src="http://www.mccrystalimage.com/wp-content/main/2013_05/2013-04-27-_18-52-22.jpg"
class="photoQcontent photoQImg" />
I was honored to be a part of Becky and Jason’s wedding. While the girls were getting all their details put together Becky asked me to deliver a gift to Jason. His wedding ring and a card. She had been holding back a surprise for Jason, a special engraving on the inside of his wedding band. It was a reminder that went all the way back to their first date and it was a powerful moment for all of us as he read the card and inscription.
Have I mentioned that I love what I do? Where else would I get to be a part of so many special moments in goeth people’s lives.
src="http://www.mccrystalimage.com/wp-content/main/2013_05/2013-04-27-_20-36-36.jpg"
class="photoQcontent photoQImg" />
I love the fun that happens at wedding receptions. I love the connection between family members and friends. I love seeing generations connect and laugh and play together. I love that I am able to be a part of a family’s history just by being present and capturing unique moments that define who they are as a community.
Shared via feedly // published on Strobist // visit site
It’s been a while since we got a chance to chat with any dead artists, and Edward Hopper was actually in the news this month.So I caught up with him last week at (appropriately) a bar in Fell’s Point in Baltimore to chat about the use of light in his most famous work.__________
Strobist: First of all, Mr. Hopper, I’ll confess to being a big fan. You have long been an influence on my lighting. And also for a lot of other photographers, from the look of things.
Hopper: Don’t mention it. Really. Influence is one thing, but some of the “homages” are another thing altogether. And please, call me Edward.
Strobist: Thanks. I don’t want to waste any time before getting to the painting you are most associated with: “Nighthawks” (1942). It has become a cultural touchstone.
Hopper: Well, that’s one way of putting it…
[Ed. Note: Click on the pic to open it bigger in a different window for reference.]
Strobist: So, here’s the picture. And I think it is damn-near perfect, if you don’t mind my saying. Was that available light?
Hopper: Oh, no — it was lit.
Strobist: So … it was also staged?
Hopper: Yep. The redhead is from Model Mayhem. $150 (and a CD) for three hours.
Strobist: And the guys?
Hopper: Locals. They cost me a coupla beers. We did it after hours. We paid the barkeep a C-note to stay late and pose, too. Pretty bootstrapped, really. Fortunately, we did it before that stupid $300 NYC shooting permit crap. Ridiculous.
Strobist: Indeed. So it is lit, then. Mind if I give it a go?
Hopper: Be my guest.
Strobist: Okay, so everyone has front light, and that can only be coming from one place. Direct light up in the ceiling?
Hopper: Close. It’s actually a tight bounce. Direct might have looked better, but it would have been hard to hide the bare reflection in the coffee machines. With a near-surface bounce, we mostly tone down the reflection in the top dome. I actually considered pulling one of the coffee machines and using that window divider to hide the light’s reflection on the other machine.
Strobist: Ah, and that would have given you an easy way to use a bare light.
Hopper: Yep, but what all-nite joint wouldn’t have caf and decaf?
Strobist: Exactly. Thus the bounce?
Hopper: Yep. And that was the only interior light we used. It was an Elinchrom Ranger Quadra, by the way. It kicks out 400 watt-seconds, but was small enough to gaffer-tape the whole damn thing to the ceiling fixture. With a Skyport remote, we could control the power remotely, too. But we ended up running full power. The bounce ate up a lot of light.
Strobist: So, you say that’s the only interior light. Were there more?
Hopper: Yes, there is one more strobe — another Ranger Quadra.
Strobist: Where is it?
Hopper: You tell me.
Strobist: Well, shadows on the right side of the far window point to the light, so I know it is somewhere around that corner.
Hopper: Keep going…
Strobist: Any Photoshop tricks?
Hopper: Nope.
Strobist: Then it has to be behind the back right wall, on a very high stand … and a boom?
Hopper: Yep, thus the tiny little Quadra. Head just weighs a few ounces. You can stick it way out there. Stand goes up behind the back right wall, boom comes out to the left, light is hanging out over the street and hidden by the wall over the window. That give me a hair light on Red, and separation on the guy sitting next to her.
Strobist: Is that important?
Hopper: Oh, yeah. Look at the other guy. See how he gets lost against the background on his camera left side?
Strobist: Yep.
Hopper: No separation light on him. That kinda makes him secondary to the couple as a subject. That back light is catching the barkeep’s face a little, too. But we gobo’d it to keep it from hitting the area across the street directly behind the bar patrons. We left that nice and dark.
Strobist: Sweet. And everything else is ambient?
Hopper: Yeah, about 3-4 stops down. We dragged the shutter for eight seconds — always bring a good tripod when lighting at night. Had the interior lights off in the bar, so no ghosting issues if they sat still. Ambient-wise, the bar is actually darker than the street outside. But the strobes reverse that.
Strobist: So, do you just wing this kind of stuff, or do you comp it out?
Hopper: Oh, no. I plan everything. Even did a run-thru a few nights before.
Strobist: Really? So you just lay it out on a cocktail napkin, McNally style?
Hopper: Used to, not any more. Now we do nice charcoals, on acid-free paper.
Strobist: Wait, what?
Hopper: Let me explain. Case in point — see this?
Strobist: Yeah. Nice, I guess.
Hopper: I guess? That baby went for $352,000 at Christie’s.
Strobist: The rough draft? Are you kidding?
Hopper: No kidding.
Strobist: Wow. I use my iPhone to make lighting diagrams.
Hopper: Aren’t you cool.
Strobist: Apparently, not. Let’s get back to the idea of the homage.
Hopper: You mean, ripoff?
Strobist: Whatever. So, here is “Boulevard of Broken Dreams II,” (1984) by Gottfried Helnwein. Kinda cool, really — James Dean, Humphrey Bogart, Marilyn Monroe, Elvis. It’s cool because they all died before their time, and here they are in a bar together at night.
Hopper: Oh c’mon. It’s a watercolor on cardboard, for pete’s sake.
Strobist: Yeah, but…
Hopper: Really? You like it? REALLY?
Strobist: I have another small confession — for the longest while, I thought the Broken Dreams painting was the original one.
Hopper: Are you friggin’ kidding me? Look. I really gotta go, okay?
Strobist: But…
Hopper: Bye.
Strobist: Well, in that case…
__________
Abruptly ended fictional interview aside, this painting was in the news this month. After much painstaking research, it was determined that the bar in Nighthawks — real tho Hopper made it — probably never actually existed.
You can read more about that, starting here.
And if you enjoy beers with dead guys, you can read our earlier conversations with Rembrandt and Vermeer.
Happy is the man who finds a true friend, and far happier is he who finds that true friend in his wife.
Franz Schubert
A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person.
Mignon McLaughlin
So true… The reality is I thought I loved my wife as much as was possible on our wedding day. I was so wrong. I find her even more amazing and wonderful now. I can’t wait till tomorrow and it will be even better!
This is great content for all married couples, especially
newly weds. Finding your roles is an ever changing process.
Shared via feedly // published on
Engaged Marriage // visit site Using Your Unique Gifts for a
Stronger Marriage A happy marriage requires a lot of different
skills. From clear communication and empathy to more mundane tasks
like budgeting and cleaning the house, leading a family really does
involve a long list of talents and abilities. It can be a bit
overwhelming to consider all that’s required of us on a weekly or
even a daily basis. There’s so much to do! The Beauty of
Partnership The great news is that we’re blessed as married couples
with a teammate. There’s a good chance that your spouse complements
you and lightens your individual load considerably. But have you
ever taken a moment to consider just what’s involved or been
proactive to discuss whether you’re split of the responsibilities
makes the most sense? In the midst of the daily grind and the chaos
that sometimes comes with raising a family, it’s really easy to
lose sight of what your husband or wife brings to the table. And
sometimes we end up taking on roles by default and never pausing to
think about why. My family was sitting in church a few weeks ago
listening to the readings, and this passage from Corinthians really
got me thinking: Brothers and sisters: There are different kinds of
spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; there are different forms of
service but the same Lord; there are different workings but the
same God who produces all of them in everyone. To each individual
the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit. To one
is given through the Spirit the expression of wisdom; to another,
the expression of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to
another, faith by the same Spirit; to another, gifts of healing by
the one Spirit; to another, mighty deeds; to another, prophecy; to
another, discernment of spirits; to another, varieties of tongues;
to another, interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit
produces all of these, distributing them individually to each
person as he wishes. Of course, this was written to speak about our
spiritual gifts, but I think we’re all blessed with gifts and
abilities that can make a really practical difference in our
marriages. Talk About Your Strengths & Adjust Accordingly In
our household, we’ve modified our roles over time, especially as
circumstances have changed (becoming parents changed everything!).
However, Bethany and I have always tried to be really aware of our
individual strengths and use them to manage our household the best
way we can. A few examples – I’m the “nerd” who has a knack for
managing our finances and planning ahead for change. Bethany is an
amazing caretaker who feels real pride from an orderly household.
I’m great at getting physical and wrestling with the kids, while
she has remarkable patience when it comes to reading stories or
settling their arguments. There will always be the “stuff” of life
to contend with (no one feels particularly fulfilled cleaning
toilets), but there are many aspects in your marriage where
identifying your strengths and deciding proactively who is best
suited to handle big tasks will come in handy. One book (among
several) that we love to recommend to engaged or newly married
couples is StrengthsFinder 2.0. It’s a self-assessment guide that
will help you discover or reinforce you innate strengths. Another
helpful tool that will guide you to the areas that “fill your love
tank” and make you feel fulfilled is The Five Love Languages. Take
some time this week to discuss all those areas that are needed to
make your home run smoothly, consider each of your strengths, and
plan how to execute accordingly. God has blessed you and your
spouse with many talents – be sure you’re blessing each other by
putting them to good use! Visit website Sent via feedly // A news
reader for creative minds. Michael McCrystal 813.230.1176
www.mccrystalimage.com Don’t Keep Me A Secret
Shared via feedly // published on Fast Company // visit site
A List Of The 6 Best Alternative To-Do List Apps
Evernote is great, but it’s not the only choice for productivity and to-do lists. Here are some up-and-coming apps to suit all personalities, from the type A’s to the guilt-free procrastinators.
Mobile to-do lists such as Clear, Evernote, and Google Keep get a lot of love online, but they’re not alone when it comes to high-quality apps to keep track of everything you need to do in a day.
In fact, a simple “to do list” app search on Google yields 1.9 billion results, a lofty number to sift through if you’re already drowning in tasks. Thankfully, there are a few gems rising to the top of the to-do list category, including these six:
Read Full Story
Visit website
Sent via feedly // A news reader for creative minds.
Michael McCrystal
813.230.1176
www.mccrystalimage.com
Don’t Keep Me A Secret
Shared via feedly // published on Strobist // visit site
Is This the Future of Umbrellas?
See this umbrella? It’s very different than the typical reflector in one very specific way. And it’s being touted as being way better for digital sensors.
Can you tell what’s different about it? Probably not without looking at it close-up…
Read more »
Visit website
Sent via feedly // A news reader for creative minds.
Michael McCrystal
813.230.1176
www.mccrystalimage.com
Don’t Keep Me A Secret
Shared via feedly // published on Fast Company // visit site
5 Innovation Lessons You Can Learn On The Dance Floor
Dancing is instinctive, creative, and a perfect metaphor for the innovation process. You can learn a lot from shaking that money maker.
The greatest leadership lessons I’ve learned have occurred on the dance floor. Dancing is an experiential form of being, learning, and doing. Moving your muscles helps you understand things in totally new ways.
I’ve danced my whole life. I’m a Bollywood dancer, but I’m also a globally recognized leadership expert, and I use movement in all my work. Through movement, I believe we can inspire creativity, deep listening, and cross-generational learning.
Read Full Story
Visit website
Sent via feedly // A news reader for creative minds.
Michael McCrystal
813.230.1176
www.mccrystalimage.com
Don’t Keep Me A Secret
