Here’s a little wrap up of my recent New York tour:

I photographed the ‘Instant Revolution’ Polaroid/Impossible exhibit for my good friends at The Impossible Project headquareters in NYC. Mary Ellen Mark and I talked shop about photography. Pretty great.

Martini the Yorkie and I had a great Fine Art dog photography session in the West Village, where he sat on some pillows, chased some Yorkshire Terrier sized toys (ie, tiny), and we took a walk down to the piers.

I visited some galleries, met with a few analog photography mentors, and shot a LOT of film.

Then I drove out to the Beekman farm to meet with Josh and Brent of The Fabulous Beekman Boys. We’re currently collaborating on a series that illustrates the local artisan revival happening in Sharon Springs, NY. In between photography sessions with the incredible local artists, I found time to trespass (and subsequently get yelled at) – one of my favorite passtimes.

Sharon Springs is a beautiful and mysterious little town. And, to top it all off, I got to hang out with some baby goats. These guys are just 4 days old! You can hold them like a puppy. They were bouncing around their little pen, very curious and soft. Soon they’ll be producing goat milk to aid in the production of Beekman 1802 soaps, chesses, and more.

(Jennifer Juniper Stratford, Mary Ellen Mark, Gary Baseman and Maripol)

It’s exciting to see analog photography continually prove itself amidst the modern digital world. People are thirsty for originality, tangibility, realness, and a return to craftsmanship. Missing the past is a sign of wanting to connect with the familiar, and a perfect example of this is The Impossible Project’s successful resuscitation of the world of instant photography.

I was invited to photograph The Impossible Project’s recent New York exhibit “Instant Revolution,” showcasing images from Mary Ellen Mark, Maripol, Jennifer Juniper Stratford, James Franco and Gary Baseman – all on the very last remaining original Polaroid Spectra film from 2008 (the final production run Polaroid ever made). It was fascinating to see what each artist did with their film, and how the instant format was used to articulate a creative theme. A Polaroid camera is a powerful tool because it removes all inhibition and brings the photographer so incredibly close to the process of creating an image. Each artist in this curated show displayed their personas, a little bit of intimacy, in the work they exhibited. And I think so much of that had to do with the instant medium.

As I surfed the crowd, I had the pleasure of rubbing elbows with some fascinating people. I met some Polaroid reps who, along with the CEO of Impossible America mentioned a handful of Polaroid/Impossible Project collaborations for 2012. I chatted with all the artists, nerding out about composition, instant cameras, and the wonders of analog photography. And got lots of compliments on my camera tattoos. A fun night all around!

(I took all these images on Impossible Project PZ600 UV+ film, which you can buy RIGHT HERE)

(above: the one and only Gary Baseman) (below: the one and only Jennifer Juniper Stratford)

This collection of instant images was created with a Polaroid Spectra camera and Impossible Project PZ600 films.

It’s a mild, quiet winter in New York. That means the light is perfect and still for New York fine art dog photography sessions. Today’s session features Martini, the 2yr old Yorkshire Terrier. He sits high atop a West Village apartment, looking down on those below from his perch of pillows. Today our New York dog photography session will focus on creating a powerful portrait of this little Yorkie on the bed, and outside by the piers near the West Village. I always try to pre-visualize every image I create, leaving room of course for the improvisation in between moments. Using medium format black and white film and a heavy, manual Hasselblad 500c, there is really never any allowance for mistakes. So I’ll spend my train ride this morning going over the important portraits in my head, what my exposures may be for them, and how I’ll compose each one: Yorkie in the middle of the bed, atop the pillows (watch for window light flare, open up my aperture to create depth, center myself with the subject); Yorkie out on the piers (close down to draw in cloud detail, push everything into focus with tight aperture, create distance by placing Yorkie in middle of pier, farther out).

This is why I love challenges, and constantly push myself as an artist. I will be a photographer for the rest of my life, and with every challenge I get through I am simply taking one step deeper into that life long commitment. 2012 will offer so much opportunity, collaboration, and creative growth. I can’t wait to see it all unfold.

Best Friends Animal Sanctuary is one of the world’s most celebrated animal sanctuaries, and has been the star of many a television series. Did you ever watch National Geographic’s “DOGTOWN” series, featuring Best Friend’s dog sanctuary (one of the largest no-kill sanctuaries in the country)? Here’s a great clip from DOGTOWN: www.youtube.com/watch

Let’s make it a three-peat! Please vote for me as ‘Best Dog Photographer’ in the BayWoof’s 2012 “Beast of the Bay” competition. It’s free, easy, fun, and you don’t even have to sign in. Just click on as many or few items as you want, and tell the world who your favorite Bay Area dog businesses are personalities are.

BEST DOG PHOTOGRAPHER is question #34

Voting ends February 10, 2012 !!

Thank you so much for your continued support. If I win again this year, we’re definately going to throw a party…

That being said, one time I photographed a very famous dog in the studio for a very special friend.

This dog, named Balthazar, has starred in movies, in Ralph Lauren print ads around the world, been featured in photoshoots since he was a baby, and worked the ring at Westminster under one of the world’s most respected Fox Terrier handlers, Bill McFadden. In order to make this studio shoot meet my client’s needs (he requested the studio set up) yet also have my signature style, I placed Balthazar on a perfectly clean bright white background and had his dad wipe his paws before he stepped onto the paper. I wanted to exaggerate the sterile feeling of a perfect studio, exaggerate the lack of context that comes with studio work, and purposely push these portraits into a hi-key setting. Hi-key lighting is a technique where you over-use your hi-end tones, and create almost a white-on-white image. When done correctly, it has a post-modern feel to me. And when done correctly, you can create a balance of blown-out highlights on your background while retainging full tonal range and detail in your subject. Here are a few favorite images from this session:

To prepare for an exciting 2012, I’ve begun reading a wonderful book on the common patterns and instincts of our contemporary American photographers: The Ongoing Moment, by Geoff Dyer. His discussion about the photographer’s ‘desire for invisibility’ is a theory I strongly connect with. When I am photographing, I feel as though no one can see me, that I have entered into a secret moment in time with my subject. It’s as if the moment of picking up the camera (when the artist is truly focussed) signals the dropping of a heavy curtain between the creative moment and the rest of the world. And this intimacy and secrecy is what allows for true creativity.

When I am photographing, I am experiencing a truthful moment. And I think this is what my clients are drawn to: a photographer who can show them a truly honest, pure, and inspiring portrait of their bonded companion.