Spreading the word

I am trying to create a blog to help people with questions and learning as it relates to the photography world. I am approached quite often with questions about the how's and when's and why's of the camera and the creation of images. I usually direct them to a few places that I really enjoy exploring.

I am constantly exploring the internet, reading books, and just plain taking pictures. In the future I am going to try and begin some tutorials on Photography, Photoshop, Illustrator, or at least some links to places that I have enjoyed exploring to find answers to my MANY questions about this wonderful vast complicated world of art and expression.

Probably the best way to learn about (or just find more questions) photography and art is to look through the work of others. I can spend HOURS looking through portfolios on Model Mayhem, or Deviant Art. Learn through sites like photobiz (Jimmy is crazy, but you will learn a lot from him), or Tuts+ (worth every penny!).

Be inspired by Chase Jarvis's Blog (I'm serious! Watch every video he has and read everything he has written! The guy is VERY creative and open.)

Search for photographers in your area and look through their websites. Look in magazines and papers. Find the names of the photographers of the pictures you love and Google them (everyone has a portfolio.)

Explore! Explore! Explore!

Shoot! Shoot! Shoot! (and Shoot some more!)

Chase Jarvis has a philosophy about photography (and a book about it!) that says "The best camera is the one you have with you".

Don't be restrained by not having some big expensive camera! Shoot with what you have and make it work for you. Look through the photos here. All were taken with a 1st generation iPhone! Not the new iPhone 4S with a gagillion meg camera, but a 3G/ 3GS!

A camera on a phone!! Use whatever you have. Just do something!

No Excuses!

I will return for more!

2012 Churchill Senior: Ally

Being my daughters best friend made this shoot pretty effortless. I have watched Ally go from a little 6th grader to being a little senior! She's a wonderful girl and I was happy to be able to help her with her senior pictures. On the way to the Rose Garden I happened to see a building that seemed to have a nice texture and interesting old doorways, so we stopped for some shot's! I'm pretty flexible and spontaneous and easily distracted. Having my daughter Brittany as an assistant helps keep me SQUIRREL! on track.

See how cool that background was for portraits! Actually it helps a lot when you have a pretty girl to put in the picture. It would be an awful background if I had jumped into the frame!

We then zipped off to the Garden and finished up this session.

We finished up, but we still have a third outfit change where we will be doing some soccer uniform shots! Maybe we will even break out the fire!!

2012 Willamette HS Senior: Shoniece

The excitement abounded when we were shooting Shonieces session! We had fire, blood, pain! Actually we started at Alton Baker Park.

We were doing great and getting some wonderful images, but I went and broke the magic by slipping on the angled concrete along the waters edge and saving my wonderful camera by breaking the fall with my elbow, knee and hip. The rest of the shoot I had blood all down my knee and elbow, but we finished the shoot.

We went to the waterfall area for some nature shots, and ended up at the basketball courts on the University of Oregon campus and watched Shoniece tame fire!

We had a good time and got some geat shots for her to always remember her senior year of high school. We even got some nice shots of her and her boyfriend Otto!