Christ John Otto

Christ John Otto is an author and the founder of Belonging House.  He contacted me after seeing the work I've done with Ian Ethan Case and we've developed a friendship while preparing to work together.  Christ (rhymes with "wrist") was looking to have some promotional photography created in the form of head shots for his website and upcoming books.  During our session, he let me play around a little bit and diverge away from our head shot session and take a little more freestyle approach.

For the image above, I slapped the Petzval lens on the front of the camera and took Christ into an empty studio next door to mine.  I love this look he is giving me here.  I love how the background gets kind of messy and circular because of the Petzval.  I don't use the Petzval enough and have to remember to put it on the camera more often.

Then I tossed a prism in front of the lens and started picking up reflections and refractions.

I love when a client allows me to play a little bit during our session.  I'm usually very lighthearted during all my sessions, but the people that let me break out a little bit and try this and that hold a special place in my heart.

Christ is currently on a multi-month sabbatical in Scotland right now.  Color me jealous.  He told me before he left that he's already anxious to hire me for another session, which is the best compliment in the world to get.

See you soon, Christ.  Make magic while in Scotland.  See you when you get back.

Fever Pitch • North Main Music

Fever Pitch is an acapella group formed by students of North Main Music.  They needed some promotional photography that would be used on their website and for press releases for print, and Mike, the owner of North Main Music brought the gang by the studio one evening so we could create some photography for them.  Mike is a great guy, and I'm happy that he's hired me in the past for some of their photography needs.

I wanted to do a simple session on white, so that they could crop or extended the images as needed for posters and other various sized print materials.

Mike grabbed a shot of me while I played human-jenga and positioned the group:

If you get a chance to check them out locally, catch them singing.  It's good stuff.  And make sure you swing by North Main Music, especially if you are thinking about taking classes, or giving the gift of a class to someone important to you.

Jane Button

I don't remember how long I've known photographer Jane Button.  It seems like forever.  I know she was around when I was in college, so that makes it at least 14 or so years.  I've always thought she was adorable, and I'm always making stupid "cute as a button" comments because of her last name, but I love being around Jane.  She's a theater actor and she's always so friendly and I just enjoy her.

She's branching out to spend more time being a professional photographer and she hired me to create some head shots that would go on her new website and various online purposes.

Thanks, Jane.

Cute as a Button.

Hannah Sanders: fROOTS album review

Hannah Sanders continues garnering acclaim for her debut solo album "Charms Against Sorrow" which I photographed and designed late last year. Leading UK folk magazine fROOTS just featured a review of Hannah's album, and generously giving the photography a paragraph of mention:

"The visuals, I comment are very striking."

"I'm very moved by how photography describes time - it shares a place with traditional song in many ways. I had the pleasure of working with great photographic artist Sid Ceaser. Sid and I decided on something really direct and honest for the album, and I think he captured it."

"Direct, empowered, Hannah stares out from the cover of Charms with an almost tangible mixture of determination and steel, it's the sort of cover you can't ignore."

Thanks to Simon Jones of fROOTS for mentioning the artwork. I love that this album is being listened to and seen all over the world.

F-Stoppers Mentions "Inspiration" @ DEDPXL

Big thanks to Fstoppers for mentioning, and liking, my post about inspiration for DEDPXL starring Muppet Sid.

Thanks, guys!

Their own unique.

I started shooting head shots for this one client back around 2008 or so.  They started while I was working part-time at Cameraland, our local mom-and-pop camera shop, which is sadly no longer with us.  Every few years, the owner books a session for a new team member and he comes up to the studio so we can catch up.  I was shooting most head shots on black at the time, and he wanted something in the background to add a little something extra, so I tossed a gridded light aimed at the backdrop and we were golden.

It's the only time I do this particular light setup, which I think is kinda cool.  It's just their light - just their look.

Their company is based out of an airport hanger in Nashua.  I very badly hope they invite me over to see it.  It sounds awesome.

Holdfast Gear Artist Spotlight

I'm sure people are sick of reading me gushing about how much I love my Holdfast MoneyMaker camera strap, or how much I think Matt, the owner, is a good guy.

I'm really happy to be one of his "Featured Artists" over at the Holdfast Gear website.  Some of the other shooters on that page are awe-freaking-some.

A Photo Editor

A big thanks to A Photo Editor for showing my promo kit to all his followers.

This is the kit I sent to interested companies.  Cards, button, fold out poster - lots of little things that showcase my work, all wrapped up in a nice metal customized tin.  Always give them something to keep.  Even if it's just a card.  Give them a leave-behind.

If you aren't following A Photo Editor, it is an invaluable resource for photographers.  Bookmark the site.  Visit often.

Christine • Headshot

I love this shot because it gives me a chance to talk about smiling, not smiling, and how sometimes giving a big cheeky smile can not be a good thing.

Christine came to me through a local design/marketing company who handles her websites and marketing.  She needed an updated head shot, which I was more than happy to do.

People aren't normally  used to having their picture taken.  It's weird.  It can be uncomfortable.  You are standing there and someone has this thing smooshed up against their face and a lens is pointed at them and they are just standing there, not knowing what to do, usually in an unfamiliar place, just feeling weird.

The first thing people do, reactively, is smile.  But not a normal smile, they pull their head back and force their mouth open to show off all their teeth.  It isn't natural.  They do it I think mainly as a reflex of being uncomfortable.

Sometimes, big toothy smiles can actually break a face down.  It forces your cheeks up.  Your eyes become slits and light can't get in there.  Everything looks smushed.  It isn't flattering.  But you can't tell the client it isn't flattering, because, hey, that's just how faces work.  Muscles and skin and stuff all smushing together.

But a closed smile.  Or a closed mouth with just a *touch* of a smile.  Or maybe a smirk.  That stuff works.  Because your eyes are still moving a little when you smile just a little.  And that's what I'm looking for.  Something friendly.  Something warm.  Something that shows you without all that fake smiling stuff going on.

It's hard - the client was standing behind me during this session and they wanted her to smile.  And I didn't want her to smile.  I wanted the shot above.  They wanted big toothy smiles to show how friendly she is.  And she was already friendly.  You didn't need a fake smile to prove it.  And when she did those big toothy smiles, her eyes got lost.  When I go to a website, I want to see their eyes.  Not teeth.  I want the face of a person, not a big set of chompers with no eyes.

I love this shot because for me it's a destination to arrive at.  Each person is a small journey when in my studio.  To get to that right moment, that right shot.  Head shots, or portraits in general, can't be done in seconds.  It's a process.  I need to see how you photograph from your right side, from your left side, when you smile, when you don't, etc.  We are discovering how your face works with the camera, with the lights, etc.

See that little smirk in the corner of her mouth on the left?  That makes the shot for me.  And her eyes are gorgeously lit and luminous.  Her chin is up just a *tiny* bit.  She has power.  She's confident and friendly.

That's person I want to meet when I enter her store.