i spent 5 minutes trying to think of a clever title and couldn't, so i wrote this instead

i like pictures that grab your attention and hold it. granted, i have a deep seated passion for staring contests so i may be naturally drawn to pictures of people literally staring back at me. regardless, i think our eyes are the work horses of body language and the most important part of a portrait. and it's not just an empty claim! when babies are confused they instinctively look at your eyes for clarification. at least i'm pretty sure i heard that somewhere..

simply pleasing photos of simply boring objects

there's probably a dozen cool looking little "events" within eyesight from where you're sitting. practicing photography has taught me to seek out covertly boring scenes and try to figure out how to show that they are indeed interesting. the picture needs to be like a set of simple instructions; anyone has to be able to look at it and get it. it has to be simple enough to be interesting at any size and any distance. are these ground breaking? no. but i do like how they turned out. the missing element however, is a message. i'll figure that part out next.

tight+simple crops and interesting+genuine expressions.

forget the cheesy smile (no one seems to like it anyhow). i'm getting better at identifying the types of pictures that i like taking. it happens when i can step back afterwards and honestly say "thats a good picture of you" to my subject. i'm satisfied if the finished product resembles my memory of that person. the most rewarding photos i take are of people that i know. its a great feeling being able to show them what the rest of us see. i think everyone is photogenic, its just a matter of finding the momentary sweet spots that look best. have you fanned me yet? (YOU! fan me harder!)

hot tip: off centered photographs are usually more interesting...

when the viewer can tell it was intentional should every portrait be off centered? of course not. every trick should be employed in moderation, but there's no denying that a purposely off centered photograph can grab your attention. blatant rule breaking like this is a good reminder that there are no rules to creative photography. personal "style" evolves as you begin to take pictures that YOU like, not pictures that you think someone else will appreciate; much like how a confident person can wear (and look good) in just about anything. i love hobbies like this because you can quickly become your own teacher. as long as you can find ways to make a photo more appealing to you, you can find ways to make your photography better and better. push the "ought to/public" opinion out of your mind and welcome your own self criticism. learning how to use a camera is only the first step to taking pictures, learning what you enjoy about a picture is the hard part. become a fan of me on facebook! (different than friending me)

getting totally ripped: harder than it looks!

and so is fitness photography apparently. this was my first attempt at this type of photo shoot and her first time modeling so it was destined to be a success from the start. i'll admit some people never seem to look bad in photos, but learning how to position someone's body for a photograph is more difficult than you might expect.

>>exhausted after a long day of dealing with me.

a few things that i learned from the experience: the hips and shoulders should never be parallel. the higher shoulder should usually be towards the camera. fruit is a carb. jamie can deadlift more weight than i can.