National Geographic Mag: A Sweet Find at the Airport

Jetways, concourses, and terminals have been a regular theme for 2010 and I often find myself thumbing through the mag racks at the airport. It was a great surprise to come across my first full page spread in the pages of National Geographic. I knew it was going to run, but the payoff really didn't come until that moment. "Hey there Old Yella!"

Rawhide in the Sky

"YEEHAW!" screamed the talent as nearly 15 people dressed in cow costumes stumbled about the Atlanta airport.

It was not easy operating the camera while trying not to breakout into laughter during each take of the "Skip the Stampede"

video we produced for AirTran Airways.

The day was long and the trail was tough but we finally did get those steers corralled on that plane.

Our production company, Common Machine Production, had a great time producing the clip. The video is a response to an ad SouthWest Airlines is running, in which their crazy baggage guys pull up their shirts and flash an AirTran plane.

I hope you enjoy our response.

Up We Go into the Wild Blue Yonder!

On March 9th and 10th Common Machine Production had the opportunity to document 300 Women Aviator Service Pilots (WASP) receive the Congressional Gold Metal at the Capital building in Washington, DC. I ran the cameras, Brett O'Bourke produced, and Jorge Rubiera edited the piece for AirTran Airways who provided an enormous amount of support to the WASP. We had an incredible time and it was really nice to tour DC the night before the ceremony with my trusty M6 and some old TriX 400... love it.

Eyes & Hearts for Haiti Photography Event

It's great to be included in a photography show, and even better to take part in something meaningful. This evening in Miami there will be a great event at Aperture Studios, 385 NE 59 St, http://www.eyesandheartsforhaiti.org/ to raise money for the orphans of Haiti. This is also a great opportunity to aid those tragically affected by the earthquake in Haiti through photography. Everyone attending will have the opportunity to bid on original signed prints from a variety of photographers (some pretty famous) who have donated their work. The online auction and photography show will take place simultaneously until 10 PM. I've donated one of my prints from the Bahamas and hope you get a chance to check out the work at the show.

La Poursuite (The Chase)

Santa brought us a steadicam for Christmas (there must have been some clerical error on the naughty/nice list). So, we ran downstairs from our office and played with the new toy for a minute. Lots more to come. Crew: Le Lapin (The Rabbit): Brett O'Bourke Man with Mannequin: Jorge Rubiera Man on sidewalk: Castor Fernandez Camera operator: Richard Patterson Music: Riot in Thunder Alley, Eddie Beram Kit: Sony EX-3 Glidecam X-22 Adidas 'ADI'

Art Basel Miami 2009 - Here and Gone

It's that magical time of year in Miami where for one week the cities of Miami and Miami Beach are overrun with art and art enthusiasts from all over the world. The exhibits, installations, events and after parties go nonstop from December 2nd - 6th. The imagery is inspiring and it's great to meet other artists from all around the world. The swanky event also provides an opportunity to polish off the old three piece suit...

The chatter and drinks are always a blast, but it's really all about the art. Like the 4 years prior, this year was a visual orgasm and I was really taken back by the work of dozen of artists. Here are five that come to mind (4 photographers and 1 painter). I wish I could have walked away with all of them.

Without a doubt my favorite pieces are by Berlin-based painter Franziska Klotz.

"Camper's View" 2009 by Franziska Klotz

"Thrift Store, San Fernando Valley," 2008 by Scott B. Davis

"Father-in-blues / Jimmy "T99" Nelson," 2006 by Don E. Camp

"New Crowd Series" by Misha Gordin

"The Art Lovers" by Rocky Schenck

I've been inspired to create a another video piece of my own utilizing new technology. I'll throw something up on the blog once I get it down on paper and into pre-production. Cheers...

40,000 Views & PDN Online Write-Up

PDN OnLine & LostAtEMinor.com Write-Up

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I'm happy to announce that after 8 days on YouTube the "Behind the Scenes" video for "SINNERS" by Hypernova is just about to break 40,000 views.

I've enjoyed reading all of your comments and appreciate the feedback.

Generally speaking, my main motivations for choosing these tools were my familiarity with Profoto lighting and Canon equipment. Also, the availability of electrical power on location (although we did blow a few circuit breakers on the day of the shoot when all 10 packs were firing), budget, and the ability to control the light sources using the Profoto light modifiers played a major factor in my creative workflow.

Budget... oh yeah! I do realize that 10 Pro 8A Air packs with 20 heads combined with all the goodies would not be cheap to rent, but neither is a grip truck with experienced grips and generators. We saved valuable time using the strobe lighting because it's easier to manipulate and maneuver. Therefore, we were able to execute multiple scenes within the short shooting schedule. Not to mention we had more than 20,000 watts of lighting at our disposal.

Incorporating the cinematic look and fluidity of the steadicam (provided by Michael Fuchs in the Hypernova video) occurred to me after I worked as a steadicam operator in Hawaii on the Vincent LaForet "Jamie O'Brien Experience" shoot back in January using the 5D Mark II.

However, as opposed to contributing to the popular 5D video movement, I wanted to combine the stop-motion feel of animation created by the still camera with flash photography. I also recognized this was the opportunity to create something new with a specific set of tools that were at my disposal.

I've always believed that we never create in a vacuum. We are influenced by a multitude of experiences and stimuli. I saw this project as an opportunity focus my creativity using my skills as a still photographer, steadicam operator, and day dreamer into one clip.

Thanks once again to all those who helped on this project. It was a great collaborative experience.