One of the things that is important to me as a photographer is to bring out the personality of the subject. It is one of those issues that is both hugely complex yet simple at the same time.
This video gives you idea of my approach. It actually came about when I showed my one minute audition video for TED.com to an artist/filmmaker friend of mine, Joe Reeves. Joe had the idea to reshoot with the same words but with much more impact. As a creative who is not used to being the talent I knew I had to turn the reins over to Joe as director and producer and I am glad that I did as you will see when you watch it.
One of the nice things about being a photographer is the interesting people that you meet. Earlier this year I had the opportunity to photograph author Lisa C. Paul for the jacket of her book “Swimming in the Daylight“. Lisa contacted me through the wonderful makeup artist Holly Bilicki who recommended me as a photographer who could make her feel comfortable in front of the camera. One thing led to another and soon enough Lisa, Holly, and I were in my studio shooting. As we shot the obvious subject was her book, which is now available here.
The book details the story of Lisa’s time in Russia with her Russian teacher Inna Kitrosskaya Meiman, a Soviet Jew whose own government forbids her from receiving medical treatment abroad. I was fascinated by the story that Lisa told and could not wait to read the book.
Photographers often ask me how CoPA differs from a camera club. As President of a photographic arts group I feel it’s vital to set the proper expectations for new members as to what they will find in, and get from, CoPA.
People look to organizations to fulfill their needs, but no group is the right place for everyone and a group that is trying to do too many things and please everyone will lose its focus and stray from its mission. As the former president of a local camera club and now a leader of CoPA I want to help people understand that camera clubs and photographic arts groups both serve vital niches within the photographic community. Helping people understand what these groups can do for them will aid in their decision about joining a camera club, a photographic arts group, or both.
Some may consider the following comments generalizations, but I think they are accurate for most clubs. However, it’s important to note that groups are unique.
Sometimes things come together in interesting ways. I’ve always loved the value of the simple portrait. Partially because of how it seems to exist as a form of truth without pretense. I think of the Heinlein quote that “little girls, like butterflies, need no excuse”. Portraits are much the same. You will occasionally find the photographer who will deride the simple portrait, a comment which usually reveals their lack of mastery of this skill, but in many ways the simple artfully done portrait has gained a new appreciation in recent years.
For the CoPA Members Show I decided to shoot a certain type of portrait. Done in the window overlooking Water Street these portraits would be simple, warm, one or two light portraits that would have no Photoshop and would speak about the beauty of the ordinary person. The remarkable thing in this to me was frankly how many photographers were not only willing but even eager to have me take their photo. I consider this a fantastic compliment because photographers as a group are notoriously hard to get in front of the camera, and if you are lucky enough to do so, are incredibly hard to please.
I will be teaching a digital photography class at the Sharon Lynn Wilson Center this Summer. I am still setting up the curriculum but I plan to include a few techniques that I have been working on for a while. It should be a lot of fun.
The idea of this blog is two-fold. One to show what I am working on, hopefully in an instructive and informative way. The other is really to talk about the worlds of photography and web design and things like photographic ethics and how photography can and is effecting the world around us. I hope you enjoy it.
One of the nice things about being a photographer is the interesting people that you meet. Earlier this year I had the opportunity to photograph author Lisa C. Paul for the jacket of her book “Swimming in the Daylight“. Lisa contacted me through the wonderful makeup artist Holly Bilicki who recommended me as a photographer who could make her feel comfortable in front of the camera. One thing led to another and soon enough Lisa, Holly, and I were in my studio shooting. As we shot the obvious subject was her book, which is now available here.
