Learn to capture cars at speed (and more), at Canon Live Learning

As you may (or may not) have noticed, there hasn’t been a flurry of activity on my blog, Facebook page or Website lately. It’s not for lack of want, but more a lack of available time: I’ve been running like a chicken with its head cut off on an adventure — taking a step back to step forward – to feed my creative soul.

I’ve taken a sabbatical from Hawaiian Fine Art Nature Photography going back to the Mainland for a bit to spend time with my folks, help around the house and provide shuttle service to and from various appointments. But being “based” in SoCal has also opened up a several opportunities that I wouldn’t have had otherwise. Back in what I call my “previous life,” I was a writer and photographer for various automotive publications. It’s a career I was destined for, since my first word was car and I started driving at the age of three (I’d sit on my grandfather’s lap and steer the car around the block, while he’d work the gas and brake pedals). Once my old friends and contacts learned I was going to be in Cali for an extended period of time, offers to shoot started coming out of the woodwork.

In a way, it’s been a step backwards: Like most photographer’s, we move from project to project and sometimes evolve from specializing in one genre to another. In my photographic career, I’ve evolved from journalism to automotive to Hawaiian fine art. There was a clear delineation in the business sense, but that never stopped me from shooting cars for friends or documenting the last sugar cane burn on Maui.

This is the first time I’ve returned to a genre in the business sense, and it’s been a breath of fresh air. I’ve shot several cars for a forthcoming book on modified DeTomaso Panteras and I’ve been freelancing with Mecum Auctions, shooting vehicles for their online and print auction catalogs. It’s also afforded the opportunity to photograph some wonderful bits of nature – Maine’s fall colors, Alpenglow in Lake Tahoe, and Monterey’s incredible seascape to name a few – and find a new appreciation for the beauty that surrounds us, no matter where we are.

Another new opportunity has also come in the teaching department: At 6 PM on Thursday, September 28th, I’ll be teaching a seminar – Capturing Cars: Bringing Horsepower to Life Through the Lens – at Canon Live Learning in the Orange County Canon Experience Center (123 Paularino Avenue, Costa Mesa, CA 92626). If you’ve ever wondered how automotive photographers get sweeping shots of racecars, snaking down Laguna Seca’s famous Corkscrew, or how to capture the dramatic beauty shots of one-of-a-kind vehicles in auction catalogs, or the feeling of an exotic car at speed along PCH, then this seminar is just for you. I’ll be teaching the tricks of the trade, sharing the gear, tools and techniques to capture raw horsepower and the elegance of automotive design through the lens. Get ready, the green flag’s about to drop on this Canon Live Learning seminar! Just point your browser to http://www.learn.usa.canon.com/events_calendar/event_details/cll_events/oc/20170928_oc_capturingcars.shtml to sign up. I’ll see you in Costa Mesa on the 28th!