Stepping into (or out of) light

I had an idea for a concept-shoot I wanted to do while walking to work. So, I decided to shoot it during that 10-minute span.

Ocuclarity

Thank you, photography

It's Thanksgiving, and I'm sure we're all thanking everyone for how great they are, feeling thankful for our turkey (or tofurkey as the case may be) and all the other things that many of us are lucky to have in our lives. So along those lines, I'd like to thank photography for giving me passion, inspiration and a never-ending sense of wonder for this world in which we live. Photography helps us to explore everything around us and try to see it in new ways, and for that I will always be profoundly grateful.

With that, here is a series of pictures using a technique that I just learned (as in, today) Since I don't own a macro lens, I learned how to improvise and simulate one with the gear I have. Let me just say that it is no easy feat focusing with about 1mm of depth of field. Anyway, these photos are of pieces of the plants around my room and a bee that I found frozen on the sidewalk. The vignetting is caused by the nature of the setup I had to use. Also, of course I owe a huge thank you to all the people in my life who have taught me, helped me and kept me going throughout the years.

MPW Revisited

I went back through my shots from the Missouri Photo Workshop. Here are are some I thought were worth a second look that I don't think I've posted before. For those who don't know, I did a STORY on My Place Residential Care Facility in Festus, MO. These are a few outtakes that didn't make it into the story.

Transformation

Mantra

A portrait of rapper/videographer "Mantra" taken while working on our final project for advanced techniques.

Advanced Techniques: Final project preview

Spent a long and crazy night with the hip-hop artists of Columbia. Myself and three teammates photographed the "No Coast" rap scene for an evening as our final project for advanced techniques. Here are a few preview shots. Can you spot all of the strange things in the first photo?? More to come later.

Skaters

A few shots I took for our multiple flash assignment in Advanced Techniques. Two with strobes and two without.

Advanced Techniques: Fill flash take 2

This one time, at blues camp...

Advanced Techniques: Fill flash take 1

We had to go out and use some fill flash to bring an image within the camera sensor's range. Here is my first take for the assignment. All the light on the girl is added with my handheld strobe, as you can see given the shadow on her father.

Caption: Nora Lee, 2, enjoys a swing ride while her father Chris pushes on Nov. 6 at Cosmopolitan Park in Columbia. The Lees went out to the park to enjoy the unseasonably warm weather on Saturday. The temperature reached a high of 74 degrees, almost 20 degrees warmer than the National Weather Service average.

A brief time at Gumby's Pizza.

A few outtakes from my color correction assignment for Advanced Techniques.

Ballerinas and some incredible photo advice

Our advanced techniques class was fortunate enough to have the legendary Joe McNally teach a three-hour seminar in photographic lighting. It was an incredible experience watching him work and explain in full detail his entire approach to a shoot. It was certainly humbling, but also exciting and inspiring. So glad Rita was able to get him to come. I'm sure we'll all be digesting what we learned for years to come.

These are a few shots I got while we were learning. We didn't get to use the lighting setup, so I just took a few on the sidelines to remember the event.

Advanced Techniques: Color Correction Take 1

Two of my selects from my first take of the color correction assignment.


Captions:
Above: Tibetan Buddhist monk Geshe Tsulug Gyatso chants while holding a Dorje — a sacred Tibetan symbol. The monks recently came from th Drepung Loseling Monastery to share their practices and culture with the University of Missouri Campus. During this closing ceremony, a sand mandala that took a week to meticulously construct is swept away. The practice is meant to symbolize the impermanence of all things in life — so that one can come to terms with that fact and live life more fully.

Below: Tibetan Buddhist monk Lobsang Paljor spreads out the colored sand that once held the image of a mandala — a sacred Tibetan symbol. The monks recently came from th Drepung Loseling Monastery to share their practices and culture with the University of Missouri Campus. During their closing ceremony, the mandala that took a week to meticulously construct is swept away. The practice is meant to symbolize the impermanence of all things in life — so that one can come to terms with that fact and live life more fully.

Halloween 2009

I had such a great time with some really fun people this year. Unfortunately, I didn't have the presence of mind to have someone snap a photo of me as King Kong with the lovely Ann Darrow, but maybe next year. Anyway, here are a few snapshots I got before I ended up setting the camera down to dance it up gorilla style.