I enjoyed making Challen's senior pictures because she pictured a location that meant something to her, part of her families property. I think it adds a story element to the photographs that can't be manufactured in front of a generic park scene or even inside of a studio. Don't misunderstand me, i think we can achieve a true portrait anywhere, but to add elements of a personal story just simply adds so much to the experience and ultimately the meaning of the image. Photographs by Richard Sayer
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I will always be the first to admit that I don't know where an image comes from. A colleague/hero of mine in photojournalism recently posted about how ''luck' comes from hard work and dedication to your passions. So true! What we learn about phrselved is only understood when those lessons smack us upside the head. When i was in photo school i learned a lot about how to, but very little about 'what is,' though it was partly my fault because we had a very good instructor named Tom Hunt and another named Arther Rainville who were pushing us to understand. (For the record some got it right away like Craig Walker and Dan Delong!). Good image making has very little to do with mastery over equipment(though we need to know this) and much much more to do with creating emotion within the frame of what we're seeing.. It is what i hope for anyway!
I photographed Maggie for the first time about 9 months ago. Her folks Shawna and Zac have been very good about keeping up on documenting her development. This morning I spent a little time at their house and made some one year old pictures and thought I'd post a few quick grabs as a sneak peak for them. Based on the quick look I can't wait to go through the rest of them and find Some more senior pictures. Check out my albums on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Richard-Sayer-Photography/519407448084009?sk=photos_albums for a lot more images. Photographs by Richard Sayer
Gearing up for senior portrait season and looking through old portraits trying to find out things that worked and things that didn't, some ideas to maybe try again and maybe tweak to make better or to abandon altogether. When you do a lot of something you tend to fall into routines and rely on things in the past that were successful and you know can be again. I remember when I was little I would draw the same few birds over and over again because I could use what was successful and duplicate it and make passable drawings ((at least for my mom and grandma!), but as i got older and realized it was so much more fun to push myself out of my comfort zone, well maybe fun isn't the word….rewarding maybe???…, then I wasn't going to be happy just doing the same ole same ole. So I'm not sure what I'll be doing this coming summer, probably visiting some of the same locations, still using my smoke machine, still thinking about placing the subject in a location and using the location as part of the character and still looking to find the personality in an expression and posture. I like to take advantage of little things that just happen as well and just make the experience of taking the photos something enjoyable for me and the clients. Its likely we won't have a curious cat again sticking out of a hole in a barn, but maybe there will be something else? Hopefully I'll have many clients who liked what someone else got this year and want to come and see what we can make together. I am studying my past work to see what I can improve upon and can't wait to get started at the end of the month with my first few sessions and then grow and grow. Currently booking for the summer now. Photographs by Richard Sayer
I know I used to write a lot about this, but it is an ongoing thing. I am always trying to figure out what kind of photographer I want to be. As a photojournalist I am always refining my approach so that I become better at layering information and really getting to the heart of a story while trying to look like I wasn't even there. In portraits it has been easy to get a little lost. I was talking with my friend Harmony about this the other day. We see what other photographers are doing and having what seems like success from our stand point, meaning they seem to be getting a lot of clients. We see the things they do with props and lighting styles. I recently went looking for some of my early portraits and really noticed something. That work looked like my work. I have found myself making work for a client instead of of making my work for a client. There is a difference. A few weeks ago I had a maternity portrait shoot with two(three) very cool people. I did what I do and explored lighting and worked off what they seemed to bring to the table in terms of mood and ideas for posing etc… When I was done I felt I sorta didn't really do what I should have done and really push the envelop. I used some techniques that I've been developing,but didn't really get too into exploring something new. The images worked and as i began to tone them I really liked what we did, but i still just didn't feel I added 'me' to them. As I worked on them today after working on some sports mates yesterday, I decided it was time I thought like a painter again and craft the images in a way that is me, perhaps the way I want to approach my work.(Granted tomorrow I could wake up with an entirely different idea!) The lighting had a real classical/romantic look over all and I thought maybe i could begin layering textures and create an overall mood to the work. I kept moving images around and tried to pare the new imagery up with words. My hope is that in building the image I take it away from being just a photograph, but something to be experienced on a level beyond what we have become desensitized or separated from when looking at photographs. Don't get me wrong, I believe a photograph holds great potential to communicate, but we are so flooded with them that we tend to compartmentalize them and don't always take the time to look closely. Even these that I approached today will be categorized into the 'vintage' stereotype, though I hope not to the point of being glossed over. I have realized in my work that I am looking for depth more and more. Surface statements seem to bore me. Even in music, finding those artists who layering so much into their sound of lyrics are the ones that grab my attention. I don't know if I'll be able to 'market' an approach like this here, I suspect it will be a long road to change a culture so grabbed by pinterest and tumblr that they find something to duplicate instead of looking at their own lives and creating something that is personal. I joke about not wanting to do the heart hands, the truth is its a cute thing, but it is a 'thing' and not necessarily unique to the subject. And its become cliche, I want my work to go beyond a cliche. And that ain't easy. Photographs by Richard Sayer
What's in a look?There is this revitalized 'movement' to use old methods to create new photographs.Early photography with tintypes and glass plates were replaced by the portable 4x5 cameras, plastic films, later the 35mm roll film and inta photography that you could put in your pocket. Polaroid's were thrown into the mix as well. Then the digital revelation came and its been about instant gratification and sharing of images all over the world in the blink of an eye. Even phone apps have been designed to mimic these old style to give a 'look' of an old process. All this stuff is fascinating on an intellectual level even though nearly all reactions to an image are had and over with as fast as your thumb can scroll to the next image. I recently began looking for new ways to make images for my clients using the higher quality 16 megapixel camera with the filters on my phone. I even tried to download a blank tintype to my computer just to use it as a background to layer in my images. Just for the 'look.' But then i got to thinking about this even further(the mind can surly occupy your time if you let it!) and I beginning thinking about the deconstruction of the image in order to create a new image. This is always fascinating to me and it comes from my experience as a painter--always taking my ideas from thought, to paper, to more paper and eventually to canvas. All the while deconstructing the original thought and perhaps societal 'norms' So with this idea of making these images in this way isn't to fool, but more create something based on the look and just be honest about it--in many ways its more work to do this, though much more controlled and lacking the serendipity of the real process! Photograph
Lila is a senior at Meadville High School and she recently returned from a study abroad in France. So, we were looking to make a French-like portrait of her. We drove all over Crawford County making pictures. I'm thinking that a picture down by the river, with a bandana and a black leather jacket looks sorta kinda French, What do you think?
Photo By: Harmony Motter Hi Guys! It's been awhile since I've posted. I have been a busy bee lately! So, I'm having a photo show this Summer and some of my pix will cover the topic of breastfeeding. I know my thoughts on the subject and I am wondering what yours are. So, if you're in the mood to share, I'd like to know what you think. Would you prefer formula or breast milk for your baby and why? Do you feel uncomfortable when you see a mom nursing in public? Is there a certain age at which you think a child should stop nursing? Were you breastfed?
Photos By: Harmony Motter There is no doubt about it, when I look at this image, I smile! This is a picture of Jen and her husband, Matt tending to their 11 month-old son, Sebastien. Jen often carries Sebastien on her back while doing household chores and to be completely honest, he looks quite comfortable there. I met Jen at La Leche League (a group for breastfeeding moms) and she invited me to her house for some crazy, photo-journalistic fun! I jump at opportunities like this because, this is my kind of photography. With so many years spent shooting for newspapers, my heart and my camera belong in the real moments.
Photo By: Harmony Motter |