Pink Cadillac

This summer, as I may have mentioned, I had the pleasure of joining my good buddy Greg, from Controlinteraction.com, on a trip out west to Moab.

On the way out from his apartment in Dallas, we passed a place that I had always read about but never visited: Cadillac Ranch, in Amarillo, Texas.

We didn't get to stop at that moment, as we were trying to catch up to the rest of the Texas Rovers and the sculpture was on the other side of the road. But, on the way back, we arrived just as the light was starting to get interesting.

Winter is here... Wish I was there...

As the winter days get shorter and shorter, I find myself working on a new portfolio of images from my various hospitality projects. And, I really want to be there now.

So, the new portfolio is tentatively titled, "Being Here..."

More as it happens.

JP Open Studios is over... for now!

Welcome to Fall!

JP Open Studios, a two day art event in Jamaica Plain, a suburb of Boston, is over and today we are cleaning up, putting away framed pieces that didn't sell and generally complaining about tired backs and sore feet.

The event went very well. I personally saw over 4000 people from all over the Greater Boston area pass by and through my little tent on Eliot Street. It was a lot of fun and we got to meet a lot of really nice people.

A few clients stopped by to see the new personal works and I met few people interested in talking about upcoming marketing projects.

Another great feeling comes from being on the board of the organization that put on the event. There was an amazing amount of work that goes into putting on a city-wide event with 200+ artists, numerous locations and individual studios, volunteers, and various entertainments. Plus, signage, map booklets, websites and fundraising events.

Luckily, we have an amazing group of people working with us. And, now that this year's event is over, we just need to do a little house keeping and tally up the successes and document the areas that need some shoring up.

If you are interested in getting involved in the arts community, and would like to volunteer some time, donate some skills or materials, we would welcome you with open arms.

Check out the JPOpenStudios.com web site for more information.

The image above was created at Reed State Park, near Wiscassett, Maine.

Autumn in New England

The seasons keep on turning. This image was created on an orchard near Damariscotta, Maine. It was a perfect, fall day for picking apples and going on a photo safari.

So far, it has been used in a series of direct mail pieces and greeting cards as a stock image.

This is another from the Way I See It folder. It will be on display and for sale this weekend at the Jamaica Plain Open Studios.

In the mean time, I am off to create a series of product images today. It will be a nice day to play in the studio!

Capturing, no wait, Creating the Moment

I have been doing some speaking engagements with local camera clubs, mostly because they asked me to come in and talk about my work. And there was a discussion in one about the difference between capturing the moment and creating it.

I guess you could make an argument that any image that did not have a set up or physical production is a capture. And, any time there is production involved it is a created moment.

Maybe it is vanity on my part, but I believe that I create the moments in my images, whether there is external production or if it is only internalized.

For example, the image above was created during a walk through at a conference center in Ohio. We were moving between sets and stopped for lunch. I saw the wall sconces and grabbed the camera and tripod. Fifteen minutes later, I was sitting down with the art director to a splendid turkey sandwich.

It was an unplanned stop but everything else about the image was thought out. I was even considering how the image would look as a banner or printed piece. I captured several frames from different angles to see how the camera was "seeing" the light. But, I created the moment through my on the spot planning and thinking through the composition and lighting.

Maybe it is all just semantics. And, I mean no offense to the wedding shooters who "capture the moment" all the time. If they are doing it right (and those I know who do it, do do it well), I still think they are "creating the moment".