Growing up in Riverside, CA and spending some days off of school in the front office of a citrus packing house, I have a special relationship with the citrus industry, from a teenager hanging out at the Orange Blossom Festival to growing into a commercial photographer who often finds himself using citrus as a source of inspiration.
Read MoreMy everyday photo kit. A small but powerful kit that is perfect for everyday carry and can net you some solid results on the fly.
I carry a bag every day, where ever I go. As a photographer, I like to always have the tools I need to get that quick candid moment, or snap that impromptu portrait wherever I am.
When I purchased the Fujifilm X100s, a lot changed for me as a photographer. One of those changes was my realization that most of the camera bags I own are not at all aesthetically pleasing to me. Way too much black or grey nylon and little to no personality. So I began the search for a new bag. I settled on swapping out my camera bags for two seperate Domke bags. The one shown above would be my everyday bag, and another larger bag for bigger jobs requiring more gear.
I have now settled on a small, but very powerful everyday photo kit:
I adore this bag and this finish. The bag is solid, durable, exactly the right size for me, and looks great. In addition to this bag, I bought a larger messenger bag when the job requires more gear, so I have matching bags that look awesome, for what that's worth.
There is not a lot I can say here that I or others haven't already said. I love this camera and carry it every. single. day.
This flash is everything. I recently bought 2 more, in addition to the this one AND the two LumoPro LP160s I have. These flashes are powerful, consistent, reliable, versatile, and inexpensive. Almost everything I shoot is with a LumoPro flash.
Carrying these in my kit offers me two sync options: Via optical slave triggered by the X100s' on camera flash, or with these radio triggers.
Purchased from amazon.com, silver on one side and white on the other, packs up just small enough to fit in the bag. An essential part of this kit.
In the bag is a small CaseLogic wallet for carrying memory cards and spare batteries.
I am completely and totally addicted to Field Notes and their products. I carry at least one notebook with me everywhere I go, and I have multiple books filled with lighting diagrams, notes, and concepts for future projects.
No kit would be complete without a pack of gum, business cards, Advil, tweezers, a pocket knife and a bongo tie.
Although I don't carry it everywhere per se, I always have a light stand and umbrella nearby, generally in my car. You never know.
These are the kind of results this kit can get you
Shot with the Fuji, LP180 flash and reflector
Shot with the Fuji, LP180 flash and reflector
Shot with the Fuji, natural light.
As some readers of this blog may know, I am a full time staff photographer in a product studio for Nordstrom. I work with several other very talented photographers and stylists who all love their jobs. We decided collectively to start a bi-weekly photo challenge, we could be creative and share with each other some work outside of product photography. Every two weeks we will identify a theme, shoot an image or series of images, and then get together and share our images and process.
Our first round theme was "Street Photography" which we defined as a natural candid moment, shot without posing or any interference from the photographer. Here are the submissions:
Karen Utley - www.karenutley.com
Bonnie Warrington - www.bonniewarrington.com
Jenni Wilson - www.jenniwilson.com
Kimmy Ann Snow
Daniel T Jester
Joe and Meghan are a cute couple with a very specific sense of humor and style. We did engagement photos at Riverside's Fairmont Park and I wanted to make sure to bring a complementary style to their portraits. Just having both of them stand in the gazebo holding hands, facing straight on would have been a little cliche at this point in couples portraiture, but to apply a little of the Brenizer method and include a significant amount of the environment, plus exposing it such that we get some blown highlights around the outside of the gazebo's creates an atmosphere that is a little magical, more interesting and less cliche. The signature look of the Brenizer method is there, but very subtle.
Joe & Meghan | Engagement Session | Fairmont Park, Riverside CA
I was invited to sit in on rehearsal for Intersect Dance Theatre by Agatha Wright, who you might remember from a couple of posts ago. This group of dancers is magnificent and it was a pleasure to watch them rehearse.