The New Print Portfolio.

So, the time had come for me to put together a new print portfolio, and as usual the search to find the right company to make it took a good deal of time, effort, and research. After a long and detailed  search I settled on IrisPortfolios in Canada, and I am sure glad I did! I had them put together an 11″x17″ landscape book, wrapped in black buckram with a black silk liner and an awesome blue spine. Pockets were made to hold my new business cards in the front and promo cards and resume in the back. They then made a matching clamshell case for the portfolio, also wrapped in black buckram. It can be a bit unnerving ordering something this special from outside of the country without a hands on look at a sample, but Iris did an amazing job with this one and I wanted to take a few quick shots to show it off. I stuck to printing the images myself, as I usually do, so I have final say in quality control. This timeI tried something a bit different, and printed the images on pages that have black backings instead of the more standard white, keeping with the overall look of the case and portfolio. Hope you guys like it as much I do! Give the images a click for a larger view. Now, who to send this off to/show to first…

-Joe

NBA Jams…Photographing the LA Clippers from the floor at The Staples Center.

IS IT THE SHOES?!?

Ok, now that I’ve lost half of you with an obscure-ish video game reference, I’ve got something exciting to share! I had the amazing privilege of photographing the LA Clippers versus the Golden State Warriors on Saturday from the floor at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. This was seriously one of the coolest things I have ever done. Not only was this the first NBA game I have ever been to, it was also the first basketball game I have ever photographed, talk about some pressure! Arriving early, myself, and my friends and fellow shooters who came along, Sarah and Emily, got a chance to meet up with Andy Bernstein, Director of Photography for the Staples Center, got my credentials, and then had a quick tour of the inner workings of the press room and gear storage. Andy and his assistant Johnny were great guides and hosts and awesome people to meet; not to mention, amazing photographers as well, make sure to take a look at Andy’s work.

The staff was a great help as well, giving directions and helping me navigate around the huge center.Standing on the floor and looking up at all the seats really made you feel small out there.I got to prep my gear, then headed out to shoot the first quarter from slot 4 on the Warriors side. The action was insane, and shooting was tough, switching back and forth from a Canon 1Ds Mark III with a 70-200mm lens for down-court shots, and a Canon 1D Mark IV with a 24-70mm for the up close action.

After that, I took the 2nd and 3rd quarter to wander and photograph all through the center, before returning to shoot out along side Andy in the number 13 slot for the final period. The game was great, really face paced, and both teams really played hard. In the end the Clippers prevailed, beating the Warriors 112 to 104. Afterwards, Andy walked myself, Sarah, and Emily around the floor, showing us where he had placed remote cameras to capture all the action, and he snapped a photo of the three of us as a memento. As I said before, this was an amazing experience, and I am thankful to have been given the opportunity. That being said, there are some huge personal thankyous in order. First off, thank you to Rich Fuller and Andy Bernstein for setting the whole thing up and offering me the opportunity. Thanks again to Andy and Johnny for being such great hosts, and thank you to the staff of the Staples Center for all their help as well. Lastly,   thank you to the Clippers and Warriors for a very exciting game. This was a day I definitely won’t be forgetting.

Let me know what you guys think of my shots!

-Joe

PS: Here’s me on the floor, camera in each hand! Haha!

Playing with the past.

Although I absolutely love what I do for a living, I am a strong believer in having an escape from the grind to help keep yourself fresh for working. Nearly all of my business related photography is based in digital capture. When I have time to shoot for myself, I tend to gravitate more towards analog imagery. That being said, I found and fell in love immediately with the Wet Plate Collodion process. This post is to show you guys a little about the process, and a few of my recent pieces, I’m still learning as I go, but I am very happy with where I am right now!

The Wet Plate Collodion process is a photographic process developed in the 1800s and introduced in 1851 by Fredrick Scott Archer, replacing the earlier Daguerreotype process. It is termed Wet Plate due to the need for the plate to remain wet through the entire photographic process. In the process, glass plates are hand cut to size, edges filed and cleaned, then hand coated in collodion. After a soak in Silver Nitrate the plates are placed in a plate carrier and the photograph is made using a large format camera. Exposure times vary, from a few seconds to over a minute. While still wet the plate is removed, immediately developed by hand in a darkroom, fixed, and washed. After drying out the plate is then coated with a protective varnish, baked on over the open flame of an alcohol lamp. The entire process from start to finish can take around an hour to complete one image.

In today’s photographic world many are obsessed with perfection in imagery. Hours are spent in programs like Photoshop to perfect people, products, and scenes to a point that was impossible until now. Though this perfection has a place in photography, I had developed a desire for something more hands on, something with imperfections that are a part of the beauty of it, something that has a magical feeling to the process. Wet Plate Collodion offers all of those, and more. There is something you feel that is hard to describe, as you watch an image form out of nothing during development on a once clear sheet of glass. The little tears, bubbles, and imperfections are unique to every image created. The hands on aspect, and satisfaction from the process is far different from pressing a button and having an image pop up on a digital screen. And to quote a friend, “art is in its best form when safety equipment is a necessity.”

-Joe

Behind the Scenes with Jaysen Turner.

Photographer Jaysen Turner photographs a model in Los Angeles, California.

I had the opportunity to lend a hand to friend, and fellow photographer, Jaysen Turner this past week. Jaysen had assembled a great team to work on some catalog fashion work in Los Angeles, CA and I tagged along to lend a hand. It is nice to be able to step back from the role as key photographer on a set sometimes and take look from a different angle. Not only can you help make someone else’s shoot run smoother, it also gives you a chance to reflect on your own style of managing a shoot. I have always been fascinated with the behind the scenes aspect of the photography and movie production world and take the chance to document this when not working on set myself. I was able to grab up some great shots of Jaysen’s shoot, a few of my favorites are in this post. Be sure to check out Jaysen’s awesome work over at www.JaysenTurner.com, you’ll be glad you did!

-Joe

There’s gonna be a few changes ’round here.

Hey there everyone! So, I have a bit of news for you. I’m in the process of making some changes to how JOESHOOTSME.COM looks on the web. We have a new website in development, this new blog, a new Facebook fan page, and the old Twitter is getting a facelift as well. I ask that you guys bear with us during the growing pains, and please don’t mind the dust and loud construction noises to follow. During this time you can still get in touch with me the usual ways, which I will list here at the end of the post. Any questions or concerns, please feel free to drop me a line, however is easiest for you. That all said, please keep all limbs inside the car and hold on tight, we’re in for an exciting ride.

-Joe

E: joe@joeshootsme.com     P: 845.559.7636     Twitter.com/JOESHOOTSME