Las Vegas... There's a new photographer in town!
The Winter Storm of 2021
The storm that changed everything.
I happened to be in Las Vegas the week the winter storm hit in Houston. My business partners (Terrance and Joe) and I were chatting at the kitchen table one morning, and I remember saying, “Ya know, I’m gonna have to move here soon.” I’ll never forget Terrance’s expression as he looked at me and said, “Yeah, you are. But I don’t think it’s gonna be some leap of faith like it was when you moved to Houston. I think God’s gonna make it obvious.”
The next night I dreamed that I moved to Vegas and I was so happy because I found a furnished apartment. I woke up thinking it was such a random dream…
Two days later, a friend checked on my house. He sent me photos of complete devastation. The ceiling had caved in in several places in the house. There was water damage all over and by the time the insurance company came to check everything out, there was plenty of mold damage, too.
I thought I lost everything… but I actually GAINED everything. Do you know what a blessing it is to suddenly be homeless with ZERO belongings? It’s the most freeing feeling I’ve had in my life.
Now, it’s time for a change.
"The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps."
Proverbs 16:9
Sometimes God knows we won’t let go on our own…
So He strips things from us. I don’t think he does it to be mean… He does it so we don’t have to make the decisions on our own.
I don’t know how long it would have taken me to make this move… but I know it wouldn’t have happened right now without some divine intervention.
The first week of June will be my last full week as a Houston resident.
I’ll be leaving to set up shop in Vegas. Most of my time will be devoted to our sports media company, Franchise Sports Media.
But this doesn’t mean you can’t book me in Houston! I plan to live between both cities. From my new website, you can book me for photography or videography in both cities as well as Los Angeles. I’ll be keeping the calendars updated with the days I’ll be in each place. I’m still planning to do photography workshops and now I have an excuse to do a travel workshop in Vegas for my Houston peeps!
So.. Who’s coming? 🙌🏻
P.S. I have five weeks left before I move. If you want to get on my Houston calendar, you can book through my new website. Let’s go!!!
Emergency by TQ - My first vertical music video
This one was a challenge but also SO. MUCH. FUN.
Once we decided to film vertically, I had to research the best way to do it. I read so many articles in preparation. I wanted to make sure I didn't screw this up...
Filming with my camera vertically was such a change... there is a lot less space around the subject so I tried to get wider shots that would give me a little more freedom in post. I also used a tripod for a LOT of this to make sure it was stable.
Right before we began filming, I told T we should make the video like it was opening on his phone and taking over the phone of the person watching. He loved the idea so we really ran with it. I decided to get screen recordings of things I might want to use and he came up with the idea of make the videos actually scroll as if they were in an instagram feed.
Ultimately, the result is one of my favorite videos ever! I love everything about it: the message, the actresses-- Ashley (www.instagram.com/htashup) and Genesis (the daughter of instagram.com/_piarry_ ), the locations, and the editing.
I'm really proud of this one and I think the world needs to see it! Shout out to TQ for writing music that actually MEANS something. <3
Faster - TQ // Official Music Video
TQ and I have worked together for some years now. I've watched his journey and I knew this song had to be one of the first videos from the new album. It means something because it's from his heart but it's also how we ALL feel... we're trying to get somewhere faster and it feels like "it" will never happen.
Watch the video for a little inspiration. Maybe it'll help you find some patience. <3
Thanks to my friend, Danielle, for the ideas we used in this video! She's always there when I need to bounce thoughts around and she always has GREAT feedback.
Why your branding matters...
Branding in these digital times is everything. Have you ever been torn between two companies? Maybe you need a new logo. So you start googling graphic designers. You'll more than likely find a couple designers whose work you like. So how do you choose between them? Their presentation is the determining factor. How easy is it to navigate their website? How clear is the content on their site? Are the images professional? Is their website easy on your eyes? Does it look professional?
You may not even realize you're asking these questions in your head, but I promise you are. When it comes down to deciding between two companies, you're always going to choose the one that looks more professional.
So why do you have selfies on your website? Why are you trying to get by with a janky website that communicates to people that your presentation isn't important to you? Do you realize that trying to sell high quality products or services with low quality branding isn't gonna work? All you're communicating is that you're not willing to invest money in your own project. If that's the case, how can you expect other people to invest their money in what you're selling? You've got to show the world you believe what you're selling is the absolute best option for them. The only way to do this is to pay for high quality branding that is aesthetically pleasing.
Not sure where to go for this? I offer everything you need to brand yourself or your business. Photos, videos, web design, graphic design... I do it all in house. No out sourcing. This means you communicate your vision once and it comes to life. We work together from start to finish and you walk away with branding that you can display proudly.
In 2019, my business partner and I are merging some aspects of our businesses. He does audio production, sound design, SEO, social media ads, and social media marketing. We're investing a lot to create a new brand that represents both of us and shows what we can accomplish for you. This means that prices will go up in 2019.
So if you're dragging your feet on your branding, NOW is the time. Stop saying you can't afford it. You honestly can't afford to lose any more customers because of a low quality online presentation. You don't even know how many people skip right over your instagram because your images don't speak to the quality of your work. Let's change that before the new year! Drop me an email and let's get started!
To see a sample branding project I've done, click here.
Invest in Yourself // Branding + Image
Do you believe in you? Your branding tells all!
How much do you believe in what you're doing? If you tell me anything less than 100% I'm gonna ask you why you're doing what you do. Don't waste your time if you don't believe in it! If you tell me you believe in yourself 100%, I'm gonna ask how much you're willing to invest in your dream.
No matter what you do, branding is the most important aspect of your business. Your image is built 100% on your branding. So if you want to come across as a mediocre music artist, go ahead and post mediocre photos, videos, and music. But if you want people to look at you as an A-list musician, you've got to have quality images and videos. If you're not willing to invest in yourself, why should other people invest in your music? Dreams take investment... there's no way around it.
You can control how people feel about your content...
Whether you're in marketing, oil and gas, music, clothing, a creative field... your image is always determined by the quality of the content you post. You automatically have an image based on what you share. The good news is that you can control that image! If you want to appeal to high end clients, you have to have high end content. If you're focused on millennials, you have to be relatable. Your photos, videos, and website speak volumes before you ever say a word. What do they say about you?
Let's play a game! Shoot me an email (CLICK HERE) with your Instagram handle and I'll send you three words that I think describe you/your brand. Let's see if it lines up with the image you're trying to portray. If it does, YAY! You're on the right track! If it doesn't, at least you'll know and you can start shifting it. And if you don't even know what you want your image to say, then maybe this will motivate you to think about it.
A Call to Remember my Calling...
How many times have I lost focus on my purpose? Too many to count.
To be honest, I've been in a bit of a funk lately and it's affected every area of my life. Work, friendships, personal life, health. I lost my passion for my calling. I've been watching my kids deal with tough stuff and I've been right there with them dealing with my own tough stuff. I've skipped workouts. I've hurt a friend. I've acted on emotions rather than logic. I've basically acted like a spoiled brat. I used to think when you got to a certain age, you just had it all figured out... as if adults get some sort of certificate that gives them all the secrets to life. Then I got to adulthood and realized we're all just taller kids still trying desperately to figure it out.
My calling is more important than my comfort.
I wasn't put on this earth to live a comfy life and have every luxury at my fingertips. My life isn't about finding a man to share my burdens so things are easier. It's not about having a huge house for my kids or the nicest car. I was put on the earth to fulfill a purpose that only I can fulfill. My calling is so much more important than any of these physical "discomforts"... and as long as I'm taking care of my children and making sure they feel loved, everything else outside of my calling is irrelevant. I am called to create. Period.
My showreel from the last year opened my eyes to the truth.
God didn't give me talents and opportunities for me to squander them away. Eight years ago, I lived in a 2-bedroom apartment above my parents' house with my four kids! Last year, I literally traveled the WORLD. I can't take this lightly anymore. I can't let myself lose focus again. There will be times of discouragement, but allowing that to seep into other areas of my life is where I've gone wrong in the past. This showreel from the last year brings tears to my eyes every single time I watch it. God has been SO good to me and I'm ashamed to admit that I've ever lost sight of my purpose even for a second. But thankfully, I know He'll continue working on me until the day I meet Him face-to-face.
"For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable." Romans 11:29
"For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:6
How I Shot and Edited a Music Video with my iPhone X
The Challenge
When I got my iPhone X at the beginning of the month, I was blown away by the camera capabilities. The video quality is better than my Canon 5D Mark 3. The iPhone can shoot 4K video at 24, 30, and 60 frames per second while my 5D is restricted to 1080.
Once I saw the quality for myself, I challenged myself to shoot, color grade, and edit an entire music video on nothing but my iPhone X. I sent my friend, TQ, a text and asked if he had a song we could shoot a video for ASAP. My idea seemed simple enough but I honestly didn't know what I was getting myself into...
The Filming
While filming, I used the Zhiyun Smooth Q 3-axis gimbal. For the price, you really can't beat it. It's simple to balance and very easy to use.
All of the performance footage was filmed in 4K at 24 frames per second. The B-Roll was filmed in 4K at 60 frames per second. I was proud of myself for remembering to switch it every time! I usually forget at least once during a video shoot and kick myself later for accidentally filming performance footage at 60 frames per second. (Insert eye roll here.)
Although the camera on the iPhone X is crazy good, I wanted to have a little more control over the settings, so I used an app called ProCam. It enabled me to change the ISO and shutter speed to my preferences. I made sure I changed the camera settings in both the app and the iPhone each time I switched from 24 to 60 fps.
The Editing
First of all, I knew I needed an app that was a little more robust than iMovie or Adobe Clip, the app version of Premiere. I researched and discovered Luma Fusion -- a pretty sweet little app that costs $20. It allows for 3 audio and 3 video tracks which was key for this project. I needed to be able to have multiple tracks to make this work. The app has options for adding transitions and titles, color grading, applying and importing presets and LUTs, inserting or overwriting, importing fonts, and MUCH more. I originally bought an app called VideoGrade for color grading, but once I figured out how to use Luma Fusion's color tools I used it exclusively.
As much as I love the Luma Fusion app, it does have some glitches. After saving the video I had spent hours editing, I noticed the audio syncing was off. So even if it looked right in the app, once I exported the video my clips weren't synced properly with the audio. After almost 2 full days of editing on this small iPhone screen, the lagging glitch almost made me give up. My eyes hurt, my head hurt, and I wasn't sure if I'd be able to get it synced properly.
I will say that when I emailed the Luma Fusion support team, someone got back with me almost immediately and gave me a tip that was supposed to help with the issue. Sometimes it helped and sometimes it didn't. When I told them it didn't work, they offered to look at my project themselves and find the problem but I was already finished at that point. (Props to them for great customer service!) In the end, I exported this video more than a dozen times trying to get it perfectly synced. I would watch the newly exported version on my laptop, see where it was off, and then move the video clip one or two frames in the direction it needed to go in the app. It looked completely off when I tried to watch the video from beginning to end in the app so I had to do this trial and error process over and over. Yeah... that part was ridiculously time consuming, tedious, and really nuts. I hope Luma Fusion plans to work out the kinks because this app could truly be a game changer...
Conclusion...
I'm proud of this project even though it almost made me crazy. It's insane that we can use a device we all carry in our back pockets to make a full music video. If you plan to try this, I'd say make sure you have plenty of time to give your eyes a break in between editing. The preview screen in the app only takes up a quarter of the iPhone. Talk about eye strain...
I had a headache for 3 days straight while I worked on this. We filmed, edited, and released the video all within 5 days!
I've gotta give a shout out to my friend, Danielle, who came up with the concept for this video and also donated money for us to help the homeless in Houston. She's the real deal and one of my favorite people on the planet.
To those of you who are fans of TQ, you already know this, but what you see in this video is a true testament to his character. I've never met someone more genuine than this guy. I'm proud to call you my friend, T!
If you try this, I'd love to see your project! Shoot me a link at hello@trisha.thedreamvillage.co. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm done staring at screens for a while... LOL. Peace out.
Be sure to watch the video above!