ryan hoffman photography

film

2010-08-15T09:21:00.000-07:00

I will be posting all of my film work here from now on.

tjo (film)

2010-08-13T13:50:00.001-07:00

Here are some of the film images that I promised from my session with my sister-in-law and her fiance. The first three photos (square) are medium format shot using the Hasselblad and Fujicolor 160 film. The last four photos are shot using my 35mm Canon FT with Kodak 400 ISO, lending a more grainy feel. That film also feels a little warm and dusty compared to the Fuji. I love the feel of both.

tjo

2010-08-02T07:52:00.000-07:00

I was able to do some shots of my sister-in-law and her fiance this weekend, TJ and Jordan (whom I have this instant dubbed TJo). TJ proposed on this dock and so we thought it would be nice to get some photos here. They wanted a softer light, so we shot all natural (not au naturel), lending a more serene feel to these images in this instance. I shot in three different formats: medium format, 35mm, and digital. The film has yet to be developed, but here are the digital images of this handsome couple.

ryan

2010-07-30T09:33:00.001-07:00

Congratulations and good luck to Ryan as he serves as a missionary for his church.

kaci & aaron

2010-07-29T08:23:00.000-07:00

These shots are from an engagement session that I did last month. We shot at Tonto Natural Bridge State Park, which is a beautiful location and was a good way to escape the heat in the valley during a summer session.

dad

2010-06-09T16:44:00.000-07:00

owen

2010-06-07T16:31:00.001-07:00

Owen Dean Hoffman

Born June 3, 2010

10:16 P.M.

7 lbs. 15 oz.

I am a dad.

blake & maryn

2010-05-20T11:10:00.001-07:00

I was able to shoot Blake and Maryn at a second location last weekend. Great couple, great location. Here a some favorites.

tonto natural bridge state park

2010-05-01T18:29:00.000-07:00

I went camping last night with my dad and brother-in-law. Tonto Natural Bridge State Park was nearby and we decided to see if it happened to still be open - being one of the parks scheduled to close due to the budget crisis. I had not been there before and I had been meaning to go. Lucky for us, the city of Payson had put up the money to keep the park open, at least until September. I strongly urge anyone who has not been to go.

The grounds and landscape are pristine. There are trails leading to waterfalls pouring over verdant vegetation. Strange formations and abstract textures, otherworldy. A variety of animal life can be seen along the way. There is also a diversity of flora, including wildflowers, berry bushes, various trees, and some cacti. This was truly one of the prettiest places I have been to in the diverse and beautiful state I call home: Arizona.

hasselblad owners club

2010-04-08T08:18:00.000-07:00

I just created a profile on Hasselblad's website in the "Hasselblad Owners Club" - http://www.hasselblad.com/hoc/photographers/ryan-hoffman.aspx

The six images featured are six of my favorite photos created using my Hasselblad 500 C/M.

Make sure to click on the thumbnails for the full image.

(Yeah, I'm a nerd)

blake & maryn

2010-04-05T08:30:00.000-07:00

Here are some favorites from a bride and groom session with Blake and Maryn. We'll be shooting at a second location at the end of this month.

fousts

2010-02-07T07:43:00.001-08:00

My sister's family. I shot these using natural light. All of my film work is shot using available light, but often when I am shooting digital I usually employ an off-camera lighting setup. I thought I would switch it up so that my lighting does not become increasingly stylized and repetitive.

courtney rogers: make-up artist

2010-01-25T11:44:00.000-08:00

I had the opportunity to do some beauty shots for make-up artist Courtney Rogers. I really enjoyed working with Courtney and the girls and am happy with what we got.

for fun

2010-01-24T17:41:00.001-08:00

These shots were not commissioned by Mica, but I just shot them on my own time using my own watch. For practice and fun, I guess. Anyway, I just thought I would post them.

the aviator

2010-01-07T17:52:00.001-08:00

These are a few photos from a recently developed roll of Tri-X 220 film, 320 ISO. My brother-in-law was a good sport to indulge me with these shots. Thanks, Po.

flat iron

2010-01-07T17:30:00.001-08:00

On New Year's Day my dad, brother-in-law, friend and I embarked on a short expedition to Flat Iron, which is at the top of the Superstition Mountains. It was a rigorous but rewarding hike. We camped overnight at the top and enjoyed views of the entire valley, sunset, a nearly full moon (surrounded by an enormous halo), and sunrise. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys the outdoors. I took these with my Canon FT 35mm and Kodak 200 ISO negative film.

leaves

2009-12-28T06:54:00.001-08:00

My nephew loves to get into things and make a mess, so I made a huge pile of leaves in my backyard for him to play in. He liked it okay but he didn't seem to enjoy it quite as much as I thought he would. Here are just a few photos I took while he was still somewhat interested in the leaves.

mike & leah

2009-12-27T16:58:00.000-08:00

I recently shot the wedding of Mike and Leah. Here are a few from the bride and groom session and a couple of engagements that I forgot to post when we shot them earlier.

dillon & gavin

2009-12-17T07:35:00.001-08:00

These two kiddos are my wife's cousin's kids. I guess that makes them my wife's second cousins once removed? Or is it first cousins once removed? Maybe it is just second cousins? For me, would it make them my second cousins once removed in-law? That all gets way too confusing. We just call them our cousins. Anyways, we took these really quick in the treehouse in my in-laws backyard on a rainy day.

produce the optimum negative

2009-12-13T06:58:00.000-08:00

"You may as well ask why anyone should go to such pains to produce consistent negatives when we have printing papers available that allow us to compensate for negatives of differing scales. While such control has its uses, it is best to strive for the optimum negative to minimize dependency on printing contrast control..."

-Ansel Adams: The Negative, p. 47

It is amazing how these words hold true today. Even though Ansel Adams is speaking in the context of analog (film), it is just as applicable to digital today. Photoshop has its place, but strive to produce the optimum image in camera to minimize dependency. It is too easy to allow digital conveniences to undermine the development of true photographic knowledge and skill.

rain

2009-12-08T07:21:00.000-08:00

Who doesn't love the rain? I guess people in Seattle probably don't love the rain, but I live in the desert and it is a rare and pleasant thing to have an all-day rain.

waves of approximation

2009-11-17T18:59:00.000-08:00

Remember the band that I recently did some photos for? The Olympic Whites. They just released their first full album, Waves of Approximation and it can be purchased at http://www.theolympicwhites.com/. My tremendously talented friend Angela (http://www.seesawdesigns.com/) designed the website and album cover. Both the art and the music are equally fantastic. Buy it. You want it.

us

2009-11-01T12:30:00.001-08:00

My wife and me.

from a basement on a hill

2009-10-22T20:16:00.001-07:00

This basement isn't actually on a hill. However, it is the basement where the music is made. I really enjoyed sitting in on this session with my friends in The Olympic Whites. I am glad that I had the chance to produce these more grainy and raw images in contrast to the polished promo shots we did recently. This was a more personal project, but I fully enjoyed both shoots. I will announce when the album is released. You will want it.

the olympic whites

2009-10-12T12:48:00.001-07:00

These are some shots I did recently of The Olympic Whites. I had a lot of fun with this shoot and I am really glad with what turned out. Their album will be released soon. I'll announce when it is available.

rest in peace, irving penn.

2009-10-07T13:30:00.000-07:00

Summer Sleep - Irving Penn

This is my favorite photo from one of my favorite photographers of all time. Irving Penn passed away yesterday at the age of 92. Just last week on October 4th I was at the J. Paul Getty museum in L.A. enjoying the Irving Penn exhibition, "Small Trades." That fantastic exhibiton of over 250 prints by Penn will be open through January 10, 2010. I highly recommend that anyone see it who has the chance: http://www.getty.edu/art/exhibitions/penn/.
Here is the New York Times piece that ran follwing his passing: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/08/arts/design/08penn.html?_r=2&hp

Goodbye, Irving Penn, and thank you.

papago

2009-09-10T15:07:00.000-07:00

I went to Papago Park, "hole in the rock." It is an interesting place. One can view the entire valley from this interesting rock structure. Here are a few photos of what I saw from there. The third image is the actual cave-like area inside the rock. The other two are some landscapes of the surrounding desert and Camelback mountain. There were some monsoon clouds forming in the north, which made the landscape seem much more interesting. I think it would be nice to have a picnic in the rock, when the weather gets cooler.

first roll

2009-09-02T17:23:00.000-07:00

These are a few select photos from my first roll of medium format film. I loaded it properly, all of the exposures were correct, and the Hasselblad itself is in perfect working condition. I like the Fujicolor Pro, but I think I'll be loading some Tri X black and white next. Anyway, I thoroughly enjoy medium format.

mica

2009-09-01T11:12:00.001-07:00

I know that I have posted these shots before, but I just wanted to make a short plug and special mention that Mica has launched their premier line of watches. I don't often wear a watch myself, but I got myself one today (I chose the watch in the top image of this post). The watches can be purchased at http://www.micamove.com/. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to do some fine detail product images for Mica which they have allowed me to use for my portfolio and which I am very proud of (click on the images for a larger more detailed image). It is an attractive product. You want it.

I want to make a small disclaimer to avoid any potential confusion, that none of the images on the Mica website right now are my work. Please do not mistake the images on the site as my work. With that said, check out the site. Get a watch. Spread the word.

tmax 100

2009-08-27T14:23:00.000-07:00

Here are a few favorite photos from a recent roll of TMax 100 film. Great film.

sedona

2009-08-23T13:34:00.001-07:00

I got to go to Sedona this weekend with a couple of friends. The weather was fantastic and the scenery was spectacular, as always.

sunflower

2009-08-20T13:04:00.000-07:00

Enjoy.

Hasselblad 500c/m

2009-08-01T13:11:00.001-07:00

It is here. I ordered a 500c/m Hasselblad last week and it arrived yesterday. It came with the body, an 80mm f/2.8 Zeiss Planar lens, and an A24 back (220 film). Everything is mint and incredibly clean, as described in the sale. There is no built-in meter in this classic camera, so I will have to make use of a handheld light meter and probably a gray card. I am elated. I can't wait to begin learning medium format.

The purchase was mainly driven by the desire to expand my understanding and versatility in photography. Though I have been doing a lot of personal work in the small format of 35mm film, I feel like working with medium format will be a critical step in enhancing my photographic knowledge and skills. I will now admit that a fraction of the motive in acquiring this camera was an attempt to seperate myself from the hordes of people who are involved in photography because digital SLRs have made it easy. There is nothing wrong with digital cameras. I use a DSLR for my client work. However, one major problem with the convenience of a DSLR-which problem I myself have fallen victim to-is that it becomes easy to rely on quantity, deleting, and photoshop (I don't do much post production because I believe in making the image correctly in camera) rather than a keen understanding and practice of photographic principles. In his book The Camera, Ansel Adams called this a "scattered" approach, and describes it as follows:

"It is tempting with small format cameras...to make a great number of exposures to be "safe." True, there will always be one that is better than the others, but that does not mean it is a good photograph! The best 35mm photographers I know are efficient and make relatively few exposures. They know what they want and they do not rely on the 'scattered' approach" (Adams, The Camera p.110).

If Ansel Adams was aware of the problematic "scattered" approach with regard to 35mm film, just think of what he might have to say about digital SLRs today. It is quite literally infinitely easier to take a scattered approach with DSLRs than 35mm film. There aren't costs of film and development to worry about with digital.

This is part of my reasoning for stretching myself into medium format. Because of the cost of film and development, and the scarce wiggle room for error, it will hopefully force me to improve and become more critical and selective as I shoot. The end.

travis & melanie

2009-07-25T09:16:00.001-07:00

Here are a handful of shots from the bride and groom session that I had with Mel and Travis. It has been great to be able to hang out with these two in our planning sessions and at our shoots. They are a terrific couple and I am excited about the photos we produced together.

roan

2009-07-25T09:10:00.001-07:00

Here are a few photos of Roan. This cute little guy belongs to my dear friends, the Goffs.

travis & melanie engagements

2009-06-27T14:46:00.000-07:00

Here are a few favorite shots from Travis and Melanie's engagement session. I was thrilled to be able to do some of our shoot inside of the very stylish loft in downtown Mesa where Travis lives. The last photo was one that I just had in mind, even though it would not be something most people would send out in their wedding announcements, Travis and Mel indulged me anyway. I wanted to light them using the cool television light and then accent with the warm tungsten lighting from the kitchen area. Anyway, I had a lot of fun working with these two and look forward to their wedding.

new website

2009-06-18T07:17:00.000-07:00

My new website is live. It is still ryanhoffmanphoto.com, just new and improved. My thanks to Livebooks. They were incredibly easy to work with.

mica

2009-06-13T08:20:00.000-07:00

Here are some more of the new Mica watches, set to launch this summer. Click on the images for a larger, more detailed look.

mica watches

2009-05-31T18:28:00.000-07:00

I had the opportunity to do some product photography for Mica, a new watch company set to launch this summer. Let me say that despite the fact that I own watches but rarely wear them, I will have a Mica watch on my wrist. This first line is all wood, with the exception of the face, working parts, and pins. These watches are considerably lighter than a metal watch of comparable size. Acquire one. You will like it.

allison

2009-05-27T13:37:00.001-07:00

Here are a few photos from a recent portrait session.

a nice trip north

2009-05-17T18:18:00.000-07:00

Jerome

Tuzigoot ruins

Sedona

Devil's Arch in Sedona

Oak Creek

Sunset Crater

Wupatki ruins

Rocks near Wukoki ruins and San Francisco Peaks

Wukoki ruins

The Citadel ruins

Box Canyon Dwellings

Lomoki ruins

Elden Pueblo ruins

Walnut Canyon cliff dwellings

Two Guns ghosttown

My brother-in-law and I went for a brief camping trip in Flagstaff this past weekend. We stopped through Jerome, Tuzigoot ruins, Sedona, Oak Creek Canyon, Sunset Crater, the ruins at Wupatki National Monument, and Two Guns. It was a nice escape from the heat, even if only for a little while. I have been really enamored with native ruins lately. I am trying to see and photograph all of the dwellings and sites that Arizona has to offer. It may take awhile, but I have really enjoyed experiencing these ancient features that are a special part of Arizona's history. I highly recommend seeing some of these remarkable places.

rivers

2009-05-04T07:25:00.000-07:00

These are a couple personal shots of my nephew from a roll of film I just recently developed. What a fat.

recent work

2009-04-14T16:18:00.001-07:00

I have been really terrible at posting recent work lately. Here are a handful of photos from different sessions over the past few months, beginning with the most recent.

the girl

2009-04-11T16:22:00.000-07:00

Eating Easter M&Ms and looking through my Richard Avedon book. Oh, Alex.

mutant saguaro

2009-04-09T09:25:00.000-07:00

I took these shots near the Desert Botanical Gardens in Phoenix. I think this is a saguaro, but I am not entirely sure since it looks like a mutant. I know there is a strange phenomenon that occurs with some cacti and other plants called fasciation, and the plant becomes "crested," but this doesn't quite look the same as other crested saguaros I have seen.
Anyway, I like these shots. There is a bird on one of the cactus arms in the first one.

3rd anniversary

2009-04-06T12:44:00.000-07:00

Today I have been married for three years. I scarcely deserve her.

mckay

2009-04-01T23:22:00.000-07:00

My lovely sister-in-law is graduating high school this year. Congratulations, Mckay.

good dog

2009-03-31T15:44:00.001-07:00

As I have probably mentioned numerous times, I love shooting a lot of my personal stuff with my completely manual 35mm Canon FT. This bottom photo I really enjoy. I just got it back in a recently developed roll. My parent's dog is a good dog, despite the psychotic look in this bottom photo. I added the first photo to illustrate that she is a Lab and not a Pitbull. I made her sit, I focused, tossed the ball and snapped. I got the shot I wanted in the first of two attempts.

prints available

2009-03-26T16:22:00.000-07:00

I recently created an Etsy shop where I am selling prints. Click here to access the shop. There is also a link to the right under "prints." Thank you.

from my weekend in flagstaff

2009-03-23T07:12:00.000-07:00

A few shots from Flagstaff.

seeds with parachutes

2009-03-17T13:26:00.001-07:00

I took this quite awhile ago (when I first started shooting digital). I rediscovered it. It is one of my favorite early photographs.

arizona

2009-03-16T12:53:00.000-07:00

These are a few recent shots that I took while enjoying the desert. I know I have already posted a photo of this church before, but I like this one much better.

I love the desert.

spring in macro

2009-03-09T13:17:00.000-07:00

What is better than cool weather and the smell of orange blossoms? While I don't look forward to the advent of summer and its stinging 110+ temperatures, I always enjoy the springtime that precedes it. I don't typically get that excited about butterflies and flowers, but here are some recent images I took exploring the macro world of spring (though, the hummingbird was not a macro capture).

nephew

2009-02-24T14:22:00.001-08:00

These are just a couple more photos from a recently developed roll of 35mm black and white. I saved them for a seperate post because they didn't really fit in with the last one.

broken road and barb-wired sky

2009-02-24T14:06:00.000-08:00

These are photos from a recently developed roll of 35mm black and white film. I have been having so much fun with my manual Canon FT 35mm lately. It is often a pleasant surprise to see the results of the film. Partly because it is film and it is not something that can instantly be deleted, and therefore, I have to truly exercise a knowledge of proper exposure and techniques-though I must admit that I did digitally scan these and cropped the last image into a square format (obviously, since it is originally 35mm film). Another thing that is so fun and exciting about film is the fact that it takes me awhile to expose an entire roll and I often forget what the subjects of some of my earlier frames were. So, when it is developed I get excited all over again.

tempe town lake

2009-02-17T22:51:00.001-08:00

I have been meaning to create these images for awhile now, so I took my camera to school with me so that I could take these after class. They turned out the way I had visualized them, so I am pleased.

spines and scars

2009-02-12T06:58:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple photos I did, exploring the macro when I was looking for the snow in the desert. The first is a prickly pair, and the other two are from a scarred saguaro. I think cacti are amazing and beautiful. They seem like something alien.

desert snow

2009-02-10T11:38:00.000-08:00

It seems strange to get snow in the desert, but there it is. I took a drive down toward Payson today and the mountains on the way were all dusted with snow.

mi sobrino

2009-02-07T22:11:00.000-08:00

This is my nephew, Rivers. I love him.

35mm

2009-02-03T11:08:00.000-08:00

These are a few of my favorites from a 35mm roll of black and white that I just developed. Something strange happened with the first image of the abandoned hotel. I looked at the negatives and there was a strip of see-through blue tape or film on the back of the film negative. It was folded over and apparently caused the print to look sort of magenta. I don't know if it was something the lab put on there or forgot to remove, or if the emulsion on the back of the film peeled off (I doubt it is the latterbecause I think there would be no image at all). Either way, I actually quite enjoy the mistake and imperfection of it. It makes it more interesting to me.

LADYbIRD

2009-01-24T11:39:00.000-08:00

I had the opportunity last weekend to do a shoot for LADYbIRD Boutique & Spa. We needed to produce some essential images for the coming launch of their website. I was thrilled to be able to do this type of work and to have the opportunity to work with the three talented and ambitious entrepreneurs and proprietors of LADYbIRD Boutique & Spa. Some of the images which we needed to create included shots of the spa space (when I type the word spa before space it seems like my fingers are stuttering), some beauty shots with our lovely model, some fashion images of our model featuring some accessories that will be a part of the boutique inventory, and some product images. Here are a few of my favorite photos that we created. I am really pleased with what we produced in this shoot and I am looking forward to working with LADYbIRD again.

the fousts

2009-01-18T13:16:00.000-08:00

Here are a few photos of my sister, her husband, and their new baby.

jenny & scott: part two

2009-01-10T14:26:00.001-08:00

As I stated in my previous post, this group of images is part of a sort of storyboard that has been burning in my mind for a little while now and needed to be put out. I wanted to do a sort of hitch-hiking/eloping bride and groom on their way to Las Vegas or wherever to get married or for a honeymoon: however you want to interpret it. Jenny and Scott wanted to do something a little different so I threw the idea at them and they were game. We had a lot of fun with this shoot and I am extremely pleased with the result. Though there was stress about the old '63 pickup truck surviving the distance to our location, and a police officer gave us the boot from the location as we were wrapping up (turned out to be reservation land), it was well worth the work and effort it took to make the idea work. I hope others enjoy them as much as I do.

jenny & scott: part one

2009-01-10T14:20:00.000-08:00

I am posting this shoot in two parts. One reason is that I would have a hard time choosing just a few from this session to post. Another reason is that the second group of images that I will be posting is sort of part of a storyboard and they relate to each other in a specific order, whereas these few are not a part of that. Anyway, we had a fantastic shoot overall and Scott and Jenny were just as comfortable and fun to work with as when we did their engagement session.

new year's day

2009-01-02T10:20:00.000-08:00

I enjoyed a new year's day skate session with my friend Logan at a couple of street spots. We have actually been anxiously waiting to hit the spot with the fire hydrant, but each time there have been cars parked in the way. Anyway, here are a few photos.

merry christmas & happy holidays

2008-12-25T13:03:00.000-08:00

I just want to wish everyone a merry Christmas and happy holidays. Here are few photos that I took of my sister-in-law in her splendid $5 footy pajamas. She is a good sport. Enjoy.

the wedge and the pink ledges

2008-12-21T08:09:00.000-08:00

Here are a few shots that I took of Mr. Logan Goff. The first three are from yesterday at the wedge in Scottsdale. The last one is from a few months ago at the pink ledges in Phoenix near South Mountain.

hatch family

2008-12-01T05:49:00.001-08:00

I normally don't really post any family shoots anymore, but these are my family photos. My in-laws and I recently did our family photos for Christmas. We were trying for some more natural/candid shots that would typify each individual, but we also did some normal ones as well. I set up both of my lights at 45 degrees, put my camera on a tripod and framed the images, and let my little sister snap away. Here are a few of my favorites.

P.S. I very much dislike having my photo taken and this is a rare appearance for me in a photograph (especially taken by me), so enjoy.

refracted light and the weather

2008-11-30T09:08:00.000-08:00

I forgot to post this earlier when I took it, but we have had some terrific weather here in Mesa over the holiday. Rain is rare, and I love the days that we have it.

scott & jenny

2008-11-29T21:17:00.000-08:00

Here are some favorites from a recent engagement session with Scott and Jenny. Luckily the weather was kind to us and we didn't get rained on, despite the ominous looking sky. We had a great shoot and I'm looking forward to shooting the rest of their wedding.

ben & steffany

2008-11-23T09:32:00.000-08:00

I had the privilege of photographing Ben and Steffany's wedding last Friday. They were such a fun and layed back couple to shoot and I am thrilled with the results. Here are some of my many favorites.

mitch foy

2008-11-23T09:15:00.000-08:00

Here are some portraits that I forgot to post a few weeks ago.

happy halloween

2008-10-31T11:23:00.001-07:00

this is a long drive for someone with nothing to think about

2008-10-29T11:02:00.001-07:00

This is an older photo that I rediscovered, that I took on some road trip. I like this one so I decided to post it, even though it isn't recent.

jake & kalli

2008-09-21T23:17:00.000-07:00

Here are a handful of favorites from Jake and Kalli's engagement session this weekend. Despite the warmth in the air and the abundance of insects at our location, these two looked fantastic and we had a great session.

deck park, phx

2008-09-14T00:40:00.000-07:00

Today some friends and I went to downtown Phoenix to skate Deck Park. It was an enjoyable and interesting session. Not only did we get our fill of skateboarding enjoyment, but we also had our fill of taunting delinquents and cursing schizophrenics. Good stuff.

35mm archives

2008-09-05T13:53:00.001-07:00

Here are some old 35mm shots I took awhile back. I scanned the 4x6 prints that I have because I don't have an actual film scanner, so excuse the quality.

final project

2008-09-05T13:35:00.000-07:00

These are the four images that made up my final project for a photo class that I took years ago. I shot these originally on black and white 35mm film. I can't remember if the ISO was 200 or 400 or if these were from two different rolls with different ISO each. Anyway, I scanned the prints that I made in the darkroom. I don't know if I still have the negatives, but it wouldn't matter because I don't own a film scanner myself. The project was to do a storyboard OR a theme. Mine would have worked better as a storyboard if I didn't shoot it in two different days and my subject wasn't wearing different clothes. Continuity was lost, so I turned it in as a skateboarding theme (obviously). I got an 'A' anyway. I am sure that all of that background info on the photos was not necessary, but there you have it.

seth

2008-08-31T07:52:00.000-07:00

This is my friend, Seth Sitton. He skateboards really well. Here are a few shots of him doing a straight ollie and a nose-bonk at this gap. I don't know if the size of the gap comes through appropriately in the photos, but it is a large gap, plus there is the difficulty of getting over the raised end of the wall. Nicely done, Seth. It feels good to take skate shots again. Hopefully there will be more to come in the near future. In other news, somebody stole my own skateboard. I think I left it in the bed of my truck and now it is gone. Boo.

three storms

2008-08-29T08:38:00.000-07:00

These are just some personal shots that I took during three different storms. Stormy desert nights are one of my favorite things here in Arizona.

more superior, az

2008-08-29T08:21:00.000-07:00

Here are just a few more images from Superior, in color.

superior, az

2008-08-27T13:05:00.001-07:00

I decided out of spontaneity to drive to Superior today and look for photographs. Here are some images of Superior.

jacob gold & associates

2008-08-13T13:41:00.001-07:00

I had another commercial shoot for Jacob Gold & Associates. A new team member was added so we needed to update. It went really well and I really love working with everyone there. They are a great group and I am really fortunate to be able to work with them.

fossil springs

2008-07-13T13:39:00.000-07:00

On Saturday a couple friends invited me to go to Fossil Springs with them. It is located near Strawberry, which is just 15 minutes or so outside of Payson, AZ. It was incredible. The water is so clear, there is a rope swing, some cliffs to dive from (including the dam), waterfalls, an underwater cave, and more. One can even go behind the dam waterfall and jump, as seen in a couple of the photos.
We had a fun and safe time. Although, my friend narrowly escaped serious injury when he was climbing a tree near the rope swing, from which he planned to jump into the water, and the branch snapped underneath him while he was at least twenty feet above some rough rocks. It was fortunate that he was able to grab the rope while falling and slow himself down before bouncing off of the rocks and into the water. Not a scratch though. I recommend this place to anyone. It is always nice to get out of the valley and enjoy nature.

read

2008-06-29T01:00:00.000-07:00

My darling wife and muse has allowed me to test some new photo equipment with her as my stand in. Plus she got this terrific new dress and I figured we should make use of it in some photos. On the subject of books, Alex and I are big readers. It is something we do much of in our spare time. There is a great site that one can keep track of the books one reads and also keep a list of books to read in the future. The site is goodreads.com. I made a link to my own goodreads profile and what I've been reading on the right side of this blog under Recently Reading.

what goes around

2008-06-15T12:27:00.000-07:00

This is a longer post than usual with more images, but it is because this was probably the most exciting thing that I have photographed yet. I have been assisting periodically for a brilliant photographer by the name of Wes Johnson. He has been very gracious to me and I have learned so much from him while assisting on his shoots. Wes Johnson's brilliance, I believe, can be attributed in part to a combination of his perfectionism and ambition. He is so ambitious, in fact, that he is embarking on the world of film and cinematography in addition to his work in still photography. On June 14, 2008 he shot his first independent short film, which will be submitted for his application to the prestigious AFI (American Film Institute) in Los Angeles. "What Goes Around" is a short film that he wrote about a little girl who wants to ride a carousel but hasn't enough money. She witnesses an old man drop a five dollar bill and decides to inconspicuously take it for herself. While in line for the ride she realizes her folly and makes the correct moral decision to return the money to the man. Her good deed doesn't go unnoticed and she is permitted to ride the carousel despite her short change. The film was shot on super-16mm film with a complete crew.
Wes called me a few weeks before his film and invited me to be the on set still photographer. I was astonished and flattered to have been invited to participate in such an honor. I was at first overwhelmed at the grand undertaking, being my first job doing production stills for any film, but I had an incredible time and am really pleased with what came of it. I know Wes' film will be a beautiful success. And I am excited for the end result. Here are some of my favorite stills from the set.

weekend at the mogollon rim

2008-06-15T12:21:00.000-07:00

Here are just a few personal photos from my camping trip last weekend at the Mogollon Rim up near Knoll Lake.

rob and jenn engagement session

2008-05-26T08:58:00.001-07:00

Rob and Jenn were fantastic to work with. Everything felt really natural and they looked great. It was hard for me to pick just a few of my favorites to post.

mesa temple

2008-05-23T15:23:00.001-07:00

I couldn't ask for better weather during this time of year. I decided to take a few shots of the temple while the sky looked interesting. I am glad that I was able to get a shot of the temple with tiny raindrops in the reflection pool, without distorting the reflection of the temple too drastically.

david and kasey

2008-05-11T13:01:00.000-07:00

I was able to shoot David and Kasey's wedding yesterday. They were a lot of fun to shoot and I am thrilled with the way it all turned out. It was my first wedding with my new off-camera strobe, and though it is a rather cumbersome piece of equipment, the quality it adds to the images is well worth it. Anyway, great wedding yesterday. Great couple.

heath senior portraits

2008-05-05T07:48:00.001-07:00

We did my brother's senior portraits over again because everyone in my family said that the others didn't look like him and that he was smiling weird and looked "puffy." I just went ahead and removed the other session and put this one up. It's a good thing I am such a nice brother.

old church

2008-05-05T07:28:00.000-07:00

I caught a glimspe of this old church and really wanted to photograph it. Maybe I'll do a bridal session here sometime.

jacob gold & associates

2008-04-27T08:12:00.000-07:00

I had the opportunity to do another shoot for Jacob Gold & Associates. They just moved into their new office at Kierland Commons in Scottsdale and were having an open house for all of their clients and friends. I was asked to shoot the group again since the office was finished and they added another team member. After photographing the team and the office, I spent the rest of the evening shooting candids for the open house party. The open house was really nice, and it was great to work with Jacob Gold & Associates again.

the chandler gaps

2008-04-19T15:51:00.000-07:00

Five!

Peace.
Hydrate.

Pole jam with grab.

I haven't photographed any skating for quite awhile, so it was nice to be able to do that again. Though it may seem like it, the shots with the old fridge (or whatever that thing was) were not posed. They are really skating and doing ridiculous gestures in the process. We almost made it through the day without any injuries until Michael had to get fancy with some switch tricks at the Chandler gaps, resulting in his board making contact with his nose. He's alright though. It was just a little skin off his nose. Oh...lame joke. Sorry.

beth senior portraits

2008-04-13T09:58:00.000-07:00

This is a senior portrait session I did yesterday. It was my first official job using my new light. It made a world of difference. The shoot went great, Beth was a terrific subject, and I am quite pleased with all of the photos. Here are just a few of my favorites.

magnify

2008-04-03T12:35:00.001-07:00

Some shots testing out my new off-camera strobe. My little brother-in-law was a good sport. I love my new light. It adds a whole new dimension to my photography.

*No ants were harmed during the production of these images.

jacob gold & associates

2008-03-30T10:16:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple of shots from a commercial shoot I did for a group of financial advisors, Jacob Gold & Associates. The images from the shoot will be used for their website and other promotional/marketing materials. I really enjoyed this session.

beardface

2008-03-16T10:56:00.000-07:00

My friend Todd Rogers. He never has facial hair, so I figured I would get some shots of him before he shaves it.

mckay and lani

2008-02-24T16:15:00.000-08:00

I thought I would try out a texture on this shot.

I had a great time shooting this wedding. The couple looked great, The Wright House is a lovely venue, I enjoyed the company of a lot of good friends at the reception, and I feel like we got quite a few rather stunning images. Here are a few of them.

railroad

2008-02-16T16:08:00.000-08:00

I know that most of my personal work involves Alex as the subject, but what can I say, I am a little obsessed. She is lovely and willing. I had been wanting to take some shots of Alex wearing her new coat at this location. She happened to be wearing the right outfit today so we spontaneously went and shot it.