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...

Getting Back In The MPLS Groove...

Back in the Twin Cities after a couple of great weeks on the road. So many people to thank for their help... thanks Ja, Finbar, Malachy, Tommy, Kristen, basket guy, Lisa, Eilén, Sam, the 40 foot crew and those helpful people staying above me in Oslo.

Starting to rummage through a lot of images, just posting a quick taste of a shoot in Dublin at a place called the 40 foot. Great humor, scenery and people were a plenty there, making for some great stills. Located just south of Dublin, the 40 foot is home to swimmers year round who take in the salty sea water to jump start their systems...

Hoping to get the motion on this project rolling soon, will be posting in the next few weeks as it becomes available.
As for now, back shooting in Minneapolis again... new portfolios are off to the printer today too...

Norway...

A quick vignette from today... off to bed now...

Shooting Away...

So far, so good. We have wrapped shoots in Ireland and are now in Norway. Some really great content so far too. Last nights graffiti shoot in the rain was really something, we did not have the best wether but we got some great stuff out of it. Just touched down in Oslo where we will be for the next week before wrapping to get back to the states for a shoot shortly after returning.

Just thought I would share this image from the Aran Islands. A really fantastic spot if you ever have the chance to explore. The history and preservation on the island is really something, not to mention standing on cliffs and ocean that would swallow you up in an instant. A vintage impression of Ireland...

Giddy Eur-UP...

Final days before heading out on a two week international shoot. With a cool, interesting lineup of shoots awaiting in Europe, just making sure all the gear is packed away neatly before heading across the pond. Will certainly be posting a few snaps from the project as it develops. Really excited the this shoot will encompass video more than we have done in the past. The potential for hybrid shoots holds a lot of potential for clients in 2012, and I'm bringing along some new gear to give this a different look.

Upon returning to the US, we have a new book launching along with some really great shoots in the works.
Check future blog posts for a sneak peak. Till then, au revoir...

Ice Time...

It's already time to start thinking about the MSHL tourney. Bauer has launched this years campaign for the tournament series, using an image I took for them last year. Remember to check out the Bauer booth at this years event to get a look at lots of great new gear!

This campaign is always great to shoot. We really try to get some behind the scenes shots that show the feeling of the event while keeping it simple, low key and emphasizing Bauer product. The challenge of getting a gritty shot at just the right moment is tough. On many shoots you can ask someone to do something again, move this hand just a little bit... things like that. This is a run and gun project that gives us awesome access to what goes on right before the puck drops. We have a rare chance to see, feel and hear the game as it unfolds...
Check out previous years blog posts to see what some of the previous spots have looked like...

Tilting Ones Perspective...

While on location in St. Louis a few weeks ago, grabbed this shot from up in the iconic St. Louis arch. Thought it was pretty cool...
Getting stuff in order for shooting in some pretty cool locations for February. Including Ireland & Malta. More, along with teasers, to come...

What To Look For...

Sr. Art Buyer Chris Peters recently gave an interview with Wonderful Machine about what he looks for in art for campaigns. He was kind enough to select one of my photos as an example. Check out the article here...

High Flying...

Excited to be starting a new personal project soon. I will be shooting both stills & motion on the Karen community here in the Twin Cities playing the amazing game of cane ball. Flips, kicks and amazing agility fill gyms when teams gather. It's truly unlike any game/event I have ever seen or covered. Stills will be the perfect addition to some high flying video, which you really have to see to believe. These are just a few stills from a scout that really do not do it justice...
I'll keep you posted...

Purina/Colle + McVoy...

After getting back from a great shoot with Purina the other days, I've been getting files ready to go from what ended up being an awesome shoot. Horse, swine, beef & dairy cattle provided the backdrop for a week of shooting in and around Missouri. Emphasizing the "pride" of the Purina brand, one that has been providing animal feed since 1894, we were photographing the people that make Purina a great brand. Had a chance to use some new gear, try some new angles and get some new smells on me from being in a swine barn all morning...