KATHERINE BLANFORD ON THE TONIGHT SHOW
I’m so excited for my friend, comedian Katherine Blanford! She was asked to appear on The Tonight Show for the second time. Katherine reached out to me, to use a photo I took over a year ago, of her eating licorice. I told her, “First of all, it’s a Twizzler. And second, that would be very cool”! She sent the photo to NBC for approval. A week later, Jimmy Fallon was holding one of my favorite images of one of my favorite comedians on national television. It was pretty awesome! Even more awesome, Katherine absolutely killed it!
Side note: On the way to my shoot, I stopped by a dollar store for possible props. I bought a deck of old maid cards, a dart gun and for whatever reason, a bag of Twizzlers. If I had bought a box of Junior Mints or Good n Plenty, things would be so much different. Candy rules.
Watch Katherine on The Tonight Show
BETTER CALL CRAWFORD
I had the opportunity to work with comedian Lavell Crawford. Not only is he a Grammy nominated comic, he’s a featured character on Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. A comedic heavy weight if you will.
Oh, man! When I found out comedian and actor Lavell Crawford was playing in Memphis, I didn’t want the opportunity to work with this comedy heavy weight to slip through my fingers.
I was able to get in contact with Lavell requesting to take photos while in town playing Chuckles, in which he agreed. My assistant Gerold and myself packed the rental car with more equipment than I needed and headed west. We arrived at the venue about 45 minutes before the show started. Found a very sweet spot in the lobby large enough to set up a 6 foot wide background. According to Lavell’s last message, he should be here any minute……….any minute now………. Checked my email around 6:30, he said he’ll be there 7:15ish, his words. Cool, he’ll be here in 45 minutes, I thought as guests start to filter in. Look at my watch, it’s 7:20. Maybe he’s here but in the back. I head to the green room, poke my head in and ask if Lavell’s shown up. I was told Lavell never shows up early. As long as management is cool with us standing around looking lost, then I’m cool with it. 7:40, Lavell arrives. And when he walks into a room, there is no mistaken it. What a presence. I yell out, “Yo, LC”! He smiles and walks over.
Now that Lavell has arrived at the venue, we only really had 2-3 minutes to shoot before management sent us packing. After some brief introductions and handshakes, we went right to work. After each flash fired, Lavell struck another pose. We were able to get some amazing looks in a short amount of time. The images we took that night are currently being used on Lavell’s site as well as promotions for upcoming shows. Big night for myself and LC’s marketing team. Thanks again to Lavell and Chuckles Comedy House.
The Many Faces of Lavell Crawford
WHO IS MATT RIFE DATING???
Photographed comedian Matt Rife at Vulcan Gas Company while on a trip to Austin.
Luckily, Matt’s love life is not my concern. What is my concern, however, is getting to the venue 30 minutes before the show starts, set up, shoot, break it all down before crowds pack the place.
You might remember comedian Matt Rife from NBC’s Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
Already planning a trip to Austin, TX, I hopped online and searched what was happening the same time I’d be in town. The car will already be packed with equipment, so if I can find something else to photograph, I’ll be fully prepared.
After 5 minutes on Google, and checking out the clearance items on HelloKitty.com, I saw comedian Matt Rife will be in town performing at Vulcan Gas Company in downtown Austin. Matt is best known for his residency on MTV’s Wild ‘N Out and most recently, NBC’s Bring The Funny, but quickly becoming a comedic force with the help of Tik Tok.
Matt was more than willing to let us crash his pre-show routine.
My son Nicholas fills in as lighting test model, and doing a bangin’ job.
We needed to show up at Vulcan Gas Company as soon as the doors open to race inside and find the right spot to shoot. Originally, I was looking for an open space to set up a 6 foot wide background. As I was putting up the background, I couldn’t keep my eyes off the lights on the venue’s wall. From where I put up the background, I had a perfect perspective to shoot Matt through the VIP section barriers. After using Nicholas as a light test model, I realized THIS is the shot I really needed to focus on.
As soon as Matt arrived, we only had 15 minutes to shoot, pack up, and get the hell out of there before the audience files in. Matt shows up, and pops out from behind the background armed with a big grin and opening act, Cris Sosa. With very little fanfare, I ushered Matt to the duct taped couch patrons have no problem paying a premium price in which to sit. After the first exposure, I knew we had something special.
The lights on the wall, the lines of the barrier, even the color scheme of Matt’s shirt had all the markings of an image I can show to ex-girlfriends to make them jealous.
Grabbed a quick shot of fellow comedians Cris and Matt directly after the VIP section set up. You can see the barrier I shot through on the far right , 2/3 down. All I had to do was swivel the light to get both shots.
Nicholas was on stop watch detail and we spent more time than allotted on photos, luckily I quickly made friends with Brandon, the head of security, who gave us some slack. I promised to shoot and scoot within 15 minutes. With the extra time, I pulled out an adult small Everything Is Bigger In Texas tshirt, handed to Matt, he quickly changed, we shot a handful of photos, then I asked him to rip it off. His concern was that he wouldn’t be able to, as a result, and I’m paraphrasing, “look like a bitch.” It didn’t take much coercing on my part and he proceed to rip off his shirt with little effort. Thus making me the most popular of guy friends to all my gal friends.
Matt was so accommodating with his time, not to mention a super nice guy, and seemed genuinely appreciative that I took the time to photograph him.
I am the one who is genuinely appreciative.
Matt Rife and the boy.
You can check out Matt Rife’s amazing special, ONLY FANS, on YouTube! The man is as funny as he is handsome. Come for the jawline, stay for the punchline.
Artist Duncan McDaniel Stands Behind His Work
A local magazine staff and myself met Duncan at his Nashville Art Up studio, he was to be featured in an upcoming issue. This shoot, for me, was very unique.
Daniel McDaniel is an interdisciplinary artist with a goal of promoting an awareness of place using light, color, sculptural design elements, and playful interaction, according to his website. Not being one who over thinks art, I just think it’s pretty cool. He uses patterns, shapes, and lines that create movement and forces your eyes to bounce around the canvas: which for those who are keeping score at home, is also one of photography’s main goals.
A local magazine staff and myself met Duncan at his Nashville Art Up studio, he was to be featured in an upcoming issue. This shoot, for me, was very unique. Once I get an assignment, the same series of events always occur: I search the subject online, get a feel for how they’ve agreed to be photographed in the past, completely obsess about ideas and techniques, love what I’ve come up with, second guess what I’ve come up with, and finally bug family and friends with my self doubt. However, this shoot I did none of that. Just the knowledge of Duncan being an artist was all the information I needed.
When coming up with ideas for Duncan, I didn’t want to use any photography cliches, which there are plenty. Anyone can photograph an arm crossed artist holding paint brushes leaning against the wall of their studio. Cliches are cliche for a reason: ideas and concepts that are overused and betray a lack of original thought. For example, “Hey, are you photographing an athlete of some sort today? Here’s an idea, have them hold the ball and point it towards the camera. That’ll really knock their socks off!” NO THANKS……
It didn’t take long to come up with a cliche-free idea, in which my editor really liked and ultimately became excited about. I wanted to photograph Duncan as he was painting from the canvas’ perspective, meaning I had to shoot through the paint and see the brush strokes in action. For me to do so, I had to find some plexiglass.
Once the plexiglass was unwrapped using gloves as to not leave our fingerprints, it had to be suspended between two C-stands. It was then tilted forward slightly to ensure I won’t be seen in the reflection. And to put the final nail in the reflection’s coffin, I placed my Alien Bees AR800 light head on the opposite side of the glass as myself and off to the side. Per usual, I’m photographing with limited space, so I relied only on the single light head and a reflector. We took several test shots on the fly, it didn’t take long to NOT see myself in the plexiglass.
Duncan McDaniel posing in his studio while we test the light.
Duncan started by painting along the outside corners of his non-traditional canvas. As he did, I shot nonstop, never really knowing what to expect as he painted, circling inward, getting closer and closer to the center. The one thing I did know, once he had completed this piece, I was to get the shot I ultimately wanted: the artist peering through his finished work. His studio was so cluttered, I just couldn’t shoot straight on, or I’d see empty paint cans and Cracked magazines on the shelf. I was able to move to my right and find an empty space behind his head and took just a few more exposures. Though what I wound up shooting was not the exact idea I had in mind, it came damn close and I’m really pleased with how it looks. And ironically, the magazine didn’t use it. But whatevs.
BANJO IN THE BATHROOM
Shooting in a very tight spot can be troublesome. Luckily these bathroom walls were white and extremely reflective.
Shooting in a very tight spot can be troublesome. Luckily these bathroom walls were white and extremely reflective. I had my son hold a hot shoe flash up against to where the ceiling met the wall opposite the tub, which nicely diffused and spread the light. Usually I’ll use my White Lightenings or Aliens Bees strobes, however the space didn’t justify me going downstairs to the car. This was the last set up of the day, and extra walking wasn’t part of the plan……neither was standing on a tub, but here we are.
Matt Menefee, aka Matt The Banjo Player, keeping it real AND clean during his photo shoot.
Once again Nicholas is an unpaid assistant.
Firing the flash remotely, allowed me to stand in an awkward position on the edge of the tub. Matt's wife was working from home that day and her office was very close to where we were shooting. She was never told we'd be photographing inside, so I wonder what was going through her mind when she heard three male voices come from the bathroom. I'm sure my footprints on the tub led to more questions after I left the house.
Always a good time when shooting in someone’s bathroom.
The final result, an image that is easily one of my favorites from the last few months.
BMX CHAMP AND COOKIE DOUGH
I was surprised when my son told me that the top 200 cookie dough salesmen get to attend an assembly with America’s Got Talent finalist and X Games Medalist, Matt Wilhelm.
There’s a sense of stress when your child brings home a folder filled with cookie dough catalogs and order forms. As soon as you see them remove that thick packet from their Sponge Bob or Hello Kitty backpack, you know, as a parent, you’re on the clock. You have two weeks tops to get as many coworkers as possible to purchase your child’s fundraising confections. Luckily everyone adheres to a specific unspoken office culture rule: if you support their kids’ BS fundraiser, they’ll support your kid’s equally as BS fundraiser. I can spend a full year buying their kids’ useless crap. I’ve bought things I’ll never need, from 10 pound bags of trail mix, which by the way contained NO chocolate, to wick-less candles. All the while, doing so with a smile on my face, because I know eventually it’ll be my turn to collect on those bills. Thanks to my son’s fundraising being so close to the beginning of the holidays, I (we) sold over 24 tubs of cookie dough. That amount was enough to make him one of the top salesmen in the school.
Matt doing tricks for the camera in an elementary school bus lane. This is the one image of his in which I’m the happiest.
When I was in school, the top salesmen in any fundraiser would be awarded with a myriad of prizes in which to choose: pencil trolls, a 10 pack of Smarties, spiral notebooks, combs, etc.. A veritable treasure trove awaited any student, or parent, who had the fortitude to stick out the fundraising window and ascend to the top of the leader board.
Of course that was in the 70s, things have changed greatly.
I was surprised when my son told me that the top 200 cookie dough salesmen get to attend an assembly with America’s Got Talent finalist and X Games Medalist, Matt Wilhelm. For those who don’t know him, Matt is someone worth photographing, so I contacted the school and volunteered to shoot the event. I've shot enough Fall Festivals and Milk & Cookies with Santas, to know that this school loves anything free, this time was no exception. Once I was cleared by the school, I emailed Matt directly, stating that I was shooting this particular event and asked if he wouldn't mind having his portrait taken before the assembly, which he agreed.
I arrived early to set up outside, the bus lane behind the school was the only suitable location. Once the lights were ready, I marked a spot on the pavement in which I wanted him to do tricks. I knew how I wanted the images to look, plus I needed to use a fast enough shutter speed to freeze his motion. The day wasn’t the sunniest, which worked in my favor. I used to low film speed, fast shutter and cranked up my two Alien Bees light heads. The large umbrella from the front spread enough light to cover Matt evenly. A second light was added behind the subject in hopes of adding more separation between the fore and back grounds. Not so sure that’s what was accomplished, however I do think it looks cooler. And in this business, you can never fail with cooler. Since he needed to pick up a little bit of speed to do so, he started about 15-20 feet away. Each time he rode up to the spot, he’d do a Tornado Flip, Bunny Hop or any other tricks I can’t name. We only could take one exposure per trick, so Matt would jump over his bike, then get back on, ride out 20 feet or so and start the process over.
Matt taking one of several passes in front of the camera.
After 25 minutes, Matt got off his bike and made his way back for the assembly. Once inside, he regaled 200 top cookie dough salesmen with an anti-bullying message and some of his signature bike tricks. Afterwards, Matt waded through the bleachers, and personally autographed postcards for every student in attendance. When each received a card, they walked down the bleachers to cross the cafe-gym-atorium floor and meet up with the rest of their classmates.
Seeing this, I ran over and got my son’s attention and motioned for him to join me below. I wanted to make sure Nicholas wasn’t just another over achieving cookie dough salesman who gets a card and goes back to class with no fanfare or special treatment. When Matt had completed signing 199 cards, I brought my son over to meet him, shake his hand, and of course get a photo.
Nicholas and Matt Wilhelm.
I got some amazing images of Matt that day, one of which was used for Matt’s profile on a sponsor’s website.
it’s crazy to think i owe it all to cookie dough sales. You never know where and how you’ll get your next great image………..or cookie dough.
LET'S A GO!! THAT TIME I PHOTOGRAPHED MARIO'S MAKER
Mario creator, Shigeru Miyamoto, sat down for photos while in Nashville attending a Bluegrass showcase.
We all live in fear. Some fears are rational, others not so much. When one gets older, priorities change and by default, their fears.
Decades ago, I always feared the waitstaff wouldn’t like me or I’d be judged by the gas station attendant for not buy something after using the restroom.
Now that I’m a father, my fear is greater than any validation I receive from strangers.
Most fathers have the same fear as I when raising a boy: the fear of my son not thinking I’m cool.
I received a call from banjo player Matt Menefee from the The Hit Points, who are seasoned bluegrass musicians from Nashville, TN, bringing their own acoustic Appalachian charm to the soundtrack of your childhood video game obsession……according to their website. The Hit Points had recently covered Mario’s Athletic Theme and Matt called to tell me that Nintendo VIP and Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto heard their version and loved it. So much so, he requested a private showcase next time he was in Nashville. Upon hearing this, I immediately thought to myself that I have to get in there and get his portrait.
I had a week to obsess and I used every day to do so. After waffling on several ideas, I landed on Miyamoto playing with a Mario chess set. Unfortunately I landed on this idea before I knew a Mario chess set would cost $40 dollars. However, looking back it was a minor price to pay to get an amazing image and at the same time, giving my son an experience he’ll never forget.
The Violin Shop would be the location of The Hit Points’ showcase. Once my son and I arrived, we were ushered to what seemed to be the smallest workshop in Middle Tennessee. Somehow we managed to set up a 9FT wide background and three lights. While my son set up the chess board, I started taking test shots. It’s very important to get the lighting just right when you’re pressed for time. Miyamoto had no idea I was going to take his photo. So if I got the opportunity, I had to be quick.
The boy did a great job setting up the board. I knew if I actually photographed the Mario creator, there’d be someone out there who would know if the chess pieces weren’t in the correct squares. Once the board was ready, I photographed the boy and it looked great.
After Miyamoto arrived at The Violin Shop, I walked over to his interpreter and showed her my son’s photo. I explained that I’d like to photograph Miyamoto the same way. She got his attention, pointed to the back of my camera, spoke Japanese, then nodded his head. I don’t speak Japanese, however I know nods and that was a big one.
At the end of the night, we guided Miyamoto back to the workshop and squeezed him behind the chess set. He seemed genuinely amused with the chess board idea and that only made my job easier.
Miyamoto was enthusiastic and extremely in to the process, even picking up the Mario king piece and saying in a thick Japanese accent “chessmate”. Talk about an exclamation point on my night.
After less than 10 minutes of shooting, we cleaned up the workshop by moving chairs and trash cans back to their original place. After which my son and I walked back in to the main room.
We had no expectations of the night getting any better.
Until………my son asked Miyamoto to sign the chess board, and that was probably the best moment of the night for me as a father. He took the board, then methodically drew the face of Mario and signed it.
The look on my son’s face was worth me quitting college in my freshman year to pursue a career in photography.
Mario Creator and Nintendo Designer, Shigeru Miyamoto and the boy.