Tag Archives: Seattle

Lookbook for Jackstraw

Written by admin. Posted on August 31, 2011. No comments.

I don’t often shoot ‘fashion’ as it were but when John Richards asked me to tackle his Fall/Winter 2011 lookbook for Jackstraw, I was quite flattered. You’re invited you to take a gander as I couldn’t be happier with results.

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 portrait of Sean Penn

Written by admin. Posted on July 20, 2011. No comments.

Or rather the back of him. . .

He seemed like the nicest guy as I stupidly blurted out ‘Hey Sean Penn,’ meatballs billowing from my agape mouth. It was honest and without airs. He grinned and said, ‘hey man’ and threw his forefinger up thus allowing me to continue devouring the bucket of food in my lap.

I could’ve run over and got a picture with him, but there’s so much of that stuff. Don’t get me wrong, I wanted to, but respect people’s space and respect the swagger. He’s a dude just like me, and it was enough to be able to see him in the flesh.

I guess it’d be like seeing a dodo bird OR hanging out in Jurassic Park all day taking pictures from the safari van.

I’ve met a fair amount of ‘famous’ types, and each time I think to myself ‘you look nothing like X.’ Robert Downey Jr. is in fact 4 feet tall. Sarah Palin is ‘human’ and not a fire-breathing dragon as many suggest. Sean Penn on the other hand looked exactly as I’d expect him. . .

I feel like the image above is fitting as he’s just walking the Earth - working for the cause while high-fiving folks along the way. Then on the weekends, he just kicks ass on the silver screen.

More always,

Clinard

Lately

Written by admin. Posted on June 27, 2011. No comments.

Have had a lot on the plate lately: heavy personal commitments, commercial and editorial projects and a recent trip to NYC where some amazing opportunities have come about.

I’ve now got enough content built up to blog over for the next year, so expect new posts very soon.

In the meantime you’ve got to check out this amazing painting I picked up from Kirk Albert (formerly Great Stuff) here in Seattle.

More soon,

Mikey.

April Spiel Prom Photos

Written by admin. Posted on April 11, 2011. 2 Comments.

A buddy of mine and his wife had me out to the Granite Curling Club in gloomy Seattle a couple weekends back for their annual Bon Spiel.

I’d often heard amazingly debaucherous/revelrous stories and when they said, ‘we got this annual prom thing we do and wonder if you’d like to do photos,’  I jumped at the opportunity.

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Gotta admit I absolutely love the image above. To me, there’s a semi-presence to the whole thing that is as much of a portrait of the night as any other image might have been of the attendees.

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Back when I graduated from Art School, my first job out was working for a high school picture place in Memphis, TN called Jimmy Alford Studios. Saw a host of crazy things then, and Benj (above) brought those memories flooding back.

The lad couldn’t hear much of my direction on account of 1) the loud music and 2) the associated fog brought on by adult beverages.

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Of the funny things said, the most notable quote of the night was “my drinking team has a curling problem.” Enough of one I’d say to warrant an attack on the hapless disco ball that wore the battle scars in the form it’s missing glassed sections.

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Much thanks to Granite Curling Club and all who allowed me to take their photos. . . god only know what mistakes were made that evening.

More always,

Mike

How I Richard Dreyfuss an Idea

Written by admin. Posted on February 23, 2011. 2 Comments.

Not too long ago, the photo editor of Real Change got in touch and asked if I could photograph a baked potato to help illustrate the ongoing Nickelsville story here in the Pacific Northwest. He said it can be “as loaded — butter, sour cream, chives, bacon bits? — as you’d want it to be.”

While it seemed pretty straightforward, I’m always looking for an opportunity to turn the everyday on it’s ear. After some rumination in the sketchbooks, it hit me like a lightning bolt: Richard Dreyfuss, son!

A couple days later, my wife was hitting the sack for the night and saw me sitting on the couch, surrounded by brown paper shopping bags, some crumpled pieces of printer paper, aluminum foil, scissors and tape. . . truly not an ‘out-of-the-ordinary’ kind of occurrence here at the Office of Michael Clinard.

Sadly, no photos of that event, but I venture to say it looked a lot like the above in her mind.

Needless to say, I got in studio the next day to refine the look. Below are a few outtakes with the final.

Missed being in the studio lately as I’ve been shooting more people on locations rather than product and still-life.

The approach here was to document the construction with little to no fanfare: straight, direct, almost banal. I really couldn’t be more pleased with the results.

More always,

Mike

Mouth Watering Rainbows

Written by admin. Posted on February 8, 2011. No comments.

I’ve been at it again. . .

Just got off Whidbey Island working an interesting assignment, and my buddy Kristian and I spotted a Double Rainbow back enroute to Seattle via the Clinton – Mukilteo Ferry.

We were so giddy, no way we could resist jumping out and capturing the beauty. . .

Kristian’s like ‘yo make it so it’s going in my mouth, and I’m eating it. . .’

Yes sir, Kristian. Yes sir. Was so completely razzed about these, I just had to post straight away. . .

More always,

Clinard

Hors d’œuvre to the Entree

Written by admin. Posted on January 28, 2011. No comments.

Hard at work on a smattering of new projects, so I’ll be sharing them soon.

Seattle Photographer Michael Clinard and Hair and Make-up Artist Lindsey Watkins

The above production still was taken while covering a couple tech entrepreneurs in the South Lake Union area of Seattle. Wish I could share the results, but you’ll have to tune in a few weeks from now. . . (no need to sniffle about it [hint, hint]).

In the meantime, guess I forgot to share some exciting news in that my image of the Harrisons is now traveling around in the 2010 Smashbox Face/Off competition.

Stan and Sherry Harrison traveling around LA and Boston

Couldn’t make it down in time to see it installed, but this guy was clearly mugging as a means to draw atttention to my work.

Guy at Smashbox Yello show with my image to far left of frame

Much appreciation for that, bro.

More soon,

Mike

A cookie a day makes Bill Rugen stay (at the table)

Written by admin. Posted on January 16, 2011. 3 Comments.

If you don’t believe me, then head over to his Consumed blog and wade through the immense tag cloud to locate ‘Cookie.’

Been awhile back but it might have been about 14 months ago when Bill started talking about the project over one of our many Burgermaster Power Lunch meetings. I said ‘go for it,’ and the rest is history.

So to honor his momentous feat documenting every single thing he ate for an entire year, we got together a couple days into the new year to celebrate the end of the project in pictures.

It’s been fun to see the Consumed project evolve and witness all the attention and whatnot he’s been getting over the last couple months. Must confess that I won’t miss waiting until Bill’s composed his shot from across the dinner table.

We can now dig into our scrumptious plates of Burgermaster goodness together and in synchronicity. Amen!

Not soon to forget the people that helped along the way, Bill gave credence to his wife’s fantastic cookie-making ability in this CBC interview. And yes, I too can attest, she’s a veritable baking savant when it comes to some of her cookie pairings. . .

Congrats again, friend. I say this is O.K.


Photo above by Bill Rugen

Photographed President Obama

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

Was making my way home yesterday morning after wrapping up a quick editorial job and was confronted with traffic barricade after traffic barricade in our little neighborhood of Wedgwood.

Jokingly, I asked a stander-by if the President was in one of those houses to which she calmly replied, ‘yes.’ In a move straight of Nascar, I angled the car into the first available spot and joined the droves of anxious-ites willing to brave to the cold just to get a peek of the man himself and the baby elephant he was attempting to corral for a homeowner.

Below are a couple photos. It’s my hope that one day I’ll be closer than 30 yards away when capturing this stuff. . .

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With a baby elephant on the loose, many folks showed up to catch a glimpse. They’d heard President Barack Obama was around, too.

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People photographing the ‘Baby Elephant Containment Unit of Greater Seattle’ on NE 75th St and 40th Ave NE in Seattle.

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The press junket was there looking ‘just so’ showing off this year’s must have item: laptop in transport to wherever you’re walking.

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Mayor McGinn was in attendance and pulled out a Larabar he had in his biking shorts.

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Gov. Christine Gregoire tried her best but was rushed away when her husband lobbied her for the Denny’s ‘all-you-can-eat’ breakfast buffet that ended at 11am.

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President Barack Obama decided he’d come out and handle it. In fact was told later by a friend, that his exact words were “hold up, I got this.”

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With the baby elephant back in it’s baby elephant sleeping quarters at the Foss residence, Obama decided he’d caravan over to UW’s HecEd and give a speech just for the ‘Hec’ of it.

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People losing their minds over the President’s ability to handle baby elephant corralling.

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Everyone disheartened by their inability to capture any photos of the baby elephant. Thankfully, they got a couple of the President ‘gettin’ it done.’

Portrait of Ron Miller

Written by Michael Clinard. Posted on July 4, 2010. No comments.

With today being America’s Independence Day weekend, figured it appropriate to hit everyone with an armed services-related post.

Couple months back, I had a lull in work travels and made some time to photograph Ron Miller, the former Naval Commanding Officer at Magnuson/Sand Point here in Seattle.

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Before getting in studio, I was lucky enough to hear stories and tour his old offices in what is now ‘Building 30,’ a multi-use complex that hosts a number of community events here in Seattle.

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The ballroom floor above no doubt saw quite a bit of traffic, and as he reminisced about the good ole’ days, Ron revealed a number of old cassettes buried deep in his bomber jacket. Apparently, they contained the daily motivational speeches he was often known to give to his newer recruits.

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One title, “Prescription for Relief from Stress” was a favorite. **(As an aside: some days later, I received a compendium of these speeches in printed form. . .)

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While it’s sad to admit that Building 30 now lays in a state of semi-disrepair, there’s quite a bit of community effort to preserve it by transforming it to artists’ studios and small naval museum. The image above shows an installation undertaken by a number of Magnuson Park artists as a means to draw attention to the building’s state.

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Either way, it’d be great to breathe new life into 30 and get someone else in there besides the ducks.

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As we made our way out, I couldn’t help but notice Ron’s sweet bomber jacket.

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Asked him about picking one up in a large, but was informed that it only came in two sizes, 1) no and 2) just Ron’s.

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Much appreciation to Ron for taking the time to sit for me. Happy Fourth to everyone!

More always,

Mike

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