The music from the orchestra crashes and roars around you like an ocean. The energy from it all quickens your pulse and carries you with it. You’re helpless to resist it. You feel like something is pulling at your soul, as if you could levitate out of your seat. This awesome power seems to be controlled by a little man on stage with white hair and a baton. You’ve all seen this guy. He’s the one waving his arms and imploring the musicians on stage to pour out their souls but to the untrained eye, it looks like they’re ignoring him.

The fact is, these symphony level musicians aren’t going to make much music without a leader, and the Maestro is that leader. Sometimes he rules with benevolence and sometimes he rules with a clenched iron fist, but the one thing that is true of every conductor is that he makes his money in the rehearsal, not the performance.

By the time the performance rolls around, the musicians, as excellent as they may be, are not playing Bach or Mozart, they are playing the Maestro’s music. And every instrument on stage is being played by one man – the Maestro.

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One of the blogs I read regularly is PrettyGirlShooter.   Besides being an excellent shooter, JimmyD is also very open to sharing his techniques. I admit that I have taken many of his posts into the studio with me and recreated his lighting. One of my buddies who has been shooting much longer than I have often tells me that he’s amazed at how quickly I grasped studio lighting.  I am no ‘Rembrandt’ in the studio (excuse the pun) but Jimmy’s lessons really made it quick and easy to understand.  Jimmy, I owe you a good scotch and the steak that goes along with it.

This is a business /hobby that is gear crazy.  As the holidays approach, I would like all of you to know that I want / need every light, every camera, every byte of software that came to market in the last five years.

At least that’s what I thought at the beginning of my photographic journey.  As I’ve read Jimmy’s posts, he often demonstrates how little gear you need to shoot pro quality.  So, as a tip of my hat to the mentor I’ve never met, this post is all about shooting with one single little light.

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They say you should shoot what you love. If you’ve ever met me, you’ve already noticed that I like to eat. Yup, it’s hard to hide your passion when it rides just above your belt.  Is it my fault I married a woman who can really make magic in the kitchen?  Well, yes, I guess it is but…

Let’s talk about shooting food instead…

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I am a child of the USA. I know fast food, managed health care, 401K plans, and the G I Bill.  I used to have money in the bank until the markets crashed. I have a house, a beautiful wife, a loving dog and a big HDTV on which to watch sports to the chagrin of the beautiful wife (the loving dog remains ambivalent).  Compared to the residents of Ocoroni, I have it all. But they have something I find in short supply.

~ Joy ~

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I have now had the honor of shooting Miss Vanity a handful of times.

She is a very strong, creative, intelligent young woman. And she was a Suicide Girl.

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…or more importantly, do you even want to try?

Criminal Defense Lawyers.  You can live without them – until you need one. I have to confess that I know a number of criminal defense lawyers, some I count as good friends, but I really don’t ‘know’ them like they know each other. I mean, only they really know the warrior side of each other. That side that will scratch and claw to win. That side that will fight for the client until the very last argument has been heard by the jury. I have to admit that I sometimes fight to get a good shot but these guys fight all the time for the rights of others and to protect the Constitution. Deep down, I respect what lawyers do because it’s always important and it takes passion. Yup, the same passion many of us use to make our art, but seldom do we have to wrap our passion in brass knuckles. These people do and I admit that I don’t have what it takes to go up against professional fighters like these.

But have you ever tried to make them smile?

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Shot at 1/160, ISO 50, f/5.6, 70-200 L at 85mm

So, what’s wrong with this pic of Jamie Nicole?

The model is perfect for the swimsuit (or visa versa but who cares). She was one of the most professional and animated models I’ve ever worked with. In fact, as models go, she was (and probably still is) perfect. What a pro.

The shoot was taking place over a weekend at a mansion on Mulholland Drive in Beverly Hills. This was no Mac-Mansion or Mansion-Wannabe, this was the real deal on THE street in Beverly Hills to live on. I stopped counting when I got to eight bedrooms. The pool house had a bowling alley…and two more bedrooms.

By the way, this was the second frame I took of Jamie. Even the damn light tests were coming out spectacular. So why am I so grumpy about this pic?

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