04-19T00:48:00.011-04:00

I shot an event for a Design firm the other night which was well attended by creatives — so I knew I would have license to present shots beyond the typical candids. Problem is, I didn't really know what I was going to shoot to deliver above and beyond what was expected. Then I met Justin. We hit it off pretty quickly once we got to discussing image retouching, processing, and sharing geekish enthusiasm for anything photoshop. I asked if he'd mind if I broke out an umbrella to get a better quality light than hand-held flash was yielding. Fortunately, he was game. I'm glad, because he had a great personality and tons of character, which wanted to capture with appropriate lighting.

I made a couple formal portraits first and then noticed the shelf/bannister behind him. I asked if he was game to be a "head on a shelf," (a la that scene form Young Frankenstein) again, he was up to the challenge and I scored this shot, which ended up being the first of many rewarding images, not just with Justin, but everyone in attendance.

`Turned out to be a really fun project which was engaging for almost all of the guests; and it all stemmed from a whim of an idea and not being afraid to ask for the shot. It's also a nice thing to add to the contact sheets for my client.

A big Thank You to Justin, for being willing to play and help get the ball rolling.

Sneak Peek from Daddis Fight Camps shoot

2010-04-15T23:02:00.002-04:00

`Had a lot of fun on a recent shoot for Daddis Fight Camps, a mixed martial arts (MMA) training facility with locations in Philadelphia and Cherry Hill. After taking care of the shots needed for their website redesign, I had enough time to shoot a portrait of proprietor, Brad Daddis.

I wanted to make a portrait of Brad in his element, but also have the image tell a story, rather than just present the stereotypical MMA portrait of a chiseled guy grimacing at the camera with his fists raised. Toward that end, I opted offset Brad to include the cage and flags in the background, the cage being where the action takes place, and the flags representing some of the nations whose martial arts disciplines comprise MMA.

So many of the images in MMA advertising rely on the hyper-realistic, oversharpened, over-desaturated look which has been—if you'll pardon the pun—beaten into the ground. So I kept it simple for this shot, lighting it with a single SB-900 speedlight in an Apollo Westcott 50" softbox and shooting at f2.8 to soften the cage and keep all the emphasis on Brad.

To learn more about Daddis Fight Camps visit: phillymma.com.

Visual gems....

2010-04-09T00:21:00.015-04:00

....are everywhere, if you're paying attention. Of course, not everyone is moved by what you see and photograph, but that's what defines our vision and individuality, keeps things interestin.

As I was rushing to get to a meeting this afternoon, the contrast of these fresh Hosta shoots pushing up through the dead brown leaves outside our front door caught my eye; stopped me dead in my tracks and made me shoot a couple of frames.

I've been more disciplined about carrying a real camera (not just my phone camera) with me most of the time. `Glad I did this afternoon, or I'd have missed this shot. It's no award-winner, but the reality is it doesn't need to be. Good, positive stuff goes on when you're actively shooting outside of the paid gigs. Shooting for the joy of it —not feeling like you have to hit a home run every time—keeps your eye sharp and is revitalizing.

That's true on a couple levels in this shot: I've given new life to my old, manual focus 35mm f2 Nikkor—which I bought 25 years ago. It's got many years on it, but remains rock solid glass, and now has the additional power of making me feel really old. Still.... `love that lens. It only makes me feel old when I think about when I bought it....but when it allows me to make images like this one I feel like a little kid.

Spring walk-around

2010-04-05T02:49:00.004-04:00

Friday's weather was spectacular. Thankfully, my workload afforded me the opportunity to throw the camera around my neck, take Tatiana's hand and go for a walk around Philly to see what I could see. Ain't nothin like ridiculously large volumes of fast moving water—especially with the difference in textures passing you by—to mesmerize.

Portrait of a gnar dog.

2010-03-19T10:23:00.002-04:00

It's no secret that I LOVE to skate AND shoot skaters in their groove. `Snapped these at a recent warehouse session with Dave, who hucks himself around the bowl with an amazing mix of speed, aggression and fluidity. Dave has style for miles on this frontside tuck n huck speed ollie over the hip. It's a great thing to watch someone skate full throttle, holding nothing back — a combination that lends it self well for ugly slams, but beautiful "makes." Dude has a pretty nice smile to boot.

Red-Haired Kids Rule!

2010-03-08T15:46:00.002-05:00

When you're shooting on location with kids, make sure you keep them entertained. Otherwise it'll be a short-lived, unproductive project. Thankfully, I brought along a 36" trampoline; and my client had never jumped on one before; and she was anxious to learn. Her momentary flights lent themselves well to accentuating those gorgeous locks.

Finally got this....

2010-03-05T09:56:00.001-05:00

I've longingly admired this cool bench from the window of the Frankford El as I pass by. Somehow I get the feeling I'll be back to make more images of this.

Let's give `em somethin to smile about

2010-02-23T00:41:00.000-05:00

Thinking warm thoughts...

2010-01-05T13:59:00.002-05:00

....while it feels arctic outside.

Time to play in the dirt!

2009-12-01T13:57:00.005-05:00

Last April, Willy Sions (the mastermind behind Errandboy) flew me out to L.A. to collaborate on photographing Errandboy's Playground for the new website. Three back-to-back all nighters later and we had all the frames we needed, ready for tweaking before sending them off to the web development team. The months since we shot the images passed as slowly as years because of my anticipation and eagerness to see the finished product. But now you can check it out for yourself, finally.

Without giving away the specifics of the site—because you really need to have fun exploring the playground for yourself—I can offer the following info on the technical side. We shot everything frame by frame with a DSLR to create stop-action animation for each component of the site.We shot identical frames—making some lighting changes—for every frame of every animation, in order to ensure cohesive look and feel. (Play with the Glow menu option and you'll get a better understanding of what I'm talking about.) Digi SLR was the solution of choice over video because of resolution issues, as well as our desire for identical frames for each animation.

Hands down, this is one of the coolest, "funnerest," most unique projects I've had the privilege of working on. Can't wait to see where it goes from here. Now, have some fun and go play in the dirt www.errandboy.ws

You talkin to me?!?

2009-11-11T21:55:00.001-05:00

Tools of the trade

`Just finished shooting some PR and promotional shots for Mixed Martial Marketing, whose business is to help their clients get a choke hold on the competition, both literally and figuratively. Jesse, pictured in these shots, makes it abundantly clear that you really don't want to try choking him out, but he's game if you are. The Gi (pronounced gee) he was wearing was so thick and heavy it felt like a rug. "All the better to choke you with" was the basic gist of his answer to my questions about why. Further conversations during the shoot included the "peaceful feelings" that overcome you when someone succeeds in getting you in a sleeper hold. I'll take your word for it Jesse, and live vicariously. Probably best that I stick to capturing the Gi's textures in images rather than feeling it cut into my carotid artery any day. But I trust you on that peaceful feeling, honest. Next on our list is action shots in the cage and at the gym. Meanwhile enjoy these.

From a recent shoot with Dave Quicks Band at the Tin Angel

2009-10-27T14:14:00.002-04:00

A few weeks ago I was hired to shoot images for the upcoming CD release by the Dave Quicks Band. We had a pretty specific idea in mind for the cover shot, which basically concentrated my efforts on the stage. Once we finished with the main business of getting a group performance shot of the guys on stage I figured I'd capitalize on the lighting I had set up there and click off some individual performance shots. While i was busy shooting the bass player I happened to turn around and see Dave sitting there all by his lonesome, strumming his guitar. I quickly swung my lighting around and got what I was after, and then we built up from there, adding more guys, and lights, until we had an additional group shot, which you won't see here. From this we moved on to individual portraits and had some fun along the way.

Lil-B

2009-10-23T15:25:00.002-04:00

Lil-B (Bennett Schwartz)

`Shot this over the summer and posted in various locations, but I wanted to post it in a central location so that folks would get a chance to peep it. This kid is blowin up; he won King of the Groms out at Woodward over the summer. He has attitude, no fear, and chops—a great mix.

Warehouse Déjavú

2009-10-20T10:53:00.029-04:00

No skyline here, just lines and a change in perspective from my Just Shoot It post from September. Skater in question: Jordan Aune killin it with a mach-speed backside ollie over the hip, as viewed from above and the outside in.

Chase Jarvis is right

2009-10-10T10:14:00.002-04:00

"The best camera is the one you have with you." Fortunately it happened to be my Nikon D300 when I stumbled upon this railing. This is all about the color. The railing leads to Philly's best Belgian ale house. But I digress. Back to "the best camera..."Chase is a huge proponent for the democratization of photography. And the iPhone happens to be the #1 catalyst on that front. I can't count myself among the ranks of iPhone owners, yet — still afraid I will destroy it within a week by dropping it or something. But Chase's point is that the iPhone provides you with a pretty nice camera at your fingertips at all times, hence his expression "best camera." After growing tired of the limitations of iPhone photo processing apps out there, Chase created a very cool little iPhone app called, appropriately enough, "The Best Camera." Check it out here and enjoy.

Dog Daze

2009-10-06T00:44:00.004-04:00

Been crazy busy over the past month with a mix of design and photography stuff. Unfortunately, I can't share those images just yet, but I can share this gem—shot last weekend at Havertown Day. It became clear to me immediately that there was a great series of dog portraits to be shot at this event—as everyone seemed to be toting around their pooches. It was also abundantly clear that I would not be the one to shoot said series, as I was toting my one-year-old and 5-year-old, which meant picking my shots more judiciously. This guy was too cool to pass up.

Time Machines

2009-09-11T14:47:00.079-04:00

A friend once explained relativity to me in a simple, powerful way that I've never forgotten and which I contemplate often. He noted that "when we look at the night sky what we see are not actually stars, but traces of their light that have traveled countless [light] years through space to fool us into thinking they are actually there. The light is of the star but isn't necessarily the star, whose position (or even existence) has probably long since progressed from the bright pinpoint that caught our eye and imagination."

I think the same basic principle holds true for photographs (the unPhotoshopped variety, of course). Like stars, they are fleeting points of reference for distant realities; yet they hold the power to transport us through time and space to emotions, moments, places and people long since passed or evolved. Just something to keep in mind the next time you put that viewfinder to your eye.

Just Shoot It.

2009-09-01T00:48:00.003-04:00

Philly's "Warehouse" is a gem of a skatespot that exists thanks to the initiative of FDR local, Scott Kmiec. Inspired by the Autumn Bowl project in Brooklyn, the Warehouse is a private affair, open to keyholders and their guests—who are asked to donate $5 a session to help keep the cause going.

I am fortunate enough to skate there on a regular basis, so I'm always assessing the myriad photo-ops it offers. The terrain is off the hook; the lighting possibilities abound, with a grid of steel trusses hanging below the ceiling begging me to clamp some flashes and start shooting.

With the garage door open, there is an amazing view of the city pitted against the edge of the shallow end; I'd been wanting to shoot this ever since I first saw it, but wasn't going to settle for a "still life" shot of the night skyline. I wanted to marry the action in the bowl with the overall setting. So one night at the end our session I jumped into the bowl, set up my tripod and rattled off some test exposures. My willingness to just shoot it yielded some good results and with knowledge I needed to execute the shot.

Test shot. Thanks for not leaving without me Joe. My inspiration to just shoot it struck in the
wee hours of a "school night." And Joe was kind enough to wait around for me.

So, test shots in hand, and having confirmed the viability of my idea, I arranged for a late night shoot with Packy Fancher (Addikt Skateboards and Wave Riding Vehicles). I figured getting the shot would be no hassle late at night, since there are usually only a handful of guys at our weekly session...usually being the operative word. Packy and I pulled up to find very limited parking, and once inside, we learned why. Team Volcom was having a raging session and the deck was packed—not great conditions for my plans. I wasn't sweating it too much though, because the nasty sodium vapor floods on the building our side and to the right were blazing full tilt, and I didn't want them messing up my plan. Team Volcom left and I was able to set up for the shot, and keep my fingers crossed that those lights would shut off eventually. My wish was granted in the wee hours. Thankfully, because this shot wouldn't be the same with their contamination. Packy makes this skyline look good! I'll be shooting more of these, so keep your eyes peeled.

Packy Fancher back smith in Philly. Thanks for making the trek from DC.

No need for words

2009-08-29T03:37:00.002-04:00

Failure to Blend - Tales of a Big, Bald Gringo

2009-08-24T02:24:00.005-04:00

Being a big, bald gringo traveling in Ecuador doesn't lend itself well to blending into the crowd, regardless of how good my Spanish is, which meant my camera bag drew more attention than usual; and the last thing I wanted to deal with while traveling was a stolen camera bag. So I attempted to roll very low profile with my gear. However, when the opportunity to shoot a death metal show at a small club in Quito presented itself, I jumped.

Normally, I wouldn't have ventured into shooting in such a scenario—not for fear of the crowd or music (I got punk rock roots, baby) but for fear of being too engrossed in shooting to prevent any would-be thieves from attempting to roll me. Fortunately, I was accompanied by my wife's cousin, Santiago, and his girlfriend, Gaby, whose presence gave me more confidence than I would have had going in there solo. My comfort level jumped up another few notches when, upon arrival, I realized that Santi and Gaby knew most of the people at the show. I decided to shoot as I normally would at a small live music venue—breaking out the flashes and clamping them at strategic points above the stage. (The downside to this strategy is that once you commit to placing your flash, you're pretty much stuck with it until the set is over.)

I shot with Nikon's Creative Lighting System (CLS) since it works really well for tight indoor spaces, this venue fit that bill perfectly and I left my Pocket Wizards back in Philly. The big advantage of using CLS, with the SU800 trigger is that, while I was stuck with the flash locations I chose prior to the set, I could change the power ratio of my flashes directly from my camera. This enable me to score some decent shots during the set by Fraktura.

I even resorted to my on-camera pop-up, which I usually avoid like the plague, so I could catch some of the mayhem in the pit. Gotta say I was really pleased with this shot of a happy mosher, despite having used the on-camera flash.
But the real fun came after the show, as we pulled together an impromptu shoot with the members of Fraktura on the second floor of the club. I took a page straight from the Joe McNally playbook (The Hotshoe Diaries:Big Light from Small Flashes) when lighting these—full CTO gel on my sb900, which had a HonL grid spot on it, and a gobo on my sb800, setting my white balance to incandescent (no blue gels here). Gotta say I'm very pleased with the results.

Thanks, Joe! And thanks to Santiago, Gaby for assisting, and to the guys in Fraktura for being such great subjects. `Hope to make it down there again next year. More Ecuador shots to come.

Vacord Screenprinting

2009-08-17T23:02:00.014-04:00

Vacord Screenprinting in West Philly recently hired me to shoot some promotional photos. Stuart Brent, pictured, is the owner/craftsman and he really knows his stuff, providing first-rate product at reasonable rates. He's also the man to see for discharge screen printing in the Greater Philadelphia area and beyond. I decided to do some standard-fare portraits, semi-low key, as I wanted to hint at the work space. These (above) are my "safety" shots. Always good to have them in hand, as they become your go-to shots, in the event your less traditional (hair brained ideas) don't turn out as planned.

My original idea was to shoot through the silkscreen, from the floor, while Stuart pulled the ink with the squeegee. This offered a unique perspective, and also allowed me to frame him within the frame. Immediate logistical problem: we essentially had one take—sort of—because once the ink is pulled, you can't see Stuart. Solution: I had him pull the squeegee very slowly while I banged off frames. Suffice it to say, I'm glad that he was right about the ink not glopping through the screen and onto my camera gear when he pulled the squeegee. That would have been a baaad baaaaad thing. Here is the end result.

Flyin Ryan Hamburg

2009-08-10T03:11:00.001-04:00

Earlier this summer I was hired to photograph 12 year old skateboarding phenom, Ryan Hamburg up at Garden Sk8 in North Jersey. You probably haven't heard of Ryan but, if this kid stays on his current trajectory, you will. Ryan is the full package—great personality, no attitude or ego, a palpable joy for skateboarding and a bag of tricks a mile deep. He recently won the overall competition in the Schooled skateboard contest series.

Ryan made my job easy, landing trick after trick with such consistency that it got to the point where he was casually mugging for the camera (with full eye contact) as he hucked himself out of the 11' bowl while sticking the tail of his board in my face.

Rounding things out, his father, Larry, is cut from the same salt-of-the-earth cloth as Ryan (sans the skate tricks). Larry not only wholeheartedly supports Ryan's skateboarding endeavors, but is the driving force behind the ORCA Foundation, dedicated to educating people about Oral cancer. All in all a great day of shooting, coupled with the perks of meeting great people—yet another reason why I love being a photographer.

1/125th of a Second

2009-08-03T22:16:00.001-04:00

Ever considered the total time you’ve spent snapping frames as a photographer? I'm not talking about all the stuff that goes along with a shoot—location scouting, lighting setup, etc.—but rather straight, cumulative exposure time. It might surprise you that the total exposure time for even a seasoned professional photographer (with, say, 20 years experience) might amount to 30 minutes; maybe an hour on the high end.

Let's check some simple but powerful math to see how I arrived at this conclusion. Assume you shoot a one-second exposure every second of every minute for 24 hours. You end up with a substantial image archive of 86,400 photos— along with hefty storage needs and ridiculous editing prospects. But when you calculate your shooting totals with a more realistic average exposure, of say, 1/125th of a second, frame counts jump exponentially (450,000 per hour, and 10,800,000 per day). Even today’s most prolific photographers (including Chase Jarvis shooting a paltry 1000 shots a day with his iPhone) come nowhere near those image counts in their archives.

So what’s the point? I suppose it's that looking at your photography career from the perspective of cumulative exposure totals is a great way to emphasize the importance of preparation. In fact, it's all about the prep, so it can be about the moment.

I can't think of any profession or activity that demands so much in terms of preparation, yet requires so little in time in terms of its actual execution. Professional athletes, physicians, lawyers and artists all spend loads of time prepping and practicing, and the cumulative time they spend engaged in their respective activities is at least measurable in months or years when all is said and done.

Not so with photographers. We deal with fractions of seconds for our moments of truth, while on the backside, we've already spent inordinate amounts time, energy and money preparing for the shot.....hoping that all that legwork will stack the odds in our favor the moment we release that shutter.