IP Super Hero

This is Katie Horvath, an attorney who specializes in intellectual property and patent law. The field of law we image creators really dig. I've photographed her before, for the XDL website.

Whenever I see Katie, I always ask her about her work protecting clients' intellectual property. I can't help it, other areas of law just don't mean as much to me. Occupational hazard, I guess.

Now, about the picture. We made her portrait in downtown Richmond a couple weeks ago. Since Katie is based in Michigan, I was a little concerned about how her wardrobe would travel in a carry-on bag. Thank goodness she favored a soft-fabric suit. If she'd had one of those man-tailored structured suits, we would have spent 30 minutes steaming out the wrinkles.

We were at the offices of Durrette Bradshaw, where I've shot in nearly every office, conference room and the law library at least twice. It was time to do something new (for my own sanity and out of respect for our subject).

After cruzin the D-B offices for someplace new, we went down to the lobby and looked around. There it was, the arch, the flag, the office buildings. The only drawbacks were all the glass windows to reflect my lights back at the camera. I just kept moving light stands around till I could stop seeing them in the windows behind her. Winifred got Katie ready for the camera upstairs in the D-B offices while I worked out the lighting.

We were going for a "Federal Court House" look with this composition. Getting access to a Federal Court House to shoot a portrait is unrealistic these days. It's about as easy as getting access to the Federal Reserve Bank--imagine airport clearance only ten-times more invasive. The other goal we achieved was giving Katie a "could be any big city" shot. Since she travels a lot for her work, we didn't want to place her with any identifiable landmarks or natural scenery that would confine her to a specific region.

I love the way this turned out.

The Messy Desk Rules

For years, whenever we made environmental portraits, we'd buzz around and clean up/rearrange the office, reception area or conference room where we were shooting. The idea was to create a calm vista where the subject of the portrait (typically a human) would dominate the field of view. The environment was supposed to be evocative, but not overpowering or too distracting.

Well, that approach worked sometimes, and other times, we'd end up taking all the personality out of the subjects' environment. Nearly "de-saturating" the environment, if you will.

Last week, we were invited back to Durrette Bradshaw to update portraits for a few of their attorneys.

This is Chris Hill, in his office...at his desk. Looks like the real thing, and it certainly is. Chris has developed a specialty construction law. He blogs about it at http://constructionlawva.com

There certainly is a lot of stuff in the image frame, but hopefully, through thoughtful composition (using the rule of thirds, and the natural triangle of the human head-torso,) we've made it easy for the viewer to focus on the person first, and then take a cue (or two) from the environment surrounding him. From a functional standpoint, we were able to set up the lights (there were 2 in the room--a smallish office about 8x12) and allow Chris to continue working at his desk.

One of the bonuses of Chris's office were the downtown buildings, including one under construction, just outside his window. This made it even easier for us (Winifred and I) to leave him at his desk. Our client, Amy Kimon Smith-Pike, agreed that the busy exterior environment balanced the cluttered interior environment, while adding yet another visual cue about Chris's professional expertise.

All images and text copyright 2009, Elaine Odell, Church Hill Photography, LLC.

Standford Financial Group -- who'd a thunk?

Its a weird feeling, and that's probably putting it mildly for the folks who work in the Richmond, Virginia, office of the Stanford Financial Group.

Late last year, we were hired to make portraits of the folks who had just opened the local office of this international company. Just yesterday, I heard the story on NPR about their founder Allen Standford: how he was served papers by the FBI (up the road in Fredericksburg) and is now under investigation for securities fraud.

This morning when went to the Stanford Group website, I was greeted with a receivership page. Wow.

Now, I can't stop thinking about those folks I met in the Richmond office last December. Can you imagine being a financial adviser, who's reputation and integrity is everything, having to field calls from your anxious clients who have just learned the company who they've invested with is in receivership?

What must if feel like to wonder whether your boss, the founder of your company, your "fearless leader" who inspires you and your coworkers to work hard and believe in your products/services, may have duped you? And duped your hard-earned clients? Pretty depressing.

Of course, if you or I were in this position, we'd probably try to calm our clients, and remind them it's only an investigation, and no criminal charges have been filed, and everything will be ok when the dust settles. Hoping that this is just all a big mistake.

Now this may sound odd, but when I make someone's portrait, I chat them up...ask em questions about their lives and get to know them. There have been times when I got a weird vibe from someone and would think "no way could I ever do business with this person".

But that didn't happen in the Richmond office of the Stanford Financial Group. My goodness radar was on, and these folks all achieved the "good guy" rating.

One of the folks we met is Bobby Long. He's well known in Richmond, and has been in the financial services industry for over 35 years. He's active in the community and volunteers for several Richmond area non-profits.

Ironically, the Stanford Financial Group offices in Richmond occupy old Wachovia office space in the Riverfront Plaza (West Tower). One of the folks we met, Chris Long, had worked for Wachovia. I'm pretty sure he was happy to continue his career in financial services here in Richmond. Joining the Standford Group must have seemed like a great opportunity back in 2008.

And next is Dave Innes. Smart, trustworthy, a veteran of USB-Paine Webber. We chatted about cameras, as he was thinking of getting a new one for the Christmas holidays.

These are all decent hardworking folks. I can't help but think that no one deserves to go through the kinda stress they might be going through now. I feel for them, and their families, and I wish them the best of luck getting through this.

I also hope their client's assets are safe and sound.

Aquarium Shoot for Dominion Power

This was one of my favorite commercial shoots all year. Dominion Power is overhauling its website in the next few months, and wanted some new imagery.

Everyday uses of electricity was kind of the theme...and an aquarium certainly relies on a dependable energy source.

This concept of kids looking through a fish tank was something Dominion had tried to create a few years ago, but unsuccessfully. If you stop and think about it, a fish tank is a reflective surface nightmare, not to mention the issue of water clarity (murky faces is typically what you see when you shoot through an aquarium.)

Fortunately, I learned how to "shoot fish" a few years ago doing some work for Tetra (aquatic habitat supplies). My fish images were used in pet store displays and still appear on their website. Eliminating reflections of our studio lights, yet still finding a way to illuminate the set and subjects was the technical challenge photographically. Once you figure that out, you just gotta have a squeeky clean tank, clear water, and fish that swim "prettily" for the camera.

This shoot took about 2 weeks of advance studio preparation. Dave Thomas of Thomas Aquatics (804) 355-0455 was our official fish wrangler and aquatic environment wizard. He and his assistant, Ryan, set up two 50 gallon tanks in the studio. One for photography and the other as a "holding tank" for extra fish.

Fin and Feather supplied the set tank and all the decorations along with a selection of fresh-water exotic fish. To get the water perfectly clear, Dave & Ryan must have replaced the water in the set tank at least 6 times over the 2 week period. We also added lots of water treatment chemicals to knock out the chlorine.

Spending 2 weeks with the fish, I got to see that they really do have "personalities". My favorites were Dave's hybrid African Cichlid's. They are the 3 big orange fish swimming in the foreground of the tank. They didn't have any of the aggressiveness associated with the species and they'd swim to the top and "kiss" your fingers or, nibble on our hands/arms whenever we had to move something inside the tank. I also have a sweet spot for Gouramis of all kinds (they tend to be shy).

Jessica Kantor did a terrific job of casting and "kid wrangling" for the two afternoons we shot. She and Winifred Halliday found 2nd graders at their respective public elementary schools willing to spend a few hours modeling with the tank...between snack and game breaks.

Electricity uses: the fish were fresh water exotic species in a water temp about 75-degrees maintained by an electric heater with thermometer. Lots of filtration needed, especially with a bunch of fish in the tank; another use of electricity. Bubble fountains are just for looks, tho some fish like to play in them, again more electricity. Lastly, the strobe lights and digital camera all powered by Dominion.

Recliners Band Portrait

So here they are, from the galaxy of cool, via satellite for your lounging pleasure: the Recliners. Check out their website to hear their "post modern power lounge" sound.

We made this portrait in a local theater here in Richmond, VA, the band's east coast home. They'd been filming their new video since 6am that day, and had just enough time to do a still shoot before wrapping. Damn, they look good in tuxes after 6 hours of filming, don't they? Of course, they were doing what they love, playing music together.

The tux shot is their "formal" portrait for folks who might like to see how the band looks all dressed up for a fancy gig (weddings, corporate events, etc.). We also captured this more informal look for the folks who book them in night clubs when they're go more casual-hip look.

Russell Young is the founder of the group (he's the guy with the trumpet.) He also arranges all the music for the group. I'll never forget the first time I heard them, Capital Ale House, I recall. We had a blast dancing all night. According to this week's Style Weekly, they're playing on Valentine's Day 2009 at Capital Ale in downtown Richmond.

The singer, Joseph, sounds like a husky Frank Sinatra on some tunes...and he can really belt it out. All the band mates are swell musicians in their own right. Super cool, martini-infused lounge rock. Oh, and you can dance to it, too!

Why I shoot so much.

The reason is, I'm an artist. And the pictures I like are not always the ones my clients select. So I have to over-shoot. This started with photo editors of magazines never choosing my favorite shots for publication (I'd even stack the deck with my faves up front in a web gallery of previews.)

Now it happens with my portrait clients, too. Like it did with this family shoot.





















We had blocks stacked under the backdrop to create seating. Mom & dad were comfy but junior was having none of it...he just kept wriggling his way down off the set to run around and play (exerting his independence!) We managed to get this shot where everyone looks reasonably good. And this is the one they selected for prints.

Since junior was happiest being chased around the studio, I suggested we shoot something more physically active. So, I moved the blocks and






















let them "swing". This only works cause mom & dad are in good shape, and the kid is still small. And this was my favorite shot from the session. But did they chose it for their prints? Nope. I like it because it shows energy and youthfulness. And that belly!!! Love the fact you can see the kid's tummy. Just like real life.

So, that's it...after years of shooting, I still can't say for sure which poses my clients are going to select for their favorites until after they see the proofs. So, I'll continue to shoot what looks good and try different things, hoping that in all those hundreds of frames, there will be something that pleases my clients' tastes. Fortunately, my clients forgive this "creative process" I have to go thru to come up with images they ultimately chose for prints. Whew!

Growing Up 2

This is Luke, 2 years old. His mom and dad brought him to the studio before Thanksgiving for a family portrait session.

What made this special was that it's the 3rd time he's visited the studio which means I'm getting to watch him grow up!

It's funny, but the first two times he came to the studio, he was super easy going and could have made pictures all day. But this time...now that he's mobile and curious...was a different story. He simply didn't want to stay in one place for very long.

I worked hard, and so did his mom and dad. So here he is with the nice train his granddad gave him...you'd think he'd stay there and look cute for a few frames. Not at all. He was more interested in handing us blocks from the train. At least he's looking at the camera in this frame. I do like this image, though. The composition works for me, and I like that the train is a meaningful gift from a family member. It's an action shot...which reminds us that he's 2 and in action all the time.

Election Day, 2008

This is my nephew, Peter with his running mate Hoagie. We made this picture before a client's family portrait session a couple weeks ago. It's a test shot really.

Note the Obama button on Peter's shirt. His mom made that for him.

Now, it's time to stand in the rain at my local precinct. My husband, John Gerner, is serving as an election official for the first time. We joked that his background in theme park ride line management might come in handy today.

I did my patriotic duty and made sandwiches for John to take with him on what will likely be a 16+ hour day. Think I'll try to slip him a couple granola bars when I go vote.

Up on the roof...

I've been waiting to post this image for over two months! We shot this in July, but I had to wait because the magazine that commissioned the shoot has "first publication rights." Now that the October issue of Research Magazine is on the streets, the embargo has been lifted.

This is Peter Kaufman. He lives in here the Richmond area and is a well known writer, lecturer and an all-around marketing guru. These days, he focuses on the financial services sector of the economy (stress, anyone?). But Peter's insight on marketing and communications strategy is wide ranging--you got a question about how to position a product? He's got the answer.

Anyone who knows Peter will agree that he's one of those "glass half-full" kinda guys. Peter and his partner, Heidi Workman, formed the The Hoople Group after Wachovia Securities left town last summer. Like a lot of folks, they really wanted to stay here in Richmond, and not relocate to St. Louis (nice town, just that folks have roots here).

Peter is a frequent contributer to magazines and webzines, and Research was doing a story on him for this month's issue. We needed to shoot Peter in the classic modern "financial district" environment. Since he serves clients throughout the nation, I wanted his portrait to look as if it could have been shot in L.A, Atlanta, or New York. So, that's what we did...found the best darn parking deck roof-top view in Richmond and persuaded (really, we asked very, very nicely and produced a copy of our insurance certificate) the building management to let us up there.

Hassan and Winifred both worked with me on this shoot.

All images and text Copyright Elaine Odell, Church Hill Photography, LLC, 2008.

Albert Hill Middle School PTA Honored for Earth Day Eco-Fair

This past summer, Parent Teacher Organization Magazine called and asked if we'd photograph leaders of the Albert Hill Middle School PTA. Seems they'd had a really successful Eco-Fair during the in Spring of 2008, around Earth Day, and they were getting national recognition for the event. Click here for the full story.

The magazine photoeditor asked us to do our best to reenact some elements of the event, so parents graciously volunteered to bring a couple of the games they built for the fair.

This was the first shoot in which Hassan Pitts and I worked together. Wow, did I ever do the right thing by hiring him! Hassan is an emerging photographer and professional photo-assistant. He's inventive, enthusisastic and so far, up for any challenge. He's helped me on a lot of shoots this summer and into the fall. Hassan is at VCU, getting his Masters Degree in Fine Art.

The boy on the left hand side of the frame is tossing tennis balls at the targets. One of the things Hassan had to do was run around and collect the balls, returning them for the student to throw. We probably shot 25-30 takes, and we had only 3 balls to work with. Hassan got a little work out that day.

..and he was just a twinkle in his daddy's eye.

This was a portrait session like no other. A SUPER baby at the classic 6-months, doing everything right on schedule.













Ironically, this shoot was close to the mom & dad's 2nd wedding anniversary. I'll always remember that steamy hot day in July '06 when I photographed Monica and Brad's wedding. In spite of the heat, they were a perfectly beautiful couple. Loving families, great friends with a wonderful future ahead.





















I was bummed when they moved to Staunton, VA. Worried I'd never see them again. But we stayed in touch and low and behold little Everett came into their lives earlier this year. I was so thrilled to meet him, and awesomely honored to be his "baby portrait photographer."





















Now, Monica & Brad have a perfectly beautiful family. I'm sure there will more to add to the story as the years unfold. I can't wait to watch Everett grow up!

All images and text Copyright 2008 Elaine Odell for Church Hill Photography, LLC.

Oh, baby!

Just makes you wanna run right out an get one, doesn't it?
This little bugger is about 6 months old. His grandmother said she wanted some nude pictures of her little sweetie, so we happly obliged.
We have tons more images of "mr. e" thanks to a mom and dad on-set who kept him happy (silly songs, hugs, kisses, bottles, diaper changes, etc). I'll share some more images of him in the next few posts.
All images and content Copyright 2008 Elaine Odell for Church Hill Photography, LLC.