Detroit Michigan Photographer B-Moments

MY NEW BLOG

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan Mitchell) — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 03:04:00 +0000

OK SO I AM MOVING THIS BLOG.
Go to - http://www.bryanmitchell.com/wp/
Please update your bookmarks and tell everyone you know to check it out.

Thanks Bryan

So you want to be a freelance photographer?

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan Mitchell) — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 03:54:00 +0000

Ok so it’s been over a week since I’ve posted. Last week was crazy and I just never seemed to make time to fit in blog posting. I didn’t shoot too much but when I did I was off and running. Here is an example with the assignment to get the chef photo.

It was a Tuesday and I was working on a wedding book. I got a call from the News somewhere between noon and 1:00. Can I go shoot a chef at a restaurant cooking on a grill showing a bunch of flames? Ah yes, I think, let me call you back in 10 minutes. Ok, so my kids are in school. One has to be picked up at 3:30 and one at 4:30 which I normally do since my wife doesn’t get home from work until 5:30. But on this day she was at the doctor because she was real sick and felt like death. So I call her first to see how it was going, no answer. So I don’t know if she can pick up my daughter at 3:30. Plus if she is feeling really bad I don’t want her to have to watch the kids. Taking care of young kids when you are sick is no fun.

Ok, I call my mother in law. She said she could come up but had some errands to run as well. Ok then I thought of another idea, so I will call her back. Our neighbor also picks her son up at 3:30 at the same school as my daughter. So I call to ask if she can get my daughter, she can. Ok one down.

So I will get my son at 4:30-4:45. Doesn’t give me much time to shoot but I have no other option right now. I called my mother-in-law back and told her she didn’t need to come up, it’s an hour drive for her.

Now, call the News back, yes I can shoot. When do you need the photo? They need it by 6:00-7:00 PM. OK! So its now around 1:00 I think. I need to leave by 2:45 or so to get to the assignment.

I get my gear packed up and try to finish up some of the wedding book. Oh crap, what about dinner for the kids. I don’t want my wife to cook or the neighbors to have to feed them. I’ll stop for pizza.

Now my wife walks in the door and it turns out she has pneumonia. Ugh!

I need to go get her prescription filled and a couple other things. So I’m off to the Target Pharmacy. I’m there about 1:50 and the pharmacy is closed until 2:00 for lunch! So I go get the other things and then wait. They say it will take 15-20 minutes. So I wait more. Then they tell me they are to busy to ring up my other things. Ok, I’ll pay for the script here, and then go to the front to pay for the rest. I then run the medicine home for my wife who is in bed and feeling terrible. I’m back out the door a little before 3:00.

I get to the restaurant, find a parking spot, grab my gear and get in about 3:30. So I have about a ½ hour to figure out where to shoot, set up lights, shoot some test shots, shoot, tear down and get out of there to get my son. I know I want to shoot several shots because you never know exactly what the fire will do. I also shoot extra in case the strobes don’t fire every time, which they didn’t.

So I shoot, get packed up and get back to the car at around 4:05. Ok, the freeway will be all backed up so I need to go another route.

After what seemed to take forever I get my son around 4:40. We stop and pick up pizza, drive home and walk over to the neighbors where my daughter is so everyone can eat. It’s about 5:10 at they have to leave by 5:50 for a class. So we eat and head home. I tell the kids they need to be real quiet because mom is sleeping but they can watch the rest of a movie they started the night before.

So I upload photos to the computer and start editing. The one shown here was the frame I liked best but there were a few others that worked ok yet nothing I really liked a lot so I would send them several to choose from.

But of course now my computer is running real slow and I have to reboot. It’s around 6:30; I need to get these photos to them. The kids are jumping and yelling and I have to keep stopping to go tell them to please be quiet so they didn’t wake up my wife. My blood pressure is up. So I get several images to the paper by around 6:45 and I now have to get my kids ready for bed, read to them and maybe get some dinner myself.

I was stressed out!

So you see taking the photo is the easy part of being a freelance photographer. It’s not this crazy everyday but I do get last minute calls and the craziness happens more then you would think.

RIP JOHNNIE

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan Mitchell) — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 02:08:00 +0000

The Detroit News writer Charlie LeDuff got a phone call about a man frozen to death in a block of ice in an abandoned building in Detroit and wrote about it in Thursday's paper, read here. Today he found out who the man was and tracked down his brother, read update here .
This is how it relates to me.

I was at McDonalds for dinner with my son Max watching him in the play area while I flipped through the most recent issue of News photographer Magazine. I got a call from the photo desk at the News asking, "What are you doing right now?" So I told them and asked what was up. They said they tracked down a family member of that man that died in the ice and could I go get a photo of a photo he had and a portrait of the brother. BTW the man that died, his name is Johnnie. So I told them I could possibly make it to his house by 7:00 but probably more like 7:30. So I dropped my son off at home just as my wife got home with my daughter. Mapped out where I was going. Mapped out the closest place to transmit like Starbucks, McDonalds or anywhere with Wi-Fi and started to drive.

On the way there I was wondering how I would shoot this sensitive situation. Available light, strobes (off camera of course), take in a light stand and umbrella, just use a small reflector, what? I didn't want to be a pain in the ass depending on the mood of Johnnie's brother Homer Redding. So I wanted to keep things simple. I wanted a nice looking portrait but this wasn't about how cool of a photo I could shoot but how fast I could get a nicely lit portrait and be on my way.
I had to call when I got to his street because I couldn't find his house and it turns out the wrong address was written on my assignment sheet. I was worried he was going to say he changed his mind about being photographed which would be understandable.

Mr. Redding welcomed me in and he had been painting so his furniture was all in the middle of the rooms and not in their normal places. So simple would definitely be best. I did take in a light stand and umbrella, set it up while he looked for a couple of photographs of Johnnie for me to shoot. I shot a few simple images of some old photographs and then ask Mr.' Redding if he would mind holding one of the photos so I could take a shot of that. I already had the lights where I wanted them and did two test shots on my hand so I was ready to go. I used a 285 in a shoot through umbrella camera right and an SB800 in slave mode for a back light camera right and behind Mr. Redding.

Then I asked him to set the photo down so I could get a portrait of him, I told him he could look into the camera if he wanted but didn't have to so he would feel more comfortable.
I shot a few wide shots with one camera body and lens and then had another camera body with a long lens for a couple other shots.
I did have a problem with the lights though, that batteries were weak. But instead of taking up more of his time to change them I just worked through it and shot slow. Sometimes they didn't fire but he was very gracious and put up with me for a few extra minutes.

I joked with him and his nephew about goofy old photographs as I quickly packed up my things. I the told him thank you for allowing me and the paper in. I also told him that I get to meet many people in my job and I was sorry for his loss and we had to meet under these circumstances. I shook his hand and said maybe we would meet again someday under happier conditions.

One more thing. As I was driving my son home he heard me talking on the phone to my wife about what I was shooting. When I hung up he asked my, "dad, why did the man freeze?" I have talked to him in the past about how some people don't have much money, many things and some are homeless. So I reminded him this is why we should always be grateful for what we have and that we have people who love us.
"Didn't anyone love him?" he asked.
If you went to the link above and read the story you might think no one did. I had a tear in my eye and told my 4 year old, "I'm positive some people loved him and I'm going to take their picture so everyone else knows there were people who loved him but sometimes some people just have some bad luck." Thanks Mr. Redding, Thanks Max.

THAT SUCKS!

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan Mitchell) — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 11:50:00 +0000

What else can you say when this happens. We'll I had a couple other words but had to keep those in my head because there were kids around.
I was shooting hockey and features of people watching hockey. The lens fell off one of my camera bodies. I almost caught it but then "crash" on the cement steps. I had changed lenses about 10-15 minutes earlier but it must not have clicked all the way on.
So off to Nikon it will go to find out the cost on repair and if its worth it because the lens is getting old. I am in need of a new 17-35 and would love a 12-24 I just don't have the extra cash right now. But the repair cost might not be worth fixing it.
I do have camera insurance but have had 2 claims in the last5-6 years and they keep increasing my fee. Insurance is such a scam unless you "really" need it. And then the problems that caused you needing it are usually big problems you would have much rather not had. Ok I better stop now before both feet or on my soapbox!

HISTORICAL DAY

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan Mitchell) — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 03:50:00 +0000

I was sent by the Associated Press to photograph people gathering to watch and listen to the swearing-in and inauguration speech of President Barack Obama on large screen televisions at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan today. It was just one of many places all of the country and world people paused to watch. Despite your politics it was historical. And even though I wasn't in Washington, which I would have not wanted to be, I felt I was a small part of history. That is one of the coolest things about being a photojournalist in that no matter how big or small most all of the moments we shoot are history. I didn't get any earth shattering images but I noticed the image below of people watching in a mock drive-in theater at the museum was used a part of an online story AP sent out to members. Example HERE and HERE. Cool to record a tine part of history. Then I shot basketball tonight for the Detroit News, see below. Oh and CLICK HERE to see the best photo of the swearing in. It took a ton of work and negotiating to get this photo but it was worth it.

OH THE SCREAMS!

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan Mitchell) — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 01:38:00 +0000

A horror show? No, well maybe for some. Yes it was screaming girls but for the boy band The Jonas Brothers. I shot the show last night for the Detroit News, (gallery, write up), and I'm glad I wear ear plugs to shows now. And this time it wasn't for the loud music but the ear piercing, VERY high pitched screaming girls. Is this what it was like for Elvis? Last January Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus was in town. I didn't shoot that show but remember talking with another photographer who did and he was telling me how it was the loudest concert hey had ever been to. Come on, louder then AC-DC, Metallica, Dio? "Yes", he said. "The screaming!" So I popped one of my ear plugs out for a few seconds and I couldn't believe how loud and high pitched it was, insane! How could these guys not have a huge ego?
Anyway the light wasn't the best and I would have liked a better shot of all three of them. Also I wish I would have focused more on the fans and came away with better shots of them. I would have liked those better as well as the editors. But I also know fans want to see the boys in the paper not other fans. I didn't feel like I was getting enough good shots for a photo gallery so I had to change my original plan of shooting photos of fans during the third song. Yes those who want to be in the pit shooting photos up close you get 3 songs and then you are escorted out. I hope I don't have to take my daughter to see her favorite boy band but I'm sure I will. Except she doesn't like loud noise! (Please remember all photos are copyrighted and may not be used without permission from me and the band. PLEASE do not post them anywhere else on the web. I do check on this.)

I don't know if this was a dad or arena security but I liked the shot.

Probably my favorite shot of the night.

The best I got of all three.

This one was just for the Joe Jonas fans.

ROCK GODS!

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan Mitchell) — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 05:10:00 +0000

Yes they are getting older but Metallica still rocks. The put on a big show, they look like they are having a blast and they look like rock stars. How they look on stage is why every guy out their has wanted to be a rock star at some point in his life. It was challenging to shoot because the stage was in the round and they moved all over the place with constantly changing light. The whole first song was lit by lasers, which I was able to make one cool shoot. And we only got our usual 3 songs. I was real concerned with what I was getting and I way overshot. But it paid off and I was real happy with my take. It was a good night. The only bummer was I had to leave after the 3 songs because of the cameras and I was on deadline. This is the one show I would have liked to watched the rest of as a music fan.Go HERE for bigger images. (Please remember all photos are copyrighted and may not be used without permission.) Adam Graham's, of the Detroit News who I shot the show for, review of the show is HERE, and a gallery of my photos. Same photos that are on my gallery, actually mine has a few more.

EDITORS: LICENSE IMAGES OF SEN. CORKER'S AUTO SHOW VISIT

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan Mitchell) — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 23:47:00 +0000

AUTO SHOW DAY 2

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan Mitchell) — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 03:25:00 +0000

Ok I'm real tired and not writing much. Shot the auto show all day for Getty then a basketball game tonight for the News. I have a noon assignment for the News on Tuesday and then the Metallica concert Tuesday night and I might go shoot some more images or even video practice, yes video, of the cars. Good night. Above is a Jaguar.

Press Room.

Waiting for a press conference.

Rick Wagoner, Chairman and CEO of General Motors with photogs and reporters.

And what are cars without girls!

DETROIT AUTO SHOW TIME, AGAIN.

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan Mitchell) — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 02:19:00 +0000

Its auto show time again. I've lost track of how many years I've covered the Detroit Auto Show, at least 16 or 17. I tell people its like the movie Groundhog Day because its like I was just there even though its been a year. The glitz is definitely low this year, which was expected with the tough times the car makers are having. Reporters definitely want to talk with Bill Ford, he is in the middle of the scrum in the above photo. I didn't really have time for any behind-the-scenes shots or more artsy shots today. I will try Monday though since I only have 3 press conferences to do. I'll try to show you the media room and a couple overall shots. Maybe the Lamborghini girls if you're lucky! :) If you are an editor you can license images I shoot at Getty Images, click here.

I often wonder what Bill Ford is really thinking at a time like this.

Lots of photogs, but not as many as the last couple of years.

SNOW DAY FEATURES

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan Mitchell) — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 02:55:00 +0000

So I went out to get some snow weather feature shots for the Detroit News today. I like doing this but I'm never really happy with what I get. I'm always looking for something different, that real killer shot! Maybe its because I've shot so many snow features over 20 years I'm just real picky now, actually I am. I drive on by things I maybe should shoot looking for better and then before you know it I've been our for an hour and have not a thing to show for it. Then I feel like I "have" to get something soon to meet deadline and have to rush. Same today but I had to shoot something to send and they are not awful, just average and not real exciting. And I always end up shooting a few images while driving. I do it way to much but I like the point of view look they give of driving in the snow. Oh, I did meet this real cool old guy I think I would like to go back and shoot a cool portrait of someday when I have time. Oh well, you can't hit a home run every time but I really want to. Especially when my creative mind had been real tired as of late. Oh ya, thats me above waiting for a xc skier to go by.

Driving in the snow.

The freeways were snow covered and slow.

Cool dog. Would have liked to try for more but needed to send photos. This isn't the one I sent them.

The skier I was waiting for.

The old guy.

Have to get kids sledding! :)

More driving.

HOCKEY

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan Mitchell) — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 03:58:00 +0000

I shot high school hockey last night. After driving for 1 1/2 hours to get there because of icy roads and worrying about making deadline I think I got some average picture of an average game. I was tired, frazzled and stressed out from the drive and not feeling quite on. And even though the images are not award winners and I didn't quite feel like shooting I still need to come away with a few images that are worth putting in the paper. Another reason newspaper photography or any photography for that matter is about so much more then just taking a picture. I hope to write more about this and other topics this year. Its just I never seem to find, ah well make, the time and am usually tired. I'm not the greatest writer either. The above photo would have been my favorite if it was a vertical and you could see the puck. Close but not quite. Didn't send it to the paper.

This kid scored a goal and its always nice to get those.

Always nice to have a goalie making a save.

A safe shot of some action battling for the puck. Unless its a feature on the kid I never turn in a photo of a lone player. Doesn't show the competition. Which one did the paper run? Which one would you run?

HAPPY NEW YEAR

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan Mitchell) — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 17:54:00 +0000

MY YEAR IN PICTURES

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan Mitchell) — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 01:45:00 +0000

Some of the images that I really liked or just worked out well are now posted.
CLICK HERE FOR GALLERY.

I thought the facial expression I got of Kwame, Detroit's, former mayor, in court was good. My son playing tennis is classic! There are some real nice wedding moments as well.
The coolest event I shot all year was the Detroit Electronic Music Festival. The craziest was also at the Festival, the Girl Talk set. Let me know what you like and don't like. If you have any questions about the images post those up in the comments as well.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

MERRY CHRISTMAS

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan Mitchell) — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 11:11:00 +0000

SNOW GIRL

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan Mitchell) — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 14:59:00 +0000

So Melissa contacted me months ago and said she wanted her senior photos shot in the snow. Move forward to yesterday and with her out of school, her mom willing to watch my daughter and a good amount of snow in the metro Detroit area we decided to head out to Maybury State Park. With 8 inches of snow on the ground and more light snow falling conditions were pretty good. The problem is the wind started to pick up and the snow got heavier. Snow always makes shooting more challenging. Keeping gear dry, you move slower making sure not to drop anything and try to keep everything covered up. Your subjects hair get wet and then freezes, snow get in the eyes and they squint and fingers get real cold making adjustments when the gloves have to come off. I shot some with strobes and until the contacts started to get to wet. Can you tell which shots have strobe? Anyway the results were pretty good despite the challenging conditions. Melissa was very relaxed and a good sport despite getting pretty cold at the end. But I know she will like the results. Oh and the roads were terrible on the drive home.

LET IT SNOW, PART 2.

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan Mitchell) — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 04:19:00 +0000

It snowed a good 8 inches plus around here today. I wanted to go out and shoot but I really needed to get some slide show work done. The I had a portrait assignment for the News so I left early to see if I could make some interesting snow day photos. Becaseu if I sent them anything and they used it I could bill them for the use. I shot a few from inside my truck but wasn't finding anything really different that inspired me to shoot. Yes I saw people plowing and shoveling, people stuck in snowdrifts and the like. But nothing really different. I guess I really didn't feel like talking with anyone today to get ID's and such either. In reality I would have been shooting just for the money. I'm looking forward to taking a few days off during Christmas to play with my kids and re-charge my batteries. I'm going to try real hard to not even turn the computer on for a few days.

So anyway after the assignment I took my kids sledding. I still wanted to shoot somewthing for paper but made a few images of my kids instead. We will go sledding again in the morning and I think I might even leave the camera at home.

LET IT SNOW! And Hoops

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan Mitchell) — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 04:41:00 +0000

I don't know why but I always seem to shoot photos while I'm driving in bad weather. I was on my way home from shooting a basketball game. I'm just glad it snowed. And Thursday night into Friday we are suppose to get around 6 inches to a foot of snow! Yippy, I love snow and I really love it at Christmas. If we do get that much I am going to try and make some snow images so come back Friday night.

Here are a couple hoops shots from last night and tonight. I have another game to shoot Thursday. Maybe I'll talk more about strobing basketball then. I'm real tired right now.

OASIS AND RYAN ADAMS

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan Mitchell) — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 05:02:00 +0000

Ok shots. Decent light but the stage was real high and many monitors in the way. Oh well.

JAZZ UP YOUR LIGHT

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan Mitchell) — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 14:51:00 +0000

Off camera lighting, strobe or other source, can really jazz up your images. Sometimes it’s subtle like in this shot but almost always better depending on the subject and mood you want in your images. It’s no surprise I’m a fan of the Strobist blog. I have always done many of the same lighting techniques discussed their however over the years I became lazy at times and that blog help motivate me to play with light and make it better once again.

So in this shot it’s just a strobe to camera left with a shoot through umbrella to simulate window light because the actual window light was not bright enough. Then I have a bare strobe behind the subject and camera right as a very little rim light and then a diffused strobe camera right for a very little fill in the shadows.

Want to learn more if you live in SE Michigan. I teach a basic photo class for Continuing education at Schoolcraft College and am in the process of proposing an advanced photo class that will be about flash and lighting and more specifically off camera lighting. I have also had several past students ask if I would be willing to do one day workshops and I am considering doing a few in 2009. If interested in either shoot me an email with your email and I will put you on a contact list.

HAPPY TURKEY DAY!

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan Mitchell) — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 16:31:00 +0000

Gobble, gobble, gobble!
Old photo but happy turkey day anyway.

OFF WITH THE FLASH, SOMETIMES

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan Mitchell) — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 03:38:00 +0000

I use quite a bit of strobe when I shoot weddings, especially at receptions. Off camera, on camera, both, bounced and direct. Depending on where I wonder and what I'm trying to get. But the newspaper shooter in me still loves to turn the strobes off and shoot available light. Its usually later in the night after I have some nice strobed images in the bag. It also helps when you have low ceilings, cool DJ lights and some nice looking women dancing the cha-cha slide. Yes I am sick of that song but it always makes for some good photos on the dance floor! I shot a bunch of these and the tree here were my favotites. Nikon D300, 17-35, ISO 1600 1/3 at 2.8 for those that care. I will also shoot at 1/15th and 1/8th like this sometimes.

LICENSE AUTO IMAGES

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan Mitchell) — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 11:50:00 +0000

LICENSE AUTO IMAGES - CLICK BELOW

MORE BAD COPS

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan Mitchell) — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 15:30:00 +0000

Photographer arrested twice for doing nothing wrong.
Read it here.

This stuff is getting much to common. I've had my share of run ins with cops over the years while trying to do my job (luckily never arrested, just threatened) and its a no win situation.

I thought this was interesting in the story,

“I saw a funny - well, it’s funny now, but at the time it wasn’t as funny,” says Anzaldi. (the photog arrested) “When I was at Cook County in their lockup, there was a Xerox sign up on the wall that said ’There’s no reason for it, it’s just police policy.’ And I’m looking and thinking, Jesus. This is exactly how they think.”

It many times is. Police on the street don't rally know what the law is but they have a gun, a badge and the authority to boos people around and if you don't comply to are obstructing or resisting. Lame!

DEAL ON LEXAR CF CARDS

noreply@blogger.com (Bryan Mitchell) — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 04:22:00 +0000

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