I'm finding the more I try to do portraits or fashion-style portfolio shoots, that I look for ways of trying things I haven't really tried before. I couldn't get high enough today so I used a photojournalist trick of holding the camera as high above my head as possible. This surface was on a slope anyway so it helped. I wasn't sure how I wanted to arrange Shaude and Maurice so I just had them lie in opposite directions on this brightly painted graffiti and had them just move their arms and heads around. The sun was a bit bright so I had Mo close his eyes. I think the bold colors work well and I can really see trying to use this spot again someday. I want to find out who the graffiti artist is and see if he/she might want to make some backgrounds for our studio. SayerMotter Photography by Richard Sayer
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The nice part about trying some new things is you get a lot of unexpected pictures. We don't fall into routines at SayerMotter Photography, yes we do try some of the same locations, but always with something new in mind and hoping to get an even better photograph. Its always a learning experience and I think that actually helps make the images better. We surprise ourselves as much as we(we hope) surprise our clients. I'm preparing to teach my photo class at Allegheny now and I'm planning on really focussing on (pun intended) understanding that the vision of the camera is different than the vision of the person. The camera--through its technical idiosyncrasies and optics produces an image we first have to understand before we can use the equipment right and make images that satisfy our vision. I know I use these 'surprises' of how the camera 'creates' the image I'm making to my advantage--sometimes my idea is improved by the camera, and other times I have to figure out how to manipulate the camera more to get what I want. The key is being aware of this and doing something about it. (I won't even get into light right now--thats another 20 paragraphs right there!) SayerMotter Photographs by Richard Sayer
The folks of the Welcome Home Association, the group that does the Project Support Our Troops, held hands in prayer before their monthly packing Tuesday night. The group send boxes monthly to soldiers on active duty, mostly overseas. They gather names and add them to the list. Some packings have been over 100 boxes that had to be packed and mailed. The organizers say that there is so much that goes into the effort from getting the donated items, sorting through them, collecting donated money for postage, organizing the packing and arranging for postal pick-up---and that just scratches the surface of the effort. Each box gets a letter as well. I've been impressed by this groups resolve to continue to do this. The list hasn't gotten smaller, they add and add names. The group has more names now than ever and are in need of more items to send. They'll send as much as they have to send, so they are always looking for more and more. Anyone interested in donating can check out their website by clicking on Project Support out Troops or the picture above. Meadville Tribune photographs by Richard Sayer
If I could do these shots over again I'd have Aubry wear her striped dress in this location. I'm pretty sure the linear shapes of the background mixed with the stripes would be killer! Under these bridges here in town there are many possibilities for some neat fashion and portrait backdrops--the lighting can be dramatic of soft depending on the day--someday I want to do a shoot here with bright sunlight casting deep shadows. SayerMotter Photographs by Richard Sayer
Tonight I took over a 1,000 photographs in six different locations with 9 or 10 outfit changes and one woman who is beginning to build her own portfolio. Meadville has a lot to offer in backgrounds and locations for sure, we really only scratched the surface tonight. The hard part is figuring out how to make the setting work just right with the pose and expression and lighting and.....well there is a lot to get the picture just right. I edited the photos roughly in half tonight and will begin the process of cropping and toning these images over the next few days. I'm confident that we were able to help Aubry start her portfolio with a couple dozen solid photos to choose from, we may even share a few more over the next couple days in tis spot. SayerMotter Photographs by Richard Sayer
If I live a good life and get to come back as something I want, I want to come back as a dog rolling around on his back in the grass with a good owner who likes to trow balls and sticks for me to chase---yep thats what I'm hoping for! I photographed Miss Dee yesterday with her dog Bella Angel-face. We talked about how much we like dogs and had some fun making a few portraits. Bella took a little while to warm up to me, but once I got a chance to scratch her back all was quite fine--we became close. There is a bond people have with their pets and thats what I was hoping to capture in a portrait yesterday of Dee and Bella. I haven't had a lot of chance to go through all the photos yet to find my favorites, but I did like this one. Dogs are my favorite kind of people and people who understand that are a very very close second. I like cats too! Not big on snales, but I wish them no ill-will! SayerMotter Photograph by Richard Sayer
I stumbled upon this picture I took a long time ago. I remember taking it because it was the first time I tried using a long lens(a 300 mm) at a hockey game and I was having trouble getting any good action. But I stuck with it figuring this is how you learn--struggle until its no longer a struggle. I was still trying to figure out how to follow the action when all of a sudden I just saw these two heading toward one another--they looked in focus and I clicked! All I saw was them heading toward one another and then I saw them both falling to the ice. One of the old sayings in photography is if you saw it--you missed it--meaning if you saw the action then the shutter wasn't pushed. It was on of the best hockey pictures I had gotten and perhaps the only one that day since I struggled so much trying something new( I use the 300 all the time now). About a month later I got an email from a friend of mine near Boston who asked me about this hockey picture he saw on Jay Leno. It was this shot. The shot itself didn't land on Leno's late night desk, it was the combination of the headline and the picture. The headline read 'Clean hit'. Meadville Tribune photograph by Richard Sayer
This had nothing to do with the story we were doing, but I liked this balloon hat and the balloon sculptures that were being done at the Vantage one year celebration Friday. I couldn't get a good candid of this kid, Shane Hamilton of Meadville--he seemed to instinctively turn away from at every chance. Then his aunt sort of coaxed him to look my way and I got this picture. Normally I don't care for these sort of look at the camera snapshots, but something about the light and color of this one I kinda liked. It looks like a nice area photograph, a document of this little boy and his balloon hat that probably won't last too long at this moment in time. Meadville Tribune photograph by Richard Sayer
I wish this was composed better, but its what the story is and the moment that made this the picture from last nights award dinner. Rob Smith, the recipient of the Winslow Award joked about his upper level employees who attended the dinner were soon to be his new shipping department for not letting him know he was getting the award. Rob is a nice guy, down to earth and he is doing quite a bit to help the local economy and keep people employed. In a time where companies are struggling and laying off people, Smith's company has weathered the worst it seems and is now hiring and perhaps expanding. I barely know Smith, but he has always been very nice to me and talks with me like a person would a friend. I was glad I made this picture because I feel it shows a man who has fun and enjoys life while leading by example in a business community. And how he shares by being a man with a good sense of humor. Much like the man he made laugh heartily to his right,Meadville Tribune photograph by Richard Sayer
Big men in little cars. This has been a theme for me since I started at the paper years ago. I took a picture at the little car Grand Prix that was held for a couple years around Diamond Park of a car tipping up on its side and the crowd in the background reacting. There were probably 50 different faces--some expressions were almost in shock while others were quite excited about seeing the crash. Tonight I missed the first pass of the Zem Zem drivers into this little patch of dirt that sprayed up into the crowd. I didn't missed the second pass and the crowd reaction is what makes this picture work. Without the crowd its just a picture of big guy in a small car spinning out a little. Meadville Tribune photography by Richard Sayer
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