PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER

911 Memorial, Construction Site Slideshow

2011-09-10T15:19:00.016-04:00

Back in July, I was contacted by one of my clients about shooting a magazine cover at the 911 Memorial in New York City, even though it was still very much a construction site. The magazine had a tight deadline and wanted to have the issue out before the official opening. The art director and I went to the site to scout, in hopes that there would be one iconic view that would work for our cover. We creative types tend to be eternally optimistic and often that optimism pays off, sometimes it doesn't. We found one vantage point that would have worked except for one thing, out of respect for the family members of those who lost their lives on 911, we could not remove the covers from the signature wall. The magazine ended up using a computer generated illustration. This slide show is a compilation of images from the scout.

"Could've had a V8," Deardorff that is!

2011-06-19T11:21:00.002-04:00

I just completed a class entitled Photo Communication Concepts. One of the objectives was to explore non-traditional methods of photography and image production, in other words, “Put down that damn DSLR and do something you haven’t done before.” Some of my classmates chose to shoot with plastic Holga’s and cross-processed film, one shot with nothing but a fish-eye lens, another shot Polaroid and one shot with his iPhone and experimented with various photo apps. I chose to shoot with the Schools 8x10 Deardorff V8* and make contact prints using some type of alternative process.

Reserving the Deardorff was not a problem, no one else wanted to use it. I checked it out from the equipment cage only to find that there where no film holders! Quick check at the B&H website and one holder is going for $200! I was okay with paying $100 for 20 sheets of film but I couldn’t justify buying the holders as well. My initial thought was to just shoot 4x5 but I didn’t want to let the Deardorff go that easily.

I posted an injury on Facebook figuring it was a long shot. Much to my surprise one of my friends had a dozen 8x10 holders that had been left behind at his rental studio years ago. He was happy to lend them to me, as he wasn’t using them. Who said social media was nothing but a waste of time? I loaded the holders with Ilford HP5 and was off.

The Deardorff is heavy and cumbersome, so I decided to try it out close to home. As subject matter, I once again chose my neighbor’s old Dodge that is permanently parked at end of our street. I know the old car well; I’ve studied its curves and lines from many angles and in all types of light. It is patient; it does not care how long I fumble around with tilts, shifts and swings, it will not complain. Above all it is trust worthy; if I fail to get what I need today it will be there for me tomorrow and the day after, and the day after that. I made eight exposures and headed for the darkroom.

I don’t have 8x10 hangers or a processing tank deep enough so I processed the film one sheet at a time in 11x14 trays. It took awhile but eventually they were all processed and hung to dry. I thought the negatives looked a little dense but I hadn’t processed film in a while and wasn’t use to looking at negatives that large anyway. It wasn’t until the next day when I made contact proofs that realized the film had been fogged on the edges. There had been a light leak somewhere. The shots taken with the telephoto lens were fogged the most. The obvious suspect was the camera bellows.

I took the camera into the darkroom, removed the back and extended the bellows. Running a flashlight inside the camera I was able to find two pinholes, both in the corners, on the top left side of the bellows, one in front and one in the back. This explained why the negatives shot with the telephoto had more fogging; the bellows had been extended further exposing both holes.

After some online research I opted to use liquid electrical tape to repair the holes. Liquid electrical tape would fill the holes and when dry would be opaque but still pliable. I inserted a needle into each of the pinholes then coated the shaft of the needle inside the bellows, with liquid electrical tape. I then removed the needles slowly. Just to be safe I brushed some liquid on the outside corners as well. The trick to using liquid electrical tape is to pour a small amount into a container and wait awhile for it to begin to congeal; otherwise it’s too runny. If you use this repair method be sure you buy black as it comes it several different colors but the can looks the same. The color is marked at the top of the packaging.

I waited 24 hours for the repairs to dry then went back to Gus’s Dodge to recreate the shots that had been fogged. The repair worked, this time the negatives were gorgeous!

* V for view camera, 8 for 8x10 as Deardorff also manufactured, a 5x7 and a 4x5 version, affectionately know as the "Baby Deardorff."

In my next post I’ll write about my experience printing these negatives using the cyanotype process.

Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day, 2011

2011-04-24T14:44:00.011-04:00

I didn’t participate in “World Wide Pinhole Photography Day” last year. I don’t remember exactly why, maybe the weather was lousy or maybe I was too involved in a project around the house to go out and shoot. This year was different. My wife and son left to visit relatives, our recent house guests returned to Maine and the cloudy skies and rain of that morning had given way to a warm, sunny afternoon.

I had forgotten WWPD was the last Sunday in April. But was reminded after reviewing my Google alerts. This year, because Easter falls on the last Sunday as well, participants have the option of shooting the Saturday before or the Monday after and still be eligible to upload their image.

My darkroom is a mess, more a storage closet than a room for making photographs. I had no Dektol to process paper negatives, no D-76 to process film so I decided to use the pinhole body cap I had made for my digital cameras. While searching through various boxes for the body cap, I came across my NPC instant film back for my Canon F1 film cameras. The back still had film in it, not a full pack but hopefully enough to get one good photograph. Even though the film was several years out of date, I had faith it could still produce an image. I wasn’t concerned, that due to it’s age, the color might be off. I'd be scanning the print and could make color corrections in Photoshop. I kept digging until I found the Polaroid 100 camera that I had converted for pinhole use.

I love the Polaroid 100 for pinhole for several reasons. According to The Land List, Polaroid made 1,200,000 of these cameras. They have little value to the collector and can be bought cheaply at thrift stores, yard sales and flea markets. They use relatively inexpensive pack film that can be purchased in a variety of emulsions, both color and black & white. While Polaroid has ceased production, Fuji instant film is easily obtainable. Expired Polaroid pack films are also available from places like The Impossible Project.

Naturally, the Polaroid 100 can be used as a pinhole camera with the bellows drawn all the way out, as with traditional picture taking . This yields an image with normal perspective. It is also possible to make pinhole photographs with the 100 by not extending the bellows at all, by doing so you are shorting the focal length ,yielding an ultra wide view. The only caveat is that you need to change the pinhole to match the shorter focal length. I tape this smaller aperture to the removable plastic front cover so I can switch between the two focal lengths.

The Model 100 has a flip up viewfinder that is accurate enough for normal shots and even when shooting ultra wide it helps to at least determine the center of the frame. There is a tripod socket which is a must for the long exposure times necessary due to the tiny apertures. The lens can be removed with out too much difficulty or special tools.

The Image above is of The Manayunk Bridge over the Skuylkill River. Based on the design of a Roman aquaduct , The bridge is the symbol of Manayunk, a Philadelphia neighborhood. Once a railroad bridge now an icon, soon to be bicycle path. I’ve lived here 20 years and had never photographed it until yesterday. My inspiration came about a week ago, after viewing the web site of another local pinhole photographer Mary Agnes Williams. I have never met her but perhaps I should.

There's still time to make your pinhole photo, if not today, maybe tomorrow. Happy Easter!

Super Moon

2011-03-22T18:08:00.007-04:00

When I heard there would be an exceptionally large, especially bright, full Moon Saturday evening, I knew I had to photograph it. Even if the image didn't stand on it's own, I could use it to add visual interest in future landscape composites.

Luckily Saturday evening was clear and the moon was nothing short of brilliant. All I had to do was wait for it to clear the tree line, walk out onto the deck, and take the shot.

In preparation I set up my heavy duty Majestic tripod, dug into the menu on my Canon 7D, set the mirror lock up function to enable, set the ISO to 100 and shutter speed to 1 second. I Attached the longest lens I own, a Canon 300 f/4 and attached it to the tripod. To avoid any possible camera shake not only did I enable mirror lock-up but I also set the self timer to fire two seconds after the shutter button was pressed.

I didn't trust the in camera meter as the Moon was extremely bright and the space surrounding it was pitch black so I made a test exposure at one second wide open at f/4. Reviewing the image on the LCD screen revealed a large white dot encased in a sea of black.

Okay so it's a Super Moon, super bright, super close. I stop down a couple of stops and shoot another test, still no detail in the moon so I run the shutter up two more stops, better but not what I'm seeing with my eye. I keep bumping up the shutter speed until I find an exposure that shows detail in the surface of the moon. That exposure is 1/500th of a second at f/4. A much less exposure needed than I originally thought.

Realizing that I can get a sharp exposure without locking up the mirror and without setting the self timer I turn both functions off, take the camera off the tripod, turn the auto focus on, select the center focusing dot and fire away hand holding the camera.

A Super Moon happens when a New Moon or Full Moon is closest to the Earth in it's orbit "Perigee" The energy of a Super Moon intensifies the gravitational pull on the oceans tides, the tectonic plates of the Earth, and can influence our emotions.

This was the second of three Super Moons we will experience this year. The first was on Feburary 18th and the third will be April 17th.

Rosh Sillars @ SB3 Philly

2011-03-14T12:33:00.007-04:00

I'm sure many of you, like myself, started blogging with high hopes of developing a large following of loyal readers. We started out enthusiastically, uploading our best photos and writing clever, insightful copy. We posted often and always had one or more new ideas percolating in the back of our minds.

After awhile and dozens of blog posts, reality sets in, our following consists of only family members and a few close friends. Disillusioned we stop blogging and turn our attention to Facebook, or the 140 characters or less, Twitter. Yes, Facebook and Twitter have their place but they are no substitute for an interesting, well maintained blog.

Rosh Sillars presented "Secrets to Driving Traffic to Your Blog," at Strictly Business 3 in L.A. and in Philadelphia and will be presenting in Chicago as well.

Rosh gave insight on finding your own voice and developing your own style as well as tips, tricks, and tools to build the following your blog deserves.

For me the biggest take away was "Givers Gain." Help promote others and they will do the same in return. So I'll try to give a little back to Rosh and say, go hear him at SB3 in Chicago, or visit one of his links below.

@roshsillars (Twitter)

http://www.newmediaphotographer.com/

Rosh co-authored The Linked Photographers' Guide to Online Marketing and Social Media along with Lindsay Renee Adler. You can order it from Amazon by clicking HERE.

Not going to SB3? Shain on you!

2011-03-04T18:52:00.016-05:00

One of the criticisms levied against ASMP's Strictly Business is that it's only held in three cities, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and Chicago. That's once on the west coast, once on the east coast, and once in the mid west. Yeah, you may have to fly, take a train or drive to get to one. You'll need to book a room at a hotel. Is it worth it, you might ask? Ask Christopher Shain. Chris heard about SB3 then traveled half way around the world to attend the Philadelphia Seminar. Christopher is an architecturial, industrial and corporate photographer based in Sydney, Australia. He won the prize(ASMP hat) for traveling the greatest distance to attend. Chicago doesn't seem so far away now, does it?

Hey!, isn't that Rosh Sillars in the background let's talk about him next.

Click on the title to see more photos from SB3 Philadelphia.

Christopher is pictured above with our fearless leader, Eugene Mopsik.

ASMP Find A Photographer

2011-03-02T09:21:00.010-05:00

Any time I'm asked by one of my clients if I know a photographer in another city I send them to ASMP's Find a Photographer. Sure, I like to travel but often the budget dosen't allow the extra expense. By sending them to F.A.P. I. I'm confident my client will be have access to the best photographers in that area. I'm happy to help another ASMP member and by helping my client I end up helping myself. A Win, Win and Win situation all the way around.

My photo of glass artist Bernard Katz is in the slideshow, don't blink you'll miss it.

Download the Find A Photographer App for iPhone from the App Store.

The ASMP member portraits are by Shawn Henry and Kevin Lock. Video Production and editing by Jay Kinghorn.

ASMP SB3 Thomas Werner, "Finding The Right Gallery"

2011-02-28T19:07:00.009-05:00

I was fortunate enough to be asked to be "Photographer of Record," for the Philadelphia Strictly Business 3 seminar sponsored by The American Society of Media Photographers. I had covered SB2, Philly back in 2009. Some posts from that seminar can be found here, here, here and here. This is the first of several posts I will publish about the event.

SB3 made it's first stop in L.A. on Jan 21st-23rd, then came to Philadelphia this past weekend. If you wanted to go but didn't you have one more opportunity to attend in Chicago, April 1st-3rd. This program is not cheap to produce so don't assume you'll just go next year. There was a two year hiatus between SB2 and SB3 and nearly a decade between SB2 and the first SB seminar. I'm sure your aware how quickly the photography business is changing so even if you attended SB2 I assure you there is be plenty of new information to help you grow your business in today's marketplace. Here's a link to register for SB3 Chicago.

Pictured at left is Thomas Werner of Thomas Werner Projects. He is an educator, lecturer, curator and consultant based in New York City. Thomas reviewed and compared galleries in several major U.S. art markets. He offer insight and advice on to how to match your body of work to the appropriate galleries. Your not just looking for a space to hang your photos but seeking representation by someone who understands and shares your vision, ultimately leading to increased sales.

Wynn's First Holiday Photo

2010-12-24T09:41:00.007-05:00

Wynn was only 10 months old when I shot this photo for our Christmas card. He couldn't walk or stand on his own yet. The toy truck not only fit the theme but it gave Wynn something to climb up on. This is the developmental phase between crawling and walking, called creeping.

The toy truck was given to Wynn by one of my clients. It had belonged to her son. We passed it along to Dae, the son of my good friend Peter, who lives in Maine.

I was still shooting film in those days, in this case 120 color negative film in a Hasselblad with a 150 lens. The lighting was simple, two lights on the background and a medium softbox and some white reflectors on Wynn. The hardest part of the shoot was wiping up the drool from the seamless.

Ghost of Christmas Future at Home

2010-12-19T18:57:00.004-05:00

After a particularly difficult assignment with Ebenezer Scrooge, The Ghost of Christmas Future, also know as the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, relaxes with a hot cup of coco and awaits Christmas Day.

The Phantom slowly, gravely, silently approached. When it came near him, Scrooge bent down upon his knee; for in the very air through which this Spirit moved it seemed to scatter gloom and mystery. It was shrouded in a deep black garment, which concealed its head, its face, its form, and left nothing of it visible save one outstretched hand. ... It thrilled him with a vague uncertain horror, to know that behind the dusky shroud there were ghostly eyes intently fixed upon him, while he, though he stretched his own to the utmost, could see nothing but a spectral hand and one great heap of black."

To see the cemetery scene in which GCF shows Scrooge his grave site, click here.

Ghost of Christmas Future played by Wynn Geary.

Inspired by "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens

My First Paid Photography Gig

2010-12-11T21:02:00.016-05:00

I've kept this to myself for many years, now, I feel the need to get it off my chest. What better time to come clean than just before the holidays and the start of a new year? My very first paid photography gig was photographing children with Santa Claus.Yes, that's right, don't make me say it again.

I had just graduated from high school and got a job as a salesman at Malloy's Cameracade in Mt. Pleasant, PA. I was a good salesman, real good, I had Nikon F2's, Canon AE-1's and Minolta SRT's flying off the shelves. I enjoyed the job and was told by my boss that I had a future with the company if I wanted. I thanked him, but told him I wanted to be a photographer and I planned on going to art school.

One day, just after Thanksgiving, The Manager of Foodland came in to the store and asked my boss to recommend someone to take photographs of kids with Santa. He recommended me. The job paid $50. Not having any real negotiating skills at the time I accepted his offer. Remember this was the late 70's, by today's standards that'd be about $5,000.

That was then, today he would have just posted the job on Craigslist, offering no money but saying things like, "It would be a great addition to your portfolio" or "Wonderful opportunity to network with parents who could hire you to photograph their children during other special occasions."What a difference a few decades can make.

I shot the job, got a check. Not only was I paid but I also got face time with the "Big Man" himself, I even sat on his lap and told him what I wanted for Christmas. I have a picture to prove it but it's for my eyes only. Santa did not disappoint, that year I found a Canon FTB under the tree on Christmas morning.

Happy Holidays to all.

Immigrant Family, Ellis Island

2010-12-08T18:22:00.015-05:00

One of my first assignments in an advanced Photoshop class was to make a composite in which one person appeared in the image multiple times. The assignment was called "Bring in the Clones." We had studied the work of Henry Peach Robinson, one of the most prominent art photographers of his day. His first and the most famous composite picture, "Fading Away" (1858) was both popular and fashionably morbid. He was a follower of the Pre-Raphaelites and was influenced by the aesthetic views of John Ruskin.

I began the assignment by going through my archive to find a background on which to assemble a composite. The Idea to create a portrait of my ancestors as immigrants, came to me when I found an image of the Registry Room, on Ellis Island. I had taken the photo a few years before, while on a family trip to New York City.

My wife Lori, our son Wynn and I, dug through our wardrobes to find vintage looking clothing. Lori and I had it easy, once we were dressed we just had to sit back and look stoic. Wynn, on the other hand, had to change three times and each time invent a different persona.

Back then, there was no "One and Done" philosophy, couples had many children to help with the daily chores and there were no child labor laws. The more children you had the greater the family income. Infant mortality was much higher then as well.

Final image is a composite of four photographs, The registry room, the triangle composition of Myself, Lori & eldest Wynn, then Wynn with glasses and bow tie, and last but not least, Wynn as his own sister, which I'll bet comes up in a therapy session, or two, at some point in the future. I'm sure my parenting skills will be called into question. Whether or not I'm around to defend myself, and my art, remains to be seen.

Preservation Jazz Hall, New Orleans

2010-11-19T09:50:00.007-05:00

While digging through my collection of photo cd's I came across this image from a family vacation in New Orleans. Of course this was before Katrina. I consider myself fortunate to have experienced the city the way it was. I had been to New Orleans before but I was on a job and only had time for lunch and a brief stroll through the French Quarter before catching a flight back home.

You can't go to New Orleans and not visit Presentation Jazz Hall. You'll want to take pictures but flash photography during a performance is frowned upon. The ambient light level is very low, great for setting the mood but lousy for photographs. Even with my ISO set at 1600 and an f/2.8 aperture, my shutter speed was only 1/6th of a second. Naturally, I was concerned with camera shake. I didn't have a tripod but even if I had, there was no way I would have set it up as the place was packed. All I could do was use the "spray & pray" technique. Set the drive to high and fire off multiple volleys until the buffer is full. With this method, typically the first and last frames are blurry but at least one frame in the middle is sharp. I learned this technique from Seth Resnick while attending D-65's, Workflow not Workslow Workshop.

Krishan Klein Of Trojan Cycles

2010-09-14T13:36:00.004-04:00

As part of an on going personal project on unusual small business owners I photographed Krishan Klein of Trojan Cycles. Krishan was the only subject in the project I had not know previously. He is a good friend of one of my son’s teachers, Jason. Knowing I was into vintage motorcycles Jason suggested I contact Krishan and that maybe I would want to photograph him with some of his bikes.

Krishnan, a.k.a. Scrap Ninja, buys old and crashed motorcycles then restores them from the ground up. Oddly enough Krishan buys the bikes here in the U.S. then ships them to Japan where he rebuilds them. He sells them in Japan as well because he can get more money for them there than here in the states. One reason is that although many of the bikes he rebuilds where originally from Japanese manufactures like Honda, and Yamaha, the larger bikes where built exclusively for the American market. Krishan has dual citizenship as his wife lives in Japan.

Krishan’s shop was crowed so I decided to photograph him in the alleyway in front of the shop. It was early afternoon and the sun was high in the cloudless sky. I knew I’d need to over power the sun so I pulled out the 2000 watt second power pack and two, 1000 watt second packs, all Dyna-Lite. We had settled on photographing him with a 70’s vintage Harley Davidson, as that was of the more complete bikes in the shop. Of course it was nearly all black. The little bit of color on the bike was miscellaneous parts plated with real gold, and a painting of Zeus and a Centaur on the Gas tank, “Lovely!” Should have shot a close-up.

I set up two 4x6 Chimera, softboxes side by side, directly in front of the bike, and connected both heads to the 2000ws pack. The wind picked up and the softboxes began to spin around and despite have a sand bag on each stand I was afraid they would tip over in the next strong gust of wind. I asked Krishan if he had anything heavy I could hang from the stands. He returned with several disc break rotors that I attached to the stands with bunji cords. The stands didn’t blow over but the softboxes were still turning from side to side in the wind. I used A clamps to join the two boxes in middle and tied off the outer end of the softboxes to nearby garage door handles using nylon strapping I use to secure equipment to my rolling cart. I told Krishan, “Only a fool would set up two large softboxes in a windy alley way, but that was just the kind of fool I was.”

I wanted two very strong rim lights, on Krishan, to separate him from the brick wall. I placed a gridded head on either side moving the stands right up against the wall. I feathered the light so not only did it define Krishan’s, left and right side but I let a little light spill on to the dark brick as well.

The final touch was wetting the concrete with several buckets of water from a nearby spigot to give it that, “Just after a rain look and pick up some reflection of the bike in the water. Something I learned while assisting Eugene Mopsik on Mack Truck shoots.

I stood between the two large softboxes poking the lens between the narrow slit between the two, and made my exposures.

The most important lesson I will take away from this project is to seize the opportunities that present themselves, to turn impulses into action and try out new things on self-assignments and not wait to try them out on real job.

Click on Krishan's photo to visit his site. Sure would be nice to own of his creations!

Larry Bodine Conservations

2010-08-07T09:21:00.004-04:00

I have know Larry Bodine of Larry Bodine Conservations for a number of years. I met Larry while photographing antique furniture for a local dealer. Larry would clean each piece and make repairs as necessary before I photographed it. I had photographed at Larry’s shop before. The Dealer wanted me to photograph Larry and his two employees working on furniture only he wanted close up shots showing only hands using tools. I did grab a few shots for myself but my primary concern was getting the images my client needed. Once again this project was the catalyst to me taking the photos of Larry that I wanted to make. I went so far as to photograph him not in the workshop but in the attic instead.

My approach to the shot in the attic was more traditional than the first two shoots with a couple of twists. The main light on Larry was an overhead clamp light with a 100-watt bulb that was already in place. I just tilted up a bit to light his face. I liked the abrupt fall off of the light but the rest of the scene needed fill. I set up a Dyna Lite pack and single head in a three by four foot softbox. I covered the head with a Full CTO gel to match the color balance of the worklight and placed the light directly behind me for a soft on axis fill I new that the light source was large enough that even though I was standing directly in front of the softbox enough light would still fill in around my subject. I also opted for double diffusion by hanging a white, translucent, shower curtain in front of the soft box. I metered for the work light only and adjusted the power of the fill light by looking at the display on the camera while shot. Larry was looking directly into the camera for most of the shots but I liked the one in which he was looking away, almost as if he was lost in thought.

Larry was happy to receive some new photos of himself as he is finally having a web site built to promote his business. He realizes that the younger generation is using the Internet to find the services they need.

Amazing Animals Alive!

2010-07-11T19:32:00.006-04:00

Click on image for a larger view.

Since we’re on the subject of composites here’s another one. The background image was shot at The Fayette County Fair in western Pennsylvania. I grew up near there and going to the Fair was an annual ritual of summer.

I felt the need to re-connect with family members in that part of the state so I planned a visit that would coincide with the dates of the Fair. Aside from me revisiting my youth, I wanted Wynn to get a feel for a rural county fair.

Aside from the carnival with its sideshows and enough rides to make you barf your corndog, there are pig races, tractor pulls, truck pulls, motocross racing and a rodeo depending on what night of the week you decide to go. There’s also a pavilion for musical acts, we heard The Clarks, a solid rock n’ roll band from Pittsburgh. You can listen to cuts from their new album “Restless Days” on their website. I’m listening to them now as I write this. My favorite song so far is “Midnight Rose.” Of course, you can download them on iTunes.

I originally wanted to photograph my neighbor John dressed as a carnie barker but couldn’t pull the costume together in time so I used Wynn. I photographed him on a white background late in the evening when the sun was low in the sky to match the light of the sideshow image. I placed a white reflector on Wynn’s left side for some fill. I used the double high pass again, plus added noise for that comic book look. Just something I need to get out of my system but I do like it on this image.

Fortune Cookie

2010-07-05T19:05:00.009-04:00

Click on the image for larger view.

One of the assignments for my digital illustration class was to complete a series of images based on the verse from fortune cookie. Apparently the instructor and her husband ate a lot of Chinese. She passed around a hat full of fortunes and each student picked one. Mine read “You will always be Successful in your professional career. “

I could have photographed myself holding a camera with a long lens or in a studio surrounded by lights, soft boxes and umbrellas, like “Here I am, Joe Photographer,” but that seemed narcissistic and amateurish.

I opted for irony instead. Given the state of the economy, why not take the fortune and turn it around? What would I be doing if I weren’t a commercial photographer? A Volvo mechanic!

The inspection on my car was about to expire so I took it to Dennis Auto in Kensington. Dennis Auto specializes in repairs on Volvos and I have been going there for over 20 years, so it was not a problem when I pulled out my Canon G9 and tripod and started taking photographs around the shop.

I chose to do the series as composites. After selecting a frame I liked from the shop (in this case, the car on the lift) I photographed myself in front of a white backdrop set up in by backyard. I opted for natural light because I didn’t want to set up lights.

After making a mask around my figure I dropped it into the shop photo. I downsized my figure with the transform tool and refined the edges with a black brush on a mask. I added two layers of high pass one vivid light, one hard light to make it grungy.

Bultaco M10, Sherpa T

2010-06-26T09:17:00.007-04:00

I had the opportunity to photograph a piece of motorcycling history, a 1967, Bultaco, Sherpa T, owned by Allen Gracey. I met Allen at an MAVT sponsored trials event in Toughkenamin, PA. It was my first time competing in a trials event. Allen guided me to each section, explained the rules and gave me tips, but above all, he gave me encouragement. I did not place but I was pleased just to finish. I completed all four loops of the seven-section course.

Built in Spain by Francisco Bulto, the M10 ended the sixty-year reign of British, 4 strokes in the sport of observed trials. It’s popularity helped to spread the sport from England to the rest of Europe and the United States.

Unusual for the time, the Sherpa T was powered by a 244cc two stroke, engine with dual flywheels and a radial head mounted on a Rickman designed frame.

Aside from the machine its self, much of the success of the M10 was due to the fact that Bulto signed Sammy Miller to compete for him. In the first two years, Miller took 1st place in 58 of 80 events he entered.

I photographed the bike in Allen’s garage. I rolled the bike onto a white seamless and boomed two 4x6 foot Chimera softboxes over it. Each box had a Dyna-Lite 4040 head inside. Each head was connected to a 1000 pack at full power.

To me motorcycles are more than machines, they are functional art, thrilling and exhilerating sculpture.

Click here to see my Triumph, Thruxton photo.

My Street after the Snow Storm Panoramic

2010-03-31T20:11:00.004-04:00

Panoramic of my street the morning after the first of two major snowstorms to hit the Northeast in 2010. The first storm was greeted with excitement and wonder. It was a day off from work, a day off from school. All was right with the world, Climate Change hadn't totally upset Nature's balance, at least not in Philadelphia. The second storm was not as welcome.

Two frames stitched together using photomerge in Photoshop.

Magritte goes to the Drive-In

2010-01-24T17:47:00.004-05:00

More fun with Photoshop composites. Inspired by Renee Magritte's "Time Transfixed,"which I saw years ago, at The Art Institute of Chicago. Four separate images, the Screen and lawn, a sky, the locomotive, the smoke. I added the locomotive shadow manually.

Focus Philadelphia Opening Reception. Tonight!

2010-01-21T14:00:00.017-05:00

My portrait of Ninja, Rick, "Ryuama"(Dragon Mountain)Henderson of the Triple Cities Martial Arts Academy of Upstate New York, made it into the show.

Rick is a licensed Art of Combat trainer, holds six world titles in Kata and Sparring and is current World Heavy Weight Sparring Champion. Despite the fact he could snap your neck in the blink of an eye, Rick is the kindest and most gentle person, I have ever met. Full disclosure, he's my brother-in-law!

Thursday, January 21st, 2010, 7PM
The University of The Arts
Hamilton Hall
320 South Broad Street
Philadelphia, PA 19102
Uarts.edu

This years judges were Paul Runyon, John Saal, Zoey Sless-Kitain, and Jill Waterman.

This years sponsors: Calumet Photographic, The Camera Shop, Brilliant Studio, Philly Creative Guide, Philadelphia Photographics, Modern Postcard, Wacom, Power Plant Productions and Yards Brewing Company.

See you there!

Homage to Magritte

2010-01-04T21:14:00.001-05:00

The final assignment for my advanced Photoshop class, was to choose a Surrealist then produce three images in their style.

I’ve long been a fan of Rene Magritte so deciding who, was not an issue, the problem was which of his themes could I translate into pixels after a semester exploring selection tools, layers, masking and blending modes?

I went with his man in the bowler hat theme, like the man featured in Magritte’s most famous painting “Son of Man” but rather than obscuring the face with an object, like a green apple, I removed it entirely. Add a simple blue sky with cloud background and the crow for some added interest and I had the first of my three final images.

Scanner as camera

2009-12-30T10:08:00.006-05:00

My son Wynn, Looking more like a creature from John Carpenter's, Sci-Fi/Horror classic, ,"The Thing," than his usual self.

I've always wanted to try and use my desktop scanner for more than just scanning prints, tear sheets and the occasional negative or slide, I wanted to scan 3D objects. I have seen some really nice still lifes created this way, bouquets of flowers, sections of fruit and such but I'm always more interested in images of people.

I began with a few self portraits. The results were not so flattering, my nose was bulbous and even larger than normal and it looked like my ears were on the back of my head! Thinking maybe I should try again but with better subject matter, I called Wynn into my office. I explained to him what I doing and asked him if I could scan his face. Being a typical twelve year old, he was quite eager to be scanner fodder, even after seeing what it had done to me.

The first few scans were kind of funny, Wynn had a nose like a pig, from pressing it to the glass but the "Eureka" moment came when Wynn turned his head during a scan. I liked the result. On the next scan I instructed Wynn to turn his head to one side and wait until the light reached his nose then slowly turn his face to the other side.

Scanned using an Epson 3200 which produced a 43.5 mb tiff file.

Scrooge and Ghost of Christmas Past

2009-12-23T18:30:00.006-05:00

Are you the Spirit, sir, whose coming was foretold to
me.' asked Scrooge.

'I am.'

The voice was soft and gentle. Singularly low, as if
instead of being so close beside him, it were at a distance.

'Who, and what are you.' Scrooge demanded.

'I am the Ghost of Christmas Past.'

'Long Past.' inquired Scrooge: observant of its dwarfish stature.

'No. Your past.'

Scrooge reverently disclaimed all intention to offend. He then made bold to inquire what business brought her there.

"Your welfare," said the Ghost.

Scrooge expressed himself much obliged, but could not help thinking that a night of unbroken rest would have been more conducive to that end. The Spirit must have heard him thinking, for it said immediately:

"Your reclamation, then. Take heed."

It put out its hand as it spoke, and clasped him gently by the arm.

"Rise. And walk with me."

It would have been in vain for Scrooge to plead that the weather and the hour were not adapted to pedestrian purposes; that bed was warm, and the thermometer a long way below freezing; that he was clad but lightly in his slippers, dressing-gown, and nightcap; and that he had a cold upon him at that time. The grasp, though gentle, was not to be resisted. He rose: but finding that the Spirit made towards the window, clasped his robe in supplication.

"I am mortal," Scrooge remonstrated, "and liable to fall."

"Bear but a touch of my hand there," said the Spirit, laying it upon her heart, "and you shall be upheld in more than this."

As the words were spoken, they passed through the wall, and stood upon an open country road, with fields on either hand. The city had entirely vanished. Not a vestige of it was to be seen.

- A Christmas Carol, Stave 2: The First of the Three Spirits

Ebenezer Scrooge's Grave

2009-12-19T16:06:00.013-05:00

"The finger pointed from the grave to him, and back again.

'No, Spirit. Oh no, no.'

The finger still was there.

'Spirit.' he cried, tight clutching at its robe,' hear me.
I am not the man I was. I will not be the man I must
have been but for this intercourse. Why show me this, if I
am past all hope.'

For the first time the hand appeared to shake.

'Good Spirit,' he pursued, as down upon the ground he
fell before it: 'Your nature intercedes for me, and pities
me. Assure me that I yet may change these shadows you
have shown me, by an altered life.'

The kind hand trembled.

I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it
all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the
Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. I
will not shut out the lessons that they teach. Oh, tell me I
may sponge away the writing on this stone.'

In his agony, he caught the spectral hand. It sought to
free itself, but he was strong in his entreaty, and detained it.
The Spirit, stronger yet, repulsed him.

Holding up his hands in a last prayer to have his fate aye
reversed, he saw an alteration in the Phantom's hood and dress.
It shrunk, collapsed, and dwindled down into a bedpost."
- A Christmas Carol, Stave 4: The Last of the Spirits

Thanks to my neighbor, John, for once again appearing in one of my holiday photographs. He originally appeared as Scrooge in "Ignorance and Want" video that can be seen HERE. John was also Jacob Marley for THIS holiday card. Thanks to Wynn for being The Ghost of Christmas Future. Last year Wynn played the role of The Turkey Fetcher, Tony Hughes was the Poulterer.