rodney smith is one of the most profound photographers of our time. his work is thoughtful, thought provoking, elegant, intriguing, timeless and true. its impossible to clearly express how much i admire and appreciate rodney’s approach. if there was one photographic workshop that i would take, it would be his. if you aren’t familiar with his work, click here to view his portfolio or click here to view his blog.

i had the incredible privilege of visiting rodney at his home and studio in new york. it was an inspiring experience that has made a huge impact on who i am, how i see and the pictures that i strive to make. our conversation, a tour of his studio and the making of some portaits (like the one above) are all part of one of my new courses at lynda.com called, “narrative oortraiture: on location in new york with rodney smith”

whether you are a photographer of just want to be more creative,  my hope is that this course will change who you are, and how you see the world. this course is a unique chance to learn from one of the world’s best, that might just revitalize, deepen and change the photographs you make. if you have already seen it, i’d love to hear your thoughts. otherwise, don’t wait any longer and click here to view the course today!

i had the privilege of meeting up with photographer erik almas in san francisco to collaborate on a new project he is working on. at this point i can’t say too much, but i can say that it is going to be amazing! erik is a fascinating artist and person –  someone i admire. his approach to photography and life are inspiring. i made the portraits above at his home in sf. check out a few of his pictures below.

click here to view more of his work!

all photographs have the potential to evoke and elicit a response. with this picture, what is yours?

elliot is on the pro photo faculty at brooks institute (where i teach as well). he is a good teacher, thinker and photographer. this portrait was captured on the back steps of the brooks cota campus with a hasselblad 503cw & trix bw film – click on the photo for a larger view.

this photo was captured of douglas in his home (in the garage) in the hollywood hills (click on the photo for a larger view). douglas is someone who inspires me with his down-to-earth and enthusiastic approach to photography. for this portait, i was using the 5dmii and 85mm lens with natural light. that’s a combo i have been enjoying and using a lot these days. the lenses i’m using most these days are:  85, 50, 35. i’m always curious to hear what others are using for their people photography work. what’s your “go to” set up?

geordie speake } soulful + creative
// a few more pics from last weekend. click on it for a larger view.

paul myers } authentic + inspiring
// i apologize for the delay in posting… been shooting, filming, writing, traveling, biking and enjoying life. the picture above was captured at a friends birthday party last weekend. click on it for a larger view.

jeff divine is an unreal photographer. click here to see his work.

just got some film back… another photo of ralph clevenger from last week.

i captured the image above at ralph’s home in santa barbara.
if you’re not familiar with ralph, he is an inspiring person and amazing photographer.
be sure to check out his work - click here!

portrait of kodiak greenwood on an 8×10 camera.
check out his photography here: kodiakgreenwood.com

on this cold winter day i am sad, quiet and still.
i just got word that photographer, colleague and friend nick dekker passed away.
he was generous, honest and full of life.
time is relentless.

—————–

below is one of nick’s platino type prints. the photograph was made in
north dakota near his parent’s home. it is titled “forgotten dreams”

a portrait of one of my teaching colleagues harry liles. this one was captured last week with a wood and brass large format camera and t55 polaroid film (yep i still have a few boxes left!).

jay maisel is an amazing photographer. in fact he’s one of the best.  his photographs are vibrant and alive. he is a living legend. over the last few years i’ve had a handful of opportunities to hang out with jay and i’ve consistently been impressed and inspired. a few weeks back when we crossed paths i asked jay a handful of questions and recorded his response. as always, jay’s words were honest, insightful, entertaining and thought-provoking.

click on the play button below to listen to 10 min of our conversation. before you begin, grab a pencil and a scratch sheet of paper as you may want to jot down some notes. enjoy!

david duchemin is more than a typical photographer and the more i get to know him the more impressed i am.  as a person david is honest, humble, engaged and fully alive. the poet kay ryan once said, “i like to think of all good poetry as providing more oxygen into the atmosphere; it just makes it easier to breathe.” that’s exactly how i think about david’s work (whether photography, teaching, writing or speaking)… in other words, while viewing or experiencing david’s work i’m awestruck and my breath is taken away… yet after a few moments its as if there’s more oxygen in my lungs.  as result i breath and live more fully and wholly.  if you’re not familiar with his work/books/blog/etc. click here.

as a side note, david and i have been talking about putting together a photographic workshop/retreat sometime next year. it would be a chance to dig deep, to be renewed, revived and of course to have a ton of fun. collectively, we would explore how to create a solid vision and in turn discover how to create more compelling photographs. if you’re interested in offering some suggestions of workshops you’d like to see, or if you’d simply like to sign up to be notified of workshops click here.

the last time david and i met up i asked him a few questions and you can listen to our conversation by clicking the play button below – enjoy!

i just received my copy of ralph clevenger’s book, “photographing nature” and i am so excited to finally have the book in my hands (thanks to greg lawler for snapping the photo above and below). the book is phenomenal!!!

as many of you know, ralph is one of my colleagues/on the faculty at brooks, one of my photographic mentors and a great friend. as you can imagine i had high hopes and expectations for the book. i’m incredibly pleased to say the the book exceeds even my extremely high and outlandish expectations!

i’ll post a full review once i’ve read it completely, yet for now you can view
more info about his book by clicking here.

joe walking along the goleta pier

tim mantoani has been working on an amazing project titled, ”behind the photographs.” he is a brooks institute grad and was having a show at brooks institute (where i teach). the show is absolutely stunning. if you live anywhere near santa barbara you have to check it out! to the left is a photo that i snapped of tim while he was setting up the show.

click on the link below to listen to a conversation we had while walking through the brooks cota gallery. you will find his words intriguing, enlightening and inspiring – enjoy!

click here to view more of tim’s work

Here’s a pic of a recent pic of me photographing Kelly Slater (photo credit: Travis Lee). Not only is Kelly a 9x World Champion surfer, he’s a super cool and down-to-earth guy. I wish I could show you some of my photos from the shoot – they are insane!! Once they’ve been published, I’ll post some here. For now, click on the image above for a larger view.

here’s a portrait of one of my colleagues in his office at brooks. his name is chris broughton and he is an incredibly inspiring person, photographer and teacher.

to view more of her work (like the image below): click here

while at the palm springs photo festival, i’ve had the opportunity to spend time and photograph two of my photographic heroes: steve and duane.  needless to say, it was both interesting and inspiring. i hope you enjoy these portraits and be sure to click on the links below to check out their work.

steve mccurry | duane michaels

for now, here’s something from this morning when i had the opportunity to talk with john paul capinigro (on the right is a photo i snapped of john paul today). if you’re not familiar with john paul he is an incredibly talented photographer, teacher and creative thinker. he is honest, authentic and inspiring.

this morning, we happened to be walking from one location to another. while we walked, i recorded our conversation (in fact, in the background you’ll hear the ambient noise of our footsteps, birds, street sweepers, cars, etc.). in spite of the ambient sounds, walking and talking makes for an interesting conversational context. even more, what john paul has to say is definitely worth checking out.  in sum, i hope that john paul’s words illuminate your day!

to view more of john paul’s work (like the image below) click here

this morning, i was once again thinking about joyce tenneson’s visit to brooks. her words were honest and hope-filled. her presence was like an incoming tide that brought buoyancy to otherwise stationary vessels.
i hope you enjoy this portrait.

this is a portrait of joyce tenneson from last week. she came to brooks (where i teach) for a visit and i had the privilege of sitting down and talking with her for a while. her approach and perspective on photography was absolutely inspiring. to see some of her work click here