After reading a recommendation on photographer and writer Andrew S Gibson’s blog, I started to cull through all my photos from this past year and picked out nearly 100 I would select as my top photos. I didn’t think picking just 10 would be so dificult. So many great images got cut, but I think I’m happy claiming these 10 as my favorite photos of 2015:
Jim Krut is better known as the Helicopter Zombie from Dawn of the Dead, but at the New York Horror Show, we noticed he resembled The Governor from Walking Dead. The talented crew behind the convention had built a photo-op set resembling the Governor’s chamber, so I set up a single light in a small soft-box and captured this image of Jim posing as The Governor. We had only a few minutes to pull off the shot, and it turned out great. Jim is an extremely nice guy and it was a pleasure to work with him.
Setting up at conventions can be difficult. At Eternal Con, I was not given the normal 10×10 space I would have liked, but I set up a backdrop and a few lights and nailed this shot of cosplay model Adaina Velez.
Actress, singer and model Lauren Clover and I talked for a while about doing a Tomb Raider themed shoot. With the help of one of her friends, we set out to the Muttontown Preserve to shoot at the Ruins of King Zog. This was my first “themed” shoot, and I was very happy with how the images turned out. There’s more images from this shoot on my Personal Projects page.
I’ve started to pay more attention to the lighting in my photographs. I’ve spent the past two years experimenting with speedlights and studio lights and set up the room prior to this performance by Tribal Dance Long Island. I love the exposure and the backlighting. I’m not even bothered by the strobe being in the shot.
I’m not a wedding photographer, and those close to me know that I don’t want to be, but when I attended the beautiful wedding of my cousin Courtney to Tyler, I got so many great shots of the affair, but this one of my uncle and aunt walking Courtney towards the aisle will forever hold a special place in my heart.
This photo of my friend Will was shot in complete darkness at the Maker Faire in Queens, NY. This shot is an extremely acurate representation of the idea I had when we set out to make the image. This was one of my first successful attempts at matching the ambient light with that of my flash, and for that reason, I selected it to be among my top 10. Hopefully my ability to judge the necessary lighting on the fly will improve more as I continue to practice.
Also shot at the New York Maker Faire, this array of Raspberry Pi nodes demonstrating a map-reduce algorythm was one of my favorite perspective shots I created. I love the repetitive pattern made from each node and how they taper off towards the top of the frame.
Seeing Peter Hurley speak at the PhotoPlus expo inspired me to take a stab at his own style of portraiture. Reproducing his style of lighting with the equipment at my disposal, I was able to create some stunning head shots for friends, associates and clients. I really liked the results and am working to improve my posing direction and eye for detail.
After reading Light Science and Magic: An Introduction to Photographic Lighting
Sometimes the simplest photos can have the most appeal. I sat in place waiting for someone interesting to walk through this line of caroling singer and musicians. I don’t think I could have captured an image that showed the joy of this guy as he walked down the street heading to Santa-Con.
I highly recommend that you also go through your photos and pick out your favorites. Looking back later on you’ll be able to see how your personal style, skill and views have changed over time.
Thank you so much Jay for making making part of your 2015 best images. I am very honored.