Apr
29
Long before Facebook, Twitter and viral videos, magazines like National Geographic, LIFE and TIME were bringing powerful images into American homes. We still see them on the Internet today. Most of us scroll through these images without giving a thought to the photographers who went out into the world to capture them. This was the heyday of photo essays and journalistic photography, and the average reader wouldn’t recognize names like; Alfred Eisenstaedt or Margaret Bourke-White, but you would most definitely remember the iconic images they took that made their way into the American Zeitgeist through LIFE Magazine.
Grey Villet isn’t a household name, but as a freelance photographer, commissioned primarily by LIFE and TIME magazines, Grey was given assignments to create photo-essays that capture the essence of some of the most poignant stories and social movements of that time.
Gay rights in New York. – This issue is obviously close to my heart, especially now with Gay men being rounded up, put into camps and tortured in Chechnya. It’s easy to loose track of how far we’ve come in the United States when it comes to Gay rights, but in the 1960’s, the movement was just beginning. Here in our own country, the people who were tasked with protecting the rights of citizens were raiding gay bars and arresting men simply for being homosexual. The birth of the gay rights movement here in the U.S. was a powder keg of anger and passion. Grey Villet was tasked by TIME magazine to cover the protests. These were some of the first images that actually portrayed individual Gay people, their struggles and the passion behind their cause.
Loving vs. the state of Virginia – As gay men and women were fighting for their rights in the 60’s, there was an interracial couple in Virginia who were also fighting for their right to love and marry, a right that Gay couples fought for just a few years ago, and in some states, we are still fighting. Mildred and Richard loving were married in Washington D.C. in 1958. It wasn’t until they moved back to their home state of Virginia did they realize that they may be subject to arrest for the crime of miscegenation (mixing of races). In fact, Virginia lawmakers told them that they would indeed be arrested and face 25 years in prison if they didn’t leave the state, (and their family and friends). They weren’t the first interracial couple to get married, but this case captured the attention of the whole country. The images that Grey Villet captured of their life, along with the accompanying story in LIFE magazine, made a huge impact in the heart of the country. Sure, the images didn’t change everyone’s mind, but putting a human face to the issue makes it just that much more difficult to hold on to one’s racist views.
At a time when there was no digital photography and no Photoshop, the job of a good photojournalist required patience, technical skill and the ability to really understand their subjects. Photographers whose images graced the pages of TIME, LIFE or NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC we’re empathetic, astute observationalist’s and masters of their craft. We owe thanks to these courageous photographers, like Grey Villet, for their legacy of images, images that tell the story of all those who came before us, braved the trail to give us the rights that we may now take for granted.
Apr
12
As a photographer, when I look for inspiration I seem to gravitate toward the pioneers in the industry. I find it in the photographers who broke new ground at a time when breaking that ground took such passion, will and determination. It’s no coincidence that many of my personal hero’s in that field are women. Capable and exceptional women are still fighting today to be recognized in a mans-world. They are still fighting for equal pay or to retain their right to choose. Imagine only recently having the right to vote, making your mark on that world and gaining the respect and admiration of your male-peers. Margaret Bourke-White is one of those women.
From Patrick Murfin’s blog about Margaret:
Sean Callahan, an awe struck admirer and author of the book Margaret Bourke-White: Photographer noted, “The woman who had been torpedoed in the Mediterranean, strafed by the Luftwaffe, stranded on an Arctic island, bombarded in Moscow, and pulled out of the Chesapeake when her chopper crashed, was known to the Life staff as ‘Maggie the Indestructible.”
Margaret not only entered a mans-world as photographer, she went where no woman photographer has gone before. She was assigned to Europe before WWII to document everyday life under Fascists in Italy, Nazi Germany and Soviet Communists. She was granted unprecedented access, 
including to Joseph Stalin. That rare shot of Joseph Stalin, smiling and relaxed appeared on the cover of Life.
When war broke out, she was there to cover it, surviving a Luftwaffe bombardment and firestorm in Moscow. She flew and documented combat bombing missions in North Africa, and survived artillery bombardment in Italy where the army was bogged down in a grueling mountain campaign. Margaret also followed General Patton’s Army toward the end of the war. She was with him at the Buchenwald Death Camp shortly after it was liberated. The photos she took were published in Time and were among the first and most detailed images that Americans were able to see. 
The experience was a tremendous shock, commenting later:
“Using my camera was almost a relief. It interposed a slight barrier between myself and the horror in front of me.”
Her next assignments took her to India where she documented the Independence of India and the bloody partition of India and Pakistan. Again having access and photographing the key players in that conflict including Mohandas Gandhi. The photograph of him, 
emaciated from fasting and sitting at his spinning wheel became one of the most recognizable images of him.
Margaret’s images still remain as some of the most moving and inspiring visual documents of WWII history. She, like so many women during WWII, stepped into a world previously dominate by men and showed her courage, strength and compassion. She did this, not in an age of iPhones and Instagram, she succeeded under the most dangerous and horrific circumstances.
She is a huge inspiration to me.
A few powerful examples of Margaret’s work:
Resources :
Apr
05
We live in the age of social media, Instagram and hi-resolution iPhone cameras. More than ever before, people are expressing themselves as amateur photographers and they’re having a great time doing it. As a photographer, I’m keenly aware that the growing trend in social media photography is opening up access to less experienced and less expensive amateur photographers. In some cases those photographers will serve you well. For instance, if you need a good Facebook profile photo or if you want a friend shoot a party or event, then going the cheaper route will serve you well. With so many friends and family taking up photography, it’s a good time to ask: When should you make that investment and hire a professional? The best answer I can give you is this: When it matters, when it’s important to you personally or professionally to get the best quality images.
Here are the top five types of jobs for which I’m most frequently hired and a little insight on how I approach them:
Professional headshots – If you are using your headshot to represent yourself in the professional world, hire a professional to take them for you. 
Whether you’re an actor, author, personal trainer, CEO, performance artist, or business owner, your face is the impression people have of you. When I’m shooting headshots I make sure your wardrobe reflects your professional image by providing a free consultation so that you get the most out of your shots. A professional also knows how put you at ease, give you easy direction and guide you toward being authentic and accessible. We give you enough variety of poses and backgrounds so you have plenty to choose from. The images can be reprinted and enlarged and when you’re done, you’ll have a library of great images to use for a few years. It’s worth the extra time and money.
Editorial and Fashion Shoots – I think the reasons for hiring a professional for your Ad campaign are pretty evident. When you look at a finished Ad it’s easy to forget that most Editorial or Fashion shoots are a team effort
. The photographer, while our vision, energy and spontaneity are huge assets, is only part of a larger effort to create an Ad campaign. There are clients and art directors, editors, retouchers and graphic artists, make up artists and stylists. There are so many creative minds working together to realize a vision that was conceived months ago. The best photographers are able to work with that team, to give them exactly what they want and to know how and when to contribute their own ideas or sense of style.
Corporate Brand Photos – Your Company’s online image is HUGELY dependent on the images you choose. This is not something you leave to an amateur. There are dozens of considerations to take into account when setting up a brand shoot. Among them is the energy of the company and it’s co-workers, the color palate of the web site and logo and the message they want to convey to their customers. 
Each of these considerations steer the art direction of the brand shots. A good photographer can guide small companies through those choices and work with the art director on larger shoots. We have the experience under our belts to be able to not only give the clients what they need, but to offer up ‘out-of-the-box’ images in ways that they may not have envisioned.
Location shots – Whether you’re selling a home, putting it on Air BnB or showing off your company space, your online images will be competing with thousands of others. You need well-lit and staged images that highlight your space and makes it stand out above the others. 
Hiring a professional who has the equipment, experience and eye to artistically capture your environment is an investment well worth making. When shooting a space for a client, I make sure I’m there at different times of day to catch the best light. I look for interesting details and accents that make the space unique and I understand that images can create a sense of drama, comfort or energy.
Weddings and couple photos – Needless to say, your wedding is an incredibly special moment in time. It’s not the time to trust it to an amateur. 
A good wedding photographer has the experience to be in the right place at the right time. We plan for any lighting contingency and know how to make your special day as stress-free as possible. We communicate with the other vendors involved and work with them as a team. While there may be a lot of pressure to make sure you get all of the shots you need, it’s equally important to make sure you don’t intrude into the couple’s experience of their day. We’re able to put them at ease and allow them to have fun in the process. We also have the resources to offer our clients and their family high-end prints and photo books.
When you have a project that matters to you, contact me for a free consultation!
Jan
26
Wardrobe can make or break your professional photo shoot. After choosing the right photographer, putting together wardrobe choices that compliment the image and convey a sense of harmony in your shots is one of the most important choices you can make. Setting up a photo shoot with a professional photographer is an investment. You want your shots to be the best they can be. Put some time and energy into choosing the best wardrobe.
When I book a photo shoot with a new client, I offer a very comprehensive consultation on choosing the right wardrobe. I speak with clients about the style of shots they need to promote themselves, and the wardrobe they’ll need to make sure their images really stand out. Once we’ve come up with a game plan, I send out a very detailed wardrobe consultation package. That wardrobe package will help guide them in taking an honest look at what’s in their closet while giving them time to borrow or buy a few simple looks that will take their images to a whole new professional level.
Here are some of the tips I give to my clients on making successful wardrobe choices:
Your personal style doesn’t necessary make for a good photo.
We all have our own personal style and way of expressing ourselves through wardrobe. Don’t confuse your style or color choices with what makes an excellent image.
Do some homework.
Watch how the professionals do it. There are some incredibly talented wardrobe stylists already doing what you’re trying to do with your wardrobe. Look through magazines; start paying attention to TV commercials, Movies, advertisements. Unless it’s a rich period drama or a fashion spread, wardrobe stylists understand how to dress actors and models for camera. They know how to make sure nothing in the wardrobe pulls focus away from the action, the drama or the actors/models. Even T-shirts that are visible under wardrobe are carefully chosen to blend with the outfit. You’ll rarely see a white T-shirt under a dress shirt unless it’s character specific. More than likely, you’ll see beige, blue, grey; this makes sure that a pop of white doesn’t draw focus. The same rule applies to your shots. You want to make sure nothing in your wardrobe will pull the eye away from what’s most important – YOU.
Solid rich and subtle colors
You may love paisley or pastels, leopard prints, stripes, bright reds or solid blacks. But these prints, patterns and colors pull the eye away and distract the viewer from you. Stick to solid colors. You can layer your outfits but the color pallet should be subtle changes and compliment each other.
Successful colors
We all have different skin types. It’s important to know what types of colors look best on you. Myself, I have more of a ruddy complexion so cooler colors are better for me. What ever your skin colors, there are a ton of subtle shades of that pallet that will look amazing on camera. If you look great in blue, go for a darker earthy blue rather than a bright baby blue. If you look great in green, choose something darker and subtle rather than neon lime green. If you like reds; then choose a darky dusty burgundy, instead of tomato red. This isn’t to say that you don’t look amazing in those big bold colors, but we’re choosing colors that will keep the eye where it belongs -On you.
Pick complete looks
Finally, if when you’re putting together wardrobe choices, lay them out so you can see them together. Pick complete looks, including t-shirts, belts, pants, shoes and jewelry. Keep your jewelry choices simple; nothing to big and bold that distracts. Make sure you feel good about each look; that the clothes fit well and are pressed and cleaned.
So remember – your personal style is amazing, but chose colors, wardrobe and jewelry that will look best for camera. It will take your shots to a professional level.
Oct
20
Inspiration: Arnold Newman
Every few months I like to feature a photographer who whose work has inspired not only myself, but has influenced thousands of photographers throughout the years. Before Annie Lebovitz, who took up the mantel of portrait and fashion photography, there was Arnold Newman. His work has spanned decades and he’s documented the faces of some of the world’s most influential people; including six U.S. Presidents, artists and world leaders. He was the first notable person to compose portraits using the environment of the subject to create a more complete and dramatic image. While this may seem relatively common in today’s portrait work, it was ground breaking at the time and his techniques still influence the way I design shoots for my clients.
-
- Edward R Murrow 1951
-
- Eleanor Roosevelt 1962
-
- Ansel Adams 1975
-
- Woody Allen 1996
-
- Ayn Rand 1964
-
- Frank Lloyd Wright 1947
-
- Golda Meir 1970
-
- Jackson Pollok 1949
-
- Leonard Bernstein 1968
-
- Pablo Picasso 1954
-
- Salvador Dali 1951
-
- Photographing President Kennedy
-
- Newman and Ansel Adams 1975
-
- Newman and Picasso
-
- Yassir Arafat 1993
