About Me
My job as your photographer is to do more than just put a face to the name. I bring experience, professionalism, confidence, and a relaxed persona that produces photographs that instill a sense of trust and confidence in a potential client or customer. When you don’t do that, you will fail to get everything you can out of a brochure, website, or press release. The picture is critical.
They say that a picture is worth a thousand words, but you rarely hear about the reactions to a poor quality photograph. Professional photography when presenting yourself or company to the public is a necessity.
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Tag Archives: Light
Hassled by the Washington, DC Park Rangers for taking photos
I’ve spent the last three days here in Washington, DC on business. Meetings with the 
FAA, HHS and the WAAS office. Long times between meetings and I’ve been done pretty early in the day. So, I placed a casting call on ModelMayhem to see if I could pass the time doing what I like to do, take pictures. 5 or 6 TFCD models responded and I set up sessions with two of them. As my luck would have it – both at the same time. That wasn’t a problem for me (read assistant) or them though so we met at my hotel and headed for the National Mall to shoot. The plan was to use the monuments as the background. Sounded way cool.
We chose the new WW II monument because it had a nice water fountain. We got there around 7pm, good light, not huge crowds. As one model was getting her ticket from the Park Police (wrong way on a One Way street) the other model (Emily) and I set off to set up and shoot along the granite outside wall of the monument. I 
used 2 SB800s, at first to fill then to light her. Nikon CLS is so cool. So far so good. I get about a dozen shots off when the other model, Danielle walked up. She dismissed the ticket as part of life in DC and we starting posing her along the same wall Emily had used. About 10 minutes later I hear:
Sir – Sir:
Click to continue reading “Hassled by the Washington, DC Park Rangers for taking photos”
-- Weather When Posted --
- Temperature: 93°F;
- Humidity: 44%;
- Heat Index: 97°F;
- Wind Chill: 93°F;
- Pressure: 30 in.;
Posted in Places, Rant
Also tagged art, background, Backgrounds, Blog, business, Business Meetings, Casting Call, Cat, Chap, CLS, Crowds, d300, Dozen Shots, Emily, Faa, face, FDR, Flickr, Fun, girl, girls, Granite, hassled, Head, Heir, Hhs, hobby, Hoot, Hotel, Huge Crowds, lighting, Long Time, Memorial, Memories, model, Modeling, Modelmayhem, Models, Monument, Monuments, National Mall, new, nikon, office, one, Outsider, Park Police, Park Ranger, Park Rangers, Passing The Time, People, Photo, Photo Shoot, Photograph, Photographer, Photographers, Photographs, Photos, Places, Pose, pretty, pro, professional, Professional Photographers, Reply, Rig, Rkd, Sb, Sb8, SB800, Sessions, shoot, shot, Stan, street, Taking Photos, Target, Teenagers, Things, Tree, ttl, Walk, Water Fountain, Wrong Way, WW II, Ww Ii Monument, Youtube
5 Comments
$9 optical mini strobe test
I’m always looking for ways to light things. This was a fun shoot and I decided to use a small flash attached to the camera’s reflector with a piece of double sided tape.
The camera held by Miglena is a Kodak Duaflex IV Camera with a mini strobe placed into the flash holder. The light on Dav is actually coming from the Kodak. See Photo Playground set from a closer image of the camera.
-- Weather When Posted --
- Temperature: 76°F;
- Humidity: 71%;
- Heat Index: 77°F;
- Wind Chill: 76°F;
- Pressure: 29.97 in.;
Posted in Lighting tests
Also tagged Blog, camera, Dav, Double Sided Tape, flash, Flickr, Fun, Fun Shoot, Hoot, Image, Images, Kodak Duaflex Iv, lighting, Mini Strobe, Photo, Photos, Places, Playground, Reflector, Rig, Rkd, rkdauph, shoot, strobe, Strobes, Test, Things
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Skye
Skye was a both sweetheart and a challenge. The right side her had been disfigured; she was not in the least embarrassed or intimidated by it and I loved that about her. We worked with light and shadow during the entire session to our advantage.
The temptation to mask the injuries in post processing was quickly overcome when I looked into her eyes.
Posted in My Photo; My Comment., People
Also tagged art, Duri, eyes, Flickr, Inti, Light And Shadow, lighting, Love, Photo, Photos, Post Processing, pro, Rig, Rkd, rkdauph, Sessions, Shadow, Skye, Sweetheart, Temptation
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Something soft & sexy, something mean and something in-between
Most every time I work with a new model I get asked the same question: What should I bring to wear?
There is no doubt that clothing, makeup and the ability to ‘strike a pose’ are important to a successful portrait/modeling session. However, the most essential asset a model can bring to the studio or location is the ability to interact with the camera.
My job at a shoot is to make them look as best I am able given my limited skills with lighting and equipment. I cannot, however, do it alone. You have seen that cell phone snapshot that drew you in; you have also seen a professional portrait that, although technically sound, just leaves you feeling that something misfired. A model must have an understanding they are not trying to tease/seduce/influence me as the photographer: They must make the connection with the viewer of the photograph.
They must make the connection with the viewer of the photograph.
My answer to the outfit question: Bring something soft & sexy, something mean and something in-between.
-- Weather When Posted --
- Temperature: 50°F;
- Humidity: 53%;
- Heat Index: 50°F;
- Wind Chill: 48°F;
- Pressure: 30.18 in.;
Posted in My Photo; My Comment., People
Also tagged Ability To ‘Strike A Pose’, Amp, camera, Cat, Cell Phone, Clothes, Clothing, equipment, Flickr, Hoot, Interact, Interaction, Job, Jobs, lighting, Lighting Equipment, Limited, Lot, Makeup, model, Modeling, Models, Nap, new, New Model, No Doubt, one, Photo, Photograph, Photographer, Photographers, Photographs, Photos, portrait, Portraits, Pose, pro, professional, Professional Portrait, Rig, Rkd, rkdauph, Sessions, Sexy, shoot, shot, Snapshot, Stan, stand, standing, Strike A Pose, studio, Target, Tease, What Should I Bring To Wear?
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Sunrise on the Mississippi
I’m in Minneapolis, Minnesota on business for a few days. The fall colors are wonderful. I wanted to get out of my hotel room and try some landscape photography. Not my normal venue.
Where to go? How to get there? I was lucky enough to meet up with a local photographer, David Goldberg, who was not only willing to show me around but get up at 5am to do it!
It was a beautiful morning, crisp, clear and just a bit of fog hanging over the river and the couple of 10,000 Minnesota lakes I saw. We must of walked 3-4 miles through the woods and shorelines. The morning dew was thick and added a sparkling highlight to most everything.
Thanks David.
-- Weather When Posted --
- Temperature: 70°F;
- Humidity: 49%;
- Heat Index: 77°F;
- Wind Chill: 70°F;
- Pressure: 30.25 in.;
Posted in My Photo; My Comment., Places
Also tagged 5am, 5d, beautiful, Beautiful Morning, business, color, Colors, Couple, Dav, David Goldberg, Fall Colors, Few Days, Flickr, Fog, Gold, Highlight, Hotel, Hotel Room, Landscape Photography, Lucky, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Minnesota Lakes, Morning Dew, Photo, Photograph, Photographer, Photographers, Photographs, Photography, Photos, Rig, Rkd, rkdauph, Shorelines, sun, Sunrise On The Mississippi, Venue, Walk
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Young girls and tattoos
I have photographed many young females with massive tattoo displays recently. Most all of them were strikingly colorful; both the young lady and her tattoos. They have held all sorts of jobs, been from various backgrounds and nearly all under 21.
The young never see themselves growing old or their bodies wearing out and loosing its youthful firmness. Although I do not have tattoos, almost got inked one night in Army boot camp back in ’72 though, I can understand one, two or a few tats to mark an occasion, person or event. To have massive, highly visible sleeves at 18 or 19 is not looking beyond the rebellious 
moment of youthful freedom.
I did encounter a young woman about 2 years ago, she was in her late twenties, who realized life, to include her body, moves on. She asked if I would photograph her tattoos, after a short discussion we agreed on date, time and place. During the session she explained to me her body was ‘failing her’, her words and she wanted to memorialize them as her body is now and not as her children and grandkids would eventually see them.
I am not against tattoos, I enjoy the photographic challenge of lighting them and posing the model to achieve the best effect. I never mention my thoughts about the years to come and how I have learned life and bodies change. I simply take the photographs for their grandkids.
-- Weather When Posted --
- Temperature: 79°F;
- Humidity: 42%;
- Heat Index: 79°F;
- Wind Chill: 79°F;
- Pressure: 30.1 in.;
Posted in My Photo; My Comment., People
Also tagged All Sorts, Amp, Army Boot Camp, background, Backgrounds, color, Colors, Displays, Duri, Emily, female, Females, Flickr, girl, girls, Grandkids, Heir, Ink, Job, Jobs, lighting, male, man, Memorial, Memories, model, Modeling, Models, Nathalie, Night, Oment, one, person, Personality, Photo, Photograph, Photographer, Photographers, Photographs, Photos, Places, Pose, Rig, Rkd, rkdauph, Sessions, Stan, stand, Target, Tattoo, Tattoos, Time And Place, woman, Young Females, Young Girls, Young Lady, Young Woman, Youthful Firmness, Youthful Freedom
2 Comments
Should I use a light meter with a digital camera?
I was recently asked the question in the title, there is only one answer.
Get one, use it.
Simple really, as a photographer you paint with revealed light and shadow, that’s all. Why would you hesitant to utilize a tool to designed to report the variances you cannot see in a way you can use?
Do I shoot without one, yup, sometimes. Do I rely on the camera’s metering, yup, alot sometimes. But I never leave home without a light meter in my bag.
-- Weather When Posted --
- Temperature: 91°F;
- Humidity: 42%;
- Heat Index: 93°F;
- Wind Chill: 91°F;
- Pressure: 29.82 in.;
Posted in Just a quick thought
Also tagged camera, digital, Digital Camera, Get One, home, Hoot, Light And Shadow, Light Meter, lighting, Lot, one, Paint, Paint With Revealed Light And Shadow, Photo, Photograph, Photographer, Photographers, Photographs, Shadow, shoot, Tool, Use It., Variances, Yup
2 Comments
Playing with black and white again
I started in photography shooting only black and white on film while stationed in Schwäbisch Hall, West Germany at Dolan Barracks, with the US Army. I enjoyed the entire process of taking the photograph and then spending hours in the dark room developing the print. My mentor back then was a German WW II photographer, Herr Ritter. I would spend a lot of time selecting the paper, cropping the picture and playing with the time under the light and developer only to have Herr Ritter walk behind me and give me his, usually one word, assessment of my work. Now every time I start to produce black and white imagery I feel Herr Ritter in the next room; about to walk in.
Today, I shoot digital, have a computer, Photoshop and the associated plug-ins. The subject of my photography has changed, I enjoy portraiture, I like to simplify the female face to the essence of femaleness; to show basic beauty. Sometimes that is a hight-key process, sometimes an ultra close-up. This image of Barbara is another, different, attempt.
I wonder what Herr Ritter would say.
-- Weather When Posted --
- Temperature: 71°F;
- Humidity: 83%;
- Heat Index: 71°F;
- Wind Chill: 71°F;
- Pressure: 30.03 in.;
Posted in My Photo; My Comment.
Also tagged Amp, art, Attempt, Attempts, B&W, beautiful, beauty, black, black and white, Developer, digital, Dolan Barracks, Essence, face, female, Female Face, Females, film, Flickr, German Ww, Germans, germany, Hoot, Image, Imagery, Images, lighting, Lot, male, man, Mentor, one, paper, Photo, Photograph, Photographer, Photographers, Photographs, Photography, Photos, Photoshop, Playing With The Time, portrait, Portraiture, Prints, pro, Rig, Ritter, Rkd, rkdauph, Schwäbisch Hall, shoot, Target, Ultra Close-Up, Us Army, Walk, west germany, WW II
3 Comments
Post Processing Fun
I like high-key ultra closeups. I like to work with an image, not just high-key, until “I” see an aha picture. I know a lot of folks don’t care for the treatment I afford an otherwise acceptable normal photograph.
I do, however, also use post processing to salvage an image, or at least part of it. The half face of Barbara here for instance; another photographer placed his big mitt and light meter into the frame and covered the other half of her face as I puller the trigger on the picture.
I liked the half I could see, I liked the the slight tilt of her head (she was starting to move away from the intrusive hand and meter), I liked the expression of her eyes and face.
-- Weather When Posted --
- Temperature: 71°F;
- Humidity: 83%;
- Heat Index: 71°F;
- Wind Chill: 71°F;
- Pressure: 30.03 in.;
Posted in My Photo; My Comment.
Also tagged art, Closeup, Closeups, Expression, eyes, F1, face, Flickr, frame, Fun, hand, Head, High-Key, Image, Images, Light Meter, lighting, Lot, Photo, Photograph, Photographer, Photographers, Photographs, Places, Post Processing, pro, Rig, Salvage, Stan, Tilt, Ups
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Follow Me
The eyes have it
As the old English or is it Arab proverb goes “the eyes are the windows to the soul“.
I could not agree more.
For me; to photograph someone, in or out of the studio, is an attempt on my part to capture the essence of the photographed. An outsider’s try at seeing the uniqueness of another. I have learned, sometimes at the expense of others; sometimes at my own, that a person is not their clothes or position in life.
The eyes can rarely completely deceive. Lairs cannot calm their eyes. Children cannot hide their excitement., their eyes light up with a fire that makes me smile every time. My mother can still stop me dead in my tracks with just a look. My wife is working on that talent – daily.
An otherwise unacceptable picture can both memorable and cherished because of ‘the look’ captured within it. You know the one I’m talking about, not the picture hanging on the wall you can look up and see from your computer. Go check your old shoe box full of pictures; it’s there.
I talk to the models I work with, giving ideas, comments and instruction. I try to bring out their essence. It’s not always the one they walked in to portray. Oh, we get that alright. But I’m always looking for shoe box shot too.