An experiment turns out great

Sometimes trying something new is the best thing...

I'm always very excited when I discover something new in how I make a photograph. There is something to be said for not worrying about failing and just moving forward. That's one of the reasons I really like working with subjects I have a little history with. I don't have to worry about impressing them the first time I photograph them. Believe it or not, many times when I photograph a new subject, I play it too safe because I want the photographs to turn out good and so I don't try anything I don't know will work.

Pretty boring and lame really. But I'm getting better about pushing that bad noise out of the way.

I recently got a change to photograph one of my favorite subjects again... I know, no chance to practice that fearlessness in front of someone new... but I really wanted to experiment that day.

We grabbed an old strobe light. Not like flash strobes that I usually use in my studio, but one of those old Radio Shack strobe lights that flash a few times a second and are great when you're stoned listening to Led Zeppelin... but I digress...

It took a while to figure out whether she should move, or I should move the camera, and how fast the strobe should flash and how many seconds I should leave the shutter open on the camera. So many variables.

But I think we finally got it. I really love these images. Something new. A look I've never done before.