by Mark Harris
For our July web ads, we changed our copy from “Photographers WHEN you need them” to “Photographers WHERE you need them.” This update was prompted by our new location-based search, which allows you to find photographers exactly where you need them. And once again, we looked to the popular photography website, Feature Shoot, to host our ads.
I contacted the four chosen photographers, who were each kind enough to give me a little background on their images:
Being fascinated with Battlestar Galactica as a sci-fi fanatic growing up in the mid-70s, astronauts were like knights and Neil Armstrong was my King Arthur. To rekindle my childhood fantasy, I designed a shoot that my 7-year-old imagination would’ve been proud of. I found an antique Russian space suit and strategically captured the right angle inside of an old bomber plane’s cockpit at the Air & Science Museum to make it look like the inside of a space station. I may not have become an astronaut, but that day I certainly felt like one.
This image was one of a series shot on location in Decorah, Iowa a few years back. It was part of a shoot on growing heirloom watermelons for an editorial client. I don’t always have the chance to shoot food, but when the project calls for food images, it’s usually fun. This project was no exception as we went through about every size, color, and shape of watermelon to find the combinations that worked right for the images. I also brought a trunk load of watermelons back to the studio in Chicago.
This image came after I was asked to cover the aftermath of a tragedy in the Amish community. A man had entered a one-room schoolhouse the day before and killed most of the students before killing himself. While driving on some back roads, I met this young Amish boy just before he attached his horse to a plow. We talked for about fifteen minutes and this photograph was made at the end of the conversation.
I love scouring flea markets and garage sales for props, and I found this wooden tray at a moving sale in San Diego. I loved the look the moment I saw it and knew I’d eventually use it in a food shoot. The catalyst for the shot was an editorial shoot at an olive ranch, where I was treated to an olive oil tasting. Back in the studio, I set up a tasting of my own for this portfolio shot.
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