utah photographer « dav.d photography

Posts Tagged ‘utah photographer’

29th October 2009

Stephen at Silver City & the Utah Salt Flats

written by dav.d

Warning! This is going to be a long post because we traveled 412 miles to take these photographs so I am going to show off about 21 of them. I couldn’t leave that many on the cutting room floor and not show something off. These portraits were a chance to explore new locations and use some new lighting gear. If anyone wants to get photos take out in the Utah Salt Flats let me know – it is a cool location to photograph.

We started in Silver City, Utah – outside of Eureka. We were hunting for ghost towns and didn’t find much – except we found this cool shack.

Silver City, Utah

After photographing in Silver City we when up to the Salt Flats – it was a long day of driving. But totally worth it. Cause the salt flats are really unique. They have car races out there to try and break the land speed records. It is flat and it is solid. So if we do photograph out there again we will have to stop by Wendover for lunch or dinner. Wendover is just a few minutes away from the salt flats. And since the drive is about 1.5 – 2 hours out there we might as well eat.

Utah Salt Flats

Silver City, Utah

Next time I photograph on the Salt Flats I will need to think of something to do in the way of props or something. Otherwise you are just standing there looking cool. And you might as well have something to do – maybe flying a kite, or dress up as if you are a jogger, or a bicyclist. Or if you have a really cool sports car.

Jumping on the Utah Salt Flats

Part of the goal (aside from finding new locations) was to learn to light differently. Often when I have been photographing and lighting I light up everything – everything is exposed fairly evenly and in Photoshop I would add some shadows. But this time I wanted to create some cool shadows and limit the light with gridded softboxes and a grid on my beauty dish.

Edited with 300esq in Photoshop - one of my favorite actions

Working and learning to create plenty of shadows and darkness in photographs

Digital has so much more potential than film could ever dream of

Silver City, Utah

This photo? No photoshop and minimal lightroom edits

Clouds really help with photographing outdoors

One light and the sun behind

Edited in Nik Software Viveza

Another all natural photograph - no photoshop - minimal lightroom

Another all natural photograph, sans photoshop and retouching

Jumping for photography

Utah Salt Flats

This photograph has virtually no edits – but it looks great. This is what the photograph looks like coming out of the camera. The more I can do this the better a photographer I will become.

Editing only in Lightroom

Selling My Nikon Gear

O-Town Roller Derby Dames Sports Portraits

Homo for the Holidays - Day 82 of 365

A Self Portrait with a Speedlight

Leave a Comment »
Posted in Male Model Photography, portrait photography | Tags: photography, portrait photography, salt lake photographer, utah, utah photographer, utah salt flats, wendover

26th October 2009

Marigolds in Macro – Day 54 of 365

written by dav.d

Face it – everything and everyone has been photographed. Every kind of flower has been photographed repeatedly. All I can do as a photographer is to capture and create photographs with my vision. Hopefully it is unique.

A macro photograph of a marigold flower

Growing up my mom would always plant flowers around the house – and one of those – the ones I most remember were marigolds. So I was happy to find some near work and I stopped to photograph them. These are handheld with my macro lens.

A macro photograph of a marigold flower

10 Years as a Nu Skin Web Designer - Day 306 of 365

Macro Shot of Moisturizer - Day 179 of 365

Stephen at Silver City & the Utah Salt Flats

Behind the Scenes of a Speedo Photo Shoot - Day 53 of 365

Leave a Comment »
Posted in Daily Photograph Project, Nature Photography | Tags: floral photography, macro photography, marigolds, nature photographer, utah photographer

25th October 2009

Behind the Scenes of a Speedo Photo Shoot – Day 53 of 365

written by dav.d

Mao changes outfits for the next photograph

Here is a behind the scenes photograph (I love taking these photos) of today’s photo shoot with self described speedo model, Mao. I had taken some photographs of Mao more than a year and a half ago – and the photos turned out good then. And today we photographed at some new locations and this time we trekked out the big lights.

This photograph was at a local track and field location. We wanted to get on the grass of the football field but it is football season and the grass is being cured or fixed for the next game. So we kept the sports them by using the track. I will be working on these photos (among others from the past week). Lots to do and little time – and lack of time travel.

Behind the Scenes of Zeb Photo Shoot

Behind the Scenes of 8: The Mormon Proposition

The power of a Softbox

Gay Bowl 8 Advertising Photos - Studio Set

Leave a Comment »
Posted in Behind the Scenes, Daily Photograph Project | Tags: alien bees, behind the scenes, male photography, mao, salt lake photographer, speedo, utah photographer

22nd October 2009

Preview Male Model Practice Photography – Day 50 of 365

written by dav.d

Props help photography come alive

I am really liking using the studio lights outside. “Real” photographers will photograph the background one day and another day photograph the model in a studio and combine them via photoshop. Maybe someday I will use that approach. But there is something to having the photographer, location, and model all in the same place. I like the ability to play things by ear and change shots around depending on the situation.

And it really helps to have some kind of prop for models. If you don’t have a prop then you have to rely strictly on poses. With a prop the poses are almost create for you. I had suggested that the model, Zeb, pretend he was talking on the phone with sunglasses – at that exact moment he received a phone call. And I kept photographing as he answered the call. Pretty funny and perfect for photography.

Mao, portaits in studio

Portrait photography for Shawn King

Asian Association visits Clas Ropes for Team Building

A Weekend of Private Parties at Club Jam

Leave a Comment »
Posted in Daily Photograph Project, Male Model Photography, portrait photography | Tags: cell phone model, male photography, utah photographer

21st October 2009

Asian Association visits Clas Ropes for Team Building

written by dav.d

Clas Ropes plays host to corporate retreats and team building activities. And I had the pleasure to photograph the Asian Association of Utah’s visit.

Clas Ropes Corporate Retreats

There were activities that were puzzles, or physical challenges, or communication games. Learning to work together and problem solve were the ultimate goals of the games. I am glad I was just there to take pictures – I wouldn’t want the stress of figuring out how to move everyone one square to the left or right to get the right amount of people to… and blah blah blah.

Everyone has to stand on the same plastic thing challenge

I used 4 lenses for this photo shoot. I pulled out 2 lenses that I haven’t used lately – the 85mm and my fish eye. And I would force myself to use one particular lens for a set amount of time. This way I would find different and more unusal angles to photograph. And since my 70-200mm is in the shop I am rediscovering the benefits of my prime lenses.

Run lady! They are going to get you!

And fortunately with digital I can experiment with my camera and just fire blindly from the ground and hope I get something. Wide angle or fish eye photographs definitely benefit from this since they are easier to focus on everything.

What a wicked web you weave

Blind tag is a challenge – or I should call it visually impaired tag. One person is blindfolded and one person would try to direct them from 6 feet away on where to walk to escape or where to go if they are “it” and need to tag someone.

Visually impaired tag

Ready for the hula hoop challenge

This game was fun to photograph. You had to pass two hula hoops around in a circle. One would follow the other – almost like tag. You couldn’t release your hands – so you had to make the hope go around while contorting your body. And due to the hilarity of the game I took a ton of photos.

Passing the hula hoop around a circle without using your hands

Halloween themed corporate retreat at Clas Ropes

Lunch time at Clas Ropes

The Asian Association of Utah is made up of people from all over the world. For lunch each country would repeat Subway’s “Five, five dollar foot longs” sales pitch. It was pretty entertaining – even if you know things are lost in translation.

Every country would say Subway's sales pitch in their own language

Near the end of the retreat there was a small boat trip hosted by pirates. And they had the lamest jokes ever – I have that in written proof.

A pirate boat trip - complete with pirates on ropes

And the pirates would swing out over the river and land on the boat. One almost did not make it, ha ha.

An actual female pirate

Boat trips with autumn colors

The boat was powered by pulling on the ropes

We were subjected to torturous pirate jokes

A pirate with two eyes. I know! Shocking.

Happy 5th of July! - Day 305 of 365

dav.d at the Salt Flats

Executive Portraits - Day 36 of 365

Autumn Leaves - Day 32 of 365

Leave a Comment »
Posted in Event Photography | Tags: asian association of utah, clas ropes, event photographer, provo, provo photographer, team building, utah photographer

19th October 2009

dav.d at the Salt Flats

written by dav.d

This weekend has been NUTS! I had about 6 events/photo shoots. SIX! That is a lot of fun and a lot of photography. Sunday afternoon I was out in the Salt Flats and took some amazing photographs of Stephen – those will be posted later this week. But I wanted to post one photograph of me. I handed Stephen the camera – showed him how to hold it and how to take the photograph. A little bit of post processing and bam! I have a pretty cool photo. I should have stood a little closer to the lights. But still pretty cool photograph.

dav.d on the utah salt flats

The clouds really sell this photograph. It wouldn’t nearly be as exciting if the skies were clear blue. I love the dynamics of clouds and even the sun behind me. I am getting really good at setting up the lights so I can overpower the sun. It really helps to have Alien Bees. I hope I can photograph at the Salt Flats again soon. It can be a bit “boring” if you are just standing there. You almost need a prop or something to create more story.

I also had to make sure the salt was cleaned off of the camera gear. I don’t want it corroding and destroying the equipment. And here is a photograph of the lighting setup – with an umbrella, beauty dish (with new grid), and a light with reflector.

Behind the scenes lighting photograph

dav.d wins QSaltLake's Fabby for Best Shutterbug!

dav.d in HDR

Behind the Scenes Photographs

Autumn Leaves - Day 32 of 365

Leave a Comment »
Posted in portrait photography | Tags: dav.d, salt flat photographer, salt flats, utah photographer

18th October 2009

Alien Bees Invade the Utah Salt Flats – Day 46 of 365

written by dav.d

Alien Bees umbrella, reflector, and bare bulb

412 miles! I had a fantabulous photo shoot in Silver City, Utah and the Salt Flats. We started in Salt Lake City and then went through Elberta, Eureka, Silver City, Tooele, the Salt Flats and the finally back to SLC. THAT was the 412 miles we travel. But it was worth it. I will have the edited photos online later this week, however, for today’s daily photograph I took a photograph of my Alien Bees. Before we packed them up after the last shoot I thought it would be fun to take their photographs. They are almost family.

And I love practice photo shoots. I was able to test out different locations – very excited about the Salt Flats. And I was able to test out my new Alien Bees reversible umbrella, medium softbox with grid and the grid for my beauty dish. And for the record – the Salt Flats are about 1.5 – 2 hour drive one way. And you can always stop by Wendover for some evil sinning and gambling. So it is the perfect location.

BMW on the Bonneville Salt Flats

Behind the Scenes at Rich Legg's New Studio

Behind the Scenes of a Cannibal/Lawyer Photo Shoot

Gay Bowl 8 Advertising Photos - Studio Set

Leave a Comment »
Posted in Daily Photograph Project, landscape photography, product photography | Tags: alien bee umbrella, alien bees, light modifiers, salt flat photographer, utah photographer, utah salt flats

11th October 2009

A Weekend of Private Parties at Club Jam

written by dav.d

Check out all the photos from the weekend at my SmugMug gallery – be sure to buy photos as well, that helps keep my photography going.

Drag queens from the Cyber Sluts

Club Jam hosted some themed private parties this weekend. On Friday there was the “Hanky Code Party.” If you don’t know what that is – google it if you dare. It is how gay people would find out what other people were “into” before the internet. Apparently living in the closet required a code system.
On Saturday night it was leather and fetish themed. Not a lot of people in leather but it was still a bit of dress up for some. And there was a good turn out for both parties. So if you get an invite for one of their private parties RSVP yes!

All sorts of fun at Club Jam

It is a lot of fun being an event photographer is Salt Lake. Who would have thought there was a night life here? Oh, and if you did look up the hanky code via google you know know what the orange color means.

Hanky Code

A couple share a kiss

For the camera

And when photographing events you want to get more than just people posing for the camera. You want to capture details, behind the scenes, and a lot of candids. I get a number of candids that will probably never see the night of day. I don’t want to embarrass people too much – maybe just a little.