For the past couple of weeks, I've been traveling around doing workshops in LA, Seattle, Dallas, NY and Chicago. The events have been great and it's been so fun to get to meet so many of you face to face. At the end of each class, I open up the room for a huge Q and A session. So far it's gone really well but the other night someone asked a question that took me by surprise. Open Post
CNN recently launched a series of portraits I shot in Rwanda over the summer for their brand new Photo Blog (which is really amazing and cool that they're finally doing this). Because the blog is so new though, many users weren't sure how to find the captions and stories for each of my photos. So I thought I would feature the series again here and let you take a closer look.
I also wrote a post on forgiveness for their "Belief Blog" that you can see here.
Click "Open Post" below to see the full series. Open Post
I also wrote a post on forgiveness for their "Belief Blog" that you can see here.
Click "Open Post" below to see the full series. Open Post
Huge thanks to Catherine Hall and Leo Laporte for having me on TwitPhoto yesterday! It was fun chatting with them about everything photography and creativity. Check it out below... Open Post
I've worked with the Catalyst Conference on and off over the last few years as a photographer. I'm a huge fan of the event. This year, I pitched the idea of me creating an art video LIVE at the event to premiere the next day. Thankfully they agreed. In my entire life of creating, this might be my favorite creative experience yet. It was truly a powerful moment seeing the video used in a worship format in front of 13,000 people. Be sure to watch the live footage below as well and hang in there. You'll see my video around the 1:25 mark. It's fun to see it in both formats...
The theme of the conference was "Be Present" (which I loved). So my idea was to simply take pictures of people at the conference and create an abstract group of people holding this message. Meanwhile the lyric of the song was saying "You make beautiful things out of dust. You make beautiful things out of us." Simple but powerful.
Open Post
The theme of the conference was "Be Present" (which I loved). So my idea was to simply take pictures of people at the conference and create an abstract group of people holding this message. Meanwhile the lyric of the song was saying "You make beautiful things out of dust. You make beautiful things out of us." Simple but powerful.
Open Post
Here's my latest art video that I created exclusively for People of the Second Chance.
I love what they're about and I would love to hear your thoughts on this video below.
What are your thoughts on grace?
Open Post
I love what they're about and I would love to hear your thoughts on this video below.
What are your thoughts on grace?
Open Post
I've been a fan of a band called Sleeping At Last for a while now. They're music just really resonates with me. I got to meet Ryan, the lead singer recently and we've since become good friends. Just last week he asked me to do a shoot with him and I quickly said of course! Below is some of my favorites from the shoot. I decided to keep it extremely, extremely simple. No crew, no hair/makeup, no big production. It was basically just me and Ryan. My friend Jason Flynn helped hold a light for a little while before he had to leave and our friend Jen Pinkston came by to make sure his clothes weren't looking funky. (She's a great stylist btw). But both of them were only there for a bit. I love simple shoots like this. They're easier, quicker and just usually more fun. Thanks Ryan for this shoot. I wish they could all be this fun! Open Post
This is a photo I will never forget.
My wife and I had really been struggling that morning, as most parents do, when they take their first child to the first day of Kindergarten. It sounds silly to non-parents but that first day is huge. It's the beginning of a new era for your child. You've spent the last 4 years trying to perfectly raise your child in your home and now you're officially releasing them into a new daily routine that doesn't involve you. I now understand why so many parents cry at this event. And let's be honest, I joined in on the tear-fest. But the hardest part for us was separating our son from his sister. Our kids are literally best friends. They protect each other. They play together. They teach each other. There is no doubt that they are inseparable. So we knew in this moment that it was also a new era for our daughter, who would now be by herself every day, without her brother and best friend.
So we said our goodbyes and we watched as our son walked away to class with all his new classmates. It was just like the movies. I swear the whole thing happened in slow-motion. Then all of a sudden, he turned around and came back for one more hug from his sister. Thank God I had my camera with me for this moment. I scrambled super quick to grab a shot and this was the only frame I got of the hug before he was off and running to catch up with his classmates.
A video clip of this moment wouldn't have been nearly as powerful. It's moments like this where I truly value photography and knowing how to get a good image in the blink of an eye. I will treasure this photo for the rest of my life.
(Oh, and P.S., I have no idea why my daughter was wearing a princess tiara that morning but it makes this photo that much sweeter. And you might also notice that my son is proudly wearing his new Batman backpack. :) Open Post
My wife and I had really been struggling that morning, as most parents do, when they take their first child to the first day of Kindergarten. It sounds silly to non-parents but that first day is huge. It's the beginning of a new era for your child. You've spent the last 4 years trying to perfectly raise your child in your home and now you're officially releasing them into a new daily routine that doesn't involve you. I now understand why so many parents cry at this event. And let's be honest, I joined in on the tear-fest. But the hardest part for us was separating our son from his sister. Our kids are literally best friends. They protect each other. They play together. They teach each other. There is no doubt that they are inseparable. So we knew in this moment that it was also a new era for our daughter, who would now be by herself every day, without her brother and best friend.
So we said our goodbyes and we watched as our son walked away to class with all his new classmates. It was just like the movies. I swear the whole thing happened in slow-motion. Then all of a sudden, he turned around and came back for one more hug from his sister. Thank God I had my camera with me for this moment. I scrambled super quick to grab a shot and this was the only frame I got of the hug before he was off and running to catch up with his classmates.
A video clip of this moment wouldn't have been nearly as powerful. It's moments like this where I truly value photography and knowing how to get a good image in the blink of an eye. I will treasure this photo for the rest of my life.
(Oh, and P.S., I have no idea why my daughter was wearing a princess tiara that morning but it makes this photo that much sweeter. And you might also notice that my son is proudly wearing his new Batman backpack. :) Open Post
I recently was asked to work with a band called Gungor. I was vaguely aware of them but didn't know much about them. Their manager Calvin sent me the record and honestly, I was stunned. The record was the most beautiful collection of music I'd heard in a long time. To give you an idea of how much I loved it, I'm pretty sure I listened to it every day, on repeat, for 2-3 weeks. Anyway, I'll quit gushing about the music for now cause it's your lucky day and the album actually releases TODAY. That's right. You can go listen for yourself right now.
Needless to say, it was an absolute honor to photograph the band for this album. I'm pretty sure I would have paid THEM their day rate to be a part of this project. I hope you enjoy the random display of some of my favorites below. Oh, and for all you Photoshop nerds, I did the post-production and textural work on these images as well...
Also, you should watch the EPK for the new record. Really cool to hear about this project from the band directly... Open Post
Needless to say, it was an absolute honor to photograph the band for this album. I'm pretty sure I would have paid THEM their day rate to be a part of this project. I hope you enjoy the random display of some of my favorites below. Oh, and for all you Photoshop nerds, I did the post-production and textural work on these images as well...
Also, you should watch the EPK for the new record. Really cool to hear about this project from the band directly... Open Post
Purchase Prints at the Jeremy Cowart Store
All Proceeds Go To First Response Team of America Open Post
All Proceeds Go To First Response Team of America Open Post
Many of you are familiar with my friends at Passion City Church. I traveled on a World Tour with them a few years ago and we even collaborated on a Photography book called Awakening. Our latest collaboration involves one of my recent art videos. They recently opened their new church building (Which they've named "515" after the street address) and to celebrate, they had me create this video, which they debuted in the first service in the new building. I hope this description gives the video some context. Open Post
So I've launched a store to sell prints of my work. This might seem like it's not a big deal but it's a massive step in a direction I've always wanted to go. Right now, I'm just selling prints of my illustration work like my recent "Portrait of Christ" video illustration but this is just the tip of the iceberg. There is so much more to come from me in terms of fine art work. Since high school, I have considered myself a painter first who somehow got caught up in the worlds of graphic design, web design, photography and technology in general. But the heart of my passion is simply doing art. I've ignored it for far too long. So the launch of this store is significant for me. I couldn't be more thrilled about the possibilities of creating personal work that ends up in your living room. There's just nothing more exciting for me than that.
So for now, let me show you the beginnings of my Store. You can also check it out on my Facebook Wall as well... (and thanks to Storenvy for the great store!)
P.S. I'm curious to hear what you'd like to see in the store. What kind of work or which photos from my past work would you like to see in the store? Any and all feedback is welcome and much needed. Open Post
So for now, let me show you the beginnings of my Store. You can also check it out on my Facebook Wall as well... (and thanks to Storenvy for the great store!)
P.S. I'm curious to hear what you'd like to see in the store. What kind of work or which photos from my past work would you like to see in the store? Any and all feedback is welcome and much needed. Open Post
"Aesthetics of Less"
by Basil Salomon Helfenstein
I recently curated a photo contest that the Global Poverty Project sponsored where photographers have to submit images that reflect or represent what it looks like to live below the poverty line of $1.50 a day. Some powerful images were submitted. You can see for yourself here. I would like to thank everyone for taking the time to submit. It was truly remarkable to see all of your results and very tough to decide on my favorites. But after looking them over, I finally chose my top 10. You can see them below (and the one above)...
In no particular order... Open Post
I recently curated a photo contest that the Global Poverty Project sponsored where photographers have to submit images that reflect or represent what it looks like to live below the poverty line of $1.50 a day. Some powerful images were submitted. You can see for yourself here. I would like to thank everyone for taking the time to submit. It was truly remarkable to see all of your results and very tough to decide on my favorites. But after looking them over, I finally chose my top 10. You can see them below (and the one above)...
In no particular order... Open Post
My friend Dane Sanders does a weekly broadcast called "Fast Track Coaching". He had me on this week to discuss my LifeFinder DVD and all things creative. It was a pretty brutally honest discussion about a lot of things. Check it out. (Oh, and sorry for the bags under the eyes, I was going on very little sleep after a long shoot the day before.) Open Post
There are a lot of natural disasters happening lately, especially domestically with all the recent tornados and hurricanes in recent years. You might be wondering what organizations you can donate to. There are a lot of options but please look no further than First Response. What they're doing is absolutely incredible. As someone on Twitter said, "That's American as you can get. We should be proud to have them around." Watch the video above and not only be inspired but click on their website and make a donation.
Also, you might get to meet Tad soon. Every time First Response travels to a new city, Tad emails me where they are and asks me to connect him with photographers and videographers. So be ready. You may be next. I usually make these announcements on my Twitter feed so stay tuned and maybe you can help First Response directly. Open Post
Also, you might get to meet Tad soon. Every time First Response travels to a new city, Tad emails me where they are and asks me to connect him with photographers and videographers. So be ready. You may be next. I usually make these announcements on my Twitter feed so stay tuned and maybe you can help First Response directly. Open Post
My friends at Relevant Magazine are doing a feature on me in their upcoming issue. They asked me if they could include my 5 most "iconic" photos. First off, I don't consider anything I've done to be iconic. Don't you have to be around for a while to have iconic photos? I'm only 6 years into my photo career. Anyway, I think ultimately they just want my 5 best photos. And since that's a very awkward question for me to know the answer to, I figured you could be the judge. So have at it. Post a link in the comments below to either just 1 image of mine or 5. Whichever you prefer. They will publish your top picks. Open Post
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