Nov 27, 2009

Black Friday Special - 2010 Calendars For Sale

The 2010 Calendars are done and ready to ship!  I am extremely happy with the results this year and the price is killer.  Choose from the adventure calendar featuring photography of sports like Skiing, Kayaking, Surfing, Rock Climbing, mountain and road biking, Snowboarding and more.  The landscape calendar features photography from all over the United states including the National Parks of southern Utah to beautiful tropics of Hawaii. Pick up one calendar for $13.99 or three for just $10.99 a piece.


BUY NOW HERE: 2010 CALENDARS FOR SALE


Nov 24, 2009

Bird. Photography.

If you haven't seen Andrew Zuckerman's photography before, you are in for a treat.  Over the weekend, I had a chance to browse, study and appreciate his latest offering to the world in the form of a project he calls  "Bird".  The personality and detail he's draws out of his subjects is mindblowing.  This got me thinking of a white seamless project I need to start!




Also, check out his last project called "Wisdom" where he traveled the globe photographing and interviewing some of the most promiment people of the 20th century in search of "pearls of Wisdom".  I don't buy many fine art photography books, but this one is on the Christmas list.

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Utah Photographer
Advertising Photographer
Sports Photographer
Salt Lake City Photographers

Nov 17, 2009

A few days of peace: Landscapes in Zion National Park


I'm a sucker for landscape photography, especially during Autumn.  I'm also the first to admit, that it's kind of crazy to take a so-called break from commercial photography by continuing to pick up the camera and shoot more pictures.  However, there's something completely different when you are in a National Park at sunrise, without the thought of a shot list, strobes, assistants, art and creative directors and all the other intricacies that makes up the world of advertising photography, that is simply refreshing.  You, the camera, and some of God's magnificent creations all come together as the perfect escape from the 9-5 job.  Shooting in Zion National Park was this much needed break and since it's a relatively short jaunt from where I live (3.5 hours or so from Salt Lake City, Utah), it was a no brainer.


I'm wrapping up my 2010 Landscape and Adventure Photography calendars this week and after last year's extensive "artists statement" found on the opening page, I've decided to keep it short and sweet this year...


"There's a lot of noise in the world.  Find some place to ponder each day, preferably outside."
-Kevin






Gear Used:
Canon 5D Mark II
Canon 24-105 Lens
B+W Circ Polarizer
Clik Packs

Utah Landscape Photography
Utah Photographer
Advertising Photographer

Nov 9, 2009

2009 "SHOT OF THE YEAR" - Skiing Magazine


Sweet photo eh? Any takers on the lighting set-up (hint: lot's of bounce fill, via snow), equipment used or what sweet, vintage Lightroom preset was applied?  I'm sure the shot was taken with some sweet Kodak Gold Max 800 film and whatever camera they used back in the day (me at age 4).  I doubt my parents ever proclaimed themselves sports photographers, but I can't thank them enough for putting me on skis at such an early age!

If you'll indulge me, I'd like to take a quick trip down memory lane. For starters, I'm pretty sure I jumped on my first pair of skis at the ripe age of 3. My dad would haul the munchkins (me, bro & sis) up to Breckenridge Ski resort, a good four hours from our home in Fort Collins, Colorado. We would make this trip at least twice during the winter months and since my birthday was in February I'd usually talk him into taking me on a third trip, "weekender birthday bash", to get a few more days on the slopes. Fast forward a few years and we landed in Utah, home to the best ski conditions anywhere. When my 10th birthday rolled around I hauled my mom to the local sporting good store to pick out a brand new pair of Rossignol skis, after having saved $60 the entire year (parents threw down the rest). I wish I still had those bad boys! The fun continued in Park City, Utah, where I attended high school and somehow talked that same mother into letting me end classes most Thursdays and Fridays by noon. 100+ days a year was always the goal and we usually hit at least that number. That 'bout brings us to the present day... (plus 10 or so more years...shhhhh).

So, when the Art Director of Photography for Skiing Magazine called recently to inform me that one of my images had been chosen as one of two "2009 Shots of the Year", you can imagine my excitement. Skiing is in my blood and photography is an extension of that. When I go out to shoot, I go with a passion to convey an emotion with people...to help those who have never touched snow to know what it feels like to peer out your bedroom window before sunrise and see huge flakes floating to the earth; to be the first person in the lift line on a waist deep powder day and after an anxious ride up the mountain, float effortlessly through the white stuff, screaming at the top of your lungs 'cause your having so much fun. That's part of the motivation behind much of my imagery and the reason I love to shoot what I shoot.

Thanks mom and dad! Thanks Skiing Magazine! And thanks to athlete Jared Allen!




A great ski image is only as good as the Athlete involved and huge props go to Athlete, Jared Allen for his pristine form and huge air. Jared is not only a phenomenal skier, but a fantastic designer and one of the coolest guys on the mountain. Check out more of his skiing at chrubble.com

Tech stuff:
Canon 5D Mark II - 1/640th, f/10, ISO 500
Lens: Fisheye 15mm
Lighting: Natural (diffused ambient)

Location: Snowbasin, Utah

Nov 2, 2009

FAIL QUICKLY




Hey mom and dad - look, I'm not a failure! :)


Okay, this video clip should not be used as an excuse if you are lazy and need a something to justify your actions. However, for the majority of us out there who work hard to improve our photography skills, whether professional or not, sometimes life just calls us a "failure". This little clip will inspire you to keep moving, despite what other people are saying.


You've probably heard or seen a few of these stories before, but I'll bet you'll find a new takeaway at the end of the 76 seconds and decide to do something you may very well fail at. I'm sure you can make your own list of things you would do "if you knew you could not fail", but for the record, here are a few things that I need to do:
  1. Call the executive at xyz company and schedule an appointment to present my work
  2. Approach 5 strangers on the street for a portrait session
  3. Enter the Leadville 100 mountain bike race (as a rider :)
  4. Work on my public speaking
We've all heard the "failing speech" before. I'll be the first to admit that sometimes failing at one thing will push us to an area we are better to pursue anyway (read the book Strengthfinder 2.0). However, the greatest accomplishments in my lifetime have come after repeated failures. This happens all of the time in photography, especially location work, where things can be somewhat unpredictable. Take this sports photography image of a water skier. This image was created as a personal project, but with completely different intentions than the outcome here. My original concept was to capture an action shot of a water skier at the peak of a cut from within the water. We hit some horrible weather about half-way out to our location and had to turn the boat around. To avoid total failure, we decided to shoot a lifestyle shot that would still capture the essence of water skiing. We sped back to the harbor, to avoid the approaching lightning storm. With waterproof camera case in hand, I jumped into the water (not advised during lightning storm) and within about 5 minutes, I knew I had a nice image with quite a bit more drama than I had originally anticipated to work with. For those interested, the lighting set-up was a single light, camera left without any diffusion and held by brave assistant (light stands are not advised during a lightning storm). Plan A had failed, miserably. We didn't even Ski! Because we were open to other possibilities, the failure turned into one of my favorite images. Now, it doesn't always happen like this; and if this had been an advertising photography campaign shoot, with a high paying client, creative director on set and the whole enchilada, then the concept would have been executed the next day or whenever the weather decided to let up. Even then though, there's still an opportunity during some of those shoots to trust your instinct as a photographer, what you see, convince those around you and create something anyway, sometimes better than what had been storyboarded. Failing is good. Okay! seriously. Fail quickly and frequently and most importantly learn from those failures. Persistence pays off.


*Preferably, don't fail on high profile, once in a lifetime jobs (dream commercial clients & weddings come to mind).


-Kevin
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Kevin Winzeler Photography