Lemons To Lemonade

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It seems I'm 46 years too late to catch Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali) beating Sonny Liston at this very site. Not to mention that I'd be much older than I am if I'd had that chance.

This shot was commissioned by the Miami Beach Convention Center and Visitors Bureau earlier this year. I think it's a much improved version of their old one (click here) that has yet to be updated at the time of this writing.

I'm always happy to be handed lemons and make some lemonade.

New Heights

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Photography is usually all about problem solving. In this case, on a recent assignment in Missouri, I was faced with photographing an exterior that was on an elevation. From ground level, the shot would have missed all the waterfalls, pools and landscaping, and created some horrible distortion that would probably never look "corrected."

The only solution: hire a boom-lift to get over the trees and into a vantage point for the most flattering view. I don't particularly enjoy heights, so whenever I have to hang out of a helicopter or get 70 feet into the air in a boom, I'm cautious. However, I'll usually do anything for my clients and the right shot. I've even been known to investigate shooting from rooftop edges or buildings that are under construction. Who would've thought I'd need a hard hat as part of my photo gear?

Whether photographing people or architecture, there's always an angle that looks best. Sometimes I need to do unconventional things to get there. It's part of what makes being a photographer so enjoyable. Problem solving that doesn't involve math. That's my kind of job.