Thursday, September 27, 2012
My Photo in Lift Magazine
The 2012 issue of Lift Magazine, a Chilean ski magazine is out and it looks awesome! This is my first 2 page spread and it feels goooood. Big thanks to Juan Luis de Heeckeren for the in and Carlos Ferrer for choosing to run this image!
Monday, September 24, 2012
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Jason Silva's Constant Pursuit of Awe
I don't write about the work of others all that often, but every once in a while I am introduced to something that really sticks with me. While in New York I had the pleasure of speaking with a young philosopher/filmmaker/television personality named Jason Silva.
It wasn't until working with him for over a week that I realized why he looked so familiar to me. A friend of mine in Chile had shown me these short, mind-blowing, eye opening videos of somebody speaking at a rapid fire pace about fairly dense concepts. They were insanely interesting and immediately bookmarked on my computer. It turns out we were working together on the same Nat Geo show and upon realizing who exactly he was I got to picking his brain and finding more out about this interesting man.
After working with Current TV for five years Jason began making his own videos about ideas, concepts and theories that inspired him about the future of humanity. In his own words, he creates these videos to make "moments of impermanence, permanent." Concepts like the Singularity were fairly new to me, but by watching Jason's videos I was pulled right in and I've been pondering them ever since.
His energy and passion is enthralling while speaking about the "possible ways the future can reinvent itself" and any other thought that comes across his mind.
You need to simply watch some of his videos to understand. This is the first video I ever saw:
THE BEGINNING OF INFINITY from Jason Silva on Vimeo.
Jason's constant pursuit of awe and fight against banality is inspiring and a useful reminder to keep flexing your creative muscles and pursuing higher education. He is one of the few lucky ones who is sought out to continue following his passions and share his enthusiasms with the world. It is no doubt his unrelenting and blaringly apparent enthusiasm and interest in the world around him that attracts a variety of outlets in search of his insight. In the last couple years he has appeared in everything from The Economist and Forbes to National Geographic and Vanity Fair.
It also doesn't hurt that he is a brilliant young mind pondering and theorizing the world around us and the future before us. But perhaps what makes Jason even more appealing is the fact that he makes otherwise dense topics more accessible and even entertaining. He has a charm and highly approachable quality that makes you want to understand, enjoy and follow whatever he is saying. If theorizing about the direction of the future, technological advancements and the Singularity is new to you or simply interests you, check out more of Jason Silva's videos for a captivating introduction.
To finish off, one more:
TO UNDERSTAND IS TO PERCEIVE PATTERNS from Jason Silva on Vimeo.
It wasn't until working with him for over a week that I realized why he looked so familiar to me. A friend of mine in Chile had shown me these short, mind-blowing, eye opening videos of somebody speaking at a rapid fire pace about fairly dense concepts. They were insanely interesting and immediately bookmarked on my computer. It turns out we were working together on the same Nat Geo show and upon realizing who exactly he was I got to picking his brain and finding more out about this interesting man.
After working with Current TV for five years Jason began making his own videos about ideas, concepts and theories that inspired him about the future of humanity. In his own words, he creates these videos to make "moments of impermanence, permanent." Concepts like the Singularity were fairly new to me, but by watching Jason's videos I was pulled right in and I've been pondering them ever since.
His energy and passion is enthralling while speaking about the "possible ways the future can reinvent itself" and any other thought that comes across his mind.
You need to simply watch some of his videos to understand. This is the first video I ever saw:
THE BEGINNING OF INFINITY from Jason Silva on Vimeo.
Jason's constant pursuit of awe and fight against banality is inspiring and a useful reminder to keep flexing your creative muscles and pursuing higher education. He is one of the few lucky ones who is sought out to continue following his passions and share his enthusiasms with the world. It is no doubt his unrelenting and blaringly apparent enthusiasm and interest in the world around him that attracts a variety of outlets in search of his insight. In the last couple years he has appeared in everything from The Economist and Forbes to National Geographic and Vanity Fair.
It also doesn't hurt that he is a brilliant young mind pondering and theorizing the world around us and the future before us. But perhaps what makes Jason even more appealing is the fact that he makes otherwise dense topics more accessible and even entertaining. He has a charm and highly approachable quality that makes you want to understand, enjoy and follow whatever he is saying. If theorizing about the direction of the future, technological advancements and the Singularity is new to you or simply interests you, check out more of Jason Silva's videos for a captivating introduction.
To finish off, one more:
TO UNDERSTAND IS TO PERCEIVE PATTERNS from Jason Silva on Vimeo.
Monday, September 3, 2012
The Next Step in my Path as a Photographer
As a photographer it is important to take a step back and look at your career. What you have accomplised, what you have learned, what direction you would like to go and what stop is next on your photographic journey. For me, the next step was working with stitched photomontages and planned images that are far more narrative based.
Since returning from NY I have felt creatively inspired and I've been trying to shoot everything with new techniques in mind. So from a logistical approach everything needs to be planned out to greater extent and I really am forced to think in new and different ways. It's challenging but really rewarding.
Instead of shooting single frame images I've been shooting almost everything as large, multi-frame photomontages. I really want to see my work in huge print at the highest quality possible. As an artist it is a beautiful thing to see your work the way it is intended to be experienced. A filmmaker prefers to see his work on the big screen and a musician prefers a live performance or using a great pair of headphones. I prefer a big, beautiful print.
As things go increasingly digital, the average photographers end product may differ. For some they will never leave the computer. They work for websites and only view their work on the computer. Some work solely for print in magazines. But for me it's large, high resolution prints in a frame on the wall. I find that is the most rewarding way to view your work. Once on the wall it evolves into something greater. It is not just an image on a screen that can be turned off and forgotten. It takes up physical space in the world. It can't be shut off and shut out. It is meant to be seen, and ideally meant to help create an atmosphere and energy in a room. It contributes to the overall feeling a room has if it's big enough. And that is what I strive for.
The problem so far, is that with my Nikon D300, I can only print a 240dpi print at less than 24 inches at the largest size. And I really want to see my work printed at least 3-4 feet wide. So lately I have been making these massive panoramas and experimenting with stitched images using 2-12 frames. By doing this you have to deal with a number of other logistics to make it work and have a vision from start to finish. This is where I've noticed my photographic eye has evolved. When shooting 10 frames you look at each individual area with more importance because you shoot it as it's own image. So I've used the opportunity to use my own flash and softbox to light individual areas in each frame I do, just to take advantage of repeated use in what will be one photo(a final product that appears to have been lit with way more than one light).
For these reasons I've been doing more compositing in Photoshop. Previously I had worked with only single frames and preferred a more natural look with a heightened atmosphere through toning and playing with the lights, darks and color. Now I've chosen to add elements not originally there, or changing them out with better counterparts from other frames. I've begun to take notice of the influence each individual element has in regards to the end goal and story I'm telling. It has been a massive learning process and I'm producing some images I'm really excited about.
-Photos that are more narrative based and were planned with concepts, styles and moods produced. Not captured moments of actual existence in the world.
-Photos that can be printed up to 80x60 inches at 300dpi
-Photos with more compelling lighting effects and moods applied through dodging/burning and using lights and darks to pull viewers through the image and direct their attention to strategic areas of intrigue.
For me it was nice to take this step. I always respected and was amazed at what some photographers could do with massive montages and just never had an interest to try. I knew it was a lot of practical knowledge necessary for being an advertising photographer so I'm glad I was finally drawn to it enough to explore it.
Since returning from NY I have felt creatively inspired and I've been trying to shoot everything with new techniques in mind. So from a logistical approach everything needs to be planned out to greater extent and I really am forced to think in new and different ways. It's challenging but really rewarding.
Instead of shooting single frame images I've been shooting almost everything as large, multi-frame photomontages. I really want to see my work in huge print at the highest quality possible. As an artist it is a beautiful thing to see your work the way it is intended to be experienced. A filmmaker prefers to see his work on the big screen and a musician prefers a live performance or using a great pair of headphones. I prefer a big, beautiful print.
As things go increasingly digital, the average photographers end product may differ. For some they will never leave the computer. They work for websites and only view their work on the computer. Some work solely for print in magazines. But for me it's large, high resolution prints in a frame on the wall. I find that is the most rewarding way to view your work. Once on the wall it evolves into something greater. It is not just an image on a screen that can be turned off and forgotten. It takes up physical space in the world. It can't be shut off and shut out. It is meant to be seen, and ideally meant to help create an atmosphere and energy in a room. It contributes to the overall feeling a room has if it's big enough. And that is what I strive for.
The problem so far, is that with my Nikon D300, I can only print a 240dpi print at less than 24 inches at the largest size. And I really want to see my work printed at least 3-4 feet wide. So lately I have been making these massive panoramas and experimenting with stitched images using 2-12 frames. By doing this you have to deal with a number of other logistics to make it work and have a vision from start to finish. This is where I've noticed my photographic eye has evolved. When shooting 10 frames you look at each individual area with more importance because you shoot it as it's own image. So I've used the opportunity to use my own flash and softbox to light individual areas in each frame I do, just to take advantage of repeated use in what will be one photo(a final product that appears to have been lit with way more than one light).
For these reasons I've been doing more compositing in Photoshop. Previously I had worked with only single frames and preferred a more natural look with a heightened atmosphere through toning and playing with the lights, darks and color. Now I've chosen to add elements not originally there, or changing them out with better counterparts from other frames. I've begun to take notice of the influence each individual element has in regards to the end goal and story I'm telling. It has been a massive learning process and I'm producing some images I'm really excited about.
-Photos that are more narrative based and were planned with concepts, styles and moods produced. Not captured moments of actual existence in the world.
-Photos that can be printed up to 80x60 inches at 300dpi
-Photos with more compelling lighting effects and moods applied through dodging/burning and using lights and darks to pull viewers through the image and direct their attention to strategic areas of intrigue.
For me it was nice to take this step. I always respected and was amazed at what some photographers could do with massive montages and just never had an interest to try. I knew it was a lot of practical knowledge necessary for being an advertising photographer so I'm glad I was finally drawn to it enough to explore it.
Pack of stray dogs at Valle Nevado
Snowboarder in downtown Santiago
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