It was a Thursday night and I was feeling tired and drained from the week but I’m so glad I went out into the night. Food. Drinks. Good memories.
xpro2
Aolani & The Colorado Street Bridge /
Yesterday I had a chance to shoot in a location I've been wanting to shoot at for a very long time. I drive past it nearly weekly so once I found a model in Pasadena, I knew immediately where to book the shoot. It's definitely a popular spot as there were three other photo sessions that were taking place over the course of the afternoon/evening.
Aolani joined me with her mom as a chaperone and we had a very fun time on this shoot. Her would pop in every now and then to help adjust hair/makeup and swap stories with us while we walked to a different location. She's been at this since she was 5 years old and with her 18th birthday coming up later this year, she's excited to do some more traveling for work and see the world!
We joked and laughed throughout the shoot and she very much felt like the little sister I never had. By the time the shoot was wrapping up, we had already begun to plan our next shoot together later in the year. The themes and ideas she had for that one were things I haven't done yet so I'm excited to try them out!
52 Week Portrait Project - Week 26 /
Switching it up and throwing something new into the mix. Had a great time shooting this set with a model who was in town. There were a few ideas that we were kicking around but based on timing, we decided to go with a domme/sub idea that she wanted to do. As a bonus, I was able to book time at FD Photo Studios in DTLA. I've been wanting to shoot here for a while and it easily lived up to my expectations. You can definitely look forward to seeing more shoots in the different studios they have set there.
For this first round, I'm only posting the domme look and a bonus post will be the sub looks that she had. I knew from the beginning that I would have different feels to each and I love the way the black and white feel works with all these detail shots. It really helps to set a mood and atmosphere.
During my photo shoots I love to chat and get to know my subject a little bit more. You never know what kind of common bond of thread you will find and connect with. My shoot with Allyce was no exception. During our time together I found out her boyfriend is Cambodian (as is my wife), so we got to chatting about where to go for all the tasty Cambodian food and our relationships. It never ceases to amaze me on how people from so far away growing up in different worlds can always find something in common. In today’s current climate it’s definitely something to hold on to and appreciate.
52 Week Project - The First Few Weeks /
Before 2017 was over, I had found myself taking a few more portraits than I normally do. It was fun and a little bit outside of what I would normally do. To keep myself motivated and challenged, I figured I would engage in a portrait a week challenge for all of 2018. I had never done something like this and I figured it would keep me moving forward and constantly try to push out work. It's not been the easiest of challenges to be sure...but so far I've only missed one week.
These portrait project updates will typically fall on a Wednesday on my Instagram Account. I'll post a little story about the shoot either that same day or the following day. The goal will be to continuously stack portrait sessions in advance so I can have everything ready to go once the day hits. Ambitious (for me) but I'm going to try and stick to it.
Week 1 was kicked off with a selfie...because why not? Seemed easy when I first thought about it but I found out quickly I don’t like taking photos of myself. Here were the ones I considered.
Next week I met up with my good friend Lauren for a few beers and an impromptu session at The Yardhouse. I really love the coloring from the lights inside. She’s a huge beer fan so I think this turned out to be a perfect setting for her. A few shots we couldn’t use because the guy in the booth behind her would pop his head out or get into the frame.
For week three I was able to connect with a lovely model who was in town. It was fun going through Chinatown and discovering some interesting light sources and backgrounds for the photos. The original plan was to use window lighting but by the time we got out there most of the shops had closed. We made do and I, but most importantly the model, were very happy with how it all turned out.
So that's it for now! Keeping checking back as I add in some more while I play catch up and post the other weeks. Hopefully I can be caught up by next month there won't be a slew of new posts every week (unless you are enjoying these!).
Cheers.
Keep Moving Forward & Don't Stop /
So one of my most recent photo sessions I got a chance to work with my buddy Ernest. From the moment I met him he's always been working hard at becoming an actor and not letting anything get in his way. It's been his goal and purpose and I recently found out that he booked a major supporting role in an upcoming movie with Scott Eastwood and Orlando Bloom.
HUGE AND AWESOME NEWS!
I love seeing these kinds of stories. What's even better is that I see more and more friends with these breakthrough successes. They have been putting in the hours and their own blood, sweat, and tears relentlessly in pursuing what they love. It gives me hope. It makes me take a second look at my processes and what I need to be doing to get there.
Even though it may not be something I say directly to my friends, I want them to know how much I look up to them and admire what they do. It helps me to look at what I'm doing and to gather focus and purpose. Figure out where I can improve and raise myself up to match what they're putting out. When speaking about the output I don't mean the level of creativity that they're at (I have a long way to go for that!), but more in terms of volume and regimen. The more I keep this up, the more I can raise the personal bar I'm setting for myself.
Taking all this into stock I just have one request. STAY ON ME. Don't let me stop in this journey. If you see it's been a while since I've posted something kick my ass into shape! Tell me I'm breaking a promise that I set out here. Tell me that no matter what, I need to keep moving forward, and don't stop. EVER.
Cheers.
