Eric Hamilton - Nightlife Photography, Fashion, Glamour, Fine Art

Server Ugrapde -- New Blog Features Coming?

2008-04-06T15:57:00.003-06:00

Some of you may have noticed some brief glitches lately on Dilvie.com -- the reason? My ISP contacted me and told me I need to upgrade my service, so I've moved everything (I hope!) from a single dedicated server to a cluster of machines all working together to serve you better!

I've been thinking of moving Dilvie.com from blogger to WordPress, and early this morning, I decided to bite the bullet and build a test blog to play with it and see if I like it... the answer is YES, I like it! When I started Dilvie.com, WordPress didn't exist in any usable form yet. Now I'm completely sold. It's awesome!

I just built this home equity blog in a few hours using WordPress. Everything from the idea and domain registration to the installation of plugins that added the robust capabilities was done in a day's work.

Here are some of the features I added without touching the template at all -- meaning I can still swap out the template and completely change the look and feel of the whole blog with just a few clicks:

If you have a blog and you haven't checked out WordPress, you need to.

If you are already using WordPress, and you aren't taking advantage of the features I mentioned, go download some plugins! =)

2008-03-15 Get Lucky

2008-03-31T01:12:00.001-06:00

Get Lucky brought the Freestylers, DJ Monk, and Nyx to Salt Lake City's annual St. Patrick's Day party organized by V2 Events. I was really excited about the lineup, and when I saw the big, bright projector screen, I was stoked for that, too.

One thing I wasn't thrilled about was that the DJ table was high up and far forward on the stage -- great for audience viewing from far back, but difficult conditions to shoot under. The DJ's were frequently hidden behind the DJ table due to their high position and the low angle I was shooting from. Getting back further, there's a big crowd to deal with and too much camera shake to get a clear shot.

Because the table was far forward and raised, it was also difficult to shoot on stage. My usual angles of attack were all blocked! No problem. Time to improvise. As a photographer, it's easy to get sucked into doing what works from tried and true experience. Situations like this force me to think outside the box, mix things up, and even change my shooting style.

I didn't want that bright, colorful screen to go to waste, so I was careful not to wash it out with my flash, and I found myself reaching for my 50mm f/1.8 a lot more frequently to let in more of the amazing light and color that was already there. Maybe you can't see my characteristic flash style as much in these shots, but sometimes you do what you gotta do to get the job done!

I was swimming in the technicolor fantasy visuals by VJ Berkely (Hallucination on Film), and I wanted to capture that sense of hyper-reality that I felt on stage at the event. I hope I've done a decent job of it here.

I really enjoyed the sets, but Monk really impressed me this time. I felt his set connected with the audience even better than the last performance I caught at Pioneer Daze. I got a kick out of Berkeley's video clips, and I think that the VJ performance engaged the audience every bit as well as the music did.

It's funny how much my own emotions effect my photography. I was really feeling all the light, color, and music associated with Monk's set, and it's reflected in the photo set. I think I took more pictures of Monk than anybody else at the party. When I'm having fun it's like my finger never leaves the shutter release. I hope the passion for the music and the excitement of the show are visible in the photography.

Morgan Page Album Give Away!

2008-03-27T02:19:00.002-06:00

Hi everybody, I'm working on something exciting. I have been a fan of Morgan Page for several years. A couple years ago, I brought him to Salt Lake City to celebrate the release of his influential bootleg remix album, "Cease and Desist". Since then he's gone on to top a bunch of dance charts, got signed by Nettwerk Records, and released his first album with them. In celebration, I'm going to try to give one copy away every week for three full months to SLC VIP Club Members. Make sure you're on the list for your chance to win!

A personal note from Morgan Page:

Hello family & friends. Today is a big day. Elevate is officially released and available wherever music is sold.

When I set out to make Elevate, I set an ambitious goal for myself. I wanted to create an album that allowed people to experience my remixes in a brand new context; woven between original material as part of an album that would flow seamlessly as a coherent musical journey. I wanted to change the perspective of what constitutes an electronic album to fans and critics alike.

Elevate is the culmination of years of work and an evolution of my work as a producer. It is undoubtedly one of the most significant milestones in my life. In addition to the amazing artists that I’ve had the opportunity to remix for this album, I’ve had the chance to collaborate with some truly talented songwriters and musicians: Lissie, Tyler James, Camila Grey, and Matt Wasley. I am absolutely elated and I hope you’ll join me in celebrating this momentous day with your support.

Purchase your copy of Elevate today, and experience a new perspective towards electronic music.

Now available at:

P.S. We're also giving away two tickets to see Benny Benassi at Get Funky. Lots more great give-aways coming. Signup to win!

Nu Skool 3 Give Away

2008-03-25T14:01:00.003-06:00

Congratulations DREW LATTA!

You have won the VIP Club ticket give-away for Nu Skool 3! You can pick your tickets up at Mechanized. We still have more exciting giveaways coming, including two free tickets to see Benny Benassi at Get Funky!

Strobe on a Pole

2008-03-25T04:48:00.003-06:00

All due respect to David Hobby, who called this technique Strobe on a Rope, I shoot wireless infra-red via Nikon's CLS (Creative Lighting System).

If I had a dime for every time I've described how I handle light on nightlife shoots, I'd never need to shoot again. In case you are not one of the 17,000 people I've told... here's a photo for you (thanks to Salt Lake After Dark for the photo). Mount your strobe to the end of a tripod or monopod (I prefer the tripod because I can set it down and trust it to be stable if I want different light angels), aim the light where you want it, and shoot. It's that easy. That funky thing on the end is a Gary Fong Lightsphere Cloud Diffuser. There are a lot of pundits on Flickr who make fun of Gary Fong and his products, but diffusers work. They scatter and spread the light around, make everything a bit more evenly lit, and having one on a tilt/swivel flash makes it really easy to tweak your exposure by shining more or less light on your subject with a twist of the flash head. It takes some practice, but eventually becomes second nature.

Sexy Controversy - A New Hope

2008-03-25T03:59:00.002-06:00

With a quiet mind,
come into that empty house; your heart,
and feel the joy of the way
beyond the world

- The Dhammapada

Today I had the pleasure of photographing a very non-traditional model for a feature in The City Weekly's "Best of Utah" awards. Typical models are quite tall, skinny as toothpicks, and very young. She was none of these things, but she was great to work with. She had a terrific work ethic, great hair, smiles, and a sexy attitude. Wonderful!

Since the sexy controversy errupted on my blog, I've been thinking a lot about the disparity between what I think is sexy, and what gets put out there by the media (including myself, obviously) and held up as sexy. Today I had another chat with amy that I'm not going to post; but in it, Amy suggested that if there was more diversity in what media held up as beautiful, it would be easier for people to have a healthy self-image. My apologies to City Weekly and their model. I'm going to hold them up as examples of what I'd like to see more of.

The model (a city weekly employee) admited that she's not often picked for this type of job, and went on to point out that there are many pretty young ladies at CW who are usually chosen to go out on shoots. However, I was pleasantly surprised when I first saw her, and I thought she was a brilliant choice. I'm very happy that City Weekly is willing to print photos like this of women who are strong enough and beautiful enough to break the mold.

Thanks, City Weekly!

Dilvie's Diary - March 23rd, 2008

2008-03-23T15:52:00.002-06:00

Going to have an Easter meal with my mother in law this evening. I welcome the relaxation. I've been working too much lately. For example: Yesterday I was bombarded by emails and blog comments over a controversial post to my blog; trying to keep my head above water and make sure that my important work-related stuff wasn't getting lost in the sudden and unexpected tidal wave of attention.

Then I had to catch a short nap and head out to photograph a local radio dj in the studio for his winning feature in The City Weekly's Best of Utah issue. Sorry, can't say who, or what he won yet!

After that I was off to the rave ("1") to photograph a killer lineup -- incredible! Best display of talent I've seen all year, and I'm including the phenomenal Future Sound of Breaks Tour and the Paul Oakenfold show in that. I haven't seen such an amazing talent lineup since a human beat box went up against two of Utah's best turntablists at Man vs Machine back in December.

"1" was a PHENOMENAL SHOW! -- just one problem -- the promotions fell short and the crowd was very thin. It's a shame so many people missed out on such a great event. Hopefully there will be a lot fewer flops like that when the VIP Club promotions get into full swing. If you want to know what's going on in the SLC EDM (Electronic Dance Music) scene and have your chance to win free VIP tickets to all the best events - along with a lot of other great prizes, sign up now. If you're already a member, forward this to your friends!

This week I have a few more shoots for City Weekly (watch for them in the Best of Utah issue, April 3rd! I'm giving away two free tickets to a lucky VIP Club member for Nu Skool 3 (Solid UNDA Ground), interviewing applicants for my college credit internship program and compiling photos for an upcoming nightlife photography exhibit. Watch this space. If you think it sounds like I'm doing some cool things now -- you ain't seen nothin' yet... just wait until I tell you about the parties that are still under wraps!

Sexy Controversy - A Chat With Amy

2008-03-22T15:41:00.004-06:00

By your own efforts,
waken yourself, watch yourself,
and live joyfully.

- The Dhammapada

Amy is a long time friend and has no connections to the controversy that exploded on my blog earlier today. I think that the discussions have raised some important social issues, and that if we are going to solve these problems, we need to raise a candid dialog, in the same way that I've been open and candid about my photography, and my business. This is what Amy had to say. I enjoyed it.

me: my blog is under comment siege
Sent at 1:43 PM on Saturday
Amy: well deserved :)
me: um..
you do know that several people are throwing rocks at me, right?
=)
is that the part that's well deserved?
Amy: meaning?
me: the original email is a woman bitching me out for posting sexy photos
Amy: right
me: some of the comment posters want me dead
Amy: ah, i didn't read that far
me: and a mother thinks I caused her kid's drug problem..
I hope you're not saying that stuff is well deserved... [wink]
Amy: well, obviously that is ridiculous
i just meant that i understand the original woman's point
not so much any of the violent crazies :)
me: hmm..
can you make an elegant case for that position as a blog comment?
Amy: probably not any moreso than anyone else has
me: do you honestly believe that those photos are doing any sort of harm to anybody?
Amy: not your photos in particular, but those type of photos in general
me: so far I haven't seen any eloquent points made by any of the people posting negative comments
Amy: but i wouldn't say for you to take them down, because i believe in free speech
but would i direct my daughter or my sisters to look at them? no, absolutely not
me: shouldn't those girls be allowed to dress how they like in an appropriate venue? it's not like they're wandering public streets dressed like that.
Amy: absolutely
me: people go to those shows to see them dance on stage -- they're part of the act
Amy: people should be free to do whatever they like, look at whatever they like, photograph whatever they like
me: and frankly -- it's my job to take pictures of them.. honestly I wasn't interested in that part at first -- I completely ignored the crowds and the girls and focussed my photo snapping almost exclusively on the djs
but when I started getting hired to cover the events in a more general way, I learned that I really enjoyed the people interaction
Amy: but personally, i feel that pictures like that feed into society's obsession with unachievable body types
and i that's not something that i would want anyone that i love exposed to
but that's not your responsibility, it's mine as a parent, friend, sister, whatever
but it would definitely be a lot easier if images like that were not plastered all over tv, movies, the internet, city buses, etc :)
me: people can watch disney movies instead of look at my website
Amy: sure
me: it's not my fault if they get sucked in and start gawking at girls they wish they could look like, and frankly, it's not the girls' fault, either.
Amy: if they don't like what they see, they don't have to look at it
me: it seems to me that people who are offended by those images almost universally half deep-rooted self esteem and body image issues
Amy: of course they do
me: and they need to take responsibility for that and work to change their thought patterns
Amy: because society tells them every single day that because they don't look like the girls that you photograph, they are worthless
me: rather than lash out at innocent people
Amy: it is a societal problem, not an individual one
me: you think I'm saying, "look, she's hotter than you, you're worthless"?
hell no.
Amy: not you as a person
me: I'm saying it isn't society.
Amy: then you need to open your eyes
me: it's the person with the self esteem problem.
Amy: how do you think a person gets a self esteem problem?
you think they just wake up one day like that? or they're born with it?
people have low self esteem from being systematically told by their peers, the media, their family, their friends, strangers on the street that they do not meet up to what is expected of a person in their community
if it's because they're fat, or they have bad skin, or a big nose, or whatever
me: Amy, when I was younger, I was one of those people.
Seriously.
Amy: so?
me: I had a real hard time with negative thought patterns.
I made a conscious effort to change
and I did change
and then it didn't seem so much like I was being bombarded by negativity anymore
Amy: yes, the effort is something you have to do yourself
because you have to overcome the negativity that is being pushed at you all the time
me: it's not that the world around me changed, it's that my attitude about it did a 180.
Amy: right
me: you realize that those girls are constantly hounded by the same sort of negativity, right?
Amy: but that doesn't mean that because you were able to overcome a society shitting on you, that it is not a social problem
me: only it's "OMG somebody give that girl a sandwich!"
or "slut"
Amy: i am sure they are
me: "skank"
"bitch"
Amy: and that is a societal issue also
and a feminist issue as well
why do women who choose to portray themselves in a sexual way automatically get labeled a slut or a whore?
Sent at 3:18 PM on Saturday
Amy: it is all a system of oppression, the only variable is which end of the oppression you are on
Sent at 3:19 PM on Saturday
Amy: did i make you mad? :)
Sent at 3:20 PM on Saturday
me: so people are unhappy with themselves, and they try to oppress the people around them to make themselves feel better?
so is it okay that people want to censor my blog?
Amy: nope
me: because that oppression is justified somehow by those insecurities, social anxieties, and internal pressures?
Amy: i never said that you should censor your blog
but that people would WANT you to, i can understand
me: you understand where she's coming from.
Amy: yes.
me: so do I, I think.
What I don't understand is the need to lash out at innocent people.
Amy: but i understand where you are coming from, also
well, that is the last resort of an angry person
someone who feels powerless
like a cranky dog in a corner or somethin
g
me: I don't understand why people think that my photographs and comments justify insightful suggestions like, "die please"
and perhaps it's better that I don't.
Amy: that's the internet, these are the same people who carry around big posters of aborted fetuses at every political rally in the country :)
Sent at 3:26 PM on Saturday
me: Can I post this whole chat on my blog?
Sent at 3:29 PM on Saturday
Amy: why?
i don't need any hate mail :)
me: You'll be known only as "Amy"
Amy: okay
Sent at 3:32 PM on Saturday
me: Thanks, Amy. No, I'm not mad at you. I think your perception is spot on, and I think it reveals a lot about why my photos have raised such a stink today. You're wonderful, as always. =)
Amy: be glad your photos raise a stink, that means they make an impact :)

Enraged Feminist vs Utah's Sexy Dancers

2008-03-22T00:17:00.003-06:00

"Dear Eric,

I've noticed that there are lots of scantily-clad young girls on your photo stream. Aren't you afraid that you are going to offend 90% of your clients in Mormonville, USA and don't you think that by giving these harlots a public place to flaunt themselves you're perpetuating the stereotype that girls are merely sexy playthings?"

You should take those photos down or you'll never find any work in this state!!!

- Enraged Feminist [Yes, this is actually how she signed!]

Whoah, Enraged. Calm down. First of all, those who would be so offended that they wouldn't hire me are not the sort of people I want to work for anyway. Call it client darwinism. It's a good thing. Trust me -- I'm not hurting for business. In fact, I'm hiring interns to keep up with the workload. From a photographer's business perspective, being true to my unique vision is my primary marketing strategy. My style and subjects are my brand, and what do you know -- sex sells. The last thing I'm going to do is shoot some conservative idea of what people want to buy. I prefer to shoot what I love.

Anyway, these girls aren't the primary subjects of my photographs. I mostly sell photos of the DJ's and other performers. That's where my real passion lies, and that's where the real money is. They need photos for their presskits and promotions, and they're willing to pay for them. Since most of them are from out of state, and unlikely to be conservative, my choice to include these girls in my photo sets has no negative impact on my bottom line.

Another interesting point is that photos of beautiful girls are far and away the most popular photos in my photo stream, and it's a safe bet that many of my fans found me initially through one of those popular images.

As for your second argument, I've just had a discussion very much like this on the UtahRaves.com message board. Here's a snippet of that conversation:

"And being the feminist that I am I think that they're just ridiculous and perpetuate the image that women are sex toys here for the pleasure of certian perverts and macho sexist idiots." - triciaprefect

"People said the same thing about Madonna." - me

"Madonna was (is) unique." - adrena_line

"So is Ms Easy. The point is that being sexy doesn't always 'perpetuate the image that women are sex toys,' and some particularly strong women manage to be true to themselves and flaunt their sexuality in a way that is empowering and liberating to women." - me

In another conversation, somebody accused me of being exploitive of these girls -- using them to sell my photos and services as if it's wrong to make money from anything that could be considered prurient. Far from feeling exploited, many of these girls are friends, and they respond enthusiastically when they see me. They plaster my photos all over their MySpace pages. They proudly display them to their friends, and many of them have asked me at one time or another for more formal photo shoots. These girls trust me because they know if there's a photo they don't want posted, I'll take it down. None of them have ever complained to me about the way that I conduct myself. I think it's telling that the people accusing me of exploitation are not the people being "exploited".

We can argue until the cows come home about whether it's wrong or right to post pictures of hot girls in skimpy clothing on the internet, but like any honest straight man, I like a dose of sexy in my photos now and then. Call me a sexist pig if you like, but consider this:

I celebrate the individuality and self expression of everybody I encounter in the nightlife scene, whereas, you assume that these girls are harlots, tear them down, and take the time out of your day to rant to me about it, just for trying to express themselves in a way you don't like. You profess to be a feminist, but isn't feminism about freedom and rights? These girls want the freedom and right to express their sexuality in an appropriate venue. Why should I deny them that, and refuse to take and post their photographs? They are part of the nightlife, and my job is to celebrate the nightlife, and all that it includes.

Since you asked me so politely to address this issue, here they are in all their bare-skinned glory: Utah's sexy nightlife dancers.

What are your thoughts on this debate? Take a look at some of the girls in question, and then click the little comments button to chime in.

Win Two Free Tickets to Get Funky w/Benny Benassi!

2008-03-21T02:50:00.003-06:00

Eric Hamilton Photography and V2 Events are giving away two tickets to see Benny Benassi at Get Funky! Members of the VIP Club are automatically entered. Not a member yet?

Sign up for the VIP Club to be informed of new galleries and upcoming events. Every month we'll give away cool prizes, like VIP tickets to the hottest parties! I care about your privacy, and I will never share your information with anyone.

Signup for our Mailing List * required
Email *:
Cellphone:
Cell Carrier:
Myspace Url:	http://www.myspace.com/

Fan list management by FanBridge.com

Going Pro - Keep Your Head In the Clouds

2008-03-20T23:26:00.005-06:00

My mother used to tell me to get my head out of the clouds all the time. I was always cooking up crazy business ideas, or working on music, or drawing, and I always had an unfaltering faith that no matter what I chose to do with my life, I could figure out what it takes and make it work. I still have the same faith. I'm not going to lie to you. It's hard work, often thankless work bootstrapping a new business. Budgets are so small as to be almost unmeasurable. Little things like how to replace the flash that got knocked over can seem like insurmountable obstacles if you let them.

Key words -- if you let them.

This is a mental challenge; a test of your will. If you have what it takes, you will come out the other side of this gauntlet with solid foundations on which to build something that resembles a life not just survived, but well lived. I like living life with my head in the clouds. The air up here is a bit cleaner, and looking down from way up high at the big picture, something like a broken flash doesn't seem like the end of the world. Just another milestone on a beautiful path, full of twists and turns. I live for the challenges. I welcome them. I thrive on coming up with creative solutions. Want to make a photo book? Try funding it with pre-sales. Want to break into sports shooting? Volunteer for the local little league to get your portfolio started. I currently have what might seem like an insurmountable problem. I have a lot more work on my plate than I can handle on my own, and this is the sort of work that really needs to get done. That's not the problem, though. The problem is that I'm still in bootstrap mode, and I simply don't have the budget to hire employees and pay benefits and an hourly wage.

I could stumble on this obstacle. I could give up and decide I just can't hack it as a photographer because "it takes money to make money". Or, I could look at what I do have -- a solid reputation, great connections, a strong network of friends, and a lot of knowledge to share. The solution to this problem was a college internship program. Offer school credit for hands on training in a real photography business. No, this business doesn't have the best cash flow, but I can get interns VIP access to big shows, give them a chance to meet people who genuinely are successful. Let them associate and do business with people who have been there, done that, and made a thriving career of it. That's how to pay them. Reward them with the faith that a kid from nowhere with a dream can look at the big bad world, take it on, and become a productive part of it. Maybe when they've talked to photo editors from influential mags, and met major celebrities and discovered that they're real people -- maybe after all that they'll catch the bug, boldly thrust their heads high into the clouds, and realize that there is always a solution. If you have a dream, and you relentlessly pursue it in spite of all the warnings from concerned friends and family, you can make it come true.

"What you're doing by being a successful creative is violating all the rules of business already, so forget about realism." - Leslie Burns-Dell’Acqua

Realism? Who needs it? All due respect to my mother, I think I'll keep my head in the clouds for just a little longer. Come and join me, if you're not afraid of falling.

Going Pro - Say "No" Gracefully

2008-03-20T17:54:00.002-06:00

You should learn to use the word "no" as a tool to shape your portfolio and your future career. Take work that could be used in your portfolio to land your dream job, and turn down the work that doesn't excite you. It helps keep your portfolio looking fresh, sharp, individual, and creative to photo buyers, and it keeps you sane. The trouble is, how do you say no to a job without offending the client?

Turning down a job doesn't have to be a heart wrenching experience, with sad faces and gnashing of teeth. One way to say no without being offensive is to quote a high price for your services. When somebody asks you how much you would charge to shoot, don't allow yourself to think about how much they can afford or how much you think other photographers would charge. Think, "how much money would it take to make me excited about this job?" The funny thing is, I've had some clients enthusiastically agree when I was trying to turn them down gracefully by quoting a high price to them. I just smiled and ran with it, and what could have been a nightmare if I felt like I was wasting my time turned out to be a good experience for everyone, and it gave me hope, by proving to me that there really are people out there willing to pay a premium for a pro, even when there are hordes of amateurs out there happy to work for free.

I've turned down three jobs this week using this method, and no tears were shed by anyone. If you think I'm crazy for turning down paying work -- watch this space. You're gonna love the jobs I said "yes" to!

2008-03-17 Tommy Lee and DJ Aero @ The Playground

2008-03-20T12:30:00.005-06:00

Tommy Lee drops some electro house at The Playground in Park City, UT.

The gig was fun. I only had ten minutes to shoot while he was playing, so I only nailed a few really good shots. We were supposed to hang around after and get some more intimate portraits with Tommy but I guess he was having an off night. He hid in the green room after his set with his tour manager popping his head out every few minutes and saying, "Yeah, we're gonna do the photos", and then he'd vanish back into the room and close the door. After waiting around for about 30 minutes, the entourage comes out, makes a b-line to the door and into their waiting truck without a word.

Maybe he wasn't feeling it. Maybe he was in a bad mood (though if he was, it didn't show -- he was friendly in a very detached way, smiling and waving). The opening DJ, Skeet Skeet was really cool. He grew up with The Cobra Snake -- probably in the top 5 most famous nightlife photographers. We talked a little about him, and shared stories about going days without sleep while working back-to-back nightlife gigs.

The crowd was terrific. Some of the most friendly people I've met, and very diverse. The electronic music nightlife scene in Salt Lake City is pretty incestuous, as a rule, and most of the people here already know who I am and where to find my photos... at this gig I gave out over 100 business cards, which is a rarity these days, because I frequently try to hand somebody my card and they're like, "dude, I know who you are, I look at your photos all the time!"

It was cool to meet some new people who'd never heard of me. Refreshing and really fun. I almost felt normal again. I haven't really experienced that since last October. I generally feel a bit awkward when people know so much about me and I have never met them before. It's kindof weird. Truthfully, I wasn't prepared for all the scrutiny I've had in recent months, it kindof hit me unawares.

One day nobody knows my name, and the next, I'm surprised to meet somebody who doesn't know who I am. I always feel guilty when people are like, "Hi Eric!" and I don't know their names or recognize them at all. I feel like if they know me, I should know them, too, and if I don't, I've somehow let them down...

So it was cool not feeling that at all tonight. I didn't realize how much that was messing with my head. It was a breath of fresh air. I wonder how it must be for somebody who really is famous, and then I am a little more understanding about Tommy bailing out on the photos. It would have been nice to actually talk to him a bit and get some pictures of him just being a regular guy, but over all it was a great experience, and I'm looking forward to my next chance to meet him.

View Gallery

Buy Prints

VIP Club

2008-03-19T17:15:00.003-06:00

Want to stay in the loop up to the minute? Follow me on twitter. What's Twitter?

Intern Application

2008-03-19T11:45:00.004-06:00

In the last few days, I've been posting to the new going pro series in order to encourage other photographers to pursue their career goals -- but I'm going even further. Each college semester, one lucky person will be chosen to work directly with me to learn how I turned my passion into a dream career. Submit your application by April 1st to be considered!

You will be working directly with me at least 15 hours per week for 15 weeks. Hours are flexible, afternoon or evening shifts, with one late night per week, assisting on a real nightlife shoot. You'll gain access to all the big EDM shows, learn the black art of low-light event photography, and most importantly, you'll learn the ins and outs of operating a real photography business hands on -- and believe me, they don't teach you this stuff in school!

In addition to college credit, you will be compensated with generous commissions and a rewards program that will encourage you to mind the fundamentals that help every business succeed. Application is free, and the position pays (commissions only). However, you will be required to read two books on your own time, and your own dime (just like a college class, hey!):

Going Pro - Photography Meetups

2008-03-19T10:52:00.003-06:00

Local photography interest groups can be huge assets to beginning photographers. There's a common stereotype that photographers are mostly solitary and don't like to share their secrets. Average photographers are afraid that if they share their secrets, they'll lose business to competition. Great photographers are secure enough to share what they know. In my experience, you'll gain access to a wide array of studios, equipment, and knowledge if you can tap into local meetup groups. I have participated, given talks, and assisted at several local groups here in Utah. Here are some of the best in this area:

Going Pro - When to Work for Free

2008-03-18T20:40:00.006-06:00

I got an email yesterday that reminded me a lot of my confusion when I first started out. Before you've established a name for yourself, gaining access to events can be difficult. Organizers know that access is valuable to new photographers, and they will do everything in their power to exploit that. Here's the question:

"Last week I got invited to shoot a heavy metal video. I went and took a bunch of photos, and then the company demanded pics for free. When I said they cost money, the guy got really angry. He said that letting me on set was my payment and if I ever want to work for him again he needs the pics. He said that the exposure that I get from the band's publicity should make it worth my time. What do I do?"

I think every photographer has a story just like this to tell. For me, replace "heavy metal video" with "fashion catalog" and that would be exactly how I felt less than a year ago.

A lot of pundits on Flickr will tell you to NEVER work for free, for good reasons. People in this industry will push you around if you let them. It sounds to me like this guy has no intention of ever paying you, and he would not be a good client if you're looking for money. However, if you are willing to work for them free to build up your portfolio, absolutely do it, just be clear that you retain the copyright and that the image license is non-exclusive. If they want extras like exclusive rights, feel free to charge for that! When you're just getting started, this is probably the best way to build your portfolio and break into the industry. If you don't need these images for your portfolio, brush them off your radar and walk away.

When I was just beginning, I had friends who were part of the biggest electronic dance music promoters in Utah (V2 Events). Before long, I was being invited to shoot some shows with some big headliners, like Rabbit in the Moon. Knowing that V2 constantly brings out top names in the dance music community, I agreed to shoot a series of shows for them in exchange for access. Those shows helped me build up a rich nightlife portfolio that targets exactly the kind of work that I love most, and it introduced me to some great connections that have been a huge asset to my career. This image was shot at an event in exchange for access. It's now being used on Rabbit in the Moon's MySpace profile, which has boosted my recognition and given me some credibility with other artists and production companies:

Imagine your dream job, and ask yourself these questions:

"Will the images I get from the access they're giving me help me land my dream job?"

"Will the contacts I make introduce me to a network of people who can help me achieve my career goals?"

"Can I still buy food and pay my rent if I'm doing this work without a paycheck?"

If you answer yes to these questions, you need to stop thinking "free" and realize that ACCESS is your payment, and it's worth every bit of effort you put into it. If you answer "no" to these questions, working with them will not benefit your career. It will only make you angry and resentful over non-payment. Tell them you're not interested and move on.

Another question I get frequently is, "when should I stop taking free work?"

Personally, I stopped doing free work when I had enough paying work to make it easy to say no to the free stuff. It seems like a pretty good indicator to me. At first, I had a hard time saying "no". I didn't want to hurt people's feelings, but this is business. Your portfolio comes first.

Think of your career as a sculpture, and the word "no" as a chisel. When you're just starting out, your career is a big block of marble that represents everything you could possibly do. Chisel away everything you don't want to do by saying "no" until what's left is your dream career, and the perfect portfolio to represent it. Personally, freeloaders and jerks are not part of my dream career. Saying "no" to somebody who wants to pay too little, or isn't offering work that I'm really excited about doing, is very liberating.

P.S. For a lot of perspectives from the magazine world, check out the Pay to Play posts on APE and AVS.

Going Pro - Shoot What You Love!

2008-03-17T06:29:00.007-06:00

This is one of the most important lessons I've learned since I dropped everything and started shooting full time about a year ago:

Learning who you are as a photographer, what you like to shoot, and how you like to shoot it, is the first and most important step you can take into the world of professional photography. Learn what you love, shoot what you love, and then figure out how to make money shooting subjects you're passionate about. You don't have to shoot weddings for a living if you don't like dealing with in-laws. No matter what the subject is, chances are there's a market for it somewhere. The more you shoot, the quicker you'll discover what you're really passionate about, and if you're passionate about something, chances are you'll find a way to translate that passion into great photos!

It's a lot easier to create photographs that evoke feeling if the subject you're shooting evokes feeling in you. Photographers don't just share what they see - they share what they feel, even if that feeling is detachment or apathy. Those things translate in your photographs.

There are benefits aside from creating better photos. If you're shooting subjects you're passionate about, you're less likely to get burned out doing the busywork that goes along with professional photography. I spend most of my week at the computer, editing photos, drumming up new business, scheduling shoots, networking, estimating, billing, accounting, hiring, etc... Shooting is just a small part of what a photographer must do to earn a living. It helps if your shooting time rejuvenates you and gives you a sense that everything you did to land and produce that gig was worthwhile.

Before I took up photography full time, I was running an MP3 blog on electronic music and producing nightlife events. I wanted a professional photographer to come take photos of the events, and I had a hard time finding somebody I could count on to do a good job, so I started bringing my own camera and taking photos for myself. When other people noticed that I had a pretty good camera, they started to hire me to shoot their events, and when I started making more money at that than I was with my other work, I dropped it all and made the switch.

At first, I thought, "Okay, now I'm a professional photographer. How do other photographers make money?" I considered weddings, high-end portraiture, tourist photography, etc... At that point, I was willing to do whatever it took to rake in the money, so I started developing a portfolio of product photography, family portraits, lifestyle photos, fashion, you name it! I was all over the map, because I thought I had to be.

But I kept going to nightlife events and taking photos there. At first, I thought of the nightlife photos a personal project. And then one day it hit me -- "Hey! There's money in this!"

I can go to the shows, enjoy the music I love, work with a network of people who have become like family to me, and make money doing it. Why did it take me so long to figure that out?

Shooting what you love also helps to differentiate you from the swarms of other photographers competing for art buyer dollars. Art buyers don't want to see what you might think is safe and sellable. They want to see what makes you special and unique. Get edgy if edgy is your thing. Love sports? Get out there and start shooting sports! Cars? Motorcycles? Landscapes? Macros? Your tastes and passions define your style as a photographer. They make you special in the eyes of art buyers. Don't hide them!

Rob Haggart recently interviewed an anonymous art buyer from a big shot agency who had this to say:

A good photographer has their own style and can’t shoot anything. Nor should they want to…because they’re so good at whatever it is that they’ve focused on, that they’re not shooting everything. Take any great legendary photographer, they didn’t shoot everything, they had a particular style, focus, interest, and then made it their own. When you look at these photos, that’s how you know it’s theirs and not anyone else. Photographers reading this should ask themselves “are they passionate about what they’re shooting and do they recognize the difference of their own work compared to someone else?”

Having read Elyse Weissberg's Successful Self-Promotion for Photographers, and listened to a sample photography consultation with Leslie Burns-Dell’Acqua, I can tell you that one of the first things that consultants for professional photographers emphasize is the importance of highlighting your unique vision in your portfolio. You can't do that unless you trust yourself enough to be true to your own style and career goals. Try to imagine your dream job, and then focus your portfolio on landing that job. In the linked interview, Clay Stang made the mistake of saying, "but realistically..." and Leslie's reply was revelatory and inspirational:

"What you're doing by being a successful creative is violating all the rules of business already, so forget about realism."

The median photographer's wage is only $26,170, yet PDN reports that there are many photographers making quite a bit more than that. I assert that what separates the average photographer from the successful photographer is that successful photographers believe in dreams. Speaking of dream jobs, I have a photo shoot with Tommy Lee tonight. I'd better wrap this up and get ready for it.

The bottom line is, you're an artist, and art generally sucks when it isn't genuine.

Getting The Pro Look - Improve Your Photography by Tapping Into Your Creative Side

2008-03-15T17:12:00.009-06:00

Lately I've been getting a lot of questions about how to take professional looking photographs. While I'm always happy to answer individual questions, this particular question comes up every day, and the subject is fairly complex, so it's easier to answer here on my blog. Here is an email I got yesterday:

Hopeful Amateur: I've been following your photos since you first started posting to Flickr, and it has inspired me to watch you grow from an amateur to a full time professional. I want to be a professional photographer, but most of my photos look like snapshots. How do you get that professional look?

First, you should evaluate whether or not you really want to pursue photography professionally. The median annual wage of a professional photographer in America is only $26,170, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. If you have a really keen business sense and you can beat out 90% of the photographers competing for the best wages, you can expect to earn about $56,640. Only a tiny percent of photographers command six-figure salaries. In order to succeed, you need to be as passionate about business as you are about photography. Being a better photographer is no guarantee. Much of it is about being connected, building a brand and developing a solid, professional reputation with the photo buyers in your market. If you still want to go pro, read on!

I have already addressed the mechanics of artistic photography in a post titled, The Art of Portrait Photography, however, the first two keys in that article are worth repeating here.

The first key is light. Light is everything, because light is what you are recording on the sensor. Light can make a subject look dull and boring, or make it pop off the page. Light can tell stories, and express moods. Light can highlight your subject, or hide it in shadow.

The second key is concept. Web developers have a saying: "Content is King!" It applies equally to photography. From Amanda Sosa Stone's blog:

"[...] while I know production is VERY IMPORTANT, in the mindset of a creative director, art director or a very open art buyer - CONCEPT does RULE. A good image could be a good image[...] but if the concept is not there...it gets lost very easily. Remember: You are speaking to creative people who are constantly on the search for an amazing award winning concept and you have to be that person/photographer who can execute it (and hopefully understand it)."

You can practice until the cows come home and master the technical aspects of photography, but in order to develop a mastery of concept, a photographer has to think creatively, and maintain the ability to solve analytical problems. The trouble is that our brains are wired so that we can usually do one or the other well, but generally not both. This presents a daunting challenge for photographers.

Betty Edwards wrote an influential book on this subject titled, Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain (A Course in Enhancing Creativity and Artistic Confidence). In the book, she goes into a great deal of detail about the difference between thinking with the creative right side of your brain, and thinking with the analytical left side of your brain. Here are some of the properties of each:

Left Side:

Verbal - The ability to communicate your vision to others.
Analytic - Being able to solve technical problems.
Abstract - The ability to use symbols and numbers to solve problems that relate to physical things.
Temporal - Keeping track of time and sequence.
Rational - Solving problems based on reason and facts.
Logical - The ability to infer solutions based on related facts.

Right Side

Nonverbal - Thinking visually, rather than with words.
Synthetic - Putting things together to form wholes.
Concrete - Seeing things as they are, being "in the moment".
Analogic - Seeking similarities and metaphoric relationships.
Nontemporal - Timeless.
Nonrational - Not over-thinking things.
Spatial - Seeing how objects relate to each other in the frame.
Intuitive - Making leaps of insight based on instinct.
Holistic - Seeing over-all patterns and structures. The ability to look at the environment and visualize a great photograph.

Photography is inherently technical. We're using digital equipment with a bunch of buttons and dials to record light, and obviously, we must be good at things like understanding how to freeze motion with faster shutter speeds, or how to create blurry backgrounds and Depth of Field with aperture settings and focal distance. Unfortunately, the technical side of photography can sometimes hinder the creative process. Thinking technically, it's easy to create images like this one:

Technically, it's not bad, but the image falls flat. It simply isn't very creative. A good photographer needs to be able to see deeper into his or her subjects and communicate a mood in the same way that a storyteller does. Here is the same subject, photographed using a more creative approach:

Technically, I just turned off the flash and recomposed the image, but what really happened between one photo and the next was that the analytical side of my brain got out of the way so that the creative side could step in and create. The ability for both sides of your brain to get along, and cooperate harmoniously is the key that will unlock your potential to create really strong, professional quality images.

In order to create that harmony, you need to exercise both sides of your brain. Your creative side needs down time to survive. You need to be able to stop thinking, and concentrate instead on feeling, enjoyment, relaxation. A post on Rob Haggart's blog reminded me of how important it is to me to sit down at my piano before each photo shoot. I use the time to get into a creative zone. Before each photo shoot, you should take some time to just relax. Don't do anything important. Maybe pull out a pencil and doodle. Sit down and have a bite to eat (slowly). Breathe.

You also need to develop a mastery of your camera's technical operations in order to unleash your creative potential. It absolutely must become second nature so that your technical thinking doesn't get in the way of your creative vision. It doesn't matter if you're using an expensive camera, or a $100 point and shoot. Just make sure the camera has these three settings:

Manual
Gives you full control of your aperture and shutter speed.

Aperture priority

Gives you aperture control. The camera chooses the shutter speed that will give you a proper exposure.

Shutter priority

Lets you control the shutter speed. The camera selects the aperture that will give you a good exposure.

I shoot exclusively in these three modes, and if you want to learn how to use your camera, you should, too. True, it can be daunting at first, but the best way to learn is to take off the training wheels and start pedaling! Practice as much as you can. If you're serious about learning photography, train yourself to take some photos every day. Start working on your portfolio right now. In addition to learning how to use your camera properly, you'll also start yourself on a journey of self discovery that will help you define your style and photographic niche.

Shoot What You Love!

Learning who you are as a photographer, what you like to shoot, and how you like to shoot it, is the first and most important step you can take into the world of professional photography. Learn what you love, shoot what you love, and then figure out how to make money shooting subjects you're passionate about. You don't have to shoot weddings for a living if you don't like dealing with in-laws. No matter what the subject is, chances are there's a market for it somewhere. The more you shoot, the quicker you'll discover what you're really passionate about, and if you're passionate about something, chances are you'll find a way to translate that passion into great photos!

2008-03-01 Pimp n Ho Masquerade

2008-03-14T05:18:00.004-06:00

Pimp n Ho Masquarade was a KickAss Entertainment event held at the Murray Super Theatre, featuring the heart-stopping bass woven by Baby Anne, along with the talents of Jake Williams, Nico Caliente, Tink, and several other local DJ's. For me, the highlight of the event was the breakdancing, which has become a rare treat in Utah's EDM scene lately. Perhaps this stage performance is a preview of bigger things yet to come!

View Gallery

Buy Prints

2008-02-23 DJ Fabio @ Konkrete Jungle Utah

2008-02-27T22:24:00.001-07:00

DJ Fabio, co-host of BBC Radio 1's "Fabio and Grooverider", manager of Creative Source, and pioneer of the liquid funk style of drum n bass, played a beautiful set of drum n bass to a very intimate crowd of devoted dnb fans at Club Sound.

View Gallery

Buy Prints

Nico's Pimpin' Patron Party

2008-02-26T09:34:00.002-07:00

View Gallery

Buy Prints

2008-02-16 Luv2k

2008-02-20T05:20:00.003-07:00

My computer died! My heart skipped a beat. I thought, "Oh no! My Luv2k photos were not backed up! They could be gone forever!" Heat was the problem. My CPU cooler just hasn't been working lately, and things got a little too hot. Way too hot. I got a blue screen of death, and then when I tried to reboot, I realized that the computer froze in the middle of saving photos. Hard disks stopped dead while they were trying to write. Normally, this would result in file corruption, but since I have redundancy provided by my RAID 5, no photos were harmed!

I spent the afternoon yesterday repairing my computer, and then I pulled an all-nighter to get these files uploaded for the client. I've made them wait too long already... I wasn't about to let computer trouble put it off any longer!

So here they are, at long last, and a brush with oblivion... photos from one of Utah's longest running annual parties -- the infamous "first rave" rave... Luv2k!

Quivver, DJ Hardware, Circle of 5ths, Loki, Diggabeatz, Steez, Psyonix, and a host of other great locals gathered for the annual Luv2k rave at The Great Saltair... brought to you by Raytraced Productions.

View Gallery

Buy Prints

DJ Julliette @ Johnny's

2008-02-13T03:50:00.002-07:00

View Gallery

Buy Prints

2008-01-17 Dieselboy @ Konkrete Jungle Utah

2008-02-12T15:06:00.000-07:00

View Gallery

Buy Prints

Why Nightlife Promoters Need a Good Photographer

2008-02-08T08:35:00.000-07:00

So you've seen some of my nightlife photos, and think they're good, but you're still not convinced it's worth the money... You want to know, why should you hire me?

Promotion

As I write this, in the last two weeks, my photos have been viewed about 24,380 times on Flickr. Average views per month are hovering around 50,000. Many of these views come from loyal fans of my work. About 120,000 unique visitors have enjoyed my photos in the last year. About 14% of those (over 17,000) were returning fans looking for new updates.

Dilvie.com gets about 30,000 pageviews monthly, with periodic spikes in the hundreds of thousands or more. One day in late 2007, one of my updates was featured on the homepage of Digg.com. That day, Dilvie.com was overwhelmed with nearly a million pageviews. Hundreds of new fans discovered my photography, and explored my archive of photos.

Make More Money

As you can see, my loyal fanbase numbers in the the tens of thousands. Many EDM fans watch my schedule of upcoming events (and frequently ask me which shows I'll be shooting) in order to plan their nightlife around the possibility of appearing in my photographs.

My fee for shooting a nightlife event is only $250 (not including travel expenses). At a show charging $40/head, if my fanbase accounts for only 20 fans, the immediate net benefit of hiring me to shoot amounts to about $550. Who wouldn't spend $250 to net $550? Of course, I can't guarantee that I'll pull 20 heads to every show I shoot, but if your show is attractive to my core fan base, and located in Salt Lake City, or any major metropolitan area with a thriving EDM community, chances are I'll pull enough heads to cover my shooting fee. I have a substantial number of fans in Salt Lake City, New York City, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Phoenix, Denver, and Austin.

Of course, this benefit only applies to established nightlife photographers who have done a good job of building a fanbase, and keeping that fanbase informed of upcoming events. I have a list of fans who are notified in a variety of ways about upcoming gigs, including cell phone text messages, MySpace bulletins, and an electronic event calendar that lets fans download my gig listings directly to their PDA's. Working with a well established nightlife photographer can be like adding another act to your lineup. In other words, it can be to your benefit to list your nightlife photographer on your event flyers, and if you list me on your flyer, I offer a discount.

Strengthen Your Brand

When I shoot your event, two things are virtually guaranteed to happen. First, the performers get some pretty spectacular images for their MySpace Pages. After I've shot an event, many performers (such as the Future Sound of Breaks Tour, DJ Craze, Claudia Cazacu, etc...) post the images to their MySpace and Facebook profiles. The performers remember where the images were shot, and often share that information with their fans, other performers, promoters and booking agents. Your event earns a little spot in history. The artists remember you, their fans remember you, and you have a lasting, visual record of the magic that you created.

The same benefit extends the loyal core group who attend most of the big EDM nightlife events. They are the trend setters and the tastemakers. The crowds follow them, and when other people on MySpace and Facebook see these people having a good time, they want to get in on the action, too.

Create a Visual Identity

Different clubs and promoters have different visual styles. If you've spent tens of thousands on an amazing stage, what better way is there to show it off, and remind your fans about the lengths you go to create an engaging party atmosphere?

Stock Photography for Future Publicity

They say a picture is worth a thousand words -- when you're designing your next flyer, or your promotion company is being featured in a local newspaper article, or you need photographs for your online event listings, wouldn't you like some high-quality photographs in your archive to get your message across?

Granted, there are probably hundreds of people at your shows with point and shoot cameras. There may even be professional photographers willing to shoot for free... but ask yourself honestly, are they getting shots like these?

Book your event now. (801) 735-9606.

Sundance Film Festival Nightlife Wrap-up!

2008-02-04T01:22:00.000-07:00

Paul Oakenfold @ In the Venue (V2)

Second Sun @ Hotel / Elevate (KickAss Entertainment)

Bunny (Rabbit in the Moon) @ Star Bar, Park City (V2)

Future Sound of Breaks @ In the Venue (V2)

Bassnectar @ DTHL (V2)

I haven't forgotten you! Upcoming sets include:

Dieselboy (Konkrete Jungle)
Nico's Pimpin Patron Party
Tink's Birthday

Second Sun at the Sundance Closing Weekend Music Fest

2008-02-02T11:31:00.000-07:00

BT was scheduled to play this event at the Sundance Closing Weekend Music Festival in Salt Lake City's Hotel / Elevate (a KickAss Entertainment production). Unfortunately, he was forced to cancel, so KickAss brought in Second Sun to play a live concert full of electro house floor smashers.

It turned out to be a great party, after all.

View Gallery

Buy Prints

Bunny (Rabbit in the Moon) DJ Set Sundance Film Festival

2008-02-01T06:19:00.000-07:00

Bunny (Rabbit in the Moon) played an electro house dj set during the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, UT. Even without the costumes and props he uses in the Rabbit in the Moon stage show, Bunny is entertainment incarnate. He plays his DJ sets with the same theatrics and attitude that has won Rabbit in the Moon their massive following of devotees. Brought to you by V2 Events.

View Gallery

Buy Prints

2008-01-26 Paul Oakenfold Greatest Hits and Remixes Tour

2008-01-31T03:56:00.000-07:00

The closing weekend of the 2008 Sundance Film Festival was capped off by a DJ performance by the legendary Paul Oakenfold. hosted by V2 Events at In the Venue, the performance featured the local talents of Brian Blurr and Loki.

This performance was one of the stops on his Greatest Hits & Remixes album tour. I got a copy of the album as soon as it hit the streets. I'm listening to it as I write this. I was surprised by how current and relevant everything on the album sounds. I was expecting some of the classic cuts to sound a little dated now, but I'm enjoying them again as if it's the first time I've heard them. There's also a lot of great new material on the album. Some of my favorite cuts include the remix of "Everything in its Right Place," by Radiohead, "Missing," by Everything But The Girl, and "My Love," by Justin Timberlake, though I must admit trouble picking just a few cuts to mention. The album as a whole sounds very cohesive and I have found something to love about every track.

View Gallery

Buy Prints

2008-01-19 Future Sound of Breaks Sundance

2008-01-22T16:01:00.000-07:00

FSOB World Tour Kicks Off Sundance Film Festival Nightlife

If you heard a sonic boom rattling Salt Lake City Saturday, January 19th (opening weekend of the Sundance Film festival), it was probably the sound of the Future Sound of Breaks world-tour launch party at In The Venue, organized by V2 Events and Science Media. The heaviest breakbeat lineup in the history of Salt Lake City's thriving EDM (Electronic Dance Music) nightlife featured the talents of DJ Icey (Zone Record / Moist Music / Disco Rodeo), DJ Craze (Cartel Recordings / Contagious Musiq), Jackal and Hyde live (Hallucination Recordings / Scheme Addicts), Deekline (Against the Grain / Rat Records / Bounce), Hydraulix live (Kuad Recordings / Monotone / Touchin Bass), Supernaut (Kuad / Frequency Equals Bass), Inner Realm (Dojavou Records / Science Media), Sir Kutz! (Red Cube / I Breaks), JuJu (narcohz), Djunya (Narcohz / Dubscouts), Dave Sweeten (Digitizm / Lefthouse Recordings), and local performers including Dubscouts, Drumlojik, Loki, and Tink.

The tag team breakbeat producers, Hydraulix cranked the heat up on the party with a live set of electro breaks, laced with vocoded vocals. Jackal and Hyde performed with a similar stage set, blending industrial bass and electro breaks live with a rack of synthesizers and processing gear. The two live acts whipped the crowd into a frenzy as the headliners took the stage.

Craze was in rare form at FSOB as he dropped a set of booty bass and breakbeats on the unsuspecting crowd. The Miami bass scene was well represented in the set, while he raised the roof with diverse cuts from Salt 'n' Pepa to the Beastie Boys, remixed, juggled, scratched, and mangled on the fly in his signature behind-the-back showboating style. Born in Nicaragua and raised in Miami, Craze went from rags to riches when he took the world by storm on the DJ competition circuit, competing and winning at the DMC World Championships three consecutive times as a solo act, and continuing to dominate the team competitions with the all-star Allies crew. With his positive party rocking attitude, DJ Craze is a popular force of nature behind the decks. His unmatched skills and showmanship led to a lifestyle of travel and parties. He has performed the world over, including Europe, Australia, Japan, and his country of birth, Nicaragua. In addition to turntablism, Craze is also a successful producer, with tracks on DMC Records, Ninja Tune, and OM, to name a few.

Born and raised in Florida, Mixmag's "king of funky breaks," DJ Icey cut his teeth at the EDGE nightclub in the mid '90's, where he persuaded the Chemical Brothers to play their first US gig. Since then, Icey has released over 200 12" singles and five CD's, including a prestigious "Essential Mix" album, an opportunity bestowed only on the biggest stars, including the likes of Pete Tong, Fatboy Slim, and Paul Oakenfold. He runs not one, but two breakbeat labels. His main imprint, Zone Records, and Tree Records, dedicated to more eccentric productions. Never one to stand still, he also maintains a touring schedule that crams over 100 gigs per year into his busy calendar. His performance at FSOB was the icing on the cake, leaving the audience satisfied, but still hungry for more.

Filming for the Breaks Movement Documentary began at the launch party, by Salt Lake City's Kump Films in association with V2 Events, Science Media, and Contagious Musiq. The Kump Films crew was out in full force collecting footage. The film makers plan to enter the documentary in the 2009 Sundance Film Festival, and if the performances on the main stage were any indication, the film should be well received.

In case you missed it there is a photo gallery by Eric Hamilton at www.dilvie.com, and you can still catch the FSOB tour's next stop at the 2008 Winter Music Conference in Miami. FSOB is celebrating its 6th anniversary during the WMC appearance. The Sundance Film Festival nightlife continues with upcoming performances from superstar headliners like BT (January 25th at Salt Lake City's Hotel / Elevate), and Paul Oakenfold (January 26th at Club Sound, Salt Lake City).

View Gallery

Buy Prints

Bassnectar Show at DTHL

2008-01-19T18:50:00.000-07:00

View Gallery

Buy Prints

2008-01-15 House of Sick Clubwear feat. Top Notch Dancers

2008-01-16T17:28:00.000-07:00

House of Sick is a clothing and record store in Salt Lake City that specializes in sexy costumes and electronic dance music. The owner, Chris Sick asked me to come in and take some photos of the costumes for his website, and when the Top Notch Dancers asked me to photograph their new core line-up, I saw a match made in heaven, so we scheduled a combined shoot.

Like what you see? I made some posters of the sexy Top Notch babes. Click the photos below to check them out and order!

Joshlyne

Krystal Dymond

Erica

You can also buy high quality photo enlargements.

View complete set.

Fashion Photos

2008-01-15T01:28:00.000-07:00

I spent the last couple days doing fashion shoots. Here are the results.

Melissa

Mack / John Wesley Designs / Tricia Snow / High Life Salon

Lara - Styled by Lauren

Order Prints

DJ Micro at Legends NYE

2008-01-04T15:49:00.000-07:00

Legends NYE brought DJ Micro, Thee-O, Wilhelm K, and former Utah resident, Koppertop together at the South Towne Expo Center. This was a new venue for Utah's rave scene, and the bar has been been raised a few notches for lighting and stage production.

Normally I'm confident that I got the best shots of the night, but with this stage rig providing such awesome light, I'm sure I'm not the only one who came away with some really good shots. My flashes were pretty much redundant here. I kept turning them off when they weren't needed. With a stage this bright, my equipment advantage was pretty much neutralized. I could have captured many of these shots with a $100 compact camera. Anybody with a good eye for light angles and timing could have come away with DJ shots like these NYE.

Nights like this one just serve to remind me, it's not the equipment that makes great shots. It's the 8 inches behind the camera.

View the full set.

Photography Copyrights on the Internet - The Richter Scales vs Lane Hartwell

2008-01-02T20:23:00.000-07:00

Recently, the Richter Scales posted a video that included a copyrighted image without permission. Lane Hartwell, the photographer who created that image, filed a Cease and Desist notice under the DMCA (a law I take issue with in many respects, but one that clarifies the take-down notice procedures when you have a Copyright infringement claim on the internet -- a necessary evil).

Since then, many people have chimed in with many differing opinions. As a content creator myself (photographer and musician), I understand the value and necessity of copyright, and I also understand the value of free publicity. As usual, when there's an argument, both parties are right, and both parties are wrong, but in terms of the law, I'm going to have to say that it's on the side of Lane Hartwell, whether you agree with Lane's reaction or not.

The Richter Scales were under the impression that their use of the image qualified as fair use. A poster on Lane's blog sums up the misunderstanding eloquently. My comments are in square brackets.

Legal considerations for the fair use defense:

1. the purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes;

no revenue made whatsoever from this youtube embedding… check [Actually, the YouTube posting acts much like advertising, driving substantial traffic to the band's website, where they advertise their concerts and CD's for sale. Whether the band was able to capitalize on that commercial potential successfully is not the legal issue.]

2. the nature of the copyrighted work;

apparently it’s a bunch of people at a party who didn’t sign model releases and the photo alone doesn’t have much saleable value… check [Not so -- the photo was commissioned by Wired magazine, and under a 90 day exclusive rights contract with Wired at the time of use. Whether or not viewers see a commercial value in a photograph has no bearing on whether or not the photographer can sell the photograph. Model releases are not required for editorial use (ie, a story in a magazine), nor would it be practical to collect model releases from everybody photographed at a party.]

3. the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole;

One second of viewing at postage-stamp size with remarkable artifacting. Can’t be copied, can barely be freeze-framed… check [Regardless of how it appears in the video, the entire photograph was used and is clearly recognizable. I'm afraid the point here is entirely missed.]

4. and the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.

If it had ANY effecton the potential market… it probably increased it a hundred-fold. check and mate [Actually, the free appropriation of photographs without compensation de-values not only license for the photograph in question, but also the entire photography industry. If people assume that it's okay to repurpose content without obtaining permission from the Copyright holder, it makes it very difficult for content creators to earn a living at their craft. If the photo was really worthless -- would it ever have been used at all?]

I am a full time photographer who frequently shoots at nightlife events. Let me break it down for you from the economic perspective of a photographer:

Cost of doing business, including equipment, insurance (equipment and liability), industry dues, software and website subscriptions, marketing, studio time, cost of living, etc... work out to be about $4,000 - $15,000/month, depending on the extent of facilities and equipment needed for the photographic specialty. For me, that's close to $6,000/month. Just to break even, a photographer needs to make several hundred dollars per photo shoot. If you've ever priced wedding photography, that's why they charge $2000+ just to come shoot a wedding, in addition to prints, albums, etc... Weddings involve even more work.

From a photographer's perspective, it's often difficult to convince clients that they need to spend $600 - $1000+ just to go shoot an event. "After all," the client is thinking, "hundreds of people are going to be there with their point and shoot cameras -- there will be PLENTY of photographic coverage as it is!"

One of the most difficult jobs I've faced as a photographer is convincing clients that my photography isn't just worth paying for -- it's worth paying a premium for. Some clients understand the value of good photography -- sadly, many don't. Because it's easier to sell an outstanding photo that's already made than it is to convince clients that you'll make outstanding photos, pricing photography becomes a delicate balancing act between making money on the photo shoot itself, and making money by selling the stock photos from events.

Naturally, the photographer is motivated by necessity to sell licenses of the images captured at a shoot, and that means that all full-time photographers have a vested interest in protecting their Copyright. That's why Lane reacted the way she did to the misapropriation of her photograph -- her ability to feed herself and continue doing what she loves for a living depends upon it.

As a musician and a blogger, I also understand The Richter Scales' position. They are not professional musicians, and what little money they earn from CD sales basically goes to pay the costs of being in a band. The video is largely a joke, and not a financially motivated publicity stunt. Frankly, even if they knew that they could have purchased a license for the image (they couldn't -- it was under exclusive contract), I seriously doubt they would have been willing to pony up for a license.

That said, most of the time, if you're in that situation and you ask for permission, there's a good chance that the photographer will say yes -- as long as credit is given where credit is due. The Richter Scales have learned at least a little from their mistakes. The edited version of the video now features a credit list.

The Richter Scales were uninformed about the complexities and necessities of Copyright on the internet. Perhaps Lane will start to follow the common practice (one that I've recently started) of placing a credit watermark on all images uploaded to internet photo sharing sites like Flickr...

What would I do were I in Lane's place? I'm not sure. I empathize with her frustration over the mis-use of her photographs. I have a similar problem (which is why I started watermarking my photos). On the other hand, I watched and enjoyed the video before this controversy broke out -- and if I had seen that they used one of my photos, I probably would have been delighted, and asked for a credit link in the description of the YouTube posting. If the Richter Scales were a huge band on a major label, my reaction might have been more like Lane's, though.

My Top 10 Favorite Albums of All Time - Christmas Edition

2007-12-19T21:22:00.000-07:00

Totally off-topic. Just wanted to share.

Amazon.com Widgets

2007-12-14 Kid Beyond at Man vs Machine

2007-12-17T13:13:00.000-07:00

Man vs Machine pitted the amazing beatbox talents of Kid Beyond against Salt Lake City's best scratch turntablists, Steez and Diggabeatz. Steez and Digga warmed up the crowd, finishing out their set with an improvised jam made from layered elements using four turntables and Serato Scratch.

When they were done, they went head to head with Kid Beyond, who had a beatbox answer for every scratch, breakbeat, backspin, and drum and bass loop they could throw at him. After a while, the turntablists bowed out and let Kid play his set... but there was no clear winner.

Well, I suppose there was... The audience! It was the best show I've seen all year. I was blown away, and looking around, there was no shortage of jaw dropping in the audience. What a show!

Check out the full gallery.

2007-12-08 CBR and Stirling's Birthday Party

2007-12-10T21:15:00.000-07:00

CBR and Stirling's birthday party at the Huka Bar and Grill.

2007-12-06 Funding Universe Speed Pitching Event

2007-12-10T20:21:00.000-07:00

Brock Blake, FundingUniverse CEO.

Six VC tables. Lots of brave entrepreneurs looking for funding. Which of these fledgling companies will get funded? The entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well in Utah. At the Funding Universe speed pitching event, entrepreneurs have seven minutes to pitch their business plan, answer questions, and get valuable feedback from investors. From the perspective of an entrepreneur, I learned a lot about the importance of having your elevator pitch down pat, having good answers for important questions, and networking.

2007-12-05 KC's Birthday Party

2007-12-10T20:12:00.000-07:00

KC's birthday party at the Trapp Door.

Men's Fashion

2007-12-10T19:33:00.000-07:00

For men, developing a sense of personal style can be a rewarding challenge. In one of the first editorial features for the upcoming Utah fashion blog, we'll discuss style with some of Utah's best dressed men, who will discuss the factors that influence their own fashion, their favorite places to shop, and the impact of style on their professional lives.

2007-12-02 Shop for a Cause

2007-12-10T18:45:00.000-07:00

One Giving World hosted it's second annual charity shopping event at Lolabella Boutique on Sunday, December 2nd. One giving world has been actively developing small villages in Cambodia, which often have inadequate family shelters, and few economic resources.

One Giving World helps families in Cambodia earn money using indigenous resources, to purchase land and build homes that can withstand Cambodia's harsh weather, among other things. Cambodian silk products are imported and sold in America at quality boutique stores.

The 2007 Ladies Night Out: Shop for a Cause event was sponsored by Da-Nang, Indochine Vietnamese Bistro, Lifestyle Salon / Aveda / Fashionplace Mall.

2007-12-01 Honey

2007-12-03T01:21:00.000-07:00

Honey was a ton of fun! All the DJ's did a great job. The crowd was into it. I had a great time, and it was good to see some old friends I haven't seen in a while. Anyway, enjoy the photos!

See you all at the next party!

Want to be a Model? Read this First!

2007-12-01T06:48:00.000-07:00

The Truth Hurts

Think modeling is fun, easy, and glamorous? Think again. First of all, if you're just starting out, modeling rarely pays. There are lots of photographers out there who work with models, but a lot of them actually earn their living from models themselves. They feed off the desires of women to achieve fame and fortune, promising that the $400-$2000 they're "investing" in their portfolios will pay off in the long run.

It usually doesn't. For most models, that's as far as it ever goes. They create a pretty portfolio, fail to get paying gigs, and figure the whole industry is full of hucksters and scam artists. Other models will sign with "talent agencies" or "agents" claiming that they will show models the ropes. Those models wind up spending thousands of dollars and wind up with nothing to show for it but 1,000 useless headshots or comp cards, and nobody to give them to.

Assuming a model can find a legitimate market for her services, things still don't look much better. Last year, models made a median hourly wage of $11.22, and modeling was ranked 8 on the ten worst jobs in America. Why? Modeling usually offers no benefits such as insurance. Lots of modeling gigs don't pay a nickel. Only a tiny portion of the models out there get "discovered" and go on to make millions. Models often take part time jobs (like waitressing -- another job that made the list) in order to make ends meet while they pursue a career in the modeling world.

So how do you get ahead?

First of all -- meet as many photographers as you can who work with models. The good ones are likely to have connections with talent agencies, and should be able to give you an overview of the resources available to models in your area. Serious photographers who can actually provide paying work will have commercial clients, connections with fashion designers who frequently cast for runway shows, etc... They are invaluable networking contacts for working models. If the photographers you're working with can't rattle off a list of useful industry contacts, and back up his talk with great gigs, you should be working with someone else.

Another thing to remember -- you don't want to attach yourself to just one photographer. Work with a lot of photographers to get a range of looks in your portfolio, and keep in mind, networking is key. The more photographers you know, the more opportunities you will have to find work.

Look before you leap! Don't sign contracts with agencies before you've done your homework. Ask if you can speak to some models for whom they have found paying work. Ask questions like, "How much money did you invest? How much money have you made? Was it a good experience for you? Would you still sign if you could do it all again?"

Some photographers will tell you that you have to pose nude to get work. Question their motives. Sure, posing nude for playboy can make a career. But there are only a handful of shooters getting shots into Playboy. Your chances are very slim.

There are some advantages to posing nude -- you learn to be more comfortable in your own skin, and more open and relaxed in front of the lens. Once you're naked, what else is there to hide? There is a real sense of intimacy in a nude photograph that you simply can't capture with clothes on. The symbolism of nudity has always been a major focus in the art world, and some of my favorite photographs are nudes.

The question is, do you trust your photographer to keep it professional? Do you trust that the images will be flattering? Do you trust that the photos won't end up on a seedy website somewhere, or in a porn mag? Do you plan to run for public office? How would you feel if your mother saw the photos? There are real risks to posing nude that you should weigh carefully before you take the plunge.

Why Would Anybody Want to Model?

Photographs -- Lots of free photographs. Don't under-estimate the value of a good photograph. It can boost your self esteem, empower you, even open doors for you and help you meet new people.

Getting to know yourself -- As you learn to look pretty for photographs, you also learn how to present yourself better, and you become more comfortable in your own skin, and that can help in any aspect of your life, professional, and personal.

Extra money -- You usually have to pay your dues before you start getting a steady stream of paying work, but once you get over that first hurdle, modeling is a great way to make some extra spending money.

Flexible hours -- Need some time off? Just pass on a gig. It's okay to say no to modeling jobs. What's NOT okay is to say yes and then fail to show up.

Flexible work -- You chose who you want to work with, and who you don't want to work with. You decide (to some extent) the type of work you want to do. Will you specialize in casual fashion? Lifestyle modeling? Fitness? High fashion?

Education -- Models are likely to learn quite about about fashion, makeup, and style. Maybe it sounds shallow to some, but looking your best does make life easier and more fun!

Travel opportunities -- These opportunities are rare for most models, but if you're the right girl for the job, people will be willing to fly you where you need to be, and generally, those places are exotic and fun!

Playing the lottery -- It's extremely unlikely that you'll be "discovered" and go on to be the next top model, but if you're interested, and this article didn't scare you off... you might as well go for it! Just like any other career, hard work and determination will take you places.

Have you read all this and still want to be a model? Get in touch. I want to work with you!

One Giving World's Shop for a Cause!

2007-11-21T22:26:00.001-07:00

Utah non-profit foundation One Giving World, working in partnership with NGO Tabitha Cambodia, led a team of 20 international volunteers this summer in building homes for Cambodian families. During the course of two weeks in June, the volunteers successfully built 6 homes at a cost of $860 each.

Here's your chance to show your support! One Giving World’s Girls Night Out Shop for a Cause is coming up Sunday, December 2nd, 6:30 - 9:00 PM at Lolabella Boutique's Gateway Mall location.

20% of proceeds go to benefit One Giving World, a Utah non-profit. Sponsored by Da-Nang, Lolabella Boutique, Indochine Viatnamese Bistro, Aveda, and Lifestyle Salon.

The first 50 guests to R.S.V.P. receive a celebrity style gift bag, and will be entered into drawings for posh prizes!

Eric Hamilton Photography will be there covering the event with photographs for the new Utah fashion blog coming in January. Don't miss it!

- Eric

P.S. You could win a $500 makeover photoshoot! All you have to do is complete a survey for your chance to win!

Take a Survey, Win A Free Makeover / Photoshoot!

2007-11-19T21:29:00.000-07:00

We're launching a blog on Utah's fashion industry. Tell us what you want to see on the site, and you could win a $500 makeover / photo shoot from Eric Hamilton Photography!

Take the survey!

Name New Fashion Blog - Win a Free Makeover Photo Shoot!

2007-11-19T18:10:00.000-07:00

We're launching a new fashion blog to unite Utah's fashion lovers, and we need a name. If you suggest the right name, you'll win a FREE makeover and photo shoot featuring hair by Vincent from Salt Lake City's upscale 247 Salon, and makeup by Stacey Lignell!

All you have to do is send a list of names to Eric Hamilton Photography via MySpace, or the contact form at Dilvie.com.

Be sure to include your name and a way to contact you in case you win!

In cooperation with:

Studio 247 Salon

Vincent Penley

Stacey Lignell

Special thanks to London for modeling for these photos!

The Art of Portrait Photography

2007-11-19T13:30:00.001-07:00

So you're interested in portrait photography, and you want to know what separates snapshots from art? Here are the things I consider vitally important:

Light

Light is the single most important aspect of photography!

STOP right now, and read that back again and again until it sinks in. After all, the essence of the photographic art is the process of capturing light from the scene in order to create an artistic rendering. In a very real sense, photography is painting with light.

Long before photography and flashes were invented, classical painters posed their subjects next to large windows that acted like big soft boxes in order to create the right light to capture the mood they wanted to paint. Always pay attention to the light, and go to whatever lengths you need to (scheduling, rescheduling, adding light, etc...) in order to make sure you get the light right.

If you can't get great light, don't even bother clicking the shutter release -- your photo is just going to look like every other amateur with a point and shoot camera, otherwise.

Subject

You absolutely must have light to make a photograph, which is why it got top billing. It is absolutely the foundation of photography, but equally important is the subject. A strong subject is more than a good looking model. The setting, clothing, props, accessories, pose, and emotional expression all work together to tell a story. It's up to the photographer to make sure it's a story worth telling.

Focus

Focus isn't just about what to focus on, it's also about how much depth of field to show in the portrait. How much do you want to blur out background/foreground elements? How much of the subject really needs a sharp focus? With the right set of lenses, you can really have a lot of control over that aspect, and it makes a significant difference in the resulting images!

Also, don't discount the possibilities with regards to alternative points of focus. Generally, it's good to concentrate on eyes, but I often focus on lips, and sometimes create dramatic tension by having the primary subject out of focus, and instead focus on things like hands, or some object being held by the model. In one of my favorite shots, I focussed on a chess board with a very shallow depth of field, and lit up the subject's face so much that the highlights are all blown out.

Background

For backgrounds, the general rule is to keep it simple. It is possible to do nice environmental portraits (and I have shot many), but it's very easy for backgrounds to clash and distract from the focus of your image. One thing to watch out for when you're just starting out is mergers -- background and foreground images have a tendency to seem to merge together in a photograph, so, for example, watch out that it doesn't look like trees are growing from the subject's head, and so on.

Composition

One key difference between an amateur shot, and a professional shot is composition. A great portrait photographer considers shapes, lines, framing, angles, negative space, where to place the point of focus in the frame for maximum impact, and so on.

Texture

Photographs are two dimensional, which makes it challenging to get a good sense of texture. The best way to play it up is to use strong shapes, composition, and light angles that compliment the textures in the scene.

Color

If you're shooting for color, make sure that the colors compliment each other. If they don't, change up the wardrobe, the setting, etc... until they do. Painters don't choose random colors for their paintings. Why should photographers allow outside forces to dictate color choices?

Exposure

Exposure isn't just about getting a proper exposure to record the scene. In especially high contrast scenes, for example, you have choices. You can get a proper exposure for shadows, or propper exposure for bright areas, but often, not both, and that can be a good thing. You can choose to take a high-key or low-key approach, and expose to emphasize certain areas of an image over others.

Keep in mind that you can use color, texture, and exposure to emphasize shapes in your compositions.

Conclusion

When you can coordinate all of these things, and get them working in harmony, that's when magic starts to happen. Like music, visual arts rely on harmony (shape, color, exposure), rhythm (texture), and plot elements to tell a story (setting, model).

Next time you point a camera at somebody, consider some of these ideas. Are you taking a snapshot, or creating art?

2007-11-17 Makeover at Studio 247 Salon

2007-11-18T20:04:00.000-07:00

This shoot was for an editorial spread on the Studio 247 Salon in Salt Lake City, Utah. The editorial feature is for a new blog on Utah's fashion industry that some collaborators and I are launching shortly. Watch this space for more info!

Model: London
Hair: Vincent
Makeup: Stacey Lignell

2007-11-09 7th Annual White Party

2007-11-10T13:59:00.000-07:00

As expected, the 7th Annual White Party was a blast! J Luvv and Starkillers tore up the main floor, and was supported by an all-star cast of local DJ's, including Nico Caliente and Kinetik. Aside from the creativity of the white costumes, participants were entertained by hula hoops, a whole lot of dancers, fire spinning, and a very friendly bar staff.

See the full set.

Get Freaky!

2007-10-30T15:15:00.000-06:00

Get Freaky was a massive Halloween party featuring Rabbit in the Moon live. Brought to you by Utah's biggest and best electronic music production crew, V2!

I've shot a few events for V2 before, and I always have a blast. They always impress me with the caliber of talent they bring out, including some of my favorites, like DJ Craze, and DJ Monk. When I heard they were bringing out Rabbit in the Moon for a live performance -- I knew it would make for a lot of fun photographs!

If you want to post photos on your MySpace page, you may do so under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial license.

All of these photos are available for commercial or editorial use, as well, for a reasonable fee. Contact me for prices and terms.

Enough talk! Here are the pics!

Saints and Sinners

2007-10-25T03:25:00.000-06:00

A bit of hooping at Saints and Sinners in the Trapp Door, Salt Lake City.

Get Prints

Digital Photography Lecture Notes

2007-10-12T06:16:00.000-06:00

Here are the lecture notes in flash, PDF, and Open Office formats.

There are also web versions of the exposure lesson, and digital noise lesson.

Enjoy!

Digital Photography Contest - Submit Your Entries!

2007-10-10T00:57:00.000-06:00

The SparkArts: Digital Arts Festival is being held this weekend, Friday and Saturday, October 12th and 13th at the Salt Lake City Public Library from 9:00am to 6:00pm Friday, and 9:00am to 8:00pm Saturday. All contest entries are due before Saturday at 2:00pm.

Any photo taken with a digital camera is fair game. Submit your three best photos. Winners will be announced during the awards ceremony that starts at 6:00pm Saturday.

Up to three entries per person.
Limit post processing to dark-room style effects, such as black and white conversions, cross-processing, exposure adjustments, color corrections, and split toning. Generally speaking, if it requires air-brushing and/or selection masks, it's off limits. Consider submitting photoshopped work to the Freestyle category, instead.
The work must be created and presented in a digital format.
Optimize for competition display at 1024x768
Compo Code: APH (Example usage: APH_-_YourName.zip)
Create a text file with your name and contact info / website URL, along with the titles and file-names of each image

Create a zip file with your photo entries and info file, and email them to dilvie@dilvie.com with the subject: SparkArts Photo Contest.

Hurry! =)

P.S. I'm giving a talk on digital photography at the festival, Friday the 12th at 3:00pm. If you want to learn how to properly read your histogram, use exposure and metering with digital camera's, when and how to change your ISO settings, etc... come check it out!

Digital Photography Lesson - Expose Correctly!

2007-10-07T22:36:00.000-06:00

I'm preparing example photos for a lecture I'm giving on digital photography at the SparkArts: Digital Arts Festival, October 12, 2007.

These photos were created to illustrate the importance of creating proper exposures when you're shooting with digital cameras, even if you're shooting photographs that are intentionally low-key.

In the film world, low-key exposures are often created on film for a variety of reasons, primarily to create low-key images, but also to create a nice grainy effect with push-processing (where the photo is exposed dark, and processed to look like it was exposed normally). You can get away with that on film, because film grain is made up of tiny tonal gradations that can actually look pleasing.

Digital grain is harder, brightly and unpleasantly colored. It's often accompanied by rough tonal transitions, rather than smooth gradients, and an unpleasant striping effect caused by discrete differences between rows of sensor pixels. If you want to add a grainy effect, there are Photoshop plugins that simulate film grain beautifully!

In other words, in the digital world, it's imperative that you expose your photos bright enough to capture the detail that's important to you. It may seem counter-intuitive, but in a low key image, shadow details are vitally important, so it's important that you expose bright enough to capture those shadows with as much detail as possible.

To illustrate, here are two images shot for a low-key portrait, along with their corresponding histograms:

Low-Key Exposure as Shot

This is unedited low-key exposure as shot. The contrast looks nice, but what you don't realize in this version is that it's more grainy, the transitions in the gradients in the deep tones are not smooth, and this does not look as good enlarged.

Also note that it has an unnatural looking red cast to it. That's because the sensor is more red-sensitive in the dark.

As you can see, nearly half of the tonal range available on the sensor is completely unused! This can lead to noticeable banding. If you try to boost dark shadow details (i.e., to make the model's shaded eye visible), you will introduce significant digital grain and ugly striping to the image.

Normal Exposure as Shot

This is the normal exposure, raw and unedited. By shooting at normal exposure levels, we take advantage of the full range of tones that the sensor is capable of recording, giving us much more tonal depth to work with. Also, because the sensor is optimized to be color balanced at normal exposures levels, skin tones look very natural.

In the normal exposure a much broader range of tones is recorded by the sensor. The more data you can capture to describe your photo, the better! This will give you a lot more head-room and flexibility as you develop the image to suit your liking on the computer, and no matter how big you enlarge it, you won't notice any grain or banding in the image.

Normal Exposure Edited for Low-Key

Notice there is a lot more detail visible, and her skin color looks much more natural. I like the high contrast in the Low-Key as shot, but I could still get that look with this image, just by boosting the contrast a bit.

In this illustration, I just matched the histogram as closely as I could to the Low-Key exposure so you can make an apples-to-apples comparison of how much more detail is actually recorded by the sensor.

Low-Key Exposure Boosted

The low-key exposure is boosted here to show the lack of recorded detail in the shadows. Her left eye is unrecoverable, and there is a severe lack of smooth tonal gradation between the darker shades.

Conclusion

I know a lot of old-skool film guys who shun editing your photos on the computer. The old adage, "get it right on film" clearly does not apply here.

Even if you're aiming for a low-key shot, it's important to always shoot for exposures in normal ranges if you want to maximize the quality of the end result!

Utah Fashion - Model Utah

2007-10-03T20:09:00.000-06:00

Model Utah is a contest being hosted anonymously on MySpace.

To participate, you must live in Utah, and you must be friend of Model Utah on MySpace.
Models submit high resolution photos to modelutah@yahoo.com. Include your MySpace name, and the name of the photographer.
All entries must be submitted before the first of the month to be included in that month's contest.
Model Utah will pick 15 models from the contributed entries.
Winners will be determined by the number of photo comments (votes) recieved before the 15th of the month.
A featured photographer determines the theme of the photo shoot for the month (i.e., artistic, abstract, fashion, glamour, fitness, lingerie, bathing suit, etc...). Model Utah encourages you to schedule a photo shoot with the featured photographer, but it's not a requirement.
Photos that do not fit the theme are disqualified.
The winner will win a free photo shoot with the featured professional photographer.
After the photo shoot, models should collaborate with the photographer to decide which photo to have featured on Model Utah.
Each year, monthly winners will automatically be submitted to a panel of unbiased photographer judges for voting. The annual winner will be featured in Rene Magazine.

Fashion in Utah

2007-10-02T13:41:00.000-06:00

At first glance, you might conclude that the real fashion centers are Paris, Milan, New York, London, Tokyo, and LA. If you don't work in one of those cities, you're doomed to live on the periphery of the fashion world, where nothing exciting happens.

In my experience, though, there are some cool things happening in the periphery. I find that a lot of the fashion business going on outside these major fashion centers is more down to earth, grounded in the styles that people actually wear, and that is exciting to me, because I'm not simply photographing a designer's fashion art. I'm photographing practical fashions that are stylish and functional.

I get to see trends evolving on the streets, where it really counts... where the artistry of the fashion world is seen and admired during every day life, not just impressing people with a stunning example of beauty, but lifting up real people, helping them feel more confident in themselves, and helping them to express their personality: To convey a strong impression. Whether that message is all fun, or all business, fashion serves a real, practical purpose. Art meets real life on the borders of the fashion universe.

Another thing I get to see is the way that local brands take simple ideas and run with them, serving local needs, and niche communities. From the tongue-in-cheek "SL,UT" line that you can find at local boutiques and SLC Airport gift shops, to lines like Junglist Culture, serving Utah's underground electronic dance music community, the periphery is where fashion gets local, and connects communities.

In my experience, innovation can thrive in local communities. Take Utah's own Avidere, Inc., for instance. In addition to their very cool image styler cards (think Stacy and Clinton in a card form that fits in your purse), Avidere is teaming up with spas to provide styling education that spa customers can carry with them long after the spa glow has faded.

I'm hoping I can use this blog to uncover some of Utah's fashion treasures, and help the local industry professionals see what everybody else is doing. We can use it to network, collaborate, and thrive together. Who knows -- perhaps one day people will look to SLC for the latest fashion trends. Judging by some of the talents and innovations I've witnessed, I wouldn't discount the idea.

Update:

Avidere CEO, Roberta Hughes responded:

"I couldn’t agree with you more. Often times I am asked where I am from and people respond with surprise when they learn I live in Utah. Although I grew up in Oregon (childhood) and California (teens), I found my home in Utah. I have always had a passion for helping others express who they are through fashion.

"By the way, Avidere certifies professionals to enter the fashion / image consulting field and will soon launch an independent stylist program whereby individuals can call 1-866-4-Avidere to schedule an appointment with an Avidere stylist located in their city."

Avidere also provides local styling services in Utah. For more information, take a look at www.avidereimage.com.

Utah's Fashion Industry - Agencies

2007-09-30T19:18:00.000-06:00

In addition to posting information about some of my photo shoots, I'm going to start using this blog to talk about some of my experiences with Utah's fashion industry. Collaborating with models, makeup artists, and hair stylists has given me a strong appreciation for style and fashion, so I figured I'd use this space to call out some people and companies who are worthy of mention.

Wilhelmina Urban is conveniently located right around the corner from my house, on 300 West just north of Downtown Salt Lake City. They have many beautiful, professional models who are as easy to work with as they are on the eyes. They do a fantastic job on the runway, too! Their staff is professional, knowledgeable, and friendly. Wilhelmina Urban is a licensee of one of the nation's top workhorse agencies, Wilhelmina Models, which is depicted in the VH1 reality television series, The Agency.

W Talent hosts frequent fashion shows at Fashionplace Mall, and their own modeling school campus on Highland Drive in Holladay (SLC Metro area). The W Talent campus serves as a training center for new models looking to learn the ropes and build a portfolio. They charge money for the variety of services that they provide, and there's no guarantee that you'll get work if you sign up. That said, some of Utah's best fashion photographers have done portfolio shoots for their models, including one of my favorites, Dave Tada (currently in LA). They also have one of my favorite models in their lineup, Sveta (pictured above). Models who turn to W Talent come out of their first year with some really stunning portfolio shots, and some actual experience walking runways at W and local malls.

Digital Photography Lesson - Avoid Digital Noise!

2007-09-24T05:36:00.000-06:00

I'm preparing example photos for a lecture I'm giving on digital photography at the SparkArts: Digital Arts Festival, October 12, 2007.

These were created to illustrate the noise caused by high ISO settings. One common mistake I see is people setting their cameras to high or auto-ISO, causing noisy images, when they could have created terrific, clean images just by adding a little light to the scene, or letting a little more light into the camera.

ISO controls the gain of your sensor's light sensitivity. Think of it as a volume knob for light. Turning up the ISO boosts the volume of the light, but it doesn't change how much light actually struck the sensor, just like boosting the volume of your stereo doesn't change the volume your music was recorded at.

In other words, if you didn't get enough light in the first place, boosting your ISO is going to brighten the image, but it will also raise the volume of random background noise, which shows up as little multi-colored dots.

Even in a properly exposed high ISO image, you'll find that the image isn't as sharp as it could be. Digital noise obscures fine detail. The image has lower contrast, because raising the noise floor reduces the available dynamic range. Shadows and blacks are not as deep as they could be, and that makes colors appear to be less rich, too.

These examples are straight from the camera with no photoshop, and no level, color, or contrast adjustment. I created two images, and made detail crops from them to illustrate the points.

ISO 3200:

ISO 100:

ISO 3200:

ISO 100:

ISO 3200

ISO 100

As you can see, an ISO boost should be your last resort. So what do you do first?

Add more light to the scene - turn on a lamp, open some curtains, or set up a flash (off camera!)
Open your aperture wider (smaller numbers)
Lower your shutter speed as low as you can go without motion blur from camera shake. For me that's typically around 1/30th of a second, but many people find that 1/60th of a second works better for them.

I don't like to use high ISO settings for my professional images, but never say never. If you have a choice between grainy photos or no photos of a cherished memory, go ahead and boost that ISO!

Digital Photography Lecture

2007-09-23T04:07:00.000-06:00

I'm giving a talk on Digital Photography for the SparkArts: Digital Arts Festival at the Salt Lake City Public Library Friday, October 12 at 3:00pm. It's scheduled for 50 minutes, and will provide a basic overview of digital photography techniques, technology, and resources. Whether you're new to photography, or a long-time shooter, there's sure to be something new here for you to explore.

Photography Basics Unchanged
- Composition
- Aperture
- Shutter speed
- Depth of Field
Reading Histograms
Metering and Exposure
Using ISO
White Balance
RAW vs JPEG
Digital Darkroom
- Whitebalance
- Exposure
- Curves and contrast
- Color adjustments
Using Flash
- TTL flash metering
- Using gels to balance with ambient light
- Off-camera flash (radio and IR wireless remotes)
- Lighting in a nutshell / light modifiers

80's Birthday Prom Photos

2007-09-20T13:55:00.001-06:00

My photo workstation is fixed, and the 80's prom photos are online!

From the SmugMug gallery, you can purchase prints (at very low prices), or purchase the high-res (printable) versions of the photos for unlimited personal use. Buying prints and high-res photos helps me pay the bills so I can keep offering my photo services to the nightlife community at affordable rates.

Feel free to use Flickr photos for personal MySpace pages, etc, but please credit me so I don't have to start stamping photos with silly water marks. If you wish to use the photos for promotion or commercial purposes, please contact me for permission, first.

Merryl @ Johnny's on Second

2007-09-12T03:00:00.000-06:00

My very first shots of one of Merryl at the decks. She's a legend around here. We love her. I was thrilled to find out she was spinning at Johnny's tonight. I love the crowd there. If you want to meet some of SLC's best DJ's, promoters, and scene supporters, Tuesday nights at Johnny's on Second is absolutely the place to be.

Maui Trip

2007-08-30T05:16:00.000-06:00

I'm in Maui for the next few days. Here are a few photos I've snapped during my stay so far. I've been taking a bit of a break from photography on my vacation, so there aren't a lot. Enjoy.

Buy Prints

Junglist Culture Catalog

2007-08-19T19:14:00.000-06:00

First photo shoot for the Junglist Culture clothing catalog. Thanks to Katie, Heather, and Dallin. I went for gritty on-location settings and emphasized contrast and dynamics with the lighting, capture, and post processing. I absolutely nailed the look I was after. Hopefully, it's just what the client had in mind, too!

DJ Craze

2007-08-09T03:34:00.001-06:00

Three time DMC world champion DJ Craze played the Trapp Door tonight, and I was there up close and personal with my camera. What's it like being two feet from one of the top turntablists in the world while he's juggling and scratching away a storm? Pretty amazing if you ask me! I always love my job, but today, it's the best damn job in the world.

Buy Prints

The Best of All Worlds: Flickr, SmugMug, PhotoShelter, Zazzle

2007-08-08T18:27:00.000-06:00

Here's my wish-list for a turnkey web-application for professional photographers. I want all of this in one website and I suspect I'm not alone. I've listed the services that do the best at these things, in order from best to worst implementation, in my opinion and to the best of my knowledge.

The ability to publish HTML content to my own server. AJAX/web services could be used for things like the shopping cart and highly interactive features. Images should be optionally fetched from remote servers, as there could be far too many for a typical shared hosting provider. AFAIK, nobody is doing this, although SmugMug lets me point a domain to them -- a good start
The ability to sell high-quality prints, and set my own prices (SmugMug, PhotoShelter)
User friendly shopping cart/checkout (SmugMug gets the nod, here; Photoshelter lacks crop preview/edits)
Automated license sales based on industry-standard prices, for stock photography sales (PhotoShelter doesn't seem to have any competition here, implemented via integration with FotoQuote)
The ability to organize photos using tags and galleries (1st place: Flickr, 2nd place: PhotoShelter, SmugMug takes a distant third because it's not easy to put the same photo in multiple galleries... hint to SmugMug's developers, "many to many")
The ability to sell many other products: Specifically, posters, books, calendars, etc... (Zazzle.com wins here, but doesn't let me set whatever price I like)
User friendly gallery/tag browsing, and search (Flickr)
Sort photos by date, views, number of comments, rating/favorites, etc... (Flickr)
Community interaction, group photo pools and discussions, contact management, etc.. (Flickr is the clear winner here, and I think the guys at SmugMug dramatically under-estimate the potential for professional photographers to earn peer prestige and make business connections via community features)
The ability to customize the gallery (SmugMug, PhotoShelter, Zazzle)
Booking calendar so people can check booking availability and pay a small fee to reserve their date
A simple invoicing solution that lets customers track their invoices and pay for photo shoots online
Coupon code and link-based referral/affiliate program to reward customers who tell their friends

DJ / Band Bio Package

2007-08-05T20:03:00.000-06:00

Only $200. Here's what you get:

Headshots
Action shots
Unlimited, royalty-free use on club / event flyers
Unlimited use for your bio, and agency/collective one-sheet
And of course, web-sized images for MySpace are always FREE

Attention booking agencies and collectives: Book up to three bands / DJ's in one photo shoot for group discounts. Group rate is $250/shoot.

Contact me to book your photo shoot.

JPG Magazine

2007-07-30T22:18:00.000-06:00

Katie is one of my favorite models. We have collaborated on a lot of images in the past. I think she deserves to be published. We did this shoot on Sunday.

What do you think? Cast your vote, and help her get published in JPG magazine!

Posters and Art Prints

2007-07-29T08:52:00.000-06:00

I now have posters and art prints available from Zazzle.com. You can select from a range of styles and finishes, from small posters to huge canvas prints. Check it out!

Buddha Posters

2007-07-29T01:29:00.001-06:00

I didn't have a model today, but I wanted to shoot, so I took selections from the Dhammapada, and illustrated them with photographs. Enjoy:

With a quiet mind,
come into that empty house; your heart,
and feel the joy of the way
beyond the world.

Look within --
the rising and the falling.
What happiness!
How sweet to be free!

By your own efforts,
waken yourself, watch yourself,
and live joyfully.

However young,
the seeker who sets out upon the way
shines bright over the world.

Like the moon,
come out from behind the clouds!
Shine.

Beyond the sorrow of hell,
Beyond the great joy of heaven,
By virtue of his purity,

He has come to the end of the way.

All that he had to do, he has done.

And now he is One.

- The Dhammapada

Photo Book Project

2007-07-20T06:43:00.000-06:00

Around 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, June 17, 2007, Marty Kasteler and his wife Nicki Kasteler were heading home on their bicycles from a friends house. While riding home a delivery van started to run them off the road. Marty slapped on the side of the delivery van to alert the driver that there were cyclists on the street. Instead of yielding, the delivery truck driver turned around and deliberately ran Marty down. The van jumped the curb at a church parking lot, went over the sidewalk and through a guard rail. The driver then fled, leaving Marty for dead. Fortunately his wife was with him and able to call for help, at which point he was rushed to the emergency room in critical condition.

Help Marty is a photo book project documenting some of the events organized to raise money for Marty. The book will be a high-quality, full color, hardbound book and will retail for $60-$70. All proceeds will go to the Marty Kasteler fund.

You can have your photography featured in the Help Marty book! Get to one of the many benefit events, snap some great photos, and submit them to me for inclusion.

Blazed Details

2007-06-28T21:16:00.000-06:00

This Saturday, 6-30-07

Blazed is a daytime/nighttime electronic music festival / BBQ featuring 10 DJ's playing 12 hours of music, fire spinners, go-go dancers, etc. The DeviantSociety models have been invited to come for a fun out-door photo shoot during the day. If you like, feel free to hang out for the bonfire and fun when the sun goes down!

Models are encouraged to come out early to prepare for the photo shoot. Me and Katie are planning to roll in around 3:00 pm to scout the location and set things up.

The party will be up American Fork Canyon, past Mutual Dell. There is a map available here. Come dressed to kill in your hottest summer fashions. Have fun, and get some killer portraits in a pretty outdoor location.

2007-05-13 Melissa

2007-05-25T01:38:00.000-06:00

Body landscapes with Melissa.

2007-04-29 Molly

2007-05-25T01:34:00.000-06:00

First shoot with Molly. She's very photogenic. Very pretty girl.

2007-05-08 Johnny's

2007-05-25T01:31:00.000-06:00

Just some fun at Johnny's on 2nd.

2007-05-05 Melissa's Graduation

2007-05-08T06:44:00.000-06:00

Melissa got her bachelor's degree. Yay!

Buy Prints

Bridal Veil Falls HDR

2007-05-08T05:35:00.000-06:00

Eight camera raw exposure HDR merge. This photo was taken in the evening, just after the sun sank behind the opposite canyon wall, casting the falls into deep shadow. I shot eight exposures and merged them in order to get something close to the true sky color, while retaining the highlights and details of the waterfall.

Those cables you see near the top used to be a lift that would run up to a restaraunt at the top. While it was operating, it was one of the steepest lifts in the world. This waterfall has seen its share of rock slides and avalanches. It was decided that operating the lift was too dangerous. It hasn't been in use for years, but the cables are still there. Probably just to annoy photographers.

Buy Prints

2007-05-07 Hula Hoop Class

2007-05-08T02:44:00.000-06:00

Hula hoops + beautiful park + pretty girls = fun!

New Lens!

2007-05-05T01:11:00.000-06:00

I consider myself more spiritual than religious, but there are some religious icons that hold special significance for me, so when I got my new 50mm F1.8D (a bargain at $119), I decided it was time for my good friend Buddha to appear in my photo stream.

Here's the lens (photographed with my 18-135mm kit lens):

And here's an example of the awesome DoF this thing is capable of:

For Sale: Canon S3 IS 6 MP Digital Camera

2007-05-02T21:14:00.000-06:00

Features and Specs:

12x optical zoom (33mm equivalent: 36 - 432mm)
Macro and super macro lens modes can focus at 10mm
Optical Image Stabalizer
6.0 Megapixel CCD
2.0" TFT LCD (flip and twist)
High quality VGA movies with stereo sound
Max Image Size: 2816 x 2112
Shooting modes: Manual, Portrait, Landscape, Night Scene, Sports, Stitch Assist, Foliage, Snow, Beach, fireworks, Indoor, Night Snapshot, Color Accent, Color Swap
Continuous shooting mode up to 2.3fps
Auto exposure and focus bracketing, variable stops
ISO Settings: 80, 100, 200, 400, 800
8 whitebalance settings, including custom
Variable flash level settings, red eye reduction, slow synch, exposure compensation, second curtain synch
SD/MMC card compatible
USB/AV I/O
4x AA Batteries (NiMH recommended)

This Package Includes:

Used Canon S3 IS in Original Box
Lens Adaptor and 58mm UV Filter
Lens cap
Digital Camera Solution Disc
USB Cable
A/V Cable
Strap
New Batteries
1 1GB SD Card
1 64 MB SD Card
1 16 MB SD Card

Description

This camera was purchased by me in October, 2006. I took thousands of photos with it over the next six months. It was dropped once onto concrete, which caused minor cosmetic damage to the mode/power switch. It is still functional, but needs to be pressed a bit harder than when it was new to turn the camera off.

This camera renewed my love for photography, and kept me happy until I upgraded to my Nikon D80, and started my full time career in photography. The S3 tends to have that effect on people. Most users seem to really love it. You'll find that for most uses, the great features like the 12x zoom, macro/super macro modes, and great video quality win you over easily.

No reserve penny auction on eBay. Place your bid now! Who knows? You might win it with a $20 bid!

2007-04-28 Meisja and Fayne Fetish

2007-04-30T16:02:00.000-06:00

Meisja and Fayne stop by for a photo shoot on their way to Area 51's fetish night. I hope the howling didn't disturb the neighbors...

2007-04-28 Swimwear With Katie

2007-04-30T14:20:00.000-06:00

Summer is on its way, so we're trying to add some swimwear and summer fashions to our portfolios. With that in mind, we're headed down to shoot in Mesquite for some nice swimming pools and palm trees. More fun summertime shoots coming up, too!

Candice's Artwork...

2007-04-27T11:25:00.000-06:00

Candice has never had her artwork on the internet before. Now she has. Isn't it lovely? As soon as she settles on some prices, I'll make it easy to buy prints!

Utah Indie Game Developers

2007-04-27T00:08:00.000-06:00

Geeks, pizza, computers, and the most bleeding edge indie games in Utah. I finally played Cloning Clyde, by NinjaBee tonight, and then went out, ate pizza, and hung out with some of the people who made it. These guys make some of the most interesting and creative game titles I've ever laid eyes on. One guy is making a 3d interactive fiction game that looks very promising. Another guy made a game that gives you the complicated task of moving furniture from a vehicle into a house with elastic string (very entertaining), others have puzzle games of various sorts, and my good friend Bryan Livingston (CoolText.com) showed his NES emulator for the XBox 360.

2007-04-17 Breakdown

2007-04-24T22:25:00.000-06:00

We were going to go shoot an actor, but he flaked, so Caitlin (one of my assistants on the shoot) did a little impromptu modeling for me.

2007-04-21 Nivi

2007-04-22T22:28:00.000-06:00

Photo shoot with Nivi. She's a great model, and a terrific asset for other models at photo shoots. I'm looking forward to a lot more shoots with Nivi, whether she's modeling or helping out behind the camera.

2007-04-18 Saints and Sinners @ the Trapp Door

2007-04-20T07:46:00.000-06:00

I had a ton of fun at the first Saints and Sinners party at The Trapp Door. Thanks to everybody who made the night so much fun!

Buy Prints

2007-04-04 Free Headshot Night

2007-04-12T13:20:00.002-06:00

These are photos from the free headshot night 2007-04-04. Thanks to everybody who participated! As you can see, these shoots are kid-friendly.

Buy Prints

2007-04-10 Sisters

2007-04-12T13:20:00.001-06:00

Well, I thought I was shooting graduation photos, but the weather didn't cooperate, so I ended up in Utah Valley with some free time and decided to pay an impromptu visit to my family with my camera gear. They weren't expecting a photoshoot, but we had fun with it, anyway.

Buy Prints

Model TFP @ Noah's

2007-04-01T20:54:00.000-06:00

I'm growing my model contact list in order to handle some upcoming fashion/product catalog work. Last night I met with Shelly and Vanessa for the first time. I was really impressed with their work.

Saints and Sinners @ Exchange Wednesday, 28th

2007-03-31T12:23:00.000-06:00

Saints and Sinners photo booth at Club Exchange. Good times!

Free Professional Headshots

2007-03-27T11:26:00.000-06:00

Need some new headshots for your portfolio? Just want to have the hottest profile pic on MySpace? Come join us for free headshot night at Warm Springs park at 7:30pm, Wednesday night (April 4th).

Here's what you can use your free headshots for:

MySpace - free
Personal websites - free
Share with friends and family - free
Portfolio (modeling, acting, voiceover, resume, etc...) - free
Commercial ventures, business cards, flyers, etc.. - price negotiable
Buy prints

Festival of Colors

2007-03-25T17:49:00.000-06:00

The Krishna Temple's Festival of Colors was a lot of fun! You may download web-sized images for free (1024 pixels/side max, about the size of a standard computer screen, not good for printing). Be sure to caption your images with "www.dilvie.com" if you upload them to websites like MySpace.

Buy Prints

Paging drfredsilva...

2007-03-23T22:08:00.000-06:00

I got your note, but you didn't leave any contact info.

My shooting rates are here, and my print prices are here. You can buy unlimited print licenses, as well (so you can take a disc to Wal-Mart and have them make more prints for you). Leave me your phone number, and we'll discuss it.

Noah's

2007-03-23T16:57:00.000-06:00

We had so much fun at Noah's last time around, we decided to do it again. This time around there was a very cute baby to photograph. I did a lot of moody low-key shots with dramatic shadows this time, but I still show off my stylistic range with some normal exposures, and a couple of bright, sunny photos. I think it's important to cover a range of styles during a photo shoot. You never know what magic you could be missing if you always shoot straight (normal exposure).

Buy Prints

Get Paid to Refer Friends!

2007-03-21T12:40:00.000-06:00

Refer a friend, and I'll pay you a 15% commission on the sale, and every print sale it generates for the first month! Everybody wins. Your friend gets a great photographer, and you get a little richer!

Everybody knows somebody who's graduating, having a family reunion, having a baby, visiting on vacation, looking for portraits, or looking to create a brochure or mailer.

Say your sister is getting married. She is on a tight budget, and can only afford about $300 in shooting time. (That's $45 in your pocket.) Now consider that family members will want to buy prints, and her lawyer aunt decides to spring for a nice, professional photo album as a wedding present. Print orders total $600, and the wedding album adds another $1,000. You earn $285, and your family will have beautiful photos to keep the day fresh in their memories for a lifetime.

Here's how it works: Just tell your friend about me (be sure you tell them to mention that you sent them), and then email me their name and contact info. I won't contact them unless they contact me, first, and I will never share this info with anybody for any reason.

Now that's a great deal!

Professional Headshots

2007-03-20T04:58:00.000-06:00

No matter what field you're in, chances are, you could use some current headshots from a professional photographer. Corporate executives, business people, actors, models, or professionals in any field can use headshots to enhance resumes, provide visual flair for website biographies, and much more. Even if your only bio is on MySpace, how cool would it be to have the best looking profile image around?

The basic headshot package costs only $150 and includes:

A variety of web ready sizes are included. Prints are available for a small fee, ranging in size from 4"x6" to wall-covering canvases.
Royalty-free use for website bios, portfolios, MySpace, and event flyers. If you need a particular size for a print flyer, I can supply it for you.

NOT Included

Magazine / Newspaper editorial use (press-releases are okay)
Magazine / Newspaper advertisements
Commercial direct mailers / brochures
Any other advertising / commercial use that isn't explicitly granted above

I will retain all commercial rights to the images, but if you wish to use your headshots in corporate marketing materials, advertising, or editorial projects, additional uses can be negotiated on a case-by-case basis.

Musicians / DJs / Bands: Sign a model release form and save $50!

Photography Pricing

2007-03-19T22:52:00.000-06:00

Packages

Professional Headshots	$150
DJ / Band Bio Package	$200
Concert / Rave Package	$250

Unless otherwise noted in writing, these license terms apply.

Pricing for photography generally falls into two different categories:

Shooting Fees / Expenses, and...
Use Fees

Shooting Fees

Shooting fees pay for the photo shoot, and cover expenses like equipment costs and overhead. Shooting fees do not cover extra expenses, such as pay for models, makeup artists, pre-production days, set design and construction, or catering.

Shooting fees range from $150 - $500 per photo shoot, depending upon the complexity of the job. Shorter time blocks do not always translate into smaller shooting fees. After all, it takes a great deal of skill and ingenuity to create a great photograph under intense time pressure. You don't pay for time, you pay for creative vision, and the experience to transform that vision into powerful imagery.

Use Fees

Certain uses are free, including web-sized images for portfolios, MySpace profile pages, and personal (non-commercial) use under these legal terms. If you use an image for free on your website or MySpace profile, you must link to my site, or mention the URL. Here is the proper form of attribution:

Fees for other uses vary depending on what the photos are for, and how you intend to use them. I always retain copyrights. Every commercial use of an image (even if it's the same image) requires purchase of an image use license. Copyright violators will be subject to prosecution under international copyright laws. All commercial image use must be cleared in advance!

Commercial Uses for Commissioned Photos

Commercial use prices are based on the market average, utilizing the latest prices from an industry standard database that tracks average rates by geographic region. The Plus System is used to come to an agreement that clearly spells out your use needs so that you can be sure that the contract covers everything you need it to cover, and that the pricing for that coverage is arrived at fairly.

Contact Me today!

Broken Water Main

2007-03-19T15:47:00.000-06:00

A water main broke in front of my house today. I got to take some photos of the repair work.