I love to see light and figure out how to make something with it--or within it. I am fascinated by shafts of light and when I have a willing subject I'll put them in the shaft and try to make a portrait. In our studio we have a great afternoon window in our bathroom/changing room. If we crack the door when its bright and sunny out we get a great shaft of light behind the door. Thats how I made this picture about 5 years ago. Photograph by Richard Sayer
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I go back and forth on designing complete packages around a photo and just keeping a photograph clean and simple. I may never resolve this in my mind because I like to try things all the time, but i guess in experimentation comes new ways of doing things--so onward. Photograph by Richard Sayer
Posing and how to pose difficult. I like my work to look as natural as it can, so asking someone to pose the picture no longer looks like a portrait, but a picture someone isn't perfectly comfortable or themselves. So when I can find something that doesn't look overly posed I tend to like it more. Seems to be more reflective of the person. Photograph by Richard Sayer
When I was first trying to find my way with drawing and painting I had developed this idea of the over turned chair with a hanging light bulb either swinging or still. This was a lonely idea, one that lead to more questions than answers. the tipped over chair indicates something happened to know it over--but what. I've had many thoughts as to what it can mean and when the light bulb is swinging it means something very recently happened. I recently began thinking of this image again and perhaps will work on it further. The nice thing is the chair i used in my drawings was a memory of a chair in my grandparents house, which is the chair in this picture because I now have two f them. Photograph by Richard Sayer
A few years back I began making these photographs out the window of my car. I wouldn't look through the camera, just lift and snap. Whatever I got I got. Its not a new concept, Joel Meyorwitz has been doing it since the 60 and I'm sure it wasn't new then. This was one of my first and I am still doing them, only now I use my iPhone mostly. I found my original folder of these pictures and i really liked a few because they weren't shot or looking like the iPhone photos shot with hipstamatic. Might be re-thinking these again. Photograph by Richard Sayer.
I have been a photographer now for 30 years. I'd say that it wasn't until I began working for The Meadville Tribune in 1997 that i was truly a photographer. I made some pictures before that and a few I would but in my 'book' if I ever put one out, but its working everyday documenting a community that really has helped me get better. For the paper I've probably had 10.000 published pictures give or take a few. I've probably taken a million or more. Each year I feel I become a better overall observer of my community and therefore a better photographer. Early on it was about catching the 'big' moments, but now its seeing when a small moment is more important to the story. I love what i do and love looking back on some older photographs to learn from them and inspire myself to keep improving every day. This picture was taken 10 years ago right here in Meadville. Meadville Tribune photograph by Richard Sayer. A few more of my newspaper images from 2004 can be viewed here. https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.779044978786920.1073741862.519407448084009&type=1
A photo shoot with Brynn Sophia when she wasn't very old, maybe 6 months? One of the fun aside photos I try to capture as we're having fun making pictures. Photograph by Richard Sayer
Senior Picture time is here. Summer and fall is the time most senior pictures are taken. Be sure you know when your school needs senior pictures and what format they need them, i.e. 4x6 print, wallet or digital. I offer the yearbook picture with my session fee, but i need to know what means we're getting the pictures to the yearbook advisor. I'm booking now for summer sessions. Best to email me at [email protected] so I can email you back the package, fees and contract for you to see and decide. Here are some of my portraits of Tori from last year. I like to have fun making pictures and try to find a few different ways of making your pictures special for you. If you know anyone I've worked with before just ask them. Photos by Richard Sayer. |