Tony Marinella Photography

Water in the desert

2012-01-27T07:57:00.000-07:00

I have now been living in the desert for about six years and have truly become enthralled with water as a resource. I am always amazed at the shapes and patterns that present themselves. In this case, I was driving to an assignment when I saw this place called Arizona Falls. Since I was few minutes early I pulled in to take a look and knew I had to do a shot. So after my assignment shooting a property for a new client I headed back to the falls to shoot. The great thing about photography is that what I intended to photograph did not pan out as planned and I found this great pattern in nature type of shot instead.

Through these doors.....

2012-01-16T14:12:00.000-07:00

I shot an assignment today for a new client and they wanted me to get a couple of shots of the interior of the space next to them as "before images". For some reason this image of the "exit door" grabbed my attention. I'm just not sure why? I think perhaps with the right quote it could portray a strong message.

Historic Tucson

2012-01-11T20:15:00.002-07:00

Job Referals

2012-01-07T20:12:00.001-07:00

I am fortunate to have more and more referrals come in for my photography and am always very appreciative when it happens. I always track it back to the original source and send them a quick thank you. In this case the original person was a client I have been shooting for for several years.He referred me to one client who did the same and they in turn did the same. This particular job was a shoot for a MLS listing but also to document the owners sense of style to showcase her work. The house was fantastic and I loved the kitchen in particular. At first I was worried about the amount of additional light coming in from outside but it really helped the final image giving it a nice balanced feel.

Eccliastical Architecture

2011-12-20T23:12:00.002-07:00

I was back to shooting cathedrals today in search of pre WWII architecture that will work as fresh images for a project I am hoping to start. I have often thought of producing a book on cathedrals as they all are so amazing visually.

Retro Architecture

2011-12-18T09:32:00.000-07:00

I was contracted to shoot a home for a real estate listing and was pleasantly surprised when I arrived to see this great 1948 built home. Even better was the the occupants sense of style and design. Usually when I shoot a home that is occupied there tends to be some clutter and things that lay around from everyday living. But this house was incredible and I spent more time than usual to capture the sense of style through out the home. My favorite room was the bathroom as it had that perfect 1950's feel. Lots of tile with a few modern touches.

Desert Fun

2011-12-17T10:25:00.002-07:00

I was able to sneak in a sunset mountain bike ride yesterday for some much needed exercise. As usual, I always carry my Canon S95 and had to stop and shoot a few images as the sun was going down.

Details

2011-12-14T12:59:00.000-07:00

Here's a detail shot from a shoot I did this morning. I am working on a proposal to shoot a historical architecture project and have been looking for locations that I can shoot that will be relevant to the project. This is the front facade or at least what is left of the old Baptist Church in downtown Phoenix.

Here's another church shot with storm clouds brewing! This one is only about a block away from the first.

Not sure why but the door was locked.

More HDR

2011-12-08T22:54:00.001-07:00

I'm still working to perfect my HDR work and am getting closer but am not as comfortable with my results as I would like to be. It seems every shot varies and depends on how it was shot and how the HDR software responds. I can see that I really need to work out the halo issue and tone it down as it adds an unnecessary element to my images. I picked up a copy of Ferrell McColloughs book HDR Photography and can already see better results on the horizon.

HDR Testing

2011-12-02T15:29:00.001-07:00

I'm back to HDR testing to see what I can accomplish with it and not be too heavy handed. I think its a great technique but tends to look too surreal at times. I have been using CS5 and Photomatix Pro and so far like Photomatix Pro better. I ran out today and found a building close to the office and shot several scenarios at around 1:00. This is so foreign to how I usually shoot but I thought it would be good to have serious highlight to shadow ratios. At first I was excited about the clouds as they were big and puffy and made the sky dramatic. But the delay in frames and the motion of the clouds caused issues with the frame overlays and I had to crop the images tighter to eliminate the clouds. All in all I think its a good start but I want more control of the HDR adjusting and will have to investigate some other software.

2011-11-29T10:25:00.001-07:00

I have been publishing email newsletters in hopes of finding new clients to work with and while I have had some interest so far only Hank at Hank Arens Design has responded with an assignment. I suppose he is my one percent ROV. Hank was fantastic to work with and we tackled three separate shots of his work with more projects to come. This is an example of what I produced and it will be enlarged to a huge print to hang in his gallery as well as other promotional uses. Now for more email newsletters!

Occupational Hazard

2011-11-09T09:21:00.000-07:00

I was shooting an assignment last night for a MLS client that required some night exposures for visual impact and decided my best approach was to hike up on the ridge behind the property to get the shot. However this did require some desert bushwhacking in a heavily covered area of Teddy Bear Cholla cactus. If you are not familiar with these evil plants, they are vicious. As you walk by the pieces that have fallen to the ground get caught on your shoes and then get flicked into the air to land higher up on your legs or else ware. Many of the old timers have told me to always carry a comb in the desert as this is the easiest way to remove them without getting poked. As I was hiking in the almost dark conditions I came upon a Javalina that was about three feet away. As I had no idea if he would charge me or not I let out a yell that sent him running. With my adrenaline flowing I made my way to my selected location and produced the image below. You just never know what you will face when shooting on location.

Terravita Country Club Promo work

2011-11-02T12:58:00.000-07:00

I was shooting for Terravita Country Club last week and had finished shooting most of the promotional images for the day. I had actually switched gears and was about to start shooting event photos for their seasonal opening party when I looked outside and saw the potential for this image. As it turns out, they plan to use this one as one of the main images in their first promotional piece from the shoot.

Bees

2011-11-01T08:57:00.000-07:00

I was shooting an assignment for Terravita Golf and Country Club last Saturday and came upon this opportunity to photograph some bees as they were frantically working this plant for its pollen. This was one of those opportunities that just presented itself and produced a great image of bees in flight.

69 Camaro

2011-10-22T09:35:00.000-07:00

One of my architectural clients asked if I could photograph his 69 Camaro as he is about ready to re-paint and complete more restoration. Apparently he bought this when he was 17 and has had it hidden away. It was a lot of fun to shoot and we had a great light as well as a location I felt would work for a industrial feel.

Sonoran Desert Tortoise

2011-10-05T14:47:00.000-07:00

I was lucky enough to get out of the office this morning and do some Mountain Bike ridding just North of Phoenix on the Black Canyon trail system. It was pure solitude without another sole around for miles. I was lucky enough to see two very large desert tortoise along the way and had to stop and shoot a few photos after all I am a photographer. This makes only five total desert tortoise I have seen out in the wild since moving to Arizona in 1989. My much needed ride was two times better than normal.

This was shot with my Canon S95 at ground level.

Client Request

2011-09-28T16:19:00.000-07:00

My client requested images of their property along with the ASU stadium in the background to show where they are in relation to the campus. My plan was to not only show the property and stadium but to give it a little more drama visually. I knew there was a game scheduled at home and that they did fireworks at kickoff. It's always nice to have your plans work out and be in the right place at the right time. The client loves the end image and was amazed at what I was able to produce.

Tempe Town Lake Panorama

2011-09-25T08:53:00.000-07:00

I was back out at Tempe Town Lake last night working on more images for a client and the light and clouds were fantastic. Actually it was pretty much cloudy to the west and was not looking good. My goal was to shoot night images anyway but just a few minutes to sunset the sun broke free and I decided to make this panorama. I shot seven vertical images and then combined them in photoshop. I'm not sure I could have produced the same result with just a wide angle. I think the client will be happily surprised when they see this.

Spontaneous Shooting

2011-09-24T11:05:00.000-07:00

I was out pre-sunrise this morning to shoot more architecture for a client when I turned around and saw this opportunity. This is what I truly love about photography, you never know what your are going to see. Sometimes you have to react quickly and capture the moment. Last night I had a similar experience when all of a sudden two Blue Angle jets flew overhead while approaching the Phoenix airport for landing. As quickly as I could I reacted but just was not able to capture the moment as well as the one this morning. That and the distance was too far away by the time I shot. Must have something to do with the fact that the jets were doing about 10 times the speed of the woman rowing. Or that I saw her approaching and had more time to adjust and get the shot.

Morning Architecture

2011-09-22T10:38:00.000-07:00

I was back at it today at five am shooting another architecture project. After scouting the loaction yesterday I came up with five new locations for new imagery. This is for an existing client that wants some new fresh images of a location I have shot in the past. I love repeat business and any chance to get out and pursue my love of architecture.

This is Bridgeview at Tempe Town lake shot from the Rio Salado Bridge at 5:30 am this morning. My only dilemma today was working with the bridge shaking from large vehicles moving across. I had to time it to keep all the vibrations to a minimum.

Architectural Photography

2011-09-21T12:46:00.002-07:00

I was contacted by Michael Brown of Hague Partners to photograph a property for a new MLS listing. Michael has a been a client for several years and always has great properties for me to work with. He also is one who truly knows that great images will get his listings noticed. Through our relationship, I have had the opportunity to meet many new clients from his referrals. Case and point is that I have another assignment next Friday that is a new client that was referred to me by another realtor that Michael referred to me. You have to love it when the networking starts to pay off.

These are two sample images that will run with his listing.

New gear

2011-09-06T13:10:00.000-07:00

I just pulled the trigger on a new Mac as I can no longer keep using my MacBook Pro for everything. I went with the iMac and the Core i7, maxed ram and the new solid state drive. It should be much faster and more efficient with processing files and running Lightroom and Photoshop at the same time.
On top of that I picked up a new Nikon D7000 last month and a new Nikon 85mm PC 2.8 the month before. I only wish I was done but there is so much I need to either upgrade or replace.
All of this has happened due to my most recent gig of shooting jewelery lately.

Here's why.........I am shooting for maximum depth of field and must shoot a series of multiple images and then use processing software to stack the images for a final result. The problem is that it takes tons of time to process. The new imac should make my life a little easier.

Pest or pet?

2011-08-28T14:29:00.000-07:00

I just busted this guy and his friend devouring my tomato plants. As much as I hate them they look really cool and since I am a photographer I busted out my Nikon 85mm PC macro lens to get some shots. As of now this guy has a stay of execution and is in solitary confinement under direct supervision from a seven year old boy. This was a quick set up shot over a black table using a Nikon SB-800 as the main source light bounced from the ceiling. Cool but creepy at the same time! Both images are from the same frame with a slight different cropping.

Technology Failure

2011-08-18T10:14:00.000-07:00

I have always liked setting up a camera when camping and letting it capture the night sky while I sleep. Usually the tuff part is waking up before dawn to close the shutter before the whole image is blown out.
Now that I have been shooting digital for some time I thought I would see if it could handle the same way as film to record star trails or the Earths movement. Techonology failed me on this one. After about an hour into what should have been around 4 or 5 the camera's battery died and my fun was over. Not to mention the amount of noise that is apparent from this exposure. Next time I take my 1980 Nikon FM2 film camera and a roll of Velvia and get the results I know I can rely on.

This worked but not nearly as intense as I wanted. The additional light in the image is from my campfire and a little light painting I did on the tree trunks.

My office

2011-08-16T16:56:00.000-07:00

I had a potential request from Backpacker Magazine for West Clear Creek images and decided yesterday to just head up there hike in and shoot some fresh imagery. I hiked in on the Maxwell trail and had a rare chance to actually see flowing water in Arizona. After hiking down the seven hundred foot descent and then back up with 40 pounds of gear I had the chance to lay down and rest.

I then had a chance encounter with this guy, I sure love the outdoors.

Marketing

2011-07-28T09:26:00.000-07:00

I'm keeping busy shooting various work but am frantically working on a marketing plan both internet and print to keep the work flowing. Right now its all still a mess working out email newsletter designs, post cards, new business cards, leads list, etc., etc., etc......

Architecture

2011-07-25T13:15:00.000-07:00

Back to architecture, the stuff I truly love. I shot this home about a week a go and the client wanted to shoot again in order to change up some of the decor. Here's the most recent version and below is the shot from last week.

Association of Independent Architectural Photographers

2011-07-21T19:22:00.000-07:00

I am now a proud member of AIAP.

"Mortgage Photography"

2011-07-18T09:05:00.000-07:00

My work is always different in that I never know what I will be shooting next. It used to be that you had to highly specialize in an area to be successful. But with the economy in the state that is in, that has kind of changed. While I do specialize, I call my new specialty "Mortgage Photography". That's anything that will pay the Mortgage. It really keeps me on my toes as I have to constantly readjust to various scenarios and lighting conditions. Today for example, I get to photograph a few paintings by artist Merrill Mahaffey. Then I have to do some head shots of him for PR and marketing purposes. I love Merrill's work! It truly brings me to the location as if I am there. Mainly because I have been to so many of the places he paints. It's always a pleasure to photograph Merrill's work.

Here's one I recently shot for the Mahaffey Studio.

Busy Times?

2011-07-15T22:22:00.000-07:00

Ok, usually this time of year in Phoenix everything slows down. But so far I have been crazy busy and the phone keeps ringing. I sure hope this is a sign of the economy recovering or at least more business headed my way. Today was architecture, tomorrow oriental rugs, Monday paintings and portraits and Wed and Thurs. jewels.

Life's a beach!

2011-07-13T22:31:00.000-07:00

Just back from the Pacific Ocean, I sure do like the beach.

R&R

2011-06-11T20:56:00.000-07:00

I took my boys out kayaking today at a local lake for a little escape from the heat. I have to say I really do enjoy this new Canon S95 for quick PS images.

TMP Logo

2011-06-01T23:56:00.000-07:00

Las Vegas Shoot

2011-05-31T13:40:00.000-07:00

I had the opportunity to do a architectural shot in Vegas last week and am still working on editing down the 1200 images I shot in two days. The trip was great and my hard shell golf case worked perfectly for getting my Profoto lights to the shoot. Only down side was the extra baggage fee so for now on I'll ship them rather than try to fly them.

Proud to be an American

2011-05-30T11:34:00.000-07:00

Thank you!

Rambling in the desert

2011-05-19T07:15:00.000-07:00

Canon S95

2011-04-12T09:36:00.000-07:00

Just picked up the Canon S95 as my pocket camera to replace my dead Canon G9. I really had a hard time between the G12 and the S95 but ended up going for the smaller of the two. That and the price was more in line with what I wanted to spend. So far I love it but have only had it for a handful of hours. It's so small I'm scared I'll break it. By the way my onions are blooming in the garden..........

My office

2011-03-12T21:42:00.000-07:00

This was my office for the last few days.......

I was on assignment in Oro Valley AZ (north of Tucson) to shoot architecture. I had been watching the sky all day super excited for the high clouds as they could possibly make for a spectacular sunset. The problem was that this was 180 degrees from what I needed to shoot. I had four wheeled it out to the only possible location for a long shot of the property and waited for the right light. Unfortunately not much happened in front of me, the action was behind. Great clouds and sky!

Next!

2011-03-08T10:59:00.001-07:00

From dogs in tutus to fine furniture, I can pretty much shoot anything. Here's a sample from a recent shoot for Bova Furniture. There's lots of really cool furniture in their stores but I really like how these turned out.

Some Days

2011-03-07T21:17:00.000-07:00

Some days I shoot product, some days architecture, some days are portraits and head shots. I never know for sure and love the challenge of new work and new subjects.

I showed up at a location shoot the other day and set up my gear to do some table top product with follow up images in the field later with some happy K-9s. As it turns out, I never guessed there would be wardrobe.

Networking!

2011-03-03T08:14:00.000-07:00

I just finished a large project shooting architecture for a luxury condo project. The best part of all of this is that this all came about from my Linkedin presence last year. As it turns out a designer from Denver needed to find a photographer to shoot some additional images of a project in Tempe. She found my info we talked and I got the project. It has slowly grown from there as I have shot numerous projects for the main client and am now discussing shooting all of their projects in AZ, FL, CA, CO, and NV. Thank you internet, this networking thing really does work.

On that same note I was referred from a fellow shooter to a PR company in town and ended up getting the contract to shoot jewelry for one of the valleys most prestigious jewelers. So far things are looking great, now to keep the momentum!

Golf Shoot with Aaron Baddeley

2011-01-30T22:15:00.001-07:00

Here's one of the images I shot for ECCO recently of PGA player Aaron Baddeley. It was a full day on the course shooting like crazy as he played 18 holes with various other players. The photography becomes more journalistic as there is no time to set up gear and go for a more creative lighting approach. It became more of a matter of getting in place for the shot. He had no problem with me being directly in front of him on some shots but I can't say it made me too comfortable. At least I had the camera and lens covering my face for protection.

Lost Files

2011-01-26T21:47:00.000-07:00

I shot this lady as part of a spread on local business owners for a magazine about a year ago. The problem is that I lost the files. Not until today while looking for something compleletly different did I stumble upon the lost set of images. Digital represents a whole new set of standards as far as storage and retrieval compared to the film days.

Tempe Town Lake Panorama

2011-01-24T21:10:00.002-07:00

Today's sunrise at Tempe Town Lake was perfect for what I needed to shoot to complete my most recent assignment. I decided to shoot some panorama images and went with the camera vertical this time rather than horizontal. I really like the results better this way.

The Loop

2011-01-23T22:23:00.000-07:00

As of last Friday I am an official freelance photographer once again. For the second time in in four years I was laid off as a Photo Editor from the same company. And I thought the economy was recovering.

To start things out right I was offered an assignment to shoot architecture and jumped at the chance. It's not a huge project but it's work that pays. Now for the next project and then after that and after that...........

The Forest

2011-01-18T09:29:00.000-07:00

I had the chance to travel up to Northern AZ yesterday to take the kids up for some snow play. I'm amazed at how much I miss trees. Living in the desert is still a new experience for me. I miss the forest and endless possibilities that the wilderness has to offer.

2010 Moms Covers

2011-01-12T16:23:00.000-07:00

Here's a quick look at all the covers I shot for Moms Like Me Magazine last year.

Architecture

2010-12-03T13:22:00.001-07:00

I just shot these last night for a client and even though it was a condo with less square footage than the last house I shot it took just as much time. Since I plan to stream line my business into exclusively architecture I have been putting the additional effort in to making my images stand out.

Interior Architecture

2010-12-01T12:43:00.002-07:00

Colors
Originally uploaded by Tony Marinella
Lots of colors in this retro kitchen and dinning area. This was a recent assignment for a client that I have shot commercial properties. Loved the exaggerated colors and retro feel. No HDR, all lighting in one exposure.

Leslie Nielson

2010-11-29T11:45:00.001-07:00

When I found out Leslie Nielson passed away it reminded me of the shoot I did of him a few years back and what a joy he was to work with. His on air personality was exactly as he was in person. He had my entire crew rolling on the floor in laughter through out the shoot.

Now remember, don't call me Shirley!

Golf

2010-11-09T21:23:00.000-07:00

I shot golf images for a major client last week and had a great time trying to work every angle possible. It was all on the fly as I was shadowing a PGA player while he played a full eighteen. I had the same assignment about a year ago and took the time to pull the images and see what I could do this time to get better images. I also hired an assitant to drive and free me up to concentrate on being in the right place.

Another addition this year was two camera bodies to speed up lens selection, and a small beauty dish for fill flash on shots. Once the project moves along further I can show more images but these are two I like as potential promo images down the road.

Bridgeview at Tempe Town lake

2010-11-05T13:41:00.000-07:00

I have been doing a lot of architectural photography lately and forgot how much I love shooting architecture. I am seriously considering streamlining my business to focus mainly on architecture. The only huge obstacle I face is that Arizona is one of the states hit the hardest by the housing bubble. For now I am going to go full steam ahead and hopefully have everything in place for when things start moving again.

Corporate Work

2010-10-29T09:07:00.001-07:00

I recently had an assignment for a client to come in and photograph several key employees for a promo piece about customer service. This was an ideal situation to bust out the Profoto gear along with my Photek Softlighter II as my main light with some fill from a second light bouncing off the ceiling to fill in shadows and create some hard light to offset the diffusion from the Photek. Over all I am pretty happy with the results and the client loved them. This whole shoot was done from set up to break down in and hour so not a lot of time for trouble shooting. I did have it sketched out in advance and only had to alter slightly due to the room configurations.

HDR 2

2010-10-23T12:45:00.000-07:00

Here's another HDR image from my lunch outing the other day. It's much better as far as alignment and depth. Still in the surreal category rather than realistic but I do like the feel.

HDR?

2010-10-22T08:41:00.000-07:00

I have wanted to try HDR for architecture and finally have software that looks promising. This is from a quick lunch jaunt yesterday, its about ten minutes away from the office. I like it but know I can do better with more practice as this feels slightly out of register. I want to be able to use it for both artistic style as well as realistic representations of interior s and exteriors. But for now, its a trial and learn process before I use it on a clients assignment.

RIP G9

2010-10-08T10:56:00.001-07:00

My trusty Canon G9 finally gave up the ghost and will not power up. At first I thought I had simply forgotten to charge the battery. But after charging and trying again I got nothing. The bummer is how I found out. I was riding my mountain bike up Mormon Trail on South Mountain here in Phoenix and doing my best to charge to the top in hopes of getting some stellar images of the storm that was brewing around me. Once I topped out and pulled out my camera to shoot I found out it was dead. Bummer! Before my eyes was a fantastic scene. Dark storm clouds across the valley everything black except for Camelback Mountain. It was a blaze in beautiful light with great clouds on top and a rainbow. So there I was, right place, right time, wrong camera. As it turns out, they are calling it the storm of the century complete with massive hail, flooding and even a tornado up north. My decent down was a rain soaked mad dash. I'm just glad I missed the hail.

Canon quotes a $150 for an initial repair bill. I'm just not sure its worth it as the new G12 and the S95 are in the $400 range. I also found this web site http://www.myfixtips.com/blog/digital-camera/who-killed-my-g9-133.htm that shows a flaw in the design that allows for several screws to get loose and short out the camera.

Here's one of the last images I shot with my beloved G9. This was a sunrise ride on the Hawes trail last Sunday. Rest in Peace Buddy! (I'm really looking forward to the new HDR mode so that I can have nice detail in my skies and foreground.)

Tony Marinella Photography web site

2010-09-30T11:48:00.000-07:00

The new web site is finally up and running and there are already changes I want to make. Mainly I don't want it to be static as it was before. I plan to continuously update and change images. So take a look and let me know what you think.

Back to Architecture

2010-09-28T21:01:00.003-07:00

I love the challenges of working with space and light to portray the clients vision. I think my biggest disadvantage is that I come from the film era and believe in getting it right in camera( "on film") rather than getting it right in "Post". These were shot using small strobes as fill and long exposures. I can not help but think how much better they may have been had I shot HDR and then adjusted in "Post".

Black Canyon Trail

2010-09-07T15:36:00.000-07:00

I had the chance to get out yesterday and go for a nice long mountain bike ride on the Black Canyon Trail. I still had to get up at 5:00AM in order to beat the heat here in the Phoenix area. All was a success and as usual I had my Canon G-9 to shoot if I found anything worth wild. Of course I did! First is a shot of the area I was ridding in as the sun came over the horizon.

The second is a series of critter I came across on the trail. These guys are so hard to see especially at high speed on the bike and their excellent camouflage. I was just about on top of this guy before i saw him and had to bunny hop at the last minute to avoid running him over. My fear of running him over was that he could in fact strike up at me as I went by and that if he was a rattle snake I could be in serious trouble as I was in a remote area alone riding solo. But I was lucky, my jump was perfect, no harm to him or me and as I went back to play Steve Irwin and check him out and I took these images. He is in fact a Gopher snake and not a rattler. But they mimic rattlers by shaking their tails, flattening their heads and producing a rattle like sound from their mouths. I only wish I would have shot some video to show this behavior.

On a sad side note, my trusty G-9 is on its last legs. The strobe will no longer fire and it has started to produce less than perfect images. I just can not decide on the new G-12 coming out soon or the Canon S90. Both shoot the same sensor but the size varies. More to come on that!

Scottsdale Assignment

2010-08-25T22:02:00.001-07:00

I shot a project for a client recently in Scottsdale AZ that required I shoot from a high elevation in order to capture the surrounding views of the area. The options included a scissors lift or access to a private residence that this time of year is vacant as the owners are smart or rich enough to escape this inferno they call Phoenix in the summer time. One last option came up and that was to shoot from the roof top as it was accessible via a small hatch and the assistance of a large extension ladder. Lucky for me the ladder came with its own handler/assistant as it was somewhat tricky getting all my gear through the opening.

You know times are tough when you are willing to climb up on a roof in August in Scottsdale Arizona to shoot an assignment. It was only 106 degrees so not too extreme as far as summer heat here in the desert. I set up two cameras with a short wide angle zoom and the other a 80-200mm. This way I could switch back and forth and not waste time changing lenses. Not much of a sunset, no clouds but still in the right place for the show. We actually set up and then headed down to shoot some additional images of the horses while we waited for the light.

The Beach

2010-08-05T10:50:00.000-07:00

I spent a week at the beach this summer with the family and as usual had to bring the photo gear. It was a great trip other than not seeing the sun for seven days. This was from our first night there and I happened to get some images before the sun vanished into the clouds and ocean. Little did I know that I would not get any more opportunities for the rest of the trip.

Time lapse Photography

2010-08-04T10:24:00.000-07:00

As of late I have become intrigued about time lapse photography. I have always had a fascination with it even as a kid when I would see a storm or weather sequence time lapsed. So last night I headed out into the desert in hopes of achieving two things. One shoot a fantastic time lapse of the mountains with the stars moving across the sky. Two, be in place for the Solar Tsunami that had a 50/50% chance of showing this far South. As it turned out, I was not successful at either goal. I did shoot time lapse with both a Nikon D-300 and a Canon 5DMII. It was a learning experience to say the least. The D300 has an internal control (intervalometer) for sequencing images, the Canon does not. I had to use my lap top with the Canon and it simply did not work as well as the Nikon. There seemed to be a lag with the image processing. The only major hurdle I was unable to complete was shooting enough images to get a full 30 second conversion. I needed around 700-900 images to make it work well. But now I have a basis to work from and a test set to improve upon. I should have some results posted soon as I plan to keep exploring this technique and adding it to my services.

Northern Arizona

2010-07-27T11:01:00.001-07:00

I had a chance to escape the heat of Phoenix for a few days and headed up to Northern Arizona. The monsoons are in full force up there right now so photography was limited due to the conditions. The first image is simply a storm moving across the desert picking up strength and dropping moisture as it goes.

This image is a night time exposure using the moons light and a 30 second time exposure to capture the image. At one point I had my Nikon D300 and Canon 5DMII shooting simultaneously to get an idea of how the different sensor would respond to high ISO night time exposure with only the moon to light the images. In actuality it was not scientific but was interesting to see how the images would record using the same settings on both cameras.

More redesign of website

2010-07-22T14:36:00.001-07:00

Here's a few more images I am working on for my web site redesign. I would love to have some feedback on any of these before I go live.

New Web site!

2010-07-16T11:15:00.001-07:00

I'm currently working on a whole new web site to update my work and to freshen it up some. Here's a few samples of how I plan to show images. Now for the fun of actually designing it and making it flow how I want.

Fresh Tear Sheets

2010-07-01T14:15:00.000-07:00

Here's a few fresh tears sheets of the stuff i have been shooting for Gannett. The best thing is there is tons of variety from product to kids to adults. These images were either shot with a Nikon D300 or a Canon 5DMK II . Just curious, can you tell me which one was shot Nikon and which one was shot Canon? I'm still fumbling with the Canon as i have been a Nikon shooter for 20 plus years. Everything is reversed between the two. I also picked up a new Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II and am very impressed with this lens. I just hope the new Nikon version is as sweet as this one.

Memories

2010-06-30T09:16:00.000-07:00

Life has been crazy busy as of late and not much time to post. Here is one more shot from my trip back to Eastern TN. I'm not sure how I really feel about it. Is it good or is it good because it has so much childhood memory attached? Am I biased? Does it need that reference for others to get it? Or can it stand on its own? I guess what strikes me the most is that this view and porch look no different than they did 30 plus years ago. That's so rare these days, everything is in a constant state of change.

Smoky Mountains

2010-06-23T10:03:00.000-07:00

I headed out to Eastern Tennessee last week for a quick trip to visit family. It was my great Aunt and uncles 63 wedding anniversary. I got to see some folks that I have not seen in 30 years. This is a shot of my Aunt Glade's home in the mountains. She and her husband Skylar spent their lives here living in a one room cabin. The amazing thing to me is that it still stands strong after all these years. I have fond memories of this place as a child as does my mother from when she was child. This was shot with a Nikon D300 and a 12-24mm lens and then some slight post processing.

Long Dusty Road

2010-06-10T09:11:00.000-07:00

I'm feeling that summertime twitch to hit the road and shoot fresh images. This was shot up on the Arizona Strip, North of the Colorado River. I was shooting an editorial assignment for a magazine called Plateau Journal and heading home when I saw this in front of me and had to stop and shoot.

Talking Stick

2010-05-26T10:40:00.001-07:00

I had an assignment last night to shoot an awards ceremony which is never my favorite thing to shoot but always seems to work out well for networking and you never know what may come of it. As part of the entertainment, they had a Native American Dance group perform so I was able to play around with the some different type of imagery. I used to work for the Museum of Northern Arizona for close to nine years and I photographed numerous dancers and other Native American art and events. I must say that I did get a little burned out shooting the same performers year after year and always had the large tourist crowd as background. So last night was a pleasant reminder of those days and how I miss that connection I once had. While I did not have the tourist background dilema, I did have an ugly black backdrop and equally ugly stage. I chose to shoot slow dragging my shutter and shooting flash. The problem is that you never know how much ambient will affect the image and start to ghost it out. Here's a couple of the ones I liked the best. I did shoot normal images as well but they are less dramatic and then there's the whole background issue as well.

Light Tank

2010-05-20T21:23:00.000-07:00

Years ago I climbed down into this tank to shoot this image. We found it out in the forest close to the Grand Canyon. Apparently, ranchers use them to store water for their livestock. I had no idea about the shaft of light until I was inside looking back. This remains one of my favorite images and is a constant reminder to push myself in photography. You never know what lies around the corner or what will present itself as an image opportunity.

Point and Shoot

2010-05-18T22:33:00.000-07:00

Trying to juggle a photography career while working as a Photo Editor full time, and shooting freelance while raising a family and allowing time to mountain bike sure can wear you down. But it's times like these that make it worth it. So nice to have the Canon G-9 at the ready to get this shot.

Tear Sheets

2010-05-06T14:46:00.000-07:00

Here's another tear sheet from the "Mom's Like Magazine" that we produce. This girl was fantastic to work with and I must thank Gail McCauley at Arizona Model and Actor Management for supplying such great models on a regular basis.

Desert Thermals

2010-05-05T08:47:00.000-07:00

I had the chance to do some soaring down in Tucson and absolutely loved it. Not to mention it was a golden opportunity to add some fresh imagery to the stock files. If you look closely you can see another glider below us using the same thermal we were on. While I have been in a lot of different small planes ranging from biplanes to experimental aircraft, I had never been up in a glider. It was a ton of fun, slightly scary, but a huge adrenaline rush. I guess from here I now need to try sky diving to top this one. I better start working on a helmet cam for that.

Catholic Wedding

2010-04-29T22:50:00.000-07:00

I shot a wedding last weekend at a Catholic church and came across this opportunity to shoot some stock images. I saw this image in my mind but did not expect the star burst effect that was an added bonus. I am always looking for stock possibilities on all of my shoots as you never now what might find its way to your lens.

Desert Tortoise

2010-04-27T22:05:00.000-07:00

I went for a mountain bike ride last Sunday on the Black Canyon Trail knowing that as the heat approaches here in Phoenix, my days are numbered for trail riding. It's the end of April and in most parts of the country its spring but here in the Desert Southwest we hit 95 degrees today. Soon its blast furnace season!

As I was climbing out the last few miles I was lucky enough to come upon the largest Sonoran Desert Tortoise I have ever seen. I have only seen three including this guy in all my years in Arizona. This is the second one I have seen while ridding the Black Canyon Trail. Seeing this guy while riding amongst the best wildflowers in years was fantastic. I was lucky enough to have my Cannon G9 to capture a few trail shots. After all this is what I do for a living, shoot photos.

Earth Day

2010-04-22T09:21:00.001-07:00

Earth day is today so I thought I would put up a few of my favorites to celebrate.

Tear Sheets

2010-04-21T14:33:00.001-07:00

Here's a couple of images I shot for the May issue of Your Health Monthly. It's always interesting to see how the end usage of your images turn out. I especially like how the ice cube image worked out for an illustration of things you can use to reduce baggy eyes.

and here is another of the cover model as a doctor for an article on medical tests.

Editorial Assignment, Impact Magazine

2010-04-16T12:52:00.000-07:00

I shot an editorial assignment for Impact magazine last month and posted some info on the whole process shooting, gear etc. Heres the link to that post Bill Nielsen Assignment

But at that time I could not show what I shot as the publisher had first rights to the images. So here is the image they printed.

And here are the images I sent for consideration.

Wildhorse Trail

2010-04-12T11:42:00.000-07:00

I had a chance to ride this Sunday and since it was a smooth trail with lots of flowers, I shot some video as further research in to my plan to start shooting HD. I figured I would use my small camera first, work out all of the bugs and then start shooting the large camera.

Spring with a Canon 5DMII

2010-04-07T09:30:00.001-07:00

I was in the studio yesterday shooting a product set up for an editorial article and had these great flowers left over after the shoot. I dediced it was time to put the Canon 5d MII to the test to see what we could produce. As this beast is new to me and I have been a Nikon shooter for the past 25 years it was a little challenging to find my way around the settings. I thought I was shooting at the 21meg setting but realize now that I was at the lower raw setting instead. All in all I am happy with the results but need to spend much more time shooting this system so that it becomes more natural to me. I hate fumbling with a camera when there are so many other things that need to be worked out.

The Daily Grind

2010-03-25T13:23:00.000-07:00

As of late I have been working away trying to keep up with all the assignments that have come my way. Some times the gears grind and others they run smoothly. I miss the old days when a photographer did not have to be a Photoshop expert. Where you would shoot an assignment, edit the images and then send the film to the editor. Now every assignment has to be Photoshopped to fit the clients needs. It used to be that you could buy a pro level camera and use it for years. Now you have to upgrade every couple of years to keep up with the technology as well as the competition. A five year old digital camera becomes a paper weight. The technological grind into the future should be interesting. I just hope I can afford to keep up with this costly pace.

Moki Dugway

2010-03-13T21:43:00.000-07:00

I love this place and never pass up a chance to visit when passing through. It can be a bit much for some folks as it is a rough dirt road with wash boards, switch backs and extreme exposure with no guard rails. There's a fantastic view of Monument Valley and the camping is not too bad either.

On or Off?

2010-03-12T12:03:00.000-07:00

Some days I wonder what's better the on switch or off switch. No matter what, I can not seem to hit the off switch with photography. While most folks leave their job and go home mine follows me everywhere. There's always that special light I see or angle or just potential for a great shot. I'm not sure if it's a curse or a blessing. All in all, I love photography and it is what guides me, feeds me, and mostly pays the bills. So for now its the on switch and full throttle ahead!

No Trespasing!

2010-03-11T09:28:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure what to think about this sign. I was mountain biking and came across this in Mesa, AZ. It's the whole "Homeland Security" phrase that scares me. I had to shoot a photo of the sign and then made haste and went on my way so as not to alarm anyone on the other side. It sure does make me wonder what's there hiding in the desert. Years ago, back in my early college days, I made a mistake and crossed a No Trespassing sign to shoot some photos letting my curiosity get the best of me. It's amazing how people can fabricate stories as to why you were photographing something. Anyways, I have a healthy respect for these signs now and keep out!

I shot this with my trusty Canon G-9 that goes with me on every ride just in case. I am currently working on a bike mount that will allow me to do action shots while I ride and should create some great angles. I also created what I hope to be an impact proof casing that will cushion the camera in case it makes contact with anything. I should have samples soon.

Tucson assignment

2010-03-09T10:33:00.002-07:00

I accepted an assignment down in Tucson last week to shoot a resort property from a distance in order to show how it fits into the surrounding environment. The client wanted me to shoot from a mountain that was east of the location which meant I would be looking west so the shoot had to be at sunrise in order to get great light. While the client had arranged for me to access the site, the gate keeper would not be able to open up until 11:30. This simply would not work for me as the light would be too harsh and the sky would be blown out. So I jumped on Google Earth to scout the site and found a mountain some what closer and planned my assault. There is nothing better than getting up pre-sunrise to hike up the side of a mountain in the dark with absolutely no trail and thirty pounds of camera gear on your back.

My timing turned out great and I was on site with plenty of time to climb and setup for the light show.
Here's a couple of shots I did, one a standard image and the other a panorama from multiple images.

Rain vs camera

2010-03-07T22:52:00.001-07:00

I took on an assignment to shoot a duathlon last weekend and put my time into researching the location scouting trail maps and developing a plan to get the best images. I had been watching the weather forecasts and as the event drew closer the chance for precipitation increased. Finally the night before I checked and one site had a 30% chance and the other had a 70% chance, so I planned for wet conditions. My biggest concern was that I do not have any wet weather housing for for my gear so I had to improvise this crazy umbrella system with a super clamp and some bundgees.

All would be well as long as there was no wind or else I had the perfect kite tripod rig ready to launch. The conditions were so bad the morning of the race that the other photographer failed to show up. Since I signed a contract I figured I had to at least show up and see if I could shoot. While my system was not stellar, it did work and I was able to shoot, although there were times when the dark clouds made it tough to get the shot.

Film Grain

2010-02-25T12:38:00.001-07:00

Here are a couple of images I shot on film, you know that stuff photographers used to use to produce images. I really miss that film grain feel of black and white. I know it can be done with digital but rarely have I seen it done well that mimics true film grain. As much as I miss it I surely do not miss working in the darkroom for hours and hours and exposing myself to all those chemicals over and over. Perhaps that's how the theme of these images came to be, too much developer, stop bath and fixer absorbed into my system. These images were shot through using a glass element from an old enlarger.

Video?

2010-02-18T12:30:00.001-07:00

I got out to mountain bike ride last weekend on the Black Canyon Trail and had a blast. I always cary my Canon G9 and for once actually pulled it out to shoot some video of me "Team Hermit" crossing the river. I can truly understand now how much work Les Stroud of "Survivor Man" has to put into his productions. While the video quality is not HD quality it did make me think twice about upgrading my DSLR to one that has HD available. I think there are many options for video these days and why rule out another potential for income. I see far more requests for video lately than photography and most are for web use so that negates having to have the $50k set up to shoot. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1--JNuQFmsw

I know the quality of this is nothing stellar but now I want to look into filming some of my favorite trails and riding exploits to see what I can do with those. It's still photography but with motion.

Editorial Assignment

2010-02-04T16:08:00.003-07:00

I have an editorial assignment for a Canadian magazine in the morning at sunrise. Anybody want to come and help? My subject is a guy who has run 100 marathons is now in his late 60's and still running even though he has Parkinson's disease. As luck would have it he wanted to do the shoot on a trail system that I know well and was actually mountain biking on last week. Now I do not need to go scout the area. We will however need to hike in pre-dawn about a mile or so. That means I get to be the gear mule and shooter unless I hire an assistant. Since it is editorial there is no budget for an assistant so its all me.

Here's my thinking on the set up. I plan to do three set ups and and see where it goes. These things never go as planned but is always a good idea to have things on paper for a smooth shoot. I'll post some out takes as soon as I can. And please excuse my poor artistic work, there is a reason I am photographer and not an artist.

Here's my gear ready to be packed and hiked in for the shoot.
From left to right:sample images and model release forms,assorted clamps and bungees, Macbook Pro, Gitzo CF with NPC head, DIY beauty dish,mini soft box,lens shades,Honl snoot wraps, grids for strobes,extra battery,Nikon Strobe pack,Nikon 12-24mm,Nikon 80-200mm, Nikon D300, Nikon 35-70mm,4 Nikon SB-800 strobes, lots of memory cards, head lamp, blackberry, 2 Sing Ray Split ND filters, Lowe Pro back pack with pocket for lap top computer.

I'm not sure what it weighs but I sure could use a llama.

Tear Sheets

2010-01-28T09:58:00.001-07:00

Here's a few more tear sheets form our most recent magazine. I shot the cover in studio using a large glass window to her right and then slight fill from the front and side using my Profoto D1 lights. It made for great natural light feel especially with the rim light on her hair and shoulders from some additional windows that are up high. Jo our model from Agency Arizona was fantastic to work with. We have gone to a solid color background for our covers and then have wardrobe that closely matches.

This shot is a product image for our Fun Finds section and I have to thank Joe Fortuna of Mexican Tile and Stone for providing the background slate. I used some cooking oil to gloss up the slate to give it a wet look.

Slacking in the New Year

2010-01-21T09:33:00.001-07:00

Wow, did I drop the ball or what? I have not posted in way too long. So here's a quick one to get me back up to speed.

Last wekend I had the chance to go out and do some mountain biking. Next to Photography, cycling is one of those things that I have to do. It is my choice for exercise and keeps me healthy and happy. After all I only have 4 bikes of my own. I'm actually training for a race at the end of Februray. A while ago I purchased a Canon G9 not only to have as a point and shoot but to keep with me on my rides in case some opportunity presented itself. So while ony my ride on a tight cactus infected trail, I misjudged a turn and found myself heading for a cactus. I did everything I could to avoid the cactus face plant and was able to take the most of the hit in my left leg. No sooner than I wrecked ( this is something I do frequently) two riders came along and offerd assistasnce while making commits like "Dude you have a cactus in your leg" which is something I was very aware of. The only reason I bring all this up is that I missed a golden opportunity for a photo. Not one taken by me but it would have been great to have one of the "dudes" shoot a photo of me with my bloddy cactus legs and my bike still wrapped inside the tangled mess of needles. Perhaps my ego was bruised or my brain was still processing the event. Once I sat down and begun pulling needles out, remembered that I am a professional photographer and that I did have a camera I shot this after the fact image. It has such less imapct than the one that could have been shot. This shot minimizes the size of the cactus as well. My entire bike was inside this thing but from here it looks so much smaller.

On a positive note, I did finish my ride and I did have fun with a little pain mixed in. I'm actually still enjoying the pain portion 4 days later. It seems that several of the needles broke offer under the skin in my right ankle. Perhaps this is my penance for not getting the shot I should have.

Image number 40,695

2009-12-16T22:51:00.001-07:00

So I am a Nikon shooter and have been for the past 25 years. I still have my Nikon FM2, one of my first Nikon cameras. Now I shoot all digital and have been happy with the results I get. At least until yesterday when my Art Director was trying to run a two-page horizontal spread. He needed to go up 140% to make the image work on the page. My first suggestion was to have the company buy me the new Nikon D3x that shoots 24megs thus doubling my image size. Obviously that is not going to happen especially with the $7,500 price tag. I then began to wonder how all the other Nikon pros are shooting for two page spreads with cameras that are only 12 Megs. As I was furiously searching the web for solutions I found the new Cannon 5d mark ii. This thing shoots full frame 21megs and shoots HD video for roughly $2600. That would almost double my image size and is not nearly as expensive as the Nikon solution. Don't get me wrong it has become insane with digital cameras and technology in that as soon as you buy a new one it is close to being obsolete. I have been seriously looking at the new Nikon D700 as my next upgrade but it too only shoots 12 Megs for roughly $2600. My current Nikon has just hit 40,000 images and still works like a champ. But it too is aging rapidly and soon will be obsolete. My lenses are aging as well. Is it time to make the switch? Bite the bullet and learn the Canon system? Did I mention I am a Nikon shooter?

Family Portraits

2009-12-13T15:30:00.000-07:00

As of late I have become a family portrait shooter with more and more requests. There's never any certantiy to these shoots with lots of challenges from family pets to unruly children to location nightmares. I do love the challenge of overcoming these obsticles while working through various scenarios to come up with quality imagery.

Here's some samples from recent shoots:

Product Photography on location

2009-12-09T10:00:00.001-07:00

Below are images from a product shot I did on location inside of a large shower. We really liked the frosted glass look and rather than set it up in studio we decided to use this location. Besides unlike other showers, this one could fit about ten people inside and had ample room for set up. I have also included a few other images of how the final layout looks after text and design.

As for the Strobist info, this was shot with two Nikon SB-800s indirect bounce, dragging the shutter for ambient.

Photo Editor?

2009-11-18T09:13:00.000-07:00

I am often asked what I do for a living and when I respond that I am a Photo Editor there is always the follow up question of "What's a Photo Editor do?". In my case, I do a lot of photography, but I also work to visualize and illustrate stories before the photography begins. Then it is a process of deciding if we can shoot it in house or if we think it can be illustrated with stock imagery and if those images work with others in the magazine to keep a strong editorial feel. The problem with stock is that it looks like stock and generally feels too commercial and generic. So, here are images shot for our Dec mags on a variety of subjects all shot by yours truly but with the help of others such as an Art Director, Stylist, Designer, and a team of creative people working towards a common goal.

End of October

2009-10-30T08:25:00.001-07:00

Wow, I can not believe October is just about over! I have been super busy with the day job (magazine photographer/photo editor) and have not been doing much freelance. I did shoot another wedding last week but will have to wait a few more days to post. For now, here are a few images I shot for the magazines and as soon as the December issues hit I will post a ton more. Once our new art director came on board, I went from just shooting covers to shooting just about everything in the magazines from people to product there is never a dull moment.

Sedona Wedding

2009-10-07T13:09:00.000-07:00

I had the opportunity to photograph a wedding in Sedona AZ last week and have to say that Sedona is my favorite place to do wedding photography. While I can not show bride and groom images yet since they have not seen them, I thought I would post several detail shots I did at various times.

This boquet was faboulous but was most difficult to get it to stay on her arm. The solution was to have her seated for a tight shot of the arrangement.

The cake was equally as nice as tit had flowers with custom touches everywhere.

I also chose to do a detail shot of the rings prior to the ceremony and was glad I asked. As it turns out there was some confusion as to where the rings were left. It was so much better to have this dilema long before the ceremony rather than moments before.

I also got lucky in that as we were shooting group portraits the sun decided to poke out and create an incredible light show as a backdrop to the images. I will post some of those once the bride and groom have had a chance to see the photos.

"The set up"

2009-09-20T10:04:00.003-07:00

I had a shoot this past Saturday for an agency where I come in set up and then shoot head shots for the new talent that has signed. It's always crazy in that its like a cattle call of folks coming in the door carrying babies or urging young children to behave and most importantly "Smile" for the man with the camera. Then there are the adults and teens some who come in confident and others that are so nervous for the shoot. It's always an adventure for me and really no stress but I am always drained afterwards and never know why. So I brought along my Canon G9 and shot some video of the set up and after viewing it realized that between the set up, the four hours of shooting and then tear down I must be doing around 300 squats. Maybe its time to start the photographers exercise video, not only do you get fit but you get to be creative while burning the calories.

TMP Locations?

2009-09-09T08:33:00.004-07:00

I have this idea to develop a web site where people can go to find great locations for either still or motion photography. As a photographer I see locations everyday that would be great for shooting but then speed on buy to my destination and then forget where they were as time goes by. So I have started a locations file for myself and that's where this hair brain idea came into play. The idea is to locate fantastic backgrounds shoot a couple of photos and then plot them with a GPS. I want to specialize for now in the Phoenix area specifically downtown. The web site would have the photos but would require a fee and password for the exact location. I know that these locations are public and that anyone can locate them but the idea is to save people the time and effort to scout and in turn charge a small fee for my service. I just can not decide if this is a project that will fly. Sometimes my lofty ambitions can get in the way of the big picture. I would love some input from other people on this and if you think its a service that is needed.