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Photographing Governor Perry…

It was an interesting day today. It started with a photo session in Dallas with actress Diane Lane, to promote her upcoming film, Secretariat. I can’t share those photos, yet. They have to stay under wraps until the movie premiers. However, I can share a photo from my evening shoot…
I had the chance to photograph Texas state governor Rick Perry tonight. Whether you love him or hate him, I learned something tonight. The man is very persuasive in his discussions and speeches! Unlike my earlier shoot, where I pulled out my Profoto strobe gear and light modifiers to shoot Diane Lane, I had little choice but to use natural light for this quick shot of the governor. I think it works well, though…

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It Got Pretty Busy…

It has been pretty busy, well… very busy over the last week. That’s why I’ve been slacking on my blog. I’ve been busy shooting The Blue Man Group, a CEO for a trade magazine, a Halloween feature story shoot, some night spots, marketing/PR stuff for the museum, some doctors for an advertisement, Tom Petty and ZZ Top! And tomorrow morning I will be doing a portrait of actress Diane Lane and shooting a fundraising event for governor Rick Perry. Let’s not even talk about this weekend’s shooting schedule?!?!? It’s just as packed!
Oh, one thing I was able to squeeze in was some testing with the ring flash. I had a model scheduled, but she had a last-minute casting call for some reality show come up, so I had my sister substitute. It wasn’t a problem, since my main goal was to keep in practice with my Profoto ring flash… I liked the locations I used enough that I’m eager to go back out and shoot them again with a professional model – one that won’t have to cancel next time!


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It’s Been a Concert Month…

I used to shoot concerts ALL the time. For the last ten to fifteen years, it would probably average out to be a couple, maybe a few, every single week. I saw a LOT of shows! Of course, I eventually started doing more editorial features and lifestyle photography. I started getting magazine cover shoots and corporate work. I shot more band promo material and album covers. It all takes away from the amount of time you can focus on live shows. In the last couple years, I probably only shot a couple shows a month.
This last month feels like the good old days again. I’ve shot plenty of concerts and have another live show lined up for tomorrow night. Sure, covering a concert for a newspaper doesn’t pay as well as a magazine feature, and it definitely doesn’t compare to some of the corporate and commercial work I’ve done. However, it just feels good to be back in the photo pit with fans screaming behind me and rock stars jamming in front of me.
Here are some clippings/tear sheets from the last week or two, showing some of the concerts I’ve enjoyed shooting – including Green Day, Jonas Brothers, Creed and Anthony Hamilton. Of course, if you subscribe to the wonderful Dallas Morning News, you’ve probably already seen them…






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Polaroid Type 55 Lives Forever!!!

Regarding Polaroid Type 55 film, all I can say is WOW!!!!! I never knew it was practically immortal?!? I had a box that expired in August 2002, and it had been open since 2005 or 2006. It’s the black and white 4×5″ Polaroid film that comes with a negative and a positive in one. It develops in about 20 seconds. I loved the negative that it made, and wish I could still easily get it.
Well, I was playing around with my Cambo Legend tonight and decided to dig through its case for some cut film holders to use. That’s when I discovered the open box of Type 55 and another open box of some Polaroid color instant film. This film has been sitting open for several years, and I really just tried it as a joke. Uhhhhhhh… no joke here, the film actually still worked!!!
As you’ll see below, the developer didn’t “completely cover the paper and negative, but I think it’s just as much my old holder’s fault. Sure, the developer is over eight years expired, so it may not be quite as eager to spread, but I remember this holder giving me problems when I last used it years ago.
Anyway, isn’t it amazing the film still works? Like most other expired Polaroid films, the color box was completely dried up and unusable. I’ve got two unopened boxes of Polaroid in my gear closet – one is a Type 52, I think, and the other is another Type 55! I’m guessing and hoping the unopened box of Type 55 is still good, too. I guess I’ll find out sooner or later.
I tested these three sheets of the 55 tonight. I can’t find what I did with the fixer I’m supposed to use on the negatives, so they may not survive for long. I’m sure I probably threw out the bottle I had, as I thought I’d never need it again. If only I had known that Polaroid Type 55 lives forever…
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My Little John Travolta…

I had just finished a few days of heavy shooting, and I had a slow Saturday. I didn’t have to head out to a shoot for a couple hours, so I thought I’d play around in the studio with my 3 year old boy. We did a sort of Saturday Night Fever/Studio 54 look, just for fun…


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Playing Around With 4×5…

I was playing around with the Cambo Legend the other day, shooting some large format architecture. Shooting 4×5″ film can be a challenge, but I’m enjoying it! It’s been years since I’ve done this. Now, I need to break out my old Hasselblad and start running film through it again…

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You’ve Gotta Love That Double Truck!!!

There are a few things that an editorial photographer wants in life. He (or she) wants to work with a publication that is read by a lot of people. He wants to work on an assignment that is creative and challenging. He wants to be paid well for his services. And one of the biggest things he wants? He wants the photos to run big!!!
Besides scoring a magazine cover, which feels amazing, the next best thing is to see your pictures run as a double truck! When an image is printed large enough that it spills over onto a second page, well… that’s just heaven to an editorial photographer.
This environmental portrait is of a gentleman named Adrian Butler, who works hand in hand with the hotel industry (that’s why he was shot in a hotel room). He was very nice and easy to work with. The rest of the images that ran in this issue look great, too. Maybe I’ll scan them in and share them later. But for now, enjoy this double truck: