The Messy Desk Rules

For years, whenever we made environmental portraits, we'd buzz around and clean up/rearrange the office, reception area or conference room where we were shooting. The idea was to create a calm vista where the subject of the portrait (typically a human) would dominate the field of view. The environment was supposed to be evocative, but not overpowering or too distracting.

Well, that approach worked sometimes, and other times, we'd end up taking all the personality out of the subjects' environment. Nearly "de-saturating" the environment, if you will.

Last week, we were invited back to Durrette Bradshaw to update portraits for a few of their attorneys.

This is Chris Hill, in his office...at his desk. Looks like the real thing, and it certainly is. Chris has developed a specialty construction law. He blogs about it at http://constructionlawva.com

There certainly is a lot of stuff in the image frame, but hopefully, through thoughtful composition (using the rule of thirds, and the natural triangle of the human head-torso,) we've made it easy for the viewer to focus on the person first, and then take a cue (or two) from the environment surrounding him. From a functional standpoint, we were able to set up the lights (there were 2 in the room--a smallish office about 8x12) and allow Chris to continue working at his desk.

One of the bonuses of Chris's office were the downtown buildings, including one under construction, just outside his window. This made it even easier for us (Winifred and I) to leave him at his desk. Our client, Amy Kimon Smith-Pike, agreed that the busy exterior environment balanced the cluttered interior environment, while adding yet another visual cue about Chris's professional expertise.

All images and text copyright 2009, Elaine Odell, Church Hill Photography, LLC.

Standford Financial Group -- who'd a thunk?

Its a weird feeling, and that's probably putting it mildly for the folks who work in the Richmond, Virginia, office of the Stanford Financial Group.

Late last year, we were hired to make portraits of the folks who had just opened the local office of this international company. Just yesterday, I heard the story on NPR about their founder Allen Standford: how he was served papers by the FBI (up the road in Fredericksburg) and is now under investigation for securities fraud.

This morning when went to the Stanford Group website, I was greeted with a receivership page. Wow.

Now, I can't stop thinking about those folks I met in the Richmond office last December. Can you imagine being a financial adviser, who's reputation and integrity is everything, having to field calls from your anxious clients who have just learned the company who they've invested with is in receivership?

What must if feel like to wonder whether your boss, the founder of your company, your "fearless leader" who inspires you and your coworkers to work hard and believe in your products/services, may have duped you? And duped your hard-earned clients? Pretty depressing.

Of course, if you or I were in this position, we'd probably try to calm our clients, and remind them it's only an investigation, and no criminal charges have been filed, and everything will be ok when the dust settles. Hoping that this is just all a big mistake.

Now this may sound odd, but when I make someone's portrait, I chat them up...ask em questions about their lives and get to know them. There have been times when I got a weird vibe from someone and would think "no way could I ever do business with this person".

But that didn't happen in the Richmond office of the Stanford Financial Group. My goodness radar was on, and these folks all achieved the "good guy" rating.

One of the folks we met is Bobby Long. He's well known in Richmond, and has been in the financial services industry for over 35 years. He's active in the community and volunteers for several Richmond area non-profits.

Ironically, the Stanford Financial Group offices in Richmond occupy old Wachovia office space in the Riverfront Plaza (West Tower). One of the folks we met, Chris Long, had worked for Wachovia. I'm pretty sure he was happy to continue his career in financial services here in Richmond. Joining the Standford Group must have seemed like a great opportunity back in 2008.

And next is Dave Innes. Smart, trustworthy, a veteran of USB-Paine Webber. We chatted about cameras, as he was thinking of getting a new one for the Christmas holidays.

These are all decent hardworking folks. I can't help but think that no one deserves to go through the kinda stress they might be going through now. I feel for them, and their families, and I wish them the best of luck getting through this.

I also hope their client's assets are safe and sound.

Aquarium Shoot for Dominion Power

This was one of my favorite commercial shoots all year. Dominion Power is overhauling its website in the next few months, and wanted some new imagery.

Everyday uses of electricity was kind of the theme...and an aquarium certainly relies on a dependable energy source.

This concept of kids looking through a fish tank was something Dominion had tried to create a few years ago, but unsuccessfully. If you stop and think about it, a fish tank is a reflective surface nightmare, not to mention the issue of water clarity (murky faces is typically what you see when you shoot through an aquarium.)

Fortunately, I learned how to "shoot fish" a few years ago doing some work for Tetra (aquatic habitat supplies). My fish images were used in pet store displays and still appear on their website. Eliminating reflections of our studio lights, yet still finding a way to illuminate the set and subjects was the technical challenge photographically. Once you figure that out, you just gotta have a squeeky clean tank, clear water, and fish that swim "prettily" for the camera.

This shoot took about 2 weeks of advance studio preparation. Dave Thomas of Thomas Aquatics (804) 355-0455 was our official fish wrangler and aquatic environment wizard. He and his assistant, Ryan, set up two 50 gallon tanks in the studio. One for photography and the other as a "holding tank" for extra fish.

Fin and Feather supplied the set tank and all the decorations along with a selection of fresh-water exotic fish. To get the water perfectly clear, Dave & Ryan must have replaced the water in the set tank at least 6 times over the 2 week period. We also added lots of water treatment chemicals to knock out the chlorine.

Spending 2 weeks with the fish, I got to see that they really do have "personalities". My favorites were Dave's hybrid African Cichlid's. They are the 3 big orange fish swimming in the foreground of the tank. They didn't have any of the aggressiveness associated with the species and they'd swim to the top and "kiss" your fingers or, nibble on our hands/arms whenever we had to move something inside the tank. I also have a sweet spot for Gouramis of all kinds (they tend to be shy).

Jessica Kantor did a terrific job of casting and "kid wrangling" for the two afternoons we shot. She and Winifred Halliday found 2nd graders at their respective public elementary schools willing to spend a few hours modeling with the tank...between snack and game breaks.

Electricity uses: the fish were fresh water exotic species in a water temp about 75-degrees maintained by an electric heater with thermometer. Lots of filtration needed, especially with a bunch of fish in the tank; another use of electricity. Bubble fountains are just for looks, tho some fish like to play in them, again more electricity. Lastly, the strobe lights and digital camera all powered by Dominion.