The images from this project are getting close to done, so I thought I'd better post some before everyone logged off for the holidays. Here are some, but more to come....they are all so far away by design that you may want to click them to see'em big. Read here and here about the process. Post production on this by Laura Johnston here in SF.
15 comments:
Really lovely images. They simultaneously feel both familiar and new.
Nice. I like the muted browns and greens of the first two images. The white backgrounds do a nice job of isolating subject and auto, but was it also done to be able to easily drop in backgrounds in post (for a full-on faux retro scenario) should you license the images?
Thanks guys for chiming in, glad you like.
Ryan, interesting idea you have about licensing the stuff in that manner but that really wasn't my intention to create these things to be a cog in some else's photograph. I really wanted to create photographs that just had two elements: the kids and the sculptural cars. Let's just look at two elements, and the colors of course, and see what its like to just focus on those minimal things.
I was curious, because you'd said from the outset that these were created as commercial images, and straddling the fence between art and commerce is often kind of unbalanced, pointy and painful.
If company "X" wanted to license an image, but with a retro-appropriate background dropped in, would you shoot a background and deliver it, or would you decline, to maintain the integrity of the images?
Hi Ryan-
Echolilia is my current "art" project, these are commercial images. That said, what I meant was that they were intended to stand on their own as they are.
If the Pop Tart company wanted to stick a Pop Tart in one of the shots, or a backdrop, or a sea of Pepsi Cola, yea, for sure, gimme that. If they wanted to put a Pop Tart in the hands of the kid in Echolilia as he sits in his room with an envelope on his head....well...that would require some inner searching. But...I really don't see that situation presenting itself.
I think you are the one who referred to these as "art and commerce". To me its not art, they are commercial images that I funded myself...meant to play in the commercial arena.
Does this make sense or does it confuse things?
Understood, and hopefully you'll see dollar signs soon. That said, for strictly commercial images, they are certainly artful.
And not every commercial photographer can say that about their work.
Oh, I mean this is the battle all of us are trying to fight: you need to come up with something that can simultaneously show off your intellect, or heart, or something...but still hope to open doors in the commercial arena. That is the tricky line to try to balance on. If it's too commercial, it'll be boring and not really open doors. If it is too "personal" or "esoteric" ( Echolilia/Sex Machines ) it won't really be able to open the doors in the commercial arena...or will be able to appeal to the art directors but not the clients. Ahh...so...once all these equations are solved the money printing starts. Just kidding about the last part.
That's what I mean by "straddling the fence between art and commerce." And even if you're perfectly balanced, that line still seems to shift with the ebb and flow of art director and client whims and industry trends.
What is inbetween feast and famine? I haven't figured that out yet.
I love love LOVE the Family Truckster one (the brown and green station wagon). Bravo all around.
They're individual. The arm and backwards glance is really evocative in the first one, and great colours!
They stick.
Thanks Jon, thanks for checking them out. The station wagon itself, not the photo, belongs in the Smithsonian...all I had to do was point the camera at it.
Colin....thanks for chiming in on the commerical work...i suspect you are angling for a serious commercial cash in? Moving to NYC and opening a commercial photo studio? No money left to grab, here in the states...sorry about that.
I had the hollowed out volcano planned and everything. You saw through me, Tim, goddammit, and foiled my dastardly plan.
Sorry - I saw Mickey and Jan Rooney in a pantomime (Cinderella) today and it's going to be some time till I recover.
And before you ask, I'm not sure...
Can you two boys please take this circle jerk off line. Thanks Much.
Anonymous-
Thanks so much for contributing to the blog and reaching out ...this being the holidays and all.
For sure, I hear you. We'll silence the good humored discussion and get back to the business of solving the issues of contemporary photography.
Love these, especially the station wagon. What studio did you shoot these in?
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