Baltimore woman Sheontay Smith, 27, is on a waiting list for subsidized child care. She is photographed Tuesday, December 6, 2011 in the Southwest neighborhood of Baltimore “Sowebo” where she works as an inspection scheduler for the Baltimore Housing Authority. Day care for her three-year-old is $520 a month, her second highest monthly expense next to rent. She could apply for child care assistance if she didn’t have a job.

The New York Times story, which outlines the frustrating reality of raising a kid by a single working mom, is here.

One of the tough parts of making these portraits is that they were during her lunch hour. Ideally I would’ve gotten her at least getting her son ready for school in the morning, but, for some reason, that wasn’t feasible. We also couldn’t make pictures in her office. So, we just walked around the block. I felt bad because Sheontay — a pretty attractive woman — would get hollered at. “Damn Girl! You a model?!?” I know my camera and I didn’t help. Sheontay took it all in stride, though. 

AARP Bulletin DOP Michael Wichita called me up a few months ago — actually, while I was in Denver for Geekfest – needing an in-house mock up made so he could pitch an illustration idea to his bosses for a big story they’re doing on the kind of people who use Social Security. He needed it ASAP! So, I grabbed whoever was closest: Denver Post staff video shooter Mahala Gaylord and Denver-based freelancer Ben Rasmussen. Oh. and that’s me on the left.

Michael sent me a fast drawing of his idea: …which I LOVE!

The idea is to make a white seamless portrait of several Social Security recipients and explain their situations with written vignettes.

This is Michael’s idea put to work. It’s the promo piece for the story.

The story section looks a little different. You can see it here.

I photographed one recipient from Baltimore, Dr. Timothy Modlin. Here’s his vignette.

I was told to make a mugshot, too.  – which I kinda like.And of course what kind of a friend would I be if I didn’t show the outtakes from the mock-up shoot in Denver?Cheers!

I recently realized that I when I listen to music I respond waaaayyy more to the mood a song creates than I do to its lyrics. I always hear how the vocals are sung and never hear what’s being said. Maybe that’s why I like metal?

It didn’t take too long for me to understand I react the same way to photographs.

And as you know, light controls most of the mood of a photo. Sure, so does body language, but when the two meet…

So, these are test shots. I was working on super controlled, film noirish lighting. Like the first Scary Self Portrait post I wanted the eyes to go entirely black, with the exception of two small, piercing, catch lights, made, this time, with an underpowered, tightly gridded monolight. The key light in the above photo is pointed down, off my right shoulder.This picture only uses one gridded mono light, positioned directly underneath my camera & pointed up. The grid is so tight & focused none of the shadow hits the wall.This one is the combination of the two. and as a bonus, here’s me in a luchador mask.

You know how some photographers LOVE shooting weddings while others shoot them every so often to make some extra money? Well, I came to a decision earlier this year that I don’t shoot weddings. I don’t advertise as a wedding photographer. So, I only get referrals from friends. None of my friends can afford my rates ($3200-$5400), and neither can their relatives. So, I never really book weddings. It’s okay. I like having my weekends free.

Another way photographers make extra money are family/kid/baby/and pet portraits. That’s a bit more my speed and interest level. But I don’t really wanna make cheesy glamour shot/Olan Mills pictures, either. I like funny.

So, I got an idea.

Messy Kid Portraits!

Heck! if someone wants a portrait of them and their spouse playing in the mud I’ll shoot that too.

…seriously. I’LL SHOOT THAT! call me.

So, This shoot features Margot Ludwig. When I made these photos (Wednesday, August 31, 2011) she was almost two.  I approached her mom Kendall — who owns Curly Red Designs — with the idea. Obviously, Kendall was in.

Sally Carle, an interior designer and home organizer from Bethesda, Maryland demonstrates how to thoroughly clean a toilet, Sunday, December 4, 2011. Aside from a minimal amount of bleach, she uses all green products.

I made this wacky wacky photo shoot for a fun story the New York Times did on Extreme Cleaners.

Sally’s a regular germ-slayer!“Blue is for the loo. Pink is for the sink.”Aside from a minimal amount of bleach, she uses all green products, like toilet paper made from recycled material and Seventh Generation cleaner.

This photo even made it onto the New York Time’s home page for a bit!

Yup. this is what sometimes happens when I try a new lighting set up and no one else is around. enjoy!

 My friend Andrea Wise has a fire juggling brother. So, when I found out I couldn’t not make some photos, right? 

The El Mateo!
Luchador mask courtesy of the limited edition “Weird Sports” book by Sol Neelman.

Check it out: I’m in good company.

What better way to sell aprons than to set stuff on fire, right?

We cracked a few eggs, too. LITERALLY!

So, if you’re a person who’s easily offended by exploding yolks, don’t go any further.

Seriously, though. The egg breaking photos are pretty awesome.

My neighbor Kristen Rigney owns City Sparrow where you can buy retro styled, HAND MADE, aprons & pot holders. …one pot holder actually got a little singed during this shoot.

The idea behind this shoot is to illustrate the follies of an unskilled housewife.

So, if you want one of her aprons, she’ll be selling them December 3rd at the Charm City Craft Mafia’s Holiday Heap.

..or online at www.etsy.com/shop/CitySparrow.

Let the eggsploding begin!The egg got everywhere. The ceiling, the floor 15 feet away from Kristen, on my shirt. I got a little of the white on my camera, too, but none in my hair, surprisingly. Obviously, Kristen wasn’t so lucky.

Kal Penn, actor and former Associate Director in the White House Office of Public Engagement, is photographed in a neighborhood of northwestern D.C. Tuesday, November 8, 2011.

I got to meet a movie star a few weeks ago! Kal Penn!

Some of you might know him as Kumar, Dr. Lawrence Kutner, or Gogol from The Namesake.

…but I imagine his White House security badge said Kalpen Modi, his birth name.

The New York Times profile paints him as a modest, hard worker. Kinda the opposite of a Hollywood stereotype. I’ll be honest, I was charmed.

It’s always good to find common ground with subjects, but I was a little trepidatious to bring up the Harold & Kumar movies. I assume it’s a point of exhaustion for him, but I couldn’t help it. I’m genuinely excited to see the third movie. I also said I was rooting for his character on House. But we went on to talk about other stuff, too, like how uninspiring the food at the White House cafeteria is, how he’s barely experienced life in DC because he’s always working, and, of course, really good bad movies.