cline-design

a few quick looks at Bal-Mataan

2011-01-25T10:58:00.000-08:00

brain to fried to write. we are back in the city safe and sound after an amazing visit. enjoy the pics - look forward to your thoughts...

BalMataan - Images by brent cline

East Africa Travel / the Orphanage

2011-01-20T20:58:00.000-08:00

sorry for the long post - i'll just let the images speak today... i hope they communicate how powerful our time with the children was. the next post will be in 4-5 days. there will be no access out in the village so we'll catch up in a few when we return to the city. THANK YOU for all your prayers and support.

more images here:
East Africa - Images by brent cline

http://giving.photoshelter.com/gallery/East-Africa/G0000T_7..80nU7U

East Africa Travel and Arrival

2011-01-19T20:34:00.000-08:00

after 30 something hours of travel we made it to our room, and more importantly BEDS...

the travel days were amazing. our room arrangements in dubai fell through in such a way that we were afforded the opportunity to see much of the city - a fantastic bonus. we arrived in east africa and treated to an amazing 3 hour ride through the desert our first city. we had quite a special meal of local food such as goat, camel (meat and milk) a banana bread pudding, and an unidentified ocean fish, which was my favorite. we then haggled for blankets (for our time in the village) and spent much of the afternoon in the market which seen to take up much of downtown. we ended the day with a special meal of dumplings and other local flavors at our host's home. the people here are vibrant and beautiful. Phillip and i had a very insightful conversation with a local on the plane from dubai... Ahamed really stole my heart.

i'm sure he was the first of many in this country to do so...

the ADDY AWARDS

2011-01-15T04:46:00.000-08:00

These are the shots I entered from last year - anybody want to guess which one if any wins?

cheers!

Should I work for FREE?

2011-01-13T05:22:00.000-08:00

Jessica @ jessicahische.com came up with this clever little graph to help answer the question that seems to be on everyone's mind these days - it's too good not to share.

cheers!

click on the graph for a larger version.

test

2011-01-12T05:56:00.001-08:00

testing mobile blogging...

SNOW DAY = a little unexpected break with the kids.

2011-01-11T11:48:00.000-08:00

the Last Week

2010-12-18T10:30:00.000-08:00

Plantations, Hunters, Bank Execs, Products, Realtors®, Agencies, Charities... i'm going to sleep now.

28MP Mamiya RZ67 w Aptus II-6 Back v/s 12.1MP Nikon D3s

2010-11-07T05:57:00.000-08:00

With all the hoopla about Mega Pixels and and such I thought it would be interesting to compare my two favorite cameras and see what you get with more than 2X the file size and money. Now, admittedly this is NOT a scientific experiment by any stretch. This is merely and afterthought as I was editing files from Gina Swanson's MUA Portfolio shoot. I shot basically the same setup with both cameras and the difference or similarity in quality might surprise you. Quality aside, these are two different systems and I shoot each or entirely different reasons. Anyone who knows me, ( both of you that read the blog : ) knows that I love the mamiya and prefer it hands down in the studio. That said, the D3s is a phenomenal camera and in my opinion is unmatched in it's quality and capability in the 35mm format. enuff rambling - here are some screen caps of100% crops in Capture One... which I've been working in lately... more on that nightmarish transition later.

These are screen captures of RAW files. no corrections have been done yet.

Mamyia RZ67-Leaf Aptus II-6 Back 100% Crop in Capture One


Nikon D3s 100% Crop in Capture One. See in the thumbs where I took the grid off and forgot to stop down.

Mamiya again - The Crops aren't exact but I still think the results are interesting

Nikon D3s

Remember those Epson Ads about eye color and contacts...

Another Image from the Mamiya

Alright - A little 200% Mamiya in Lightroom look just for fun.

and of course the "behind the scenes" iPhone pic of the setup

911

2010-11-06T10:57:00.000-07:00

"
911 - Images by brent cline

a little slide show of the progress on the grey car v 2.0 - in case you were wondering. cheers.

A Weekend with my Buddy

2010-11-06T07:40:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago my son and I spent the weekend with my brother in Charleston SC. Here are a few snapshots from the road trip.

GOODTIMES!

b...

Roll-O-Rama

2010-10-15T07:47:00.000-07:00

Cosmic Bowling

Mayor Deke in the spotlight

I blame my poor performance on the UFOs

Frank Anderson and Mayor Deke

the wierhouse team

my trophy for worst average score of the tourney

Mr. Al Dallas

Sometimes work is play. I spent Thursday afternoon supporting two clients at the inaugural RBW Logistics Roll-O-Rama. There was some major industry represented in the teams and the competition was fierce. On a unrelated note the hot dogs at the Bunswick bowling alley are amazing.

Even Mayor Deke showed up to roll a few frames... Kudos to RBW for hosting - GOODTIMES.

cheers!

one hundred comissions

2010-10-10T18:47:00.000-07:00

so... i was commissioned to produce the artwork for a tapas bar in aiken, sc. the images above will hang on a main wall (40" x 80") along with half a dozen or so other images. pretty excited about it - if you stop by one hundred laurens to see i'd love to hear your thoughts.

cheers!

A few favs

2010-10-10T06:46:00.001-07:00

"
Portfolio - Images by brent cline

Shooting a Bear in the Woods.

2010-10-10T06:42:00.000-07:00

a few outtakes from the Lionel Smith LTD shoot. Big thanks to Bear Shelton, fantastic job my friend.

2010-01-03T11:10:00.000-08:00

NEW YEAR - NEW CLIENTS - NEW FUN

guess i took most of the holidays off from blogging although i was very busy shooting through the end of 2009. lots of exciting things in store for 2010 starting with my first photo class on January 9th, Portfolio Workshop with Kenny Kim and Ray Santana, and of course the year long documentary project continues through the end of the year.

on the personal work front, i've started a 365 project as an exercise where i shoot or upload one image taken with my old RZ67 every day for the next year.

hopefully i'll be taking the blog in a slightly new direction as well...

it is going to be a great year -

CHEERS.

the SOUTH (and other randum thoughts)

2009-11-26T04:21:00.000-08:00

HAPPY THANKSGIVING.

honestly, thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. low on expectations, low on commercial intrusion (cause they've already moved on to christmas)... it just feels more focused on the things that matter like family, food, and feeling grateful for all our tremendous blessings. in a few minutes the kids and i will cross the road and hike through hitchcock woods to the memorial gate. there we will enjoy one of aiken's wonderful traditions. the "blessing of the hounds" occurs before the aiken hounds annual thanksgiving hunt -

from aikenhounds.com:

The Aiken Hounds' Opening Meet and Blessing of the Hounds is held on Thanksgiving Day at Memorial Gate in the Hitchcock Woods. Father Garrett Clanton of All Saints Anglican Church will officiate. The public is most welcome to attend, but please do not bring your own dogs to the Blessing.

i'll most likely have a post of the images from this morning early this week.

THE ABOVE IMAGE: is an outtake from a recent photoshoot. it really illustrates much of what i appreciate about the south. i am thankful for family, warm sun, large established oaks, spiritual foundation, tradition, and laughter. we have a special brand of these things here in the south that feels substantial, genuine and comforting. i love to travel all over the world when i can and appreciate and try to dissolve in every different culture and community i have the pleasure of visiting. i believe much of my desire and comfort with losing myself elsewhere in the world comes from my strong sense of place and comfort when i am HOME. for that and many other things... and i am truly thankful for my FAMILY and my HOME.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING again.

the EXEC

2009-11-21T15:02:00.001-08:00

i read an old article in PDN about executive portraits done when the photog was told - "you've got ten minutes." this wasn't exactly that kinda job, but imagine it was a similar challenge. the senior vice president of Christie’s Great Estates who oversees the Christie’s Great Estates exclusive affiliate relationships for the finest real estate brokerage companies in the Southeast, caribbean and latin america needed a more casual executive portrait done while in charleston touring billion dollar properties. SO - in a pretty well appointed, yet way too busy hotel we had to work with little lights and less time. one SB-900 and a lumiquest box on on of those ultra light bogen stands and we were set up to get a couple simple portraits done.

maybe it was joe mcnally that said sometimes you make light more interesting by not lighting everything - greatt advice to lean on when you gotta do it quick with the gear you can carry on your back up several flights of stairs... nope, the strobes weren't making that trip.

look forward to your thoughts on the shoots. THX for stopping by,

cheers.

2009-11-18T19:50:00.000-08:00

sepia polo and equestrian images of aiken - Images by brent cline

a few images from my favorite pastime with my kids. we spend many sundays at the oldest continuously used polo field in the country... which happens to be in our small town. these are also available as prints for anyone interested. just saying.

cheers.

the CLASSIC CARS

2009-11-01T08:35:00.001-08:00

spent a great day helping SEIGLER HD (the owners of 613 atomic studios) film an episode of DENNIS GAGE's "MY CLASSIC CAR." it was a beautiful day in SAVANNAH, GA and we saw so many interesting cars - everything from a PINTO powered race car to a chevy powered FERRARI. DENNIS GAGE is one of the nicest people... and THE BEST person to "TALK CARS" with i've ever met. For those who may be tempted to ask: DENNIS GAGE has allegedly had his mustache from birth AND his favorite car is the one with 4 wheels and a internal combustion engine. ALTHOUGH, it turns out DENNIS also has quite a passion for motorcycles - especially BMWs. JASON and DENNIS had a rather spirited conversation about each others BMW motorcycle collections.

speaking of JASON, he was rockin' that f1.8 4.5-59 wide angle on the HD Panasonic... which was a ridiculously wide shot which is really useful for filming car interiors and long car walk -rounds.

it was a great day and a real privilege to see how my son's fav channel (SPEED TV) gets to business filming a show. look out for the episode early 2010.

check out more images from the day here:
My Classic Car SlideShow

cheers,

PS: i must say, watching those PORSCHE CAYMANS blast around that track gave me a new respect for the "hard-top boxter."

the FIRMANS

2009-10-11T20:03:00.000-07:00

good times with with dave and corrie firman at their wedding. nothing more fun than a rock-and-roll couple.

cheers.

the CLINIC

2009-09-29T17:41:00.000-07:00

140 - turn into a facebook entry - turns into a blog post...

spent an eye opening evening with the good people at the community clinic. had a great visit with shirley brown and dr. mike vasovski watching them care for those people who need a little help getting back on their feet because of an illness during these challenging economic times. did you know that little clinic has given out almost A MILLION dollars worth of free medication. that my friends is not washington politics... that is getting the work done. good people GREAT JOB - look for more as we try to raise awareness for these incredible servants.

peace -

the FOOD

2009-09-19T05:38:00.000-07:00

i love the trend in food photography where we now shoot food you can actually eat. i'd be guaranteed to gain 15lbs after a VERA VERY shoot except that there is so much energy in that company. VERA STEWART is such a great client with her culinary talent, unstoppable work ethic and incredible energy. it's no wonder her incredible products have made OPRAH's "O" list and are carried by NEIMAN MARCUS, SAKS, and others.

check out VERYVERA.com

taste and see, it is all VERY VERA good!

PS:
set up on this shoot stole a page from chase's blog about making subtle light:
http://blog.chasejarvis.com/blog/2009/08/making-subtle-light.html
a great read for dealing with that particular challenge. i suspended the disc between the food and strobe on camera right to balance the rim light which is popular with food photography.

cheers.

the HELP-PORTRAIT

2009-09-08T17:57:00.000-07:00

The creation of photographer Jeremy Cowart, Help Portrait is a movement of photographers who are using their time, equipment and expertise to give back to those who are less fortunate this holiday season.

CHECK OUT: http://www.help-portrait.com/#2

i also appreciate Vincent Laforet's take on the project http://blog.vincentlaforet.com/2009/09/04/help-portrait/

not sure i can add anything further to Jeremy's explanation but i would like to work on this project with any local photographers, makeup artists, web designers, videographers or whoever is interested in joining in this nationwide project. i believe it is a wonderful opportunity to serve a community of individuals.

anybody up for discussing a CRSA answer to Help-Portrait shoot me any email at clinedsgn@mac.com.

cheers.

the WEDDING

2009-08-22T11:45:00.000-07:00

so, i shot my first wedding as a "pro" for a long time friend and client. it was a small intimate affair that i shot with fellow photographer nicky motto. i can't begin to express what a real honor it was to help the couple capture this moment in their lives. the brides daughter officiated the ceremony which added to the sense that i had been invited into a very special family moment. that impression increased both the gravity and honor as i focused on photographing the moments i hoped would best capture the meaning and spirit of the day.

all that said - one of my favorite shots of the day was the one of a lady sitting at a table one moment after her date had stood up to hit the buffet again. i shared it on facebook and twitter to get people's impressions... the responses would have indicated anything but a wedding - in most cases the antithesis. gave me an interesting lesson on "capturing" an event versus a feeling or emotion.

my hat remains off to full time wedding photographers - it's extremely fun and demanding work.
greatest irony of day was the fact that the bride kept saying to me - "you don't REALLY want to be a wedding photographer do you?"

well deborah if they were all as special as yours - i'd be honored to be one!

cheers!

the SHOT BEFORE THE STORM

2009-08-12T10:59:00.001-07:00

squeezed this shot (for an upcoming real-estate ad) in before the weather moved in this morning... i just love it. over 14 years ago, david stinson was probably my first client in this business. he's been a fantastic friend and client ever since.

cheers.

the CUTEST GIRL

2009-08-10T18:52:00.001-07:00

outtake from today's shoot - phoebe was the greatest little model... could not help sharing a quick setup shot of her scene.

cheers.

cheers.

the NOT SO LAZY BOYS

2009-08-10T11:24:00.000-07:00

i had the pleasure of documenting LAZY BOY's gift to AUGUSTA URBAN MINISTRY for LAZY BOY's P.R. firm. LAZY BOY donates furniture it receives through its trade in sales to the AUGUSTA URBAN MINISTRY for its work with families in our area. the youth from a local mentor program came to help unload the tractor trailer full of furniture. GREAT CAUSE and a wonderful way to spend a morning.

more here: http://chronicle.augusta.com/stories/2009/07/23/ric_541653.shtml

cheers.

the LESSON

2009-08-09T15:52:00.000-07:00

teaching about blogging.

the KINDRED SPIRIT

2009-08-08T05:47:00.001-07:00

about 2 miles or so up the beach from our place is a NC nature preserve named "bird island" for years it was separated from sunset beach by a shallow inland waterway which meant you could only wade there during low tide. in 1997 a storm filled in the waterway leaving "bird island" an easy walk down the beach at anytime of the day... i'm sure this has somewhat discouraged the nude "naturalist" that used to enjoy that end of the island. three things catch your eye as a notable departure from the otherwise pristine nature setting, an AMERICAN FLAG, a BENCH and a MAILBOX.this is the mailbox for the "KINDRED SPIRIT." for at least a couple decades... maybe more, people have read or written messages to the kindred spirit via this humble mailbox partially hidden in the dunes of BIRD ISLAND. nobody can quite explain exactly who or what the KINDRED SPIRIT is - but to try is probably missing the point. it really doesn't matter who i think others think they are writing to in that mailbox - it only matters who I think i'm writing to - if anybody. sabrina, the babies and i walked down to visit bird island yesterday. it is truly a beautiful area. i sat on the bench and watched sabrina and the kids splash and play for a considerable time while i read a few entries written to the KINDRED SPIRIT. some notes were half a page and some several pages. there were request and petitions for help in these times, there were also references to the beauty and solace of this preserve. it was peacefully and refreshing to sit in that place.

after finally deciding (like many others) my "kindred spirit" would be GOD as i have know personally from my youth and leaned on for strength and creativity and peace, i walked back to the mailbox to add my own note...

08/07/09

THANK YOU.

brent...

the SUNSET

2009-08-04T14:54:00.001-07:00

on vacation - means i don't have to write... but i still shoot. running around sunset beach, nc with my old D200 and a SB-600 half the day then and old RB67 with a polaroid back for fun other times. love the minimalist approach even tho i filled the back of the jeep with cameras a light i might not even unload - we'll see. another medical shoot when i get back on monday - spent some time brainstorming last night. now that i have a plan i'm really looking forwardt to the shoot. but first - spending time with jack and brenda for a couple days and then looking forward to dinner with my aunt and uncle saturday night. good times.

cheers,

the 50mm

2009-07-30T06:58:00.001-07:00

the 50mm is one of a photographers favorite lenses. ZOE LAURENT http://zoelaurent.wordpress.com from BERLIN ask me about purchasing a 50mm 1.8 versus the 50mm 1.4 recently. since i have both lenses, i thought i'd do a quick test because the .4 difference can add an additional $200 + dollars to the equation. the results of my quick, non-scientific, real-worldish test were closer than i expected. ALTHOUGH having used both lenses i can tell you the f1.4 is faster and will give you an extra stop in low light situations that can sometimes be the difference between getting the shot losing it in the shadows.

THX for asking ZOE - hope this helps.

cheers,

the WILD SIDE

2009-07-14T20:01:00.000-07:00

you know... you never know what is going to show up at the studio to have its picture made.
i just had to show you this thing.

so not all shoots and rockstars and models... okay - most of them aren't. but they are all exciting in their own way. take this beast for instance. i was pretty sure it was going to attack if i continued to refer to it as a "golf car." actually pretty impressive process they use to transfer the camo onto the body of what would formally have been called a golf car.

rest of the week promises to be a exciting blur - shooting all day wed and thursday before meetings in charleston friday.

good times.

the LUNDY band

2009-07-13T09:08:00.000-07:00

good times at BLUE in the vista sunday. had a down and dirty shoot with LUNDY prior to their new album release next month. we met a BLUE so i could watch them cover a few songs and get a feel for the band. our indoor location didn't work out so we quickly scoped out a couple outside locations and got straight to work as we were loosing light fast. it was a rockstar photoshoot complete with altercation with a rent-a-police officer, who i'm sure got lucky last night recalling his feat of heroism running off us hoodlums. i didn't bring the vagabond so the bees stayed stowed and the speedlights got a pretty intense workout as the light fell. i actually overheated the SB-900 twice which is why i still prefer the SB-800s. donnie (the guitarist) has a beautiful 1968 triumph replica that we used for a prop. the first location shoot almost entirely with the RZ67 and 75mm SB lens with the tilt/shift adapter. the alley shoots were with the D3 and the 70-200 f2.8. because we were working fast and i didn't have time to trouble shoot nikon CLS, i triggered the speedlights with cybersyncs. i promise i'll buy PW's the 1st time the cybersyncs fail - but they never fail... i love 'em. for a couple shoots we hung a SB-800 in front of the headlight of the bike for the kicker. i could tell you more about the music on the new album... but i'm sworn to secrecy until next month when it hits (no pun) - you're going to love it - whoops.

PS: my back is starting to bitch to me about getting assistant.

cheers.

the TEACHER

2009-07-10T06:38:00.001-07:00

we are blessed in AIKEN, SC to have a wonderful public school system. with all the negative press the public school system seems to get nationally (probably rightfully), it is easy to forget that in our little city of AIKEN there is a national award winning, dedicated, creative and completely committed group of teachers that i feel lucky to send my daughter to learn from.

this year the TEACHER OF THE YEAR for AIKEN ELEMENTARY is: KRISTY SIRMANS!
we could never say THANK YOU enough to this dedicated group of professionals.

so THANK YOU MS SIRMANS, MS OSBORNE, MS PENCILLE, MS WHITEHURST, MS GREGORY, MS CLINE and all the other incredible teachers in this area who help help improve our community by investing so much in our children.

full disclosure: my mom retired after 28 years of service to the AIKEN COUNTY school system.

PS: any gramatical errors, misspellings or artistic license in this post should bare no reflection on the previously mentioned school system : )

cheers.

the HEART SPEAKS

2009-06-29T09:50:00.000-07:00

another campaign from the minds of WIERHOUSE, this time for UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL in AUGUSTA, GA. this is the kind of raw creativity you get when two major addy award winners team up to deliver a message. what i call the "LISTEN to YOUR HEART" campaign began running sunday in print and if you live in the CSRA you've probably seen the "I'VE GOT SOMETHING to SAY" billboards all over the CSRA. i've been looking for chance to push the ringlighting effect where it didn't look trendy and this campiagn provided the perfect vehicle for that style. look for more images from this campaign in print online and outdoor and pay attention... cause these ads are clever.

hope this doesn't cause problems on the home front... my wife works for another hospital :~?

cheers.

the TICE

2009-06-14T20:03:00.000-07:00

- worth a thousand words -

cheers.

the SWING OF THINGS

2009-06-13T14:37:00.000-07:00

getting back into the swing of things again. fantastic seems to be my new favorite word. looking forward to my conversation with celeb photog mike colón monday and what that could mean for GIVING™. FANTASTIC run/meeting with my business partner last thursday. back in the studio sunday with a very fun model from the 100 shoot and we start pre-production monday for another MEDICAL campaign shoot. it is going to be FANTASTIC - i love the campaign concept and ACTUALLY i love shooting in the medical setting. it reminds me of my college days working in the hospital... which is where i meet sabrina ; )

these are outakes from the Robyn&Cissie campaign which debuted (along with the grey car) in GARDEN&GUN's JUNE issue! this has been a really fun series, i look forward to seeing the reaction to the G&G ad.

cheers,

the GOOD LIFE still in motion

2009-06-08T14:43:00.000-07:00

StBarths II from Brent Cline on Vimeo

a little movie made from some of the 6000 or so still images i took in St.Barths (it is that beautiful)
set to the wonderfully ironic tune by INGRID MICHAELSON, you and i.

cheers,

the COMPAIGN

2009-06-05T09:20:00.000-07:00

BACK TO WORK -

great fun with the new campaign for wierhouse...
check it out @ greggivesback.com

cheers,

the GOOD LIFE

2009-06-03T08:38:00.001-07:00

more images from paradise - found the perfect song for a video if i ever get around to it : )

now it's back to work -

cheers.

the LOST EPISODE

2009-05-27T05:48:00.000-07:00

so our visit to SALINE was more like an episode of LOST. located behind an old saline mine and within view of a what looks like a bunker built by a russian millionaire, ANSE des GRANDE SALINE has no other buildings within view. it is completely isolated save this one little shack with a mattrese tied to the ceiling and a couple couches stacked on each other. on the opposite side of the rather large beack there is a trench that apparently feed ocean water to the saline mines. VERY "othersish" if you watch LOST at all. more LOST "clues" included a set of stacked rocks postioned north of a strange little rock "vodoo" doll. the adventure continues. TRAVELERS NOTE: the BEST waves for bodysurfing on ST BARTHS are at this beach. RARELY are there more than 50 people on the whole beach. TWO other people were there while we visited.

la PLAGE

2009-05-26T12:24:00.000-07:00

rounding out the first day on the warf in GUSTAVIA made for a perfect end to the first full day here. we ate wonderful french cuizine while WWF wrestleing play on the TVs in the bar. GOOD TIMES.

second day here on the island involved another rejuvenating hike over the ridge to several more CHIC beaches in the st john area of ST BARTHS. st john is the area where CHEZ ANDY's seemingly recession proof restaurant is located along with several local shops and a pharmacia. btw - LOVE some chez ANDY - sign out side reads... corked wine, warm beer and lousy food. so lousy we went back today for lunch and scored two pizzas to-go. so good.

we watched several airplanes takeoff and land from the beach. the runway literally ends on the beach, maybe 50 feet from the water. we are making dinner at the villa tonight - fresh tuna and lemoncello are definitely on the menu. in our downtime i've been playing with subtle HDR treatments and pushing exposures beyound normal bounds. i have also very much enjoyed the photography of local photog / publisher JEAN-PHILIPPE PITER in his publication "PURE saint-barth" he seems to have carved out a very nice niché for himself here in the carribean.

http://purestbarth.com/

cheers,

the ISLAND

2009-05-25T10:46:00.000-07:00

BONJOUR,

first off - this memorial day let me say how THANKFUL i am for my FATHER and FATHER-IN-LAW's service to our country and how blest i feel that they survived. my thoughts are with those who have felt the lose we remember today.

the first full day on ST BARTHS (in the french west indies) with great friends and clients DAVID STINSON and JOHN ABBOTT has been memorable. our home for the week overlooks ANSE DES CAYES with the sun spectacularly rising out of the bay. we spent most of the morning hiking to and enjoying the very isolated and quiet COLOMBIER beach (overlooked by an estate built by DAVID ROCKEFELLER). which was wonderful because i needed to work off the NEPUTUNE diner and PIZZA from chez ANDY last night. the NEPTUNE consist of a collection of fresh TUNA, SCALLOPS, SHRIMP, SALMON etc. and a hot plate delivered to your table whereyou proceed to cook it your specific taste - so FRESH and GREAT! let me also recomend sitting in the front seat of the small commuter to the island - the approach is fantastic. yesterday, we hear, a private plan missed the strip and went into the water - BIG NEWS on a small island. i'm going to try and capture some of these planes coming in later this week.

cheers,

the BLUE ANGELS

2009-05-17T08:40:00.001-07:00

Spent a beautiful saturday in BEAUFORT w my parents and my children watching an airshow. BUDDY and i took pictures next to a gentleman who said he had been photographing the BLUE ANGLES for 53 years. he described a shot he once captured of the two solo planes "nose to nose", which is pretty impressive considering the combined closing distance of the converging F-18's is 900 - 1200 mph depending on the maneuver. when i walked up w the D3 and f2.8 70-200 he commented that he liked my outfit - i said "thanks, i just got these shorts"...
we had allot of fun hanging out and talking about planes and cameras.

BTW - if photographing jets is your thing... the D3 is worth EVERY PENNY. i'm pretty sure my friend went out to buy one to replace his D100 after the show : )

if you follow me on FACEBOOK you know my dad wore the greatest airshow shirt ever... i actually bought it from LIONEL SMITH for father's day last year. it was a NAT NAST with a huge embroidered "Yankee Clipper" seaplane on the back.

sunday morning over coffee i had the wonderful pleasure of listening to JAC and BUDDY reenact the BLUE ANGELS performance with their models the GRANDPARENTS bought them.

it was a good weekend,

cheers.

the RULES

2009-05-08T08:17:00.001-07:00

sometimes i break them...

good mini vacation at my aunt and uncle's house in sunset beach, nc. i had wonderful time shoooting sabrina with my old D300 with a 50mm f1.4 and later shot some B/W film with my OLD OLD mamiya 100o. really did feel like a vacation. getting back into the swing of things this week - some exciting shoots coming up in the next few weeks.

cheers.

the KICPOCKET

2009-04-28T13:12:00.000-07:00

soon every soccer mom's kid in the country will have one of these... the KICPOCKET is about the coolest thing to hit soccer practice since the bicycle kick. when you kick the ball into the KICPOCKET it "traps" the ball in its fabric pocket and rolls it back to you - EVERY SINGLE TIME! KICPOCKET was invented by josh gaudin out of augusta, ga. now that eurosport has picked up the product i would imagine you'll start seeing them all over. i love being involved in small ways with truly innovative ideas and this is the most innovative sports product since my involvement in the early days of GAMEWEAR. in this shot we tried to convey dedication to practice by pushing into the evening tones while lighting the player and product with a large chimera softbox.

check out KICPOCKET - and get one before every other player on the block.

NEWS: http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS172440+17-Feb-2009+PRN20090217

BLOG: http://wierhouse.blogspot.com/2009/04/kicpocket-is-star.html

SITE: (under construction) http://www.kicpocket.com/

CHEERS!

the NEW DAY at the SYMPHONY

2009-04-27T07:58:00.000-07:00

couple quick outtakes from the AUGUSTA SYMPHONY shoot this weekend. the possibly under utilized location was an exquisite lakehouse owned by a board member of the SYMPHONY. i had the pleasure of shooting "Z" and seven of his core musicians saturday morning. Z, the SYMPHONY's first new musical director in 19 years, promises to breathe a renewed youthfulness and relevance to historic organization.

expect great things from Z and the AUGUSTA SYMPHONY,

cheers,

brent...

the OLD SCHOOL (random thoughts on photography)

2009-04-24T13:21:00.000-07:00

preface: i was a miserable printer, an adiquate designer... but i could could be a great photog...
if i only had a voice. (to the tune of the scarecrow's song in wiz of oz)

on a tip from chase jarvis, i've been been reading Doug Menuez's blog lately. MR MENUEZ has a knack for gut wrenching clarity and depth in his writing. ESP love the ZEN of FILM entry. i'm guilty of giving the "equipment" too much credit in the art of photography. that is probably the reason i've amassed an obscene amount of gear by most standards. BUT, it turns out photography is much like the saying we had when i used to race mountain bikes... "a two-thousand dollar bike doesn't make up for a two-dollar pair of legs." it is challenging to consider how approachable photography is as an art - if you plan to make a living as yet another of the thousands of photographers out there. when i first started getting paid to shoot my plan was to out-gun the competition. i would have the best equipment i could afford and certainly better than any local competition. part of that was my desire to have the BEST images quality available (a hold over sentiment from my days of scanning DAVID CROSBY's beautiful 4X5 film) and partly because i was trying to compensate for a lack of vision. i used to feel like i had to pull out enough "camera stuff" to justify my day rate. i'm like the antithesis of the wonderful story CROSBY used to tell of a photographer who showed up to a shoot for macy's (or something like that) with one little camera... when then kinda freaked out and ask about his equip - light and such - he replied - you hired because of my work, this is how a capture my work. i had no "look" and therefore felt obligated to own every consevable piece of equipment to capture WHATEVER a client my want. (that turn out to be an expensive cry for help) i've learned allot in my relatively short life as a professional photographer, i've hung out with college photography students and watched them capture images with their consumers level dslr's that quite frankly i wish i had shot - or even thought of shooting. i've also spent time with an amazing retired photographer who shot primarily beautiful 8X10 food shots, but then shot argueably the most influential campaign in advertising with 35mm. those die transfers hang in his studio now... no D3X, no AFS, no teathered QUAD CORE just RAW PHOTOGRAPHY. he always tells me, "don't get so caught up in the technical that you miss the image." the implied i guess is that you see "the image" in the first place. ZACK ARIAS always challenges people to find their "voice" as a photographer and not fall into the trap of becoming a "generalist." great idea - albeit easier said than done. my thought was always, do it all and you'll get more work. true - but as DOUG MENUEZ points out - you might also die a little inside (my paraphase). i've been there - that is why i'm no longer in printing. i play all the previous statements against the backdrop of my father's words... "whatever you decide to do with your life - be the BEST"

- SO WHAT does all that mean? -

it means this...

i embrace the fact that it feels a vacation to shoot polaroids with the olds RZs.
i love being in the middle of the action with a NIKON point into the sun.
i recognize that tight candid shots of faces make me smile.
i admit - that it is not the next piece of equipment i buy that makes me a better photographer - i need to shoot more with the equipment i have.
i recognized the extraordinary blessing it is to make a living with your creativity.
i consider it a complement when an A.D. says i have an almost irritating desire to be great.
i desire critique more than accolades

and I WILL DEVELOP MY OWN STYLE... and i appreciate any thing that pushed me in that direction.

GOD BLESS you if you worked your way through this tirade...

the AIKEN HORSE

2009-04-20T13:34:00.000-07:00

the AIKEN HORSE is our local "paper" about all things equestrian. in house photographer gary knoll does a phenomenal capturing many of the equestrian vignettes you see sprinkled in within any aikenites favorite source for all things equestrian. in the new economy it is good to see the good content and photography can still keep a publication strong. IMO publications are destined to fail when they exist primarily to sale - but when they become valuable source of info, entertainment, and culture and reflect this content through various forms of media then they have a real chance of survival. PRINT is DEAD... but i believe it will experience a rebirth in publications that never forget their true focus and commitment to quality content and imagery.

cheers -

the VEGAS

2009-04-20T08:07:00.000-07:00

you like - da vague ass?

i spent a few days working in vegas. i helped nick @wearthegame.com research printing options for his manufacturer in china. its always fun to dive into existing and emerging technologies and work out what technological fit is best to accomplish your ultimate goal. turns out, it is also fun to hang out at TAO for an evening. they have a yellowtail - jalapeno dish that really stands out. LL COOL J stopped by for an impromptu session. while talking to a lady about growing lettuce for all the McDonalds, nick somehow caught a shard of glass (from a shattered lamp 15 feet in the air) in his shirt pocket. surprised by the sudden presence of something in his shirt, nick proceeded to slice open his finger while retrieving the glass from his pocket. the next morning he was still pulling red glass from his hair. at the show the next day, i actually visited with jon cone who i studied with at cone editions in vermont more than 10 years ago.

BTW - FYI - IMO, DELTA kicks US AIR's vertical stabilizer out of the air.

it was an extremely random, productive and fun trip...

cheers -

the CVB

2009-04-20T07:13:00.000-07:00

the day before i left for vegas, i had a shoot for the AUGUSTA CVB. it turned out to be a blast. although one of my speedotron 102's finally gave up the ghost, shooting with the mamiya has become almost as seamless as the D3. which is great because i've become spoiled by the amazing quality of the files the LEAF back delivers. i'll be back in the studio in the morning doing some personal/film work with the RZ67's.
lights - camera - music - action... it was a good time, and good times can make great images.

cheers.

the WOODS

2009-04-06T12:04:00.000-07:00

the largest urban forest in north america is across the street from my home. the HITCHCOCK WOODS has miles of trails, many creeks and a few ponds. jordan, lawson, zoe and jazz and i send countless hours during the year hiking through the woods. every THANKSGIVING i love to hike down and be part of the AIKEN HOUNDS's "BLESSING OF THE HOUNDS." There is an annual "RUN FOR THE WOODS" that benefits the foundation responsible for its maintenence. the woods also host on of the oldest continually head horse shows which i missed this year because i was in charleston.

from HITCHCOCKWOODS.org :

HISTORY OF HITCHCOCK WOODS

Hitchcock Woods is closely associated with Aiken’s early history as a winter resort and a center of sporting activity. Originally, Hitchcock Woods was part of a much larger tract of land purchased 1w Thomas Hitchcock and William C. Whitney. In 1939, Thomas Hitchcock and his daughter Helen Clark established the Hitchcock Foundation with the donation of almost 1200 acres of land. Mr. Hitchcock and Mrs. Clark became the first trustees of the Hitchcock Foundation, which was established to protect and maintain the woods for the recreational use and enjoyment by the people of Aiken.

In 1985, the Hitchcock Foundation purchased an additional 230 acres of land adjacent to the original tract. In the spring of 1991, the Aiken Preparatory School made a generous gift of 270 acres to the Foundation. An ambitious Campaign to Save The Woods involving many dedicated people resulted in the acquisition of 198 acres adjacent to the property previously owned by the Aiken Preparatory School. A gift from the Foxchase Homeowner’s Association brings the total acreage owned by the Foundation to nearly 2000 acres.

Hitchcock Woods offers visitors the natural beauty and quiet solitude of a unique southern forest located in the midst of an urban area, The City of Aiken. Maintenance of the trails, jumps, bridges. signs, map boxes, as well as protection and management of the natural resources in the Woods, are all directed by the trustees who serve in the same spirit as the founding trustees.

if you ever have the chance - it is a wonderful place to visit.

cheers.

the STORY of MY LIFE

2009-04-01T12:14:00.000-07:00

another fun outtake from a TOAST shoot. this series has became quite a fun project based on moments that you CELEBRATE with friends and family. FUN shoot - GREAT model. look for more of this series later this month.

check it out.

ciao

the CLUBMAN

2009-04-01T05:13:00.000-07:00

found this on scamp's blog.... thought you might enjoy.

cheers.

the CONDUCTOR

2009-03-26T18:13:00.000-07:00

- here comes Z -

the AUGUSTA SYMPHONY's newest conductor. Shizuo Kuwahara (what a cool last name) is the third conductor in the organization's history. his friends (which includes everyone in augusta) call him Z. he is an internationally recognized talent, winning first place at the Solti Competition this November. he also happens to be a truly nice guy. he was obviously Sandra Self's (the executive director of the symphony) first choice of the four candidates. during the day, which included a press conference, impromptu shoot, and reception, i was struck by his relaxed demeanor and rapport with his musicians. he seems to have a honest desire for them to have fun. he repeatedly ask that we take fun and creative shots - not the standard stoic poses so often associated with orchestral pics. another thing i found impressive was that he rarely wanted to be shot without the musicians. it gave me the sense that he valued them as integral parts of the team and not just "employees." i believe we will see a renewed sense of pride and ownership from every individual involved with the SYMPHONY under his leadership. BTW, he conducts (and talks) with his hands and NO baton. truth is - if he conducts music with the same passion that he talks about it - the SYMPHONY will be a powerful experience.

Z is pretty cool -

CHEERS

the STEEPLECHASE

2009-03-23T06:21:00.000-07:00

another beautiful STEEPLECHASE weekend. allegedly featured in the book "1000 places to see before you die," the event is one of AIKEN's favorite community parties. always a sort of homecoming literally circled by the race itself. more information from www.aikensteeplechase.com:

from the site:

HISTORY

The Association was founded in Aiken in 1930 by several influential horseman among these were Thomas Hitchcock, Temple Gwathmey and Harry Worchester Smith. The first official race was run in Hitchcock Woods (a beneficiary of the Aiken Steeplechase Association) along the Aiken Hounds draglines. Over a thousand people gathered to watch some from as far away as Camden. To keep them company, several hundred children from Aiken Prep and Fermata School were mounted on their ponies for a better chance at viewing the sport. Aiken has been home to many steeplechase greats and to many exceptional trainers: Thomas Hitchcock, the dean of American Steeplechasing and Ambrose Clark, one of the sport's greatest players, to name a few. Many other people have the passion for the sport and it is to their credit that it renewed in 1967 after a twenty-five year hiatus due to war and civic development.

The past efforts of Charlie S. Bird, III, G.H. Bostwick, MacKenzie Miller, Willard Thompson, Ford Conger, and Paul Mellon revived the tradition of Steeplechasing in Aiken and have left a legacy that the Association now calls upon again to secure the future of the sport.

Whether it is fact or fiction, the universal truth is that horses will always rein supreme in Aiken's history and in her future. It is the goal of the Aiken Steeplechase Association to continue this legacy started by these sporting gentlemen.

hopefully we'll see you next year...

cheers

the SOUL LITTLE BROTHER # ONE

2009-03-20T13:45:00.000-07:00

LAWSON CODY LITTLE MAN BUDDY MAXWELL CLINE is just about the coolest little guy you can imagine... loves fast cards ( wonder where he got that?) he is kind, creative and just a blast to hang out with. we travel to porsche races, aquariums, museums and other adventures all over the southeast and just have the greatest time traveling. we seem to always have strangers stop and say "OMG, he looks just like you." (which i take as a HUGE complement)

i hope every father feels as blessed as i do -

cheers.

the POLO

2009-03-20T13:28:00.000-07:00

this info is from A VIEW FROM THE BOARDS - a great little pub produced by CARSTEN PETERS

polo is a wonderful way to spend a sunday afternoon in AIKEN.

AIKEN POLO CLUB Spring 2009 Tournament Schedule

Spring 1st 4 Goal: April 16- April 26
Spring 1st 8 Goal: April 30- May 17
Spring 2nd 8 Goal: May 14- May 31
Spring 2nd 4 Goal: June 4- June 14
Spring 3rd 4 Goal: June 18- June 28

For More information please contact the APC @ 803-292-3377

See you on the field!

the GREEN SHINGLES

2009-03-20T10:32:00.000-07:00

i've been hired to shoot another stunning property in AIKEN. i had always known it as NIMROD SOUTH although i've learned its original name was "GREEN SHINGLES" - most houses in DOWNTOWN AIKEN have names. sabrina grew up in a house named "HELL'S BELLS" allegedly because the physician that lived there years ago was tortured by phone calls. there is the 60 room "cottage" named JOYE and behind it a house simply named "THE PINK HOUSE." my favorite name for house was "QUEL FROMAGE" which i always felt was poking great fun at the pretentiousness of naming ones house in the first place. by the way - best i could tell, the shingles on "GREEN SHINGLES" were at best the darkest charleston green and probably would be considered black to the casual observer. welcome to AIKEN.

see you at the steeplechase this weekend - which by way - has nothing to do with pursuing church architecture.

cheers.

the FAVORITE PIC

2009-03-18T06:15:00.001-07:00

one of favorite pictures is of my daughter waiting to see the macy's thanksgiving day parade from last year. she is not terribly photogenic... SHE IS wonderfully strong-willed, independent and intelligent. she truly is an amazing little person for which i have tremendous respect. for me, this picture has always captured her personality well.

here she is on the subway.

cheers!

the GATEKEEPER

2009-03-15T09:32:00.001-07:00

i spent most of a cold and dreary saturday at the AIKEN TRIALS. i actually enjoyed the racing and was extremely proud to see DOGWOOD STABLES make such a fine showing. i left my camera in the car thinking i would take the day off, didn't want to get the gear rained on, there were plenty of photographers there and i wasn't feeling very creative... blah, blah blah pick your excuse. seems like everyone i saw ask where my camera was and why i wasn't shooting when i replied that i didn't have a "press" badge... one showed up. so i crossed over to the outfield and set up with the other photogs to shoot a couple races and the polo demonstration. as i watched the people around the judges stand i noticed this quiet man with a unwavering smile letting people through the "gate" onto the track to cross to the tent party in the infield. all levels of money, status, age, beauty came through his gate. they all got the same warm smile. i never heard him say a word and am ashamed to say i never asked his name. which means - you guessed it - i didn't get a model release. but, i did get an unexpected lesson in SERVICE.

NO MATTER what you are here to do, do it well, do it with a smile, do it equally for everyone and do it humbly... and you will provide a good service. and eventually, you might even inspire someone.

it was a good day.

cheers

the MUSEUM

2009-03-10T05:03:00.000-07:00

if you haven't been to MORRIS MUSEUM of ART lately, you're missing something special. JIM MCGUIRE'S nashville portraits is a collection of intimate portraits of some of the most legendary musicians. it help me understand why the native americans thought a photograph could capture a person's being. these images are deffinately captures of some extrodinary souls. it was an honor to meet MR. MCGUIRE and an intimidating prospect to take his picture. i highly suggest you stop by and breathe this collection in deeply.

cheers

the SEASON

2009-03-06T05:15:00.000-08:00

MARCH in aiken.

The Aiken Trials / Saturday, March 14

Polo Practice / Spring Season starts March 15

43rd Running of the Aiken Spring Steeplechase / Saturday, March 21st, 2009

USC Pacers and Polo Triple Crown Game / Saturday, March 28

Whitney Field is one of the oldest and most historic polo clubs in the United States. Aikenites have enjoyed polo on Whitney Field for 127 continuous years.

MARCH is a great time to be in AIKEN. See you around...

cheers.

the MAYOR

2009-03-03T04:23:00.000-08:00

i had the distinct pleasure of photographing the mayor of augusta, ga - DEKE COPENHAVER. along with being a very gracious subject, he is also one of the best loved local political figures in decades. he has an ongoing conversation with closing on 3000 constituents through his facebook page. we collaborated (through facebook) on a shot that would convey augusta's strength and direction through this economic climate. to that end, we shot the new library construction site and an area along the newly reclaimed canal system. what we didn't plan on was the 28 degree weather. DEKE told a great story of how seeing his name permanently carved in a huge marble slab along the canals was one of those moments when he thought - wow, i really am the the mayor. (not a quote, more of a paraphrase) i scratched my name in concrete once, so i can kinda relate to the permanence... but can't even come close to the gravity. GOOD JOB DEKE. and THX for your time.

cheers

SHOUT OUT...

2009-03-02T13:40:00.001-08:00

i'm nice, and dog-on-it my clients like me...

http://wierhouse.blogspot.com/2008/10/bob-photo.html

for real, these guys are blowing up. it has been fun to be a small part of their rather dramatic rise. plus, it gave me an excuse to show a pic of alex wier and his custom logo painting by jay jacobs.

STROBIST INFO: SB800 shoot through an umbrella on mr. wier and a gridded spot in the conference room for the logo/painting.

RAD shoot

2009-03-02T09:40:00.000-08:00

another WIERHOUSE shoot, this time it was a fast trip through a medical setting. one day to get a variety of medical vignettes for their upcoming campaign. while it can be fun to set up enough lights to shoot ISO 50 with the RZs, sometimes the job calls for a more nimble solution. in this case is was even more fun to improvise with the D3 and a couple speedlights (thx david hobby) the shoot ended up being extremely productive. the way WIERHOUSE is going i'm sure you'll see more of these shots at next year's addy awards.

cheers

ZACK ARIAS - TRANSFORM

2009-02-28T19:17:00.000-08:00

a powerful video for photographers from ZACK ARIAS.

ciao

NEW LOGO

2009-02-28T13:56:00.000-08:00

during out trip to san francisco this year i had the pleasure of visiting my extraordinarily talented cousin's studio. my eyes caught a painting she had done as an artistic exercise. it was a simple and elegant illustration of the most basic human exchange. i fell in love with the image and she was kind enough to allow me to use it as a replacement for my 15 year old logo. THX SEVILLA - i'll get that drive back to you ASAP.

cheers

SHOOTING OUT THE LIGHTS

2009-02-28T13:46:00.001-08:00

since i've been getting set up in the studio, it's been a little while since i worked and dusk architectural shot. this one was worth the wait. long exposures and falling light really help me appreciate an old studioball. back in the studio next week for a food shoot.

cheers.

VERY INTERESTING PERSPECTIVE

2009-02-04T04:30:00.001-08:00

http://blog.chasejarvis.com/blog/2009/02/scotts-guest-blog-creative-post.html

coming form my dsi / perfection background i certainly appreciate scott's perspective. couldn't have said it any better myself... which is why i just gave you the link.

LIGHT CONTROL

2009-02-03T12:07:00.001-08:00

just got all settled in to the studio and wanted to play around a bit.

so we all agree that i'm not making any great artistic strides with these - just paying with light and enjoying the space. i'll be back in the studio tomorrow for a product shoot and on location next week for a medical shoot.

ciao

Taking my own advice

2009-01-28T15:20:00.000-08:00

i keep telling my clients they should be blogging and such... then it hit me. I need to follow my own advice. so here we go.