I have said time and time again, PhotoShelter is THE best company out there for photographers. I have been a customer since early 2006, I think I was probably one of the first people to sign up. Never before have I seen a company that does so much for the industry. Never before have I seen a company that improves its product to match the needs of photographer requests so swiftly. Never before has there been a company like PhotoShelter and never will there be a company like PhotoShelter. They are the backbone of my business from galleries, to print sales, to client photo delivery, to stock sales, etc, etc. I recommend them to everyone I know. The beauty of PhotoShelter, is they are not just for print sales, or just for stock sales, or just for online archiving. They are for everything.

I am quoted on their website saying, “You could ask 10 people how they make money using PhotoShelter and you would get 10 different answers. That’s what is so great about it. There are so many ways to use it and use it to your advantage.”

How true that is. There are ways to use PhotoShelter that I do not use. There are things I do that many people do not. I use it a variety of ways for a variety of different purposes. Hit the jump for a breakdown of what makes them so special.

Read the rest of this entry »

I shoot a lot of senior photos in the summer and fall, not too many in the winter and spring, but this week is pretty busy. Most people have their photos shot based on high school yearbook deadlines, most of which are in the fall, but a few schools around here have March deadlines, which is fine by me! This is a great time to shoot. Here are a couple from yesterday. I love shooting on cloudy days as they provide a great even fill light and allow me to pop just a bit of strobe into the scene to give some great light. Each of these images were shot with a small speedlight with a small softbox to give the photo (and the eyes) a little kick and make the colors pop. Remember, the trick to using off camera light is to enhance the available light, not overpower it, you want your images to look natural even when they are lit. Each of these were shot with a Canon 5D Mark II and an 85mm lens at f2, ISO 50, strobe at about 1/64th or 1/32 power. This little park is just a few blocks from the studio and one of my favorite places to shoot. I should add that I really loved her hairstyle!

About a week ago, my little brother and I decided to make a last minute weekend trip up to Vancouver to take in some of the Olympics live and in person. We have been saying we should go for since the city was awarded the games, but just never really made any plans. So, we said “lets do it” and we hit the road. We had no tickets, no place to stay and just a couple of days to plan. I made some calls to some photographer friends who are shooting the games to get a feel for how to get tickets and where to stay, etc. (Click the jump for more photos)

Read the rest of this entry »

Lots of things going on in the land of the Trailblazers yesterday. The least of which was a game against the Clippers. The Blazers pretty much cruised to a victory but not before grabbing headlines around the NBA. Click the jump for some more photos…

Read the rest of this entry »

I am really excited to announce my next big lighting workshop! I have been wanting to do a workshop in the snow for a while now and a few weeks ago when the PMPA approached me about holding a lighting workshop, I thought it would be the perfect fit. It will take place on Wednesday March 31, 2010 at the Silcox Hut at Timberline Lodge. If you are not familiar with the hut, it is above the lodge at the 7000 foot level of Mt. Hood and only accessible via snowcat or skis. A great place to hold a private seminar. (More info after the jump)

Read the rest of this entry »