When you reminisce with your family, no one ever says, “Hey, remember that time we all posed perfectly for that portrait photographer?” I love portrait photography, and there are so many creative ways to show someone’s personality through it. But capturing personality, emotion and everyday life through documentary photography is my passion. Allowing my subjects…
I never had deep conversations with my father. I don’t know much about his childhood because I never really got the chance to ask. But, as a little kid I was always fascinated with his senior picture. I’d stare at it for hours and comb through his year book wondering what he was like back…
The first thing I remember about the Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail is the silence. Not true silence — wind through the trees, distant birds, boots against dirt — but the kind of quiet that makes you pay attention to where you are. Over the years, the trail became more than just a place to hike….
Even if you’ve never heard the history behind Staple Bend Tunnel, you feel it the second you approach it. The contrast between the heavy, humid air outside and the cool air spilling from the tunnel stops you in your tracks. Dark stone cuts through the surrounding forest in sharp contrast, making the tunnel feel like…
50K, relay, 30K—and new this year, a 10K. My first official trail race job. I’ve shot trail before, but just for fun. Never like this. Never for a full day. I did my research. I had a plan. Batteries charged, bag packed. I even squeezed in a quick morning run on the treadmill to keep…
Portrait photography isn’t just about capturing a face — it’s about sculpting light. One of the most powerful techniques for doing this in post-processing is dodge and burn. If you’ve ever wondered how professional retouchers make skin look three-dimensional, eyes pop, or cheekbones appear more defined, dodge and burn is almost always part of the…
If you’ve ever spent too long trying to mask out a sky, blend a texture onto skin without it looking painted on, or merge two exposures naturally, there’s a Photoshop feature that can save you a huge amount of time. It’s called Blend If, and it’s one of those hidden gems that even intermediate photographers…
Color grading is one of those finishing touches that separates a good portrait from a truly memorable one. It’s not just about making an image look “pretty” — it’s about creating a mood, a consistency across your work, and making your subject feel like they belong in the light around them.The good news? You don’t…
