Melissa at sunset

My good friend Melissa and I went to Discovery Park in Seattle the other day to play around with a few sunset shots. While it was hard for both of us to keep from joking and laughing, I think we came up with a few shots that show what a true beauty she is.

The many faces of Cadlao Island

One of my favorite spots on Earth to photograph is situated off the coast of a remote island in the Philippines. As viewed from Palawan Island, the mysterious Cadlao Island rises up over 2000 feet from the South China Sea and looms in the distance presenting as many faces throughout the day as there are moments to capture it. I photographed one of those moments just as sunset was nearing and won the Islands Magazine Photo Competition with the image. It’s ever changing nature provides endless photographic opportunities and a sense of mystery when you gaze out upon this tropical Eden.

Another shoot with Lynsey Dyer

I recently did another shoot with my good friend and pro athlete, Lynsey Dyer. She is sponsored by Eddie Bauer First Ascent and travels the globe skiing some of the world’s most challenging terrain while being filmed for the big screen. With her busy schedule (last year she won Powder Magazine’s female skier of the year), she somehow still finds time to found organizations like SheJumps with her partner in crime, Vanessa Pierce. The mission of the non-profit is to increase the participation of women in outdoor activities through mentoring and coaching from professional and recreational female outdoor athletes. The organization supports women and girls in outdoor sports at all levels (from beginners to experts), and inspires them to jump in and reach their goals. Keep up the great work, Lynsey.

Sri Lanka by iPhone

I’m finally catching up on some of my posting… Earlier this year I was in Southeast Asia and had the occasion to travel through Sri Lanka. It’s a tiny but beautiful country situated at the very southern tip of India. Even though a narrow strip of Indian Ocean separates the two nations, it feels worlds apart from it’s neighbor. Boasting lush jungles, incredible beaches, rich culture and history, large populations of wild animals (including elephants and leopards), and a unique and tasty cuisine, this is one of my new favorite destinations. Determined to spend as much time exploring and discovering as I could, I often left my big DSLRs in the camera case and snapped photos for a “visual diary” with my iPhone 4 and an app called Hipstamatic. Be sure to check out more photographs from Sri Lanka (shot on the big DSLRs) on jacerivers.com coming soon.

National Geographic shoot in Mexico

Earlier this summer I was fortunate enough to be asked to shoot a story for National Geographic Traveler magazine in the beautiful Caribbean town of Tulum, Mexico. I was paired with the talented writer, Melina Bellows, for a feature on the Mayan tradition of bee keeping and how locals are trying to revive ancient cultural practices. The honey from the Melipona bee is quite different from it’s American and African counterparts, with the taste having more of a tangy citrus zing. It’s also quite rare as compared to other honey as the Melipona bee is endangered, only builds hives inside the trunks of trees, only pollinates one or two types of flowers, and is “stingless”. I learned very quickly while photographing this story, covered in these little guys, that even though they don’t sting, they do bite! We were able to visit several Mayan villages with an ambassador and translator from the Secretary of Agriculture (the Mayan language is quite different from Spanish) and experience first hand how honey has been a trade commodity in this region for hundreds of years all the way to the present. In fact, the Mayans considered bees to be the “messenger of the gods” and included them in many of their hieroglyphs. With the surge in eco-tourism and sustainable living in many parts of the world, the Mayan art of bee keeping and the Melipona bee itself is making a come back, which brings awareness and a whole new market to tourists. Tulum itself is a nature’s paradise sprinkled with yoga studios, artisans’ shops, organic bistros, and sun worshippers, not to mention some of the most historically significant and intact Mayan archaeological sites yet discovered. To read more about the Melipona bee, Mayan culture, and the beautiful Caribbean region known as the Riviera Maya, pick up the January issue of National Geographic Traveler.

Location, location, location…

Sometimes you can spend hours, even days searching for just the right location for a photograph. Sometimes you even need to hire a location scout. And then sometimes it all falls into place by a stroke of luck. In this case, an old abandoned Toyota Land Cruiser on the side of a steep road winding through the jungle.

Villa Siam on Ko Phangan

I recently photographed the spectacular Villa Siam situated in the jungle high above Ao Thong Nai Pan Noi beach on the island of Ko Phangan. It belongs to a wonderful Australian couple, David and Rosemary, who’ve managed to make paradise even better with this modern dwelling washed in all white in contrast to the deep blue of the South China Sea. Set in an overgrown jungle with natural foliage so large it feels prehistoric, this home truly is a gem.

Thai Food Heaven

Once again at Rasananda and the food is amazing as usual. The pumpkin curry is rich and sweet with just the right amount of bold spice and flavor. These dishes are prepared by world-class chefs who seem to be able to add a special flourish even to simple fare like fish and chips. It was truly a pleasure working with these folks and I wish them well on the path ahead.

The Lovely Kara

I’ve just started shooting with a new model named Kara. She’s been represented by Wilhelmina and has worked all over the world for clients such as Abercrombie & Fitch, J Crew, Gap, Levis, etc. As one of the most pleasant people that I’ve worked with in a long time, I’m looking forward to some beautiful imagery from this partnership. Check back soon to see new images of Kara posted here.

What’s in the bag?

In preparation for my upcoming multi-month photo trip to Asia, I’ve had to scale back my gear quite a bit for the sake of mobility… no studio lights, no c-stands, no huge modifiers, etc. What I’ve paired it down to is a streamlined set of specific gear with no excess gadgets, with the requirement that each piece be essential to the assignment I’m tasked with.

From top left going clockwise, the padded pockets contain 5 CF cards, cleaning cloths, spare batteries and charger, business cards, a Canon 5D MKII with 24-70mm f/2.8 lens attached, two 1TB hard drives with USB 3.0 cables, a Canon 35mm f/1.4 lens, a Canon 85mm f/1.2 lens, various filters (polarizer, neutral density, and UV), cleaning solution, an old Nikon SB-28 Speedlight, cable for the Elinchrom Quadra Ranger head, Elinchrom speed ring and light stand bracket, Elinchrom Quadra Ranger control pack, Elinchrom Quadra Ranger battery pack, Elinchrom Quadra Ranger “A” head, and in the center pocket… Elinchrom Skyport transmitter and receiver, charger, power adapter, and a mini 3-outlet power strip.

Strapped to the outside of the Lowepro Computrekker photo backpack are an Induro carbon tripod with a Manfrotto video head, a Matthews 3-section mini lightstand, and a Manfrotto mini boom arm. An additional outside pocket contains the rods, baffle, and fabric of a 40” Elinchrom Rotalux Octabox. The whole pack, when completely loaded, weighs approximately 38 lbs., even though it’s quite small. The trick is wearing the pack as a carry-on when approaching an airport ticket counter or boarding gate so that they don’t think to weigh it!! It’s quite close to the weight limit in most parts of the world, so you just have to smile and act like there isn’t nearly 40 lbs. of gear on your back.

New Studio Ring Light

I just picked up a new toy for the studio, a generic Chinese-made fluorescent ring light. It’s quite nondescript, not even a brand name anywhere on the product. At 18” in diameter, it’s significantly larger than other ring lights I’ve used and I am officially in love with the results! It’s got a beautiful bright glow and a white-lined reflector pan mounted on the end of a flexible metal arm that makes shadows virtually fade away. At such a large diameter, the catchlights it creates in a subjects eyes border on the ethereal. Typically, ring lights have that famous “flat look” so popular in fashion, but used as a side light source, it’s bright enough to serve as a continuous key light, making it perfect for product and food photography as well.

Concept shoot in the desert

On a trip through the desert Southwest, I met up with my friend and talented model, Jessa, so that we could play around with a few lighting techniques in a truly unique environment. After deciding on a “Barbarella-meets-superhero” concept, we tried to emulate the dynamic poses depicted in the comic books of our youth. I remember reading Spiderman, Batman, and the Fantastic Four and being especially drawn to the artwork… the way the scene was slightly askew in the frame, the agility in the poses of the heroes, the slick and shiny suits, and the sensuality in the fashion of the female heroines. Jessa is a master when it comes to creative poses and after flipping through comics at a local bookstore for inspiration, we set out to capture that essence. One stop at Home Depot for a roll of aluminum tape and a few tension bands is all we needed for wardrobe. After lugging battery packs, light stands, softboxes, and strobes out to the middle of nowhere, we ended up with an incredible series of photographs… just what we had pictured.