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Posts have been few and far between in the last year here, but not because I haven’t been shooting… my photojournalism work with a Seattle-area news group has kept me more than busy. With the uncertainty in the world of the staff photographer, I have started the labor of love that is a portfolio rebuild and a heartfelt effort to find a personal project or two this year. Above, is an image from the Palouse in Eastern Washington, a country road intersection well off the beaten path on January 14, 2012. Good things on the horizon and a concerted effort to share more here on the blog.
I had the good fortune to be the replacement for my friend’s very pregnant wife and attend the U2 concert at Qwest Field on Saturday, June 4, 2011. An enormous production top say the least, with “The Claw” over the stage, made for an impressive visual presentation along with great music performance of the renowned Irish rock band and 74,000 fans. It was not a working night, so the ol’ beat up iPhone camera got to fire off a few frames to commemorate the night, and wanted to share a few here on the blog. Can’t take the photojournalist out of me, as I like crowd shots. More photos after the jump…
Definitely quiet here on the blog of late, and this post is off topic in regards to photography… I’m off to the home opener for the Seattle Mariners tonight, and there’s a big change this season… Hall of fame broadcaster Dave Niehaus’ voice was silenced this offseason. A vivid memory of my childhood growing up, working out in a field with the radio cranked up, well before the days of .500 baseball. Above is a musical tribute by Seattle hip hop artist Macklemore, who will be performing before the game. Undoubtedly I’m going to shed a tear or two for the passing of a part of my childhood. RIP Dave.
Cameras are everywhere, the most prevalent are in our mobile devices, and the old photography cliche of “being in the right place at the right time” rings true. It has never been easier to take and transmit images from anywhere. I will be the first to admit incessant image taking with my iPhone, such as the rainy commute above. With my roots in photojournalism, this reader-submitted gallery of yesterday’s storm in NYC on the New York Times caught my eye. But with the ease of information transmission and user generated content, so come the pitfalls such as disinformation as TIME was duped by a photo snatched from Twitter showing a tornado near the Statue of Liberty. The surprise to me was that the image was actually real, but had been taken in 1976. It is a good reminder that while photojournalists cannot be everywhere at once on breaking news events, as professionals they can provide true and trusted images.
UPDATE 09.20.10: Not directly a photography related bit, but an interesting timeline about the prematurely reported death of NHL coach Pat Burns.
Being creative on demand as a professional photographer can sometimes lead me into a rut — and not focusing on the passion and joy for my craft — when buried with the business aspects, paying the mortgage and making sure the baby has shoes. A recent trip to Eastern Washington for my sister’s wedding found my family on my step-brother’s five acres surrounded by wheat fields in a 100-year-old farmhouse. I took the opportunity to make a few images simply for the fact they interested me without any thoughts of licensing them or if they would improve the portfolio. Shooting to shoot. Period. I find it a refreshing reset and thought I’d take a moment to share a few here on the blog. Hope you enjoy ’em too… More images after the jump.
Sometimes photography boils down to “the right place at the right time.” Don’t get me wrong, I am a firm believer that you can make your own “luck” through planning and preparation, but am the first to admit sometimes you just have to be there. This is a view of Mt. Baker from the Eastside as the fading sun peaked through the clouds… and I was running late to pick up my son from childcare, and my wife from work. I decided to pull over anyway and fired off about five frames and continued on my way, the light lasting less than three minutes. Not my best frame ever, but a great reminder of taking a moment when the moment is upon you.
Seattle Editorial Commercial Photographer Chad Coleman 