An underground edition of Americano Monday’s

The entrance to Undertown Coffee and Wine Bar in Port Townsend, WA.

My wife and I just returned from a week long vacation in the Pacific Northwest. A beautiful part of the country. We visited friends in Portland, OR and family in Port Townsend, WA.

Since both of these cities are known for their coffee shops, I came prepared in case I would have the opportunity to photograph at one of them. And I’m glad I did…

Leigh Anna’s aunt and uncle recommended that we check out this underground coffee shop in Port Townsend, WA. As soon as they said “underground coffee shop” I was sold.

Once you walk down the stairs – in the opening image – are you lead to an underground tunnel with a long passage way leading to the door.

You also have the option of entering from the other side of the building, at ground level. My preference was the tunnel – just for the experience.

David, the owner of Undertown was kind enough to allow me to photograph there.

Molly, making the pastries from scratch. She even picked the herbs from right outside the building. Pretty cool…

Some of her finished work…

Shannon, the barista filling one of bean hoppers.

So that she can rock out some tasty espresso…

And showcase her latte’ art skills.

I dig the way they had the joint laid out. There are multiple rooms with numerous styles of chairs, couches and tables where you can get lost in whatever you working on…

My wife’s youngest sister, Nora.

If you ever find yourself in Port Townsend, WA I highly recommend you check out Undertown. It’s a chill joint.

 

 

 

 

Real Film Effects vs. Instagram

 The Ritz Carlton Advertising Campain, 2008.

I recently came across these images while looking through an old, external hard drive. They were in a folder full of scanned negatives/polaroids titled, ‘Need to Organize’. Being an old drive, these images have since, been properly archived on our server with their corresponding shoot. I just hadn’t seen them in a while.

What really hit me about these images is how they represented a different time in my photographic career. These were all shot on a large format, 4×5 camera and range from Type 55 Polaroid/Negative to Color Reversal Film.
Side note: I primarily shot that campaign with my Canon 1Ds Mark III so yes, I was also shooting digital then.

As I am writing this I am trying to not sound like a crazy, old photographer. I am only 34. But seeing these, with all of their – in camera effects – made me think of how easily attainable cool effects like these are in Apps like Instagram.
Now don’t get me wrong, I do love me some Instagram. I have an account and regularly post images on there. It’s just crazy how much has changed in only 4 short years.

The cool light leaks…edge effects…water spots on the negative from not processing it correctly, all came through organically. Some good, some bad but all unexpected. I didn’t know that I had a light leak until we processed the chromes at the lab. Personal, I loved the effect of the light leak. The client, not so much. But that’s also why the 4×5 was more of a secondary option to shooting digital.

I cannot think of a better example than the image of the the model above. That image was shot on Fuji RDP Chrome. But as you can see in the gallery below, there is an alternate image from that setting that was shot in B&W on Type 55. A Polaroid that also has a negative attached that processes as you pull it from the film holder. Both shot with the same camera but with 2 different film stocks and different film holders. One processed in a lab, one on set. These days we’re choosing ‘film stock’ on our iPhones after we take a photo. Freakin’ crazy man…

I know I’m simplifying it but that’s how it is. That said, I dig it and fully embrace it. My studio is now 99.9% digital. Occasionally I’ll pull out my film cameras but in all honestly I love the images I get with my Canon digital cameras.
What’s crazier…sometimes I’m blown away with the images that come out of my iPhone.

Below is a gallery of a few more images from the shoot. Each with their own, one of a kind effect.

 

2010, A Year of Change

I’m finding it difficult to begin this post. I think the scope of what I hope to cover is a bit overwhelming.
At the end of each year I like to take the time to look at what I did and did not accomplish. Both personally and professionally. So I thought I would have the last post of the year be a bit of a recap of 2010.

I would definitely say that this has been a year of change. The biggest change that comes to my mind would be that of my wife and I moving to Los Angeles. I have always commuted to LA for work over many years but now it’s in reverse. I live in LA and commute to my studio in PHX for work. (I lived in LA many years prior for about 6 months but came home with my tail between my legs – broke and sick from stress and malnutrition).

We had talked of moving to Los Angeles for a while but never followed through since my wife was in college and I was running my business. But we both knew that we needed to try it. Then in June of this year two thing happened back to back that basically made our decision for us: My wife was accepted to a graduate  program and I was signed by a rep. Both in LA. So in August we made our move. I’m about to turn 33 years old – I’ve been shooting since 1996 – and with this move I feel like I’m completely starting over. Freakin’ crazy.

As mentioned above another change that happened this year was being signed by an agent. As of this past summer I am now represented by Steve Bishop Reps.

Another reason I would call 2o1o a year of change is the fact that I have moved further into being a director. This transition has been something I saw coming since a very young age. I’ve always wanted to direct but along the way I fell in love with photography. It’s only over the last few years that I’ve been able to bridge the divide between the two fields. And along the way I’ve had the opportunity to work with some great people on some crazy cool projects.

Here’s one of the commercials that I directed for Fox Sports only a few months back.

httpv://vimeo.com/16455449

One area where I feel I both succeeded and failed at the same time is with my personal work. I started the year off creating some of my strongest images ever. But then with moving to LA and directing some all consuming projects the personal work was pushed to the side. That is definitely an area I hope to challenge myself in this coming year. Below are a few of the images that were self commissioned in 2010.

Another area where I hope to challenge myself (and in turn others) in 2011 is in offering my artistic services to charity – non profit organizations. There are so many people who can use the talents we have to bring awareness and in turn change to causes more important than any ‘issue’ I may have in my own life. We have been given a gift and I see it our duty to give it back. It’s time.

There’s so much more to say about 2010 but I guess thats for my journal.

Happy New Years. Jeff.