Dancing Aspens - My Vision

This wide angle photo of aspen trees in a golden meadow was taken near Kamas, Utah just before sunset. The image was used to make one of my very first fine art giclee prints. (Click on the image for a larger view.)

At one time I owned the first and only commercial fine art gallery in Salt Lake City devoted solely to photography (Aperture Photo Gallery). We were one of the first photographic galleries in the country to accept giclee prints.

Photo or Giclee Prints? Although I love true photographic prints (via the wet silver halide process), I'm a firm believer that the giclee process offers greater flexibility (more substrate and surface choices), a much wider color gamut, and more archival permanence.

I also was a giclee printing consultant for many yours for Inkjetart.com. Here's an interesting interview with Mac Holbert of Nash Editions, one of earliest printers of giclees. Nash Editions prints for photographic artists i.e. Robert Farber, Milton Greene, Douglas Kirkland, Winston Smith and Charles Wolfe.)

You can also view my Flickr Photostream to see more of "My Vision."

Continental Breakfast Setting - My Vision

Here's a continental breakfast still life of coffee, pastry, and fresh fruit that I photographed while on a cruise to Alaska. This image is my second attempt (see the first image below). I think the selective focus (with shallow depth of field) on the pastry makes for a more interesting shot.

I love to go on cruises. It's a truly relaxing vacation -- everything is taken care of for you! And, you have many choices for meals. I often will take the opportunity to photograph my food, or in this case, a friend's breakfast. The income from my stock photos helps to defray the cost of my travel (and I sometimes teach photography workshops on my cruises).

People around me may think I'm strange, photographing my food, but I try to always sit with my wife in a quiet corner where I won't cause a problem or draw too much attention. Photographing details and still lifes on a ship is a great opportunity for photography. Even simple food like this is usually beautifully prepared by the ship's staff, and there are often many elegant surfaces, backgrounds, and props sitting around to add to the ambiance.


My wife added the twisted blue napkin around the plate of fruit -- a very nice touch. (I think she also added the three crumbs to the side of the croissant.) However, I think our second shot (above) has a better mood, and has sold twice as often as a stock image. (Click on any image for a larger view.)

You can also view my Flickr Photostream to see more of "My Vision."

Apple Orchard Harvest - My Vision

Here's an old-fashioned apple orchard harvest (Jonathan and Delicious) I photographed a few years ago around the end of September. You can see another cluster of bushel baskets in the distance. (Click on the image for a larger view.)

While through Payson, Utah a few years ago, we came across a small, family farm that raised apples (it's on the right side of the road, just before you drive up Payson Canyon). Ever since that first visit, we've tried to stop by around the last week of September.

Styling: As a former commercial photographer, I rarely photograph a shot just as I see, except when I'm doing editorial or environmental photography. My wife and I polished the top layer of apples (taking off the haze and dust) in the four or five closest baskets, in order to increase the color saturation; and I rearranged the position of the baskets slightly to make the shot more visually appealing.

A little styling BEFORE the shot will dramatically improve most photographs. I strongly believe in "fixing" problems before you start shooting, instead of trying to correct it later in Photoshop. The difference between a polished apple and an over-saturated apple in Photoshop is the difference between "appealing" and "garish".

You can also view my Flickr Photostream to see more of "My Vision."

Portrait of a Little Red Headed Girl - My Vision

(Click on the image for a larger view.)

Amelia has many different moods. Three other images from this portrait session show some of those interesting sides of her.

Props & backgrounds: One of my favorite props for doing portraits is an old Bentwood chair (often used in bars and restaurants between 1860 and 1930). If you'll turn the chair around backwards, and let people relax or naturally place their arms on the back of the chair -- you'll often get some interesting body positions and expressions.

The background is a hand-painted autumn forest scene that goes well with her reddish complexion and hair, don't you agree?

You can also view my Flickr Photostream to see more of "My Vision."

Dramatic Portrait of an Actor / Model - My Vision

Earlier in the week I had been photographing glassware using a portable table-top background cyclorama, similar to a Kaiser studio kit (but one I had built myself, using translucent plexiglass, and light from underneath with strobes). I asked Gerald, the model / actor, to step over to the table-top cyc, lean over and rest his arms on the table-top background. The effect was quite dramatic, and similar to what one might see in a theater production. (Click on any image for a larger view.)

This Kaiser portable table-top studio background is a small cyc (cyclorama) that you can buy for about $1300. I build one myself using a translucent white plexiglass sheet (about 3/16" thick and about 3 x 5 feet), and a 2x4" wooden frame (minus the attached lights you see in the photo below). I would then light the table from underneath using strobe lights. It was great for doing glassware photography.


Self-Learning Tip: Always look for the catch-lights in the eyes, and you can often figure out how a photographer light a subject. You could do something similar to this by using a light table, or a lightbox positioned below (and slightly camera left) and pointed upward.

Sidebar: Some time ago, a talent agency asked me to photograph some of their clients. They mainly wanted "head shots" for their talent books. Although the money they were offering to pay me wasn't that good, I saw it as an opportunity to experiment with people who were willing to try new things, and built portfolio images for both of us. Since some of these people had backgrounds in theater, they also had access to some interesting wardrobe pieces, which can really help liven a portrait. "Trading" talent has been a tool I've used over the years to increase my experience and build my photographic reputation. This image is part of a series that has resulted from these talent trades.

You can also view my Flickr Photostream to see more of "My Vision."