So I got the chance to do some portraits of my friend Mason this week and I’m really excited about how it went. When I first asked him a while ago he seemed a little shy and maybe a little unsure about the whole thing, but he warmed up to the idea and we set aside some time to just hang out… and also take some photos. Little did he know by the end of the day we would be transforming his basement into a full-on photo studio. Well, before I get to that, I started out by taking a look around his basement... This is where I always find him and where he is most at home. He gets into wrenching on cars and trucks and rippin' on the drums when he’s got a cool tune on his mind. But modeling for a photo shoot? Well… let's give it a try, why not? So we started off with just one light, nothing crazy, he was hanging out by his toolbox, his dog even wanted in, cool. We were having a good time just hangin' while I was slowly dialing in the shot and tweaking the lights and before we both knew it, we had some really cool shots.

OK, this isn’t so bad, it's kind of fun? So let’s try something else, want to? Yeah man! OK, now it's on! What a cool thing it is when I can take photos of someone in their element, surrounded by their “thing”, what they’re passionate about. Putting my passion and creativity for photography together with whatever they're into makes for an amazing collaboration of passions and it shows in the photographs that we make together. We both had a blast doing this photo shoot and my shy friend is already looking forward to the next time. Cool.

Wow, do you know just how refreshing that statement is? Its done, next step, move on, all I have to do is let it go and start new, man that’s for me. OK, the past is gone, now, it's time to do something about this dream I have of being a photographer. I am not going to waste the present! I am now on a path that will lead me to where I want to go. It's time to act, it's time to push myself and see what I’m really made of. It's time to hustle and do the real work behind the scenes, the work that really matters. This is my story and it's time I started writing it, telling it and sharing it. No longer will I let it be written for me, without my input or ideas. Last year I started laying some ground work and dipping my toes in the the water, it felt great. A good friend of mine, Ehren, not only encouraged me to follow my passion and creativity, but he also stepped up and volunteered to be the subject of some really cool photos. We went into New York City looking for dinner and whatever else we could find. The photos in this post are from that trip, and man did we had a blast that night.

Roaming around NY with Ehren looking for the interesting, the different, the adventure.

What steps am I taking to do this? Today I wrote this blog post. Yesterday, I posted a quick cell phone photo on Instagram to let people know I’m still here, tomorrow I will take a task on my list and tackle it! Over the next two to three months I plan to do some personal work shooting portraits for my portfolio. I have a vision in my head that I just have to bring to life and set free into the world. The excitement builds as I look forward to working with some good people to make some cool photographs and have a wild time making them.

As I continue on this path of excitement, struggle and achievement, I will write about my experiences. Both my triumphs and my failures. What I learn from both and how I feel along the way. People I meet, places I go, the cool, the crazy, the wild… I'm looking to get out and do this. Now, who wants to be apart of my story?

The Empire State Building surrounded by all the crazy, the excitement and cool.

In the coming months I will be looking for friends, family, acquaintances and anyone who is interested in being a part of this story.