Fifth and Sixth-generation farmers! Ron Holter and his son.

In early August of 2009, I was sent by the Wegmans Advertising Department to Jefferson, Maryland to photograph for a day at Holterholm Farms, a supplier of milk for Organic Valley.  Established in 1889 by the great-great grandfather of Ron Holter, the 207 acre farm has been a producer of organic dairy products since 2005, and is now run by Ron, his wife Kathy, and their two children.  Accompanying me on the trip was Matt Byham, from Wegmans, who was writing the feature article on dairy suppliers for the Summer 2010 issue of Menu Magazine.

Jersey Cow number 139. She's a good milker!

The morning that Matt and I arrived at the farm was absolutely stunning!  There was enough atmospheric haze, that natural light was just perfect for photography, and it stayed that way for most of the day!  It was hot, though, even early on, and it would only get more so as the day progressed.  Matt and I met with Ron and Kathy Holter and got the lay of the land.  The Holters were making preparations for a visiting group from Wegmans, and while we waited for the group to arrive, Matt and I walked the pastures to photograph the land and cows!  A short while later, Ron and his son joined us in the fields and discussed with us the family farm’s history, the move to organic and sustainable farming processes, the great health benefits of organic foods, and of course, how very important it is to have happy cows!  I could tell, during our time afield with the Holters, that Matt was getting some great material for his article!

Part of the pastureland that I loved so much.

In Ron’s words, he and his family are farming as God has intended it to be.  The Jersey cows of Holterholm Farms dine on a nutritious mix of grasses of different types.  They are free to roam the pastures that are open to them on a given day, and each day, they are milked in a comfortable, cool, open-air parlor that creates a very stress-free environment for them.  The result is healthy, happy, grass-fed cows, and delicious, organic milk that is higher in antioxidants, other nutrients, and Omega-3’s than that which is produced at conventional dairy farms.  The cows are not grain fed, they do not receive hormones or antibiotics, and no persistent pesticides or synthetic fertilizers are used on the farm.  Managed as a seasonal farm, calves are born in February and March of each year, and the cows are milked from March to December.

Following the cows in for milking at the day's end.

This farm had such a wonderful feel to it.  It just seemed that everything worked in this nice, relaxed harmony, and that things were the way they should be.  The land was just beautiful, the cows were healthy, happy, and well looked after, even the cats seemed extremely content!  The Holter family proved to be very gracious hosts, are amazing people to visit with, and had a tremendous passion for educating others about the great benefits of organic farming.  It was obvious from the beginning that these are folks that truly believe in and love what they do, are fully immersed in it, and are more than willing to share what they’ve learned with others.  All of this benefits the consumer, other dairy farmers, and of course, the cows!

The Holter Family, photographed on their farm, August 5, 2009.

One of the many beautiful faces we would meet that day.

Ron Holter describing sustainable pasture management.

Camera:  Canon EOS 1DS Mark 2.

The Judge, new for 2010, in a matte black "Ninja" Edition. Extremely Slick!

My New Year holiday weekend was capped off with the completion of photography for Elite Archery’s 2010 Product Catalog.  I’m really excited to get my hands on the final printed piece, because the PDF I saw online today looks just great!  I’ve had a really fantastic time working with Garret Armstrong, the VP of Marketing and Sales for Elite Archery, and have enjoyed spending time getting to know the rest of their team, Maggie Armstrong, Missy and Denny Sharrone, and Pete Crawford, the company President.  It’s both energizing and refreshing to be working with people who believe so deeply in producing high quality products, are dedicated to supporting their customers, and genuinely love what they do.

Elite Archery's GT500, in Anthracite Gray Metallic. Absolutely gorgeous!

The upper limb and Rev cam of the GT500, Anthracite.

Eric Barbehenn, from our shop at Myers Creative Imaging, was the driving force behind the retouching of the images, and preparing them for going to press.  Many hours were spent at the computers in the studio during this post-production process, after the photography was complete.  At our latest estimate, 13 gallons of Starbucks Coffee and 29 pounds of Almond M&M’s were consumed during the entire project.  Amy Millert and Jennifer Morse provided a great deal of help in the studio on our shooting days, and I felt very fortunate to have had them as part of the team!

Elite Archery's One Piece Bow Quiver, in Realtree AP, mounted on a 2010 Judge. Made by Treelimb for Elite Archery.

Some really exciting, new products have been added to Elite Archery’s already solid arsenal of bows for 2010.  Elite’s newest bow, The Judge, is a very sweet looking piece of equipment, featuring an axle to axle length just a whisker under 35 inches, Elite’s new Revolution cams, and a 6 inch brace height.  Also new this year are one and two-piece Treelimb quivers, and a line of 7 and 11 inch stabilizers that are Doinker equipped, and feature a smoke colored acrylic rod that is etched with the Elite Archery logo.  These accessories have been designed in a way that beautifully complements Elite’s bows aesthetically, and they look as though they will perform solidly and effectively as they should.  Other new additions to the product line include a hip quiver and a soft-sided bow case that has to be one of the nicest looking cases I’ve seen!

Efficient Powerhouse! Elite Archery's 2010 Revolution cam!

The catalog went to press today, and will be delivered in time for distribution at Elite Archery’s exhibit booth at the ATA Trade Show in Columbus, Ohio this month.  I’m excited to be flying into Columbus on the 13th and attending the show this year for the first time, and for the opportunity to meet with and show work to new, prospective clients!  Wish me luck!

The Judge, dressed to hunt, in Realtree AP.

Elite Archery's new Field Quiver. Intelligent design and very classy!

Stokerized, Doinker equipped, and laser-etched! Elite's new 11-inch stabilizer, shown here in black, and available in AP and MAX-1. Also available in a 7-inch model!

Camera:  Hasselblad H2, with Leaf Aptus 65S Digital Back.

The "Holly Day Martini" and a few of her sparkling friends!

In early September, our studio took the call from Wegmans to photograph two drink recipes that were developed to help Menu Magazine readers refresh themselves cheerfully throughout the holiday season!  The images would run in the Menu Magazine Holiday Issue, the article beginning on page 58.  I was to work alongside art director and good friend, Michael Buckley, and was fortunate to have the wonderful Jennifer Morse working with us, too!   Together, we would execute the photography in the Tastings Restaurant dining room and lounge areas.  Bartender Extraordinaire, Janet Rudney, of Tastings Restaurant fame, and currently of Next Door Bar and Grill, had created the yummy recipes and would be making the beautiful drinks for us to photograph on the day of the shoot.  Michael came over to the studio and went over the list of necessary props with Kathy, and things began falling into place.  On the morning of the shoot, Jennifer met me at the studio, we loaded the gear into the truck, and headed out to the Pittsford, NY location.

First off, we decided upon our location for the article’s opening image. The Tastings dining room was chosen in this case for its spacious environment, as well as for the windows and lighting fixtures that would provide some out-of-focus interest in the background.  This shot would feature the “Holly Day Martini,” and sparkling wine.  The martini recipe combines the flavors of fresh strawberries, pomegranate and citrus, with a kicker of vodka (optional) to help boost the holiday cheer level up a notch or two!  We did another shot of the same martini recipe, without the accompaniment of sparkling wine, in the lounge area of the restauant.  This was a much tighter composition, and Michael performed his “votive candle magic” to help bring life to the environment.

Strawberries, pomegranate, and citrus make this martini a festive holiday treat!

My favorite shot of the day, though, is the one we did of the “Cozy Coffee” recipe.  Janet can do some amazing things behind the bar, and this creation of hers had Michael and I anxious to do some sampling!  The coffee smelled so good already, but when Janet topped the mugs off with perfectly roasted mini-marshmallows, the visual appeal of the drinks was increased dramatically!  After a little bit of “marshmallow primping,” and some “foam and bubble artistry,” we had our shots done for the day.  All sampling was done after Five O’clock, in case anyone is wondering!

Cozy Coffee! You simply can't go wrong with marshmallows and vodka!

Camera:  Hasselblad H2 with Leaf Aptus 65S digital back.

Daniel Caruso, Sous Chef, in the Test Kitchen of Next Door Bar and Grill.

Last week, our schedule at Myers Creative Imaging exploded into a super busy and exciting week!

One of our coolest projects from the past few days was again, for Wegmans, but this time, the photography would center around the opening of their new restaurant, Next Door Bar and Grill.  Both John and I were asked to head out to the restaurant at different times, and photograph the space, food, and people during the private parties that were being held at the restaurant prior to its opening to the public on December 11.

On Wednesday evening, after our shooting was complete, Wegmans art director Michael Buckley and I were able to sit for some dinner.  Wow!  I can’t wait to go back and spend some time at this restaurant again.  The menu really beckons to be thouroughly explored and enjoyed.  There was a really great energy about the place, the people working there were top notch, and the food was ultra-good!  The spacious bar area offers a fantastic social environment, and the fireplace in the far wall of the main dining room added a warm coziness to the entire place.

I’ll update this post soon, and include a more informative manuscript, for now, I needed to share one of my favorite images from the time I spent at the restaurant on Wednesday.  My portrait of one of the chefs, Daniel Caruso, was made in the Test Kitchen area of the restaurant.  I love his “toughness” in this particular image.  Nobody messes around when Dan’s in the kitchen.

Maybe Dan's not so tough. Yeah, right!

Camera:  Hasselblad H2 with Leaf Aptus 65S Digital Back.

From flowers to soldiers and back again!  The subjects we cover here at Myers Creative Imaging are extremely diverse!  I find there is an interesting rollercoaster of ruggedness and sensitivity that we experience during the course of our work week!

I am creating this particular post on the evening of December 13, and the holiday theme seems fitting.  The day the photography was done for the project, though, was a very different story.  Summer.  Hot.  Humid.  Holiday?  I think not!  It’s incredible to me that the flowers didn’t wilt that day!

Similar to the Wegmans Fall Floral project,  this series illustrates what the florists at Wegmans stores have created for shoppers to bring into their homes for the Winter holidays.

Working with art director, Michael Buckley, of  Wegmans Advertising, we set out to create a body of images to be used in an in-store display, promoting these holiday floral arrangements.  We were to shoot the arrangements themselves on location one day, and then photograph the design elements in the studio on the next.  Michael had reviewed the homes that our production coordinator, Heather, had scouted for our location files, and had selected the perfect one for the project.  It was one of those homes where you go in with all this equipment and gear, and have to be super-careful not to scratch something!  I don’t usually get too nervous about that until we have to start moving the furniture around.  This was one of those days that Michael wanted us to move lots of furniture, lamps, and delicate glass things around.  Thankfully, nothing was broken, scratched, soiled, or otherwise maimed.  We did good.

My friend and freelance photography assistant, Amy, who had HALO jumped with me for the previous, covert-operations project, was on-scene with Michael and me today.  It was a real “Power-Team” we had working on these flowers!  The house lended itself very nicely to the “holiday” feel that we were trying to convey, and we were all really pleased with our images from the day!  The next day in the studio was a fun one, too!  We worked the design elements used in the floral arrangements into several different still-lifes that would be used in the collage on the in-store displays.

Camera:  Hasselblad H2 and CF 132 Digital Back.

Receiving UAV imagery from a concealed position.

19 August, 2009.

Location: Highly Classified.  However, it was HOT and full of sand.  There was no Starbucks here, if you know what I mean.

Mission: Creating images to support the Harris 7800T, a ruggedized, handheld, encrypted communications system designed for hard-core military use.

Featured Technology: Included a top-secret monocle that would link a ground-based soldier to a tiny, man-launched UAV, giving him a birds-eye view of the battleground.  Ultra-cool!

My assistant, Amy Millert, (like Miller with a T,) and I HALO dropped into the location in the ink-black of a moonless night, closely followed by a treetop-level C-130 cargo drop containing our Profoto 7B kit, a few C-stands, and the rest of the gear we needed to survive, including a 3-pound bag of Almond M&M’s.  Fortunately, during the entire mission, the only casualty was the M&M bag.  Didn’t even make it through the first morning.  Damn the heat.

I’m not really at liberty to say who we worked with, or exactly what it was we were doing, but I can share these few pictures that have been De-classified.

I owe a great deal of thanks to Dave, Chris, and Spencer for their help in this mission, and for all the others they have completed.  You guys are the very best!

Chris launches the UAV while Spencer handles rear security.

Specialist Millert tends to HALO jump in bright colors and stylish shades.

Camera:  Canon EOS 1DS Mark 3.

Back in the latter part of August, the call came from Wegmans for us to fulfill their need for some new photography that would help to illustrate their Floral Department’s seasonal offerings.  The concept was to create a series of cohesive images, both of the arrangements and bouquets developed by the Wegmans florists, and also to build some still-life imagery using the design components that would be incorporated into the arrangements themselves.

The end result would be a large, in-store display that would utilize a collage of images,  illustrating the complete arrangements that the consumer could purchase, as well as the design elements that could be used to create arrangements driven by a customer’s own vision.  The project would include a day of location photography at Wegmans Organic Test Farm, and a day of studio still-lifes.  The Organic Farm was chosen for its rustic environment, which should lend itself well to complement the floral arrangements with an “Autumn” or “Harvest” flavor.

Spending time of the Wegmans Organic Test Farm is one of my favorite things, so I was really excited for another opportunity to shoot there.  The weather, unfortunately, wasn’t cooperating as nicely as we had hoped.  The forecast was for a heavy, gray day with drizzle and rain.  Not optimal conditions for photographing flowers outdoors.  Fortunately, our bag of tricks at Myers Creative Imaging included a 12 foot square canopy tent for just such an occasion.  The tent was deployed at 7:00 am, and our day began, creativity being boosted by an earlier stop at the Canandaigua Starbucks.  We provided our own version of “sunlight” with our Profoto strobe kit, softboxes and scrims.

I was in the company of Michael Buckley, a Wegmans art director, and Jenn Morse, my assistant for the project.  We moved our tent around three or four times to the different spots we had chosen, and decided to keep the laptop set up in the greenhouse.  Jenn would run the CF cards in from the tent and load them in the laptop for us to inspect.  Despite the gloom of the day, I felt that we created some vibrant, energetic images!  Our good luck held all day, and it didn’t rain too hard until the truck was halfway packed at the end of the day!  One of the day’s high points was Jenn’s lunchtime run to Casa Italiana, located on Parrish Street in Canandaigua, to pick up some truly excellent subs.  Italian Assorted, forget about it!

Camera:  Canon EOS 1DS Mark 3.

The final, "Stage Four" image after Eric's hard work!

One of the very rewarding aspects of my job at Myers Creative Imaging is that I get to work with very talented and dedicated people every single day.  We have a staff of six people at the studio, each excellent at what they do, who work well together in servicing our clients, and in supporting each other at the same time!  Alright, enough of the mushy stuff.

I’m taking this opportunity to show off Eric Barbehenn’s talents a little bit.  Eric is sometimes known by us, affectionately, as “the guy behind the wall,”  and might not often be seen, but is responsible for many great things!  Eric is the full time digital image retouching artist that we have on staff.  Of course he manages other things around the studio, too, but retouching is really his thing!

Often times, in the professional photography world, the role of the retoucher becomes a key factor in the realization of an art director’s or photographer’s vision.  Sometimes, only so much can be done “in camera” by the photographer, and it’s up to people like Eric to take the reins and bring the image to a new level.

In this particular case, Eric had done some work on an image that I had created back in the winter months for Harris Corporation.  The scenario I had shot in January had depicted emergency first responders “on the scene,” and would be used in trade magazines to advertise the encrypted radio communications systems that Harris engineers and manufactures here in Rochester.

Eric had spent some time playing around with some tone mapping techniques recently, and seemed to think that this image could lend some interesting results.  He felt that the original image, while very nice, could be pushed to carry a far more dramatic visual message that spoke of the often harsh and difficult conditions that first responders and their equipment are subjected to.

Without giving away Eric’s detailed secrets, I can walk you through the basics:

Stage One, the image in its original state, straight off the camera.

Right off the camera, the Stage One image.

Stage Two, some real boosts in contrast, especially in the shadow end, and some light falloff around the perimeter occurs.

Stage Two.

Stage Three, we see a further contrast push, as well as some selective desaturation.

Stage Three.

Now pay attention to the image shown at the beginning of this post, because Stage Four gets really cool!  Eric made it snow!  Now, he hadn’t merely selected snow from another image and layered it in to the existing one.  He actually created it from nothing and succeeded in making it look real and believable!

What a great result, and super example of image enhancement!

Camera: Canon EOS 1DS Mk 3.

Mixed Olives and Parmigiano Reggiano Salami Bites.

One of the rewarding parts of being a professional photographer are the “testing days!” When the schedule allows, John and I will try to expand our horizons a little, and make a plan to try out some new lighting ideas we have, or do some preliminary tests for an upcoming client project. In some cases, it’s a necessary part of our problem solving process. Sometimes, though, it can be just plain fun! Testing gives us a chance to learn new ways of working, explore new photographic styles, and flesh-out concepts we have in our minds.

In this particular case, I was able to take a couple of days to create some new food images! Photographing food is one of my favorite things to do, and I was excited for the opportunity! After a little time spent making sketches, thinking of food types, textures and colors, I headed off to the Pittsford Wegmans with my shopping list. I was planning a hearty steak meal, a chicken soup shot, one with olives, another of grilled beef and vegetable skewers, and a fifth with sockeye salmon. I really enjoy having an excuse to roll the gas grill outside to cook, so I had planned three of the meals with that in mind.

Grilled Sockeye Salmon, Mixed Greens and Roasted Potatoes.

I was in the process of developing a studio flash lighting setup that would mimic natural daylight coming through windows. Now, much of our food photography had accomplished this before, but there were some subtle differences that I was trying to tweak. The primary difference in this setup was that the main light source would originate from the rear of the set rather than from the side. I was also deciding to make the light source more indirect, and to diffuse it differently from our previous working method. In some ways, it’s actually a simpler setup to use, and contains fewer components.

The images here are my favorites from the session.

Camera: Hasselblad H2 and Lead Aptus 65 digital back.

I have had a great time this summer working on some projects for Jay Advertising! Lately, the photography I’ve done was to support an advertising campaign for Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Western New York. The campaign consists of four different scenarios that portray business owners who purchase their employee health care plans from Blue Cross. For now, I am able to show you the first scenario. I’ll post the remaining three as they release to the public.

In our first scenario, We photographed in a quarry in Penfield, NY. We had absolutely perfect weather that day. In the midst of a wet Spring and Summer, it was a real treat! Our crew arrived at the quarry early to make the decisions on wardrobe prior to heading down into the depths of the quarry. Due to safety regulations at the quarry, we were all required to wear boots and hardhats. Kathy, our prop and wardrobe stylist at the studio, had to do something special, and went out and bought hot pink hardhats for the ladies on the crew. We stuck out like a sore thumb!

Kathy asks the Quarry Boss for directions to the ladie's room.

Tim Winter, an art director at Jay Advertising, was heading up the project, and is a dream to work with. He has great ideas, and is extremely talented. Kathy was overseeing wardrobe that day, and Lorrie Lynn of Studio 3 Stylists was performing her hair and makeup magic on our model, Steve. We were able to coax Eric out of the studio to help me out with the lighting and equipment. He was happy to get away from the confines of his office and get into the sunshine! Also joining us that day were our client, Lori, and the account executives, Heather and Ben.

Things went really smoothly during the shoot. It was a Friday, and much of the quarry was shut down. We had two shots to accomplish, a portrait and a “butt shot.” Steve did great in both! Heather, our production coordinator at the studio, delivered some snacks and drinks for us in the morning, and that helped us tremendously, as we weren’t stopping for lunch. We finished shooting and got out of the quarry just prior to the locking of the gates. On the way back to the studio, Tim, Eric and I went to Pomodoro for a really nice, really late lunch. Believe me, it was well worth the wait!

Grant explaining histograms to Tim. Lorrie Lynn watching for out of place hair.

Tim and I working hard while Ben enjoys an ice-cold Coke!

Pomodoro's wood-fired pizza and oh, yeah - cold beer!

Camera: Canon EOS 1DS Mk 3.