The summer party season has begun. This weekend, I was asked by a client, Shawn, to come and photograph a birthday party he was hosting for his partner, Jeff. The food was amazing, the weather was perfect. If only the rest of the parties this summer could be like this.
Last week, I went back up to Gambier to photograph two faculty members who were recently awarded the college’s top teaching honor. It was a great chance to hone those on-location lighting skills I learned at Missouri so long ago. I’m not sure which two will make it into the college’s alumni bulletin this fall, but these are the two I liked of economics professor Jaret Treber and Chinese professor Jianhua Bai.
I kept the setup simple: One light on a stand for the environmental portrait, and one direct strobe on the camera against a grey background for another. Both times I attached a little grid to the strobe to help concentrate the light.
This morning the Capital City Half Marathon went right by our house in downtown Columbus, so Jackie, Nola and I went down to cheer on the runners and throw marshmallows to anyone needing a quick sugar boost. I brought along a new flash to play around and make a few frames.
I know…it’s been awhile. I’ve been in Columbus for just over two months, and I picked up my first freelance gig for Kenyon College, a small private college just north of here. I’m shooting a couple of other things for them later this month, and even though podium lectures aren’t the sexiest thing out there, it felt good to be back on assignment for someone. Shaka Smart is the head basketball coach at Virginia Commonwealth University and is one of Kenyon’s most known alums.
Last week, I was assigned to shoot a portrait of a new swimming coach at a local high school. The day before, I had just lit another portrait with three lights, but this time I tried to see what I could do with a single (direct, since I don’t have an off-camera cord) strobe.
Natrona County assistant swim coach Isaac Kalinowski poses for a portrait Jan. 12, 2012 at Natrona County High School. Kalinowski is also a former standout football player for Narona County, as well as the school’s current tennis coach and art teacher.
It gets very grey in Casper during the winter, but sometimes all you need is a splash of color.
While out on an assignment last week, I drove through Medicine Bow (pop. 244) right around sundown. Here’s a pictorial-ish one I liked.
I meant to post this awhile back. Got caught up with stuff, but here’s a few selects from a feature hunt I found one Saturday. Next time, I was told, I have to run dogs on a sled myself.
Yesterday I got to go through the old Natrona County Jail and Juvenile Detention Center in downtown Casper. The center, which has since closed because a new one was built, further fueled my obsession with old, abandoned decrepit things and reminded me that I’d never like to spend a night in jail.
Just one that I liked while feature hunting one morning last week when it snowed. The pigeons were keeping warm on the chimney.
