Places I’ve been… things I’ve seen.

Spent the weekend hanging out with some amazing people for Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) in Albuquerque, NM. Kudos to the great artists involved in the project!

“Don and I got together to explore a few concepts, and I was stunned by the photos Don was able to create from our session. Quite simply, the chance to work with someone who can make the subject feel undeniably comfortable, as well as possessing the talent & ability to come away with such fantastic shots, was truly magnificent. I would recommend Don to anyone looking for a photographer, and I look forward to my next opportunity to work alongside him.”

Eric Kidd

I have to say, Eric was a blast to shoot with. We were discussing Banksy within ten minutes of his arrival, so how could it go wrong?

I’ve worked with dozens of models over the course of the last six months, and Eric Kidd was definitely among the most professional of them. He took both direction and criticism well, collaborated with me when it was appropriate, and was a great pleasure to shoot with. He has a natural gift for working with both the light and the lens, and sometimes seemed to know exactly how I wanted him to change his pose without me saying a word. It’s this kind of intuitive, intelligent approach to modeling that makes my job easier. I look forward to working with Eric again soon on many projects.

Have you ever spent hours looking through stock photography sites in search of that one special image that represents  the concept that’s in your head… and never find a match? Well, now that you’ve found me you don’t have to waste your time on those sites anymore. What could be better than having a former art director as your photographer?

You will find a sample of more of this work in this gallery: Stock Photography Gallery…

Model: Eric Kidd.

There are still times that I like to shoot film, and I’m doing more of it lately… with my little Holga. Why a Holga? The grain. The light leaks. The square format. This lo-fi approach to fashion photography is very appealing to me, and I will be adding more of it over the next few weeks.

You can take a look at more of my Holga shots here: Holga Gallery #1.

I’ve had my clients refer to my work in a number of ways, and sometimes this includes “therapeutic” or as I call it, “phototherapy for your soul.” Some of the clients that tell me this are models looking to strengthen their portfolios. More often, they are professional, everyday women who just want to look and feel beautiful and desirable. Sometimes we meet and chat for an hour before the shoot, and sometimes we just dive right in, but what always happens is that my subjects are transformed by the time we are done. They depart feeling present in themselves, and as beautiful and whole as they truly are.

You can see a larger set of images from this shoot here: Misty’s Gallery.

The portrait isn’t… or shouldn’t be… about fooling someone into thinking you’re something you are not. Most people will sniff that out in a minute. True portraiture is about finding an individual’s moment of character and capturing that spirit… that soul… that self… on film. You hear me talk about essence quite often. That is essence. If you think about the best portraits you’ve seen, you may think to yourself, “Ah, that really is what that person is about” or “I just learned something about them that I didn’t know” or “Look at this. It represents them.”

If you are authentic in your approach to business… if you genuinely want to help your clients… then you will be successful. The majority of businesses go down the tubes within 5 years. I think that authenticity is what separates the successes from that failing majority.

A “headshot” is useful when you want the guy who sees your bus bench ad every day to recognize you when you come knocking. A portrait is useful when you want to tell someone “This is my authentic self.”

Your event deserves a photographer with the instinct and timing to catch the moment. After all, isn’t that what photography is?

Tim McGraw, on stage at Cheyenne Frontier Days™, 2005.

Amanda is a horticulture student here in Colorado, and a very devoted mother. She also has lots of great ink!

Take a look at many more photos from the shoot with Amanda here: Amanda’s Gallery #1.

If you like the west and you like a good mystery, pick up one of author CJ Box’s many bestsellers.

If you’d like to have a portrait that has power, get in touch with us now.