Talbots Catalog Photo Shoots

August 17, 2020 in Advertising Work, Nashville Photographers, Photo Shoots

I’ve recently been shooting several catalogs for luxury clothing brand Talbots. Talbots has been a dream client, not only because of their high standards and quality reputation, but also due to how incredible they are to work with.

The rest of the catalogs haven’t come out yet, but here’s a few pages from the August 2020 edition that was just released. To see the entire catalog click HERE. I shot everything in the catalog except for the product photos.

2020 Instagram Change

March 24, 2020 in social media, Photo Shoots, Nashville Photographers

I’ve had my Instagram account for several years and I’ve never been quite happy with it. I struggled with having it represent my voice, artistically speaking.

So at the beginning of this year I burned it to the ground, deleted every image on (several hundred) and stared over. It felt so good to have a blank canvas on which to build a new feed. I had an idea for several months that I wanted to try and I was finally going to implement it.

The idea was to create an ever-evolving story of images that were united by theme, color and mood. It took me awhile to figure out the technical specifics on how to make my vision come to life, but once I did it became a seriously fun project.

Expanding this ever increasing universe of photos has become a nice creative outlet for me. I post a new row of 3 photos about 2-3 times a week. Please take a look and follow me on Instagram to see how this ambitious feed continues to grow and evolve.

Currently I’m showcasing my celebrity and entertainment photography. Soon I will switch to sports and lifestyle photography. You’ll see a lot of photos that aren’t on my web site.

And as always keep an eye for my Instagram stories; that’s where I show a very random assortment of day-in-the-life of things as well various other things.

Follow me HERE

Kane Brown Photo Shoot for Dr. Pepper

July 30, 2019 in Music Photography, Advertising Work, Nashville Photographers

I recently shot country singer Kane Brown for Dr. Pepper. It was a really fun day spent at a roller skating rink outside of Nashville. The woman in the photo with him is his wife Katelyn Jae.

Recent Photo Shoots in Nashville

August 30, 2018 in Nashville Photographers, Photo Shoots, Music Photography

Capturing artists in their element is one of my favorite things to shoot. An artist working on their music in a recording studio reminds me a lot of the time that I spend in my photography studio creating my photos. Here's a few photos from some recent shoots that I've done in various recording studios... First here's a screen capture from Canon's web site of a photo shoot I did for them of Mat Kearney. It was truly an honor to shoot for Canon, a company I've been loyal to for almost 15 years now. And of course Mat was super to work with. This shot was taken at his home studio in Nashville.

Next up is one from a fun shoot I did with Cole Swindell at Sound Emporium Studios in Nashville. Cole was a very chill and easy to hang with person. He made it a lot of fun.

And then I spent the day with Gavin Degraw shooting him for Snapple. Gavin was a hilarious and super fun guy to work with. I could have sat and listened to him telling funny stories for hours.

And lastly here's one of Atlantic Records artist High Valley that I shot at Dark Horse Studios in Franklin, just south of Nashville. To say that these 2 guys (who are brothers) are fun, is an understatement. The day was filled with laughter and it made my job a lot easier.

Tennessee Titans Photo Shoot

May 28, 2018 in Advertising Work, Nashville Photographers, Photo Shoots, Sports Photography

I spent the first part of my life in the New England area (Boston, New Hampshire, Maine) so I'm naturally a fan of the Red Sox, Bruins and Celtics. I have however never been a fan of the Patriots. I can't explain why; they just never clicked with me. I moved around a lot over 11 states, but it wasn't until I moved to Nashville that I finally found an NFL team that I felt like I could call my own.

That team was the Tennessee Titans. So I was super excited when they called me to take the player photos for their 2018 season. What made it even more special was the fact that they were was getting brand new uniforms designed by Nike. There was a lot of buzz, especially around Nashville about the new look of the uniforms. Rumors were flying, and all of them were wrong.

As I was brought in to shoot the Titans for the new season in the new uniforms, it was great to be one of the first people to ever see the new looks. I couldn’t believe I was seeing the uniforms even before the players did.

Doing sports photography is a lot like shooting celebrities; the players time is valuable so you have to have quick instincts and know when you’ve got the shots that you need and move on. We shot the whole team over the course of 4 short days. I’ve always thrived on pressure, so when the owner of the team, Amy Adams Strunk was standing there watching us shoot for 2 of the days it just made me get in the zone all the more.

Here's a few of the photos. They’ve been featured on TV, in print, the Titans web site and their social media. But my favorite has been seeing them printed several stories tall on the sides of Nissan Stadium.

Patricia Nash Lifestyle Fashion Photo Shoot

February 24, 2017 in Advertising Work, Nashville Photographers, Photo Shoots

These photos I shot are just now getting released in ads so I thought I’d share some of them here. This was a lifestyle fashion photo shoot I did for the Patricia Nash brand. My team drove from Nashville to Knoxville a couple of months ago to do this shoot. It was freezing that day, but these models were pros and did an amazing job. Patricia Nash is an amazing fashion line focusing mainly on handbag and shoes, although they are venturing into other areas as well. This was a day shoot with 2 locations; one at a marina just outside of Knoxville and one at the company's headquarters.

I do quite a bit of fashion photography for clothing lines in Nashville and elsewhere. As someone who used to own a small clothing company in Southern California, I love fashion and fashion photography.

David Bean: Nashville Photographers

AVVAY is the New Way to Find Creative Spaces in Nashville and Beyond...

December 28, 2016 in Advertising Work, Nashville Photographers

AVVAY is a new web site created by folks right here in Nashville that is kind of like airBNB, but for creative spaces. So if you're a photographer, painter, dancer, sculptor, etc. you can go to the AVVAY web site and look up homes, barns, studios, garages, etc. where you can perform your craft. I discovered it right before I was doing pre-production on a photo shoot for one of my clients PedalTrain. For the shoot we were looking for either a recording studio or a band rehearsal space that looked like it would be owned/used by both a young aspiring band or an already established one. In my many years of shooting in Nashville I had been to several studios and rehearsal spaces. But until I found AVVAY I never knew about places like The Silent Planet, where we ended up shooting at.

The shoot was huge success, due in large part to the amazing space I found on AVVAY. Check out the blog they wrote about it from their end. The transaction between me and The Silent Planet was the first one for AVVAY. If you've got a space of any kind that you think creatives could use, sign up on their site. They will be expanding to other cities beyond Nashville soon.

Here are some of the images from the photo shoot.

See Me at Imaging USA in Nashville Photography Conference

February 02, 2015 in Nashville Photographers, Workshops

Imaging USA is the largest annual convention and expo for professional photographers. It's a yearly event and this year, as in times past, it's being held in Nashville February 1-3. It's much more than just a convention or an expo, it features speakers, workshops, panels, etc.

On Tuesday the 3rd I'll be speaking and doing a mini-workshop at the LensRentals booth at 1:00. LensRentals is an amazing company and service that allows you to rent all kinds of photography and video gear and have it shipped to you. I'll be at their booth (#260) talking about lighting techniques including teaching how to use grids and gels to create moodier portraits. I will also have a Q&A on anything photography related at the end.

And.... over at the Hahnemule booth they've printed out a large format print of the photo of Leann Rimes that's on my web site. They will also be handing out smaller versions to anyone who stops by the booth. Hahnemule makes the most incredible paper for photo printing. Many photographers rely on them for their fine art prints.

So if you're going to be in Nashville for ImagingUSA please stop by and say hi. I'd love to meet you! It's being held at the Gaylord Opryland hotel February 1-3.

What You Didn't See in 2014

January 14, 2015 in Nashville Photographers, Photo Shoots

I know a lot of photographers are doing "Best Of" posts for the new year. It's always great to see those and look back on the previous year. I wanted to do something slightly different. Instead of doing a "Best Of" I thought I'd show some photos I took in 2014 that aren't on my site & most people have never seen before.

I love what I get to do for a living and the people I get to do it with; every photo shoot is so different from each other. I'm really looking forward to what 2015 has in store.

Enjoy these!

Photo Shoots for Banded

November 14, 2014 in Advertising Work, Nashville Photographers, Photo Shoots

I love my clients; I really do. I get to work with a lot of great people and companies. Banded is one such company that I enjoy working with. Banded is a Nashville based company that makes headbands that are step above all others. They are one size-fits-all that are non-slip, which makes them great for active lifestyles. They're sold all over the country and I'm regularly see them being worn all the time. I've done their photography for the last few years. Here's a few shots from some of those photo shoots. Since they're based in Nashville and so am I, we shot all of these photos in and around the Nashville area. From their site... BANDED™ headbands are the original no slip, automatically adjusting headbands that fits both children and adults. Our patent-pending design allows you to wear your BANDED™ headband all day long without getting a headache and prevents the headband from pinching or pulling your hair. Due to the soft velvet lining that keeps the headbands on, you will be able to focus on the day and not worry about looking in the mirror to adjust it. You can finally style it and forget about it.

Check out their site and do some shopping and take a look at the photos below...

Banded Lifestyle photography Advertising

0 to 60 in 6 hours Photography Lighting Workshop In Nashville

July 18, 2014 in Nashville Photographers, Workshops

NOTE: The early-bird pricing is over. It is now $199. Earlier in the year I did an Intro to Lighting workshop at my photography studio outside of Nashville. It was a success for all who came and I've decided to do it again. This time however I've made a few improvements and also LOWERED THE PRICE.

This time around it will be a 6 hour day of intensive training for only $199.

I can say this; I have never taught lighting as in-depth as this workshop will be. I will start from the ground up teaching the very basic and foundational concepts of lighting.

You will learn how to go from several different 1 light set-ups to variations on more complex, advanced ones. This will not be a hands on workshop. I've learned from past experiences that the time students spend shooting is much better used taking individual questions and making sure everything that's being taught is clearly understood. If I have to go deeper into a technique I will.

At the end I will set aside as much time as possible for a Q&A session on anything photography related.

As a bonus I will choose 3 people at random who have signed up to receive a personal 30 minute portfolio review by me. Anyone who's ever had one by me knows I'm very honest, but encouraging in the process of a review. All reviews will take place at my studio in Franklin, south of Nashville.

0 to 60 in 6 Hours Workshop SUNDAY, August 17, 10:00 am-4:00 pm.

YOU WILL LEARN…

Strobes: How to use...

- One light - Two lights - Three lights - More than three lights

How to mix strobes with natural light for both natural and un-natural looks

- Indoors - Outdoors

Choosing and using different light modifiers

- Umbrellas - Softboxes - Reflectors - Grids - Beauty Dishes - Silks - V-Flats - Using walls and other objects as modifiers

Hard vs soft light

- How to use - When to use

Using Accessories

- Light meters - Transmitters/Receivers - Wired vs wireless - Gels

Choosing gear

- Why more expensive isn't always better - When to use what type - De-mystifying the fear of gear

...and More!

This will be held at my studio in Franklin, TN; just south of Nashville on Sunday, August 17, 2014.

The price is only $199. We will break for a 1 hour lunch. If you would like lunch provided it's an additional $10. Lunch will be a Jersey Mikes boxed meal (sub, chips and a cookie.)

If you would like to pay via check you can mail it to:

The Visual Reserve PO Box 682421 Franklin, TN 37068

IF YOU ARE PAYING BY CHECK please email using the contact page and let us know you are mailing a check and if the check will be written in a different name . We will hold your spot for 5 days from receiving the email.

If you have any questions at all, please feel free to email

Independent Musician Photography

July 15, 2014 in Music Related, Nashville Photographers, Photo Shoots

I don't blog about my photo shoots very often, but I'll be changing that soon to show some behind the scenes shots, photos and outtakes from various shoots. In the meantime, below are some photos from a few different independent artist shoots I've done. Besides the larger, more established musicians I shoot, I shoot a lot of unsigned and independent musicians for the artists themselves, management companies and smaller labels.

I love these photos for several reasons, but one is that most of these photos were shot here in Nashville where musicians flock to either record, live or both. Nashville truly is Music City; a diverse collective of creative musicians that cross all genres. We are also home to some of the best songwriters, session players, recording studios, producers and engineers on the planet.

I love shooting these less-established, up-and-coming musicians for various reasons. It's always fun to work more closely with the artist beforehand than I normally would on a bigger label shoot. It's also enjoyable to see the early formations of people's careers before they hit the big time. I feel a sense of pride when I see them become exposed to bigger and bigger audiences over time, knowing that I played a part in helping to shape their image.

Music has always been one of my greatest passions. I've been in bands, managed a band for 4 years and photograph musicians all the time. I know the music business very well and I know what the industry wants when it comes to an artists image. To be able to combine my love of photography with music is such a joy to me as an artist.

The music industry has changed so much in the last 10 years. I've been there in the thick of it ebbing and flowing with both the positive and negative effects. Despite what some see as a crisis in the music business; there has never been a better time to be an independent artist. The Internet, social media and the lower costs of producing photos and videos has opened doors to reach new fans that were almost impossible just a few years ago.