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Simulating the Sun with Flash

When I learned this simple trick for simulating the look of "golden hour" sunlight with flash, my life as a photographer changed for the better. Suddenly those overcast days were just an extended golden hour, providing the benefit of soft front light with the always-welcome golden back light. I'll give you the simple breakdown so you can start using this to get that sunny look when weather doesn't cooperate. All of the images were made on an overcast day with…

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Maker – Handmade Portraits

Making things with your hands is remarkably addictive. The tangible, tactile and often useful finished item is naturally highly rewarding but many have also posited that the "unfinished" nature of more technical handmade projects keeps one's subconscious mind actively pursuing the project, creating constant stimulation and a nagging desire to get out to the workshop. There's also the "legacy" aspect (at the risk of sounding morbid), the underlying desire to extend one's existence far into the future by leaving a body…

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Carlsbad Lifestyle/Brand Narrative Photography

With social media outlets representing a big chunk of brands advertising these days, there's a need for nimble, quick lifestyle photography on mid sized budgets. My friends at Wonderful Machine have even coined a new genre for their listings called "brand narrative." Photographers in this category are known to produce a series of lifestyle images to tell the story of a brand rather than the one or two "hero" shots of a more traditional ad campaign. Capturing a large amount…

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Shooting Ballet Folklorico in San Diego

Earlier this summer I had the opportunity to shoot Ballet Folklorico in San Diego for AAA, documenting the people and dance. I was traveling around my hometown like a tourist to various locations to see rehearsals and performances both indoor and out. The shoot resulted in three magazine covers for AAA and I'm stoked with how these turned out! This type of dance is a photographer's paradise, utilizing a lot of color and controlled movement in combination. With this type…

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business portrait

K.I.S.S. Portraits – Keeping it Simple in Commercial Photography

Recently I did a corporate portrait session for a local Biotech and it was the first one I think I've ever rolled in with just 50mm and 85mm prime lenses and a camera for the most part. Of course I always tote a backup camera and some lighting gear along for the ride but the K.I.S.S.  method prevailed because of the beautiful window light and great overall blue color cast of their office environment. There are many factors that can…

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