I’m jumping on beds again! This time at the Valley View Motel in Mill Creek, West Virginia. I was up there for an Education Week assignment last week.

Wait? What? You don’t remember the first time? 

And believe it or not, there’s some relatively advanced technical know how used to make these photos. No no no. I’m not talking about my swan like form. I mean I used my camera and strobe’s ‘s high-speed sync function. …some of you might know it as “FP,” or “focal plane” mode. If I relied on my camera’s normal 1/250th sync speed, I’d be blurring rather than levitating. So, to fix I used my D700′s & SB-900′s  high speed capabilities and bounced the flash off the mirror.

What in the world is FP mode? Check out this really good & easy to understand tutorial put together by the good folks over at Pocket Wizard (which, for some reason, I did not use for these photos).

Here’s my exposure info:

Lens: 28mm at f/3.2

Shutter: 1/4000th

Strobe: Nikon Sb-900, on camera, head tilted backwards, zoomed out to somewhere between 50mm & 200mm (I forgot), and max 1/1 power.

You know how some photographers LOVE shooting weddings while others shoot them every so often to make some extra money? Well, I came to a decision earlier this year that I don’t shoot weddings. I don’t advertise as a wedding photographer. So, I only get referrals from friends. None of my friends can afford my rates ($3200-$5400), and neither can their relatives. So, I never really book weddings. It’s okay. I like having my weekends free.

Another way photographers make extra money are family/kid/baby/and pet portraits. That’s a bit more my speed and interest level. But I don’t really wanna make cheesy glamour shot/Olan Mills pictures, either. I like funny.

So, I got an idea.

Messy Kid Portraits!

Heck! if someone wants a portrait of them and their spouse playing in the mud I’ll shoot that too.

…seriously. I’LL SHOOT THAT! call me.

So, This shoot features Margot Ludwig. When I made these photos (Wednesday, August 31, 2011) she was almost two.  I approached her mom Kendall — who owns Curly Red Designs — with the idea. Obviously, Kendall was in.

Triadelphia Ridge Elementary School Kindergarteners in Amy Raymond’s class Piper Stephan, left, and Delaney Lane, right, read to each other. Amy Raymond, kindergartener teacher at Triadelphia Ridge Elementary School in Glenelg, Maryland — part of the Howard County Public School System — utilizes Common Core Curriculum to teach her students Wednesday, November 30, 2011. Her class is the first generation of students taught under the new national standards, emphasizing subject mastery.

Thanks to Education Week, I had one of the most adorable assignments I’ve had since leaving my staff newspaper job at The Patuxent Publishing Co. But as it turns out, Common Core is anything but …cute. It’s a big deal in the business of public education. Here’s a link to the article, but unless you’re a subscriber you can only read the first few paragraphs. Don’t worry. Here’s the Common Core Standards State initiative page, the Wikipedia page, and — get this! — there’s an iPhone ap, too! At the end of the post are some newspaper .pdfs “clips.”Students in Amy Raymond’s kindergarten class at Triadelphia Ridge Elementary School in Glenelg, Maryland play “Try To Go Home,” a number game utilizing common core curriculum K.CC.4a & K.CC.4b. (how’s that for wonky?) The way it works is, a pair of students roll dice to move a figurine. They used dinosaurs this week because the letter of the week is “D.” The purpose is to emphasize “one to one” number correspondence and improve operational and algebraic thinking. The students are (L-R) Marisa Lamb, Sierra Collis, Caroline Zdrale, and Dylan Ma. Maggie Metz raises her colorful finger-tipped hand.You know me… I really like to put myself in my work. In front of his classmates, Triadelphia Ridge Elementary School kindergartener Austin Wagner pauses before turning over the date “30″ on the calendar. Daily rituals like this help Amy Raymond’s class develop number proficiency. As I left the office, this Labrador mascot statue made me jump a bit. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not scared of dogs, I just wasn’t expecting a dog in a school. … And out the corner of my eye, this thing looked super-real.Maggie Metz, left and Austin Wagner, right, work on assignments.

The nice thing about kindergarteners is that there are moments all over the place. Amy Raymond plays “Try To Go Home,”  with Sierra Collis.Ethan Sutch writes his class’s attendance on the board. This daily exercise utilizes math skills learned in Amy Raymond’s kindergarten class.…as in, “and why not make this picture?”Amy Raymond and her students (L-R) Dylan Ma, Gregor Lesho, Ethan Sutch (standing), and Gouri Gupta.I MADE THE COVER!!!

Why oh why do I love this picture?

Everything about this shoot makes me roll my eyes. First of all, I’m breaking one of my cardinal rules! I HATE HATE HATE making portraits of people holding books, or whatever it is the writer decides the story is also about. So, I don’t do it. If I can make a book or a photograph, or whatever the subject made into a detail photo, that’s what I’m gonna do. — especially with authors. It’ll probably help the layout, and add an extra “click” to the website. This woman, however, is a faux finisher. Rita Melnick’s is a featured artists in the resource book “Modelo by Design, Volume 2,” — which is what she’s holding — and that’s pretty much what the article was about. Ugh! This newspaper article reads like a website bio. I could talk at length about how this assignment isn’t really journalism, but I think y’all are smart enough to figure that out.

So, why in the world do I love this image? Well, on the one sense, Rita was super pleasant to deal with, and got what I was going for. She was up for anything. …and why wouldn’t she be? We’re giving her faux finishing business free advertising! But this image (not unlike the article) is just ridiculous, isn’t it? I could try to make a heady analogy about faux paint/fake news/faked enthusiasm blah blah blah.

…but the fact is, every time I look at it I chuckle.

I get something out of it.

And hopefully the readers do too.

when I see this I think… POLITICAL CENTAUR!

@lopossay

Scott McIntyre

The world is funny, isn’t it?

Or at lest that how it seems to me. …but then again, I’m the guy who laughs too much during movies.

This is the second installment of my Best Runts of 2010. The first is here.

Can I first start by saying I can’t stand lifestyle images. You know what I’m talking about — Beautiful people laughing for no reason. …maybe holding a glass of wine, or frolicking through a field of wheat. It’s cheap high-gloss stock. Sure, there’s a semblance of a story being told, but it’s trying too hard to be perfect and beautiful. …but it lacks substance. What ends up happening is none of that joy those beautiful people in the photo translates to the end user — the audience.

Me? I roll my eyes.

…well, I sometimes chuckle. but it’s usually because a miscreant blacked out one of the boring hot chick’s teeth. …you know the one. She’s about to eat some spaghetti.

Now that’s funny. …at least to me. Like I said in Runts part 1, I like to celebrate the imperfect in life.

And I’m starting to realize (and I’m kinda cringing while I write this) that Happy is Boring.

…at least in photography.

Sure, if some kid is opening a birthday present and he’s making the craziest face in the world — like OUT OF HIS MIND HAPPY — because he got the most bad-ass toy robot ever, then that’s good stuff. That’s an emotion we can enjoy through someone else’s experience. But laughing on the beach FOR NO REASON isn’t entertaining. Those are passive photo. It’s like the white bread of photography. no nutrition.

To be clear, there’s a difference between BEING happy and trying to make a picture of happy. People smiling for no reason is void of content, void of purpose, and void of personality. It’s the quirks and our imperfections we, as individuals, are loved for. And so, I look for those when I’m out making pictures. Ultimately, I want the audience to relate to the subjects and stories in my images. …and rather than show them pictures of people laughing, I’d rather them enjoy a chuckle or two. Enjoy!

My mom got married to a wonderful man, Rick, this summer. They have so much in common, such as not liking bubbly. You gotta give em’ props for trying, right? So, lets raise a glass and wish them well! She finally found a good fit for her.

For those interested in purchasing images from Inertia Performing Arts’ annual winter show “Alice in Winterland” click on the image above or the links below.

BUT FIRST… read the instructions.

***BUY THESE IMAGES SOON!!!***

I’ll be increasing the prices on ALL the IPA, EXM, and EMC performance images on January 26th, 2010.

After clicking the above image, or the class name links below, you’ll be whisked away to my Photoshelter page. It’s an archiving site where you’ll be able to purchase prints and products.

The best way to find your child is to click on their class name below.

MMA

MMB

MF

T1

T2

T3

Now, when you click on an image you like — AND THIS IS IMPORTANT — DON’T click the “download image” button. It’s a built in feature for commercial licensing transactions.

To buy prints we’ll be using the “ADD TO CART” button.

All the images are scaled to the “4×6″ dimension.  So, to order uncropped larger images, purchase an 8×12, instead of an 8×10. They’re the same price.

You will also be able to crop into the images in the “Cart” area, which is where you go right before checking out.

Don’t forget to check out the “Products” and “Downloads” area, either.

Now, when you’re ready to purchase the images, you’ll be prompted to sign in or create an account.

Don’t worry, it’s free and they won’t send spam to your inbox. It’s really just for security reasons. It’s also a relatively fast & simple process.

Thanks so much for stopping by. And I hope everyone has Happy Holidays.

101209AliceInWinterland – Images by Matt Roth

Grant and Marie are getting married!

Believe it or not, but this was shot in a Gaithersburg, MD subdivision — not on a magical hillside.

I really didn’t want to make the traditional “updated prom photo” pose, as my girlfriend Jess calls it.

Of course I made the safe shots. …we also called them “grandparent” shots — because grandparents are usually the demographic who want the traditional photos the most.

Ultimately, I wanted to make a memorable image that describes them individually and as a couple. …emphasis on MEMORABLE.

I find that the best way to make a portrait memorable is to tell a little story. Pretty people will always make pretty pictures. But there’s no better way to sear an image in your memory than a little theme-action!

…it doesn’t hurt to have someone hanging upside down, either.

(photo by Matt Roth)

Tyler Maizels, from Parkton, is a nationally ranked bronze medalist in his weight lifting age division.  The eleven-year-old is photographed at his family’s home gym Thursday, August 12, 2010. He and his mother Patty Maizels competed in the Maryland State Championships August 16-17 in Frederick, MD.

You can read the North County News story here.

I’ve certainly been guilty of letting my lighting set up do all the work when shooting portraits. That’s a habit I’ve been trying, not necessarily to break, but to become smarter about. Lighting doesn’t sell the photos — the content does. I’ve made and seen what I consider expertly lit photos, which fall flat. Why? The subjects have been lit lifeless. There’s no soul. I’ve known that for a long time. Moments, subtleties — interesting stuff… Those are elements that make photos effective, and compelling.

So, for this shoot I decided tofocus on three major elements

1. Moments.

2. Showing the setting, while not “showcasing” the setting.

3. Technique. …specifically his.

I’d be a fool to let this background go unnoticed. So, yes. I need to light the background, too. But if you notice, I was mindful of making sure Tyler is still the brightest element in the frame.

Of course the setting is practically identical in each frame, but the moments convey something completely different. And each image would set a different tone for the article.

And a little humor never hurts…

And here’s Tyler’s mom.

Pat Maizels, from Parkton, competitive weight-lifter and mother of four is photographed at her family’s home gym Thursday, August 12, 2010. She and her eleven-year-old son Tyler competed in the Maryland State Championships August 16-17 in Frederick, MD.

Learning how to groom a lamb is part of the curriculum of the 2005 Baltimore County 4-H Lamb Grant Project. Lisa Wheeler, project leader from Whitehall, right, supervises Juliana Buckman while she trims a lamb’s hoof Wednesday June 22, 2005 at Green’s Lamb farm in Whitehall.

The 10am Update is a (somewhat) regular blog feature showcasing some of the better photos from my archives.

Mixing liquid nitrogen with boiling soapy water creates an intense, but harmless explosion. A scenic foggy calm ensues, which George Boyer, age 7, is seen playing in. The liquid nitrogen demonstration was part of Johns Hopkins University’s 2nd annual Physics Fair Saturday April 30, 2005, hosted at the Bloomberg Center for Physics and Astronomy.

This is the image that started my love affair with trying to show the surreal possibilities in a real situations.

The 10 am update is (supposed to be) a regular blog feature showcasing some of the best stuff from my archives.