So you may have noticed in the last few hours that our blog looks a bit different, and I suppose we owe you an explanation.
We’ve just released our new “Cog,” which is really an enhanced version of our blog and a companion site to wonderfulmachine.com.
Why? We’ve found that there’s a lot to share about Wonderful Machine and our photographers, but we wanted to keep our existing site “clean.” There are few sites quite like ours these days, in terms of the simplicity of viewing and finding photographers.
The Cog helps you find out even more about us. For example:
Look right to see the latest photographers we’ve added to our site, not to mention our most recent Twitter posts and Youtube videos all in one place.
If you’re an art buyer looking to use us at our fullest, then check out the How We Help Clients tab above.
If you’re a photographer looking for more info about us, or one of our current photographers needing a reminder of what we’ve done for you lately, then click on the How We Help Photographers tab.
If you’d like to see how good looking (and modest) our blog authors are, or find out just who it is that you’re talking to on the phone when you call in or email us, then click Our Staff.
And one of my favorite parts, personally: if you want to see our archive of past email and print promos, industry ads, blog posts, where we’re seen online and in print, check out our Archive. I enjoy looking through our past emailers because it’s a fun way to view our photographers’ work.
There’ll be new things to see on the Cog as we further develop the site. So, in addition to reading our blog posts, please do check back regularly and poke around the Cog. And if you have an idea for making the Cog more useful to you, please drop me a line:
Wonderful Machinists Amanda and Jess went down to Atlanta last week to show our books to a few friends at JWT, UPS, CNN, 22squared, and Big Sky. It’s a fun study of logos and branding to view all of their entrances at once:
Amanda Hanley in front of CNN (sorry, we don't have a shot of Big Sky's)
Our first stop was One CNN Center to meet with CNN’s creative team for Multimedia and Interactive Storytelling. One of their producers explained how they’re trying to veer away from using stock images: “I can’t use the same picture of a plane taking off one more time!” A graphic designer expressed the same need for original photography: “In the Health section, we might be covering a new advancement or medical rarity, and we need creative, conceptual images to illustrate it and draw the reader in.”
She was especially impressed with Bill Cramer’s work with doctors and CEO’s, and his ability to animate them into more engaging subjects. They also enjoyed Martin Sundberg’s lifestyle and video work, as they try to incorporate multimedia work whenever possible. Here’s his portfolio:
One producer recently had a situation where they needed images for a story about a Midwestern farmer who, in order to publicize his business, tweets from his tractor while he’s out in the field. Generally, technology trends like this change so frequently that there just aren’t enough stock images to choose from. The story itself was on a tight deadline and they needed an assignment photographer in a city/town that wasn’t familiar to producers, so the regional focus of our site was especially appealing to them.
We were also treated to a studio tour, so you may have spotted us in the background of the 11:00 AM broadcast of CNN News.
Next, we spent some time talking with one of 22squared’s art buyers, who says she’s been there since before it was 22squared. She was familiar with a number of our Atlanta-based photographers, especially Deborah W. Llewellyn and Harold Daniels. Always looking for “people, places, and things,” she responded most to books with a playful presentation, like Ryan Robinson’s humorous conceptual images. She was excited about their recent acquisition of the Baskin Robbins account, and she and her family have been big fans for years (and let’s face it, who doesn’t like ice cream?).
After lunch we made a stop at Blue Sky Agency, who handles all of Atlanta’s major sports franchises. One of their creative directors explained that they didn’t set out to focus on sports, and handle other accounts as well, but love working with the teams and are excited to fill that role.
That evening we went to Cypress St. Pint & Plate to meet up with a crowd of our Atlanta photographers. It was great to see them all face-to-face and enjoy a few rounds, especially since most of our correspondences are through phone and email. We learned that Ryan Gibson has a music background himself, which helps musicians let loose on his shoots; Jon Kownacki is actually from Detroit, “which explains why I swear a lot,” he jokes; and Deborah W. Llewellyn’s husband is an attorney who pulls double-duty as her official negotiator with clients.
Jon Kownacki, Ryan Gibson, Stan Kaady, Calvin Lockwood, Jim Llewellyn, Harold Daniels, Deborah W. Llewellyn, Amanda Hanley, and David Smith
The next morning we greeted JWT’s creative team with a spread of portfolios and breakfast (kept the two separated of course – no spills). Can’t recall a broader client base: they work with the US Marine Corps, the US Virgin Islands, and FEMA. One art director responded to Terry Vine’s resort work, and loved his presentation of three books in one case, each featuring a different side of his lifestyle/travel work. Aside: No Plastic Sleeves just had a nice post about Terry’s branding collaboration with his rep Patti Schumann.
Another art director was very impressed with Tyler Stableford’s work, especially his recent project photographing the U.S. Air Force: “I had the amazing opportunity to fly with these guys for 90 minutes with five F-16s over the Rocky Mountains, all at my service to get the best possible shots!” Tyler said. He made an exciting, in-air behind the scenes video from that shoot: http://www.tylerstableford.com/portfolio.php?dirid=11 (get your Top Gun fix for the week).
We ended our stay with a stop at UPS’s headquarters, where we sat down with one of their graphic designers to share a few books and talk about our website. UPS is looking for authentic-feeling lifestyle shooters for their internal and external advertising: “We want to capture a driver on the road, talking with customers, and everything in between.” They were especially happy with Wonderful Machine’s international reach: “When we open up a new market,” she explained, “We want to show our trucks and employees on a real street in Shanghai, on a real doorstep in Thailand – you can tell if it’s done in a studio so we steer clear of that.”
Luckily we made it back into Philly before the snow hit again. So all in all it was a great trip and we’re looking forward to the next opportunity to head down!
-Amanda Hanley and Neil Binkley
After lunch we made a stop at Blue Sky Agency, who handles all of Atlanta’s major sports franchises. One of their creative directors explained that they didn’t set out to focus on sports, and handle other accounts as well, but love working with the teams and are happy to fill that role. They were exciting about an upcoming project that required a gritty, almost photojournalistic take on a racing event that draws thousands of fans to camp out in a small southeastern town. They enjoy these kinds of unconventional takes on sporting events as is allows them to search outside the box for the right photographer.
That evening we went to Cypress St. Pint & Plate to meet up with a crowd of our Atlanta photographers. For such an email- and phone call-heavy industry, it was great to meet them all face-to-face and enjoy a few rounds. We learned that Ryan Gibson has a music background himself, which helps him make let musicians let loose at his shoots; Jon Kownacki is actually from Detroit, “which explains why I swear a lot,” he admitted; and Deborah W. Llewellyn’s husband is an attorney who pulls double-duty as her official negotiator with clients. We were all witness to the opening of a cask beer that night, so if you’re into $26/glass beverages of unfiltered, “live” beer, head downtown to these guys.
The next morning we held a portfolio breakfast at JWT, located outside the business of the city center. Due to office maneuvers, they were all recently shuffled around with the creatives in one building and everyone else in the adjacent building, until they all reunite sometime this year in a new spot. We greeted their team with a spread of portfolios and breakfast (kept the two separated of course – no spills!) sure to start off the day right. Can’t recall a more different base of clients: they work with the US Marine Corps, the US Virgin Islands, and FEMA. One art director responded to Terry Vine’s resort work, and loved his presentation of three book in one case, each featuring a different side of lifestyle/travel work. Another art director was very impressed with Tyler Stableford’s work, especially his recent Air Force images: “I had the amazing opportunity to fly with these guys, for 90 minutes with five F-16s over the Rocky Mountains, all at my service to get the best possible shots!” Tyler said. Here is a trailer he produced from that shoot: www.tylerstableford.com/photos/fighterpilots.mov
We ended our stay with a stop of UPS’s headquarters; their building is incredible and one creative there said that they built it so that it looked like “someone had dropped it in the middle of a forest.” We sat down with one of their graphic designers to share a few books and talk about the site. UPS is looking for authentic-feeling lifestyle shooters for their internal and external advertising: “We want to capture a driver on the road, talking with customers, and everything in between.” They were especially happy about Wonderful Machine’s international reach: “When we open up a new market,” she explained, “We want to show our trucks and employees on a real street in Shanghai, on a real doorstep in Thailand – you can tell if it’s done in a studio so we steer clear of that.”
Luckily we made it back into Philly before the snow hit again. So all in all it was a great trip and we’re looking forward to the next opportunity to head down!
Fred Licht makes his own lenses (a lot of work!) , and some of his images appear in an LA show opening tomorrow at Affinity Galleries, running through April.
Licht discusses why he decided to take on this technical endeavor in the first place :
At my website, you will notice a portfolio entitled “Proprietary Optics”. These are images created with lenses that I have designed and built myself. Some of these images are from assignments where I have been hired specifically because of these lenses. Other images are personal work or personal exploration with these lenses.
My desire to explore optics as a creative tool began with my longstanding interest in 19th century photography. Many of the images from that period have a distinct “look” (as well as other sensibilities) and I began by purchasing lenses from that period of time. I quickly realized that this was not giving me the look that I wanted and I began to research the field of photographic optics. It turns out that nearly all of the lenses that we use today (with the exception of zoom lenses and a few other formulas) were designed in the 19th century and have not really changed. I came to understand that the optical designers of the 19th century, the leading physicists of their time, had been given the task to create lenses that were, technically speaking, as perfect as possible.
Interestingly, many of the leading photographers of the 19th and early 20th Centuries then sought to counteract this “perfection” and devised techniques to make their images less technically accurate and more emotionally grounded. They did this, primarily, through printing techniques, breaking down the image after it was created in the camera, though some did this through optical means as well. I decided to take a more radical approach and alter the optics themselves. I decided to start from scratch, did a great deal of research, and began to create optics that had a more emotional appeal without concern for technical “perfection”.
I have since built four optics, all designed to work on a 4X5 camera, where each has a particular signature. The image is created in the camera, and none of the “effects” are done in postproduction. If I had more time to work with this, I would build more lenses (and use the ones that I have already made!), but this remains an ongoing interest for me.
Here’s one of his lenses:
Fred also shoots with “normal” lenses to capture his architectural and travel subjects:
