Hey, Don't Shoot: 2018

Wednesday, August 1, 2018

Photography "is more dead than ever" and cell phones are to blame.

Video courtesy of BBC News

Monday, July 16, 2018

Valerie by the Pool - Photo Gallery

See more of Valerie on her Instagram page at https://www.instagram.com/valerieann_w/

Once in a while, a model comes along who, for whatever reason, radiates some sort of unique energy and aura that it's hard for me not to notice. Valerie is not only beautiful but she's traveled a long, difficult road, and I knew this not via conversation but by her eyes. There's something very alluring about a tragic beauty, because she is not perfect, that makes her even more... perfect.

The warm summer weather starts early in the day here in sun valley, AKA El Paso, Texas, the morning light is tinted with orange and gold hues and is beautiful to shoot in. Valerie is a hard-working and motivated model, so she had no problem agreeing to a 7am call time so that we can start shooting in the early morning light, which is bright, but not too bright.

I opted to shoot her in color and black and white, in both digital (with my Sony A7RII) and in medium format film, (with my Mamiya 7). The one piece bathing suit I gifted Valerie lended itself perfectly for high contrast black and white images.

Hair and make up was expertly provided by Cynthia https://www.instagram.com/cynthiafu2/

who always does a great job for me.

My dog Oliver even got in front of the camera with Valerie for a few shots as well.

Enjoy the photos!

Sunday, July 8, 2018

Concert Photography - 6 Practical Tips (Neon Paint Party 2018 - Wet n Wild, Anthony, Texas)

All images captured by and copyright David Davis @photogdavis

David and I shot a fun concert event recently, the Neon Paint Party held at the Wet n Wild Water World in Anthony, Texas. This event is a live concert event featuring concert-goers getting pelted with neon paint and big water guns, while enjoying live DJs and the water slides.

Needless to say, this is an austere environment for cameras and lenses, which is why I brought along and captured most of the video with my Sony X3000 and AS50 action cam. I also brought along my Sony RX100 IV mounted on a small Manfrotto tripod which I used as a make shift video grip.