Nonetheless, Please feel free to have a look and trust me, this years campaign is like nothing you have ever seen from me before and will set a new benchmark for university ad campaigns.

Link: The ASU Football Photoshoot

You see, creatives like myself need to have an aspect that is young at heart. Often times we are shooting ad campaigns that market to demographics that are younger than us and reaching them is what will keep the client coming back for further campaigns. If you want proof that youth is crucial to advertising, ask yourself this, “what was the last agency I visited that did NOT have a foosball table?” But I digress…

Yesterday was the first day of E3, or as many of us know it, the show where we see what video games we will be obsessing over on the days off for the coming year. As it always is, day one is the keynotes, and none were more important than that from Sony (Playstation) and Microsoft (Xbox).

Coming into the day, Microsoft had been fighting an uphill battle with their concept that games could not be resold, borrowed, the system has to connect to the internet everyday, oh and it might listen to you more than the NSA already does. For Sony, they needed to shed the PR dullness that has haunted them since the PS3 launch and actually cut the corporate veil away… and they did.

In a keynote that many guys jumped and clapped at while their wives watched HGTV, Sony did nothing short of saying, “we paid attention to our audience”, dropping the mic and walking off stage. Going into the keynote I had my mind made up that I would be buying myself, and probably some clients, Xbox Ones this holiday season. However, 30 seconds on a keynote changed all of that.

Beyond the details of Playstation vs. Xbox, or Sony vs. Microsoft, we saw a case study that will be talked about in PR and advertising classes for years to come. It was one of those rare moments where brand loyalty and product support swapped in a moment. It was incredible.

Congrats Sony.

Having worked on a few sound stages, sets, and quiet studios now, I felt the need for something to effectively suppress the rather loud shutter actuation and mirror slap of my D800. The “quiet mode” on that camera is a bit of a joke, and definitely does not cut it when sound is rolling on set. This limits when I can get behind-the-scenes/production shots without the audio crew wanting to murder me.

The classic solution is the industry-trusted Jacobson Sound Blimp, one of which I last saw in the wild at an on-location set of a TV show production that I assisted on recently. It makes your camera look like something straight outta The Great War, which is both awesome and awful. There are no controls other than the shutter release button, and they cost almost a grand to buy.

Alternatively, and also less effective, is a soft camera muzzle that I’ve seen ‘togs use at classical music concerts in auditoriums etc. The upside is that you can stick your hands into them and use all the controls. The downside is that you can still hear the mirror slap a few paces away. And you look like a sock puppeteer.

I cast about for other solutions, and came across several DIY tutorials based around a Pelican case, the best of which was this one. I love the fact it supports a removable extension tube for different-length lenses, so I can go long with my 70-200mm when I need to reach, or stick to my physically shorter 85mm prime when I want maneuverability and max light (both in photons and atoms). The fact that the whole rig should, in theory, end up being completely waterproof is another huge plus for me (pool shoot ahoy!). So, without delay I ordered the Pelicase from B&H and raided my local Home Depot for the rest of the components needed:

That total project cost is an order of magnitude less than what a Jacobson fetches, and I’m guessing the sound suppression results are about 80-90% as good! I improved on the original design in a couple of ways; the main one being the use of a wireless trigger for shutter release and autofocus. A wired one means you need an extra hole through the Pelican case which is troublesome to keep watertight around the cord passing through. It also means you have to attach the button to the outside of the case somehow, and I’d rather just have a wireless trigger in my pocket that I can press through the cloth while aiming the camera/case with the other hand. I also opted for Lexan instead of the more fragile and less flexible glass for the rear LCD and viewfinder windows. It should be easier to cut to the proper shape, too.

The only big question mark at this point is how to best do the front window for the lens. The above design had a plain piece of glass custom-cut into a round shape by a local glass store, but this is a hassle and can cause ghosting because there is no anti-reflective coating on it. I thought about somehow using a spare 77mm UV filter that can screw onto the front, but that’s probably not a good idea since it would cause direct hard contact between the lens (which is where the most of noise emanates from) and the outer shell of the sound blimp, which I think might transfer the sound vibrations to the outside. I ended up trying the Lexan, but it’s way too easy to scratch when you’re cleaning it and make optically crappy, so I’m going to see about that real glass after all..

Here are a bunch of shots detailing the assembly of this project:

Stay tuned for a video update where I test the water proofing of this contraption! Nothing like trusting your pro photo gear to something you cobbled together from sewage pipes…

The departure from racing to photography did little to hinder my passion for it, and my love for Formula 1 has grown to a hysterical level at times. Many have asked if there is any celebrity that I would have a hard time photographing because of starstruckness and there is only one…. Michael Schumacher.

So with all this said, this is a great weekend for race fans, for it is the Monaco Grand Prix. For me, that means waking up at 3am every morning to watch the qualifying and racing live while dressed in all red and screaming for Ferrari like they could hear me over in Europe. Do I think it’s crazy? No, I know it’s crazy. But this is passion, it’s fanaticism, it’s the reason I work my ass off on set to capture as strong of an image as possible of the athletes I photograph. Because somewhere out there a kid envy’s that player, and when he or she sees the ad I created, it drives emotion, excitement and an enthusiasm in them that makes them remember the shot.

So to the others waking up early to watch, well done, and to their wives having to endure such lunacy, I apologize.

Drive safe and Sempre Ferrari!!!!!

I have been very lucky to work as much as I have over the past half year, all while making sure not to take any of the jobs for granted. One thing this industry will teach you is that you never know when your next shoot will be, and if I may add an extension to that idea, it is to always be grateful and humble to have work. The downside to shooting so much is the possibility of burning out, and by burning out I mean not giving everything on set, after all your client deserves more. Recently I took some time away with my wife to Hawaii to not think about work, but rather try and remember who I am when I am not the photographer.

In a sense I needed to return to the ground. My wife, my friends, my family and my photography all deserved a better Blair. A Blair that could care less about press releases, PR and contract negotiations, and was mentally in the room for once instead of thinking about numbers and productions during dinner conversations. I decided that I would not take a computer, and keep my phone turned off. It was a slight nightmare the first day, but I soon found what I was missing from times before photography was my job.

I knew coming home that I had three productions left until my next break, however nothing prepared me for life. The day we landed a family meeting was called, and I learned that one of my family members had been diagnosed with cancer.

Now I have worked on sets the day after my dog died, on days I had the flu, and on days that had seen no sleep the previous night, but nothing has ever hit me like this. The title of the post sums up my involvement with anything surrounding social contact lately. I have stayed away from Twitter, Facebook and this blog, as I have chosen that this matter would remain private. I felt that it was cheating all of you that I try so hard to be completely open with, but family must always come first.

The three campaigns that we shot in the past few weeks all turned out to be incredible as they served as a place for my mind to live, away from the reality. In time I will release the images and I promise they will impress.

I just want to thank the many that have lent an ear to listen and shoulder to cry on and words of support. I am taking the next couple months off to be with my family, but I promise you all that I will return stronger and more grateful than ever for this life.

In the meantime please allow me to end with a saying that a very close friend offered me, though it is vulgar, it has kept my resolve and made me laugh….

FUCK CANCER

Words in the physics realm have rarely been so personified than what we witnessed at the Boston Marathon. As heartbroken as we were staring at the videos of pure massacre, we were equally surprised at the small numbers of those lost, all due to the heroism of the many who ran towards the chaos. Amongst the videos I viewed, one struck me with pride and a restored faith in photography.

It was a video that showed the response to the first blast. In it chaos encompasses the street, but many rush in. While photographers around grab pictures with hopes of Pulitzers, one photojournalist (with 70-200 and 24-70 slung over shoulder) decides that the story is less important than the lives of those impacted by this attack. This unnamed man slings the cameras and opts to start pulling debris off the victims in an effort to help medics access those in need of care.

Without second thought, without a hope for fame and awards, this man gave up any chance of getting “the shot” so that he could help those in need.

While the news will surround itself with the photographers that captured the images of carnage and chaos, rarely (if ever) have they mentioned the photographer that wasn’t taking pictures. In all honesty, I didn’t even notice him until my wife pointed at the television screen and said, “look, that photographer is helping instead of shooting… that is a hero.”

A hero indeed, the man that put the cameras aside to help is an idol to me. He encompassed compassion towards strangers instead of gratification from the public. While humility is easily pronounced in times of good fortune, it takes true character to embrace it in the face of opportunity. Could this anonymous photographer have created an image worthy of a Pulitzer? We will never know. However, did his willingness to give up such awards in order to save complete strangers make him a hero? Undoubtably.

This is what is all boils down to, and why the attacks on Boston mean more for Boston than the coward that bombed the innocent. All this person managed to prove is that man cares enough for one another that opportunity, at the sacrifice of others, just isn’t worth it. When tragedy presents itself to you, be the one that comes to the aid of the few rather than spreads the word to the many.

When the Give Me Strength campaign started, back in December, it was initially thought that it would cover a few days with a few athletes, and maybe a couple additional shots would come along later in the year. That was until we produced the first campaign of four images; a runner, a girl doing yoga, a lacrosse player and a basketball player. To say that the images went over well is an understatement and the call from Mekanism (Muscle Milk’s agency) came in to shoot four more, then another four, then three in NY, another in SF and a final in Aspen. All the while I was trying to keep up with campaigns that had been booked before we ever thought that there would be more shots.

In the end, this campaign cost me a substantial amount of my sanity, however it served to strengthen my appreciation for the people on set and in the office that have made it all possible. From producers to assistants to the DJ we hired to keep things light (yes, we seriously hired a DJ for the shoots and it was awesome), every person was incredible and shares responsibility for this campaign’s success.

With the extensiveness of this body of work, I have decided to release a series of blogs so that you the reader can take in what is was like to be on set. Also, with the amount of pro athletes that we were able to photograph, I figured some shots may warrant more time than others. In the end, once the final photos have been shown, we have also made a behind the scenes video so that you can see the shoot, the shenanigans and have a laugh at my dancing ability. With that said, let’s show some photos…

The idea behind these shots was to show the truest for of athleticism. When arenas are removed and fans don’t exist, the essence of sport is the athlete. Minimalism at it’s finest, we decided action on black would be the key to the series. For consistency we would need a lighting schemata that would be able to be used throughout the campaign. This may sound easy, however trying to find a ratio that holds a strong look over multiple sports like lacrosse, baseball, yoga and cycling is not an easy task at all. Originally I had five different lighting setups that I wanted to use, and then we reduced it to two, however choosing one setup to use for a campaign is like choosing between a Ferrari or Lamborghini… both are good, but you can only drive one.

With quality of light being key and speed needed to capture the action, we decided that we would shoot with four Profoto 8a’s power packs. I hopped around between 16 and 22 on the aperture as sharpness would sell the complexity of the shots.

Now I know that a lot of photographers are touchy about showing their RAW files to the public, but I want this blog to teach, so here it is:

The spray was originally for texture, but over the progression of the campaign it was decided that smoke would be better, and it the transition was made. It was felt that if we could get a strong shot out of camera, then the authenticity of the image and sport would convey better. All to often the “hyper real” style seeps into sports campaigns and we get this very action driven image that consists of 40 photos composited together and called a photograph when it should be called a collage. The sheer number of pieces in this campaign would have meant years and millions spent on the retouching alone, so the realism and action would be done the old fashion way, lighting and timing.

As I said early, we had a crew of people from Muscle Milk, Mekanism and my end that made this one possible, I wish I could write the list down, but I fear way too much chance of forgetting people. So instead, please enjoy some behind the scenes pics (shot by my assistant Dan) of us all making these four shots possible and stay tuned to the blog as we will be releasing the first series of pro athletes in the coming weeks.

A common email I get usually goes along the lines of, “Hi Blair, I am a beginning photographer and am wondering how I can get into ad agencies to shoot ad work?” While the question is valid, the approach is one that feels as though it is the pulse of the industry in it’s current state. I encourage those that have written and those that read this to not search for how to get into agencies, but rather look for where your passion is in photography. Ask yourself what you style is, what is unique to your eye and what you really love about this hobby. The truth of the matter is, many will not get to the upper echelon of photography, some by lack of drive, and others by unwillingness to give up that much of their lives. Even if success at the ad level is achieved for those that want to make money, I promise there is a crushing blow awaiting, for if you don’t have a love for photography first, it is easy to get lost when the work goes away.

Think of it as a friend that you met at a business networking event. Perhaps the relationship is fun and you may exchange texts, but no real trust is formed as it is all topical conversations thinly veiling your want to work together. Is this really a relationship at all? When shit hits the fan, are you going to call this person and tell him you had a bad day, your girlfriend left you or that you have insecurity in you job? No. This is just a “relationship” and there is no ground to stand on in real need. The same can be said about photography.

There will be more recessions, and we all will see times of no work. However, those who based this career on a passion for creating will always have photography, and those that based this career on the want to look cool and make money will be lost. I have often contemplated who the best photographer alive is….. Is he or she a person that is always booked, a jet setter that sees first class more than they should, living a lifestyle of interviews and sponsorships?…… no

I believe the best photographer alive today is most likely a math teacher that cares more about ensuring his kids learn geometry than his possible lucrative career. He loves photography and probably just shoots to decorate his house. He might have a broad knowledge of gear, but would never brag about what camera he is shooting. Most likely he will live a life of humble means and may one day be appreciated for his work after he has passed and his children show his art to a collector. He is a man that I envy, for he will never know how to justify a quarter million dollar campaign, but more importantly, he will never care.

Be proud to be a photographer, but never try to be the “best” photographer. Care little about how much you can impress others with your work, but be passionate about it. After all, photography without passion is accounting.

I am only going to be in Vegas briefly, as in hours, but wanted to give y’all a heads up. I will be around the Nikon, LowePro, LiveBooks and Photoflex booths, so if you see me, please feel free to say “hi”. I am always down to chat photo with anyone, so don’t think I am unapproachable.

It’s Friday, so go get a drink… safely

Bb

My friend and assistant, Ramsey, often is my on set humor to keep things light. On some recent campaigns, we brought him on just to DJ during the shoot… think that sounds crazy? It was the client’s first request when we got brought on to shoot a second campaign.

While we were preparing for the first campaign, he got a spam text message on his iPhone. Now we have all gotten them, and most of us just throw them away, no Ramsey. What followed was hundreds of texts to the spammer that were comedic gold, and ended in the spammer having Ramsey’s number blocked on his phone.  But fear not, we saved them all and would like to present them to you, enjoy.

Easiest way to view them is to click on the first one (top left) and then use the arrows to go through them in order.