Chris Orwig - Flipside

holding hands

three friends
who have known each other since birth
holding hands in the desert sun

merry-go-round

fun slide

closed

all photographs have the potential to evoke and elicit a response. with this picture, what is yours?

strangers

as you might know, i’ve been working on a new photography series at lynda.com called narrative portraiture. one of the courses is called on location in nyc – click here to check it out! in this course, we traveled to new york city and photographed a leading broadway performer jared mason (the guy on the left) on the brooklyn bridge.

while we were shooting, the guy on the right was walking by and i asked him if he would be up for having his picture taken. he agreed and i captured the shot above, and he even signed a model release!

i like the juxtaposition of two distinct new yorkers and i think it makes for an interesting shot. what are your thoughts?

on another note, have you ever tried photographing a stranger? how’d it go? any advice for the rest of us on how to do this more successfully?

photographic style

In one of my classes at Brooks Institute, I asked my students to describe the type of photographic style they aspire to by comparing it to food. Their answers were colorful and interesting.

One answer that stood out was from Dawn, a student from Texas. She enthusiastically explained, “I want my photographic style to be like a soufflé. At a distance it seems simple but really it’s layered and complex…. and it’s filled with a surprise!”

Oddur, a student from Iceland (pictured above in the hallway outside of the classroom) replied, “Every New Year’s day my extended family would gather and we would eat one special spoonful of caviar. I want my photographic style to be like caviar – it’s not something everyone likes, but those who like it are committed beyond means.”

How would you describe your style (or the style that you aspire to)?

summer

mistake

the above picture is the result of a mistake – the sheet of film was loaded and shot twice.  yet, this is a picture i was glad that i made. if photography were a teacher, one of the lessons i have learned is to embrace life even when things go wrong. what has photography taught you?

jeff johnson

the expired film that i’m using is starting to dry out -as you can tell by the top of the frame. yet, i like how it visually suggests the passage of time. as for me, i’m going to keep shooting it until its gone or completely unusable. above is a photograph of surfer, climber, writer, photographer and friend jeff johnson. this picture makes me think and reflect. i’d love to hear your thoughts?