Pittsburgh Photographer- Mark Bolster

Tallest tree in Pennsylvania?

2009-10-07T10:23:00.002-04:00

Could this be the tallest tree in Pennsylvania? Maybe not, but it is certainly the highest tree top in the state. I photographed this tree yesterday from atop the Mount Davis observation tower that soars more than 50' above the mountain summit that is the highest point in Pennsylvania. It was my first trip there yesterday and I enjoyed the solitude and absolute quiet up on the tower with no people around for MILES. From atop of Mt. Davis you can see far into Maryland and beyond Somerset. Though the mountains in the background APPEAR taller, it is an optical illusion and they are not as high as the photo vantage point (at least that's what some old bronze plaque said...) The leaves are turning very nice at the higher elevations in Western PA!

The best pictures differentiate themselves by nuances...a tiny relationship-either a harmony or a disharmony-that creates a picture. Ernst Haas

Pittsburgh G20 Summit...My story concludes.

2009-10-01T14:13:00.006-04:00

I awoke Friday morning to more darkness and gray skies. I was hoping to get a nice exterior at sunrise for my client that would show the convention center and the outdoor balcony that was packed with television crews, but alas my plans were not to be.
I did shoot from the Northside across the river before heading up to the Mellon Arena to go through another round of security, but my heart wasn't in it as I knew even the best of Photoshop tricks would give my exterior photos an average look at best.

The security check point was more crowded than the previous morning and I had to wait quite some time after walking through the metal detector for my equipment to be poked, prodded, and sniffed. I passed the time talking with a photographer whom I met a long time ago on a shoot for Alcoa. We were both in the same location, but working on different projects.

The convention center was abuzz with activity when I arrived. Because I attempted to photograph the exterior, I missed Obama's impromptu press conference where he announced the US and allies would be cracking down on the nuclear program in Iran. This conference actually stole the G20 thunder and remained the headline throughout the rest of the Summit.

The next photo opportunity would have been the "family" photo session where all the heads of state are on a riser for the historic photo. Unfortunately, I was lead to believe by the State Department that no additional credential or "underlay" would be needed to photograph this event. Of course, when I showed up at the door I learned that if you didn't have a special credential you weren't getting in. No one sent me the memo. I did get the "shot" by sitting in the US Television control room for about 45 minutes and photographed the live feed off from a large monitor. I was able to get the convention center in the background as well, so I figured my client would be pleased.

Shortly after I went into the White House Press Corp briefing room where Robert Gibbs, White House Press Secretary and Gary Samore, the White House expert on WMD's were holding court. I entered the room half way through the conference and thought it was a little strange that I was the only photographer. I went to the back of the room and shot about 8 frames. I was then approached by some freshly scrubbed White House press office intern who told me that this was a "no photography session". I told her I hadn't got that memo either...I did quit shooting since I already had what I needed and quietly left the room in my walk of shame. I don't think anyone really cared that I was shooting, for the press was taking notes and typing on their laptops, trying hard to keep up with the breaking content that was being thrown out.

The rest of the day was mostly uneventful till I did the final Obama wrap up press conference photos. We waited on risers for about 45 minutes waiting for a late Obama to show up. The video people were all complaining because whomever built the risers didn't make them sturdy enough and everytime someone would so much as take a step, all the video cameras started getting vibration problems and un-stabilized shots. The only other thing that I thought was out of the ordinary, was that powerful quartz lighting was turned on aimed directly towards us in the back of the room and in to our camera lenses. I couldn't imagine why anyone would design lighting like that as light in your lens isn't conducive to great photos. It then dawned on me that they were there so the Secret Service could keep their eyes on everyone as they didn't want to be staring in to a black hole. I didn't really hear much of what he had to say, as I was concentrating on getting a good shot, not vibrating the riser, and fighting the body odor of the French videographer whom I was standing next to that hadn't taken his weekly shower yet.

The day was finished after I photographed two other smaller conferences with the Canadian Prime Minister, Swedish Prime Minister and the Secretary for the European Union.

All in all...it was a good two days. Despite a closed downtown and business losing out on two days of revenue, the Summit was considered a success bringing in a conservative 35 million dollars to the economy. There was very little protester damage done, though a few dopey anarchists broke some glass in Oakland. From what I heard many of the people who clogged the streets wearing black and face masks were shouting, "HERE WE GO STEELERS!" and "LET"S GO PENS!". Note to protesters: Next time don't bother coming out and making a nuisance of yourselves. Just put a cogent thought or two together and send a letter to someone who CARES...The violent protesters NEVER get their point across, since the criminal actions always out weigh any message the protester might have. Of course the news kept showing a video of a stupid girl throwing her bike at some cops where they quickly introduced her to the pavement. They might have been just a little over zealous in their actions, but I figure you better stay on the porch if you can't run with the big dogs...Maybe next time she'll take my advice and write a letter, but somehow I doubt it.

In the end the G20 finally turned out to be profitable for me which was what I was hoping for all along. Not only did I land a great assignment, but a local hotel bought 150 copies of my book for dignitaries and VIP's staying with them. My only disappointment was that I was not able to curate a Pittsburgh photo show in the convention center which I thought would have been a great opportunity to sell our region to the throng of captive media. Maybe I'll try again in a couple of years. I hear rumblings that the G20 would like Pittsburgh to be a host again!

Thanks for following my blog and being interested in this event!

Pittsburgh G20 Summit...My story. Part Two

2009-09-29T12:41:00.005-04:00

So Thursday finally arrived and it was showtime! I woke earlier than normal, downed a banana and some OJ and started my drive into downtown. Traffic was extremely light and it was apparent very quickly that most of the people who worked in the city had stayed home to work from their laptops, mow their lawns or just take some time off. I arrived at the Mellon Arena and parked after trying to give a very surly parking lot attendant a twenty dollar bill at 7AM. I never get why they should be mad a me when I give them legal currency...I DIDN'T set the parking rates!

Security checkpoint was interesting. We had to pass through a metal detector after emptying our pockets. Unlike the airport, I was able to leave my watch and shoes on. My equipment bags were checked by TSA, Border Patrol, and Secret Service people and a bored German Shepherd. I must say, even though there were many people and camera bags to sift through they were very professional, treated the equipment with kid gloves and were gentle handling all my thousand dollar tools. I wish that crew worked at every airport. After checkpoint we loaded into a motorcoach complete with Secret Service agent riding shotgun to assure there would be no funny stuff. I made a comment that the agent's Revo sunglasses were the same ones that I had. Of course, I wasn't wearing mine since it was still DARK outside...The agent grunted something without cracking a smile. So much for any conversation...she was clearly on the case.

We rode quietly into downtown and viewed the empty streets, high steel barricades, National Guard on every corner, and more black SUVS with tinted glass than I could count. I felt like I was on a movie set of some sci-fi flick, but this was the real deal.

Upon entering the Convention Center I started looking around for interesting angles and interesting things happening. The outside of the Center was shrouded in gray soup clouds and fog. No beautiful morning sun light was going to take place, much to my disappointment. I set up camp on the first floor media room. It was an ugly room that had been converted to a media center with tables, internet connection, large screen monitors to watch CNN (I'm more of a Fox news person but I didn't think anyone was about to change channels for me), and a small lunch counter. Also along one wall was a riser for TV crews to do shots of their reporters with the anticipated 1500 media spaces on the tables filled in the background. I sat next to some writers from Canada and they were fun to speak to and I shared some Pittsburgh hospitality guiding them where I thought they would enjoy dinner and drinks that evening. Right behind me, KDKA's political reporter, Jon Delano was holding court and stayed busy gathering info and doing interviews. Eventually Jon would even get to ask President Obama a question during the final briefing. I thought it was great that the Prez would call on a local reporter along with his trusty White House Press Staff.

The remainder of Thursday was spent mostly photographing media who was photographing and interviewing media. Most reporters as well as photographers were quite bored, for there just wasn't much going on and the entourages from around the world had yet to arrive. I did get some strong photos of the Center with people in the foreground, shots out the beautiful windows, and many media in action photos on the balcony where all the networks had set up to do live shots. Most of their cameras were pointed towards the "Golden Lady" bridges and PNC Park. However, I noted on my Twitter page, that some European crew had pointed their camera towards the ugly rusted brown and black rail road bridge that runs from the Amtrak station across the Allegheny. I wanted to say something to them, but fearing an international incident...I kept my mouth shut.
My client, an international architectural firm was mostly interested in seeing their building in use with lots of people and photos that showed media technology, so I had to incorporate the building in my shots whenever I could. Though I did leave the Convention Center for a bit in the afternoon to get an obligatory protester photo. The Tibetans were angry at China in a peaceful march on Liberty Avenue, so I shot that for about 10 minutes and quickly got bored of all the screaming and drama. Apparently, nobody told all the protesters that the China delegation was still sitting in their 747 sipping tea, or whatever it is that they drink. One thing for sure was that no delegate member ever saw a single protester for two days. The worst part about going outside was that meant me walking back to the Mellon Arena and going through security again and taking another bus ride back to the Convention Center to regain access. But by then, the sun had broke through the clouds and it was nice just to get some fresh air.

It was fun talking to a few photographers that I knew. Ran into Post Gazette shooters, Steve Mellon and Bob Donaldson, former assistant Steve Dietz, and makeup artist, Patty Bell who is ALWAYS working wherever there is something cool going on. Patty was working for the Eurovision crew and looked as bored as everyone else. We spent time swapping family stories and social media ideas. We both are seeing payoffs from the heavy social media time we've been putting in and it was interesting to compare ideas. Also spoke at length to Tom Buell from Global Pittsburgh, a fellow Twitter Tweep, avid photographer, and Ben Avon resident. I also got to corner County Executive Dan Onorato and pestered him asking why the county hasn't purchased a few hundred copies of my, Pittsburgh: A Photographic Portrait book. He said I should call his secretary...Thanks, but been there, done that...

This is a photo of Treasury Secretary, Timothy Geithner. I wasn't listening to him as I shot, but I'm guessing he's explaining that all our tax dollars are being spent with the utmost care and that investment house bailouts with no government oversight is good for the United States...

Part 3 to follow...

Pittsburgh G20 Summit...My story.

2009-09-27T12:54:00.004-04:00

With much fanfare, anticipation AND trepidation, the G20 is now over. My personal quest to cover and photograph the G20 Pittsburgh Summit was an interesting one and fraught with frustrations, excitement, anticipation, and many personal experiences. Now that it's over my story can be told. It probably isn't the most interesting to journalists who cover events on a regular basis, but for me it's a story of having a plan, having it unravel, and then come together just like I had hoped it would from the beginning. It's a story of myself digging to find an assignment opportunity and a lesson of how the photography business has evolved to one of making your own destiny instead of waiting around for something to happen. Of course, as always, some luck is a huge part of the story.

When the White House announced that Pittsburgh would be hosting the G20 Economic Summit four months, I immediately started to try to figure out how this historic event could be my economic stimulus in what has been an extremely slow year for commercial assignments due to a horrible economy and changes brought about by the new web 2.0 business models. Since I am NOT a photojournalist, the first thing I needed to do was to find out how I could get credentials for the Summit. I knew that having credentials would be the key to landing an assignment. Most freelancers tend to wait to the last minute to start asking around and then applying. I knew that this wouldn't be possible due to security measures, and general government bureaucracy. There would be NO gate crashing this event, unless you were prepared to be shot.

Social media was a huge help for me. I spent much time blogging about the G20 and also reading other blogs and websites where I could pick up as much information as possible. I attended a couple of open meetings for the public where we were invited to submit ideas to the city and county governments on what the citizens could do to make a better impression on the world media. By doing this I got on an official email list and learned how to apply for credentials, deadline, etc.
Through officials channels I learned that my credentials would be approved. Though I didn't actually HAVE an assignment or
press connection to list when they asked for what organization I belonged to, I did list my professional affiliation with ASMP (American Society of Media Photographers). After all, I DO BELONG to this organization and it has "Media" in the name and I do have a laminated card with my mug shot on it. So this was the extent of my "media" connection. I probably could have called up one of my business magazines that I shoot for once in awhile and asked if I could use their name, but I really hate involving anyone that doesn't need to be involved in my business since I know how busy photo editors are.

After hearing I was approved I started firing off emails and promos to various national business magazines, Pittsburgh travel and visitor organizations, corporations doing international business, and anyone else I could think of that might need or KNOW someone who might need event photo coverage. I was asked to put together a photo estimate for the European Union, but that fell apart when they decided to fly a photographer from Europe to cover the Summit. I made contact with a few people who were from the company that designed the staging and lighting for the Summit, and was encouraged to stay in close touch. Then I found out that they had an in-house shooter who would be taking care of their needs. Unfortunately, it appeared I was speaking with the wrong people. My chase for a client was hitting a wall and time was running out. Then of course, the LUCK factor comes in.

My former assistant, Alex Denmarsh who is now an architectural photographer was contacted by one of his clients, an architect firm that helped designed many features of the LEED certified, Convention Center. By this time, Alex was in no position to take on the assignment because he did not have a credential. He then recommend me and I secured the contract to shoot on the Friday before the following Thursday and Friday Summit. Credentials were to be picked up on Monday according to an email from the State Dept.

I arrived early Monday morning to pick up my badge. No badge. Lots of excuses, no eye contact, and bureaucratic speak. I was told to come back the following day at 2 PM and my badge would be ready. The request was more like "maybe, possibly, it might happen, if you're lucky..." Not what you want to hear when you see your assignment fee gradually being pulled out of your pocket like just about everything else that the government likes to take from us. I showed up the following day at 9AM and they said they wouldn't have the badge and wouldn't know when they would be getting it. "But what about when you said for me to show up at 2PM?" I asked. Again...lots of excuses and lots of double speak as why I should come back another day.
"But...I have a client...and they are getting nervous about their assignment..." Gee...too bad..."Who's next please?" Now I'm starting to think who I might have pissed off so badly sometime in my life that somehow the Secret Service got word of it and thought I was some kind of security risk. I knew I didn't have an arrest record, but I have had a couple of "spirited conversations" with private security guards (not naming any names...but their company rhymes with Pee Pee Gee)

At this point I could only hope I still had an assignment. Fortunately on Wednesday, after an email sent to some black hole department with no human name attached pleading my case, I showed up around 4 PM and with little fanfare and no apologies or reason, my laminated yellow badge complete with my ugly face was handed to me. I felt like the "fasten seat belts" light had just gone off when I'm sitting in a middle seat in coach and I need to use the bathroom NOW...

Part two to follow....this is getting long in tooth...

A few more photos from last week's sessions

2009-09-02T11:17:00.004-04:00

I've been quite busy working on logistics and trying to figure out what it is going to take to photograph the Pittsburgh Summit in a couple of weeks. Credentials, VIP contacts, State Department, vendors supplying the G20, etc. It has been a lot of work with unfortunately, no payoff insight...YET.... I'm confident that as the G20 gets closer the phone will start ringing for my event services. It has been fun meeting with various people who are in charge of the summit.

I did have some time last week to get a few photo sessions in. Here are some pictures from them..

Make it a great day!
Mark

PIttsburgh G20...Coming soon to our town!

2009-08-03T21:09:00.003-04:00

I've been very busy planning and marketing for the historical G20 Summit that will be taking over Pittsburgh on September 24-25. For the week prior to that time expect to see journalists from all over the world come to our city to start their reporting. I have already put one estimate out for event photography during the summit and I'm sure that more event opportunities will present themselves. It will be easier for media to rely upon local photographers than trying to book non existent rooms and have strangers dealing with tough travel restrictions. It will take a local to get through the streets and to their assignment with a minimum amount of hassle. I have also put together a proposal for the Pittsburgh ASMP chapter to have an awesome photo show at Pittsburgh International Airport. I'm waiting to hear if we can hold the show there, as it would be an amazing place for International travelers to get their first taste of Pittsburgh as seen through the eyes of some of Pittsburgh's best photographers.

For more info on the G20 feel free to stop over at another one of my blogs:

Pittsburgh-G20

I'm also looking for partnerships that are interested in my book: Pittsburgh: A Photographic Portrait. The book would make a great gift to dignitaries from county offices, politicians and corporate hosts. It would be great for hotel gift baskets, a take away from dinners, etc. If anyone knows of any connections, I'd greatly appreciate hearing any information you might have!

Is Print dying AKA publisher's myopic views....

2009-07-21T10:55:00.002-04:00

Read this great article from Mr. Magazine Blog. It gives suggestions what media needs to do to help print co-exist with the web.
Great read!

El Rio theater in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico

Industrial photography

2009-07-07T22:34:00.005-04:00

This was photographed for the Japanese company, Mitsui. It was at an Alumax aluminum forging facility someplace in the Southeastern part of the United States. I think the hands pretty much show what manual labor is all about. It was photographed on location, for a capabilities brochure for a NYC graphic design firm. Shot on classic Kodachrome film which Kodak just ended production on.

Industrial Light

2009-06-16T16:38:00.006-04:00

Industrial photography for Tube City. Scrap metal recycling yard in West Mifflin, PA.

Making something out of a not real exciting subject. Backlighting is always a joy to work with!

A couple of landscapes for the weekend...

2009-06-05T12:35:00.003-04:00

Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada and Big Moose Lake at sunrise, Adirondack Mts., New York...

Pittsburgh G20 Summit is coming!

2009-06-02T12:43:00.002-04:00

I am excited by this major opportunity that will be called the Pittsburgh G20 Summit! What an amazing opportunity for Pittsburgh to show the world what a great city this is and maybe for once, dispel all the out-dated notions of us having a smoky steel city with a dying steel industry. The steel industry DID die...only quite some time ago and we are in a totally different business environment now. Education, research, medical, robotics, and high technology is where we excel. I'm looking forward to photographing the numerous events that will take place during the G20 and being actively involved not only shooting assignments, but making my book: Pittsburgh: A Photographic Portrait available as gifts to participants and VIP's. I am also looking for partnerships and business alliances with planning committees and convention managers to help with their photography needs and logistics.

Latest edition of The Pittsburgh A&E Book has been published!

2009-05-21T18:11:00.002-04:00

Congratulations is due to Jim Richards for his latest installment of The Pittsburgh A&E Book. This book is available in print and also a PDF version online. It will be extremely helpful for anyone producing film, commercial, or print jobs. It lists numerous crew, talent, location, grip, and venue/location information and I keep a copy handy for my print production work.

Jim is having a kickoff party Saturday, June 6th at the Mogul Mind Studios at 77 31st Street under the bridge. Party starts at 7PM and anyone in the biz is invited. You can RSVP Jim and check out the PDF version of the book on his website linked above.

How to hire a photographer AND get the price you need! Part 2

2009-04-23T11:07:00.004-04:00

In part one of this article I discussed relationship building with your photographer to maximize your return on investment and get the professional job that you and your client deserve. What I’d like to discuss today is specific ways that you can get the most bang for your buck when hiring a photographer and how to negotiate a win-win with your chosen photographer.

There are many things that determine a photographer’s fee. Among them include overhead, experience, specialization, reputation, and demand. These items are for the most part locked if you are dealing with a pro that knows their worth. And I would suggest you ONLY dealing with these photographers, because awarding assignments purely on price is bound to come back and bite you down the line. An exceptional pro brings much more to a shoot than just camera. He should be your partner and be involved in your clients brand and desire to make both of you look at good as possible for as long as possible.

So you have determined the photographer you want to use, but one small problem...they want more money than what is in your budget. Don’t hang up the phone yet or trash your estimate. You have chosen the photographer because you feel comfortable in their approach and secure that they are professional enough to bring you home a great job. It’s worth a few more e-mails, calls, or eye batting before (hey...it works sometimes!) before you give up and start your search all over.

Usually the place in the estimate that can be adjusted is the fee that is based upon the client use of the photos. Insisting on owning the copyright to all the photos is going to be justifiably expensive, and most likely the place where it will be easiest to bring the price down and still meet your needs without anyone being worse for wear. You should license ONLY the rights needed for your client’s immediate needs. If your client isn’t going to be running airport kiosk ads in Malaysia, you shouldn’t be asking for unlimited world wide use because the fee is going to reflect all the possibilities of those uses.

Instead do this: License what your immediate needs will be. Then get the photographer to let you know what the additional reuse license will cost for “someday” uses. Get it in writing. If the time ever comes (and it rarely does) where your client needs to use them for something you weren’t aware of when negotiating, there will be no surprises. You can ask your photographer when doing your estimate to list a menu of pricing. What I do on almost all estimates where the client isn’t sure of all the uses for the photos is to give a menu of fee pricing ranging from exactly what they want (which is usually unlimited rights) and then a couple of other options that are less expensive, but only list the rights I think the client REALLY needs. Since I am fairly liberal in the bundling of uses my photos can be used for, the price is almost always reduced to the client’s satisfaction. Also, be sure to voice any concerns about exclusive use and the photographer using out takes of your shoot for stock, self-promotion, and fine art showings. These are issues that are very important to photographers and there are very easy ways to negotiate to make sure your client is protected, but yet the photographer can use his work to build more business. Whenever severe limits are placed on the photographer’s ability to use his work as self-promotion you can be pretty sure it is going to cost you more money. The ability to show what we have done in the past is very important for securing business in the future, similar to a creative firm showing a website, reel, or portfolio with completed jobs to land new accounts.

Another way of getting your cost reduced is to pay the photographer. As in...NOW. The production costs that it takes to do the job are going to be billed to the client. So for the sake of everyone, why not consider a cash advance on all expenses instead of paying an additional necessary markup on those expenses when a photographer has to wait 30 or more days to get paid?

Cash advances are the life blood of any studio. It allows the photographer to finance YOUR job and to spend more time creating and less time wondering how he’s going to do the job without maxing out his credit cards, line of credit, etc. As a location photographer, I have heavy travel expenses. When I get cash advances for my estimated production and travel costs, I bill everything at my cost with no markups. This is good for saving anywhere from 20-25% on travel costs that will need to be paid for sooner or later anyway. Sooner will help keep more money in the client’s pocket and your photographer and crew happy. Consider paying your photographer C.O.D.

Photo fees need to be adjusted by savy photographers if they know it will be a long time before seeing their invoice get paid. You’d be surprised at how many photographers would be happy to knock something off their fee if they knew they weren’t going to be waiting 30-90 days(or even more...) to get paid. Doing this also builds trust which is the cornerstone to a long term relationship with your vendor. If you are worried about YOUR cash flow suffering if you use this practice, then you should probably be more aggressive in getting advances from YOUR client.

Cash flow can be an ugly house of cards, and it only takes one party to make the house weak. If you cannot find the will to ask your client for an advance, than at least give the photographer the option to bill your client direct for services rendered. Sure... maybe you wont’ get the markup on the photo fee, but you will have the opportunity to save your client some money and it will help the photographer knowing that predictable payment cycles help his/her cash flow planning.

Here are a few more ways to entice the photographer to lower his fee and/or save money:

If you are using stock along with assigned photos, try to incorporate the assigned photographer stock library instead of automatically calling a stock agency. If the shooter knows they can make some money with additional licensing of their library images, then they just might be happy to come down a little on their assignment fee. You also get the added advantage of a more unified look to the project by using the vision of one instead of several photographers.

Offer the photographer additional manpower for things like cleaning, unpacking boxes of merchandise, prepping clothing, packing merchandise to be shipped back to client, etc. Bottom line:
Someone has to do this, and often it’s cheaper to have company people do this instead of an expensive photographer or skilled photo assistants or stylists.

Offer to let the photographer design a promo on the end of an odd sized press sheet that is just blank when your client’s project runs. You aren't paying anymore for the paper or ink, and that space could be very valuable to the photographer.

Feel free to offer your client’s product or services as a part barter for the job. Depending on what is offered, it could have more value to the photographer than your client and the cost to client could be minimal. I once bartered a stock photo license for a magazine cover in exchange for a little cash and a 4 day trip to St. Marteens. It was a travel magazine that had unused press junkets falling out of desks, and I was more than happy to go there and shoot some stock and practice my horribly bad French.

Allow your photographer to book through your corporate travel office. Often the deals are better with the buying power of a corporation compared to a small business. Again you can save a lot of money of a project by letting the photographer go directly through your agency and billing direct. One word of caution however...Let the photographer see and OK the travel arrangements before finalizing plans. Corporate travel agents are very effective getting a person with a brief case on a flight, but not so much with a photographer traveling with 500 pounds of lighting gear and a crew with additional gear, props, etc. An experienced location shooter will need input or the travel is sure to be a disaster.

I hope these tips have helped. I realize some of them seem pretty basic, but in these times it is good to be reminded of how we can all save and still create for our clients and our souls! I’d love to hear of ways you have saved and welcome your comments, advice, and tips!

Hiring a Photographer (and keeping your hair)-Part One

2009-04-21T15:51:00.004-04:00

The economy is a bear. Your client is demanding more and wanting to spend less. Cash flow seems to be headed in only one direction, and unfortunately, it’s not the direction you need it to be flowing. Now, more than ever, having strong relationships with your vendors is important to the reputation of your work and for getting the job done with a minimum amount of stress and maximum amount of creativity.

Don’t be fooled...though everyone is going through some tough times,better times are sure to follow and you will be remembered for your creative problem solving when the money becomes available again and the purse strings are loosened. Short change your client now, when it seems that “good enough” is the flavor of the day, and you could find yourself outside looking in down the road.

As a professional photographer, I’d like to offer a little advice on the best way to procure your photographer and create a win-win relationship that will last. Here are some thoughts...

Try treating your photographer as a partner, not a vendor. You will find that professionals like to be involved and be aware of the very REAL obstacles you face. We can offer solutions to problems, but need to be aware of the full story. Transparency in your business dealings with your shooter will go a long way in getting the most bang for your buck. Sure you can find a cheaper shooter. In fact...if you look long and hard enough you probably wouldn’t have too much trouble getting the shooter to pay YOU to shoot your job. I don’t recommend this, but be my guest....Just be sure to have an understanding banker, client, and cardiologist on stand by, because you are guaranteed to need them. An experienced pro brings value to your assignment and should never be considered a liability or unnecessary expense. If they are, you need to keep shopping.

Hire the photographer who is suited for the assignment. Not someone whom you know will give you the price you want. When an assignment is matched correctly to the proper photographer, you will be amazed at the loops shooters will jump through to work with you.
Some of the loops, involve the cost to produce the assignment. If you have a budget it, share it. Instead of milking every last drop out of the budget, do a great job and then get more follow up work from your client who has fallen in love with your talent to bring home a creative job, solve problems, and stay within budget. Pros build their reputations with tomorrow in mind and do not rely on a “get what you can today” attitude. Make the photographer aware of the money on the table and let him/her figure out how to produce/shoot/deliver for what there is to work with. It is possible that you will find your concept is simply too expensive to produce. If so, great...It’s better to find out before hand than to be halfway through an poorly produced job that LOOKS like there was no money available to shoot it. The old saying: “KISS”-Keep It Simple Stupid says it all.

Hiring the right photographer means using shooters who have extra talent in the area you are looking for. It seems obvious, but I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had calls to estimate jobs for food, still life, and hospital work, none of which are to be found in my portfolio! I wonder what the person on the other end of the phone line is thinking? We all know that for every job, there are 100 competent photographers to shoot it, and within that number probably ten photographers will knock the assignment out of the park! Again, stick to a specialized photographer, and you’ll reap the rewards of a great job and someone who is EXCITED to be working with you.

OK...so we’ve narrowed down who you should be calling. Now what?

First, don’t assume a photographer costs too much for the job or will be booked. This is a very crazy business and we WANT to work. We do not enjoy telling you that you can’t afford us or that you should have called 4 months ago to get on our calendar. Now sometimes we MIGHT have to tell you that, but believe me we HATE doing it. When phoning, start with some niceties.Telling us what your name is, your company, and position is the considerate thing to do instead of starting the conversation off saying, “What is your day rate?”. You are looking for expertise, experience, equipment, and enthusiasm. You are NOT buying a pound of peaches. We also appreciate knowing where you heard of us because we like to thank people who referred us and we also like knowing how are hard earned marketing dollars are working.

A brief description of the job you have in mind, time frame it needs to be completed in, and who the client is helps us determine if we should get more info from you or perhaps refer you to someone who might be better suited for the job. Time is valuable and we do not want to waste yours nor waste our own. If there seems to be a connection, then the job can be discussed further. Preferably by meeting or phone supplemented by an emailed shot list and/or layout. Without a shot list, or at least a concept, it will be impossible for the photographer to provide an accurate cost estimate. What you don’t want is someone blurting out, “I’ll do the job for x-dollars” before they even hear all the details. My advice is to RUN from this photographer, because they are setting themselves and YOU up for problems down the line. Estimating photo shoots is an art in itself, you will know how experienced and professional the photographer is just by looking at the estimate he/she provides. And by the way, don’t just look at the last number at the bottom of the page. All of the stuff that comes before and after that number is important. It shows you how well the photographer has thought through your job and can show an approach that you might not have thought of.

In any event, the estimate should be thought of as a starting point, open for discussion and an excellent opportunity to reevaluate your concept and the logistics of doing a professional shoot. If you have a problem with ANY part of the estimate, you MUST bring it to the attention of the photographer or rep. Don’t wait till after the job begins or even after the job is completed to start asking questions that needed to be asked before the job was awarded. Good photographers don’t like surprises when it comes to business and you shouldn’t either.

Stay tuned to my next blog entry where I’ll discuss specific ways to save money on your photography project and bring home an amazing job for your client. As always, I encourage your comments, questions, suggestions, or topics you’d like me to cover!

Stay focused...
Mark

The Stickers CD cover

2009-03-30T11:43:00.004-04:00

Just finished editing environmental portraits of, The Stickers, for their upcoming CD cover. The guys were great to work, talented musicians, and just plain fun to be around. I look forward to hearing their new music which is in the process of being mastered in Memphis right now. Thanks Rachel Geary, for your hard work and styling!

Rest In Peace Harry Burns

2009-03-25T10:05:00.003-04:00

Harry was an awesome instructor that taught me at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh where I studied photography from 1976-1978. I recently learned of Harry's passing and am sad about loosing a truly great educator. From Harry's classes I learned a great deal about color theory, composition and color psychology. Lessons that I still draw from on a daily basis in my career.

My favorite class was every Friday when we brought our assignments in, hung them up on a board, and then class critique would start. It was brutal. Sometimes not very nice. Sometimes a huge lift to the ego. But it was always honest and fair, and Harry kept it that way. He knew we would be leaving soon and the real world would be a lot tougher on us than academia. His "hippy" demeanor and soft spoken words seemed a little dated at the time, but his words were always thought out and mentoring in his own way. Later in his career he took up travel with a gusto, and traveled all over the world photographing his trips with passion and interest for the world of man. Harry also was one of the few instructors that I had who really cared about his students after they left school and on numerous occasions he would call me to ask advice, refer an assistant, or to just say "nice job" on something I had been working on. Photo students have a lost a true friend and educator.

I've posted a foggy picture again today, because that is how I'm feeling...Shooting later today at Federated Investors, so I guess I'd better get "un-fogged" quickly...

Foggy Photo

2009-03-23T10:47:00.004-04:00

Rosh Sillars Lecture, Wednesday Night

2009-03-23T10:31:00.004-04:00

Pittsburgh ASMP chapter is sponsoring a lecture on March 25th at 6PM with internet social networking expert, Rosh Sillars. The lecture is open to the public and I have a feeling it should be very interesting. As of late, I have been spending a large amount of time blogging, Facebooking, networking on LinkedIn and web browsing in general as an attempt to increase my photo assignments and re-connect with former clients, art directors, designers and long lost art school buddies. It has been fun, exhausting, and interesting all at the same time. I do have a fear that I may spend too much time doing this, but when you can't get clients to pick up their phone when you call, you have to shift to "Plan B". I heard last week on a radio news show that for the first time in history, more people are logging on to the internet to check their social sites than are users logging on to check their email. I'm looking forward to seeing what he has to say and meeting up with fellow Pittsburgh photographers. Hope to see you there!

Bad News for Photographers

2009-03-19T11:40:00.003-04:00

This information has been brewing on the pro photo forums for the past couple of days, and

it is VERY disturbing. Ad agency giant, OMNICOM, now thinks that photographers should happily take all the risk for not getting paid by THEIR clients, like GM and who knows who else?

There aren't any photographers that I know of who can produce an auto shoot without an advance for at LEAST the expenses which can run into hundreds of thousand dollars depending on the complexity of the shoot. This practice almost assures photographers working under these conditions will have a strong possibility of financial ruin. It has become very apparent that much of corporate America does not believe in fiscal responsibility (see AIG...) I urge all photographers to start demanding cash advances on ALL jobs and not just larger ones. We simply can no longer afford to work as we have in the past. Here is ASMP Executive Director, Gene Mopsiks view on this mess: ASMP STATEMENT

Joseph's Lane, 7:23

2009-03-17T13:01:00.002-04:00

Go Green for Our Furry Friends...

2009-03-12T12:42:00.003-04:00

Here is a great place to get rid of all your outdated electronic gadgets and at the same time help out the Western Pennsylvania Humane Society. I rate this idea "4 Paws Up"! (be sure to click on poster to see it large enough to read)

McKees Rocks Bridge

2009-03-10T18:54:00.004-04:00

This image of the McKees Rocks Bridge was licensed for set decoration on the television series, The Guardian, starring Simon Baker. The image hung on the wall in Dabney Coleman's office. The original image was shot on Fujichrome Velvia, but I scanned and processed the image as a sepia toned image and did select diffusion on it as well for a more dreamy look.

Closed For the Season

2009-03-07T21:15:00.004-05:00

A little landscape photography shot this winter at Moraine State Park. The image is called,

"Closed For the Season" which was taken from the sign attached to the restroom. With the temps in the 70's today, summer cannot come quick enough for me!

Some Pittsburgh Beauty Photography

2009-03-04T16:08:00.005-05:00

I think I'll start posting more pictures and writing less. The former is what I'm better at anyway!

I worked with Pittsburgh makeup artist Patty Bell and hair stylist Sandee Scott to create these images. They both worked incredibly hard and I love the creative energy that surrounds us when we all work together. Enjoy the day!

Panoramic photo of Pittsburgh

2009-03-03T18:51:00.003-05:00

This was shot on a foggy morning for my book, Pittsburgh: A Photographic Portrait. It didn't make it, but one that was warmer and showed the sun did. It was an amazing sight to see!

Becoming More Social on the Internet

2009-03-02T17:39:00.002-05:00

It seems like lately anytime I start writing for my blog, it begins something like this: "sorry I haven't written anything or added to the blog....". Unfortunately, this entry isn't a whole lot different. One of the reasons for my lack of white noise here has been that I have put some recent energy into my LinkedIn and Facebook pages. They are both quite different from each other. LinkedIn is far more professional and has been a nice tool to help me keep track of old clients, future clients and fellow professionals. Facebook is more for friends and family and old college chums that like to re-live the good old days. Both have their place and I've really enjoyed the instant feedback that you get on those types of forums v. the Blog where sometimes I think I'm just talking to myself! I will keep posting on occasion here when I think I've got something interesting to talk about or show. I hope if you are a regular reader here, that you'll stop by on my LinkedIn page or Facebook page, check out my profile, and make me a "friend" or "connection". I'd love to hear from you!

Since I've been trying hard to eat a little healthier lately and shed some pounds, I was inspired by this panoramic photo I shot some time ago...Enjoy the day!

Mark

Mark Bolster speaks at Avonworth High School

2009-02-03T18:01:00.004-05:00

I had fun yesterday meeting students from Avonworth High School and speaking to them about my work, life lessons, and tips on how to improve their photography. The yearbook staff was especially involved as they appreciated tips on how to make their camera be a more natural tool to use as well as composition help. The students really are amazing, and one of the things I enjoy so much about speaking to groups, classes, and doing book signings is that I always learn something. If not about photography, then I learn a little about myself. The kids at Avonworth are engaged and very polite. This comes from great parenting and excellent teachers that really care about their students. It was an absolute joy to be around them! Thanks Mrs. Frau and Mrs. Fox
for your hospitality and thank you to the library staff for helping with the a/v needs!

Also....congrats to the 6 time world champ, Pittsburgh Steelers! You gave us the best Superbowl I can ever recall seeing and made this past weekend way more fun than a human should be allowed to have! The game helped us all forget about a gloomy economy and crummy Pittsburgh weather for at least a few hours. The only downer was Dan Rooney thanking President Obama for the victory. If anyone can tell me what the Prez had to do with anything, I'd love to hear it... Sunday was NOT the time for politics. The parade was today in downtown Pittsburgh and hopefully everyone can get back to business now. Sunday's are going to be missing something for me (at least till Speedweeks in Daytona later this month!)

Here is a photo from last week's snowstorm taken in Butler Co. Stay warm!

Mark

Nice to be back!

2008-12-10T11:30:00.003-05:00

Mail order catalogs are piling up on my dining room table, the kids are asking "when are we putting up the Christmas tree"? and it is dark and cold outside. Must be December.

I've had a pretty busy year despite the crazy economy. Other than taking huge hits on my retirement fund (retirement is rapidly becoming a non-option), things have been pretty good. I've been busy doing commercial assignments for great clients like, Alcoa, Federated Investors, King Pharmaceuticals, PNC, and numerous editorial clients.
Also, I had a busy summer shooting senior portraits that took up the slack for a traditionally slow time. Been traveling a lot for both assignments and personal matters.

I traditionally look back at my business this time of year and try to figure out what went right and where I made bad decisions. Been this way for nearly 30 years so I guess something must be going right despite ups and downs in a very rocky economy.

I have a couple of more assignments to complete before the year ends. I'm working on a project currently with King Pharmaceuticals that has had me traveling around the country, shooting a CD cover for the country band, The Stickers, and working on some private portraits. Doing all this while trying to help my son get his college apps in, guide him working on his industrial design portfolio, basket ball games, fencing matches, family Christmas travels, Christmas shopping and on and on...I like being busy.

I'm going to post some pictures in the next few posts that reflect what I've been shooting since August and I hope to get a few posts in before the year is out.

How to prepare for your portrait shoot...

2008-08-01T15:07:00.009-04:00

It's been too long since I last posted...I've been very busy this summer shooting assignments for Federated Investors, PNC, and Alcoa along with many high school seniors.

For the seniors who haven't yet booked time, the clock is ticking! Get it done now before all the craziness of your senior school year start up. Check out information on www.markbolster.com/seniorpics and call or write for pricing info!

I shot some fun stuff this past week with a couple of seniors who wanted to show the sports they were involved with...
Patrick is a hunter so we HAD to shoot some outdoorsman photos along with the typical jacket and shirt combos for the yearbook. He also brought a ton of hockey equipment and uniforms that had an odor that is STILL burned in to my nostrils.
I know he laundered the stuff, but the newer manmade fabrics just hold in odors that will bring tears to your eyes!
BUT...we made some really fun hockey photos that I know we are both proud of and it was more than worth putting up with the stench :-)

Sean is into baseball, so I photographed him at a ball field.

It's important when thinking about your senior photos, to ask what you do for hobbies, sports, music, etc. If you let me know AHEAD of time, I can find really great locations that are appropriate and realistic. The better you prepare and communicate with me the better your photos are going to be. I am used to working quickly and making things up as I go, but if you don't bring the proper wardrobe and props, it is hard to make really dynamic photos that show you off. I really love it when my subjects are very involved, ask lots of questions, have ideas, and call me. I don't consider it a pain to answer your phone calls, but rather helpful for me to give you the best job possible!

The two photos are sepia black and whites of Sean and Patrick. Sean's photo is a bit esoteric for a senior picture, but I shot that photo for ME. The color versions looked great as well. But I like the simplicity of black and white when there are many elements to the photo...

PHOTO QUOTE OF THE DAY: You have to devote yourself TOTALLY to be successful at it.-Elliot Erwitt

Senior Portrait Session with Kelly

2008-07-09T16:10:00.005-04:00

Just a few out takes from a senior portrait session...If you haven't booked time yet for your portrait session please be sure to do so soon! August and back to school activities will be soon all consuming. Early bird gets the worm. Don't put off till tomorrow, what you can do today...you get the drift...

Also...a shout out and thanks to A. Robert Scott, Publisher of the Pittsburgh Point Magazine, for his recent comments about my book: Pittsburgh: A Photographic Portrait. He writes, " Over the years I've seen many books and photos of Pittsburgh, but these really appear to be some of the very, very best."

PHOTO QUOTE OF THE DAY: When I say I want to photograph someone, what it really means is that I'd like to know them. Anyone I know, I photograph. -Annie Leibovitz

Chocolate Labrador photo

2008-07-07T16:43:00.006-04:00

I don't generally photograph animals for the same reason I haven't shot many babies...I simply don't have the patience to deal with things that can't talk back to me! As I was headed off to the coffee shop this morning, my good neighbor Lisa was walking her dog, Maddie, and told me a really cool truck was parked on the street. She thought having the dog in the truck bed would be a good photograph and I agreed. So I lifted the dog into the bed took a few frames and that was it! Of course Maddie wanted to be anyplace but the truck bed, but I got what I needed. She is more comfortable dragging stuffed animals and fire wood around the block when Lisa walks her, but she was cooperative enough.

The truck was a beautifully restored 1946 or 1947 International Harvester. The only reason I knew this was that I drove one when I was in high school. My dad had found it sitting in some front yard out in boonies along with broken down washing machines, lots of tires and rims, a few riding lawn mowers, and pair of crutches. You get the scene, right? So he paid about $200.00 for it and we drove it sputtering home with big grins on our faces.

We put new points,spark plugs, and a change of oil in the flathead six engine, and used it for a beater to haul fresh cut firewood out of the woods. A few months later, Dad gave it to me to drive when I was senior to get back and forth to school and soccer practice. It was one fun vehicle. Always the visionary, I was way ahead of the custom truck trend that started years later!

After he said I could keep it as long as I maintained it I went to work on it (or at least as much as one can do with a vehicle that was new 10 years before I was born!) I first set it outside to warm up in the summer heat and then using a can of shiny black RustOleum paint, I brushed the new paint on. It wouldn't have been worth paying someone to spray the paint, cause the paint job would have cost more than the truck! I then hand painted a beach scene mural on the dashboard which was all the rage in the 70's, put down orange shag carpet on the plywood floor that covered the long rusted out metal floor. Some adhesive pin striping from the car parts store and chrome paint on the 16" wheels and I was stylin! The truck topped out at about 50MPH. However it was geared super low, and could climb back roads and go off road up steep banks like a Tibetan sherpa. It was great for keg parties that were held out in the woods and always got me back reliably and safely. The truck was actually made from REAL steel, none of this "fuel saving pressed tin" that is in today cars and trucks. The front window was hinged at the top to ventilate the cab and a lever was under the dash that opened a hood scoop to let more fresh air in to occupants. It had a 6 volt battery (located under the seat) and it started by turning the key and then pushing a starter button that was located on the floor. A lot of kids made fun of me in the school parking lot for driving such a beater, but I had a line of girls (and guys) who always were looking for a ride in it and the experience of riding in something as old as that truck. I don't remember the truck ever breaking down or leaving me stranded. My sound "system" consisted of a portable cassette player (mono) wheezing out Foghat, Zepplin, Mountain and Bachman Turner Overdrive!

Just like one never forgets their first love, your first vehicle will remain forever etched as well. I promise my next post won't be so "nostalgic"!

PHOTO QUOTE OF THE DAY: When I have a camera in hand, I know no fear-Alfred Eisenstaedt

A legend passes on...Ode to Froggy's

2008-07-06T18:39:00.006-04:00

I'm sorry to report that I learned this week of the passing of Steve "Froggy" Morris, owner and proprietor of the former popular First Avenue watering hole, "Froggy's". Though the tavern closed many years ago, the death of Froggy closes a chapter in Pittsburgh that probably won't be ever opened again. Just about every designer, art director and more than a couple of photographers called Froggy's their place of doing business on Friday nights and at lunch time. I spent many enjoyable evenings talking with clients and others in the advertising business. What was interesting, was that by and large we never spent much time talking about "the business", but spent more time getting to know each other on a personal basis, learned about our families and extended friends and learned about life as we grew up through the years. Martinis and beers were downed, a little lamenting over the "good old days", but most of all a positive outlook for tomorrow and A LOT of laughs. Once I took a photographer friend of mine visiting from NYC in on a Friday night. He thought I was the mayor of Pittsburgh and was stunned that I knew so many people and shook so many hands before we even reached the third floor. Of course, Froggy was one of the first to greet me when I walked through the door...That is just the kind of place that Steve built...My NYC friend, simply wasn't used to seeing that kind of friendliness when he walked into a bar in Manhattan.

Froggy always welcomed everyone where he maintained his post at the round table once you got in the door. The bartenders and wait staff were the best in the business. Unlike most places where staff turn over happens on a weekly basis, the staff at Froggy's worked there for years. That in itself, is a tribute to how Steve Morris treated his employees and customers. Those familiar with his place knew that on Friday nights the three floors of the old building would be hopping. The joke was the older you got, you started hanging on the lower floors, either because you couldn't walk up the steps or you might look too pervy checking out all the beautiful young women who hung on the third floor and rooftop deck. In any case patrons from 21-81 all hung there and all got along great. Since the tavern closed, nothing in PIttsburgh even has come close to the ambiance that Froggy's had. Maybe I'm getting a little older, or maybe people just don't care to enjoy conversation all that much when they have texting and email, I dunno...but I'm a little sad that little piece of heaven doesn't exist downtown anymore.

Froggy, I wish you a great after life. Somewhere I know you are watching all of this with some amusement smoking a cigar and drinking a cocktail. I look forward to seeing you again and get a martini glass chilled for me :-)

Senior Portraits, Book Reviews and assorted photo ramblings

2008-06-26T11:46:00.006-04:00

It's been awhile since posting. I've been pretty busy recently with an assignment from PNC and a number of senior portrait sessions. The phone has been ringing with students who are tired of the same old looks from traditional portrait and wedding studios and they are looking for customized and photos with a slight edge. I've really been enjoying working with the kids and the cool thing about it is that even the boys (who never want their photos done) get caught up in the session and actually enjoy themselves and my working style. My working style is loud music rocking the location, working quickly, getting Mom involved in the process by holding a flex fill reflector, and just trying to have as much fun as possible! The photos I'm getting have been great and if this trend continues, I can see myself opening a small boutique type studio for the retail business. I'm learning more about the retail business every day and it really differs from the commercial circles I'm used to running in.

Pittsburgh: A Photographic Portrait has just been reviewed by Pittsburgh Magazine, July 2008 issue in a glowing and positive manner. Here is an excerpt from the review by Hattie Fletcher wrote, "...You know, I actually have seen all these things, and some of them I wouldn't even call all that pretty. But gosh, Bolster makes them look terrific!"
As a professional photographer I have spent a career working hard to make the non pretty...pretty. So I am pleased with her assessment of my talents!

ASMP Pittsburgh chapter sponsored a talk by former Chicago photo rep, Carolyn Potts last night about the changing world of commercial photography and giving examples of why it is so much tougher these days to communicate with art buyers and to get assignments. Much of the well presented lecture was stuff I already knew, and it could have been useful to have examples of photographers who have adopted and are thriving (if they exist!) As a lecture and seminar junkie, I still always find at least one tidbit of info I can use down the line and that is why I spend time and money to attend those things. In fact, her energy inspired me to write this blog which I have neglected for a couple of weeks! You have to listen with a skeptical mind but yet be very open to new ideas of thinking. Since many of the programs are sponsored by vendors there is usually a soft sell of their products which I don't mind too much as long as it doesn't go overboard. After the seminar it was nice just getting together with fellow shooters at a Sanremos Bar pounding down pitchers of beer and discussing our businesses, our frustrations and our dreams. I, for one, intend to remain focused, positive and will continue to learn and explore all areas of photography. I remain confident that the next "BIG" idea is just around the corner!

These photos are from a recent shoot with high school senior Liz. They were made on an extremely hot and humid day, yet she and her mom hung in with me, worked hard, and we made some stunning photographs! Thanks Liz and Denise!

PHOTO QUOTE OF THE DAY: If you are out there shooting, things will happen for you. If you're not out there, you'll only hear about it.-Jay Maisel

DON'T FORGET...BOOK SIGNING TOMOROW!

2008-06-11T16:08:00.002-04:00

If you can make it out Thursday night, June 12th try to stop by and say hello! I'll be doing a combination book signing for my book, Pittsburgh: A Photographic Portrait and giving a free photo workshop and presentation on ideas on how to improve your photography and take better vacation photos. I'm looking forward to sharing a wealth of information and am hoping for lots of questions from the audience, so make a list (or even bring some of your pictures for critique and review) and head on over to Barnes and Noble in Cranberry, PA. I'll be there around 6:30 and will be speaking about 7PM. I'll be looking forward to meeting you!

PHOTO QUOTE OF THE DAY: A good photograph is knowing where to stand-Ansel Adams

Time for rockin the basement!

2008-06-10T21:30:00.002-04:00

Just got my copy of Professional Photographer Magazine today. I was featured in an article about how I deal with the pressure of executive and upper management photos (quite well, actually :-) The article was very positive and the magazine goes out to over 20,000 professional photographers who belong to the PPoA (Professional Photographers of America) which is the largest photography trade organization in the United States. The article was written by Ellis Veener, an Atlanta based photographer whom I had the pleasure of meeting a few years ago. The article features photos I shot for PNC Financial, Mellon Bank, Computer World and the United States Chess Association. Thank you, PPoA and Ellis for highlighting my work, career, and philosophies!

Since I speaking of executive portraits, what a better time than this to show rock and roll pictures! These are photos of a garage band called, Fiction on Fire. FoF allowed me to hang out with them and I shot a couple of concerts, backstage going ons, and my favorite... practicing in mom and dad's basement! I just loved the shag carpet, low ceilings, beer posters and advertising on the walls and a velvet painting (not seen in these photos...maybe I'll post more later) Sadly, the band broke up not long after I photographed them but I was thankful for the time spent with them and I'm sure our paths will cross again.

PHOTO QUOTE OF THE DAY: I am always mentally photographing everything as practice-Minor White

Time for another post

2008-06-07T17:01:00.006-04:00

Well, this post is LONG overdue... I don't understand where the time goes to. First off...

I'll be doing a book signing and photo workshop at Barnes and Noble in Cranberry, PA Thursday, June 12th at 7PM. I'll be talking a little about the making of my book, Pittsburgh: A Photographic Portrait and then giving a presentation that will help
photographers take better vacation pictures, use their camera better, and get more keeper photos. It is especially geared to photographers who simply would like to take better pictures and who are having trouble understanding what all those funny little buttons are on their camera. Please come out and say hi. The event is free and will last a couple of hours. And...they have cold air conditioning!

The two photos I've posted for this blog were rejects that didn't make the book for whatever reason, but photos I like.
They were shot at the Pittsburgh Zoo PPG Aquarium and the Scaife Gallery at the Carnegie Museum.

I've been quite busy both personally and business wise the past couple of weeks. Business has started picking up again and my senior portrait side is preparing for what looks to be the busiest season yet. I've also been attending a number of conferences and seminars that deal with the retail side of photography and how successful portrait and wedding photographers run their businesses. It is a whole different world and approach than what I've spent nearly 18 years learning and practicing in the commercial world. That side of the business knows how to make money and from what I have gathered many seem more interested in making money than shooting pictures.
Nothing wrong with that, but really different from what I learned where you have to eat, breathe, sleep photography 24/7.
For many portrait studios, it is a 9-5 job and I can tell that many of the successful shooters don't spend a whole lot of time after hours worrying about how they are going to make their next great photograph. I guess actually having a life outside of photography works for some people, but honestly, I'm not sure I'd be one of them. I do have many interests that isn't photo related, but in the back of my mind, I'm always shooting, even if it is just my imagination. This is something that photographer Jay Maisel calls doing, "visual pushups". I started doing them as a photo student where I would walk around guessing what a camera exposure would be and then taking a light reading with a meter to see how close I was. I actually got pretty good doing this! I'm also the weird guy you see walking down the street looking through two hands held close to my face (as cropping L's) framing up shots. At some point, I just quit caring about how crazy I looked because of my passion for the visual.

Another wonderful thing happened in May...I finally recovered from a ruptured/herniated back disc injury that I have had since last July. I wouldn't wish that one on anyone. Being in constant pain effects your personal life, work, and emotions. I worked through the injury the best I could and am so thankful I cleared the last hurdle towards well being.

My kids got of school for the year on Friday. My oldest, Mike is looking forward to attending Carnegie Mellon University Design School for the Pre-College program this summer. My youngest, Tyler will be in his first fencing competition since taking up the sport earlier this spring. College tours, vacation, and bass fishing is all on the horizon for the summer along with a bunch of portrait sessions and maybe even a little weed pulling around the house if I get ambitious (doubtful)!
Have an OUTSTANDING SUMMER!
Mark

QUOTE OF THE DAY: The satisfaction comes from standing next to 500 photographers and coming away with something different.-David Burnett

Orphan Works (again) and Dick Dale follow up...

2008-05-23T14:07:00.002-04:00

John Herrington, a Washington, DC photog, posted this on his blog recently. It make for good reading and helps bring to light the problems the Orphan Works Bill could bring if allowed to stand as is. If you haven't written to the politicians who are driving this, please take the time to do so. Actually phone calls and faxes are the most effective way of being heard in DC.

On a better note, I wrote a few days ago about Dick Dale and his fight with cancer. Dick sent me a personal email the other day and tells me he is done with chemo and radiation, which is great news! He still has his humor and says that we can rest as, "he is still on this side of dirt!" If you are a fan, be sure to drop him a note. He can easily be reached via his website.

I've got a lot of other things going on right now, but I'm too busy to write about them or post pics. Catch you all after the Memorial Day break...And a huge heartfelt thank you to all you vets and servicemen who make our way of life possible!

PHOTO QUOTE OF THE DAY: A good photograph is one that communicates a fact, touches the heart, leaves the viewer a
changed person for having seen it. It is in a word, EFFECTIVE-Irving Penn

another Orphan Works opinion...

2008-05-21T13:33:00.004-04:00

From yesterdays New York Times by Lawrence Lessig, law professor at Stanford University. Folks, this is a REALLY bad idea and I hope that there will be enough public outcry to scrap this ugly legislation and start with a clean slate if needed. On a professional photographers forum that I participate in and follow closely, one photographer made sense of this farce. When another poster pointed out that passage of this bill equates to being caught stealing from a store, you would only be responsible for paying for the item, Editorial Photographers (EP), Brian Smith wrote: "Excellent point, however it's actually worse than that...If you use the store anology, Ophan Works means IF you catch someone stealing your work and IF you pay the legal costs to take that infringer to court and IF the court rules in your favor, THEN you can collect the cost of the item they stole." Please contact your state representative to voice your concern immediately!

Photo Quote of the Day: You have to be ready for luck-Neil Leifer

Say NO to Orphan Works

2008-05-19T11:06:00.003-04:00

There is an undertaking currently going on in Washington, DC that will seriously undermine professional photographers ability to earn money and to control the use of our images. It is a called the Shawn Bentley Orphan Works act of 2008. The bill was originally introduced to make it easier for people who had images and could not find the photographer to lay claim to the images and use as they see fit. Museums, universities, and libraries, baffled by current "Fair Use" exemptions in the current copyright laws have been afraid to use things in their archives for fear of being sued eventually by the photographer or copyright holder.
This is a very complicated issue to run through on my blog for it's mixed readers. However, if you are a professional photographer or artist the new bill will greatly effect how we control our images, will devalue our work, and most importantly puts the onus on the creative, not the people stealing your work to prove they violated your copyright. Unfortunately, having your images registered (which EVERY creative should be doing) will not totally protect you.

I urge all of you to please educate yourself on this pending legislation and to write letters to your Senators opposing this bill.
You can learn more about Orphan Works HERE.

Photographers who belong to professional organizations such as ASMP, APA, SAA, EP and PPoA should contact their organizational website for sample letters and best way to contact their representatives. If you don't belong to an organization, this will still effect you, so please act today!

Photo Quote of the Day: "You don't take a photograph, you make it"-Ansel Adams

New Book Cover

2008-05-16T16:26:00.002-04:00

This image was from a stock production I shot a few years ago. I shot originally on Velvia film and Polachrome black and white as well. It has been used many times and another version of this shot appears on one of my business cards cropped much tighter that represents my people/lifestyle photography.

In other news...I learned today that I will be speaking to the Pittsburgh ASMP (American Society of Media Photographers) about the making of my book, Pittsburgh: A Photographic Portrait. I'll be presenting my experiences of the book publishing world and will also be examining self publishing and various cost effective venues that are now available to photographers for making short run books. The lecture will be in September, so stay tuned and I'll keep you posted as details emerge...

Photo quote of the day: People say photographs don't lie...mine do. -David LaChapelle

Environmental Portrait for American Bar Association

2008-05-13T12:37:00.004-04:00

This is a photo of a political refugee from South America made at LaRoche College in Pittsburgh.

In other news today, Barnes and Noble in Cranberry Township is firming up plans for me to give a lecture on taking better vacation photographs along with a book signing for my book, PIttsburgh: A Photographic Portrait in June. I'll keep you posted here as soon as the date is set. Also be on the lookout for an article featuring my corporate portraiture in Professional Photographer Magazine in June.

Quote of the day: Keep it Simple-Alfred Eisenstaedt

Lifestyle photo and quote of the day...

2008-05-12T19:55:00.002-04:00

I ran across some really great photo quotes the other day...I think I'll start passing them along regularly to my blog readers for inspiration and reflections...
Don't shoot until you feel it in your gut-Lisette Model

Get Well Dick Dale...

2008-05-09T09:55:00.003-04:00

I was saddened to recently learn that one of my all time guitar heros, Dick Dale, recently was diagnosed with a re-lapse of rectal cancer last month. Dick who almost single handedly became the father of heavy metal and surf guitar rock in the early 60's has had an amazing life.
He became popular by playing louder, faster, blowing up Fender amps, and rocking the house down at just about every place he played. His music was the staple for surf movies in the 60's and Dale was every bit a California Surf legend. He is a true renaissance man who no doubt will have a place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
At 71 years old he flies his own plane, has a place in the California desert complete with airstrip, has a zoo full of exotic animals, and unlike most rock and rollers doesn't drink, smoke, or do drugs. He is truly a man high on life and up until last year his energy level performing in concert would put "youngsters" half his age to shame. Dick's career received a huge boost in the arm when his song, Miserlou, was featured in Tarentino's Pulp Fiction. Since then he has toured steadily, and his music has been used as soundtracks in numerous television commercials and has enjoyed a strong following of surf music fans who lovingly refer to themselves as "Dick Heads"

Up until a few months ago he was still touring and blowing out eardrums with his speed playing, heavy reverb and Fender Strat which is wound tighter than a duck's ass...He is currently undergoing another round of chemo following surgery and according to his webiste, hopes to take some time off in Hawaii to do a little surfing and heal as soon as he can. Dick..I wish you nothing but the best. Your music has meant a great deal to me and I can only hope to have your energy when I reach your age. Take care of yourself, beat the demon, and I look forward to seeing you again when you hit the road!

Family picture...

2008-05-07T15:35:00.004-04:00

Portrait of my youngest son who recently has taken up fencing. I've decided it's a great sport if you are participating and not so much if you are a spectator. Anything to get him away from the xbox...

I also learned yesterday that my oldest son, has been accepted at Carnegie Mellon University Design School Summer Pre-College program! We are very excited about his bright future!

Make it a good one...

Environmental portrait

2008-05-01T14:22:00.004-04:00

This was photographed for local NBC affiliate TV station, WPXI awhile back. It's a photo of Jack Etzel who had a home handyman segment. I built the set on a sound stage at WPXI studios. A couple of two by fours, a roll of insulation, some drywall and electrical components is all it took. Originally shot on 6x7 Velvia Film with a Pentax 67. I stumbled across this while pulling photos for Professional Photographer Magazine for an upcoming article about my location portraits.

What kind of camera should I buy?

2008-04-28T12:59:00.006-04:00

I get asked this question CONSTANTLY whenever I'm on assignment or just from friends and relatives. Unfortunately, I usually mumble something like, "unless you are willing to spend at least $1000. on a digital camera, stick with film". This comment isn't meant to be contrite, but my experience is that people get really fed up with shutter speed lag when trying to take pictures of their kids and fido. The moment is generally long gone by the time the shutter actually activates. Couple that with the fact that I REALLY dislike photo equipment, and there are better resources than me to ask about cameras. People see me lugging tons of equipment to a shoot and think that I know everything there is to know about every camera on the market. I shoot professional Canon equipment with professional Profoto lighting equipment. This stuff I know about...I also know most people aren't willing to drop $8,000 on a camera body. If you are, let me know and I will highly recommend what I use. You WILL be happy with the image quality :-)

I heard about this camera on a forum last year and if I were in the market for a point and shoot, I'd take a serious look at this:
Ricoh Caplio GX100 The camera retails for $519.00.

Happy snapping!

Elmira Star-Gazette article on my book...

2008-04-27T11:15:00.004-04:00

John Cleary, writer for the Elmira Star Gazette newspaper wrote a small article about myself and my book, Pittsburgh: A Photographic Portrait for todays Sunday paper. The article can be read here: Star Gazette Article

Louisiana Riviera...

2008-04-23T21:04:00.005-04:00

Here is a photo of my future retirement home. Not sure if my wife wants to join me, but the way the photography business is going, it might not be an option :-) It looks cheap, but it's probably worth 300K...:-) Location, Location, Location...

Taken somewhere on the Gulf coast between Port Arthur, TX and New Orleans, LA after two days on an offshore oil rig for Michael Baker Engineers. Fujichrome Velvia with Canon EOS-1n.

High wire act AND some love from Professional Photographer...

2008-04-22T20:14:00.004-04:00

This was shot while I was on assignment in Puerto Rico for Mylan Labs. I was shooting a new pharmaceutical manufacturing facility that was under construction. I was on a roof top doing "poor man" aerial photography, when I noticed this scene taking place a few blocks over. I shot it with a 400mm lens. The job is not for anyone who is afraid of high voltage or skittish about heights. Watching the worker prance around on high tension tower was fun. He certainly didn't show any trepidation about his job and moved swiftly about the structure. I'm sure the safety belt he was wearing helped add that extra sense of security.

I learned today that Professional Photographer magazine will be featuring me in a profile in their June issue. With a little luck, I'll get the cover as well. Too early to tell, but I'm excited about being profiled by Ellis Veener who wrote the article on how I approach executive and upper management portraiture. I gave them 18 portraits to pick from for the article, so it will be interesting to see what images they like the best. Professional Photographer is the official magazine of the PPofA (Professional Photographers of America) which is the largest and premier photo organization in the United States that advocates for over 19,000 member professional photographers. I am humbled to be featured in a magazine for an organization that has some very talented members and I hope my work and story inspires!

Congratulations Danica!

2008-04-21T10:53:00.003-04:00

Those who know me , know I'm a total gear head and a huge motorsports fan. I've been particularly thrilled that American open wheel racing has finally buried the hatchet between ChampCar and the Indy Racing League. A quick primer, ChampCar went bankrupt and the Indy Racing League has aquirred the assets and we now have just one open wheel racing series for Indy type cars. The sport which was once the greatest racing in the USA took backseat a number of years ago to NASCAR due to infighting, huge egos, super expensive equipment and testing and loss of major sponsorships. Those of you who follow this sport, understand that my comments here are very simplistic and short. Let's just say to keep things simple, open wheel racing in the United Stats is bound to get better and will see the glory days that were long lost in the nineties...It will take awhile, but myself, and fellow race fans have a lot to look forward to!

Auto racing is the sole reason I got into photography. As a kid I used to go to the races at Watkins Glen. Formula 1, Can Am, sports cars, Formula 5000, and Trans Am races were my love. I saw photographers standing trackside shooting the sport, and thought to myself, "what a great way to make a living..." And that is all it took for me to get interested in cameras and shooting. I even photographed a few races, but discovered that lugging huge telephoto lenses around all day in 90 plus degree sun while walking miles to cover every angle of the track really WASN'T fun. The biggest thing I hated was that you actually see little of the race while you are working to shoot it. It's kind of hard to explain, but trust me, most serious spectators knew more about what was happening than the photographers covering the race.

So this weekend Danica Patrick, the IRL poster girl finally won her first IRL race in Japan and deserves a big "way to go!"
She has been under huge pressure to win since she has been in the big leagues and though she has clearly shown herself to be competitive, had yet to win and there were too many nay sayers about her abilities. I've never been a huge Danica fan, but have always felt she had talent and her competitive spirit and drive finally paid off this weekend. It's tough for ANYONE to win at this level in sport, so kudos for the first WOMAN to win in US Open wheel racing, and now hopefully the media will get off the Danica Mania kick (doubtful) and get back to covering ALL the deserving drivers and teams who work so hard to get to the top. I'm sure you'll be sick of hearing of Danica by the time the green drops at the Indy 500 in May. But despite what us hardcore fans think, the new Danica Mania Pt. 2 will be good exposure for our sport in bringing new fans, media coverage and more money into the sport we all love.

Here is here winner circle interview from Saturday at Motegi Ring: Danica Patrick wins at last.

Let's keep with the spring flowers theme...

2008-04-18T12:56:00.004-04:00

Hey...it's sunny, the robins are chirping, and I put my screen in my storm door today! Makeup by Patty Bell. Photographed with Fujichrome Velvia 120 film with a Pentax 67.

Ode to 3-M Scotch 1000 film

2008-04-17T16:59:00.006-04:00

I used to shoot this transparency film back in the day that was rated at 1000 and then push it a couple of stops...The film had grain the size of a golf ball, but was really beautiful as you could see each grain and the color within the grain itself. One wouldn't normally use this type of film for beauty shooting, but this was a test done with makeup artist, Patty Bell and model Jenny Cramer. Patty is a fantastic make up artist and a ton of fun to work with it! We always have such a great time getting crazy, doing stuff we generally never get a chance to do with our clients, and we aren't afraid to make a mistake here and there in the search for something unique...
In case you are wondering, we did shoot normal transparency film, as grain generally doesn't show off the makeup artist's work as good as a finer grain film. But, I still liked the grain version the best. The Scotch 1000 film became so scarce before it went out of production, I had to order it directly from the factory in Minneapolis. I had a ton of it in my fridge. This week has been sort of a "blast from the past", as I recently had a need to sort through thousands of returned stock images from my now defunct agency. There is a LOT of really great stuff, now I just need to figure out what to do with it all...

Signs in the Southwest...

2008-04-16T11:42:00.003-04:00

A couple of whimsical signs that I photographed a number of years ago in New Mexico and Arizona...

These photos are really old. How do I know that? Because the "Thing" sign that advertises bull horns and velvet paintings also is advertising regular gas for 1.12 a gallon! Ahh...the good old days...

A couple of lifestyle pictures for a sunny Monday...

2008-04-14T16:02:00.002-04:00

Senior Picture time is getting closer!

2008-04-03T18:55:00.004-04:00

I've been quite busy preparing marketing materials, package pricing, and senior picture updates to my website: seniorpics The senior portrait session season will start soon mostly because the weather gets warmer and so many of you want photos done outdoors. I'm really psyched for the Class of 2009 and I've got A LOT of really neat tricks up my sleeve so you'll be certain to have a unique look and photos you'll be proud of many years after you graduate. I've seen way TOO MANY yearbook pictures that look cookie cutter and to be frank, it should be an embarrassment to have your photo look EXACTLY like 6 other seniors in your class. After all, if you showed up to the prom and 3 other girls were wearing YOUR dress, I don't think you'd be a very happy camper! Unfortunately, this happens all too often when photographers either refuse to shoot different locations, fail to listen to your requests, or simply aren't creative enough to photograph you in an interesting manner...I mean come on...how many fences and waterfalls can one photograph before burning out? I don't have anything against waterfalls or fences, but at least move the camera and change a lens once in awhile to get something DIFFERENT!!!! Now to be fair to other photographers, not all Seniors are willing to put the time in for great pictures(and you GUYS know who you are :-) Making great Senior pictures is a two way street. Photographers need to have their seniors have an open mind and be willing to experiment and spend a few hours to get great shots. However, if a photographer isn't willing to work his/her hardest to get those once in a lifetime shot, you are being short changed. Cheap photography is easy to find, but quality lasts forever and costs less in the long run. I WANT to work with seniors who consider their portrait session a TEAM effort, and I have YET to find a senior who has more energy than I do once the camera starts clicking!

If you are presently a junior in the Avonworth and Quaker Valley school districts, plan on receiving direct mail offers and promotions within a month or two. I HAPPILY shoot seniors from ANY school district, but concentrate my marketing efforts currently within this area. Nothing against you great seniors from other districts...I would love to get a call from ANY senior, regardless of school district and have the opportunity to make you look as good as you can be! If you don't get any mailing please just give me a call or shoot me an email and I'll get all the info to you right away!

USS Bolster-A Naval ship that carries a proud name

2008-03-28T13:57:00.005-04:00

The great thing about the internet and Google is that you constantly come across things that inspire, educate, and cause thought. Last night while checking on my web stats and SEO I somehow stumbled upon this little gem...The USS Bolster, US Navy Rescue and Salvage ship.

The ship that is 213' long was built by the Basalt Rock Co. and launched from Napa, CA on Dec. 23rd, 1944. Wonder if it was christened by a nice cabernet instead of champagne? The vessel served in WWII, Korean War, and in Vietnam. It was used to rescue battle struck ships, pull barges, and used for deep sea recovery with divers for salvage operations around the world.

Though the work wasn't as "glamorous" as the big gun ships and aircraft carriers, the ship and crews were awarded numerous decorations for performance in battle situations. The ship was put out of service on Sept. 24, 1994 and resides currently in Suisun Bay, California. Efforts are being made to rescue the rescue ship and turn it into a museum. Details, photos, and video can be seen here. I'll be anxious to ask my dad, who served in the US Army in the Far East if he ever came across this ship while he was stationed there, since the time frame and geographical areas would have been the same. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to yet determine who in "my" family this ship was named after ;-)

New B-52's FUNPLEX CD out TODAY!!!

2008-03-26T14:03:00.006-04:00

My NYC bud photographer, Brad Trent reminded me today through his daily song of the day emailer that the B-52's after 16 years finally have a new CD out. I gotta tell you, I've always been a huge fan of these crazy party kids from Athens, GA and this new release sounds just as fresh as they did in the 80's when I listened to them on Long Island radio station, WLIR and wore out cassettes listening to them on my state of the art Sony Walkman while roller skating around Central Park. Kate, Cindy, Keith, and Fred are still at the top of their game and already the Apple iTunes store reviews gives the new release 4.5 out of 5 stars! The CD kicks off with "Pump" and just keeps getting better and has a couple of live recordings of the classics, Private Idaho and Planet Claire. This ones gonna be big...Pull out the lava lamp and start dancin....

On another front...a big THANKS to PittGirl for posting a write up on her blog: The Burgh Blog
giving a shout out mention about my book: Pittsburgh: A Photographic Portrait
Check out her writings about all things Pittsburgh!

Senior portrait...

2008-03-18T10:47:00.004-04:00

This past week I've been putting together marketing materials for my other business, a senior portrait studio. I've really enjoyed photographing seniors during the slow summer months and the business continues to grow. Photographing seniors has proven to be a great supplement to my commercial business which has changed now that I no longer have an active stock agency licensing my work. What is fun is that the assignments aren't really much different than the typical editorial assignments I get. I enjoy photographing people in unique environments and customers looking for a "different" style of senior portraits are always thrilled with the locations, posing, and results I give vs. a typical wedding/portrait studio where photographers shoot 20 frames and have lights bolted to the floor or ceiling. Even my fees are typically higher than the average editorial shoot and I have very appreciative clients. One woman was moved to tears when she saw how her "little girl" was all "grown up" and how beautiful I made her look. Complements like that usually don't come from my commercial clients, and adds fuel to the creative fires that are smoldering in my brain.

Reasons to consider UPS as your freight provider...

2008-03-13T18:09:00.002-04:00

With women who look this great and have such friendly smiles, why would you choose any other shipper? The uniforms look nice too! As if you hadn't figured it out, the uniforms probably won't be seen on your block anytime soon... :-( The uniforms were designed as prototypes by fashion designers for Fashion Week in NYC. My client, UPS asked me to photograph the runway for six upcoming designers. As a Fashion Week sponsor they also held a fun party after the show and models mingled with guests and sales staff and showed what imaginative designers could do to make "Big Brown" look better. Don't you think they look fab?
Of course, many of the UPS workers who were on hand for the festivities HAD to be photographed with the leggy models!
One man, who shall we say was "vertically challenged" thought he might look funny with a model towering over him, so we improvised. A fun time was had by all on 7th Avenue!

Heavenly Fishing Boat...

2008-03-12T21:37:00.004-04:00

Miami, Florida. Looks like a "Corona with a squeeze of lime" moment...

Annual report portrait

2008-02-26T14:45:00.002-05:00

Portrait of an IT worker photographed for King Pharmaceuticals, New Jersey. January 2008.

Avonworth High School Fashion Show and Tea

2008-02-25T16:15:00.003-05:00

Liz and Wade tango the runway at yesterday's Junior Class Fashion Show! The Juniors were stylin large in this annual event to raise money for the junior class. Thanks to all the parents, show planning committee, student models, and junior class advisor Nicole Levis, who donated their time and auction items that contributed to a great and fun event!
I had a blast photographing the event for my son's class and photos have been posted online for review and/or purchase.

I feel truly blessed to have kids attending a school district where people care and students get great support not only from the school staff but involved parents as well!

Meeting the man with the "Right Stuff"...

2008-02-23T17:04:00.008-05:00

Awhile back I had the pleasure of meeting Gene Kranz the former NASA mission control flight director on the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo space launches. Being a certifiable space race history nut, the chance to meet and shoot Gene was a very exciting assignment. Boise Office Products had hired Gene to give a motivational speech to their sales staff and customers. I was on hand to shoot the event and the "meet and greet" shots. Gene was very gracious and answered lots of questions. Most of you who aren't familiar with the space program, probably remember the movie, Apollo 13. Ed Harris played the role of Gene Kranz who acted very calmly and worked hard with his team to "think the problem through" after hearing that now infamous radio transmission, "Houston, we've had a problem"...His quick thinking and decision making helped save the lives of the 3 astronauts onboard.

I have a huge amount of respect for this Presidential Medal of Freedom winner and what he has accomplished in his life. And though I've met a number of celebrities over the years on assignments, Eugene Kranz is one of the most memorable personalities and someone whom I really look up to. And though I don't dig his trademark haircut, Gene truly has the "Right Stuff" many times over. Thanks Gene, for a great shoot and for your dedicated service to our country!

Jenn with Milk...

2008-02-22T17:17:00.002-05:00

Studio shoot, with Jenn. I thought milk, plexi, and a white gown would look nice together...Whaddaya think?
Have a great weekend!

Cup of Java and chat...

2008-02-21T12:52:00.009-05:00

I've been wanting to do a story about one of my favorite coffee houses in the city, The Vault Coffee and Tea Bar, for quite some time. After all, I'm usually in there two to three mornings a week when I'm not on location catching up on the latest gossip, discussing Sirius radio, Howard Stern, new music, and Kevin Smith movies with Brad Richards, the manager of the shop.
When you are a one man biz like myself, it's important to get out and mingle. Otherwise, I'd climb the walls from lack of social interaction.

Why the Vault? First, they serve the best damn coffee around. They use Orinoco beans, ground fresh and use Ghiradelli bittersweet cocoa in my skim mocha latte. No Hershey's corn syrup that is called "chocolate" found here. All their drinks are poured with precision and made with extra care. Great pride is taken in the presentation and ingredients. The mocha that I photographed, isn't a "special" drink made for photography, it is what their drink actually looks like every pour (even in a "to go" cup!) Coffee mugs are pre heated to avoid cooling down their drinks that are served at the optimum temperature (match that Starbucks...) It's a true joy to see utilitarian food and beverage served and created with pride which is so rare these days.

The baked in-house pastries and vegetarian lunches are super yummy and made with the freshest ingredients.
A comfy lounge, with plenty of music and design industry magazines along with an art gallery make for a relaxed visit.
And they have tons of signs. Neat signs. Signs I want to photograph that bring a smile to my face everytime I see them. One of Brad's heros is film maker Kevin Smith. He loves Kevin's sarcastic sense of humor as much as I do. The Vault has smart ass baristas much like Clerks, only with service that is more like the Ritz!

One more thing...try to get there every September 12th for Johnny Cash day. Johnny is played non-stop all day long on the shop sound system. All the baristas (Brad, Drew, Matt, and Damon) wear black. But...the fun part is whenever June Carter joins in song. That's when everyone (baristas and customers)stop whatever they are in the middle of doing and down a shot of Makers Mark Bourbon. Let me tell you...at 7AM this game can get addictive and starts your morning with a smile on your face!
Brad tells me he would like to have more "dead people" days as they are great crowd pleasers. I'm with you on that one Brad!

Test shoot with Mitch...

2008-02-20T13:46:00.009-05:00

I had fun yesterday photographing a new model, Mitch at one of my favorite locations, The Creative Treehouse. We worked quickly and I shot using a variety of techniques, including a tilt-shift lens, Profoto strobes, and available light with fill cards. It was very much a collaborative effort and we made some great images. Thanks Mitch for your hard work, and good luck to you in grad school!

Snow Day!!!

2008-02-13T11:20:00.003-05:00

Well, yesterday it snowed and snowed. My kids had the day off and hit the neighborhood slopes hard. I had a great time photographing them and just watching them play and build

ramps, pipelines, and rails in the woods next to the house. It is refreshing to see the guys get away from the xbox and get the fresh air we all need. I know I NEEDED some fresh air...

The play time was a great break for my oldest son, Michael who has been hitting the books hard prepping for his SAT's and my younger son, Tyler, who enjoys trying to keep up with Michael and friends Zach and Tommy, as they trick out death defying acts on their snowboards.

Ahh... to be young and have muscles and bones that recover quickly....Enjoy the day!

Art for Art sake...

2008-02-06T20:43:00.000-05:00

Besides being a very cool classic rock song by 10cc, check out this performance art in Grand Central Station in New York. Gotta love it...

GRAND CENTRAL STATION VIDEO

Thanks to my old high school friend, Barb Zolli for forwarding this to me. I miss you Barb!

Throw me a friggin bone...

2008-02-05T14:58:00.000-05:00

So In October of 2007 I started this blog. The biggest reason for doing this was I figured it could drive some traffic to my Pittsburgh Photographer website, www.markbolster.com.

However, it has been fun writing about things that I might not normally discuss and showing images that might not make it on my photography portfolio website. The hardest part is just keeping up on a daily basis while I'm trying to get work done for my photography business.

My dilemma is this...is there anyone out there in cyberspace that is actually reading this blog?? So far I have had a grand total of 2 comments. Not even from any family members! If you stumbled upon this site PLEASE leave me a comment. Good, bad, indifferent. I don't care. I'm lonely. I need to feel the love. Do it today knowing you have made me feel better about myself.
Do it often. Let me know what you'd like to see or discuss. I'm doing this because I enjoy talking photography.

If you have any questions about the photography business in Pittsburgh, or just want to talk tech stuff, I'd be happy to give my two centavos.

Speaking of plastic camera photography...

2008-02-05T14:34:00.001-05:00

Those crazy hipster kids, Meg and Jack White from the White Stripes have joined up with the LOMOGRAPHY website which is now selling "limited edition" sets of the Meg White Diana camera and Jack White Holga. The Meg White version comes with a "ring flash", funky spiral red color filter, fancy packaging, and a photo book of Diana images. All for $180.00. If this sounds like way too much money for the Chinese camera that sold for about $5.00 in the 60's you're probably right. But I guess that is the cost of having company with rich rock stars....

The website is currently selling new, "plain jane" Diana's for $50.00. And no...the optics aren't any better on the more expensive camera. If you are looking for optical quality, then you simply don't understand the zen of plastic cameras.

I've always been partial to the Diana instead of the Holga. The Holga almost seems too "sharp" to me. If you find an original Diana for sale, make sure that it will take 120 film, since many were manufactured to take 620 film which is no longer produced. For you digital people who vowed never to shoot with film again, there is always the Lens Baby, which unfortunately is getting more expensive and sharper which goes against everything I love about plastic cameras.

New showing of New York Diana camera images

2008-02-04T11:21:00.000-05:00

Good to be back writing...I've been extremely busy the last 3 weeks working on the King Pharmaceuticals annual report and traveling pretty heavy. The shoot went well and the design of the annual by Taylor and Ives, from New York is really clean and I think one of the better books we've done yet. The shoot was special because I've been working with senior designer, Trevor Paccione, for a number of years on this project, but yet had never had the opportunity to actually meet him in person. Art direction was done by way of comps and pdf's. Trevor went to all the sessions, and it was helpful having an extra set of eyes on the set and his suggestions were almost always spot on. It is great working with an experienced designer who knows the pitfalls of corporate photography and understands the politics and people who are involved.

Having the designer travel and visit the facilities that I shoot in is also positive, in that he learned more about what I'm up against logistically scouting for fresh shooting environments.

Saturday, Feb. 9 The Bellevue Barbershop will be having another creative night party. Featured will be my toned, black and white Diana camera photos of New York City. The photos are street photography in the purest form. Subject matter is the streets of Manhattan and Coney Island.

Aaron Stubna, owner of the shop works hard to promote local artists and promotes Bellevue

as the next upcoming hot neighborhood. Try to stop by Saturday evening for some vino, food, music, and good conversation in a very unique setting for a photo show. Be sure to say hello to me!

The images shown are part of the show. If you can't make it to the show, you can see the images here: Diana Camera

Winter Light, Oxford Center- 2007

2008-01-21T13:50:00.000-05:00

No story, just a picture today. The towers remind me of a graph chart that shows what the stock market has been doing as of late....:-(
Been busy shooting and working on the King Pharmaceuticals annual report. I'll have more to write when I get some free time. Stay warm!

Couple of landscapes to start the New Year...

2008-01-08T10:27:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone had a fun holiday! I've hit the ground running after the break and have been quite busy. Sales of the book,
Pittsburgh: A Photographic Portrait are still going strong. Annual report season is in swing, and I have estimates out on a couple of really interesting projects that I can't give details on yet.

My gallery show from the book is currently hanging at The Vault coffee shop at in Brighton Heights. Stop by for the best expresso in town and take a look at the photos. I'll be doing a separate article on this blog with some pictures of the Vault in the near future, so stay tuned.

Thanks Bellevue Barbershop!

2007-12-29T15:50:00.000-05:00

Aaron Stubna, owner of the Bellevue Barbershop had a nice art gallery show and party last night in his shop. Included in the artists, were prints from my book, Pittsburgh: A Photographic Portrait. Aaron has worked hard helping to promote local artists and bringing business to downtown Bellevue. It was a pleasure to show work in his shop and I wish him luck as he is one of the people the Pittsburgh URA is looking at to rehab the Garden Theatre in the Mexican War Street area. Aaron has great plans for the old theatre and I'm sure he'd work hard at taking on the task. Thanks again Aaron!

Merry Christmas, 2007

2007-12-25T14:46:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone has a great holiday season! I'm planning on getting a lot of reading done. I'm currently reading, Boom! by Tom Brokaw. It is a great historical read if you are interested in how the sixties has shaped our present culture and society. I'm looking forward to getting some other books finished and maybe figuring out how to play their new Guitar Hero 3. My kids think I'm a total klutz, and I think they are probably right...I don't get how anyone gets those video games to work for them. Obviously I was born missing that video game gene...Will be attending a high school basketball tournament this week as well, which, I dare say...enjoy even more than Steeler football!

Book sales for Pittsburgh: A Photographic Portrait are going VERY strong. If you can't
find any at your local Borders or Barnes and Noble, I still have print/book packages available directly from me.

The Christmas tree photo was taken near Boise, Idaho a few years ago. The tree is safe from vandals unless it gets hit by a plane :-)

I'll post some new stuff at the start of 2008...Be safe...

Cohibas and cocktails,
Mark

Bare Trees, December 2007

2007-12-19T09:26:00.001-05:00

Book update

2007-12-18T09:47:00.000-05:00

It's looking like it will be a quiet week here leading up till Christmas. I'm busy just getting digital files out the door from previous assignments and have been promoting my book, Pittsburgh: A Photographic Portrait and filling limited edition book/print orders before Christmas. The rest of the week will be spent clearing the desk, getting travel arrangements completed for an upcoming annual report assignment, and trying to get my Christmas shopping done. I'm looking forward to quiet time for the holidays, hitting the ski slopes, and connecting friends that I haven't seen in awhile.

The book signing at Border's went well on Sunday despite horrible weather and competing with the Steeler's home game.
I met many nice people and moved books which is what it is all about. Thanks to all of you who braved the weather and came out for the signing! Locally, Border's in the Northway Mall still has a nice supply, so if you still need copies for Christmas gifts you should check them out. If you are a Border's Rewards member, they might even be discounted.

In keeping with the holiday season, this picture from book is a look at the holiday light up night in Pittsburgh.

Enjoy the day!

Bid on the Avonworth High School Auction!

2007-12-13T15:24:00.000-05:00

Take a look at the Avonworth High School annual auction raising money for Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh and be sure to place a bid. This annual auction put on by the student council raised over $21,000.00 last year for the hospital! When you consider how small this school is, it is quite amazing. I've got a senior portrait package as one of the items, so bid early and bid often! The bidding will end on noon Friday, Dec. 14th. Be generous and you can win a free portrait session with yours truly!

This photo is from a senior shoot done this fall of an Avonworth football player...

Enjoy the day and the rain!

A Photo Editor Blog...or beating a hornets nest?

2007-12-12T10:49:00.000-05:00

I've been reading the last couple of weeks a blog site that has been created by a New York photo editor. The blog site, A Photo Editor, is an interesting read and one filled with vast amounts of information and exasperation by photographers. One needs to read between the lines of whining, ego driven anecdotes, and out and out poor business practices but there are many gems to be mined here. For me it's a way to try to keep current on editorial trends, since having left New York a number of years ago (the center of the universe :-) I don't keep in touch with photo editors and fellow editorial shooters as much as I used to. The site seems to have really taken off, and it's apparent that many of the photo organizations still lack in the education department for upcoming photographers. Actually...the photo orgs are quite good, but I'm guessing that many newer people in the business and who have come to depend upon the world wide web as a source of free information, just won't bother forking over the dues to organizations that benefit everyone and not just members. So, how does this site differ? Whomever the Photo Editor is seems to have a great deal of experience and works for a larger consumer publication (at least that is my opinion, since Photo Editor hides behind anonymity)
Readers of the blog will find no-holds barred opinions from someone who actually hires photographers.
This is a terrific wake-up call to many people who thinks that the editorial business is something that it's not. There is also a place for photographers to post photos and links to their websites which looks great now, but most likely will be overun by mediocre work as the site gets more popular.
I tried to post and link my site on PE's blog, but had technical problems that I couldn't overcome posting my web link. So sadly, I couldn't post photos over there...
On the downside to the site...I HATE when people post not using their real names on websites
that deal with professionals and business issues. I feel if you can't post your name, you aren't worth reading. After all we not doing anything illegal here, but all trying to expand our knowledge of a business we love, struggle, and thrive with. I also question Photo Editors taste in photography sometimes when he (again I THINK... PE is a he) raves about certain photographers who look like they don't know anything about lighting, composition, and styling. But somehow they remain, "the flavor of the month".

So check out the APE blog and let me know what you think!

Today's photo: A warm up for a morning yoga class on South Beach, Miami...

Photo for the day...Santorini, Greece

2007-12-11T09:26:00.000-05:00

Book signing Sunday!

2007-12-10T12:38:00.001-05:00

Well it's been a few days...ok....a week...since I last posted. What can I say, been busy...
I spoke with the manager of the local Borders store in the Northway Mall yesterday, and he told me that my book, Pittsburgh: A Photographic Portrait, was selling very strongly and was the top seller last week of their featured books! I'm not sure what it all means, as I doubt that I'm outselling Jackie Collins, John Grisham, or Dean Kuntz, but its all good as far as I'm concerned! I hope everyone that wants copies will be able to get them for Christmas. I still have a few copies available as a limited edition package available directly from me.

The bookstore is looking forward to me doing a signing. So please come out to see me this Sunday, Dec. 16 at the Northway Mall Borders on McKnight Road in the Pittsburgh North Hills. I'll be there from 1-3PM.
I'll be signing purchased copies of my book, answering questions about photography, and am looking forward to meeting all fans of Pittsburgh and photography! Please stop by and say hello so I don't look lonely in the height of the Christmas shopping rush.

It's the Giving Season...

2007-12-03T18:41:00.001-05:00

This Saturday (Dec. 8th), myself and other photographer members of the Creative Treehouse in Bellevue will be photographing Christmas Card portraits for people who need a great photo for their Christmas Cards. The photographers are donating their time and the only charge to the sitter is to bring a toy or two so that we may distribute them to the Big Brothers and Sisters Of Pittsburgh organization so they may give them to someone who needs a little joy in their life. Please check out the promo flyer and if you have any questions after reading the flyer and visiting the Creative Treehouse site, feel free to get in touch with me. This is a great chance to donate to a great cause, get a creative portrait, and check out the fun scene at the Creative Treehouse in Bellevue! And...in the spirit of the giving season, if you bring ME a great cigar, I promise to give you a REALLY GREAT portrait (even better than the just great portrait:-) Spread the love...

Citizen article out today on me...

2007-11-28T16:50:00.000-05:00

The Citizen published an article today on my photography and new book, Pittsburgh: A Photographic Portrait. The story was written by Tom Steiner and he also photographed me up at the West End overlook. Tom is a Ben Avon resident and Renaissance man. He is a writer, photographer, English teacher, yard sales guru, and world traveler. It was fun talking with him and promoting the book in this small Pittsburgh newspaper. Unfortunately, The Citizen is not online and can only be purchased locally in the North Boros, so pick up a copy if you are in the area this week!

Thinking sun...Winter isn't even here yet.

2007-11-27T19:12:00.000-05:00

If you watched the Steeler vs. Dolphin snore fest last night, you'll know that weather here in the 'burgh is leaving a lot to be desired. If the weather keeps up like this, it will be time to break out the sun lamp, a bottle of scotch, and a Montecristo #2 to get my attitude back. It's not even officially winter yet. I need a warm trip soon, art buyers! Here's a warm photo...This was shot at one of my favorite places in the world, Siesta Key, Florida. It was done during a stock production shoot for my former stock agency. The beach has white sand like no other that I've ever been to. And... you get to shoot late afternoon and sunsets which makes getting out of bed easier than when I shoot in Miami, or the east side of Florida, and need to be up at 4AM to get the great light.
Think sun :-)

Editorial Portrait

2007-11-26T11:44:00.000-05:00

No rants or stories today...Just a portrait made for a trade magazine of a sales executive at
Kennametal, a cutting tools manufacturer located in nearby Latrobe, PA.

New Driver in the family!

2007-11-24T10:34:00.000-05:00

Well, it had to happen sooner or later...My son Michael passed his drivers road test today and is an officially licensed driver in Pennsylvania. I don't have any gray hairs at this point in my life, but having a teen driver is bound to turn a few. As my parents always say, "having kids is payback for all the grief you put us through when you were a kid"! Hopefully we have taught him well and given him a sense of responsibility that will keep him out of trouble.

One of the things that I was determined to do before he went on the road, was for him to attend a high performance driving school. After investigating driving schools at BeaveRun Racetrack and Mid-Ohio race course, we choose BeaveRun for it's close proximity to home and owner Scott Slibaugh's commitment to making safer teen drivers. This school is NOT your typical "Drivers-Ed" classes given by tired instructors in compact cars teaching what shape a stop sign is, or parallel parking. It is a combination of classroom work that discusses vehicle dynamics, physics, physical conditioning, weather conditions, and driver psychology. Then out on a full blown race track where Ex-police cruisers with Corvette LT-1 engines and Mazda 6 sports sedans are put through the paces at highway speeds.
Cars are driven around the skid pad, thrown out of control and gathered back up, driving the race course in reverse at speeds approaching 30MPH, panic stops and swerving, dealing with road rage exercises, and many other maneuvers that teens typically never get into until it is TOO LATE, and often with disastrous and tragic results. The professional instructors, many with auto racing experience made the class fun and informative, along with the obligatory PA State Policeman to discuss drinking, drugs, and speeding. I'm glad we used the school cars instead of my vehicle, because by the end of the day tires on many of the cars were worn down to the cords!

If you have a teen who is of driving age, I highly recommend looking into a class that teaches real world road skills. I'm glad we did and I might even be able to keep those grays away a while longer! These photos are of Micheal on the skid pad trying to keep up with the steering, as the instructor controls the accelerator and brake. Also a sequence where he learns that it is tough to steer a car when the front brakes are locked up as he hustles a Mazda 6 on the Wilson Circuit at BeaveRun.

Video that has creatives abuzz...

2007-11-23T12:15:00.000-05:00

This video by Hollywood screen writer, Harlan Ellison has photographers, artists, writers, and anyone else who works for themselves saying, "Right On"!!!! The video should be required viewing for anyone joining any "professional" organization as Harlan cuts through the chase in his rant about actually being paid to do work. What a novel concept...So many photographers have seen this video, that I would imagine in the last couple of weeks, many buyers looking for freebies have had their heads ripped off by the artist at the other end of the phone. And they should. In my experience, EVERY buyer calling me for photography generally gets a paycheck, but yet too many times, they ask for freebies. Go figure....?????

Being a PROFESSIONAL creative person is damn hard work, no security, requires a huge investment in time and money, and is an overcrowded career that has 20 wannabees for every true professional. This video short is the new Rocky theme song in which I can imagine creative people clutching their cameras, pens, and keyboards running up the steep stairs at the Philadelphia Art Museum, working together and standing united for fair business practices and respect. The video has some rough language, so be forewarned. HARLAN ELLISON RANT

Loving Surviorman...

2007-11-20T08:01:00.000-05:00

Never were the words of Bruce Springsteen's song, 57 Channels (and nothin on) more true than today. Between the writer's strike (they deserve everything they're asking) and endless "reality" television, that has nothing to do with reality; finding something to keep the gray matter occupied for an hour or two is getting tougher. However, I've found my nirvana with the Surviorman series. Les Stroud eats dirt, makes fire by rubbing two live rattlesnakes together, and builds shelters out of shoe strings and pocket lint. Great, great stuff! Between my short lived Boy Scouting and hunting and camping as a youngster in the Southern tier of New York, ole' Les has struck a cord. While I never was put in a survival situation, I did loose my bearings a couple of times while out looking for a Bambi to shoot...Seriously, it's a great show to watch and Les loves nature and the outdoors. Sure, it's a little overproduced at times and you KNOW he's never that far from a satellite phone and ER room, but it's still pretty interesting to me on making due with very little. A little like, shooting location photography in a bad location...

So in honor of Les and his great show, a couple of wilderness pictures for you today. It's Half Dome in Yosemite Park, CA. Ansel, eat your heart out :-)

Place to hang needed...

2007-11-19T12:48:00.000-05:00

A sudden cancellation last week left me with the show of my work from, Pittsburgh: A Photographic Portrait and no gallery space to show it! The show consists of 25 framed prints of images from my book and I'd like to get the show out of boxes and up on a wall this week. I'd be very interested in office lobbies, restaurants, coffee shops, lounges, or other place of commerce that would like images hanging for a month or so. If anyone has any ideas or "knows someone who knows someone", please get in touch!

Off to shoot pharma for a couple of days...

2007-11-14T16:11:00.000-05:00

I probably won't make any posts for a couple of days, as I'm headed up to Toronto to shoot for one of my favorite clients, King Pharmaceuticals. I've shot their annual report and senior management for a few years now and they are a delight to work with, and appreciative of all the hard work and hours that I put in for them in numerous locations around the country.

Tommorow will be my first trip to Canada in six years and I'm a little nervous about going through Canadian customs with my photo gear. Canadians for whatever reason really don't want US photographers working in their country even for just a few days. CANADIAN shooters seem to come and go into the US without any problems, but even with NAFTA in effect, if you come across a Customs agent who hasn't yet had his coffee, had a fight with his wife, or doesn't like the shirt you are wearing, they can make entry miserable.

Oh well...it's all part of being a road warrior and having backup plans in place if things suddenly turn for the worse. Been there...done that. These are a couple of photos that were culled from last year's annual report assignment.

On another front...Just heard from my publisher today, and my book, Pittsburgh: A Photographic Portrait has arrived in the Boston warehouse and will ship to bookstores
later this week! I will be also be getting the advance copies this week, so those of you who have pre-ordered the signed book/print package can expect to receive yours very soon. The book is a couple of weeks behind schedule due to some minor printing problems and the entire run needed to be reprinted and bound. Thankfully, the printer was able to get the book reprinted in a fast track mode and we are good to go! I'll send an email reminder to friends of Mark Bolster Photography next week to remind you all that books are available and that Christmas is coming quick...(hint.hint...)

I guess I'm a "generalist" photographer.

2007-11-13T10:19:00.000-05:00

When I started my career, I always strived to have a couple of specialties, but didn't really want to be a "generalist". After all being a specialist generally means better jobs, more exposure, and the opportunity to be considered "the expert" within the industry. After working in NYC (where everyone's area of expertise is extremely narrow) I moved to Pittsburgh where specialists were few and far to be found. I continued my specialty at the time of corporate/industrial location photography and this actually served me quite well. However...after a few years you find yourself relying on tried and true techniques. While these are safe, it was kind of hard to find personal reward by not pushing your limits of your comfort zone. It was shortly thereafter that I started to shoot a lot of stock production which consisted mostly of models, real people, and lifestyle photography. This came at a time when my family was growing and I tapped into many personal feelings I was going through and I had a blast shooting these subjects. It was rewarding. I allowed myself to make mistakes. The work was almost like film making. The best frames were always in between situations and trying to make "just one more" shot the best. Gradually, I found myself enjoying more things and working closely with people is what I have found I do best. While I'll probably never be a still life photographer, I have found expanding into different subject manner has allowed me to feel better about filling creative voids. After all, I've got many interests and didn't get into this business to be pigeon holed. While this attitude probably won't land me any big time reps, it does allow me to take advantage of many situations that come forth in this rapidly changing market. I always feel better saying "no" to jobs that don't fit me as opposed to the phone not ringing. At least that way I know what markets are bustling and what ones are lagging. Having multiple portfolios that are "specialized" go a long way to showing my experience without burdening art buyers with work that they can't use or aren't interested in. As I grow, so too will my areas of expertise. I always feel that the best is yet to come!

This photograph is of Jenn Thomas shot at the Creative Treehouse. Jenn and I have worked together a few times, and she is a joy to work with. She is professional, works hard, and up for just about any idea. She works very hard promoting herself through various websites, and has grown to be a very popular swimsuit/lingerie model. Check her out here... Jenn Thomas Is it a stretch from the previous steel mill photo? Absolutely! Did I enjoy both jobs? Let's just say it beats sitting in an office cubicle all day long...

A true Pittsburgh "Steeler"...

2007-11-12T16:26:00.000-05:00

I had a call last week from a NYC designer needing a steel industry portfolio for a potential assignment. No problem...been doing that sort of thing for quite some time, though the steel business isn't the same as it was when I first got into the photography business. Thought I'd drop a forgotten photo on the blog. Watching steel being made is probably one of the most fascinating things most people will never get the chance to see. It's hot. It's cold. It's noisy, and dangerous work. Shooting in a mill takes a lot of stamina, patience, and most importantly eyes in the back of your head to be on the lookout for dangerous machinery, hot stuff, and caustic chemicals. Most of the large mills have gone overseas, but there are still quite a few "mini-mills" in our area that makes high quality specialty steel that is second to none on the world market. This was an outake from an annual report for Universal Stainless and Alloy.

Let's see some blue skies for cryin out loud...

2007-11-09T10:08:00.000-05:00

You can almost tell by my photo selections this past week that the days were shorter this week due to setting clocks back. Always a very depressing time. Cold, dark, cloudy and a lack of sun this week has put me in foul mood. Most of the posted photos were monochromatic and dark. Here is a sunny day photo for a change ...It's a garage for a townhouse complex that I shot while ago on a real estate assignment for JP Morgan.
Think Spring! (anyone getting the idea that I'm not a winter kinda guy???)

Today will be different. I'll be in FRONT of the camera as the subject. Tom Steiner of the Citizen will be interviewing me about my new book, Pittsburgh: A Photographic Portrait. He wants to shoot a portrait to go with the article at the West End Overlook that looks out on the Golden Triangle. I will do my best to avoid asking the cliche, "did you bring your skinny lens"? Should be fun and I'm looking forward to meeting Tom.

Editorial photography: Why I do it...

2007-11-08T12:05:00.000-05:00

When I started my shooting career in the early 80's many assistant friends of mine pushed to get editorial work to start their careers. At the time I always thought, "why bother"? After all it paid horrible, magazines made stupid demands on photographers, and doing editorial was a quick way to the poor house if you wanted to make a truly professional reputation for yourself. I bypassed it all and went directly to working with graphic designers, corporations, and ad agencies as they had bigger budgets that would allow you to actually be profitable.

In hindsight, I feel starting in editorial probably would have been a good choice. Despite the obscenely low fees, working with magazines do provide a showcase for getting more commercial work. Also currently, the number of magazines is quite staggering and they all seem to have certain niche markets. Most importantly, the work is always there. Monthly issues require monthly assignments. So, in the past few years I've taken on more editorial assignments, despite the hassle of haggling with every photo editor that calls for more money, and scratching out contract items that could have only been drawn up by corporate attorneys not bright or sharp enough to actually work for a "real" law firm. It really is a hassle "confirming" these type of assignments, but to not approach these clients in a business like manner is a sure recipe for financial ruin as profit margins in our business get smaller on a daily basis. Even though I LOVE shooting editorial, I still turn down at least 60% of the assignment requests I get, because I KNOW I'd loose money shooting the job.
It's frustrating to do, and years ago I could accept some of these "loss leader" jobs for either the fun of it, the stock potential, and/or promo value. My corporate and advertising fees could make up for the loss. Those days have long gone, as photo budgets have been slashed in all venues, and Royalty Free stock destroyed the stock industry as we once knew it.

When I do find an editorial client that fits, it is a ton of fun! I meet lots of interesting people, leaders of industry, and people many of us have never heard of, but are making this world a little bit better place to live. The creative freedom is second to none, and I work with no art direction after discussing the assignment with the photo editor. Photo editors while busy, are usually very appreciative of a great job done and realize that budgets for production expenses and oppressive magazine contracts are detrimental to getting great photographers to shoot for them. They have a tough job do. I always feel bad for them, when we start discussing money, because you know they are tired of getting beat up every time they call a shooter to do a job. But...We need to make a living too, so negotiation is always important if photographers want to be in business tomorrow.

The photos above were shot recently as a cover story for Chess Life magazine (talk about a niche market!) Fee and expenses were low, but I knew I'd get great stuff and make at least SOME money. Photo editor was thrilled with the pictures, and I got another image for my portfolio. My subject was Grand Master Alex Shabalov, US Chess Champion. Shot on location at a commercial loft I frequently like to use as a location. Alex was fun to work with, accommodating, and obviously a much smarter person than I...

A warmer photo...

2007-11-07T10:57:00.000-05:00

I can't believe that we've actually had a few snow flurries in Pittsburgh the last couple of days. To remind myself of warmer places, I thought I'd post a photo taken in South Beach during some down time from an assignment for PNC Bank awhile back. I always try to get a few hours in for myself after an assignment has been completed. The Miami beach was pretty empty as the day was overcast and flat. But if you keep looking, you can generally find the light. The pin point light shooting through the clouds was truly an amazing moment, and the kind of moment that photographers live and die by.

A couple more fall photos...

2007-11-06T09:29:00.000-05:00

I'm always amazed how many great photos I've made throughout the years that haven't ever seen the light of day. What happens is this...The phone starts ringing, assignments need completed, print orders need filled, kids need a ride to soccer practice, etc., etc. The photos that I feel excited about somehow get lost in the sea of images on my multiple computer hard drives. I don't spend much time these days even opening the file cabinets that contain thousands of images and take up way too much valuable real estate in my office. Even if I come across a nice transparency, it needs to be cleaned, scanned, retouched, and outputed. Unfortunately, my attention span isn't that long. As I frequently say, for me the thrill in photography or assignments is the actual production and pulling out all the stops for a great shoot to come together. Once it is shot, I'm looking forward to my next shoot. Tearsheets and gallery shows, while extremely important, have never really been my primary focus. Probably much to the detrement of my checking account...

Anyway, this blog is going to be fun for me to show new work from "out of the vault" so to speak. I'm still learning the html and about linking, and ways to make posting quicker and less painful for me. Hopefully everyone can be patient while I get these issues worked out. This venue is going to be great as a way to see work that won't be found on my website. Hopefully I can keep everything fairly current. So please bookmark my blog or visit often, as I'm sure you'll find a wide variety of images and eventually writings and musings on the business.

Since my back is sore from raking leaves this past weekend, here are a couple of fall photos photographed at Moraine State Park in Butler County, PA for your enjoyment...For you techies out there, the car photo was made with a Lens Baby lens.
A cheap, plastic lens on an $8000.00 camera body. Lot's of fun!

Photo for the day...Storm on Interstate 80

2007-11-05T20:14:00.000-05:00

Came across this forgotten image today when I was looking through my hard drives for promo images...The original image
was a bit flat, even though the light was fairly bright. It was a very cold, misty day that was in late October. One of those days that you can "smell" winter in the air. Hummed Eddy Rabbit's "Drivin my Life Away" while I was working on the file. I often think
that being a long haul trucker would be a pretty cool job since I love driving, traveling, and the open road. Though I think as soon as you got in city limits the fun would die pretty quickly!

Don't forget to VOTE tommorow!

Book Promo tour 2007 kicked off...

2007-10-30T18:21:00.000-04:00

On Saturday, October 27th I was a radio guest on KDKA-AM radio with host Rob Pratte. Those who are fans of talk radio know that Rob is one of the hardest working guys in radio. I was on for two segments of his morning radio show discussing the new book, things we like about Pittsburgh, and the impact that digital photography has made upon society. An executive at my old alma mater, The Art Institute contacted me later in the day and wants me to do a book signing at the Art Institute Gallery.
So keep an eye out here, and I'll announce when and where that will happen!

Pittsburgh: A Photographic Portrait-Available SOON!!!

2007-10-30T17:53:00.000-04:00

I'm excited that the book that I started shooting for two years ago is finally hot off the presses and is on a ship headed towards the United States as I type this! My publisher, Twin Lights Publishers, Inc. informs me that they expect my new book to be on the shelves in local bookstores in mid to late November of this year. Just in time for Christmas (hint..hint...:-)

I received my advance copy of the book a few weeks ago, and it looks AWESOME! Great color, nice printing, and a very clean design done by SYP Design makes for a dynamic book that showcases Pittsburgh as a wonderful place to live, work and play.

If you want to be sure you are able to get a copy, you should pre-order via my website, because the print run is only about 5,000 copies and based upon the buzz and interest around town, it will go fast. Check out the book section of my website
at: www.markbolster.com for ordering information and a few sample pages.