I’M HAPPIER NOW
Category: Photography Blog
NEW LEICA STORE IN BELLEVUE WA
Thanks to Tom Smith and Brad Weeks for accommodating me in their busy schedule during the grand opening of the new Leica Store in Bellevue, Washington.
The store is perfectly located in Bellevue Square and looks great. And the Leica products that you can check out in person are astonishing. Continue reading “”
LOOKING FORWARD
2015 is sure to be an interesting year. The Porsche community has a lot to look forward to with Rennsport Reunion V scheduled for the fall in Monterey. Held every four years, it is a must see event for any car enthusiast. I will be producing a documentary film on Roger Grago to debut there, and I’ll be revisiting Speed Week at the Bonneville Salt Flats for a future book. Also, there are some amazing editorial stories to come as well – Pre-A 356s, early 911 racing cars, an iconic 914-6, and many others.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
LOOKING BACK
I’d rather live in the moment, but sometimes it’s good to look back and consider life’s challenges. 2014 was one of those years for myself and many others. Becoming comfortable with being uncomfortable can be difficult. But, I’ve found it to be necessary for personal growth. By operating outside of your box, you can find your true strength and become uniquely creative. Basing your life’s purpose on what you really believe in is key. Continue reading “”
WHERE TO GO IN EUROPE THIS WINTER
Forget London and Paris, too cold. Same for the rest of northern Europe.
Here are a couple of getaway spots to view art in relative warmth. In Barcelona check out the Picasso and Miro museums. In Italy, well, you are spoilt for choice in art: Venice, Florence, or Rome. Finally, head to the islands off Naples, such as Procida pictured below, and be inspired for some R&R and photography. Continue reading “”
CAMERA SUTRA
Every once in a while I read a blog post site that makes me think. Here’s one from Blake Andrews. Continue reading “”
I BROKE ALL THE RULES
“NEVER shoot a car on a parking lot with stripes.”
“NEVER shoot a car in hard light.”
“NEVER shoot a car with just a rangefinder camera.”
Yup, I broke all the rules and still got published. Excellence Magazine #225 will arrive this month featuring a story I wrote and photographed on a DIY Porsche 912 project. Jason Thrupp is the owner, a New Zealander who relocated to Santa Barbara – two of my favorite destinations. Continue reading “”
IS THIS THE BEST 35MM DSLR COMBO OF 2014?
Based on Nikon’s D810 groundbreaking 36MP sensor and Zeiss’ Otus lens quality, I’d say yes. In terms of image quality, there is no equal. Although they do not offer AF, the recently released Zeiss 55 f1.4 and 84 f1.4 Apo lenses are already legendary, and more Otus lenses are sure to follow. Continue reading “”
PERSONAL WORK – 2014
Each December/January I post a personal work series – what I consider my best three images from a non-assignment single location during the year. It is an entirely subjective process, unlike my edited commercial work. Last year I posted three low key photos captured within a few days in Cabo San Lucas.
MORE JULIE KOMAROW OUTTAKES
I love this new automotive photojournalism, where we explore the person behind the car. Bringing the owner’s personality to light in photographs and words is very rewarding to me. Here are a couple of shots from Julie’s farm made at the end of the day with a Leica rangefinder and 35mm lens.
JULIE KOMAROW DRIVES IT HER WAY
Panorama Magazine #692, with Ada Lee Halofsky writing, just featured an article on a PCA member who survived breast cancer with her 430,000 mile ’84 Porsche Carrera and farm filled with cats, chickens, goats, llamas, and dog Ben.
FAMOUS CINEMATOGRAPHERS TALK LENSES
There is much to learn from these masters.
TROUBLE FOCUSING A LEICA RANGEFINDER?
Some great advice here on zone focusing:
“Leica’s aren’t meant to be shot wide open in street photography. You can’t constantly nail f1.4 shots of people moving. Furthermore bokeh shots in street photography tend to be cliche, and you lose context of the background and environment. To be frank, very few great photos in history were shot wide open.” Continue reading “”
THE OLDEST 901 IN THE WEST TURNS 50
Everyone loves anniversaries. Porsche first announced the 50th for their 911 last fall. There’s only one catch – that celebration was for a pre-production model shown at the 1963 Frankfurt Motor Show, a car with a non-operational engine and a 356 rear suspension.
For the first complete 911s, named 901s, their golden anniversary has finally arrived. Coming soon to a newsstand near you is an Excellence Magazine feature on 901 #032, Dean Watts’ October 1964 build Porsche race car. This example is one of less than 235 made that year, and one of the very few that are actually 901s – because Porsche changed the model designation to 911 right after this car was built. Continue reading “”
BELLEVUE CAR STUDIO GETS A MAKEOVER
The car studio space I moved into near Seattle has recently undergone a major upgrade. In addition to adding the option of either a black or white background, a 30 foot square white silk fabric has been mounted to the ceiling to reduce any unwanted reflections.
With seamless on the floor and 4000 watts of light either bounced off or through the silk, a uniform presentation has been created. The results are beautiful and will continue to just get better, making it one of the best auto salons in Washington state. Continue reading “”
ROGER GRAGO’S RIDE WITH JEFF ZWART
Roger Grago goes for a ride in his newly restored 1973 Porsche 911 with Jeff Zwart at the wheel. This RS/GT custom build with 2.9L MFI motor was filmed at the special event on Saturday, October 4, 2014. It all happened at Scott’s Independent in Anaheim CA. A big thank you goes to Jeff, Terrie and Roger Grago, Mike Sofka, Scott Hendry, Dan Reese, John Esposito, and everyone else for making this possible.