Bryant's Senior Photos

This afternoon I had the opportunity to work with Bryant and to shoot his senior portraits. I had a great time with him and his mom and I do believe Bryant was my first senior from Indiana, PA. He was such a cool guy and a complete natural in front of the camera. It was hard to pick out just a few photos from the blog as I has so many great shots, but these are some of my favorites.

Richard Family Photos

Sunday afternoon I had the pleasure of shooting family portraits for the Richard family. They wanted some traditional shots to give as holiday gifts, but we might do some more casual, lifestyle portraits next year when the weather improves. I had a great time working with them and can't wait to do it again!

Are you expecting a baby?

I'm always looking for new and fun ways to capture peoples' memories through photography and my latest goal is to photograph a family's journey through pregnancy and the birth of their baby. What I had in mind was a storytelling series of photos, chronicling the pregnancy and finishing up with portraits of the baby and the parents shortly after it's birth (and before you ask, no, I won't be there for the birth because well, eww).

So, if you're expecting a child or know someone who is, send me an email. I'd be provide my services free of charge and I'll gladly include some neat photographic freebies for the
first family to take me up on my offer.

The Walker's - Family & Senior Photos

Yesterday afternoon I headed to Central City for a combo photo shoot where I shot family photos for the Walker's and senior portraits for their eldest daughter. The shoot was so much fun as we went to locations that had personal significance to them and which made for some really cool backdrops. I don't market myself for family photos, so all of my work in that field comes through referrals and I have to say, I've really enjoyed it this year. I just might have to try more. :)

Family portraits

One of the reasons I love photography is because it provides me with a chance to meet so many wonderful people. One of the nicest families I've met this year are the Custer's. The whole family is extremely warm and welcoming and I was really glad to have the chance to shoot their family photos this afternoon. As always, I had a blast working with them!

100 - Family style

Yesterday I went to visit my grandmother at the nursing home. She's in Stage 7 of Alzheimer's disease, the final stage of that horrible, horrible illness.

When I got there, I was pleasantly surprised to see my great aunt and uncle who were also there to visit her (my grandmother is my great-uncle's sister - if that makes sense). We chatted a bit and I asked if I could make portraits of them and they willingly obliged. My favorites of each are below.

After they left, I decided I wanted to photograph my grandmother. It's hard to even look at the photos as she's just a shell of who she was even as recently as 3 years ago. What made her "her" is entirely gone, but I wanted to document her as she is now at age 83. I tried some regular portraits but she is very "fidgety" and she has also become very slouched from being in a wheelchair all of the time, so none turned out satisfactory.

Near the end of the visit, I pulled out the camera again and just waited for her to look in my direction and make "eye contact" with the camera. Eventually she did and I took the photo. It's actually much better than anything I tried to pose and more accurately captures her as she is now.

I've had several people email me about 100 and ask about my intentions behind the portraits. My primary goal is to show the the aging processes through 100 different people of 100 different ages. I want to document how our lives are captured in our faces and bodies, how life's highs and lows become a part of us.

As a photographer, I have lots of experience shooting "pretty" people and in many cases, making them even prettier though a bit of Photoshop magic. But I want the portraits in this project to capture who the subjects really are, both in appearance and in personality. I want my subject to look into the lens thinking "This is who I am." To me, they are all beautiful in a way that doesn't need Photoshop or soft focus filters or skin smoothing to exist. That beauty comes from them being true to themselves. And as the person capturing their image, I want to be true to them as well.

More 100

This morning Sharleen and her daughter Raven stopped by the studio. Sharleen had read the article on 100 in the Tribune Democrat and wanted to bring Raven in for a sitting. She told me on the phone that Raven was beautiful, but I was still surprised when I saw her in person. She's such an adorable girl and is a complete natural in front of the camera. I wouldn't be at all shocked to see this girl show up in magazines some day! I'm posting a color portrait and one of the b&w shots I'm considering using for 100.

Later in the day I went on location to shoot another portrait for the series and my first male subject. Ken is a family friend and I've been bugging him for weeks to come in for a sitting but our schedules never worked out until today. I love the portrait we shot and I'm posting it below.

Finally, 100 begins

It seems like it's been forever since I announced 100 and at times I wondered when I would ever begin shooting. That day was today.

This afternoon I had my first official shoot for the project and I was extremely happy with how it went. I was a little nervous when Trudy brought her daughters Brittany and Emily by the studio. I don't have much experience photographing children, so I didn't know how the shoot would go, especially since my intentions aren't to shoot "standard" portraits. Everything went very smoothly and I was able to get shots of both girls which I think will fit perfectly into the project.

Below are 2 fairly traditional, color portraits of each of the girls and after those are the b&w shots which fit my vision for 100. Be sure to post a comment and let me know what you think.

I'm trying to decide whether I should start a Flickr gallery for 100. I don't know if I want to "give away" all of the best shots as the series progresses. I think I'll have to save at least a few until the project is finished. :)

Test shooting for "100"

I've always wanted to make a portrait of my friend and world renowned tattoo artist Mike Skiver. When I decided to proceed forward "100", I knew I wanted Mike to be one of the subjects and this afternoon I stopped by his tattoo museum to do see if he was interested. He is, and we're working on setting up an appointment this week. I grabbed a quick test shot of Mike (which isn't a very good photo seeing as how there are frames directly behind his head), and I also used a photoshop curve sent to me by John Setzler to give the black and white just a hint of warmth. Thanks, John!

I'm already in love with this project and can't wait to begin shooting in earnest soon. Hopefully I'll be able to post Mike's official "100" portrait in a few days.

Technical specs for "100"

Since I want to begin shooting for "100" as soon as possible (hopefully this week if I can convince my first subject to come in for a sitting), I wanted to get the technical guidelines sorted out and I'm almost finished.

"100" will be shot entirely in black and white. This was never really a choice actually. Art, to me, is b&w. What I am unsure of is whether it should be pure black and white or have a very minor tint of brown/sepia. I'm leaning toward pure b&w but that could change.

The portraits will all be shot against a plain white background. White is empty and clean and clearly separates the subject from the backdrop, which is what I'm after. A pure white background will allow the viewer of the images to concentrate entirely on the subject and not his/her surroundings.

I will also be using studio lighting for the portraits. While I love natural lighting, in order for the portraits to have a unifying look I feel they should all feature the same lighting set-up. I am keeping things simple though and will be using just a strobe and a reflector. I'm still trying to decide whether to fire the strobe into an umbrella or through a softbox. I'll have to do some test shots to see which I prefer.

So, I'm pretty much ready to roll. And I can't wait to get started!

100

For months now I've been languishing over a photography project I've been wanting to undertake but couldn't define. While I feel being an artist is about freedom, at the same time I believe that you need a cohesive vision when beginning a project.

People have always been my favorite subject. I love the interaction and the connection that's formed when working one on one with another person. So I knew the project was going to be a series of portraits, but I lacked the focus I needed to really get the ball rolling. Over the past few weeks, I finally came up with the blueprint for what I believe will be my most significant work of my career (so far). The project is called 100.

100 will ultimately become a series of one hundred portraits of one hundred different people. But the real "hook" of the project is that each person in the project will be a different age, with each representing one year. As a result, the final series will feature portraits of one hundred people from ages 1 to 100. Ultimately, I would like to have the series featured in an art book and I'll also be looking into the prospect of some gallery showings.

I'm still finalizing the little details, such as whether I should shoot everyone in the series against a particular type of backdrop, whether to use studio lighting or natural, etc. but now that I've developed the "big picture", I'm sure the rest will quickly fall into place. I can't wait to begin and as always I'll post updates on the blog as the project progresses.

Breaking in the studio

If you've been following my blog for the past few weeks, you already know that I'm redesigning the studio area in my home. It's about 80% finished and today I decided to break out some of the equipment and go to work.

My dad (who hates having his photos taken) grudgingly sat for a few portraits while I worked on lighting. I shot against white seamless paper and used a very simple setup, just a strobe with a softbox and a silver reflector. I'm waiting on some flash mounts, a new speedlight and a new lens and then I'll really be ready to rock, but this simple setup worked very well and as a result I got some nice portraits of my dad (the first professional photos he's had taken in about 20 years). My personal favorite is below.

The photos that almost got me arrested

Okay, so I wasn't really almost arrested, but it sounds more interesting when I phrase it that way. If you missed yesterday's blog, be sure to check it out and read about my encounter with a Westmoreland Mall security guard.

I think what irked me the most about being asked to stop shooting, was that I was having so much fun. It took me a while for me to work up the courage to approach a stranger and ask to take his or her photo, but once I did, I really got into it. Sure, I got more "nos" than "yeses", but even the nos were polite. And, the people who did say "yes" really enjoyed having a portrait made. One gentleman even said that it was the first time he'd had a professional photographer take his photo since he was in high school. It was a good feeling and it was disappointing to have to stop.

Sharon and I did get several nice shots of the shoppers and a few of our favorites are below (mine are first). And if you're one of the wonderful people who posed for us, be sure to email me so I can send you a free print.

And here are some of Sharon's.

A different kind of "senior portrait"

Tuesday was a great day! Early that morning I headed into the local Senior Activities Center with my assistant Sharon. Last week we had met with the center’s director to discuss shooting some free portraits for the seniors and she loved the idea. Yesterday we came to work and I was delighted with the turnout. I didn’t know how many seniors would want to have their photos taken, and it did start off a bit slow.

Once we had photographed a few, word must have spread because for the next two hours we had a waiting line. My only complaint was that we had so many men and women waiting that it didn’t give me much time to talk to the individuals and to get to know them, which is my favorite part about making portraits. Despite that little speed-bump, we had a wonderful time and met many incredible men and women.

We’re giving all of the seniors color versions of their portraits, but as you know I love black and white so I picked some of my favorites to convert for my portfolio. Now remember, when I shoot photos with my portrait series in mind, I have a very specific vision for the photos which is different from the “Say cheese!” shots you so often see. I like to leave a bit of mystery as I feel it makes the images more engaging.

With that in mind, here are a few b&w photos from the shoot.

Everything looks better in black & white

My love affair with black & white photography began many years ago when I was taking pictures with my mother’s point & shoot film camera. I mistakenly bought a roll of b&w film at the local drug store and rather than exchanging it for color, I decided to just use it. After exhausting the roll, I took it in for developing and was in awe. Not of my work, mind you, but of the character black and white seemed to add to even the most average of photographs.

Over the years, I fell in love with black and white portraiture, specifically the work of the late Richard Avedon. By shooting in black and white, portraits seem not only more artistic, but more compelling. Without the a random pallete of colors to draw away your attention, you’re left with the subject. And that subject is what matters. In a black and white photo your drawn into the person. You see the life in their eyes, the character in their face. You’re invited into their world and allowed to imagine the life they may have have lived.

This month I’m beginning a new project which is very different from my “business” work. Rather than photographing people who come to me, I’ll be going to them. I’m making a point of taking my camera with me everywhere I go and when I see someone interesting, I’m going to ask them if I can shoot a portrait. I’m sure most people will look at me like I’m crazy, but what’s life without an occasional case of embarrassment?

In the project, I hope to create a series of natural, honest portraits which allow the viewers to get a glimpse into a stanger’s life. I don’t want anyone to hide behind “Say Cheese!” smiles or awkward poses, I want them to simply be themselves.

As always, I’ll share my work on the blog and let’s kick it off with my first portrait of the series.

Joan - Registered Nurse

What happened to 2006?

The other day a friend mentioned to me that Thanksgiving was this Thursday. I thought she was crazy but when I checked, I saw that I was the crazy one. It seems like weeks ago that the calendar flipped over to 2006 and now Thanksgiving is already upon us. Before I know it, Christmas will be here and then time marches on to 2007. I can’t believe how time flies lately. A whole year passes in what seems like an instant. Does that mean I’m getting old?

A few weeks ago I had another photo shoot with Daria and Patrick Adams. I initially shot their wedding back in August but we never had a chance to shoot engagement portraits. So instead we got together and had a great time shooting some portaits of the newleyweds. The Adams’ are a very artistic, cool young couple and they were up for hitting some out of the ordinary locations. Here are some of my favorite pics from their shoot.

Last new senior of 2006?

My senior portrait shoots have slowed down considerably the past few weeks. This is always the slow time of year as the seniors who wanted summer/fall pics already had them done and everyone else usually waits until spring.

Yesterday I had the chance to work with Kayla. We didn’t get to start shooting until about 5pm and this time of year that only left us with about an hour of sunlight, but we still managed to hit a few locations. Despite being rushed, I had a blast working with Kayla and wanted to share some of my favorite pics!

Olivia's Second Senior Portrait Session

A few months ago I shot some summer senior portraits for Olivia. We had a great time together and I knew she also wanted fall pics so this morning we had her second session. It was FREEZING cold outside but she always had a smile ready for the photos. She’s such a sweet girl and is extremely intelligent (I think she’s at the top of her class). And looking at her pics, I wouldn’t be surprised if she could be a model. Take a look and see what you think!