travel work... in Alberta

(Probably my favorite picture of the series, shot at the McKay school archives in Edmonton. When I shot this I really felt like I was back in the late 1800's, Randall is actually a teacher in real life)

Travel work in Alberta... finally.

I end up shooting alot of travel work outside of Canada, I guess that makes sense because I live in Canada, but what I mean is I rarely get commissioned to photograph travel in Canada.

A blessing at times, a curse at other times. I have been comissioned, once to shoot travel in Canada, I photographed the Confederation bridge in PEI, yeah I know, an Alberta guy shooting in PEI... that shoot in itself is quite a story.

(one of my other favorite pics of the whole shoot, shot in Camrose. I love this dad's cloths and hat, the flames and all. Its a real genuine honest albertan picture)

Back to my rant, finally, this past spring I won a nice little RFP from the Alberta Museum Association to shoot 6 museums in Alberta. I mean its not like shooting in Jordan or Egypt, but it was actually a nice little project because I was given the opportunity to visit and photograph museums in Breton, Camrose, RedDeer, Fort McMurray, and really had I not been awarded this commission I would have never seen these places.

So rather than posting some new pics of south east asia, I decided to post a couple images from the AMA series here. What was really cool about this gig is my art direction was zero... really... it was just here is some money and go take pictures of these museums, and make sure they are good, alot of trust on thier part from the AMA, and I commend them for that. When it comes to travel work, thats the type of commission I and other travel shooters love getting.

enjoy,

C

Medium Format again...

I love canon products. I swear by the 1dsMK3, and for alot of my work like travel and documentary no other camera works as well. True the ISO range on the MK3 sucks, but i rarely shoot over 400 anyways, so for me the ISO argument is a moot point. But this blog post is to mention the power of Phase One backs. Really I cant imagine how a photographer could work in the commercial field without owning or having constant access to Digital Medium Format, especially studio shooters.

I understand the argument of spending 20,000 or more on a camera, but then how the hell do photographers shooting on the 5D or 5D2 even attempt to justify rates of $1000+ a day. I mean come on, the cameras alone just dont justify the photographer day rate!

Thankfully though for high end pro shooters, I am noticing that many ad agencies are starting to realize that photographers who shoot on lower end SLR's may not be the best choice for the commercial jobs... And rightfully so.

For those who are reading this who have never shot or seen photos from D medium format its really another world. When a client and photographer is concerned about quality, and I mean real quality, there is no other way to go. I am finding myself shooting more and more and more on my Phase One p30+ even when the job dosent require it. I guess it comes down to the fact that I want to deliver the best possible product interms of image quality I can, and phase allows me to do just that.

Some work from the phase back.

C

30 mins in Studio

Shooting with Hard light. 

I love hard light, but I often shoot with soft… hhhmmmmm I cant really tell you why, but I do. Here are a few proofs from a couple shoots in studio. I worked with Natasha a while back for a billboard campaign, so we came up with a concept that ties into my work with Stephanie (in my fashion portfolio). 



Then here is another image shot for Jessie James over at Union, it’s a pretty cool stock shot in the style of the 90’s CK ads. Pretty simple but a nice hard light. 7 days a week in the gym, a no fat diet and 1000’s of sit ups may help this photo as well. 

Enjoy! 

C 

8 hrs of make up for 20 minute shoot.

8 hours in make up for 20 mins in studio.

I can’t believe it. Trevor actually sat in for make up for 8 hrs to and allowed himself to transform into the demon prince you see here. I actually think only crazy people or actors making millions of dollars would put themselves through this type of make up process.

So I was setting up in studio waiting for Trevor to arrive. Much like an infant in an unfamiliar situation, I actually found myself confused when Trevor entered the studio.

Talkative as usual, Trevor began talking to me and for the first few minutes I didn’t even hear a word he said. – Seriously.
I just stood there looking at this 5’6 little demon standing in my studio talking to me like a normal person… I searched his face to see a hint of the pleasant Trevor I see on a day to day basis, and couldn’t find any. Then his phone rang, and he took the call… again seeing a grotesque demon casually talking on a blackberry was just surreal.

So I set up the shot, lighting and blasted off a few frames, and here is what we came up with.

I attached a series of Trevor without make up so you can see what he really looks like.

Enjoy!

C

Richard Avedon

AVEDON comes home.

The studio has been cookin' along really nicely since we opened. I love shooting on White, Black or Grey, and I have fortunately found a way to do this for all my clients in the past while. I had a local photographer ask me why do I shoot on white? I dont know because Its clean and pays a nice homage to classic photographers like Richard Avedon.

So over the past 2 weeks all of the oilers wives and girlfriends, were in the studio to shoot their charity poster for their foundation. When Ornella Moreau called she pretty much gave be carte "blanche" to do what I wanted to do... hahahah get it "blanche" So naturally I rolled on white.

I have also been shooting a whole bunch of corporate headshots.

But I am fortunate that the companies who call me are looking for something different, not the Jostens school portrait with the lame 3 point lighting, and cheesy colored backgrounds and the over used cliché of the vignette.
So I decided again to shoot in a complete opposite. No color background, no vignette, and no backlight. Classic in the style of AVEDON, but of course in color. Simple seamless.
Finally I attached a couple photos of City Councilor Don Iveson. The councilors last series of headshots were so bad that many of the councilors have decided to commission their own photographers to re shoot their portrait. Again very similar to Avedon work, with a Nigel Parry mixed in, but in BW. You see I provided Don a bunch in color as well, but being the man he is, he can appreciate where I was going and from my understanding used the BW. I am told you can see this pic of Don in city hall.
Anyways, enjoy!

C

Edmonton Avenue and Readers Digest editorial works

Any time you photograph for a national magazine it’s a real treat for a photographer. I have been commissioned in the pas to shoot for readers digest, and I always enjoy shooting for them. First off the story is almost always a “feel good” piece, second because they are based out east, I am almost always left to my own creative methods to shoot for them.

They really don’t like the over lit “look who many lights I have” cheesy photos so may photographers shoot. Digest allows me to shoot a lot with natural light, or simple lighting setups used by masters like Avedon. Infact I have to stand on my soapbox right now.

I am shamed that in Alberta many photographers do not even know Avedon’s work. Many shooters think “whoever uses the newest lighting technique dictates who is a pro or not”.

We are so involved in the technical side of photograph in here Alberta we lose sight of why we are talking the photograph and what makes a good photograph. I think if more pros need to take the time to learn about the past of their craft simplify their work and not worry so much about , speelights stobes, gary fong light domes, 3 point lighting, the latest Photoshop filter etc, basically all the gadgets we supposedly “need to” use today to make a photograph…

Hey the gadgets work, and have a time and place, I mean I own several enlinchrom ranger packs, and most of the aforementioned gadgets, but at the end of the day each is only used when the shoot needs it. Ok off my soap box now.

In this digest piece I was really proud because I got the content page, as well as a decent spread in the mag, always a boost for a photographer.

And if you are reading this and you don’t know who Richard Avedon is, head out to your book store and pick up some of his collections.

Anyways enjoy!

C

Curtis Comeau Studio Space

I have attached some pictures of my Edmonton photography studio. Its a modest space designed for editorial, commercial and small group portraiture.

(this is a panoramic of the waiting area and shooting space, edit suite behind the french doors)

Basically there is a waiting area, editing suite, office, consult room and shooting space. The waiting area is connected to the shooting space so makeup artists, art directors and guests can hang out while I am shooting my subjects. Considering alot of my portrait work is based on that of Nigel Parry, Liebowitz and Avedon, I have no need for a complex shooting space. What you see here is the shooting space (open) and the waiting area with the red couch. Behind the french doors is the editing suite (pic with the cpu screen, jones soda and wine bottles)
Anyways enjoy!

C

Look ma, no lights... well just one.

Who says you need expensive light kits to take good pictures. In fact Helmut Newton told Annie Liebowitz once to throw out her strobes and shoot natural light. For those who have shot with me before, know I have and carry an abundance of location packs, and lighting gear, but very often I opt not to use them. In this series only shot one photo with a strobe pack. All the rest are natural ambient light... can you tell which one was shot with a strobe? Anyways these were shot for NAS and the client is Alta Gas.

enjoy,

C

In this posting you will see a couple pictures from a recent trip to LA, FtMac and Edmonton.

This set was shot in LA a couple weeks ago where amongst shooting for a few clients and meeting with an art director from McCann to show my recent book.While on this trip I ended up shooting NHLers Ethan Moreau and Sheldon Souray of the Edmonton Oilers during a training session at Back to Function, and Hockey OT. I have photographed Olympic runners, fighters, pro football and basketball and I have to say hockey players are always the best athletes to photograph, they invite you in like you are one of their own.

Next photo is of a 15 year old dancer shot for a mass media campaign for the regional municipality of wood buffalo.

What amazed me the most about this shoot was that Fort McMurray had a beach!

Finally I attached a photo of Terri Clark a country singer from Alberta, who ummm sings country music. Enjoy! C

Splish Splash

Here is a fun photograph... technical as hell and it required alot of patience... I don't own a fish tank, so I ended up heading down to a local retailer and picked up a medium sized tank, which I ended up returning today because I really had no need for a fish tank after this shoot.

This 18yearold customer service rep asked me why I was returning the tank. I said; "well I used it to photograph a coke can in water, now that I'm done the shoot, I really don't need this thing." He responded; " its past the return date, but I like photography and if you tell me how you used the tank for a photo shoot I can over look this one."

So I gave him the same run down I'm going to give here. You need a camera which captures detail I used the Phase One P30+, high speed strobes, a fish tank (which I was returning), water, a white background and a lot of patience. Every time you drop the can in water it makes a high splash, and water gets everywhere including on the glass.... Then you need to clean the glass on the tank, wait for the water to settle down and do it again and again and again and again and again.

Jill in Summerside Edmonton

Ok what's new, well I just shot a Jill again. She's this fantastic model i always enjoy working with. We shot at the Summer side beach. Summer side is a lake in the community where I live in Edmonton. The lake is actually a great location in the city.

Although you can fish, swim and sail on the lake, shamelessly I don't really have the time to hang out there during the summer.. So I thought to myself damn it, I pay all these dues to live near this beach house lake community and I never use it, so hey I might as well use it as a location for a shoot.

Because I get so many emails asking about how I shoot the photos I post on my blog I am going to start adding some tech details. These were shot on the Phase One P30+ 210mm, with the ranger kit. My assistant Nat and I are literally up to our asses in water. Shot in 10 mins.

Danica Patrick and Paul Tracy INDY Car Drivers

This past few days have proven to be quite fun in Edmonton. The city hosted its annual Indy car Race.

I was fortunate enough to have had the chance to shoot at portrait of Danica Patrick the fiery female race car driver for Versus. Actually Jamie Coutts from www.originalvideo.ca gave me the gig which was then shot for Versus the American TV network. Alot of people who found out I had a chance to shoot Danica asked how was she? I can sum it up quite easily - the most interesting part of the shoot was getting lost trying to find the location.

We had Danica for like 20 mins, but I only needed to knock off a few frames . She made small talk, I asked he about a picture of herself holding up a trophy in the room, she just kind of looked at me like I should have known and said in a monotone dry voice "It was from a race in Japan."

Perhaps her mood was dry because she was racing that day or perhaps she just thought I was an idiot... Although she didn't have time for makeup, she did thank my makeup artist Nikolas and told him she wished she had time to have it done.

The day before however Honda Canada commissioned me to shoot one of their drivers Paul Tracy.

Paul was super cool as everyone was rushing Paul around he took his time with me... then when I was done shooting, he asked "Are you happy with what you have? Do you need anything else?" super cool guy.

Enjoy.