12:10PM 04/21/2010 - A Tableaux of Ramps

Some days I see tableaux. Some days I see boxes with piles. It depends upon where I look and what my eyes (and brain) decide to see. It’s been proven in studies that we see what we want to see, depending upon what our current state of mind is, what we’re looking at and for how long.

There is something called the Feature Integration Theory developed by Anne Treisman. Color, intensity, direction of light, orientation, curvature, line ends and movement are the primary features we search for in a “preattentive stage,” when we are taking in the primitive information, before we actually recognize what it is we’re looking at.

Then we get busy  connecting this primitive information in our brains and recognize the geometric shape of the object in the “focused attention stage.”

Finally, in the “object recognition stage, we connect this information to the higher functioning parts of our brains and identify exactly what it is we’re looking at. I’ve simplified this theory (far be it from me to really explain this further), but it does basically work like this, according to her theory.

When I’m shooting in the market, I stay locked in the preattentive stage (or so I think), looking for information that translates into something I want to process further. The challenge is taking that raw information and processing it in a different perspective. In other words, instead of processing what I see from my eye level, I process the scene from a low, wide angle perspective or a birds eye view without actually having to get down on my knees or up on a ladder. I suspect if you shoot with a camera long enough, the brain begins to connect to the viewfinder or LCD. Even if you’re not looking through it.

I wonder if there’s a theory on that?

Kora Bracelets with Garlic Scape

I came across Kora Designs through a friend of a friend while looking for new and unusual jewelry pieces to shoot for my portfolio. Amy and Maxandra were really open to loaning me some pieces and they spent a few weeks sending snapshots of their inventory for review. I had chosen a couple bracelets from what they had sent, but then Amy suggested a pair that were simple, understated and elegant and I went with it. I’m glad I did.

The bracelets are made from the horn of the Ankole cow, a breed indigenous to East Africa. The horns are “rescued” from local butcheries, where they would otherwise be discarded, and local artisans transform them into beautiful pieces of wearable art. Amy and Max are in Nairobi right now, trying to catch a flight back to the States, but the volcano in Iceland has disrupted those flights. I’m hoping we get to meet in person soon.

Victoria Escalle did a brilliant job with styling – we did two versions: one with garlic scape and one with small onions. The garlic scape won.

Victoria Escalle working on set

For anyone interested, this was shot on the little Calumet portable light table and a couple of Nova 32 light boxes with Profoto lights and a Leaf Aptus 75 tacked onto an old Hasselblad ELX with a 40mm lens. Below is a diagram of how this was shot. I’ve used the Calumet light table for a lot of my work; there’s this tiny bit of fall off when I slightly offset the Nova 32′s from the plexi that yields a tasty little gradient in the corners. After I first discovered that, I started to incorporate it into my work.

And, yes, the image was retouched. But mostly in Lightroom and a little in Photoshop. It didn’t need much work. Really.

Lighting Schematic Kora

11:38AM, 02/03/2010 - School of Porgy on Ice at Union Square Market

Nothing special, but I have to imagine these little fish might have been swimming in this formation before they came to the market.

Tasty.

3:38PM, 4/1/2010 Three and a Half Mirrors and a Silver Card with String Beans on Set

Food photography is this totally different animal; it’s nothing like shooting products. Lighting for food is different. There’s a time limit when shooting food. You can’t leave food on set for three days waiting for someone to come back  from a long weekend to approve the shots. There’s a different passion on set when there’s food involved. It’s breaking bread with friends, but it’s a creative team. We’re designing food and when it all comes together, it’s a bit of magic.  And, no, I’m not gaining weight.

Even though I’ve been planning this for a while and doing my homework–studying the styles of food shooters and lighting techniques–there is a freshness and an excitement about working with chefs and food stylists that is totally different from other forms of commercial photography. There’s a sense of collaborative teamwork here, and an obsession that I can’t quite define, maybe only because I’m just beginning to explore this amazing new world of photographing (and eating) food.

Or maybe it’s just because I was hungry.

3:38PM, 4/1/2010 Three and a Half Mirrors and a Silver Card with String Beans on Set

Food photography is this totally different animal; it’s nothing like shooting products. Lighting for food is different. There’s a time limit when shooting food. You can’t leave food on set for three days waiting for someone to come back  from a long weekend to approve the shots. There’s a different passion on set when there’s food involved. It’s breaking bread with friends, but it’s a creative team. We’re designing food and when it all comes together, it’s a bit of magic.  And, no, I’m not gaining weight.

Even though I’ve been planning this for a while and doing my homework–studying the styles of food shooters and lighting techniques–there is a freshness and an excitement about working with chefs and food stylists that is totally different from other forms of commercial photography. There’s a sense of collaborative teamwork here, and an obsession that I can’t quite define, maybe only because I’m just beginning to explore this amazing new world of photographing (and eating) food.

Or maybe it’s just because I was hungry.