Life as Cinema... Time Stand Still Studio

Chain Hang Low

2012-02-03T06:53:00.004-06:00

Funny how there's a stereotype for just about anything.

Let's take an easy one... artists:

Moody, navel gazing, quiet, quirky, sensitive poets oblivious to sports or anything that accelerates, hits hard or walks with a swagger. The list runs endlessly deep and wide.

But it's equally funny to see how many other groups unknowingly love the very non-utilitarian craft, form and beauty that springs from art:

The 220 volt businessman actually has an opinion on nuanced paint color for his home and office. (aesthetics)

The towering 6'8" center finger shines his Air Jordans. (fashion design)

The quarterback and his girlfriend are the first to attend the opening of MI4. (acting)

Matt Damon or Kobe Bryant and their tattoos (drawing)

64 GB Ipods loaded with tunes. (music)

And who doesn't save their quarters for the car wash to clean those spinning rims? (aerodynamics? Nope. Just cool)

We flash our grills and our chains hang low.

Thank your local artist:

2012: All the World's Indeed a Stage

2012-01-17T06:27:00.000-06:00

Ahhh... my favorite photography. Beauty within the unscripted. The magic apex of happy moments.

This New Year's Eve wedding was brimming with adventure.

King Cobras

2012-01-14T10:18:00.000-06:00

Some people like fountain pens a lot.

and...

Some people are a lot like fountain pens.

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Who would of thought there'd be such a hidden world of pens and inks and papers?

The endless variation and hypnotic allure of... marks on paper. An entire specialization of swirls, dots, and random blotches then even stops a casual passerby.

The people I photograph are much the same way when you linger long enough to observe. Such a range of emotion and expression.

Like nibs on paper.

Like the $8,500 Sailor King Cobra.

Donations?

Please?

Hitchcock

2012-01-10T06:25:00.000-06:00

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Hitchcock would have loved Kasia.

She pulls me right back to The Birds.

Names without Faces

2012-01-06T06:39:00.001-06:00

Mike and Jamie.

For this wedding post, it's mostly just words.

Very kind words.

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Sean's work is brilliant. As a professional designer, Sean's photography topped even my high expectations. He is an excellent service provider. It was plain to see that his goal was to provide the most valuable service possible. He succeeded. I highly recommend Sean's photography services to anyone looking for amazing photos. -Mike

It was such an amazing thing: as I looked at our wedding pictures, I was able to relive the entire night. I teared up when I saw pictures of myself and others tearing up. I laughed when I saw myself and others laughing. Most importantly, Sean captured all the love I was feeling when I married Mike. -Jamie

Fork in the Road

2012-01-02T08:21:00.003-06:00

They say there's two kinds of photographers... Those who shoot things and those who people.

Never thought the created order could be reduced so summarily.

But if so, I'm a people shooter. Endlessly fascinates me. It's the fork in the road I chose way back.

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And here's some New Year's Q and A:

Q. Why do you like cinema so much?

A. Check out my article due out any day: How to Find Your Inner Spielberg

Q. How did you ever develop the ultra close up portraits?

A. As they say, "Necessity is the mother of invention." For the longest time, I shot in very tight spaces so I was forced to adapt... and then exploit. Also, many of the people I worked with had difficulty with their posing and we had such limited time to shoot in a given session, so I would make the best of the image by controlling that which I could be control... the face. So, the limits of space, time and posing made for a signature style.

Q. Why don't you shoot children with tutus and fairy wands or puppies licking their faces?

A. None of my own children ever liked tutus (and 3 of my 4 are sons!) and the grammas are allergic to dogs.

Q. Any new plans or projects up your sleeves?

A. I have a tentative product review coming out; eyeing up the soon to be announced Nikon D800; Attending a possible Chicago workshop this Spring; Considering a series of interview/portrait combos on fascinating people I admire.

Q. Anything you'd like to do more of this year?

A. Write more specifically on my Christian pilgrimage. My North Star.

Q. Anything else?

A. More one-on-one time with each of my children. We already do this well but I want lots more.

Sometimes

2011-12-30T11:10:00.002-06:00

Sometimes I'm wonderfully surprised by a kind testimonial

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"We ended up watching them that night... there was no way I could wait until Christmas.

We watched the photos from the DVD you gave us on our AppleTV with high expectations and I don't know how you did... it but it truly exceeded our hopes! Your editing was AWESOME! You saw sooo many moments that I would have never seen. Looking over the photos was like watching an artistic journal of the whole day and night. I can't stop showing them off and sharing how impressed we are with your photos. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for using your talents to the fullest!"

Alllllmoooost time for a new post

2011-12-26T18:12:00.000-06:00

Silence does noes equal stasis.

Hint:

Ahab Burmese Ruby and Noodler's Heart of Darkness:

1. http://www.amazon.com/Noodlers-Heart-Darkness-Black-Fountain/dp/B0015VB4EE

2. http://noodlersink.com/whats-new/heart-of-darkness/

3.

See you soon.

Sean

www.......

Billy Joel: Redux

2011-12-14T11:05:00.000-06:00

I wish I could remember it exactly. Some writer observed that great literature (and, I'd add, the arts in general) always have us looking up or down.

Higher highs and lowers lows

"They were the best of times; they were the worst of times."

Exaggeration.

Selectivity. Inclusion. Exclusion.

Yes, yes, yes, no.

No, no, no, yep. That's it.

Whiter whites and blacker blacks.

Closer. Farther. Bolder. Softer. Funnier. Shyer. Quieter.

"Darling, I go to extremes"

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In almost every portfolio shoot, I'm looking for exaggeration. That variety of looks that zig zags this way and that.

Just an Old Fashioned Love Song

2011-12-12T05:50:00.000-06:00

I'm (thankfully!) a bit young to remember Three Dog Night from their early 70's heyday. But I can't get over their playfully unexpected lyrics and meandering sounds.

An who can resist the way cool long hair, chops and all the funkitude with rayon shirts and flared pant legs?

Embedding is disabled on this one, but it's well worth the trip in the time machine.

Or here's the plain Jane

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While not at all a direct retro shoot, something about Sharon and the glass reminds me of that song. Maybe it's that dreamy harpsichord-like keyboard. (And just when you're happily nodding off, the dark haired guy with the flag shirt adds a snap of pepper near the end to keep you awake).

Darling, I Go to Extremes

2011-12-09T05:33:00.001-06:00

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Images and thoughts coming soon

Days of Future Passed

2011-12-01T05:04:00.001-06:00

That 1967 magnificence. The Moody Blues concept album Days of Future Passed with Tuesday Afternoon and Nights in White Satin. I still love listening to the entire album and am amazed at how perfectly it renders the sense of the passing of time. Such variation in a single album.

Just like the variation with a single person in a single session.

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Russian Dolls

2011-11-27T05:42:00.001-06:00

Matryoshkas.

Those Russian nesting dolls... one inside of the next, inside the next, inside the next, and so on.

Some people immediately remind me of another time and place. Kateryna is one of them. She had such delicate, doll-like beauty and penetratingly soulful eyes.

And now I see there's even a self-same TV show about which I know... nothing. :)

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1. Contrast ratios. Uggghhh... back in math class. Simply put, sometimes you want sculpture-like extremes. Like a 4:1

2. Macro lenses: While great for lady bugs and droplets on leaves, they're also the best kept secret for portraits. I use the 100mm and get in close.

3. Monopods: tripods can be a big clunky during the fluidity of unfolding poses and changing distances with a prime lens. That's where monopods come in perfectly.

4. Higher iso's. Each new camera model boasts of pushing the boundaries of what can be used with excellent resolution and low noise. Use it. Don't get stuck with 50, 100, 200 (or even 800) iso. Work the magic of that new sensor you bought.

5. Faces. Like a vast continental map. Each face a new continent. Each continent divided into its own intriguing regions. Hair and brow lines framing the eyes. Iris entrancing the viewer. Nose with light to the side and beneath.

6. Skin: shoot up close and study the intricate variations between each region of the face and body... sideways on the forehead and right under the eyes. Flat on the cheeks. And micro detail on top of it all.

7. Color: there's such subtlety everywhere waiting to be pushed and pulled later in post-production. Blues in blacks and whites. Orange and yellows in skin. See it and employ it intentionally up front as much as you can. Then leverage it even further later on.

Still Life

2011-11-18T06:32:00.002-06:00

Ever wonder what people are thinking when you catch them in an offhanded, quiet moment gazing out into... the open stillness of the moment?

Groceries? Feed the cat. Finish that term paper before break. Oil change.

Or something more?

Lonely uncertainty.

That friend with the spiraling addiction. Mom who's scared of the next week's hospital visit but heroically covers her dread. Or even deeper, what AW Tozer described as "long eternal thoughts of God."

Whoa.

In the App Store era, the still life is ever more precious.

That's why I'm most often drawn to a soulful gaze over speedier shots... trampoline jumps, football crunches, exploding light bulbs, and smashing pumpkins with a baseball bat.

If I Swallow Anything Evil

2011-11-13T07:00:00.001-06:00

Ecclesiastes, that puzzling little book in the middle of the Bible, reminds me of Behind Blues Eyes.

Remember that oldie by The Who? Probably so. I like how it flows between dreamy sadness and gritty resolve to "put your finger down my throat."

Now, remember Ecclesiastes? Um, probably not.

Hop over to the intriguing series at College Church of Wheaton starting with Finding Meaning in all the Wrong Places from 10/23/2011

So we've got The Who and the book of Ecclesiastes. Who's missing? Martin Sheen, of course (and remember, he's the father and not Charlie, his son).

Apocalypse Now. Almost as mysterious as Ecclesiastes. That surreal journey into Cambodia and into the inner Heart of Darkness like Joseph Conrad's novel that inspired it.

I especially remember that hauntingly pschadelic part where Captain Willard (Sheen) stops at the Hua Phat waypoint along the darkness of the river. Yes, the one with the Playmates. Take a look at video and tell me what you DON'T see.

(Errr, ummm...... just saw it again and it's a bit more intense than I remembered. A bit much for a simple blog post). But here's enough to set the scene and you can go watch for yourself.

That image. Look at the soldier on the left.

And then at Sheen.

In the midst of the Bacchanalian frenzy, Sheen is haunted. They see Playmates while he sees... nothingness. Not even ghosts. Staring grimly at... the sheer, open emptiness of it all. And not just the frenzy. But Everything. Including his own life.

Every once in a while I favor a bitter tonic like Ecclesiastes or Apocalypse Now. To scare away the lure of vanity. Of wasting my life on waste.

Like the sweet line in the hymn, "Solid joys and lasting pleasures, only Zion's children know."

Or the testament on the Puritan tombstone: "Squandered his life in the service of God."

(But I still like Suzie Q)

Wherever I May Roam

2011-11-06T05:57:00.000-06:00

Photography becomes its own micro world through which to explore the bigger one just beyond.

Like John Travolta's Boy in the Plastic Bubble, we venture and discover (sans rolling).

Through roaming I met Lauren. Such sparkling life in her eyes and smile.

The King's Speech

2011-11-04T08:08:00.001-05:00

I wonder if there's a hidden formula for discovering maturity levels.

I've heard it said, that you can tell a person's maturity level by how much he realizes the volume knob also turns to the left.

Maybe it's also true as a litmus through the King James version of the Bible. A person who too easily bristles or chuckles with the clipped, King's speech probably also likes that volume knob turned way right.

Not me. I love the regal grandeur as fitting rungs toward Grandeur. Not everything is best made plain.

It's also like that with photography. Sometimes you want a wee bit more than... a snap.

Exaggeration has its place. Chins higher up or lower down. Eyes that stare a bit longer and penetrate just a bit deeper. Hints. Lips juuuust open. Hair that swags and obscures. Shadows that frame and mystify. It makes for both less and more.

Just like the clipped King's speech.

Steve McCurry

2011-11-02T06:17:00.001-05:00

He's one of my favorite portrait photographers. Intimate. Quiet. And always compelling in an entirely natural way.

I take his PORTRAITS book to church every Sunday and simply think of both the beauty and the needs around the world.

Several of my images with Lynn reminds me of his approach to his subjects... allowing their innate, compelling beauty to seize the viewer. Clean, simple beauty and classic, delicate features.

Of course, I also love the flair and panache of cinema as well :)

The Games We Play

2011-11-01T05:54:00.001-05:00

I suppose we each thrive according to our own domain. We each have our own game with its unique set of joys... French chefs with the ecstasy of beef and shallots, heart surgeons with the wonder of life in timed pulsation, Formula-1 racers with adrenalized focus and the thick smell of fuel and rubbery smoke, FBI agents with the thrill of cracking the diabolical plot.

And photographers... the delicious mystery of discovery. Of consistently seeing life anew. With portraiture, each person is a brand new continent to explore and celebrate.

I admire the endless subtleties that Erin conveys.

Imagine Me & You

2011-10-29T10:25:00.000-05:00

Red Riding Hood

2011-10-26T10:22:00.000-05:00

Forest Mystery... beautifully.

Call of Duty

2011-10-24T08:00:00.000-05:00

Who can resist the poignance of a mother, daughter and baby to be... and their father departing for the Middle East?

Ricochet Rabbit

2011-10-18T06:55:00.000-05:00

Light and color are like two adrenalized cohorts racing through a Saturday morning cartoon.

Unexpected, zany mischief. And just when you think you've caught them in your net they sneak, dash, jump, hide and then finally reappear in all kinds of unexpected places.

Blues in the blacks. Yellow in the browns.

Cobalt shadows in the sun and coppery sun in the shadows.

High School English Teachers

2011-10-13T08:07:00.000-05:00

Mr. Rice from Sunset Senior High taught me bigger words than I thought I'd ever speak or even think.

"Insouciant,"for one (don't even ask how I remember):

insouciant [ɪnˈsuːsɪənt]

adj

carefree or unconcerned; light-hearted

[from French, from in-¹ + souciant worrying, from soucier to trouble, from Latin sollicitāre; compare solicitous]

insouciance n

insouciantly adv

And "sartorial" for another

sartorial [sɑːˈtɔːrɪəl]

adj

of or relating to a tailor or to tailoring

But far better than that dry definition is Scott Schuman's ever intriguing blog.

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It seems there's a name for every style. Even obscurely original ones. And then there's names within names.

One trending lately, "Schoolgirl Chic"

Yikers Bikers!

2011-10-07T05:39:00.000-05:00

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Much of creativity and art comes down to surprise. First to the artist and then to the viewer.

Unexpected combinations and inversions are some of my favorites.

Call it playful alchemy.

I've seen countless "biker chick" images... you know, the roughly worn patina of the gear blended with the equivalent sass of the bad-girl model.

What I hadn't seen was a fresher mix.

Grit and grace.

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"Bwewecunvnrvnervs"

2011-10-06T07:01:00.000-05:00

So how DO you capture some expressions?

Sometimes words are just not up to the task.

Only a picture will do.

:)

Congo

2011-10-05T05:50:00.001-05:00

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Have you read the novel?

I miss the author.

Always an intriguing mixture of hi-tech hubris and primal, untamable mystery.

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Photographers and models:

In our feminine beauty and model portfolio shoots we enjoy changing things up a bit by offering a more cinematic vision. In a crowded market, there's something much more fun in casting and personifying vision or a story than simply showing up beautiful and snapping away.

A peek at my approach:

1. Overlooked locations as enexpectedly perfect sets. I'm constantly looking for new locations and meticulously writing them down in my Moleskine.

2. Macro lenses for portrait work. Yep. Not just for ants, bees, flowers or wedding rings. Macro lenses make for ideal focal compression ideal for faces. And the close working distance makes for an almost directorial, cinematic experience. "Action! Cut!"

3. Words as collaborative vision with the model. In an industry dominated merely by pictures, words are too easily overlooked as a powerful ally. Words like "lush, tropics, oppressive heat, mystery, delicate toughness, LOST, machete, overgrown, mist, jungle, base camp, trek, wander, map, navigate, canteens and Congo" serve as mental set pieces and contribute to the outcome far, far more than you'd ever imagine. While the end goal is beauty, there's a way of teasing it out that way better and lots more fun.

J was an ideal model who immediately "got it."

4. Shade. Juuuusssst outside of direct sunlight. My friend.

5. Then study and capture those catchlights.

6. Tangled up... create dimension. Stuff in front and behind the model. 3-D. Instead of clearing the foliage, pull it in and around the model. Tangle it up as it were. But watch out not to obscure her eyes.

7. Atmosphere. Even though the subject is the model and especially her face, there are ways to enhance those main shots with other images. Detail shots of hands, pants, stems and equipment augment the femininity.

Look!

2011-09-30T06:08:00.001-05:00

Amongst other things, art is often about exaggeration. Heightened everything. Lows. Highs. Darkness and light. Compression, compaction, silence and shouts.

With my personal projects, I like to cast a more cinematic vision. Something that points and yells, Look!

All the News That's Fit to Print

2011-09-26T05:48:00.001-05:00

Sometimes you just want to write. Or on the other end, to peek.

So here's some writing to peek at:

1. Come visit me this Wednesday at the Carol Stream, IL What Women Want Expo where I'll be a featured vendor:

http://www.carolstreamchamber.com/public/wib2011.htm

2. Do you have an upcoming event or party? Mary Kay, Arbonne, Lia Sophia or something similar where your girlfriends would love a fun night out to be pampered?

Ask about our two new packages "Eve" and "Fashion on a Dime." Both are perfect for a friend you might know.

"Eve" is perfect for the woman who wants to capture her graceful beauty as a gift for that special person in her life or to celebrate a recent milestone... career promotion, fitness goal, birthday.

"Fashion on a Dime" is the ideal package for someone breaking into the modeling or communications industry who needs a sophisticated, catchy portfolio in an all-too-crowded industry.

3. In a visually dominated profession, sometimes words make all the difference. A kind, recent testimonial :

Sean,

I want to Thank You for such an incredible photo shoot today. I was truly captivated by your professionalism and extremely impressed by your classy style, you truly are such a gentleman. Thank you for making me feel comfortable and giving me great direction when I neded it. Any model would be so lucky to have the opportunity to work with you!!!

It's not often that you can come by such a gentleman like yourself and it really was refreshing to see how professional and classy you are. I was so impressed with you and your outstanding photos throughout your home. I can not wait to see the images that we created. You are a fantastic photographer with exquisite visions.

LOST: Jungle mystery... beautifully

2011-09-20T07:41:00.031-05:00

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In the Jungle with Sean:

Q. What intrigues you most about a jungle?

A. Lots and lots. Like a Jungian archetype, it seems to represent far more than just leaves, vines, heat and endlessly expansive density. I think of the Garden of Even. Primal beginnings full of gracious hope yet shattered forever by sin. Then Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness. And then there's the grim classic Apocalypse Now. And Mosquito Coast. So symbolic. Like an actor in its own right the jungle served as its own staggering presence alongside Martin Sheen, Marlon Brando and Harrison Ford,

I imagine all the juxtapositions... soft beauty, dangerous wildness, civilization and obscurity, lost and found, naturalistic science and the wonder of Otherness... like RUSH's title Mystic Rhythms.

Q. What are some photographic challenges and opportunities of shooting outdoors in the middle of the day?

Hard light is always tricky. It's like a puzzle to solve under a strict time limit. Keeping your technical wits about you in the foreignness of a brand new location. Here, we walked around a massive "island" of perfect leaves and settled on the north side where there was the most shadow.

Q. So the secret is to look for total shade?

A. Not really. The hints and patches of bright light add to the feel. You just have to manage the dappled patterns and make sure they don't interrupt the eyes and face. Rather, exploit in key parts of the frame all the while you are carefully directing the classic lighting patterns on the face.

But then there was the next puzzle. Wind.

Kept knocking over my light stand with the attached scrim/diffuser; but it was perfect for blowing the model's hair. Next, there's the fun and fear of stepping through knee-high grass and fallen branches not knowing what you'd land on next.

Q. Did you see any gorillas?

A. Nope. But I was terrified of the bloodthirsty ticks. And I kept thinking about the leeches in The African Queen.

Q. Tell me about casting a specific theme for a shoot and why you chose LOST as a starting point.

A. Just showing up and shooting works little magic. The constraints of a specific theme seem to unlock all sorts of collaborative ideas. As for LOST, I wanted the feel of soft, timeless beauty contrasted with the danger and mystery of the jungle. LOST seemed to create a foreboding tension

even within the seeming safety of full midday sun.

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Tip Toe into the jungle, if you dare:

The Hunger of the Wilderness

And last but not least... click here if you dare

Just an Old Fashioned Love Song

2011-09-19T06:16:00.004-05:00

Funny how some things remind you of quite another.

So, here goes... great portraiture reminds me of this 1975 clip of Three Dog Night's classic. Just when you think you've got it figured out half way through, you reach the delicious revelry of 1:59. Keeps me guessing and smiling. (And yes indeed, I love the long hair and chops)

Sugar and pepper.
Moonbeams and lightning.
Velvet and barbed wire.
Glass slippers and Doc Martens

While I'm inspired by a seemingly limitless collection of great photographers, I think my very favorite is Steve McCurry. Yes, he's the one who captured the haunting gaze of the Afghani girl for National Geographic.

Photographers take a peek.

The Rain in Spain

2011-09-15T08:03:00.001-05:00

The subtle magic of atmosphere:

1. Canabalt: That glass and those scattering doves!
http://www.adamatomic.com/canabalt/

2. Super Metroid: Old style gaming at it's best... that hypnotic intro with foreboding gloom and unrelenting rain!

LOST: anxious, dreadful uncertainty even within the bright safety of noonday sun.

Agents of Fortune... and the art of ignorance

2011-09-14T06:29:00.006-05:00

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While I (usually) relish the complete immersion of research, of thoroughly exploring a new idea, sometimes it's not the best idea.

Wikidpedia. Google. Trolling and polling. Annotation.

This time, not so much.

So...

"Agents of Fortune"

Unexplored regions. Foggy notions. Hints and scribbly suggestions.

Pulsing Jungles. Unreported convoys. Rugers. Serpentine complexity. A gurgling engine and thick diesel bobbing alongside a quiet warehouse dock. Cards. Knives. Rope. Generals. Cash. Betrayal. Canals. Parachutes and gloves and wetsuits. Rebreathers. Spearguns.

An uninformed, imaginative conjuring is all the magic.

Scott Schuman explores this in his Sartorialist book (from his self-same titled blog). He mentions how some people remind him of far away places; great adventures; secret roles;

James Bond. Lara Croft. LOST.

To learn more is far, far less.

Svetlana conjures this mystery. More to come.

Agents of Fortune.

What comes to your mind?

Splendor

2011-09-12T06:15:00.000-05:00

Freddie Mercury: The Story in Your Eyes

2011-09-09T05:51:00.003-05:00

Surprises.

I never knew much about Freddie or Queen but stumbled upon his graceful niece a couple years back and shot again last week.

As a portrait photographer, I'm endlessly fascinated by the wonder of a face; It's like a vast world unto itself.

I look for both uniqueness and similarity. Like the Moody Blues, "there's a story in your eyes." Threads of family in a nose and lips.

Casper the Friendly Ghost

2011-08-31T06:43:00.000-05:00

Artists are like Casper. Often working quite invisibly behind the scenes.

There's more thought, ideas, plans, struggles and successes than meets the eye. But sometimes it just takes a while for it it all to materialize.

I like this quiet, private incubation in a world of instant.

So... Sean Casper is almost ready to reappear with some fun surprises.

Sitting on Top of the World

2011-08-17T06:20:00.002-05:00

King Kong knows best.

Just a beautiful girl and a grand, peaceful view of life. Simple pleasures.

It's like that with lots of things. It's never quite "things" that make me happy.

Sure, like anyone else, I eagerly await:

things (the new Nikon announcements August 24th)
stuff
objects
toys
rewards
goals
bling

But it's usually the free (but ever elusive) pleasures that please best.

Delicious adventures (often hardships) with my wife and kids; emails and the morning news over coffee.

And lazy strolls with a camera.

See also,

1. Rasselas

2. Time Stand Still

3. King Solomon

4. The echoing "oboum" caves in E.M. Forester's Passage to India

5. Or simply examples of daily boredom (fun one... a Lamborghini driver stopped at a red light... lack of excitement/not even smiling)