Mini feature: Advanced Photoshop Magazine

After my first feature in Advanced Photoshop Magazine I was on cloud 9… is it possible to go any higher? Clint, welcome to cloud 9 and a half. I was asked by editor Adam Smith to submit a picture and a few words on how I use Photoshop to create effects and final edits at the end of my projects. Of course I responded right away. The top 40 tips are actually very useful to read, I highly recommend any Photoshop nerd to pick up this issue.

2010 Printed Portfolio

So now that I pretty much spilled the beans with my promotional mailer, I figure why not undress my printed portfolio for the camera as well. I played this one by the books, and kept it super swanky and classy. I’m not trying to CHOKEHOLD the interviewee’s attention like the mailers, but rather tickle the eyeballs. The entire portfolio is designed around 11×14″ prints supplied from WHCC. Outstanding printer, very very very highly recommended.

Blood. Sometimes it sets my teeth on edge, other times it helps me control the chaos

I’m HOOKED on watching Dexter; America’s favorite serial killer. I’ve heard from a few people I resemble him so what better costume than this!? The shirt is authentic, but the gloves, “knife”, and khakis are the best I could do on a local 1hr shopping spree. I only have Netflix, soooo don’t tell me what happens on season 5 when dressed like this. OK? Happy Halloween!

From SoCal to SoCar

After nearly 5 years living and working in Los Angeles, California, I found out my heart belongs in South Carolina. Funny how the place that you swear upon yourself that you will move away from as a child turns out to be the place that you eventually want to dig your roots deep. It was an insanely tough decision, which ultimately involved me jam packing up my little Scion xB with nearly everything I could fit in there, and drive 2,486 miles to my new destination.

Ace Jumper

During an impromptu trip to Phoenix, AZ (read previous blog posting) Matt and I decided to do a quick photoshoot of an idea I had floating in my brain. In my circle of close friends, Matt is the one we all live vicariously through when it comes to thrill-seeking. When I first met Matt I mainly knew that he liked to drive (very) fast on mountain roads. Then he got a sport bike… then a bigger sport bike… then he started playing with rattlesnakes, then he started sky diving, then he started learning how to fly a helicopter… and now what seems to be the creme of extreme, he started base jumping. I forget the number, but he’s well over 800 base jumps and aiming to clip 1000 by the end of the year. He’s the kid on the playground that would swing as high as he could and then jump out.

Road trip mixed with Base Jumping

Last weekend I spontaneously drove across the Mojave desert with Bogart the foster dog to visit my Aunt and Uncle in Phoenix. Nothing too extraordinary. Growing up in the South where trees and grass dominate the landscape like love letters to Justin Bieber’s mailbox, it still fascinates me to drive through the desert. I usually drive at night to avoid the notorious LA traffic. But this time I drove there and back during daylight, with my camera and a 50mm lens.

Mooooooooooo cards

Introducing the cards that need little introduction. During their relatively short presence in the design industry, Moo Cards have gained massive popularity through the creative field. The idea is that instead of having 1 business card duplicated 500-1000 times like usual, Moo Cards can be up to 50 different designs within 1 order. 50!! The coating is a professional matte finish, and the card stock is thicker than the walls of the Russian US Embassy. Not to mention the price is right. Now the hard part is picking my favorite card… hmmmmmmm

PEW PEW PEW!!

“Ahhhhhhhh!!! The world is coming to an end!! Bring out ALL of the artillery! I don’t care if it’s from WWII, Desert Storm, or Grandma’s attic! FIRE!!… Oh and call Rokhsan in too, she’ll handle it.” Rokhsan “Roxie” Shafiei, her sister (Nabaht) and I got trigger happy and decided to work on a personal project. I’d never put Roxie in the line of fire of an Apache fighter helicopter. So obviously these images were pieced together brick by brick. The 3 guns attached to Roxie were loaned to me by my friend Ti Tong (who was obviously should have been born during the Wild West era), the dress was bought by yours truly at Ross, the ground is from the Salton Sea, sky from Anaheim, tanks from the Patton Museum, and lastly I couldn’t get an Apache helicopter and HUGE explosion picture without US Government clearance, so I opted for a stock image. Once pieced together the image came out to 1.22GB, possibly a new personal record.

Volvo C30: Same tunnel, same old tricks

Photographing cars was the reason I got my first camera. I’ve always been a big car guy, but you wouldn’t be able to tell by my current ride; a Scion xB. Maturing sucks. My brief 10 year driving history includes having my name under an 87 300ZX, 96 300ZX, 94 RX-7, 99 Subaru 2.5 RS, and now…. the box. Unfortunately a fire-spitting RX-7 can’t haul all of my photography gear.