Kids Who Can by Photosensitive

February 28, 2012 by Greg Locke | Comments Off

Next week some of my photos are going on display at the Allen Lambert Galleria on Bay Street in Toronto. No, they are not oil rig shots or business portraits, they are photographs of kids with disabilities enjoying themselves.

In partnership with Easter Seals foundation, the photographers collective, Photosensitive, is about to launch its latest project, Kids Who Can and I’m honoured to have been a part of it. These are a few of the pictures I shot last summer for the project.

This project saw 25 photographers and film makers visit Easter Seals camps across Canada to capture insights into the world of children with disabilities and the energy, enthusiasm and courage they and their families bring to daily life. You can see more of the photos from the exhibition at the Toronto Star.

Early my career I was lucky to have met a great group of photographers when I worked in Toronto and Ottawa in the 1980′s. They were best of the best in the wire, newspaper and magazine photo business.  As many of them progressed in their careers they set out to do more  with their cameras than the daily routine of news photography and use their photojournalism skills for something bigger and lasting.

Founded in 1990 by legendary Toronto Star photographer Andrew Stawicki, Photosensitive set out on a mission to make a difference, one documentary photography project at a time. Their ambition; harnessing the power of the camera to achieve social goals.

They believed an excellent photograph has the potential to effect change by expanding a viewer’s field of vision. And they wanted Canadian photographers to have an opportunity to take the time, to get to know their subjects, to reveal stories, together, in a way that might make the world a better place.

Since then Photosensitive has completed more than 20 projects, some large some small, about social issues in our time. They range from poverty in Toronto and HIV/AIDS in Rwanda to big picture concepts like water, which I also contributed and energy. Their massive Cancer Connection project took more than two years and involved hundreds of photographers across Canada.

Through this group’s photographs one is able to see beyond the headline and examine the reality that lies beneath the surface.

If you are in Toronto between Mar 6 – 16, 2012 please take the time to visit this exhibition in the Allen Lambert Galleria, Brookfield Place, 181 Bay Street. The exhibition consists of 60 large-format photos and a touch screen unit showing 12 short films of camps from across the country. The space is open 24/7 and is free to the public.

If not, make sure to visit Photosensitive.com and see the power of the image and the work, away from work, of Canada’s best photojournalists.

Diamonds are a girls best friend

February 23, 2012 by Greg Locke | Comments Off

Diamonds may be a girl’s best friend but I get along fine with these fascinating, sparkly little gems too.  One of our favourite clients, Diamond Design, in St. John’s, Newfoundland, has posted  gallery of our jewellery photography on their DiamondDesignNL FaceBook page.

We have been shooting their stunning diamond rings and other jewellery for the past year ever since owner Pat Thompson asked if we would like to give it a go. Jewellery photography can be quirky with lots of details and nuance to consider that are just not present when photographing oil rigs from a helicopter! The highly reflective surfaces are the toughest issue but accurate colour rendition so you can tell the difference between silver, white gold and platinum can be a mind numbing struggle if that level of accuracy is a requirement of the shoot.

We mostly use a daylight balanced light box with build-in 360 degree lighting ,  tungsten supplemental and LED spots on goose necks for pinpoint aiming. All lights can be individually controlled allowing full on shadowless photos on white background or single beam spots on black background.  Light is bright and controllable enough to allow everything from f2.0 to f22 at 200ISO. It’s a long learning curve and every time we fire up “The Box” we discover new ways to use it. Most recently we’ve used its motorized turntable to shoot short video clips like this.

More video available on the Diamond Design TV Youtube channel.

Photoshop is for wimps.

February 22, 2012 by Greg Locke | 2 Comments

Ocean racing legend Alex Thomson does a " keel walk " for Hugo Boss ad

This is how great photos get made. Not with Photoshop but with a creative vision, some good planning and solid coordination. When Hugo Boss wanted a memorable ad shot they turned to sailing legend Alex Thomson and his 8 tonne 60 foot carbon fibre yacht, a 255 horsepower jet ski, 45 combined years of sailing experience ….and a production team with nerves of steel.

Check out the video below for how they did it and visit Alex Thomson Racing website for more spetacular (And REAL) photos.

The models were a bunch of chickens …really!

February 20, 2012 by Greg Locke | Comments Off

The photographers Valentine

February 14, 2012 by Greg Locke | Comments Off

Another great piece from Aaron Johnson at What The Duck

Happy Valentine’s Day to all those poor souls in a relationship with a photographer.

 

 

Perception and reality of journalism

February 13, 2012 by Greg Locke | Comments Off

This graphic that has been making the rounds this week pretty well sums up the journalism identity crises.

Andrew MacNaughtan dies on photo shoot.

January 26, 2012 by Greg Locke | Comments Off

Toronto photographer Andrew MacNaughtan died yesterday in Los Angeles of a heart attack while on a shoot with Canadian rock band, Rush.

A statement on Rush’s Facebook page said “We’re deeply shocked and heartbroken to learn of the sudden passing of our close friend and longtime photographer, Andrew MacNaughtan. He was a sweet person and a very talented artist. Words cannot describe how much he will be missed.”

Andrew has documented Rush for many years, but is famous for his portraits, album covers and music videos for the Who’s Who of the Canadian music business. He was no stranger he in Newfoundland either as he is responsible for much of the photography and video for Great Big Sea. Alan Doyle said, “A great and constant friend to GBS and to me. Much Love to his Family and Friends.”

The photographer’s most recent work was a book called ‘Grace: Africa in Photographs’, with proceeds going to Art Gives Hope, a charity he founded in 2006.

MacNaughtan, a four-time JUNO Award winner (for Rush, Our Lady Peace, Tom Cochrane and Jann Arden) has worked with some of Canada’s most notable media, entertainment and music personalities. He travelled to Tanzania and Kenya in November 2010 with the purpose of capturing the spirit and beauty of the landscapes, wildlife and people to raise funds for the prevention, care and advocacy of children in HIV/AIDS affected regions.

The idea to use these photographs in a book was taken a step further when MacNaughtan enlisted the help of friends in the recording industry to lend poetic voice to the images. More than 30 artists including Celine Dion, Michael Bublé, Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson, Bryan Adams, Annie Lennox, Daniel Lanois, Hedley, Bruce Cockburn, Fefe Dobson, Ed Robertson, Jann Arden, Serena Ryder, Lights, Nikki Yanofsky and Tom Cochrane to name a few, graciously provided commentary to photos that inspired them.

Like most photographers and artists who spend any time in Africa it has a profound impact. If you would like to do something good in Andrew’s memory visit Art Gives Hope and purchase a book or print.

On location with Shane Mahoney

January 22, 2012 by Greg Locke | 2 Comments
Shane Mahoney portrait in Logy Bay

Shane Mahoney photographed in Logy Bay, Newfoundland by Greg Locke © 2012

There is nothing like the challenge of a location portrait. You have to go prepared for sun, cloud or rain, bitter cold or sweltering heat. The day we photographed famed wildlife biologist, Shane Mahoney, as a part of an ongoing documentary film project, it was bitter cold and brilliant, blinding morning sun …and the crew were prepared. No “fix it in Photoshop” for this bunch. Time spent at the computer “fixing” is time wasted and an admission you didn’t do it right the first time.

So, I’ll share some tech info.

logybay lighting setupWe knew the “mood” we wanted so we set to work. First the harsh sunlight on the subject area was knocked down with a 4ft sq diffusing scrim. Then a light reading was taken and the whole scene was underexposed in camera (Nikon D2x) with the exposure compensation control. Next we fired up a 2ooo watt 5600k HMI location light and focused it on Shane’s face using another 4ft sq diffusion scrim to soften the shadows. The light was then positioned to over compensate for the camera under exposure bringing just the subject back to proper exposure.

…and, of course, f2.8 for shallow depth of field to give some separation of the subject from the background.

While there are certainly memorable photos where a photographers great eye and reflex capture a fleeting moment or as Henri Cartier -Bresson called it, “the decisive moment”, there are other photos that are achieved by planning and executing a visual concept. It’s about making it happen. This is the world of creative and  commercial photography and film making.

 

 

The failure of Google and FaceBook

January 13, 2012 by Greg Locke | Comments Off

I found this particularly interesting as I’ve been complaining for the past year how useless Google and Yahoo News has become in actually finding anything useful in my work and research.

To the point where I have built my own bookmark library of USEFUL and reliable websites and avoid Google and Yahoo unless I’m on a fishing trip.

Maybe this is what happens when you get inherently anti-social tech and math geeks inventing “social” media. Not everything can be quantified or fit a mathematical model.  Especially human behavior and social evolution.

Check out this clip from Eli Pariser’s TED lecture.

My favourite shots of 2011

January 10, 2012 by Greg Locke | Comments Off
Photosensitive GSL0990

PhotoSensitive - Kids who can. Photo by Greg Locke © 2011

Wendy and Mark, by Greg Locke © 2011

We shoot tens of thousands of pictures during the year on an average of 75 assignments so you would think picking  favourites would not be easy. Yet, during the year-end digital clean up there are always just a few that leap off the screen from the pixel pile and remind me why I love doing what I do.

We had a non-stop year in 2011 with a number of major back-to-back shoots and travel took us to British Columbia, Maine and New Brunswick. I had a tough choices to make this year.  I could only narrow it down to these three. The first was of Erinn during a location scouting trip in the back alleys of downtown St. John’s. The second was shot at an Easter Seals summer camp for a project by PhotoSensitive which is scheduled to go on exhibit in Toronto in March. The third is from Wendy and Mark’s awesome wedding.

Thanks to all the clients, colleagues, friends and crew that made 2011 such a great year for us. What should we do this year to top it?

….yes, yes, I’ve heard the rumours of a new book and  big documentary project, too.

grafitti-artist

The Grafitti Artist. Photo by Greg Locke © 2011