Playing in the dirt for Mountain Bike magazine

Here are a couple outtakes from our recent shoot for Mountain Bike Magazine. Besides my assistants have a raging case of allergies to the surrounding tall grass and weeds, the shoot came out great! I'm stoked to see the final selects and excited for these two young rockstar tricksters.

Random link for your Monday pleasure: Shwood!

I'm in love with these. I don't think they would work with my face. But DAMN, wouldn't these make a great impulse buy?!? Check them out!

Throwback Thursday: The Mission Shot

This is a shot of me over ten years ago in Santa Barbara. It was my first assignment at photo school and my first time using the 4x5 Horseman. I had no idea of what was ahead of me in life, but I knew that I had a wealth of new friends and experiences coming from every direction.

I just recently learned that none of the assignments are shot on film anymore and that they may be selling all of the Santa Barbara campuses and moving the school south to Ventura. It's a sad thing to imagine a filmless photo program and the school moving to a new location. After I had been accepted to a handful of other photo programs around the country, the location of Brooks in Santa Barbara was my deciding factor.

Happy Humpday! Here's your weekly SQUARE + PLASTIC, No. 5


Megan snapping a pic - Pantin, France

Random link for your Monday pleasure: In It Studios

Yet another thing to put on my "I want/need" list. I can imagine Brian and I owning a small plot of land near a body of water and putting one of these fantastic structures in the corner of it. A little getaway to replace the buzzing city sound with buzzing fireflies.

Copyright © 2010 in.it.studios.

Copyright © 2010 in.it.studios.

Copyright © 2010 in.it.studios.

I recently photographed the promotional images for Timeline Theatre's 2010/2011 season. Before delivering the final photos, I experimented with designing a few versions of the posters. These didn't make it to press, but I still like the way they look.


Throwback Thursday: Me in Seventh Grade!

Yes, this is me with the rest of our Junior High School Art Club! Am I wearing lipstick? Did I always have a look of terror on my face?
In all seriousness, if it weren't for my art teacher, Mrs Jones, I wouldn't be where I am today. She piqued my interest in art from the beginning and pushed me to keep creating. Not to mention she taught every single one of my siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins and close friends in our little town of Minooka. Go Indians!! Fan-TASTIC!

Happy Humpday! Here's your weekly SQUARE + PLASTIC, No. 3

I kicked this series off on a Monday, but I am going to post these every Wednesday. So, be sure to keep your blog roll tuned in at 9:00AM (CST) every humpday for a new image from the SQUARE + PLASTIC series. Woop woop!

Paris, France

Repost via Seth Godin: Avoiding Momentum

Some days, even the best dentist doesn't feel like being a dentist.

And a lifeguard might not feel like being a lifeguard.

Fortunately, they have appointments, commitments and jobs. They have to show up. They have to start doing the work. And most of the time, this jump start is sufficient to get them over the hump, and then they go back to being in the zone and doing their best work.

Momentum is incredibly useful to someone who has to overcome fear, dig in deep and ship. Momentum gives you a reason to overcome your fear and do your art, because there are outside forces and obligations that keep you moving. Without them, you'd probably stumble and fall.

And yet...

And yet many of us fear too much momentum. We look at a project launch or a job or another new commitment as something that might get out of control. It's one thing to be a folk singer playing to a hundred people a night in a coffeehouse, but what if the momentum builds and you become a star? A rock star? With an entourage and appearances and higher than high expectations for your next work. That's a lot of momentum, no?

Deep down, this potential for an overwhelming response alerts the lizard brain and we hold back. We're afraid of being part of something that feels like it might be too big for us.

Hint: it probably isn't.


Seth Godin is one of my daily readings and you're missing out if his site or his blog are not part of your daily/weekly/monthly reading too. Don't wait, just go check him out here.

New personal image series: Square + Plastic, No. 1 & 2

I've started to play with film again. It is a fun way to let go of the digital instant gratification that we've all grown accustomed to. I have a couple rolls of film waiting to be processed and if they turn out interesting, I'll post them! In the meantime, I'll start off by posting some images that were scanned today in the studio. These are raw scans and have only had the exposures and color adjusted - I'm not going to use the ShakeIt Photo app, Hipstomatic app or Make My Photo Look Awesome app (I just made that one up). Just simple, honest photographs of little things I notice from time to time - just with film and without the ability to press the delete button or to post instantly on Facebook or Twitter.

The title of this new work, Square + Plastic, doesn't necessarily mean that all of the images are square format. It does, however, mean that all of the images are taken with either the many Holgas, mix of Lomos, fun Dianas, or some of my dusty Brownies, Baby Brownies, Argus or some old Kodak box cameras - most of which are plastic.
Here are two to start off this fun series . . .

Randolph Street and the River, Chicago, Illinois Google Streetview

NW Johnson St & NW 16th, Portland, Oregon Google Streetview

Scenes from the 6th Annual Green Barn Farm Dance . . .

Well, unfortunately, there aren't any dancin' photos (my little Leica ran out of juice). But I hope you will gain a sense of how magical the weekend was in the middle of Indiana. Amazing people, incredible food (oink oink!) and wonderful weather for camping and square dancing! Thank you Janet and Eliot for an amazing evening! Looking forward to next year!







This last image shows the sun's last push of energy to shoot a single ray of light into the pending night sky.

Last frames with Laurie Metcalf

The studio was graced by the presence of the lovely Laurie Metcalf last week. We had an amazing team of stylists working together to produce some great images (that you'll have to stay tuned to see).


A big thank you to our team - styling by Sage Reed; wardrobe provided by Shernett Swaby; Accessories by Robin Richman; Couch provided by DWR; Makeup/Hair by Beth Follert at Stewart; Assistants: Brett Bulthuis, Aaron Kissman and Taylor Prather

This is what a great crew looks like . . .

Among the hundreds and hundreds of portraits we created last month in France, I was able to coax the crew into getting some time in front of my lens. Good lookin' bunch, eh?

From left to right, top to bottom: Stuart, Severine, Patrick, Lucia, Marijke, Julie, Jules, Damien, Caroline, Svenja, Ray, Alika, Lorna, Purva, Pascal (and Adrien), Adrien, Charlie, Sanjay, Julie (again) and Sure

Work featured on Workbook!

A few from behind the scenes in Paris

While on another assignment in France, I was lucky enough to shoot a quick editorial for Chicago Magazine near the Gare de Lyon in Paris. We photographed the super talented fashion designer Earl Pickens (who got his start in Chicago at SAIC). Be sure to check out the full write up in September's Fashion issue of Chicago Magazine!


Inside of Earl's home studio in Paris

Signing the model release via iPhone! Yes, paperless model releases (click here)


Outside of Gare de Lyon

Thanks Megan at Chicago Magazine and my assistants Laurent and Tommy (for the behind the scenes shots)

Recent personal work

I have butterflies in my stomach when I think about the places I go and the people I meet as part of my "job". Here are some images from a very early, foggy morning at the chateau in Gouvieux, France (just outside of Paris). Even though we spent 10 days here, every day was special and filled with familiar faces, new friends, BIG laughs and a stellar crew to work with. I'm stoked at the chance to see them all again, somewhere in the world . . .
Click here if you cannot view the gallery below

Thank you (in no particular order) Ray, Sevrine, Lucia, Charlie, Caroline, Stuart, Julie, Jules, Lorna, Marijka, Pascal, Alika, Adrien, Patrick, Pourva, Svenja and Sanjay for being such a kick ass crew to work with!