Chris Orwig - Flipside

photo books

i was recently shooting a video for a new lynda.com training course on how to create better portraits. (the course is coming out in a few months – i’ll keep you posted.) for one of the movies i filled up a crit rack with a handful of books related to the topic of creating people pictures (click on the image above for a larger view). this selection is in no way exhaustive, rather its more of a representational sampling of the books that i enjoy.

i’ve always found photography books to be a great source of inspiration. this got me wondering about which books have influenced other  photographers. what are the books that you enjoy or that have made your top 25 list?  i’d love to hear your thoughts.

sand dunes and sunshine

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adam

adam gerlach is in the master of fine arts program at brooks where i teach. he is a quality person, deep thinker, strong photographer and a kind soul. click here to view some of his pictures.

mattia

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i like the intrigue in this picture – the stacks of books (which happen to be photo books),the soft light and an empty chair….. it was captured with a leica m6 and bw tri-x film. this camera is teaching me how to see in a whole new way.

delivery guy / channel islands surf boards

every face tells a story – click on the image to view it larger and to read some of his.

whats the story?

while digging through the archives i came across this photo. i like pictures like these which hint at some sort of interesting story – they say enough but not too much. this one was captured with available light while i was walking away. what do you think is actually going on? the two guys are great photographers, colleagues and friends. the location? the details? the story? that’s up for you to figure out. it would be fun to hear your thoughts.

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so far i’ve really enjoyed the comments!  to add to the details of the story i’ve posted another photo below. see if you can piece these two together to figure out what has happened. if you look closely you’ll see the guy in the blue shirt in the picture below.

yes!

above, my little sophia sits on grandma and grandpa’s backyard porch swing. she is getting so big, so fast.

the porch swing now resides in my parents backyard, yet it wasn’t always so. it was built by hand some 16 years ago. simple yet significant – it might be the most important thing i’ve ever made.

the swing was an integral element of a larger plan. i was getting ready to propose (telling the entirety of that story is best saved for another time). for now, what matters is that my best friend and i had assembled the swing out on a seculded ocean side bluff. there it patiently stood tall, some two hundred feet above the waves and sand below.

early one sunday morning i hiked kelly out to that spot. while she sat on the swing, i got down on one knee. with nervousness and excitement i asked the question of all questions – will you marry me? i am so glad that she said yes!

something new, something old

illuminate

this last week i checked out a leica mp film camera from brooks institute where i teach. it has been an interesting journey that i have thoroughly enjoyed. the leica m cameras are historically significant and have been around for a long time. yet this week, something that was “old” has become completely new to me. i’ve found myself slowing down, becoming more patient, thoughtful and observant.

it has been a liberating experience full of mistakes – almost like rediscovering photography once again.

i shot a roll of tri-x and a roll of  t-max black and white film. the pictures here are scans straight from the negatives. i’m not sure where this journey will take me, but i’m excited to walk down this off beat path. i would love to hear your thoughts.

driving to school

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top of the slide

hat head

geordie

geordie speake } soulful + creative
// a few more pics from last weekend. click on it for a larger view.

paul

paul myers } authentic + inspiring
// i apologize for the delay in posting… been shooting, filming, writing, traveling, biking and enjoying life. the picture above was captured at a friends birthday party last weekend. click on it for a larger view.