Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Exploring Prescott’s “Acker Night”

December 10, 2011 by Bill

Willoughby?
Prescott, AZ knows how to party!

The Taj Mahal in Prescott, AZ

Living in this town for the last several years reminds me of the late Rod Serling’s 1960s television series, The Twilight Zone…specifically, Season 1, Episode 30 – A Stop at Willoughby, where a businessman stressed from a miserable city life starts to imagine visiting an idyllic small town named Willoughby. Prescott is better than Willoughby; there is scarcely a weekend when something isn’t happening downtown.

Next Stop ... Willoughby (The late actor James Daly in 1960)

Tonight it was Acker Night. Surprisingly, Acker night (named for its benefactor and for the benefit of local musical programs) does not seem to be as widely known outside of Prescott as I imagine that it could be. During one night every year in December, all of the town’s businesses stay open until 8:30 serving holiday treats, and hosting musicians of all genres.

Dinner (Indian)
Mike, Susan and I met at about 6:15pm and began our exploration. We were not methodical. We just started walking east on Gurley St., letting the crowds funnel us toward music that we liked. I like opera, so I was anxious to visit the Music Café.  At one moment, we shared Gurley St. with the Lynx Creek Cloggers:

But Susan won — she was hungry and wanted to try the Indian Buffet at the Taj Mahal Restaurant. When we walked in we were greeted like family. On the way to the buffet, I looked to the right and saw the scene at the top of this blog entry as well as the scene below. The food was great too!

Just Your Typical Night at the Taj Mahal Restaurant

Walking it off
 After dinner we were on the move again.  The crowds were thicker than usual this year; I lost my companions in the crowd, which gave me a chance to check out the Music Café again. I was rewarded. Kathleen Cuvelier was performing (I had been waiting a year for this!)

…and rewarded again –because next, Efren Puig performed. I don’t know why I like this guy so much. Something about his eyes when he sings makes me believe in whatever he is selling. It’s a good thing he didn’t ask me for my checkbook. Today I would be calling my son for a loan.

Mike and Susan found me shortly after I arrived at the Music Café and so we headed east again on Gurley to the Hassayampa Inn to see the Song of the Pines Chorus. Last year, Prescott resident Toni Tennille walked in causing a bit of a stir here at about this time. I love this group and this setting could not be more perfect for them.

In my younger years, I would have seen a beautiful image ready to be captured and would be too embarrassed to do anything about it. This, for example happened in Krakow, Poland over a decade ago and I promised myself it would never happen again. So, I stepped in front of the crowd and approached the director to get a shot (a necessity, as I was sporting a 17-40L wide-angle lens). For a moment, there was trepidation in the looks of some of the chorus (maybe it was the Russian hunter’s hat). Then I raised my camera, about three feet from Suzy Lobaugh, the director and all previous sins seemed forgiven. I was able to get this great portrait as she warmed immediately to the camera.

Suzy Lobaugh, Director, Song of the Pines

Now, Mike had wanted to see the show at the newly remodeled Prescott Elks Theater, since we missed it last year. As we approached the theater, we could see that we had just missed the 8pm show, featuring PK Jugg’s Uptown Shenagan Band, so we decided to walk around the square for 30 minutes or so and come back to see if we could catch the last show for this year at 8:30.

Killing Time on the Square
On our walk down Cortez Street, we passed many shops, each with a different musical group or entertainer. There was an empty space left vacant by a former business — but we heard the sounds of silver flutes. And there they were, the “Junior Fluties” performing a canon:

The "Junior Fluties"

We made our way across the courthouse square; Susan wanted to see if a friend from work was still performing.  The Yavapai County Courthouse sits in the middle of the town square.  The informed reader will recognize this building from many movies, including Easy Rider and Billy Jack.

The Yavapai County Courthouse

We found Joe Bethancourt at the Kikkapoo Express on Whiskey Row.

We continued looking for Joseph Leal. I have met Susan’s friend and Native American Flute Player, Joseph Leal before. The talented man with several very credible Native American flute music albums was just packing up after three hours on the job. I made this image as we were running out the door to get back across the square to the Elks Theater.

Joseph Leal, "Flute Dancer"

Joseph was playing at The Artful Eye Jewelry Design Center. It was good to see him again.

“Bill! Take our picture on the square!” Susan burst. Since we were in a hurry with about 5 minutes to showtime, I turned the camera dial to the green “P” (P for Professional). Mike was rightly dissatisfied with the shot, which left all of the Christmas lights behind him in a black abyss. Ok, so I turned the camera dial to “M” (M for Macho), dialed in 1/25 sec at F4.5, ISO 800, pointed the flash at the stars and let it rip (so to speak). The loving couple was slightly more pleased:

Mike and Susan

Then I saw Mike’s eyes dart in a different direction and I couldn’t help following him. “Heyyyyyyy, can you take our picture?” one of the girls asked. There they were, three Acker Night fans who had come down from Flagstaff for the festivities. I told one of the girls, “Sure, but just before I take the picture, reach over and grab your friend to make [what photographers call] “happy hands.” She new what that meant. After attempting “happy hands,” every image will turn out great — guaranteed:

Heyyyyyyy! "We're from Flagstaff!"

Leaving all hands happy, we walked right up the street and into the line filing into the theater. We overheard one of the ushers mention that the seats were particularly good upstairs. At the top of the stairs, Mike peeked behind a curtain and motioned for me to follow. Box seats!

“Pump-Pump-Pump-Pump It Up!”
The show as fun, with a host of song parodies. The Band ‘rapped’ up the set with an audience participation number. Take a look for yourself to see how Acker Night was wrapped until next year.  See you then!

Want to know more?
The Twilight Zone, Season 1, Episode 30, “A Stop at Willoughby”

The late actor, James Daly

Posted in Photography | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

An Inappropriate Gift for Grandma Makes the Day!

December 5, 2011 by Bill

Thanksgiving – A great chance for extended-family portraits.

Kay was looking for a photographer to capture the family on the Thanksgiving weekend. Scotty was sweet. She told her friend, “you’ve got to call Bill.” She did. As we chatted about the potential shoot, she informed me of the 12 to 14 adults, one infant and one 10-year old that would be in the house.

These occasions may have intimidated me once-upon-a-time. But that was before I met Monte, Clay Blackmore and Hanson Fong. Now, groups are opportunities for great fun!

And another phrase crosses my mind as I am talking to Kay on the phone:

If one person looks good in the image, it’s the person … if 14 people look good in the image, it’s the photographer!

We agree on the time and place, and I show. As I unload the lights, I muse to myself, “this is going to be fun.”  I can smell the turkey and dressing still surrounding the house from the day before, and I enter the living room with a large brick fireplace with a rustic feel.  Kay’s husband, John informs me who is there and how it will go. The chairs are lined up like a high school recital is about to begin. With John’s permission I lose most of the chairs and arrange two the way Monte would have: 45 degrees to the camera facing each other. And we begin.

Film and an old joke

First, as the family is getting ready in all corners of the house, I corral Kay and set her in front of the fireplace (before I remove the chairs) to confirm that the settings in the camera are good.  I can hear John, a man who spent 40 years in marketing explain to some of the family that are gathered in the kitchen that he remembers those days in the commercial world when they used to burn one roll of film in every shoot before the models would warm up.  I butt-in from the living room and remark that I agree — “in fact in the old days, I wouldn’t event put a roll of film in the camera for the first 20 shots.”

As Kay waits for me to shut up, I remark how great she looks, and how I only wish that I had put some film in this camera!  A woman accustomed to keeping her composure and determined to keep a smile on her face, Kay falls for the old joke:

Now, we were ready to get started!

Exploring the Concept of Giving an Inappropriate Gift to Grandma

Next, Kay’s sister — Linda … an attractive lady who has been introduced to me as the actor in the family, says that she often appears in print.  She looks like a print model — elegant, well-spoken and open.  She mentions that her latest gig was a gag shot for a famous luggage company in which she was obliged to make an expression that would match the slogan, “Don’t Give an Inappropriate Gift to Grandma This Season ….” “Please, I’ve got to see that pose,” I begged.  She warmly and quickly obliged:

Don't give an inappropriate gift to Grandma!

What a scream! Of course I couldn’t leave it like that; I quickly put her in a basic “Monte” pose and got the following portrait:

I couldn’t help myself. Every combination of portrait that we made was not complete until we had done the “inappropriate gift” shot — culminating finally in the whole family’s credible interpretation:

An Inappropriate Gift for the Whole Family!

This could be their favorite image; it certainly made my day.  (The astute reader will (of course) observe that the seasoned photographer was able to get the baby to perform!)

Family

I was great to see these sisters in love and enjoying their respective families.

Sisters

Lighting: Westcott Spiderlites.

Posted in Photography | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment »

A Frontier Christmas

December 4, 2011 by Bill

Every year during the fist week of December the City of Prescott, AZ lights the Christmas decorations at the Courthouse. I have missed it for two years, because I am a block away over at the Sharlot Hall Museum getting ready to capture some low-light night shots.

There are tricks to getting these images. No tripod? Forget it! On-camera flash? Might as well point-and click! I find a couple of off-camera, radio-slaved flashes on manual or TTL with a dragged shutter may do the trick. The issues though are many, including the guests moving quickly past the camera and the area lights over-powering the shots. It makes getting good candids a worthy challenge.

The architecture at the museum grabs me right away, but Mike Lange, who works there (and is a photographer in his own right) puts a hand on my shoulder as I am setting up shots of the buildings and reminds me, “we want people!” Yes, the guests, who instinctively run out of the way when they see the tripod set up — presumably as a courtesy to the photographer. I call out, “wait! wait! It’s you I was trying to get!” So I come away with lots of ghosts running through the images, which are typically shot at 1/4 sec at F5.6.

Last year, the weather was cold, but clear:

2010 Frontier Christmas at the Sharlot Hall Museum (Prescott, AZ)

This year, we have early snow. So I donned my best pair of plastic pants and did Mike’s bidding, but not before I took just one more architectural shot. I went looking for the reenactment of Sharlot Hall by the outside fire. She was in parts unknown, so I shot the fire anyway, with her house in the background:

A Frontier Christmas at the Sharlot Hall Museum (Prescott, AZ)

Oh, the people? Here is a loving couple up from Scottsdale (about 90 mi away). I spotted their hats from a distance. I had to go find them to bring their Christmas regalia in front of the camera. They seemed thrilled to be in the shot. I want the hats!

Christmas Regalia

Posted in Photography | 1 Comment »

“What Do You Mean, Mumbo-Jumbo?” (Remembering Conrad Birdie and Energy Healers)

December 2, 2011 by Bill

After a recent sojourn into the Mojave Desert to capture stories of healers, I guess that I was still overwhelmed even several weeks later by some of the testimonials. A typical snippet of what I had come back with would be Dianne’s story:

After showing my son, Damon some of these, he mused about doing a testimonial himself about some of his life experiences. Although he has a wealth of such experiences, there was no doubt in my mind that his stint in front of the camera was going to be something between tongue-and-check and irreverent. This presumably would be meant to confound all attempts by me to get to a deep level during an interview.

Knowing that he, like most photographers that I know would prefer to stay on the other side of the camera, I attempted to encourage him by adorning him with my favorite sets of Love beads and filling his hands with a sacred musical wood block, complete with mallet that I had retrieved years ago from the Yucatan.

“Camera is rolling, sound is speeding, and … ACTION!”

(Pause and silence).

Damon: “I don’t know … I’m not feelin’ it!”

Boy, have I heard that before! It has become my current obsession to figure out how to get someone in front of the camera beyond that spot and to dig deeply into those feelings to bring out something real. I try to remember the times spent with directors Rod Menzies and Shayde Christian to see if I can remember how they did it. I am not sure exactly what to do in every situation, but I instinctively feel that the performance in front of the camera springs from that twilight area very close to our fears and passions, like some artistic serpent coiled and ready to strike forth. As the photographers delving into video, we attempt to invite the serpent to strike, without invoking its ire.

As Damon continued to silently express his feelings, I saw in the camera moments of supreme facial realities that would rival any actor. These moments confirmed my feelings about that twilight area from which art springs from the deep subconscious. But the words, probably immovably blocked in some cerebral lobe would have to wait for another day to amaze me.

Finally, I couldn’t take it any more. Overcoming my own fear of being in front of the camera, I burst, “let me give it a try!” I took up the ceremonial musical wood block, left him standing there in the forest with the Love beads, and gave it a try.

Not to bore the reader with my impromptu script, I will suffice it to say that my sister, upon seeing the performance wrote, “what a bunch of [explicative deleted] mumbo-jumbo!”

"You've gotta be sincere?"

I don’t know, I thought it was pretty sincere, if not in a mumbo-jumbo sort of way.

Well, OK. So, Damon did try to make me laugh; I’ll show part of it:

Maybe this whole story is just an excuse to pay homage to the late performer, Jesse Pearson, who created one of my favorite characters, the man with the gold lamé jumpsuit, Conrad Birdie. Maybe I need look no farther than his performance for the answers I seek: “You’ve gotta be sincere — honestly sincere!”

Posted in Photography | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

“Over-control Is the Mark of the Amateur,” Daddy Said.

November 11, 2011 by Bill

Now forty years gone, I still find myself hearing my late father’s favorite sayings. I was amused when he first said, “the old jokes are the best — that’s why they’re old!” I have since learned that this expression was fairly common four generations ago.

A self-funded race car driver, he used to drive pedal-to-the-metal with thumb and index fingers on the wheel weaving through traffic citing the title of this post. Mother would object claiming, “Stop showing off, Bill. We’re all going to die!” He wouldn’t.

Now that the decades have assuaged any high-speed fear that I might have suffered then, I come more-and-more to realize what he meant. While reviewing some video of interviews, I came across one that stood-out after-the-fact. I sensed the young woman had more to tell than what I had interpreted to be a safe answer to a question about changes that she may have experienced in her life after studying alternative healing methods.

With one take “in-the-can,” I approached her to try to get to a deeper level, and quickly realized that she had said all that she had intended to say. In the following image, you can see her subtle reaction to my invitation to explore a deeper level in her response.

In the end, she gave a polite response, but I can’t help feeling that had the invitation been better-crafted, that something profound might have happened … or not.

I am reminded by the teachings of another friend and mentor, Hugh Milne, as he suggests to students of craniosacral work who are anxious to help their clients:

“you can’t go too deep — just too fast!”

Posted in Photography | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments »

Not Your Typical Doc

November 10, 2011 by Bill

Last week in the desert, while doing some video interviews, I met Dr. Leonard (no, not McCoy). A medical doctor who has a keen interest in indigenous healing methods, the doctor divides her time between her practice Down Under and her philanthropic work in Africa.

When she showed up to a second interview in a beautiful ceremonial dress, I couldn’t help asking her to pose for this study.

Dr. Leonard

Dr. Phillipa Leonard, MD

Posted in Photography | Tagged | 1 Comment »

They’ve Struck Water at the Joshua Tree Retreat Center!

November 1, 2011 by Bill

Joshua Tree, California
Fall, 2011

There was never a reason not  to visit the Joshua Tree Retreat Center (JTRC).  And the architecture by Lloyd Wright, the quiet of the Mojave Desert, the self-realization nature of the curricula and more make a bouquet of reasons to visit this special place located on Hwy 62 in the California Desert.  Now they’ve discovered hot springs!  Although yet to be developed, this post describes what is available now.

For those of us who gravitate to the lake or sea, we might be thinking that we would miss the water — but no more!  Since I have been visiting here, it has become more lush.  So with a couple of days on my own, I decided to take a photographic inventory of the water features at JTRC.

The Chalice Pond (1)
It’s 7am on a crisp late October morning. I get up and in my quest for coffee at the Dining Hall;  I pass the Chalice Pond. Constructed in 2009, this was the first of a  major undertaking of the new water projects conceived by the Director here, Victoria GeVoian. The sun is behind the fountain to the East, and is just beginning to hit the upper jet. The Chalice Pond is located between the Apartments and Studios and the Ridge-line Cottages (See map near the end of this post).

The Chalice Pond at JTRC

The Dining Hall Fountain (2)
I continue on my quest to the dining hall. There is nobody up-and-around yet, and I pass the “grandmother” of JTRC fountains, located just north of the dining hall. In the distance to the East are the Caravancias (dormitories) and the new swimming pool. I have taken still pictures here before for groups that have attended the Center, including a “fotobomb” shot.  My son introduced me to the concept of the fotobomb – something that appears in the picture that is definitely and most absurdly out-of-place.  In my youth, we would have asked, “what’s wrong with this picture?” (I have omitted the picture here to protect the faces of the innocent — and the guilty!)

The image that I am thinking about was done for a school that holds classes here.  I arranged some of the staff and students around this triangular-shaped fountain.  It was a magical moment.  Everyone took my direction, and continued to interact as they had before I had guided them into position — so the moment was “real.”  I had a Quantum Q flash ready to fill-in the shadows of the strong desert sun and was ready to release the shutter.  Suddenly, a passer-by ran into frame claiming, “hey, what are you guys doing here taking this picture? — pictures should not be posed, posed pictures not real!”  (My dear mentor, the late Monte Zucker is smiling now). I clicked the shutter, and she was the only thing in the shot that appeared out-of-place.  She was later “Shopped” from the image.  The actual image made was picked-up be the school catalog.

There are coy in this pond, and it is a meeting place for the people who attend events here.  It’s a great place to sit and not be too far from the coffee!

The Dining Hall Fountain at JTRC

Doing an about-face will give you this view of the dining facilities.  The facilities are really quite special — designed with a high, peaked ceiling and picture windows.

Dining Hall Fountain at JTRC from the East

And when you are inside the dining room in the daytime looking back to the North, you’ll be rewarded with a view of the fountain as well:

The Dining Hall Fountain from Indoors

The Caravansary Fountain (3)
The Caravansary rooms have a special spot in my heart. Maybe because it was where I stayed during my first visit here over five years ago. Or, maybe it’s because it is where I met several close friends like Jim Dewell and where I first saw Brooke Medicine Eagle. There was no fountain at the Caravansary then; perhaps the Director, Victoria had it in-the-works. But at that time it was just desert. The Caravansary Fountain may not be as active as the Chalice Pond, or as serene as the Dining Hall Fountain, but I think this one is my favorites. I think this is partially because it reflects the shape of Lloyd Wright’s architectural details on the roof-line of the Caravansary just beyond.

The Caravansary Fountain at JTRC

The Pool and Spa (4)
Directly behind this location, adjacent to Friendship Hall, are the new pool and spa.  I am told that there are still some landscaping plans in-the-works, but the pool and spa are heated operational.  At the time that I made this image, there as a German photographer doing laps at about 9 in the morning.  He was being observed or accompanied by the mysterious, hatted figure seen in the shadows of the foreground.

The JTRC Pool and Spa

The Friendship Hall Fountain (5)

I thought that I had finished the inventory of water features and fountains when I remembered a large pot by the Friendship Hall.  I drove (yes, I know, a purist would have walked) over to the area adjacent to the caravancias and grabbed this quick image of the Friendship Hall Fountain.

The Friendship Hall Fountain

The Gift Shop Fountain (6)
If you check in at the Office, you’ll pass through the Center’s great gift store — but not before you pass this sight on the left:

The JTRC Gift Shop Fountain

The Sanctuary Fountain and Detail (7)

Of course, by now I should have known that there would be a fountain at the Sanctuary. The sound from this one echoes off of the stone walls of the Sanctuary building onto the quadrangle.

The Sanctuary Fountain (detail)

I am informed that the proper Fung Shui for this fountain is just right where it is: on the “dragon-side” of the building.

The JTRC Sanctuary Fountain

The Meditation Building Fountain (8)
Quiet, secluded and peaceful, the Meditation Building is directly behind (to the West) the Sanctuary. Here, a quiet fountain is watched-over by a goddess (at the time of this writing, I believe it is one of the Taras). Silence is encouraged here.

The Fountain at the JTRC Meditation Building

If you ask about the figures in silhouette in the image above, I am afraid that I just couldn’t say, other than to mention that my assistants often wear hats.

The Ding Le Mei House Pool (9)
I have photographed the house of the founder of the Institute of Mental Physics (yes, it is a name that can be an ice-breaker) before. For background on the center and the founder, I invite the reader to visit the Institute of Mental Physics website. I walked (this time) over to the Ding Le Mei House to scout the pool.  The next day, I returned to make this image with the help of Regina, my daughter-in-law.

The Ding Le Mei House Pool at JTRC

On the Grounds Map
Here are the map locations of the water features that I have mentioned in this article:

The JTRC Grounds Map

Oh, did I mention the gift shop itself?  One of the best-stocked New Age gift shops that I have seen is here. I just couldn’t help picking up a rattle made from nut shells!

In this image, the pendulae in the center are moved by the breeze coming in from the front door — or are they?

The JTRC Gift Shop

Closing
Photographers always encourage each other to have personal projects. I made use of some personal time in the desert to do this one — for myself, and for my friends at the Joshua Tree Retreat Center. I hope you like it.

Post Script
After reviewing this blog post, Victoria informed me that I had missed one. I said, “you mean that one that is in pieces next to Noble Hall?” “No! The one on the exercise pad next to Noble Hall.” “So, I missed two!” I include these for the sake of completeness.

First, the lonely fountain south of Noble Hall:

Noble Hall Fountain 1 (incomplete)

And the one with miles of potential:

Noble Hall Fountain 2

Posted in Photography | Tagged , | Leave a Comment »

Visiting “A Valley of Vitality Wellness Studio” – Prescott, AZ

October 23, 2011 by Bill

Several months ago, I was minding my own business and nursing a torn left bicep muscle suffered when Chauncie decided to chase a cat and squirrel at the same moment — the moment for me being unguarded as I was glibly chatting with a neighbor.

"Chauncie"

Chauncie is a 70 lb mixed-breed — a mix between a drool bucket and love sponge! Weak she is not. It is not uncommon for passing school boys and girls to say, “Gee mister, you have a neat dog, but it looks kind of scary!”

When Facebook suggested friends in my area, A Valley of Vitality Wellness Studio came up, and I immediately thought, “now that is exactly what I need — more vitality!” And my arm could use some treatment too. So I called Amanda.

Amanda Barnett is the force behind the Valley of Vitality Wellness Center. An R.N. and nationally-certified massage therapist, she knows what she is doing. And the introductory special doesn’t hurt either. During our small-talk she found out about my love of photography. I interrupted her, “I know what you want — a Web Commercial.” “How did you know?” she asked. I am sure that I said something stupid like, “doesn’t everyone?” But that conversation led to what for me is a growing respect for this professional, and I can’t say enough about her knowledge and skill. She has helped to neutralize the effects of Chauncie on my arms.

A Valley of Vitality Wellness Studio

Today I went over to the studio to get some pick-up shots for the web commercial. Amanda has expanded the facility with additional services like far-infrared (FIR) sauna. While I was there, I made several images of the rooms including the ones above and below.

Therapy Room 1

And still more:

Far-infrared Suana

And another therapy room (Amanda’s business sense has enabled her to expand the business recently):

One of several therapy rooms

Highly recommend!

Posted in Photography | Tagged , | Leave a Comment »

An Actor Prepares – Again

October 22, 2011 by Bill

St. Alice of Chattahoochee
It will have been almost five years now since I received an email from my friend and acting coach Rod Menzies with a general invitation to come see Alice Johnson Boher in a solo performance called “St. Alice of Chattahoochee.”  I joke around that I don’t get out much. And the joke is, it’s mostly true. I didn’t know what to expect – but I decided to go, even though the traffic in LA doesn’t exactly motivate one to go out at any time unless it is a matter of life and death.

Well, I could have died laughing that night. I don’t think I have ever quite seen (or heard of) a comedienne like Alice Johnson. Rod directed this one-woman show that was at-once touching, embarrassing (in a good way), raucous, physical and poignant .  It was the first time since Phantom of the Opera that I had contemplated coming back for the next performance. I left the theater thinking to myself, “what a lucky guy Rod is to be able to work with people like Alice Johnson.”

Alice Johnson Boher and Rod Menzies

On Points and Arcs
Rod and I see each other only occasionally since I have moved to Arizona. But my foray into HDSLR video production seems to draw us back together. I do the video mostly on behalf of charitable organizations in Arizona. But if we are both in LA at the same time, we like to have breakfast at Nick’s Coffee Shop & Deli on Pico near La Cienega on a weekday morning to catch up.

It was at that last breakfast that I was telling Rod how moved I was to watch him coach Elisa Donovan the day before her read of her upcoming solo-performance called “Sweet Dreams,” which is based on the death of her father.  Like any outsider, I am woefully unaware and unappreciative of the work and skills that are required for a successful performance.  This is not practically true – but it feels that way sometimes.  I watched silently as Rod listened to Elisa’s read.  He had a calm but focused attention that was registering on not only every word, but on the “arc,” of the story.  She paused … he would ask about one word.  She would immediately understand the obvious and subtle implications for the performance, mark-up the script and continue reading.  It was a delight to watch. The next day I was lucky to be asked to film the read.

Elisa Donovan

So at breakfast I told him that I would love to be able to film such a session.  He got a strange look on his face and said, “Well, Alice is coming over in about an hour.  I’ll call her and see how she would feel about it.  I am sure she won’t mind.  That’s the kind of person she is.”

“You don’t mean “Saint” Alice, do you?” (I could feel the grip of destiny on my shoulder).

“Yes, didn’t you see her first play?  Well,  she’s working on another one and I am going to meet with her to discuss it.”

I reminded Rod, “Of course I saw it– twice!”

I just shut my mouth and was glad that I had a Westcott Spiderlite TD5 in the car.  I set up at Rod’s place.

Alice arrived and I became a fly-on-the-wall for the next 90 minutes – camera ‘rolling.’  I am hoping that Rod will have some snippets of this session on his web site soon, and I can hardly wait to see what Alice comes up with next.

Growing up in Hollywood should have numbed me by now — but I am still such a fan of people like Alice and Rod!

Post Script:

Here is a “snippet” from Alice & Rod’s session. Enjoy being the fly-on-the-wall!

Posted in Photography | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Who Are You Calling Habibi?

October 4, 2011 by Bill

Sam. A friend in deed.
I never get tired of still photography sessions. In the following collage, I am lucky enough to have made images with two loving sisters who took the time out of their drive to a friend’s wedding to sit for me.

My friend, Sam hosted us at his home in Los Angeles. We spent 30 minutes making images before the girls had to move on – but the time was so well-spent. I had every intention of using Sam’s immaculate gardens to frame the images. But as we chatted while waiting for the girls to arrive, I couldn’t help noticing the elegant simplicity of Sam’s house. Indoors, it was peaceful, and there were framed windows with wispy, white laces and deep green fabrics. And the master bedroom was airy and done in woods and chenille. In every room, light was coming from two directions — almost as if they had be designed with portraiture in mind.

The interior of the house was too much for me to ignore. I asked Sam if he would mind if we shot indoors and he agreed, but not before joking about how the price of the photography permit would escalate accordingly. (I hope he was joking). I believe any thoughts that he had of charging me quickly were forgotten when he saw the ladies walking up to his front door.

When Christine and Vivian arrived, I immediately put Vivian in a wooden chair I pulled from the dining room to the front room picture window and began to shoot. To ‘sweeten’ the picture window images, I used a Quantum Q Flash aimed through a diffuser, and a Canon Speedlite on 1/64 power behind the model. For the balance of the shots, I either went with natural light or natural light and a Monte silver reflector by FJ Westcott.

“Billy, please make find-a-husband pictures.”
Shortly after we began, Vivian said something like, “these pictures, I hope will be good enough for us to find good husbands!” Christine chimed in, “Yes, Billy. Make us our ‘find-a-husband’ pictures.” So I said, “not a problem,” and positioned each one successively in front of the master bedroom window and invited each to look out the window between the layers of chiffon as if by doing so would cause that future person to suddenly appear.

I just love how rich the images look. After the shoot, surprisingly a little tired from working so quickly, I took Sam for an early dinner as a small token of my thanks for being able to use his wonderful home to make the images.

Had the sisters not been on their way to the wedding, we could have spent several hours and a host of wardrobe changes before exhausting ourselves and the space.

A couple of weeks before, I had photographed Christine at the 9-11 remembrance at Pepperdine University in Malibu, CA. The images are at the end of the collage.

The results:

I hope you like what we made.

Posted in Photography | Leave a Comment »

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »