Merry Christmas!

Another year has come and gone and, despite not shooting as much this year, I’ve kept myself busy by creating a new project. For those who follow me on social media, you’ve probably already heard about River City Congress. So what is it? Well.. once I’ve got a real page that doesn’t compress the images down into smaller bytes, we’ll talk about that. Until then, here are a few Christmas images I put together for the new project.

Merry Christmas and happy holidays to each and every one of you!

Gear: Sony A7RIII, Sony 24-105 f4 G OSS, Samyang AF 35 f/1.4, Samyang AF 18 f/2.8, B&W CPL, Rig Pro 20’ Kit

Post Processing: Adobe Photoshop

2019 Year in Review

In 2015, I decided that I wanted to start shooting cars and build stories. I hoped I'd get the chance to have my work featured in publications, backed by brands people knew all over the world. At the time, there wasn't a single reason why that should've or could've happened. So I started practicing. I photographed a variety of vehicles, even shooting some small videos to help with story telling and to dip my feet into a changing market, all with the hope of being noticed by the right people and paving the way for a future in automotive photojournalism.

In 2018, I decided that hope wasn't getting me anywhere. I teamed up with a friend who had a pretty incredible Volkswagen, we put together a fairly challenging shoot at night, released a single image and a blog post about what we hoped to accomplish, and then I actually did the leg work to get that in front of the right eyes. Instead of a quick share on Facebook or Instagram, I looked up the editor's information of the publication I wanted in, I passed on the private gallery of photos even the owner hadn't seen yet, along with some build details, and told them exactly what I wanted. Seven hours later it was green lit to be published.

2019 has been the year that my work has transcended beyond my own label, Cinemauto, and into the pages of some well known publications. While I've had a few small bits in publications before, this is the year I took control, started the conversations, and made the necessary moves to bring my dream to life. It sounds ridiculous to say that, because it's only been three publications this year, but two have landed covers. For someone who was absolutely no one this time last year, I consider that a victory.

As I write what will likely be my last entry for 2019, I'm thankful. I've had the chance to work with some really great people, to share my passion for this craft with more people than I ever imagined, and to grow as both an artist and an individual. While photojournalism will likely never be a career for me, its practice has taught me a great deal this year. Having crushed my 2019 goal, I'm excited to see what 2020 brings!

Monster Cars

A few years back I got a wild hair and wanted to try my hand at crossing my favorite holiday with my favorite hobby. Some backstory: I started my digital photography path by going to design school and learning Photoshop. This helped a lot when it came time to learn about editing RAW files and photo manipulation. So much so that I jumped into creating a small project that brought some local urban legends to life (this project was called #weirdkansas - if you’re interested, here’s Part 1 and Part 2).

Anyway, the love affair with creepy Halloween stuff led me to wonder what I could do to blend these two things. Since I was still relatively new to rigging cars, I figured it'd be a fun challenge to include a rigged car in the image.. and then it hit me. I wanted a vehicle in motion that could represent a ghost or some kind of lore. Why not rig a Mustang and shoot for a Headless Horseman vibe? So yeah - that's what I did and how I got started on this Monster Cars path.

Fast forward to September of 2019 and I'm bouncing ideas off of my wife, trying to figure out how I can mash the holiday and hobby together again. I'd long considered a Frankenstein's Monster image.. but figured I'd need something crazy tall. Then, while looking through images for inspiration, I realized that I could achieve that large monster look by shooting from above. In fact, that'd play out perfectly because it would give me an opportunity to simulate the table he laid on before being animated.

Rounding up my first set of super cheap lights that I bought back in 2010, I set to work to create a layout that would simulate Tesla coils. Adding a third light to the mix, using a flashlight and a florescent tube light cover, I created the lightning rod. Of course, I don't actually have access to a Tesla coil, so the lightning bolts themselves were brushes created in Photoshop. And my method for capturing this top down image: the DJI Phantom 4 Pro. (If I'm totally honest, I didn't think this was going to work out. I'd never done bracketing with a drone before and the wind was absolutely insane the night I shot this.. but it actually worked!)

Now, I knew for a couple years I'd been wanting to do something with Frankenstein for a future image.. but having missed a few years in between, one monster wasn't going to cut it for this year. Considering some of the other obvious choices, Dracula, the Wolfman, the Mummy - I went for one that was a bit less common and possibly more of a challenge: the Creature.

If you've been following my work as of late, it's no surprise that I used a buddy's off-road rig to create this shot. Its ability to handle water without issue, as well as its fish eye style bumper lights and wide flared front fenders made it a great fit. All that was left to do was figure out the where and the how - and that was the simplest part of the whole thing. By the time we were done, we were sitting in a small pool of water, next to Wichita's infamous "Big Ditch," and using 16 pounds of dry ice to create the necessary fog to make the scene a bit more eerie. (If you haven't seen The Creature from the Black Lagoon - it's almost all shot during the day, totally black and white, and is cheesy as all get out.. but man does it look good for the time it was made!)

So, there's some backstory on the why behind these images, as well as some info on how they were created. If you've got questions, I've got answers - so feel free to hit me up and I'll be happy to share what I can! Happy Halloween, friends!

Gear: Sony A7RIII, Sony 24-105 f4 G OSS, DJI Phantom 4 Pro, B&W CPL, YN360, Vagabond Mini, Flashpoint Light Kit, Flashlight & Florescent Tube Cover, Flashpoint Light Stands, Manfrotto Tripod

Post Processing: Adobe Photoshop

Chevrolet Caprice

There's just something about riding a little higher, a little slower, with the top down, and soaking up the sun. I'm a sucker for exotics and super cars - especially of the European variety - but spending last Saturday night with Jermaine and his 74 Caprice was a totally new experience for me. Sure, it's like comparing apples to oranges.. but I'm getting to that age where slowing things down a bit and sitting back just feels right.

I ran into Jermaine a couple months back at a local car show. At the time, I was scouting for something new to obsess over. His Caprice was a breath of fresh air for my creative soul. It's big, it's bold and it has presence. And, to quote him, "it's the color of money." Fun fact: It's actually a Volkswagen color.. but after seeing it on here, I can't imagine it looking as good on anything else.

While talking about the history of the car, he told me his son is convinced 26's would be a perfect fit for the car. I smiled at the thought, and he just shook his head. It's certainly not out of the question for wheels that size to end up on a car like this. After all, these cars are the foundation of the high riser culture. The Caprice itself is technically one of the few bodies classified as a Donk when it's lifted. But that's not Jermaine's style. His taste is a little more low key and, if I'm being completely honest, I'm more reserved in my modification choices, too.

Over the course of the hour that we spent taking pictures, Jermaine was busy answering questions and sharing stories with various folks who passed by. This car, as you can imagine, has a tendency to grab your attention. It's no surprise that people felt the urge to stop by and see what was going on.

Gear: Sony A7RIII, Sony 24-105 f4 G OSS, Tiffen CPL, Yongnuo YN-622C’s, Einstein 640, Vagabond Mini, Manfrotto Tripod

Post Processing: Adobe Photoshop

The Tubester

One of my favorite things about being part of a photography group is that I'm constantly looking for group outings and activities to keep us busy. Sometimes we meet up for something simple, like a quick shoot on a local friends car. Other times we look for events to shoot, knowing it gives us an opportunity to grow our skills when working in distracting and difficult environments. In this particular situation, I reached out to a fairly local shop to see if they'd give us a couple hours with one of their newly revamped builds. They said yes and the rest is history.

Calvin Customs & Hot Rod Repair is a hidden gem in small town Kansas. If you're in the hot rod or custom scene, you've likely heard of them. If not, you will. This small town team is knocking out the kind of work few would expect from our neck of the woods.. and if they can't do it, they collaborate with those who can. Like Mickey Harris, the man who brought this incredible vision to life.

The Seven Deadly Sins is the kind of artistic creation that's more than meets the eye. Each piece is so frighteningly detailed and impressively drawn that it'll stick with you long after the Tubester is gone. (My personal favorite of the pieces is, without a doubt, gluttony. What's your's?)

Gear: Sony A7RIII, Sony 24-105 G, Tiffen CPL, Manfrotto Tripod

Post Processing: Adobe Camera Raw & Adobe Photoshop

Support Your Local Nobody

I consider myself a nobody in this industry. From what I can tell, I haven’t really been on anyone’s radar. So, as 2018 came to a close, I took a chance and decided to reach out to some publications that I admire (perhaps you saw my letter to Super Street?). Since I started shooting more seriously, especially with vehicles, it's been a dream of mine to be a part of that world. There's just something about seeing your work in print, and watching other people enjoy it and go out of their way to look at it again and again, that brings absolute joy to my heart. This was my goal and I'd hoped I'd made enough progress to see it come to fruition in 2019.

Street Trucks responded to my inquiry almost immediately, letting me know they were very interested in featuring Brandon's truck in an upcoming mini truck issue. Sharing the exciting news with Brandon, we set a date to create some fresh new content and so we did. At the time, I was just thrilled to be a part of such a fantastic and established publication. Little did I know that my first time being involved in their publication would yield not only a multi-page feature but also the cover!

This is a feeling I've never known in photography. A 20 year old publication, with a well established following, so happy with the work I provided for them that they're willing to bank their monthly sales and reputation on it. I had no words. "Thank you," didn't seem sufficient. "I can't believe this," felt disrespectful. It's one of the most humbling experiences of my life - and I'm so incredibly excited to share it with my friends and family. So, for those who haven’t yet seen it, here’s the June 2019 cover of Street Trucks!

Color Grading

Way back when I started this journey into photography, I was under the impression that the goal was to take good pictures. Then I started finding all these inspirational sayings online about how a real photographer doesn't "take a picture," they "make a picture." But what does that mean? To be honest, even to this day, I haven't a clue.

What I have learned over the years is that some people shoot to nail everything in camera so that the image is complete and ready once the button has been pressed. Others, seeking to achieve more without big budgets and a crew, turned to programs like Photoshop to get the finished product they desired. Not being in the habit of socializing with complete strangers, having experienced the earlier, more elitist personalities of Wichita's photography scene, and having very little disposable income, it looked like the post production route was a good fit for me.

Having spent years watching tutorials, reading books, and even talking with others who shared my passion online, I felt like I was finally beginning to master my look and ability behind the lens. Then, about a year ago, I found out that color grading and toning was a thing. I mean, I wasn't a total stranger to this practice, as I did some in post when handling video for Cinemauto.. but never had I done anything like this to my photographs. If I wanted to change colors in an image, I typically adjusted my white balance, applied split toning, or used photo filters and masks in post. In short, I didn't have a clue.

So, these days, I take the time to play around with gradient maps and color lookup tables when I'm editing. While I don't love a lot of the vintage, faded, retro effects that feel like filters and presets (because I know those date your images), there's just something about coloring a project to achieve a feel or look. In the case of these images, taken during a recent AutoICT meetup, I wanted a look that felt like a long summer evening. Warm, dry, dirty and endless, like a desert. (I'm a pretty big fan of Vince Gilligan's work with Breaking Bad - specifically the coloring and photography.)

Gear: Sony A7RIII, A6500, Sony 24-105 G, Sony 18-105 G, Tiffen CPL, Manfrotto Tripod

Post Processing: Adobe Camera Raw & Adobe Photoshop