Sunday, December 13, 2009
New project
In between my other work, I've started popping off some new portraits. There's only a few for now but it will grow in the near future. I'm excited to build up this gallery. Here are some shots.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
The Candid Frame
I awoke this morning and checked email, news sites and hopped onto www.strobist.com while I finished my coffee. Strobist is an incredible source of information to any photographer who wants to learn lighting. But what got even more excited was the link on Strobist for The Candid Frame blog. There was a post about an interview with Dan Winters, portrait photographer. Yes!!!! My hours of photoshop work were going to fly by while I listened to his interview. Once I got on to the Candid Frame blog I discovered a multitude of interviews from great photographers like Chase Jarvis, Lynn Goldsmith, and Douglas Kirkland. Amazing! I might be working late tonight because I'll just keep hitting play and listening to the next interview.
You can find it at http://thecandidframe.blogspot.com
Enjoy! I know I will.
Cheers
You can find it at http://thecandidframe.blogspot.com
Enjoy! I know I will.
Cheers
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
SSWC09 Race Day portraits
Race day was finally here. I had been working with with Jon, Chad the crew with several photo projects leading up to the race. The race had been billed as a gnarly, ass-kicking affair and people were psyched. I've been shooting bike races for a long time and knew that shooting the course would put me in one cool spot or I'd be running all over the place trying to capture the action. Since I'm way more into portraits these days, I decided to setup a mini studio in Buckley park were the starting line festivities and capture people before the race. It was my desire to show the broad spectrum of characters that came to Durango for the SSWC09.
My vision for this project was to use it as a rear light source to create shadowless, ring flash-like portraits. Since I was illuminating my subjects from behind I knew my contrast was going to be flat out of the camera. I then ramped up my contrast and converted to B&W to give the photos a little more pop. That was theory anyway.
I'd long been desiring a new 7' Octobox for my strobes. I was eager to utilize it for my architectural work as well as portrait shoots. This event gave me an excuse to pull the trigger and buy one. I set up the strobe and box behind me. SSWC09 wasn't an sophisticated affair so I decided to reflect that with a crude backdrop, a black sheet clamped to a cross bar. You can see a seam that goes right through the middle and some tear holes. My strobe was powered with a generator. Below was a subject's perspective of me.
Since there hundreds of riders, I basically just started pulling people in and working quick. I let people pose themselves and do what they wanted. Here are some shots from the day.
My vision for this project was to use it as a rear light source to create shadowless, ring flash-like portraits. Since I was illuminating my subjects from behind I knew my contrast was going to be flat out of the camera. I then ramped up my contrast and converted to B&W to give the photos a little more pop. That was theory anyway.
I'd long been desiring a new 7' Octobox for my strobes. I was eager to utilize it for my architectural work as well as portrait shoots. This event gave me an excuse to pull the trigger and buy one. I set up the strobe and box behind me. SSWC09 wasn't an sophisticated affair so I decided to reflect that with a crude backdrop, a black sheet clamped to a cross bar. You can see a seam that goes right through the middle and some tear holes. My strobe was powered with a generator. Below was a subject's perspective of me.
Since there hundreds of riders, I basically just started pulling people in and working quick. I let people pose themselves and do what they wanted. Here are some shots from the day.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Google earth
Recently, I got to use one of my favorite tools (aside from gaffers tape and Pocket Wizards) for a shoot I did. I had to shoot a portrait of Quentin Sponselee who is the owner of Terramoto Transportation in San Diego. Terramoto is a limosine/shuttle service that uses all hybrid vehicles. And on top of that, they sponsor the planting of a tree for each ride that they commission, so you get to feel extra warm and fuzzy when you ride to the airport in one of their rides.
I needed to shoot a portrait of Quentin in a location that where I could pose him with his cars and have a feel for San Diego. The downtown San Diego skyline was about as good and defining as anything I could think of. Now, my challange was trying to figure out where I could shoot that would show the skyline, was accesible to position a couple of cars and not have a bunch of junk in the way. Mind you, I'm from Colorado. I've spent time in San Diego but mostly in north county and trips to and from the airport. My library of shooting locations in San Diego ain't that good...yet.
Time to log on to Google Earth!
For anybody who has not had the opportunity to play with it, Google Earth is one of the most fun and powerful tools at our disposal. It allows you to essentially fly all over the world and see the world from a birds-eye view. It gives you the ability to zoom into relatively good detail of objects on the ground. Unfortunately, they have decreased the resolution somewhat in the last year or two. I remember the first time I used it I explored all over the world looking at interesting landmarks. I remember looking down on a street in New York and I was able to zoom in so close that I was able to read the writing on the mini billboard on top of a cab. Next to the cab was a couple walking on the sidewalk...yes I could tell one was a man and the other was a woman. What was more fascinating is that I could tell that the man was wearing a pinstripe suit. This is an image from a satellite!
After a little research (and fun) I found this vacant lot on Coronado Island. It was too good to be true. There was vacant lot that was accessed by a public parking lot and it had a clear unobstructed view of downtown San Diego. Local San Diego photogs are probably laughing at me, saying that lot has been used more than a cheap...AND if you look below you'll see two Google Earth images that show the location. The first one is a close up of the lot itself and the second one shows the proximity of the lot(lower center...look close!) to downtown and the surrounding area.
Here is the resulting photos from this online search. Mind you, I had never been to Coronado Island or this area up til about a half hour before the shoot. Not too shabby!
We shot a bunch all over the area and SD used several images. Below was one of my favorites.
I needed to shoot a portrait of Quentin in a location that where I could pose him with his cars and have a feel for San Diego. The downtown San Diego skyline was about as good and defining as anything I could think of. Now, my challange was trying to figure out where I could shoot that would show the skyline, was accesible to position a couple of cars and not have a bunch of junk in the way. Mind you, I'm from Colorado. I've spent time in San Diego but mostly in north county and trips to and from the airport. My library of shooting locations in San Diego ain't that good...yet.
Time to log on to Google Earth!
For anybody who has not had the opportunity to play with it, Google Earth is one of the most fun and powerful tools at our disposal. It allows you to essentially fly all over the world and see the world from a birds-eye view. It gives you the ability to zoom into relatively good detail of objects on the ground. Unfortunately, they have decreased the resolution somewhat in the last year or two. I remember the first time I used it I explored all over the world looking at interesting landmarks. I remember looking down on a street in New York and I was able to zoom in so close that I was able to read the writing on the mini billboard on top of a cab. Next to the cab was a couple walking on the sidewalk...yes I could tell one was a man and the other was a woman. What was more fascinating is that I could tell that the man was wearing a pinstripe suit. This is an image from a satellite!
After a little research (and fun) I found this vacant lot on Coronado Island. It was too good to be true. There was vacant lot that was accessed by a public parking lot and it had a clear unobstructed view of downtown San Diego. Local San Diego photogs are probably laughing at me, saying that lot has been used more than a cheap...AND if you look below you'll see two Google Earth images that show the location. The first one is a close up of the lot itself and the second one shows the proximity of the lot(lower center...look close!) to downtown and the surrounding area.
Here is the resulting photos from this online search. Mind you, I had never been to Coronado Island or this area up til about a half hour before the shoot. Not too shabby!
Alrighty, the first time I used Google Earth to "scout" a location was for a shoot I did for Sierra Designs. They wanted a hiking shot in the desert and of course, they waited until seconds before their print deadline. Well, actually they gave me the weekend once I received my product samples to find models, find a location, shoot, edit, process, deliver, etc, etc. I made calls and found models but they would be available on Saturday afternoon only. That meant I had to look for something with good afternoon/evening light.
Google Earth was a new and exciting toy at the time so i was all amped up on getting on there to look for places. Back in college, I went out to the Needles District overlook on one of our many ventures to the desert. I recalled it being pretty sweet area and having some potential for a shoot. Again, below are a couple of screen images that lead me to a fairly successful location. The first is a close up of the location that show very close proximity to the road and right on the edge of a 500' cliff. Very convenient! The second shot shows what was to the west of the location...pretty much the sweetest part of Canyonlands. The shooting location can be seen in the bottom of the second screen shot just above the Google icon. It is the tiny shaded alcove or canyon wall (small black c or v shape)
We shot a bunch all over the area and SD used several images. Below was one of my favorites.
All photos were turned around by Monday morning and the shoot was deemed successful.
In both instances, Google Earth gave me the luxury to scout out a location from the comfort of my office. Without it I probably would have been driving all over, hoping to find something that would have maybe worked. And I would have been really stressed out looking.
And thus concludes my lesson about Google Earth and its potential for making your life a hell of a lot easier when the AD drops the bomb on your desk on Friday at 4pm. Ha!
Saturday, October 10, 2009
CGP and AWP is powered by the sun!
After checking into our hotel room in Flagstaff, I checked my Yahoo homepage to catch up on news. To my enjoyment, I was treated to a lead story of how the Smiley Building, where my studio calls home, was featured for its solar power. Its pretty cool to think that my multiple computers, monitors, storage drives, printers, strobes and everything are all powered by sustainable solar energy. If you've received jobs from me, be happy to know that your photo jobs are pretty darn green! :)
Please read the article below.
DURANGO, Colo. – The sun had just crested the distant ridge of the Rocky Mountains, but already it was producing enough power for the electric meter on the side of the Smiley Building to spin backward.
For the Shaw brothers, who converted the downtown arts building and community center into a miniature solar power plant two years ago, each reverse rotation subtracts from their monthly electric bill. It also means the building at that moment is producing more electricity from the sun than it needs.
"Backward is good," said John Shaw, who now runs Shaw Solar and Energy Conservation, a local solar installation company.
Good for whom?
As La Plata County in southwestern Colorado looks to shift to cleaner sources of energy, solar is becoming the power source of choice even though it still produces only a small fraction of the region's electricity. It's being nudged along by tax credits and rebates, a growing concern about the gases heating up the planet, and the region's plentiful sunshine.
The natural gas industry, which produces more gas here than nearly every other county in Colorado, has been relegated to the shadows.
Tougher state environmental regulations and lower natural gas prices have slowed many new drilling permits. As a result, production — and the jobs that come with it — have leveled off.
With the county and city drawing up plans to reduce the emissions blamed for global warming and Congress weighing the first mandatory limits, the industry once again finds itself on the losing side of the debate.
A recent greenhouse-gas inventory of La Plata County found that the thousands of natural gas pumps and processing plants dotting the landscape are the single largest source of heat-trapping pollution locally.
That has the industry bracing for a hit on two fronts if federal legislation passes.
First, it will have to reduce emissions from its production equipment to meet pollution limits, which will drive up costs. Second, as the county's largest consumer of electricity, gas companies probably will see energy bills rise as the local power cooperative is forced to cut gases released from its coal-fired power plants or purchase credits from other companies that reduce emissions.
"Being able to put solar systems on homes is great, you take something off the grid, it is as good as conserving," said Christi Zeller, the executive director of the La Plata Energy Council, a trade group representing about two dozen companies that produce the methane gas trapped within coal buried underground.
"But the reality is we still need natural gas, so embrace our industry like you are embracing wind, solar and the renewables," she said.
It's a refrain echoed on the national level, where the industry, displeased with the climate bill passed by the House this summer, is trying to raise its profile as the Senate works on its version of the legislation.
In March, about two dozen of the largest independent gas producers started America's Natural Gas Alliance. In ads in major publications in 32 states, the group has pressed the case that natural gas is a cleaner-burning alternative to coal and can help bridge the transition from fossil fuels to pollution-free sources such as wind and solar.
"Every industry thinks every other industry is getting all the breaks. All of us are concerned that we are not getting any consideration at all from people claiming they are trying to reduce the carbon footprint," said Bob Zahradnik, the operating director for the Southern Ute tribe's business arm, which includes the tribes' gas and oil production companies. None is in the alliance.
Politicians from energy-diverse states such as Colorado are trying to avoid getting caught in the middle. They're working to make sure that the final bill doesn't favor some types of energy produced back home over others.
At a town hall meeting in Durango in late August, Sen. Mark Udall, who described himself as one of the biggest proponents of renewable energy, assured the crowd that natural gas wouldn't be forgotten.
"Renewables are our future ... but we also need to continue to invest in natural gas," said Udall, D-Colo.
Much more than energy is at stake. Local and state governments across the country also depend on taxes paid by natural gas companies to fund schools, repair roads and pay other bills.
In La Plata County alone, the industry is responsible for hundreds of jobs and pays for more than half of the property taxes. In addition, about 6,000 residents who own the mineral rights beneath their property get a monthly royalty check from the companies harvesting oil and gas.
"Solar cannot do that. Wind cannot do that," said Zeller, whose mother is one of the royalty recipients. In July, she received a check for $458.92, far less than the $1,787.30 she was paid the same month last year, when natural gas prices were much higher.
Solar, by contrast, costs money.
Earlier this year, the city of Durango scaled back the amount of green power it was purchasing from the local electric cooperative because of the price. The additional $65,000 it was paying for power helped the cooperative, which is largely reliant on coal, to invest in solar power and other renewables.
"It is a premium. It is an additional cost," said Greg Caton, the assistant city manager.
Instead, the city decided to use the money to develop its own solar projects at its water treatment plant and public swimming pool. The effort will reduce the amount of power it gets from sources that contribute to global warming and make the city eligible for a $3,000 rebate from the La Plata Electric Association.
Yes, the power company will pay the city to use less of its power. That's because the solar will count toward a state mandate to boost renewable energy production.
"In the typical business model, it doesn't work," said Greg Munro, the cooperative's executive director. "Why would I give rebates to somebody buying someone else's shoes?"
The same upfront costs have prevented homeowners from jumping on the solar bandwagon despite the tax credits, rebates and lower electricity bills.
Most of Shaw's customers can't afford to install enough solar to cover 100 percent of their homes' electricity needs, which is one reason why solar supplies just a fraction of the power the county needs.
The higher fossil-fuel prices that could come with climate legislation would make it more competitive.
"You can't drive an industry on people doing the right thing. The best thing for this country is if gas were $10 a gallon," said Shaw, as he watched two of his three full-time workers install the last solar panels on a barn outside town.
The private residence, nestled in a remote canyon, probably will produce more power from the sun than it will use, causing its meter to spin in reverse like the Smiley Building's. The cost, however, is steep: more than $500,000.
Please read the article below.
Solar power outshining Colorado's gas industry
DURANGO, Colo. – The sun had just crested the distant ridge of the Rocky Mountains, but already it was producing enough power for the electric meter on the side of the Smiley Building to spin backward.
For the Shaw brothers, who converted the downtown arts building and community center into a miniature solar power plant two years ago, each reverse rotation subtracts from their monthly electric bill. It also means the building at that moment is producing more electricity from the sun than it needs.
"Backward is good," said John Shaw, who now runs Shaw Solar and Energy Conservation, a local solar installation company.
Good for whom?
As La Plata County in southwestern Colorado looks to shift to cleaner sources of energy, solar is becoming the power source of choice even though it still produces only a small fraction of the region's electricity. It's being nudged along by tax credits and rebates, a growing concern about the gases heating up the planet, and the region's plentiful sunshine.
The natural gas industry, which produces more gas here than nearly every other county in Colorado, has been relegated to the shadows.
Tougher state environmental regulations and lower natural gas prices have slowed many new drilling permits. As a result, production — and the jobs that come with it — have leveled off.
With the county and city drawing up plans to reduce the emissions blamed for global warming and Congress weighing the first mandatory limits, the industry once again finds itself on the losing side of the debate.
A recent greenhouse-gas inventory of La Plata County found that the thousands of natural gas pumps and processing plants dotting the landscape are the single largest source of heat-trapping pollution locally.
That has the industry bracing for a hit on two fronts if federal legislation passes.
First, it will have to reduce emissions from its production equipment to meet pollution limits, which will drive up costs. Second, as the county's largest consumer of electricity, gas companies probably will see energy bills rise as the local power cooperative is forced to cut gases released from its coal-fired power plants or purchase credits from other companies that reduce emissions.
"Being able to put solar systems on homes is great, you take something off the grid, it is as good as conserving," said Christi Zeller, the executive director of the La Plata Energy Council, a trade group representing about two dozen companies that produce the methane gas trapped within coal buried underground.
"But the reality is we still need natural gas, so embrace our industry like you are embracing wind, solar and the renewables," she said.
It's a refrain echoed on the national level, where the industry, displeased with the climate bill passed by the House this summer, is trying to raise its profile as the Senate works on its version of the legislation.
In March, about two dozen of the largest independent gas producers started America's Natural Gas Alliance. In ads in major publications in 32 states, the group has pressed the case that natural gas is a cleaner-burning alternative to coal and can help bridge the transition from fossil fuels to pollution-free sources such as wind and solar.
"Every industry thinks every other industry is getting all the breaks. All of us are concerned that we are not getting any consideration at all from people claiming they are trying to reduce the carbon footprint," said Bob Zahradnik, the operating director for the Southern Ute tribe's business arm, which includes the tribes' gas and oil production companies. None is in the alliance.
Politicians from energy-diverse states such as Colorado are trying to avoid getting caught in the middle. They're working to make sure that the final bill doesn't favor some types of energy produced back home over others.
At a town hall meeting in Durango in late August, Sen. Mark Udall, who described himself as one of the biggest proponents of renewable energy, assured the crowd that natural gas wouldn't be forgotten.
"Renewables are our future ... but we also need to continue to invest in natural gas," said Udall, D-Colo.
Much more than energy is at stake. Local and state governments across the country also depend on taxes paid by natural gas companies to fund schools, repair roads and pay other bills.
In La Plata County alone, the industry is responsible for hundreds of jobs and pays for more than half of the property taxes. In addition, about 6,000 residents who own the mineral rights beneath their property get a monthly royalty check from the companies harvesting oil and gas.
"Solar cannot do that. Wind cannot do that," said Zeller, whose mother is one of the royalty recipients. In July, she received a check for $458.92, far less than the $1,787.30 she was paid the same month last year, when natural gas prices were much higher.
Solar, by contrast, costs money.
Earlier this year, the city of Durango scaled back the amount of green power it was purchasing from the local electric cooperative because of the price. The additional $65,000 it was paying for power helped the cooperative, which is largely reliant on coal, to invest in solar power and other renewables.
"It is a premium. It is an additional cost," said Greg Caton, the assistant city manager.
Instead, the city decided to use the money to develop its own solar projects at its water treatment plant and public swimming pool. The effort will reduce the amount of power it gets from sources that contribute to global warming and make the city eligible for a $3,000 rebate from the La Plata Electric Association.
Yes, the power company will pay the city to use less of its power. That's because the solar will count toward a state mandate to boost renewable energy production.
"In the typical business model, it doesn't work," said Greg Munro, the cooperative's executive director. "Why would I give rebates to somebody buying someone else's shoes?"
The same upfront costs have prevented homeowners from jumping on the solar bandwagon despite the tax credits, rebates and lower electricity bills.
Most of Shaw's customers can't afford to install enough solar to cover 100 percent of their homes' electricity needs, which is one reason why solar supplies just a fraction of the power the county needs.
The higher fossil-fuel prices that could come with climate legislation would make it more competitive.
"You can't drive an industry on people doing the right thing. The best thing for this country is if gas were $10 a gallon," said Shaw, as he watched two of his three full-time workers install the last solar panels on a barn outside town.
The private residence, nestled in a remote canyon, probably will produce more power from the sun than it will use, causing its meter to spin in reverse like the Smiley Building's. The cost, however, is steep: more than $500,000.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
SSWC Photos and Portraits Online
I hope you had as great of a time at the Single Speed World Championships as I did. There was much fun to be had and lots of great "photo" moments.
If you had your photo taken in the morning at Buckley Park in front of the black backdrop, you can find them here.
In the same gallery, my friend Brett Woods has posted some killer shots he took of folks riding the ridge line. You might be there as well.
View the photos and buy prints and fun tchotchkes with your face on it here:
SSWC 09 Chris Giles and Brett Woods Shutterfly Photo Galleries
Enjoy!!!!
If you had your photo taken in the morning at Buckley Park in front of the black backdrop, you can find them here.
In the same gallery, my friend Brett Woods has posted some killer shots he took of folks riding the ridge line. You might be there as well.
View the photos and buy prints and fun tchotchkes with your face on it here:
SSWC 09 Chris Giles and Brett Woods Shutterfly Photo Galleries
Enjoy!!!!
Thursday, September 10, 2009
SSWC 09 is coming to town
Durango is about to have thousands of single speeders invading its sleepy little streets. Its the 2009 Single Speed World Championships. It is hosted in a different city every year and has visited several countries over the last few years. This year Passion Productions has been honored the responsibility of hosting the festivities in Durango and they don't take it lightly.
First off is the course itself. It is gonna be a bitch. I've ridden it with gears and its an asskicker. I've already heard people complaining about its severity. It's the WORLD championships, its supposed to be hard!
But really, this isn't about the race, its about the experience. Bailey, Cheeney and all the fine ladies that are Passion Productions never come up short when they entertain. The parties, events, prizes, contests and random chaos that will prevail makes everyone guessing and keeps everybody smiling.
Check out the link. http://sswc09.wordpress.com/
I've had the pleasure of working with these guys behind the camera. Its something I really love. I shoot a lot of architecture, portraits and weddings. A lot of these jobs, as much as I love them, are bound by lots of guidelines and rules from clients and standards. Shooting photos for Passion Productions throws all of that out the window. I get to shoot whatever and however we feel at the moment. If you happen to be coming to Durango for the race, pick up the SSWC mag. I'm happy to say that I have a ton of really fun photos all throughout it, including the cover.
We just finished shooting all of the best SSWC registration pieces. We're making big prints and Doom is making custom frames for all them. They will be on display at Ska Brewing on Saturday night. I just ordered some cool new equipment for a new portrait shoot I want to do on Saturday night during the festivities. It should be very cool and I'll post shots soon after I recover from the weekend. I like shooting mass portrait projects at these events. Figuring out a creative way to capture a lot of unique people who share the same passion is lots of fun. One of my last portrait projects was during the Rally of the Dead, another silly single speed event held by Passion Productions.
I hope you come to our little town to join the fun. Its gonna be a blast and we welcome all. And just remember, when you're getting your ass handed to you on the extended ridge, just look around and enjoy the beauty that surrounds you. Its not that bad.
Cheers
First off is the course itself. It is gonna be a bitch. I've ridden it with gears and its an asskicker. I've already heard people complaining about its severity. It's the WORLD championships, its supposed to be hard!
But really, this isn't about the race, its about the experience. Bailey, Cheeney and all the fine ladies that are Passion Productions never come up short when they entertain. The parties, events, prizes, contests and random chaos that will prevail makes everyone guessing and keeps everybody smiling.
Check out the link. http://sswc09.wordpress.com/
I've had the pleasure of working with these guys behind the camera. Its something I really love. I shoot a lot of architecture, portraits and weddings. A lot of these jobs, as much as I love them, are bound by lots of guidelines and rules from clients and standards. Shooting photos for Passion Productions throws all of that out the window. I get to shoot whatever and however we feel at the moment. If you happen to be coming to Durango for the race, pick up the SSWC mag. I'm happy to say that I have a ton of really fun photos all throughout it, including the cover.
We just finished shooting all of the best SSWC registration pieces. We're making big prints and Doom is making custom frames for all them. They will be on display at Ska Brewing on Saturday night. I just ordered some cool new equipment for a new portrait shoot I want to do on Saturday night during the festivities. It should be very cool and I'll post shots soon after I recover from the weekend. I like shooting mass portrait projects at these events. Figuring out a creative way to capture a lot of unique people who share the same passion is lots of fun. One of my last portrait projects was during the Rally of the Dead, another silly single speed event held by Passion Productions.
I hope you come to our little town to join the fun. Its gonna be a blast and we welcome all. And just remember, when you're getting your ass handed to you on the extended ridge, just look around and enjoy the beauty that surrounds you. Its not that bad.
Cheers
Monday, June 1, 2009
Its sustainable, but is it comfortable?
Recently, I began a new business idea with my girlfriend Barbara and friend Sanders. I won't go into the whole idea because we think its a good one and we want to do it before somebody else does. But it basically looks at the sustainability of buildings. How they are designed, how they are built, what materials they use and don't use, and how that's better for the people who use them. We've had some preliminary meetings and are putting together more solid plan for what we want to achieve. We have our pilot project, a local library that is on track to achieve a LEED gold certification. If you asked me two weeks ago, I would have had said that we had our product and we were ready to start moving forward with it.
Then, last week Barbara and I toured the library with the director and she pointed out all of the LEED elements as well as other innovative components of the library. Afterwards, we had a conference call where Barbara and I briefed Sanders on the tour and what we felt we should highlight. After talking for about 45 minutes, Sanders finally chimed in and said, "I thought that our focus was to highlight the sustainability of the facility and most of the things you guys are talking about are community involvement, fun design for the children's section and art." It then dawned on me that he was totally right, but at the same time he did not understand the whole picture. He hadn't had the opportunity to experience the space, so he had yet to be affected by the space.
When Barbara and I came away from the tour, we weren't excited about the nightly flushing of cool air into the ventilation system to reduce the need to cool the air or even localized task lighting that reduced the need for big overhead room lighting which requires more energy to light a given space. We came out talking about the mini dual flush toilet designed for children(one of the few times I called a toilet cute), the reading room that overlooked the Animas river surrounded by windows which let all the warm morning sun in and the very cool conveyor belt/sorting mechanism for books that come in from the night drop. We realized that our focus wasn't only to show how energy efficient a building could be, but how did the overall design, mechanics and structure improve the experiences of the people who visited the library, worked in the library, rode their bikes past the library.
An architect can design a structure that is built with the most sustainable, recycled goods, has the highest possible energy efficiency, produces no waste into the environment and so on, but if it isn't a comfortable space to exist in then you've lost all of your sustainability. The value of the space has been compromised by the intent to maximize its "sustainability". If nobody uses that space then it becomes a waste of the land it was built upon, a waste of energy to heat and light an empty space as well as all of the resources it took to build it. If the usage and enjoyment of a space is maximized then it increases the sustainable value, simply because it is being used.
The combination of the elements that we don't want to see, smell, hear, ingest along with functional design, creative lines, proportional spaces and comforting colors creates a space that we yearn to comeback to over and over again. Its those spaces that makes us feel mentally, physically and emotionally healthy. That combination creates sustainability. We are going to continue to build structures to live in, work in, recreate in, and govern in. That will never really change. What we can change though, is improving them with more intelligent design. And that smarter design improves our overall experience with them, thus not needing to tear them down and replace them with new structures. That's sustainability.
Our business idea has a new focus.
Then, last week Barbara and I toured the library with the director and she pointed out all of the LEED elements as well as other innovative components of the library. Afterwards, we had a conference call where Barbara and I briefed Sanders on the tour and what we felt we should highlight. After talking for about 45 minutes, Sanders finally chimed in and said, "I thought that our focus was to highlight the sustainability of the facility and most of the things you guys are talking about are community involvement, fun design for the children's section and art." It then dawned on me that he was totally right, but at the same time he did not understand the whole picture. He hadn't had the opportunity to experience the space, so he had yet to be affected by the space.
When Barbara and I came away from the tour, we weren't excited about the nightly flushing of cool air into the ventilation system to reduce the need to cool the air or even localized task lighting that reduced the need for big overhead room lighting which requires more energy to light a given space. We came out talking about the mini dual flush toilet designed for children(one of the few times I called a toilet cute), the reading room that overlooked the Animas river surrounded by windows which let all the warm morning sun in and the very cool conveyor belt/sorting mechanism for books that come in from the night drop. We realized that our focus wasn't only to show how energy efficient a building could be, but how did the overall design, mechanics and structure improve the experiences of the people who visited the library, worked in the library, rode their bikes past the library.
An architect can design a structure that is built with the most sustainable, recycled goods, has the highest possible energy efficiency, produces no waste into the environment and so on, but if it isn't a comfortable space to exist in then you've lost all of your sustainability. The value of the space has been compromised by the intent to maximize its "sustainability". If nobody uses that space then it becomes a waste of the land it was built upon, a waste of energy to heat and light an empty space as well as all of the resources it took to build it. If the usage and enjoyment of a space is maximized then it increases the sustainable value, simply because it is being used.
The combination of the elements that we don't want to see, smell, hear, ingest along with functional design, creative lines, proportional spaces and comforting colors creates a space that we yearn to comeback to over and over again. Its those spaces that makes us feel mentally, physically and emotionally healthy. That combination creates sustainability. We are going to continue to build structures to live in, work in, recreate in, and govern in. That will never really change. What we can change though, is improving them with more intelligent design. And that smarter design improves our overall experience with them, thus not needing to tear them down and replace them with new structures. That's sustainability.
Our business idea has a new focus.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Animas slate
I'm out in LA right now assisting on a video project. But before I left Durango, I finally got to start a fun, creative project. Here are some preview photos. I'll be putting up a full gallery soon.
Miki creating...
Brooke
Dylan
Myra
Miki creating...
Brooke
Dylan
Myra
Friday, March 27, 2009
Today, I am giving props to an item that is taken for granted and is greatly unappreciated.
The paper clip.
It is a beautiful thing when an item so small and simple can be used for so many things. Personally, I use it most to affix gels to strobes and softboxes, but its usefulness does not stop there by any means. Here are a couple of other ways that it can be put to work for you.
Clip sheets on a bed to remove wrinkles
Hold a shirt or blouse tight to fit a model
Hold sheets to doors or windows to block light
Use as a bag clip for the potato chips after lunch
Hold slouchy plant stems upright so they look better in photos
Hair clip
Pinch your assistant to wake them up when you are doing a really long boring shoot
Fasten weights to the bottom of a backdrop so it hangs tight
Hang on the bottom of table cloth to remove creases or folds
Hold cords tight on stands or behind furniture to keep them out of sight
Hold pocket wizards on to strobes when the lanyard breaks
Use as a small block to prop up plates for food photos
Clip a hat on a model on a really windy shoot
Fasten the shot list to anything solid on a really windy shoot
Use as a door stop under pesky doors that don't want to stay closed or open
Hold all of your taxes together on a windy, rainy April 15th evening on the way to the post office
There are probably a million more uses for these little guys, but that's all the ones that I've come across in the last few weeks. And the greatest thing in the world is that a package of 50 of these useful little beauties is around $3.50. Its great to cherish such a simple, inexpensive item.
Cheers
The paper clip.
It is a beautiful thing when an item so small and simple can be used for so many things. Personally, I use it most to affix gels to strobes and softboxes, but its usefulness does not stop there by any means. Here are a couple of other ways that it can be put to work for you.
Clip sheets on a bed to remove wrinkles
Hold a shirt or blouse tight to fit a model
Hold sheets to doors or windows to block light
Use as a bag clip for the potato chips after lunch
Hold slouchy plant stems upright so they look better in photos
Hair clip
Pinch your assistant to wake them up when you are doing a really long boring shoot
Fasten weights to the bottom of a backdrop so it hangs tight
Hang on the bottom of table cloth to remove creases or folds
Hold cords tight on stands or behind furniture to keep them out of sight
Hold pocket wizards on to strobes when the lanyard breaks
Use as a small block to prop up plates for food photos
Clip a hat on a model on a really windy shoot
Fasten the shot list to anything solid on a really windy shoot
Use as a door stop under pesky doors that don't want to stay closed or open
Hold all of your taxes together on a windy, rainy April 15th evening on the way to the post office
There are probably a million more uses for these little guys, but that's all the ones that I've come across in the last few weeks. And the greatest thing in the world is that a package of 50 of these useful little beauties is around $3.50. Its great to cherish such a simple, inexpensive item.
Cheers
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Hope
An interesting thing happened this morning. I woke up at 5:30 still weary from a long string of 12-15 hr work days. I looked around my place at a pile of dirty laundry, a bunch of bills, wilting plants. I started some coffee and checked the weather forecast...sunny and 70 degrees. I remembered an invitation from Woods to go riding over at Phil's World. It pretty much was shaping up to be a nice relaxing Sunday where I could catch up on my personal life and get stuff in order.
My coffee started perculatin' and I sat down to read the news to find out what was happening in the world. I then remembered that I wanted to watch the Obama interview on the late show from earlier in the week. Kicking back on my couch, Mac Book on lap, coffee in hand, I watched the video clip. 30 minutes later, juiced on caffeine I found myself very inspired to go my studio and get to work.
I will state right off the bat that I am not a lifelong Democrat or bleeding liberal by any means. I'm pretty moderate and ride the fence on a lot of issues. I did vote for Mr. Obama and was very happy to see him elected. Do I think he is going to change the world or is he the savior for our country? No. Sadly, our country and world are way too screwed up in too many ways. No matter how hard Obama works and tries to change things, he ain't going to be making revolutionary changes.
The reason I'm sitting at my desk at 9 am on a gorgeous Sunday morning is that Obama inspired me. It was so cool to watch a man who is intelligent, articulate, compassionate, pragmatic, humble, and charismatic. Here is a guy who has one of the worst jobs in the world. I know I wouldn't want his job. On top of just have a very difficult job, he had enormous problems dropped in his lap. But he wakes up every morning and goes to work with the attitude that he gets the opportunity to tackle the challenges that were given to him. That's why he applied for the job in the first place. He saw a problem that needed to be fixed and he thought that he could contribute to the solution. He'll make mistakes, he'll be criticized, his popularity will undoubtedly fall over time. But kudos for the guy for actually trying.
I think what really got to me was the fact that he operates on common sense principles. Responsibility, sound values, and hard work seem to be his modus operandi. He doesn't expect to make changes overnight. He recognizes that the problem that landed this country where it is, is the get-rich-quick philosophy that we all accept as status quo anymore. That we have to get back to the fundamentals that made this country great. It was very refreshing to listen to him speak after what we've endured over the last 8 years.
Simply put, listening to him speak put a flame under my ass to get to work and tackle my small little pile of challenges. It inspired me to make my small contribution to the overall productivity that will get our economy back in order. Like everyone, I won't be getting rich anytime soon. But if I keep plugging away, I think that very good things lie on the other side of this little quagmire that we've been graced with.
BTW, don't get me wrong, its gonna be 70 degrees today. I WILL be out cranking some miles this afternoon.
Cheers
My coffee started perculatin' and I sat down to read the news to find out what was happening in the world. I then remembered that I wanted to watch the Obama interview on the late show from earlier in the week. Kicking back on my couch, Mac Book on lap, coffee in hand, I watched the video clip. 30 minutes later, juiced on caffeine I found myself very inspired to go my studio and get to work.
I will state right off the bat that I am not a lifelong Democrat or bleeding liberal by any means. I'm pretty moderate and ride the fence on a lot of issues. I did vote for Mr. Obama and was very happy to see him elected. Do I think he is going to change the world or is he the savior for our country? No. Sadly, our country and world are way too screwed up in too many ways. No matter how hard Obama works and tries to change things, he ain't going to be making revolutionary changes.
The reason I'm sitting at my desk at 9 am on a gorgeous Sunday morning is that Obama inspired me. It was so cool to watch a man who is intelligent, articulate, compassionate, pragmatic, humble, and charismatic. Here is a guy who has one of the worst jobs in the world. I know I wouldn't want his job. On top of just have a very difficult job, he had enormous problems dropped in his lap. But he wakes up every morning and goes to work with the attitude that he gets the opportunity to tackle the challenges that were given to him. That's why he applied for the job in the first place. He saw a problem that needed to be fixed and he thought that he could contribute to the solution. He'll make mistakes, he'll be criticized, his popularity will undoubtedly fall over time. But kudos for the guy for actually trying.
I think what really got to me was the fact that he operates on common sense principles. Responsibility, sound values, and hard work seem to be his modus operandi. He doesn't expect to make changes overnight. He recognizes that the problem that landed this country where it is, is the get-rich-quick philosophy that we all accept as status quo anymore. That we have to get back to the fundamentals that made this country great. It was very refreshing to listen to him speak after what we've endured over the last 8 years.
Simply put, listening to him speak put a flame under my ass to get to work and tackle my small little pile of challenges. It inspired me to make my small contribution to the overall productivity that will get our economy back in order. Like everyone, I won't be getting rich anytime soon. But if I keep plugging away, I think that very good things lie on the other side of this little quagmire that we've been graced with.
BTW, don't get me wrong, its gonna be 70 degrees today. I WILL be out cranking some miles this afternoon.
Cheers
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Cowboys stories
Recently, I was hired by Western Horseman magazine to shoot portraits of a saddle maker that lives in southeast, Utah. The magazine was sponsoring a roping competition where the winners won one of three custom made saddles created by 3 different saddle craftsmen. It was my job to photograph Jeff Hanson and his creation.
At the time, I was slammed with work doing several architectural shoots in different towns as well as a bunch of portrait shoots for different clients. Basically, I was shooting, downloading photos, backing them up and running to the next shoot. Jeff was my final one and I was pretty psyched to finish it up. After a morning of catching up on office work, I hopped in the car and made the 2 hour drive over to Monticello. Once I got 20 miles out of town, I finally took a deep breath and relaxed! It was time to plug in the iPod and just enjoy the drive.
When I arrived, Jeff was cleaning up his saddle shop. He invited me in and instead of breaking out the camera and shooting photos right away, we just talked. We talked for a good hour about saddle making, cowboys, life, family, the weather and a host of other things. Then, after we literally ran out of things to talk about, I suggested that we break out the camera and shoot some photos. It was a bit tricky because there was a delectable blend of fluorescent, tungsten and very cold daylight coming in the windows. But, Jeff was at ease and we were very comfortable with each other shooting, so it went smooth.
It was so refreshing to sit down and learn about my subject on a personal level. It then dawned on me that I am very fortunate to have the job I do. It is a conduit to experience places and people that I would not have otherwise ever considered or ever learned about. I was paid to learn about a beautiful craft that I'm never exposed to in my daily life. And then on top of that, I got to blend my craft with his to show off his work. Pretty cool!
Once we wrapped up, I got back in my car and made the 2 hour journey back to Durango. Tunes a crankin, feeling rejuvenated, I immediately started planning my next projects and preparing for countless hours on the computer processing all the photos I had created in the last few weeks.
At the time, I was slammed with work doing several architectural shoots in different towns as well as a bunch of portrait shoots for different clients. Basically, I was shooting, downloading photos, backing them up and running to the next shoot. Jeff was my final one and I was pretty psyched to finish it up. After a morning of catching up on office work, I hopped in the car and made the 2 hour drive over to Monticello. Once I got 20 miles out of town, I finally took a deep breath and relaxed! It was time to plug in the iPod and just enjoy the drive.
When I arrived, Jeff was cleaning up his saddle shop. He invited me in and instead of breaking out the camera and shooting photos right away, we just talked. We talked for a good hour about saddle making, cowboys, life, family, the weather and a host of other things. Then, after we literally ran out of things to talk about, I suggested that we break out the camera and shoot some photos. It was a bit tricky because there was a delectable blend of fluorescent, tungsten and very cold daylight coming in the windows. But, Jeff was at ease and we were very comfortable with each other shooting, so it went smooth.
It was so refreshing to sit down and learn about my subject on a personal level. It then dawned on me that I am very fortunate to have the job I do. It is a conduit to experience places and people that I would not have otherwise ever considered or ever learned about. I was paid to learn about a beautiful craft that I'm never exposed to in my daily life. And then on top of that, I got to blend my craft with his to show off his work. Pretty cool!
Once we wrapped up, I got back in my car and made the 2 hour journey back to Durango. Tunes a crankin, feeling rejuvenated, I immediately started planning my next projects and preparing for countless hours on the computer processing all the photos I had created in the last few weeks.
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