This month we have a few pieces out there in the world. It has been awesome - the selection of articles that we've been assigned to cover. Last month we've covering libraries. This month we're shooting a strings project. For myself this was close to home because I studied violin. But, not as a kid; I picked it up later in life when I was 18. What a beautiful thing though. The first CD I ever bought was of violin concertos (by contrast my first record was Paula Abdul).

As you may guess in the background of all this we're shooting other kinds of work - commercial, portrait, etc. As those pieces are released by the clients we'll be posting those as well. Many thanks as always to Amie who is either working on the business or right along side me. Also, to Chris Motta who has been working with us when we need an extra skill player.

We had a lot of fun shooting this months covers for The Bay and our first cover for Providence Monthly.

Working with the crew at Providence Media is simply awesome. I'm not sure whose idea putting the arm in was. It may have been mine. I like floating disembodied limbs for some reason. I think it makes it look more real. Having Karli lay down on the floor was almost certainly my idea - I tend not to think of the cleanliness / ease of moving in a skirt implications. I'll take credit for making her terribly uncomfortable for 10 minutes or so while I clicked away in longish exposures.

They caught me off-guard with the choice for The Bay cover. The original brief included a very different cover shot. I guess it was nixed because of Christmas decorations. In fact I think a number of prettier photos were ditched for that reason. I guess I tacitly considered the implications for the January edition but I assumed that it was an acceptable problem ~ given the specificity of the brief anyway.

Still, there were a number of photos that we had fun with so I'm happy with the outcome. A bit of a dark photo for the cover... but didn't really shoot/process that as a cover option. I'm glad they liked it though. I kind of thought the girl in the stacks was a cool option but I am assuming that it didn't allow enough space for text.

Onward and upward; due to timing constraints we had to pass on the SO RI cover this coming month. Until next time.

I like camera gear as much as the next photographer/gearhead. I try not to let it be a complete obsession. I would like to think if I were a sword fighter I would be focusing more on my balance than my blade. In much the same way I love meeting people who introduce me to new ways of perceiving the world around me. Artists are good at that.

But, when I am down or bored I find myself wandering over to the camera store to putz around with their toys. I wander through the used section looking at stuff that almost no-one wants. Every now and again something really interesting comes along.

The Canon 24-70mm F1.4 L is a lens which receives mixed reviews. I have never had a need for it so I stick to my other lenses that cover that range. But, last week as my eyes scanned the used camera shelves (Christmas eve day... I was sent out to buy things from Whole Foods next door...). I happened upon a minty Canon 28-70mm f1.4. The old predecessor to the 24-70mm. My friends gave me a deal too good to ignore so I went home (running a bit late) with a new item. A used hood from B&H later (which was cracked... I'm annoyed with them... EX shape my foot) I was shooting with the new toy.

In general it is better to buy lenses new. Too many bad things can happen to used ones. But, if you're having fun you're having fun. This lens would be a great carry-around lens if it was sharp. I don't worry as much as others about corner resolution or vignetting. I care about sharp focusing and sharp centers at wide apertures.

On Monday, for the first time in a long time, I went out to shoot some climbing. Was the lens magic? No. But I still had more fun than I have in a long time. Something about it made me want to shoot landscapes. There are no doubt better lenses. But I just had fun. A bit chunk of glass with a sharp center.

It helps that I was shooting in great light. Still, a pretty little bit of glass. Good enough to give a sense of depth to the images. Good enough that I had some fun. [edit] - I'm not being fair. Any lens that I have fun with is a great lens for me. Who knows... maybe if I took off the UV filter it would be even better.

Photos like theatre are often about illusion. You put something in the frame and the lack of context allows the content to take on a life of its own. A grain of sand becomes a boulder.

I wasn't the original photographer for this shoot. This would normally be done in a studio but an unanticipated hiccup in availability caused the shoot to be delayed. So, when I got the pinch-hit call I was more than happy to step in. As our studio space is still being set-up (and I don't like the brick in it anyway) Alli and Karli set about to make things happen somewhere with the right atmosphere. The local art-haven mill turned out not to have the right vibe (or more accurately the right looking brick). So, on to Plan C.

The whole concept was craft oriented - with handmade lettering taking the place of the computerized type we see so often these days. I loved when they decided to adjust the kerning. The new X factor was the wind on the paper garland - but thankfully we seemed to be in a troff protected from gusts. The only blasts we received were from the managing partner's assistant who came out to see who was flashing lights outside his lawyer boss' window.

It feels crafty and handmade. This shoot would have the fingerprints of people all over it - just like the holidays.

Happy Holidays and many thanks to the talented (and beautiful) creative group at The Bay. It's not everyday the Art Director is also lightstand grip #1.