Wet look

I like to tell a story about a person when we make a portrait. The basic who, what, where, when, if possible. Getting to know a person is important because it is his story not mine. I just help facilitate.

Jim had an ambitious story, 12 miles of St. Johns River to swim. I'm not one for gimmicks or silly hooks but in this case, I had to do it. A mixed light source balanced for impact and a little squirt from a bottle I had photographed for a product shoot. Color temperature of the sources are different for an interesting effect. Well, I don't need to go on about it. Every picture tells a story don't it?

Still life

This photograph is nostalgic and can stir emotional reactions to the film photographer.
Clinking sounds of the stainless steel aprons inverting, contact during the agitation. One thousand two...two thousand three...dumping and pouring, a seemingly endless ritual. Uncoiling and drying in a dustless atmosphere... the negative.
Glimpsing for proper density range needed to make that perfect print. Mind racing previsualizing subsequent steps, choosing the right paper.

The ruby colored dark lit room with smells of acidic acid (stop bath) and fixer overwhelms the developer. The glow of characters on the timer and the magic of an image coming alive from the chemical process. Tilt the tray but don't spill its potion. The tongs work but you still get it on ya.
Trying to be patient, wash them well or that ol hypo stain will haunt you.

Still life
If you don't have that knowing feeling of the film days, maybe you could find other elements to engage. Rather than make a picture of a camera, I wanted a designed photograph arranging the elements considering composition, camera angle orchestrating the information. Repeating elements and use of color. I this case there is very little color so it draws you into those little characters on the lens. I bumped up the saturation a little.




Shown: Developing tank, cap, stainless film aprons, Nikon FE camera with a hooded lens and a light meter in the background sitting on a light box.
Made with a Nikon D3 full-frame digital camera, ISO 200, 1/30 s at f/29.0, 60.0 mm lens

Like Icarus, Into the sun....

Some say, "You shouldn't shoot directly into the sun". humm...

Well... maybe but the sun can act as a great hair-light or flare producing desirable effect.

Dark foreground silhouettes the scene.

In this case, the subject needed fill-light (strobe) so he wouldn't be in deep shade. Love those long shadows from the tree.

Many times a simple reflector can fill the subject to nice effect.

Or a large white panel reflector bounced the sunlight onto the group here.

Be aware of the light and use it to your creative advantage.

The camera can not record the full tonal range of a scene in many cases so we control what is important. Evaluate the total range of values and balance accordingly.

Visual Stimulus Package - Ecotourism - Zero Carbon Footprint

Another way to say you are photographing your backyard. I was having a lunch picnic out-back the other day and was being watched.
Red Shouldered Hawk in a tree in my backyard about 75 ft. away. I used a 200mm 2.8 lens on a full frame D3 body. I moved around to place an interesting background, added 3 stops to the camera meter and filled in a bit with a strobe. Notice how sharp the detail is in the expanded link.

Industrial Photography

Color accuracy was paramount in this project. The files needed to be printed huge for a trade show display as well as a reference for over 100 different designer tiles. Everything had to be calibrated and carefully photographed.

A roof was constructed with the proper pitch to display these beautiful tiles.

This part of the project was shot in a warehouse with a monitor set-up for the client to approve on the spot. We would go back to a conference room for finals at the end of each day.

The detail pieces were shot in my studio.
I always want to deliver more than the client expects so I usually look for details that could be used in the marketing materials. I noticed the textures and shadows in a stack out in the parking lot.

Snapshot vs. Photograph

95% of time I make photographs that are planed and well thought out or specified by an art director. The snapshot is a reaction or impulsive shot, generally unprofessional and ordinary.

The snapshots I make are quickly made due to time restraints. Almost all of my work is done in manual mode having the most control over the results. I leave my cameras in a almost Auto mode for that quick-draw shots like these. A different focal length lens on each body.

This Jacksonville scene was rich in geometric shapes, textures, and color. The JTA Skyway came into the design and triggered the decision to compose and expose this shot near Hemming Plaza.

I was photographing a company softball game in Georgia which was very spirited. Teammates spontaneously connected in reaction to a great play.

Event photography requires multiple awareness and anticipation. Homework in advance is essential to tip your odds. Stay OPEN, Aware.

Housewives of Jacksonville

We set out on a cold and windy evening to capture six beautiful and spirited women in Jacksonville, Florida. Okay, it wasn't very cold but seemed like it after a long hot Summer.

Our task had to be shot in a very short time, so planning was essential and a success because of everyone's cooperation. Valerie Janes directed and styled the shoot.

Working without an assistant, a photographer needs to be very focused on lighting technicalities and still maintaining that important connection with the subject and in this case, six fabulous women (feel my pain?).

The ambient light is going away so juggling outputs from strobes and varying reflectors becomes exciting, maintaining that perfect balance.

I check the weather reports and time of sunset for the location (declination of the sun for time of year). Beach shots also require tide table.

Pictured: Ilona(sitting), Melinda Kilbeck, Debra Myers, Kirk Chamberlain, Patty Vickery, Claudia Marcela Gonzalez, Linda Hawkins (sitting)
See Proofs:
http://chamberlainphotos.com/events/JaxHousewives/

Cheers! Kirk