Billy Sheahan Photography: Archive

Confess 2.0

A lovely piece by Jillian Ann on her Confess music video I directed & photographed for her as well as remixes by many talented people. http://bit.ly/zy2RFg

Feb 9th

It Snowed Today

http://vimeo.com/35035986 Another in my series of short iPhone films, usually created during a few hours of downtime, waiting for client feedback on other projects. A short personal challenge to create a film using my iPhone in a limited amount of time. The B&W vintage film look is realized in camera with the iPhone, using the 8mm Vintage Camera App and edited in Adobe Premiere Pro. ...

Jan 14th

Part 17 of 50: Tara Translates Our Way Out of a...

This is part seventeen in a series of blogs on my recent artistic adventures in Mexico. The secluded beach cove at Playas Las Palmas had become quite the popular shooting location as ZoeFest progressed during the week. That was both good and bad. It was good because it’s always fascinating to see what other photographers and models do with the same location. Quite varied and everyone had...

Jan 2nd

Part 16 of 50: Color or Black & White? A...

This is part sixteen in a series of blogs on my recent artistic adventures in Mexico. I’ve been writing a lot about how I decide whether the photographs I create are going to end up being in black & white or color. Perhaps it’s time to share my opinions on that further after the last entry about collaborating at ZoeFest with the lovely Keira Grant and the images of her in both...

Jan 1st

Part 15 of 50: Keira Pays Attention →

This is part fifteen in a series of blogs on my recent artistic adventures in Mexico. Keira Grant pays attention. Keira Grant at Casa Dracula There were so many highlights…

Jan 1st

Part 15 of 50: Keira Pays Attention

This is part fifteen in a series of blogs on my recent artistic adventures in Mexico. Keira Grant pays attention. [caption id=”attachment_2858” align=”alignright” width=”266” caption=”Keira Grant at Casa Dracula”][/caption] There were so many highlights from this year’s ZoeFest in Todos Santos, Mexico. For a first timer like me, getting...

Dec 31st

Part 14 of 50: ¡Las Tortugas! The Very Nearly True... →

This is part fourteen in a series of blogs on my recent artistic adventures in Mexico. After safety returning Meghan to the Hotelito with no major incidents with los Federales, my next shoot was…

Dec 29th

Part 14 of 50: ¡Las Tortugas! The Very Nearly True...

This is part fourteen in a series of blogs on my recent artistic adventures in Mexico. After safety returning Meghan to the Hotelito with no major incidents with los Federales, my next shoot was scheduled with the ever inspiring Brooke Lynne in a few hours. I found Brooke curled up on one of the comfy large chairs in the main room, relaxing. “I know we have a shoot scheduled later this...

Dec 28th

Part 13 of 50: Prohibido el Paso with Meghan... →

This is part thirteen in a series of blogs on my recent artistic adventures in Mexico. On the fourth day of ZoeFest, my true love gave to me…. Sorry, my brain is saturated to the point of…

Dec 24th

Part 13 of 50: Prohibido el Paso with Meghan...

This is part thirteen in a series of blogs on my recent artistic adventures in Mexico. On the fourth day of ZoeFest, my true love gave to me…. Sorry, my brain is saturated to the point of insanity with holiday music this week. But yes, it was the fourth day of ZoeFest in Todos Santos, Mexico. With the slightly mad portion of my shooting schedule behind me, there was time to do a bit...

Dec 23rd

Part 12 of 50: Playing in the Light with Rebecca... →

This is part twelve in a series of blogs on my recent artistic adventures in Mexico. I was nearing the end of my experiment of two days in a row of having booked three shoots…

Dec 6th

Part 12 of 50: Playing in the Light with Rebecca...

This is part twelve in a series of blogs on my recent artistic adventures in Mexico. I was nearing the end of my experiment of two days in a row of having booked three shoots in one day. Looking back, I’m glad I did what I did for two reasons. First, it would have been nearly impossible to decide which of the 15 models I would skip on this, my first ZoeFest. They were all brilliant in...

Dec 5th

Part 11 of 50: St. Merrique, Made in the Shade →

This is part eleven in a series of blogs on my recent artistic adventures in Mexico. Ever been to a party where you don’t know anyone? Many people find that to be an…

Dec 1st

Part 11 of 50: St. Merrique, Made in the Shade

This is part eleven in a series of blogs on my recent artistic adventures in Mexico. Ever been to a party where you don’t know anyone? Many people find that to be an uncomfortable situation. [caption id=”attachment_2717” align=”alignright” width=”400” caption=”St. Merrique at the Hotelito”][/caption] Me? I don’t really mind it. I...

Dec 1st

Part 10 of 50: 2,500 Miles to Chicago

This is part ten in a series of blogs on my recent artistic adventures in Mexico. People have been asking me: “So, Billy. How do you know this blog is going to be 50 parts?” or “So, Billy. Are you really going to write 50 entries about your trip?” [caption id=”attachment_2694” align=”alignright” width=”400”...

Nov 29th

Doug Menuez talks at TEDx about photographing... →

I’m taking a small break today from writing about my wonderful adventures in Todos Santos Mexico to talk about a great photographer. Doug Menuez is a friend, mentor and…

Nov 28th

Doug Menuez talks at TEDx about photographing...

I’m taking a small break today from writing about my wonderful adventures in Todos Santos Mexico to talk about a great photographer. Doug Menuez is a friend, mentor and genius humanitarian. One of Doug’s recent projects is a photo book on how 20 Ugandan AIDS orphans have come to be a incredible dance touring group that pays for health care, food and schools for the rest of the 700...

Nov 27th

Part 9 of 50: More of the Photographers of ZoeFest →

This is part nine in a series of blogs on my recent artistic adventures in Mexico. As I mentioned in the last entry, ZoeFest X 2011 was loaded with talented photographers….

Nov 24th

Part 9 of 50: More of the Photographers of ZoeFest...

This is part nine in a series of blogs on my recent artistic adventures in Mexico. As I mentioned in the last entry, ZoeFest X 2011 was loaded with talented photographers. Lots of different styles and ways of working. And although we did bump into each other from time to time at the various locations we had been scouting during our trip there, there’s sort of an unspoken rule among...

Nov 24th

Part 8 of 50: The Photographers of ZoeFest →

This is part eight in a series of blogs on my recent artistic adventures in Mexico. I thought I would take a moment from the BillyShow here to give some well deserved…

Nov 22nd

Part 8 of 50: The Photographers of ZoeFest

This is part eight in a series of blogs on my recent artistic adventures in Mexico. I thought I would take a moment from the BillyShow here to give some well deserved attention to my photographer colleagues at this year’s ZoeFest. As I mentioned before, Zoe Wiseman, the incredible photographer behind the Fest that bears her name, along with the world class list of international figure...

Nov 21st

Part 7 of 50: An Unexpected Turn with Sara Liz →

This is part seven in a series of blogs on my recent artistic adventures in Mexico. Sara Liz at Todos Santos Inn A funny thing happened on the way to the…

Nov 18th

Part 7 of 50: An Unexpected Turn with Sara Liz

This is part seven in a series of blogs on my recent artistic adventures in Mexico. [caption id=”attachment_2621” align=”alignright” width=”266” caption=”Sara Liz at Todos Santos Inn”][/caption] A funny thing happened on the way to the shoot concept with Sara Liz. I’m going to write more later about how ZoeFest allowed me to stretch and...

Nov 17th

Part 6 of 50: Carlotta and the Pool

This is part six in a series of blogs on my recent artistic adventures in Mexico. I dropped Ella Rose back at the Hotelito and returned to Todos Santos Inn where I had arranged to meet the lovely Carlotta for our mid-day photo shoot that was scheduled to begin in just a few minutes. I was happily exhausted from Ella’s shoot and I only had time to quickly shower the sand off of me and grab...

Nov 16th

Part 5 of 50: The Ocean and Ella Rose →

This is part five in a series of blogs on my recent artistic adventures in Mexico. In preparing for ZoeFest, we all would have to find our way up the Pacific Coast of the…

Nov 15th

Part 5 of 50: The Ocean and Ella Rose

This is part five in a series of blogs on my recent artistic adventures in Mexico. In preparing for ZoeFest, we all would have to find our way up the Pacific Coast of the Baja Penisula to Todos Santos from the Cabo San Lucas International Airport. That meant renting cars. Two days before I was to fly out of Chicago, I was checking all of my paperwork, passport, flights, maps, etc., when I...

Nov 14th

Part 4 of 50: Good Morning Todos Santos & Samantha... →

This is part four in a series of blogs on my recent artistic adventures in Mexico. Waking up at Todos Santos Inn my first morning was a lovely experience. I managed to…

Nov 14th

Part 4 of 50: Good Morning Todos Santos & Samantha...

This is part four in a series of blogs on my recent artistic adventures in Mexico. Waking up at Todos Santos Inn my first morning was a lovely experience. I managed to sleep in until about 8:30am. I threw on some clothes and stepped outside into the glorious daylight. We Chicagoans have a special appreciation for glorious daylight. It’s not that we don’t have beautiful sunny days in...

Nov 14th

Part 3 of 50: “Hi, I’m Billy” →

This is part three in a series of blogs on my recent artistic adventures in Mexico. My home base for ZoeFest X was a charming boutique hotel called, most appropriately, …

Nov 11th

Part 3 of 50: "Hi, I'm Billy"

This is part three in a series of blogs on my recent artistic adventures in Mexico. My home base for ZoeFest X was a charming boutique hotel called, most appropriately, Todos Santos Inn. Like many historic buildings in town, it had once been the home of one of the local sugarcane barons in the 19th century. Now, it had been beautifully restored into a little paradise. I walked into the main airy...

Nov 11th

Part 2 of 50: The "Highway" to Todos Santos

This is part two in a series of blogs on my recent artistic adventures in Mexico. Mexico Highway 1 turns into Federal Highway 19 in Cabo at the very Southern tip of the Baja Peninsula and heads North along the Pacific Ocean towards Todos Santos. In about five or ten years, it will be a breathtakingly lovely drive. Now however, Highway 19 is under construction and barely a road for much of the...

Nov 11th

Part 1 of 50: An Unexpected Email →

A week ago today, I got on an airplane in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico after one of the greatest artistic adventures of my life. It’s a long, long story. Certainly too much for one…

Nov 9th

Part 1 of 50: An Unexpected Email

A week ago today, I got on an airplane in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico after one of the greatest artistic adventures of my life. It’s a long, long story. Certainly too much for one blog. So this will be part 1 of 50. Here’s how it begins: [caption id=”attachment_2546” align=”alignright” width=”266” caption=”Keira at casa...

Nov 9th

Screw Smelling the Roses, but Remembering to Stop...

I forget to stop. I’m not really sure why I’m wired that way. Maybe it was the way I was brought up. Maybe I’m trying to prove something to myself. My friends tease me about how many hours I work in any given day. It’s true. They’re right. I do work too much. I do usually stop at some point, usually about six months too late and I’m physically and emotionally...

Oct 16th

Yes, I Love What I Do: Finding the Enthusiasm →

“Wow, you really love what you do.” I get that a lot. A few months ago, I was out shooting a long time lapse project with a great client of mine. We were going to be out…

Oct 1st

Yes, I Love What I Do: Finding the Enthusiasm

“Wow, you really love what you do.” I get that a lot. A few months ago, I was out shooting a long time lapse project with a great client of mine. We were going to be out there for five hours watching the cameras click away, every eight seconds, so we had a lot of time for conversation. She was asking me about what I did, how I got into the industry and how I juggle the various hats...

Sep 30th

Aug 22nd

Billy and the Sexy Lady Bug →

She walked in my direction, scanning the crowd with her large eyes as she neared. Orange tubes circled her plump middle with purple wings on her back. Suddenly, she saw me sitting there and her…

Jul 25th

Billy and the Sexy Lady Bug

She walked in my direction, scanning the crowd with her large eyes as she neared. Orange tubes circled her plump middle with purple wings on her back. Suddenly, she saw me sitting there and her giant lashes expanded with her eyes growing even larger as a huge smile washed over her face. “Ooooh! You are like me,” she seemed to say without speaking. We locked eyes as she moved closer...

Jul 24th

Professor Billy teaches DSLR Filmmaking at... →

If I didn’t have the opportunity to do what I do, I’d probably be a teacher. I love knowledge sharing. And this summer- in fact, this week- I’m beginning to teach a 10 week course on…

Jul 15th

Professor Billy teaches DSLR Filmmaking at...

If I didn’t have the opportunity to do what I do, I’d probably be a teacher. I love knowledge sharing. And this summer- in fact, this week- I’m beginning to teach a 10 week course on Digital Filmmaking at fxphd.com. The good people at fxphd and I have been trying to get together for a few years now to have me join their amazing team of instructors. And now, we have. They have...

Jul 14th

Yet Another FCP X Opinion From a Pro Editor - It's...

Nothing like a little crisis to get people talking. In the last two weeks I’ve had more editing discussions with my fellow pro editors from all over the country than I have in the last two years. Sharing information and viewpoints is always a good idea. Any regular readers of my blog will know that I am a huge fan of sharing the knowledge. For that reason alone, specifically the...

Jul 2nd

My Chicago Final Cut Pro Users Group talk on 5D... →

It’s always nice to be invited back to the Chicago Final Cut Pro Users Group to discuss a topic I hope will be useful and interesting to those attending. Tonight I returned to give a…

Jun 23rd

My Chicago Final Cut Pro Users Group talk on 5D...

It’s always nice to be invited back to the Chicago Final Cut Pro Users Group to discuss a topic I hope will be useful and interesting to those attending. Tonight I returned to give a talk about some tips I use to make my Canon 5DMark II motion footage look the best it can be. For those who couldn’t attend and for those who would rather watch and listen without taking notes, I wanted...

Jun 23rd

If only I were a flower. Then I would love this...

[caption id=”attachment_2450” align=”alignright” width=”298” caption=”Chicago rain in Streeterville”][/caption] But alas, I am not a flower. We’ve certainly had our fair share of rain here in Chicago the past few months. At least it makes for pretty pictures. This one I took with my iPhone and processed it in Lightroom with Silver Efex...

Jun 15th

Yummy Yummy FishBar, a Saturday lunch treat

[caption id=”attachment_2439” align=”alignright” width=”400” caption=”FishBar Chicago”][/caption] I love it when I’m waking up at home on a Saturday morning. Coffee, checking email, relaxing. And then I get a phone call from my good friend Mark about heading out to lunch and an overdue catch-up. Mark and his wife Melissa arrived to pick...

Jun 12th

Summer Seriously Arrives in Chicago, and in other...

[caption id=”attachment_2430” align=”alignright” width=”400” caption=”97 degrees in Chicago”][/caption] Chicago’s psychotic weather continues, going straight from March to August in a week. All in all, 97 degrees is better than 40 degrees, it’s just hard to make the switch so quickly. Now I know how lobsters feel when they get thrown...

Jun 8th

What the LUT? – HDSLRs, Picture Styles and Look Up... →

I’ve spent the last three years shooting motion with my Canon 5D Mark II. It was a fairly easy transition for me because I could use the same lighting concepts and composition techniques I had…

Jun 3rd

What the LUT? - HDSLRs, Picture Styles and Look Up...

I’ve spent the last three years shooting motion with my Canon 5D Mark II. It was a fairly easy transition for me because I could use the same lighting concepts and composition techniques I had become accustomed to in the years of shooting film and then digital still images. [caption id=”attachment_2418” align=”alignright” width=”266”...

Jun 3rd

I Can’t Stand the Rain, In My Window, Bringing... →

It’s raining again, in Chicago… again. It’s like it’s Halloween and Chicago dressed up like Seattle and forgot to take off its costume last month. But it could be worse, I guess. It could…

May 30th