Will Fields Photography

"Try to go out empty and let your images fill you up."

2012-01-24T21:32:00.001-08:00

The quote I’m using for a title is from one of my teachers, mentors and all time favorite photographers:

Jay Maisel

Color

LIght

Gesture

As is so common, I missed his birthday this year.

Happy B-Day Jay: You have given me and so many others so much!!!

“If you are out there shooting, things will happen for you. If you’re not out there, you’ll only hear about it.”

Jay Maisel

Mon voyage poursuit…

Coming back to life:

2012-01-21T00:17:00.001-08:00

I had an interesting thing happen today. A student (and friend) called to ask about a fine point on the use of Auto Focus and her confusion was so complete that it made me stop and question what I actually know. Now it turns out that what I thought was true seems after examination to be true but for a while I wasn’t sure. And I think having my reality called into question is turning into a really good thing.

If you know me at all you know that I started living by the camera long before the advent of Auto Focus. And I’ve come to my current understanding of camera craft via a long and winding road; one where I mostly grudgingly accept new technology only once I am finally convinced that it actually makes my life easier. It’s not so much that I’m “change adverse” as much as I’m too busy to pick up new gadgets simply for their own sake and that I’m incredibly cheap. Call my cell phone and you’ll realize I still haven’t reprogrammed my service since the last phone got destroyed (No, I did not drop it in the toilet, thank you).

I took my first PhotoShop class long before my children were born and I’m way past the point of seeing it as some sort of witchcraft but my knowledge and use of it has been acquired much more by required evolution rather than a driven desire of mastery. It is a tool. A miraculous tool I’ll grant you but still just a tool.

So what all this is leading to is simply this: I like having my reality called into question every now and then. It’s the mental equivalent of having to clean out your closet. “There’s too much crap in there that you’re never going to use or wear” and getting rid of some of it makes you appreciate what you do keep and gives you room for some new.

It’s too easy to get set in your ways and the only way to stay alive (at least creatively) is by regular evaluation and adaptation. So the Holidays (and our 2^nd “Move from Hell”) are behind me, I’ve had my cobwebs cleared and it’s time to get back to work. These classes I’m teaching are really helping me let in some fresh air and I think you’ll be seeing some new and hopefully exciting work coming from me in the near future.

Mon voyage poursuit…

Wandering…

2011-10-05T06:43:00.001-07:00

I spent some more time wandering in the woods yesterday preparing for some upcoming workshops (I’m really enjoying leading these workshops).

And I started by an older building that had a large pile of logs cut for firewood (more of that winter coming stuff). There is such joy for me in finding something so beautiful in something so ordinary.

Even if the image is something of a cliché, At least it’s my cliché.

Autumn is here my friends and can winter be far behind? so much to do, so little time (especially when you spend your time wandering in the woods).

Mon voyage poursuit…

Yes, I’m still alive…

2011-10-03T02:14:00.001-07:00

It’s been a while since I last wrote here. It’s been quite an interesting and energetic month. If you know me well, you know most of the details, if you don’t, I won’t bore you with personal stories (if you know me fairly well and want to know more, email me).

I sat up this morning searching through old images working on the presentation for an upcoming workshop and while wandering through the remote storage server, I ran across these two shots from a trip into western Nebraska.

They caught my attention for several reasons; one being that I’ve been seeing all the signs that winter is coming soon but also they remind me once again of how seasons and times and people change.

Things that seem so important and real at the time are like all things human; so fleeting and impermanent.

What is Life?
It is the flash of a firefly in the night,
It is the breath of a buffalo in the winter time,
It is the little shadow which runs across the grass
and loses itself in the sunset.

-Crowfoot (Blackfeet), 1919

Mon voyage poursuit…

Back to Beauty

2011-08-18T01:25:00.001-07:00

So obviously the studio is up and running and the deal for it’s long term is still pending but close enough that it’s time to start getting back to building business.

And what has been a strong part of my business has been Beauty Photography. Way back from the early days shooting for Sears:

to later work in Chicago:

And the more recent work:

It is work I enjoy (no, really), am good at, and really do feel I’m contributing to others with. So many of my clients have talked about the way that these photos give them a sense of “Empowerment”. And I think they really do.

Whether the images are being used within a resume, for on-line dating or any other place these women feel they need to show themselves at their best. A beautiful photo adds a huge amount of confidence.

Mon voyage poursuit…

Soft morning rain

2011-08-13T07:14:00.001-07:00

I woke this morning just as it was getting light to the sound of a soft rain falling in the woods.

I laid there dozing and thinking about all the different times and places I’ve listened to the rain and different things it’s meant, very often alone but sometimes with others. Sometimes it summed up my frustration or sorrow, sometimes the beauty of new found love. Lying in bed or waiting under an overpass with my motorcycle ticking as it cooled.

Deep in a forest or in the heart of a city, it’s a wonderful time to be in the moment. Even if it is only a moment as you finally get a cab to stop and jump in like a near drowned rat. It is a beauty that I’ve never been able to capture in a single photo, probably because it’s so much more than just visual. The flood of memories and remembered feelings.

I woke this morning listening to a soft rain in the forest just outside my window…

Mon voyage poursuit…

Money is the best rule of commerce…

2011-08-11T15:23:00.001-07:00

One of the rules of commercial photography is that it “Ain’t all art”.

And while I think every photographer working commercially will tell you that they do their best to make the most esthetically pleasing image they can working within the constraints of the subject and layout. It still comes down to being a matter of ultimately pleasing the client. “He who pays the piper, calls the tune”.

And sometimes it’s simply a matter of straight forward representation of a product the client is offering for sale.

So while there may not be much creative satisfaction in a specific job, there is still the satisfaction of a job well done. And it certainly beats digging ditches.

It feels good to be rebuilding my business.

Mon voyage poursuit…

A busy week…

2011-08-04T22:16:00.001-07:00

It kind of surprised me today when I sat down to write and realized it’s been week since my last entry.

The studio that I talk so much about and love working in has been (until recently) a co-op arrangement that’s been run by the building owner and he’s decided that it simply isn’t working for him.

And to be honest, it’s really been treated more as a Frat House by the other members which has at times been pretty frustrating. So I’ve entered negotiations to lease (along with a couple other photographers I trust) myself. Big step in terms of price considering I’m so new here and am just beginning to bring in commercial work but I will not let this studio go. I’m sure one way or another, it will be my creative home for some time to come.

And part of what makes me so sure has been The work this week. These are my first 2 shots for my Art Prize series of the first 10 Heart Transplant Patients at the new Transplant Center here in GR (which is of course what in a circuitous route brought me here).

The space is just easy to work in and people seem to feel comfortable and at ease when they walk in.

I’m not certain exactly what will come to be but I know this is the space where I’m supposed to be. Wish me luck!

Mon voyage poursuit…

More Contemplative

2011-07-28T01:19:00.001-07:00

There was a beautiful sunrise this morning and as I stood drinking coffee and looking into the woods outside I thought more about the quality of the light showing in the leaves.

And the beauty within the color and shape.

And suddenly the irritation of the mosquitos and the spider webs in the face, getting sand and bits of fallen leaves in my shoes. And the very fact that “the images wouldn’t be commercially viable” (Ding!) fell completely away.

And I was outside finding even more beauty than I’d already seen through the window.

I once heard the actress Jessica Lange (probably on NPR, don’t let them gut the funding) discuss how for her, her work was about the experience and not connected to it’s quality or how it affected the audience. And at the time I thought (in my very judgmental way) how incredibly self indulgent and hollow the thought was.

But maybe I’m catching on to something. BTW, I’m told that using the Active D lighting setting will help reduce the blow out on the highlights. I’m learning a little more on that too.

Mon voyage poursuit…

Stuck in Commercial-land

2011-07-25T23:01:00.001-07:00

I’ve been feeling like I’ve been stuck in Commercialism forever.

I’m feeling like even my nature shots have a commercial quality to them and I’m really getting bored with the whole thing. So… I’ve started trying to re-trace some of my past and have been playing with the concept of “Contemplative Photography”.

Sort of a Buddhist / Mindful way that finds beauty in the mundane and close at hand with little interest in technical perfection.

And quite obviously it can’t and won’t be my only endeavor over the next few months. But I think it will be worth re-visiting on an ongoing basis over the next few months.

Let me know what you think, is this a valid use of energy or is it just an excuse to take snapshots?

Mon voyage poursuit…

Of course it’s raining…

2011-07-22T10:20:00.001-07:00

There can be such beauty in a summer rain.

and such hope of what’s to come.

Mon voyage poursuit…

Long Distance Driving

2011-07-19T01:50:00.001-07:00

(This shot is from last fall but I love it so I’m going to use it here)
I have a love/hate thing with long distance driving. There is the joy of the open road with the music playing loud and the time of quite thought but the absolute exhaustion upon completion.
I returned my sisters’ youngest boy to her yesterday after a week’s visit with my kids (More activity points than I care to count)

(Drag Race shot courtesy of Steven Chapman : http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=27703350#!/media/set/?set=a.148934395183421.39569.100002005838820
by meeting her (roughly) half way between our home in GR and hers in St. Louis, MO. (No I don’t know which is more conservative but it makes me wonder why I’m not?), 12 hours round trip (with lots of road construction thrown in for fun). The ride there with my nephew (17) was all conversation and music, fun and high energy. The ride back alone was really quiet with a lot of introspective thought. And when I finally pulled my flat ass out of the seat and walked into the house I felt like my mind was clear of the last 6 month’s worth of questions.
Mon voyage poursuit…

Alex is Visiting

2011-07-14T06:01:00.000-07:00

My Nephew Alex is in town and staying the week with us.

So we went for an hour or so in the studio (primarily to check out the stobe pack that had just come back from repair - It still isn't fixed!!!)

This time Alex got a chance to shoot,

And then, boys being boys they staged the shots they wanted to do:

The speedotron goes back again on Monday!!!!!

Giant Asparagus???

2011-07-11T08:54:00.000-07:00

One of the joys of moving anywhere is in the finding of new things and phenomena. The most dead and boring place on the planet will provide you with at least some beauty if you will only take the time to find it.

And in that vein, the Giant Asparagus (At least that’s what it looks like and it’s now over 6 feet tall) growing in the woods and along the road

Is in Bloom:

Who-da Thunk?

Cooking with Pamela

2011-07-07T08:49:00.000-07:00

I spent last evening doing cooking shots with Pamela Medford Conley for her cooking blog www.cookingnuggets.com .

It turns out she knows all of my Michigan cousins and we had a really good time talking about photography and family while she cooked and I shot.

Oh, and the food completely explained why she's doing a blog....

The woman can cook!!!

Writers write and Photographers photograph

2011-07-05T07:27:00.000-07:00

So not everything is going to be wonderful but I've had my eye on the forest of flags in front of AMWAY headquarters.

I was wanting to work more with the flags backlight but I was over taken by events.

Happy day after the 4th...

Summer Time

2011-07-02T02:45:00.000-07:00

This is Charley, or "the pinhead" as she is affectionately known within our family. She is a constant reminder to “Live in the Moment”. I’ve been asked about the manipulation of color in this shot. There is none, the colors appear as they were (although the bottom of the pool is a really deep blue).

Making vs. Taking

2011-04-04T09:20:00.000-07:00

Many great photographers have worked their entire careers taking photos of found or "existing" light. A large portion of my personal scenic work is just that and I revel in the beauty that can be captured in such photographs.

Ansel Adams, Henri Cartier-Bresson, and Jay Maisel are but a few truly great practitioners of “Existing Light Photography” and there is no argument that they and others have produced multiple thousands of amazingly inspirational images. But the difference in taking photos and making photos lies in the control or creation of light within the image. Relying on found or existing light many times does not offer either the technical qualities or artistic expression that an advanced photographer requires

George Hurrell of 1930s-1940s Hollywood fame worked entirely in incandescent light and was the absolute master of celebrity portraiture,taking hours and often days to achieve the exact lighting he desired. Richard Avedon and Helmut Newton became masters of advertising/fashion photography by their innovation in controlling light within their images.

My point is, so much can be added to the creation of an image with the mastery of artificial lighting instruments. Be they constant incandescent or florescent light sources or the newest versatile strobe systems, it is the subtle and reproducible qualities of controlled source lighting that create the drama of the majority of today’s commercial photographs. As the collective eye and mind of modern society continue to evolve and become ever more sophisticated, the quality of light in each image, especially each still image, becomes ever more important.

Whether you’re looking at the absolute control of a Hurrell publicity photo or the mixed existing/artificial lighting of a Herb Ritts shot it is the mastery of the added light which transforms the image from a snapshot to a masterwork. And attaining proficiency isn’t really as difficult as it seems.

Once proficient with the tools, the development of your own personal style and aesthetic isn’t far behind. And it is within that personal style and aesthetic that the difference between technically proficient images and the creation of art lays!

I am presenting a hands-on lighting seminar on April 30 in Grand Rapids. If you're interested in attending, contact me or visit www.willfields.com/seminars/ for details.

Baby Wranglers, or How to Get Great Pics of Your Kids

2011-03-15T07:03:00.000-07:00

I have baby pictures of our kids hanging in my house and I’m regularly asked how I got such fun images. The answer is a baby wrangler, or division of labor.

It’s really difficult to operate a camera and make a child smile or laugh or coo. But if you operate the camera and have a “wrangler” beside you doing all the things required to keep the child safe and performing, the pics become really easy. This applies to working with pets as well. It’s all the same thing.

Whether you’re in a studio or on the floor at home, the key is that the ”wrangler" has to get the child to laugh and be involved in their play without worrying about how the photos are being taken or even if they’re being taken. The wrangler’s job is to draw the expressions out of the child. It’s up to the camera person to capture the image. And after some practice the team work between the two can become really effective.

I know two moms who get together regularly to take shots of their young kids. They set up the situation (swings at the park, lying on the floor, whatever) and usually “wrangle” their own child while the other shoots.

If you don’t have a friend to help, use a tripod and a remote. If you have the situation set up (this is creating a photo, not taking candids) with everything ready to go you can wrangle and just click the shutter when you think you’ve got what you want. What does it cost to fill an entire card on a digital camera? The trick here is knowing (or at least have some idea) of what you want and then creating the image.

This even works with adults who are camera shy. Try it out and let me know how it goes.

Edward Weston was a child pornographer?

2011-03-08T09:47:00.000-08:00

I was recently trying to find the "Day Books" of Edward Weston at a local library and they showed in the catalog but were "Removed From Circulation". I went to ask for help and as soon as I mentioned the books by name the Librarian gave me this weird look and asked why I was looking for them? I explained my work and that I was wanting to read again Weston’s thoughts and discussions on the difficulty of surviving as an artist. And that seemed to reassure her that I shouldn’t be arrested and she went on to say that the library board had removed the books from circulation due to “inappropriate interest” by several members of the community. That caught my attention but I still didn’t know what she meant.

The nude photos he had done of his young sons have now been labeled as child pornography!

How many artists throughout history -- from Botticelli to Anne Geddes -- have attempted to capture the beauty of young children? I have a number of images of my two year old son on the day he wandered into the back yard naked except for his beloved rubber boots. Is this child porn?

Where is the line drawn? And what are we losing in drawing this line? There is no doubt that pedophilia is one of the most deplorable crimes in existence but it is very sad that we feel we have to outlaw the artistic exploration of the beauty of children because of a small minority of incorrectly hard-wired individuals.