Best Camera [is the one you have with you] | iphoneography in Denver

My mind is expanding in SO many ways right now, taking an incredible creativeLIVE three day course on women's portraiture (I have so many new photographer crushes! Sue Bryce, how funny, sexy AND inspiring can one woman be?!)

But I had to take a moment on our lunch break to share this composite of iphone shots from my commute this morning in Denver. Incredible light, lovely spring snow. Textures were incredible everywhere. Just beautiful!

Shadow Critters | Just for Fun

I photographed this leaf shadow a year or so ago. Reminded me of a Chinese Dragon. Is it just me or can you see it too?

Again this autumn I have gotten lost in the circus of critters that I see in oak leaf shadows early in the morning. They feel like creatures straight out of a dream!

Suddenly, I can't walk under an oak tree and NOT be drawn in by their sinuous, lifelike shapes. I just love them!

Take a moment to look down next time you're wandering beneath an oak tree in autumn -- you might too just get lost in a world of imaginative critter-shadows!

Enjoy!

Autumn Painting with Light ... in the Woods!

One of my very favorite things to do in autumn is play with daytime long exposure photography, using the foliage to, quite literally, paint an exposure with their palette.

Here are a few of my favorites from a recent road trip to Telluride (for an architectural photography gig which I also can't wait to share).  Enjoy!

Rothko | Denver Art Museum

Museums are wonderful indulgences for the soul, right? And I happen to just love photos of people moving through these spaces, soaking in the color, the vibrance, the cultural history and the art.

So you can imagine what an honor it was to be invited with Modern in Denver magazine to photograph the press preview of the new Rothko exhibit at the Denver Art Museum! It is a rare treat to be able to photograph such an exhibition space with such great art -- I'm sharing these here as my way of saying GO check it out!!

As an Art & Art History major in college, it was a thrill to see these incredibly famous, vibrant and abstract paintings in person. Included in the exhibit are also influences of Rothko's -- totally inspiring treasures in their own right.

If you're curious to learn more before checking out the Rothko works for yourself, see the article in the current issue of Modern in Denver, which includes an in depth look at what it takes to put together an exhibit of this magnitude, including a conversation with curator, Gwen Chanzit (being interviewed above for Rocky Mountain PBS). Cheers!

Denver Art Museum Curator for Modern in Denver | Portrait Photography

What an honor to have worked with William Logan, editor of Modern in Denver magazine, to create this portrait of Gwen Chanzit, curator at the Denver Art Museum, for a unique and wonderful feature.

In honor of this summer's Rothko exhibit, Modern in Denver put together a story about what it's like behind the scenes creating an installation of this scale.

The model of the exhibition space complete with scale artwork and exhibit text was a blast for the former architect in me to see!

I can't wait to check out the fruits of everyone's efforts -- both in the summer issue AND the Rothko exhibit!

Experimenting with Optics + Light

When you fire a frame with your camera, you are literally painting that exposure with the light of that scene. This concept  has always fascinated me, and from time to time I like to intentionally play with that concept, pushing that light to create luminous paint strokes, if you will.

For an upcoming photo project I am experimenting with slowing down a fixed exposure in order to capture motion as something moves across an otherwise fixed scene. This can be challenging during bright daylight as the camera will quickly overexpose if the shutter is left open for more than a tiny fraction of a second. In order to compensate for that tendency to overexpose, today I have been playing with different kinds of mesh and filters.

A side effect of the mesh is that it creates lovely, ephemeral and soft bokeh patterns, made more subtle when using a wide aperture. (click on photos to enlarge, and note patterns in the background) 

I kind of love it. 

When you zoom in close on these files they start to look like a painter's brush strokes. 

Optics + light... how fun.

Modern in Denver | iPhoneography

Modern in Denver magazine blows me away -- consistently -- like no other publication out there. Seriously. Quality of content, graphic design, editorial choices. Love. It.

What a thrill it was when publisher William Logan asked me to contribute a series of iPhone photos to a feature to include iPhoneography of local designers, architects and other Denver creatives.

Deciding on a single theme to contribute was a fulfilling exercise. My iPhone gets FAR more use as a camera than as a phone, so I have no shortage of image collections -- all still growing! Finally I decided on this set, my most consistent muse being uniquely beautiful Colorado light -- in this case in the city. Even in my days as an architect, I was always in fascinated with natural light and how it plays on design elements. Having a phone always on me with which to document fleeting reflections, shadows and other beautiful light-drawn design keeps my senses constantly on alert.

So here's the final collection -- now in print! (the photos below of the magazine captured, of course, via iPhone).  Always exciting to see work in print -- but there's something really special about being able to share these intimate glimpses captured without any final goal in mind other than pure aesthetic whimsy.

As always, even the layout of the feature is beautiful!

Check out the Winter 2013 issue, on stands now (above). Someday I'll have to try that portrait above with a real camera -- captured brilliantly by my son at a local coffee shop. 

Below are of some of the original photos.  iPhoneography has absolutely enhanced my experience of enjoying a spontaneous walk in the city.  And in many cases, these simple captures have even inspired future more official and planned photo shoots. What a fabulous creative tool!

Painting with Light

Warning: These photographs aren't for everyone.
But if you're among the curious... I'd like to share!  There's something I find enormously compelling and peaceful about leaving the exposure open just long enough to "paint" the sensor with a swath of light dotted foliage.  Resulting streaks of color appear painterly, but are completely the result of photographic processes.  I'm going to include a few sets here from my favorite experiments with this method.  Enjoy!

Merrittphoto on Instagram!

We got a fancy little iGadget over the holidays, and I have become completely addicted to a new form of social media / photo sharing, in the form of a free app called Instagram.

Through the app, you can photograph and apply from a selection of nostalgic and artistic filters... but the power is really in the ability to view, share, comment, "like," follow  and otherwise interact with photo-minded people from all over the world.  

Ridiculously fun and inspiring!

Here are some selections from my first few days of posting.  If you have an iPhone or iPod Touch, check out this free app and come say hello (@merrittphoto)!