Phase One P30+....

Hey gang.

One thing photographers hate is learning a new system. Well today I ended up shooting with the Phase One P30+ on a Mamiya platform. The P30+ is a new camera back I have added to my kit which will pack a little more punch for my clients, but still allowing me to use higher ISO's.

My clients know quite well that I like to use faster ISO's because I move around a lot and like to shoot with natural light. So when it came time to buying a new medium format back I was naturally intrigued with the phase one P30+ because it can accommodate quite well a higher ISO like 400.

Anyway at first I really didn't like the camera. I found it clunky, slow and the Phase One interface is not user friendly compared to the 1dsMK 3. But we have been testing it more and more on actual shoots and its getting better.

I will say though when you preview the photos on the back of the camera the images simply look like shit. Really. Also at first I didn't feel that the final Images when ran through Photoshop were event that great.

So I called the Phase Rep in Calgary and told him. Jeff was fantastic. He told me that I NEEDED TO BE USING Capture One software first and not Photoshop.

Once I did this the real magic came out and the final images were just unreal. For technical reasons ( I wasn't really listening cause Jeff called me back at 8am) one needs to use this software to make the most of the Phase One files. Either way it worked.

(cropped from the photo above)

The only problem though is that clients are so used to "looking at the back of your camera" to see what you have shot, and you have to say, whoa shooting is just step one, all the info you could ever want is there step two is the processing. Its like drawing here, then I paint later. So they really need to trust you.

I do have to say the information you get in a file with the Phase One back is simply unmatched with the best pro SLR. Especially in tricky situations. It's not even a comparison in my view.

Take a look at the photos I posted. Normally you would not have this kind gradient detail on the white cream white shirt against a white background. The other thing is the sick cropping factor. I mean just look at the cropped version in this blog.

Anyways I am starting to like this camera more and more and can really see the value... if you have an extra 20 thousand to spend and your clients need the bigger files and better quality...

But I will keep using both systems and choose the correct camera depending on the job requirements.

enjoy.

C

mmmmm food...

Hey everyone, again I have to apologize for the late posting on the blog. Anyways this past week I spent shooting in for NAS (a division of McCann)in Vancouver. I always enjoy shooting in Van and am seriously considering a commuting working schedule in late Summer 2009 between Alberta and Vancouver

Anyways just before I left for Vancouver, I shot for 3 half days for the new Kyoto Japan menus. Kyoto is a sushi restaurant chain based in Edmonton Alberta. In that time we also shot for Famoso Pizzerias which specializes in traditional pizzas from Naples.

Both shoots went very well according to the Art Director, but I was really happy because we got to eat the food after we shot it, which put smiles on the faces of my assistants Natalie and Nick.

Enjoy!

C

Edmonton Photographer posts new editorial pieces

Hey Everyone,

I remembered to update my blog this week. It’s been pretty busy, I was basically shooting the past 9 days straight, which basically meant that have been in postproduction for the past few days.

Those who know me are aware I have to have a clean desk environment, so I decided to clean up a few papers scattered around my work area, and noticed that a bunch were tear sheets from some editorial pieces I shot over the past few months. So I decided to post some of these on my blog.

In this set you will see 3 stories from Readers Digest and one from Alberta Oil. The first Digest story is about Rick and Alice’s who were nominated for “My Favorite Diner” in Edmonton AB.
The other story is with one of the worlds most renowned water ecologist Dr David Schindler from the UofA backed by another piece with Robert Sanford Chair of the UN water for life. Who resides in Camrose Alberta.

The last piece is an interview with Saskatchewan Minster of energy Bill Boyd with appeared in Alberta Oil.

Keep an eye out for the July 2009 issue of Readers Digest, I shot a really cool “feel good” story, which should be appearing in it but your going to have to pick it up to find out what it is.

C

Photographing Paul Brown

Recently I have been getting into David Lachepelle’s work. It’s basically over the top scenarios, heavily styled stets and wardrobe all with a sexual overtone. He basically got Angelina Jolie to make out with a horse and Pam Anderson to pose with giant pig costume… you name it he has made the celeb do it…

I decided I was going to shoot something in his style... so I contacted Paul Brown an award winning morning radio host and (one of the only well known people in Alberta who would ever consider this crazy request).

I showed him Lachepelle’s work and said I want to do something off the wall... with him. “I like it, what about me posing with dead hookers in a beer cooler? He said. “Let me think about it” I responded. He was all in for whatever I wanted to do.

Next I asked Klyment Tan to come on board as lighting technical advisor, (considering I have never shot like this) he suggested using make up artist Nikolas from themodestkingdom.com (an excellent choice)… finally the models we chose were Suzanne and Steph - natural picks who are confident and pros through and through (both Steph and Suzanne have been seen in the city in the Ranch billboard campaigns and Spasation campaigns.)… Suz brought on Brook (blond in chains). My main assistant Trevor and Natalie and Klyment’s guy Landon anchored the team.

I have to admit I was so amazed they all came on board. I mean what would you say if I said - “Hey I want to shoot Paul Brown wearing nothing but a robe in Rudolph slippers, with his dog in a beat to shit beer cooler with naked chicks wrapped in gold chains making out and another one posing with a golden pear, oh yeah and there will be a photo of Paul’s mom giving the finger in there too. …What do you say want in?”

This is not just my photograph, its a collaboration of the 10 people involved below. I am very happy to have worked with such a kick ass crew.

(left to right (Landon, Steph, Paul, Nat, Brooke, Trevor, Suzanne, Klyment, Nikolas and Me with the funny looking sleve :) oh yeah the 4x5 camera and pauls dog Dexter )

Enjoy!

C

Edmonton photographer photographs a new series

Here are a couple images from two series I shot these past few week… One is with a model I really enjoy shooting Steph (Hat) the other image is shot with a model named Klara (ballerina), who was an excellent pro who executed the concept to a tee.

Both photographs were influenced atleast in concept buy works of David Lachepelle, but lighting and feel from works of Patrick Demarchelier.

I am really taking a liking to the minimalist style of Demarchelier, especially being from north America where we often associate good photography with “more”. More lights, more technical proficiency, more Photoshop, more post production… where as in Europe, the minimalist style of shooting seems to be making a comeback.

Anyways, enjoy.
C

Edmonton Photographer Last Blog Before Egypt.

Hey gang,

Its been a while. I have been so busy with all my clients trying to get their shoots in before I leave for my 3 week shoot for Gap Adventures to Egypt and Jordan (I leave Monday the 23rd). The problem with extensive shooting trips is that before you leave you get overwhelmed with shoots from your clients.

This past 2 weeks I shot some pretty cool work for NAS (A division of McCann) for Safeway Canada, YYC Calgary Airports and Urban Systems as well as for Century Hospitality, A billboard campaign for the Ranch, and random images for a few other clients,

oh yeah and we just wrapped a charity shoot for the Rotary Club of Edmonton, which is fundraising for new introductary programs for New Canadians from Africa.

Oh yeah I also wrapped up shooting a photography exhibition for the UofA drama department commissioned me for. I have been shooting this since September and I am really excited to see it in print form.

It should be released in print form around May 7th. Im not to sure about the exact details, as I am not handling it, but I do know that Klyment Tan is printing it, which is a good thing for any photographer. And supposedly it will be like 60 images with some even being presented on canvas. It will also be online at http://www.photographyexhibition.net/.

Here are some images from the charity shoot and some select ones from the UofA exhibit.

Take care,
c

Edmonton Commercial Photographer Photographs Coal Miners in Alberta

For those who know my work, its pretty obvious that I prefer black and white photographs over color.

So when a client allows me to photograph industrial works in black and white I am like a kid in a candy store. Why? Because any photographer or designer will tell you that colors evoke emotions, by using or manipulating certain colors we can lead your eyes, cause you to think a certain way, even indirectly lead you to prejudge the image you are looking at.

So I feel that by removing the color, I am in fact removing a distraction, there by leaving the viewer with an image in its most basic form. I inadvertently force you to really look at the image. Im not leading you with a color scheme, over saturated colors or any other color trick, but forcing you to really see what I have presented to you in the image.

I feel my work as a whole should be classified as dignified portraits, and thus this should reveal an inner strength of my subject, and black and white work allows me to do this in the most basic form.

Here are a few photographs I shot of coal mining for the Canadian industrial archives. I am proud of this series.
C