The Groomsman Dancing a Jig at the Reception

When I shoot receptions my typical approach is to set up a couple of strobes around the dance floor and one on my camera. Nikon’s strobes are smart enough that I can trigger them wirelessly from the on camera flash. I kill all the ambient light and let the on camera strobe light the subject and position myself so the subject is between me and the remote strobes I’ve set up around the room. The remote strobes supply a bit of fill in the back ground and add a rad rim light as well as if they hit the aperture blades on my lens just right, a star burst look in the background.

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The new portfolio is done, click HERE I would love some feedback.

So if you are here because you are looking for a photographer for your wedding, or portraits please excuse the mess.

Along with the blog and portfolio my own personal shooting style continues to evolve….

Among the many metaphors for life the most persistent are the traveling metaphors. “I came to a fork in the road and chose the one less traveled…” and so on. I’ve been planning my own wedding for a few months now. The hardest part has been finding a photographer. Never before had I sat down and really looked at the legion of wedding photographers in our area. If you are reading this then you are likely in the midst of that same discouraging search and know exactly how bewildering that can be. A bride contacted me the other day about her wedding, which happened to be on the same day as mine so obviously I was not available. In her email she wrote that every photographers pictures all looked the same. The only difference was in the cost.
On top of that I’ve been shooting a lot of personal work, trying to figure out who I am behind the camera. Shooting a lot of film on my old, fully manual Nikons and loving the simplicity of it. You look for the light. You wait for that moment to happen. You make the image and live with the result.
And, and I’ve completely stopped looking at any other wedding photography. I felt like it was polluting my personal vision with ideas about how a wedding should be photographed. I just thought one day “I don’t like looking at wedding photography. I do like looking at this other stuff. I’m going to photograph what I like regardless of the subject matter.”

Back to the metaphor. Hokey as it sounds, I’m on a photographic journey and part of that journey is bringing my personal shooting style to the front when I’m getting paid to shoot. I think, well, to be honest I fear it will lead to far fewer bookings. I know it won’t appeal to folks who want images like what they find in bridal magazines and on the blogs. But it will, I’m confident, lead to better images.

The other result of all this is I’ve realized that I would much rather shoot an event or wedding or some portraits for what ever someone can afford, given the subject matter is compelling enough, than to miss out on an opportunity to express myself photographically just because someone can’t afford me. I have my rates. They are right there under the “rates” tab. If someone has the budget for those rates then I’ll trust them to be honest and pay those rates. If they don’t I hope they won’t be discouraged and hire someone else less capable only because they are “cheap.”

We have a winner from our “I shoot your wedding, you pay $0 story telling contest.” The winner has been contacted. More details to follow. The goal of which is two fold; one to offer wedding photography to a couple who would ordinarily have to settle for some hack, and to add to the portfolio a wedding that gets closer to how I want to cover weddings.

I’m currently on the search for a couple who are interested in something a little different for their wedding. If you are up for it I would love to photograph your wedding entirely with a Holga (google it). It isn’t for everyone for certain but I think the right couple will love it.

I’m also working on developing a rates structure for a pure documentary style coverage in film. Just me, a 24mm and a 50mm. No formals. Right now the way I picture it the getting ready and reception will be shot with Tri-x and the ceremony in the new Portra 400 (LOVE LOVE LOVE that film). Again this is a step towards bringing my commercial work in line with my personal shooting style. I expect fewer bookings but tons more fun. As it’s falling out a wedding would likely cost me about $500 to shoot. Of course I will charge a commission on top of that.

I’m also working on a couple of personal projects that I’m very excited about that will find themselves in at least one self published books. While speaking of books, I’m culling images for book to leave with vendors who might be inclined to refer me. It’ll be like a wedding album… but not so much. I’m thinking soft cover. And the layout won’t be anything like a wedding album. More of a showcase that says “hey, this is how I shoot. you know you like it. please book me.”

All this talk about personal work and personal shooting style reminds me. I have a little personal blog with some images that are directly from the heart. Check it out: a light tight box/ if you like what you see and you want that for your wedding or portraits let me know. I’ll do a little dance and do everything I can to book you right then and there.

Now, just because this is a photography blog here are some recent images…

I have a camera (err, well several).

When I’m shooting I get lost in a world of light and form. This is good.

Since going into the commercial realm I’ve had many outlets and some great subjects. All that shooting, all those click, click, clicks of the shutter have been a process. An evolution. Every time I pick up my camera I move farther along the path of realizing my own personal vision of the world and who I am behind the lens.

Over Christmas Becky and I were in Turlock and my soon to be nephew, Ian, and I were out playing on the farm. Well, he was playing and I was was watching. I wasn’t getting paid to shoot. No one had any expectations for the images. It was just me, my Nikon, a roll of Portra, and this little boy being himself.

” Art teaches us what it is to be human”

To which I say amen. That is why I photograph. That is why I pursue images with people. I’ve never enjoyed shooting landscapes or abstracts. But if you put a person in the frame in front of my eye my heart thumps in my chest.

I work hardest not at the technically “good” image, but rather at getting to know the people I photograph. I love the consults I have with brides and grooms. I get to know them and their story.

I studied (among other things) Anthropology in college but fell short of ever exploring another culture. So maybe I’m a frustrated anthropologist, my camera being my way of studying people.

Henri Cartier Bresson said the hardest thing was to get his camera between the shirt and the skin of the person he was photographing.

Maybe so.

I also think it is the point. To get not only between their shirt and skin, but under the skin and into their world and then reveal the captivating uniqueness of the person I’m photographing.

That’s why I shoot weddings and portraits. Because of this need to know and understand. When I’ve captured it in an image I think somewhere in my head I feel I’m contributing to the world body of knowledge of humanity.

Doing my part to learn and share what it is to be human.

(thanks to Kirk for the quote)

For Jen and Alex I developed a post production that mimicked some one of my favorite black and white films I shoot with when shooting street photography. Following are a few images as a result of that process.

The point is I read a lot. I don’t know. Maybe I’m trying to make up for all the goofing off I did at KU.

When you read as much as I do you are bound to come across a ton of stinkers – or as a friend calls them “steamers” as in steaming piles of ….

So when I find a book that really resonates I slow down and bore into it. And I love that. I love finding a book, or any creative work really that I resonate with – that makes me think “me and that guy/girl could be pals. I bet we even like the same beer.”

Matthew B. Crawfords “Shop Class as Soul Craft: an inquiry into the value of work” is one of those books.

I haven’t always been a photographer, but I have always been in the trades in one form or another. I’ve always felt like there are two ways to approach the trades. There are the guys (sorry, they are mostly guys) who don’t see it as a vocation and feel no fidelityto the work (Crawfords word) and there are those who do. I’ve never been the best tradesmen. I’m not the worst by far but there are some real masters that I’ve met and worked with over the years that have a kind of Zen Master-Obi Wan mastery over their particular specialty that at times can make you feel like a rank beginner. Crawford writes about the value of the trades and our need to return to teaching them as a valuable soul-crafting endeavor. Ever more so in todays out sourcing, pseudo-do-it-your-self-er times.

One of the concepts he talks about that I have believed for a long time but have never really been able to articulate is that of fidelity. In context he is talking about fidelity to the bike he is working on and fidelity to the customer who brought it to him for repair. He shares his struggle with wanting needing to do justice to the machine itself and repair it to it’s former glory Vs. his fidelity to not run up the customers bill and yet still do right by his customer.

What has this to do with photography? Everything.

When I’m out on a shoot my two fidelities if you will are to the image. I’m a photographer. I watch and plan and prepare all for what Henri Cartier-Bresson called the “decisive moment.” That moment that is so rare that arises and disappears quickly but that if you are attentive and prepared you can capture in the opening of the shutter. It is the moment in time that is essential to telling the story, expressing the idea, creating an image that resonates with the viewer. But there is also a fidelity I feel to my clients. I feeling that everyone deserves the best images yet not everyone can afford a photographer who can capture those images and tell their story. Which leads to a struggle with my fidelity between my art and craft as a photographer and my business as a photographer who has rent to pay.

I haven’t yet figured out how to bring those two fidelities closer into alignment.

Anyway. When I get all gummed up thinking about these things I find that going out with my camera and walking the streets hunting for images for no other reason than to make images helps to clear my head. Which is good because as a photographer you have to constantly be working on your craft, as well as shooting “just for yourself.” Doing so results in a further perfecting of your abilities, which should be a no brainer for anyone who considers them self a “pro.” There is nothing like just doing your art that reconnects you with your own true self especially if you’ve been doing to much thinking about the art. Or as Yoda would say “there is no try, only do.” Or something like that.

Following are a few images I found while on one of these little excursions. The first two are from today. The last is from a few weeks ago when I wandered into the local flea market with a 50 year old Rollei TLR film camera.

I can’t say that after finding these images I got any further along the path of reconciling those tensions I wrote about above. However, I can say that in finding them I also found a deep soul level satisfaction. And in the end that is why I’m a photographer anyway.

Hope you enjoyed the images,
Mike

*Until I got a huge fine and they wouldn’t let me back in.
**Highly Recomended

But as good as 2009 was 2010 holds even more promise. I’ve got several inquiries and a couple of consultations to set up for weddings this year, and a birthday party needing a photobooth on the schedule.

Speaking of photobooths, we brought in 2010 with an impromptu photobooth at Peter and Jana’s Roller Skating Capes and Bling NYE party.

All the images are up on Facebook, but Facebook wrecks images so I wanted to post a few here.

This is the opener, the guest of honor Ryan

What I love about the photobooth is it lets everyone get into the act. All night whole families came over and got what amounts to mini family portrait shoot. I would do 3 -4 shots of each group. One “normal” and then coach them to be a little more – uh not-so-stick-up-your-butt like. Which isn’t all that hard in this case considering the context (hello, capes AND bling) and who the party goers where.

Case in point, check out these sets:

Another thing I love about the photobooth is I have absolute control over the light. Place the subject, pose and compose. Super rad.

The more willing people are to get a little wacky the better the images – which is why this would be great at a wedding or a party with an open bar. Or in this case a party with my friends who are all just a little off anyway.

For you technique geeks I set up two SB 600s 8ft up on stands, with diffusers on the heads fired through shoot through umbrellas. They are at about a 45 degree angle to the backdrop. Triggered by an SB 800 on camera (hint:set it to — so it won’t ad to the exposure). They are at full power (didn’t complain a bit and I didn’t have a single misfire, you will want to give em a brake every 2 – 3 shots but you will need to talk and compose people anyway so it works out). I shot at 1/40 at 5.6 with a 17mm lens, hand held. The backdrop is a 10x seamless gaffer taped to the wall on one side and clamped to a light stand on the other.

But then, this year I got an email from Brit’s boyfriend telling me how he doesn’t have any money but he wants to gift a senior portrait shoot to his girlfriend. Oh and one more thing, she hates to have her picture taken.

Wow, ok great sign me up! Who wouldn’t jump at a chance to do a particular kind of shoot that they despise of a person who hates being photographed for almost no money.

But I’m a big softy so I booked the shoot.

We met just before the shoot and talked about how the shoot would work and what Brit was looking for blah blah blah.

So I did my standard thing. First we got the safe-lets-make-grandma-happy just like every other photographers work kind of shots. So of course Brit was uncomfortable and I was bored and the images looked, well, great by most standards but I hated them. They weren’t my style and that was just not acceptable.

So we switched wardrobes (well Brit did) and locations. I explained to Brit that now that we have the standard stuff done with we can play around and what ever we get is bonus. Right away she relaxed a bit. Then her boyfriend showed up and sparks flew.

This first shot is my go-to portrait/headshot set up. One speed light, hand held, working with the Sun, hard light.

Then we got her love interest involved ala American Gothic:

Same set up as the first image only going wide angle up close (something else I love).

I have no problem using props. I love to use old cameras to shoot with and if I can’t get ‘em working again they make great props.

So yeah, I learned two things.

First, don’t make assumptions about inquiries. Of all the horror stories other photographers tell about low budget shoots that are always a PITA it has yet to happen to me. Every time I choose to help someone out photography wise I’ve always been rewarded in the image department. It don’t pay the rent but it does feed the soul.

Second, just because other people manage to turn a certain kind of shoot into boring ass cliche images doesn’t mean I have to. Which means I’m not only open but stoked to shoot senior portraits.

Technical: two sb 600′s on stands camera left and right at 45 degree angles, one sb 800 on a stand pointed at the group, one sb 800 on camera as the master flash. all fired at about 1/4 power, ambient dropped 2 stops.

I have always known, and believed it to be an asset that the personality of the person or people I’m photographing influence how I photograph them. I am after all really a story teller, I just happen to use images to tell stories. So it would make sense that each story I tell is a little different from the rest by virtue of the difference in the subject. The only commonality being my eyes that the story is filtered through.

But I never realized that when I sit down to edit images that process is also influenced by the subject, or main characters if you will. While editing I am constantly asking myself is this who they really are? Which images really reflect who they are? What I wasn’t aware of was that even the music I listen to while editing seems to match the mood of the couple, the shoot, etc.

For example, a couple of weeks ago I photographed a wedding for a young couple (Mitch and Steph) who are both very hip but not “Hipsters” by any means. They are also genuine Minnesotans, and also have a streak of old school class about them. Of course this came out in the images. When editing I listened to a lot of Bon Iver and Martin Sexton.

This current wedding (Amorina and Ray) are completely different people. From the style of the wedding, the location, to they way they approached the wedding day was all a reflection of who they are. So what am I listening to? A bit of Iron and Wine with a heavy mix of Over the Rhine. Why? I guess because the wedding had a more simple, Americana feel to it. So what kind of images did I create? Right now they remind me a lot of a documentary style shoot you might find in Time or National Geographic. (Please pardon the hubris involved in comparing my work to the stuff you would find in Time and Nat Geo). If I had to title the work it would be “One day in America.”

The point in all of this is that more and more I’m growing into my role as a story teller, a visual poet. Shooting a wedding or shooting a street performer isn’t just about capturing an image, it’s an effort in story telling. From the camera work to the post production the whole process is really a photo essay.