Awesome news I have… my own web series special on travelchannel.com 🙂 It’s doing something I have wanted to do for about 15 years, and now I get the opportunity to do it. Learn from the pros on how to take the best still photos. You see, I didn’t go to film school. I taught my-self how to shoot a video camera then snuck into classes to see if I did it right. I have never been good at learning from books. I learn from hands on. A lot of people are like that. This series is about you and me learning together from the pros on how to take the best pictures possible. From the perfect selfie to the best sunset shot. Plus so much more 🙂 When you go out to take a picture from your cell phone or a consumer camera u to can look like a pro. Soon this will be on the web and I will post all about it when it is.

Some info on my photography over the years.

Anyone that knows me personally, knows I love taking pictures. I take most of my pictures on my iPhone and Instagram it or tweet them everyday. I have an addiction and It’s called taking pictures. Over the last 16 years I have found a love for it. I would say I have taken almost 500,000 to 1,000,000 pictures in that time. No joke. I am currently making a picture book but looking threw all the photos is taking way to long. For about 2 years now I have been collecting pictures and doing rough drafts for this book but It’s like cleaning and organizing your house. You never find the time to do it. Am I right? lol. I’m half way done now and have quotes for pics and stuff like that. You will see 🙂 then the next step is getting a publishing company. A lot of work but worth it.

When I first stared it was with a normal camera where u had to go to Costco to get the film developed. Now it’s all a digital world. Which I really like. With so many cameras out there it’s tough to find the right one but with the cell phone and social networking, the cell phone is the camera of choice because of how we upload to the sites. It’s just easier to do with the cell phone these days.

I always get asked on Instagram, Facebook, and twitter what camera I use, it’s my cell phone. It’s all on how u take the pic or tap the screen to get the best lighting. Since I got the iPhone I have been in heaven. This phone takes great pictures. I’m sure the other phones do to but there is something about the iPhone. I always get great lighting out of it and the pictures look so clear in low light. I have tried all the other phones and there pictures just don’t do it for me like the iPhone does.

My favorite thing about walking around is that there’s a picture everywhere and anywhere. Every where u look there is a picture to take. Whether it’s a landscape picture or up close to something. It could be a leaf on a tree limb and a cloud in the back ground. It’s all about the focus or lighting. It’s always there, It’s just how u see it. The pictures u see me take on Instagram, Facebook, or twitter is how I see it.

Just walking down the street there are hundreds of picture opportunities, you just have to look. Maybe a bug or a tree, and anything in the sky is usually a great pic. But if you focus the camera or adjust the iris u see something more. I have the 5D Mark III cannon and I want to learn more about that camera and do more things with it. Right now it’s mainly my cell phone I use. I shoot a lot of video on the Mark 3 but really want to learn its potential on still photos. I am so busy most of the time I never get to it. This year my goal is to understand as much as possible on still photography. I’m always trying to learn more and more. I know a video camera very well but I need to know way more when it comes to still photography. Finally, this is my chance to learn from the best in this new web special I’m shooting with Travel Channel 🙂

Aaron

I’m doing something cool. I’m going to share the work and shorts I have shot for the last 15 years. I started learning how to shoot and edit in 1998 with my best friends Steed, Eric, Bacon, and Brad and many other close friends. We would shoot anything and everything just to learn the techniques about shooting a movie. We called it “ghetto gorilla” style shooting. Making it up as we shot, improving and just being us.  We snuck into conventions dressed up all odd and walked around the strip in crazy outfits. (Now the strip is a freak show of characters asking for money) We were the first to do it out here but never asked for money.

I will be showing you the Aaron and Brad show, plus a ton of demos I shot for people and movie premieres. I would go and ask anyone that seemed like they needed a promo demo video if I could shoot for them for free and use the footage to promote my self and for them. I did so many free gigs but that was how I got known in the industry, then hired for work all the time.

I would edit in the day time, then I would work as a waiter at night. Then when I was off work we would go out and shoot all night skits until the sun came up. Sometimes I would get gigs in production, work it, then go be a waiter and edit at night. Never a dull moment in my life. I learned a lot this way, and also sneaking into UNLV film classes. When you have no money then u make your dreams come true on your own. That’s how I saw it.

I will be showing you everything along my journey to now. how it all started for me and how I got to where I am now by hard work. I took a big step in life on my own and It paid off. I hope this can help you see that you can do anything if u just try hard in life. Nothing is easy and nothing is free. Its only you that can make it happen. So sit back and watch all this throughout the next 6 months on http://www.youtube.com/agoodwincollections my personal youtube channel.

Thank you everyone and I hope you like the videos.

Aaron Goodwin

http://www.agoodwincollections.com

Many people have been asking why and how I am losing weight. So I’ll tell you. Most of you guys saw me for the 1^st time in the documentary. Well that was the heaviest I have ever been. 254 pounds. You see, I just got done sitting at a computer for 2 and a half months editing up two NASCAR reality TV shows. I went and spent tons of money following around two drivers in the NASCAR races with a crew of 6 people that I hired to shoot it. It was so much fun. I got to go on the tracks, in the pits, and see NASCAR first-hand. When I was done I had to go home and edit the 2 shows to pitch to networks to be sold. Now when I was home it was junk food and mochas all day to keep me awake as I sat there for 15 hours a day for 2 and a half months. That adds weight real fast on a person.

Fast forward to 5 months ago. That’s about the time I took sugars out of my everyday routine. No more mochas just black coffee. Instead of ice cream I went to yogurt. Instead of candy I went to fruit. I think u see the pattern here. Not only taking away the sugars but also making the portions of food I eat smaller. I learned something while being over seas shooting. They eat what they need to and don’t over eat. Here in the USA its all huge portions and tons of chemicals in the food. When I had pizza in italy there wasn’t much but sauce cheese and thin bread. The sauce was amazing because there was no added flavoring and stuff like that. As soon as I got to back to the states the food seemed gross. It took me a long time to get back to eating it.

This is when I decided to make what I eat 5 days out of the week. 2 of the days I grub what ever but I always tend to still eat good. I have a peace of candy here and there but not much anymore. But the key to this is less portions. Don’t eat to be full. U can always snack later on nuts or fruit. Instead of eating the whole burger eat ¾ of it. No fries, do a salad. Or mashed potatoes. Fried food will kill you. BUT the main thing I gave up was fast food 4 years ago and it took 2 years for me to feel the healthiness of not eating it.

For some reason corn will destroy my stomach and I cant eat it. Corn is hard to digest and I just stay away from it. I can have corn syrup oddly enough but not to much. This proves that corn is in so much crap. I haven’t been eating tortilla chips like Doritos for a long time. I only eat kettle chips. You see taking all this crap out of your diet is the key. I really don’t work out that much except for swimming. I hate lifting weights. Its just not my thing. Once or twice a month I’ll lift then realize I hate it.

Another key thing is don’t eat heavy meals past 7pm. Your body slows down at night and takes longer to digest it. also when you sleep it just sits in your stomach all night. Eat soft and easy to digest food late night. Cereal is the best for that. If you cant eat until then, then eat extra before work or whatever. You have to be able to discipline our self and don’t give in. Also take your vitamins. That helps your body really use the food you eat for the right things.

If I’m starving on the road and all there is is a gas station that’s fine. I get nuts and cereal and yogurt and a banana and mix it up and eat it. you can always find the healthier rout in life anywhere. Im now 201 in weight and feeling great. I lost all the extra weight I don’t need and now feel so healthy. You just have to have the will and there is always a way. You can only let your self down. So do your self a favor and don’t let it down. Think about how a 100 years ago there was just simple food from a garden. Now we put chemicals in it and the FDA is killing us. Please do me a favor and stop eating fast food. Its enough to make you feel 100 times better everyday. Watch fast food nation or that documentary about eating fast food for 30 days. Its not all correct but it will show you what I’m talking about on how fast food will kill you. they say you should only eat fast food 5 times a year. Think about that when your to lazy to cook. I would love to see more healthy people, but we just give in to food on the go. I used to eat all that, but now I put a stop to it in my life.

I’m not the guy who knows everything and I’m still learning but that’s the best way for me right now. Find your best way and make a change in life. It starts with you and you only. Its true you know, when they say you are what you eat. I love cashews so that’s why I’m such a nut. lol

Aaron

Many of you have been asking me about how Big Steppin all got started. I have been doing this since the days of high school. I would walk through the hallways real slow, like I was sneaking around without a hall pass but making it real obvious as I big stepped past the doorway windows. Who knows what the students thought. After high school I moved up in the big leagues of big stepping and did it in public. At first I would walk across the street at a cross walk. People in their cars would give me the oddest looks. Ha Ha, it was great. The next step I took was walking through a crowd of people maneuvering through them. They would get pissed off sometimes, but I never ran into them or stopped them from walking. I think they just couldn’t handle the awesomeness of Big Steppin. It started out to just being sneaky, but now it’s a whole new thing for me.

Now when I do it I make sure I take a picture so I can say, “Ya, I Big Stepped Seattle and Venice Italy and …” its like getting magnets from all the places you have been. Now I have a goal to do Big Steppin everywhere I go. Its something I love to do and will never stop doing. Its fun and  great exercise all in one. I really love to do it and see peoples reactions. It’s the best when they just can’t figure it out. My dream would be to do Big Steppin in front of the pyramids in Egypt and on the moon, but the moon might be when I’m 80 years old. I just did this to do it. It’s just my thing I do. But now I realized its not just me Big Steppin but many of you as well. WOW, I feel honored and glad you guys like it. It’s fun, right?

To all my Big Steppers out there, you rock and thank you for the love. I love all the videos and pictures you guys do. It’s so cool to be Big Steppin with you guys in person or through the web. Soon I will have all the pictures and videos up on my site to share with everyone. I have many of them up already on the pictures section and in the video section on my site. Also, soon I have some v-neck shirts for the ladies coming out. Many of you want them so I’ll do it.

I do Big Steppin most of the time to remind me that sometimes in life you have to take big steps to make it. Small steps get you somewhere, but big steps will get you there faster. In a way we all big step in life or want to. Sometimes we just need to be reminded to do it. Everyday take a bigger step to make your goals happen and you will find  the “Big Stepper” in you. You all rock.

Aaron Goodwin

This is my 1^st blog ever in my life. I want to tell you guys what I have been up to for a long time now. I have worked as a camera operator and editor for about 13 years. I started off doing this all on my own.  I was self-taught at first by picking up a camera and shooting. I edited the footage with 2 VCRs.  Thank God computer software came out.  After doing this for about 3 years I got myself into the industry and worked from production assistant all the way to shooting/producing my own TV pilots and short films. I held a normal job the entire time on the side and never really had a day off. My friends and I would hang out like normal, but instead of going out and partying we made short films and brain stormed.

Many people helped me to get where I am in the last 13 years. I have always had a passion for Indie films and working with many different artists. Whenever I had a chance I helped anyone and everyone out. This is also how I got to see how tough the industry is. Some awesome talent is never seen because of money or just never having the shot to be seen or heard.  My friends and I would shoot anything to show our friends on YouTube or have get togethers to watch what we shot all the time. The fans of what we shot and edited were people from work and that’s all we needed at the time.  Back then we weren’t trying to make it big. But after about 4 years of working in the industry I wanted to move on to bigger things. I started shooting bands and music videos for free for local people. I shot everything from DJ’s to movie premieres at Vegas hotels. I wasn’t worried about the money and getting paid, just doing what I love.

This brings me to my point. Doing free work only got me so far, but after a while my work was everywhere. The free work paid off and I started to get tons of work and great pay. I was lucky, most people don’t get their work out for people to see or hear.  If they do, only a handful of people hear or see new artists work. This is ok but some people who have talent never make it. So I’m doing what I can to help.

With all the good experience I went through (and a lot of bad, it’s part of the job) I want to help people out like I was helped. For about 8 years now I have been trying to make a company that helps independent people out to get a better chance at being seen or heard through music, art, and film. This is the main reason for Aaron Goodwin Collections. Besides my artwork on the site, I want to help others get recognized.  My friend Steed and I made a music studio for the people of Vegas to play, be heard and record their music.  Our passion is to put Vegas back on the map for musicians and artists.  Vegas isn’t just sin city and a party town, ok sometimes it is, but there is talent in this city that needs to be seen and heard. So we made a place just for that. I just want to help new artists out to be seen or heard. Just wait until you see what it’s all about in the next few months.

I’m also working with 2 artists right now that are painting my thoughts. One is painting ideas I have and the other is painting my nightmares along with some original pieces. If you follow me on twitter then you know who the artists are or have seen me twitter their art. I’m so stoked about this. I love the dark creepy scary art out in this world. Something about it interests me. Maybe its because of what I do for a living that helps.  I just wanted to tell you guys what I have been up to besides the show lately and what my web site will be all about very soon. For now its just my work on it. But soon it will be a great place to see new artists work and links to artists all over, not just Vegas.

Aaron Goodwin