During the warm-weather months, I shoot what I call "modeled-street", a primarily outdoor genre where I position a good looking pin-sharp mod up-front and prominent amidst the blur and movement of everyday big-city life. The surround is ever changing hustle/bustle, our mode hand-held/natural-light/quick-pose/quick-catch. There's intimidation involved, same as in all forms of close-up "street", we get into other peoples' private space, we kid and socialize, I coach/coax/cajole/tease/growl (friendly growl), and if the gods be good, we get our shots. We shoot close-up, wide and full-open, never more than a few feet apart, using the mod as the central framing device, capturing as much of the living surround as is complimentary and contextually fanciful. A typical shoot is 4-6 hours, and burns a lot of shoe leather. When crowds are sparse as they often are, we fill-in with solos amidst city architecture/infrastructure/grit. We often don't get what we want, crowds can be ornery to mods/togs posing into their space, but when we do, the effect is urban/street/head-turning/catchy, and IMHO well worth wrestling with all the uncontrollables involved.

During the winter months, I shoot in-door natural-light modeled shoots at Conservatories, train stations, subway stations (till security shoos us off), apartments/flats, wherever I can find warmth and big-city/big-character interest. Same as for summertime "modeled-street", the idea is to position the mod close-up and pin-sharp amidst whatever interesting surround is available, using wide-aperture blur to add pop, interest and fanciful context.

I also shoot non-modeled flora, mostly macro, and "mechanicals", autos/bridges/factories and the like.

My camera is the 4/3 format Olympus E-3. Lenses are Zuiko f/2.8-4 12-60mm (24-120 equiv), f/4 7-14mm (14-28 equiv), and f/2 50mm macro (100 equiv).

I'm glad to be here at SmugMug, and look forward to lots of interaction. Slowly uploading best of my modeled-street and other sets, 16 more already in the can for when I have time (3/6/09).

Always looking for comment and critique, and return every one. Good way for all of us to share the creative experience, and to grow.