A few years ago I was contacted by a company specializing in cycling apparel worn by elite athletes including riders of the Tour De France. One of the athletes, George Hincapie, was a preparing for the tour in his hometown of Grennville, SC. George is well known in the cycling community and was the only teammate on all seven of Lance Armstrong’s Tour de France victories. I was informed that due to his specialized training schedule, George would not alter his schedule for the shoot and we would only have a short period of time to capture these images. Northwave’s ad concept was to feature professional riders in a funny ad featuring the rider wearing the apparel in a movie poster. The ad was to show George in the hybrid of various Matrix poster designs.
After many years of editorial experience, I approached this shoot with the same energy and preparation I would for a wedding at a new venue. Prior to landing the job, I did my homework and realized that George was 6’4″ tall and would require a set with high ceilings in order to pull off the lighting concept from the original Matrix poster. We would be shooting at Hincapie Sports and in scouting the facility, it was clear the only place we could shoot was the front lobby near the large west facing windows. I was prepared for every possible lighting condition and the shoot went off without a hitch. George was very accommodating and professional during the quick shoot and we nailed it within five clicks of the shutter.
The principles used in this shoot were exactly the same as any family session or bridal portrait. Light is light? Briefly, one of the main considerations was creating sculpted and masculine facial features . To accomplish this we used a small silver umbrella roughly three feet from George and positioned camera right. We used subtractive lighting technique’s and brought a large black “flat” on set and positioned it camera left very close in order to further darken the shadows. As one would expect, George is very fit and lanky and by turning his face away from the light, we created what is known as “broad lighting”-this style adds depth and “roundness” to the face rather than slimming it even more? On the contrary, short lighting works great for slimming faces and, when used effectively can shed ten pounds from the subject being photographed. By knowing these concepts prior to shooting this image, we were able to execute the shot within minutes-much like the timeline given at a typical wedding.
I am often asked by photographers new to the industry, which lens or camera is the best. These new art school graduates or aspiring photographers are often in awe of assignments, such as the Northwave job. These advertising or an editorial shoots have a mystique because they are considered “real photography”. We get an expense account and spend the night in a fancy hotel. The truth is that the best advice I can give these “newbies” is to dust off that light meter and buy a copy of “Light Science and Magic”. So much of the industry is focused on toys that the real skills and knowledge of light are often overlooked. This assignment was a perfect example of how understanding light was the key to the success of the job. Not only is a imperative to do your best to “get it right in camera”, understanding these concepts can make all the difference in creating that perfect ad, or more importantly, an extraordinary bridal portrait.
On a topical note, I just finished watching Lance Armstoring’s Oprah interview. This reminded me how impressed I was with George’s passion and dedication to his sport. In addition, from all accounts, George’s respect within the community of cycling and his decision to “come clean” was a major factor in Lance’s long suspected admission. As a major factor in Lance’s seven tour victories, this commendable decision will surely benefit the health of younger riders with dreams of duplicating Lance’s now tainted accomplishments. I understand the issues within the sport and the drama surrounding the deception and fall of another beloved athlete, but racing up and down the sides of mountains for thirty days in a row is still a remarkable endeavor!
Lastly, in order to address some of the talk about my photography, I feel it necessary to go on record and state that none of the images contained in my galleries were captured while under the influence of performance enhancing substances except caffeine, Red Bull and Advil?
Charleston Wedding Photographer, Charleston Portrait Photographer, 2008 Election, Chicago, Grant Park 2008 Election
In 2008 I was fortunate to land an assignment in Chicago shooting a Kimpton Hotel the same week as the election. I knew months in advance that I was going to have an opportunity to capture unique moments in history-regardless of who won.
As the hotel began filling up with bloggers, writers and news photographers, I tried to call in some favors with friends who shoot for the NY Daily News, Getty Images, etc. to get press credentials to the northern part of Grant Park. After much effort, I resigned myself to the realty that there would be no ticket to the main event for a wedding photographer! So I moved to plan B knowing I would be hanging out with all the “commoners” who would be crowded into the other side.
In my fifteen years doing photography, my mantra has been that if someone is standing next to you with a camera shooting the same thing, you’re probably not in the right place. With this in mind, I was considering setting up a studio lighting station and doing some full length, perfectly lit portraits-but there was no power and schlepping a generator downtown wasn’t feasible. I decided to go as light as possible. I also had no idea whether I would be able to get into the park looking too professional and without a press pass.
Earlier in the day, I took a taxi to Obama’s precinct in an effort to get something different. I ended up talking with a polling station worker who captured Obama on her cell phone walking into the voting booth-I guess this is a bit different type of cell phone photography-picture of an actual cell phone? I kept looking for images throughout Chicago, but everything seem too contrived; usually between moments, I can shoot details or a fun portrait of the ring bearer in order to tell a story of the day. Some of the daytime portraits were part of the atmosphere in and around the city.
Following much deliberation, I headed out with one small camera bag, my new Nikon D-700 and a handfull of memory cards in order to capture history. Once inside the park, it was a surreal environment. Perhaps I looked the part, maybe it was the grey hair or my confident stride, but I gained access inside the roped areas and roamed wherever I wanted to capture these images.
As the night moved on, I studied almost everyone in order to be prepare for the moment the winner was announced. All the years spent photographing weddings, ceremonies, environmental portraits and composing architecture went into capturing these historic photographs; most of which I have never shown to anyone until now.
Once I returned to the hotel, the atmosphere was energized with those who spend their lives creating news. All the photographers with credentials informed me they were so far away from the President giving his speech, unable to move from the bleachers and only able to get images on their 400mm zoom lenses-which still weren’t that effective. Turns out that being denied credentials was one of the best things that could’ve happened!
Some of the additional images included in this gallery have been made within the last four years. However “mushy” this may sound, although this glimpse of epic moments in history are compelling, I believe the portraits and weddings stories I have captured over the last four years are more meaningful in telling the story of America-one family at a time. I love what I do!
I have always agreed with the saying, “A jack of all trades is a master of none”? That said, I have always loved shooting architecture and I have worked very hard over the past several years to develop a portfolio worthy of merit; every summer I am usually busy with commercial assignments anywhere from Boston to Alaska.
Photographing buildings requires a very different approach and skillset to that required of a portrait or wedding ceremony? Why is this important to wedding couples? Because weddings require either a team of specialized photographers, or one who can capture the interior, the food and rings in an interesting composition, as well as, grabbing the shot of the groom breaking into tears when the bride turns down the aisle. Because of the diversity required shooting weddings (exceptionally), taking on that challenges is one of the most difficult tasks in the field of photography. Photographing a diversity of subjects, including architecture and fashion is a great way for a photographer to stay current, test new lighting techniques and be ready for the shot during a chaotic wedding day!
So back on topic, I am always in awe of a beautifully lit architectural image and finally decided to learn some tricks from a photographer whose work I have always admired. When I looked at the work of Jeffery Jacobs, I had absolutely no idea how he could create such “perfect” lighting in his exteriors. As luck would have it, he was offering a seminar last summer which I attended in Atlanta through my friends at Capture Integration.
I have practiced the method on smaller subjects over the past year. However, this summer I had the opportunity to put the knowledge to the test while shooting the Renaissance Hotel near Boston. The final image required about 8 hours of lighting and an equal amount of time in post-production. While I would never compare it to Jeffrey’s masterpieces, it is certainly a step in the right direction and something I can proudly add to my commercial portfolio. I was also was able to convince the management to add some food images to their marketing (especially after tasting the amazing Cod dish). So I decided to add some of my “summer” or “personal” work to give everyone a clue why I haven’t had time to update the blog!!!
For those photographers interested in learning how to shoot architecture, Jeffrey is doing another seminar this October in Alaska that is highlighted on the CI website. I cannot recommend it highly enough. However, be prepared to get down and dirty, as well as, work your butt off as the best way to learn the amazing magic behind some of his spectacular photography. Thanks Jeffrey!