American Express / Crispin Porter

It was January, we were on the coast. Weather had been below freezing at noon on our scouting days, and our shoot was scheduled for sunrise. When I woke up at the hotel on the day of the shoot and stepped out into the darkness, I felt balmy warm winds. I knew the Gods Of Advertising Photography were smiling upon us that day...

We just got word this ad is out and we can share it. 2011 started out with a shot of adrenaline, testosterone and coffee, putting together this image involving a mountain of carrots and a bountiful farm in the middle of winter....how are we going to find that? Actually...producer Mark Hoffman found it in his own backyard. Talent Shazi Visram and the creative team of Crispin Porter in Boulder flew in to SF, drove down to Half Moon Bay for sunrise, a day in the studio after that...magical retouching by Sugar Digital...and together...it came together.

And the mountain of carrots? Some ideas ya gotta embrace...some you need to let go of. But the mountain yielded the best crew shot ever...

Snow Angel & Mother Nature

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Q: Beautiful, huh?

A: Wow, it is.

Q: I wish it would stay just like that. Like I'd love to come back every year and have it right there, perfectly formed like that. How long will it last?

A: Oh, not long. It'll morph into something kinda like that, but rougher. Then it'll melt, get muddy, you'll see the rocky part underneath. When the sun comes out, it'll be gone. m

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Kitchen Table

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Q: So, what are you trying to say here?

A: Well, nothing. It's just a chance to hear myself give words to the stuff. Sometimes it doesn't seem real until you start to say it, give words to it, and start to look at it all.

Q: Right. That's a start. Then what?

A: Well...I hope...the answers will then bubble to the surface.

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Backhoe Parks In Front Of The House

Sunday at sundown a backhoe parked in front of our home.

Wilson got on the thing, Eli went in and got some cameras.

One for me, one for him, then let's try this old film camera too, maybe Wilson wants to make some pictures.

You guys got it?

Any other ideas?

No. I think we are good.

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Commercial Enough? Weird Enough?

Babes In The Woods Redux, Workbook Ad #3

Are we done yet?

Not Commercial Enough

Spoiled Baker, Option 1

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A friend of mine suggested that the Babes In The Woods series was not commercial enough for a Workbook ad...or that it type cast me so specifically as a baby photographer. Seeing that these ads are thousands upon thousands upon thousands...oh, you know...I figured I'd try to look at some options. Keep in mind: Workbook is not about self expression...it is about getting ad jobs. If anyone is reading, please weigh in with your opinion.

Spacey Babies, Option 2

Workbook Spread / Forthcoming

Babes In The Woods / Workbook Spread 2011

Just finished up this Workbook spread for the upcoming Tidepool section of WB.

We looked at a variety of layouts and images and in the end landed here. I kinda had a baby obsession / baby series started that never fully got off the ground, under the working title "Babes In The Woods". These images from that series I still enjoy. See my Workbook online site HERE.