I am a creative

Bow+Arrow+Target

2011-12-13T22:26:00.000-05:00

I made something similar to this for my sister last winter and decided to make an illustration of it. The bow from my last post was my first go-around in Adobe illustrator.

Viewer choice awards (there's not really an award)

2011-12-12T00:50:00.001-05:00

This is one piece in a series of three. Bow- Arrow- Target. I'd love some feed back. I think the way the string is attached to the bow looks a little cheezy, but I'm not sure. Send an email or leave a comment. Gracias!

In the man's world - New portrait work.

2011-11-11T14:40:00.001-05:00

If my blog were a movie I'd run the credits first. It's quite lovely when a team comes together and has the chemistry to make my visions come to life. Thanks!

Producer: Jeana Hong
Hair: Shannon Grey Williams
Make-up: Frank Guyton
Prop stylist/set design: Benji Cox
Talent: Renee Peters
1st Assistant: George Evan

I've had this idea for well over a year now to have a woman shaving her face with a straight razor. I love it.

Something a little different

2011-11-01T16:05:00.000-04:00

I'm shooting more indoors now do to no longer living in perfect weather paradise. This here is something a little different, cause I just got me some new lights and was playing around with them after I looked at a lot of Avedon. It's pretty clear where the influence was coming from.

New Work

2011-11-01T15:50:00.000-04:00

I shot some photos for Strawfoot Handmade's new website and look book last time I was up on the West Coast. I photographed real people who use Garrett's bag daily. There are cool little bios about each person and what they use their bag for, along with a little writing about Garrett and his approach to his craft. Check the book out and here are a few of my favorite photos. Lookbook here, Enjoy.

Grain

2011-10-18T16:36:00.000-04:00

B&W film grain. Enjoy.

Polaroids of my friends

2011-10-16T12:51:00.000-04:00

California friends Jeffy and Carole were in town this weekend and I took some photos of them with my Polaroid land camera. I used fuji's instant film and it worked really well... the scans are a little funky but still fun. Enjoy los.

Little bit of video

2011-10-13T14:49:00.000-04:00

Here is a B-roll video from a test shoot I did here over the summer in NYC. Pretty cool. Enjoy.

Broken Shutter

2011-10-10T19:11:00.000-04:00

My Shutter broke at the beginning of the summer in the middle of a frame. the results are pretty cool.

Indian Summer

2011-10-10T14:49:00.000-04:00

It's warm in NYC. Makes me miss West Coast water accessibility. Happy Indian Summer!

Hidden photo (single image)

2011-08-14T18:58:00.000-04:00

Sometimes when I'm looking through images I'll comes across a photo I totally forgot about that is totally awesome. This happens to be one of those times. Funny thing about this one is it wasn't a unanticipated moment or a happy accident... I set this up. and forgot. lame sauce. enjoy.

Newly Published work

2011-08-04T23:29:00.000-04:00

Sometimes personal work and test shoots get picked up and published it's especially rad when it's by one of your favorite publications. Photos from my "I am a creative" project of Garrett Kautz are in the most recent issue of "Refueled" magazine along with a really great interview with the man himself. Enjoy.

1200 miles

2011-08-03T16:52:00.000-04:00

Drove 1200 miles. Started by driving into a desert sunrise.
*note all the bugs on the windshield.

Cash

2011-07-27T00:36:00.000-04:00

Shoot from last week. really diggin' the whole series.

Making deposits now for withdraws later Part 1: Portfolio

2011-07-25T14:45:00.000-04:00

I've mentioned before that I have a background in wrestling. Don't think Hulk Hogan here, I'm talkin' collegiate style wrestling. You know, head gear, sweat suits, pure awesomeness... those kinds of things. Any way I had this coach that always would tell us "You're making deposits now for withdraws later" during our preseason and early season practices in an effort to motivate us to work hard for the big tournaments at the end of the season. At the time it mostly just pissed me off to hear him say that because it meant that day was going to suck really bad. I've been thinking about that saying a lot lately, however, because it's so applicable for so many different parts of life. More specifically my business life. As I'm getting ready to make the move to NYC I'm being a bit reflective on the path that brought me here to this move and my successes this far. Pretty much all of it I credit to my portfolio, because my portfolio represents years of hard work, education, sacrifice ect... in other words: My deposit. I was having a taxi cab convo with my producer Jeana Hong and I was telling her something like "I put a lot of effort into my portfolio after I left photo school before I felt like it was ready to show around". She simply answered "No one would have taken you seriously otherwise". The school of thought here is, if you don't put in the hard, non-glory filled hours of being prepared, you're going to waste a lot of your time and more importantly, other peoples time. No one comes out of the gates a rock star shooter, it takes time and I think the first clear step before anyone can go confidently to sell their work and themselves is having a consistent style and a solid portfolio. There are a few things that need to be done in order to get an established style.

1st and most obviously: Shoot a lot of photographs. The more you shoot the more you figure out what you like and what you want to shoot. You learn how to take the ideas in your head and transform them into photos.

2nd: Get inspired! We all have our own way of getting inspired. I look at a lot of photography. I love spending hours in front of magazine racks and taking in as much photography from different artist as I can. I listen to certain types of music to set my mind in a specific type of mood in order to think about a certain way to photograph someone. Find your way and hone it.
'
3rd: Be creative. I wholeheartedly believe creativity begets creativity. Let's face it, our creative cup ain't always overflowing and one of the best ways to get it filled back up is to take on a creative project even if different than photography. I do a little of everything:sewing, crocheting, painting, design writing, all very amateur mind you, but doing lots of different types of art accesses more of your creative brain.

4th: Write really over the top detailed notes on what you envision for a photo! the angle, the light, the lighting direction, clothes, props, location, ect... it's such a major step in closing the gap between your vision and what you actually produce. By writing things down you are forcing yourself to think about all the details which makes you think about it when you set up a shot and when you start shooting. It also helps you learn how to describe your vision (admittedly not my strong suit) which is important when you're the visual leader on a shoot, people need to know what you want.

Lastly: repeat step 1. You've got to keep pushing your photography and that won't happen unless you are constantly looking through your camera and thinking through your camera. Do work and enjoy.

Jessica and the '55 Chevy

2011-07-20T16:08:00.000-04:00

There is something about the girl and the classic car combo I can't seem to get my creative brain away from. There are so many different compositional options in this little metal box, tons of light control and it's just cool. I shot this all on 35mm film (still Kodak Portra) which was kinda a change up for me. The 800 speed film in a smaller format doesn't quite hold up the same as the medium format film does. It does still, however, offers the same beautiful colors, tonal range, and contrast and it allows me to shoot the same speed film and get more grainy images. Alright enough tech talk, though I am thinking of doing some more tutorial type post about film. Enjoy.

New York test shoot

2011-07-04T15:07:00.000-04:00

Timing wise, posting this test shoot seems appropriate since I'm relocating to NYC in about a month. While I was there a few weeks ago I put together a test shoot in East Village with my friend and producer Jeana Hong (click here) with Troy Peppin on the make up and hair (here) Cooper Vasquez (here)was the stylist and Benji Cox (here) did the props.. It was good to expand my default a little since I don't shoot in urban settings as much as I should. I had an awesome crew helping with the shoot, which I can't stress how crucial it is to have up beat, friendly, talented people on set to pull everything together in a timely fashion. It was also awesome to have a bigger production go down while I was shooting film. As usual I was shooting on my Mamiya 645 and I added a Canon 35mm all captured on Kodak Portra NC film. I am thinking of putting a Leica in the mix in the near future, I hear those cameras are ok.

NYC, here I come.

2011-06-13T21:31:00.000-04:00

New book, new business cards, leave behinds, portfolio case, and leave behind case. All printed, cut and stitched together in house, it's been a busy week. Huge thanks to Katie from Captured and Created for helping with the printing and cutting. NYC, here I come!

CHEROKEE USA

2011-06-13T02:26:00.000-04:00

I did a shoot for CHEROKEE a few months ago Down in Malibu and the site just went live. I was second shooting to photographer Jeff Lipsky. The shoot was awesome and had a really great crew. Special thanks to Carl Byrd, Jeana Hong and Dorian Chen for putting on such a good show. I was mostly on detail patrol during the shoot and backing up Jeff where I was needed. Here are a few screen grabs from the site and some of my favorite outtakes from the day, enjoy.

Piper

2011-05-06T21:43:00.000-04:00

Photos of Piper: she's rad.

Shooting a lot

2011-04-27T16:27:00.000-04:00

I'm back to my rhythm of creating a lot of new work. I was bustin' ass on getting my new website made over the winter and building the new brand that shooting slowed down a little, but it's in full swing again. Enjoy.

Going from "I have to" to "I get to"

2011-04-19T14:56:00.000-04:00

I've been thinking about, and talking a lot lately to other creatives about "making it happen" and putting all the pieces together to break into the photography scene. Ain't no foolin' nobody, it's a grind. There is no magic potion, no one right way to approach the business like other careers, where you follow a specific path, interview for a specific job, and hopefully get hired. Only you can make it happen in this or any other passion driven industry. It can seem daunting at times, but making it happen can often be a matter of perspective. If you are down in the dirt, self doubting, and not acting confident in your work (which happens to everyone, don't feel singled out) people will pick up on that. Part of being a professional is knowing when to shut the artist down and give the left brain a chance. Separating the emotion from the logic and then hitting the streets to get your name out into the world is crucial. You've got to go from the "I have to" of the normal daily grind job mentality to the "I get to". You get the chance to do this, or that... whatever it is. It's crazy (or down right sane and explainable) what happens when you start working, shooting, blogging, calling, and putting your portfolio in front of people. Make it happen, stay up, and enjoy.

Full circle with Jj Wessels

2011-04-06T17:54:00.000-04:00

I'm following up on a "more to come on this later..." post about Jj. Jj is tearing up the longboarding scene and I'm posting more photos of him. Enjoy.

My approach to photographing people

2011-03-25T02:55:00.000-04:00

My approach to photographing people isn't really complicated in philosophy, but maybe a bit more complicated in application. Keep the photos simple and clean, and tell a story about the subject. I'm not a big fan of really obvious things. I've always been attracted to subtleties, the small differences, and I think that helps me because it's often the underlying parts of a person that make them. I think inside the subtleties there are more dramatic and captivating things being said than in what's on on the surface. When photos don't have anything to read into it's pretty easy to look past them and/or get bored. it'd be like watching a commercial for more than three seconds that had scrolling text that read "Joe's tacos: 3 for a dollar". Boring. So how do you take a photo of someone that is dynamic and telling, but in a way that isn't extremely obvious and a way that isn't boring? Before I make a photo of someone I spend a lot of time thinking about how to photograph them; what do I want the photo to say, what does the subject want the photo to say, what the photo will say in the end, how will the person will look: their clothes, hair, the light on their face, their expression, the environment, their pose, how it will engage the audience, where they will look, what kind of people will notice the photo, are they the target audience? These are things that are going to be decided as soon as the shutter goes click, whether the photographer decides them or not. For me, I want as much say about it as possible. Needless to say I'm very intentional about what I shoot. It's a big part of why I shoot film. Film forces me to stay more engaged with my subject and my surroundings, there isn't a little screen on the back of my camera to look at in the middle of making someone's photograph, potentially missing the only honest moment that person will give me in the short amount of time we have together. A lot of photographers think it's key to shoot shoot shoot to improve. While I think that remains true for armatures and young photographers (not talking age) I think eventually you just get used to firing off frame after frame without stopping to realize what you are shooting, or why. I used to have a little sense of guilt that I didn't take photos everywhere and try and shoot every living, breathing thing that moved. But now, I kinda like it, it's almost a bragging point for me. Yeah, I shoot a little less, but my image quality has gone up ten fold because I spend so many hours in pre-production thinking "How can I show who this person is"? Part of it is intuitive, some people can read others and some people can't, just like anything else. I'd kill to be able to sing. I could train all my life and make some big improvements, but at the end of the day I'll never be Josh Groban. Dude can just flat out sing. Along with intuition, I prepare so much mentally for a shoot. I know what I want to get out of it, so it leaves me a ton of space to let spontaneous things happen, because I'm not forcing anything, I'm comfortable, and that allows people to be themselves and to be comfortable allowing them to open up in front of the camera. Everything else in the world can go right, but if you don't have the trust a subject, or the ability to make them feel comfortable, everything else in the world might as well not go right at all.

NCAA wrestling champ. With one leg.

2011-03-23T18:07:00.000-04:00

I grew up more or less wrestling, and while submerged in that world I met and watched wrestler Anthony Robles grow from a small Jr. high kid trying to figure out his body in the sport to being a division 1 national champ with an undefended season his senior year of college, not to mention all his other titles and wins. That is a feat that is so freakin' hard to accomplish it's not even funny, let alone when you are missing your entire right leg from the hip down. I'm super proud of his accomplishments and how much he has inspired everyone who has been in his presence. I photographed Anthony last year for ASU's wrestling promotional posters. I blogged some of the photos last year (here), but I wanted to re-post the one I took of Anthony is a hat's off to you sort of way. Nice job mate... nice job.

New magazine work

2011-03-22T02:24:00.000-04:00

I've recently been added as a contributing photographer to "Dining and Destinations" magazine. They are an awesome lifestyle magazine based out of Santa Barbara and they print on really nice paper, which makes this photog happy. I just had my first publication with them on a story about Dan and Andy Patterson. They own and operate Santa Barbara Forge and Iron, and are rad gentlemen of a awesome craft. It was awesome photographing them. Check out the Mag, and enjoy.

Dining and Destinations mag here
SB Forge and Iron here

What I've been up to: about the new websites

2011-03-17T18:25:00.000-04:00

If you haven't already noticed, I've been doing some house cleaning with the Levi Christiansen brand. It was a long time coming and I've been working my ass off on it for well over a year. I've been traveling all over, shooting a ton, meeting with consultants and other industry professionals, working on design concepts, getting new projects into motion, and over all creating a new brand and putting together two new websites: one for my commercial work, one for the weddings. The Idea for both sites was to have clean, simple, and easy to navigate portfolios, and not a whole lot more. You'd be surprised how hard making things simple can be. Both sites were created with Showit, which is an amazing program for site building and hosting. They have a ton of rad features for client galleries, +sites, mobile sites, sideshows, calendars and so on in the back end of the site which makes the business end of photography run a lot smoother. My buddy DJ and founder of Showit hooked me up with the sites for all of eternity, or till 2012, whichever comes first. For that, I'll be eternally grateful... or again till 2012. The curtain has already been raised on these sites, but I want to say this anyway: Without further ado, Enjoy.

www.levichristiansen.com

www.leviweddings.com

Jon and Trista's Chicago wedding.

2011-03-17T00:23:00.000-04:00

In the beginning of Spring we struck it lucky with a beautiful day in Chicago at Jon and Trista's wedding. It was a lovely day filled with tons of homemade goodness, wonderful people, and a rare Winter glimpse of sunshine and warmth. I had a fantastic time. Enjoy.

Kite Making

2011-03-16T17:48:00.000-04:00

Katie (her work here) and I had an awesome day date where we made kites at home and then dressed up purdy and went to the beach to fly them. They definitely look better than they flew, but we had a lot of fun making them and spending the day together. It's always a good time to get creative and collaborate on some projects with other people. I'm stoked that I get to share those things with Katie, not only with photography, but with all mediums of art as well.

Jeff King

2011-03-04T18:47:00.000-05:00

If you don't know who Jeff King is, you're missing out. He is one of the most dynamic characters on TV as host of Fuel TV's "Built to Shred". The premise of the show is pretty simple, take everyday or totally off the wall objects, and make them shred-able for skateboarders, BMXer Motocross ladies and gents, surfers, wakeboarders on and on. I met Jeff at his home, which is also the site of a lot of "Built to Shred" episodes to photograph and interview him. One episode that comes to mind is when Jeff found a 100 ft. genie that had it's hands up in the air to originally hold a sign, totally old school Vegas looking thing, and turning it into a giant skate rail that he set up on top of a mega ramp, took up into the mountains for snowboarders and lake side for wakeboarders. Jeff brings a style and sense of humor to his show that no one else could match. It was rad photographing him in his element on a foggy day in the Southern tip of California. Enjoy.

An old VW and a Model

2010-12-23T02:14:00.000-05:00

I've been pretty wordy on my blog lately, so I want to keep this short and sweet. Here are a few photos from a lifestyle shoot I did somewhere between all my traveling over the Summer and Fall. Needless to say I shot with my Mamiya 645 and Kodak 400 and 800 NC films. I know I don't need to mention that again, but I'm trying to get brownie points with Kodak with high hopes they start giving me film (fingers crossed). Please enjoy.

Missing my beard

2010-12-17T14:45:00.000-05:00


I look pretty awesome, but...

...Alexander Hays knew what was up!

I love beards. I Always have, and suspect I always will. I grew one out for awhile at the end of the Summer and begining of Fall. I wanted to look like one of those men in Civil War photos where it's near impossible to see the guy's mouth because their beard is so awesome. I think I got close. I shaved right before I got sick, and I think it might have had something to do with it. My body just couldn't handle letting go of so much awesomeness at once. I'd like to thank my dad for the red hair, my brother and uncle for their continual support, the soldiers from Civil War photos for inspiration, the guy at the coffee shop who told me I looked like a lumberjack, and of course God, for giving men facial hair.

I am a creative: Garrett Kautz and hand made bags

2010-12-15T23:46:00.000-05:00

It's seems fitting for me to do my first "real post" on I am a creative from someone from the Santa Cruz community. I've had so much support and prayer from all my friends in Northern California that I'm crippled with humility. As far as the blog goes, not everything is perfect. My color pallet isn't there and my header doesn't look rad, but like my friend Tina Ratliff (paisely and lace) said "It always seemed weird to me that the world kept going when my world stopped. Everyone kept working, doing laundry, going to church, playing." So I am working on speeding back up to catch up with the rest of the world. I've been sitting on the project a long time and have so much to share I'm not going to wait for things to be perfect before I share it, It might never be. Enjoy.

Straight razor shaving, vintage Redwing boots, good whiskey, waxed fabrics, vintage industrial machines, Merle Haggard, organic farms, and all things awesome from the American Heritage style. They are the first things I think of when I think of Garrett Kautz and, well, visa versa. Garrett is not just reminiscent of a style, but a true craftsman. Garrett’s approach to his craft is what drew me to him. Growing up with his dad and grandfather who used creativity as a means to save a dollar and to keep the farm running, with his mother and grandmother who were, in his words “super crafty”and helped him find his with a sewing machine, have most definitely influenced the talented Mr. Kautz. Garrett told the story of his grandfather making a forklift out of an old truck because, hell, they needed a forklift. I believe it’s that unique form of problem solving and American farming history that Garrett carries over to the custom handbags and surfboard bags. He makes each one out of quality materials by hand from his home in Santa Cruz, CA. He does all his rivets by hand, which, in my opinion is as manly as chest hair. I could go on, and on, and endlessly on about how cool Garrett is and how much inspiration he gives me as an artist, but I think he sums it up best in his own words about why he does what he does below. From Garrett’s blog, strawfoothandmade.com, why he sews AND straight from my Mamiya 645 using Kodak 400 and 800 NC and Ilford delta 400 films, some pictures we enter the world of Garrett and what he makes. This dude is going places… Enjoy.

Why Do I Make Bags? Is It Worth It?
Short answer: Yes.
My material cost is high because the fabric is top-quality and rare, my machine was expensive, it takes me a while to make each bag and I work full-time, combining two other part-time jobs. I spend a lot of money up front to buy supplies without a large return. Plus, I’m married and value spending time with my wife over sewing or working. So, is it worth it? How do I have time?
Well, I don’t have time really. It depends on how you place value on items, talents, experiences, time, and learning. I enjoy working with my hands and letting the creative aspect of my mind run loose. I value someone’s story and where they came from. Or some old cast iron skillet over a new one, why? Because only you have found that exact pan and you’re possibly sharing a meal with generations. That might be a large reason I bought the sewing machine that I did. It has a good story.
I’m still very new to the sewing game, but have had multiple years examining fabrics, fits, and function working as a buyer and an inventory manager. Now I work with farmers and vegetables. Something 10 years ago that I would have told my farmer father that I would never do. I wouldn’t have guessed it would all lead me down this path. Don’t get me wrong; this is still a “glorified hobby”, as a friend put it today. But I feel good and energized creating something that I want to use for myself. I get even more excited when someone else wants to use a bag or thinks that they’re attractive or unique.
The best part is that I have a very gracious wife who loves me when I want to stay up late and sew or when I get excited about some fabric I found. She understands that this makes me happy and relaxes my mind, even if she thinks I’m crazy.

Thank you Wife.

Some photos of Garrett's Hand Bags and more here

Seizures, social activity, and sedation

2010-12-13T13:25:00.000-05:00

This photo is a pretty good summary of a lot of how I’ve been feeling for the last month. A lot of cold and dark moments, that are often unclear and blurry (both figuratively and literally for me). It's easy to feel like the walls are caving in and life is having a laugh at you when so called "crisis" enter ones life. Not trying to sound too dramatic ‘er nothin’, and I wouldn’t even consider what's been going on with me a crisis, but I want to fill everyone in on what’s been going on with me (if you haven’t already heard). A little over a month ago I started having seizures very frequently and semi-intensely out of no where with no history of them in my life and no history in either side of my family either. After a few frustrating days of trying to figure out what was causing them in some local hospitals Katie, my family, and I decided that I should head back to the home state of Arizona and go to the Barrows Institute of Neurology which is ranked 8th best in it’s field in the world I believe, to try and get some answers. Not only, but to be around family and friends for support. The good news, nothing gnarly is going on en mi cabeza. No tumors, no funky little bugs eating holes. Nothing. The bad news, still not sure what the cause is for the seizures. I’m kinda back to feeling normal enough to do some work on the ‘puter ie blogging, editing ect… I wanted to explain my absence from the photo community and let everyone know I’m ok, parts have been scary, parts have been frustrating, parts have been hopeless and a total let down, but mostly I’m happy and am extremely grateful for all the help I have been given from everyone. I’ve got some more test coming up in the near future and hope to have some sort of answer, however, for now, I’m taking some pills, taking it easy, reading and writing a lot and crocheting like a mo’ fo’. I hope everyone is enjoying Christmas time and the blessing in their lives, lots of good stuff going on, even when sometimes it doesn’t appear that way. I'm excited to get back to my life and start posting the rediculous amount of photography that I need to post.

Yarn and vintage buttons

2010-11-06T19:14:00.000-04:00

I took a few days off last week to see some family and friends and took a little of that time to do some crocheting. I love making things and it keeps me inspired to dabble in other creative outlets. There is something super refereshing and satisfying about having an idea for a garmet, painting, photograph, whatever and sitting down and making it happen, especially when it's something useful and someone else gets to enjoy it. I sometimes get a little jaded with photography because I'm so used to making photos, but I get all kinds of giddy stepping into a lesser known realm to making something. I've had the idea for this hat for a little while now and I'm stoked I finally set aside the time to make. the find of the week are those little owl buttons... so I knew I wanted to make a tree out of buttons but think the owl's hanging out in the tree is the topper and ties the whole thing together! Enjoy the photos and get inspired to make something cool.

A lovely date in Ojai

2010-11-05T13:32:00.000-04:00

I mentioned in my post "What I did this summer" that I went on a date. I actually said I went on the best date of my life. It's totally true; there wasn't anything about it I didn't like. We had a little picnic in an avocado orchard where we drank wine, played card games, laughed, and debated if 6x6 or 6x4.5 medium format is better (It's 6x4.5, either way it was way fun to nerd out on photography), we wore fun date clothes, and simply enjoyed one another. To top it off we brought my Holga and shot a roll of my favorite Kodak film. Enjoy a glimpse of my first date with Katie.

Bronwyn and Tyler

2010-10-28T00:57:00.000-04:00

I was blessed to photograph Bronwyn and Tylers wedding at the Boojum Tree Hidden Gardens in Phoenix a few weeks ago now. I've know little Bronwyn for some years now and was excited to she her marry such a rad guy. I'm also excited to say that all weddings from here on out will be shot in film. I'm so in love with the colors... just the look and feel of film, so magical. Thank you Kodak for your Portra 400 and 800 NC films, I would like to shake your hand. And thank you Tyler and Bronwyn! The wedding was awesomeville status fo sho. Enjoy

Janet Kirkman Scottsdale made the dress
www.janetkirkman.com
La Dolce Pesca made the vegan cake
www.ladolcepesca.com
Boojum Tree Hidden Garden

www.boojumtree.com

What I did this summer

2010-10-25T22:59:00.000-04:00

I can officially say my summer is over. I've been running all over the place for the last 4 or so months and I'm now home with the winter ahead with no major plans of travel or shoots out of town. That could all change tomorrow, but for now I'm sitting in my room and reflecting on all that I did this summer. Although some parts were long and other parts I felt really homesick for my little coastal town, my summer was packed full of amazing experiences, people, and photography. I got to surf up and down the coast of California on some really fun waves, I drank the best cup of coffee I've ever had in San Francisco, I rode bikes in Denver, I listened to folk music on long empty roads, I went wake boarding in Arizona, I drank coffee and beer for breakfast in Carmel, I switched from digital photography back to film and couldn’t be more thrilled with that choice, I photographed some really creative and awesome people. I grew out my beard, cut it off and grew out another one, I went to Powel book store in Portland, I got a new pair of boots, I went on the best date of my life, I bet on horses in West Virginia while on a quest to find a banjo, I saw our nations capital, I made fun of hipsters in Philly, I saw my niece and nephew a lot, I went rock climbing with my dad, I went deep sea fishing with my brothers, I leaned how to crochet, I drove thousands of miles, I moved to Ventura, I spent time with my sister, I photographed Jeff King, I made new friends and connected with old ones, I saw a lot of live music, I went cliff jumping in Laguna, I turned 25, I got a new sewing machine and the worst haircut of my life, I drank whiskey at bond fires at the beach, I read a few good books, I discovered Ojai's magic, I learned how to say a phrase in Hebrew, the list goes on and on… Needless to say I’ve a ton of lovely memories from this summer and I’m happy to share a few via photos. Enjoy!

Ben and Allison's Wedding in Phoenix

2010-10-15T19:40:00.000-04:00

Ben and Allison approached me with the idea of shooting there wedding all in black and white with inspiration from a photo book about Bob Dylan named "Early Dylan". I loved the idea and the excited mounted when I learned that Allison made there wedding rings and they were playing records and making music in their hotel room on their wedding day. It was really wonderful to be around them and watching their creative genius at work. I shot most of the getting ready process on my new favorite black and white film: Ilford Delta 3200. The grain is really lovely. Even though it's really present it's not crunchy looking or too rough. It's smooth and rich and it's pretty much all I want to shoot now. I'm so in love with this film thing, it makes me all giddy! I've more photos and more to say about working with Ben and Alli, but for now I'll give you a little hint of the wedding day. Enjoy.

More previews

2010-10-02T03:22:00.000-04:00

It's been forever since I've blogged... I've been traveling so friggin much I've hardly been in front of the computer. Shooting, driving, shooting, driving ect.. at any rate. here is a little more of what's coming for Iamacreative. I've fallen deeply in Love with Kodak Porta film and my Mamiya 645, zero editing was done to either of these photogrsphs. This is Jj Wessel, pro surfer, designer, painter, and all around creative dude, more of what he does here: Captain Fin co. Rip.Shred.Tear. One of Jj's boards with becker Here. Enjoy.

Elise and Zach engagement

2010-08-17T01:11:00.000-04:00

I can't express how much fun it was to watch Elise and Zach interact with each other and to capture it on film, a lot of love going on here... I'm extremely excited for their wedding in May and equally excited to share some of my favorites from the engagement shoot in Orange. Enjoy!

A little bit of the future.

2010-08-16T03:34:00.000-04:00

I've been talking a little here and there about some bold and daring moves I've been making. Bold? Yes. Daring? Not sure, I think that part was just to make me sound cool. But here's the skinny. I'm working my way over to shooting film. not just for shits and giggles neither, I mean business y'all! I traded my strobe kit that I used maybe twice here for a Mamiya 645 and a whoollleee lot'a film. I would like to phase digital out completely (well not completely, but mostly) over the next year. I don't want to reveal too much, but I've got some weddings coming up that are going to be 100% film and a few personal projects that are film inspired (cough-imacreative-cough) I can't say enough for the look and feel of film, the look of the grain and the colors are amazing with zero editing, it’s just a look that can not be matched by digital cameras. And let's face it... I've never been a techy kinda guy, I've always been more into the organic, natural process of things and it just makes sense for me to use that process for my art, and to spread around the magic of film to my clients. With that being said here is a little sample of a little bit of the future. Enjoy!

Kiddos at the Beach.

2010-08-03T00:54:00.000-04:00

I headed a few hours down the coast this week for about two days to visit my brother, mother, his wife, kids, and misc. others (Ari). Have I mentioned how much I adore my niece and nephews? I don't know if there are greater human's on the planet! I took a few photos of Raya and Cael on the beach. Little Levi was busy being bundled up with his Mama. Enjoy las fotos de los ninos!

Denver Creative (I am a creative) new project. new photos. same awesome blog

2010-07-26T18:29:00.000-04:00

I'm happy to announce a new photo project I'm currently pulling together. It's still a bit loose ended, and eventually I'd like for it to have its own domain and be a bigger part of my life as an artist. The basic break down: I've been spending a lot of time on the road these last few months and I've been around a lot of artists; photographers, singer song writers, designers, painters, people in the fashion industry ect. I always enjoy being around other creatives and I take in a lot of inspiration from what they are doing and their enthusiasm for their medium of creativity. I've decided to do an on going photography project on different creatives, photographing them and their craft and sharing the inspiration on to you. The idea is still formulating and will develop over time but I'm to excited about it not to present it as is! Taking up the first post is a friend of mine made through the blogging world. Her name is Leah Darling... no seriously her last name is Darling, that in itself deserve a whole blog post I think. Leah lives in the heart of downtown Denver, CO. and she makes jewelry, really awesome jewelry to say the least. We put a small shoot together while I was in Denver and shot some of her most recent Jewelry and captured the "essence" of Leah. She ride a cool single speed around downtown, she makes Jewelry, she raps and records music... she's just oozing with creativity. I'm stoked we met and I'm stoked I have the chance to share her work via the inter web. Enjoy.

Sarah and Michael on Style me Pretty

2010-07-26T17:42:00.000-04:00

Sarah and Michael's wedding was really beautiful and fun to shoot. I'm really excited it is on style me pretty. Cool huh? Enjoy!

For the full post click this to go to "Style Me Pretty".

For some reason, these go together.

2010-07-19T02:44:00.000-04:00

I can't believe how long it's been since I've blogged! I've been so busy traveling around this last month I've hardly been in the same place for more than 3 or so days at a time for about 5 weeks now. lots of traveling, lots of shooting... living the dream. These photos are pretty random, but I feel like they go together for some reason. Enjoy.

Dog Fight.

Q-tips

Cody Culberson and right-brained thinkers.

2010-06-14T18:32:00.000-04:00

One of the best things about my job is constantly meeting a ton of creative people. It seems these last few months have been a complete smorgasbord of right-brained thinkers. Then, to top it all off, not only are the people I meet creative, they are simply awesome people to be around. I met Cody Culberson, this week while I was in Santa Barbara re-connecting with some friends from photo school. He was on a post college road trip from Texas, and landed in SB the same night I did. At the end of a night of bbq and good company, Cody pulled out his well-travel guitar and graced us with his music. I’m a huge fan of his style and his voice. Ya’ll gotta check it out here (in my best Texas accent)! We made a photo shoot happen a day after the bbq before he hit the road again. Here’s to us creative’s, marching to the beat of a different drum, seeing color in the black and white, and making the world look and sounds better. Stealing a line from my sister over at faithsalutes, Levi salutes creative folks all ‘round the world. Enjoy!

Carissa Claire Interior Design, Part 2

2010-06-14T17:44:00.000-04:00

Remember I said I was going to post the interior shots from my trip up to Carmel way back when. Did you figure me a liar cause the delay? Don't you feel guilty now. At any rate here are the part two photos from 1833 and Cannery Row while they were under construction. I'm going back to Carmel by the sea this week to shoot Cannery Row in its completed stage, and drink some good beer. Loves me some good beer. Enjoy!

Brenna and Mike Engagement

2010-06-05T02:44:00.000-04:00

Beautiful location, lots of love between two cool people. It's a great way to make some photos, and I can't wait for the wedding. Enjoy!

A visit to the Central Coast

2010-06-01T04:05:00.000-04:00

I love the area God made that's on the west coast between Ventura and Santa Cruz. Things just seem to be more awesome there for some reason. I was in LA, Ventura, and Santa Barbara over the weekend for some photography and hang out time. I saw some of my best friends and I also met a ton of new ones. It was a fantastical weekend filled with photography, good food and drinks, meaningful conversations and beach bond fires. I made a few photographs of a young man named John Rose who was a source of continuous entertainment all weekend. I made these while we were hanging out in one of my favorite areas in Ojai while another friend was shooting an Assignment for Brooks. Enjoy las fotos.

Holga Adventures

2010-05-25T17:22:00.000-04:00

I just got some film back from some Mexico and a super busy day at Disneyland. It's always fun to get film back from photographs I had almost completely forgot about. Enjoy.

Some classic Disney rides

On the left is my entire ride of Space Mountain, the right is the massive population of Disney goers and fans alike.

On the left is the street that my school was on. That car was abandoned and the bumper read "EL ROBO COP". The right is just so Mexico.

Taxco, from above and below.

On the left, seat that hurt my ass, everytime I traveled. Right is the only dog I think I saw with a callor the entire time.

On the left, a taxi view of the sky. Right, that big black spot is not a shadow, that is Mexico City with it's smog layer. I kid you not.

Carissa Claire Interior Design, Carmel, and Big Sure Part 1

2010-05-17T00:38:00.000-04:00

I was just up in Big Sur and Carmel by the Sea for a couple of days of shooting and other fun shenanigans to photograph one of my new favorite artist, Carissa. I was so inspired by Carissa's ability as a designer and her creative ambition. Not only did we shoot for two full days we got down at the after-after party for the Big Sur fashion show, and hung out with friends Sarah and Michael (click here for more on Sarah and Michael). I love Northern California; the drive there on the 101 is beautiful and makes me feel like making photos is the only important thing in that moment. The rolling hills, trees, wind, fog, evening light and good music are some of my favorite things ever. Not to mention I always get to meet such cool people up there, that all seem to be doing awesome things. It's a lovely place to spend some time. Since I shot for two days with Carissa: one day were portraits, and the next was two of Carissa's projects for interior design, I'm going to make this a two part post. First here are some of my favorites from the portrait shoot. Enjoy las fotos!

The conflicted artist: This vs. That

2010-04-19T21:58:00.000-04:00

I think artists go through a time of confliction with their work. Which direction to go, which Ideas to run with and which to leave on the sketchbook for good or perhaps for another time? Ever since I found myself in a creative medium I've been torn. I've heard it said and I myself have said that people, more specifically photographers can only shoot what the see, or that their style is who they are. My problem is I'm not a one-dimensional character. I see lots of different things, and I get lots of different ideas that span from the use of pure natural light to capture timeless and beautiful moments to absurd and often ludicrous ideas of sarcasm and abstract ways to make fun of society, and even stuff that is Hollywood type violence (Think No Country for Old Men). The question I'm stuck with is which do I pursue. I've never been good at splitting my focus, in fact I've had this problem before in life, one example: In high school I was a bit of a skater type and a bit of a jock. But I wanted to be the best at what I was doing so I couldn’t focus on both things. Skating and wrestling don't go hand in hand. I eventually went full-blown with the wrestling and ended up feeling like I made the right choice and had a lot of success up through Jr. College. I feel like I'm split into two "types" of styles. I'm drawn to this beachie lifestyle scene with guitar playing by the beach, and girls with long flowy hair that has remnants of left over salt in their hair from a morning or long boarding in some warm water with perfect point breaks. You know, the whole deal with just enjoying the ocean and surfing and camping blah blah. The other side of me is this guy who wants to make manly things and be a smart-ass who wants to be around witty people and create things that are off the wall like jack-of-all-trades Mike Relm and his video "Everytime" Click here for video. So I guess to make it relatable to the masses I'm half part Jose Villa type and Half Part Mike Relm.. Not that I can make any comparison to either of their genius. So where do I run with this? This might take a lifetime to figure out really. Ideally I'd like to make this blog more of a hybrid of both of This and That. I don't want to be limited as an artist, but I do want to have my style show in all things I do, which can be hard with weddings and photo stories with plots of adultery and murder. Enjoy the up coming life of conflicting creation!

hmm, don't believe you!

2010-04-12T01:35:00.000-04:00

"The best camera is the one that's with you." - Chase Jarvis

While this quote is catchy, and great branding for Chase Jarvis (crazy famous commercial photographer who coined this phrase. for work click here), it's just so not true. The best camera is the Hasselblad H3DII. here are some pictures anyway from my Iphone, Enjoy!

The Phoenix airport at night.

Matt't and JJ some San Juan hills coming back from Matt't's photoshoot of surfer and friend JJ Wessels. click here for some photos of JJ by Matt't.

More of JJ ( Photo by Matt Chenot )

Matt't thinkin' or something...

JJ Wessels looking all 70's. I love this photo. (Matt't's shoot).

Some Colorful pins in my house.

Matt't and Jon Chenot when Jon was visiting.

Raya's house always has something cool going on (Check her blog, she's has lots of cool post about it), even when it's just some light and shadow. I love hanging out at the Carlisle's, it's such a breath of fresh air to just swing by for a few minutes.

When I was in art School we had to do this project where I had to creat a totally black design and then at the end use a red dot to creat a focal point. This reminded me of that project which was in my first class and how far I've come since then. And it also reminded me how terrible I did on that assignment (Como se dice redue?).

My niece and nephew Cael and Raya. Raya was teaching me how to play Uno and Cael was jumping on me say " look at my new Dun (gun)!!"

Cael's dirty little chuby hand. haha I love chuby toddlers!

Sarah and Michael Wedding

2010-04-06T20:22:00.000-04:00

Sarah and Michael's wedding was so rad! The sun came out after some rainy days and a really dreary looking morning ( when I showed up to Santa Cruz in the morning, I was wearing two coats and all the other guys I saw were wearing t-shirts. I blame Arizona), and made for a beautiful day. What can I say about Sarah and Michael? I think I fell a little (more) in love with them. They love Jesus, they are super laid back, have good senses of humor, and they are totally in love with each other... not to mention Sarah looked absolutely gorgeous and Michael ain't so bad looking himself, thems is one purdy couple! Needless to say I had a blast at there wedding and felt honored to hang out with the entire wedding party and I'm happy to present some of my favs. from Saturday. Enjoy!

Relocating to the O.C.

2010-03-26T00:16:00.000-04:00

I really wish I could say something funny here about Laguna beach or something, because that's where I've recently transplanted, but I got nothin'. After a lot of debate and consideration I'm moving in with my old roommate and good friend Matt Chenot ( see his work here, it's really awesome). I think it'll be a good move forward in my life and it'll help me move my business forward as well. All in all it'll be a little better here for me now. I'm going to miss Santa Barbara but cars go fast and I'll be shooting in the area a lot so I'll still be around a fair amount. With that being said I put together my first little photo shoot here of Matt't skating down some hills ( I was too, and looking through my camera while going down hills made me a little sick). Hopefully these photos are a start to a healthy shooting career down here. Enjoy the photos and drop me a line!

Engagment Photo's With Sarah and Michael

2010-03-22T23:18:00.000-04:00

I can't tell you how much fun I had shooting with Sarah and Michael in San Luis Obispo, the locations were beatiful, the light was purdy and Sarah and Michael are such rad people! It's such a blessing to be able to meet and photograph people like them.. totally down to earth, friendly, mellow and aren't affraid to jump over a fence or two for photo sake. I'm really excited for their wedding coming up in a few weeks, in the mean time enjoy some engagment photos from a day of pretty locations and law breaking. Disfruta!

Colores de México

2010-02-15T16:53:00.000-05:00

One Thing of the many things I love about Mexico is all the pastel colors everywhere. Mexico is such a colorful place and so vivid and alive. I didn't have a huge plan for shooting down here but upon arrival i noticed that I was just looking at colors and simple compositions. Using my pin hole camera and my regular set up and soon to use my holga (it's been too long since I've shot film) I've been inspired to take on this personal project "Colores de Mexico". I'm going to work on getting a gallery when at get back, but for now I'm just enjoying keeping it simple. Here are some of my favorites so far. Enjoy!

p.s.

It's getting really hard to write in english after a month of writing mostly en espanol.

Estoy en Mexico. There are a lot of VW's here

2010-01-25T00:31:00.000-05:00

I've been in Mexico for almost two weeks now and so much has happened since me and my mother dearest arrived to Cuernavaca. Good friends have been made and left for new adventures, good food and bad food has been eaten all over the city, new delicious beer has been discovered, Salsa dancing has taken place, Spanish has been spoken and understood, we've partaken in ancient Mexican saunas and massages, we've walked more miles than I can count ( I've lost at least 7 lbs. ) we've laughed, we've been sick, I got a hair cut and a shave for less than 7 $. So much is different here, even being used to Mexican culture, having grown up in AZ ( represent ). I'll never get used to nearly everyman whistling at whatever woman I happen to be around ( usually mom ) and the napkins are terrible... I have to use like 8 at every meal, not so green, but I'd rather not have beans on my face than be green. The City itself is getting more beautiful with every passing day because I discover something new. It's hard to find new places because the front of every building down south has a big gate with barbed wire all up in it's business. It's funny how unwelcoming the city looks but how friendly the people are. Some guy pulled over to ask me direction then ended up inviting me to travel around Mexico on the weekends, stuff like that seems to happen often here. Maybe it happens often in the states too and I'm just not looking for it or I'm putting up a wall because I'm used to the culture and not out to make friends on every corner like I do when I travel. I did take a trip with school last weekend to Taxco though and it was really pretty and really fun. Mom, "the girls" or "las chicas" ( two young Dutch girls we befriended at school ) and I crammed into a tinny little car and drove up into the mountain side with the owner of the school I was going to. Taxco is some kinda Silver heaven, they make silver stuff for Companies like Tiffany's and other fancy pants places there. All the sales people stand outside the door and shout at you to come inside and buy something, needless to show I didn't go into but one store... Levi no likey pushy sales people. But I did take some rad photos, and unlike the silver you can look without being harassed by some guy telling you to by stuff for your girlfriend who in reality is your mom ( my mom is by far the best looking woman circa her age in this whole area for sure, I now make sure to say "this is my mom" right away when we meet someone new to avoid confusion on their part ). Here are some hassle free photo's, that you could buy for your girlfriend ( or mom ) if you really want to. Enjoy!

La Playa Pilates

2010-01-14T21:23:00.000-05:00

I know I'm in Mexico and should be blogging all about it posting photos and such, but I did some work for La Playa Pilate and Wellness Center a few months ago and their new website is up ( click on me ) The website looks rad and I'm really happy with the photos. Also all the people who work there are rad too! If you want to get your happy ass in shape I highly recommend checking the place out. Friendly people, equipment that will make you look really friggin' cool and a beautiful studio right near east beach. What more could one ask for when gettin in shape? Also I didn't take the head shots of the instructors and the photo of the office area isn't mine, whoever the photog was did a nice job though I must admit. more to come on Mexico now that I'm getting a little more settled.

Foot ball dumbie!

2009-12-28T22:18:00.000-05:00

Nothing is more manly than football (arguably). The weight lifting, dedication, team work, running, butt slapping and showering together. These fellers lay it all on the line every Sunday. Risking it all for glory and the love of the game! oh and several million dollars and fake blond trophy wives. As manly as football is, nothing, and I mean nothing is more manly than being a football fan. I feel like Tom Selleck whenever I sit on the couch and decide plays while drinking beer with my hand half down my pants. I call plays and tell players to hustle, I decide which team should draft who and why. I'm a master of NFL statistics... I am a football fan! If every actual football player high school through the NFL had the mentality of a beer drinkin', fantasy football playin,' wife and girlfriend ignoring fan, there'd be way more superbowl rings for everyone. Get yourself some Coors light and any kind of meat and be bold, be manly!

Lets be honest here.

2009-12-27T19:36:00.000-05:00

"Reality is just an illusion, albeit a very persistent one" - Albert Einstein

I just finished reading the 4 Hour Work Week for the second time, well I listened to it on audio the second time while driving to and from California for a shoot in the Central Valley. I love listening to/reading this book because my thoughts have been on par with the author, Tim Ferriss ever since I can remember. Even in third grade I simply didn't do things if i didn't see the point. The outcome? A string of teachers who wrote me off as incompetent and lazy. The reality: I didn't like doing pointless things. Lazy people do not become All-State wrestlers, college wrestlers, state champion weight lifters, 3.8 GPA college students, entrepreneurial business owners, and world travelers. (That sentence makes me sound awesome!) I'm embarking on a journey I'd like to refer to as "reality" and this marks the beginning of the reality I'm going to make mine. Let's take a few moments and try on a little honesty, I'll start: I'm 50k somethin' in the hole from my time at Brooks Institute, no degree, no start up cash, one funky truck and some camera equipment. I've had a few moments of panic in the recent past and figured it's time to accept reality and start working full time to pay off the debt, buy a nicer car and maybe someday I can get back to the things I want to do. I mean having a stable income is comforting and the idea of not freaking out about bills is nice, but when it comes down to it I'd rather be castrated and make hair dolls on the corner of some downtown street than work 9-5, 5 days a week, for 50 weeks a year until I'm in my 60's and then maybe have enough saved up to toodle around in a R.V. for the remainder of my meaningless life. I've got dreams, man. I realized this about dreams recently: If you aren't actively pursuing dreams and the things you REALLY want to be doing, all that dreams become are a draining, constant depressant that kill hope and ambition. The "I wish I could's" and "someday's" are such a detrimental way of thinking and only make us dig further and further into seeking some false joys in material things like fancy cars and expensive shoes that keep us at a comfortable distance from the "risks" of achieving the great things we could be doing. Now do I have a problem with those things? No, not at all, I'm so in love with my Hugo Boss boots, they make me feel like a bad ass every time I put them on, however if someone said I could trade them for a week long adventure in South America I'd give them up in a heart beat. Likewise, I've always had a problem with going to the movies and going to happy hour being an escape from reality, again not saying I dislike those things, in fact I like them a lot, but as an escape from life? Pardon my French (well pardon my English because I do not speak French), but fuck that. I do not want to spend my life doing meaningless things to buy meaningless things. Don't let this translate into laziness, working hard is very important, but working hard on meaningless to get meaningless is retarded, really retarded. I'm setting up my life to do the things I want to do. Figuring out how to make my business grow, but freeing up time so I can take cooking classes, learn more about wine, ride a motorcycle down to Chile on the Pan-American highway, go to Spain to watch bull fights, and surf uncrowded waves in warm water somewhere. Yes, money is an important factor in all this, but if earning money is the only factor being considered, meaning we don't give ourselves time along with the money (I'm not talking two weeks a year here) we might as well start garbage can fires filled with hundred dollar bills because it will all be pretty worthless.

Photo with ASMP

2009-12-18T23:35:00.000-05:00

I got asked if one of my Photos could be used in a slide show for ASMP ( American Society of Media Photographers ) and a quote from an essay I wrote for a contest with ASMP. ASMP is an amazing group for photographers with tons of resources and business guidance. I turn to them a lot for pretty much every general business question I have surrounding photography. Here is the Image they used in their slide show, also if you click here you can see the rest of the slide show and lots of great work from other photographers... I think about 140 photos in all on a power point. The quote: " What I've gained and what I continue to gain from ASMP is inspiration."

I'm so manly I eat yogurt with a fork

2009-12-14T22:28:00.000-05:00

This is an introduction to my new weekly blog post called "Manly Mondays". I'm not exactly sure how it all came into my head, but I feel the need to express some manliness.

I was sitting around, growing my beard out, probably watching hunting or football on t.v. and I started to crave some strawberry yogurt. Strawberry yogurt is for chicks, it's all pink and silky smooth and stuff. I didn't want to ignore my craving so I proceeded to go to the store to get some yogurt even though it's for girls. I was in fear of loosing my man card, so I decided to do the only manly thing I could, I ate that yogurt with a fork. It was more like I was piercing the yogurt with 4 tiny swords. It was as if I were having a epic battle in the land of dairy and I was kicking ass and taking names. I showed that Trader joe's yogurt what the F@#% is up.

Glenn and Cristina

2009-12-07T21:25:00.000-05:00

While I finish the slide show for Cristina and Glenn's wedding here is a little teaser. Enjoy!

What do you think?

2009-12-02T15:23:00.000-05:00

I'm thinking this should go on my website somewhere. What do you think? does it fit the style?

ASU Sneak peak from the Portrait and Action session

2009-11-13T18:07:00.000-05:00

Here are a few shots from my ASU wrestling Project. I'm not sure what they are going to use for publication so I don't want to leak too many, but a little preview never hurt right? enjoy.

ASU Wrestling project.

2009-11-11T22:29:00.000-05:00

I'm really excited that I had the opportunity to photograph the ASU wrestling team. In my former life I was a wrestler, so I had a total connection with this project. Although I think if I would have toed the line with any of these guys my ass would've been tossed around like a rag doll. Needless to say I was happy to be the photographer and not the opponent. All the wrestlers where super cool and took direction really well, and the new head coach Shawn Charles is a stand up kinda man who is going to lead these guys to greatness. I highly recommend checking out the ASU website and facebook fan page to follow the team this season as they kick ass all over the nation on their way to nationals. My assistant brought his little point and shoot along and took some Video of the shoot. Photos to come.. enjoy the video for now.

Big Surf, the original beach in Arizona

2009-11-09T22:54:00.000-05:00

I feel like this trip I'm exploring my roots with my camera. I used to be a little skate rat, baggy shirts, bleached hair ( thanks mom, you're cool for letting me dye my hair ) ripped up baggy jeans and a well worn in pair of Vans. a few things haven't changed from those day, my jeans are still pretty raggy, although they fit a little better these days and I'll always wear a good worn in pair of vans, but thank God I don't bleach my hair anymore, what were the 90's Thinking? I called up My buddy Mikey Duran a few months ago and told him we are going to have to shoot some skating, and Mikey being Mikey was more than stoked to rally the troops to get the shoot done. The coolest thing about this shoot? It is at an abandoned water park in AZ called BIG SURF. We Coughjumpedthefencecough along with two of Mikey's friends Israel and Nathan. I'm pretty sure it's Nathan anyway.. sorry Nathan if I've been calling you buy the wrong name for a week. We also did a little shooting in down town Phoenix. Nothing like a 70's water park, good skaters and lens flare to make some sweet photos. I've talked enough... check out the photos they are sick nasty and filthy gross? I can't keep up these days.

... two trains, one going south at 40 mph...

2009-11-09T03:16:00.000-05:00

I've realized I haven't been blogging lately, but I think about it every day. I have so many photos to share and so much I want to talk about, I've been so crazy busy I haven't had a chance to blog about all the stuff going on. I'm currently bouncing around the Southwest working on some really cool photo project (more to come later on that). I'm in Phoenix AZ right now doing a Project with the ASU wrestling team which has been in the making for the last couple of months and I'm super excited about it, not only that I've been shooting a lots of families, engagement sessions, lifestyle sessions, I even did a 5 year anniversary shoot with Forest and Raya Carlisle. I'm doing so many different things right now and trying to put it all together on an organized time line. I feel like i'm in a middle school math class working on one of those logic problems, you know: There are two trains one is going south at 40 mph... I'm doing all these things and figuring out how it's all going to pan out. I must say so far so good. That being said I'd like to share some photos from the shoot I did with Raya and Forest Carlisle. Raya has been a huge influence on me for many years, before I was a photographer I used to spend hours looking at her website studying how she used light and the moments she captured. I was fortuent enough to assist for her for about a year and a half, and it was one of the most fruitful eperience I've had. Raya is a bad ass, that's really all there is too it. I recommend checking out her work at Rayaphotography for her website and paperpony for her blog. Enjoy the photos and feel free to shoot me an email to ask me what I've been doing more in detail.

Around Town

2009-09-17T00:54:00.000-04:00

I usually don't carry my camera around with me. Unless I know I'm going on a shoot it just sits in my camera bag waiting for the next wedding or lifestyle shoot. Today, however, I took my bulky ass camera around all day with my 50mm lens (mostly because it's tiny and light) and took some photos for funnzies. enjoy all them new purdy photos

Farmers market

2009-09-10T00:37:00.000-04:00

I went to the farmers market yesterday and brought my makeshift pinhole camera, despite being called "artsy fartsy" by some dude with lots of tattoos and an apparent love for fresh fruits, flowers, and vegetables, I got a few neat images. enjoy!

Biker Tattoos!

2009-09-09T18:50:00.000-04:00

About a week ago I got to spend a little time with my Uncle Scott in LA. At first look, Scott looks like he might slash your tires with a switch blade and smash your headlights with a 10 lbs. chain.. in other words he looks like a hard ass biker with tattoos to match. In reality he is a man of God, who is a wonderful father, brother, uncle ect... his heart is huge and made of gold. I remember being a little boy and climbing on my uncle ( who is huge and still makes me feel like a 9 year old boy in stature ) and thinking his tattoos looked so sweet, so now here in adult hood as a photographer and a tattoo owner myself, naturally I wanted to photograph my uncle. I present Scott Savage, enjoy!

Alethea and Leigh

2009-08-30T02:39:00.000-04:00

I had to honor of photographing Alethea and Leigh today in Santa Monica, Ca... I was so stoked about it I had to share as fast as I could. here is a little teaser...

Scars!

2009-08-26T19:52:00.000-04:00

I think scars are pretty rad. my best friend Ari has a sweet scar on his chin from a dog bite in childhood. It was very tragic at the time, but after well over a decade of healing he kinda just looks awesome now. I also met this gal Maureen out and about in Santa barbara and noticed her scars on her arm and immediately asked if i could photograph her. enjoy the fun/badass scar photos :D maybe more to come?

pin hole experiment

2009-08-17T20:54:00.000-04:00

I made a pin hole camera out of My 40d by making a SUPER SMALL hole in the body cap with screw and a tiny nail. I went down the east beach here in Santa Barbara to see how it would work out. I'm pretty happy with the results, and I feel like a got a new camera. not quite like shooting with my holga, but still awesome. check 'em out!

Babies in Phoenix

2009-08-13T13:54:00.000-04:00

On a recent trip to Phoenix, and don't ask why I went this time of year, I had a chance to photograph my good friend's 6 month old baby, Lincoln. Between him and my niece and nephew, who are also in Phoenix, I had a major cuteness overload. I got to spend a lot of time with all them kidos and became the coolest uncle in the world in about 30 seconds after I took my niece Raya swimming and let her squirt me with a super soaker. At any rate here are a few of my favs. from the Lincoln shoot.

New photos of me.

2009-08-06T21:36:00.000-04:00

My close friend, roommate, constant motivation, creative genius ect.. Matt Chenot (better know in our circle of friends as Matty-cakes or just Matt't) took some really awesome portrait of me in our home. I need some photos done for my websitbe, and i realized I've been so busy with weddings and other aspects of photography I haven't been on the other side of the lens in a long time. I think its super beneficial as a photographer to "model" every once in a while. it's like shipping working at receiving for a day "... oh so this is what it like on this end" kinda thing. anyway one of his photo's i used on my website (levimatthew.com) on the new about me page and here are a few others that I think are the cats meow. enjoy!

New business cards and new website...

2009-07-30T20:29:00.000-04:00

I'd like to start by saying i just got my business cards all finished up and i'm very excited with how they turned out! Its been a long process of design concepts with my mom, who is a designer, and choosing some awesome paper. I ended up getting some recycled paper from an art store here in Santa Barbara CA called "Art Essentials" which is a great art supply store with really cool employees. After getting the paper i printed out over a 150 cards on large sheets of the recycled paper and fortunately know someone who was nice enough to cut them all out for me one at a time while I did the printing. It was a long process, but hey, what's cool than hand made cards printed on rad recycled paper? not much at all... except my new website, what what!? levimatthew.com is where its at fo sho. enjoy all the new eye candy :)