The rules are simple: there are no rules.

Two weeks ago, I was invited by Adobe to participate in their Creative Jam competition in Austin. A handful of photographers were given 24 hours to create and submit one image on the theme of "Forward Motion." Once we created the image, we were give a couple hours on site to edit our image, present it to the crowd, and submit it for voting. The image I submitted ended up winning Best Photo (and I have a cool glass trophy to prove it). Here are a few of those images, as well as my thought process behind the shoot.

Winner: People's Choice Best Photo 

 Once I received the theme, it was off to the races. I texted my friend Erick, who is an insanely talented dancer/instructor here in Austin, and he just happened to be free. I wasn't exactly sure of the concept, but I knew that I would treat this shoot like any other. In fact, it was an opportunity for me to create personal work with no limitations or rules, other than a ticking clock. And I knew if I stayed true to my voice, I'd create something I could be proud of. 

Yes he actually did this. 

Yeah... he did this too...

I'm kind of obsessed with scale and perspective, and the clean lines of modern architecture. I also had this location sitting in my pocket, and I was dying to shoot there. It's truly unbelievable. There's something about art on a massive scale, whether it's architecture or painting or sculpture, that just speaks to me. It speaks of dedication and perseverance and awe. With that inspiration in mind, Erick and I set about creating something that would (hopefully) do that scale justice.

Logistically, the setup was simple. My friend Leslie held a light (thanks Leslie!), I framed the shot, and Erick did his (unbelievably talented) thing. I was shooting with a super wide architectural lens, which is a no-no in fashion/portrait photography (OOPS), but I wanted to play with that scale and perspective distortion. And guess what, it worked. In the end, what I love most about these images is that they all speak of motion, but in a quiet, peaceful sense, rather than the sort of action-packed motion imagery we typically think of.