Drones: No Fly Zones
This past Friday I was held hostage by two federal employees while I awaited the police to arrive for legally flying a drone to photograph the property I was hired to capture. This was my first real issue while flying and making photographs for a client. In the past year I have never had a single negative interaction while flying. Often times people think its cool and are fascinated. I am usually flooded with questions. Cops, cops love seeing it fly and always have something comical to say about them or just want to observe it in action. Unfortunately there are people who make it increasingly harder to fly without negative reactions.
My client hired me to photograph the exterior of nearly a dozen properties they own spread out through parts of the Boston area. Part of the job required several properties in the Portrland area of Maine. While some of the properties could benefit from aerial photographs, not all of them would. On Friday I arrived at the 3rd property around 1:30 and discovered that the building was atop a small incline. Not quite a hill, a far cry from a mountain, but an incline of a couple feet from the road. Perfect. I could put the drone up for a few seconds and capture a few shots at the same level or a few feet from above.
I parked my car off the property next to a vacant building just blow the sloped driveway. I powered up, took flight and flew for no more than 5 minutes. I placed the drone back in the car. Moments later a white trucked pulled up and I was greeted with, "what are you doing?" Instead of walking down the man was driven down to speak with me. His tone was of annoyance and general attitude. I turned and responded with, "Photographing the exterior of the building on behalf of my client who owns it." He asked for a business card. "Right here I said," as I pointed down to the driver side passenger door. I have a set of black magnets that match my black car on the side. My business name and phone number as well as website are written in vinyl. After another half dozen questions of who, why, where are they from, they drove back up the bunny hill of a driveway and parked the truck. I followed and parked my car off to the side.
I grabbed my camera, exited, and walked the length of the building and made a few photographs. I turned and began walking back to my car. The same gent who initially questioned me was now with a portly, shorter gent who did not look happy. He turned and walked right up to me with an abrasive demand, "I want to see some business id or you are not leaving here." I said "no." I kept walking towards my car. By this point I became uncomfortable. An agitate federal employee and his underling were surrounding me with questions. I had explained more than once who the client was, who hired me, where they were from. Mr. Portly demanded to see the emails. Again I said, " no, those are confidential." He was not happy. Between his demands and his agitation he threatened to take my personal possessions. "We will confiscate your stuff." "No you will not, I replied firmly. Now I was pissed.
It was one thing to question me, it was another thing to threaten to steal my equipment. Throughly upset I was now in a position to be more defensive. Mr. Portly was not thinking clearly. I had explained by this point, and to his underling, who had hired me and where they were from. It took me a few minutes to find a phone number in the emails. I happily provided them with the number. Had Mr. Portly bothered to call the immediate property manager, the situation would not have gotten worse, and did it get worse. Mr. Portly grew more agitated that he couldn't into my emails, was told no to ceasing my equipment, and was upset that he was not informed that this was supposed to happen. I explained that I was hired to be there and everyone was to be notified. I tried to explain that it was out of my control if he was not notified and that was not something I was supposed to do. Mr. Portly then proceeded to boss his underling around, "take a picture of his car, take his license plate number, don't let him leave." Mr. Portly was getting nowhere with his demands and frustrations. "I WILL call the cops, you are trespassing." "Go ahead, call the cops, I already told you I was hired to be here." Mr. Portly's underling stood close by and watched as I stood against my car.
It must have been the 4th time he asked me, "well who hired you?" "I already told you, you can call them too." Within a few minutes my client called me back and asked, "are you being held hostage?" "Why yes I am," I said. They told me they were going to call Mr. Portly and get it taken care of. We hung up. Two minutes later a police officer arrived. I explained to him why I was there, willfully offered to show the emails and the list of properties I had in town as well as around the area. Satisfied with what I showed him he strode up to Mr. Portly and told him what he had seen. Sarcastically I overheard Mr. Portly say, "I asked him to see those."
After a few moments of speaking, the officer came back up to me and told me, "they do not own the property and are renters. Since they are renters and can control who comes on the property, they do not want you here." "That is fine. I was asked to be here and I understand they do not want me here and I will leave." "Alright, you are free to go." I turned around, swung open the door, got in, and backed out. The officer followed me out on to the main road and watched me disappear.
My client called me back and asked if I was still being held hostage. I had been let go by the police and explained how the rest of the situation had gone down. On their end they received a bit of backlash. While Mr. Portly was operating within his rights to inquire why someone was on the premise and their motives, he took a simple thing and erupted it into a much unneeded situation. My client was very apologetic. Mr. Portly and his underling are federal employees and did a great job of upsetting people over a very small and well explained matter. As I keep saying and keep thinking, if he had called the immediate property manager, they would have clearly explained why I was there. Had that happened, two federal employees would not have held me hostage and threatened to steal my property.
When you are out in the field, keep phone the contact information of the people who hired you on hand. If you have some form of contract, keep they available as well. It is very crucial that you know where to fly and where not to fly. Always exercise common sense when flying and do so safely. I regard myself as a professional and hold myself to a very high standard. I am a people person and can navigate my way through a myriad of social situations with ease, however there are times when people's behavior can throw you off. Mr. Portly is an example of hostility that did that was unneeded and was better diffused with the assistance of an authority figure. I will not name the location or the federal agency that Mr. Portly works for, but what I will say is this, do your job to the best of your abilities without reservations, exercising the right amount of caution, and treat people with respect, you will be rewarded for your honesty.
New England: Travel Photography
The backroads of New England will undoubtedly lead you to some beautiful places. Just the other day I heard someone make a comment, "wow I have been to like 6 different states in 1 day." Clearly this individual is not a true New Englander and hasn't traveled from Maine to Rhode Island in one day, passing through Vermont and New Hampshire with a detour to Connecticut, in one day like some of us do. They were, however, referencing having walked through the state buildings at the Big E. The Big E is a colossal festival of carnies, hungry people without a care in the world for their waistlines, and people looking to drink, buy the same crap thats been there for 25+ years, and do stupid things; such as heckle the hot tub sales people. In one spot you can consume enough food to get diabetes, rip a pair of jeans, and get gout, all while buying hot tubs, crap you see on TV at 1:30 in the morning, and slide down a giant piece of yellow plastic. Sounds fun, right? Well the Big E marks the end of the summer and is a tradition for many New Englanders. It is so well blogged about and photographed that you will not see anything of mine on here. Rather I will show something more scenic.
Greenhouse, Amherst Mass
The low lying light of the sun about to kiss the horizon is a sign that summer is ending. Late August and early September have incredible evenings with light and sunset shows. For those who know how to work a camera, it a spectacular time to get out and make photographs. I personally favor that romantic golden hour light. I can never seem to drag myself out of bed early enough to capture the crack of dawn, so I rely on the evening to make photos. Personally I feel that is the best time, not because I do not want to be up early, but because I feel the light has a different personality. When it illuminates the landscape or a person posing for a shoot, it is more magical than the early morning. Sounds super cliche, I know, but it is the truth.
I always get sad at the end of the summer. I never really admit this to anyone, but I do. Having grown up in New England I know what comes next, a few weeks of cool evenings, a few days of magnificent foliage, some rainy days, then nearly 5 months of misery. I have never been diagnosed with seasonal affect disorder, but I find that every year I creep closer and closer to needing to spending 4 hours under a heat lamp to keep from being depressed. I spend those cold months thinking of the summer, Cape Cod, and the light. Regardless of how beautiful a winter scene can be, during or after a snow storm, nothing replaces the beauty of a warm afternoon fading into the evening.
A farm off of 47, Amherst, Mass
New Englanders are spoiled with having 4 seasons. They really are. Some places and people are not as fortunate to have a rotating climate that brings seasonal changes that give meaning to the geographic location they call home. Amherst is located in the western part of Massachusetts. Famous for being a college town, having rolling pastures, farms, one of the first lumber mills in the country (semi truefactual, its very old), and one thing I think it should be famous for, Antonios, the greatest pizza in the world. Amherst, like many other town or cities is an artery that connects directly to the quintessential heart of New England. Anyone who has been to Amherst can tell you that around each corner there will be something worth seeing and enjoying.
When you exit the main routes, 116, Rt 9 and 47, you will find some incredible places. Hiding in plain sight are fields, barns, farms, people on bikes, paths, sun drenched roads that navigate the viewer further into the summer fast closing day. I have seen a lot of New England, spanning from the Coast of Maine to the state capitals of every New England State, to the smallest coastal nooks of Cape Cod, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New Hampshire. I have been in the backwoods of Vermont, hiked the Berkshires, and have had many reckless nights in Boston. When I think of New England, I think of all of these places, but a part of me always wanders to the pastural landscapes; primarily because life is slower, more relaxed, and the light glows much differently than when you're sitting at the open window of Dillion's on Boylston St in Boston seeing how many times you can compliment a girl before she stops to talk to you.
A tobacco barn, Amherst, Mass
As far as I know there is not a single farmer in my family. My grandmother always had a lush garden when I was growing up, but it wasn't anything to write a novel about. Though, she always had some kick ass cucumbers. Thanks for those memories, grandma. But I have found that when I drive through regions such as Amherst, I am compelled to enjoy them as much as I would any other place at the golden hour. Late in the day light will always be an element in my work, both with portraiture as well as with any travel work I make. Make time to see the world, it is shrinking, metaphorically speaking that is.
Personal Work:
Seasons in New England are like the tide, the come and they go, bringing in waves of change. Our summer, my wife and I that is, starts out with Memorial Day on Cape Cod and ends with Labor Day on the cape. This year we did not start our summer on the cape because our wedding took place the weekend of Memorial Day. That didn't stop us from closing out an incredible summer with a weekend on the cape over the Labor Day holiday. Since I have known my wife this has been a tradition for us.
Throughout the summer we take weekend trips and occasionally a week or so and slow life down by spending as much time as we can on the beach. For me, I find extreme peace and some times solitude when I am out making photographs, while we are the cape. When I am out meandering the shores, dunes, backroads, tidal pools, I am searching for what I have never seen before, things that I have yet to encounter. I grew up going to the cape every summer. I have seen a lot, yet there is still so much I have yet to see, which is why I always have my cameras with me. Always in tote, my camera is never far unless I am in the water or doing such things as digging for clams.
This year in addition to spending a few hours on the boat checking the lobster pots, my father in law taught me the art of clam digging. Prior to Labor Day weekend any time I found a clam was in chowder or in a grocery store and once in a great while I would step on one just under the surface during walks in low-tide. Like the generation before him, he learned to dig for clams by walking the bay of the cape. Regardless of how much money I will make, I will always enjoy pulling clams out of the sea as much as lobsters.
This past Labor Day weekend we got in the boat and navigated out about 7 miles till we got to the location of the pots. I watched in anticipation as they came up. The second biggest lobster I have seen came up in one of the pots. Roughly 5lbs. The largest I have ever seen was sitting in a cooler and weighed in at about 17lbs. From what I have heard, when a lobster is to large, it is to "tough" and isn't that good. Unfortunately the 5 lb-er went back into the water, as she had a large amount of eggs underneath her. If they have eggs, back home to the deep waters they go.
I am happy to say we did get some lobsters and they were delicious. Next time I spend some time on the boat I will make some more photos and then show the end result. If you have never been to the cape, I suggest you book a week or two for next summer. If you aren't a fan of lobster, I suggest you give it another try, not because I am suggesting it, but because they are just swell!
Apple iPhone 6 Photography
We are all photographers. Some what true due in part to the fact that most of us have a camera with us at all times due in part to the fact that every cell phone these days has a camera built into it. Most of us have had this luxury for a number of years now. My first camera phone was back in 2004. Nice little flip phone that had a camera that I think was .225 mega pixels. Enough to see on a 1.1" x 1.1" screen. Since then camera phones have advanced.
The iPhone in my mind will always dominate. That is just my opinion. Here is why. There are some companies out there shoving 50 mega pixels into a cell phone. No consumer needs that many pixels on a device with a sensor that is 1/16th that of a real camera that has a 50 mega pixel sensor. You know what camera comes with a sensor that big? A $40,000.00 Hasselblad. A real camera with the capabilities of making billboard sized photos all day long. So the question that one could ask, "why then does a cell phone manufacturer put that much crappy pixilation into a phone?" Easily answered in 1 word, "sales." Bottom line is that a cell phone company is going to listen to the demands of the consumer. People think they need to have that much capability for cheap but at the end of the day, they do not need it.
Apple has done something pretty cool. As we are all aware, Apple is a legendary brand that puts a huge emphasis on design. Apple for the last few months, possibly a little bit longer has been doing simple ads that are either print based, publications and magazines, and some televised ads that are showcasing images and videos that are made using the iPhone 6. The televised ads are pretty cool. There are some slow motion clips that just command your attention. The print based ads use some stellar still photographs that were shot using the iPhone 6. From my understanding, Apple is using the videos and still photos from their Apple iPhone 6 World Gallery for all the ads they are running that are promoting the camera. Apple unlike their competitors are not laying claim to being the best company there is with thee best camera, screaming high pixel counts. Apple is a brand with extremely loyal users of their technology. For some people it does not matter how good the camera is. For others, that is the entire reason they buy a phone, those are the customers that think they need more pixels than they can even process.
My iPhone 6 does not leave my side unless I am in the water, shower, pool, or doing something where I can not be looking at it. I run a business from my phone, answering emails, texts, calls, scheduling shoots, posting to social media, or using it to track my fitness. My iPhone is an extension of my brain, a resource that allows me to connect to the world through various forms of communication. I pull my phone out and make photos even when on a shoot using my real camera, the money maker. I often use it to make "production stills," showing the world, "this is what I am doing right this minute." Other times I use it to make photos I intend to post to social media, such as my Instagram account -- click here to follow me.
Travel Photography
The engine came to life as I turned the key forward in the ignition. I opened the sunroof and the driver and passenger window, looked in the mirror and put the car in reverse. I backed out of the driveway turning the wheel to pivot the car in direction of my route home. The heavily traveled dirt road conjured images of rally cars speeding up and down the winding curves. The gravel was lose in some spots, undoubtedly from someone taking the corner with enough speed to put their vehicle sideways long enough to crack a smile. The tires gripped the road with a crunching strength. Within moments I would be on the main road and heading up and down steep roads that cut through the quintessential New England landscape.
Prior to leaving I said to my wife, "there is going to be a nice sunset tonight." She looked outside as Zeus cleared his throat and let out a rumble of thunder that echoed through the mountains. Sure, there was pretty fierce thunderstorm outside in the distance, but the funny thing, the predicable thing about storms, they come to an end. Here in New England when a storm comes to an end, for the most part it is beautiful immediately following. I knew this would be true this evening.
I was leaving her behind to stay with her family on their vacation. I can make a few trips up through out the week, but nothing extended, as my work load is pretty heavy. On the way home I would stop and make photos, this I decided on the way up as I passed a few photogenic landscapes. Once I turned onto the main road I was greeted by a thick blanket of fog that was cuddling the tops of the trees. I was delightfully surprised. As I navigated the back road I occasionally stopped to make photos.
The house that the family is staying at borders a lake with a dock. I was surprised at the peacefulness that exists. It was so quiet, you could hear the tress growing. The lake is picturesque. I will be flying my drone around when I am back later in the week. The only down fall, the water is overgrown with lilypads and thick vegetation, rendering it impossible for such recreations as swimming, water polo, scuba diving, skinny dipping, jumping off the dock, or floating in a tube. While it was a warm day, I do not think I would have much interest in swimming regardless, so having a family sess of marco polo in the lake will not go missed.
I anticipate to be testing a new drone during the week, so hopefully I will have that with me up there. The new drone set up will allow a bit more creative flexibility, which will yield some more dynamic images.
I am very pleased with the above photo, however, if there was a human being posing within it, I would be over-the-moon excited. I will settle knowing it is a photograph I am happy with. Perhaps when I back up there I will remember and make a portrait with someone in the space. Keep an eye out for a future post with some more photos.
Fashion Photography: Location Scouting
Years ago with my former blog, well before I had a wicked awesome website filled with some of my best work, I was writing about photography. I would discuss trending topics, what I liked, disliked, and occasionally a few tips, tricks, what to do or not to do. Since I have a fairly awesome website and a blog connected right to it, now I am free to discuss anything and everything, like I always was able to, but now I primarily focus on showcasing my recent work or something connected to the work I am producing. Such is the case with this post. The following post is just a simple guide to make life easier. If you are operating with a big budget, this is something that might be useful to you, but chances are you will have a better process in place.
I have met a few location scouts. One of them was a big time Hollywood scout who went around the world making photographs of locations that would be used for movie production. I had them in mind when I began searching for a location for an upcoming shoot. This Friday I am going to New Haven to do some business. I also have the opportunity to catch up with a model that I am friends with. Brittany and I have worked together in the past. I first met Brittany when I cast her for a car shoot in Boston. Since then we have worked together for a publication as well as development of our portfolios. Brittany is a diverse model that offers an array of possibilities. Her main focus is fitness, but when put in the right outfit, she can command attention from the camera and offer me something that I strive to capture.
We will have 3 outfit changes. 1 fitness and 2 that are more fashion like. Our goal is to produce the shoot in a small amount of time. For each outfit there will be a light change as well. I will have 1 set up for each style. To make this possible I have been doing remote location scouting. “How is that even possible?” one would ask. It is very possible to do remote location scouting.
The digital era has allowed us to produce a vast amount of images and when you do a broad Google search of an area, you’re bound to be presented with more than enough visual information to build a shoot from the ground up. For example, let’s say that I can not budget time or the expense to get to a specific location in NYC, but I know I have a time frame for a shoot. I could do a Google Maps search of the location I have in mind and see what the location looks like from the ground level. This will allow me to see if there are any logistical challenges that would prevent the shoot from happening. If an area seems appealing, taking a few more moments to do another search may yield some images that could further help you decide if the area is right for the shoot.
Detail of downtown New Haven via Google Maps. Screen Capture: Photo Credit Google Maps.
While a Google Maps view will show you an area, some details, some architectural or natural elements that can be an asset to the shoot, it will not show you the lighting conditions that might be relevant to the time of day or the season in which you are shooting. However, if you look at the above screen capture, you can see that the building across the street provides some incredible reflected light. I would spend a few moments examining the area via the website and try and figure out when I would be able to get similar natural light. This is where you can get a bit geeky. There are a bunch of apps that show you position of the sun/moon on any given date and time. These apps will allow you to forecast the direction of the natural light, which will allow you to build your set ups based on this information. This one time, not at band camp, but for a shoot that I was doing for the owner of an incredibly well built Camero, I was tasked with finding some killer locations in Boston. I know Boston well, well enough to say, yes this will work and go right to the spot and know that a great photograph will be made. However, I needed to find some spots that were unique and new to me. I needed to think outside the box. I turned to Google Maps and began searching the city from above. Within an hour I had a list of places that I knew, based on the visual information that was provided, would make a great backdrop. Days later I was able to drive right to the spots and get what was needed with ease. Working with a car is a bit different than a person.
Cars are larger than people, unless you are shooting one of those "smart cars" that look like a soccer ball, and when you place them in front of things such as buildings, cityscapes, certain architectural elements, there is a bit more wiggle room as opposed to doing so with a model or two. While people are smaller and you can create a smaller environment with them, it isn't always easy to hide certain elements from a background, like if you did so with a car. This is why it is key to doing a very thorough search prior to arriving at your location/s.
Screen Capture: Photo Credit Google Maps.
Screen Capture: Photo Credit Google Maps
For the shoot on Friday, I spent nearly an hour just researching the one location I have in mind. There are a lot things I am considering, such as easy access to the location, elements in the location, such as bridges, backgrounds, trees, benches, other people. I want to ensure that when I arrive I will be able to set up and be ready to shoot. Brittany will arrive with her hair ready for one look, ready to transition into another look, and finally into the third look. The same will be occur for her makeup. This way we will maximize our time more efficiently. To assist with planning, Brittany was kind enough to create a Pintrest "mood board" and show me a few ideas. You know things are meant to be when you both have the same vision even though you didn't get to a certain point in planning and you are seeing what you want to accomplish.
I will be posting the photos shortly after the shoot so keep a watchful eye for a post showcasing the photos.