December 2009
34 posts
The Visual Science Lab: The Flickr-ization of...
Why indeed. I suspect that the trend is harmless for the most part but it creates an unreal idea of the value of raw technique. Throughout the history of advertising (and that is the primary target for commercial images) the goal has usually been to differentiate your client from the pack by differentiating their public face from the mass of competitors. It was usually done by taking...
Running Girl in Phoenix, Arizona. Shot on film and...
(My Old Shots Marathon Continues…)We found this great old road just south of the studio and I knew it would come in handy for a shoot someday. Well, this was the day. Overcast day and setting sun gave me the kind of light I needed for the shoot. This article was for shopping finds in Thrift Stores or something like that. We had two models and a stylist and a wardrobe that totaled about $12...
What Makes Me Creative? A very important point to...
Society teaches the creativity out of our students. If X, then Y is easy to teach. If X, then Y gets results. It generates tangible and immediate ROI. Do this and get that result. Take an alternative path and risk failure or – even worse – ridicule. Research creative history and learn what got rewarded and what was ignored. Teach high craft and call it high art. Creativity is too soft and...
Simplicity: by Ken Rockwell
I come across hundreds, actually thousands of photo hobbyists and serious photographers. Here’s a secret: out of all these people, I have only spoken to two people in my entire life who both know the technology behind pixels and profiles, and who can make good pictures. I’m dead serious: the men who can go off for hours about bit redithering never create any good pictures, and the...
A photo for a local TV station that ran in TV...
I did a lot of work with a local station here in Arizona. It was a lot of fun to see my images in TV Guide.Preparing for your kid’s education was the story. The AD and I kicked around some concepts: stacks of money with baby pacifiers, toddler in front of Gammage (ASU) with book bag dragging on the ground, Crib with a vault door on the end… We really liked the idea of the toddler...
A still life editorial shot taken with Polaroid...
… or something like that.I don’t remember the particulars on the slant of the article. Late on a Monday, the art director called in a panic with a rush job. Could I do an illustration for a publication that was going to press on Wednesday. We had to shoot it, approve it, scan it, get it separated and into the layout in a day. Sure, we can do that. She faxed over the page layout and...
Clyde Butcher - Black and White Fine Art...
French enlarger 10x10 (came in pieces, no instructions to assemble, but it had a bottle of champagne! When the manufacturer couldn’t ship the enlarger without a liquor license he no longer sold them in the USA) via clydebutcher.com Become familiar with this wonderful photographer out of Florida. Just so love his work. Posted via web from Now This is...
Nikki in black and white at Canyon Lake, AZ. A...
We were shooting for a small boutique. Ads, POP’s and direct mail. Nikki had been working in front of the lens for about 4 hours and we were about to call an end to the morning shoot. Several bikers came up to the spot we were shooting and stopped to check their maps. I asked if Nikki could sit on one of the bikes for a moment. I liked the denim and pearls she was wearing and thought that...
Interesting discussion on the future of media....
All the old, institutionalized ways of doing things will continue to break down in 2010 and 2011, and be restructured on more reasonable, sustainable foundations. The big guys who are all running around repeating the mantra of ‘local’ will find out how much they don’t know. via foliomag.com Posted via web from Now This is Cool… | Comment »
Space Blanket Portrait in the Seattle Cold: And it...
Kind of a fun portrait… I loved the nearly monochrome look and the color of her pale skin.Don Giannatti: Designer / Photographer / Writer Posted via email from Now This is Cool… | Comment »
Does where you live matter as a commercial...
Jacqueline Bovaird from Glasshouse Assignment raises this question in her latest email newsletter and also her website. She posed this to Jason Lau at Team One USA, Manuel Oprea at Adweek, her excellent photographers Ryan Schude and Evan Kafka, and also asked me to weigh-in on the matter because Wonderful Machine has photographers in so many different locations. And it turns out to be a more...
Wonderful Machine Photography Blog : A wonderful...
I enjoyed that her responses had a strong point of view, and this one stood out to me. When asked about the importance of print portfolios, Robin replied: Make it as good as you can. No excuses. If you don’t love it, don’t put it in your book. If you don’t have enough solid work, make more. Learn to edit yourself. Remember who your audience is. Consider what would appeal to them. Take them for...
A totally natural light hi-key portrait on a snowy...
All natural light, reflectors in close and all around. Held by VAL’s.Don Giannatti: Designer / Photographer / Writer www.dongiannatti.com / www.lighting-essentials.com / www.learntolight.com / 602 434 1765 Posted via email from Now This is Cool… | Comment »
Bruce Banrbaum: Thoughts on Digital Photography
The student who seeks photographic artistry must be as determined to learn the art of seeing, of understanding, and of creating, as much as he/she demands to learn Photoshop or darkroom approaches. My own Photographic Arts Workshop program stresses those fundamentals, making the workshops as valuable to the digital photographer as to the traditional photographer. Every student must pay equal...
Another view of my studio door. This time in early...
Sent from my iPhone Posted via email from Now This is Cool… | Comment »
Light and storm.
Sent from my iPhone Posted via email from Now This is Cool… | Comment »
These Tools Are Insane @ Permission To Suck
You no longer have 10,000 hours to become a supremely accomplished anything. Additionally, those superbly mastered skills that worked to differentiate your business, have distorted into obscure techniques for specialized fine artists. Thus, before you can cash in on those professional skills, they’re no longer in demand. My peers surely remember the fine black and white prints on Agfa...
What Happens Between the Notes of Your Life?
It takes courage to allow others to interpret your work but that is where emotions reside; in the spaces between the notes. Make a statement then allow space for interpretation; too many answers create myopic works. Passion is heightened when we find obscured spaces or silence allowing us time to emote; The notes manipulate and the spaces allow feelings. via permissiontosuck.net Permission...
Ooops... This is my studio door.
Sent from my iPhone Posted via email from Now This is Cool… | Comment »
My studio door in mid day light.
Sent from my iPhone Posted via email from Now This is Cool… | Comment »
Photographer arrested at mall after taking holiday...
I don’t think I have a choice,” he said. “If this guy shows that kind of force to a guy who took a picture of a choir and of Santa and a uniformed police officer in the mall, then what kind of force is he going to show someone in a dark alley somewhere where no one was watching. via wvgazette.com You guys were heroes after 9-11. And everyone realized how important you were....
Thomas Friedman's Great Inflection theory is...
My purpose is not to bash Friedman, even though I’ll always wonder how deeply he examines his other sources. My concern is the Internet economy’s “Great Lie” claiming technology allows people lacking skill and talent to be competitive in business. The ways that professionals do things have been changing, and that has included certain efficiencies, but the rules of life have not. You get what you...
It stood silent. Waiting for a pick up game, or a...
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PDNPulse: Larry Sultan Dies at 63
In all of the things I’m drawn to,” said Sultan, “photographs have a major role in constructing the mythology of the thing. via pdnpulse.com Posted via web from Now This is Cool… | Comment »
PDNPulse: Larry Sultan Dies at 63
Born in New York in 1946, Sultan grew up in the San Fernando Valley, and earned an MFA from the San Francisco Art Institute in 1973. His mission as a photographer was to “raise questions about the construction of a photograph and make that construction apparent.” Throughout his 35-year career, Sultan’s work was always about how pictures mean as opposed to what they mean. In 1977,...
Law Enforcement vs. The Photographer | Visual...
If you’re a photographer you do have the right to take photos on publicly owned property, it’s actually a first amendment right and our Supreme Court has ruled many times on our first amendment freedoms to make this point very clear. You do not have to show the police your photos unless they have a warrant. You do have the right to take photos of subways, bus stops, government buildings, banks...
Five Reasons Why Photographers Should Build A Blog...
I’ve visited 20 Flash-based photographer’s websites this week. I’ve been subjected to long load times, terrible – loud music, poor animation and a serious lack of good imagery. Unfortunately for the photographers who owned these sites, I was visiting to look at their entry into our Emerging Photographer of the Year contest. None of these folks will win because their web sites are so bad, I...
A Photo Editor - George Lois Rips Today’s...
In a interview with Blackbook (here) George Lois doesn’t pull any punches on the state of magazine design today. I was at the SPD awards ceremony when he received a lifetime achievement award of sorts and remember getting so charged up after listening to him talk and watching a video Fred Woodward shot. Of course once back to reality, in an office filled with editors who wanted to cram...
We Should All Get It Wrong Like Apple | The Big...
Second, brand marketing still matters—a lot. Why do teenagers prefer the iPod over countless, far cheaper imitators? Well, it’s a great product. But the terrific advertisements—on television, on billboards, and in magazines—surely have something to do with it, too. When I saw the new iPod Touch ads recently, I wanted to just reach out and grab one. And I don’t even play video games. People...
The "Set" for the final shot at the Anna Maria...
Generally on the last shot we put the models together and use a lot of lights to make the image fun. This afternoon it was blustering and windy, but we made it work. I hope to share some of those images when they come in from the students. I have them shoot… it is their workshop. I sometimes want to break my rule so I can jump in and work with the talent and this sky really made me want to...
Chase's Comment Nails It
“Please notice that the subject of this post is not “don’t market”. The quote from the burnett art buyer is a reminder that we need to have our craft NAILED before we start making slick marketing materials. Because if you have slick marketing material and no real solid work to stand on you just won’t get hired even if you manage to get someones attention. Not only...
You Are a Brand — Start Acting Like One! | Black...
The third step is to hire a designer, if your budget allows, or perhaps to work with a designer for a trade of services — for example, graphic design work in return for photographic services or a print or two. The designer’s job is to take your brief and translate it into a visual identity. Logo, color palette, and typography are all integral elements of any brand identity. You might take an...
Two new WP sites for Photographers. Comments...
I have these two new Web site designs that are built on WordPress. They are fully set up as websites and have all the power of WordPress.Don Giannatti: Designer / Photographer / Writer www.dongiannatti.com / www.lighting-essentials.com / www.learntolight.com / 602 434 1765 See and download the full gallery on posterous Posted via email from Now This is...
Here is the gang from the Pittsburgh Workshop. It...
A great time was had by all at the second to last LE workshop for 2009. Pittsburgh was a blast! Thanks you guys!Don Giannatti: Designer / Photographer / Writer www.dongiannatti.com / www.lighting-essentials.com / www.learntolight.com / 602 434 1765 Posted via email from Now This is Cool… | Comment »