Since the quarantine began over eight weeks ago we've had to find new ways to fill our creative voids. Painting, writing, binge watching Game of Thrones are some that come to mind, but reviewing files from the past two years of shooting has been my outlet. It's felt like seeing an old friend again, reliving the moments and adventures. Here's a recent discovery from our 2019 trip to Iceland.
As Dana, my chauffeur and travel guide for the past 28 years was navigating the one lane gravel roads along the Hivitia River she pointed another one of the many rainbows that we were to take in during our trip. I ask her to pull over one more time so I could capture another landscape photo before we ventured back to Reykjavik along the Golden Circle, promising once again I would be quick as I stepped out into the mist and heavy winds. After squeezing off 10 or so frames I ran back to car and never thought about the image again until two weeks ago. Here's where the magic begins, as clicked thru the Iceland edits this image took me back instantly. It seemed to represent the trip in one image for me, the vast landscapes that resembled a classical painting of the late 1800's, the often magical mist that filled the air in early November and the rainbows,
Taking time out to review where you've been, what you've been able to accomplish in life can be a blessing, thank you Dana for 28 years full of adventures.
]]>No Easter celebration would be complete without family portraits. To do this I was able to team up with the help of fellow photographers, Jim Gormley and David Slaughter and the Easter Bunny himself. (or herself)
It's that wonderful time of the year again, which means Holiday Wish List! So, I thought I'd put this out for anyone looking to support a life changing organization in Greater Cincinnati who's holistic mission is to eliminate generational poverty, CityLink Center.
This past year we were able to team up with fellow photographers Joe Harrison and Todd Joyce to produce a client driven introductory video which highlights what the Center is all about. The beauty off this piece is it comes from the heart of the individuals that are experiencing first hand the benfits CityLink Center offers its client. For the three of us, this project began as a creative exercise which we envisioned producing a nice sample of our capabilities, but quickly turned to a work of passion and belief in the extrodinary job that's being done by the volunteers and staff which offer the life skills neccessary for people struggling in our city to be self supporting.
This is the part where I'm asking you to put us on your list, our goal each year is to cover as much of the cost as possible, all the individuals donate their time, talent and skills our only cost to Citylink is for materials, such as prints, matts, CD's, envelopes and tape. As the project has grown so have these expenses. If you find yourself looking for a great year end project to support, think of us. As little as $10.00 will cover to portraits, an all tax deductable donations will go directly to CityLink Center. It's been a wonderful year, I count myself truly and humbly blessed to have the family, friends and co-workers that are working to change lives. Have a wonderful and joyous holiday season.
To make a tax deductible donation make check payable to: CityLink Center. Mailing Address: CityLink Center, 800 Bank Street, Cincinnati OH 45214 Attn. Holiday Portrait Project, Marissa Abernathy or donate online securely at www.citylinkcenter/jointhemovement and write in "Holiday Portrait Project" in the comment line.
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High School Football Season was is in full swing this past weekend I photographed my son, Cameron Arrasmith blocking this extra point attempt against Reading High School during the JV game. Reading went on the win the gridiron battle this day, after the Purcell Marion Varsity had defeated them the night before in their season home opener. Go Cav's]]>
I recently joked with my father that he had retired more times than Michael Jordon, to which he assured me this one was it. So with that in mind I decided to do his offical retirement portrait.
As I mentioned in the previous blog post, I had only taken one portrait of him over the years and it really wasn't about my Dad just the photographic technique I was trying out. This time I wanted one that all about him, his enviroment and maybe a snapshot of his life today.
The obvious place to capture this image was his home, Dad loves his back deck and kicking back on it with a glass of iced tea. And then there's his sidekick, Gizmo. The two of them seem to be inseparable, they have their daily walk times, nap times and bed times, oh I forgot to mention, snack times. I often joke as two which one is the pet. As you can see in this portrait, they both get somewhat even billing.
Hope you have a long and healthy retirement Dad, good luck Mom.
Tech Notes, Camera-Nikon D800, Lens-50mm, Lighting-Profoto Compact Flash/Small Chimera Softbox, Illustrative Effect-Topaz Black & White www.tonyarrasmith.com
"If your going to sneak into the pool hall, don't wear a shirt with your name on the back son", said my father as he tapped me on my shoulder thus eliminating any dream I had at becoming the next pinball wizard.
To further understand this event you need to know my Dad was pretty laid back in the early 70's, he gave my brother and I free run of the 'one stoplight town' (Warsaw, Kentucky), which we grew up in. He had only two rules, be home at 5pm for dinner and do not go near the pool tables or pinball machines at the pool hall. Oh, I was allowed to go in and order a burger or soft drink, but purchasing carryout at this fine establishment was my only option. Never was I to pass the swinging Cantina doors and enter the "land of bililards and pinball".
It wasn't the fact that my name was on the back of my shirt that got me busted, oh no. You see I had done this dozens of times, collect pop bottles, cash them in for 2 cents each at Wood's Carryout and head to the pool hall with the bounty. What I failed to take into account, dad was working in town this particular afternoon, and the pool hall was one of his accounts, big overlook on my part. Later that evening dad sat me down and again explained his reasoning for not allowing me in this establishment, only this time he didn't yell or give me the customary just sit there and listen lecture. It was more man to man, a two-way conversation, I grew up a little that day.
These photograph's are also images that remind me of my father and his father's love that has blessed four generations of Arrasmith's. My biggest regret is only taking one portrait of dad in the past 20 years, the same goes for my grandfather. The image of my grandfather, Robert Arrasmith, has always been one of my favorites, to me it captured his spirit, even into his early 90's he could tell stories with the best of them, and part of them were true.
Thanks dad for modeling what it is to be a father, I love You....
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I often hear photographers waxing on about how they miss film, and that they just can't get the same feel out of their imagery as they could in the days of old. I'm not in that camp at all.
What I do love is the ability to scan my old files, (spent two hours spotting out the dust, an inherient quality of film) then enhancing the photograph with filter effects in Photoshop CC. This image was captured on the western shores of Ireland in 1996, then using Adobe Photoshop CC's blur tilt shift filter and a Topaz plug-in, I was able to create the illusion of an image captured with a tilt-shift lens.
The thought process I follow is that digital capture allows me to first photograph the image in a resolution and dynamic range that film never possessed, then thru a variety of post production processes create any effect I choose. It's just another tool in my camera bag.
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"If you don't stop growing I'm going to put a rock on your head", this was one of my Dad's favorite sayings as I growing up. As I look back fondly on those days I realize it was really Dad's way of saying, slow down, I want to enjoyed this period of our lives. So like my father, I often drop this line on my two children, only to get the puzzled look of, "Dad your crazy", or they will put you in jail if you do that in this century.
It's always an exciting day when an agency calls to request a bid on a conceptual commercial photography project. This was the case when we were asked to estimate the cost on a national campaign for the brand, Pepto Bismol.
The bidding involved three different location scenarios where one might seek the aid of Pepto Bismol, a Mexican restaurant, a bowling alley snack
scence and my favorite, the Cherry Queen Pie Judging Contest. As usual we submitted our bid, discussed the options available for producing the campaign and showed samples of the photographic style we had in mind. We won.
Once awarded the project we set out to scout the various locations for our three scences and decided that two of the scences would be built in studio and only one on location in order to meet the tight deadline and budget. The Cherry Festival Queen would be one of the studio sets. The client supplied us with the rough sketch to help with the set buildout and point out the key figures we wanted to feature, which were the judge, the pagent queen and the table full of cherry pies (20). From here we procurred the props, fabricated the trophies and custom built the signage and tent. The building out of the scene took place over a two day period, with the majority of it coming on the second day. The baking of the pies began on day two and came out of the oven just in time for a late afternoon photoshoot.
The light treatment we chose was one that would replicate the natural inside of a tent, combining the ambient golden bulbs that were strung along the rim with the studio strobe lighting. For this effect we used a large 70 inch silver lined octabox on Profoto flash heads placed just to the left of the camera and filled in the far edges with two additional flash heads thru translucent panels.
The final element, "the Photographer", was an after thought not called for in the original concept. But as we critiqued the scene if seemed to be lacking balance, so the paparazzi was added.
Tech Notes, Camera-Hasselbald H2, Lens-28mm, Lighting-Profoto, Illustrative Effect-Topaz Clarity www.tonyarrasmith.com
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Located less than a mile from our Cincinnati studio, is Eden Park's Spring House. This beautiful ornate gazebo still sets beside winding Eden Park drive as it did over 100 years ago. The most noticable changes are that the
giant reservoir has long since been replaced by an oval refecting pool with fountain and the landscape that once framed the Cincinnati Art Museum now almost completely hide the italianate structure once the spring foilage comes in. This was the reason for photographing this scence during the winter months and choosing an angle that closely matched the original photograph taken by the Detroit Publishing Company. The 1910 image was also used to reproduced this hand colored postcard long before the introduction of color photography. To see additional Cincinnati Eden Park imagery visit the National Library of Congress Archives at: www.loc.gov/pictures/item//det1994016653/PP/
Tech Notes, Camera-Nikon 800, Lens-Nikon 50mm, Illustrative Effect-Topaz Clarity www.tonyarrasmith.com
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Opening April 19 at the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, is the theatrical production of Venus in Fur, by David Ives. We recently photographed the signature imagery for this play based on the erotic novel of the same name.
So how you do make an image look erotic and seductive without appearing scandalous or offensive to the viewer or client base? This was the challenge that guided us as we procurred wardrobe, lit the set and chose an alluring pose. The image on the right is an example of us working through this process.
Addressing these details before the talent arrives allows us to stay on schedule and remain within budget. Once the models were finished with hair and makeup we placed them into position, focused the camera and, wha laa! the photoshoot began.
Our Female model, Heather Chrisler worked through a series of situational roles from which two were chosen to use in the upcoming production.
Hair and makeup were courtesy of Cheyenne Wright
Tech Notes, Camera-Nikon 800, Lens-Nikon 14-24mm, Lighting-Profoto, Illustrative Effect-Topaz Clarity
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When the photographers from the Detroit Publishing Company captured their imagery of 1900's Cincinnati they were looking at a downtown full of industrial manufacturing, rail yards and warehouses, these structures dominated the cities eastern side. Cincinnatian's fabricated steel buildings at Edwards Manufacturing, built the carriages and buggies at The Acorn Buggy Company, and bought and sold agricultural supplies at The Union Grain & Hay Company.
Flash forward 100 years, only a handful of the now converted warehouse buildings stand, the once powerful industry base is 80 years removed and in its place is the eastern arm of a transportation hub flowing around downtown. The grand Pennsylvania Station that once stood at the end of the L&N Bridge gave way to the Queen City's transportation jewel of the 1930's, Union Terminal, the Mt Adams incline was replaced by the automobile and Columbia Parkway. As the city's profile change so did the landscape, with one exception, the Mt Adams hilltop, the 10 to 15 houses on the street still know as Oregon remain largely intact except for the necessary upgrades time demands. The Rookwood Pottery from where the image was captured ceased operation long ago, but the structure stands nobely on the hillside over looking the valley.
Photography has changed dramatically in those 100 years as well. To capture the original imagery the photographer exposed 8x10 glass negative plates, creating four individual photographs that were beautifully preserved and archived at the National Library of Congress. Today's technological advances allowed us to download the hi resolution files and digitally stitch the four scene's together using the overlaping areas on each plate, thus producing the unique panorama. For the 2014 image we simply used a wide angle lens with minimal distortion, then added the border effect in post production. I didn't have to work nearly as hard! But he had better weather.
Above: A Closeup from the 1910 Photograph showing Cincinnati's Pennsylvania Station on the corner of Pearl and Butler Streets just east of the
L & N bridge. This area is located to the left side of the large panorama along the river.
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On a recent assignment we had the opportunity to take promotional photographs for the production of Joan The Girl of Arc, for the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park's Off the Hill Family series. We could not have ask for bluer skies or calmer winds, but the 12º was challenging. Batteries and other electronic devices seem to be a bit sluggish anytime it drops below 20º.
To work around the cold and help light the performers we used a portable generator as our power source along with large reflective panels to wrap the natural sunlight around them and separate the actors from the stone wall. We had to work fast because of the frigid temperatures, the entire session was under 45 min.
If you get opportunity go to cincyplay.com to purchase tickets to any of the Cincinnati Playhouse's upcoming performances.
Thanks to the Playhouse's costume designer, Gordon DeVinney who the provided the great wardrobe for the performers, I must note he had nothing to do with mine and the Indianapolis 500 hat, I wish someone would have.
Tech Notes, Camera-Nikon 800, Lens-Nikon 50mm, Lighting-Profoto, Illustrative Effect-Topaz Clarity www.tonyarrasmith.com
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In early January I posted an image of Cincinnati from an area known as "Over The Rhine". It was captured as I drove into downtown on one of our many subzero mornings. One thing that stood out in the photograph was it's timelessness, many areas of the city looked like they had not changed in 100 years. This raised my curiosity, I wondered what the city looked like in 1914 compared to 2014. How had it changed, were the streets the same, which buildings still existed.
To answer some of these questions I started looking through the archives of the historical society and library of congress. To my surprise there were great images from the era I was looking for, all downloadable, which enabled me to revisit these various locations and make capture my photographic comparisons.
The first location I researched was of the Mt Adams Incline, of which I found an image taken between 1900-1910 by The Detroit Publishing Company. This file resided in the photographic archives of the Library of Congress and was capture with a 8x 10 glass negative, the quality of this files was extraordinary. The next step was to find as close to the exact location as possible to capture a new image.
Once I arrived at the location and began the process of determining the angle, I quickly noticed that most of the hillside had be dug out for the interstate system, and all of the buildings that stood at the base of the hill were razed, which mean't I would not be able to precisely duplicated the original. By using the buildings at the top of the hill as a guide, I matched the height the original photographer used by backing up a few hundred yards onto the interstate ramp and and using a longer lens, as I pointed out, it was not an exact match, however it's a wonderful comparison, did you locate the original structures that exist today.
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A few years back an employee at one of my favorite agencies asked me to photograph her wedding announcement, I quickly (but professionally) responded that I really did not take wedding or individual portraits. She responded that theirs would not be the typical one, it was more like a family portrait, only her's included three dogs, two cats and her fiancee seated in a 60's style living room that was stored in her basement. To which I quickly responded, I'm all in.
To pull off this nostalgic image we constructed a small set in the studio, laid down some shag carpet, put a coat of golden yellow paint on the wall and set up Laura's living room set. There was one small obstacle to work around, we only had about half of the items need to complete the room. This mean't shooting the image in stages and piecing it together in the post production. The result was this hip image of Laura, her soon to be husband, Ross and their furry family.
Tech Notes: Camera-Hasselblad 501c, Lens: Zeiss 50mm, Digital Back-Imacon, Lighting-Profoto
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If you love neon and burgers or burger and neon, then you need to make Terry's Turf Club your next dining out destination. Located in the historic east end of Cincinnati, Ohio, Terry's is well known for his gourmet hamburgers surround by the world of neon sign signage he has collected from days gone bye. As I enjoyed my burger with a nice slice of portobella mushroom, I notice this vibrant sign in the far corner and wondered if it really ever existed, so I grabbed my iphone, took a snapshot and looked it up, seems it did.]]>
As a father of two teenagers my thought was to start the new year out with a little motivational speech, you know the "Nothing good in life comes easy", or "practice makes perfect". Nothing to deep, remember they are teenagers. What I settled on was two simple words, "Be Intentional".
Be Intentional, I said across the breakfast table, they both looked at me with glazed over eyes from thier sleep filled winterbreak, not having a clue where I was coming from. So I broke it down as any good father would do. I explained how living intentionally requires taking responsibility for our physical, mental and spiritual well being, for example: it's easy to just go thru life doing the same routine everyday, get up, check text messages, eat breakfast, check text messages, go to school, check test messages, go to practice, check text messages, come home, check.. they started to see the pattern about here. Knowing I had gained entrance into the teenage mind I added that being intentional requires gaining clarity about who we are and what we want to do, not just showing up, but being a part, contributing, and as a final statement, "It could be an awesome guide for the Arrasmith's in 2014".
I shared that personal experience because of how it impacted me, it wasn't until I mentally played it back that I realized the importance of that conversation. so many times I just let things happen, what would it look like if I made a conscious decision to make things happen? So many times we think about what we "are" doing, but not about what we "are not" doing. This is where it hit home photographically and professionally.
During 2013, I was fortunate enough to be invited by Mark Bealer and Vickie Daniels to photograph children who are undergoing cancer treatment at Cincinnati Children's Hospital as part of a national organization named, "Fashes of Hope". Mark and Vicki "are" living examples of being intentional, each month they organize photographers and stylist to capture portraits of children during a day long session. There are many challenges to photographing these patients, their age, newborn to late teens, from protective mask and tubing to hair loss and skin coloring. Mark and Vickie had prepared me ahead of time for these challenges. Then Mark laid this on me, "this could very well be the last images one of these parents have to remember their child bye", a sobering but inspirational point that I used to photograph the seven patient's and families that day.
In my almost 30 year photographic career I've always picked up a camera and captured what was on the other end, this one captured me.
Be Intentional
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Driving into work Tuesday morning I noticed the seemingly countless number of backlit white swirls bellowing from the downtown buildings, then as I glanced toward the Over The Rhine District the light was this beautiful mixture of blue and gold as the sun seemed to try to break through the frozen air. I just happened to have my Nikon and a couple of lenses in the camera bag behind the seat, along with shooter gloves and a ski jacket.
Quickly, I changed direction and headed to one of my favorite overlooks and began photographing. This snapshot was taken from a Cincinnati hillside over looking the historic, Over The Rhine District.
Tech Notes, Camera-Nikon D800, Lens-Nikon 85mm 1.4, Exposure-640th sec @ f4, ISO 100, Illustrative Effect-Topaz Adjust 5
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We were surrounded by Ninja's, Witches and numerous other creation's for the first day of photography during our 17th Annual Halloween Photoshoot. He are a few of the little creatures from day one, along with a photo of Sarah's tasty treats.
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In late summer we were commissioned to photograph a 60 foot, yes a 60 foot rubber duck that was hanging out on the banks of the Ohio River to promote the upcoming Rubber Duck Regatta. The challenge was to create a sunset that captured both the size of the duck and the beauty of the Cincinnati, Ohio Skyline. After testing numerous angles, shooting times and assorted lens choices, this was the winner. ]]>
That Act, is running in the annual 5k race to raise money for the children that ProKids support each year throughout the Greater Cincinnati community. This year over 440 runners participated in the 17th Annual Superheor Run for Kids. To find out more information on Prokids visit: www.prokids.org
When a potential client contacts you to photograph their product, which happens to be the market leader in their category, it's a big responsiblity. Not only are you given the task of bringing out the beauty and craftsmanship that goes into each handmade floral, you must also find a location that compliments the uniqueness of the individual arrangement.
Unlike alot of the catalog work we have had the opportunity to produce over the years, Tim Hennessy of Silkflowers.com chose to find a photography studio he could partner with. By developing this working relationship between the Arrasmith & Associates and Silkflowers.com, Tim took the time to educate us on the art of photographing high end artifical florals and how we could best address his clients needs and expectations.
Tim pointed out early on during one of our seasonal projects that a key element in capturing any arrangement was understanding the arrangement and its relationship to the setting we chose. The potential buyer needs to be able to visualize this arrangement in their home or office. This philosophy has been our guide throughout the years of capturing these colorful dynamic product shots.
Finding beautifully designed and stylized locations to photograph in continues to be a major part of the planning. Each catalog shoot begins by calling out the season we are photographing for, then scouting the location or locations to feature them in. The responsibility then falls on us to light each arrangement, bringing out every detail, while still making it work with the natural lighting of the location, no easy task. We have found over the years that minimal depth of field helps separate the floral from the background setting and promote the strikingly realistic colors of the Silkflowers.com selections.
To view all of the products Tim offers visit: silkflowers.com or officescapesdirect.com. You will be amazed by the quality and craftmanship that go into each handmade arrangement. Don't forget to sign up for the free catalog, plus the photography is awesome.
Tech Notes, Camera-Nikon D800, Lens-Nikon 85mm, Lighting-Profoto
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Above: Possilble new Facebook profile image?
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As we celebrate our nation's independence this 4th of July, I thought it appropriate to post this image captured recently while working with fellow photographer, Joe Harrison.
While scouting a shoot in a pre-WWII factory we noticed this hand painted flag tucked away behind a men's washroom. So, I did what any photographer in 2013 would do, pulled out an iphone and grabbed a snapshot, followed by a little digital darkrooming in the favorite photo-app of the week.
Happy Birthday American.
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Do you Boris, take you Boris to be your reptilian soul mate for a long as you live? Actually their was only one Boris, who after a couple of years turned out to be a Miss Boris.
The Image, "Turtle Love" was one of our semi-annual self assignment in 2007. To produce this elaborate set up we constructed a full scale living room in the studio complete with 325 cutout turtles to create the custom wallpaper, a custom built turtle tank and hand made Bonsai Trees. In total we spent approximately 48 hours building and preproduction of the set, 4 hours shooting, 8 hours retouching and compositing.
Miss Boris is still doing well at four times this size, she currently resides in Wyoming.
Tech Notes: Camera-Hasselblad Imacon, Lens-Zeis 28mm, Lighting-Profoto
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The longer I take photos the more I come to respect the fine art of portrait photography. Legendary photographers such as Yousaf Karsh and Arnold Newman seemed to make it look so natural. Even today, one look a their imagery and you feel as if you are a part of the scene. Your at the location they have placed the subject in, you find yourself studing the backgound as well as the individual. Then as you walk away from the viewing you feel like you know something about that person, all the while wanting to know a little more. To me this is the essence of a great portrait, verses just a snapsot. It's this approach that's my base when setting out to do a portrait, both in studio and on location.
While capturing the the image of Eagle Scout, Will Jackson, I wanted to pay honor to him and his achievements. Becoming a an Eagle Scout is an honor all its own; and Will has done it before the age of fifteen. Anolther goal of the portrait was to project the high regard which I personally hold the Boyscouts. In light of recent events, I still feel their ability to help mold boys into into young men is second to none. I look back on days as a Boy Scout with great memories and hope this portrait reflects that.
Tech Notes, Camera-Nikon D3x, Lens-Nikon 105vr, Lighting-Profoto, Illustrative Effect-Topaz Detail 3
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During the past 13 years we have worked with the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park to photo-illustrate many of their theatrical productions for various marketing campaigns. Since 2011 we've worked with director Mark Lutwak, and the Playhouse, as they partner with many of the region’s community arts centers to bring “Off the Hill” to families throughout the Greater Cincinnati area.
Their most recent production to go off the hill is "The Traveling Jekyll and Hyde Show" which opened this past weekend, is a photographers dream to capture, from the simplistic throwback set, to the wardrobe and over the top colorful hair designs.
We photographed each of the four actors in an enviroment portrait style, then photo-illustrated the image using a series of filter effects and finally adding a retro style border to age the image.
For more information on, The Traveling Jekyll and Hyde Show visit: http://www.cincyplay.com/shows/Off_Hill/Default.aspx
Tech Notes, Camera-Nikon D3x & Nikon D800, Lens-Nikon 85mm (portraits), Nikon 14-24mm (wide candid), Lighting-Profoto
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Looks like another winter of minimal frozen precipitation, with no snow days for my kids, much to their displeasure. This also means no running around in the four-wheeled drive truck capturing winter scenes. So I took to our photo archives searching for a bone chilling image to post to the blog.
The image that became frozen in my mind was Cooler Cop, a studio build set composited in 2001, during the early stage of hi-res digital cameras. The digital back used captured this project with was a staggering 8 megapixels, quite the contrast to the 30 to 60 megapixels used today. We spent approximately 4 days constructing, propping and lighting. This was one of our first fully large scale digital project, meaning no polaroids for testing, no film was shot and scanned, all the compositing was handled in house.
Looking back almost 12 years later, its hard to believe the quantum leap we've made in file quality and color management, what a great time to be a photographer.
Tech Notes: Camera-Hassellblad 501c, Lens: Zeiss 50mm, Digital Back-Imacon, Lighting-Profoto
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When your looking for new places to visit on the internet this winter, I've got a great one for you, The Library of Congress. It's possibly the only time Congress and good image can be used in the same sentence.
If you love looking through classical photography, wpa posters and art, you can spend hours on this site, and best of all you can download many of the high res files, but for personal use only. Here's the link, as well as a couple of images I downloaded. http://www.loc.gov/pictures/
Top Image: Lithograph of Steam Powered Photography that processed and printed on the spot, Cincinnati, Ohio 1871. Bottom Image: WPA Cover of theatrical production, "No More Peace" by Ernest Toller at the Cincinnati Federal Theatre, 1937.
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Tech Notes: Camera: iphone 4, Lighting: Tungsten Floor Lamp, Filtering: topaz adjust 5
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For this year's offical family photo we gave it a slight Brady Brunch in 2012 twist. (if your under 40 google "Brady Brunch") So, from our family to yours, have a wonderful and joyous holiday season!]]>These are a few of the images from the inspirational morning we spent with Mama Peggy and Jennifer Davis of Beaded Hope. For the complete story on Beaded Hope visit: www.beadedhope.org
Back for another Holiday Season at the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, is Charles Dicken's, A Christmas Carol. Bruce Cromer once again plays the mizer, Ebenezer Scrooge along with the usual cast of characters.
We have photographed Mr. Cromer numerous times over his 12 year run as this iconic Dicken's character. Above is a composited image from a session we produced in 2007.
For additional information on A Christmas Carol, including how to purchase tickets through Dec 29th go to: www.cincyplay.com
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Okay, we were not really in the Meyer May, Frank Lloyd Wright House built in 1909, but in my brother-in-laws beautifully renovated home next door. The Meyer May Praire style home located in Grand Rapids, Michigan has been restored to it's original spendor by the Steelcase Corporation. For the complete story on the Meyer May Home visit: http://meyermayhouse.steelcase.com/]]>
How do you respond when the city you love ranks between 4th and 7th of poorest cities (indiviuals living in poverty) in America? This was the question city, corporate and evangelical leaders posed to one another as they meet to discuss this plight almost a decade ago. Today, November 13, 2012 they responded by opening the doors to CityLink Center.
Standing in front of this state of the art facility I realalized, it's because one out of four Cincinnatian's live in poverty that CityLink exist. At the Center, people will be pulled out of physical poverty. Poor and wealthy, clients and volunteers, west siders and east siders will see life in a new way through CityLink. This is a city wide initiative which is expected to dramatically change our community.
To learn more about how to get involved or to participate in an upcoming training, visit, www.citylinkcenter.org/the-approach/get-involved.
Tech Notes: Camera-Nikon D3X, Lens-Nikon 85mm PC Shift, Nikon 105mm VR, Nikon 14-24mm Zoom
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As well as 10 princesses, 8 spidermen, 5 monkeys, 7 dogs and assorted other characters, all for the 2012 Arrasmith & Associates Annual Halloween Photo Shoot. Despite weather that was more fitting of Transylvania than Cincinnati the schedule was packed and the attendance was the second largest in our the 16 year history.
Tech Notes: Camera- Nikon D3X, Lens-Nikon 50mm 1.4, Exposure-250th @ F8, iso 100, Lighting System- Profoto
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It looked as if this would be the perfect evening to wrap up the 2012 NLDS for the Reds, beautiful weather, packed ballpark and the home team leading the series 2-1. Unfortunately, the San Francisco Giants had a different agenda and from the first inning on they controlled game 4.
Three of the four members the Arrasmith Family seemed to take it in stride and enjoy playoff atmosphere thanks to my friend, Trey Smith and our great seats. After the fourth inning Cameron (seen scowling in the bottom left photo) collected himself and attempted to enjoy the rest of the game, spending most of that time going back and forth between the hotdog stand and his seats. Chloe, well it was a party and that was all she needed.
It was a disappointing loss, and premature ending to a great season, but the sky seems to be the limit for this team, and with an ownership that knows how to win, I'm confident the Reds will be back challenging once again in 2013. Thanks for a great season.
Tech notes: Stadium Image- Photographed with Nikon D7000, Nikon 14-24 zoom lens, iso1600, processed through Topaz Adjust Filter, Bottom Left Image-Photographed with Nikon D7000, Nikon 14-24 zoom lens, iso1600, processed through Topaz Adjust Filter, Bottom Right Image- photographed with iphone4, processed through Topaz Adjust Filter.
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What is the future of the photographic industry and how are photographers preparing for it? What role will you play in the evolution of this fast changing profession? How has technology effected each of our areas? What does your business model look like?
These are just a few of the questions the panel will dive into during hour and a half discussion at Xavier University Art Gallery on Wednesday October, 24th from 6:30 PM - 8 PM. Todd Joyce, Former ASMP National President and Cincinnati area commercial photographer will moderate the panel which includes, Helen Adams, Gregory Rust, Jane Stevens, Samantha Grier and Tony Arrasmith all regional professional photographers and educators. The event is free and open to the public.
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Over the years we've photographed these little beings in every variation imaginable. What began as portraits during a 1997 Halloween Party has become a 16 year photo project.
For the first three years we photographed the assorted creatures in our friends garage, setting up the same background, lighting and camera angle each year, but as the numbers of participants increased a larger venue was required so a move to our studio was made in 2000. Throught the years the participants have grown from friends and family, to clients, friend of clients, to now, an open call to all interested.
If your in the neighborhood October, 25 or 26 and in costume, drop in, it's our treat.
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I've spotted him on mine numerous times in the past couple months, and I might add, he's doing an awesome job repairing it.
Meet Bryan Pope, roofer, home renovation specialist and soon to be pilot. Oh, good friend as well, which is why when we meet earlier this summer and he was sporting a nice new mustache we came up with the concept for a unique portrait featuring it. The goal was to make it all about the facial hair and grungie, make it stark, give him attitude, make him look like a "Roofer".
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Professors often take sabbaticals. Corporate professionals might attend retreats. As a professional photographer, I travel to New Orleans. Yes, the Big Easy has the all of the expected offerings one would want. The best jazz in the world, culinary masterpieces, fruity drinks, dancing and well, beads. Lots of beads!
In the last three years I have witnessed all of the above. However, when I reflect on the beautiful city of New Orleans, a deeper understanding is what I experience. The goal of my trip has not been to recharge my visual battery, but for the restoration of the couraguos people that call the Cresent City home . In the beginning our goal was simple, give the people of the ninth ward the gift of family portraits, a priceless possession lost by almost all who experienced Hurricane Katrina. After three days of capturing these powerful images, hearing their personal stories of triump and tragedy my life was forever changed. Now almost four years later, it has become a journey of building into and growing relationships. One such relationship is with Café Reconcile’s incredible staff and students.
Café Reconcile's mission is to provide practical instruction in the culinary industry combined with educational and life skills, to youth from at risk communities. The program length is twelve weeks followed by an internship in one of the many partnering hospitality establishments. Students learn to become self sufficient and productive, building into themselves and their community.
From the moment I stepped into Café Reconcile (which is a fully functional restaurant serving a packed house daily) in Central City; I was hooked. There is something about the atmosphere in the Café. A buzz. A yearning. A sense of pride. A sense of hope. An atmosphere of redemption.
This is where the magic occurred for me and my team. We photographed students beginning to learn. We photographed students beginning to grow. We photographed internship graduates in their new work environments. Each student that stepped in front of the camera projected an overwhelming sense of pride and passion for his or her accomplishments. It spoke to our hearts. Changed our hearts. Changed us.
I am so thankful for the opportunity to serve along side such a dynamic photo team, to be able to bless others, assist in the rebuilding of a beautiful city, and support the wonderful mission of Café Reconcile.
Please visit http://reconcileneworleans.
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This season the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park will perform Neil Simon's Brighton Beach Memoirs, which is set in the early 1930's in Brooklyn, New York. So, we were ask to team up with the creative team at their agency, Sunrise Advertising for this concept, and produce the signature image as if it were photographed during that period.
We spent a few days scouting locations and time of day for lighting, securing wardrobe, and finding props. Once the client gave final approval we notified the property owners and set up the shoot.
Above are a few of the photographs used to composite the final image. Special thanks to Cheyenne Wright for hair and makeup, Ernest Schimer for allowing us to photograph his 1928 Chevorlet and Kim Simmons for helping us locate it.
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Looks like it's been a tough 8 years for the Decker Senior Citizens Hotel, hopefully things can start to turn around this November.
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It was just three weeks ago I was in New Orleans photographing "The Roots of Music" on Jackson Square with a couple hundred friends from Crossroads Church. Now I set and watch as Hurricane Isaac moves thru Southern Louisiana and up the Mississippi River Valley, and can't help but think about the friends that are riding the storm out as they seem to do as a way of life.
On Monday I reached out to Dave Emond, Director of Development at Cafe Reconcile in New Orleans to let him know they were in our thoughts and prayers, Daves response was, "Crazy Coincidence with the date, but all signs point to this one being more gentle". Seems this is the what comes with living in the Big Easy.
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This past spring approximately 40 regional photographers meet to randomly draw one anothers name out of a hat and be photographed by one of their peers. I was lucky enough to draw Helen Adams, a wonderfully inspiring portrait photographer.
For the next month I played around with numerous concepts for her enviromental portrait, then meet with Helen at her early 1900's Italian Renaissance home in Clifton, a Cincinnati, Ohio suburb. It quickly became apparent upon stepping into her home we had the location, it was where she worked, lived and played, and as we sat discussing the shot in her parlor the image became even easier to visualize. All that was left was to hang her portraits on the walls and light it.
With the assistance of Cheyenne Wright, we arrived at Helens around 8 am to prop out our set, and light. as luck would have it the sunlight we were counting on went away, an for only the second time in two months it rained, so we added our own light, three to be exact. For the next two hour we put Helen on the others side the camera, a cold dark place to most photographers, but the results were wonderful, and great execise for both of us.
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