Hutch Graphics Blog

The Occasional "Perk" . . . .

Some days my job as a photographer is pretty cool.  Stressful but cool.

So last week I'm sitting at my computer in my studio and doing some tax prep for April 15th - yuck!!  The phone rings and my client, Turkey Hill Dairy, needs a professional photographer in a hurry (the next day) to photograph the World Series trophy and their employees as it makes it's tour around the country.  Yes that's right.  The Philadelphia Phillies employ atleast two individuals to escort the prized 2008 World Series Trophy (the actual one not a stand-in) on a tour for their corporate sponsors.

Now this isn't the type of job which you'll unleash all your creative energies on.  This job requires someone to plan for and manage about 200 hundred people coming in and posing with the trophy with the clock ticking.  They gave me 75 minutes.  That's right 75 minutes. Oh and the conference room where you'll be shooting isn't available till right before that time frame.  Great.  So I realize that given the speed of this job it will require my Travelites for the fastest recycling time and approx. 200 pics.  Battery powered speedlites weren't an option.  They couldn't tell me if they're would be 50 or 400 people so I planned for the worst or best depending on your point-of-view :-)

Pictured below l-to-r are:  Evan Wright, Colin Wright, and Tom Wright

Things actually went very well.  I set up my laptop tethered for file viewing and had someone making sure that eyes were open and we got the shot. Some people even took their kids out of school to come in for the shots.  We kept things moving along and I even had about a minute at the end to do a few creative shots of just the trophy.  In all there were about 150 finished images processed in Adobe Lightroom and posted to the web at the end of the day for the client to preview.

Congratulations to the Phillies and all their fans!!

jeff

 

You Never Know Who Will Be On The First Tee . . .

I gave myself one day to "recreate" while out in Arizona and boy what a day it was.  I was exhausted from the long day of shooting and chasing the light at the Grand Canyon and Sedona the previous day so I was enjoying my morning coffee in my hotel room just browsing the Arizona Golf magazine.  Anyone close to me knows I'm a golfer - almost to a fault :-)

So I flip the page to the TPC Scottsdale ad and my interest perks up because I know the PGA tour is due there in two weeks.  I'm thinking no way I'll be able to get on that track right?  So what the hey I call and they say come on out and they can put me with a twosome.  So I'm getting pretty excited about playing a tour quality course.  (Ask any true golfer what that feeling is like going to play a strange course and just multiply that by about 4.)

So I rent clubs, go to the range, hit some shots - not too bad for rentals- and I'm told my group will be along in a few minutes.  Cool . . . I'm ready.  What happened next I was NOT ready for.  The actor (aka "Mr. Peterman" of Seinfeld fame) John O'Hurley and his wife Lisa walk up to me and introduce themselves.
I'll be spending the next 4 hours with them.  Yes you read it right.  And guess what?  I actually took a camera along.  Whodathunkit?  Thanks to our caddy "Chelsea" for the shot.

We had a great day which I'll remember forever.  My golf game was "forgettable" that day but for once in my life it just didn't seem to matter.  They are truly nice people and great golfers especially his wife Lisa.

I had no trouble remembering her name because of my lovely bride Lisa :-)

jeff

Imaging USA in Phoenix, Arizona

I made the trek to the southwest for my first trip to the Imaging USA Conference in January and I wasn't disappointed.  As usual the trade show portion featured some of the newest and coolest equipment and trends in our business.  Usually that means some purchases for my business. (See future post on Canon 5D Mark ll)

The real reason I went is for the information and knowledge that can be gleaned from listening to and interacting with established and successful pros in the photography business.  From the CEO of PPA, David Trust talking about branding and marketing - to listening to Hanson Fong explain how there is virtually no one he can't pose successfully.  I had a chance to listen to pro's Harry Benson, Greg Gorman, Eric Meola, Bob Davis, Denis Regie, Jim Divitale, and Anne Geddes to name a few.  It was truly inspiring.  I'm looking forward to next years in Nashville, TN.

Of course I also took my photo gear along and drove up route 89 to the Grand Canyon to see the sunrise and do some shooting.

For more images click on this link:

www.hutchgraphics.com/lr/Grand Canyon

Waaay behind . . . .

Over the holidays and into the new year Hutch Graphics was very busy so the recent posts are more like playing "catch-up".

The 2009 calendar was put together and distributed as gifts and marketing pieces.  It was very well received and I had  some nice feedback from people.  As mentioned previously, the format is 11 x 17 inches and spiral bound at the top with duotones for the monthly illustrations. Some copies are still available - FREE and can still be purchased for shipping & handling fee of $12.99 + applicable sales tax.  (While supplies last!)

                                COVER                         

 

                            BACK COVER

Already working on the calendar for 2010!  :-)

jeff