Passing the Baton

Jonathan Harper will be a great photographer! He stopped by for a visit today that turned into a training session. This brother is thirsty for knowledge and his future as a photographer is bright. At moments, I felt like the water foundation in the Jane Pittman Story kicking knowledge about lighting to an incredibly receptive student. It feels good to give back... to pass the baton!

He simply loves the work of Matthew Jordan Smith, one of the premiere fashion photographers & master lighting technicians. Hopefully this lesson will get Jonathan a step closer to his dream of becoming a fashion/beauty photographer.

This image was achieved with 3 SB 800 Nikon speedlights. The main light is a light stand mounted SB 800 with a ring flash adapter attached. I don't know the brand, but it is something that I picked up at Simon's Camera in Hollywood. The ring flash was big during the 60's in fashion photography. It has been making a comeback lately. It's not the type of light source that I would use every day. So dropping nearly two grand for a Profoto ring flash was out of the question. My model costs under $100 and attaches to a Canon or Nikon speedlight.

I attached a SB 800 with a LumiQuest Ultrasoft to a light stand for the background light. It was probably a foot from the background. I wanted to add a little kicker/rim light to Jonathan's left side. So I added a SB 800 with a Gary Fong Lightsphere attached and pointed it directly at his left ear. I bought the Lightsphere about a year ago and have struggled with finding a use for it in my bag. Many photographers are big fans of this product. I find that a rubber band & business card work pretty well most of the time and take up so much less space.

I normally try to place the main light at the ten O'clock position in the subject eyes. In this case, I placed it a little lower to compensate for the hat. I used 4 Pocket Wizards to trigger the flash units.

Nikon D300 105 2.8 Micro Nikkor f/11 1/250 sec. @ 400 ISO

When Downsizing Hits Home

Big companies are not the only ones downsizing. Changes in airline policies have made me rethink what I bring to assignments.

I have been in the photography game for a bit. I remember when film sensitivity was measured by ASA not ISO and most professional photos were created with film stock that was rated at 100 ASA or below. Light requirements were different then as a result. I had big heavy lights in the studio — Speedotrons and Normans and I lugged around a big Norman 200B for anything outside the studio. Film quality improved by leaps during the 80’s & 90’s… Fuji 800 ISO revolutionized both wedding and concert photography.

Nothing has changed the photography landscape more than digital capture. You can now shoot at high ISO settings and create astonishing images with perfect color balance and low noise.

I still have the Normans and Speedotrons and they do come in handy for those assignments where I can bring the kitchen sink. But there are very few assignments where I need or can bring that much firepower.

I have used either White Lightning or Dynalight strobes for most of my studio and location work in recent years. Both systems are pretty light in weight and have been great options for out of town assignments. The Dynalight kit with three heads [stands and umbrellas] weighted under 45 lbs. and was my go to system to take on flights.

All of that changed a few months ago when fuel prices went through the roof and airlines found a way to stick it to us. My only worry had been making the strobe bag weight less than 50 pounds so that I could check two bags [clothes & strobes] for free… now I had to examine the cost of paying for two checked bags.

The solution to my dilemma was already in my rolling camera case… speedlights. Once you take the speedlight out of the hotshoe, you can do virtually anything. I already had three Nikon Speedlights in my case… light stands, umbrellas and Pocket Wizards to trigger the lights. So I made a decision to downsize lighting gear where possible or when necessary.



I used 2 - SB 800’s to create this image of actress Trisha Mann. The main light was bounced into a white umbrella and the background light was placed inside a Lastolite HiLite background.
Nikon D300 17-55 2.8 f/8 1/250 sec. @ 400 ISO



I used 3- SB 800’s to create this image. The main light was bounced into a white umbrella. I used one light to create a highlight on the Westcott background and pointed another light at Trisha from the back to create a little more separation. I completed the shot by placing a silver Photoflex LiteDisc below Trisha’s waist to bounce some of the umbrella light back into her face.
Nikon D300 105 Micro Nikkor 2.8 f/8 1/250 sec. @ 200 ISO

Trisha has been a friend for about a decade now. She is currently on tour with JD Lawrence’s play The Clean Up Woman with Christopher Williams, and Jackee Harry. Thank you Trish for helping me with this project.



This image was created last night at the screening of the HBO documentary THE ALZHEIMER’S PROJECT: “The Memory Loss Tapes”. I needed to take a photo of filmmakers Shari Cookson & Nick Doob, and I was concerned about lighting the dark poster while avoiding crazy glare. The main light was bounced into a small white umbrella and I used the hotshoe mounted SB800 for fill light.
Nikon D300 17-55 2.8 f/5.6 1/125 sec. @ 400 ISO

The Memory Loss Tapes, the first part of THE ALZHEIMER’S PROJECT, a four-part multi-platform documentary series, debuts Sunday, May 10 (9:00pm).



This final image was created on Saturday at the California Science Center. Multiple strobes can really help with panel discussions like this Science Matters panel moderated by NBC4’s Conan Nolan. Large conference rooms are normally pretty cavernous and dark to allow for PowerPoint presentations. I used two Sb800s here… One was on camera and the other was placed at the opposite end of the panel table… both were bounced from the high ceiling.
Nikon D300 17-55 2.8 f/4 1/80 sec. @ 800 ISO

Finding The Light

Great photography is about finding the light. We sometimes just happen to be in the right place at the right time. At others, we can simply move the camera or subject position to improve the light. However, there are times when you are stuck in a less than ideal lighting situation… One where you can’t change the time of day or subject position, and you still need to produce professional results.

I knew that I was walking into that type of situation for a photo assignment this morning. I needed to photograph the Kaiser Permanente executive leadership team in front of the new hospital complex on Sunset at 7:30 am. An overcast day would be great. A bright sunny morning would be a problem, because my subjects would be looking almost directly into the sun.


There are times where you just need to have the right tool. It was hot as heck in LA yesterday, so I knew that overcast skies would be unlikely. I packed the gear pictured above for the shoot. It’s almost like taking a studio on location.

White Lightning X800 monolight/Vagabond II battery pack - both made by Paul C. Bluff… Heavy duty Manfrotto light stand… Pocket Wizard Plus remotes to fire the flash… a white umbrella.

The sun was beaming this morning as expected. I set up the light so that the umbrella would block the sun from hitting the faces of my subjects. The battery pack [25 lbs.] and my camera bag [20 lbs.] were attached to the light stand to insure that the wind would not topple everything. The Manfrotto light stand can handle the weight with ease and it has large knobs that work well as hooks. I can fire up over 500 shots per charge with this rig at full power. So it works well for location shoots.

Exposure details: Nikon D300 17-55 2.8 lens F/8 @ 1/250 sec. 100 ISO

It would have been nice to have a white reflector and assistant today. The reflector could have been used to the right of my subjects for fill lighting. Or, it could have also been used camera left as a scrim to block the sun from hitting their faces... thus allowing me to move the umbrella a little more toward camera position. But there are limits to what you can do on the streets of Hollywood before needing a permit to shoot. Short and sweet works… in this situation… done in less than five minutes.

The new KP Los Angeles Medical Center is pretty special inside. Click here to see some of the images.

Thank you Hutson for taking the shot of me down on my knees. Man, I need a haircut... or should I say gray cut!

Mad Love for Tasha Mack!

I have had mad love for Wendy Raquel Robinson for over a decade… I was on a photo assignment in the mid nineties that brought me to the Amazing Grace Conservatory. It’s a school in South Los Angeles [translation: the hood] that Wendy had co-founded with the late Tracey Coley. Lela Ward-Oliver, editor at the Herald Dispatch newspaper, convinced me to visit AGC. They were rehearsing that day for a production of The Wiz. The minute that I walked in, I knew that it would be hard to leave. Wendy, Tracey and Denise Dowse were doing something with our youth via performing arts that was very necessary.

Well Tasha Mack is still there today working with our kids… and making a difference! And she's doing it all... without ego... on hot summer days with loud antsy students and no air conditioning... with memories of Tracey and the support of industry friends like Denise... committed to service.

There are three reasons for this posting; The Game, The Los Angeles Black Business Expo and The Amazing Grace Conservatory production of Sarafina.

The Game: Wendy sent out a plea early last season when the show was moved to Fridays… please watch The Game. The show needs our support now more than ever. Please visit One Million for the Game and let them know that you love the show.

LA Black Business Expo – May 1-3 @ LA Convention Center: Wendy once again serves as the celebrity spokesperson for the Expo. Join her if you can at the Expo.

AGC presents Sarafina!: The young people at AGC are back with another wonderful production. The show runs in May for only two weekends @ the new Los Angeles Theater Center and trust me, this is a hot ticket! Erin Washington [daughter of my good friend Rene Washington] is playing the lead. I'm so proud of you Erin!

If you get a chance, please show Tasha Mack aka my friend Wendy Raquel some love!

When Silence is Golden

The first time that I worked on a television/movie set as the unit photographer, I learned one lesson real fast… Silence is Golden. Once you hear the word “Action”, noise will get you in big trouble. No matter how quiet you think your camera is in normal situations, it’s too noisy on a film set. That’s where the sound blimp comes in.

The Jacobson Sound Blimp is the industry standard. This is how they describe it on their web site:

“A housing for professional 35mm Canon and Nikon cameras which effectively eliminates the noise created by their operation. Silencing is essential in areas where extraneous noise cannot be tolerated or would prove distracting; i.e., motion picture and television sound stages, theatrical plays, surveillance, wildlife, and sporting events such as golf.”



At one time, I would rent the blimp from Samy’s Camera in Los Angeles. In Hollywood, blimps are in short supply; especially on the days that you need one. So I broke down and actually purchased one to fit my Canon cameras last year.

There are occasions where you can get by without a blimp. One situation would be on an outdoor set where you can shoot from a distance. Another would be on a set with multiple takes and scene rehearsals. I have used my pocket size Canon Powershot G9, set to the silent shutter setting with great results. But, if you plan to work regularly as a unit photographer; buy a Jacobson blimp.

These images are from a piece created by Starz to capture the impact of the Obama presidential victory… through a montage of twenty-eight celebrity interviews. Black actors came… one by one to a studio in North Hollywood to relive November 4, 2008.

Most of these sessions lasted thirty minutes… no rehearsals… really, no retakes. So, a blimp was critical. I was joined on the set by a host of celebrities… Hill Harper… Dule Hill… Regina King... Eddie Griffin… Tisha Campbell-Martin… Meagan Good… Taye Diggs... Lauren London... Columbus Short... and familiar faces behind the camera… Jasmine Simpkins, Producer… Darryl E. Smith, Camera… and Ulysses Porter Brown, Director.

If you haven’t already seen it, check out Starz - 11.4.2008: The Day of Change.

Some of the most memorable moments for me during the taping did not make the final cut. But you can only include so much in a twenty minute edit. All in all, I was moved by the final piece.

Away from the set, a blimp can also be quite useful. It really helps when photographing panel discussions where you have an intense audience. Most people are not accustomed to seeing one so prepare for lots of questions.

I plan to use it in a few weeks when I photograph the Amazing Grace Conservatory production of Sarafina for my friend Wendy Raquel Robinson.

NAWBO - Women in Business: The Quick Portrait

A great portrait can happen anywhere.This image was created at the 2007 National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) Women's Business Conference in Atlanta, Georgia. Neeti Dewan is a business owner from Los Angeles. I have worked with the Los Angeles chapter of NAWBO for several years and this was my second year working with the national office.

Anyway, I knew Neeti from work in Los Angeles and I saw an opportunity to create a powerful shot of a woman in business. Conference days are long for everyone. It would be tough trying to plan this in advance. It was kismet! She was moving quickly that day from one session to another and I seized the moment.

The hotel was beautiful… lots of light filtering down from the atrium… and a ceiling overhang just above her head that I could bounce light from. I set my on-camera SB800 flash to manual and pulled out my light meter to take two readings; one for the ambient light and the other for the strobe. 1/60 sec. @ f/5.6 – 400 ISO would give me an image that recorded detail in the background while providing flattering light on her face. I always have a silver reflector with me which I placed just below her waist… if you look close, you will see the reflection in her eyes. The whole session took less than two minutes.

The 2009 NAWBO Women's Business Conference is in Chicago. I’m looking forward to creating more images like this.

Click here to see a few images from the 2007 NAWBO conference.

When Nothing Else Comes Close

Sometimes, nothing else comes close to a macro lens. Sure, most point and shoot cameras have a macro like setting. And some camera kit zoom lenses have a macro mode. But try photographing a coin or flower up close. I have a macro lens for both my Nikon and Canon systems. I used the AF105 Micro Nikkor 105mm 2.8D lens on my Nikon D300 for this shot. It is my go to lens whenever I want to photograph detail shots of flowers, rings and intricate dress details at weddings. It also serves as an unbelievably sharp portrait lens. Most women will shoot you though if you use this lens, because it gives up too much info.

I use the EF50mm 2.5 lens on the Canons for close up work. The 50mm length can be a problem though when you need a little distance between the camera and subject position in close up photography. One such situation would be when you are using studio lights and are trying to avoid shadows on the subject area. Another would be when you are trying to capture the subtle bead work on the brides dress in front of the groom who looks like Hulk Hogan.

Macro photography is a wonderful way to experience new things in photography! Every day items look very different up close. I'm still trying to capture a close up shot of a bee in the garden out back.



Both lenses are great to have in low light situations, like concerts... sports events... dark churches... almost anywhere you need a fast lens. Especially those occasions when they give you the "no flash pictures" speech.


The next time that you are trying to show the bling in the jewelry or get close to nature, go macro.

Happy Easter to everyone!

Bunny Time!

Two years ago, I photographed the Playmate of the Year luncheon at the Mansion for Playboy. The bunny session today with little John was quite a bit different. I don't think that my mother brought anything like this for me at Easter. But I had some sharp suits back then for the big Easter Sunday program. I still remember going on stage and forgetting most of the little speech/Bible verse that I had practiced to recite. Those were good times at Metropolitan Baptist Church in Los Angeles where my Grandfather [Rev. J.E. Evans] was the Pastor.

I photographed Gennie and John's wedding and now get the opportunity to photograph their journey. I love it!

Photo tip: When photographing babies, a tripod is a great tool to have. Primarily because, you have to do stupid stuff... make faces... bang stuff on your head to get genuine smiles from babies. With the camera on the tripod, you don't have to worry about framing the shot and you can just maintain eye contact with the subject. My head hurts a bit now, but I love the results!

The Executive Portrait Session

They make money the old fashioned way… they earn it! I have been working with The Ladera Group creating executive portraits for several years. These Smith-Barney investors are like most other busy executives. Time is money! So, portrait sessions have to be quick, but good.

Our session yesterday was done in maybe fifteen minutes max. Executive schedules are crazy, but this was the first session on a day that would take me from Torrance to Cerritos to Pasadena in unpredictable Los Angeles traffic.

I created this blog as a place to share photographic insight with photographers of every level. Plus, many of my clients sometimes need a pro but can't afford one. With a little planning, the shot with horrible shadows can become a keeper. So this is the first posting.

The most important tip, for any photographer is to take control. The photo location is really a huge factor in creating great images. Stop… breath… and then look around. Why take the shot in a place with bad to horrible light, or less than ideal background when you could move to a better spot?

The Smith Barney office in Torrance is like so many other offices… space is expensive, so the conference room is normally the only place to shoot. There was a spot on the second floor of the building that presented a much better location than the conference room. Perfect! White ceilings that I could bounce light from and a look that really said business; now, could we use it? Since September 11, security teams in most business towers will quickly stop you from taking photos. Get permission or move fast!

Once permission was granted, I set up two lights, bounced them from the ceiling, took a meter reading with my trusty light meter and was shooting in ten minutes.

I want to thank René Nourse, CFP®, Carl Davis, CIMA®, and his son Kyle Davis for giving me the opportunity to create the image and to share it here on my blog. Hopefully this posting will come to mind the next time that you are about to snap the shutter.

Ninety-Seven Never Looked So Good!

John Levy is a NEA Jazz Master and legend… has near total recall… and he can stylishly rock jeans and classic converse sneakers. Happy Birthday friend! Yesterday’s visit was long overdue. My schedule is crazy and LA traffic is bananas, but I truly enjoyed every minute spent with you guys. I want to thank both you and Devra for the signed copy of Strollin’ A Jazz Life Through John Levy’s Personal Lens. It’s one thing to read about your career… to walk into your home and see gold records hanging on the walls beside pictures of Joe Williams and Nancy Wilson… to be with you in New York as jazz royalty saluted your life and achievements.

Then I opened the book! Wow! Seeing jazz… your clients… historic figures…and history… through your lens… P-R-I-C-E-L-E-S-S! Personal shots of Jackie Robinson... Duke Ellington... Soul to Soul in Ghana... Monterey Jazz... thank you for this! Hopefully you will like this portrait... my gift to you.

Have a good time Saturday… Happy Birthday!

At The Feet of a Jazz Master

Three years ago, I followed a ninety-three year old legend to New York City for a historic event...The NEA, or National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters induction ceremony. At the time, my father-in-law was on his death bed in a Los Angeles hospital. My father-in-law had been hospitalized on numerous occasions, but I did not think that he would die while I was in New York.

I was truly excited about the trip to NYC with the great John Levy. His name is not new to jazz purists. He started his career as a jazz bassist – even played with Billie Holiday. Most know him though as the greatest jazz manager ever. A quick visit to Wikipedia or Google should explain my excitement.

To be in New York City surrounded by jazz royalty – Nancy Wilson, Tony Bennett, Billy Taylor, Chick Corea, Freddie Hubbard, McCoy Tyner… at the feet of a Jazz Master… John Levy. Another highlight would be spending time in the recording studio with Nancy Wilson.


News of my father-in-laws passing came during the special NEA Jazz Masters luncheon. It was truly a bittersweet moment. It was tough losing a man who had become my father. Yet I was in New York, placed in a unique position to bear witness to history from behind the lens. Leo, my father, my friend, knew that photography was my passion, so I hoped that he would understand.

Tears for my father-in-law flowed freely at one point. I was in the recording studio with Nancy Wilson while she recorded Billie Holiday's “I’ll be seeing you.” If you know the song, you will know why. "I'll be seeing you in all the old familiar places..." Anyway, she too had lost a good friend earlier in the week... the great Lou Rawls. So we shared a tearful moment during the studio playback of the song. I love Nancy Wilson!


John turns ninety-seven this weekend and I wanted to send birthday greetings and to thank him for an incredible experience in New York. Let me pause for a second... ninety-seven... God is good! I just spoke with Mr. Levy and he is about to go into an interview. The legend only grows!

Black Awards Shows

Yesterday, my daughter brought a stack of 4x6 prints to me that she had stored in her room. I’m still looking through them as I write this because they bring back so many memories. Most of the images are of Black celebrities in the late nineties when I was covering tons of Black events. Two of those images are posted here.

The first image was taken at the Brotherhood Crusade office. I had gone there with my friend and fellow photographer, Michael Riddick. At the time, he was the photographer for Brotherhood. Whenever he had a big job, I would help him and he would in turn help me when I had some big event.


The whole Death Row Records family was coming to the Brotherhood office that day and he wanted to be ready in the event that Danny Bakewell, CEO of the Brotherhood Crusade, wanted to take portraits. I had brought along my studio lights and backdrop and set up everything in Mr. Bakewell’s office.

What a day! Tupac, Snoop, M.C. Hammer, Daz, Michel'le and of course big Shug… the whole Death Row crew was there. The late L.A. gang peacemaker Darren 'Bo' Taylor was also there with a whole group of ex-gang members from his group Unity One. They were all there for a press conference to announce a benefit concert. It would be kind of like WattStax and it would take place that year in September at the Los Angeles Coliseum.

After the press conference, at least 50 people were crowded into Mr. Bakewell’s office for a meeting between Death Row and Unity One that was extremely heated at times. Tupac was the smallest dude in the room, but talked the most ish. Some of the ex-gang members were bigger than Shug. The situation grew more tense with every Tupac word. I was expecting something to jump off at any minute. At that point, most of my studio and camera gear was on the other side of the room. I credit 'Bo' Taylor with keeping things cool that day and for making it possible for me to leave with all of my equipment in working order.

Maybe two months later, Tupac was dead. What’s extra strange; Tupac wore that same white suit in the "I Ain't Mad at Cha" video where he raps from heaven. The planned concert never happened.

The second image was taken at the Soul Train Awards. Luther and Whitney… man those were good times! This was long before WireImage. At that time, publicists at every Black awards show made sure that Ebony/Jet photographer Bill Jones had a front row seat. So if you happened to be sitting there, you had to move. In all honesty, most white photographers only covered our awards shows if our biggest stars came out. Getting in Jet was special then. So every A-list Black talent stopped for Bill. Black talent really had a special relationship with black media back then.


These two images are connected in a way. I really think that the death of Tupac, and later Notorious BIG, changed how mainstream media covered Black events. Before their untimely deaths, most mainstream—White photographers stayed in the press room at Black awards shows for that shot of Whitney, Janet, Halle or Denzel. Afterward it seemed that White photographers were bumping Black photographers from the press room so that they could build their archives of Black rappers or anybody that might show up on a police blotter.

I do miss the Soul Train Awards. Most of those shows were taped for later broadcast. So you knew that in covering the event, you were in for a very long night. But I loved seeing the parade of beautiful, talented Blackness. Thanks Mr. Cornelius for the memories.

Tulip Season

Almost every spring, you will find me in search of tulips... my favorite flower. Descanso Gardens in La Cañada, California is a great spot to get a little exercise and photograph beautiful flowers. When all else fails, I head to the flower mart in downtown Los Angeles.

HBO Brave New Voices

Russell Simmons brings another program to HBO starting this month. I covered the Los Angeles Premiere of Brave New Voices last Wednesday night on the Warner Bros. lot for HBO. Celebrities on hand included Russell Simmons, Eva Pigford & Lance Gross, Stan & Sanaa Lathan and Bill Duke.

Brave New Voices chronicles the teenage members of poetry slam teams from six U.S. cities as they compete in regional competitions that culminate in the annual Brave New Voices National Slam competition produced by Youth Speaks.

The 7 episode series debuts Sunday’s 11PM ET/PT beginning April 5 on HBO.

Simmons, the father of hip hop, paused for a minute on the red carpet to take a photo of the theater marquee to post on Twitter. Brave New Voices… Brave New Technology… news is getting out now long before the newspapers and magazines even get notice... R.I.P. old media...

IPhone Envy... Blackberry Reality

I love my Blackberry Curve! But like many Blackberry owners, it’s tough to love it in the presence of an IPhone owner; especially when they are doing phone tricks… watch my phone do this… zip zip done! Well much respect to all IPhone owners.

I added a new theme… free theme to my Blackberry today, and I love my Blackberry even more. Plus, I added the Opera Mini browser. It allows me to access sites that I could not view securely on the traditional Blackberry browser. Is it an IPhone? No. But I’m happy! Click below for more info.

Blackberry Theme - http://rogersmj.com/design/bphone/
Opera Mini - http://www.opera.com/mini/

Old Dog - New Tricks

Long gone are the days where you can exist without some elements of new technology in your life. I certainly remember those times before digital image capture, cell phones, debit cards and the internet. Getting off the sofa to change the TV channel or flip the LP on the turntable... being tethered to a corded phone conversation... arriving at the bank with a check only to find closed doors... typing a school paper with very limited typing skills… So much has changed!

This old dog has added Facebook, Twitter & now Blogger to the tool palette. Facebook has been great so far; because I have reconnected with so many lost friends. Twitter is still a little strange for me. I'm sure that the beginning here at Blogger will be slow and goofy, but I hope to make this a place where you can come to go behind the lens and behind the man.

I love photography and have been fortunate enough to find sustained opportunity. God is good! I hope to use this venue to share stories and images from my archives. Plus, things are sometimes on my mind and I need a place to share.



This image was created for the 2009 Los Angeles Black Business Expo. I have been working with BBX for nearly a decade. It all grew out of a friendship with Rene Washington, the graphic designer and Isidra Person-Lynne, the BBX communications wiz. I vividly remember driving the streets of Los Angeles one day... looking up to see the first billboard image that I shot for the Expo... wow! It was something that I hadn't imagined in my best dreams. Since then, I have created several billboard images for the Expo. My friend, Wendy Raquel Robinson, has been featured on several of those billboards. This year, she is joined by a few students from Amazing Grace Conservatory; a school that she founded with the late Tracey Coley.