There was a moment where I spent a lot of time in the desert and now it’s been years but that dusty dry air is calling my name again. Maybe sometime soon. Photo taken years ago with an anamorphic projection lens from the 80’s, back when anamorphic lenses costed an arm and a leg.
The smallest gear shouldn’t be your weakest link. 🔗
Treat your media right and it’ll return the favor.
🎬 Film School 🎬
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Buy once, cry once.
We’re breaking down why your tripod should be just as high-quality as the camera sitting on top of it.
🎬 Film School 🎬
#alliancestudiosint #filmschool #film #filmproduction #filmmaking
d r a g p a t h
As I was driving from Grayling to Grand Rapids for work, the GPS took me through Lake City and I had to stop for a minute and soak in the view and the memories that came along with it. I used to spend about a week here every summer during the 4th of July when I was growing up, but I’ve never seen the lake frozen. I was having a hard time even finding my bearings, the beach didn’t seem like it was in the right place and I had no idea where the sand may have ended and the water began. I actually can’t remember the last time I was up here, but I’m sure it was with my dog Vader whom I miss dearly. He loved beaches and he loved adventure and he loved the family that took him wherever we went. I’m not always much for sentimentality, but as I’ve moved down to metro Detroit full time it’s funny how nostalgia creeps back up for central Michigan these last couple months. The memories are here, the good and the bad and the journey that continues on along with them.
Cleaning out an old harddrive I stumbled upon these frames of Dean Teaster in character from a film I shot a few years back during Covid times called Best Years Gone. I love grabbing portraits of actors in the films I’m the cinematographer on, but rarely do I ever have the time to do it! I’m usually of the mindset that if I have the time to take a picture I have the time to be helping the crew somehow doing a lens swap or moving a light or something. But sometimes the moment just calls for it. Taken on a camera that I never should have sold called the Panasonic S1r and a Sigma 35mm, shot wide open at f1.4.
Not a lot of people know this about me because of my love for bizarre comedy and over the top violence in my own work, but I love Hallmark Christmas movies. I’m such a fan, and honestly more often times than not the worse/cheesier the better. I would honestly one day love to direct Hallmark Christmas movie but to be fair I don’t think my brain would let me without it taking some dark descent into absurdity. But being a cinematographer on a Hallmark Christmas movie would be so much fun. Cinematographers are just in charge of crafting the visuals for the film and if the idea is that we make everything look as pretty as possible well then that’s honestly a pretty fun world to play in.
A few years ago I was able to serve as the cinematographer on a commercial spot for a shop local ad and it’s one of my favorite spots I’ve shot because it got to scratch a little bit of that Hallmark itch - although we were still aiming for a little less glossy of a look, opting for anamorphic lenses and a handheld camera to give it some modern momentum. Although it was a Cold Box Films shoot I honestly can’t remember who all was on this spot I think it was Coop directing and Spencer gaffing and Fred gripping with Alex AC’ing but for sake of not accidentally leaving anyone out or miscrediting anyone I’m not gonna list tagged credits - it’s been I think 3 years since it posted and I’m just simply awful about posting my work… but better late than never I guess right? And speaking of better late than never I know Christmas is a few days past but I mean c’mon now I be out here watching Christmas movies till the new years AT LEAST so slow your roll h8rs.
Let me know if it’s of interest to anyone for me to maybe do a video series on breaking down the lighting/lenses on the shots in a future post!
I’ve always wanted to go to Leland to check out the cool little old school fishing town I had seen pictures of online for years and after wrapping a quick shoot nearby I booked it over quick to catch the fading light 💡 Taken with a unique medium format hack using a Kipon Speedbooster on a full frame Canon R6 Mk2 with a cheap Mamiya 80mm medium format lens!
“Most of the time I was convinced I lost it… but there were other times I thought I was mainlining the secret truth of the universe.” - Rust Cohle … after all these years I still can’t help but to imagine a spiral every time I see birds flowing in different formation.
Found some old photos while organizing my laptop! This was at Martha’s Vineyard (which I didn’t realize is actually an island and not just the name of a vineyard until I was essentially on the boat ride there). I have a few more I’ll be sharing soon too!
