Concepcioun Handmade Journals!
April 15th, 2009
A "Pick-Up Line" journal in Cement color.
I spent some nice time in the studio over the weekend doing some photography for my girlfriend, Christine Walker, owner of Concepcioun Handmade Gifts.
For Concepcioun’s customers, Christine creates some wonderful writing journals and gorgeous wedding guest books. One of her more playful ideas was for her “Pick-Up Line” series of blank journals shown here. She’s also been busy with some cool new prototypes she’s very excited about, which I’ll be photographing for her website as soon as they’re ready!
Camera: Hasselblad H2 and Leaf Aptus 65 digital back.
The "Love Pirate" journal in Gravel.
Journals in Leaf, Cement, Sky, and Gravel.
Billboard Project for Rochester General Hospital.
April 2nd, 2009
Just a few weeks ago, I had a wonderful opportunity to do some photography for Jay Advertising. This particular project was for a billboard component of Jay Advertising’s campaign for Rochester General Hospital. I worked with Art Director, Joe Mayernik and Account Executive, Courtney Smith on the shoot, and had a really great time with everyone involved!
We had a real gathering that day, with RGH clients present, the team from Jay Advertising, and our talent, who was absolutely dynamite to work with! Lorrie Lynn, of Studio 3 Stylists, rocked hair and make-up, while Kathy from our studio handled wardrobe styling. My assistant, Amy showed some great hustle that day, too! Everyone there was so fantastic to work with. It really was one of those “dream” days that I would chalk up as a “Eleven!”
Heather had called me from her car on the way home a couple days back to tell me she had just seen the newly installed billboard on 490 East near the 590 interchange. John gave me a call yesterday on his way home with another sighting along the 490 East onramp from the Inner Loop. I was able to convince John to hop in the back seat of my truck after work this evening so he could get a few shots of the billboard for me. I don’t think anyone was honking their horns, but we had cars stacked up behind us like a NASCAR single-file restart while I went slow, and John took the pictures you see here!
Nice to see some blue sky for a change, isn’t it?
Camera: Hasselblad H2 and CF 132 digital back.
Saturday Morning Session.
March 28th, 2009
I got together with my good friend, Matt Smythe this morning to do some photography of him in one of my deer hunting stands in Canandaigua. It was an absolutely stunning Spring morning! I picked him up at 7:00 and headed over the hill to the property I hunt during archery season. We saw countless Canada Geese, and probably a dozen deer along our way. It made us wish we were heading out to hunt instead!
I had gone to this location the previous weekend to plan the shot, choose the perspective, and set up my twenty foot climbing stick ahead of time. That accomplished, all we would have to do was find the right morning, get out there and execute the shot. We didn’t have a great deal of time this morning, because I wanted to have the sun low in the sky and behind Matt. He also had commitments later that involved kids, birthday cake and bowling! Fortunately for me, he was gracious enough to carve out some time to get out in the woods first!
Everything came together pretty smoothly. I used my Tree Saddle to get up a little higher than Matt was, and standing on top of the climbing stick, was able to move around some to make some subtle changes in perspective.
After I felt we had accomplished all I had hoped to, we packed up the gear, hiked back to the truck, and did some quick test shots in a couple different locations I plan to use soon.
I got Matt dropped off at his place on schedule, visited with his family for a little bit, and headed back to the woods to walk around for a while and look for shed antlers.
I really hated to leave to come back to the city this afternoon! By the way, Matt, next time, we’ll go out for a proper breakfast afterward!
A huge thank you to Mark Bibbens for making his land accessible for my shoots!
Camera: Canon EOS 1DS Mk 3.
Matt photographed me in the Tree Saddle during a break in the action.
Success and Celebration at the 2009 Addy’s!
March 24th, 2009
Grant with the three Laddy's he was presented with.
Friday, March 13 was a big night for quite a few people in Rochester! The RAF Addy Awards 2009 event was held downtown at the Clarion Riverside Hotel. From 6:30 pm until 1:00 am, people from all walks of the local advertising community came together once again to celebrate and honor excellence in advertising and the advertising arts.
Attendees were photographed on the red carpet upon arrival, then were whisked off to an energetic cocktail hour and walk-through viewing of this year’s entries. It was wonderful to see such a huge collection of quality work! Eventually, the crowd was encouraged into the ballroom for the presentation of awards, and entertained through the evening by the classiest of Emcees, Robin Lohkamp and Joe Mayernik.
Christine Walker and Grant arriving at the event.
Thirty Addy’s, the highly coveted trophies, were awarded, and thirty-five Laddy’s were presented as well, each in salute to great creative achievement. Best of Show was awarded to Martino Flynn for their Dundee Ales & Lagers campaign, and the 2009 Silver Award was presented to Sharon Napier, President and CEO of Partners & Napier.
After the awards presentations, the masses headed back out to the cocktail lounge and social area for a couple more hours of celebrating, back-slapping, hand-shaking, congratulatory fun! I think everyone that I saw was really enjoying the evening! In many cases, it’s the only chance that some have to catch up with friends that they may only see once or twice a year.
Dan Hare, hunter and friend, poses with one of my winning entries.
I was really excited to have been presented with three Laddy trophies, one for my self-promotional booklet, “Seasons,” on which I collaborated with Rachel Spence and Matt Smythe. The other two Laddy’s were awarded for two series of images from my body of bowhunting photography.
Our “studio family” really turned out in force that night! We had a table full of smiling faces, and all had dressed beautifully for the occasion! Christine had come into town for the event, Kathy brought Frank, in a bright red jacket, Heather (with baby on board) looked radiant, and our good friend Amy looked very springy in her pink dress. John wasn’t able to arrive until later due to a stage production he was acting in, but Heather had made the trip to the stage to accept the two Laddy’s he had won for two separate entries in the photography category!
Here are a few pictures from our night!
Camera: Canon Powershot Pro S1
Rachel Spence, Christine and Grant at the cocktail hour.
Frank and Kathy Dicesare, and the infamous Red Jacket.
Chris Krapf, our good friend and client was in from Virginia Beach for the week!
Good friends Heather and Amy showing their support!
John Myers and Christine Walker hamming it up for the camera.
Paul Hill of Martino Flynn shares his excitement with John!
Chilly Night, Cozy Barn, Great Soup!
March 19th, 2009
One of my chillier shoots over the winter came in January when photographing for Wegmans Food Markets. It was around 17 windy degrees and falling when freelance assistant Amy Millert and I left the studio in Rochester and headed to Canandaigua, NY to create this evening image of the barn at Wegmans Organic Research Farm. We had been waiting for a few weeks to get a little fresh snow and get a clear sky for the photograph. The right kind of night was finally going to happen!
Once we had chosen our perspective and scrutinized a few test images on the laptop, we hauled some 2000 watt tungsten lights upstairs in the barn to brighten the cupolas and upper windows. While we waited for the sun to go down, we had a really nice visit with Mary Ann, who had stayed late that evening to keep the place open for us.
I had met Mary Ann back earlier in the Fall when photographing during a two-day project surrounding a Harvest Party at the Organic Farm. She was a gracious host on this chilly evening, and let Amy and I each take home some of the wonderful honey that Vince, the beekeeper at the farm, had harvested from their hives. As I type this, I’m also realizing that the honey level is really low in the jar, and I need to replenish my stock. Looks like I’ll have to make a trip to the Wegmans store in Canandaigua this weekend to get some more!
As the sun passed the horizon and the sky began to dim, I finally was able to start taking pictures. It was really a beautiful, clear evening. The wind bit through our gloves, though, and fingers began to hurt. I was loving it! It wasn’t too long before I wasn’t even able to feel the camera buttons.
After several series of exposures during the changing light, we reached a point when I knew we had captured what I had hoped to. After loading the last group of images into the laptop and packing all the gear back into the truck, Amy and I made the trip back to Rochester and stopped into Magnolia’s for some of their amazing chicken and vegetable soup. This stuff is among my top three favorite Rochester soups. It’s just that good! Paired with a couple pints of some really good beer, it was the perfect end to a really super afternoon and evening.
Camera: Canon EOS 1DS Mk 2.
Christmas Eve Doe.
January 20th, 2009
I had traveled to Vermont to spend Christmas week with my folks and relatives there. It was really super to get away for more than a couple of days and see everyone!
The afternoon of Christmas Eve brought a beautiful doe out of the woods and into the yard at my folks’ house. I went to the lower level of the house to take some pictures of her at eye level. The snow has been quite deep there for some time, and the deer are really attacking the cedar trees around the yard!
Camera: Canon Powershot Pro S1.
Bowhunting Self-Promotion!
December 30th, 2008
Today marks the completion and launch of another project that I’m very proud of, and extremely excited about!
With the help of some very good friends, a 16 page, Bowhunting-themed booklet has come off the printing presses of Canfield and Tack, and will begin circulation immediately. The booklet, titled “Seasons,” is a self-promotion piece that will be sent to creatives associated with hunting and outdoor clothing and equipment manufacturers.
For their tremendous dedication to the project, and their beautiful work, I owe Rachel Spence and Matt Smythe a great deal of thanks. I think that both Rachel’s design sense and Matt’s writing complement and support the images wonderfully. The two are a real pleasure to work with. I’m really fortunate to have them on my team!
I’d also like to take a moment to give a HUGE “Thank You!” to the people in the photographs and behind the scenes – Brian Flaherty, Mike Marini, Paul Shaver, Tige Noni, Matt Smythe, Besayda Soto, Lisa Nasca, Dan Hare and his family, Dennis Minoli and Jamie Crosier.
Special thanks to Marcia and Ben Adams of Creekwood Archery, Stephanie Snow for my cool logo, and also to Willie Osterman and Michelle Adragna for providing some beautiful locations!
Cameras: Canon Powershot Pro S1 (self portrait.) Canon EOS 1DS Mk 2 and 3 (bowhunting project.)
Website Launch!
December 30th, 2008
The completion and launch of my website is a very exciting event for me, and seems the perfect way to punctuate the end of a really fantastic year! I owe a great deal of thanks to Christine Walker, who concepted, designed and developed the site. I don’t know what I would do without her. She’s very good at what she does, and furthermore is a wonderful girlfriend.
I would also like to thank my good friends and co-workers at John Myers Photography and Myers Imaging Team for their continued love and support. John, Linda, Heather, Kathy and Eric – You guys rock!
The eve of a New Year is traditionally a time for establishing resolutions and setting goals for future achievement. One of my biggest goals for 2009, which this website will help to attain, is to gain new clients who have a need for great photography of people, food and products.
Another, more focused goal, is to create great images for new clients whose companies manufacture outdoor clothing and equipment, especially that which is related to hunting.
Having the opportunity to set such goals is something that I’m very thankful for, and I’m looking forward to all the possibilities that are ahead.
My intent is to use this blog to help viewers see a little further inside the workings of my photography, and to try and keep the whole website package fresh and interesting! Thanks for checking it out!
