i was on the lookout for something to put my CF cards in while traveling and shooting. one of my most awesome, thoughtful clients had originally bought me a polka-dotted scooter pouch from the dainty squid. at first i was using my beloved pouch to stuff and store business cards. it was my rolodex. well, my compact flash cards kicked out the business cards and i now use the pouch exclusively to store and transport my memory cards to and from shoots. with a lot of back-to-back shoots, i need to store each assignment separate from one another. while photographers will find that its not a traditional storage container, it sure is cute. you can find these on etsy and thedaintysquid.com. i had a hard time deciding between all the options to be honest. there were everything from travel themed patterns, robots, scissors, owls, piggies, measuring tape, woodgrain, fawn, skulls, lawn gnomes….

on the recent trip to jamaica, after the shoots i had a little bit of time to myself. i wasn’t sure what i was going to do if i wasn’t making pictures… i could tour a rum factory, jump off a cliff (really), climb up a waterfall, go swim in the ocean. instead, i decided to go out and meet people in their community and shoot more. i remember during the drive from the airport mobay to negril, heading down winding dirt roads through little villages, seeing well-dressed school children standing in the afternoon sun outside of colorful small homes. a hiring commercial tour operator wasn’t my thing, and i decided to instead take a taxi into town to see what the morning had to offer. i called a cab and into town. on the way, the driver picked up as many people as the car would fit. racing down unpaved roads with the windows down and some folks singing along to the reggae music on the radio; i loved listening to the passengers conversations and picking up bits of their patois language. i got to my destination where i planned to meet up with a friend and we walked around. i saw residential neighborhoods, wild goats, old lada cars, and lush hilly terrain. i saw so many old motorcycle taxis, some riding three up, and i wanted to go for a ride. while the movie rockers takes place in kingston, the culture displayed in the movie isn’t much different than what i saw during my visit. my friend and i went to lunch at a small local bar and i tried some sorrel juice which was sweet with a bit of spice, maybe ginger. one of the most memorable times was meeting a family and photographing a new mother and her three week old daughter. the word in jamaican patois for child is pickney/pikni. the close-knit people in their community that i met were so nice. today i sent some 8×10 prints to the people i was introduced to and photographed. for these photos i used a 24-70mm lens and available light.

i am so excited to be a part of headshots for haiti! click below to find out more information. i am participating out of chicago, but there are many other photographers in other cities as well.

Founded by headshot photographer, Jordana Zeldin, Headshots for Haiti has been established to help to raise money for Partner in Health’s Stand with Haiti Relief Effort. Participating photographers have pledged to donate a portion of all headshot sessions through the month of February to the initiave.”

if you would like to donate directly to partners in health, please click here.

“oh what fun it is to ride over to heather’s studio for a shoot… against the green screen chomping on candy canes”

i’m back from my shoots in jamaica. i photographed a new luxury resort, a wedding at another resort, and spent time in a village and listened to stories from the residents and even photographed a three week old baby. i will have many photos to share soon. i am excited to go through the refreshing architectural photography and amazing destination wedding. i am sending dozens of portraits to my new friends back in jamaica.

please click the image below to learn more about my plans to help jamaicans on an individual and broader level.

we all know who the king of rock and the king of pop are, but few people are familiar with the king of ska: jamaica’s own derrick morgan. last year i had the opportunity to meet and photograph him as part of a documentary by generoso fierro who puts together the roots of reggae, rocksteady, and ska on film.

some of my favorite music comes from jamaica. ken boothe, hopeton lewis, delroy wilson, alton ellis, just to name a few.

i was recently contacted to do a shoot in jamaica and i couldn’t say no! while most americans hadn’t held passports for years and were able to still flock to the caribbean, my passport is on its last legs and i have never been to the caribbean – or jamaica for that matter. i will be working on two shoots in the town of negril. i used allison at CRC Travel (773-525-3800) who has been great in helping me understand booking with the right layovers & thus ensuring even with delays i have a higher chance of making it to important destination shoots. i’ve also passed her name on to several clients for their honeymoon travel agent needs. though we all have the capacity to book travel online, sometimes it is very helpful to have someone to guide you through decisions you may not have even thought of.those of you who have seen me shoot know that i often carry around my trusty jelly bean trolley made by designer hideo wakamatsu. how could you miss it, right? you’d be amazed how much gear you can fit in this little beast. it’s not specifically a photographer’s equipment case, but it does the job well. i use the tamrac modular accessory system to safeguard my equipment and with a little practice, i am able to fit a lot of gear into a small suitcase – and whats even bettter, it fits in airplane overhead bins.two of the most important things i will bring on my trip are my hasselblad and my iphone. over wifi i will be available by phone and have access to email. unfortunately although my dog has been on airplanes before, she has to stay home for this trip.
random note: for any film photographers who follow me, the best investment for a hasselblad system is the acute matte D focusing screen. i swear by it!

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