I had this red backdrop in my studio for over two years and only used it once. So you can say it’s about time to use it again. But I didn’t want to use to use it. I want to do something creative.

((Editing))

Ok, ok, ok, over these last 15 days, I have shot about 9,000 images, and for some photographers, that’s nothing. But for me, that's insane.

With 6,854 from ClickCon. You best believe I’m NOT no spray, and pray Photographer. So, from three classes a day to shooting bays, and the icing on the cake, after-hours shoots. My camera was on fire.

I don’t understand why photographers like not to add the model's name and or location when they post. But I’ll save that for a rant later on.

But there was an amazing location to shoot at over the weekend. I remember shooting with Kim at this location some years back and again last year with Kaira. Now this year, with Karla’s daughter.

For over the last couple of weeks, I have been working overtime at the studio to get it back up and running and also marking it Ny-Ke Image Studio home. This is not coming without a price, and with that, I have been pickup extra jobs. But have to say, I’m loving the new place so far and have put the love back into my photography and videography. Drop three new Vlogs in the new studio within this month.

This year was not really up to trying to get photos of the Auto Show cars trucks etc. so, I didn’t bring my camera. Got to say, I’m glad I didn’t. Three more days until the show end, and it was pack. But here are some shots with my IPhone 13 Pro Max.

A fellow photographer ask me about an image he saw online with someone wearing fishnet stocking, but the person was invisible. He ask me how this shot was done. Was it shot in camera or edited in photoshop? At the time I had no idea how this shot was done. This is very interesting, and it made me curious to know how this was done. Was it heavenly photoshop, or was it some type of lighting technique?

Victoria is an amazing model to work with. She is on my top list of models I love to work with, and she is amazing with her elegance that brings any image to life. Counting this shoot, this is our four projects of the year.

2022 was amazing, and I almost made my goal for the year. So if I almost made my goal, why was it amazing? So let’s talk about why I didn’t meet my goals.

It’s funny how media can inspire you in one way or another. I was catching up on what was going on YouTube, lol. More like binge-watching YouTube. I watch one of Lindsay Adler’s videos about reflection. This got the wheels spinning on how I could use a material like that for a shoot, and what came to mind was a mirroring effect—something you would see at a circus Funhouse.

They say it’s not good to look at other photographers' work. As I think this is half right. I do believe it contaminates your creative photography style. But it’s always good you think outside the box. You can call this a double edge sword.

So as I go down the rabbit hole called social media. I love seeing work from other creative people in my industry and so thinking about what I’m going to do for my next Halloween project. I run across some images that remind me of Harley Quinn with Halloween colors

This year I purchased Sony A7R 4. My previous camera was the Sony A7R 3 and was my only workhorse for the last two years with no backup camera. But back to the A7R 4, this is a large 61-megapixel camera with crazy huge files. I have a love and hate for the megapixels on this camera. It literally eat up hard drive space on my computer. But love that I’m have the pixels to crop in. I think this will continue to be my main workhorse for the next four or five years.

I wanted to do something really create this year for Halloween and ran across an image that caught my eye. It was a halloween type shoot with a touch Harley Quinn to the image. This image was amazing and I had to do something like it. But I also had another concept in mind.

In 2017 I got a call from a videography friend Anthony about having a hotel room available at the Sofitel Hotel. He had rented out for a shoot that had been canceled on him last minute. So he asked me if I would be interested in shooting at the hotel room he was in. So I call on a friend and my favorite model that I love working with, Amanda Christine. But because it was last minute, I didn't know if Amanda would be available, but thankfully she was. Plus, I just received four unique dresses I ordered from eBay that will be perfect for this shoot.

I remember in 2017 ordering about three elegant bodycon dresses from eBay for a planned shoot which never happened. But two of the dresses were used for a shoot at the Sofitel Hotel with Amanda C. But remember I purchased three dresses.

I really didn't get out and shoot this summer. But hopefully, I'll get some amazing shoots in before the winter.

Model: Jennifer Katheiser, Hair and Makeup by: Karla Mendez

I have been editing with Luminar Neo for over a year now and have to say I love it. But in the beginning, I wouldn't say I liked it at all. The software was not as it was hype up to be. But after some software updates, the software is doing a dam good job for what I want it to do. Now it is one of the main tools in my software toolkit. It's like taking Lightroom and giving it photoshop features but putting them in automatic mode.

Have you ever looked at one of the images you took and thought? This can be an excellent advertisement. Or is that just me that thinks that? Anyway, I always think about how I can have multi-purposes from my photoshoots, for example, having images I can use on social media, magazines, print, blogs, and my website. 

Aliana is a super unique supermodel for 2022. She has a fantastic look and attitude to grace any photoshoot she does. Her style to me is elegant, classy with an urban touch. I met Aliana at a car shoot I did last year and invited fellow photographer Charles with models to come to this shoot.

So this is going back a little way. This was when I was in my lifestyle photography stage. A friend introduces me to this model name Brittany. She was a super cool person to work with. Now moving forward to 2022, Brittany is doing big things, like being published in Playboy magazine.

Sitting back enjoying some channels on YouTube. I started to watch Lindsay Adler's channel, where she was doing a shoot with Mylar. Wow, this was a pretty cool idea and something like trying. I had the perfect team in mind for this project.