Deep Sea Fishing

In less than 36 hours after arriving in Costa Rica my friend Cody had us out on a boat for my first ever, deep sea fishing adventure. I had stopped at a pharmacy the day before to get some Dramamine as I tend to get seasick when the boat is not in motion and just bobbing up and down on the waves. I was trying to remember the elements of a photojournalistic story and the types of shots to take. I'm missing a good close-up portrait of Chino but I've got most of the other elements.

Captain Chino and his … Read the rest

Surprisingly Ambivalent

I am on a plane to Costa Rica as I write this. Much to my dismay, I am completely ambivalent about this fact. I’ve been talking about going to Costa Rica for years and overcame resistance to make it happen this time. Yet, I cannot muster up the slightest bit of excitement. I am hoping it will change once I get there and it begins to sink in that I am actually there.

Leading up to this trip, there has been a lot going on in my life and I haven’t really had much time to think about it as … Read the rest

The Slippery Slope of Equipment Upgrade

A while back, I wrote a post about figuring out the right time to gear up. It's been quite a while since I bought new equipment. Aside from a portable tripod I bought for my Project: 90 Days, I haven't bought any camera equipment in over 5 years. It's also been over 3 years since I bought a computer. I'd been wanting a new camera since the first Canon 5D came out and really wanted a new camera when the Mk II was released. I've rented 5Ds and 1DS's for magazine shoots so I could really appreciate what … Read the rest

Changing Tide

Times change. Situations change. Plans change. That is my reality. As I sit down to write this, the news came through that Osama bin Laden has been killed. As people take to the streets in Times Square and the WTC, I wonder if I would have joined them had I still been living in my apartment adjacent to Ground Zero. Actually, I've been thinking about my former life in New York a lot lately. So much that I've been having second thoughts about staying in LA. I miss New York, it got under my skin.

I still have this feeling that … Read the rest

Workshops: The Next Revenue Stream

As a modern photographer it is more important than ever to cultivate multiple revenue streams. Factors for this include a massive influx of new talent due to the lower barriers for entry, the changing face of stock photography and the current evolutionary fits of the publishing industry, to name a few. Many of these factors lead to a commoditization of photography, which makes work harder to come by and can lessen the earning potential of the individual photographer.

Where stock photography and selling prints used to be the mainstay for photographers, the modern photographer has had to get a little … Read the rest

Ashley & Ryan Wedding

Last year, while still living in New York, I got a call from my friend Ryan. He was getting married and said that he would really like for me to shoot his wedding. Weddings are not my thing but how could I say no when friends asked so nicely. The date was set for April 20th.

We decided to shoot the bridal pictures before the ceremony while everyone was fresh and excited. Ashley and Ryan wanted to walk the line of traditional photos with a mix of the eclectic. I met up with the groomsmen first at the Old Main … Read the rest

There’s No Place Like…

I was in LA yesterday with some time to kill so I decided to look at some apartments on Fuller St. near Runyon Canyon. The area is dog friendly and there is a constant flow of people walking, running and otherwise exercising. There was even a mass yoga class going on in a grassy area.

The apartment I looked at was pretty cool. It had a similar layout to my apartment in NYC only slightly smaller, surprisingly. It was also less expensive by almost a third.

I didn't love it. It is not a reflection on the apartment, I haven't … Read the rest