IN MY BAG: FOOD AND DRINK PHOTOGRAPHY

(FROM LEFT TO RIGHT, TOP TO BOTTOM)

1. WESTCOTT U60-B SOFT COLLAPSIBLE SOFTBOX

2. WESTCOTT U60-B LED LIGHT

3. WESTCOTT U60-B POWER CABLE

4. LIGHT STAND

5. MeFOTOO A1350 ALUMINUM TRIPOD

6. NIKON 80-400MM ED VR F4.5-5.6

7. NIKON 24-70MM G F2.8

8. NIKON 17-35MM D F2.8

9. NIKON 24-120MM ED VR F3.5-5.6

10. NIKON MC-30A CABLE RELEASE

11. NIKON D4S

12. NIKON D5

Outside of photojournalism and documentary work, I also do a decent amount of food and cocktail photography. I started consistently photographing food a few years ago and at first, was quite nervous as it was so outside of the type of work I normally do. I rarely used lighting equipment and was not used to setting up the scene myself.

I originally tried to use my Nikon flashes or natural light for the lighting however, I am not great at using flashes and natural light is not always available in a restaurant. After some research, I began using some Constant LED light kits and eventually settled on using Westcott. The constant light allows me just to expose the camera to the light and not have to mess around with a flash or adjust exposure or anything. A lot of people have told me they prefer using flashes, however, for now using single or double LED lights works perfectly for me. I can adjust the temperature and brightness and then just expose what I see and have a wide array of filters to attach to the light. I usually only need to use one light for these shoots. In addition to the food I also photograph the service and kitchen in the restaurants, restaurants can get really dark, and you can only push ISO so far so in those cases where I have to be mobile I will use one of my flashes, however, I try to avoid this when I can.

When I first started shooting food and restaurants I had a fuji XH-1 and a D4s. I really did not like using the XH-1 for this kind of work, the APSC cropped sensor wasn’t good working in the dark conditions of the restaurant, and the autofocus wasn’t great either, in the end, it felt like the wrong tool. I bought the D5 from a friend for both photojournalism and commercial work, the D5 and the D4S have been excellent for this work.

The lenses I use cover pretty much the entire spectrum of common focal ranges. In effect all the lenses combined I have a coverage of 17-400mm. Not all of them are the most expensive or state-of-the-art lenses, the 80-400 and the 24-120 are both in the line of consumer lenses, however for restaurant work and using light kits the F stops don’t matter a whole lot. for a lot of the cocktail photos, I used the 80-400 and sat about 15-20 feet from the glass, often shooting through other drinks or glasses to create interesting visuals.

I have thoroughly enjoyed restaurant photography, the food, the energy, and the spaces. Those who have worked in a kitchen can understand how chaotic the kitchen can be, and the unique energy that circulates through an establishment at the prime dinner hour. When it comes to photographing the dishes and the food, I was unsure if I would enjoy this part, however, I’ve found it incredibly enjoyable and even meditative, not to mention getting to sample some of the food and drink after the shoot as well!

I have been lucky enough to work with chefs who are experienced in arranging and presenting the dish for photos, so I myself don’t do all the arranging, I usually come up with the background or general setting then me and the chef together decide what to show with the dish.

Below are some examples of my food and restaurant photography.

IN MY BAG: RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR 2023

I returned to Ukraine for the 3rd time in the late spring and worked into the summer of 2023. The war had been going on for a year and much of the fighting had shifted to the south and to the east. Kyiv and other cities in the north and west that had seen fighting in 2022 had returned to a quasi normal state despite there still being missile and drone attacks on a regular basis. I and my colleagues Seth Herald and Daniel Hudd worked in Kyiv and Dnipro covering daily life through the trip, however we also went south to the city of Kherson where heavy fighting was continuing daily, and to the Donbas region around Slavyansk, Kramatorsk, and Izyum which were along the frontlines.

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT TOP TO BOTTOM

1. CAT Tourniquet (this one was worn on my vest daily in the field or carried in my pocket, however I always had this with me wherever I was, I carried 2 others in my med kit as well)

2. Crush resistent fingerless gloves

3. Passport

4. Moleskin journal for notes

5. Ukrainian phrase book and dictionary and flashcards (I had been studying Ukrainian for a while, however the phrase book and flash cards were still frequently used)

6. Fujinon 18mm f2

7. Fujinon 23mm f2

8. Fujinon 50mm f2

9. Fujinoon 90mm f2

10. Nikkor 24-70mm f2.8 ED

11. Nikon D4s

12. Ballistics helmet

13. Air blower tool to remove dust from equipment

14. Anker charging block with iPhone cord

15. iPhone charging block and adapter for European outlets

16. Nikon SC-17 tether cable for off camera flash

17. Nikon SB-910 Flash

18. Fujifilm X-PRO1

19. Fujifilm X-H1

20. Bullet proof vest with velcro PRESS patch

21. Newswear waist pack

22. Medical Kit (contents of my medical kit will be posted in a later post)

23. Saramonic XLR shotgun mic

24. Canon XA-10 camcorder with handle and XLR inputs

25. Compas

26. Physical press credential from agency (as in 2022 access to the frontlines and other areas required a govt issued Press ID that was kept on my phone)

27. The TechDeck mini skateboard I carried in 2022 and 2019

I didn’t include several items such as the LED light for my camcorder, my Iphone (I was on the phone while taking this picture) my batteries, my SD cards, and some other odds and ends.

For this trip I was beginning my switch back to Nikon from Fujifilm. I enjoyed using Fuji very much, however my X-PRO2 broke before I left, and I was growing increasingly frustrated with the low light capabilities, the battery life, and the cropped sensors on the Fujis. Most of the stills I took, about 80%, were shot with my Nikon D4s and 24-70mm, the very same D4s I used while covering the Donbas War in 2019.

I also bought a professional camcorder for this trip, and actually ended up shooting alot of video for the agencies I was working for. The camcorder was quite old, thats all I could afford, it was released in 2011 however it worked beautifully in the field and with 2 spare batteries I could shoot for several hours straight. It was very portable as the lens hood and carrying handle could quickly be removed making the camcorder almost the size of my X-PRO1.

This trip was quite different. Much of the focus was on how the war affected and changed daily life in Ukraine one year after the war. I spent time revisiting places around Kyiv that one year earlier were battlefields but had since been rebuilt, I also spent time in a prosthetics clinic and with mine removal crews. I didn’t cover much frontline areas or combat during this trip, however, we did travel to the south to cover the fighting in Kherson and the subsequent flooding from the Kharkovka Dam destruction. While we were there we photographed rescue efforts and came under shelling as Russian forces attempted to kill rescue crews.

While there I witnessed multiple missile and drone attacks in nearly every city I traveled to. In Kyiv for the first half of the trip drone and missile attacks on the city were a nightly occurrence, and in Dnipro multiple s-300 ballistic missiles struck clinics and residential areas, one missile flew right over the apartment we were staying in and hit a nearby clinic killing several people.

Working was easier this time around, there were still restrictions on press, but for the most part if you spoke the language and knew the people to reach out to you were mostly able to get access, however getting to areas like Bakhmut or Chasiv Yar was extremely difficult unless you directly knew the press officers or went in with an aid group.

I will likely not be able to return to Ukraine until 2025, as I recently moved to Philadelphia and am having to start up my freelance business in a new region of the US, but I am already planning to return, with each trip my Ukrainian is better and my hope is I will be able to communicate without a translator when I return.

BELOW ARE IMAGES MADE THS TRIP

In My Bag: Street photography at Qalandia Checkpoint

Second post of the In My Bag project I am doing. 

This week I am showcasing the gear I take with me while photographing around the Qalandia Checkpoint in the West Bank. The checkpoint connects the West Bank and Jerusalem and is on the outskirts of Ramallah. Anyone crossing from the WB to Israel must show their passport and have the correct credentials to gain access. This makes the checkpoint extremely busy and on a bad day the checkpoint can become impassable with traffic jams lasting up to 4 or more hours. I have photographed at the location multiple times since being in country and always choose the gear I take carefully.

Since the checkpoint is busy and there is little shade packing lightly is essential, no one wants to carry a 3 plus pound camera and lens around with them all day, and the small tight quarters of the area make the need for something compact and sleek very real.

Here is my kit:

1. Fujifilm X-T1

2. Fujifilm X100s (with 23mm f2.0 lens)

3. Passport

4. Fujinon X-Mount 18mm f2.0

5. Tobacco/papers/filters

6. Audio recorder

7. Back up batteries for each camera

8. Lighter

I thoroughly enjoy the freedom of movement and weight that using mirrorless systems allows me, and these cameras are incredibly light and powerful. Not included are water, gum, and whatever else is in my pocket like change etc.

Below are some images made at Qalandia Checkpoint with this set up.

Hope these posts are informative and interesting. Stay tuned for the next post sometime next week.

In my bag: Clashes in the West Bank

I have always been interested in seeing what photographers carry in their bag while on different assignments, thus I have decided to start doing my own weekly posts documenting what gear I take with me on specific assignments. The posts will show the gear I used, a list of the equipment, and some sample images that I took on that particular day/job.

This is the equipment I take with me while covering clashes between Palestinian protesters and Israeli troops in the West Bank.

1. Ballistics helmet

2. Newswear vest with velcro PRESS sign

3. Gas Mask

4. Nikon 70-200mm f2.8 ED

5. Nikon D700

6. Fujifilm XT-1

7. Nikon D4S

8. Loose change (for cab fare and a snack)

9. Nikon 24-70mm f2.8 G

10. Baby Doll head (found on the street, it has become a joke among me and my colleagues to put the dolls head in each others equipment bags to find while working)

11. Nikon 24mm f2.8 D

12. Fujinon 18mm f2

13. Audio recorder

14. Passport

15. Iphone

16. Tobacco/rolling papers/filters

17. Wallet

This is my typical loadout when covering high intensity situations abroad. The helmet, 24mm lens, and newswear vest are my girlfriend's equipment, however when she is not using them or covering clashes I use them. My own personal head protection is actually a construction helmet.

Here are some images from covering clashes that I have made using this equipment.

Hope this post is informative and enjoyable, stay tuned for another gear post next week.

On the Streets of Columbus Pt. 1

Street photography is a discipline that at first glance seems easy enough, in theory what could be easier than snapping candids of passerbys in the city? The reality though is that street photography is incredibly difficult and challenging. There are many off days, I've spent countless hours wandering through city scapes and suburbs with no results, only with hopes that the next morning or evening will be better. That is, for me, where the real reward for street photography lies. When everything lines up just right, and you snap that shot and know you got gold. I've been doing street photography for about 8 years now, and over the past year have really dedicated myself to the art. Every weekday morning and many evenings I take a 2-3 hour walk around Columbus with whichever cameras and lenses suit me for that day. 

There are no specific tools, no you don't need a leica and a 50mm lens, no you don't need black and white film, no you don't need a moleskin diary or slacks and dress shoes. The only thing you really do need is patience, and of course a camera. There's been mornings and evenings where I sit in one specific spot for hours and waited out a moment. Sometimes it happens, other times the light changes and the moment never comes. That is the fun in it though, and over the years I have come to learn alot about people, weather, luck, and light while walking around with cameras dangling from my shoulders. 

Here are the images I am most proud of, the little golden gems I elated over and wanted to rush home right away to edit and post.

Red White and Boom on West Broad Street, Downtown Columbus, Ohio. July 4, 2017.

East Broad Street, Downtown Columbus, Ohio. May 14, 2016.

State Street, Downtown Columbus, Ohio. March 13, 2016.

Barber Shop on Gay Street, Downtown Columbus, Ohio. June 8, 2017.

Broad Street and North High Street, Downtown Columbus, Ohio. November 28, 2016.

North High Street, Downtown Columbus, Ohio. November 5, 2016.

Towne Street, Downtown Columbus, Ohio. October 20, 2016.

Broad Street, Downtown Columbus, Ohio February 25, 2016.

East Broad Street, Downtown Columbus, Ohio. December 20, 2012.

East Town Street, Downtown Columbus, Ohio. December 13, 2013.

Lisle Alley, Columbus, Ohio. December 15, 2010.

Nationwide Boulevard, Downtown Columbus, Ohio. August 8, 2016.

East Long Street, Downtown Columbus, Ohio. August 14, 2016.

4th Street, Downtown Columbus, Ohio. February 25, 2016.

North High Street, Short North Columbus, Ohio. June 17, 2017.

Oak Street, Olde Towne East Columbus, Ohio. June 26, 2016.

Upper Cup Coffee Shop, Parsons Avenue, Columbus, Ohio. May 7, 2016.

Little Palace, 4th Street, Downtown Columbus, January 24, 2017.

Krogers, Front Street, German Village, Columbus, Ohio. May 1, 2016.

Self Portrait, Cleveland Avenue, Columbus, Ohio. May 7, 2016.

North High Street, Downtown Columbus, Ohio. July 4, 2017.

State House, Downtown Columbus, Ohio. June 20, 2017.

From fighting to fair weather, (Photographs from Feb-April)

With winter bleeding away without much of a fight, spring and all the new bright and lively smells and colors that accompany are quickly taking over the Ohio landscape. Marion and Columbus, my two main stomping grounds, are coming to life in the same way that the forests and fields are as well. For this I am glad, the longer days, and the gentle temperatures that feel just right, of course it wont be long until we'll all be complaining about humidity and heat.

The following photographs are selected images taken from the months of February to April, both personal work and photos from my job at the Marion Star. There is no particular theme this time around, just a handful of photos I've made that I enjoy and hope you do as well.