REMIX is a young, up-and-coming music group I had the pleasure of shooting in ATL last week. If I could describe their sound I would say less ‘Kidz Bop’ and more Black Eyed Peas, Diddy Dirty Money and a dash of Nickelodeon. Michael, Anna and Harley are doing things at 13 that I could only dream of at that age… debut albums, photo shoots and international travel but they still manage to remain regular kids.

My friend, Bria Bass, is their creative director and called me to bring her vision to life. “Keep them young but make them look cool” was my only direction and I think we made it work.

Their EP should be dropping shortly so I’ll be sure to link it to this post so you can take a listen.

Check out more of their shoot here!

My homie Toye Adedipe has served as stylist and creative director for some of your favorite celebrities, magazines and photographers… no name-dropping here, you’ll just have to check out his work and see. He also happens to be one of the most inspiring people I know. Our monthly talks put so many things in perspective about life, the industry and everything in between. During a recent convo he asked my opinion on a new project he’s working on called, “Shop Toye”. Long story short, he has a huge surplus of some cool unworn clothing and decided to start an online store for all you fashionistas out there. The prices are great, the clothes are cool and he even designed a few pieces himself (he made all of these shorts by hand).

I was so impressed, I decided to shoot a quick little lookbook on a recent trip to LA. We kicked it around Chinatown and avoided just enough bums to get some great shots. Although we’ve been friends for years, this is actually my first time working with Toye and I must say he is great at what he does. If you’d like to add some unique one of a kind pieces to your wardrobe make sure you check out his site!

You can shop here: www.shoptoye.bigcartel.com

Follow him on Twitter and Tumblr.

You can check out the full story HERE!

I first met my homie DrewVision on a cover shoot for 360 Magazine last year and we hit it off from jump. He had a great look, amazing energy and was super comfortable in front of the camera. What I didn’t know was that he was also a very talented music artist.

He’s always cooking up new music in the studio, performing live all over the country and dropping dope music videos. I admire this kid’s drive and wanted to introduce you all to him and his music. We only had an hour to do the shoot so we knocked it out on a few blocks in my favorite borough, Brooklyn.

Check out the full story here!

For the bulk of 2011, I experienced what can only be described as “creative paralysis”. I was riddled with fear of breaking into the “next level”, I compared my work to everyone else’s, I only focused on paid work and I let resistance take over my life.

Resistance is probably the worst creative sin of them all because it leads to laziness, self-doubt and ultimately paralysis. And do you want to know the worst part about resistance?? You don’t even realize you’re going through it! Here is what resistance sounds like:

- “I’m waiting until I get a better camera/lens and then I’ll be sure to take better pictures.”

- “I need a better website/branding… this is the only way to get people to notice me and help me get to the next level.”

- “I don’t have time for free/personal work.”

- “I’m waiting until I get my “expensive” portfolio printed and then I’ll start meeting with Art Directors.”

- “I’m starting tomorrow or (insert any arbitrary date here)”

- “I wish my work looked like (insert your favorite photographer’s name here).”

That is exaclty what I sounded like. During the resistance phase, you tend to think the problem lies in EVERYTHING else when it’s really all about your mindset. Now don’t get me wrong, a pro-level camera, great branding and professional models will definitely help you work look “better” but lack there of should not stop you from producing great work. Some of the most amazing photographs I’ve ever seen were shot with a $40 film camera, using regular people and posted on a free tumblr template. All the bells and whistles don’t matter… it’s ALL ABOUT THE WORK. Let me repeat this. *clears throat* IT IS ALL ABOUT THE WORK! Here’s how the “It’s all about the work” process goes:

1. Shoot work that you are passionate about – Work that you would shoot for free….shoot for free.

2. Share the work that you are passionate about – If you are shooting work that you love then this should be easy. You should be boiling over with excitement after a shoot and want to show this work to anyone who will look at it.

3. Repeat – This is where the magic happens. Passion is contagious and the people that are passionate about what you are doing will be your biggest cheerleaders. Consistently shoot and share.

Over the past year, I learned that creativity is a muscle and just like any muscle you must continuously work on it to build strength and endurance. That’s honestly what this entire post is about… me getting over my paralysis and trying to take that first step.  Consider this blog post as me moving my big toe… I’ll be in full stride by the end of the year.

Keep shooting and sharing.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

enjoy.

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