Sunday, December 19, 2010

One astounding photographer

I made this amazing photographer find again, but this time its not wedding related. Marco Di Lauro's work made my heart stop. The most astounding photojournalist I've ever seen. Covering places of conflict like Afghanistan, Bosnia, Iraq, Israel, India, Kosavo, Egypt, Lebanon, Kenya, Uganda... and then turn around and shoot someone as glamorous as Angelina Jolie. No wonder this guy works with Getty Images. I didn't bother pasting any of his images here, because a visit to his website is a must. There's no way you wont be inspired by what you see on his website, so please share your thoughts..

Monday, December 13, 2010

An interview with a winner...

Remember this image? It won the title of Stellar Image of the Year. The photographer? Samuel Lippke, one young photographer whose work is admired by magazine editors and brides alike.. His talent takes him coast to coast, and as far away as Thailand to shoot an exotic wedding. Samuel Lippke Studios is one of the hottest names in Southern California right now, and if there's a photographer to learn something from, it's him. Check out my interview with him below..

About the winning image:

Samuel - I shot this with a Canon 5D Mark II. 24-105mm Lens and I believe a 5.6 F-stop. I knew that I wanted some motion blur, as we crossed the street the bride just happened to look down the road and I panned with her to capture her whole look. I made it B&W because I wanted it to be about what was in focus (the bride) and not about the background which was just a boring parking garage. Exactly how I had planned! I was thinking how dark it was getting and how I wanted to take advantage of the magic hour without using my flash. So I felt rushed, but comfortable at the same time.

I love the real & gritty sense of life in general. Wedding's can be very pure and clean feeling, but when you truly document the whole event, you can't be scared to get a few real life gritty images. In this case I tried to push the fashion and beauty even though its in some rough surroundings.

Secret to my Success: Hard work and an open mind. You have to enjoy what you do too, accept your role and run with it. Set goals and reach them one step at a time.

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

These are a few of my favorite things...

Photos that look like they are from yester-year.. we just seem to be drawn to the past dont we? I think of film photography, anything vintage, black/white style.. at some point we just seem to go back to it and say, ahhh...

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

- WINNER -

Thank you a million times over to the fabulous judges Harmony Walton, Mike Colon, and Robert Evans of this year's, "Stellar Image of the Year". As you can see, these judges took their job seriously. I mean they went on for hours!




and the winner is.... Samuel Lippke Studios in Long Beach, California!! This image was the one the judges kept coming back to, and couldn't get enough of.. Congratulations Samuel, winner of the title "Stellar Image of the Year" + a fabulous collection of DVD's by master shooters Mike Colon and Robert Evans + a $250 gift card from Apple!



Check out the comments by these celebrity experts on why they chose this image as The Stellar Image of the Year!

I like this image because it reminds me of when photographers used to shoot film. It speaks to the realness, and the moments of an actual wedding. I appreciate the photographers raw talent that captured something special on the fly, and didn't alter it too much in photoshop. It's real and timeless, not your typical "bride and groom crossing the street" either.... - Harmony Walton

I liked this image because it felt "real". I love the motion, and urban setting... and yet it looks like it could be anywhere, even a 3rd world country! I also liked the contrast of the bride's gown with the street.. - Mike Colon

I loved Samuel's image plain and simple because it is real. This image can stand the test of time. Beautiful use of motion blur to create a sense it could be anywhere in the world, and yet the couple looks flawless through it all.. - Robert Evans

- Stellar Image judging photos by Annette Biggers

- For information on entering next years Stellar Image of the Month/Year, shoot me an email to RHermes@aol.com with subject: Stellar Image 2