Las Vegas never fails with energy, frenzied pace and stunning subjects. Loved teaching a workshop there last week and working with not only incredibly talented players, but friends as well. Win-win. A really fun and memorable week for our Las Vegas Lighting Experience. Below is a shot of the beautiful Alexi Irvine with the Nikon Z 9 and 85mm f/1.2. Crazy amazing lens. Control light and color through the Profoto B10X Plus unit.

In the studio at f11rentals and on location! All thanks to the amazing group of actors, dancers and performers who accompanied us, and were absolutely outstanding in front of the lens. Joli Irvine below. (She and Alexi are sisters, and became a dance tandem sensation in Vegas.) The photographer worked hard and got great pictures. A great team effort, thanks of course to the matchless duo Liza Politi and Ari Espay, as well as photographers MD Welch and Brian Friedman.

The life of a photographer. Various places, people in front of your lens, you build a variety of skills to use. Had the chance to shoot Desert Dog while in Vegas. Lacrosse is a fast-paced sport and it’s fun to shoot, even if it’s not easy. I attended Syracuse University, a perennial lacrosse powerhouse, but hadn’t been into the sport since college. Great night out, and hats off to the Candace Ward team photo! He showed me the ropes and locations.

The nearly 100-degree bout of temperature reminded me that when I came home, summer was just around the corner. And it will be a summer adventure! In July, I went to Estonia, to the historical and beautiful island of Saaremaa, in the south of this amazing country. Teaching lighting intensive weeks (The Look and Feel of the Light) from July 8-14 with an experienced workshop group – Kurssille. We would work on castles, beaches, churches, and craters, grappling with all manner of portrait and location problems and strategies. We will have an amazing corps of models, from dancers and athletes to character actors. Link to register!

Been in Tallinn just once, and too short. Estonia is remarkable for its history and grace. Can’t wait to come back. Especially for these, who will really dive into beauty, fashion, dance, and storytelling portraits. We gathered in Kuressaare, dined at the historic Ku-Kuu Restaurant and discussed destinations. Then, the next day, we were immediately immersed in the creative process in front of the camera. Everyone shoots in small teams, and there will be samples, lectures, how-to sessions, and lots of time in front of the camera. A really intense and great week ahead.

And then….Africa.

From Estonia, jump straight to Nairobi to witness the natural splendor in Africa. Haven’t been to Africa in years now and wanted to go back. There’s no other place on this planet quite like it. Teach with the wonderful Tamara Lackey in two consecutive new workshops. An 8-day Kenya trip during the Great Migration season begins with a private safari in the Maasai Mara Game Reserve and visiting a wildlife reserve. As an added bonus, workshop week #2 was a 10-day Kenya and Uganda trip that included a Gorilla Encounter Safari in the Impenetrable Bwindi Forest. It’s going to be amazing, a once in a lifetime experience – can’t wait! Venues available and more details on Tamara’s website to sign up for one of the trips.

There’s no more beautiful place on earth to see and admire, and practice camera skills. Management of lens length, timing, observation of light and portraits, exposure strategy, criticism and post-production–in short, the various skills that need to be honed as a photographer. Watch the series of pictures above, photographers don’t just stick with one skill. The depth of the knowledge base, and the persistence to keep working and keep pushing is what makes the difference.

More thx….

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