The dreaded rut. That feeling of being exhausted of your precious creative juice. How to break out? For me, a change my scenery -- specifically an amazing location for your photo or video shoot-- has always been the closest thing to a magic bullet that I've ever experienced. Sometimes this means shooting in a different studio, at an abandoned building, a trip to the mountains or, gasp, even that blown-out building on other side of... read more ›
Aug
30
Aug
27
What I remember from elementary school about Iceland is my teacher telling me, "Iceland is green and Greenland is ice." While I have not yet been to Greenland I can attest to the fact that Iceland in August is definitely green. Iceland - the well-known film and photo destination at the confluence of the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans - has been on my list of locations to visit for seemingly forever. Finally had the... read more ›
Aug
21
Yes! We just wrapped up my newest brand reel - What We Do. The goal with the video was to invoke more than just the work --- because we know it's the work plus the people, AND the ideas that matter. This one represents the last 18 months or so of jobs and personal work in more than 12 countries around the world. From sea to sky, great angles to Great White sharks,... read more ›
Aug
15
We artists often suck at managing productions and budgets. We all have to get thru that stuff in the early days, but if you are numbers/manager challenged, my first piece of advice is bringing a producer into your shoots as soon as you can make it happen. That allows you to focus on your craft. Having said that, my staff producer Megan has had a ripping series of posts going on, including this one aimed... read more ›
Aug
13
Although I've mixed a whole lotta R/C helicopters into shoots, there are many more times in my profession when climbing into a real A-star is essential to get the shot. A recent assignment in the Caribbean presented another on of those lovely occasions...and while I've touched on shooting film + photos from a helicopter in some past posts, I've never gone deep on the how-to of shooting from a heli. And before you... read more ›
Aug
09
The popular Red Bull Illume photo contest is in its third year, and it is attracting deep talent. Photographers and their athlete subjects have combined forces to create some mind blowing imagery. Below are 13 shots that I just had to share. It's hard to decide what's more impressive in a many... read more ›
Aug
06
Because there are few establishing shots that can compete with the one you get above 250 feet, I frequently take my shoots airborne. Whether it's yanking the doors off a Bell Ranger traditional style or the...ahem...new school way of sending an 8-bladed octo-copter to do the dirty work, if it's outdoors these days, aerial footage is, well, the new black. Neither option mentioned above is cheap, however. I've been paying thru the mega-schnoz... read more ›
Aug
05
I had a chance to photograph Bob in Brazil couple years ago for Oakley and we couldn't pull it together Let's just say this video galvanizes my regret. This is some next level shit, Bob.. The intro is humble. The middle is stunning. And gotta say from experience that the helicopter stuff after the 6 min mark is supremely impressive. This is what it means to be committed. You?
Aug
02
If you're looking for your next creative breakthrough or if you're in a job you hate and looking to make a change, this video from Dan Wieden of legendary Wieden + Kennedy agency in Portland is a worthy 15 min of your time. The intro is slow (a Portland love fest...) so skip in a few min if you're watching the clock. Here's what's in this video that I like: - dan is a really... read more ›
Jul
30
Apparently as a followup to my well-timed and very handy video I put out this week (check it), my favorite camera manufacturer today announced the launch of a new app. It's getting really slick my friendz. While you could control the Hero3 cameras with earlier version of the app (view - start -stop - etc) the newest version of the app allows you the same ability to control the camera, but you can... read more ›