Oh no, that’s just me and my good friend, Patrick Kehoe, hanging with Santa Claus some months back on a job I shot for Brooks Running Shoes.

Pat’s too modest to admit it, but he’s on a serious tear right now with projects for Fast Company, The Guardian and Washington State Farmworker Housing Trust now under his belt.

You see, Pat and I came up assisting together, and we’ve been in more photo trenches than you can shake a stick at. That said, it’s incredibly satisfying to see someone who understands the technical side of photography so well get his work out and about.

You probably don’t know this, but a handful of those ‘exceptionally great’ photographers that shoot big ad jobs and heavy-duty editorials rely on uber-skilled assistants and lighting technicians — who Pat and I used to be — to do the work they do. In truth, some of them probably couldn’t find their way out of a dark cave if you gave them a Maglite and the four D batteries it takes to turn it on because there’s always been some super-capable assist/tech to hold their hand OR just light the job for them.

I have such great respect and admiration for photographers that come up through the assisting ranks. Additionally, I can get behind a photographer’s work if I know that they’ve practiced the actual craft of photography — under a working photographer OR in some kind of structured curriculum at a university or technical school.

What I’m getting at is that I see a lot of those ‘f/2.8-soft-focus-backlit-joints-made-sexy-with-a-lightroom-filter’ styles, and I die a little inside each time. It makes me wonder if that individual ever loaded, logged and ran film like I did in the old days. Could he actually take a negative and achieve the same effect in a wet lab area if prompted?

Pat can. And he can fly spaceships, too.

Anyways, what do I know? Maybe it doesn’t even matter now in our industry. I just think there’s something to be said for true photo OG’s (if you will) that are now getting to showcase their style in a larger arena. Kudos to Pat and all the other photo bro’s and bro’ettes who are hustlin’ out there and keeping the torch aflame.

More always,

Mike

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

I can’t say it looks all that futuristic to me, but I am indeed rocking the Jetsetters/George Jetson T-shirt from Dope Couture I got a couple months back. Why? Because I’m hoping to be wearing hater blockers more and more on account of how bright I hope 2010 will prove to be.

Seen above is me accompanied by my camera case riding shotty in first class. Why you ask? Because that’s what 2010 is about. Respecting and pampering my photographic vision and style.

There have been quite a number of developments over the last couple months, so I’ll just jump right in and start going down the line.

1) I was not even in Seattle at all during mid-to-late November in through early-to-mid December. During that time I was in: Miami->Chicago->DC, then back to Seattle for Thanksgiving. Then the next week it was Boston->New York->Los Angeles, then back to Seattle at the first of December.

First week of December had me in New Brunswick, NJ and right outside of Houston, TX where I picked up this fat T-shirt from Buc-EE’s. The girl who we made our purchase from said ‘Buc-EE’s is like the best gas station I’ve ever been to. . .’ and I whole-heartedly agree random gas clerk:

That’s me above in Buc-ee’s regalia in my last week of work in December in Hartford, CT. When I got back to Seattle, it was right on the next plane out for some much needed Holiday family time with my parents, brother and grandmother in Alabama.

2) While in New York, I got word that the Brand Identity and System conjured up with Tim Lahan was written up on the esteemed Heather Morton Art Buyer Blog, and subsequently picked up by Rob Haggert (A Photo Editor) and Chase Jarvis.

Above are a few images of the system in action and how it will look when in the hands of potential clients.

3) I’m working with the amazing consultant, Amanda Sosa-Stone on my marketing plan for 2010 and a tighter edit of my portfolio. Our first phone meeting last week was amazing and already I’ve gotten some amazing insight on where I stand and where I need to go. Stay tuned for further updates.

4) Yes, I have indeed been shooting. In fact, here are a few images from the last several weeks for your bemusement:

Portrait of a Portrait of Scott Urban, Chicago. 2009.

In the Workshop of Scott Urban, Chicago. 2009.

Texas Lunch. 2009.

My Dad (in Personal Garage/Playpen/Sandbox/Laboratory). 2009.

Laura #1. 2009.

Laura #2. 2009.

Outtake (Stephen). 2009.

Karaoke Outtake (Josh Collins). 2009.

That’s about it for now mein Freunds. Keep checking back for updates and late breaking news from the Office of Michael Clinard, General Photography. Here’s to a hard rocking, fruitful and happening 2010!

More always,
Mike

‘Hey Man, what with not posting to your blog in over a month and a half. . . I beseech you. . . Kindly, ‘Friend.”

On the serious tip, I’ve been quite busy, and that’s a very good thing. But it sure doesn’t mean that the Office of Michael Clinard, General Photography Train hasn’t left the station. In fact, it’s well on it’s way to making it’s final stop. If it were a ship: coming to port. A loaf of bread: baked. Humans: evolved. . .

So what’s new: I’ve been flexing the creative membrane. In fact just this week, I jumped into the studio with Amanda Johnson to hammer out some ideas: One concept is still being finessed, but I finally did get around to shooting that glass of water that’s been sitting around for a couple of months.

Outside of this, there’s the website which is ever-so close to completion that I can hardly wait. Of course, I still need to get a host of images sized/res’ed to spec and up on the servers. In fact, was up until 5am pulling images in anticipation, but I thought I’d give you a taste of the home page, oh loyal readership.

Here’s a look at an individual image as seen through one of the galleries, in this case: Portraiture.

There are other exciting features that will soon be live. When the site launches, I’ll be sure to make a note of it here on ye olde blog. Then, when you catch a moment, you’ll have to visit, give it a looksy and tell me what you think.

In other news, I’ve created my first new video piece in over four years. What with all the updates today–and as a thank you to my readership–I cut this together in celebration of the Brand Identity and to mark what feels like coming out of a near four year hibernation.

Interesting’er from Michael Clinard on Vimeo.

I could tell you what’s going on here, but it’d ruin the ambiguity.

Feeling very cicada-like,
Mike

*that ‘friend,’ I’m speaking of is one, Lucien Knuteson. You’ll have to go and check out his new blog when you’ve had all you can handle here.

I got an email a couple hours back saying that the editorial team selected my project from the several hundred that folks post everyday. Pretty neat being that a couple days ago I decided to pull some images together that I’ve shot over the last year or so in anticipation for the new site that’s being developed. Figured I’d give folks a preview of some of the visuals to expect, and here it goes getting some neat attention!

I suspect that project will drop from the front pages after a week or so, but in the meantime, feel free to visit the gallery and let me know what you think. Hope you enjoy looking at them as I had a great time creating them. Big shout of thanks to all the nice folks that sat for me!

More soon,

Mike

For the next few weeks, the website will be offline. In the meantime, I’ll do my best to update the blog with images from the Ecuador sojourn along with a host of exciting new projects I’ve been undertaking.

If you need to get ahold of me, don’t hesitate to do so.

More always,

Mike