Creative Headshots: David in Downtown Pensacola

David is a good buddy with whom I share a solid bromance. Marketing manager at Olive Baptist Church, he asked me for some headshots for his new website and personal branding, and we had a great time kicking around downtown on a Sunday afternoon.

Natural Light Portraits: Lana in the Forest

"Keep close to Nature's heart... and break clear away, once in awhile, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean."
- John Muir

I went back to my roots last weekend with a very simple shoot with a new collaborator, Lana.

I love shooting in natural light, and I am very pleased with the way these photos came out, with a variety of styles and moods. Lana did a great job of capturing the raw expressiveness I had hoped to capture with this project.

Creative Portraiture: Covered in Paint

Sometimes, you have an idea that you want to bring to life. A very specific image that you must see and capture through the viewfinder of your camera.

The first image in this series was exactly such an idea. Annie and I put it together with our friend Christina and were incredibly happy with the results. All subsequent images were just gravy.

Bushido - A Short Documentary by TLP Media

"Steven!"

"Yes?"

"I need to shoot a short documentary to teach my AV class how to shoot good material on their iPhones. Can I shoot you practicing and talking about your journey in karate?"

"Ummmm... sure!"

My long-time buddy, Travis Patterson, is a fellow photographer, as well as being a teacher, videographer, designer and all-around media specialist (see his work at TLP Media, Cosplay by TLP Media, etc). We've been hanging out since I was in my undergrad and he was in his masters at UWF, and this project felt like a throwback to the good old days when we would get together on a weekend and just be creative and do a project together.

I don't often get in front of the camera. I post occasional images and thoughts related to my training, but I try not to share too much of the actual training itself. Inherent in traditional karate are tenets of humility and introspection, and I didn't want to veer into self-aggrandizement by talking too much or displaying too much training on camera. Vainly, I was also self conscious to be in front of the camera after a week of being sick, not training and getting a little soft around the edges.

With all that said, I can always trust Travis as a storyteller and image composer, so I decided to go for it.

Believe it or not, this super pretty footage (that is to say that the footage is pretty, the actor is fairly mediocre) was shot on an iPhone 6s, lit with $10 lights and stabilized with a cheap tripod and a selfie stick. You see, kids? It's easy to make a movie!

Travis's Portfolio: http://travislpatterson.wix.com/

Johnnie Walker - Dear Brother

This is a spec advertisement that is currently breaking the internet in my social circles. I'm sharing here for two reasons.

1. This piece can only be described as heartbreakingly beautiful. Stunningly shot, edited and voiced. As a piece of visual art, it is a masterpiece for these filmmakers.
2. It's still bringing tears to my eyes and it's been 12 hours since my first viewing.

Walking the roads of our youth
Through the land of our childhood, our home, and our truth
Be near me, guide me, always stay beside me
So I can be free
Free
Let’s roam this place, familiar and vast
Our playground of green frames our past
We were wondrous
Never lost
Always home
When every place was fenceless
And time was endless
Our ways were always the same
Call my demons and walk me, my brother
Until our roads lead us away from each other
And if your heart’s full of sorrow, keep walking
Don’t rest
And promise me from heart to chest to never let your memories die
Never
I will always be alive and by your side
In your mind
I’m free