5 A Day

I was having a discussion with a friend of mine who gave me the suggestion that I put 5 images up on facebook each day to raise awareness about my photography. I thought that was a great idea as well as a challenge for me to put up 5 different images every day. It's not that I am afraid of running out of images which would probably never happen but it's also the discipline of taking on a project of this magnitude and making it happen each and every day. So for now I commit to making it happen for a minimum of 6 months with an option to renew for another six months.

This first series of images was created using a technique called painting with light. I was given an assignment to photograph still lifes for a fine art class I was in at the time. I was looking around for a subject and since I am intimately involved with the food business in a variety of ways I decided to find some unique vegetables and then play around with them. I chose to revive an old technique I used to use back in the late 80's and early 90's called light painting. I used a flashlight in this case as a light source. I placed the camera on bulb and started to paint in the scene of each to highlight certain areas and create the desired lighting effect. Once the images were captured I went into my digital darkroom to make the images come to life as I had envisioned them. Below are 5 of the images from that series.

All images are for sale. They are printed to archival standards using 100% rag papers and archival pigment inks. All images are limited editions of 25 for 13 x 19 and 15 for 17 x 22.

	Asparagus Weave 13 x 19 $250.00 17 x 22 $400.00
	Kiwi Beet 13 x 19 $250.00 17 x 22 $400.00
	Tomato Mushroom Asparagus Trio 13 x 19 $250.00 17 x 22 $400.00
	Pea Treviso 13 x 19 $250.00 17 x 22 $400.00
	Crossection - Oyster Mushroom 13 x 19 $250.00 17 x 22 $400.00

Headshots are not just for actors

Today more and more people are using the internet as their primary place of business and social interaction. So now more than ever a headshot or photo of you is the first impression someone gets to put the words, concept, business with a face. So it's great to have a photo or series of photos of you that reflect who you are.

Recently hired to do a shoot for an associate who wanted to create a series of photographs of himself that would reflect a more accurate image of his personality. He didn’t want, as my mother used to say “instant respectability portraits”. He was looking for something with a more relaxed photojournalistic feel. In addition he had a vision for his website of some photographs of him against a white background that could be placed anywhere.

We decided to do the shoot both outdoors and do some shots indoors against a white background.

Since we were in Laguna I decided that a trip into town would provide many options for locations to shoot. When I shoot people I like to get a feeling for them and to form a connection between the two of us and the locations we are shooting in. I like to use the setting and natural lighting to inspire each shot.

So we wandered around Laguna looking at the light and settings to have a fun time shooting. We came across this wall in a parking lot and I loved the way the light was hitting it. I knew that we would get some great shadows as well. So that was our first stop. Dennis looked at me a bit like a crazy person but he was a good sport and went with the flow. Next we walked down the main street in Laguna and came across a British telephone booth. I was thinking about what it would be like to be in the booth staring out at everyone and being insulated from the passers by. I got Dennis to let go a bit and have some fun with the photos pressing his face up against the glass to get a different perspective. After that the sky was the limit.

He found this doorway to a dry cleaner and we worked with that then a church with these wonderful arches and strong shadows casting across them. A few more shots and Dennis was hungry and it was time to eat dinner. Did I mention that his girlfriend Shirley was with us. She thought I was a bit crazed but enjoyed watching me put Dennis through his paces and having a good time. She was also a good assistant holding the reflector at times when I needed it.

Ok so dinner is over and it's time to get back to the house to do the indoor shoot. Shooting Dennis indoors had a given set of circumstances, we were going to drop out the background so he was against white. I ended up using 5 lights to create the lighting for the shot. That was fairly straight forward. We did a series of shots both full length, medium and close up. I even got a shot of he and Shirley at the end of the shoot. We had a great time.

I spent some time going through the shots back in my digital darkroom. First making cuts and then doing some global adjustments to them and finally creating a web-proof portfolio for Dennis to look at and choose which images he wanted me to finalize for him. I sent him the link and awaited his reply -


"OMG! I can't lose.... those all look fantastic! Wow... I like almost every shot within each wardrobe/site segment... hard to choose just a couple. You are my hero!"

Dennis Chamberland - Chamberland Consulting

I think that says it all.

If you are interested in having a photographic session with me feel free to email or call me to discuss how I can best be of service to you.

A Study on the Beach

It was a nice sunny day when I dropped off my wife Karen in San Luis Obispo at her jewelry making class. So I decided to drive up the coast a bit to visit Cambria. It was a glorious day. Clear sky's, Moro Rock protruded brightly up from the sea and the pacific was a deep blue color and the hills opposite were brown with hints of fall color. Then as I came down into Cambria the fog was there waiting for me as if to say, you like winter conditions well here is something for you. I decided to drive to Moonstone beach and take a walk with my camera to see what was out there. The fog was heavy and the sand coarse. It was a peaceful morning, the sand flattened by the currents and few people. I noticed the preponderance of seaweed. But in this case it was not the quantity that intrigued me it was the shapes and sizes. The patterns that they made either in a jumble or as a single piece glistening against the coarse sand.

For this the light was perfect. The fog acted like a large soft box with the mist keeping the sand nice and moist perfect for photography.

As I was processing the images I noticed that some worked better in color while most worked better in black & white.

I am adding these images to the series that began several years ago whilst walking along the beach in Pacific Grove. I became fascinated with the natural shapes and simplicity of the way the tides create beautiful collages on sand and rock from what is washes ashore. The use of natural elements placed in seemingly deliberate ways is there for all to behold. It is my interpretation of the oceans beauty that I bring to you.

For the images in this post I am going to make this series of images available in several sizes as part of a new facet to my photography. I'm calling it 200 at 25.

All the prints are created using archival pigment inks on 100% cotton rag paper with a smooth semi gloss finish.

The print dimensions are for the size of paper containing the images, not the printed image itself. All prints have a minimum 1" border around each to allow for framing. Each print comes with a certificate of authenticity.

Prints larger than 8.5 x 11 in smaller editions are signed by the artist.

8.5"x11"
Edition of 200 each $25.00

13"x19"
Edition of 25 each $200.00

17 x 22
Edition of 15 each $400.00

Emergence

8.5 x 11 $25.00 13 x 19 $200.00 17 x 22 $400.00

Cluster Trail

8.5 x 11 $25.00 13 x 19 $200.00 17 x 22 $400.00

Slithering

8.5 x 11 $25.00 13 x 19 $200.00 17 x 22 $400.00

Twisted Serpents

8.5 x 11 $25.00 13 x 19 $200.00 17 x 22 $400.00

Treble Clef

8.5 x 11 $25.00 13 x 19 $200.00 17 x 22 $400.00

Whipit

8.5 x 11 $25.00 13 x 19 $200.00 17 x 22 $400.00

Loop

8.5 x 11 $25.00 13 x 19 $200.00 17 x 22 $400.00