Tree Geek / Lights Portfolio...

......... I recently started shooting with Tree Geek, a great local agency. Thought this would be nice to share right after the holidays. A few weeks ago, I was brought in to shoot a portfolio of images for one of their clients focusing on holiday lights in and around the cities. I was shooting static scenes, but keeping a gritty editorial look and feel to the project was key. After getting hot chocolate approved in the budget, we were off and running!...

Happy Holidays!...

....... Have a festive and safe holiday!

Mayda...

....... A few months ago we worked on a shoot with local recording artist Mayda. It was pretty cool, we shot some stills and motion for a new feature coming out soon. I almost forgot about these shots but thought they were enticing enough to share. Been working on some neat projects as of late, some that have frozen our fingers and some that are getting us in shape for some great shoots just after the new year...stay tuned for what those are/were...

Follow The Sun...

....... A nice sunny thought from a trip to southern Slovakia as it's getting chilly here...

Chicago, IL / Bauer Hockey

..... Had the pleasure of heading down to Chicago with Bauer the other week. Shot a lot of photos expanding on the "OWN THE MOMENT" campaign that is running right now. It was great, shot players from California all the way to Latvia. No shortage of tasty visual tidbits to shoot. We're wrapping up a great motion project tomorrow, check back for updates on projects we have coming up in the upcoming weeks...

A Lil' Bluegrass For Ya...

. A few frames from a shoot from earlier this summer...getting ready to start working on a motion project this week...

The Ink Is Still Wet...

............ Something cool is slated to be done in a few hours at Alexander Zoltai Photography, just needs to dry. There will be some more updates to come soon...just thought we would put out a teaser for now...

Back From San Diego, CA...

..... Back in Minneapolis after taking photos out in sunny San Diego, CA. Downloading the shoot now, check back for updates. Ready to get into a few exciting projects here in the cities. Some exciting work/developments/swag is on it's way. More to come soon...

All Booked Up...

..... Heading out early Thursday for a shoot. Getting all the gear ready in the mean time. New trio of portfolios just got in too! They'll be hitting the streets as of tomorrow. They feature a new focus, new branding and a new feel. Make sure and let Jeff or myself know if you'd like a showing...

Let's Get Personal...

..... Got to share some personal work from time to time. As you may know, one of my greatest passions is telling the stories from other cultures, different worlds. It makes my camera a bit tired because there is always so much to capture. The following photos were taken in a mosque in St. Paul. Documenting a handful of Somali families and their faith, I got to experience new places that have always been tucked within my everyday. Getting ready to spend a few weeks back on the road, check back for some updates...

Own The Moment...

...... Check out Bauers new campaign, Own The Moment, at www.bauer.com We shot this campaign a while back and the final product is really cool. As Minnesota gears up for hockey season from the pee-wees to high school, "Own The Moment" allows hockey players of all ages to have the chance to star in a Bauer commercial. Hope to see you on set!

Freshening Up...

.......................... We're doing a little re-branding here, working on a new logo at the moment and re-paginating our portfolios...it is looking like they will be bigger and badder than ever, and more of them!

How Many Pecks In A Bushel?...

................................. A second trip to Cleveland in a month left us shooting the corn and soy bean harvest in a region that produces A LOT of corn & soybeans. We ended up on top of grain elevators, inside 2 million bushel corn bins, riding in combines and taking in scenic Ohio sunrises. All and all, it was a great wrap to a project that left our client with a great new library of images. Time to sew that winter wheat and hope for more rain next year...

When Stills & Motion Collide...

The importance of a hybrid shoot is pulling of stills and motion at the same time. Working quick to fulfill all aspects of these shoots is an awesome challenge, one that allows us to work in ways thought impossible even a few years ago. Thought I would share a teaser from a recent shoot that allowed me to shoot just that. A library of images that also was accompanied by a motion shoot. Here are a few samples of the motion, just to give an idea for how they go hand in hand to better the brand...

Mountain Hardware / Alaska...

..................................... Alaska, the last frontier. Until my maiden voyage a few weeks ago for a shoot, the title did not make that much sense. After a short week there, I have a better understanding for the title. We had an awesome time shooting Mountain Hardware gear in the vast, expansive landscapes that Alaska has to offer. Very much looking forward to the return trip. From there we bypassed MN straight to another project in the mid-west & finally back to good old MPLS...

Chastity Brown Feature...

Just got back into town after a few days on the road. Shooting in MPLS tomorrow, will share a few stills from the project soon. As summer winds down here, it has been a flurry of activity with both new shoots & clients...

FLM / Cleveland, Ohio...

....... A few weeks on the road have taken us on some pretty cool shoots. With much more coming, just throwing up a few stills from the first part of a shoot we just wrapped in Cleveland, Ohio with the advertising agency FLM. We had a couple of great days shooting this agriculture project and am excited to get back and keep it moving forward. Many thanks to Dave, Mitch, Kelsey, Morgan and everyone else who helped out...

Introducing Jeff Cerise, Secret Agent Man...

........ I am very happy to announce the new partnership between Jeff Cerise and Alexander Zoltai Photography. Jeff will be my new agent and we'll be taking our new team to the streets as of today. Very excited about what will come out of this. Take a look at Jeff's site and roster here.

Target Part Deux...

....... Another Target shoot...early shoot in the morning near Wisconsin...

In The Studio With Saint Anyway...

................. Just wrapped a motion/still project with Saint Anyway in MPLS. Focusing on capturing motion while they recorded their third album in Northeast, we moved around the recording process for two days, while trying our darndest to not make a peep. As soon as they stopped recording, I would pop off a few stills but this was a project that focused almost entirely on motion. Sweet!

Right on TARGET...

.... Just wrapped a Target shoot. Always a pleasure to work with the good folks from Target as we updated images in and around their stores. We were brought in to refresh their lifestyle images of both shoppers and store members. It was a blast as we moved quick to capture everything we could in a short amount of time. Many people to thank, especially Mark, Jeanne, Katherine all of our talent and everyone at 10th St who helped make this happen.

Patagonia...

..... Back from a Patagonia shoot out west. A few stills for the moment...there will be more to share soon, so check back for updates on what was a very fun project. Getting prepped for a cool shoot early tomorrow...

On Belay In Kentucky...

. I am very pleased to be able to share a new motion project from our shoot out in Kentucky last month. With a few more motion projects in the pipeline, there should be more to share soon!

Orlando FL / Colle + McVoy

...... Had a great shoot a few weeks ago in not so sunny Orlando, FL. The aftermath of hurricane Debbie made for our outside, on-location shoot to be a wet one. After a trip to buy gloshes with our ADs, we were able to keep ourselves dry and keep the shoot moving quickly. In the end, we got some great images, and it doesn't even look like there were gail force winds! Thanks very much to everyone involved, especially: Lindsay, Mandy, Melinda, Chris, Clarke, Tommy, Eric and the good guys at Knox Nurseries...

It's Heating Up...

...Oooooohhh boy are things getting hot out there. Some of us are even playing ball under the vail of night just to stay cool. Lots going on this July. Crazy to think that as of the 3rd there are not many days when the cameras will not be out this month. Lots of great projects, both in the motion and still family, that will take us around the country shooting. Can't say much about what the projects are at the moment, but keep checking back for updates. New motion debuts to coming in the upcoming weeks!

The Finishing Touches...

.... Just wrapped shooting our new motion piece for Chastity Brown. The final touch was shooting a sound check at The Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis. A few stills to accompany the soon to be edited motion spot, just to give a taste of where we were and what we were doing. Chastity is a pleasure to work with as much as she is a pleasure to watch up on stage. Looking forward to getting into our edits and hoping to share a new motion spot in the upcoming week. Stay tuned...

Growing A Brand...

... Enjoying some time behind the monitor on a month long project with Winfield Solutions/Land O' Lakes/Colle + McVoy... working on color correcting the first few legs of the shoot before we head to Florida this weekend. Looking forward to continuing to beef up the library when we touch down. So far we have had a great time learning about a few of their vast products. Some of them I understand, some not so much...but I'll shoot them all! Lot's of cool work to show soon, and more to come as we'll be heading out west in a few weeks for an awesome motion project...

US Bank...

..... Last week one of the shoots we did allowed us to work on some portraits for US Bank. Simple. Clean. Quick. Photographing executives in a more corporate setting sometimes means working with talent that does not have a lot of time. Producing good photos that help define a brand and tell a story means you need to figure out your light quickly, and still make your subject feel at ease. I love shoots like this and had a great time shooting a handful of people in and around their downtown setting. Here is just a taste of the results...

Chastity Brown...

..... Some recent still images from a shoot with Chastity Brown. Last year we began working with Chastity on a library of images for her recently released album Backroad Highways. This year, we got on board for a hybrid shoot of both video and stills. With a backlog of work at the moment, we are hoping to get underway on the edit soon and would love to share it as soon as it becomes available. There is some really great stuff in the can to go through, stay tuned for a peak in the upcoming weeks...As for now, re-charging the batteries to get out the door bright and early in the morning for another library shoot....

Kentucky...

..... Just back from a great shoot in the blue grass state of Kentucky. For the third year in a row, I have had the opportunity to shoot a climbing assignment and for the third year in a row, it has produced some great photography. This year I was shooting motion along side of the stills and we'll share that edit as soon as possible. The Red River Gorge was the backdrop for this years project. One of the premier climbing spots in the United States, the gorge welcomes climbers from all over the world to its 1,600+ routes. We shot in and around the area documenting the sport with as many shots in as many locations as we could squeeze into four days. A sneak peak into what we captured with more to come. Keep posted, June looks to be a busy month with some great shoots and travel ahead...

Taking Time At The Tap...

... Thanks to a recent motion & stills project, we ended up at The Town Hall Tap. A great Minneapolis brewer, we got a first hand look at how to Tap makes their awesome beers and made sure to document the consumer side of it as well. At first glance, both the stills and the motion came out great. Hope to have our motion out soon, we're getting a nice back log of work to post as it gets the finishing touches. Till then, sit back, relax... and have a cold beer?

An International Affair...

Recently was brought on by the International Institute of Minnesota for another project. This time, capturing stills and motion for one of my favorite events on the year, The Festival of Nations. Some 90 communities participate sharing their food, customs and language with the tens of thousands that pass through the event. A visual treat, there are faces that beg to be photographed. I walked away with cards full of images, not to mention a belly full of treats too...

Gearing Up...

Production of a new motion project is under way. Although there is still a few days of shooting left, I thought I would share a few still from the first day of shooting. Not going to spill the beans on what the project is, but stay tuned more the motion portion in a few weeks. Gearing up for a shoot today, can't ask for a better day to make photos...

A Master Of Craft...

Mallachy Kearns is as famous of a bodhran maker in the world as there is . There traditional Irish drum is most commonly used in Irish music but has been used and adapted in many other types of music over the years.

While on a motion shoot with Mallachy in Roundstone, in the west of Ireland, I snapped a few stills of the instrument maker as he stretched goat skin over a new drum. It was really interesting to learn about the process, one that has not changed a whole lot even with the advent of new technology. He has become so well known in his drum making, that a letter from President Obama was delivered while we were shooting, thanking him or the drum that the Republic of Ireland sent him as a gift, made by none other than Mallachy. I can't wait to hear some of the President's Irish songs that will be coming out soon...

Annie's Key...

It is with great excitement that the short motion piece Annie's Key is ready for it's debut. A concept I came up with while on a train out of Norway a few weeks ago, my goal was to show the process that a pianist goes through, complete with struggles and joy, while learning a new, challenging piece of music. This was a collaboration of talent, location, musician, DP & editing that came together in the end to produce a great piece of motion.

More motion is under way and there will be sneak peaks as they become available. Stills and motion continue to work as one and projects are seeing the potential of the two more and more....

Brining The Game To Life...

A quick motion edit from the 2012 Bauer MSHL event...
Thanks to RJD2 for the music.
And many thanks to Stevie Kane of One Light Collective for the help on the edit...
Enjoy!

When Words Won't Suffice...

I have always been amazed at the power music has over us. No culture is free from it. We all relate to it in different ways, it is an expressive medium unlike anything else we have.

A recent motion shoot explored this a bit. Working with a young pianist, we shot in the Lower Town area of down town St. Paul in a really neat space. That's all I'll share for now...
We're underway with the editing process and hope to be able to share soon.

A motion project next month will take us to the blue grass state of Kentucky. Until then, a few projects are under way being estimated and some cool spring shoots are starting to come up much like the flowers outside...

Sights & Sounds From The Emerald Isle...

Ireland is full of things that inspire us. Sometimes, still photographs only begin to tell the story...
While shooting stills on location in Ireland last month, I took the opportunity to shoot some motion
that could show off some things that sometimes a still photo can not capture as well. It was a blast shooting
and hopefully at the end of the day tells a story of both traditional and modern stories in Ireland.

Quite a bit of motion going on at the moment, all of which will be shared as it becomes available.
Thanks again to everyone who helped out on the shoot and to Stevie Kane from One Light Collective

Stay posted for more soon...

Telling Stories...

Proud to say that the International Institute of Minnesota has launched a new website.
I have been able to work with them over the last few years telling stories of immigrants coming to
the United States for the first time from Burma to Somalia and beyond. Still images can keep our attention
in a unique way, allowing us a quick insight into their lives & stories. Which is why I love doing what I do. Shegitu who is featured on the home page is a perfect example of an amazing story that is more common than you would think. We pass these stories on the street every day.

The Institute is well worth checking out, especially their marquee event the Festival of Nations in early May. We'll be working on a still & motion project at the Festival this year, stay tuned for updates...

The State Of Hockey...

Minnesota really is the state of hockey. One of the biggest youth hockey tournaments in the world happens every spring in St. Paul. The MSHL tourney is really a unique event to be at, to shoot & to experience. I had the pleasure of shooting with Bauer again this year capturing the event and moments that make this tourney so special. As always, it was a great time and an awesome shoot. Just a few stills from the event...

Keep posted as we are getting close to debuting some of our recent motion shoots. Check back, they're really starting to take shape...

Hot Off The Press...

New books are in! Should be out on the town soon. Really happy with how they turned out, you'll have to see for yourself...

Till then, getting some estimates out and getting gear in order for a shoot at the end of the week...