One of the best parts of being a professional photographer is definitely all the toys that come with the gig. I totally love gadgets and seeing how they can really up my game as a professional.

Having a range of equipment to work with is not always possible when you are first starting out, but there are a few must-haves in my equipment collection that make a huge difference. They keep my work process simple and produce really high quality photos.

So let’s get on with what you came to see.  Here is some of my favorite gear I use.

Camera: Canon 5D Mark II — This camera is high resolution, has a full frame sensor, and is excellent at capturing a high level of detail in images. Definitely great for consistent use in versatile environments and can handle both indoor and rugged shots with ease, producing high quality work.

Lens: Canon 24-105 f4L — This lens is so versatile! It’s weather sealed, rugged, and definitely made for the professional in a demanding, high use situation. It has a super versatile focal range, with image stabilization capabilities built right into the lens.

Lighting: With lighting, you have lots of choices. For quick lighting set-ups, my speed light of choice is the Canon 580ex II. It’s a pro level light — weather sealed and resistant, with good output that’s controllable and works with the cameras metering system (whatever Canon camera you decide to use). It’s good for using at events or for quick shots or when you must travel light.

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As 2011 comes to a close, food, tasty beverages and fun are on my mind — and I’m sure they are on yours, too. That’s why I chose to showcase local food blogger Kristen Mastre of Feasting Fort Collins and one of my favorite local restaurants, Austin’s American Grill in Old Town, for a year-end post. I covered the shoot for the November issue of Lydia’s Style Magazine, and it was great collaborating with these awesome local businesses.

To kick things off, the chef at Austin’s put together a great spread of beautiful, colorful food plates and beverages to serve as tasty props for the shoot. Kristen was fun and so easy to work with, and as a food blogger, felt right at home in a restaurant setting. Austin’s also gave us free range to shoot anywhere within the restaurant space, so we could be creative and try whatever we needed to make it work.

Best part of the shoot by far was the amazing level of seamless collaboration. In just one assignment I was able to work with three separate, awesome Fort Collins-based businesses, AND have fun while doing it.

Thanks to all the clients who worked with me in 2011, and here’s to an amazing 2012 for all of us!

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During the holidays there are so many different ways to get into the holiday spirit of giving. I like to kick things off by sharing some of my creative gifts to help out local families in need.

For the last three holiday seasons, I’ve donated my time and services to Help Portrait — a global movement of photographers who use their time, gear and expertise to offer their services free of charge to families who simply cannot afford such a luxury. The holidays are such a memorable time of year, and many don’t even own a camera, let alone have the budget for professional shots.

Every Day Joe’s hosted the Fort Collins based Help Portrait event on December 10th for families from the Mathew’s House, Project Self-Sufficiency and local shelters, providing live music, hot chocolate, snacks and a great space for a bunch of professional photographers to work, including me.

Between 9am and 5pm I jammed through 34 separate shoots. I took the photos,  my assistant edited them and printed them to photo paper and burned them CD so families could walk away with a great holiday memory in hand.

For me, this annual event is about being able to use my passion to create something that will literally become part of a family’s history, something they would never spend money on for themselves. I already feel so fortunate, and I was so happy to be able to share my good fortune with someone else in my local community.

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Just before the Thanksgiving holiday, I had a sweet opportunity to work with some top local athletes as part of the Annual NPC Fitness and Figure Competition (The Rocky). It was a blast shooting such fit folks, capturing their top physiques on film to document the amazing results of all their hard work.

This shoot put me and my lighting assistant to the test! We were tight on time (2.5 hours to shoot 4  people and a team picture) and needed to make sure the gym and equipment was rearranged in a way that would compliment each individual shoot. It was a creative challenge to arrange a photo-ready space on the fly, but it worked out great.

We also jumped between indoor and outdoor shots (switching from plugged in electricity to battery power), and had to set up and break down the lighting set ups for each person. Add to that coordinating all the photo shoots to make sure we were done on time so competitors stayed on schedule made it a true test of my time management skills!

Meet the Competitors

The highlight of the show for me was being able to take photos of some folks that placed in the competition, including “The Gym” owner Chris Williamson. Not only did he win 1st place in the Men’s Physique Overall, he also placed 1st in Men’s Physique 35-42, and placed second in Men’s Physique Open B. Pretty impressive.

Chris also trains a tight team of female members from “The Gym” called the “Miss Fits”, and some girls placed in the competition. He advised them on meal and workout plans, helping them get into top physical shape. One of the women he trained, Lisa Poole lost 60 pounds and was also featured on a 9News segment about the Mommy Makeover Challenge sponsored by the news channel. She took 10th in Bikini Novice C.

Fellow Miss Fit Kimberly Hall also placed 1st place in her class, Novice figure C, and earned 3rd place in Open Figure F.

One of the coolest contestant stories was Crystal Bragazzi, a former cop and cancer survivor who placed 12th place in Bikini Novice A and 7th in Bikini open B in her first show ever. Crystal not only endured chemo and radiation treatments, but after her cancer treatments and illness, she went back into the regular work world as a cop.

Over time she began to notice how she was slowly letting herself go and wasn’t feeling great about it. A couple of friends had started training at The Gym to get in shape, so she figured she would join in. Soon she had a new passion for getting healthy and in shape, and started working with Chris at The Gym as part of the Miss Fits. Now 25 pounds lighter and in fantastic shape, Crystal is excited to see where she can go next with her fitness goals.

Wrappin’ Up

This shoot was at the top of the list for me in terms of fun, challenge and passion. Any time I get to shoot a pictures focused on fitness it’s a thrill, and makes a hard, rushed work day fun and rewarding.

The folks featured in the photos were also blown away by how good they look. Now the moment in time when they look their absolute best is captured forever — and it feels pretty awesome to be part of it.

Image after the MORE!

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In between working photo shoots and tons of editing, it’s great to connect with other photographers and creative folks to play and talk shop. It offers us the opportunity to learn, share and build off of each others insights and experiences, and mixes up newbies with seasoned professionals.

One gorgeous fall afternoon in October, the Noco Pro Photo group spent Sunday up at Mishawaka. Awesome fall colors, the sound of the roaring river and plenty of sunshine — it was the perfect day to shoot outside.

We had models, make up artists, hair stylists — all the things we photogs need to do a high quality practice shoot and get better at our craft. Each photographer did a little of their own improv photo work to try new things, and it also gave the models an opportunity to get some professional shots with a bunch of different photographers in one afternoon. (A shout out to Julie Gallahue from NXT Model for getting some of the models for the shoot.)

For my shots I played with new lighting techniques and switched things up beyond my usual style. I also practiced with creating a different studio look and feel on location — something that is extremely important for consistency in unpredictable conditions and takes practice to trim down prep time and become efficient.

Overall it was awesome collaborating with the variety of creative talent and spending time playing in the Colorado woods. It definitely got my brain thinking of cool new shoot ideas.

If you want to know more about NocoPro Photo, we meet once a month officially on a Sunday for coffee and critique. We also plan fun mini-meetings during the month like talk beer and smack, as well as hosting classes (taught by me other members) and “challenge” shoots to help us all build technique. For more information check it out.

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Fort Collins is a very integrated, supportive community, which means I get great opportunities to use my passion for photography to benefit people and causes beyond myself.

In the beginning of October I was hired as a photographer to shoot the CSU Fashion Show to Benefit RamStrength, a local non-profit that provides financial assistance to cancer survivors in Fort Collins and Northern Colorado. Specifically, they provide financial assistance for basic needs, scholarships programs and services.

It was great to work with the CSU Fashion Show team for the 3rd year on multiple projects, and the event gave me a chance to stretch my skills in a new way.

Hosted in the Midtown Arts Center (formerly the Carousel Dinner Theatre), the runway was actually was just a typical theatre stage — a bit non-traditional for typical fashion shows. In some ways this was great because it gave me an opportunity to grab unique shots, but it was a bit more challenging with limited space to shoot in the front row, but it challenged me to be creative and think on my feet.

All clothes worn in the fashion shoot were donated by local stores, including Biyazzi, Tula, Soul mates, Prima Body Wear, and Satin Camisole & Designs. It was awesome to see other local businesses supporting such a great cause.

Overall, it felt fantastic to help out at the CSU Fashion Show and use my photography for a bigger purpose — to help and support local community members.

Images after the more! 

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