The Eyes have it...

We had a shoot the other day with a singer named Keri Hemingway. She's currently in nursing school and working at Vanderbilt Hospital. Beyond that, she has a set of pipes that will bowl over any audience. She recently cut an EP and is releasing a single in Ireland. She wanted a simple head shot for the cover so we decided to take her outside and let Mother Nature run the cables.

She has perfect eyes for a shot like this...



I can't resist posting these. This is Knox...Great eyes + great light + cute kid = awwwwwwww!!

Percy Warner Park with CK Cates...

I've had this idea floating around for a while about how people see themselves as minor celebrities. In a small solipsistic way, we all walk around with our own ideas of what makes up our personal character. Whether it's walking around with a soundtrack playing in our head or strutting around like a character in a show, we've all seen ourselves as something more than we may be (at least I have). I want to create a series of photographs that portrays that. The everyday person in a common setting with over-the-top setups.

With that, I put together this shot with help from a few friends. This is just a test shot, but it came out close to what I want. CK Cates was kind enough to pose while Jim and Rob ran around to light the damn thing. I just chilled out behind the camera and held the shutter open. The final composite is 27 layers deep.


We shot CK first with a Medium soft box on an Alien Bee 800 in front and three SB-800's strapped to a stand in the back. I set the camera to rear sync and opened the shutter on bulb. When Jim was finished popping the lights in the background, Rob turned on the key light and I released the shutter.


To create the background, I shot a long exposure and painted the trees with a couple flashlights (thank you Hoff household).

To add more contrast to the top of the trees, Jim walked the Alien Bee up the stair path and I fired off some shots.

All told, it was a fun night out at the park with gear and a few friends. Enjoy...

DBJ

Country Music Marathon or Music City Marathon

I think Music City Marathon sounds better...

Ping Pong!

Below are some pics from a recent conceptual shoot. There is a little part in all of us that wants to be this good at ping pong...

-jim

New Reflector Idea

On Sunday, I made a square reflector with a hole in it (a bit like a ring light) and below is the first attempt at portraiture using the sweet new device. I am really digging the quality of light!

-jim

Stout from L.E.X. ing ton

Champions Trace in Lexington, Ky...

I had a shoot this morning at Champion's Trace in Lexington, Ky. Not much to it, just a group shot and some exterior shots of the building. While I was outside shooting the building, I spotted a golfer about to tee off 70 yards away from me. I scrambled to grab my 70-200mm, ratchet it on my camera body and rush over to a decent spot...all the while changing the settings on my camera in order to get the shot. The following is one of the three frames I got off.


Below is the product of boredom sitting at a Starbucks waiting for my next shoot.