Squidman - Dir. Jackson Heller


July started off with a bang (as always) as I made my way up to Evanston, IL to shoot BTS for Jackson Heller, who I first met in 2023 on my second set ever. Nearly 1.5 years in the making, we finally were able to work together on a J. Heller production: Squidman.


Not reading scripts sometimes hurts, but usually keeps things pretty interesting. I showed up to set while the crew was prepping an actual squid from the supermarket. And, let me tell you, squids on a hot summer day are not the most pleasant thing to smell (or touch).


I've never seen a set cast a squid nor do I think I'll ever see it again. Jackson's weird mind was a refreshing (not in the literal sense) new idea I hope he keeps iterating on.

何 (Hé) - Dir. Yihui Hu


When time allows, I love being able to see a set through until the end. 何 (Hé), directed by Yihui Hu, is a mixed-language family drama that I found cultural peace in making. With four talented, dynamic actors, I loved uncovering more of the story by watching the scenes unfold in front of me.


Living in the Midwest, I rarely have the opportunity to practice my Chinese. On this trilingual set, I was blown away by how a crew from all different backgrounds worked together seamlessly while incorporating their mother tongues into the process.


These were long days. Thunderstorms prevented us from filming a critical scene, which we had to circle back around to last minute, wrapping at a lovely 3am. Overall, this was one of my favorite sets to have worked on, and I'm excited to see what international work Yihui brings us next.

Blotch - Dir. Evan Showalter


Sometimes, it's 48 hours of BTS. Other times, it's only a couple. On this set, I barely talked to anyone. In the dim, stuffy basement we shot in, it was dark, foggy, and quiet.


Dark. The first set I've been on with a (prop) gun involved, I didn't know what I was getting into. No script, barely any warning, just get in there and get the BTS.


While I wasn't very involved with this project, I enjoyed working in the unique lighting setup and standing in for someone!

City to Summit - Dir. Jacob Frost


This was another last-minute request from the producer, and also a single-day shoot (which is always nice). I can't really show off any of the dope visuals from the actual talent since it's under wraps, but for a studio and run-and-gun city shoot, I loved testing out some long-exposure photography and trying to make the most of every scene.

Holy Mother - Dir. David Diouf


I met David on Jackson's set, and back up to Evanston I went! The CTA ride up there honestly isn't bad when the cars are empty.


There was one scene being shot all day, but the way I watched it unfold over and over again was almost mesmerizing. The story revolved around a son and his grandmother, but the scene was a fight between the two over his mother and her daughter.


Each take is a little different. How do actors adjust each time to incorporate just a little bit of variance that stays on track, but nudges the audience in a slightly different direction?

Reflecting on July '24


This month, my main focus was my mission. I don't think I'm "just" a photographer.


What is a photo? What does it mean? Just what does a camera do?


Literal interpretations aside, I've been asking myself these questions religiously. While I've got an idea of what photography is and what it is I want to do with it, there are so many things to sink my metaphorical teeth into and I'm beyond excited for it.


Until next time!