New lens and neo-noir.

In addition to seeing some much-missed friends while in Southern California last week, an absolute highlight was getting to shoot with my friend Sarah, who has a knack for looking effortlessly in home in front of a camera. It was a rollicking good time of messing with lighting, gritty backgrounds and moody expressions (and putting my new 50mm to use).

This next photo? An absolutely happy accident. It's a little soft, but still...after an accident like this, I can pack up and go home.

Nerd note on this one: Backlit with a Canon 580, fill light provided by an iPhone 4.

This week...

No work makes Jack a dull boy. So...the other day I and and a photog friend (and former co-worker) took a few hours to work on portrait technique and, since a photographer should have portraits of themself, shot portraits for each other. I've got a bunch to work through, but here's two of Fran I like very much. I used to be all about shooting with natural light, but in the past year I've started introducing more controlled light into my portraits.

The Fashion Focus

I had a blast yesterday, shooting portfolio images for two friends who do hair and makeup. I also couldn't have asked for a better, more dramatic sky to use as a background. Lots to sort through, but here's three initial picks.

I owe most of this to Joe McNally

It's no secret I'm a big fan of the work of veteran photographer Joe McNally. The man's a master of creative lighting and shoots some fantastic images. His use of small flash and rear-curtain shutter has had a huge impact on the way I shoot. During Sunday's fun session with Crystal (A good friend of an old co-worker of mine. Thanks, Facebook!), I had in mind a few shots on the D.C. Metro system. This one drew subconscious inspiration from Joe's great image of singer Fiona Apple on a crowded NYC subway car. Ok, I'll stop going on and on like a fanboy now.

Just one more

I usually try to stay away from more than one post per day. But this blog needs more than just wintry landscapes and old family photos. So, for now, just one from a fun (and COLD) afternoon shoot in Manhattan with my friend Perla. This one? The Highline, under the Standard Hotel.