One of my favorite clients is Amy of the Elegant Window. What I love about Amy aside from the fact she should double as a model (not to rat out her age but can you believe she has a son in college) is that she too is an artist. Her job is making your home look cheerful and beautiful with often handcrafted window dressings. Today she invited me out to take photos of her giving a Window Fashion Trunk Show at Fabric Forum located in High Point, NC.
Sharon had her braidsmaid fitting today at The Bridal Boutique of Raleigh located near downtown Raleigh, NC. Sharon is a taskmaster and the ladies were having fun while they were getting measured for their gowns.
Today’s or should I say tonight’s shoot just to shoot, I went downtown to Greensboro’s Center City. I love the fountain and how busy the park is. These shots were at night so I went with the blur affect and bumped up my ISO for a semi daytime look for this night image.
Again house hunting with my BFF, I end up finding my dream Townhouse and ended up talking her into it as well. Maybe we’ll be neighbors one day. The townhouse is built by Portrait Homes and features 2 bedrooms and a loft. The loft is just perfect for a quaint studio.
I have been helping a good friend of mine house hunt for a couple of weeks now. As you can see. She is all about closet space.
Wednesday I was able to attend an excellent panel discussion hosted by the Charlotte APA about photography websites and commercial photography. Met some really cool people in the industry such as J Sandifer from liveBooks (pictured below) and who happens to be recently engaged to one of my favorite wedding photographers, Emilie Sommer.
It was a very frothy discussion (more about that word another time) the panel included:
Panel:
Louisa J. Curtis - Moderator & Creative Consultant, Chatterbox Enterprises, New York
John Rosato - Art Producer / Art Buyer, Mullen Advertising, Winston Salem
Jim Mountjoy - Partner and Creative Director @ Loeffler, Ketchum Mountjoy, Charlotte
Bill Baker - Interactive Services Supervisor @ Wray Ward, Charlotte
J Sandifer - Photographer & Sales Executive for liveBooks, New England
Thanks to the Charlotte APA for planning such an awesome event.
I really enjoy just going out, taking a ride or walk and just find interesting things to photograph. Recently, I took myself to one of my favorite parks in Greensboro, Bicentennial Garden located off of Friendly Avenue. I try to shoot just for the fun of it once or twice a month if not more. This is the time I just go out and have fun or try new ways of shooting the usual things. The image to the left I tried my hand at an Holga Color effect. The image to the top right I just used the trees as a nature vignette and keep my focus in the center.
My father used to tell me stories growing up about this collection of comics he had; how one day his mother threw them away b/c they would never be worth anything. As I sit here now, contemplating about my next digital camera purchase, I found myself wondering what I was going to do with the older models. My first thought is to give it my nephew after all; I already have a backup camera. And my nephew is becoming quit the shutterbug himself. Then I found myself questioning….In 20 years how much will this camera be worth? Would it be the vintage camera that all the “older experienced” pros talk about as being the standard of true photographers? Although I know this future is likely it is very hard for me to actually picture in my head (forgive the pun). After all, I am still a child of a generation that I believe is caught in the middle. I grew up with both records, tapes and CDs; beta, VHS, DVD; payphones, cellular phones, and digital phones; no internet to internet revolution. So I think I will keep my “old camera” who knows maybe I will donate it to the Smithsonian in twenty years.
If you have read my bio, then you know she has a strong influence of my life as photographer. She being a former model/actress herself has always encouraged me to follow her footsteps; but in my own way. I played piano from time I was five until I was sixteen; I was on the debate team from junior high through high school, and I dabbled with poetry and impromptu acting all my life. As a child, I sometimes I would get frustrated or bogged down in small details. I would hear in my head, “you should have done better.” Interesting enough those were the times I would discourage myself and begin to hear me say, “I can’t.” Well, if my mother ever heard me say those words, “I can’t,” she would tell me “can’t is not a word.” I have reminded myself of this many times over through the course of my life. In one particular time, I remember telling myself, “I can’t be a professional photographer, I am not that good.” See up to that point I had just shot things I loved, shot whatever I saw that caught my eye and yes even shot in automatic mode. Then I heard my mother tell me, “Can’t is not a word.” So rather, focus on why I could not be a photographer I decided to focus on all the reasons I would make a great photographer. It is part of the reason I always attempt to reinvent myself and keep fresh ideas running through my brain. See if I don’t owe it to my clients or the subject I shoot, I owe it to myself, and if I don’t owe it to myself then I owe it to my mother.
Another vivid memory I have related to my mother’s death are a series of events that occurred after her passing. We have tons of photos of various moments & family members. My father spent months after my mother’s death organizing certain photos of her; cataloging moments of her life from her childhood until her passing. This album now rests in the family’s airtight safe. My mother was 64 when she passed, and many of the photos of her were taken on black and white film. There were no CD-Rs or digital cameras in her time. Yes the photos could have been scanned and stored digitally, my father choose to remember her as she was with the photos in their original condition. I learned a few things from watching my father work patiently on that album. The first is we all have our ways to grieve. The second, treasure photos of your life, no matter how insignificant they may seem now. And the third is, we have a choice of how to remember those not with us today. See I sometimes think, as did I, that we don’t have a choice. Nevertheless, my father made a choice. He chooses to remember her as the model, wife, and mother he had loved since they were both kids. His choice helped me choose image of my mother to remember. See there was a photo that my mom and dad took together when I was in college. I never really paid attention to the picture back then. Now it is one of the pictures I choose to use when I think of my mother.
I thank my mother for teaching me about passion, fighting for what you believe, honor and dedication. Most important, I thank her for teaching me that as a person, as a photographer….I can.
I had the honor of being a High School Senior mentor for their senior project. This student wanted to go to school for photojournalism and we spent time talking about the craft, her passion, and some of the technical aspects of photography. She has a great eye for composition, art and firm understanding of media. I always enjoy working with today’s youth. They have a unique way of allowing you to see yourself.
Part of this student’s project was to interview their mentor. Below is a transcript of that interview
Careers in Digital Photography:
When did you first begin your studies as a digital photographer:
Has digital photography always been your life long dream?
Who have you looked up to the most as a digital photographer?
A. I have a few photographers who work I admire but I really still look up to the film photographers. My favorite is Ansel Adams. I love his use of shadows and contrast. When I first started photography I was a nature photographer like Ansel and I attempted to replicate many of his more famous images.
What type of supervision do you receive? How often?
A. Mostly I only receive minor direction from a client in terms of what they are looking for in their images. I ask questions to gather an idea of the photo’s intended use. I then develop a template to shoot to the client’s expectations
To what extent do routines & procedures have to be followed and deadlines met?
A. Almost insistently. Delivering a project on-time is important to my clients who need the right image to meet their deadlines and important to the Bride & Groom who are anxiously waiting to see the memories from their special occasion. In addition, people expect a certain level of quality and detail when shooting with a pro photographer. You cannot show people a perfectly frame, shot, and edited photo and not expect to give them the same quality and detail for their work. Finally, my images speak for me. If I am always changing my methods and techniques you wouldn’t be able to distinguish me from any other photographer. What I choose to shoot and the methods I use to shoot it defines who I am as a photographer.
14.) How are decisions made in your company?
A. There are two overall questions I ask when deciding anything First, “how will this define me as a photographer?” What matters most to me is the message my images send, and what contribution do I make to the artform and to those who choose to hire me. Second, “how will this impact my business?”
Though I am creative in nature, I am also a businessman and understand how important it is to be reliable and responsible. My clients are my top priority; it is imperative they are fully satisfied with my performance as well as the final product.
What would be the consequence of "not getting it right on the first attempt?"
A. If I missed that perfect moment during a wedding, I would be crushed. Even if my client did not know, I would know. “Your story, My Passion” is more than just a tagline; it is a resolution.
What is the most common problem that you face in your daily work? How do you solve it?
A. Trying to stay unique and come up with original ideas what separates me from other photographers is blending styles and concepts. I don’t subscribe to one particular model of photography. I shoot and edit as an artist who has a sequence of events to share.
Robert Christopher Photography statement on beauty and digital manipulation
Your Story, My Passion
Last modified: 4/6/08
I recognize the impact photos have on society’s definition of beauty and women. The excessive and sometimes extreme digital manipulation of photos, in my opinion, has caused an unrealistic expectation of women to be something they are not. I believe that not all women fit into one category and in fact that there are many faces, sizes, cultures, and ethnicities represented throughout the world that deserve to be equally portrayed in society. Therefore, in order to place my beliefs into action, I and any contractor or client I work with will abide by the following standards:
I was sharing some ideas on a wedding photography forum the other day when someone commented on the fact that my photography style is not really photojournalism. This is true. I most enjoy shooting as a photojournalist then editing the photos in an artistic way. I often look at images before I begin to edit them and consider how to best describe the emotions I see represented in the image.
When choosing a photographer for your wedding, the style the photographer uses is just as important as what he or she is offering in their package. I have always believed that photography should speak to you. A photograph should tell what drives a photographer. What drives me? I am driven by this goal of uniquely sharing my client’s narrative. How do I manage this? I utilize a variety of techniques but most often, I combine editorial or photojournalism with artistic or creative photography.
