Winter is a difficult time for me as a photographer. When the weather doesn’t tend to cooperate, and finding ways to use my camera become scarce, I tend to lose a lot of my motivation to get out there and shoot. Near the beginning of 2009 (last year) this sluggish feeling hit me really hard, and I did not enjoy it one bit. So for this year, I have remained determined to find ways to shoot the things I love. And in this case, I love shooting bright and colorful lights!

My good friends Haven, Káli, Matt, and Karri agreed to challenge the cold night with me and meet up to spin some fun LED toys while I took lots of pictures. The biggest challenge for us was figuring out a location. Then I remembered the fantastic wedding I shot this past summer, where the bride and groom introduced me to Tanner Springs Park, a very unique block-sized park in downtown Portland, with many incredible features. The main feature being a wavy wall of steel I-beams, rusted and of varying heights, shooting out of the ground to create the most amazing background element.

After we took a few shots in front of the wall, I was happy to see how well the lines of the I-beams, as well as the boardwalk beneath, complimented the curves and patterns created by the LED hoops and staffs these incredible performers were wielding.  We were lucky enough to have custom built LED toys for this shoot by Karri and Mark, the creative minds behind SpinStyle!  I am so pleased with how the shots turned out, I just can’t get enough of this kind of shooting.

We then moved on to the Eastbank Esplanade across the river, so we could get some photos with downtown Portland as the background. I just love the view of our city from just north of the Hawthorne Bridge and have always wanted to shoot performers there. I think I’ll set up a fire spinning shoot there next. It’s especially handy since the fire department is literally right next to where we were shooting.

We wrapped up the day on a somewhat sad note, as this was to be Káli’s last shoot for me for a while. She is off to South Korea to study and begin a new adventure in life. We’ll miss you girl! Thank you for all the amazing performances you allowed me to shoot!

Lots more pics in the full gallery, organized by performer!

I was thrilled when my friend and fellow photographer Jeff Snyder, of Freesolo Photography and Jeff Snyder Photography, asked me to help him with a special project. A group of fire dancers he knows had asked him to take some performance photos to help with their publicity. I’ve done a lot of similar work in the past, and he flattered me by asking me to be involved. I am always looking for a reason to shoot talented fire spinners, so of course I agreed!

It took us a couple days to find an appropriate location. August in Portland means that much of the area’s grass has become dormant and can sometimes look like it will burst into flames spontaneously, let alone when someone is standing there twirling a flaming hula hoop. We decided somewhere with concrete ground would probably be our best and safest bet. Someone suggested the Burnside skate park, and it seemed like the perfect location, as long as we didn’t get in anyone’s way.

Jeff and I arrived early to scout out the best locations. There were still many skaters enjoying the skate park, so we figured it was best to find somewhere else to get the majority of our shots. Luckily, just above the park, but still underneath the Burnside Bridge, was a small loading dock that could serve as a perfect performance platform for the ladies’ talents. Our shoot was set, and we awaited the ladies.

Soon, Swirly Temple, Zoe and Ginger arrived on location in full costume, and we started setting up for the shoot. Under the Burnside Bridge, we were thankful for the great urban setting, which seemed to contrast nicely with the natural flames. Jeff and I alternated between one of us getting wider shots, a bit closer to the talent, while the other set up further back, getting more stationary shots showing more of the scene.

We took our time, making sure we got all the shots we needed of each performer in each location. Our time was spent getting group shots, individual shots, hooping shots, and even a few with Zoe spinning some poi. Once the activity died down a bit at the skate park itself, we headed down to set up for a few shots on the concrete. All of us were grateful that the skaters at the park shared their space with us for a short while so we could get some shots of the ladies spinning next to the big “Burnside” artwork.

We finished out the night’s shoot with a few taken in front of some incredible artwork just outside the park. We were amazed at the design of the wall, with its seemingly liquid flames drawn right in. Topped off (literally) with a series of buzz saws and blades lining the top of the wall, it was the perfect backdrop to finish the night.

Thank you to all the amazing talent within Swirly, Zoe, and Ginger. And a big thank you to Jeff Snyder for including me in such a fun, thrilling, and satisfying shoot! Check out the full gallery for more photos.

As of Tuesday June 2, 2009, Pirate Town still stands.  For months now, people who know and love this dilapidated old factory near the University of Portland have heard rumors of its impending demolition.  My last trip there, Pirate Town proved to be a fun and successful venue for fire and LED spinning photos, so I tried to make it a point to visit again before it was torn down forever.   The problem is that no one seemed to know how much time we had left!

Tuesday morning, I felt a strong pull to organize a last-minute shoot, so I contacted everyone I knew who I thought might be interested.   Even though it was really late notice, my good friend Haven was able to make it, and she brought along her friends Kristi and Zac as well as her good friend Káli (who I had previously connected with on the Hoop City website, but had never met in person).

As is true with any inspiring canvas, the urban art covering the walls of Pirate Town is always changing.  We were greeted with some incredible tags and murals that we knew would really work well in our photos.

Since our last visit was dominated primarily with glow photos, we wanted to focus more on fire dancing this time. We also wanted to explore some new locations we weren’t able to utilize previously.  I knew that these beautiful and talented performers would look fantastic anywhere I shot them, so it was time to try some new spots.  One was an entire small structure with a fantastic woodwork in the vaulted ceiling that I really wanted to take advantage of.  I positioned the performers in the middle of the room so that the entire scene could be absorbed in the photos.  Another was positioning them at the base of the huge smoke stack at the back of the main building.  That spot looked especially good when Zac and Haven brought out the poi.

The ladies soon switched to the glowing LED hoops, and each took their turn in front of my lens.  We finished up Kristi’s set, and began debating whether or not to continue shooting, since it was past midnight by then.  As we were discussing things, we noticed headlights coming down the road and bright spotlights shining directly on us.  Apparently our decision was being made for us!  The University of Portland campus security paid us a visit and asked us to leave.  Of course we did so without any trouble.

While we were packing up, Zac and Kristi talked with the security officers about the current state of Pirate Town.   Apparently, the main building is still being held off from demolition until approval from the EPA because of asbestos concerns, but the other buildings were scheduled for demolition this week.  This is sad news for those of us who know how incredible Pirate Town really is.  I now wonder if there was a reason I was pulled so strongly to set up another shoot there without much planning.  I like to think that deep down I knew it may have been my last chance to shoot Pirate Town in its full glory.

The full gallery of shots is split up into separate albums based on performer and skill, so be sure to explore them all!  For now, here are some samples: