My Photography


Portraits and Musicians

I have been an photographer since the days of film photography for the masses. The first portrait I ever took was of my brother Steven. He was headed to prom and I just bought a snazzy new camera. It was my very first “real” film camera with interchangeable lenses. It was a Canon Rebel. I have since shot using many systems, though Canon remains my favorite. Can’t beat the color processing, in my humble opinion. I prefer to shoot portraits with a 50mm lens. It’s bright, fast, and works well for my portrait style, i.e. up in your business. The 50mm is also really handy to take with me to capture musicians.

Photographing musicians can be a real challenge. Trying to capture images of moving people in a dark room takes some know how and, frankly, luck. Nowadays, I carry a Canon 5D Mark II, a Canon 80D, and a Sony RX100 III when shooting. If I have to pack light, I carry a 24mm, 50mm, and an 85mm lens. By pack light, I mean a huge camera bag.

Superheroes

I volunteered for the Portland Superheroes Coalition from 2014 to 2018. This is where I really cut my teeth in event photography. I have captured thousands, to which my backup server can attest, of photos with children meeting their favorite superheroes at comic cons and charity fundraisers. It was truly a rewarding experience to work with this rag tag bunch of dedicated cosplayers.

Pets and Animals

After I decided to step back from offering paid photography services in 2018, I decided to focus my energy into other photography pursuits, just for fun. I became the resident animal sitter for my co-workers and decided to take up photographing animals. Much like photographing children, you really have to be ready for whatever is thrown your way. Animals tend to be unpredictable and cats, especially cats, don’t always want to cooperate.

For this type of photography, I tend to lean on my 50mm and 24mm lenses. I also use my 24-70mm quite a bit. Fast and bright is key to capturing images that are both clear, but also bright enough to keep you from spending hours in Lightroom compensating for low exposures. Also, don’t be afraid to use manual focus. Sometimes its easier than fighting with your equipment to get a good shot.

Resources and Recommendations

  • Cameras I use:

    Sony A7 III, Sony 6400, Canon T3I, Sony RX100 III, and GoPro Hero 5 Black.
  • Favorite Lenses:

    Canon 24mm f/1.8, Canon 50mm f/1.8, Canon 85mm f/2.8, Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8
  • Photo Editing Software:

    Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Lightroom.
  • Favorite Photo/Video YouTubers: