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Musings: June 1, 2025
Some musings from Santorini. Today I’ll be talking about finessing images in post, why the Sony A7CR didn’t work for me, and streamlining my workflow.
Santorini. Absolutely gorgeous.
FULL BLOG POSTS RETURNING NEXT WEEK
I’m currently in Santorini on a little vacation and despite my best efforts, it’s hard to juggle personal fun with full blog posts. So in favor of my sanity, I’ve decided to do more of a mini post for this week’s post with full posts to return next Friday.
Ok, ramble over. Here are some musings to hold you over!
FINESSING THE IMAGE
Model: Rebirth of the Bird @rebirthofthebird
Studio: L’Atelier & Beyond @latelierandbeyond_studio
Location: Paris, France
ALL IMAGES SHOT ON THE SONY A7RV + SONY FE 28-70MM F/2 GM AND SONY FE 85MM F/1.4 GM II
Rebirth of The Bird on my last trip to Paris. © 2025
A term I’ve coined recently is “finessing the image” which applies to how we manipulate and process an image during postproduction. I’m always experimenting with different techniques be it in Capture One or in Photoshop just for fun to see what sort of interesting results I may get. For this most recent shoot with the amazing @rebirthofthebird, I played around with adjusting the red and yellow channels in my black-and-white process. I think it produces a bolder black-and-white, similar to the tones I would see by great artists such as Albert Watson or Herb Ritts.
Digital isn’t film, but it offers us so much leeway in terms of how we wish to manipulate the final image. I love the flexibility and the more I train my eye for both capturing photographs as well as postproduction to achieve “my look” the more I appreciate having so much room to explore.
I’ll post more images from this shoot in mid-June. We just shot these on the 27th and in the midst of my travel schedule, I won’t get around to selecting and working on this session for a bit. Stay tuned!
GEAR TALK
Not Loving the Sony A7CR
Sony A7CR in Santorini? Should be fun? Absolutely not.
As much as I’ve tried to love this little camera, I just can’t. The Sony A7CR has too many odd design quirks that just get in the way of shooting. Additionally, the lack of a joystick rears its ugly head every time I use it. It really should be so easy to maneuver a focus point where you want it, but with the lack of a joystick, it can be a pain in the ass to do quickly and accurately. And, by the time you do, the moment is gone. It just doesn’t feel as fluid and easy to use as the A7RV. Although the A7RV isn’t a large camera, the weight and size difference between the two feels substantial. However, in terms of usability, they’re in completely different universes. The A7CR gets in the way with its lack of smooth functionality and customizable buttons. The A7RV can easily cater to a variety of shooting styles. Mine in particular.
I can’t be too hard on myself. This is the third time I’ve owned the A7CR and despite my best efforts to love it, I just don’t. I knew many of the quirks going back to it, but figured the size and weight benefits would make up for its shortcomings in terms of ergonomics. Alas, that wasn’t the case.
I took my A7RV out for a test run as my everyday carry, paired with the Sony 24-50 f/2.8G lens and it just felt right. Snapping shots as I walked around Thira was fun and I didn’t feel like I was fighting with the camera.
My stance now is that, unless a camera has an amazing touch interface(sort of how Canon does it), I won’t buy an expensive camera that lacks a joystick. For me, it’s an essential component of good camera ergonomics. There are other shortcomings, but this one was the most nagging of all, so I can’t justify keeping it. Ah well, we tried.
Sony Announces the FX…2?
The Sony FX2. Why tho?!
I really like the EVF, but think it would be even better if removable a la the GFX 100 II.
Sony announced the FX2, which in my opinion is more of a proof of concept camera for them. I think this will be the direction for the upcoming successor to the beloved FX3. The added EVF with tilt functionality will be appreciated by some filmmakers. I imagine when they announce an FX3 II, and if it includes the EVF, it will be much more higher-res. In line with the A7RV’s or similar. Or even removable? Could you imagine?!
Specs wise, it’s an A7IV in an FX3 body. If you’re serious about video, I still think the FX3 is the better buy despite its almost $1000 price difference. I would wait out some deals and save up a bit if I had to choose between the two. The low light performance of the FX3 alone makes it a contender all these years later.
STREAMLINING WORKFLOWS
Can’t wait to work on this set of images. When I have time…
If this recent trip has taught me anything, it’s the importance of streamlining your workflow.
Ideally, a photographer would seek to create images and get them out for the public to see in the quickest way possible. But still at a standard they’re pleased with. It can be a struggle when you shoot thousands of images per shoot and have to sort through them all, compare options, make selections, retouch them, then output them for use online.
Personally, I don’t like to rush my work. I like to sit with images for a bit, ruminate over them, ponder how good/bad they are, then begin my process of selecting the ones that will make the final cut. I also understand the importance of haste and quick turnarounds so I try not to sit on them forever. However, the busier I get, the harder it can be to maintain deadlines and have the same production output. Doing 5-6 shoots a week is much more difficult than one a week or a few every couple of weeks. Imagine going through images from 6 different shoots where you’ve taken 1000+ photos. You need to pair them down to, say 10 images, retouch them then have them out for your website, social media, etc. Hard to do all of that in a week especially if you have other priorities (family, work, etc.). Yeah, not an easy ask.
With that said, I’m working on a process of further refining and streamlining my workflow. So from capture to output, everything is faster and much more seamless. I take a lot of notes in the “Notes” app on my phone and I’ve been brainstorming diferent methods which I’ll start actively playing around with once I’m home this week. Once I hit on something solid I’ll share it here on the blog.
Maybe it’ll help other artists who struggle with their own output.
I NEED YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY QUESTIONS
As I’ve mentioned branching out into YouTube and having my own workshop eventually, I’m looking for questions from photographers regarding portrait photography. What are some of the things you would like to learn or know more about? Leave a comment below or shoot me a message on Instagram. I want to compile a fairly comprehensive list as I build the curriculum for the workshop and come up with topics for tutorial posts. Your contributions will be much appreciated!
Hope you enjoyed this post! Feel free to leave your thoughts and comments below!
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Musings: May 23, 2025
Some musings while I’m away in Paris. Today I’ll be talking about technical difficulties, Panasonic’s new cameras, my new gear, and the unfortunate passing of master photographer Sebastião Salgado.
My mobile workstation. A lot going on in image. Capture One, K-Pop, a fine art nude, and Charlie Chaplin. What an odd combination.
I AM NOW EXPERIENCING TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES
Well if it isn’t Murphy’s Law, my old pal.
I’m writing this from my hotel room in Paris. Today, I woke up bright and early ready to finally post about my trip to Japan back in March. I spent a lot of time last week gathering images and on the day before my departure, I could have sworn I put the Capture One session on my hard drive with me. I get here and nope, they’re nowhere to be found. No worries! I can access my images remotely! I use an app that lets me access my computer back home. I fire it up and start exporting the files into Dropbox so I can access them here. I log in a few minutes later to check the progress and my desktop has several notifications telling me my hard drives have disconnected.
What the fu…
For hard drive storage, I use OWC’s Thunderbay enclosures. While they are fantastic for speed and durability, they have a fatal design flaw. The port where the Thunderbolt cable connects is too shallow so the cord will fall out if it isn’t support somehow (pressed against a wall for example). What’s probably happened is the cord fell out and now I can’t access those images. Not to mention I have some clients who need some photos retouched while I’m away.
Wait a second! This literally just dawned on me. I have an online backup of all my images.
I know this is starting to sound like an ad or something, but truthfully I figured it out. I should have copies of all my images in my Backblaze account. My entire computer is backed up to the cloud!
*checks account*
It works! Ah yeah, we’re back in business! I’m selling those Thunderbays when I get back. Never again.
Ok, ramble over. Here are some musings to hold you over!
RECENT PHOTOGRAPHS
Model: Iryna Berdnyk @irynaberdnyk
Studio: L’Atelier & Beyond @latelierandbeyond_studio
Location: Paris, France
ALL IMAGES SHOT ON THE SONY A7RV + SONY FE 28-70MM F/2 GM AND SONY FE 85MM F/1.4 GM II
Some portraits of Iryna straight out of the camera from yesterday. I said she’s becoming my muse and it seems that prediction is coming true. We do great work together and it’s been exciting to see her growth as a model in such a short time. I’m wishing her all the success as a model. She really has the “it” factor.
This shoot was fun. We experimented with some different looks this time around and I tried some new lighting equipment that worked out far better than I imagined. Those coming in a future post.
After taking such a long break in April, I was a bit worried I would lose my improved skills, but I think it’s once you hit a certain level of artistry, it’s hard to go back to what you did before. Practically impossible once your technique is refined.
Expanding on that thought, think about drawing if you’ve ever drawn seriously before. In the beginning, say when you’re a child, your drawings are rough. Crooked lines, bad proportions, etc. But as you gain experience and put in years of practice, your drawing is considerably better. No more crooked lines. People look lifelike. You’ve mastered highlights and shadows. Even if you wanted to attempt to draw how you were when you were a kid, you’d be unable to. The muscle memory is so trained now that you couldn’t draw as rough as you did when you first started.
Photography is very similar. Once your eye is trained, refined, and nurtured, it’s hard to go back to the style of images you did in the beginning or even a short while ago. You’ve arrived in a new place and there’s no going back. That’s quite comforting I must say.
Anyway, my work is better now and I’m proud of that.
GEAR TALK
Panasonic’s Recent Camera Releases
The Panasonic Lumix S1 II. Finally. But probably too late.
I know I’ve been hard on Panasonic over the past year or so. It’s really from a place of love and disappointment than hate. They have so much potential, but have routinely dropped the ball. They’ve sort of let their passionate community of fans down over the past few years. “Mid” releases, radio silence on any upcoming product announcements, and abysmal customer service.
I’ve been saying these things for years and people downplay it. In light of their recent releases people are starting to wake up and have started calling them out. Comments sections on product announcements aren’t all rosy like in the past. Now people are asking hard questions and throwing scathing criticisims their direction. And the shills on YouTube and photography outlets will try their best to get everyone excited for their cameras.
The shills are the worst. Clickbait video titles, using words like “King of cameras”, “Masterpiece” is just hyperbole by a bunch of phonies who likely won’t actually own the camera, but will try to convince you to buy it. The shills deserve their own post, so I’ll end my criticism of them here for now.
For Panasonic, the excitement is gone. You’ve burned the consumer too many times and now they’re the worst thing they can be towards a brand, apathetic. The S1R II got announced and it had cool specs, but nothing to sell your Nikon/Canon/Sony for. The S1 II just got announced and while the specs are cool, it still doesn’t outdo Sony’s 4-year old FX3. Not to mention people are now calling Panasonic out on a huge oversight I’ve mentioned countless times: “Where are the lenses?”
It’s hard to recommend anyone investing in the ecosystem when all the other major manufacturers have a well-rounded first-party lens lineup. Panasonic has released no new S PRO glass since the first year of release! That’s pitiful. Sigma has come out with TWO versions of their 24-70mm f/2.8 DG DN ART lens in that timeframe. They either don’t have the resources or ambition to keep up with the big players in the field. And that my friend is why they lose.
An easy win for them would have been to release a full-frame GX8 style camera with small lenses to match. In this era of social media and content creation, where every young photographer wants to be a street photographer, it’s a no brainer to release a small, stylish camera that can be used in that capacity. For the street/travel/hobbyist photographer. Nope, instead they release that pitiful, crippled Lumix S9 that they can’t even give away.
Panasonic, hear me: GX8 style body, full-frame sensor (maybe the one in the new S1 II), 4K 60P no crop, no overheating issues, small lenses. Profit.
So while some of their remaining customers have given in to full blown masochism, others with real professional and/or demanding needs have moved on. Buy anything but Panasonic these days bro. It’s over.
Some New Additions to My Gear Family
Before my trip, I picked up another Sony A7CR and FX3. I now have four cameras. Two A7RV’s plus these two. I know, I know, a bit excessive eh? I also bought a trio of new lenses. Two, count ‘em two, Sony 24-50 f/2.8 G lenses. And one Sony 16-25mm f/2.8 G Lens.
I’ll explain my equipment loadout:
A7RVs - My workhorses. They’re set up to shoot professionally. I just grab them and they help me produce the work I’m known for.
A7CR - My everyday carry/travel camera. It’s too risky to take my work cameras everywhere with me. When I’m traveling for shoots, I’d rather leave my workhorses where I’m staying and go with another camera that won’t be the end of the world if something happens to it. Sure there are cheaper options, but I still want the A7RV’s image quality. I’ve tried countless other small cameras, but despite my best efforts, I’m a bit of an image quality snob. No medium format though.
FX3 - My video camera. I’m not planning on shooting any film projects just yet, but I will be recording more behind-the-scenes video from my shoots as I work to build out my YouTube and other channels.
For the lenses, I have two 24-50’s as one will be on my A7RV at all times. It’s a perfect focal length for travel and everyday photography. The other will be used on the FX3 alongside it’s brother the 16-25. Those two small lenses handle all of my practical video needs.
While we’re talking lenses, I sold off all my Tamron lenses and have decided to shoot predominantly Sony glass. Don’t get me wrong, the Tamron’s were great in terms of size and affordability. However, in terms of image quality, I noticed a stark difference between them and some of my other lenses. The only third-party glass that remains in my kit is my Sigma 105mm f/2.8 DG DN Macro lens. That one delivers the same level of visual acuity as my Sony’s so it stays. I also prefer 100mm+ in terms of focal length for a macro lens. I’m not sure why 90mm Macro lenses are a thing. I digress.
My Dream Lens
Want.
The Sony FE 50-150mm f/2 GM Lens. $4,000 and absolutely beautiful. Zooms are so good now, you don’t experience the same quality drop versus primes as you did in the past. The Sony 28-70 f/2 GM is so good, I doubt I’ll buy an expensive 35mm or 50mm prime lens again. There may be times where I want the small size of a prime or the extra stop of light, but I don’t see the need for a 35mm or 50mm f/1.4 lens for the type of images I make. So my portrait photography kit would be the 28-70/f2 GM, the 85mm f/1.4 GM II and the new 50-150 f/2 GM lens. That would cover all my bases well into the future.
$4,000 isn’t anything to scoff at so I’ll be saving up for that one. It’ll probably be a Christmas gift to myself this year. Just put a little aside here and there over the next 6 months and it’ll be mine! Can’t wait to get one!
ON THE TOPIC OF TRAVEL
Traveling is fun, but in my opinion, overrated. It’s become such a thing people like to flex about as if they’re doing something spectacular. These days travel is fairly reasonably priced. If you save up, take advantage of some deals, you can travel. The downside for me is airports. In general they suck and plane rides are rarely comfortable unless you’re in fancy first class and even that is dependent on the accommodations provided by the airline. If you’re a photographer/creative, you may end up spending loads extra for bags to be checked then have anxiety hoping that all your equipment will arrive unscathed.
Then there are the time changes. I arrived in Paris on Wednesday, took a short 2 hour nap that evening and couldn’t sleep a wink that night. I literally stayed up all night and didn’t go to bed until midnight on Thursday. Finally, I feel more normal and adjusted to the time. Despite my best efforts, adjusting to the physical rigors of constant travel is something I’ll never quite get used to. It’s just a part of the experience at this point.
With that said, I won’t be doing any more traveling until September. I want to plant my feet for a bit and focus on things domestically before I jet off to another destination. I will travel within the US (Miami, LA, Mississippi, etc.), but unless a can’t miss opportunity presents itself, I won’t go abroad. I need to stay grounded for a while. There are a lot of things to work on and I’m unable to do that in the midst of traveling.
So for now, it’s Paris till Tuesday then off to Santorini with my lady for a bit.
I’m staying put once I return.
RIP SEBASTIÃO SALGADO
A brilliant photographer and by all accounts a wonderful person. RIP.
Today, master photographer Sebastião Salgado passed away at the age of 81.
I find his passing shocking after having gone to his exhibition in Barcelona back in March of this year. It was the first time I saw his work in person. Admittedly, I’ve known about his work for years, but never considered myself a fan. Don’t get me wrong, his work is brilliant. Masterful portrait, documentary, and landscape photography. It just wasn’t the type of work I was interested in early on, so I didn’t really follow his career as much as say Richard Avedon or Irving Penn.
However, after attending the exhibition, I came away with a newfound appreciation for his work and really started to understand his passion for the projects he pursued. Just look at these:
I could see myself pursuing similar projects in the future. Working with unique cultures and getting to meet such interesting people is a dream to a portrait photographer like myself. Yeah, there’s definitely a lot I could learn from Mr. Salgado.
The photography world has lost one another of the few remaining masters of the craft. We must appreciate them while they’re here and never forget them as people nor the contributions they’ve made to this wonderful art form.
Godspeed Sebastião Salgado. Prayers for you, your family and friends.
I NEED YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY QUESTIONS
As I’ve mentioned branching out into YouTube and having my own workshop eventually, I’m looking for questions from photographers regarding portrait photography. What are some of the things you would like to learn or know more about? Leave a comment below or shoot me a message on Instagram. I want to compile a fairly comprehensive list as I build the curriculum for the workshop and come up with topics for tutorial posts. Your contributions will be much appreciated!
Hope you enjoyed this post! Feel free to leave your thoughts and comments below!
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Musings: March 26, 2025
Musings about the Fuji GFX 100RF, industry shills, flakes in the industry, and more.
The Shinkansen. What an amazing way to travel. I wish we had one in the US.
I’m on the Shinkansen to Kyoto as a write this. Writing in transit is now my new thing apparently. I’ve been in Japan since March 20th and it’s been an amazing, whirlwind of a trip. Met some cool people, went to a plethora of cool places and still feel like I’ve barely scratched the surface of this amazing country. Top 3 favorite places to visit by far. I think it will be my yearly travel destination. Europe for creativity, Japan for relaxation. Love the sound of that.
No cherry blossoms in Tokyo yet though. Darn it.
There’s been a lot happening in the photo world and elsewhere so I figured this a great time for some musings.
Fuji Announces the GFX 100RF
You’d think they’d at least put the Fujifilm logo on the front above lens.
Expensive. No ibis. Ugly design. Fixed lens, but slow. $5,000. A fool and his money are soon parted.
Although it’s a more expensive investment, if you want a small, lightweight medium format camera you could use for travel/street photography just get a X1D II. It’s prettier and much more versatile.
Nice try Fuji, but I think this one will be a flop.
The Dedicated Video Camera
Before I left for my trip I considered picking up another FX3. Ya know, something to have on my trips whenever I have video needs. I decided against it. While it’s an amazing camera and I’ve owned one in the past, it’s hard to justify something so expensive that will have such limited use. Unless I’m shooting video projects week in, week out, it’s just an expensive paperweight. Let’s be smart about equipment purchases going forward. Rent? Sure. Buy? Nah.
Save that money for travel and production. No more wasteful spending.
Don’t Take Their Money
Money > Honesty. The shill’s motto.
Recently Disney released their Snow White live action remake. Another live action remake that no one asked for in a slew of creatively bankrupt projects the House of Mouse has decided to throw at the wall in hopes something will stick. The main star Rachel Zegler is a trash human being. Yeah I said it. Entitled, arrogant, dismissive of the past, condescending, politically divisive, and truly unappreciative of the position she’s been given. That’s the rub for many Americans with modern day celebrities. They used to represent the best of us. Now? Trash.
This person exemplifies everything wrong with modern day Hollywood. Trash.
Anyway, in following the film I came across a video with a compilation of all the Disney shills that are either on the Disney payroll or are willing to sell their souls in order to stay in the good graces of these companies. It was sad. Despite all the obvious reasons the film is terrible, they will do their best to spin it as some sort of success and victory. At least upon initial release. Months from now they’ll come back with a more honest, reasonable take, but they will never call it for what it is.
You see a familiar trend in the camera industry. YouTubers and social media influencers shill products that are obviously flawed. Products they’ve barely used or really put through the paces. They are willing to lie, lie, lie through their teeth in order to keep getting access to the gear and invites to the posh events. You’ll also notice a bias they have against certain other manufacturers who they aren’t affiliated with. They’ll criticize Canon to no end, but Sony will get a pass for example.
If that’s what it requires, I never want a brand to sponsor me. I doubt they will because I shoot nudes, unapologetically and I also don’t pander to fit whatever the political norms of the time are.
If you think I would be a shill for a single company or kowtow in the face of dumb political/social initiatives, I am not the person to follow. If you’re someone conflicted about going down the path of influencer/reviewer, I advise you to remain independent. Fund the acquisition of the items for review with your own money.
The minute you take the money and/or sign the contract to be an affiliate or sponsored by some company, you lose your voice. Your freedom of expression. Your ability to tell the truth. Fuck that. And fuck selling out. Oh, I also use profanity. I fancy having a broad vocabulary.
I’m above the influence because I don’t need their money. It’s not my bread and butter. I make my living actually taking photographs, not reviewing products. I can’t imagine how morally/ethically conflicted once must feel if reviewing products is your main source of income. When the access to a product will make or break you financially, you’re almost forced to play ball or bills go unpaid. Perish the thought.
Don’t take their money. Find your own way.
You Don’t Need Hollywood, Hollywood Needs You
Piggybacking off the previous point, I feel the same about Hollywood. For years, Hollywood turned their noses up at artists desperately clamoring to sit at their table. They were in an unshakeable power position for decades. It used to be practically the only way to produce a feature film of quality. Now after a myriad of scandals coupled with box office bomb after box office bomb, Hollywood finds itself facing irrelevance. Increased competition from streaming services and international films absolutely killing it, they no longer shine as brightly as they once did. It’s hard to convince the youth to even go to the movies anymore. Unless it’s a fantastic film that you recommend to all your friends and family, most people will skip the trip to the theater. Who’s going out on a Saturday night to see Snow White? Pfft.
One of Hollywood’s glaring issues is that they’ve painted themselves into a corner by preaching to the public and advocating so defiantly for certain causes that they’ve lost touch with the average person. They’ve insulted fans, pandered and catered to audiences that will never buy a ticket, and been downright lazy in terms of coming up with fresh, interesting new ideas. Remake here, sequel there. Same old faces for years. They no longer break new talent whether it be actors or filmmakers.
Attendance at theaters is in the tank. Film festivals are folding. Studios are laying off people left and right. Tell me again why I should go to Hollywood and jump through hoops to please a bunch of snobs and pseudo activists?
You know why movies were so much better years ago? Because a different generation where in charge of them. A generation with different values, thicker skin, and a focus on entertaining not preaching or offending the audience at large. Those people had vision. They wanted to make clever, thought provoking films that challenged the status quo. That challenged the ideas and long held beliefs of viewers. Now? Most of the mainstream films are run of the mill, cookie cutter, conformist tripe.
Hollywood no longer has its finger on the pulse of what’s hot. If you’re a young writer, filmmaker, you don’t need them. They need you. Build your own avenue. Fund your project independently and shop it around to the highest bidder. Or develop a platform where you can feature your work. Form a collective of passionate young artists with something to say that goes against the norm. Buck the trends! Don’t grovel and beg them to sit at their quickly shrinking table.
Their time is done.
They could have done so many amazing things in this new era with how hyper connected with are as a society. Instead, it’s been squandered because politics and pushing propaganda has superseded entertaining and creating art.
And a part of me hates to see its demise, because it used to be such an amazing place. Like Disney, Hollywood use to be a place of wonder and excitement. Where imaginations ran wild. You would sit in the theater and anticipate how amazing a film would be with your favorite star directed by your favorite director.
It reminds me of a line by one of my favorite rappers, Crooked I where he muses about the demise of hip-hop:
“Was stressed out over cashflow, hip-hop used to console my soul, now it’s a bunch of assholes.”
My sentiments about Hollywood exactly.
Then again, I can’t feel to sad for them. The below the line people sure, but everyone else? Nah. The way they’ve carried on for the past ten years should be a cautionary tale to any industry. Unbridled hubris and contempt for your customers has consequences. The chickens are coming home to roost. And as Joker so eloquently put it:
“You get what you fuckin’ deserve!”
Dealing with Flakiness
I had some tentative plans for shoots while here in Japan, but have ultimately decided against it. A word of advice, never force something. Portrait work relies heavily on people. And if people drag their feet in responding, or it’s unnecessarily difficult to confirm times/dates, don’t waste the energy. I think people on the other side of the camera(from models to clients) just think photography is some easy endeavor.
Travel costs, studio costs, backing up images, retouching costs, etc. It’s a time intensive, expensive profession. And if people don’t appreciate and respect that, as evidenced by their nonchalant behavior, don’t stress yourself. Save your money. Work with people who are passionate, appreciative, and show enthusiasm for the process. Models in particular can be flaky and very nonchalant. Don’t work with those people nor give them more energy than they deserve.
Instead of shooting on this trip in Japan, I’ll be shooting during a trip to Malaysia I’m planning for May. The model I’m shooting with is so cool and helpful, I’m excited to work with her. That’s the standard. Excited, enthusiastic, and helpful people. No divas, no unprofessional lackadaisical people.
Almost a year ago, I had a model reach out. She’s based in Miami but makes frequent trips to New York. She hit me up and says, “Hey I’ll be in New York soon, I’d love to shoot with you!” I said okay and we set up a date to do it. As the date approaches and after days of planning for her shoot and booking a studio, she goes radio silent. The shoot ended up not happening. I had to cancel the booking with the studio and get a credit to use for another time. Talk about annoying.
Recently, before my most recent trip to Europe she pops up again. “Hey I’m in New York! Are you around? We should shoot!” No apology, no “Sorry about last time.” Just, hey let’s shoot! No care or consideration of how she bailed on me the last time.
How do I handle flakiness?
Blocked. Next. I’ll never work with that person.
As George Bush, Jr. the most beloved President in our country’s history, put it:
“There's an old saying in Tennessee — I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee — that says, fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can't get fooled again.”
All for now!
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Musings: March 20, 2025
Thoughts on my upcoming trip to Japan to celebrate my 40th birthday, reflections on my recent trip through Europe and how I feel about the milestone age I’ve arrived at.
I’ll be in Japan March 21 - April 1st celebrating my 40th birthday!
I’m penning this post while flying to Japan to celebrate my 40th birthday. How the time flies? It seems like yesterday I had just arrived in New York at 25 years old. All bright eyed bushy tailed.
15 years? That’s crazy.
It was fifteen fun, chaotic, drama filled, peaceful, heartwarming, heartbreaking, happy, maddening, thrilling, purposeful, educational, and unforgettable years. And now I’m heading out of my 30’s into the big 4-0. Ain’t life something?
Here’s to 40!
And here are the musings:
To Shoot or Not to Shoot (Japan Edition)
I was considering doing a few shoots during my trip, but I’ve been feeling very cautious about it. I have my camera gear with me, but similar to Korea, it can be very challenging finding a good studio to work in in Japan. I’ve scoured the web for days and most are either not suitable, unavailable, or haven’t replied. It’s been making me anxious.
So I decided to take a breath and reconsider. Why do I even need to shoot? It’s okay to take it easy sometimes and just enjoy the trip.
But I’m addicted to photography so I’ll probably shoot something anyway. Lol
The biggest thing I’d like to take away from this trip is just to use it as an opportunity to recenter myself and map out my plans for the rest of the year. The past month has been such a whirlwind of events and shoots, I haven’t been taken care of myself like I should be. Gotta work on that and find the balance again.
My Last Europe Tour Was Amazing
Straight out of camera portrait of the amazing Ksenia Lytvynova in Paris. She is phenomenal. Captured on the Sony A7RV
As amazing as it was grueling, this last trip was by far the most successful. I felt like creatively I was on fire. I was really dialed in. But I’m only half the equation. You’re only as good as the people you work with and all of the models I worked with(some old, some new), were just brilliant. Such talented models and beautiful people. I’ve been blessed to have worked with some of the most amazing women in the world.
It’s humbling to say the least.
I’m going to do an entire post thanking Europe for its influence on my work and motivation, but for now I just have to say it’s really boosted me as an artist. I don’t think I’ll go back for a while, but I know when I do, it’ll push me even farther. Something about that place.
Oh and my Sony A7RV is by far my favorite camera of all time. Out of all the cameras I have ever used, this one really makes my work sing. There has been no other tool that has felt like a true extension of my creative being more than that camera. It is perfect for what I do and how I work.
What Does Turning 40 Feel Like? Or what are my thoughts about it?
I’m embracing it. I’ve been someone who has advocated for people to embrace their age. Each decade represents a different chapter in one’s life and I feel it’s healthy to let go of past self in favor of embracing the new chapter in your life. We have to transition or otherwise we’ll remain mentally, emotionally, hell spiritually stunted if we don’t embrace each stage in life with the respect and duty it deserves.
So that’s where I’m at with it.
40? Let’s go. I feel like the next 5 years will be most creative and productive years. And if so, I’m ecstatic to have arrived at this point.
Blogging on the Go
I’ll be posting regularly during my Japan trip. I’ve set of goal of getting out, exploring the city and taking lots of photos. Just snapshots really, but it will be a good exercise and force me to be a bit more consistent with the blog. Lol
Now I’m going to post this and watch YouTube videos about all the cool things I should do in Japan! Happy Birthdsy to Me!
Thanks for reading!
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Musings: February 25, 2025
Thoughts on the S1RII, traveling, and my continued love of the Sony A7RV.
Ah, the first musings of the year. I just landed in Lisbon after visiting Mississippi for my Mom’s 70th birthday (Happy Birthday Mom!). Portugal is the first stop on a rather long journey through Europe till March 16th. So there probably won’t be many posts till I’m back in New York.
Without further ado, let’s get to it!
GEAR TALK
Panasonic’s Upcoming S1RII Camera
The Panasonic S1R II. Brilliant specs, attractive price, and looks sexy. I’m gonna pass on it.
Panasonic is set to announce their all-new S1R II (or whatever it will be called) today. So far, the specs look very impressive. 44 Megapixels, Dual Native ISO, 8K Open Gate recording, 40fps electronic shutter, 10fps mechanical shutter, internal RAW video recording, 4K 120fps without a crop, multi-angle flippy screen, and it even has tally lights on the front and read of the camera for video recording.
Oh and the kicker, it will support tethered shooting into Capture One! As someone who has ranted about this ad naseum for YEARS, this is a welcome addition.
And it will be priced around $3000! That’s a lot of camera for the price.
Essentially like combining an A7RV and FX3 into a single camera. Quite impressive indeed.
But I won’t be buying one.
I said in my Fall of Panasonic post, that they could release a super impressive camera as sort of a Hail Mary and completely knock everyone’s socks off. This may be that camera. It will probably sell well and you will see dozens of posts and YouTube videos with shills saying how they’re switching to Lumix and selling all their gear. But in that post I also said, other companies will likely counter with an impressive camera of their own in due time.
We can’t keep jumping between camera brands every time something new is released. It’s exhausting and EXPENSIVE. And does it even make you a better artist? If you’re a hobbyist then it probably doesn’t matter.
My A7RV’s do practically everything I could want them to do and Sony’s ecosystem is so mature. There’s a lens for practically everything and they’re amazing. Panasonic still hasn’t updated many of it’s premium lenses, instead relying on Sigma to make up for gaps in their selection. Not to mention their lenses are still obnoxiously big and heavy. Compare their 70-200 f/2.8 to Sony’s or Canon’s.
And their customer service is terrible. That hasn’t changed.
It makes no sense for me to jump ship. And that’s probably the case for most people. Additionally, I don’t want to reward a company who dragged their feet for years before implementing many of the features working professional photographers needed. While I understand demands of the market change and many clients are requesting video in some capacity, Panasonic has focused much of its attention on the video segment of it’s customer base. The photographer side has seemed like an afterthought, although they marketed the cameras for photographers. Having Capture One tethering support should have been a day one thing for the original S1R camera. Now they finally make the change.
Too little, too late for me. I won’t be returning.
But props to them for making a very impressive camera!
Passing on Medium Format and Loving the A7RV
Portrait of the stunning Iryna captured on the Sony A7RV. Why do I need medium format again?
My love affair with the A7RV continues.
I recently had an opportunity to re-invest in medium format and decided against it. I was looking through some recent images taken on my A7RV and was amazed at the quality, especially when compared to some medium format images I’d taken. Medium format image quality is very impressive, but there’s more to enjoying a camera than image quality alone. The A7RV is just so versatile and suited for practically every scenario I find myself in. Be it portraits, headshots, event photography, and even when traveling it captures beautiful images and simplifies the process. I never really want for anything.
So instead of making a dumb financial decision, I decided to invest a little more into my current system. I sold my Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN (a lens I never liked - the distortion and vignetting is terrible), Sigma 50mm f/1.2 DG DN, and my beloved Tamron 28-75 f/2.8 (I’ll miss that wonderful little lens) and invested in the new Sony 28-70 f/2 GM and Sony 85mm f/1.4 II GM.
Immediately I noticed a difference in quality. Especially for the 85mm. It doesn’t have any weird distortion that needs to be corrected in the software or vignetting on the edges of the frame. It’s a pristine, perfect lens. Something that rarely happens, a model I was photographing immediately noticed the difference using the 85mm. She loved the way she looked when photographed with that lens. She goes, “Wow, the previous shots are great, but these just look amazing! What did you do? Did you change the lighting or something?” I told her I switched lenses to the new 85mm and she says, “Shoot me with that one! There’s something about these I really like. I don’t know what it is, but the images look so crisp and lifelike.” A glowing review if I’ve ever heard one.
Back in the day, I used to have many more prime lenses in addition to a couple of zooms, but over the years after reflecting on the way I work, I only buy lenses that make sense for what I do. I used to always have a 50mm in my bag, either a cheap one or premium, expensive one. These days it’s hard to convince me to buy an expensive 50mm lens. The Sigma 50mm f/1.2 was great, but I barely used it. I just don’t shoot the focal length enough to justify keeping it. And why get a super expensive 50mm lens when I can spend a little bit more and get a zoom that covers than range and also gives be beautiful background separation? So I went with the 28-70 f/2 and I love it. It’s a marvel of technology. It feels like a collector’s item lol.
With those 2 lenses I can do the majority of my work without issue. I have other lenses to cover some other needs when the situation calls for it and with that collection, I’m content with my kit.
MUSINGS
My European tour will include Porto (Portugal), Barcelona(Spain), Dusseldorf (Germany), Prague(Czech Republic), and Paris(France). I enjoy traveling across Europe but it can be quite tiring hopping from country to country in 4-5 day intervals. Going frequently in and out of Ubers, navigating airports, and going through security checkpoints does get old after you’ve done it a number of times. When I toured back in October I wasn’t as prepared but I think this trip will be much smoother logistically. Proper planning prevents piss poor performance as my Dad would say.
I’m mulling over having my first portrait photography workshop this Spring. I’m not sure where I’ll hold it yet but Paris seems to be a great place to do it. Now I have to develop the program, workshop goals, etc. I think it’s time to share some of my knowledge with the next generation of passionate photographers. If you’re interested let me know and I’ll put you on the waitlist for announcements!
My rent increased in NY. Which to me is another sign it’s about time to call it a day in New York. I don’t enjoy spending considerable time there but I do have a great client base I don’t want to lose. I have a year to plan but I want to create a way I can maintain my client base while not having to be in NY either in terms of where I live or in a full-time capacity. Gonna have to rack my brain to come up with a solution.
I’m tired after the long flight from the US and have a shoot at 11AM (It’s 9:AM here). Flying internationally from Jackson, MS to Lisbon meant I had to connect in Atlanta, then fly to JFK in New York, then off to Lisbon. So yeah, I’m a bit beat already. But I gotta down some coffee and go on with the day!
All for now. More to come!
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