I just moved back to South Beach and decided to christen my new neighborhood with a quick shoot. Just me, Amanda and my camera in a 3 block radius. Please don’t judge the fact that I have yet to buy a shower curtain… baby steps.
AMANDA | NEXT MODELS
ROCHELLE + FORTON | A VIZCAYA WEDDING
I love when I get a chance to shoot weddings in Miami, especially when they are as special as Rochelle and Forton’s. This beautiful couple met on the campus of Princeton University 10 years ago and they both knew it was the real deal from day one. 2 degrees, 3 dogs and 2 cities later they made it official at Miami’s Vizcaya Museum just a few days shy of their 10 year anniversary. Honestly, I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day, location or couple to shoot for and the after party was crazy (or so I heard).
I have to give a special thanks to two ladies. First, Jessica McCrary-Campbell and her team over at Lavish Soiree for planning this ridiculously, beautiful wedding. These ladies arranged every detail down to the thread and it was my pleasure to work with one of the best planners in Miami. Secondly, an extra special thanks to Yolanda Reid for second shooting this affair. Couldn’t have done it without my right-hand (wo)man.
Enjoy.
35 MM | FAREWELL SUMMER
Autumn is only 2 days away, so I wanted to share a little bit of summer while I still had the chance. I spent the bulk of it in NYC shooting for various clients, eating at my favorite restaurants and skateboarding through Brooklyn. I also purchased the newest love of my life — the Nikkor 35mm f/1.4G. I don’t think I took that thing off my camera for 2 months! It is one of the sharpest, fastest and well-built lenses I’ve ever used and a good investment for all you prime lens fans.
I took these pictures in the Bronx about an hour after I bought it and just in case you didn’t know, an open fire hydrant is the official sign of summer in NYC. These little kids were too much fun!
Enjoy!
VA$HTIE | DOWNTOWN’S SWEETHEART
This summer I had the chance to shoot one of dopest chicks in the industry, Va$htie aka Vash Money aka King Va$htie aka Downtown’s Sweetheart. If you’ve never heard of her more than likely you seen one of the music videos she’s directed for superstars like Kid Cudi, Solange, Kanye West… and the list goes on. Aside from being a talented director, Va$htie has her own clothing line, her own weekly party, she DJ’s some of the hottest events in NYC and she even has her OWN Air Jordan design. I’m swooning.
The craziest part of all is Va$htie is cool as she is beautiful. We had jokes on deck the entire time.
We shot these images for her fashion Tumblr project and I’m sure you’ve caught a few of them floating around the internet this summer. For your daily dose of Va$htie make sure you check out her blog.
*Thanks to Apuje for putting these looks together.
Hawaii | Shooting for Yourself
In the photography world, when you’re first starting out you have to do everything for yourself. I’ve been my own graphic designer, accountant, assistant, secretary, editor and stylist more times than I can count. Amid the never ending list of things that we do for ourselves sometimes we can forget what should be at the top — Shooting for yourself.
Shooting personal work is why I became a photographer in the first place. Back in 2008 (when I was still in corporate America) I used to have a routine. Study photography books, websites and blogs Monday – Thursday and apply what I learned on shoots Friday – Sunday. I would literally put ads on Craigslist and find random people to shoot with, for free (this was pre-Craigslist killer). For me, these shoots were not only great practice but also helped ease my fear of working with complete strangers. When I finally started making money from shoots I put personal work to the side. This was financially rewarding but creatively, it was very unfulfilling.
So this year I’ve rededicated myself to shooting more personal work and really getting a feel of who I am as a commercial photographer. My recent trip to Hawaii was a huge step in that direction. I’ve never been to Hawaii, so I was primarily there to location scout for a bigger shoot I have coming up in August. Luckily, I found some time and some models who were down for a quick test. I actually styled this shoot myself *gasp*, so don’t judge the clothes.
Day 1: My friend Erik and I hit the ground running. We combed the entire island in about 6 1/2 hours… hitting a lot of the less frequented areas of Oahu. The two shots below are from the West side also known as the “hood”. Who knew Hawaii had hood rats? Personally, I loved this area more than the tourist traps… it seemed a lot more connected to what Hawaii was historically.
Day 2: Headed back to the west side with Mahina, Malia and Jason. Much like everybody on the island, they were so cool and fun to work with.
*Side Note: Hawaii, has some of the BEST natural light I’ve ever shot in.
New Work | Ammo Mag
Back in February I got a last minute call to shoot for AMMO, a cool, up-and-coming online magazine out of NYC. My good friend Ashley is their creative director and thought I’d be a good fit for this fashion story.
Not only was this my first editorial, but I’d also have a chance to work with a brand new team. It still amazes me how we all clicked instantly and despite the freezing temps (31 degrees), I don’t think I’ve ever had more fun on a shoot.
I’ll talk more about the lessons I learned in a later post but for now check out my foray into fashion editorials:
Full Story Here
Gone For A Minute
If you followed my old blog, you may have noticed the tumbleweeds rolling by. Obviously, I haven’t blogged in quite some time but I’m getting prepared for a whole new stage in my career. Making the transition into commercial photography is a challenge but I wanted to invite you all on my journey. This blog is going to be a lot more honest and give some insight on my latest projects and inspirations.
For now, bask in the cuteness of my niece.
ADVENTURES IN STREET STYLE: TOKYO EDITION
I just got back from a mini-vacation in Japan and to say that I left inspired is an understatement. I had always heard that Tokyo was an amazing city but to see it first hand was quite the experience. My sister and I decided on a more “organic” approach to tourism and did very little research before we left. We just hit the ground running and made every day an adventure. After 3 days, we pretty much had the place figured out and the locals were certainly a great help.
This trip to Tokyo also inspired me to dabble in a form of photography I had never tried before, known as “Street Style”. Popularized by Scott Schulman (aka “The Sartorialist”) and redefined by amazing street photogs, like William Yan, Fred Egan and others, Street photography has built a huge cult following. Even big name designers like Marc Jacobs and Dolce & Gabbana have been pulling inspiration from everyday stylish people for years.
It was a little nerve-wracking approaching total strangers and then throw in a HUGE language barrier — I was terrified. Luckily, my sister wasn’t shy at all and before I knew it we were stopping people left and right. We only shot for an hour in one location (OmoteSando) but these pics should give you a small inkling of the type of crazy styles we saw.
I live in New York (which is arguably the fashion capitol of the world) but I would honestly have to give the crown to Tokyo. Their fashion sense is so innate and their style has a voice that I have rarely seen in the states. Needless to say, I have taken a look at my own personal style and I’m a little less scared to try something new.
STREET PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS:
1.) Get a Long Lens – A 70 -200mm lens is perfect for street style. Not only can you catch some amazing fashions from far away but you can also capture people in their natural element.
2.) Be fearless – The worst thing anyone can say to you is no, so why be scared? I certainly got rejected a few times initially but once I showed confidence people jumped at the chance to be in front of my camera.
3.) Be engaging – This is a no brainer, but a smile goes a long way especially when there is a language barrier. I used a lot of hand gestures but I made sure to compliment them before and after taking the picture. My background in sales didn’t hurt either.
4.) Mix it up – Remember to play with angles and composition. Great pictures should always tell a story.
5.) Dress the part – A successful street style photographer always looks pretty ‘stylish’ himself. One of the best style lessons I learned is to buy timeless pieces and mix them in with any trends that you may like at the time.
**NOTE: Every time they threw up the little Japanese “peace sign” my heart smiled.
My favorite outfit of the day. This dude owned his look and he even designed the shoes himself.
A nice stranger snapped this shot of my sister and I before we went off to lunch.
Another Tokyo post coming tomorrow!
DESTINATION WEDDINGS // NEGRIL, JAMAICA
When Ayesha Onyekwelu, of Bedazzled Photography, contacted me to shoot her wedding I was excited for so many reasons. The first being that she is an awesome photographer and I’ve been a fan of her work since I started 2 years ago. Another obvious reason being that her wedding was in Jamaica! Even in my excitement I could have never prepared myself for such a perfectly, beautiful weekend.
Ayesha and her new husband Chinedu have such impeccable taste. The location, the colors, the food and every detail you could imagine all came together perfectly. The most refreshing part of the whole weekend…. Ayesha took her photography hat off and was simply a bride. I am beyond flattered that Ayesha trusted me with one of the most important days of her life and allowed me to tell her wedding story. Check it out below!
*Sidenote: If you know anything about Ayesha, you would know that she could not have found a more perfect wedding shoe, lol*
Venue: Moon Dance Cliff Resorts
Wedding Planners: TiannaVivienne Events (These ladies are AWESOME)
The reception was amazing… they even hired a fire eater!!
Ayesha and Chinedu were every photographer’s dream couple. They were down to wake up at 6 am the next morning and do a portrait session with me. What happens next is some of my favorite wedding portraiture ever!
SUMMER TRAVELS + NIGERIA’S TREASURE
My trip to Nigeria was truly amazing for so many reasons. Being an African myself (Liberian to be exact), the experience tends to be more special when you return to your ‘Motherland’. I was there for 7 days and I completely immersed myself in the culture. I wore the traditional clothes, ate the local food and interacted with every Nigerian I could. I have a ton more pictures to share, including Uju and Obi’s beautiful wedding, but I wanted to start with Nigeria’s greatest treasure — their children.
The more I travel, the more I find that kids are the perfect subject for pictures. They have no insecurities or hesitation in front of the camera and they really help tell the story of wherever you visit.
By the way, the shot below just might be my favorite picture of all time. The simplicity of this moment is something I can’t recreate and he was such a cool little dude too.
Summer Travel Schedule:
June 19th – Fort Lauderdale, FL
June 27th – Savannah, GA
July 3rd – West Palm Beach, FL
July 10th – Negril, Jamaica
July 17th – Atlanta, GA
July 23rd – Philadelphia, PA
August 1st – Orlando, FL
August 7th – Riviera Maya, Mexico
August 12th – St. Lucia
August 14th – Washington D.C.
August 21st – Princeton, NJ
