Jay Lamm Photography, Music, and Art

Hey everyone,
I'm super excited to share this introduction video for a new video series I've been working on for the past couple of years. It's called "A Thousand Word" and a new episode will drop every Saturday starting in 2024.
Each episode will examine one of the world's most iconic images and delve deep into the story behind it...in about a thousand words.

I wrote all the scripts, did the voice-over, edited everything, the whole nine yards.
It's not just for photographers but for anyone that likes a good story.

Check out my new series and please subscribe to the channel so you can be notified when a new video is ready (every Saturday at 11am).
New into video here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlYpKxmI--o

Every Image Has a Story to Tell | Episode 00: A Thousand Words A Thousand Words is a visual and narrative odyssey through some of the world’s most iconic images. Starting January 6th of 2024, and dropping each Saturday,...

I walked past this and just kept walking. I knew it would bug me unless I went back and took a picture of it. It was an overcast day but that one light being on just kinda interested me.

It reminds me of growing up and you and all your friends are super into this one thing. Then, over time, they all lose interest in it but you're still going Gung Ho over it still. "I'm still doing this thing!!!!"

Or maybe it's just a stupid light and it doesn't mean anything at all.

In any case, don't let yourself burn out cause eventually everyone else will burn out and you'll be standing ahead of the rest, all ragged, beaten down, but, hey, persistent.

New show premiering now.
The sound of space?
Let's listen to a black hole.

Can We Hear Sound In Space? LASM links:Website: www.lasm.orgInstagram: www.instagram.com/lasmbr/Facebook: www.facebook.com/theLASMIn this week's video we take a look at the sounds in...

For the past three months I've been diligently working on a video project that will debut some time next year. I need to get back into actual photography though.
I always take a little Ricoh camera with me whenever I go out. I look high and low for cool shapes and lines and ended up finding this the other day while heading out for lunch.

Some people like taking pictures of ruins, burned out buildings, derelict structures. To me, I like taking pictures of progress instead of decomposition. I value the building and construction of something rather than the effects of it being left to wither and die.

But that's just me.

New Astronomy & Coffee is up.
I answer some eclipse questions and go over the recent discovery of two planets colliding 1800 light-years away.

Astronomy & Coffee - 2023/10/16 - Eclipse questions, and colliding worlds On this very special episode of Astronomy & Coffee with take a look at some of the questions I got during the eclipse plus a collision between two worlds 180...

I'm doing a new video series every week with LASM called "Astronomy & Coffee." It'll be Monday mornings at 9am (Central time) and will be weekly updates for what's up above.

On this very special episode of Astronomy & Coffee we're going to take a look at why it's called a "Blue Moon." Speaking of the moon, did you know India recently landed on the moon? Finally, we'll get an update on that TRAPPIST-1 system and the viability of them being habitable.

https://youtu.be/gs2ToHNMlys



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Astronomy & Coffee - 09/04/2023 On this very special episode of Astronomy & Coffee we're going to take a look at why it's called a "Blue Moon." Speaking of the moon, did you know India rec...

“People are like stained - glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within.”
~ Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

Quite possibly one of the most complicated shots and composites I’ve done. I had to save this under three different Photoshop files until I finally got to a point where I was happy. Shot in my kitchen with hair and dress replacement with glass and light.




www.JayLammPhoto.com

From my upcoming "Materials" series. This is "Paint & Air 01" with model

"What makes photography a strange invention is that its primary raw materials are light and time."
~ John Berger

One of my favorite things in photography is compositing. It’s kind of like a magic trick. And it’s been a while since I’ve picked up a camera, so it feels good to get back into the swing of things. I’m not sure what to call this one but, essentially, the idea was to have a Renaissance style portrait of a beautiful gypsy girl. I used AI to construct the painting template then I got to work on replicating it for photo.
I had Gina sit on a stool and duplicate the pose. I adjusted the lights so the lighting between the two would match up. I used a CamRanger to overlay the images together so I could get the focal length and alignment right. I also used a strobe to match the light. The fun part comes in later with matching the colors, hues, shadows, highlights, etc. etc. in Photoshop and making a cohesive composition. I just find this to be really fun, to pull all these elements together.
What was different this time around was matching the painting style. You can’t just have a photo of a face resting on top of a painting. It just wouldn’t look right. So, once all the retouching and compositing was done, I had to use some trickery to mimic the paint brush style, paint thickness, and cloth texture it was painted on.
🤎 🌼

Five years ago I got my first camera, a Nikon D810 which I still use today. I didn't know anything about cameras or how to take pictures. I didn't know what ISO was, didn't know anything about the exposure triangle, nothing about shutter speed, I didn't even know how to change a lens.
I just wanted to take pictures of the night sky so I could do cool stuff for my planetarium shows.
I decided to go big and not start off with some Best Buy "starter" kit camera. I got a Nikon D810, a Nikkor fisheye lens (for shooting timelapse sunsets for the dome), a Sigma 50mm, 24-120mm, and some other little odds and ends.
I read the instructions, put on a lens, and walked outside to take a picture of something.
This is what I found. This is the first shot I took which started me down this road.
Thanks to Creative Live, PHLEARN, SharkPixel: Professional Retouching, and countless other sites on YouTube like PixImperfect, I think I've come a long way.

So, today I'm remembering my first shot. An underexposed spider hanging out by my house.

What I Learned Today:
The origin of the phrase "For Pete's Sake."

The Origin of the Phrase "For Pete's Sake" Last night my girlfriend had on the John Carpenter classic, “The Thing.” I was around the house doing my business and not really watching, so at some point she went to bed but left the TV on. Then, after “The Thing” ended, the streaming service decided it would run the original version of th...

I can't believe it was 8 years ago I had my first short story published. In this volume of collected stories, mine is called "The Bells of Rue La Barriere." If you want to read it, you can still buy a copy for yourself here:

State of Horror: Louisiana Volume II WHAT IS YOUR STATE OF HORROR?The State of Horror series heads down the mighty Mississippi to the river delta on its tour of the United States with the second of two stops in the Bayou State—Louisiana. Join a team of paranormal investigators as they attempt to get proof of ghosts in an abandon bui....

Here are a few promo shots I did recently for the stage production of Legally Blonde: The Musical.

And here are ten life lessons you can learn from the show:
1) Intelligence comes in all shapes and sizes
2) Don't judge a book by its cover.
3) Never get your hair wet after a perm.
4) People who cut you down aren't worth your time.
5) Make it clear who gets the dog after the breakup.
6) Being a "mean girl" will ultimately backfire.
7) It's always good to stand out from the crowd.
8) You never know who you're impressing.
9) Anything is possible if you work hard enough.
10) Dream Theater is a good band.

Get tickets to the show which runs from June 16th to the 25th

TheatreBr.org/tickets

I spent the better part of the day at the Old Governor's Mansion in Baton Rouge, taking some new pics of the front during dusk after spending some time taking shots of the interior.
It's where the old Louisiana Art & Science Center used to be before moving to its current location and turning into the Louisiana Art & Science Museum. It's also the original location of our first planetarium. So, I've got a little connection to the place.

New substack up about how to use reflective tape in your photography. Some tips and tricks and things to consider for a unique look and project.

Illuminating Photography: Harnessing the Power of Reflective Body Tape In the world of photography, creative techniques are constantly evolving to captivate viewers and tell compelling stories. One such technique that has gained popularity is the use of reflective body tape. This versatile and dynamic accessory can add an element of intrigue, vibrancy, and ethereal bea...

Now is the season of graduation.
So, here's my life advice for all you new grads out there. I wish I started doing this way sooner. It's my antidote for anxiety; it's my cure for feeling overwhelmed.

My life lesson to recent graduates Here’s something I wish I started doing early on in my life. Yes, it’s something I do every day and can definitely improve your life, make you more money, and separate you from the others at your job. This is my life advice for all you recent graduates that are about to set out on your career pa...

Hey folks, if you have a spare dollar, please send it LASM's way to help pay for lighting the dome and upcoming projects.

Hey folks, do you live in the B. Rouge area? Then you might've heard of 225 Magazine.
Well, your good buddy has a swanky new pic at the back of it in their Frame It section, so go pick up the latest copy and have a look.

New substack up with a bit of advice on the #1 thing I suggest any photographer or musician should focus on first when just starting out.

The #1 Thing Any New Photographer or Musician Needs to Learn First I remember when I first started playing and learning the bass guitar, all I wanted to do was learn how to play flashy stuff. I wanted to look and play like Billy Sheehan. I wanted to do amazing technical stuff like Randy Coven. Because when you’re able to do all that kind of crazy stuff, you must ...

I was going through my harddrive today trying to find some old files and I ran across an old image from when I first started Cea Serin.
So....from back in 1997.
I think I still have this shirt.

I have a new substack up on how and why AI won't necessarily be taking all our jobs.

Will AI replace photographers and writers? As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to evolve, there is growing concern that it may eventually take over the roles of photographers and writers. While it is true that AI has made significant strides in these areas, there are still aspects of these professions that only human beings can perform...

https://whoisjaylamm.substack.com/p/shooting-low-light-promo-photos?sd=pf

New substack up dealing with how to shoot low-light promos using ambient light and strobes.

Shooting Low-Light Promo Photos Mixing Strobe with Ambient Light for Atmosphere

Here you go.

Listen, I know an illusory wall when I see one. The problem is, I have no jump ability to reach up there, to strike the hidden door, and to reveal the upgrade material that's hidden.
Oh man, it's a red wall....and TWO illusory walls.
I bet you it's Titanite shards....or maybe a shortcut to a bonfire!!!

Located in downtown Baton Rouge, this used to be a nice place to take photos. I'd see couples and seniors getting their shots done here because the walls were interesting and there used to be some interesting awnings. Those have either blown down or been removed, leaving behind the bare bricks underneath.

from a lone window
a kitty watches the street
bored and tired of sleep

Are we still doing haikus? Was that a thing?

After doing a bit of writing on Fan Ho, I realized that street photography isn't really my thing. Street photography typically centers around the people, and I don't really care too much about people. I'm more interested in what people have made. I guess that's why I've been focusing more on buildings. Not just finding interesting buildings but setting them against a pretty sky and then letting the viewer find what's interesting inside the windows.
It's the nature of an ever changing sky, the semi-permanence of a man-made structure, and this temporary object in a room we can't fully see.

In my effort to try and pay attention to the world around me, I’ve been walking around the downtown area trying to find interesting buildings—specifically, the tops of buildings. I like making things difficult for myself and I really like sinking my teeth into a photo and doing everything I can to make an image look otherworldly as well as grounded. I guess I kinda started a project where I’m taking pictures of buildings and changing their colors to compliment the color of the sky. It was inspired, in part, from the blue villages in Morocco. I imagined a city block where the buildings have been painted with complimentary colors and the world is in harmony. However, I want to keep all the grunge and water stains from the rain. I want the sky to be pristine and I want the buildings to be an attempt at being pristine but, of course, always falling short. It’s like, the buildings are there to compliment their environment but are just as susceptible to the ravages of time as everything else.

Sean Tucker videos should be required viewing for anyone creative. Whether you're a dancer, photographer, painter, musician, etc., he talks about the philosophy behind the creative process and really makes you think about what you're doing.
For example, this recent video about creating based on the thinking side or the feeling side.
To me, I think I'm more based on the thinking side of creating and maybe that's my problem. I want to make stuff based on technical things, i.e. repainting buildings to have complimentary colors, or doing big complicated panoramas, or doing complicated composites. Maybe I should try to focus on the feeling side more.

Balancing the Emotional and the Rational (a thought for makers) This video is sponsored by MPB. "Transforming the way people buy, sell and trade used photo and video kit." : https://bit.ly/3AXvqQBMy links:My Store: https:...

I decided to start a Substack to see where that takes me. For my first entry I wanted to talk about how sometimes a photo just gets away from you. After hours and hours of editing this picture, after Photoshop crashed and I lost a lot of progress, and after a second day of edits, I decided to call it a day and just let the thing exist as it is. Sometimes you have to know when to pivot.

When Things Aren't Working Out Start writing today. Use the button below to create your Substack and connect your publication with Cite Your Source The first words you should read from me are “sometimes you need to know when to pivot.” Sometimes you just have to admit things aren’t working out and you’ve got to either mov...

Some recent promo shots from the Theatre Baton Rouge production of Rock of Ages.
They borrowed my 8-string Ibanez and 7-string Conklin bass.
Bonus points if you can find the Cea Serin poster I might've snuck in there.

From an upcoming project I'm working on.
Light & Color #6

Hey folks, check out the new Lillian Axe video, "Feelings of Absinth." It's directed by Todd Schmidt and also stars my #1 gal, Gina Kaos Kennedy.
The video, song, and album are all super duper.
Plus, the intro of the video is introduced by none other than the original Headbanger's Ball host, Adam Curry.

Lillian Axe - Feelings Of Absinthe (Official Video) The second single from the Lillian Axe album "From Womb To Tomb" available via Global Rock Records.GET THE ALBUM | https://bit.ly/3ITDmnUFollow Lillian Axe o...

Celestial Goddess of Wooden Planets.
Happy Valentines to my gal and partner-in-crime .
We shot a lot of pics yesterday to keep me busy for a few weeks. Here's one I put together for a celestial goddess theme. Photography with lots of compositing.
I call this "Celestial Goddess of Wooden Planets."

This last couple of months have been no fun at all for me. As a result, I haven’t posted much. I haven’t photographed much. I took some kitty cat photos but that’s about it. Well, it’s time to get back into the swing of things and time to start moving forward with my “Materials” project.
I don’t want to post every picture I make for this project because when it’s done, I want to print a magazine with everything in it. So, here’s just one new photo in the “Marble” collection.

This project centers around combining portrait photography with maker-materials such as stone, paper, paint, metal, etc.

Looking for models to participate in my 2023 project, "Materials."

New 2023 Project: Materials - now hiring models - Jay Lamm Photography Now hiring models for upcoming 2023 project: Materials.

After shooting the Spirits of Louisiana event, I went across the street and shot the building from the roof of the Louisiana Art & Science Museum. Then, on the opposite side the building, I decided since I was up there, I might as well make a big ole panormama of the river dock area.
This was 109 shots combined together. I ended up cropping it in a bit because there was a lot of extra stuff that didn't add to the image. But you can see the USS Kidd, the paper clip docks, the bridge, and how the lights across the river reflect off the water. Pretty night.
This image is massively shrunk down from it's original size of 11 thousand pixels across.

I've been shooting the Old State Capitol's Spirits of Halloween event for a few years now. After the event, I head outside and take a big panorama of the building and how they've got it all lit up with colored gels. This year I decided to go across the street and compose the shot from on top of the Louisiana Art & Science Museum's roof.
Behold!

Hello Pinhead: “We have such adorable sights to show you.”

Let the experimentation continue. I mean, what do you see here? A sentinel? A sci-fi antagonist? An NPC?
Well, I made this image over a couple of days and used several separate images composited together. The dress was made in AI but the individual body parts were pieced together from several other shots. Of course, when doing this you have to really go through to make sure things don’t look too wonky. I like the static pose, but I had to go in and reshape the body, reconstruct the breasts, adjust the background. Things like that.
It almost looks like it could be a movie poster for some dystopian, futuristic, alien invasion film.

The Official Site for J. Lamm - Bass Player, Vocalist, Keyboardist, Song Writer

Folks, I'm pleased to announce that I've been updating and renovating my website. Since I'm moving more in a photography-centric direction I made my website a bit more friendly for large pictures.
I plan on releasing a few short stories via 1 chapter at a time through my website. Each story will be accompanied by original photos that correspond with the story parts.

Of course, I'll still have music stuff up but the site will be mainly focused on telling stories that deal less with audio.

Visit the new site:
www.whoisjaylamm.com

whoisjaylamm.com J. Lamm's page