This dude @mykellarrin absolutely killed it at the Road to @xgames qualifier today and was kind enough to step aside for a quick portrait after. Lucky to see these athletes do their (incredible) thing and support with my (slightly less incredible) thing. . ⚡️🚲⚡️ . #xgames #xgamesboise

Road to the @xgames. Boise, ID.

I have five or six "jobs" but they all feel like the same thing. . They didn't always feel that way though. For years I felt uncomfortable switching back and forth, walking a line of art and design. I had separate business cards for everything I did and my time was spent mostly making sure I wasn't dropping one of those plates I was trying to spin. Something happened a couple years ago and they all started to turn into the same thing, I started to think about them the same way and, thankfully, I started to worry less about dropping plates. . One of those job I have is teacher, or professor, or mentor, whatever you'd like to call it. I think to be a good one you need to constantly be a student as well, hopefully with enough humility to know you haven't figured it all out but with enough passion to share what you have. . On the best days, it's a two way street, I get as much from my students as I give to them. It doesn't always work that way, I wish it did. But after doing this for a number of years I realized we use mostly use "talent" to excuse ourselves for things that anyone can have; enthusiasm, openness, self-efficacy, humility, a willingness to try, fail and iterate. This is one of my students, Shane Valentine. It would be easy to say he's "talented" but it's more accurate to use those latter words. . Footnote: This was shot on a Minolta MD 50mm 1.7 lens. It's used, over 40 years old and only costs about 50 bucks if you're looking for one online. That is to say: it's not about the tools, but man they're fun.

When your students are too shy to pose for a photography workshop, you gotta show em' how it's done.

Nevermind.

My feelings about Miami are about as mixed as a Mojito. I've had some amazing nights there, and some terrible ones too. Every one there seems to be pretty, and tan, and rich so, you know, I don't fit in too well. . But there is something special there you can't deny. Always thankful to work and travel, thankful for companies that trust me to execute their vision and take chances. Here's to more sweaty nights and sandy lenses.

Yer Baby Boy is in Miami for the night! . Where should I get weird, eat a Cuban sandwich and go to bed early in a fancy hotel room? . 📸 x Shane Valentine

My friends in @bonesbandbones released their new video for "Creature" today and it's absolutely fantastic. I was lucky enough to hang around a capture some stills behind the scenes. I love these images but I don't think I can take too much credit for them, other than you know, clicking the shutter. . I'm a big fan of the auteur, strong vision is important. But bigger, better projects require teams and they had an amazing one for this; models, location, setting, prop, makeup, they all tell a story. . Check out the whole story, "CREATURE" at: bit.ly/BONESxCREATURE

Yesterday I taught my Full Sail University students how to shoot one light portraits because I'm really excited to put myself out of a job. . Damnit. . 📸: Lorianne Melendez

Steve West (@stevewest + @silverpistonphotography ) is a free man. . I swung by his shop this past week to check out his process and talk photography for a bit. It's important to find your kindred spirits. Steve is a creative, an art director who played the corporate game and saw enough. Now he does his own thing and he does it well, exactly the way he wants. . Check out his shop (I'm a proud owner of one of the hobo rings): http://silverpiston.com