the one thing i am finding about shooting underwater is that no image is the same. the light is always changing because the water is always moving! makes it really challenging, frustrating and completely exciting! i also find the light to be much more forgiving and in order for the images to be dynamic and interesting, the light should be anywhere but right behind you.   so here are a few more...as soon as my good friend mike sandy gets his underwater video housing, would love to share some video from a pool shoot.


thanks to my models for kicking butt today!  its harder than it looks, smiling and posing underwater!

was flipping though the recent issue of PDN and happen to see my image used for the IPN Stock Agency campaign advert, see below.  kinda funny because i never really understood the images that IPN selected as featured advert images.  there really never seems to be a connection to the message...but i am glad that they featured mine.  but the question is...does it actually mean that you as a photographer will see more stock sales from the features?  I doubt it but it certainly can not hurt.

a few more features below the IPN feature, including aurora's outdoor photographer feature and images used in jupiter's web site. 

long time PDN reader, PHOTOSERVE photog, IPN stock contributor and first time PDN PHOTOPLUS attendee...maybe, finally.  really thinking of heading to new york this year, for the first time.  in recent years, i was always booked up on shoots during the event dates and this year, being close enough to the dates, i can actually leave them open if i decide to attend.  the conferences that looked most appealing to me are:

october 23
the art of the portrait ~ platon
world class stock ~ tyler stableford
real faces, commercial impact ~ paul foster and amy steigbigel

october 24
motion stock for still photographers ~ panel
how to get work from ad agencies ~ debra weiss
staying successful in stock ~ panel
survival tactics in stock ~ jack hollingsworth

october 25
why shoot stock ~ panel
stock photography and the consumer ~ dan heller
lighting for commercial production ~ f scott shafer
how to break into lifestyle/travel photography ~ panel


if your heading to photoplus, let me know, maybe we can swap notes and say hi.  or if you have seen any of the above talks and care to share insight, please do! 

www.photoplusexpo.com

hi all, kat asked me about my naming system and i responded to her saying it might not blow ya away, its simple, easy and works for me.

i started to do screen captures but after i was like 8 screen captures into it, i was like, its way easier than this!!  so here goes...

i have drives that are mirrored for back up and the name of the drive is the date of the first job shot... so the drive i am working on is called 2008-04-27.  i never fill the drive up all the way but always leave about 20 gigs on it for working room if and when i need to dig back into that drive...or i make room on it by deleting non-selects or dead projects.

so on 2008-04-27, i have folders based on what i am shooting: commercial, personal, stock, private-commisions.  in each folder are folders of the shoots, the name is the date and a title of the shoot.  for example:  2007-06-14-nineplus-summer-catalog.  You can see the sample screen capture, on the left you can see the folder names, in a folder called random stock on my production computer:


then once all the files are downloaded in their folder, i rename them the date and a 4 digit number, for example: 20080804_0020.jpg.   I always sort the date by year, month, day.  I dont think i have ever shot more than 9999 images on one assignment, or at least in one day.


after every file has been named, i do my selects for the client or for stock with 1 star and my favs/portfolio or other with 2 stars.  once i am done with the selects and edits, i then toss some general meta data on the files.  i have many templates saved for meta data but for the most part i w ill only use my one called "basic" which is contact info.


then copy it over to the backup drive, i can then format the used cards and i am good to go.  I will output the images to jpgs and run my action to a low res file on the selects if it was for a client or to a stock agency.

the only tricky part is when i need to look up a shoot from a few years ago, i need to remember what category the shoot falls, stock, commercial assignment, personal.

i also do like to add additional searching content in the meta data and if i feel like i need to start using a cataloging software like iview, i can drop all the raw files into an iview catalog and have it generate over night.  i just don't really need to look up files based on keyword in the studio.

hope this as helpful, but i told you, pretty simple!

just having a little bit of fun at the cove.  its like a petting zoo down there with all the garibaldi, pretty fun.  well, i am not actually at the cove today, shot this a few days ago and i am on assignment in napa valley, shooting wine.  so while i am gone, enjoy the orange fish!

i have had people ask me where i find my places to shoot... I actually do very little location scouting, unless it is a very art directed session with location intention or there is a budget and producer that helps secure and plot the locations.  for the most part i have an idea and scout when shooting and just find it! 

so here is alexia's session in la jolla.  love the field...the second i saw, i was excited.

update**  both housing and lens are sold!!  thanks

hi all, moving my underwater rig to the 1ds m2 and have a custom made del mar housing for a 5d for sale... the port fits a 17-40...also seems to fit a 50mm, 85mm... and has a zoom ring, exposure knob and a packet wizard port.

port is super clean, no scratches, like new except for some scratches on the top bottom of the housing...

$1500 ~  housing
$600 ~ lens 17-40

Call or email!

just thought i would share my backdrop system, which i really dig on.  i used to spend tons of money on rolled paper for my backdrops... i switched to vinyl rolls which is great, because, they roll or fold up easy, they don't wrinkle, if they get dirty, i just wipe them down with a spray cleaner and they are as good as new.  plus have you shot with paper?  it sucks!

plus when most of my shoots are done, my backdrop looks like this on the floor...not a problem ;-)  i get all my vinyl at fabric stores...

hi everyone, just a shout out to the ITDR team.  they are kicking but out there in tempe, az and wanted to share the new site with you all... if your not familiar with ITDR, they create some of the nicest flash applications for photographers including SlideShareMAX, PhotoProofMAX, Flash Blogs, and insane web sites... and more to come!  check them out....

http://www.intothedarkroom.com


ITDR started with a long list of things i wanted and needed as a photographer.  Theta Interactive was a commercial client of mine that turned into a thriving business relationship.  The family of products has evolved nice and will continue to evolve as fast as I can get Anthony to approve products and Michael to develop them at all hours of the night!

I also have to say thanks to Meghan, Ann Marie, Brad, Kitty and Claudia who all make it happen on the back-end and customer service side.  Thanks guys!!

With the ITDR blogs taking off like mad, my existing blog,  the one your reading right now, was just released as a template...so if your interested, give them a call!  thanks!

still at it!  i love the challenge of finding subjects.  nothing like tossing the camera in the front seat with some motivation and inspiration to get some portraits.  sorta like a subject hunt.  i have also been testing out my good friend doug boutwells totally rad actions on this set of images.  pretty nice stuff!