One Architects | Ad Campaign in Luxe magazine

Excited to share this beautiful ad campaign I have been designing for One Architects to run in Luxe magazine:

Winter (l) and Spring (r) full page ads in Luxe

The conceptual goal was to use the full page in an eye-catching way that would drive curiosity to visit their website.  We strived to achieve this by highlighting an unusual crop of an architectural detail in the keyhole of their logo, with a different seasonal background for each corresponding issue in Luxe magazine.

Winter and Spring (running in the current issue) are shown above, and we just finished up summer, which will be a double page spread:

Summer double page spread in Luxe

Springtime in the City

Rushing water is the hallmark of springtime in the mountains.  Rivers burst at the seams and ponds emerge in the valleys as snow melts and rages on its annual springtime descent. 

After a dozen or so of these high alpine springs, I had completely forgotten how abundantly beautiful this season can be at a slightly lower elevation!

It is April and already neighborhoods in Denver are bursting with color and new life.  And I, of course, as my eyes are on overdrive, I can't help myself but try to capture the new season in its birth.

I photograph because I have to.  Just ask my son, it's a compulsion over which I have surprisingly little control.  Compositions present themselves constantly, frozen moments of time, light and expression frame up in my view, even when I am not actively pressing a shutter.

As such, my camera often feels like an extension of my self; it is the tool through which, when I use it well, I am able to communicate my vision of the art and beauty that I see in my surroundings with the rest of the world.  The creative process drives me to the art of capture; the ability to share my work and evoke emotion from others is the inspiration.

Capture Philosophy | PHOTO TIP 03: SHOOT, SHARE, STAY INSPIRED

My newest creative addiction has a healthy side-effect: Pure, Raw, Synapse-Firing... INSPIRATION.

Instagram, if you aren't already familiar, is a free photo sharing app for the iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad which has skyrocketed in popularity in just a few short months (Check out this article on the simple but powerful features they nailed in their launch).  It took me less than an hour to figure out why it is so popular amongst photo enthusiasts, amateurs and professionals alike...

Photos taken with the iPod Touch and filtered with "Lomi-fi" filter in Instagram | ©merrittphoto

The basic tenet of "iPhoneography" is that the best camera is the one you have with you.

As any dSLR owner knows, it's not always convenient to carry tripod, camera body, kit of lenses, filters, batteries, cards, etc., and more often than not, there will inevitably be a great spot of light or moment of inspiration precisely when you decide not to tote along your gear.  If you are lucky enough to have a camera in your phone, however, the opportunity for creativity and capture is hardly lost.

iPod snapshots of architecture around Denver, with various IG filters | ©merrittphoto 

Dialoguing recently with a fellow Instagram'er, I realized how much inspiration I gather not only through this less formal method of shooting, but also through the daily feed of tiny square photographic compositions from all around the world.  I am provoked to consider what moves me about these images -- in intimate scenes from Italy; in extraordinary aurora sky photos from Lapland; in edgy street scenes from New York City and dramatic ocean sunsets from the equator -- as they each enter my personal photo feed...

... Like miniature vacations in the palm of my hand.

iPod Touch photos of my favorite model, with Lomi, Apollo and Gotham IG filters (l-r) | ©merrittphoto 

With visual media such as photography, we can learn so much from studying what we like (and dislike), and we can then attempt to reproduce our favorite elements -- pattern, simplicity of composition, use of light, etc. -- from the material in our own world.  A tool like this with a constant stream of content for inspiration can thus become truly addictive.

It may be obvious that as a professional photographer, I find that my style while shooting with the iPod is FAR less inhibited than when I am shooting with my dSLR.  Less obvious is how dearly I have come to love the results... as well as the new possibilities.  Often (as with the "drive by" photos below) I just hold the phone up to a scene and press the "shutter" without looking (not exactly possible with pro-gear).  It is delightful to look later and discover there are gems in the mix.

A new category of photos not possible with a dSLR (Please drive safely! Don't post and drive!!) | ©merrittphoto

The IG filters offer enough creativity to require no additional photo editing, but of course there are hundreds of amazing photo apps out there to process phone pix through as well, and I have found several that I enjoy, including Filterstorm, TiltShift Generator, FX Photo Studio, 100 Cameras in One, and Impression (if you want to add a copyright to your photos before posting).

Once you have even just a few followers on IG, the feedback is immeasurably enjoyable.  Like any other social media, a great part of the allure is the community itself.  So far my experience is that the IG community is like an incredibly supportive, creative, international family!

Where would iPhoneography be without coffeeshop photos? iPod Touch / IG filters | ©merrittphoto 

My hope with this post is to encourage you, if you have the ability to shoot from your non-dSLR mobile device, to USE it, and use it every day.  Take photos of your morning coffee, your pet and the walk around your neighborhood.  The discipline to simply do something creative every day is a wonderful way to sharpen your skills and stay inspired.  Regardless of your skill level, the tricks of composition, light and content choices which you learn quickly with this completely non-intimidating device will inform choices when using your "real" camera.

Just as important: SHARE your photos.  Photo sharing communities such as Instagram offer each of us the ideal opportunity to share our vision with other people -- people who don't know each other but who truly desire to share creativity and inspiration through each other's photos and feedback.

And thus our world expands yet again... Brilliant use of the technology, in my opinion!

Happy Spring from my iPod to your eyes | ©merrittphoto

Until next time, Happy Spring to you!  Shoot, SHARE and stay inspired!
... and as always, have fun!

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A complete collection of the @merrittphoto feed on Instagram, can be seen here.
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If you'd like to get started on IG, there are SO many incredible feeds out there, but here are a few recommendations for fun, interactive people to check out as you get started:
@joshjohnson @richnyc @iscooler @mouselink @brianng @electricdenim
and @steinvalente (thank you for this blog inspiration, Michel!)

Snow Falling on Spring Buds

There's a saying in Colorado, "If you don't like the weather, wait 5 minutes."

Yesterday I wore flip flops and walked (in short sleeves) to the Denver Botanic Gardens in 80 degrees of warm sunshine... even took off my shoes to enjoy the feel of warm soil between my toes for the first time this season.

Today... I photographed snow from my living room window.

Now, I did LOVE the sunshine and warmth of yesterday, but I'm not going to complain.  The smell of moisture in the air is a treasured gift in the wake of early season forest fires.  And on a more, perhaps, frivolous note, I can't deny loving a whirling snowfall such as this, and the backdrop of spring buds made for some fun, almost painterly compositions.