Sony a6000 with Neewer Underwater Case

I use Sony a6000 as my primary underwater camera. It is 24.3MP so I can easily compose in editing. The kit lens is sharp and shoots wide. The Sony shoots in RAW, necessary for white balance and editing after the fact. It has very fast autofocus which can keep up with my subjects as well […]

Being Prepared Makes all the Difference

I love the Boy Scout motto of Be Prepared. As a photographer that often means carrying extra batteries, a spare camera, and an extra memory card. But also knowing the location, and what conditions you’ll be working under. Practice Ahead of Time We just recently moved into a house with a pool, and I have […]

Using your Children as Models

I often use my children as subjects before I have a big shoot scheduled. I will bring my children to the location, and have them help scout, pick angles and model for me. This provides valuable feedback on how the light and environment responds to my gear and settings and gives me the opportunity to […]

Cucoloris for Shadowed Texture

So often someone will take the time to light the talent to look great but forget to light the background and give the image some depth: One method is to use a Cucoloris. Some will refer to it a s a cookie cutter:The Cucoloris will create a shadowed texture onto your background depending on the […]

No Sippy Cups here, just Baby Plates

Some of the most used tools on a Hollywood set are C-Stands and Apple Boxes. Then there are these little babies, Baby Plates. What is a Baby Plate you ask? It’s a 5/8 stud, about 3″ tall, welded onto a 3.5″ x 6″ metal plate. It has many uses. Allow me to share a few […]

Scrim for Lighting Detail

It’s a beautiful sunny day, you’re shooting indoors looking out to a sliding glass door or window and it’s brighter outside than on your set. Your talent is moving so HDR is not an option. You really don’t want a silhouette, if you expose for the talent then your sliding glass door or window blows […]

Shooting Personal Projects

A great way to challenge yourself and enhance your skills is to shoot some personal projects. Here is an opportunity to stretch your imagination. Building sets, buying props, coordinating wardrobe, scouting locations and casting talent are all part of the process of shooting your personal projects. When you apply all these things, your ideas will […]

Creating Dream-like Composites with Photoshop

Every Sunday night, we take a family adventure.  Most of the photos that you see on my website are from different hikes or walks throughout the state of Utah.  We take a camera, we stay in our Sunday best and go out to document a few moments together.  We look at scenery, take advantage of […]