Friday, August 31, 2012

Letter to Robert Smithson

Fan Letter:

This crazy dude went out to the Great Salt Lake, pilled up a bunch of rocks in a spiral, but the lake was really low that year so no one has really gets to see it.



Okay Robert Smithson kind of has been an art hero of mine for 20 years or more.  I'm not an art history major, never played on on TV and have trouble stringing together more than a few sentences, but here goes.

Robert:

I've been out to the site of your Spiral Jetty maybe a seven or eight times.  The first three or four were quite disappointing, the tips of a few salty rocks ... who cares.  I care, Rozel Bay is a pretty spot, oh fuck that the most of the lake is amazing.  We camped and photographer around the lake a lot while at school.  It's an intoxicating place, I love it.  I love the light, the heat, the cold, the salt, the wind, also hate most of those things.  Mostly I hate what people have done to the landscape around the Lake.  Not that I'm an environmentalist, I have my sympathies however.  Most of what people have done around the lake is just sad, yeah it can make for interesting sophomoric photographs (I know I made them), but it seems to me what people have done in and around the lake have mostly been failures.  That's sad, the lake sucks up everything we pour into it, and doesn't seem to give a lot back.  Oh well.  I don't know if it was a trip out to the jetty that made me realize what you were doing or some thing I read.  I love that the lake swallow the jetty most years.  The work changes as the lake changes, and it won't be there for ever.  I guess the point is nothing will be here for ever, something to get used to, and that is awesome.

So thanks.

Dave


Just a little test, maybe a new project ...


Monday, July 30, 2012

Erin DeGraw for Virtual Noise.

Friday here in Edmonton I shoot Erin for an Atlanta based website www.visualnoise.orgWe shoot for a couple of hours near her home, and I talked her into shooting a little portfolio piece for me. 


These are a few of her picks for virtual noise.


I thought the eye make-up was a bit much, however that's what they wanted for a sexy Oh Canada theme.



Thursday, July 12, 2012

A couple of test shots

Like most photographers, I test my lighting setups (we used to shoot polaroids) before the talent is ready.  Ideally I like to get the basics right before the talent even arrives on set so I can get to know them a little while they are in hair and make up.


Avalon was our model a few weeks ago I grabbed this test of her, mostly because she's awesome.


A few months ago we rented a studio for a shoot.  While I was setting up and bullshitting with the studio manager (unfortunately I'm kind of horrible with names) he offered to stand in.  I love the braided goatee.

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Lookbook for Urbanite Designory

T and I shot with my friend Dee Tuesday.  I've been shooting with Dee for almost two years, she's a great client, and defiantly has a perspective all her own.



In april I stolde a quick shot in this style while on my shoot with Naomi, and Shaina, and I've been doing on most of my shoots since.  I guess they are turning into a little side project.