All The Angles To The Story Of How Ali Got Started.
The Story Behind The Scenes
All The Angles To The Story Of How Ali Got Started.
Ever since I was a little boy living in New York at the age of 13, I always had an interest in being able to express my vision. What better way to do that than with a camera. When I was finally 18 and got my first job, while living in Las Vegas I decided to purchase my first camera (Canon T5i). I started capturing Landscapes and vehicles but as time went on I soon found myself doing it all!
After being able to express my visions through landscapes, I then wanted to be able to express other people in a way they didn't have to speak. "Say who you are without speaking" is what I say. Portraits and Fashion Shoots, I been collaborating with great individuals along the way during my transformation from landscapes to portraits and will continue to expand my areas of expertise.
As a Portrait Photographer, I have faced many challenges posing my models and I am constantly finding it difficult to find the best pose tailored to the model I'm working with. Every person is different and has their own self-conscious flaws they want you to work around. I usually just stop everything I'm doing and try to slow down my thinking and connect with my model, understand who they are and express that through the camera all for a "commercial look". I try to picture them on the front of a magazine and have them go from there with posing.
Here in Las Vegas, every few months there is a photography meetup event known as "#instameetlv Six Shooters" where 6 local photographers around Las Vegas are chosen to have their work featured and displayed in a gallery. The place is usually packed from outside the door to each photo being featured with guests, hands filled with champagne. Currently, my work location does not have one of these clubs but I do see one opening up soon in the near future as every day I run into someone with common interests in photography.
If I could leave one with any tips or advice as a new photographer they would be 1. Take risks. You're the biggest person holding your self back. Don't hold your self back. 2. Practice Practice PRACTICE. Being able to read about it is WAY different than actually being there in person on location. You need to be able to have a feel for the environmental conditions along with the time and pressure of working on site which is something you can't gain from reading. 3.Gear isn't everything, Cameras are tools for artists. Control the camera don't let the camera control you. Shoot in manual.
The gear I used for my landscape photos were a Canon 7dmkii with a Tokina 11-16mm f2.8 along with a variable ND filter to help cut back on the light including my Canon telephoto lens 70-300 and 50mm 1.4 teamed up with my handy-dandy Manfrotto Carbon Fiber Tripod. A Sony A7II with a Sony 50mm 1.8 for my portraits and video work. All while being proficient in Photoshop, Lightroom, Indesign, After Effects, Premiere Pro, and Illustrator.
This is one of my most memorable photos. I felt so much adrenaline pumping through my veins getting hit by ice-cold waves for 15 minutes constantly wiping my lens trying to get that perfect shot of the legendary Thors Well located on the coast of Oregon. There have been reports of photographers dying in the process of getting this shot and I still went for the daunting challenge.(Photo Above) After accomplishing the challenge while still soaking wet, I drove up the coast some more and took two shots with two different lenses while standing in the same position. A wide angle and a telephoto lens. (Photo's Below)
By the grace of the Photography Gods, I was blessed with the opportunity to be right on the sidelines pit stop of Dream Race located at the Speed Way in Las Vegas where I was presented with all of the world's top of the line exotic supercars to photograph. The company left all the cars unlocked and allowed me to even turn the cars on with their fancy switch-push-button start supercars. It was 115 Degrees Fahrenheit and I spent a total of 6 hours in the heat photographing cars all day. (Photo's Below)
1 out of 500 Lamborghini Aventador now retired in museum (Photo's Below)
Two of my points of view of Las Vegas Day and Night. (Photo Below. Blog Post coming soon "Vegas Angles")
There will be many more posts like these regarding the story behind each photo. This one started as I am being featured in my companies Global Magazine as one of the first being apart of the "Be Your Self" Campaign.
Being able to express my vision has always been a goal for me. Take risks and be your self for you sometimes can be the biggest person holding yourself back. Click the button below to visit my homepage.