Category Archives: Personal Work

A Portrait as Michael Clinard

Written by Michael Clinard. Posted on April 16, 2010. 1 Comment.

So I’m starting this new series that’s a little kooky.

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Gave my buddy Knuteson a call and he was more than game to help me out.

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Had a great time shooting it, and it’s fun to see the results.

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Stay tuned as there should be more of these bad boys in the coming months.

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More always,

Mike

postscript: Lucien says ’sure, I can help you out on that, but you’re going to have to do something for me. . .‘

A visit to Leyla’s House

Written by Michael Clinard. Posted on April 12, 2010. No comments.

A couple weeks ago, Jenna and I went over to hang with our friend Leyla and to meet her new pup, Benita aka “Benny.”

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This is her home back in yonder days.

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So much cool stuff to shoot, it’s a photographer’s paradise.

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Desi, her boyfriend, has great taste in music.

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Makes me wish I still had my own Technics turntable hooked up.

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My outfit still works but the amp blew sometime back. Great to see Desi’s keeping it real though.

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Nothing sounds as good as vinyl in a well-lit room.

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Scorpion and Cobra Tequila one procured in Vietnam probably doesn’t hurt either.

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A painting of Leyla by Desi after sipping Cobra Tequila.

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All the tequila, music and pups in the room have led to the plants taking their lives into their own hands . . .

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. . . reaching for that beautiful window light. While here, I laid on my back and pretended to be one of Leyla’s pampered pooches.

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In fact, here’s Benita aka “Benny.” The new addition to the family.

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And this is Leyla reaching down to pet Koda: the friendliest, kindest dog I’ve ever known.

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Here’s my friend looking over at Leyla for something, a treat maybe . . .

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. . . oh, nope. It’s just to remind her of all the hair on her butt.

More always,

Mike

“Doing Math in Your Head” series

Written by Michael Clinard. Posted on March 22, 2010. No comments.

I’ve had an idea knocking around for quite some time about a portrait series showing folks doing simple math in their head. Think I was interested in the idea that no matter how comfortable you are at computing digits in the brain, the simple act can indeed yield some interesting portrait results.*

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Seen above is Muna, a graphic design friend kind enough to sit for me as the first subject of the day. I realized pretty quickly that math was not Muna’s strong suit, and she had no problem telling me about it. Wanted to push it another layer, so I got a few more folks into the studio who do math pretty much the entire day.

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This is Kasey, my favorite teller from the local bank where I do most of my financial business. They’re the nicest folks and when I ran the idea by them, they jumped at the idea of sitting for these left-of-center portraits.

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Here’s Cat, manager of the bank. She was always at me about getting that business account. When I came through on that for her, I told her she owed me one. She’s a sport and delivered quite exceptionally on that promise.

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And finally, Sam, the lone guy at the bank. Don’t think he’s smiling because there’s a 5:1 ratio of guys to girls. Oh no, it’s because he was the quickest calculator in the bunch.

Several interesting projects in the works, so stay tuned for new posts over the next couple weeks.

More always,

Mike

*quick note on the project: the left panel image was captured from behind the camera by way of cable release. The right panel image was captured about a half-second to second after by way of ‘capture’ button on a tethered laptop by a completely different DSLR system set up in profile to my subject. Diptychs composed from chronologically symmetrically-sequenced images from either capture system.

Two New Portraits

Written by Michael Clinard. Posted on March 18, 2010. No comments.

Some days back, I was asked to photograph a couple of artists for a friend’s new blog that showcases the personalities, artists and small business owners from the Bemis Building here in Seattle.

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There was one minor hitch though: neither of my subjects were all that keen on the typical portrait. In fact, they wanted to see what I might be able to do if I ‘weren’t’ to show their faces.

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I’m all about client services, so I was happy to oblige. In fact, I’m quite liking the results.

More always,

Mike

February in Pictures

Written by Michael Clinard. Posted on March 7, 2010. 1 Comment.

So I’ve been rock steady rolling for the last month. Rather than bore you with the particulars, thought I’d show you where I’ve been and what I’ve been up to visually. Hope you enjoy.

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Me shot by friend and colleague, John Keatley in early February.

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That next week of February, I was out on Capitol Hill doing pre-pro for a job and came across this gent looking at an amoebic shape, that or the hole in his chest.

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Around the same time, I photographed Jenna’s father’s law firm: Montgomery, Scarp, MacDougal.

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In the middle part of February, I stabbed myself in the neck in my haste to do something. “The untold dangers of wearing pens in the collars of one’s shirt,” taken by Lionel, Mr. iPhone.

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Also did a two-week truck shoot, and all I managed was this camera phone pic by Lionel, Mr. iPhone in a dimly-lit Pacific Grip and Lighting.

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Straight from the truck shoot, went aboard an Adidas job happening over on the Olympic Peninsula and in Seattle proper.

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Was in Props/Art Dept. on this one.

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Had the great fortune of working with Mr. Dominic Muller of Gus Creative.

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The bare necessities, part 1.

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The bare necessities, part 2.

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My muse.

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A stylist’s handbag.

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Finally got my custom-made specs from dear friend, Scott Urban of Urban Spectacles of Wood.

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Me in Urban Spectacles shot by Tommy Clark.

A Zed and Two Noughts: Day 1 of Day 70

Written by Michael Clinard. Posted on February 20, 2010. 3 Comments.

So I’m getting evicted from my studio space in Magnuson Park, and I’m frankly kind of sick about losing it. . .

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It’s not on account of inability to pay or a desire to leave for another locale; merely because big money, fat greed and prideful conquest win out more often than not. . .

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The final day in my studio stands at May 1st, so it’s my hope to post as regularly as I can as my time at Bldg 11 in Magnuson Park, Seattle comes to a close. . .

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More always,

Mike

Masonic blood drinking rituals and the like

Written by admin. Posted on February 16, 2010. 1 Comment.

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Yeah that’s me in a Masonic Grandmaster’s Hat. Don’t look too hard as my brain explodes after this. . .

Sorry I’ve been incognito as of late, but I’m back in full force. February has been a mad cover-up of jobs after taking January off to grieve for lost loved ones:

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The pretty smiling ladies above are from the era of one Nellie Mae Pittman who passed in late January. She was my grandmother and the coolest girl on two feet! She used to let me watch HBO when I was four and taught me everything I know in the kitchen. . . Much love to you Nanny!

A two-week car shoot and an upcoming Adidas job has had me buried as of late, but I’m hoping to post current projects very soon. . . Amanda, don’t kill me. . .

More soon,

Mike

Two views of my desktop and two of my upcoming specs

Written by Michael Clinard. Posted on February 4, 2010. 2 Comments.

I’ve been working on an upcoming post to this blog that’s quickly becoming a dissertation on cost, value, and worth. Quite frankly I need a break; something a little more lighthearted.

Thought I’d show you how hectic it’s been over the last couple weeks by taking a look at my desktop.

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I’m really not the kind of cat that goes off and let’s his desktop go to pot. Better still, I’m not one that goes off and does the kind of thing I’m about to disclose, but what the heck . . . I just made me a desktop folder and threw everything in it. Yes, that’s right ‘88 Econoline-style.

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After doing so, my mind is ten times sharper, and I’m getting things done in lightning speed. I feel like Clark Kent/Superman as if Lois Lane were coming over for dinner and I’ve got five minutes to prepare. Which to me, Superman, is more than enough time to do the dishes, change the sheets, cook poultry with my laser beam eye capability and make fresh churned ice cream with the aid of blizzard-cold breath.

Nowhere near as harrowing, but I did pull some imagery together for the annual ASMP Seattle slideshow highlighting the work from our membership here in the Pacific NW. Below is my submission in beautiful, rolling .gif animation.

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In other news, be on the lookout for a relaunch of my website showcasing an updated portfolio. After working very closely with Amanda Sosa-Stone last month, I’ll soon be adding new work along with some gems that were hidden in the rough. Super excited by the collaboration, and I’m eager to see how things continue to pan out during the year.

On a personal note, I’ll soon be in possession of a slick, new pair of hand-carved wooden spectacles from my close friend and colleague Mr. Scott Urban of Urban Spectacles of Wood. Heading out there in several months to shoot his lookbook, but in the meantime, he sent me a couple mockups.

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Think they’re about 5-10% too small, but I’m just happy to have a new pair after being without since June when some crafty kids on an Ecuadorian bus lifted my other frames.

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More always,

Mike