RyanBowenPhoto Blog

Ustream test

2011-05-26T09:44:00.001-07:00

Embedding Video in Ustream via a personal channel

Live video by Ustream

using your iphone as a remote for your camera

2010-11-03T18:16:00.000-07:00

found a sweet app for the iphone. its called dslr remote...although the free version is pretty limited, it still serves as a way to take test shots, or shoot tethered to your laptop. i fired off a ton of shots, and it only delayed on a few of them.

even if you dont plan to use it in the studio setting it'll be a cool way to impress your friends...and another "thank god for my iphone" moment!

so excited...and seriously lame.

Halloween 2010

2010-11-03T00:14:00.000-07:00

Spent the night bouncing from party to party. Started in the Village, then to Brooklyn and then finished the night in Washington Heights. Had a great time and met some very interesting people! dope. my group met up in the village and proceeded to take the night by storm!

mis amigos

Enjoy!

teaser from Cabarete

2010-09-22T20:29:00.000-07:00

This beautiful beach on the north coast of dominican republic has quickly become one of my favorite places to go...the nightlife is increíble and the views are fantastic... here's a couple shots from a shoot earlier in september.. more to come at the jump.

Acacio Family

2010-09-20T07:37:00.000-07:00

Had a blast early in September when I visited Santiago, Dominican Republic. Shot family portrait session with the Acacio Family in picturesque Camp David, on a mountainside overlooking la "ciudad corazón".

Happy Independence Day

2010-07-06T14:23:00.000-07:00

It's hot as hell in New York City this week, but the sunsets are incredible!

Location: Brooklyn Rootop

Date Taken: 4th of July.

Many faces of E'taniel

2010-06-21T14:12:00.000-07:00

After passing through this bleak brutal NYC winter, spring and summer are meant for liberating the spirit and getting the creative juices flowing.

Working with this brother was a joy. What I love most is seeing his split personality on camera. So here's to casting inhibitions to the wayside and putting yourself out there. Hoping his new comp card (below) will get him many call backs this summer!

Breakdancing in Long Island New York

2010-05-12T10:48:00.000-07:00

Shots of a 18-year old breaker named Eleazar in Hempstead, NY. Shot in April of 2010.

Boston International Public School

2010-05-09T21:22:00.000-07:00

Had a great weekend working with a group of students who are on their way to a trip to West Africa later this May. More photos and a gallery to come at https://pa.photoshelter.com/c/ryanbowen

The Boondocks Season 3!

2010-05-03T17:20:00.000-07:00

Cant tell y'all how excited I am that the most poignant politically charged cartoon is back!
Blackness is as confused as ever in this pseudo postracial Obama Era, and my man Aaron Macgruder brings it on this episode! And Will.I.Am... you was definitely dick ridin' obeezy during the campaign!

Haha, if you confused, you just gotta watch!

Check it out here:

Promo Video- Semana Santa

2010-04-27T08:34:00.000-07:00

Heres some live action from Semana Santa earlier this month. A short promo to show what happened...

Santiago Ciudad Corazon

2010-04-12T16:47:00.000-07:00

Santiago holds one of the most famous monuments in all of the Dominican Republic.
"El Monumento" or The Monument, is a tribute to 30 Heroes of the Revolution. It is also a cultural hotspot of activity, where families and couples go all day and night to pass the time.

Some other nice sights in the DR:

Ron Bermudez promo in Dominican Republic

2010-04-06T17:01:00.000-07:00

The Dominican Republic is a beautiful place to shoot, naturally. The eye bears witness to such spectacular green's and blue's you just don't see in other places outside of the Caribbean. Check out the flora and fauna of last weekend where I spent shooting a promo for the rum company Ron Bermudez.

The four beautiful models I worked with were Noemy Batista, Marjorie Goimez, Angeli Abreu and Jenny Checo. Each one gave me so many great looks, here's just a few of my favorites.

Photos with the Easter Bunny

2010-03-27T13:24:00.000-07:00

Hempstead Boys and Girls Club and United Methodist Church in Hempstead hosted an Easter Egg Hunt and breakfast for the families in the community.

a lil lighting experiment

2010-03-24T16:46:00.000-07:00

A couple of studio-style shots from this weekend in brooklyn. Featuring two photographers (including myself) as models!

I'll definitely be using a setup like this in the future. For the photo geeks out there, here's how we did it: 50 mm lens with 2 strobes, umbrella on a stand, as well as a disc Sunshield to bounce off the strobe for the high intensity light.

La Republica Dominicana

2010-03-09T17:10:00.000-08:00

Some of the best shots from last month in the Dominican Republic.

Jenny Checo

Cabarete

Hotel Kaoba, Cabarete

Chantal Espinal

Cabarete, República Dominicana

2010-02-23T17:30:00.000-08:00

Spent the last week and a half taking tons of pics in the Dominican Republic. Here's some of the most wild and fun ones from this last weekend at a nightclub on the beach in Cabarete.

Roger Zayas, famosa cantante de Los 440 el grupo de Juan Luis Guerra, y increible fotografo tambien.

Colorful brothas in Brooklyn

2010-02-03T18:03:00.000-08:00

gotta show love to some brothas who are willing to let it all hang out.
props to the Etaniel, Asadullah, Kamean and the rest of the brooklyn crew in East NY.

Recent work

2010-01-18T21:35:00.000-08:00

Portraits from the past month and a half. My photo life has improved since picking up some lighting equipment.

Its fun to shoot with strobes!

Enric Sifa

2010-01-16T11:26:00.000-08:00

Enric is an inspiration to many, a Rwandan born musician of incredible talent (myspace.com/enricsifa) and an endearing presence if you ever have the chance to meet him. While in Kigali I befriended him, or shall I say, he befriended me. Anyways, every chance I get to go to Portland I make sure we catch up.

Portraiture

2009-12-03T11:06:00.000-08:00

Knowledge of self is a key to personal progress. I find that recently I have come into knowing who I am as a photographer more than ever. I seek to document the faces of the voiceless, the eyes of the dispossessed, which so often show much more joy than pain.

This photo is of a school girl in a village outside of kigali Rwanda in June 2009.

Hip Hop Documentary: Beyond Beats & Rhymes

2009-11-02T23:01:00.003-08:00

I am a big fan of hip hop.. have been for most of my life... But so often I find myself defending it from what its become in the commercial scheme of things. Watching this video was both informative and very reflective for me. I suggest anyone out there should see it, its a great place to start.

HIP-HOP: BEYOND BEATS AND RHYMES is a riveting documentary that examines representations of gender roles in hip-hop and rap music through the lens of filmmaker Byron Hurt, a former college quarterback turned activist. Conceived as a “loving critique” from a self-proclaimed “hip-hop head,” Hurt examines issues of masculinity, sexism, violence and homophobia in today’s hip-hop culture.

Halloween in NYC

2009-11-02T19:38:00.000-08:00

October 31, 2009 in Greenwich Village, Manhattan NY
ghoul on the LIRR train heading into Penn Station

trip for three to the beach

2009-10-14T22:54:00.000-07:00

See more here... photoshelter

jumpin for joy

2009-10-14T08:44:00.000-07:00

Can't express how great it feels to get some good work accomplished. Stay tuned for more fun pics to get posted this week!

Wedding at Blue Lake Park

2009-10-13T07:43:00.000-07:00

Here are shot's from Megan and Rich's wedding, August 22nd 2009. They were blessed with a beautiful summer day next to Blue Lake. Best luck to the new, and oh so young, couple!

Camera Bag- a sweet app for your iphone

2009-10-12T21:17:00.000-07:00

Check out this download avaliable for your iPhone and you Mac computer. Its a powerful little app called Camera Bag, Heres a couple great photos that I was able to create with just a few clicks. To download it click here http://www.nevercenter.com/camerabag/

another august wedding

2009-10-12T17:05:00.000-07:00

This set is from August while I shot alongside Jelani Memory once again for the second summer in a row. This time around I brought my new 5D which has made a huge difference in quality.

music headshot

2009-10-12T01:12:00.000-07:00

Just wrapped a brief shoot this afternoon in Long Island with Garry of Cottage Music Productions. You can check out his work here.

Santa Monica

2009-10-01T23:12:00.000-07:00

Check out a couple more shots from the santa monica shoot in August. More to come!

missin Rwanda

2009-09-30T22:28:00.001-07:00

Got a photobook in the works.. until thats finished just wanted to get a pic up from the Palau Festival Crowd and the city of Kigali in the background.

santa monica shoot is on the way!

2009-09-16T13:03:00.000-07:00

after weeks of travel and moving in-out-in again to my new spot in New York, I've finally got a chance to get one of my most exciting shoots of the year under way... heres a teaser

senior portraits by the park

2009-09-16T07:27:00.000-07:00

highlights from a session in Seattle, Washington with the great-looking high school seniors Alex and Jake

FUEGO!

2009-08-28T08:40:00.000-07:00

Last night we drove up to get a closer look at the La Cañada fires that have been blazing in northern Los Angeles. Here's what I saw:

Onlookers watch the fires getting closer to homes at La Cañadas Valley Crest Drive August 27 2009

An outburst of flames creeps over the hills adjacent to the Los Angeles Crest Hwy | August 27 2009

The orange sky seems a bad omen for the expensive homes on Valley Crest Drive in La Cañada | August 27 2009

Cars drive up Green Crest Drive to get a close view of the fires as the approach La Cañada resident's homes | August 27 2009

pic of the day: hamlet noir

2009-08-24T10:52:00.000-07:00

a dramatic shot from a brief photo sesh yesterday with a young model in portland named CJ.

Wedding Season 2.0

2009-08-22T22:16:00.000-07:00

Its wedding season again! Thats right last august I spent the last month of the summer shootin with my long time friend and photog extraordinnaire Jelani Memory (jelanimemory.blogspot.com)

I've learned alot over the past year, and having my new 5D is definitely helping me to propel to new skill levels. But I'll be busy processing the photos from this month's weddings for a little while so here's a couple throwbacks from last summer:

Lala Land

2009-08-12T17:49:00.000-07:00

Here's a couple shots from a recent shoot in the backyard of the gorgeous Ms Drice's home in Long Island NY. For her first real "shoot" I think she did a spectacular job warming up to the camera and letting the beauty flow.

gettin ink done! a couple published works

2009-08-01T15:31:00.000-07:00

Cool news: Last month I ended up having two photos selected for the "Schmap City Guide" in Both Los Angeles and Washington DC!

Check em out here I guess Flickr is good for something!

LA: link

DC: link

what football means to me (in HD)

2009-07-30T14:09:00.000-07:00

check out this short video in full HD glory of Kwizera, the boys coach from Busanza as he speaks on what football means to his life.

a translation expert in kigali

2009-07-27T13:47:00.000-07:00

Stephen Gatari was Play for Hope's translator in Kigali. He was sent to us by God..well

figuratively at least- Africa New Life Ministries, the activist church where we went to play with street kids every Monday, referred him to our group and he was such an asset to the team!

Not only assisting to preach to the hundreds of Rwandans crowding our clinics, he also went on national radio, in front of thousands of listeners. His english was amongtthe best around!

If you want to contact him for his services (his rates are the best around, seriously!) you can reach him by email at salig50@yahoo.com or by phone at (+250) 078 835 3283

Chillin with me at a bar next to the stadium sippin on some Fantas

Goofin off with a couple of the volunteers at the Kigali Hope Festival.

Check out this video from his radio interview

the play for hope tourney

2009-07-21T08:39:00.000-07:00

The tourney @ amahoro stade was a smash success. Hundreds came out to support the 12 teams involved, and the kids played very well on the main stage of kigali's national stadium. Here's some of the highlight shots:

Kimisagara v. Rugunga Day 1

Day 1 opening match boys from Samuduha march around stadium

street boys from Busanza with Rwanda star striker Jimmy Gatete (in black), and Radio10's "DJ Shaka" (back left wearing button-up) on July 15, 2009

boys from Kanombe are psyched for their match on day 1! July 15, 2009

player from Gatenga scores against the u-20 boys from Kanombe

Coach Erasto from Kimisagara preps his team before the championship match vs Gatenga. July 16, 2009

sniffing glue to get by

2009-07-14T13:41:00.000-07:00

It was an eye opening experience to say the least..last week our team traveled from Africa New Life's street children ministry program to visit a couple of the places where the children call home.

To aid with hunger pangs, many children on the street sniff glue. This bottle is used by the boys to escape their impoverished reality, while simultaneously harming their young growing bodies.

These three boys shown just outside the bushes they sleep in every night, located within a new expensive housing development.

This is the boy's home, all of their possessions amount to a few boxes inside tall bushes located surprisingly close to 3 story mansions just on the other side of the field where they fiind their shelter.

Hope for Life Home in Kabunga

2009-07-06T23:07:00.000-07:00

We drew a huge crowd when we went to Kabunga's open market to play with the kids.

Last Saturday we took off for the second time to visit a home called Hope for Life. There are 14 boys in Kabunga, who have been given a second chance at life through the shelter that two college students helped establish just a four months ago.

Since March of this year these boys have been taken off the streets and given schooling, proper nutrition and love. In only this short time they have made great improvements in their health and outlook on life. While they act up at times, being in this environment has done wonders for them.

Its a simple example of how much change can be created by just a few individuals with a passion for the children of Rwanda. You can see more about this great project here: http://hilliarysart.com/HFL/index.html

within 2 minutes of showin up the the field we had drawn a crowd of over 200. The muzungu show was officially on!

Jess showin off her phenom heading skills

bike taxis look on to get a view of the action

bought some sukali at the local market, and tried our hand at eatin it

turns out they were a little more skilled than we were

our group at the kid's home

poverty a two part harmony

2009-06-30T16:24:00.000-07:00

confronting reality can baffle me... how does the most beautiful scenery in the world exist in the places where the material situations are the poorest... today's visit with the street kids we play with every tuesday and thursday really brought me new meaning to "blessed are the poor in spirit"...

Claude, 19, lost his sisters and parents in 1994 to -you guessed it- the genocide, and now he lives alone in this dirt home. he stated that his greatest joys in the week are when hes at the football pitch, it provides an escape from a difficult reality.

Gooooaaall

2009-06-29T05:19:00.000-07:00

Rip MJ

2009-06-25T16:39:00.000-07:00

"If you enter this world knowing you are loved and you leave this world knowing the same, then everything that happens in between can be dealt with." Michael Jackson

Some eerie silhouettes for an eerie day..I heard the news thats shocking the world while posting this pic..Michael Jackson died.

One of the best thoughts I heard recently regarding life's temporality was this quote by Steve Jobs "Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. There is no reason not to follow your heart."

Following our hearts, our faith and our passion for children here has been without fear. It is with the children that so many of us come alive!

Soccer Skills (another photo of the day)

2009-06-24T11:55:00.000-07:00

So we're thinking of making some posters from these shots...Let me know if you would ever buy one to support p4h?

POTD June 20-B-ballin in gatenga

2009-06-22T14:44:00.000-07:00

poster shot from gatenga maison de jeunes

POTD- June 20 Old woman and her brew

2009-06-21T16:53:00.000-07:00

amidst shouts of muzungu i began walking through the town of Kabunga as we were putting on a football clinic in the field nearby. I bumped into this lady in town and she laughed when i asked her for a sip of what she was sippin on.. Whatever homemade concoction it was, it was definitely strong!

POTD June 19- Handball!

2009-06-20T14:49:00.000-07:00

We walked to the national stadium after hearing that the Rwandan Nat'l football team would be playing Korea..turned out it there was no futbol to be found, but we did get a introduction to handball between Uganda and Tanzania.

It was exciting to watch, until the flagrant flopping just wouldnt stop..in the 2nd half we saw the stretcher brought out @ least 4 times...anyways, we still had a good time!

videos from Rwanda- 5dmk2

2009-06-19T11:58:00.001-07:00

Here's the first preview of what vids I've been able to shoot here in Rwanda
heres some

Football Drills in Gatenga from Ryan Bowen on Vimeo.

Heres an impromptu worship session after putting on a soccer clinic...

Kids in Rwanda worship in Kinyarwandan from Ryan Bowen on Vimeo.

POTD June 17th- Jeune from Kimisagara

2009-06-18T15:57:00.000-07:00

cross posted here:

Jeune, from Kimisagara, wrote Ryan an email after stealing his contact info from a luggage ticket on his backpack.

His email stated:

" MY NAME IS JEUNE IN KIMISAGARA YOUR BODY IS VERY BAD...american is very bad becouse we caused a woll (war)

good buy"

My response:

"Mwaramutse Jeune,

I agree with you that the wars america has caused are aweful. i hate that part of being from my country. We often have abused most of the world for our own benefit. Thats why i try to travel outside of it as much as possible, to exchange with people and show that not all of us americans agree with what our government has done.

I do not agree with you that my body is very bad. i am in great shape, you should see my abdominal muscles!

I hope you are well tonight, I hope we can play soccer together tomorrow!
Ryan

He responded the next day saying:

"THANKS RYAN FOR YOUR MEANING... SEE YOU"

Now, the story with Jeune didn't stop there. Not only did he cease giving the finger to my fellow teammates, but took such a care for me that on our final day when i went up into the hills nearby to get some good shots, he noticed my dissappearance, and concerned for my safety rounded up asearch party to make sure I made it back to the fields.

Just goes to show, a little bit of love can sure go a long ways.

POTD: June 18th

2009-06-18T14:38:00.000-07:00

'nuff said:

POTD: Missionary Position

2009-06-15T17:51:00.000-07:00

I knew i had a cliché shot from the moment I pressed the shutter. Met this nice young woman from Colorado USA nearby the fields where we train soccer with some street kids.

I think its funny, my tribute to white missionaries in africa :)

Crisis in IRAN..an interview with an iranian graffiti artist

2009-06-15T00:07:00.000-07:00

i met an artist named a1one under this statue in Habana Cuba in May of 2007..since then we've maintained contact, he's put me in touch with various free speech artists throughout tehran.. you can check his work at http://irangraffiti.blogspot.com.

The following is an update on whats been happening to the people of Iran over the past couple of days. This brief update is directly from the words of M. Ghadri, a Tehran resident and participant in the mass protests:

"The election was real abuse of our trust and vote/they lied. We were sure we all voted for the other person but they made another person to be president. they are real liars and obama congrats them!!!!!!

We are f*d up. They stopped my online access and reduced internet speed to 12 kb, also filtered facebook and youtube all these days as well as filtered satellite and imprisoned the other candidates in their home with soldiers there.

We are all going to streets and fight Lebanese & Iranian police and guards who throw tear-gas on us all time.
i can not send good videos but check youtube and find some videos. maybe they are some.

they are wilder than Hitler ...they even hit mothers and children :( just we tear. and shouted.
uneducated people are with police and say ahmadinejad is wit poors. but we are poor too. but we are more educated and want democracy. ahamdinejad is not with poors. he is with liars

he says that "liars are those who fear"

we ask, "if you are not a liar. then why do you fear and block youtube? how you block facebook?

how you block satellite? how you imprison other candidates? how you change the votes?"

Hope of change and peace.

truth will win"

mwele fotagrafa

2009-06-14T07:17:00.000-07:00

in kinyarwandan mwele fotografa means "I'm a photographer". This pic i took last week of a documentary production crew who just happened to meet us at the sports complex sums up how i feel every time i take out the camera. Candids take on a whole new meaning with the kids out here!

Playin with the kids

2009-06-10T10:53:00.000-07:00

Just wrapped day 3 of sports camps with play for hope..so far we've had over 100 kids a day show up. Many of the kids we're workin with are street children who don't go to school, so theres plenty of energy for them to get out.

Day 1: without a kinyarwandan speaker to guide us, we pantomimed the soccer drills. Over 100 children showed up, ages ranging from 4-18-ish

Day 2: miraculously with Serious, our Rwandan sports ministry guide, the camps moved flawlessly. We americans just stood by watching the fruit of our labor.

coach esteban leading the children from the field to go hear a message and lead a prayer.

Pastor Will from the Luis Palau Association leads the kids in a prayer after playing

this boy was too cute to pass up. He played on the side while we lead the older children in soccer passing and handling skills

a group getting their trainin on!

kids are LOOOOvin the camera.. this is one of many to come.

genocide memorials

2009-06-08T12:47:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, sunday June 7th, we visited two memorial sites from the genocide. In these two churches over 5,000 Tutsis were slaughtered mercilessly over the course of days in 1994. It was very moving, however the sheer magnitude of death seemed almost too surreal to effect me... in a weird place with humanity right now.. its just a very different world here with a crazy history.

across the atlantic and down into the dark continent

2009-06-06T15:30:00.000-07:00

I made it to Kigali, Rwanda this afternoon. The internet @ the house I'm at is very slow, so uploading images is proving t be taking quite a while. Enjoy these, many more to come..slowly but surely!

was stuck in London for an extra 24 hours after missing my connection, but tried to make the most out of it.

here's the airport connection to kigali..

Play for Hope-Rwanda - Images by Ryan Bowen

B's and G's

2009-05-29T08:39:00.000-07:00

Its great working with kids, here's some fav's from the last couple months @ the Blaine Boys and Girls Club of Whatcom County

end of an era

2009-05-25T12:21:00.000-07:00

Saturday I got the Canon 5D MarkII
I'm thrilled, its incredible, and the features I'm sure will elevate me to a level unparallel. I figure i'm not going to be using my trusty old Rebel XT anymore, except for backup, so I might as well post some of the best pics it has gotten me so far. Not so much of a break-up.. I'd say we were right for each other at the time. Haha, well enjoy...

more to come...

Planning, Organizing a Fundraiser

2009-05-22T07:37:00.000-07:00

Over the last month I came up with the semi-ridiculous notion of organizing a group bicycle ride in Los Angeles for a charitable cause.
props to my design girl Ari Tiziani for the dope graphic ari.tiziani@gmail.com

Now often times I cant stand the notion of charity- dependency, privilege, and the disconnect between the giver and the "needy". As Bill Moyers says,

"Charity depends on the vicissitudes of whim and personal wealth; justice depends on commitment instead of circumstance. Faith-based charity provides crumbs from the table; faith-based justice offers a place at the table."

However, utilizing a bicycle as a means figured to be the best way to honestly connect with people who are into progressive causes. So I've contacted and secured support from various small businesses in the LA area, and now I'm one week away and need the riders to come out.

Now organizing as a student was one thing, but doing this all while working 7 days a week with 2 jobs has proved difficult. Keeping my eyes forward on the greater goal is all thats kept me positive. I really have found myself to be quite a novice at many things in life.

Other lucidity while I'm at it...

Staying on a learning curve with relationships can be uncomfortable.

Working with children is more difficult than I had ever imagined. Not only do you have to tell them no to many things that they may get into, you have to justify and rationalize with illogical unbalanced immature humans. But they are beautiful as well. Congratulations to my best photographer friend Jelani Memory for his baby girl to be.

Loving long distance is crazy. But so is love. But maintaining and building in a virtual realm has me and my blackberry closer than ever.

Anyways...come to the ride if you're in los angeles. If not, follow along with the project at www.playforhope.org . One.

on becoming a photographer

2009-05-13T02:09:00.000-07:00

one lesson i have learned over the past month is the vitality of ones memory. Whether it be physical or psychologically stored, memory is a very important aspect that governs the way we live our lives..

on a purely material level, I recently have been dealing with a significant memory loss, damaging my external harddrive a few weeks ago while I was visiting my girlfriend in New York City
girlfriend on the left..goofy face on the right.

So while i'm dealing with the prospect of shelling out $2,500 to the data recovery folks, I figured I'd at least post some of the pics I was able to recover from my most recent shoot in Los Angeles:

A lil documentary action in progress

2009-04-29T20:01:00.000-07:00

Exciting news!
Check out this mini-update from my friends @ the Manhattan Edit Workshop.

Somali Pirates?! How about their side of the story

2009-04-28T08:15:00.000-07:00

A ton has gone on in the news lately about these dastardly Somali pirates reeking havoc on Euro-trade routes. Listen to K'naan a somali hip hop artist, explain some of it from the their perspective. It may surprise you.

props to my long lost chinese export Molly Franz for first posting this

freedom

2009-04-26T00:48:00.000-07:00

Some thoughts for the day...

I inhabit a space where all are equal. Regardless of sex, gender, race, religion or other, the humans in my world all are given the opportunity to pursue their dreams. No one is incapacitaded by another. This space where I exist extends to those who I come around, or those that come around me. My love is unobstructed, ignorance is nonexistant. I can come or go at any time, because this space that I speak of is my own mind.

I've been quite challenged over the last couple weeks. Starting to work with kids has been by far one of the greatest challenges I've faced since graduating college. If anyone out there thought biking across the country looked difficult, try working with children!!

Anyways, here's a brief update, I'm working @ the Boys and Girls Club in Blaine, WA, teaching kids photography through a national B&G Club program called ImageMakers. Its been great to see the kids enthusiasm for the project, and I'm already blown away by how quick they can pick up a camera, memorize a couple of terms like "shutter speed" & "focal point", and go put the concepts into practice!

Don't take my word for it, see for yourself:

My main man D

2009-03-30T19:20:00.000-07:00

Heres some flicks from a shot back in February with my good friend and aspiring progressive hip hop artist Prince David..known to most as D'anthony or D.. or as he would say "you know, the 4th letta".
He's bringin some of that Birmingham stilo all the way out west. This shoot was nearby our church Pasadena Church of God, at Pasadena High School. They're for his upcoming album.

March Madness.. and crazy new skills

2009-03-29T13:11:00.000-07:00

Been on a tear this month so i havent even had the chance to post up many of my latest shoots.
I bounced from LA to Seattle..Portland..back to LA in a period of 3 weeks. Anyways now im back in Washington and ready to get some work done.

Check out this headshot i finished this morning with the help of a tutorial from the guru Jelani Memory.

He's putting his skills out there for all to improve, and has always been a huge help to me in my progression as a photographer. O ya, and he and his wife Lavenda are pregnant! Congratulations! I swear the way this couple's art has been progressing, their kid is gonna win his first Pulitzer straight out the womb!

sexy black superheroes

2009-03-05T09:41:00.000-08:00

Had a great time this week shootin with some students @ Oxy. Doug's always a blast to shoot, and adding the energy that Rachael and Yelka brought made for some stellar shots.

Print Sales now available!

2009-03-02T16:49:00.000-08:00

I invested in photoshelter this morning, and now am able to offer print sales of my best work, as well as sales for when I shoot events, all through my photoshelter website located here: http://pa.photoshelter.com/c/ryanbowen

I'm really looking forward to the opportunity for anyone out there who likes my work to be able to support the art and get a piece for themselves!

Here's one of my all time fav's now available for you to print!:

Photo frenzy

2009-03-01T23:16:00.000-08:00

Been on a tear lately with shooting. Finally got back to my ol' profession of taking pictures it seems. I'm excited because lately I've had the opportunity to shoot a wide array of styles, themes, and events since returning to Los Angeles.

If only i could get my hands on a 5D Mark II!!! I'll keep dreaming, you check the latest and greatest

Doug Locke - Apollo night performance 2009

headshots

2009-02-21T02:15:00.000-08:00

For those interested this spring, while i'm still in LA i'm offering to shoot for $100/hr.

Please let me know asap so I can fit you in on my schedule.

3 amigas

2008-11-28T17:56:00.000-08:00

recent shoot around mi barrio Highland Park..

I'm biking across the country!

2008-11-17T09:16:00.000-08:00

Check it out at BikingforObama.com

down by the river

2008-11-14T22:18:00.000-08:00

found my new favorite shooting location in LA

Model: alan matthew wong - actor, entertainer, extraordinaire

Jmitch a mover and a shaker

2008-11-13T04:34:00.000-08:00

Thought for the night:
Limitations to your success are purely a construction of your imagination.

Your limits are a figment of a false reality.

Heres some pics of Jmitch, a multifaceted individual from Las Vegas.

Sweet Sixteen!

2008-10-27T17:26:00.000-07:00

Heres some of the best of's from mis Briana's sweet 16 birthday party in Ontario, CA last week. Tommy the Clown even showed up!

Happy birthday girl!

The Models are EVERYWHERE!

2008-10-24T04:14:00.001-07:00

Check out the official first runway shoot of Ryan's career.. Its fun working with those who just let it go... and some happen to be quite attractive too, i must say!

tope's favorite

FaShiONisTA!

2008-10-22T17:37:00.000-07:00

I like fashion, and models that are uninhibited are the best! Look forward to upcoming pics from LA's "Fashion Week" show I shot last week at the 740 Club downtown.

Sensuality

2008-10-13T13:36:00.001-07:00

I'm really interested in doing more body/beauty shots. I think there isnt much more amazing than bodies. I see a lot of them as a massage therapist, after all!

Sammy and Mark

2008-10-11T16:44:00.001-07:00

New shots.
I loved working with this attractive interracial couple. The chemistry was fun!
Let me know what you think!!

next to print

2008-10-03T20:12:00.000-07:00

let me know if you think i should submit this image to a gallery...i think its a pretty strong shot.

En Fuego!

2008-09-11T16:28:00.000-07:00

Yesterday i worked with two fine lookin latinos building their portfolio. Cynthia and Andrew from Pasadena/Pomona, CA. Hope these pics can help their modeling careers. I think they turned out fly! Let me know what you think...

Back in LA

2008-09-06T12:06:00.000-07:00

So i'm back after a month and a week long series of trains, planes and automobiles, (not to mention buses, subways, and feet. For once i am a little tired of traveling, relocating, moving, adjusting. I just want to be solid again. Hope LA is a good foundation, i'm living here now, so ima just hope that it goes well.

O' Canada

2008-09-04T12:46:00.000-07:00

I went with two friends for an amazing 20 hour trip* to our northerly neighbor, Vancouver British Columbia. It was amazing, simply put. An entirely different perspective on many things in life.. If you ever get the chance, GO!

Gangsta

2008-08-31T09:42:00.000-07:00

So my life's been a lil crazy lately..i been stayin with my boy Jimmie in the hood (NE Portland), and the first thing that happens when we pull out of his driveway to get some food last weekend is I get pulled over for D.W.B., which is a bona fide practice for the Portland Police.
Racism??? I look at it as a chance to network with law enforcement officials! So besides random inspections by the police I got JaCKeD for a $250 flash attachment on my camera! Damn UPS leavin my flash on the porch.. i think a crackhead got it :o( That same afternoon i did this shoot with the owner of Global North Entertainment and two of his rappers, so i apologize if any of them came out a lil aggressive, i was a lil pissed off that day!

Birch Bay, Washington

2008-08-22T01:52:00.000-07:00

Heres a shot from my parent's new neighborhood. Its within seeing distance to Canada. A lot of people crab and fish a lot. And there are casinos owned by native americans. Cool

Washington with the Fam

2008-08-22T01:50:00.000-07:00

My folks attempt at selling trucks, and some more boat shots, yay boats!

Wedding #2: Young Love

2008-08-18T12:09:00.000-07:00

Had a great time with this young couple, Krysten and Ian. They are 22 years old! Congrats and best of luck!

Weddings..Weddings.. Weddings!

2008-08-16T23:57:00.000-07:00

Taking a new turn in my photography. With the help of a good friend and pro pick-taker, Jelani (jelanimemory.com) i'm assisting with 4 weddings as well as taking pics for my cousin Donna's wedding this weekend. This august is definitely full of a whole lotta love!

Nate and Rachel::: Woodland, Washington:::

sugar honey iced tea

2008-07-25T02:31:00.000-07:00

I titled this shoot such because these three friends of mine are the s.h.i.t.!!
A lovely colorful shoot done at my house, the Black House in Los Angeles.

(one of my favorite fashion pics i've taken so far!)

Lamar's headshots

2008-06-29T02:45:00.000-07:00

Got contracted by an actor friend of mine. I think they turned out well, its always great to have a model whose willing to let their personality just flow!

Andrea and Doug

2008-06-02T02:38:00.000-07:00

Doug's always down for an impromptu shoot... this time he came with some great ideas and themes to go with, so we just ran with it

Happy birthday Nebeu

2008-04-30T22:25:00.000-07:00

I cant even believe this guy was my prospie!! Now hes out here doing big things on campus..i feel like i should be asking HIM for advice on what i should do next..

anyways big props to Aron and his circle of amazing friends who surprised him on his special day last week in Pauley Hall.

Enjoy the euphoria via your computer screen!

Museums

2008-04-27T22:49:00.000-07:00

Went to the Norton Simon Museum with some friends.. it was cool to reflect on art.. but some of that European shit was boring.. i feel like i seen it all before. The Indian spiritual stuff was tight though.

Whatcha think?

Love/Miss you Kai

2008-04-26T10:00:00.000-07:00

Hey girl.. you rock my world!

No seriously kai is a blessing from god, yahwey, jehova, the great spirit, Krishna etc.. a truly divine being i feel blessed to be in her presence. Our conversations are an experience in true mind love.. sometimes i be going through withdrawals because I dont get that mind sex often from women in my life (or men for that reason either!) But shes always on point and the vibes--no matter where she's at in her life-- are directed at liberation.

I appreciate that, and wish all the best healing in Jamaica.

Pictures for Sale

2008-03-25T08:35:00.000-07:00

As my photography from across the world hasn't been given a great chance to be displayed, I am now listing some of my best shots available for sale.