Hello everyone,
More exciting news! The Canon commercial we shot this fall is now airing in Asia. As promised here is a link to the commercial and a behind the scenes look at our time in Silverton and Aspen with the amazing folks at Dentsu, Sng Tong Beng, his assistant Tim Greene and of course Scotty Bob and Willie Volckhausen.
Hope you enjoy watching it as much as we enjoyed being a part of it!
DSLR video has completely revolutionized our industry, and with good reason: the huge 35mm sensor on the Canon 5D Mark II is larger than almost any Hollywood camera out there, and at an incredible price point. Today’s new DSLR cameras are redefining cinematic storytelling.
That said, it’s NOT easy to navigate all the custom functions and menu settings to optimize your camera for professional video; and the hundreds of 3rd party rigs, monitors, and audio accessories are simply overwhelming. I’ve tried to simplify the confusion with a step-by-step PDF; I hope it saves you some of the endless trial and error I’ve been through! This PDF is part of a DSLR Video Crash Course seminar I gave at the PhotoPlus Expo; follow my blog to stay in touch for upcoming workshop opportunities.
Download the PDF here. And to see an award-winning short film where I put these DSLR tips to use, watch The Fall Line here.
Welcoming Kate Rolston
Happy New Year to everyone! I want to introduce our fabulous new executive producer Kate Rolston as the latest member of our team. Kate spent the last four years as an account manager and integrated producer at Grey Advertising in New York (we first met when I was shooting a Canon campaign a few years ago), and she is now spearheading our studio’s marketing and production. Kate is also a yoga instructor, skier, and a darn fine photographer in her own right. Check out some of her work at: www.katerolston.com
Welcome to Colorado, Kate!
I had the opportunity to sit down with Tamara Lackey in New York City this fall for her show reDefine to talk about adventure photography, cinematography and how volunteer work has enriched my life on a personal and professional level. Click here to see the episode.
Thank you to Tamara and her crew for having me as a guest!
Last month I had the fun experience of working on the “other” side of the camera, as the subject for a Canon television commercial running in Asia this season. The story focuses on fellow Canon Explorer of Light Sandy Puc’ and I shooting at ScottyBob’s custom ski factory in Silverton, Colorado, and in the high peaks with Aspen ski athlete Willie Volckhausen. Snow is scarce on October 1st in Colorado, so after leaving ScottyBob’s shop we ventured up to 12,000 feet to shoot on permanent snowfields.
One highlight of the shoot was working with the incredibly talented director Sng Tong Beng from Singapore. His DSLR cinematography is simply beautiful — with sparse, simple compositions, his clips dance in and out of focus. He shot almost the entire piece with a fixed 50mm lens, and I learned a lot by watching him work. Check out some of Tong Beng’s previous work here.
Another highlight was getting to know the good people of Dentsu Singapore and Canon Asia who traveled here for the shoot. For the wrap party we feasted on fresh elk prime rib from my archery hunt the week prior—perhaps the tastiest meat on the planet!
When the commercial airs next month I’ll post a full behind-the-scenes video of the project; stay tuned.
Hello friends. If you are in New York City or traveling there for Photo Plus Expo next week sign up for one of my talks!
Really excited to be sharing a DSLR Video Crash Course, if you find yourself overwhelmed by the options of DSLR video workflows and accessories you’re not alone, but a few simple tips will help you hone your process. Or maybe you’re looking to improve workflow in Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop CS5? Then join me for a detailed seminar in image processing. For more information and to register click here.
In addition to the two seminars I will also be giving Live Speedlite Shooting Demos. So if you are at the Photo Plus Expo stop by the Canon booth Thursday at 10 a.m. or Friday at 1 p.m. It’s an interactive live shoot so bring your lighting questions!
If you can’t make it to Photo Plus Expo I will also be giving a talk at the New York City Sierra Club Photography Wednesday, October 26th at 6 p.m. Tickets are only $5! I’ll be sharing some of my latest work and revealing tips on how to capture a dramatic shot.
Looking forward to seeing you all next week!
Shooting this series of the Fighter Pilots was one of the most amazing experiences I’ve ever had on a shoot. Not only the sheer thrill of flying in an F-16, but getting to know the citizen-airmen and their families was incredibly enriching. To then be awarded 1st place in the International Photography Awards is just an amazing honor.
Special thanks and congratulations to my 1st assistant Draper White, imaging specialist Armando Martinez, and the fighter pilots of the 120th Fighter Squadron — especially my pilot, Captain TenEyck LaTourrette.
To see more F-16 Footage, watch Fighting Falcons.
Often I’m asked where I draw inspiration from. Really there are many things but one favorite photographer I am consistently drawn back to time and again is the Icelandic photographer Ragnar Axelsson. Having been to Iceland 4 times, I have become enchanted with the rugged landscape and the equally rugged people. Axelsson has a perspective on his country that is especially inspiring.
As an adventure and heavy-industry photographer in western Colorado, I frequently shoot with miners, ranchers, wildfire fighters and the like. And before many of my shoots, I turn through the pages of Axelsson’s book “Faces of the North” for inspiration on shooting workmen in unique, gritty ways. I could explain more, but when you see his images you’ll understand …
For those of you who don’t know his work, this trailer for his upcoming documentary, ‘Last Days of the Arctic,’ showcases not only his beautiful photography in Iceland and Greenland, but also his interaction with the people and landscape he loves. Take a look. Get inspired.
I was honored to be a part of an hour-long TWiT.tv interview with Catherine Hall and Leo Laporte. I had a great time discussing portraits for Wide Horizons, what it was like to film in an F-16, and all of the projects we’ve worked so hard on. I also got to present some unique photo tips, such as: shoot into the sun, take your flash off the camera, and other advice that may surprise you (like using Pam cooking spray on location!). Special thanks to Catherine Hall, Leo Laporte and everyone who tuned into listen and ask questions.
If you missed it you can check out the episode online or download the podcast.
Good news! There’s still space to join me at the Canon Live Learning Workshop in Aspen Sept. 24th- 25th. This is a great opportunity to learn portrait and landscape shooting in one of the country’s most scenic locations, which I am lucky enough to call home. We are going to be doing field shoots at an Aspen ranch using authentic cowboys as subjects as well as a landscape session at the famous Maroon Bells alpine lake. Canon provides a huge range of the latest demo camera equipment, and I’ll also be teaching Lightroom processing tutorials, etc.
If you are interested please register here.
Hope to see you there!
