Images: INSPIRED!

STONE MOUNTAIN LIVE!!!!

Tue, 9 Mar 2010 11:39:34 -0800

This one is for those living within the wonderful state of Maine (or close by in NH). Tonight, at 8pm on MPBN-TV, watch our premiere TV show "Stone Mountain LIVE!" Music, fun, antics... all around great entertainment. If you like it, let MPBN know by emailing them off of their website... MPBN.NET.

Enjoy...

kevin

The Value of a Professional Artist

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 09:56:54 -0800

I took this photo yesterday morning, on an assignment for an advertising / design firm who represents the folks that do the engineering & maintenance on this bridge... or something like that. When my contact at the agency, somewhere in Pennsylvania, saw the shoot, his comment was "Love the shots! Pretty cool bridge!". Well, as I am always appreciative of positive feedback, and even (reluctantly) appreciative of negative feedback... I have to say that anyone who has ever traveled from SoPo (our local way cool trendier than thou acronym for South Portland) to Portland over this bridge, the Casco Bay Bridge, will have to admit: it is NOT a pretty cool bridge. It is in fact, a pleasantly designed extremely utilitarian means of conveyance from one side of the river/bay to the other. And, barring the occasional "whoops, we can't get the draw bridge part to go down", it functions quite well... quietly, unobtrusively, in a very late 20th century nondescript way. In other words: it's boring.

So why did my intelligent, art savvy client say "Pretty cool bridge!"? Because he was viewing pretty cool images of the bridge.

Now I am not bringing this up to pat myself on the back or toot my own horn... but to illustrate a point that has been on my radar scope, in excess I might add, recently. That point is the recent prediction that commercial art as we know it is going the way of the buggy whip and the all too frequently referenced, but never seen, dinosaur. I am on many professional photo forums... where all the pros of the world submit their thoughts via binary sequences for all to see, and comment on, and comment on again... etc...In the past three weeks the demise of print media (magazine & newspapers... does anyone remember them?), the demise of specific magazines regarding our profession, the demise of our profession itself, have all been predicted like an impending tsunami. And then there is this in the LA Times that does a fairly good job of telling the story of what we all fear...

There is no doubt that my profession, as well as other creative professions, is under siege right now from the democratization of art. Anyone armed with a reasonable camera, or not, and some basic photoshop skills can turn out much better imagery than was possible ten years ago. An ad agency I know is having their art director shoot food still life set ups as the end client knows what stock photos cost and wants to use them (no concern for quality or appropriateness) but the art director knows they suck, weaken the message, so has turned to shooting them herself to save the process. How long will that process last? The problem is that now the price:expectations ratio has been lowered so that when the next client or project comes along... the ever diligent account executive will ask "How come we did such nice work for XYZ Corp and we had such a small production budget? Why do you want so much $ for photography or illustration on this one?" i learned this in my banking days way back when... Incremental Budgeting is often the standard for corporations... So if less money is being spent on commercial art this year... then guess what? When your work starts to look like crap because of poorly produced or generic art... and suddenly you want to hire a real photographer or illustrator or musician... there will be no money!!! Budget not used in year one? We base year two's budget on what you needed last year!

Anyway... enough of this rant... for now... meanwhile I continue to seek out the clients that maintain a high production standard and work for them. It is a bit harder to find them... but they ARE out there, and I AM enjoying making "pretty cool images".

Justice?

Tue, 5 Jan 2010 08:25:21 -0800

I created this image with the following lyrics from Arlo Guthrie's "Alice's Restaurant" in mind...

"Man came in said, "All rise."  We all stood up,
and Obie stood up with the twenty seven eight-by-ten colour glossy
pictures, and the judge walked in sat down with a seeing eye dog, and he
sat down, we sat down. Obie looked at the seeing eye dog, and then at the
twenty seven eight-by-ten colour glossy pictures with circles and arrows
and a paragraph on the back of each one, and looked at the seeing eye dog.
And then at twenty seven eight-by-ten colour glossy pictures with circles
and arrows and a paragraph on the back of each one and began to cry,
'cause Obie came to the realization that it was a typical case of American
blind justice, and there wasn't nothing he could do about it..."

Which reminds me: you can't always believe what you see. This court room looked nothing like that. 
The dog & 'judge' were shot in my studio. But we all know that about art & advertising photography.

News photos, the domain of the disappearing photojournalist, should have none of this. The battle
over the truth of what we see is as old as photography itself. For a great discussion on the subject, 
grab a 'cup o' sumthin' and read this from my favorite little hometown paper... NYTimes Blog 
It is a great look into the world of a 21st century war photographer. 
Be sure to get part 2 also...

Found on a shoot today

Wed, 30 Dec 2009 18:35:12 -0800

While on assignment today for a national magazine, I returned to my lighting case to find this... I also left the case cover open and found her inside. The last time she was trying to get into my camera case. Entertaining, for sure. And probably one of the more good natured and amiable felines I have ever met too. The second photo... I brought in a black Flexfill to deepen the shadows on my subject and guess who volunteered to hold it... Exciting Cat Tales to ring in the new year...

As many have noticed it has been quiet for the last 45 days or so on the Brusie Blog. Life has been busy. A couple of trips to NYC, one to PA (college kid retrieval) and a relocation of the office. A spacious, comfortable room, with great views and even better company, has become my new office. And the commute is great. 23 seconds, at a slow walk.

A number of factors played into my decision to take a 'home office': the increased collaboration with my wife Sharyn on her film projects & she also has her editing suite home; my decreasing usage of the studio, as more & more I am on location; I LOVE what I do, the 'work' part and the personal projects, so being cooped up alone in a small office 12 miles away from home made it very impractical to 'work' or play late with things photographic.

When I was a banker, back in the age before time, I always had a darkroom, I would work insanely silly NYC banking hours then disappear on weekends and evenings into the darkroom or go out shooting. I loved it. By making it my vocation did I have to lose my avocation? That is what was happening. Now I can, even on crazy snowy days, be at work as early as I want, work as late as I want, and still have breakfast, lunch, and dinner with my favorite lady - and the pup too.

Who knows... maybe I'll even post to my blog more often!!!

Have a very happy, healthy, and prosperous 2010 and beyond...

Believe in you. It has to start somewhere.

All the best,

kevin

Here's the reason...

Mon, 9 Nov 2009 15:40:45 -0800

Yeah, I am back. So according to the CNN/Money website, I have a stressful job that pays badly. Shit. Wow. After 20 years, NOW they tell me!?! I thought when I bailed out of the International Banking gig [a job so important, "they" make you capitalize it... or else!!] I had left the stress behind.

Well it could pay better. And who among you would ever say "I get paid enough, thanks. No its ok, really, I don't need a raise..." Or maybe the the fact that I "have to contend with long days, picky personalities and demanding deadlines -- sometimes withstanding precarious positions just to get that perfect shot" just doesn't really bother me. In fact, that's the fun part...

So this photo was taken while wandering Bowery late one night between NoodleTown [feeding my Chow Fun addiction] on Bowery and The National Underground on E. Houston... after just running into, literally, "Ugly George". As I rounded a corner, he was doing the same... and we almost had a head on. I remember this guy from the late '70's in NYC. He had a Public Access TV show that I still can't figure out how it got on the air... He was there, looking pretty worn out, with his same video rig, just with a camera that was smaller than the tape he used for his earlier rigs. And back then he may actually chat abit... this night, he was rude and offensive right off. It's nice to be back home.

So I just liked this night party scene... a gallery opening I believe... or free BLT's for the masses? Ok... I just googled it, and damn... I should have gone up... nice exhibit. Next trip.

Updates on Liz & WDF

Sat, 3 Oct 2009 09:46:20 -0800

So since my last post... SO much has happened... I know I promised an update on other projects I was doing, but they will have to wait for now. First, Liz Leddy has been selected to represent the US in the Pan American Games in Equador... She is flying out today, and you can keep up with her progress on the USA Boxing site. And as for the documentary film we have have been working on... the director and editor in chief of WDF completed a first cut... and well, it has gotten some immediate attention. And that's all I can say right now. Really. I wish I could but I can't. If you are a potential video client and would like to know more email me directly... and we can talk... Exciting times in the Brusie / Paul household for sure!!!!

Liz... again.

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 14:35:59 -0800

So over the last month... Life has been a flurry of activity... Many commercial shoots - medical, editorial, industrial - and of course the personal projects just to make sure I don't get sluggish. Here is an image taken of Liz, for the film doc I have been shooting for my filmaker wife, Sharyn. Look for it soon on a website near you... either Wonderdog or kevinbrusie... I'll post here when it is up.

Tomorrow I'll post some details of the other projects that have been under way in the busy late summer early fall of 09...

Dig into your wallets for me please...

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 14:35:44 -0800

I just returned from a VERY successful day of shooting at Camp Sunshine for Flashes of Hope.
Thanks to the generous support and talents of great photographers, assistants, and two "kid wranglers" we were able to photograph 37 kids and their families today. Yeehah!!!

Now, I am asking for anyone who can to go to the URL above and select "Donate"... then give $25 to sponsor Camp Sunshine (under the Camps section of the chapter pull down). We need to raise $25 for each family photographed to cover printing, folios, and postage. These kids are ALL going through some life threatening illness. Help us provide a lasting memory of them for the families. Go ahead, donate. I dare you.

Thanks in advance...

Katie

Mon, 24 Aug 2009 06:53:01 -0800

This shoot was scheduled for a magazine client, about two weeks out. I had an assignment come up in Chicago, and I would not be able to make it back in time... so I called Ms. Katie to see if I could reschedule (the magazine had plenty of time). Her response..." That would be excellent! I could use the week for my face to heal. I just came back from a week long combative training..." Apparently her face was heavily bruised...

So we shot this in late March 2009. Then the magazine it was shot for was canceled. Or put on hold. So it was never published. Then this past Friday, I received an email from the publisher saying "Hey! Can we have this file as we are running the story in another magazine... like, right now!" Of course, I was in Rangeley, Maine with a travel plan that took me back to NYC before I would see the studio. Of course, I made a late night trip to the studio, on Sunday night, processed the file & posted it to their ftp site. Happy clients are good clients, no matter how crazy their scheduling becomes! Of course, they made a different selection ( I am unencumbered by layout or all that silly type those magazines seem to sprinkle around on the pages) but THIS selection made it to my NEW portfolio. Brand spankin' new... freshly made last week, in collaboration with Scott Mullenberg and then shown around a bit in NYC.

Of course, the FIRST showing... The book is 14" x 13", with a great slip case of the same design [I'll post photos soon - I want to take a few for Scott]... I lay it on the table in front of the creative director... who then, in his apparent excitement at seeing such a beautiful portfolio, knocks over his mondo cup of iced coffee....and it spills right in the direction of the book! The combination of well designed plastic lids from Dunkin Donuts [contained the flow admirably] and quick reflexes [those creatives are all supreme beings!] saved the book with an inch or so to spare...

Now off to shoot more video today! We are working on a great project for the Literacy Volunteers of Maine... They are a great organization, check out the site... and do what you can to help: donate, or volunteer!!

Still punching..

Fri, 7 Aug 2009 13:57:24 -0800

So what began as a short little photo & animation project has now become something much bigger. The Woman of Wonder Dog Films has taken on this project as a documentary... and it keeps growing. We have shot some fabulous footage of Ms. Liz... who has turned out to be even more amazing than we imagined. Stay tuned to both sites, mine and the film site, for updates...

Back taking a nibble... of the Big Apple

Thu, 23 Jul 2009 05:40:26 -0800

I was back down in NYC on Monday... meetings, good cheap eats, and a few old friends... While walking towards a meeting I look at my trusty CrackBerry and see an email from a client in Maine announcing the opening of their NYC office... and I was four blocks away. Small world indeed. So I grabbed this photo of their new office as I walked by. They are in the "27" building on the left. I wish them the best of luck!!!

Flashes of Hope

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 08:06:55 -0800

Ok... I am off to a video shoot, so I only have a minute (I know, some of you are grateful... "he won't ramble on!!!") This Wednesday we did a photo shoot at Camp Sunshine for Flashes of Hope.

Here is their mission:

"Flashes of Hope is a non-profit organization dedicated to creating uplifting portraits of children fighting cancer and other life threatening illnesses. The portraits, taken by award-winning photographers, help children feel better about their changing appearance by celebrating it. For families of terminally ill children, it's especially important to have a portrait that preserves forever the beauty, grace and dignity of their child."

So - Help us out... we anticipate photographing nearly 80 children and their families this summer at the camp. all done through the generosity of 4 photogs, 4 assistants, and 2 kid wranglers... We need to raise $25 per kid...

So go here: DONATE, select "Camp Sunshine" from the list (way down near the end) and make a contribution to help us handle the fixed costs... Also see today's post on aphotoeditor.com

Please do what you can... no matter where you are in the world! by the way... this is Colin who I photographed this past Wednesday.

Thanks in advance...

Reflections on The Art

Tue, 7 Jul 2009 12:02:34 -0800

Well I was down in the Big Apple last week, taking a bite. First, Times Square (above) is like f*@#in' DisneyLand! Visiting NYC? Avoid Times Square. Please. The up side of midtown is the International Center of Photography on 44th & 6th. They currently have a very comprehensive (nearly overwhelming) exhibit of Richard Avedon's work. Mostly his fashion images, but with a fair amount of his personal takes on fashion shoots. Very inspirational. I love this quote:

And if a day goes by without my doing something related to photography, it's as though
I've neglected something essential to my existence, as though I had forgotten to wake up. I
know that the accident of my being a photographer has made my life possible.
-Richard Avedon, 1970

And stay tuned for the above image to reappear as a canvas for something else...

Looking back...

Wed, 1 Jul 2009 20:00:00 -0800

Sometimes clients get in the way of good work. Rarely, but sometimes. And I know they probably have good reasons. Like this photo, which was shot for an article to run in Parade featuring the program that I believe is called "Sports Done Right" where they discourage the fierce competitive nature in high school sports. It's all about the playing now isn't it? Sort of like life... it's about what you do day to day, how you treat the folks you meet along the way, and how you give & receive love... [I know I lost a few of you right there... but hey, loosen up and open your heart, even just for a moment. It feels good.]

So this photo never ran... the story was bumped due to some silly celebrity doing something moronic. Then I looked back on it about a year later and thought "Hey, I bet that would look really sweet in my portfolio... with a dash of this and a sprinkle of that..."

Yup. This is what being self-employed is like...

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 12:09:07 -0800

One minute you are up... the next you are going down, fast, with a sickening feeling in your gut...

This is the life of a freelance commercial photographer. As I mentioned in a post a while back, we all would like to just have that meager $100k operating cushion... And let me now add, a smart, personable, honest person to market our services. As the chief executive officer of Kevin Brusie Photography, I perform the following duties: photography, accounts receivable, sales, marketing, photoshop tech, IT support, network administrator, equipment maintenance, hardware testing & acquisition, digital asset archivist, accounts payable, and of course, housekeeping services.

...only to be suddenly swooped back up on a slow steady climb...

Ask any photographer what they need to do to bring in more business and you will get a quick list of sure fired actions that will do the trick. We know what to do. We just don't do it. For the majority of us (pardon me for the generalization, which we all know, in general, aren't true) going forth and "selling" ourselves is way down on the list of "things I want to do". So, being charter members of the Procrastinator's Club (is that even possible? Yeah... think about it and let me know) we always find other more important things to do... like post to your blog perhaps? So with all you out of work, or shall I say "underutilized" sales folks wandering around aimlessly out there... any one want to sell some creative services? Of course it is! [That is the answer to your first question: is it just commission based?]

...but as you approach the apex, you are tempted to be lulled into a quiet contentment as you enjoy the enticing view from the top. But... in the back of your mind you know... soon... the next great plunge will begin.

It's NOT about the Tool...

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 06:00:12 -0800

I love it when I am on location, shooting with one of the pro cameras and an observer will say "Wow. I bet THAT camera takes some NICE pictures..." Well, having the right tool for the job can certainly help. And I will admit for most professional work, you do need the right tool to make the best possible photo the client requires. But the largest component is, and always will be, the vision of the operator. On the front webpage of the little paper from my home town, they ran this story about a news photographer who will often use a cell phone to capture images. The portfolio they displayed of his cell work was wonderful. The real punch line is the video clip at the bottom...

Today's image drives home the point of it not being about the tool. This photo was taken with my G2 point and shoot. It could have been taken with my cell phone (had I owned a cell phone with a camera in it back then!).

Goodbye Old Friend...

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 12:42:48 -0800

Well, it was inevitable. Mama K has let her favorite son retire... KodaChrome is no more. And while I have not run a roll of that stuff through any camera in well over a decade, it is still sad to see the end of an era. For available light color work, my favorite combination was K400, K200, or K64 and my old Olympus OM series bodies. Lightweight, fast glass (100/f2 was my favorite), and amazingly unobtrusive... The SLR answer to the Leica. The above image was taken way back in the early '90s with Kodachrome... possibly K200 with a push? Anyway... Three generations of horse farmers competing at the Fryburg Fair. I was just walking by... OM4T with a 50/1.4 I would guess...

Back then I would have two bodies hanging over me: one w/ K400, perhaps pushed one stop, and the other with K64 for the bright sunny spaces. Swapping glass back and forth... trying to keep them from clanking into each other... Now with the Canon 1DMkII I just dial up the ISO. Even my G10 p&s has an ISO dial right up top.

But in the end it still comes down to being there, seeing it, and knowing how to capture the moment, the framing, and the feeling... it's still all about the light!

Robert Indiana's EAT Sculpture

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 13:43:05 -0800

While on the road this past Tuesday we noticed a new addition to the Rockland Maine skyline<!?>... This rather famous piece of art, which first appeared in my home town back in 1964. I am curious if the same dilemma will befall the Farnsworth Museum as struck the original venue back in the summer of '64. Read the history here. Meanwhile I am back at the computer ... proud that I have now posted TWO, that's right, 2, days in a row!!!

Of course I will take the weekend off...

Its been a long time...

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 14:38:23 -0800

I throw myself at the mercy of the court...

And I recently finished doing portraits for the Maine State Supreme Court Justices, so I hope I have some new friends in the right places...

Finding the time to keep posting can be trying. And like all habits, good or bad, change is difficult. So my plan is to return to the habit of frequent postings... as opposed to the new habit of no postings.

The good news is that the lack of activity directly corelates to an abundance of activity on the assignment front. This is good. More work for me translates, eventually, to more eye candy to share on this blog.

The above photo is from a scouting trip I took last month to the Maine Supreme Court while planning out the photos of the Supreme Court Justices and their staff. That took place a few weeks ago. Lots of great people all waiting for their group or single or subgroup photo... all in about 90 minutes. Yeehah! Thankfully I pulled it off flawlessly and the clients love their images. Maybe I will post the portrait of the soon to be retired Justice in the near future.

So stay tuned for more interesting imagery and multimedia!

Meet Liz...

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 07:29:45 -0800

This is Liz. She is not just standing around looking pretty in a boxing club. She has the stuff to take you out. Like really out. Down. Seeing stars.

USA Boxing ranks her 7th in her class (Lightweight). That's a national ranking. Did I mention she is a sweet, thoughtful, kind person? Oh, and her day job: hair stylist.

What's not to love?

Liz has kindly agreed to let me & the team create a short multimedia piece on her. While still in the planning stages, I did create a short teaser to represent the style...

Yup. This is the Next Step. Watch this blog as more of this stuff begins to come to life...

Learn from Dinosaurs

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 20:00:00 -0800

As Iam Summers always says... 'Grow or Die'. If only someone had given that advice to the Dinosaurs.

For years I kept a tiny plastic dinosaur above my monitor. I realized somewhere on Interstate 90 East of Cleveland that I was that dinosaur! The glory days (ha!) of still commercial photographers are on the decline, for more reasons than I care to think about. It is time to reinvent. Grow. Or die. I like the grow option.

So what does this have to do with today's photo? Nothing. It is another image of Amanda... symbolic maybe? Looking up, and moving forward... just like me. More in the next day or so about the new direction of Kevin Brusie Photography... and some new exciting alliances...

I let go of the Dinosaur. I literally gave it away to a visitng seven year old girl.... Grow time!

It's been a long time old friend...

Wed, 15 Apr 2009 14:23:39 -0800

Yes... It has been a while since my last post. Sorry. Since returning from Chicago I have been scrambling with many other projects all in development stages... Some are just starting to show their faces from behind the rocks of creative mayhem... Add in the learning curve of new software, computers, cameras (HD!)... and it can all be a bit overwhelming, if you let it!

But we won't let it.

This image is from the seemingly exiled but not forgotten People Project '09. Amanda. Amanda is a local actor, and dancer... She came to the studio with some clothing that was her grandmother's... And we just shot some nice images of her in her ancestral wardrobe. Alas, the music was playing and it was hard for her to stand still (add to that the chill in the studio - that helped to keep her moving!) So rather than fight it, I just let the motion work with us for a while. Slow down the shutter, let the ambient fill in with the strobe... and see what becomes of it. It was nice just to let it all go and see what the camera delivered... It is rare to be able to do this on a commercial shoot with a pre-visioned final product in the making.

So the motion thing. I like motion. I work with my wife in her business on the video camera... We have been incorporating stills & video into the same end product for a while now. And this got me thinking. Then came the call from a long time (9 years) client that I shoot still work for their annual report each year. This makes a nice project that I look forward to each spring. They afford me a fair amount of creative latitude, which is nice. The end products are always loved by them and portfolio pieces for me. But... this year they say "cutting back on print". That means smaller shooting budget, and smaller usage. The AR as we know it is going away for them. It will live on the web. Motion. So the lightbulb went off while driving back from Chicago (just as I left the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame - all that memorabilia was inspirational!), with the help of a long time friend and designer. She recognized my visionary approach to problem solving for her client, the aforementioned AR. Before I hit the road for the Windy City, I had proposed a still/video hybrid solution to the "new" digital Annual Report. She informed me that both she and the end client were impressed with my vision. My ability to see the merging of the technologies to create a multimedia storytelling device which would live on the web, as well as transform to print, was of great value to them. So... this got the wheels turning. Put a guy in a car for 20 hours with nothing to do but think and make cell calls and you never know what might develop... More on that tomorrow: The Tale of the Dinosaur.

On The Road...

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 12:24:08 -0800

So I have received some complaints... you know who you are... I have been on the road trying to make a living, and alas, I have once again neglected my poor old blog. I was in NYC, PA (ok, visited my daughter @ college. I was in the neighborhood!!!), Chicago, Cleveland, Albany, and finally Boston... And what do I have to show for it? Well an hour or so of industrial video & stills (proprietary folks, sorry - not on the blog) and this G10 grab shot of my stop in Cleveland, Ohio... Legendary as the only place to ever have a river catch on fire (twice!) - but they don't like to be reminded of that - and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Interstate 90 goes right by it... how could I not stop?

Anyway... back to the usual daily grind, so to speak. So stay tuned for more People Project photos and the occasional rant about things photographic, or not...

People Project '09 - Subject # 3 (or was this 4?) - Now for someone COMPLETELY different

Thu, 5 Mar 2009 21:00:00 -0800

And this is the amazing Sister Theresa Rand, principal of the Cathedral School in Portland, Me. Some of you may remember the school from my decade long photo project and book. She is the guiding light behnd the school and the kindness that emanates through out... It was very difficult to get her to sit still long enough for a photo...

PP09, #6 yet again!

Wed, 4 Mar 2009 21:00:00 -0800

I just keep finding SO many great images of Mark... I could fill a month's worth of blog entries with this guy. I promise to go to another subject tomorrow...And in the middle of this we are shooting a multi day video project... More on that once the shoot is wrapped...

PP09 - Mark H... again...

Tue, 3 Mar 2009 21:00:00 -0800

Mark is a bit of a cartoon character when you spend some time with him... pliable, elastic, gumbyesque... so while editing through the hundreds (yes, about 500) images from those few hours this one struck me as representing Mark the cartoon character, awaiting direction...

PP09 #... six Take 3

Mon, 2 Mar 2009 21:00:00 -0800

Another one of the many from Mr. Mark. Of course, I still have two other subjects to go back to that are already shot... they just need some TLC in the Post Production Garage...

Dr. Who?

Sun, 1 Mar 2009 21:00:00 -0800

Here is Mark H again. Mark is from that little island nation a few thousand miles across the way that claim to have spawned us a few centuries back. During our shoot we had a discussion about the infamous BBC production: Dr. Who. Somehow this image reminds me of those big budget scifi productions of the '70's...multi colored scarf and all...

PP09 #...? six?

Fri, 27 Feb 2009 08:07:18 -0800

These are getting a little out of sequence. I think this is my sixth subject for ther People Project of 2009. Yet, it will be only the fourth to grace the pages of the blog. I'll get the others up soon... This is Mark Honan. Mark is an actor, and friend of our first subject, Daniel. I met with them both back in December to plan shooting them both, but alas, Mark actually was involved in a production which just completed... so we returned to the same location as Daniel, Portland Stage Company, to create some fun images.

As a reminder, these photo sessions are designed as "training sessions" for me. I have been at this game since 1990 as a pro, and since 1973 as a passion... in all that time there is a propensity to get stale. So I am trying to get out and make something a little different than what you see on the commercial web site. It is the time when I can go out and have some fun and take a little more risk than usual. A good photo shoot is when I can push myself to take a chance on something a bit different, new, that may or may not work out. Of course, when I am being paid, I go for the sure thing first, and, if time and subject patience permit, then try to push it a bit. With these, I think the inverse is true...

The Legendary Ed Z

Thu, 19 Feb 2009 06:28:32 -0800

Ed Zelinsky has been doing creative in advertising for... well, a few years. He has been an ever present force in the New England ad world. Now he has devoted some of his time to painting and drawing. I had a visit with Ed at his studio recently... and it was hard to get him to stay still...

Enjoy this photo of an amazing man with a heart of gold and an unmatched creative vision.

Ed Z in action...

Fri, 6 Feb 2009 14:39:52 -0800

So the People Project... it has been moving along quietly in the background. I have two more subjects - but alas editing and photoshop work must come before you get to see them. Here is a teaser of Mr. Ed Z who I photographed in his studio, busy at work on his latest paintings... more next week.

Time!? Where did I put that time?!?

Tue, 3 Feb 2009 14:47:02 -0800

Remember when back in the old days of broadcast TV (when it really went through the air to a little antenna on your roof?) and the transmitter would crap out, or the guy at the switch would fall asleep? Suddenly there would be no signal (like my blog as of late) and then a pretty picture would pop up and the subtitles would say "Please stand by - we are experiencing technical difficulties"...

Welll... PLEASE STAND BY - WE ARE EXPERIENCING A.D.D. DIFFICULTIES.

(look something shiny....)

Taken this Sunday on Pine Point beach while walking with my wife and our horse poo eating black lab...

Wanted: Photo Assignment in Key West

Wed, 28 Jan 2009 14:15:05 -0800

Alright, I know I am supposed to be posting images from the People Project (more on that in a day or two) or speaking about some new great photo product/ technique or even showcasing some amazing image to come forth from the humming quasi-supercomputer stations here at Kevin Brusie Photography. Instead, I will post what I will see through my car window on the drive home tonight... for the too-many-to-count time this winter. And we are not even in FEBRUARY yet!!! Do NOT try taking photos like this at home: I am a trained professional...

SOMEONE PLEASE GIVE ME AN ASSIGNMENT IN WARM WEATHER!!!!!!

PP09 #2 .3

Tue, 20 Jan 2009 08:33:13 -0800

Another image of Nancy... though for this one I could not resist the color.

I am sitting here watching the inauguration on CNN.com and can't help but wonder if the eldest daughter of the Obama's will be a photographer... It seems everytime I see her she has a camera in her hands and is fearless of who or what she takes photos of... that girl is going to have one impressive portfolio in short order!!!

Back to the People Project

Fri, 16 Jan 2009 14:02:43 -0800

Thanks for enduring the radio silence while I let my wife's promo sit up all week...

Now back to our regularly scheduled program.

Here is another photo of the amazing Nancy. This one a bit less pensive... yet still in her prefered medium of b&w. I chose to forgo the sepia tint in lieu of a more selenium fibre base look. Not that that really translates to the screen.

Have a great weekend...

A Wonder Dog Films Announcement...

Fri, 9 Jan 2009 21:00:00 -0800

Ok... As most of you probably know, but I will repeat in the spirit of shameless spousal self promotion, I am married to an amazing film maker, Sharyn. She has just published this short documentary on Immigrant Farmers of Maine. This developed out of an editorial piece we did for an online magazine. She took the footage we shot, and my stills, and created her own more balanced and thoroughly more engaging multimedia piece. It has been selected by Bates College to appear in an upcoming exhibit to celebrate Martin Luther King Day. You can view it here...

African Immigrant Farmers of Maine from Sharyn Paul Brusie on Vimeo.

People Project 2009 Subject #2!!!

Thu, 8 Jan 2009 21:00:00 -0800

So this is my second subject for the People Project 2009. The project is (very) loosely defined as interesting photos of interesting people. I had a short list of subjects in December as I started down this path. I knew it would be a meandering path of discovery.

This week's guest was not on my list until I photographed Daniel (guest #1). In our discussions on shoot day we each spoke of our daughters... his in Italy and my eldest in college. She had just shared an experience where her creative writing professor introduced them to a local used book store. She had lamented how she wished we had stores like that in Portland... Daniel then spoke of his friendship with the owner of one such establishment, Cunningham Books. Her name is Nancy... and she is a perfect blend of "character" and sweet gentle soul. So just Monday I took Allison on a tour of a couple of used bookstores, starting with Nancy at Cunningham. Allison now has a new favorite book store, and could have easily spent the family inheritance (ha!). And Nancy graciously volunteered to sit for me Thursday morning and let me point my camera in her direction. The real bonus is the amazing natural light in her shop. Glorious diffuse daylight comes pouring in from all angles making it a photographer's dream. In the demands of assignment photography, I must be capable of creating glorious light where there is none. It is such a thrill for me when I can see a space like this and just use the light and create, with no product or message driven constraints to what appears in the viewfinder.

In honor of Nancy's appreciacion of old photos, with a penchant for b&w, with a sepia tint, I will process all of hers in that manner. Once again, I hit a photographic goldmine with her amazing presence and enticing surrounds... a sincere "Thank You" to Nancy, and also to Daniel for introducing us!

Neurosis set in...

Tue, 6 Jan 2009 21:00:00 -0800

All right... Let's let Daniel know... do we like the b&w or color better? When I was shooting this, an image he will be more likely to use on a comp card or agency website, I envisioned them in b&w. Alas, when I see it on the monitor I can not decide... Of course, it will be the subject 's final choice, but let me (us) know which you prefer... [I love to delegate!]

People Project 2009 Subject #1 of 52... take 3

Mon, 5 Jan 2009 10:44:05 -0800

The only problem with opening a year long project with a subject like Daniel... it REALLY raises the bar. This guy was such a pleasure to photograph. The resulting images are... well, I could rename it the Daniel Project and just post a new photo of HIM every week for 52 weeks.

Meanwhile, I will post more throught the week, but alas I must move on to my next subject... and I do have so interesting folks lined up.

But for now, a little more about today's subject: His name is Daniel Noel. He is a member of the Actors' Equity Association. He has worked as an actor in NYC on Broadway...and as I read his bio in the playbill of his latest performance at the Portland Stage Company it might be easier to list what he hasn't done. I don't think he has ever performed in any productions at McMurdo Station, South Pole and he was not in Michael Jackson's "Thriller" video as a dancing Zombie.

So enjoy this photo... more tomorrow!!!

People Project 2009 Subject #1, take2

Sun, 4 Jan 2009 21:00:00 -0800

Here is another photo of the amazing Daniel. I will continue to post new photos of him throughout the week... so stay tuned. I just met Daniel in the last month or so. I have to tell you this guy knows more people then you can imagine. If he wasn't so honest he would make a great politician.

People Project 2009 Subject #1 of 52

Fri, 2 Jan 2009 15:42:49 -0800

It's Friday night on a pseudo holiday weekend and I will (for a change) be brief...

This image is the first from my PEOPLE PROJECT 2009. In the near future it will have it's own URL and web presence. But for now, you will see the edits here. This is the first, of our first subject, Daniel Noel. Daniel is an actor extraordinaire, and, a great sport. For this image we sat outside in single digit temperatures (that's F not C). I have many great frames from our shoot. Stay tuned for more as the week progresses...

On the creative process...

Sun, 28 Dec 2008 15:38:37 -0800

As we get ready to start a new year, with all the usual... oh, what do you call them again? un-kept promises to one's self.. you know.. yeah, RESOLUTIONS, I am thinking about one myself. I will be attempting, no scratch that, I HAVE COMMITTED to a new personal project. I have alluded to it before in this blog, if any one actually reads it other than my sister and father-in-law. It is the PEOPLE PROJECT. I plan on posting a new subject (a person) each week for the year (so, that makes 52, right?) with some interesting photos and perhaps an interesting tidbit about them. There is currently not, nor do I anticipate there being, any criteria for subjects other than.. they have to be real, down to earth, authentic people. Shallow, materialistic need not apply. I have a few lined up already, with the first shoot scheduled.

But while I am always interested in promoting my work (new resolution for 09 - shameless self promotions shall rule!) I was really interested in writing today, and referring to the people project, due to an entry I found here on one of my favorite blogs, aphotoeditor.com. There are TWO important messages in the interviews... one: don't be afraid to throw away the crap. As I put myself under a deadline of a new portfolio of images from a single subject each week, I must recognize that of 52 subjects, some of the shoots, are going to, well, just suck. And as such I must leave them on the hard drive. Find another subject. Not everyone is going to be able to collaborate with the camera and photographer to create wonderful imagery. The second is the flip side of this: sometimes I will just suck. Being in the creative arts means that you must be willing to fail as you push to create. Otherwise it is just safe and boring. As I try to push my imagination and come up with new interesting imagery, I may just fall flat on my face. So either way, for those 52 subjects I may need to shoot 75. Or 100. Or 56. The standard must be whether they make my grade, not if I have met my quota.

In closing, the image posted today is from a still/video project on Immigrant Farmers which will be on the website soon...which, btw, will be a new and improved website. Stay tuned!.

Another Holiday Classic

Mon, 22 Dec 2008 17:11:39 -0800

Here is another classic holiday image.

Happy almost holidays...

Seasonal Imagery

Fri, 19 Dec 2008 08:08:37 -0800

I thought this image would be appropriate this week, and especially this year. It is of the big Christmas Tree right on Broad Street NYC (corner of Wall St.) smack in front of the NYStock Exchange. Tisk, tisk, there are no presents under it this year... Well there is one big large box. Could it be a present? Or perhaps a large empty container, that to all those looking at from afar may appear to be filled with promise... but alas, we now know better. Dirt. Perhaps Sandbags.

Oh, the symbolism is rife. Let your imagination run wild.

Speaking of wild imaginations, I was recently in touch with an old friend who is a photo rep in NYC. Being in the photo business, he knows there are some memorable moments in history for which no image exists, yet we all can imagine the scene when we hear it.

So check out this site, capturedinthemind.com and please, I would be curious to know your thoughts. He is in the process of staging this as a gallery exhibit. Can you imagine that?

I look forward to hearing from you...

A slightly wider view...

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 21:00:00 -0800

So up here in Maine we just dusted off a few more inches of snow... and we have more expected. And I am off to shoot an assignment at Sunday River Ski Resort. All of this sounds cold. So I thought I would share this photo of the wife as it looks, well, like she is pretty warm.

I would also like to share some new developments on the photo front. Starting in January I will be posting weekly photos I am loosely calling the People Project 09. At the minimum of 52 times in 2009 I will seek out some interesting soul and present a short written statement along with a series of photos. Don't ask why. It is more appropriate to ask why not! I promise this will be interesting. I will post more details as they coalesce and find their way out of my skull...

NYC

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 21:00:00 -0800

So today's image is from my home town. While not really a holiday image, (festive colors?) it was taken while down in the city with my kids for a holiday visit. Does that count? It was obviously processed through High Dynamic Range s/w and tweaked within an inch of her life. For some images you can just push it to extremes. It begins to loose the quality of photograph and take on more of an illustrative feel. Most of the time I think that HDR requires much more restraint.

When we are digital artists, relying on the tools of others to make our creations, (as in software) we can sometimes find ourselves using the tool for the tools sake. Ask any graphic designer who lived through the 1980s and the advent of desktop publishing. Drop shadows and glowing edges reigned supreme. As did a ton of bad design by those with computers galore but a drought of talent or experience. The key is to be sure to drop the tools in the box and know just when to use it. And when NOT to use it.

I am subscribed to a forum of professional cinematographers and I receive posts every day on a loads of film making subjects. Most of what they speak of is way over my head.... but I read on. And I learn. Today they were speaking of how new filmmakers strive to employ cool techniques because they CAN. 360deg pans, dolly action combined with a zoom in the opposite direction (a Zolly I think it was called - you know, the diner scene in Goodfellas), or mounting a dolly and actor together so they appear to float through a scene. These are all very neat, complex solutions to portray a feel, a mood, etc in film. Though not necesssarily the best.

So the key principle to remember: All other things being equal, the simplest solution is the best.

I think I need to tattoo that on the back of my hand.

Ten days till take off.

Mon, 15 Dec 2008 13:59:13 -0800

Since my last post I have had some New England Winter Excitement. No, not skiing or snowshoeing or being pulled by sled dogs through the pristine woods. Not sitting by the fireplace with my honey sipping hot beverages nor strolls in town with gloves and scarves while visiting cute boutiques in festive coastal towns. Nope. The REAL excitement. It started with a 640 mile one day roadtrip from Maine to NY to Maine in an ice storm. Left at 7 AM, returned at 9:30PM. The front of my amazingly sure footed AWD Nissan was covered in 3” of ice from its relentless forward motion into the freezing rain with air temps in the upper 20s. Not long after returning home… you guessed it … we lost power for almost three days. No heat, no hot water, no water (on a well/pump), no lights [well my Dynalite XP1100 battery unit will power a 60W light bulb for quite a while I learned. Thanks Dynalite!] Oh, and overnight outside temps were in single digits. FUN.

So now that I am REALLY in the Holiday Festive Mood, I thought it may be appropriate to start sharing some festive imagery. It appears all those legends of Santa and his reindeer are bogus. He uses a vintage P-3 Orion. Originally purposed for Port City Life magazine, this image was recycled as my annual holiday card in 2006.

More bits and pieces... and a rant...

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 15:15:42 -0800

First, the photo. More images of the Amazing Sharyn. I'll let a few of these sneak out over the next few posts. I just love photographing this woman. And I just LOVE this woman!!!

Second: an update on my struggle with CS4. Without the help of any of the numerous calls I made to software, video card & tablet company tech support I discovered why CS4 was not playing nicely with my system. One little obscure check box in the Nvidia card driver interface. Suddenly they all played nice together ... for about 4 hours... then the Wacom Tablet went back to Siestaville. So now I have a mouse and the tablet on line and have to swap back and forth depending on what I am doing in CS4. Oh joy, oh rapture.

But enough of that... here is the REAL RANT.

An Open Letter to Still Photographers:

Just because your new Canon or Nikon DSLR can also shoot video does not mean you handle it like a DSLR. I was forwarded a link today by a photographer friend. Check out this video. It was shot with the Canon 5dMkII. Most of this piece is well done, in my humble opinion. The glaring exception is when the operator attempts to handhold this diminutive device and shoot 30Fps video. That part is a train wreck. So, photo ,now video,guys & gals: KEEP IT ON STICKS!!! In the video world handheld is done by very experienced operators with weighty substantial devices that don't bounce around like popcorn in a hurricane. If you must shoot this way distribute barf bags with your footage.

End of Rant.

As always, thanks for listening...

A teaser...

Mon, 8 Dec 2008 13:12:45 -0800

So all this mentioning of my significant other recently… I thought I would share an image of her. Last Friday I spent a day with her in front of my camera rather than the usual of her being along side of it, or even behind it herself, esp. if the frames are sequenced 24 to the second… So this one is just a tease of some of the great images I made of her. Talented AND beautiful. Did I mention intelligent too? Though sometimes I have my concerns on the last one - after all she did marry me?!

And now, for my rant. This photo was processed through Adobe Photoshop CS4. Yup. The latest and greatest from our graphics friends in San Jose seems to have some issues related to how it uses the little chips that are on our graphics cards. It appears that they thought these little processors were bored. So they wrote the new CS4 to push a lot of the screen related activities off to these “hungry for action” chips. Great idea, I suppose. Poor execution, in my humble opinion. I guess for some it works flawlessly, but for others it is like a ghost in the machine.

Lucky me, I got the ghost.

Well, as they say, I am giving up the ghost. Back to CS3. If I can’t get SOME resolution in the next few weeks, CS4 will go bye bye and I will take the $ and put it to better use.

So if you are thinking of upgrading, try the free trial FIRST to see if it will download with the bonus ghosts!!!

I am in amazingly good spirits about all this considering the incredible amount of time I have wasted troubleshooting and on the phone with support and posting to support forums and reinstalling and deleting preference files and downloading worthless unrelated upgrades to who knows what just in case… Yeah. Tis’ the season, I guess.

The Book is available...

Fri, 5 Dec 2008 05:10:30 -0800

Well, the book of images from The Cathedral School in Portland Me is available. Images from shoots spanning a decade are presented beautifully in the Blurb.com publication. Over 200 photos spread over 120 pages. Every page is a giggle. Ok, so I am a little biased.

The book focuses on the faces and expressions of kids. Starting back in 1998 I began photographing in the school and returnd for 5 additional visits. In total only 6 days of shooting. But I had well over 5000 images to edit through, starting with film (Agfa Scala b&w transparency film) and on through the various interations of digital capture. For you photo geeks, it was very revealing to see the quality of the RAW files from 2002 compared to my Canon EOS1D MkIII. We have come a long way. In hindsight the original Canon EOS1D was the worst of them all. Every image , even low ISO, looked like it was photographed through a screen door. Nice touch.

So follow the link, and have a look at the preview (which only shows the 1998 Scala images) and maybe order a copy for yourself!

The Original Barbie

Tue, 2 Dec 2008 09:16:57 -0800

Today’s photo is from a shoot done for my favorite client: my wife. She pretty much gives me creative freedom, which is nice. This image was done in the process of producing a personal video biography, which she is amazing at. In case you don’t already know, she is a filmmaker. She is Wonder Dog Films… TV commercials, corporate videos, biographies, freelance producing for MPBN… and she is just hitting her stride. We also recently worked together on a pilot for a music based tv series. You can see the teaser here… be sure your volume is up or the headphones are plugged in. The audio is excellent too! We hope the first show will air in mid 2009…

Supermodels have it so easy...

Thu, 27 Nov 2008 21:00:00 -0800

I warned you. Dog pictures. Our dog. Not some famous photoshoped pooch doing amazing stunts. Not dressed up like people. Just a black lab bored to tears sitting while his ridiculous human points this long black thing at him.

Yo. Toss me a bit, will ya...

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 21:00:00 -0800

And here he is, in all his canine glory... Jack. Have a Great Day of Thanksgiving.

Don't forget to toss the pooch a bit.

Cold & Wet Part

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 21:00:00 -0800

He can smell the turkey in the air. Really.

Live wild turkeys that stroll through our backyard. And whitetail deer.

They drive him absolutely nuts. Especially at night, when he knows they are out there in the darkness.

Our normally quiet, oh-so-cool hipster pup turns into Wolfy The Critter Slayer. And he barks his ass off...

Maniacly.

My apologies to the neighbors.

You don't know JACK!

Mon, 24 Nov 2008 10:03:52 -0800

Happy Turkey Day Week. We should just make the whole damn week a vacation as nothing worth anything ever gets done anyway. Why kid ourselves.

So today I wanted to introduce you to Jack.

Jack is our ~20 month old Black Lab. Amazingly I have not really spent anytime photographing the furball since his arrival in July of 2007. Yeah, some point & shoot snaps, but never with the big guns. So Saturday I gave it a whirl, with moderate success. He is way too fast to try to direct him AND shoot him. Next try is with my wife to direct his attention.

Meanwhile I will entertain you with some of the successful images…. Note: You can see the photographer in his eye, if you look close enough, have a big enough screen, and have the eyes of a teenager...

More procrastination...

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 12:43:33 -0800

So my free time has been consumed with assembling the Blurb.com book containing a greatly edited portfolio of a decade at the Cathedral school in Portland, Maine. Over 5,000 images culled to 204. All in 120 pages. The first printed book should arrive in about a week. I can’t wait.

Till then I am posting this. It’s from the good old days of FILM. Color Infrared Film. Camera mounted the bar of my Suzuki. 14mm lens. It was taken on a road trip from Maine to NYC and back… I even have a stop from a Connecticut State Trooper documented.

Survivor.

Fri, 7 Nov 2008 07:40:16 -0800

It's been a busy week.

I am posting this up here to remind myself to keep working on my book project.

I am planning on publishing through Blurbbooks the photos from the local school I have been visiting almost annually for a decade now.

It stands in stark contrast to this hallowed (!) institution where I was educated from K through 8, in Brooklyn, NY.

Vote early, vote often...

Mon, 3 Nov 2008 10:12:18 -0800

Ok. I am so sorry, but it has been not a weekend, but a week AND a weekend. Why do I feel like I am 10 years old again going into the “confessional”….

“Bless me Father for I have sinned… It has been 10 days since my last BLOG entry. In that time I have repeatedly thought of great new things to write, but failed to do it…”

“For your penance Son, you shall have to write thrice weekly (does that mean three times?) blog entries that are goodly, and are accompanied by even more goodly photographs…”

No - the priests from the ‘60’s in Brooklyn did not speak that way. Looks cool here though.

So to back up to my last entry: I took only the G6 and barely used it. So no photos of NYC. Since then I have been back to NYC yet again… and no photos. But more on that later in the week. For right now I present this photo which I took last week of one of my studio neighbors which has a timely and pertinent message.

Go to it folks. As the Deep South Republicans used to say: “Vote early, Vote often!”

Off to the Old Hood

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 12:50:48 -0800

There's nothing like a little rant to get my fires going.

This image is from a series I did a few months back (ok, almost 10 months!) back in the old Brooklyn ‘hood. Well, at sunrise tomorrow, or perhaps an hour or two before if I can drag my lazy ass out of bed, I’ll be hitting the road to take a bite out of the Big (Cr)Apple. I’m heading down to PhotoPro Expo to partake in the displays of the latest and greatest gadgets for the working pro as well as attend an inspirational seminar or two… catch up with some old friends, grab lunch as often as possible at Manganaro’s on 9^th Ave, and maybe even make a few photos. I am still not sure what will come with me: the G6 p&s?, the D60IR?, the 5D and a small kit? Or the whole bag of tricks! 1DMkiii and oodles of glass…. I will have to decide in less then an hour… and you may see what I grab next week. Or not.

See ya on Monday!

As the cold weather arrives, another heart warming... RANT!

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 20:00:00 -0800

Things I HATE.

I always tell my kids, “never use the word hate”. It has bad juju. Whatever juju is. I hear them correcting themselves in my presence. “I just hate that teacher… oh, well, I don’t hate her, but I sure don’t like her very much!!!” I know when they are texting or IM’ing (are they official verbs yet?) their friends, "hate" is probably being used in full force. Someday it will sink in, the meaning, not just the speech pattern.

So I will heed my own warnings…

Things I Greatly Dislike.

Primarily… marketing, advertising, and otherwise selling MYSELF. I have a pretty good business head. A dozen years in the corporate world of NYC set me straight. If I have something I really believe in, I can go on and on about it. Believe me - just look back through my old rants on this blog if you have doubts. Now here comes the irony, the dichotomy, the living contradiction… I really believe in my photography. I just can’t stand to sell myself. Now this is not some new, wild and crazy problem that only I struggle with. I am willing to bet that a large majority of creative individuals who are self-employed struggle with this. If anyone reading this can relate… drop a comment to support my thesis. Or not if that is your case. When the economy is racing along, and work is falling off of trees, it really doesn’t matter. Minimal efforts result in a reasonable return. Think of real estate agents 5 years ago. But now as the market slows (which it has been doing for the last 4 years, but no one seemed to have mentioned it to our politicians until their investment funds were about to take a hit - but that’s another rant&hellip the work is still out there, you just have to work harder to find it. And that means - SELLING ONESELF!!! If I made wooden furniture that might be easier… no wait, furniture may still be too personal… if I was a sheetrocker / drywaller… that would be easy. You either can do it well or you can’t. [Real life - I can’t - I always leave ridges on the joints] Nothing personal about it. But photography is art, and as such it is subjective. Even the most mundane product shot is open to interpretation by the viewer. So with each photo we display - on this blog, my website, promo materials, and of course, all the client uses - out there goes a little bit of our ego. It is out there for the world to see, or maybe not even notice… or worse, not like! And now I have to go out and convince buyers that my work is fabulous!!! I can handle this and that… I make that and this… blah, blah, blah… WHY CAN’T THEY JUST LOOK AT THE PICTURES AND SEE IT?!?!? And then call me with that wonderful assignment! I need to go have dinner right now… [note: procrastination is the enemy of all creatives!!!] More on this in the next post… I will leave you with the motto of the Procrastinators Club:

“Never put off till tomorrow today, what can be put off till tomorrow tomorrow!!!”

At the board...

Sun, 19 Oct 2008 20:00:00 -0800

Another from the school...

(shhssshhh!!!)

The Class

Thu, 16 Oct 2008 20:00:00 -0800

Another view of the young ones...

Simple images...

Wed, 15 Oct 2008 20:00:00 -0800

This school is the classic red brick two story bunker of a school house. Yet the inside is dancing with colors. I love shooting in this space. It was an overcast (even rainy) day so the light was low, but the big windows combined with the high ISO performance of the Canon 1DMkIII still made so much possible.

All the images were made available light, and most with only window light. When possible, I would enter a room and turn off the overhead fluorescents. In many cases the light was real low, but the camera/fast lens combo did its magic.

More simple pleasures

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 20:00:00 -0800

Ok, so how many of you can admit to doing this with the ubiquitous pretzel sticks?

When I was her age (and, regretfully, much older) I did this and much worse…

The Simple Pleasures of Life.

Simpler Times

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 12:35:19 -0800

Exactly one year after the Dow Jones Industrial average hit its all time high, we have a five year low. It has been one crazy week on the little blue orb we scurry around on. In weeks like this it is nice to pine for the innocence of childhood… when “what toy to play with next” or “will the kid next door get his homework done in time to come out and play before the sun sets” were the most troubling things on our simple little minds. So with that in mind, I will post some photos from my latest visit to the local school. It is my annual pilgrimage to the young & the innocent, as seen through the filter of a Catholic Grade School. Enjoy the memories of when you were this age!!! You should know that some who are close to me never forget to remind me that on more then a few occasions, I still act this age…

Another View from the Top...

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 20:00:00 -0800

I just thought I would post another View from the Top... this one from One Penn Plaza in NYC. I took this while on assignment there a few months back.

I think I was 50 stories up - just about midway up the ESB - and on the roof.

It was a tad windy...

View from the Top...

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 06:47:57 -0800

Why do I spend the time here?

I guess it is to share my images with you (whoever you are!) in a more personal way. I create every week. Most photos end up in some commercial application, uncredited. - sent off to the great media ocean like so many unnamed sailboats. Yes, it is how I make a living, and I am very grateful for that, but the rapidly devaluing dollar is not why I chased this dream. If it was about the money, I would have stayed in NYC on the treadmill of Banking & Finance. Maybe I would be getting some of your tax bailout money!

The fact is: I love the satisfaction of making a truly engaging image. Some are deeply intimate portraits with loads of human emotion. Yet images like this one are sometimes just as fulfilling. This image is from the top floor (#4!!! Hah! I had garbage piles taller than that in Brooklyn!) of a new office building in South Portland, Maine. The real estate firm (Ingallscommercial.com if you need new space!) wanted to highlight the expansive views from the space.

Anyway… I like what I created… a total of 15 frames were used to make this. The high rez is about 28” wide @ 300ppi. The interior was composited using HDR (Nod to Mark F) five exposures each of three views. Window view is straight, and then the files combined in photomerge.

I also threw in an exterior view of the building for reference.

Give

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 13:38:35 -0800

From my office window, I can hear (and feel) the approach of the hospital's Life Flight helicopter. It's the same helicopter I used for the prior photo - I just rebranded it to "Mountain Adventures".

That sound always means some one is in dire need of medical care. It is always a sobering sound. Two just landed in the last 10 minutes. Even more sobering.

So this photo has NOTHING to do with what I am rambling on about today.

The photo is of my amazing wife in a snow storm on the beach.

Holga Plastic camera, 120 color neg film, and some photoshop.

I love this photo. Mostly because I love my wife.

And that leads me to my point. On Monday I spent part of the day photographing, pro bono, a young couple and their toddler daughter. It was pretty routine. We found a nice outdoors open shade area. The weather was beautiful. The two year old was, well, a two year old. And she was reluctant to nap. You know the story.

I made some nice photos. They haven't seen them yet, but I am happy with the results. I know they will be satisfied too. Especially since this may be the last photoshoot of them as a family. Dad has an advanced life threatening illness.

So now I preach. I am aware that quite a few professional photographers may peak at this blog. Or you may know a pro. Pass the word on: Donate your talents to folks like this.

You have a gift that can really make a difference in someone's life.

Go for it. I dare you.

Getting off the box now...

The Making of...

Sat, 13 Sep 2008 09:45:32 -0800

Once again for Port City Life magazine, I was asked to shoot the fantasy photo of "In Another Life..." This month's subject wanted to be an extreme heli skier. Now I am all for travel for the sake of the shot, but alas, the local mag did not quite have the budget to fly the subject & crew to Patagonia or New Zealand for the shoot.

So below is the solution... Concepted, shot, assembled, and delivered print ready in about 4 hours. Snow is off a PhotoCD scan of a 35mm transparency dated 1994. My assistant didn't know what a PhotoCD was. I am getting old in even the new technology.

Pouring the Mold....

Fri, 5 Sep 2008 13:28:50 -0800

Its Friday...

And I should be home by now.

I will be traveling till next Thursday, so I thought I would leave with another image from the Foundry...

Enjoy the week...

Another little bit of East Africa in Maine...

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 20:00:00 -0800

And here is another from that shoot...

Enjoy...

The International Flavor of... Maine.

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 14:24:15 -0800

So I just returned from a shoot in Lisbon, Maine that took me thousands of miles away.

We (my wife Sharyn & I) were asked to shoot video and stills for the most amazing new online magazine: http://www.flypmedia.com

This is a new venture. It is operating with seed money for a while then will work in advertisers - on its terms.

We were covering a story on immigrant farmers trying to make a go of it in the US. We encountered the most amazing folks. The majority of them were either Somali or Sudanese refugees who have resettled to Maine to try to make a new life for themselves.

For now, just enjoy some of the pictures.

In a week or so you can see the story on Flyp.

As predicted...

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 20:00:00 -0800

Here is another from that series...

But to change the subject - check out the Nikon D90.

If you remember a few weeks back I ranted on about the Casio DSLR / Video camera.

In that rant I predicted Canon would bring one to market in short order...

Well, Nikon has beat them to market with a ~$1k DSLR / HD Vid camera.

I can't WAIT to see what Canon has in store for PhotoExpo in NYC in October.

Hot Soup

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 05:39:35 -0800

This is one hot vat of soup.

I was inching closer to this vat - slowly and paying attention to the ambient temps. There was a large garage door open just to my left, with a strong breeze keeping the temps tolerable -

until the breeze suddenly stopped.

The air temperature immediately jumped at least 30F.

Probably a hell of a lot more.

My temperature gauge became the fine hair on my fingers - if it began to singe, I was a bit too close.

That high heat might damage my lens!

Another "Hot!" photo...

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 13:40:10 -0800

I just thought I would throw this one up. The guy in the back is clearing the sludge off the top... sort of like how grandma would scrape the fat off the turkey gravy.

He is supposed to get it into the drum, but alas ... don't invite him over for Thanksgiving dinner...

And watch your toes!!!

The Bronze Age

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 14:33:08 -0800

Sorry once again for the absence... It's been a busy week or two.

This image is from a shoot today. A last minute assignment to photograph the casting of a piece of artisan bronze.

Lot's of VERY hot items, and some mysteriously so...

It was an industrial photographer's delight... lots of dark spaces with red glowing objects...

More later this week!

The Eldest...

Fri, 8 Aug 2008 11:23:02 -0800

So more kids… this time my own. Here is the oldest of the pair. She leaves in 2 weeks for college. So what does that have to do with a photo business blog?

Clients: Send me more assignments. She is off to a private college.

Meanwhile we prep for a three day video shoot next week and two still shoots. I will be busy. Then the wife / video director / editor gets REAL busy… with more exciting projects on the way.

Still Thinking...

Tue, 5 Aug 2008 13:19:26 -0800

Sometimes I just need some time to think.

Maintaining a blog doesn't seem to bubble up to the top of the brain tank for some reason.

So until my clouded head clears up...

I'll just keep posting some more kids thinking...

or daydreaming...

I guess it depends on your perspective.

Left, Right, Left, Right, Right, Right........

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 07:00:38 -0800

There are days when I long for the regular biweekly paycheck of the company job. Thankfully, those days are few and far between. They do usually appear around this time of the month as rent, mortgage, etc appear…

Of course I would rather stick pins in my eyes than do that route again. After 18 years self-employed it would be a difficult transition. No, make that impossible.

Ironically I have been very busy over the last month or more… the dilemma is always cash flow. Ask any self employed person what they would like most to help their business and the almost universal answer is: a bank account with $100k in it. Interestingly they never ask for more. This perplexes me - if it is “anything you want” sort of hypothetical question, why not $20Mil? I’ll answer that: because they LOVE what they do. Give me $20mil and I just might not have to work anymore… and that would be sad. The $100k just takes the impending cash flow crisis we all drift in and out of over the course of a year and once and for all puts it to rest. Then we can concentrate on what we do best. In my case, create imagery.

So short of hitting a small lottery, we creative types need to be better business people. But not TOO much of a business person. Balance. Ying/Yang and all that stuff.

So I propose (for myself, at least - if you are in a creative profession, try your own variation and let’s share results) to dedicate one day per week to generating new work. And one other day a week to generating new work. “WHAT?!?” you say! Is this the Department of Redundancies Department?!? No - one day for generating new business work, and one day for generating new personal work.

Tuesday for the Right Brain. Thursday for the Left Brain. I could never remember which side is which. That fact alone tells me I am more of the Right Brain (creative - I just Googled it) Go to this site to see which one YOU are!!! http://tinyurl.com/LeftvsRight/

I am definitely right brained…

So today’s photo is just an inspiration for myself - It’s Tuesday - go create!!!

PS - For you geek photo types, that photo was shot in available light at 1000iso on my 1D MarkIII. Is that just amazing?!? Today I love technology.

As always, thanks for listening, and sorry for the gap in posts.

Holding page

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 12:40:45 -0800

Blogs take Time.

Last week, and in the early part of this one, I seem to have an acute shortage of Time.

The good news is that the shortage is caused by assignments.

So just to keep those dedicated thousands that keep checking into my blog satisfied, I am posting yet another IR image for your viewing pleasure.

And, Mark, I chose the IR just for you.

More ramblings and images on Wednesday...

Luddite: To Be or NOT to Be...

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 20:00:00 -0800

This post is about technology. And change. Progress. The photo is appropriate. It is taken in a paper mill built over 75 years ago, that until recently had been constantly tweaked with Yankee Ingenuity to make state of the art paper. The mill was shut down last year.

Every once in a while I get on a rant about how "If I were King..." I would declare a moratorium on new things. Everything (ok, except medical for critical care). Back in the day, I would buy a camera and it would last forever if I treated it with respect. A good bicycle would last similarly. So would that Sunbeam Blender in the kitchen. Ok, maybe the plug would need to be replaced every 20 years.

Now we get new cell phones every year. Why? Because the new one does this and that. Oh, and we no longer support that communication protocol. We need new computers to handle the new software for the new cameras for the cleaner images or better auto focus. We need new cars to replace the old cars. Why? They have more safety features to protect us from the now inevitable accidents caused by us trying to use the new GPS or iPhone or computer controlled coffee maker in the dash while traveling at 80+mph. Oh, and this new model Corolla will get - are you ready for this - 35 miles per gallon!!! What progress!!! [My Dad’s ’75 Toyota Corolla got 42mpg. Really.] But my rant may digress…

Forced obsolescence.

That’s what I really wanted to carry on about today. Forced Obsolescence. The industrial designers call it “Planned Obsolescence”. It’s much more passive that way.

But, alas, as I was planning to rant about that - and I have been sporadically ranting on the subject to anyone who will at least pretend to listen - for a few weeks at least, I now have changed my mind. Why fight what you can not change? So, instead I will embrace it. I admit I love gadgets as much as the next 4 guys combined. It is the cost of the gadgets that has me going ape shit. So - I now will simply find ways to create the income that will allow the required gadgets to enter my life. Paid for.

Things come together in strange ways in this life. We all have strange stories to share I am sure. I know I have more than my share. So as I was preparing to go ranting about forced obsolescence, I have been presented with many clues as to the true direction I need to go… The last step arrived today in the form of a newsletter from an old friend Ian Summers, creative consultant extraordinaire. It should end up on his blog soon. http://heartstormingnews.blogspot.com/

The subject: Diversifying is an early 21st C. Imperative. Yup. I have a REALLY talented wife. She has such an amazing sense of timing and storytelling in motion pictures, it amazes me. She also has the ability to get folks to relax on camera incredibly well. The days of just being a talented still photographer are numbered. See this new Casio camera - it says it all: http://exilim.casio.com/ Look at the EX-F1. In 3 months Canon will probably announce one just like it but at a Pro level.

So… I need to go now, and you should stop wasting your time reading my ramblings and get back to work/family/life. But meanwhile, know that great new exciting things are in the works for KBPHOTO, WONDERDOGFILMS, and those we choose to surround ourselves with…

As Ian has said for years: GROW OR DIE!!!!!

I am off to grow now. Bye.

More of #1...

Tue, 8 Jul 2008 20:00:00 -0800

Here are a couple of more images from the same Annual Report. I shoot this AR every year - (and I do appreciate it so much Mike!) - and we usually work in a strong #2 (see the previous post) style. We set up lights, position our subjects, and control every aspect of the image. This year was a departure [though as I think about it I shot it this way in ’99 or ’00 too]. These were all taken with practically no direction from me. I was present on these client meetings as an observer and documenter. Running from situation to situation, getting white balances on the fly (sometimes only after getting the shots - I always shoot in RAW format), is a challenging put very rewarding way of shooting. I love it. So all you clients out there, throw me some more work like this!!!

#1 or #2?

Mon, 7 Jul 2008 20:00:00 -0800

A few months back while making an editorial photograph of two young girls (sisters) one asked about what I DO on my job… now I am at her home with lights and cameras etc… my first thought was: “Open your eyes for a second!”

But as I thought about it I understood her inquiry. So in my explanation to her I told her there are two ways I can do my job.

In the real world of commercial assignment photography, I am entrusted by a client to come back with an image that tells the story needed for them. I can either:

Find the story with images that are already there. Like grapes on the vine waiting to be plucked. My job is to find them, hiding under the broad leaves of the common place, and being sure they are ripe and sweet when taken.
Create an image starting with a blank canvas. Add lights, subject(s), props, and a heavy dose of imagination. This is where the interpretive powers come to play. There is what I call “The Red Couch” syndrome. I say “Red Couch”, and you immediately have a mental picture. I’ll bet you a winning lottery ticket it is not the same thing that I am seeing in my cranial theatre. So my job as image creator is to define the “Red Couch” so the two visions begin to align.

Interestingly, when I first came to photography I did most of my work in style #1… and over the years it evolved into style #2. Now, over the last 12 months, I am moving towards a balance between #1 & #2.

I love them both, and they are VERY different.

These images are from an Annual Report I just finished for an insurance company, all shot in Style #1.

Do Unto Others...

Wed, 2 Jul 2008 06:00:00 -0800

Warning: I feel a rant coming on… and after all isn’t that what BLOGS are all about? Those who know me are aware of my rants… especially my loving wife.

She has repeatedly heard me rant on about such things as the peculiar habit of the Maine Traffic Planners (hah!) to create lanes on a roadway, only to remove them – suddenly and with scarcely a heartbeats advance notice. But that is for another time…

Or perhaps the declaration by motorcyclists (of which I am one and have been riding longer than driving a car) that it is OK for them to ignore noise ordinances and have open pipes because it is safer. People can hear them when they can’t be seen. BullSh*t. Sound travels away from the rear of the bike not forward (perhaps they should retake that basic physics class) and as such they are only heard when they are in front of vehicles. Attention bikers: Get a powerful horn, keep your eyes open, and oh, maybe wear a helmet?

But that’s a rant for another time…

Ok – so I got the mini rant out of my system – for the moment. Someone remind me in a week or so to get back on the rant train and explore the two above, and a few more… perhaps even on the topic of photography. Like how folks with cameras aren’t always photographers. Click the shutter enough times and play long enough in Photoshop and sure, almost anyone can get art. The difference is making art ON DEMAND. When the client wants it. Communicating the client’s message. Starting with a blank slate.

So please remind me to rant on about that in the near future….

Today’s ramblings are focused on an issue much more relevant then any of the above.

GIVE BACK TO YOUR COMMUNITY.

I just did, and it was a fabulous feeling. Last Wednesday I, and a wonderful group of volunteers, managed to take portraits of 38 children & their families in the space of 4 hours at a beautiful lakeside summer camp. The camp is for children with life threatening illness & their families. For some, this may be the last time they will ever be photographed. Others will see the photographs as a celebration of a deadly battle won. We will not know. We just came to give them the gift we bring – beautiful photographs of the beautiful children.

It started for me when working with my wife, Sharyn, on a video for the Maine Children’s Cancer Program. [You can see her work here: http://www.wonderdogfilms.com . The MCCP video is not on the site yet though] I saw just what these kids were going through, and how amazing they were. And how incredibly heartbreaking it is.

I had heard about an organization called Flashes of Hope that arranges photo shoots by ASMP photographers for the children. So I brought the program to Maine. It turns out they already had an interest in doing a shoot at Camp Sunshine in Maine. It was a perfect fit at the right time.

So we had four photographers: me, Jeff Stevensen, Jim Daniels, and Darren Setlow. Assisting were Scott Brouseau, Corey Fenders, Nathan Broaddus and Jessica Materna.

We also had Nance Trueworthy shuffling subjects to and fro, as well as three volunteers from the Boston Flashes of Hope chapter.

All these folks did this for nothing. Nada. Zip. Goose eggs.

No. Sorry that’s a lie. This is it. Real dialog between myself & a mom at the shoot:

Mom: “…so we will get to see some proofs and then what? Do we order prints from you? Is that how it works?”

K: “No. I will edit the shoot, and you will receive, in a few weeks time, a portfolio of two 8x10s, a bunch of 4x6s, and the files on disc”

Mom: “ Oh. So then we can order more from you?”

K: “No. You will have the files. Just take them to your local photo printer and away you go!”

Mom: “You’re kidding?!” So - what’s in it for YOU?!”

K: “THIS is what’s in it for me. Right now. This moment.”

With that Mom began to tear up, as did photog, assistant, and even the squirrels watching from the branches above…

Which brings me to the next point: while we all donated our time, some things can not be found for free. (Try getting the USPS to donate anything!) It cost about $1,000 to get the prints to the families, even with the lab donating the prints. I did a mass email (ok – is 45 people “mass”?) and raised $1,150. at last count. Now, in order to get the Maine Chapter off the ground, which will mean doing shoots at the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital in Portland, we need to get the number up to around $5000.

On Saturday July 12 (11am – 2pm) we are having a fund raising BBQ at Big Moose Harley Davidson (please don’t tell them about my previous mini rant! – yet&hellip through the Southern Maine Portland Harley Owners Group.

If you want to DONATE… come to the BBQ or go to Http://www.flashesofhope.org and select “donate” and choose the “Camp Sunshine – Maine” as the chapter.

Anyway… I have gone on and on today and must get to work! Look for more photos from the shoot on my website or this blog in the near future…

Thanks for listening…

Another... In Another Life

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0800

And another one… This In Another Life subject is Jessica Tomlinson, who is the Public Relations Director for the Maine College of Art. In this photo, Jessica wanted to be a woman from a Johannes Vermeer painting. So we chose this painting to match. The real kudos goes to Jessica's husband, who created the coat the night before. Oh, and did I mention that we shot this mid morning and it had to be on press that afternoon? My Wacom Tablet was smokin' that day...

In Another Life

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0800

Now back to some assignment work…

My assignments run the gamut: from national advertising work to local editorial. For one particular magazine, Portland Maine’s Port City Life, I have shot consistently for them since their inception. Ok, actually before their inception as I shot the “spec” cover when they were trying to generate interest!

One particular feature that has been long running is the last page “In Another Life…” feature. In this we photograph someone relatively well known on the Portland “scene” portraying what they would be doing – in another life!

This image is of Chief Justice of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court, Leigh Saufley. Ms. Saufley would have been a Private Investigator if she could do it all again. So… I created this photo of Leigh in the spirit of the '40 Private "I" movies.

The D60 IR #3

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0800

This is also from the same location – Somesville, Me.

I love this one…

The D60 IR #2

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 23:04:00 -0800

This image is of the northern tip of Somes Sound in Somesville, Maine. It is on Mount Desert Island and surrounded by Acadia National Park. This side of the park is the quieter side, and thankfully not so overrun with tourists and diesel belching tour busses.

With the Digital IR, it is not quite as simple as shooting with IR film used to be. A fair bit of finagling needs to be done in post to get the RAW images to look like they should. And quite a bit of that is trial and error, as every scene / exposure is unique. So please don’t ask how I did this or that… I don’t remember!

The D60 IR

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 08:00:00 -0800

So what does a techno-geek photographer do with his outdated Digital SLR?

Sell it? Nope. Not worth anything.

He modifies it to replicate something else we used to do back in the day – shoot Infrared!

So my otherwise antiquated Canon D60 now becomes a creative tool in the arsenal.

And, with that in mind, I have a few images that I shot with the D60IR while up in DownEast Maine.

Great Expectations #3

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 03:00:00 -0800

The Final on Great Expectations

Here is the final from Brooke’s 8 month portrait session.

I always thought the first one was my favorite, yet each of these last two has a great quality too.

So – Lets have a vote on which one is the favorite!

They all look incredible in print using the R2400 Advanced B&W on DaVinci Fibre Gloss. These prints will definitely find some wall space in my office.

Great Expectations #2

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 04:15:00 -0800

More of the Great Expectations

As promised, here is another shot from Brooke’s 8 month portrait session.

I will post another tomorrow.

Promise.

The Brooklyn Series #2

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 20:00:00 -0800

Canarsie, Brooklyn, NY - Feb 2008

A little over 30 years ago I would slip through the horizontal bars on the left to gain complimentary access to the NYC subway & bus system. Those who know me now might find that hard to imagine.

I shot this and other Brooklyn images in February, while taking my two NYC Novice children on a tour of my home town. I just stumbled on the folder and decided to process out another today. For more on this series see my website and select the first "Project".

Enjoy!

Great Expectations

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 20:00:00 -0800

After a full day of various poses / setups / wardrobes, I am sure Brooke was thrilled to have this one be the last shot of the day. I am shooting from the second floor of my studio, through a hole in the floor cut just for this purpose. Of course, being the last set of a long day, I am a bit off from prime too. How did this manifest, you may ask... ? Well, I mistakenly left my not so petite Blackberry Curve in my shirt top pocket. So when I lean over to peer through the hole - swish... it slips out and silently tumbles downward. I am horrified as it is heading right towards Brooke. Miraculously it hits the sofa right in front of her belly... and bounces up, and over, to land directly behind her, where it once again bouces up and off... into the soft bundle of black cloth I used to cover the floor. No damage to Brooke (most importantly) nor the silly flying phone.

Back to the image: while it looks great on screen, it looks breathtaking on the new crop of "fiber" digital print papers. I have a 17" print of this on DaVinci Fibre Gloss that is just amazing. Beautiful tonal ranges that were once exclusive to a fibre based cold light darkroom print.

Finally, enough "progress" to achieve a look and feel I enjoyed in my first darkroom back in... 1973!

Sassy @ 90+!

Sun, 15 Jun 2008 20:00:00 -0800

One of the reasons I wanted to set up a blog was to share with the world (albeit a limited world) some of my experiences while on assignment. This is a perfect example. This photo was created for a retirement community. All three of the subjects are over 90. They are all avid swimmers. And at least two have medals from the Senior Olympics.

The fellow on the left was a major flirt. Behind us was a seniors' water aerobics class - a pool full of mostly female seniors splashing about. I practically had to tether this guy to our side of the pool.

The gentelmen on the right has some hearing and vision difficulties. Being in the pool required that both his hearing aids be removed. Add to this the already noisy poolside environment (remember the water aerobics?) and the boomy acoustics... and with his vision issues there was no way he could ever see me behind the glare of my lights. The woman in the center was a great sport, relating my requests to him by literally just pushing and pulling him into position.

In the end, we all had a great time and laughed heartily thoughout the shoot. Though the biggest laugh came when processing the final image. It seems that one of the man's fingers appeared to be wrapped around the edge of the woman's breast. I am sure it was just an optical illusion. Really.

Another shot saved by Photoshop.

Award Winner

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 13:31:17 -0800

This is the first entry on the new blog. Don't look for the old blog. It never existed.

This photo is currently on display in a juried gallery show at the Center for Fine Art Photography in Fort Collins, Co. I know for that for a fact as a new friend emailed me to confirm it. [Thanks Alix!]

You can read the story behind it on my website, by selecting the "Projects" tab. Its my home town - Canarsie, Brooklyn, NY.

Right now it's Friday evening... and it has been a long week.

Visit often as I plan on updating this regulalry!!!

really...

all the best,

kevin