Time Capsules Opening

Sometimes I like to browse through antique malls and without much intention of purchasing - its almost like a historic art gallery or museum - I just appreciate the beauty of the objects. Last night at the opening of "Time Capsules" at the Summit Artspace it was a similar vibe. But the things from those antique malls had been deconstructed and then put back together to create something totally new and unique. The works, called assemblages, were made by three Northeast Ohio artists - Bret Hines, Terry Klausman, and Gwen Waight. Being an opening there was quite a crowd and I didn't really get to check out some of the pieces as much as I would have liked(or get many photos). I think I'll have to make a point to return and see the show again before it closes.

Snow & Shadows

I haven't got out on many snow-covered-hikes in the Cuyahoga Valley this winter - I've mostly been shooting indoors for work. Seeing my friends' instagram feeds full of beautiful wooded scenes has had me pining for the trees(get it?). So I made a point to head to my favorite spot last night - the Langes Run Trail from the Wetmore Trailhead. After a few weeks of some bad news it was nice to forget about everything for a few hours and meditate with my camera in beautiful, winter light...

Craft Beer Bar

Laura and I decided to try the Craft Beer Bar in Cuyahoga Falls on Thursday evening - it had been on our radar since opening last Summer. At first the place itself seems perfect - edison lighting, the pallet wood back bar, tap handles for sink faucets, beer kegs for pillars - all perfectly trendy, maybe to perfectly trendy. Its like their horrible name in a way - I'd say the vibe is almost as if Target opened a brewpub. No big deal though - we were there for good beer and good food. With thirty taps and plenty of local options the beer was great - almost all draught - which is what we like. I started with a Belgian Pale Ale and Laura had one of Great Lakes new beers - a High Striker - a Belgian single. We polished off those and then ordered dinner...

Studio Self Portraits

Yesterday I had a photo shoot in the studio - they were portraits that were going to be used to pitch an ad campaign. As usual I set up and took some test shots beforehand to be ready - and I also stuck around after to try out a few things. Above is one of those after shots - I've built my own beauty dish-like modifiers before but never used a proper one in the studio. I lowered the dish directly over the camera and just a couple feet from my face. The effect is as expected - cool, contrasty, wrap-around light with the signature round catchlights in the eyes.

Glass Practice

On Thursday I had a glass artist coming to the studio to have his portfolio photographed. I've shot some art glass pieces but I still wanted to be set up and have some test shots done before the artist arrived. I used the bottles filled with blue food coloring for that purpose. The set-up is a fairly simple but required a fair bit of tweaking to get everything just right - plus much more tweaking for each individual piece I ended up shooting. The above lighting consists of two strobes with grids behind at about 45 degrees and a large soft box over the top - dropped very close to create the gradient on the background. 

Go Buckeyes!

My friend Rick and I had a portrait session today at the studio - so for a test shot I had him shoot this photo of me.  I love college football - and especially The Ohio State University Buckeyes.  I'll be nervously cheering and watching tonight.  Go Bucks!  

Book Signing

Today Laura and I drove to Hudson to the Learned Owl Book Shop for a book signing. Health Coach/Author Terra Milo was signing copies of her new book 'The Simple Life Academy'.

As the Hudson Times says, "Her book is a commentary and how-to guide on living more simply and listening to our bodies for what is best for us. As Confucius said, "Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated." Learn how to dial it back, remove the confusion and move forward in health."

We look forward to getting into this...

Ice Cold Sunrise

Yesterday morning I decided I wanted to see the sunrise over the snowy landscape. Unfortunately I knew my car wouldn't make it out of the neighborhood - so I walked down to Canyon Trail Park. I was well bundled up with Carhartt bib overalls and everything. The sun rose, I snapped a few decent shots, and walked back home. When I got to the door I went to put my memory card in my pocket so I could leave my camera in the bag so it would slowly warm up(avoiding condensation) but I couldn't make my fingers work to open the card door. I could barely even zip up the bag. I guess while I was snapping away I wasn't paying any attention to how cold my fingers were getting - when I got inside they burned for ten minutes. I need to remember to be more careful out there...

Kyle @ Knight

My friend Kyle has always been a willing subject for my photography and lighting experiments over the years. We've taken turns shooting each other countless times - so it was no big deal when he called me to schedule a portrait session. I thought nothing of the fact that he wanted to update his business headshot. What he wasn't allowed to tell me at the time though, was that the shot was for this press release -
"The Knight Foundation announced that Kyle Kutuchief, an Akron native and talent and community engagement specialist, will join Knight as interim program director in Akron effective immediately."
On a personal level I'm super-excited for my friend's opportunity - as an Akronite and fan of the work Knight does I couldn't be happier because I believe this is a perfect fit for both sides.

Pre-Vortex

When the sun unexpectedly appeared in the sky yesterday morning I, and a lot of others, decided I should get a walk in. It must have been the calm before the storm effect - runners passed me smiling and waving, other walkers stopping to make small talk, "great day for photos" etc.
I doubt many people will slow me down when I'm out hiking the rest of the week - in fact I think those resolutions are already crashing and burning - I didn't pass another soul when I was out running this morning....