Master of many mediums and never one to shy away from something experimental, Quang Ho letting his light shine with a few strokes of a flashlight.
Light Painting Workshop - Morrow, Ohio
Hey Cincinnati and surrounding areas! I'll be headed your way with on class on one of my favorite photography techniques. I'm extremely excited to share my approach and insight with a Light Painting Workshop. Space is limited, sign up today!
One day only - Sunday, July 15th in Morrow, Ohio
Reserve your spot in the class here - LIGHT PAINTING WORKSHOP
Light Painting and Portraits with Shantell Martin
Always a pleasure having pal and super talented artist @shantell_martin in town for a few days. We talked about art and commerce, broke bread and chugged weak tea. She even inspired me to take a few swings with a flashlight during a long exposure collaboration. Good times with good people. Be sure to check her channel out on youtube as well!
Shantell asking important questions.
For the Love of Photography
Seems like the more I listen, the more I hear people talking about the gear, the business of photography, the widgets. Let us not forget the simple love of photography.
I understand why there’s so much rhetoric in our industry about the business of photography and the gear and the gadgets. There is the common stereotype that most creative people aren’t good business people. There is fear. Gear is easier to talk about than vision. Exposures are exact, the camera dials have numbers. There is a ‘right’ answer to many of these questions.
But where is your love of pictures? Where are your actions that back this up?
Can you pick up a book of photographs and get lost in it?
Can you walk around with your iPhone or Android or your point and shoot or whatever and take 100 pictures knowing that they’ll never be for a client or a portfolio?
Do you love hunting for pictures?
Will you stay up late or get up early for pictures?
Do you sometimes ‘see’ life as a photograph?
It’s different for all of us, but when you can take a break from all the chatter, remind yourself–as often as you can–why you love photography.
While shooting in pitch-black late at a skatepark, these two kids were full of questions. They kept asking "How can a camera work at night?". I gave them a quick lesson with my favorite long exposure technique.
Billygoating in the San Juan Mountains
Back in September I went for a semi-sketchy bushwhacking adventure on Red Mountain Pass to get this perspective of the infamous Million Dollar Highway. I learned that granite boulder mine tailings are far from an ideal place to stand, let alone set up a tripod. After some sliding, falling around, and a few surprise moonwalk descents down the crumbling hillside I ended up with a couple stable shots after almost 3 hours of self induced antics. Sometimes you strike out and sometimes you strike gold.
Light Painting with Quang Ho
Artist, friend, mentor, and brother from another mother, Quang Ho and his family have had a huge influence on my life and artistic path from a young age.
Amidst a holiday dinner and with the aid of a quality single barrel scotch I was able to convince him to step outside and paint with a flashlight for a portrait idea I had in mind for him.
I ran these exposures manually from around 20 seconds to a minute long, depending on the duration needing to complete the light painting. Incredible watching him blindly scribe the area with a basic flashlight to create these forms almost effortlessly.
Good fun and quite an honor collaborating with the humble master.
Bolder Boulder 10k
Had a great time shooting the Bolder Boulder on Memorial Day Weekend. Amazing to watch 50k lace up for a 10k race. Including eight athletes that will go on to compete in the Rio Summer Olympics. The 10K is known as the fifth largest race in the nation.
The light at the end. The first wave of finishers.
When 50k show up for a 10k. Full house at the University of Colorado's Folsom Field.
Patriotic para-jumpers kept the Memorial Day crowds mesmerized along with a fighter jet flyover by the Air Force.
Flipped finish line perspective.
Obligatory finish line selfie with the race officials.
Moto Photos
It's been an extended winter and we're getting excited for spring around here. We decided to adhere to the calm before the storm and sneak in a few vintage motorcycle shots before the blizzard hit. And it hit hard, over 2 feet of snow just a few days after this shoot. Time to head back for the hills.
Model: Abella Harlow
Denver, Colorado
Five Rules for Freelancing
1.) Make sure you’re financially prepared. Have at least three months worth of salary in the bank for when you’re in between projects. Freelancing can feel like a financial hardship if you’re looking at your business in a short term way. You have to have the stomach for periods of uncertainty in your income and understand how to plan ahead so freelancing can become a long-term play. Your cash reserves are there to be piece of mind at the very least and self-preservation when necessary.
2.) Know that there’s a lot more to being a self-employed photographer is more than just photography. You have to have a diverse skill set that includes marketing, business development, project management, accounting, writing and production. Many of these tasks won’t be your expertise but it’s your responsibility to get good at them or at least good enough so that you can land projects, keep them going and bring home the bacon when they’re over.
3.) Treat yourself like a client. It’s worth it, even in the beginning, to put in the effort position and market yourself. This means, at the very least, being clear on what you do, creating a simple website, having business cards and polishing up your LinkedIn. If you want people to take you seriously, you have let them know who you are, what you do and that you’re open for business.
4.) Be prepared for a lot of ambiguity. I’ve had two week projects turn into six month projects, and I’ve had moments where I’ve gotten really comfortable with what I thought was a long-term consulting gig, only to have it disappear. One way to navigate these choppy waters is by being proactive. Initiate regular dialogue with your existing clients on upcoming workload. When you don’t get a job, which happens to everyone, ask for feedback. If communication drops off with a potential client, it’s ok to send them a polite note to move the conversation along. If you don’t hear back, don’t take it personally and move on.
5.)Hustle. Working for yourself is wonderful but the truth is many of us do this from home…alone…often in your jammy's. You’re not going to get new clients by staying home. Go to industry events. I highly recommend this, because you never know who you are going to meet or what opportunities you may hear about by attending. They are also a great way to stay current with what’s going on in the design industry and a fantastic well to draw from in conversation with potential clients. I also love catching up with friends and colleagues for lunch or coffee. Being an extrovert and being social is a big part of staying top of mind for potential clients.