Blog Posts:
Anarchy X : A Queensryche Tribute @ The Whisky
I was happy to be tapped by a musician buddy of mine to shoot some live stills and video for his new project Anarchy – X : The Queensryche Experience at the world-famous Whisky a Go-Go on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood!
Drab Majesty – “Oxytocin” live video
Exactly one year ago, I was fortunate enough to catch synth-cult band Drab Majesty at Fonda Theater in Hollywood to drop their latest record release of “Modern Mirror“
It was a such an amazing experience, and these days it’s easy to realize how easy it is to take such live experiences with fellow concertgoers for granted. So, I thought it was appropriate to share this video I shot of them performing their single “Oxytocin” live!
Enjoy <3
VIDEO: Metal Band MTV Music Video Promo Reel
Los Angeles-based 80s metal cover band aptly-named 1983 contacted me in need of a press kit promo reel video playing at some iconic Hollywood rock clubs like the word-famous Viper Room
In true 80s fashion, I decided to give it a retro MTV Music Video kinda vibe. I hope you enjoy watching!
‘California Dreams’ Reunion @ Saved By The Max
Over 20 years after NBC’s Saturday morning 90s teen sitcom ‘California Dreams’ broadcast it’s final show, the cast reunited once again at Saved By The Max, a pop-up restaurant in West Hollywood styled after another Saturday morning teen show ‘Saved By The Bell’
The cast held a meet-and-greet and autograph signing — with fans lined up way down the block for a chance to have posters, DVDs and show memorabilia signed and personalized.
Then later that evening, they took the stage with more musician friends to play some original songs from the show. And even special guest Ryan Cabrera joined the stage and jumped in on guitar!
Mystic India: World Tour @ La Mirada Theatre
I was thrilled to be invited to shoot Mystic India: World Tour
Not only did I get to see a vibrant 2 hour stage performance, but I was invited backstage during pre-production to capture the dancers putting on their wardrobe and expertly applying their Bollywood makeup styles!
After the final curtain was drawn following a standing ovation, there was a step-and-repeat for family and friends and fans to snap photos with the cast!
10 Reasons Why ‘tfp’ Is Actually HURTING Your Photography
It all begins with an idea.
OR: “How to shoot tfp the CORRECT way”
Me, shooting TFP on the sand in Long Beach
It’s an inescapable truth that the bar for entry into the photography industry is practically at ground-level in the 21st Century Digital Age. This can be both a blessing, and a curse.
But this does not mean that we should value professional Creative Services any less, nor engage in a mutual Race To The Bottom. TFP photography culture risks doing just that.
DON’T GET ME WRONG::
There is a time and place for tfp shoots. After all, Practice Makes Perfect.
But it’s important that you understand when and how to conduct them, to ensure they aren’t a constant time-wasting drain on your personal Creative Growth.
Remember, time is our most precious, non-renewable commodity. You can’t reclaim lost time in your life.
So let’s talk about what ‘tfp’ means, how it started, and where it is today.
For those who don’t know, tfp stands for “time for photos/prints.” It’s a way that early film photographers would find test subjects to contribute their time standing in front of a camera in exchange for actual 8×10 prints. The photographer put up most of the investment of film, development, darkroom and paper costs in exchange for someone being a warm body posing for the lens so the photographer can hone their skills.
You can see this dynamic play out in this film clip from The Notorious Bettie Page:
The proliferation of the internet coinciding with the availability of affordable digital photo equipment turned this practice into a commodity (I mostly blame easy photography signup websites like Model Mayhem)
Now, somehow new beginners into the photography/modeling world think that somehow this has to be the de facto standard for entry.
But I’m here to help clear the air and argue that it might be more useful to your Creative growth to consider these
10 Reasons to Avoid tfp When Possible:
10) You Get What You (Don’t) Pay For.
I mean, duh. We all get this on an intellectual level.
But let’s examine how this plays out in a tfp context:
You spend month after month, year after year, scouring the WorldWideWeb for THE right tfp model, with THE right look, for THE right project, at THE right time, to help build YOUR book the way YOU need to… it’s a lot of time and effort spent. You’ve already spent money on your equipment. Maybe even paid for studio rental time. Why skimp out on the most important aspect of model photography — the model?
I would argue the allure of paying zero dollars on an amateur up-and-coming-model-in-training isn’t gonna get you the maximum returns you hope for.
Especially if it turns out this person isn’t who you expected. Especially ESPECIALLY if they end up flaking on you.
Speaking of::
9) Your “flake factor” increases TENFOLD.
Have you ever been super excited to put a photoshoot together, finally found a model, got a really good hair and makeup team assembled and ready to go, and then at the Eleventh Hour while you’re setting everything up at the studio, you get the dreaded text: “I’m sorry, something came up, I have to cancel!” 😩
Or even WORSE, they ghost on you entirely!
I mean, after all, what incentive do they have? Photos from a relative stranger that may or may not turn out well??
You haven’t even set up a deposit or retainer for this shoot. They lose next to nothing for giving you literally any reason under the sun not to show up. This goes for your model or your crew. Any one of them can back out at any time, with you holding the bill.
Sure, you can go full Catharsis Mode and put them on blast in all the online photography groups, but that doesn’t really help solve anything — and probably makes you look super unprofessional instead.
8) It takes longer to achieve the same desired results
Not all models are built the same.
Some show up dramatically different than their portfolio led you to believe. Some are really awkward and don’t know how to pose, but they cherry picked some of their best shots to show to you. Others are very demanding and want to take the shoot in a different direction than you had in mind or discussed beforehand.
This means tons more photos to get the “shot.” This means tons more photoshoots to drive results. And that means more time and energy spent to achieve the growth you desire.
7) Most tfp models lack clout
It’s worthwhile to find a model that has following and credibility, and can either repost some of your work or vouch for you to other models. This in itself has more value than we give credit for. We should take care not to over-inflate the promise of “exposure,” yet when you have next-to-none yourself, good word-of-mouth can be pretty valuable, indeed.
So taken into consideration, how will you expect to get worthwhile results shooting someone who won’t even realistically help get you the audience and eyeballs you need to see the results?
6) Some one else could be profiting off of YOUR hard work
What are the model’s intentions with the photos? Are they going to be using them to sell something for Commercial profit? Or worse, are they going to be given to a third-party??
All of a sudden, the photos you thought were for mutual portfolio-building, are being sent to another retoucher you don’t know, or worse reposted with some lame Instagram filter that makes your photo look cheesy, or even worse still, used commercially to sell wardrobe or other commodities in order to profit off of your hard work — while you recoup NONE of the expenses you put into the project.
5) You need to learn how to edit as much as shooting
You want to make sure that you’re only showcasing what’s best for your brand. Knowing not only how to edit your images to look their best, but also to cull your edit down to the best of the best is key to maximizing those ends.
Which leads into the next issue:
4) You’re giving away the farm!
Why are you handing over the entirety of the shoot anyway??
Remember, “tfp” originally meant “time for prints.” That didn’t necessarily mean the model got a print of every. single. negative on the roll. Just because we’re in the Digital Age, doesn’t mean you should just hand over the entirety of your SD card for free. How can you properly value photography if you equate it to 100% free? That principle applies to both photographers and models.
3) You risk lowered expectations/respect for the craft
There is merit in practice. We’ve already established that. There’s even much to be said about a lowered sense of pressure and stakes at risk. But if you can build a good reputation as a reliable pro when there are low/no stakes, then how much more are you able to convince potential clients to hire you when there will be little room for error or opportunity to reshoot!
2) You perpetuate the ‘Economy of the Free’
There’s a downward pressure on the value of photography due to the lowering costs of equipment, and the ability to learn the basics and get a decent photography education through free online training and videos. But this doesn’t mean we can’t come up with creative ways to deliver higher-valued services to the client.
There are newer artists out there who actually argue for keeping rates suppressed, because they feel they can’t get hired for gigs otherwise. When in reality, they need to learn how to increase the way they convey value in their services so that they can meet a threshold of long-term sustainability.
1) You keep “begging the question”
The phrase “to beg the question” refers to a circular argument created by questions that raise even more questions than answers. Kinda like, “how can I get a job if I don’t have experience to show? How can I show experience if I can’t get a job??”
This exact same cycle plays out in the tfp marketplace. Everyone tries to get the free version of things they value — it’s human nature. But if you find yourself begging the question, “how will people book me without a portfolio to show? How can I get a portfolio if models won’t even book with me??” But eventually you also realize, “I feel like I’m learning to get good enough to get paid, but how can I when I’m only learning through trade?”
Then it begins to feel like tfp is only a tepid solution, with all the baggage associated above.
All of these terrible scenarios combine into a perfect storm to make your personal development much more difficult than it needs to be. It could actually stunt your growth in a way that actually costs you income potential in the long run. If you subject yourself to this painful gauntlet time after time, then it’s no wonder you probably feel like you’re struggling to gain any REAL traction.
But, there are ways tfp can be advantageous — especially for reason #1 above.
So, how can you use tfp to your actual best advantage?
Plan, Plan, PLAN! Doing a shoot-from-the-hip, improvised photoshoot is really for the pros, or those to whom photography comes natural. “Preproduction” refers to all the work and planning that goes on before the actual photoshoot commences. This includes all the logistical work, like location scouting and time-management, as well as building the concept of the shoot itself, and prepping your model and crew for achieving your creative vision. Building moodboards, assembling wardrobe, and testing your lighting setups before anyone even shows up will guarantee better results than just showing up and winging it.
Ask your friends or family members! Sure, not all of your run-of-the-mill everyday people have that “model” look (refer to #7 above) but if you’re working with someone you know personally, that could be an asset! After all, if you can take striking, professional-looking photos of everyday average people, you’ll be able to better convince aspiring models that you’re reliably skilled and worthwhile of their time — which again, is our most valuable commodity.
Ask the models you’ve already shot with before. Since they’ve trusted you and you’ve built that rapport in the past, they’ll be much more likely and even willing to do so again. I understand you want to show diversity in your portfolio, but if you can make the exact same person look dramatically different from one shoot to the next, you can demonstrate that you have technical and creative range. And that’s way better than wasting time on someone who won’t turn out the way you expected
— or won’t even turn up at all.
Schedule more than just one person. This way if one person gets sick or worse ghosts you entirely, then not all is lost. Also, you have the opportunity to supercharge your portrait skills by wrangling two (or more!) models simultaneously. This experience will teach you valuable skills to conduct couples and group shoots, where there is tendency for much bigger production payouts on a paid gig.
Do NOT deliver the farm!! The biggest mistake newer photographers make, is after their tfp shoot, they deliver nearly the whole photoshoot in its entirety. From the best shots to the worst shots and all the so-so shots in between. This does nothing to teach you how to edit your work output — ie, only showing and delivering your BEST. The last thing you want is for your model to have an opportunity to post and tag you in photos that don’t accurately convey your best work.
During the scouting and pre-production phase, you need to spell out clearly what is on offer in terms of number of photos delivered, whether they are delivered full-resolution or resized for web, and whether there is retouching included.
I’ve heard so many complaints from models that they didn’t get the full shoot delivered, because expectations were not properly set beforehand. Also, be sure to set reasonable expectations for turanaround and delivery. If you’re only handing over a limited number of selects, it shouldn’t take you a month or more to deliver to the model.
Learn how to upsell. Now that you’re able to better gauge how much to deliver for a typical trade collaboration, now you can work on your shoot upgrades. If you can master making your collaborative partner thrilled with a limited selection according to your trade agreement, you should have no problem convincing them to purchase upgrades after they see the results.
Think of it like the free samples table at your local grocery store: You are allowed a limited amount of tasty goods for free, with the idea of convincing you to purchase the product at retail price to take home. Apply this same formula to your tfp shoots, and you’ll start recouping expenses and be able to charge full price for your photoshoots MUCH faster than giving away everything for free every single time.
Alcest @ Catch One Los Angeles
If you’ve never heard French Blackgaze band Alcest, you definitely need to do yourself the favor. Fusing ethereal shoegaze with double-time black metal breakbeats tossed in with slight undertones of 90s post-rock nostalgia, this band takes you places both familiar and as-yet unexplored.
All three bands that played — including opening Los Angeles dark gothwave outfit Glaare and San Francisco doom metal King Woman — were just phenomenal.
Consequently, this was of the best mid-size local shows I’ve seen in a long, long time.
[VIDEO] The Soft Moon – Die Life (live)
I wanted to share a really AWESOME video I shot and edited of cold wave post-punk group The Soft Moon performing at last year’s inaugural Cloak and Dagger: Dusk Till Dawn Festival in downtown Los Angeles
Cloak & Dagger : Dusk Till Dawn Festival – Day 2
She Wants Revenge headlining Dusk Till Dawn Festival @ The Globe Theater Los Angeles
Cloak and Dagger: Dusk Till Dawn Music Festival kept it dark on Day Two, with performances by KMFDM, Poptone, The Soft Moon (check out this live video!), and headliners She Wants Revenge went through a full set, including a special encore performance covering “Under The Milky Way” by The Church
Cloak & Dagger: Dusk Till Dawn Festival – Day 1
The Jesus And Marychain @ The Globe Theater Los Angeles
Last weekend, right in between Friday the 13th and Halloween week, The Globe and Tower Theaters located in the center of Downtown Los Angeles held the inaugural Cloak & Dagger: Dusk Till Dawn Festival.
Cloak & Dagger is a weekly members-only underground dance event in Hollywood curated by Adam Bravin, aka DJ Adam 12 of She Wants Revenge. Cloak & Dagger is an immersive experience made for those who appreciate the “darker” aesthetics of music, nightlife and fashion in LA. Adam spins a wide range of noir music genres — from goth/industrial mainstays Depeche Mode and NIN, to hip hop groups like Wu Tang Clan and Mobb Deep, and especially to the late great Prince, for whom Bravin was a direct musical protegé and friend.
Cloak & Dagger Dusk Till Dawn Festival @ The Globe Theater Downtown Los Angeles
Dusk Till Dawn Festival was a natural extension of that exclusive Hollywood club night, this time opened up to the public in order to gather together an eclectic mix of both local and nationally touring musicians, new and old alike.
Two nights. Two downtown music venues. One dark, dancey festival.
Night One included sets by headliners The Jesus And Marychain, TR/ST, Com Truise, Health, Drab Majesty, Chasms, H09909 and many more that I couldn’t get to shoot.
Night Two included sets by She Wants Revenge, Poptone, The Soft Moon, Cold Cave, KMFDM, Ohgr, Zombi, and Ssleeperhold
Paris Spring Fashion Editorial
For my birthday this year, I treated myself to a little mini vacation to Paris, the City of Lights!
While there, I had contacted some models to shoot some Paris Springtime fashion and glamour editorials.
Meet Agata, a Polish-born model who was in town shopping for new agencies for Western European representation, looking for updated photos to match! We shot two looks, one with Parisian striped shirt/skirt combo, and one with a green Spring blouse. Also, peep that Coco Chanel handbag for added Parisian flare!
Parisian Redhead Fashion + Boudoir
I was excited to connect with Caroline while in France, a lovely petite Parisienne with fiery red hair and soft Asian features.
She brought a lovely Spring dress with her for some street fashion looks on the steps of Montmartre, considered a mini city on the hill in the heart of Paris. Then we went inside the studio and shot some intimate window-lit boudoir photography.
Vintage 70s Boudoir Nude Photoshoot
I had blonde bombshell Stella in my home studio for some 70s-inspired vintage glamour boudoir photos, with a bit of a European 35mm film appeal
Boudoir/Glamour Model Photoshoot
Last weekend I had the pleasure of shooting with Ms Brittany Leigh in the studio for some natural light boudoir photos. She really brought it with candid poses and sultry looks.
Ana Barbara @ Dolby Theater Hollywood
I had the pleasure to shoot Grammy-winning Latin singer Ana Barbara at Hollywood’s famed Dolby Theater. Ana’s glamor and glitz was well-received at the same gorgeous theater where the Oscars are held every year. She owned the entire stage in elaborate outfits, backed by dancers and even a full mariachi!
How To: Get Great Headshots
As I’ve been getting an influx of people emailing me in regards to having their headshots taken, I thought I’d post this as a sort or catch-all to field questions and clear up any ambiguity of what makes for a great headshot, and tips for getting great headshots.
Q: What makes a headshot exactly?
There are all kinds of opinions on what defines a headshot — indeed there are several different categories of headshots. But, it’s important to know that there are industry requirements detailing what comprises an acceptable headshot.
First, a headshot is more than just a simple head-and-shoulders portrait. There are certain characteristics of style that are accepted by the professional community — especially those whose job it is to go through stacks of headshots. Therefore, you should hire a photographer that knows what that style is, and shoots accordingly. Most importantly, a headshot is in many ways your calling card. It’s what conveys your first impression. It needs to accurately portray what you look like, while painting you in your best light — without being overly glamorous.
An important description for an effective headshot would be “engaging.” Your headshot needs to engage the viewer, and shed light onto your personality and charisma. It needs to say a lot about who you are in addition to what you look like — or at the very least, entice the viewer into learning more about you — because in essence this is the photo with which you are marketing yourself.
Q: So, What kinds of headshots are there?
There are subtle variations of headshots, depending on their intended market. But they all involve similar rules and characteristics:
The two main categories are “commercial” and “theatrical.” Commercial headshots are precisely that: headshots for commercial purposes. These are for people looking to be cast in dish detergent ads, cell phone television spots, and even comedic roles. Commercial headshots are geared for both print and television. Theatrical shots, on the other hand, are geared more for film and, well, theatrical jobs. These shots need to look a little more clean, professional, and serious. These are the shots that land you longer-term jobs, so it’s best to convey the notion that you’re smart, capable, and most importantly, reliable!
The main differences between “commercial” and “theatrical” often involve clothing choices (warm, vibrant colors are best for commercial shots), as well as posing and expression. A commercial shot will be upbeat, and more inviting with smiles. Whereas a theatrical headshot(shown above) demonstrates poise, seriousness, and capability.
*Edit* Since writing this post, I’ve gone into a little more detail discussing the
differences between commercial vs theatrical headshots here.
There are also various styles of headshots, depending on their intended market: Actor headshots, mostly to showcase what one might look like for a closeup or intended roles; model headshots, which can showcase a little more of the body-type; beauty or glamour headshots, which focus more on hair, makeup, lips and skin; corporate headshots, which help sell a business or profession; etc etc
Q: Are headshots best done black and white, or color?
Back in the 90s and earlier, having headshots printed in color cost several times as much as having them printed in black and white. So, naturally b&w headshots were the norm. However, since the advent of digital reproduction, color prints are easy and cost-effective, and therefore have become standard.
Besides, it’s important to showcase how sapphire blue your eyes are or how copper-red your hair is! That being said, black and white photos can add drama and flair to an otherwise normal scene, which can be useful for theatrical headshot looks.
Q: What should I wear?
Your wardrobe should supplement the feel and nuance of your character, but shouldn’t distract completely. Patterns and flashy neon colors are often a big no-no, as they can easily draw attention from your face. Solid jewel colors work best, as long as they complement your eye/hair color, as well as your complexion. Sometimes layers are a nice way to add dimensionality. I always suggest my clients bring a small duffel bag of their favorite wears. If you feel good wearing it, chances are you’ll look good wearing it, too.
Q: What about hair/makeup?
Hair and makeup are of course optional, but can potentially make or break a headshot.
As mentioned earlier, you don’t want to over-glamorize yourself, but you definitely want to look like you on a “good hair day.” Finding a stylist who knows how to give you a “clean” look can help bring out your best, but you’ll still look like you for auditions and meets with potential clients. Beauty headshots, naturally, can be the exception to this rule. But even still, restraint must be practiced. Not all hair/makeup stylings are the same, so you must accurately showcase what you have to work with as a blank canvas.
For sessions with me, you can of course feel welcome to book your own stylist. However I have several on call that I can book for you, if needed. As I mentioned, this is completely optional, but a very wise investment for Getting Great Headshots.
*** Feel free to check out my headshot gallery to see the quality and range of headshots I provide!
If you’d like to book me for your own headshots, Click here to Contact Me.
Lollapalooza 2009: Day 1
So right off the bat, I'm gonna mention how rainy it was. Not even a downpour, mind you -- that I can handle. It was one of those humid foggy kind of rains that renders my equipment borderline crapshot. I spent more time defogging my lens than shooting it seemed.
Even if I managed to snap a half-decent shot, the colors were grey and the contrast was mud. Speaking of mud... There was a lot of that, too. It made travel from stage to stage quite the daunting task.
Nevertheless, the bands didn't give up, so neither did I:
Click HERE for the full day's gallery
Lollapalooza 2009: Day 3
So I really hit my stride come Day 3. I kind of think the festival as a whole did too. Even after every muscle in my body ached from lugging around camera gear the previous two days, it was kind of a Custer's Last Stand to get great shots on Sunday.
Boys Noize really got a huge crowd warmed up for MSTRKRFT.
I didn't get more than a few shots of MSTRKRFT because some stage manager had a bone to pick with me and didn't let me shoot them. Which turned out to be a good thing because I just decided to leave and camp out for Jane's Addiction instead.
I'm glad I did, since they only allowed the first handful of photographers to enter the pit.
And that band knows how to end a weekend festival. So I got the best photos of the whole weekend out of them. Dave Navarro was back in the saddle on guitar backing Perry Farrell's screeching vocals:
And by the end of the show I was at the right place at the right time to catch this:
Lastly, thanks go to www.urchicago.com for providing press credentials for the weekend. Check out the well-written full reviews of the weekend there.
Full Day 3 gallery HERE
Lollapalooza 2009: Day 2
The weather completely 180'd on everyone for Day 2 of Lolla. In fact, it almost threatened to break 100 degrees! I was commenting with a fellow photog about how irritating it is when sweat drips in your eye when trying to shoot.
Yeah Yeah Yeah's put on a great closing set, but the stage lighting was awful because it required a lot of blacklight. So it was difficult to get good shots of them, especially amidst the most photographers I've ever seen gathered in one pit elbowing for a decent shot. Next time I think I'll rent a longer lens.
Lollapalooza Weekend Warmup
So this is more of a warmup for me, considering it was only Thursday. But Berlin was hosting a whole flurry of DJs including from Passion Pit and Brazilian Girls, so it seemed like a great way to crack my knuckles in preparation for the upcoming weekend. In fact, I think most people there were of the same mindset.
The thing I like about Berlin is it makes my job easy -- it's open til 4 AM and the drinks are poured with a heavy hand. There's nearly 100 photos of people dancing and drinking til the wee hours. If you were there, chances are your mug is in the gallery. Click any photo to find out.