Sometime we just can’t help it. We’re inspired by the kids we meet. This guy was ok with being kinda furry; so was the little friend we found for him.
This shot is just one of a series we’ve been doing based on Quirky Kids.
Or maybe we should reconsider just who is quirky in these scenarios…we are, after all, cooking up the ideas all on our own!
We’ve just received the excellent news that our fabled “Meatball Boy” photo, which already garnered a Gold Addy for Photography in our local competition, has also earned a Silver in the Regional Addys. And in mighty fine company…check out the other locals that have gone on to do our city proud here.
We’re sending The Boy on to the National Addy award competition. Wish us luck for another installment of “Meatball Boy Brings Home the Bacon!”
-by Geo
Sometimes we do things for ourselves, and follow our bliss without a pretense of purpose. As any photographer who just loves to take pictures knows, there are times when you are filling hard drives with pixels, with no final purpose in mind. Please read on; this is a story about such photos, born out of a love of the medium, that are finally out in the world and on view at the Center of Science and Industry (COSI) in Columbus, Ohio.
The Olentangy River at Henderson Road Bridge
The Olentangy River is at the end of the street where I live in Columbus, Ohio. After work and sometimes on weekends, I go canoeing and photograph the river. The 6 lane highway that runs alongside the river most of its in-city length makes it an “urban” paddle. Mostly, I document the river, its changes and how we as humans effect it. Sometimes I record and interpret its special beauty (I ignore the road sounds), but mostly I am drawn to its urbanity and am amazed how wildlife lives and gets along inside the green corridor it provides. Because it’s close to home, this has become an easy and pleasant pastime for me.
Things I find in the Olentangy River
Deer between State Route 315 and the Olentangy River
I use the river as a place to reflect and recompose. I often approach photographing the river with a totally different mind set than other work I do. Generally, I have no preconceived ideas or plans. I may hope to see some specific wildlife at certain times of the year, but mostly I try to “be here now.”
A beautiful fall evening on the Olentangy River
I have been filling binders with film and hard drives with pixels of the Olentangy River for 15+ years now. Then, a call came for those photos to see the light of day…
COSI recently opened the exhibit “Water.” It explores “where water occurs on Earth, how it’s used, and how we can become better stewards of our water planet.” I am proud to play a small part in this wonderfully educational exhibit.
Graphic at COSI at the start of the Water Exhibit
Organizers and Sponsors of the Exhibit
This traveling exhibit was put together by the American Heritage Museum and space was intentionaly left for local artists to participate. When it arrived at it’s Columbus stop, the hosting museum,COSI, chose fellow photographer Mark Romesser’s and my river work to illustrate the sidebar show “A Tale of Two Rivers.”
A Tale of Two Rivers Exhibit Description
Mark photographs the Darby Creek, a pristine nationally protected stream west of Columbus, Ohio. His beautiful, emotional images are of a river as if no human had ever set foot nearby. I wish all watersheds looked that good. Check out his blog
My photos are of the Olentangy River as it runs through urban Columbus. It’s not always pretty. The “Tale of Two Rivers” is a contrast of watersheds; both are very real, and compelling.
So while I’ve been following my bliss and photographing the river, I’ve accumulated quite a body of work. I do have a presentation I give to community groups, “10 Miles and 10 Years: A Brief Photographic History of a Short Section of the Olentangy River,” but the COSI exhibit is a first for these photos. They now have a job to do, and I hope it does it well.
Some of my photos at the Tale of Two Rivers, part of the Water Exhibit at COSI Columbus, Ohio
It’s good to get those pictures off the hard drives, out of the binders and onto a wall for the public to see. And I’m going to continue following my photographic bliss, regardless of any final intended purpose. As the noted theologian Joseph Campbell said, “Follow your bliss, and doors will open where you thought there were none.”
Meatball Boy brings home the bacon!
We were elated to be honored at the recent American Advertising Federation Addy awards in Columbus, Ohio. Only 27 Golds were awarded in 22 categories. Our Addy stood alone in the “Elements of Advertising/Photography” category.
Happy Valentine's Day
As we dip our toes into images that move, one big, bold thing remains the same…we seek the uniqueness in each of our subjects.
This gal impressed us during an audition we held in our studio. Her energy, enthusiasm and clear desire for “Fashion Diva-ness” inspired us to design this shoot around her.
Our own transition from seeing in still images toward seeing in motion is beginning to take shape. And we are thrilled by the opportunities.
Hope you enjoy our take on a bit of holiday cheer!
It’s always so meaningful to receive a thank-you note…especially when it’s
1) handwritten
2) for what was essentially a professional experiment.
Here’s what our first ever video client had to say about working with us:
-by Jules
What a way to ring in the New Year…a new project…in new media…it’s motion alright! Shot in a part day in our studio, edited on another day. See the description below for more info.
Carol Engler/ Originator, Empathic Education from George C. Anderson on Vimeo.
George C. Anderson and Julie Schirmer take their years of enthusiasm and experience creating memorable still photography and step into video production with their first client-sponsored project, shot in George’s studio with sound captured by Jay Alton. Helping Carol convey her passion for Empathic Education, George and Julie consulted on script-writing, studio set, lighting, wardrobe/hair/makeup and of course, on-camera direction, to portray Carol as the authentic person she is: professional, informed and approachable. In support of Carol’s message, George and Julie licensed music from stockmusic.net and also selected and sequenced stock images from Shutterstock. They offered creative direction working with freelance video editor Eric Ringquist to finalize their collective vision.
- by Jules
You never know when lightening will strike. Or opportunity. Thankfully, opportunity has struck me more than lightening.
So it really came as no surprise when, in February 2011, I was hi-jacked by my friend Ruth Milligan in the parking lot of our kids’ daycare center…
“Hey, Jules- got 30 seconds?” she called from her car window.
And the rest is…art and opportunity, collaboration and community all combined into what turned out to be an exciting little package.
You see, Ruth had just attended the TED conference in California and had witnessed an idea there. The artist JR, who received the 2011 TED prize, was looking to involve other communities in his concept. Ruth wanted to roll it out locally, and as co-chair of TEDx Columbus, she had a vision of how we could interpret this idea in our own town.
But she needed help. Through the car window I heard…”Would you be able to help me coordinate some photographers to put this thing together?”
“Yes!” I said, agreeing immediately. I knew Geo would join in wholeheartedly and that between the two of us, we’d be able to round up other willing photographers.
Geo and I made some phone calls to our friends in the Columbus ASMP (American Society of Media Photographers). Each person we contacted, who could fit us into their schedule, said “Yes.” They all participated with incredibly generous heart and spirit.
(L-R) asst. Jon Iddings, Stephen Webster, Julie Schirmer, Tom Dubanowich (front row), Ray LaVoie, George C. Anderson, Larry Hamill, asst. Stephen Newport (front row) and Mike Foley not pictured: assts. David Allison, Brian Cole
That’s how we found ourselves, 6 months after my parking lot conversation, on Saturday, September 17th at COSI shooting side by side with Tom Dubanowich, Mike Foley, Larry Hamill,Ray LaVoie and Steven Webster. Working within the guidelines of JR’s Inside Out project, each photographer provided their own white background, lighting and cameras. We photographed volunteers from the general public and also from the Harmony Project. All in all, almost 100 faces were captured that day in about 2 hours. The photographers edited their work after the shoot on site and selected their favorite images for inclusion in our group project.
Samples from Columbus Inside Out photo project
Later, Geo uploaded the photos to JR’s site and 3′x5′ prints were returned. The prints were then hung by Adam Brouillette of Wonderland in various sites within Franklinton, on the near west side of Columbus, an area of town which is being gentrified with a particular focus on the arts. Other prints were installed for public viewing outside COSI.
© 2011 Adam Brouillette
© 2011 Adam Brouillette
© 2011 Adam Brouillette
© 2011 Adam Brouillette
Then, in culmination, our Inside Out effort was highlighted at TEDx Columbus on 11/11/11. Ruth’s wish had come to fruition and Geo was privileged to be invited on stage to help explain the project to the live audience.
On stage at TEDx Columbus
George explains Columbus' Inside Out project
It was very satisfying to organize and work alongside other photographers- as colleagues more than competitors. You could just feel the synergy on the shoot. Both Geo and I were very proud to be part of this group. We had a wonderful, invigorating day with our fellow photographers and were thrilled to meet so many great Columbus citizens who, as subjects said “yes” and were willing to be part of this global art initiative.
We really are part of the greater whole, not just globally but also locally, within our own industry.
But you have to say “yes” first.
Thanks, Ruth, for asking!
Time to Say Good-Bye
Today turns over a new leaf. Much of the gear that fueled our business for many of the past years has been sold. It’s perfectly fine equipment and very serviceable. But it’s no longer of use to us, made obsolete by faster, sharper, cheaper and less fussy equipment.
Gone are the days when placing a Hasselblad on your tripod meant instant status. The images produced by the Zeiss glass and larger format did the trick back in the film era and early days of the digital revolution. And while those cameras and lenses were beastly expensive to buy, they were workhorses that functioned perfectly with very rare exception. And when things would occasionally break, they were imminently repairable. And they didn’t need software upgrades every year or so.
Tens of thousands of dollars were poured into acquiring the pile of gear you see in the photo. We could count on the longevity and quality of the investment to come back to us without fail. Much of what you see here has been useful and been put to work for 15 years or more, in some cases. The gear held its value for years after its purchase.
It is, however, time to say good-bye. For my whole professional life, up to this point, I shot with Hasselblad gear. I had used Horseman 4×5 and Nikon, but my first choice tended to be the Hasselblad. Now the only thing left in our studio emblazoned with that fabulous Hasselblad logo is a cinch-top lens bag…perfect, for carrying something other than a ‘Blad lens.
Today, there are many new pieces of gear we own. And what they are capable of doing is almost magical.
But when you put them on the tripod, they just don’t have that Ooh-Aah-Hasselblad wow factor! No worries, it’s really always been about the image-wow-factor anyhow. And the new tools we have just make that easier to create.
-by Jules
Both Geo and I have been busy the past few weeks, and it struck me that while what we were doing wasn’t always strictly business, it has all been photographically-based and important in many other ways too.
Those of us who find photography to be a way of life may forget that it hasn’t always been like that for everyone. Cameras used to be expensive and took some level of technical expertise to operate them successfully. For many years, not everyone had a camera nor easy access to photographs.
While most everyone nowadays has a camera, or very high quality image-capturing devices in their mobile phones, not everyone considers how to make great images, views the making of a photograph as important, nor necessarily has the patience to deal with the back-end of the digital process. So much time and hard-drive space gets eaten up just by managing the photos we go along snapping blithely. Oh, how I long for Foto-Mat kiosks…there was such ease in simply dropping your film off and returning to find neat prints in a little envelope.
Of course, that’s not to say we don’t love and embrace the new technologies and all that they enable.
I just spent a glorious weekend with family and friends celebrating my parents’ 60th wedding anniversary. The photo above depicts them during their dating days back in the ’40s. Upon my request, my mom supplied me a heap of snapshots from their last 70 years. I scanned the ones I chose and added others from my digital collection. I also had some video footage which I had converted from mini-DVs to a QuickTime format on DVD.
Working with Crit Warren, we assembled a retrospective movie through iMovie, Final Cut Pro and After Effects. It documented and honored my parents’ life together since the days in the photo above. We then projected the movie from our laptop and enjoyed it with nearly 50 of their friends during a celebration this past weekend.
Photos are history. Let us not forget their significance. It is no different now than it was except more people own the tools and images can be shared more easily.
All of the moments in my folks’ lives-when someone pointed a camera and went “click”- coalesced to create a historical record. Crit and I knit them together so we could share their story. What a pleasure.
Geo has been making a contribution in some special families’ lives as well. He recently volunteered to photograph campers at the Flying Horse Farm in Mt. Gilead, Ohio for the group Flashes of Hope. The children at the camp have life-threatening or chronic illnesses. Their attendance is meant to offer them the opportunity to have a normal camp experience, with consideration towards their particular health needs.
He has also worked with Flashes of Hope to capture portraits of kids at Nationwide Childrens’ Hospital.
Flashes of Hope exists to provide families with photos of their ailing children. Taking photos isn’t always convenient nor top of mind when issues of life and death can be on the line.
But when someone does go “click”, you can bet that later, the photo will be appreciated.
Remember, no matter what tool you have at your disposal, a big fancy multi-megapixel DSLR or a camera-phone, when you use it, those photos have the potential to tell the story of that moment. While it’s easier now, photography is no less important as a record of our times.
