This past week we headed out at 4:00 in the morning to finish up a magazine feature shoot in western New Jersey. It was a long an tiring day (about 18 to 20 hours), but, despite a couple unexpected hurdles, we had a great time and shot some gorgeous images. Can’t wait to keep plowing through the editing and get some final images for you all to see!
Nothing better after a long day than a juicy steak and loud noise. And, redneck music…plenty of that.
This past Sunday, our local newspaper, The Daily Item, ran a story on the cover page of their special At Home section featuring the newly-constructed, energy-efficient home of area residents Craig and Christine Richard, using a selection of my photography for the piece. This home, overlooking the couple’s 85-acre farm, received a 5 Star + energy rating, the highest rating by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s standards, due to the design, construction, and materials used to build the home.
The photography they chose to use were magazine scouting shots I had taken to send to a national publication for an anticipated feature story in an upcoming issue. While they work well for the piece, they weren’t intended for publication. So, in essence, it’s a photographer’s equivalent of showing up naked at your high school reunion as a middle-aged woman without makeup — nothing inherently wrong with it, but still a bit awkward and embarrassing.
I was recently searching for a particular look for a series of photos I had shot, but I wasn’t able to find anything that was already out there from another photographer or retoucher that closely matched what I was visualizing in my head. So, what do you do when you want something that nobody else produces? Create it yourself!
I wanted a feel that was reminiscent of the low-contrast, slightly-desaturated look of 1960s and early ’70s consumer photography. My reasoning behind this was to allow the hues and tones of the image to tell a story almost of their own, instantly drawing the viewer into a place of memory and recollection.
My initial application was a series of photos captured while out for a day of fishing with my father and uncle. I wanted to tell a story of their relationship — years of memories and experiences with stories shared and laughed about throughout the day; a bond forged stronger through the loss of close family members over the last half a decade; and a love only two brothers could share.
Most of the day’s catch. Never caught my limit before, but, as they continually lower the limit, it just gets easier.
Ever since I was a kid (or youngin, for those of you south of the Mason Dixon line), the first day of trout has been our one consistent tradition year after year. Come Hell, high water, or ridiculous price increases in fishing licenses, each opening day you could find my father, uncle, and I sitting in the chilly morning air waiting for the magical moment we could finally cast our lines into the water. Our crew would vary from year to year, for a while including my brother and sometimes other family members, but, for the most part, it’s just been us.
Some years were a bust. Some years we were shivering, wet, and cold. But, then there’s times like yesterday when everything comes together for a perfect day of fishing. The weather was perfect and sunny (so much so that I fried half my face), the farm-raised fish that they dump into our favorite fishing hole were biting like crazy, and it was by far one of the most relaxing days of sitting along the bank that I have probably ever had.
But, it’s not all about great fishing and good weather. Five, ten years from now I won’t be able to tell you what the weather was like or how many fish I caught. I won’t be able to tell you what food my uncle stocked in his cooler. It’s the times I’ve shared with the ones I love and the memories we have made which will last a lifetime. Whether it’s the stories we’ve shared whilst sitting with our rods dangling over the water, the laughs we still have a decade later at the drunk guy who nearly fell into the water while trying to over-feed the fish because he was pissed at us, or our yearly tradition of urinating down through the beams of the old covered bridge and into the creek with fishermen on either side of the water, each moment is cherished. Someday our loved ones will no longer be here, but the memories of the times we’ve shared will live on forever.
Had a lot of fun on a family and maternity shoot over the weekend! With one adorable child running around already, this beautiful couple is anxiously anticipating the arrival of their second this summer.
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Cuteness: apparently available in all shapes and sizes. (Philadelphia Zoo, courtesy of moi)
Yes, those of you who know me are probably scratching your skulls like our primate ancestors of eons past, but, no, I haven’t crossed over to the dark side, found a heart, or been bought off by PETA (those bastards). I still reserve the same feelings for animals.
However, sifakas, and their cousins the lemur (all part of the primate family, so we’re all kinda connected), are some rather comical, energetic, and fairly handsome creatures. I have cajoled my wife for years about one day bringing an ape or monkey into our home to live among us as it rather darn should, but, upon meeting this friendly chap (I named him Doug), I changed my mind.
I have since, much to my disappointment, learned that sifakas are not known for their spontaneous flinging of poo, a must-have for all indoor-inhabitting primates, so we’re back to drawing board with Dunston.
Yesterday morning, my brother and I headed out on what was supposed to be a 15-mile canoe and kayak journey, I with high hopes of capturing some photography along the way. (See…it’s called dedication — even when I’m completely soaked while paddling in the middle of nowhere through a chilly downpour, I’m still looking for photo ops! Or, maybe it’s just insanity…) Despite the cool weather, cold water, and rain, the swift current and great rapids would have made for an awesome journey…had my brother’s craft been a little less faulty. This, my friends, is the final outcome.
- And, on the slightly-less-apocalyptic side… http://t.co/HIX9KpOF
- Great shot by Von Wong Photography while hanging out with our friend Udi Tirosh from http://t.co/mqMuJB1U (where… http://t.co/t0lWiGlf
- (finish the statement) “When searching for a photographer, I look for…
- my photography + your Facebook profileThe introduction of the new Facebook Timeline has brought a wealth of… http://t.co/lWrDNYk5
- Tell me what to shoot:Yes, you read that correctly, and, no, it’s not part of some greater dominatrix fantasy… http://t.co/OvkXl922
