This one's special to me for a couple of reasons. First and foremost is obvious, this is my grandfather, and this is the only legitimate picture that I have of him. Secondly, it duplicates a shot that Maria did with a medium format awhile back that inspired me to full-on consider portrait-style work as a big step for me in to discovering what I wanted to do.
This shot is picturey inspiration for me.
Here are a few of the results from Sean and I's negative space concept shoot from a few days ago. The goal of the shoot was to try as we might to duplicate the work of Chase Jarvis, an inspiration for both Sean and I in freelance photography. Chase constantly spurs young artists in finding what drives them and sticking with it until it provides the results they seek as professionals.. I do the same. I love photography, and I love the natural, unframed realism of models in motion, and I LOVE the beautiful contrast that this negative space provides. The original shots were done by me, but Sean had a heavy hand in bringing out the white on the editing. You should check out his blog as he updates them, the results were fantastic!
Whoadang!
I've been more inspired than I've ever been before recently, and it's spurred me towards devoting myself a little bit more to my art, this website include, so, UPDATE.
Most of my stuff recently has been a result of collaboration. Nearly every time with Sean Hagwell (www.seanhagwell.com) or one of our other compatriots in the art of camera fighting. As a day to day goal, I've really set myself up to be challenged almost daily with my photography.. Whether it be seeking out things that I don't normally shoot or forcing myself to shoot something I KNOW from a perspective that I DON'T.
Livin' life, lovin' life.
I'm working more and more with professional lights and professional bodies.. and It's making me see more and more that I need to win the lottery so I can have that stuff, too. *sigh* Equipment woes. I hope I look back on this some day and laugh. NOW.
THE PHOTOS!
Few, at first, many, to come.
I haven't updated in awhile. I apologize. I doubt anyone really reads this anyhow.
I've taken several pictures since the one below, I feel like I've progressed. I feel like eventually, I'll know what the hell I'm doing with this thing.
Today, I was with Mel to take engagement pictures for her cousin, Kathy and her fiance, Chris. They'd talked to me a few times about it, but I really didn't prepare for the shoot at all, so we just winged the whole thing and went downtown for the day to take pictures. I was worried and frustrated with the sun, because it's apparently closed on Saturday's, and I felt really kind of exposed by.. well.. the overexposure. We pushed through and took several poses in several outfits, I was pleased with the experience and we had a ridiculously good day. After the shoot, which wrapped up right around 6:30ish, they split and we went to process the film.
I must say, I'm inexplicably lazy when it comes to processing film. I discovered that the people at Walgreen's feverhorently deny having any ability to process film that doesn't come from Walmart and isn't full of gradient and they will murder you if they question them.. but I discovered that they're apt to developing my favorite film, Portra, with the very common C-41 process... so that's what I do. I feel like it may have had an effect on the shoot, though, because the nice lady from Walgreen's let me know that my pictures were dark and she'd attempted to "brighten" them. Uhhuhhh. I thought I was taking the picture. As a whole though, the shoot did pull about 13 solid pictures, which I feel is plenty for an engagement package.
Either way, the whole process was very... trying. I don't like to feel so incapable and insecure when it comes to scenarios like the one I was in today.. I want to know that I'm going to get it right before I go in. I know the only way to do that is to force the knowledge into my own by.. well.. reading it.
I'd really like to grow at this.
I'd really like to be good.
and I really, really see that I need to buy a digital slr.
be well!
- casey.
390028-R1-007-2_002
Originally uploaded by LightSpin.
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Originally uploaded by LightSpin.
Originally uploaded by LightSpin.
Originally uploaded by LightSpin.
We've been doing this a lot now, recently.. We're both running out of ideas.
The predominant focus of this entire shoot was to help me work on focusing points and direct, unsubtle lighting. With the wall shots, they were lit using direct tungsten spotlighting, I didn't use any tungsten film, just kind of hoped that Mel's light skin tone would help to equalize the yellows. It did. Wonderfully. I love the spotlight effect that I achieved on a lot of these guys.
This picture in particular was a myspace shot of sorts. Mel has a favorite rapper on myspace that she's been listening to, so she decided to write his lyrics on her chest and have me take a picture. Unsettling, to say the least. I need to work on my ability to be a photographer first and a boyfriend second. Either way, the shot itself is satisfying. I'm happy with the results.
I hope everyone is well!
Originally uploaded by LightSpin.
Originally uploaded by LightSpin.
