So lets set the world on fire.

This may not be a blog post about photography, well not 100% about photography. It is more about inspiration and what inspires my style of photography.

So...what does inspire my style of photography? My answer to that question would be "everything". there is no magical recipe of perfect things to inspire you. Maybe a leaf blowing in the wind is enough to get the creativity juices flowing. Maybe a little depression, or a little happiness. For me, most of the time, my inspiration comes either when I am riding my bike or by listening to music, sometimes while reading a book. Maybe it is triggered by just a word, or a phrase, maybe by the actual music, but it happens a lot. 

When I am riding my bike (which is at least 11 miles on a daily basis, when not in winter season) I think about a lot of things, but at the same time the sound of gravel and dirt colliding with the tires is relaxing enough to make me ponder about stuff, random stuff most of the time. The water dress image I did came to me in one of those bike rides. Just thinking that "...it is too hot. I wish my clothes were made out of water" was enough to convince me to do this shoot. It took a while (about 5 months) to make it happen but the idea was there. 

Water Nymph

Another example, is when I read a book, maybe a phrase like "A murder of crows" will lead up to something like this next image. 

The Fall of the Crow Princess.

So lately I have been listening to this song, in repeat, and can't stop doing it. And this just one song evokes a lot of things in my core. Stuff like feelings of homesickness, loneliness, appreciation, happiness, thirst and a lot more. Which are perfect for inspiration, but at the same time it inspires me to not hold the camera that much, to be on the other side, not hiding behind the lens but enjoying the "spotlight" sort of speak. To be carried home, and to carry someone home (You'll understand when you listen to the song below). The song is "We are Young" by Fun (yes, that is the name of the band), and here is the video, take a couple of minutes to listen to it. Note: This is my favorite rendition of the song.

I have a lot of ideas in my head, and probably tomorrow I will be in front of the camera, I have a great idea for a self portrait. And it was just inspired by this song. The thing is that I am reminded of the idea every time I listen to this song, and probably it will not make a lot of sense when you see the final image and go "This was inspired by that song?" but that is how inspiration works. It is not a literal thing. And that is why photography has been a huge part of my life. Because you can do a lot of things in a portrait but it has little meaning, and at the same time you can do so little that means so much. That is why it is an art and not just something that you pick up and do. So let's set the world on fire, we can burn brighter than the sun.

Note: Sorry if you have the song stuck in your head right now. I know it is kind of catchy.

One Great Year.

The year 2011 has already gone, and now that all the booze and all the partying and all the resting (well most of it) is gone we can look back and contemplate how good it was. For me it was really good, from hanging out with new people to meeting new awesome friends.

Health-wise , this past year saw the arrival of Clementine, my mountain bike, who I will come to love in just a few days after her arrival. Riding 11 miles (at least) everyday has made me a little healthier. I lost around 40 lbs because of it. Also, even thought it was almost at the end of the year, I quit smoking for good. November 30, 2011 was and will be the last day I smoked a cigarette, and my body and lungs love me for it.

But most importantly, this year was one of my most creative ones, photography-wise. I kept challenging myself to outdo myself with each shoot. I had to get equal or better images with each subsequent photo shoot, or otherwise I would feel that I was moving backwards and not forwards. There is a saying in spanish that goes like this "Para atras ni para cojer impulso" which roughly translates to "Backwards, not even to create momentum". And so here are my 15 favorite images from the year. It was supposed to be favorite 10 images but I couldn't take any of these out of the list. I will try to explain why they are my favorite under each image. Hope you enjoy.

FAVORITE 15 IMAGES OF THE YEAR 2011

This image was taken in January 2011. This Senior All Star session started it all for me. This shot was taken while getting ready for the actual picture. And it turned out better than the one we were looking for. Spontaneity is always better than poses. 

I sincerely LOVE this image. Her eyes are two windows to her soul. Colors saturate the image but still the eyes draw you in. 

The band Gravity Defied, we were looking for a rough look, and just before we were done with the shoot we found this location. This was the final frame of the shoot.

Powerful, stylish and awesome. One of the best "hair flip" images I've taken. Her stance, the look in her face and  the lighting make this image one of my favorites.

Sometimes planning a shoot or an image helps, but sometimes finding the shot works too. We were in a parking lot and I noticed the rings the light made, so I moved a little and gave her the halo. No flash used, natural light and the artificial light in the parking lot. 

After a short get together to talk business, me and a bunch of photographers went to Aggieville  for a small photo-walk. This is one of the photographers (and an awesome model don't you think). Lisa Marie was so natural and her clothes were so perfect for the location that I could not resist to take this image.

Clementine (my mountain bike) was the first step into my love for the trails. This was taken on an event sponsored by Big Poppi Bicycle Co. at Little Creek. A lot of people went there and I took images of all of them, but this one, with the motion, the passion in her face, the concentration, the colors, well almost everything made it one of my favorites.

Another "last shot", a friend of mine agreed on letting me take images of his family. And just before we called it quits, this little girl was drinking from her bottle and I went for the last shot, and my favorite of the day. 

A really good friend of mine, she agreed on me taking images for his husband who was  deployed at the time. This image makes the cut because of her eyes, two emeralds with hints of orange. Also this image was the one who made me think about doing the Modernizing Fantasy Collection.

First image of my Modernizing Fantasy Collection. I call this one "Talking with the Fairies".  Like I wrote on the last image, after that photo session I knew she would be perfect for this image that has been in my mind for about 4 months, and she was perfect for it.

Another Modernizing Fantasy image. This idea I had it while riding my bike on a 104 degree summer day. I was so tired and hot that all my mind was thinking about was "If only my clothes where made of water" and right there it clicked. With new found strength and determination I got home and started doing water test to see if what I had in my head could be done. And after 5 months the perfect model appeared and this was the end result. 

At the time I was reading one of the "The Secret Life of the Immortal Nicholas Flammel" books and in the chapter I was they started talking about dryads. So naturally I researched the idea, and put it on the back burner. I had so many ideas for the Modernizing Fantasy Collection that I could not pick which one was going to be the next one. So I was making backups of the images I already had from other shoots, saw this image and immediately knew it would be perfect for the dryad. So I started working on this image. Titled "The Dance of the Dryad". 

Sometimes I have a huge explanation as to why an image is my favorite, but for this one, I don't have many words, I just love this image.

Sometimes you work with someone and you know they would be perfect for an image. So I convinced my good friend into modeling for what was going to be an image of her but with wings and a spear. After I was almost done with that image I took a break from it. I put in The Rocketeer and immediately thought "steam-punk the Valkyrie" so I went back to the image and started from scratch, and this was my favorite image of the year, well almost.

While checking if my backups still work I found this image of my cousin (which is a ballet dancer) from her Senior session about 2 years ago. The crow princess idea was the first one I had for the "Modernizing Fantasy" collection. But did the others first because for this one every had to be perfect. I thought it would be my hardest image to make, and maybe it was because I had this exact replica in my mind's eye,  but it was the easiest image I have done. From start to finish it didn't take me a lot to finish. The idea of having a princess and her soul leaving her body in the form of crows because she was shot down with an arrow was in my head for probably 8 months. But after filtering the image from my head into this image I am so happy that I could do it. 

So these are my favorite 15 images of the year 2011. I already have shoots planned for 2 more collections (as soon as I finish the Modernizing Fantasy one). And I will keep on pushing myself forward....Backwards, not even to gain momentum.

Modernizing Fantasy: Full Steam Ahead!

I know that i have not written a blog entry in a while and I have to blame my "addiction" to video games and movies for that. I mean, Gears of War 3, then Assassins Creed Revelations, with a little bit of Ico/Shadow of the Colossus in between, before tackling Batman: Arkham City.  And there are a lot of video games I do want to play. Thank God I didn't start playing Skyrim because then i would have not be writing this blog entry. Not to mention watching The Immortals, The Muppets, and a lot of replaying Super 8.

Anyways, I had been planning a shoot with a really good friend of mine for a while. It would be part of my Modernizing Fantasy Collection and the idea came to me while doing the Dryad. I had one word for the theme and a rough sketch of what I wanted, the word was "Valkyrie". And then I started to do some test on wings, and clothes, and fabrics, and background. This was interrupted by the video games and the movies (seriously I have watched Super 8 like 25 times as of this writing). But then I came back on track when I finally did the shoot for it. My friend, she is a natural model and she doesn't even know it. After 5 frames I already had what i needed, but went and took different poses just in case.

So I started working on the images immediately, editing the background, adding wings, a lance, skirt, buckle, and just when I thought that I had the image finished I took a break from it. The image looked good, but I always let it rest for a couple of days before I finish it, that way I see it with fresh eyes and a fresh mind. And even thought I had finished editing the image, inspiration hits me once again. I usually get new ideas while finishing an image, and most of the time I use those ideas for other shoots. For example when I did the Dryad I thought about putting wings in it, and that is how I came to do the Valkyrie.

Inspiration hit me while watching the movie "The Rocketeer" (a highly underestimated-while-ahead-of-it's-time movie). I thought about doing something Steampunk style, and I thought about doing another shoot with this theme. But in my head all I could see was tackling the Valkyrie in a steampunk way. And it took some time to do it, but here it is. I call it The Flight of the Valkyrie. I hope you like it as much as I do. This is probably the final image, but since I thought the same thing about the Valkyrie I am not sure anymore :). All I know is that I have a special place set aside for the huge print in one of the walls of my office.

Modernizing Fantasy

Imagination is the best form of creativity that I can think of. At least for the photography world. It takes skill and lots of work but when the final image comes out better than what you intended or imagined , then everything just falls into place afterwards. And even more so when that first idea you had becomes "reality" trough your camera, more ideas keep popping in your head, the worse part of it is filtering them.

A few weeks ago I did a shoot for myself. Some photographers might say "It is for my portfolio" and even tho I can use it for my portfolio, the intention was for it to be printed and hanged on the wall of my office. Also it is a little bit "great idea" and a little bit "let's see if I can pull this out" but once you do it all the other ideas that you had doesn't seem as crazy or as unattainable. But it all comes down to logistics.

The logistics of a shoot are not as simple as anyone might imagine. You need the right equipment, the right set of skills, and the perfect model. I had an idea of trying to modernize fantasy, even if it is just changing the wardrobe of the model while maintaining a "fantasy" setting. But at the same time inspiration comes in with new ideas, new visions, new images on your mind. For example I was riding my bike one day in a 104 degree weather, and maybe it was because I was dehydrated, or just hallucinating, but all I could think about was "If only my clothes were made out of water". I got home and started writing down my ideas, and started researching. Because 1) I wanted to check if someone had done it before, 2) check if a lot of people had done it before, 3) I wanted to see if it could be done without having to hire Industrial Light & Magic or Weta Workshop (which I don't have the money to hire anyways) and 4) to see if I was "imagining" something unattainable at the time. This was around 6 months ago. But now I can say that it was so much worth the wait. But a little back story before I show you guys the image.

So what have I been doing for the past 6 months? Well a lot of practice. A lot of tests, and a lot of time in the computer trying to figure out my limitations to achieve that picture that was sitting in my mind's eye. Also a lot of "model scouting". The perfect model for the shoot is what will make the shoot "real". I have been browsing Model Mayhem, and doing different "normal" shoots to see if that particular model is right for the shoot. Also I have been looking at a lot of their galleries if I couldn't set a day to do a shoot with that particular model. But planning for this coming shoot has not deterred my imagination, if anything it has made it more alive. So once I took pictures of a subject I would think "She can pull this other idea I have". 

This image was another idea I had. It was born in my head about 4 months ago. But was kind of in the back burner because, if I couldn't find a model for the "water" idea, then I wouldn't find someone for this other idea I had. And the idea came to me because another friend of mine, Bree Gerth, makes these AWESOMELY AWESOME leather masks. I saw one and I had this idea of "modernizing fantasy". Trying to give fantasy a modern flavor to it. Maybe with just the clothes or the location. I had that mask in my possession thinking I would never find someone for the idea I had. But then I did a shoot with a great friend of mine and immediately knew that she would be perfect for it. And she was. She didn't get it at first, but she rocked the session. The images turned out great but I was looking for that "perfect" image, so I could start working on it. 15 minutes after I started clicking the shutter the image came to life. But it needed a lot of love before it was as close as what I had in my head.

And it came out just as I envisioned it. A warrior princess talking with a fairy. And when I actually finished it I got the courage to tackle the one that I thought it would be a lot of work on my part. So I contacted the model to see if she wanted to do it, and she was up for it. I explained to her what i wanted and said "The end product might take a while to be done", and she was OK with that. Again after 15 minutes I already had the image that I needed. So I did a small photo shoot for the model so she could have images of the day. Just regular fashion/beauty shots, because I thought that the "water dress" would take a LONG time in the making.

But I underestimated my drive to get the image out from my mind's eye and into "reality". The day after the shoot I started working on it, laying the "ground work" on it. Editing the little details that I knew would make my life and job easier. After half an hour I had a water dress flowing. And that is when I thought to myself "This will take a lot less time than I thought". So I started working hard on the image, an hour here, 45 minutes there. Taking some breaks, of course, so I could have a life. Went bowling with some friend and the next day woke up with a "I am going to finish this image today" kind of attitude. And that is when the exact same image I had in my head came to life.



A water nymph walking away from the city. This image (and the one before it) will be part of my Modernizing Fantasy Collection, in which I try to have images of fantasy "characters" but with a modern flavor to it. In the first image is just a shirt and some jeans, in the second image she is wearing a leather jacket and leather boots. And I call it a "collection" because even before I was done with this second  image I already had ideas for two more, and I know they will keep on coming as more of my mental images come to life. Next project is called "Valkyrie" and that one will be awesome (if it comes out just as I imagine it)

At the park with the Cangemi's...

I have been a little bit busy and not that I have forgotten about blogging, but sometimes the schedule doesn't let me. I have been working on some projects (that I can't post about just yet) and those are taking a lot of my time. Logistics is a time consuming thing in the world of photography.

But excuses aside, I wanted to show you a couple of images from a shoot I did of the Cangemi's. A lovely family, that loves each other so much. They wanted simple pictures of their kids and this is what I got for them. Hope you enjoy.

Did you know that photographers have a life outside photography?

Is a doctor, a doctor 24 hours a day of his life? Is a dentist a dentist 24 hours of his life? Is a mechanic a mechanic 24 hours of his life? I surely hope (for their sakes) that they answer with a profound "NO!". We photographers have a life outside photography. Not everything we do revolves around photography (well most of the time it does but still). Some have other jobs, others like to have different hobbies, and others just lay around and play video games and watch movies like regular people. I know of some that even go out on dates and go out to dinner.

My personal life outside photography involves being with my wife, and two cats. I like to play video games (cant wait for Gears of War 3), but most of the time I do something that I treat as much of a passion as I do when I am out photographing. And that is bike riding. I love it with a passion, and can't get enough of it.

This is Clementine. She was born on April 26, 2011 at Big Poppi Bycicle Co. hospital, and I love her to death. (picture taken with my phone)

 I usually ride every day, at least 11 miles around the beautiful linear trail around Manhattan, KS. And a couple of days ago I had the courage to go in the mountain bike trail near the Linear Trail, and my love for this bike went up 10 fold. She loved it too, even tho I had to give her a bath afterwards. But there is nothing more soothing than the sound of your tires on dirt. There is a great saying by Louis J. Helle, Jr. and it says "Bicycling is the nearest approximation I know to the flight of birds. The airplane simply carries a man on its back like an obedient Pegasus; it gives him no wings of his own.", and I cant be more in agreement to that statement. It relaxes the mind, it soothes the soul, it is heaven in vehicle form. I have even gotten some great ideas for photo sessions (which I have not done yet) while riding Clementine. And there is nothing better than conquering a mountain or the elements and finishing up a ride with that accomplished feeling.

But with the coming of winter I will be riding my bike less and less everyday around Manhattan. But to my surprise (and Google's awesome engine) I found out about indoor trainers, so no need to stop cycling even if the snow is 4 feet high outside. The only difference will be that I won't have the beautiful scenery. So I'll be going to the bike store and get me one of these things, so now not even the weather can get between me, my bike, and the awesomeness of the ride (even if it is in my garage). After all, I spend less money on gas, about $65 a month, so the bike actually payed for itself. Also I am losing weight since I got it, around 65 lbs, since April 26, 2011, so that is a big plus. The least I could do is keep on enjoying it, right?

But like I said, photographers are not photographers 24 hours of the day (well at least we try not to be), and we are just like regular people. I happen to be the kind that loves riding his bike. I have yet to mix both, well I did it once and loved it (click here for the images). But I want to mix it a little more, but I am kind of scared of riding in my back with a 5D Mark II on a backpack. So untill I buy a point and shoot I might have to pospone that mixture.

If you like bike riding, and/or are interested in it you should definetely check out Big Poppi Bycicle Co. in Aggieville, Manhattan, KS. They are awesome.

Not just one season....

I lived most of my life in Puerto Rico. And even thought most people think it is a paradise and it is way too beautiful (which is both) I still moved away from the island to the States. And where in the States? Basically to the exact middle of the U.S., Manhattan, KS. Yes I know that Puerto Rico is beautiful and that there are a lot of beautiful images to be taken there. Yes it has great beaches all around, and a lot of vegetation, and yes even thought it has the occasional Hurricane coming in, or it rains almost 50% of the time, it is still a Paradise. But I still moved away from it. After 30 years of living in the island (with the occasional stint away from it because of the ARMY) I think that it was time and I keep on thinking that I made the right decision.

Cabo Rojo Lighthouse, Cabo Rojo, PR

As I said before there are a lot of beautiful scenery around Puerto Rico, from the lighthouses, to ruins, to Old San Juan and it's streets. Really beautiful stuff. but living in the island for 30 some years I was so used to it that I don't see the beauty as much as people who visit it once in a while. And I think I know how it feels since I moved to Kansas. Beautiful sunrises and sunsets, the Flint Hills, the parks, the lakes, Pillsbury Crossing, and I can go on and on and on.

Sunrise at manhattan, KS.

But the thing that makes me smile the most is that I actually can see the seasons go by. In Puerto Rico it is always hot (of course if you live there you are used to it), but it is hot every day of the year. In summer is extra hot, and on winter the coldest it gets is like 73 degrees at the most. Here in Manhattan, KS I got to see snow for the very first time in my life (it is magical), spring is not that bad with the occasional rain or thunderstorm but everything growing back looks amazingly beautiful. Summer is not that hot (even at 114 degrees) but Fall is the most colorful season with all the different colors on the trees and the leaves and the grass, simply beautiful.

Four Seasons, Manhattan KS

Do I miss the island paradise that is Puerto Rico? Yes, I do. Do I regret coming here to Manhattan, KS? A definite NO! I love it here, and hopefully I will stay as long as I can, so mother nature bring everything you got, and let the seasons show themselves throughout the whole year.

In brightest day, in blackest night

    ...no image shall escape my sight. That is how I feel about photography. Like a superhero. We photographers use light to make our images, that is the basic principle of photography. But how you manipulate that light is the actual "superpower". It doesn't matter what kind of lighting you have, if it day or if it is night, fully bright or pitch black, you can always take the images you want. Some photographers work with natural light only, others with controlled "studio" lighting, others mix and match both. Maybe an off camera flash used as fill light to better expose the sky in the background. Maybe gel the light with different colors to make the images more dramatic. Use a reflector, or a softbox, or a diffuser, or all the nifty gadgets that are out there. Or even having a low shutter speed or using the camera in "Bulb" mode. But at the end of the day what we did was control light.

    Photography is all about light, the same image in two different light scenarios will express and convey different emotions. For example:

Almost identical images with different lighting situations. The one on the left is kind of more "moody" and...well, dark (pun not intended). And the one on the right is more "lively", still moody but not as much as the one on the left. By the way that is me rocking my Gears of War COG tags

That is the magic of knowing how to light a subject. The light you use depends on the final "emotion" or "feeling" you want to convey in the person that is looking at your image. There are a lot of techniques out there. And a self respecting photographer should at least know how to light a subject, even on natural lighting. Just because the sun is out doesn't mean that you can't use a flash, or a reflector, or a diffuser. All these tools are here for a reason, and the more you practice with them the more you get to see the light before it is even there. Here is another example:

    It was a particularly sunny day, and this image was taken around noon. But the location, which was a bench under a tree that was surrounded by flower bushes, was casting shadows all over the place. This was because the light was coming from the sun, trough the tree leaves, and then on the subject. So basically the lighting looked like camouflage on top of the skin. So how did we finish with this image? Well we used two reflectors on each side at 45 degree angles, the one on the left was exactly on top of the subject that way we made our own shade. And then we added an off camera flash to have the light streak you see on the top left corner. The image turned out exactly as I envisioned it in my mind.

    Now take this two self portraits for example:

    We can stop motion with a flash. Once you know what you want you'll start knowing how to set the lights, and how each light is going to light the scene. In this images I only had a flash right behind me, because I knew that once that flash fired the water in my hand would be like a giant mirror reflecting that light all around. The hardest part of this shot was keeping my eyes open.

    Stuff like this makes photography fun and spontaneous, but at the same time controllable, because you don't have to feel that you missed an opportunity because the lighting changed (or will change). Instead if you control your light you have better results and less time "fiddling" (is that even a word?) with the settings on the back of the camera and concentrating more on the client. So my advice is: "Be a superhero and control your light. Your clients will love you even more"