Looking back on 2012 – what a great year. I was able to photograph some familiar faces and a few new ones. The images in this post represent some of my favorites. What works in a photograph and what doesn’t work is an elusive and tricky business. But when all the right stuff lines up, it’s worth gazing at, absorbing, and reflecting. These images did that for me in 2012. Sometimes it was the composition, sometimes the light. Other times it was the personal connection with the individual, or a combination of all of these. When a photographer sits down to edit a few hundred photos, there usually occurs a photo or two (if you’re lucky) that evokes some degree of awe. Something that whispers humanity in a way that words have a hard time capturing. Hope you enjoy these shots from the year. They’re in no particular order.
I am starting to understand better lighting here. I am separating my subject from the background in new ways. This, along with a very photogenic Sherry on the beach, made this a keeper for me.
Rock star. This is Stephanie Smith, singer and songwriter out of Nashville. She just has star quality. I took a chance with a creative background and liked the colors.
After I took this I thought I could really get hooked on fashion photography.
Endearing subject. This is Will. He has a heart of gold and a sharp wit, tempered with an immeasurable grace for people. Can you see that in his eyes?
My little sister and her horse Aubrey.
This was another ‘a-ha’ moment with light. Using the sun as a rim light and then bouncing it back onto Emma’s face. Kind of a dreamscape.
I just liked the balance of light and dark in this photo, with distinctive lines of water drawing your attention to Sonia.
Mom and Dad in my garage. They always support my creative endeavors and here they are still doing it, sitting in my cold garage while I play with some studio lighting. Mom’s laugh, if you can’t tell, is infectious.
John played along well here. I asked him to hold a pose without blinking while I dragged the shutter a little to show movement in the cars behind him. It worked.
Unusual beauty. The wide open aperture on a 85mm 1.4, along with these adorable twins made this one a winner.
Anticipation. It’s written all over Jennifer’s face. And it told the story of the whole day.
This was a hard shot but a fun one. Luckily the proud Dad here worked out quite a bit, so he was able to toss his son up in the air about 20 times while I worked on the angle I saw in my head. This is exactly what I saw in my head.
Ralph Lauren ad. I can see the caption now, “New Supple Leather Jacket by Ralph Lauren. Style, function, and taste.” I loved the old world colors that occurred naturally on this late afternoon on Thanksgiving.
There are smiles, and then there is genuine laughter and joy. Sometimes this happens in a shoot and sometimes it doesn’t. With this couple, all I had to do was show up.
Obvious reasons here. It’s just a fantastic image, that is full of mystery.
Maybe a simple portrait, but if you knew this man, you’d know there is a tremendous amount of wisdom and compassion in those piercing eyes.
Mother and child. Beautiful afternoon shoot with these two, and I enjoyed every minute of it.
Here’s to 2013. I am looking forward to another year of exploration. If you want to help me create something new this year, let’s get in touch and talk about it. Drop me a line on the contact page.
I could not do any of this without the continued support and encouragement from my best friend, part-time assistant, editor, CFO, and Wife, Tasha.
