Lifesized Children

The Hidden: a novel of suspense (and my first book cover)

Author: Bill Pronzini
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Cover Photograph: Me

Lions, Tigers, Performance Artists, OH MY!

So I've been slacking (more than a little) on this whole blog thing.  Therefore I'll be playing catch up over the next couple of days.

Below is my tear sheet from Issue #21 of  JPEG Magazine, which came out a few months ago.

I made this image back when I lived in Miami and get asked about it often.  No, that is not a statue.  It is, indeed, a monster of a performance artist. 

The story of how this image came to be is quite simple really.  I've always loved costumes, characters, circus performers, etc. - So much so, that I often joke that my dream job would be to tour with Cirque Du Soleil, as their staff photographer (which isn't really a joke at all). 

I saw this character one evening outside of a club on Miami Beach.  I was immediately awe struck and asked if he might be interested in a collaboration.  As it would turn out, he was.  We discussed concepts... I found the perfect white house, with the perfect little white picket fence, and the perfect little model, (who watched him 'get into character', so as not to be scared).  Funny enough, the owner of the home was so excited by the whole production (and the fact that I had asked to photograph his house) that he actually came out and took pictures of me taking these pictures.

Who will be the next Mayor of Oakland?

I hadn't been paying very close attention to the local election campaigns until a couple of weeks ago, when I had the opportunity to photograph Oakland Mayoral candidates for the cover  of the East Bay Express. The issue is on news stands now and the cover features front runners, Rebecca Kaplan, Joe Tuman, Jean Quan, and Don Perata.

I photographed city councilwoman and fellow Virgo, Rebecca Kaplan, at her 40th birthday party down in Jack London Square.  It was definitely an evening full of energy and optimism. 

The images of Joe Tuman were shot at his more intimate fund raising dinner at the Brown Sugar Kitchen in West Oakland.  Joe has major charisma and his campaign staff were super warm and friendly as well.  

Jean Quan and Don Perata were both photographed at the big mayoral debate held at the Kaiser Center near Lake Merritt.   And while his photo didn't run in the article, Lionel “Larry” Young Jr., certainly caught my attention at the debate, with his charming, charismatic, and enthusiastic disposition.

 

Editing Your Own Work for a Portfolio Can be Tricky....and I Need Help!

Here's to New Directions

The images I've been making lately feel like what I should have been photographing all along.  Sometimes as a photographer you get wrapped up in what you 'should' be shooting vs. what you actually want to be shooting.  I've heard it said many times that staying true to yourself and making photos that you really believe in will MOST lead you on the path to success.  I guess no matter how many successful people share their words of wisdom, sometimes you just have to learn things on your own.

Day Dreams

This is a new series I've been working on.

Out Takes from the Insider's Guide to the East Bay

In the beginning of February, I photographed somewhere around 15 profile shots for the Insider's Guide to the East Bay, part of the East Bay Express.  Any time I shoot an editorial assignment I am always curious to see which images the editor will choose.  Although I typically edit the photos I show them  down to between 5 and 25 images (depending on the client) I definitely always have an image (or images) that I prefer over the others.
Here are a few pictures from the Insider's Guide shoots that I liked but weren't included (or were in the case of the photo of Brendan Eliason with his porron or 'pour on').

 

Rene De Guzman, Senior Curator, Oakland Museum of California

Brendan Eliason, Owner/Head Wine Maker, Periscope Cellars

Real Wine makers drink with a straw or even better, out of a porron

Berkeley Hat Co.

Cowboy Poetry Gathering

At the end of January I drove to Elko, NV to attend and photograph the Cowboy Poetry Gathering.  Before setting out I envisioned the cowboy portraits that I planned to make.  In my mind I saw the cowboys set up against a dramatic landscape made of mountain and sky.   

Since I have lived in a warm/temperate climate for a while now, I sometimes forget that other places get really cold this time of year...one of those other places being Elko, NV.  Anyway, being that it was cold in Elko and I have VERY little tolerance for cold ( I'm a major wuss when it comes to weather) I wound up scrapping my original plan to shoot outside and instead photographed the cowboys against a plain black paper backdrop.

While I was satisfied with the portraits on black, I just couldn't get my original idea out of my mind.  And while I pride myself on my ability to do things 'in camera', I decided that this would be a great opportunity for me to brush up on my Photoshop skills.  With that said, I wound up producing the images below, which are composites of the cowboys with landscape images I took earlier this year.  I'm really happy with the outcome (even though they're composites) and as an added bonus I feel much better at that aspect of Photoshop now.

I plan to work on more of the cowboy photos, as I made over 30 portraits while at the gathering. 

As a side note, I chased down the cowboys with the best mustaches/style and the guys below all definitely get a gold star for their awesome cowboyness.  Merlin (top left) not only might be the winner of the 'best mustache contest', but also makes and sells his own ropes (featured in the picture below).  Cowboy Poet, Jim Bone, (top right) is practically my neighbor (he lives just East of me in Clayton, CA) where he boards horses and follows his creative pursuits.  Donnie Rae Johnson (bottom left) was an extra on the HBO show 'Deadwood' and seemed more than happy to be photographed and Andy Boyer (bottom right) is a bartender at the Western Folklife center, where the gathering was held.  The first time I saw him behind the bar, I knew I needed make his portrait.

 

(top Merlin Rupp, Jim Bone, bottom Donnie Ray Johnson, Andy Boyer)   

Fancy Dance

I was recently introduced to Pow Wow dancer Eddie Madril.  Eddie is part of the Pascua Yaqui tribe and does not only Fancy dancing, (Fancy Dancer regalia pictured below) but is also a talented Grass and Hoop dancer.
Although I asked Eddie to participate in this shoot specifically for a series I am developing which focuses on dance and movement as a way to express one's spirituality, I wound up liking the still portraits the best a) because the weather was uncooperative during the dancing and b) because my idea wasn't really refined yet.   I plan to do another shoot with him once I have cultivated my concept a little more fully.

location, location, location!

The top shots were taken in Alameda, CA while location scouting for a shoot.  The bottom row are shots of Lake Merritt, which is about three blocks from my house.

Cowboy Poets Here I Come!

During the last week of January I headed to Elko, NV to attend and photograph the Cowboy Poets Gathering along side my former college professor, Kevin Martini-Fuller.  This was my first road trip on the West Coast by myself and although I am no strange to cross country driving, I headed into the mountains near Lake Tahoe with more than a few reservations (mostly because I bought my first set of snow chains (required by the state of California for these roads) and had absolutely no idea how I would get them on my tires if I actually had to use them).  To my relief, there was little to worry about, as I-80 was clear all the way (although there were six foot snow banks on either side of the expressway).

My car looks tiny next to the snow bank.

I stopped along the way to get these shots.

Nearing Elko

Is this thing on?