Frosting & Cupcake

Every time we have a cook book recipe testing session at Flavour Cooking School, it's a doubly wonderful day for me. First, I get to make photos of fabulous food. Second, I get to be around the fabulous food as it's being created. As a bonus, I get to hang out with people who love making that fabulous food!

Every session gives me a gallery full of photographs which make me proud. It's so difficult to pick out favorites. But I thought that for today's posting, I go with a theme: Frosting & Cupcake. This is a Flavour favorite, a chocolate cupcake with cream cheese frosting.

Oh, and did I mention that part of every recipe testing includes taste evaluation?

Urban Ballet

I was on a mini photowalk recently, just carrying around my "traveling light" kit which consists of my Fuji X20. While waiting for a traffic light to change, I noticed this short urban ballet unfolding in front of me. I put camera to eye and snapped a few photographs. While the rest of them just didn't work for me, this particular frame felt genuine and presented more story than the rest...so here it is.

I particularly like this photo because it has an elusive street photography feel to it. I respect street photographers because capturing such moments is never as easy as it looks. It is amazing how many throw-away images go into making a single "keeper" when it comes to they dynamics of everyday life.

Last Chance, Indeed

Karen and I were on our way to a gallery in Elgin, IL when we drove past this scene. She looked at me and wondered why I was still driving. Simultaneously, I was looking for a place where I could turn around. After doubling back, I pulled into the parking lot and hopped out of the car, camera in hand. I made a few shots of the scene, but then I decided that a panorama may be just the ticket to capture the mood and scope of what was in front of me.

Furthermore, I had envisioned this photo in black and white. The day itself was black and white: overcast, cold, and decidedly desaturated. The scene, too, just had a black and white feel. My next challenge was to communicate the lonely, aged feel that crept over me while standing there. I knew the building would do it, and I knew the barren intersection--criss-crossed with street lights and power lines--would do it too. But I felt it was the sign, blankly and poetically declaring "Last Chance," was my center piece. Given the panoramic aspect ratio, I felt putting that sign smack dab in the center and flanking it with the building and the intersection would communicate what I saw and felt by creating a meaningful fulcrum that tied the other two elements together.

Vices

While on a walk through Chicago's Chinatown, I meandered about with camera in hand looking for interesting scenes to shoot. I happened to see this gentleman and grabbed a shot on the go. I was using my small camera kit comprised of my 7D fitted with Canon's 

wonderfully small and high performing 40mm pancake lens. It's an unobtrusive kit that makes for great street photography.

When I captured this image, I was shooting for the visceral moment. It wasn't until I got back to my computer that I saw the second vice--the bottle in his pocket--which ended up transforming this shot from an interesting story into a very interesting story.

Red Cart

I love when everyday scenes present themselves so perfectly...and scream out to be photographed. This photos was one example of this magical moment. I had just parked my car and was about to get out when I noticed this tableaux directly in front of me. It was as if an art director showed up minutes before and staged it for me: the red cart; the red stripe on the stark, white wall; the black of the asphalt accentuated by the shock of yellow from the line; the hint of depth provided by the corner of the wall on the left. It all came together so perfectly and looked so beautiful to me. Naturally, I had my camera with me, so I took it out, made a few shots, and went on with my errands smiling.

Creativity & Instant Epiphanies

Creativity in all it's forms is a mystery and a wonder. Although making photographs is my primary creative love and passion, in my previous artistic life I was a writer. I was an actor. I've dabble--with varying degrees of success--with music (the apex of which was playing tin whistle in an Irish rock band on the stage of Chicago's Vic Theater for St. Patrick's Day). And I truly feel that my enjoyment of cooking flows from all the creative possibilities that food provides.

I've learned that creativity cannot be pigeon-holed into one discipline or endeavor. It flows through all aspects of our life. It doesn't come to us in tightly defined boxes ("first, I'll be creative in writing, then when that's over, I'll be creative in photography, and when that's completed I'll be creative in cooking"). Instead of vying for our attention, all aspects of our creative life not only play well together, they enhance each other.

Recently, while combing through my hard drive for a particular file, I came across a  biographical piece I wrote for a writing website I used to administer several years ago. As I read it, the hairs on my arms stood on end and my lips curled in a smile. Instant epiphany. My philosophy of writing sounded so familiar. In fact, it sounded nearly identical to my photographer's artist's statement. I realized that my fascination for the overlooked moments in life didn't just start with making pictures of them: I was also very interested in writing about them. There is something so very comforting in this realization from an artist's standpoint: I have a focus, a direction. And it's been there for a long, long time.

I participated in a workshop a while back where we were given an assignment: think about creativity. Specifically, answer these three questions about creativity:

• In your own words, define creativity.
• Where does it come from?
• How does it work?

I found this exercise deceptive in it's simplicity. At first, I figured it would be just some quick answers: a few ham-handed words and done. But the more I mulled over these three questions, the more expansive my answers became. I found that as I wrote, my thoughts came faster and faster, bumping into each other before my sluggish hands could get them out. My answers took on a life of their own. I was in the moment. I was in the "flow." And when I came back to my sense, here's what I had:

In your own words, define creativity.

Creativity is the ability to access the inaccessible portions of our consciousness and to synthesize seemingly unrelated concepts/constructs/ideas into something new and cohesive, causing our new creation to have a meaning which is greater than the sum of it’s parts.

Where does it come from?

Creativity originates in that elusive center of sentience. It comes from one’s awareness of the world (existence) and one’s place within it (individuality). Once this awareness is manifest, creativity is born of the fundamental drive to fashion meaning and order out of the myriad dissociative moments and events that make up that world every day. It springs from the desire to not only shape the world, but also to change it in a unique and meaningful way. It is no wonder that when humans invent myths and religions, one of the most important duties of the deity is that of creation.

How does it work?

Creativity works by allowing us to see in a way that exists outside of reality. If we think about it, being a creative means dancing upon that spider web of a line between sanity and madness. For instance, taken at its very basic nature, inventing stories is tantamount to imagining a world that doesn’t exist...and then saying it does. In some circles, one might be called “crazy” for saying such a thing.

But how do we see in such a way? How does creativity allow us dance upon that web? In all it’s mystery, creativity works by granting us access to the part of our being/essence/mind/spirit (insert your metaphysical construct of choice here) which is normally inaccessible: the part of us that holds the ability to conceive beyond mundane perception.

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So there it is. Your results may vary.

The Geometry of Leaving

When I saw this scene, I knew I wanted to photograph it, but I just wasn't sure where the photo was. I made a few shots at different angles and focal lengths, but I just wasn't excited by any of the results. I stepped back, got relatively wide with my lens, and then the three layers just appeared: layer 1--the shapes at the top as conveyed by the bricks and white cinder blocks; layer 2--the shapes as conveyed by the regimented doors; and layer 3--the shapes as conveyed by the white lines on the blue floor. I snapped and walked away happy to have mined the image.

A Fence

When I made this photograph, I had a few concepts in mind. I liked the way the brick archway framed the tree and the path. I liked the tones and the light. I wasn't sure about the fence. However, I made the photograph anyway because it just felt like I should. Once I got back to the computer, I looked at it and I felt that the fence was more of an integral part of this image than I first thought. Initially, it jars us visually. It doesn't feel like it should be there so it forces us to think about why it's there. It also jars us thematically because it is set up as an impediment to entering a graveyard...an act that, as far as any of us knows, is inevitable. 

Pineapple Abstract

As you already know, I'm a fool for great, natural light. So when I saw the late afternoon sun flowing all over this pineapple, I just had to grab my camera and make an exposure.

I tried a few different compositions and lenses. However, I decided upon using a macro lens and getting in nice and tight to try and capture the essence of the pineapple. To further push the boundary, I used a wide aperture to create the shallow depth of field.

Photo Shoot for Souldier Handmade

As I mentioned a few days ago (see "Photo Shoot", from January 17) I had the opportunity to photograph for two great companies, Megan Lee Designs and Souldier Handmade Straps.

I had a wonderful time photographing in the industrial space in the building where their company is located. The space was fantastic because of the way the afternoon light streamed in. It was so wonderful, in fact, that I didn't have to use my light kit until much later in the afternoon. For the majority of the day, I simply used the sun light and my reflectors.

Megan and Jen were great to work with, and the models brought all the products alive. 

I look forward to working with Jen and all the great people over at Souldier in the future.

This batch of photos comes from the Souldier collection. These are just a few samples to illustrate how well the day went. For these images, I shot primarily with my 

EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM on a Canon 5D Mark II body. However, a few of the shots in this gallery were made with an EF 50mm f/1.2L or an EF 35mm f/1.4L USM.

Symposium

On a photo walk a short time ago, I was meandering around Wicker Park and happened to notice this scene. Happily, I had my 85mm lens firmly affixed to the front of my camera...so I opened it up wide and made the shot. For me, that lens is one of the magical ones: rich and creamy bokeh, sharp focus, and a dreamy look.

I don't do nearly as much street photography as I would like, so the fact this one came to me was quite exciting. I would love to know the story that led these two gentlemen to be sitting at that bench at that time. I'm sure it's an intriguing one.

Breakfast

I am in the process of beefing up my food photography portfolio. One of the easiest ways to do this is to just snap away before we eat.

This morning, I made a tasty breakfast for Karen and me: homemade guacamole and scrambled eggs on a warm whole wheat tortilla with oranges, cantaloupe, and blackberries on the side.

Karen moved the plate into the light streaming in from the window so she could make a quick photo for her friend who loves to trade meal ideas. The light was so beautiful that I had to grab my camera as well...and shot without any artificial light whatsoever.

Photo Shoot

I was delighted to be able to do a joint photo shoot for Megan Lee Designs and Souldier Handmade. We had the use of an empty industrial space, and the light was gorgeous for our lifestyle shots. When the sun went down, out came the hot lights. At one point, we put up a white background to get some neutral product shots. I popped on the fisheye and grabbed this shot of the scene in action.

I had such a great time and am very excited about the photos we got. I look forward to posting samples in the days to come.

I also wanted to tell you a bit about Megan Lee Designs and Souldier Handmade:

Specializing in handmade goodness, Megan Lee Designs has been rocking the craft scene for almost ten years. Some words that could be used to describe Megan's screenprinted t-shirts, totes, cards, and women's fashion: cute, quirky, whimsical, beautiful, well-made, and unique. To see her work, head on over to www.meganleedesigns.com.

Souldier is an independent design manufacturer, fusing aesthetic textile creation with functionality. Their unique merchandise is inspired by musicians and created for the connoisseur looking to express their inner spirit. They make custom guitar straps, custom bass straps, custom banjo straps, custom mandolin straps, custom ukulele straps, custom camera straps, custom dog collars, custom belts, hootenanny straps, vintage guitar straps, and tons more. Check out Jen's great work over at www.souldier.us.

The Shank End of the Party

I attended a fun New Year's Eve party and, naturally, my camera attended, too. I had a great time snapping photos throughout the night. I was delighted to find that many of the photos I took that evening worked as well as I had envisioned them. However, a few photos worked even better than I had hoped. This was one of those photos.

I loved the colors, patterns, and textures going on in her dress, the crochet throw, the flowers in her hair, and the hat. I knew I had to capture them all somehow because it all worked so well. When I was walking back into the living room as the party was winding down, I saw the scene and knew I had a chance to get what I wanted the way I wanted it. And in the end, I was even happier than I had thought.

Photographic Improvisation

A few days ago, I touched on the first of the thought provoking questions I am asked: “What do you like to shoot?” Today, I would like to talk a bit about the second--and more esoteric--question: “What’s your style?”

The question of style is a difficult one because describing anyone's style is, at best, subjective. However, I found that I had an even more difficult time defining my own style because I never thought my photography fell into any one instantly recognizable category. I've told people on numerous occasions that it's often easier to say what I am by describing what I'm not: I’m not a portrait photographer; I’m not a studio photographer; I’m not a wedding photographer; I’m not a stock photographer. If pressed to put a label on my work, I often say I’m a “fine-art photographer.” But even that sounded too vague…and still didn’t answer the question, “What is your style?”

After healthy does of reflection and consideration--as well as a chance viewing of a documentary--I began to formulate a response with which I am more pleased. First, the chance viewing. Late one evening, I happened to stumble upon a documentary about the founding and growth of the Second City improvisation theater. The more I watched, the more I began to think. They discussed how doing improvisational comedy was inherently different than doing scripted work. But they also discussed that it isn't just throwing out concepts and ideas willy-nilly. This got me thinking, which led to the aforementioned reflection and consideration.

As with improv, my photographic style is, in fact, structured even though it may not initially seem so. I operate under a set of guidelines, within parameters, and with an eye toward a particular result. I don't merely take my camera, swing it around, and start clicking. I look for things that are interesting and which excite my sensibilities. I then compose based upon my ever-developing preferences. I like bold colors. I like asymmetry (but not overt asymmetry). I like juxtapositions. I like visual tension. I like to take everyday items and situations and isolate them, giving them a new context with which to view them (see the post below for a more detailed explanation).

The improvisational aspect comes from the fact that when I head out to make photographs, I do not head out with any particular shots in mind. Instead, I head out with my constructs and see what fits into them. Improvisational performers may begin a scene with merely an idea or word, but they are not entering into the performance empty handed. They use improvisational ideas, guidelines, and conventions to build up the scene.

And like improvisational performances, sometimes this works for me, sometimes it doesn't. However, it's this experience and process that keeps me moving, growing, and developing. In essence, the most vital aspect of improvisational photography is that it keeps me open to possibilities. Rather than forcing a scene into my lens, I try to find a way to open my lens up (metaphorically speaking). And rather than relying upon an elaborate set-up (think of a script for a performer), I explore the environment around me for photographic nuggets (think discovering a scene through improvisation). When it's right and things are really clicking, it's an amazing feeling. But when I'm out of sync, it can lead to a very long day.

Often, it takes me a while to get warmed up, to work a scene. I look at it, play with it, explore it. I learn a bit more with each exposure. I build upon the information the scene gives me. Of course, there is always the possibility that I over-work a scene. I've returned from a photo shoot with too many exposures and too many ways of looking at a subject. As a result, the true essence gets diluted and lost. I think we've all seen an improvisational scene that goes on way too long.

Curse the Distortion by John Caruso

And, no, this isn't photoshopped. I stumbled upon a puppet show going on in front of the Cloudgate (The Bean) sculpture in Chicago's Grant Park. This particular puppet was 7-8 feet tall. I happened to be in the right spot at the right time to capture a story that had nothing to do with the show going on.

An exciting aspect of approaching photography in this way is developing an openness to the happy accidents. By not looking for anything in particular, I can see so many things. I can stumble across a cowboy hat in a gutter or a giant puppet in front of a sculpture. This openness also leads to a particular rhythm in my work. A photograph of a yellow dumpster hangs naturally next to a photograph of a bowling alley sign, which hangs next to a photo of water dripping from a bamboo pipe, and so on. There's an internal rhythm that holds them all together, and the rhythm comes from the process.

Improvisation doesn't mean creating in a vacuum. It is an exploration within a framework. It is working without a road map but understanding that there are rules of the road as well as a starting point and a destination. And as I begin to layer metaphor upon metaphor, I will push away my keyboard, pick up my camera, and head out to who-knows-where.

Death Ray Rental

Karen and I spent a lovely evening at our friends' Erik and Meg's house this past New Year's Eve. There were fun people, tasty noshes, libations, and fun times. At one point during the evening, we played a game involving playing cards with sayings on them to hilarious ends.

I was sitting there, camera in hand of course, and decided I wanted to make a few shots. I had to ditch my cards somewhere and since we weren't sitting at a tabel, I just tucked them in my shoe. After I clicked the shutter a few times, I just pointed the lens toward my foot and snapped. It wasn't until later that I realized the card in my shoe said simply, "A Death Ray." It was just too perfect!

Context and the Every Day

Lunch at Louie's by John Caruso

The most thought-provoking questions I am asked would seem to be the easiest to answer: "What do you like to shoot?" and, "What's your style?" For the longest time, I had a very difficult time answering that question succinctly because I do not feel my photography falls into any one instantly recognizable category. It was often easier to say what I am by listing what I'm not: I'm not a portrait photographer; I'm not a studio photographer; I'm not a wedding photographer; I'm not a stock photographer. If pressed to put a label on my work, I would often say I'm a "fine-art photographer." But even that sounded too vague...and still didn't answer the questions, "What do you like to shoot?" and "What is your style?"

So, what to say?

As for what I like to shoot, I can only say, "whatever interests me." On the surface, this doesn't feel like a very satisfying answer, but bear with me because it is the truth. Even though I like to shoot "whatever interests me," there are some themes that run through those interests. In the broadest sense, I like to make photographs of everyday objects and scenes: it may be a pile of old hotel keys, a hat in a gutter, or an old sign/marquee/architectural detail. More specifically, I like to give these items and scenes their own context in order to see them in new, surprising, or interesting ways. By highlighting something, even isolating it, we are given the opportunity to take a breath, appreciate a moment without worrying that it's going to disappear (which is one of the great powers of photography, in my opinion), and see form, design, and color without the clutter and baggage of excess environment. Perhaps that sounds a bit highfalutin or even pedantic, but in the end, for me, that is at the very essence of what makes photography such an accessible art form.

As a rule, I do not head out, camera in hand, with a check-list or an agenda to make photographs. Rather than seeking out a photograph (or even worse, forcing one), I let the photographs come to me. I like to go on photo excursions: just set aside a day to wander, look, and photograph. I may choose a town to explore or I may just drive around until inspiration hits. Some of those days, I'll spend hours with my camera and not make a single exposure. Other days, I'll come back from an outing with two hundred or more photographs. But I don't need to be on a photo-excursion to find subjects. Sometimes, I may be at home, or at work, or just "out and about" and all of a sudden I see something that I like, that I find interesting, and I make an exposure.

I've also found that I have a very difficult time staging photographs. On the rare occasions where I've tried to set up a scene which I thought would be interesting, inevitably the resulting photographs turned out cold, stilted, and, frankly, staged. As a result, I prefer to shoot a scene or an object just as I find it.

Goodbye, Hello by John Caruso

For instance, if I tried to write on this chalk board and then erase it just so, I would not have been able to reproduce the genuine quality of real written words that were really smudged/erased. I would have tried to create the perfect smudge on the perfectly written word. As a result, the image would have fallen flat. There are people who are masters at staging photographs, and I salute them. That is not my bailiwick and so I spend my creative time in other ways.

Yawn

Just a candid moment with our cat, Vinnie, doing what cats do best: relaxing. He's going to be 20 years old this April, and we still can't believe it.

Jellyfish

I could sit and watch jellyfish all day long and not even realize any time has passed. These particular jellyfish were a part of the Jellies! exhibit at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. Mesmerizing, to be sure!

John on Steve Dale's WGN Radio Petcast

I had the opportunity to spend some time with WGN personality--and my friend--Steve Dale, to talk about photographing pets for his Pet World show. The segment is a part of his special holiday edition...and now posted and available.

To find the show, you can visit Steve Dale's Pet World by clicking here. You can also find a link to the show at the WGN Radio website by clicking here.

I had a fantastic time talking pets and photography with Steve. Then after the taping, we had an opportunity to go on a photo walk together in downtown Chicago where we talked even more photography and made a boatload of photos.

And remember, to find out more about my pet photography, please visit CarusoPhotoPets.com!