Recently I was up in the Northwest portion of Michigan’s lower peninsula.  While I was not there for any specific photographic reason, I of course managed to bring along my camera bag and tripod.  While we were there I got a few pictures of the “gang” using one (or in some cases 2) off camera flashes. Click the image to see a larger view All of the images above were taken with my Nikon D300 and the amazingly versatile Nikkor 18-200mm VRII lens.  I have been using this lens as my primary (do it all) lens for about 9 months

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Recently I took a trip out to Arizona to visit family.  While I was there I had a few opportunities to grab some pretty fun images.  I was staying in the Scottsdale area and was able to get some shots of Sedona and Camleback. Here are a few of the images from the trip (click for larger view). For this trip I wanted to travel light, so all I had with me was my LowePro backpack filled with my D300, 18-200mm DX VRII, 50mm f1.8, and my 10.5mm f2.8 Fisheye lens.  I also managed to bring along my tripod, which

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It’s that time again…spring is in the air and warm weather is just around the bend.  I am currently working on processing a bunch of images from my recent trip to Arizona.  So check back soon for those.  In the meantime I thought I would share a few items. First off here is an image I took today of the Beaumont Tower on the campus of Michigan State University.  The daffodils were blooming and the sun was out…so why not take a picture right? The image above (click for larger view) was taken with a Nikon D300 and Nikkor 10.5mm

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The image above (click for larger view) is a mock advertising shot I created for my professional portfolio.  I created this in an attempt to broaden my portfolio in the commercial photography realm.  I am currently working on a few other fashion products, as well as some food photography.  I will post some images when they are finished. This particular image is a combination of imagery and Photoshop effects. The image of the shoe was captured with a Nikon D300 and then post processed heavily in Photoshop to achieve the paint particle and splatter look.

Just a quick note, I will be teaching a two day course for Photoshop CS3 Basics.  This course is set to run from February 26-27th, 2009. Photoshop CS3 – Basics 1 Harness the power of the most powerful image-editing software available! Adobe PhotoShop is the standard for professionals in the graphic arts industry but you can learn to use it too! This hands-on workshop includes an overview of the many features and tools in Photoshop including the workspace, image modes & file formats, selection tools and raster & vector shape tools. Class activities will cover the creation of composite images

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Recently I was asked to help a friend create an image that conveyed a compelling photograph.  While trying to capture just the right shot, I took over 200+ frames in about 20 minutes.  The result here is just a fun little video of all the shots taken over lunch strung together. The player will show in this paragraph

Well 2008 has come and gone.  Here is a short little video of some images taken during the past year. The player will show in this paragraph I am looking forward to continuing projects into 2009 and starting some new exciting ones!

Not your average portrait! For this project I am working with portraits, but rather than a traditional portrait I have decided to create a gritty image.  To get these I have asked colleagues and friends to stand in front of a backdrop and let me shoot their picture for a few minutes.  These images do not necessarily reflect the individual, but rather my construction of that person in a gritty mood and lighting effect. To get these types of portraits I have developed a lighting scheme that provides harsh light to reveal the most detail in the skin and hair. 

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Here are a few images taken recently from a series I have been working on with abandoned buildings. I have been working on this series for a few weeks.  I look for an old building or structure of some kind that has become dilapidated, yet strangely is still part of the “normal” landscape.  These old structures become forgotten yet they are not removed.  I find the juxtaposition of the old dilapidated buildings in “normal” surroundings ironically intriguing. If you know of any old houses or buildings that are in pretty rough shape please let me know.  I would like to

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Here are some images taken on a recent trip I made to Lake Michigan (Wisconsin side) with the Nikon Nikkor AF 10.5mm Fisheye lens.  This lens is an amazingly cool little lens.  First off, its a fisheye style lens, which for the unfamiliar has a wider angle of view than an super wide angle lens.  In fact, its so wide it distorts the edges and creates a spherical effect. This particular fisheye creates a really strong effect due to its angle of view.  This Nikkor 10.5mm Fisheye lens has a 180 degree angle of view.  The result, is an image

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