ADVENTURES OF A COMMERCIAL PHOTOGRAPHER / FILMMAKER

My New Photography Class With Living Social 918F Street DC

admin — Wed, 16 May 2012 14:15:51 +0000

Living Social has asked me to come back and teach another few intermediate DSLR photography classes at their 918F Street location in Washington DC. The class went on sale today and seats are going fast if you want to join us! Will be on the weekends. Starts late May and goes into June. Last time [...]

“Corporate Fallout” – Photoshoot Behind The Scenes & Lighting Diagram

admin — Tue, 15 May 2012 14:00:19 +0000

Above is an image from another personal shoot I did just for my portfolio. It is merely a single shot image. No drop-ins or composite here! My subject is a Parkour athlete that essentially did a backflip off the wall. Not an easy feat in dress shoes!! The lighting was simple as you well see [...]

Thanks Adobe! Photoshop Showcased Me As One Of Their “Customer Successes”

admin — Mon, 14 May 2012 14:30:21 +0000

—- Thank you to the folks over at Adobe, makers of the famous photography software, Photoshop! They showcased me as one of their “Customer Successes”. You can click the image below to see the posting on their page. It is always surreal to me when anyone feels the need to write about my work, let [...]

Monday Moment Of Zen – Supervan

admin — Mon, 14 May 2012 13:39:19 +0000

Here is a short video showing off how my friends and I usually spend our weekends… showing off our sweet vans. Have a great week! Related Posts:Monday Moment of Zen – Real Life Mario KartMonday Moment Of Zen – GratitudeYour Monday Morning Moment of Zen – Pet Star Wars AT-AT EditionMonday Moment Of Zen – Let [...]

“Closing Bell” – The Photoshop Composite Breakdown Of A Personal Shoot

admin — Sun, 13 May 2012 17:31:27 +0000

It feels good to get back to my old shooting style. It’s like coming back home. I realized after hearing Erik Almas speak last week, that I have not been shooting the type of photos that I have been known to do earlier in my career…photos with lots of poppy contrast, motion, and energy (few [...]

RIP Automotive Legend Carroll Shelby & One Of My Heroes

admin — Fri, 11 May 2012 20:21:51 +0000

Rest in peace Carroll Shelby. You were a rebel… a hero. A chicken farmer turned racecar record-breaker. The reason my first car was a 1966 Mustang. The reason I wanted to work in and around cars. I am proud I had a chance to meet you a few years back. You even started the Carroll Shelby Children’s [...]

Erik Almas Reminded Me To Stop Photographing Junk

admin — Wed, 09 May 2012 04:39:03 +0000

APA DC hosted commercial photographer Erik Almas to speak about his lighting, shooting, and retouching styles this week. I was very thankful to have the time to attend for a variety of reasons. No matter where you may or may not be in your career, it is crucial to take the time to learn from [...]

Monday Moment Of Zen – Lasers And Love

admin — Mon, 07 May 2012 13:00:34 +0000

Not particularly sure what movie or TV show this is from, but you have to know that it is something special. Apparently in the future, folks just wait around patiently to be shot by lasers. I want to install a laser on my car, just because it would look cool. Related Posts:"I Still Have A [...]

My Custom Bomber-Inspired iPad 3 Case [Preview]

admin — Sun, 06 May 2012 17:41:15 +0000

A small preview of one of my new built from scratch bomber-inspired ipad3 housings. It was built to be used strictly for photo/video-taking for a new special and very exciting ad campaign I have coming up with Nik Software. It first saw light at my birthday party the other night (see below). That’s all I [...]

Video Tutorial : Quick Face Retouching Using Adobe Photoshop CS6

admin — Wed, 02 May 2012 16:09:06 +0000

I’ve had requests to do a quick tutorial on how to retouch faces in Photoshop. This will show you some easy quick tips on how to make a fresh look more refreshed and healthy, without looking alien or over-photoshopped, which is a big hazard these days. I play with the new Photoshop CS6 to show [...]

Adobe Photoshop CS6 Is Coming Soon This Month!

admin — Tue, 01 May 2012 23:08:30 +0000

Rumors state that CS6 will be releasing on May 7, 2012. You’ll be able to upgrade from a previous Photoshop version for $199. Photo District News did an article listing all of the new features. Major CS Upgrades and All-New Muse Anchor Landmark Launch for Designers  The performance and workflow enhancements in Adobe Photoshop CS6 [...]

Monday Moment Of Zen – Easy Riders

admin — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 13:00:43 +0000

I have no idea why anyone ever made this video, but BEHOLD, cats poorly digitally placed upon poorly-animated motorcycles with canned engine sounds. This makes me want to get right back on the road! Haha. Related Posts:Your Monday Morning Moment of Zen – Pet Star Wars AT-AT EditionMonday Moment of Zen – Mayor Bloomberg’s Awkward Cab [...]

Loving New Mexico And Exploring The Open Road

admin — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 16:11:42 +0000

The last couple of days I have been in New Mexico on assignment. My shoot was actually a portrait job that only took one morning, but I decided to take an extra day to just explore, since I have been non stop the past month with shoots and travel. For once, I just pointed my [...]

Monday Moment Of Zen – The Three Second Rule

admin — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 13:00:49 +0000

Prepare for music video GOLD! This just speaks quality from start to finish. Related Posts:The Speaks music video that my production company shot was on TVYour Monday Morning Moment of Zen – Great SXSW Music Video "Luv Deluxe"Monday Moment of Zen – Keep On Lovin’ MeMonday Moment Of Zen – GratitudeNew Coldplay Music Video – [...]

My Photoshoot With The Music Artists “Big Time Rush” And “Cody Simpson”

admin — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 00:35:55 +0000

I recently had a photoshoot with teen heartthrob music groups “Big Time Rush” and “Cody Simpson”. Not being a teenage girl, these guys weren’t on my music radar beforehand, but they were all extremely nice and definitely put on a good music performance on stage. You can see more of my portraits and performance photos [...]

So The Space Shuttle Discovery Just Flew Over My Building… [Photos]

admin — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 14:50:48 +0000

So the space shuttle Discovery flew over my building in Arlington, VA… right over. Shot this with a Canon 5D Mark 2 with the Canon 100-400 4.5-5.6 L IS lens. Got lots of sweet photos! So glad I caught it. Just noticed all of the dust on my camera sensor. ARG! Just ran out the [...]

I’m Back! Where Did I Go This Week? LA / DC / Orlando Adventures

admin — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 16:08:20 +0000

Apologies for this slow posts this past week. I’ve been on the road shooting various photo campaigns and projects. I will be posting behind the scenes and updates, but here is a small taste… This weekend I competed in a road rally in the new 2012 Bentley Continental GT with my boys. Must have been quite [...]

Monday Moment of Zen – Back To The Beautiful Basics of “Silver & Light”

admin — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 15:36:56 +0000

Shows how beautiful inspiration can be found in returning to the analog basics of our photographic roots. Fantastically well-done video as well. “This project was created with the same spirit that america was founded on. Our intentions are to connect everyone in america through the lens of this camera and social networking sites. We can’t [...]

Monday Moment Of Zen – Doggy Dubstep

admin — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 00:33:33 +0000

Doggy dubstep to get you pumped for the new week! Greetings from LA and Florida this week. Related Posts:Monday Moment Of Zen – Let This Dog Sing You Into The New WeekMonday Moment Of Zen – SupervanMonday Moment of Zen – The Best of YoutubeMonday Moment Of Zen – GratitudeYour Monday Morning Moment of Zen [...]

New Magazine Cover Shoot – Corporate Counsel Magazine (Lighting Diagram Included)

admin — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 14:52:45 +0000

This is another example of how you can do even a magazine cover shoot with only two lights! I did this with one gridded beauty dish main light (had a 30 degree grid) and a strobe with 7″ reflector and 40 degree grid hitting the wall behind my subject. I had to do this shoot [...]

The World Debut Of Cedric Gervais “Molly” – My New Music Video Project (NSFW)

admin — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 16:32:22 +0000

Just to warn you, this may be a little too racy to watch at the workplace… This is the video to the song that had everyone in the music world buzzing due to the Madonna and Deadmau5 twitter battle over it. The song, the buzz over the video, and my production company were all over [...]

Monday Moment Of Zen – Full Circle

admin — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 13:30:00 +0000

What happens when you create a fashion video with a video camera attached to the end of a jump rope? Some very smart editing here and cool concept. Related Posts:Fashion For Paws – Video CoverageOur Video Coverage of the Inauguration PartiesGreetings from the Mojave DesertRepost: Secret Agent PhotoshootBMW GINA Light Visionary Model Concept

Want To Try Out The Brand New Adobe Photoshop CS6 Before It Comes Out? Learn More Here

admin — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 00:26:50 +0000

I’ve been having a blast playing with the new Adobe Photoshop CS6 beta (pre-release), as you can see above. Want to try it out? Click the image above or the link below. No serial numbers necessary! I’ll share a comprehensive personal review soon. LINK TO DOWNLOAD CS6 BETA Want to learn about all of the [...]

Loyalty – One Of The Biggest Keys To Career Longevity

admin — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 20:23:29 +0000

Ok, so now you are probably thinking, Douglas, why are you being so philosophical these days about photography? Haha, ok so maybe I ask myself that, but really, this is one of those things that should be important to you. I felt inspired to write this after doing a fun magazine cover shoot in Manhattan [...]

Behind The Scenes With My Corey Barker Action Shoot

admin — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 18:17:23 +0000

Teaser from a fun personal shoot I did with my friend/retoucher/fellow Kelby instructor Corey Barker during the Photoshop World DC pre-con last week. I hope this teaser gets you as excited to see more! This is just a small taste. Behind the scenes video, more edited photos, lighting and diagrams are coming soon. Just stay tuned. [...]

Register For My Upcoming Photoshop Webinar With Nik Software

admin — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 13:01:42 +0000

In case you didn’t see the recent email blast from my friends over at Nik Software, I’ll be featured in an upcoming webinar on April 10, 2012 from 10 to 11am (Pacific Time). Learn about how I use post-production to create some of the most dynamic images in my portfolio. I will go through my process [...]

My New Love For Shooting Polaroid Pictures [Again]

admin — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 17:01:08 +0000

When I was 8 years old, my family bought me my frist Polaroid camera. That started my early love for photography. I would capture EVERYTHING the minute my parents would make the mistake of giving me a pack of film. Last holiday season, I treated myself with a Polaroid 600 I purchased on ebay for about $10 [...]

Monday Moment Of Zen – Man-Dog Howl

admin — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 12:12:43 +0000

I dedicate this to my new friends, foreigners, and fellow Photoshop World instructors Calvin Hollywood, Glyn Dewis, and Dave Cross. Meet Cody the dog. Close your eyes and you can imagine you’re watching one of the Saw horror films. Related Posts:Want A Google+ Invite? I Have Some To SpareDo A Photo Walk With Me Around [...]

Key To Developing A Successful Freelance Photography Career – Keep Busy

admin — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 15:31:42 +0000

I’m not going to pretend I am the richest photographer, or most successful, but I do pay my bills, get published regularly, and rather enjoy my career in photography and filmmaking. People often ask what is my big piece of advice for launching a career in professional photography that can sustain you full time. Well, [...]

Monday Moment Of Zen – The Invisible Car

admin — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 13:00:32 +0000

Mercedes created an ingenious viral marketing campaign to promote their new fuel cell vehicle, which gives off zero emissions. Therefore, it is “invisible to the environment”. Pretty cool how they did this. Imagine if they used a higher-resolution LED screen on the car! Related Posts:Monday Moment Of Zen – Damien Walters Flies2 Of My Clients [...]