It then came as a great surprise to get an email back in September from their AD, Winslow Taft, asking if I’d photo-illustrate an upcoming feature. After reading his abstract regarding science attempting to solve 10 of the world’s most annoying problems, it really wasn’t hard to say yes.

WRONG WEATHER FORECASTS
WHINY KIDS
WOMEN WHO DATE JERKS
SPAM
OVERHEARD CELL PHONE CONVOS
SONGS STUCK IN YOUR HEAD
NAME AMNESIA
LONG WORK MEETINGS
CEREAL DUST
BEER GOGGLES

His list above had some immediate contenders for me, so I got started straight away on my typical doodle-sent-to-creative exercise that helps to gauge which ideas he liked most.

Our collaboration was effortless, and I really loved how this thing came into being as a barrage of emails sent over one weekend. Perhaps one of my favorite Winslow lines from our convos:

maybe something with powerpoint slides – slide 4 of 1000. . . maybe rip van winkle is passing a plate of donuts with dust and spiderwebs on it?

I wanted a very distilled look to the images that would put the concept front and center. Because these images were photo illustrations — their payoff being completed in post — we opted to photograph all the scenarios in a controlled, studio environment.

In the end, we decided to pursue cereal dust, overheard cell phone conversations, songs stuck in one’s head a.k.a. earworms, long work meetings and spam email.

Sounds weird, but I just saw the spam image so clealy in my mind’s eye before it was ever completed. Because of this, the direction for the shoot had already formed as this modern-day everyman in a quasi-purgatory space going about his daily tasks.

All of the images were preconceived, so it was just a matter of marrying plates containing subject matter — the cans of spam above for example — with the everyman character in another image to create the final, finished photograph.

If you have seven minutes and are still in the dark as to what I’m getting at, there’s a pretty good video tutorial on the compositing process within Photoshop over on Layers Magazine here.

Thanks to Ian Goode for coming out of his squid tank to lend that stellar face of his, not to mention his rad photoshop skills.

Must also extend a big thanks to Mr. Donald Markwick for his amazing beard and Ms. Alexandra Rose Dennis for her multiple personalities (chuckle).

Couldn’t be more pleased with how these turned out, I hope to tackle something like this again soon. Either way, keep your eyes peeled for more exciting updates coming up!

More always,

Clinard

The video embedded above (if you can’t see it click here) is a pretty good substitute to the title of this post. My “cinematographer” wife and I apparently didn’t quite see eye-to-eye on how best to film the 15 second sequence, so let me help: it’s our former christmas tree plummeting to Earth from three stories up.

I was hoping for it to have made this impressive ‘whooshboom,’ but instead it just kind of went ‘theewphoofh.’ Pretty much the decibel level of a butterfly farting.

Anyways, the results were completely unexpected and not at all like I’d hoped for. In fact, it turned out so much better — kind of like 2011 — which was a beast of a year for me with a ton of life achievements, work goals met and shooting dreams reached.

Among the high points, our now 16 week-old baby girl named Tala Mae, celebrating one year of marriage to Jenna (who’s b’day is today), a slew of editorial and commercial projects AND the honor of receiving a PDN 30 2012 New and Emerging Photographers nomination (last year’s list)!

While I feel like I’ve made a fair amount of headway on things, there’s still so much more one can do. I’m incredibly dedicated to pushing forward since I absolutely love this industry and have a passion for getting my work in front of folks that can appreciate it.

So consider this a warning: I’m coming for you 2012. . .

EPILOGUE

One of my best friends, Dhanraj Emanuel, gave me a little perspective not too long ago as I was worrying about all the logistical challenges of an upcoming job.

He said, “Mike, are you having fun right now?” I said, “well no, I’m anxious as all hell for next week.”

He replied, “Miiike (he’s East Indian), come on maaan?! Shooting is fun. You need to stop worrying. You always over think. Just go and have fun. . . you know how to do all this stuff. You’ve been doing it for years; just go do it!”

Needless to say, I always have fun when I’m shooting. Too much sometimes and have to watch the jokes I tell. . . I do run lighting scenarios and what-if’s over and over in my head to the point where I light the job in my dreams! I guess the point here is to remember why I do what I do.

It’s the act. It’s the imagery. Trust your gut and react to what you can at the moment it pops up. Stay hungry and push yourself vision-wise. Think about that stuff and everything works itself out.

Regardless, I love what I got down in San Francisco on that gig and think it was in large part because I just kind of mantra’d out to “go with the flow dude, just go with the flow. You got this.”

Really can’t wait to see those images drop and share them as it signifies a different, more broad approach for the direction of my work in 2012. And super big bonus: had an amazing sitdown meeting over my portfolios at the offices of Wired Magazine!

Isn’t it an Oprah-Universe-Provides kind of thing that if I write “shoot job or three for Wired Magazine this year in 2012″ then it’ll happen. . . okay, hope so!

More always,

Clinard

The above is an outtake with this super-attuned gent who wrestles daily with the magnitude of responsibility his job carries. He’s essentially the guy that’s trying to make biking safe for everyone here in our state given the fact that three bicyclists were killed this past summer in automobile collisions.

Andre and I knew that whatever we chose to do photographically with Blake could be construed in any number of ways from a camp of ‘white-knuckled-Audi-I’m-gonna-teach-you-a-lesson’ type drivers OR a faction of ‘plugged-out-on-your-left’ type bicyclists forever immortalized in Portlandia and played so perfectly by Mr. Fred Armisen as seen below.

Our questions back and forth to each other read like so:

What if we put him on a bike next to a car?
What if he’s facing the car? Is this confrontational?
What then if the guy/gal in the car is giving him a cross look?
What if he’s giving the driver of the automobile a cross look?

Andre had this awesome idea of recreating the ET poster, and believe it or not, I even kicked around the idea below but timing just wasn’t on our side:

. . . was thinking another direction would be to construct an old bike thing like the image below but with like one regular car tire in the back and one moster truck tire in the front. . . (from the ALWAYS back and forth concepting emails Andre and I share)

Seen below is the final select, but in a nutshell, we knew whatever we went with could be (and was) construed in any number ways as in the case of this post over on Bikehugger where the blogger claims that we were flippant in our depiction of Blake.

Part of the reason why I write this post now, is to show that both Andre and I DID AND ALWAYS DO wrestle with how best to show a subject. It’s not just Andre and I, but really any photo editor and his/her photographer. After I read the Bikehugger post, I sent an email to Blake, Andre and Matt Halverson. Below is the latter portion of my email explaining my intent behind the imagery.

More always,

Clinard

The WM folks and I got a conversation going a couple weeks back after some of them sent kudos along about the imagery turning up around town here in Seattle.

Should really thank the amazing team for all their hard work on the project: creative lead from EMP/SFM Melissa Robinson, composite/post-production/photoshop whiz Ian Goode of Gigantic Squid and the hair and makeup stylings (and Bride of Frankenstein wardrobe makings) of Lindsey Watkins.

And super big thanks to Andrea Clinkscales for being the Bride of Frankenstein and my buddy Brian Jones for stepping in to play Frankenstein as he’s about the only 6’7″ equivalent-Frankey that I know!

If you can see the Vimeo embed above, then you’ll be amazed at Brian’s uncanny ability to speak Frankenstein (if it’s not showing up, try this link to see the video in .m4v format on my server).

More soon,

Clinard

The image above was taken of her at four days old. At a weight of 8 lbs, 2.5 oz and 20.5 inches in length, she came into this world kicking and screaming at 7:07pm on September 23rd. I really can’t explain the joy her presence has brought to my wife and I. We’re a unit now — a family — and it’s extremely profound.

The moment she was born, everything turned bright white and hot for me, and I’m not ashamed to admit that I body wept. . .

In truth, having a child is amazing, exhausing, beautiful, tense, inspiring, tiresome, lovely, frustrating, and cute all rolled into one.

For many months, she was just was Mochiko to us — a nickname given to her by my wife’s co-worker Ruby DeLuna, a reporter at KUOW 94.9 Public Radio Seattle (thanks to Serene, Jemma and staff for the cute onesie above!). Now that she’s really here?! Whoa. . . look out!

The image above is her signature ‘one eye open with contemplative fist under chin’ pose. As I attempt to slowly work my sleepy-time magic on her, out of nowhere, she’s pulls this out and is like ‘ha, got you sucker. . . i’m still awake!’ She then dozes back off a second later. . .

We’ve got really amazing support that consists of family and friends, so the transition to parenthood has been rather smooth. Just in the last three weeks, she’s met countless friends, her Great Grandma, Grandma and Grandpa and her Auntie Mags — all on her mom’s side. In a few short days, she meets her other set of Grandparents when my own folks come into Seattle from Bama.

Tala and I thank you for checking out this post. She and I recommend that you check back soon as I’ve got a host of entries in the queue regarding recent projects for Canada’s Globe and Mail, Fortune Magazine, Mental_Floss Magazine and a pretty cool ad campaign for Seattle’s Experience Music Project that’s everywhere around Seattle right now.

More soon,

Pops Clinard

Gabrielle’s House – Wallingford, Seattle.

Down by the Water – Magnuson Park, Seattle.

Gail and her fancy note-taking abilities – Varsity Inn, Seattle.

Apple Lisa Computer – RE-PC, Seattle.

Ecuador vs. Mexico Game – Qwest (now CenturyLink) Field, Seattle

Wall in Seattle – Lake Union, Seattle.

Prep for Phoot Camp – The Lab (aka my Studio), Seattle.

The Sticky (w/ Laura Healy for Seattle Met Feature) – The Lab (aka my Studio) Seattle.

Spadaccini’s Pad – Capitol Hill, Seattle.

Pretty Pink Packing Peanuts (Reprise. . . I did an art project with these back in the day) – Kill Room, Seattle.

Jim Pridgeon’s Studio – Bldg 11, Seattle.

Proscenium Stage – Bldg 11, Seattle.

Dinner with the Quadd’s – Captiol Hill, Seattle.

NYC Daze – NYC, NY.

Tara aka “T-bone” of Thom Browne – NYC, NY.

Our lighting is otherworldly and defies physcis – Studio in SODO, Seattle.

Saw my first Sounders Game – Qwest (now CenturyLink) Field, Seattle.

I shot Charlie Sheen – International District, Seattle.

Those New Duct Tape Nikes finally dropped – Breezeway, Seattle.

Way to get born USA – Northgate, Seattle.

The World – Convention Center, Seattle.

Summer Wedding Duds – Arboretum, Seattle.

Lowriders – Magnuson Park, Seattle.

Knoxville, TN

Porn in the South (Cabela’s and Bass Pro Shops Catalogs)

Washington, DC (Reagan Airport?)

Parking Lot – Washington, DC.

Spoiled kid picking his boogers – In-the-air, DC to MSP.

Display and Costume – Northgate, Seattle.

Metaphor for sumpthin’ – Bldg 11, Seattle.

Lindsey Watkins prepping Andrea Clinkscales for ‘Can’t Look Away’ Branding imagery – SIFF Theater, Seattle.

Inflated Heart – Wedgwood, Seattle.

Red Green – University District, Seattle.

Photographer at Space Needle – Lake Union, Seattle.

Bags Pickup – Airport in Baltimore, MD.

At a Wal-Mart in Baltimore, MD.

The Hugest Crab Cakes Ever – Baltimore, MD.

At a party – Bellevue, WA.

Old Hand-painted Signage – Capitol Hill, Seattle.

John Galliano shopping at Costco – Shoreline, WA.

In n’ Out Burger – San Diego, CA.

Our House (where Dogs are Cats and Cats are Dogs) – Wedgwood, Seattle.

Chateau Ste. Michelle (for Jeff Bridges concert) – Woodinville, Seattle.

My wife sneaking cookies at Chateau Ste. Michelle. . .

Phew. I’ll have more posts very soon. Thanks for looking and enjoy the day off!

Clinard.

Postscript. . . if you don’t see an image above of a man looking off camera with an overtly confused look, then the embedded slideshow viewer isn’t showing up. Click here to see it on Issuu, but be sure to view in ‘single page’ mode. . .

More soon,

Clinard

My work was recently shown at What if. . . in Chicago alongside such talented folks as Ryan Schude, Lauren Randolph and a host of others – some of which were from the Phoot Camp contigency I was recently a part of. Thanks to Mr. Paul Octavious (love that series of his with spinning LP’s) for the invitation.

I showed a diptych consisting of my ‘loaded,’ hand-forged-from-paper baked potato alongside my play-doh steak. You know, meat and potatoes go together. Seemed to have been a fun night with great art and drunk gingerbread men dancing. . .

My image of Joseph, the Illusionist is also on view at a group show called ‘Food’ at the Center for Fine Art Photography in Colorado. It was curated by Mr. David Bram of Fraction Magazine (that’s my image in the top left corner).

Oh. . . and if you’re in Seattle, swing by Jackstraw Filaments on 1st Avenue to see some more of my work.

More always,

Clinard

Working on a lookbook today for Jackstraw down on First Avenue here in Seattle and had to post these outtakes.

Should mention that John, the gentleman on the right, was kind enough to ask me for some of my photos to put up in the store. If you’re in the neighborhood, come through and check ‘em out.

I’ll have some rather great updates on recent projects and exciting personal things in the very near future so stay tuned.

More soon,

Clinard

1) got married to the most beautiful woman in the world.

2) been making great headway with my photography after my trip to New York.

(above is my first feature! shot for Benjamen Purvis and Seattle Met magazine. . . more on that in a later post.)

3) am to a point in my life where I feel super content and relaxed (sorry, I couldn’t resist using the image below for those who know my freneticism and inclination toward lateral thinking).

I’m very thankful to have a supportive network of friends, loved ones and terribly creative colleagues. I’m excited to see what the new year holds and wish each and everyone the best in 2011.

I’ve been shooting a host of new personal projects and exciting assignments, so stay tuned in the coming weeks for updates.

More soon,
Mike