Your Rights As A Photographer; Print And Keep Them In Your Camera Bag Page 2

You're Making Me Hungry
That's what your stomach will be saying when you visit Michael Ray's website (www.foodportfolio.com). Ray is a gifted food photographer in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and for his site the word "menu" takes on a new meaning. A Portfolio gallery contains his latest tasty tidbits and looking at the photograph of the frosted strawberries on French toast had the desired effect: first, great admiration for the technical and aesthetic skill for creating this one and second, a rush to the kitchen to get something to eat. Not only are his photographs in this section delicious looking on many different levels, but his playful use of color elevates his images well beyond mere commercial photography.

More elaborate and complex images can be found in the Newest gallery, including a yummy pizza, meaty entrées, and a multihued birthday cake, all styled and photographed with the kind of joie de vivre really great food photography must have. Ray is not a one-note photographer so be sure to visit his main site (www.michaelray.com) to view images that are completely different. The drama found in his firefighter photographs in the Commerce gallery is breathtaking and demonstrates the depth of Ray's talent. Don't miss the People section either for studio and location portraits that resonate with the grace, style, and class that are hallmarks of Ray's imagery.

Although a gifted food photographer, Michael Ray is clearly not a one-note photographer. Be sure to visit his main site (www.michaelray.com) to see some images that are completely different than his food photography.
© 2005, Michael Ray, All Rights Reserved

Weddings & More
Trends, they say, begin on the West Coast, and are refined on the East Coast, but that is last millennium thinking. Here in America's heartland, there is a quiet renaissance in wedding photography going on that combines photojournalism and fashion with illustration to produce fresh, not recycled images. This month I want to introduce you to M. Todd Thiele from Avon, Colorado. His website (www.strawdawg.com) includes some of the types of wedding photographs you expect to see but a heck of a lot you don't. Thiele's images capture not just the faces of people at a wedding but also the spirit and mood that's sometimes playful, sometimes serious, but always with the kind of elegance and humor befitting the particular event. The Weegee-like photograph of a guest kissing the groom on the cheek and his ensuing expression is priceless and much more of a memory of the event than stiffly-posed friends standing in front of an altar, tree, or wall.

The images are mostly in color with some monochrome and some with a handcolored look that adds variety and must produce breathtaking albums when assembled. Thiele shows the same kind of insights in his portraits of kids found in the Little People gallery, where the pictures are fresh, surprising, and full of wonder. Photos of horses and dogs? Yup, look for them in the Equine and Man's Best Friend gallery, captured by Thiele with the same verve he applies to his two-legged subjects.

M. Todd Thiele's images capture not just the faces of people at a wedding but also the spirit in mood that's sometimes playful, sometimes serious, but always with the kind of elegance, style, and humor befitting the particular event.
© 2005, M. Todd Thiele, All Rights Reserved

Misc. Ramblings
Although I visit every website suggested by readers you may not be surprised to learn that not every one is accepted. You may be surprised to learn that some Webmasters decline or set conditions before they will permit their site to appear in this department. Sorry, Charlie. In or out, it's your choice. I'm always on the lookout for new and interesting sites that have great photography and great design, too. Contact me (joefarace@comcast.net) with suggestions and don't be bashful about nominating yourself.

For those two readers who e-mailed complaining that Take Your Camera to Work Day 2005 (www.takeyourcameratoworkday.com) fell on a Saturday, here's the scoop: My wife works Monday through Friday, but she had to work this past Saturday and Sunday and my dad worked weekends for the 30 years he was employed at Bethlehem Steel. Some people who posted photographs were in the military who are on duty every day. I thank them for their great images and invite others to post photos on what was also Armed Forces Day.

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