WINTER COMES AGAIN

We've settled into winter here in Chicago and despite rumors that this year would be harsher than our mild winter of last year, as someone who works outside year-round, I have been pleasantly surprised by the shortage of bitterly cold days and piles of snow (although it's only mid-January, so I suppose there is still time...). 

I've always claimed to hate winter, which proves troublesome for someone who has spent their entire life in the Midwest. Year after year, I am somehow always startled when frigid air hits my face and the cold sneaks in through layers of down jackets and sweaters. 

However, despite my self-proclaimed distaste for this inevitable season, I've come to realize how much winter has shaped my sense of not only the year, but of myself. Aside from sledding and snow fort building, I didn't grow up doing many winter activities. Until I started dating a hockey nut in college, I could count the number of times I had been ice skating on one hand and had only strapped on a pair of skis once. For me, winter is a time to stay indoors- to work on projects, read books under a blanket, and organize both the material things in my life and my thoughts. 

As the year ends and a new one begins in this season of chilly darkness, there is ample time to reflect on the past and look towards the future, when warmer weather will eventually return and provide opportunity to explore new places and tackle new endeavors. 

There's also something to be said for the resilience required when living in winter- a willingness to get through those days of such limited sunlight, even when they leave you drained of energy and resistant to getting out of bed. It's an attitude of accepting the undesirable inevitable and making the most of it, while cultivating an appreciation for the time spent in fairer (i.e. warmer) weather to come. 

Despite it's harshness though, winter can be dazzling. I've written about my love for winter light- the unfiltered, rawness of the blinding sun on rare clear winter days and the magical beauty of sunlight sparkling off freshly fallen snow powder. Winter can be brutal and is often a source of my complaining for a quarter of the year, but I think I would be sad to not experience the beauty of that first snowfall of the season, the crunch of boot-clad footsteps, and the joy of curling under a warm blanket as the wind roars outside. 

For me, winter provides a framework for the year, a natural ending that leads to something new and fresh. And while I perhaps wouldn't mind shortening my dose of winter, I would feel a bit emptier without it. 

MINNEAPOLIS NOIR

I grabbed this shot while we were setting up the lighting for a medium shot of Rebecca, one of the actors. My dad wanted a slash of light across her eyes, which we were able to do through the very low budget wonders of strips of tinfoil taped (you have to be creative when you don't have any grip gear...). We added a few more lights and the effect was fairly successful. I also love the bokeh of the bridge lights in the background. 

I've often told people that I was raised on Turner Classic Movies and, in many ways, it was this channel that sparked my interest in film. I spent Friday nights throughout elementary and middle school eating pizza and watching whatever might be playing on TCM with my family- eagerly awaiting host Robert Osbourne to introduce each film with "Hello, I'm Robert Osbourne." 

A steady diet of films such as Rebecca and The Third Man enabled black and white cinema to become familiar, when- in a world where color TV and movies are the norm- it easily could have seemed foreign or antiquated.

I had a list of all of Alfred Hitchcock's films taped to my bedroom door, where I kept track with checkmarks which films I had seen. I loved the stories of Hitchcock's films; the mysteries and tangled plots. 

In a tenth grade film studies class, we learned about film noir: its history, visual style, and plot/character tropes. I had grown up watching these types of films, but now had a name for the genre and a knowledge of the language of these films- from femme fatale to venetian blinds. The stories of hardboiled detectives and imperfect protagonists reminded me of what I enjoyed from some of Hitchcock's films and blended it with the intense shadows and contrast of black and white cinematography. I was enamored with noir and longed to be able to shoot my own neo-noir one day. 

Everyone in my family is a storyteller in their own right and, additionally, I have proven to not be the only filmmaker. For the past few years, there have been a few video contests in the Twin Cities to which my dad has submitted short films that he wrote, directed, edited, and acted in. As a fan of Monty Python and Firesign Theatre, the videos are (more often than not) of the comedic nature and have given him a chance to show off his ability to do a variety of accents as well as learn the ins and outs of Adobe Premier. 

Dad and Jay in the boat. Dad stepping out from the acting role to check an audio recording. 

At the beginning of September, I spent a week in Minnesota. I had recently made the transition between jobs and relished the opportunity to return home for a few days to catch up with my family (and sleep). I usually set my sights on Labor Day weekend for a trip back to Minnesota in order to stop by the last few days of the State Fair, but this year, my early September visit had an additional purpose. My dad had plans to enter a video contest hosted by the Minneapolis Riverfront Partnership, an organizations that aims to revitalize the Mississippi riverfront in Minneapolis. 

The past couple years, the Minneapolis Riverfront Partnership has hosted the Mississippi Minute film festival, which challenges people from the Twin Cities area to make films that celebrate the Mississippi River and the Twin Cities' unique blend of urban and natural life and landscapes from its position on the river. The videos are short (under a minute) and tackle this fairly open-ended prompt through a variety of genres and levels of filmmaking experience. 

This year, my dad wanted his video to be a take on a film noir movie trailer. Working off this format, he wrote a few short scenes in the classic noir style and each relating to the Mississippi River- a funny blend of drama and river appreciation. 

Since my trip home fell just before the contest submission date, I was able to shoot the film. On a cloudy Labor Day, we spent the afternoon driving around the Minneapolis riverfront reviewing the locations and planning the shots. The forecast for that evening (when we would be shooting) was a high chance of rain and thunderstorms, which made my dad anxious. Fortunately, when we landed at our first location on the riverfront with a rowboat, some trench coats, a camera, and a few small borrowed LED light panels, a few raindrops fell and quickly stopped- not to be seen again until late that night (long after we'd wrapped). 

I shot the video on my a7r and, being the 2nd time I had shot an extended amount of video on this camera, was fairly happy with how the footage turned out. I used the black and white picture profile native to the camera to simplify the coloring process for my dad, since he had a short timeline for editing all the video and sound. The LED lights were all very small, but had a surprisingly strong output. Once it got dark, we were able to put these little lights to work and, with some cuts of diffusion and the occasional bounce board, they worked perfectly for the shoot. 

The shoot went smoothly and (for the most part) according to plan. I mentioned that I was happy with the footage, but I also enjoyed the shoot because it was a bit of a throwback for me. In my senior year of high school- two years after my formal introduction to film noir- I was able to make my own noir piece. One of our assignments in my media arts class was to write and shoot a public service announcement for an issue of our choosing. I decided to focus on water conservation and set my PSA in a noir-style future where water is a rare commodity. My dad and his friend Jay acted in the video as two men trading a jar of water for money in a shady exchange under a bridge. It was one of the first shoots I had done where I was conscious of my desire to pursue filmmaking, specifically as a cinematographer, and was the first time I was really proud of something I had shot. 

For my dad's project earlier this month, both my dad and Jay were acting and once again I was shooting them (now a graduate from film school, where I studied cinematography) in a modern day take on film noir. It was a fun shoot with which to come full circle. 

Ian next to one of the LED lights we had with the Minneapolis skyline behind him. 

This one got a bit blurry... but it gives a sense of what our final set up looked like. Dad and Rebecca on the Dinkytown bridge overlooking the skyline and the river. The timing worked out where the sun had gone down and the lights were all coming on, which added a lot to the atmosphere of the shot. The night portion of the shoot does have an almost over-lit quality to it, which normally would be avoided. However, I think it fits with the style of cinematography from the noir time period. Lights were big and bulky and film stocks didn't have the low-light capabilities of the a7 series camera (256,000 ISO!!), so often there is a bit of a source-y, very lit look.  

Pretty City

I spent some time today wandering around downtown Chicago. I lived in the South Loop for two years when I was in school and used to spend every day wandering between Michigan Avenue, Wabash Avenue, and State Street. However, aside from my daily commute that passes through the heart of the city, I don't get downtown much anymore. Yet, the skyscrapers and classic "big city" environment of the downtown area never cease to amaze me. It was a beautiful sunny day with a breeze off the lake that traveled between the buildings and along the river. Intermittent sunlight shone in between the buildings before a passing clouds dulled the bright beams. When it wasn't blocked by clouds, though, the sun was blinding and bounced off the light stone buildings and murky river water. 

I brought my camera along with me, although I still relied heavily on my phone (professional looking cameras often get you pegged as a tourist when you're walking down Michigan Avenue, which makes it difficult to avoid getting hassled by people trying to sell stuff to visitors). My phone was a more subtle option for grabbing a quick photo. I ultimately didn't take as many photos as I would have liked, but it was nice to walk around for several hours and enjoy the weather. 

A snap shot from my phone in the Chicago Cultural Center- one of the most beautiful buildings downtown. There are several huge stained glass domes inside as well as ornate architectural design. I only had a 50mm lens with my on my "real" camera, so I used my phone to grab this wider shot. Not the best quality, but it gets the point across... 

I stumbled upon a church I had never seen before in the Gold Coast area north of downtown. There was some beautiful light hitting the side of the building, but buildings nearby blocked lighting from hitting other sides. It was a great mix of tonality and contrast. 

A wider view of the same church. Sort of crummy quality, but the contrast of light and shadow on the building was very interesting. 

SUMMER WEDDING

I attended a wedding earlier this July in Southern Wisconsin. It was my first wedding as a "real" adult- all my previous weddings had taken place when I was much younger and all were for relatives or family friends. It was strange being at a wedding without my family, where I only new a handful of friends and no one else. My boyfriend was a groomsmen and the bride asked if I wouldn't mind taking a few photos of the groomsmen getting ready. While I had only worked as a videographer once before, I told her I would be happy to take some pictures for her.

Photographing a new or unfamiliar space reminds me of something I heard in a documentary on the cinematographer Laszlo Kovacs' work on "Easy Rider." As a Czech immigrant to the United States shooting a film that chronicles a road trip across America, he brought an entirely fresh perspective to landscapes that might be mundane to Americans. He shot the US through the lens of a wonder and was able to capture the various landscapes of the United States in a way that was new and exciting. While the wedding was nowhere near "Easy Rider," the opportunity to take photos in a new environment and for a type of event I hadn't experienced as an adult was a fun prospect.

The groomsmen and I arrived at the wedding venue a few hours early. The ceremony was at a farm, with several buildings and a refurbished barn on the property. While the guys hung out before getting dressed, I wandered around the grounds, eager to take some photos of my own. I walked through the wooded areas around the farm and around the buildings, getting shots of plants and scenic exteriors- images that could potentially find a place in a wedding album. It was afternoon and the sun was high overhead, illuminating everything and washing out any shadows that might have created contrast in a photo. For me, the time of day was less than ideal, especially as someone who favors a strong shadows and a moodier look.

I've found that I enjoy shooting interiors and exteriors only during specific times of day when the sun and shadows coexist. Interiors are a fascinating intersection of natural light and human-made structures and materials: light passing through glass or windows, light being bounced, reflected, or cut by the elements of space itself... It just shows, though, that I need to practice shooting at all times of day and find the interesting image, even at high noon. Especially for filmmaking, schedules are dictated by money, so why not start now by finding the beauty in all hours of the day?

When the groomsmen had dressed and were adding the finishing touches to their suits, I went to the area where they were getting ready. They were on the second floor of a small cabin. The only light came from a row of track lights on the ceiling and two windows on opposite ends of the building. The light was limited and posed a challenge: balance for tungsten or daylight? I ultimately opted for a tungsten white balance, hoping to correct the minimal blue light from the windows in my editing process. The track lighting was hot and bright, but not widespread, creating areas of deep shadow. In the photos I took, the guys are lit with strong lights that capture their edges more so than their full faces. It's a more cinematic look, although not exactly the traditional wedding portrait... There was also a triple mirror in the cabin and I enjoyed snapping pictures of the guys and their reflections getting ready. The contrast of light and shadow fit perfectly with my photographic interests, albeit not what wedding images typically look like.

This was taken in the barn where the reception took place. It was mid-afternoon, so the sun was high and not shining directly through the two big windows in the barn, creating this soft, sort of cool lighting that caught all the glassware on the tables.

The night before the wedding, there was a rehearsal dinner at a bowling alley. This was a great place to play with colored lights and their effects on skin tone. The darkness of the space pushed the ISO capabilities of my camera, but I still was able to get some images without too much noise. The super saturated and colorful lights don't fit every story/situation, but this is a look I want to explore more in the future (pending on the right project)...

Another from the bowling alley: love the bokeh and the teal edge on him (wish there was a tiny bit more fill light in his face though...)

UP NORTH AT THE CABIN

Recently, I spent a few days up in northern Wisconsin at a cabin that's been in my family for years. Driving down roads that crisscrossed between Wisconsin and Michigan's Upper Peninsula, I found myself in a familiar state of awe of the beauty of the tall pines and shimmering lakes. It'd been three years since I'd last traveled through these parts, hiked through rich green forest, and dipped a paddle into the chilly lake water. It was good to be back. 

I spent two summers working up in this part of the world, four summers attending camp, and countless weeks enjoying summer days at the cabin with my family. Yet, in all this time spent in the Northwoods, I had never spent much time photographing it. From beams of light passing between the leaves and trunks of pine and birch to sunlight skipping off the lake on windy days or calmly reflecting the surroundings onto glassy water, this place is a photographer's dream.

While I slept through most of the sunrises and sunsets marked the coming of ravenous mosquitoes, the shifts in the light over the course of the day never ceased to amaze. I snapped a few shots on hike and more around the cabin itself. I hope my visits up north won't be so few and far between in the future and that there will be more photographic exploration soon! 

Pretty little daisies and some cool bokeh. I love the softness of all the out-of-focus elements. These old lenses do shallow depth of field so well.... 

So many daisies!

The layers of light are one of the elements of the Northwoods that I love. There are so many trees that light can only pass through selectively. The sense of depth is something I like about this image: the brightness of the background leads the eye from the silhouetted trees in the front all the way to the back. The little bits of blue sky on the pond is a nice balance to all the dark green too. 

Some interior light! Golden hour outside is gorgeous, but the warm sunlight spilling into the house was also great. I particularly like the deep shadows paired with the bright sun (especially that warm color temperature). Plus, this room has wood paneled walls and wooden furniture, all which bounce back even more warm light.  

One from magic hour on the lake. Not my favorite as far as composition (plus it looks like his eyes are closed!), but I do like the color temperature- that cool bluish light definitely sets the mood. 

BLACK AND WHITE

I've always enjoyed playing with black and white images. I grew up watching a lot of old black and white movies and always scoffed at people who refused to watch anything but color films. I had a teacher who talked about color as intention. Why shoot in color if the colors weren't going to be used to help tell the story? This definitely isn't the logic that defines modern filmmaking, but it's an interesting way to frame choice as a cinematographer/photographer.... Really thinking about how color, or the lack there of, serves as a tool for communication. I love how black and white drives me to focus on lighting- the elements of contrast, tonality, quality/quantity. All these images were shot on my phone, so they were converted to black and white after being taken (which brings up the whole discussion regarding intention of the look or color of an image in the production vs. post production stage of an image...) 

PLAYING WITH THE A7R

I recently upgraded from shooting with a Canon Rebel XTi to the Sony A7r. I still am learning all the nuances of the camera, but have been enjoying playing around with it and seeing how far I can push its insane low-light capabilities. So far I only have a few Canon FD mount primes and I love how they produce a softer image. Hoping to get some different glass the the future... 

Nighttime take of the bathroom. Really pushed the ISO on this one. There was basically no light in the bathroom, aside from the spill of a street light from outside. I wanted to see how close the camera could get to seeing what my eye see and how well such a high ISO would hold up. The quality is definitely degraded, but I was able to pretty much match the camera to my eye. I love the color of the light, the contrast, and the mood of the image. Despite the lower quality, it has a sort of painterly aspect to it. 

(wish there was a bit more of an eyelight...) Opened up all the way on this one and shot at a low ISO to get the soft pink/purple/blue wash of the clouds in the background 

EXISTING SPACES AND THE LOVE FOR LIGHT ITSELF

COLUMBIA COLLEGE (iPhone 4) 

While I love photographing people, I have a special fondness for shooting spaces, capturing the interplay between light and architecture. I've been known to stop what I'm doing, pull out my phone or camera and snap a photo, saying: "Look at that cool light!" When my family returned from a trip to Spain, one of the first things they told me is how much I would have loved the light in the cathedrals and other historic sites they visited. 

Many of the photos I have archived on my computer are simply collections of light in the places I've traveled: a beam of sunlight on a table, the soft glow through curtains, the sparkle of a reflection off a mirror... I am endlessly fascinated by the endless changes in light and how our work as humans interacts with light that is both natural and artificial. 

MINNESOTA WINTER

I had a discussion once with a friend of mine- a cinematographer and gaffer- about what makes winter light unique from summer or spring. He made some scientific-sounding argument about molecules in the air during the summer, which make the air thicker and diffuse the light. Whereas in winter, he argued, those molecules aren't there, it's not humid, making the light more intense and sharp. Having no real scientific background myself, I can't say whether or not any of his statement has any truth to it. But I think he's right: winter light is different.

As someone who has grown up in the Midwest and continues to live in a place where winters are harsh and bitter cold, I've seen light change from season to season and there's something that makes the light in winter stand out. On crisp clear days, when there's not a cloud in the sky, the light is bright and blinding. Sharp and harsh as the cold itself.

I go home to Minnesota each year around Christmastime. Since I've spent the last few years in Chicago, coming home is always a time of re-discovery. I've grown as a photographer and filmmaker since I've been away from home and I always love to return and capture the familiar places with a new eye. These are a few shots taken on my old iPhone 4 during the time I was back home and exploring some of my favorite spots.

MICHAELA AT THE GUTHRIE, 2014 (iPhone 4) 

MICHAELA SILHOUETTE, 2014 (iPhone 4) 

MICHAELA, 2014 (iPhone 4) - love the harshness of winter sunlight 

SWEDISH MUSEUM, 2014 (iPhone 4) - contrasty day interiors!! 

SUSAN AT THE SWEDISH MUSEUM, 2014 (iPhone 4) 

MINNEHAHA FALLS, 2015 (iPhone 4) 

More silhouettes from behind the falls... 

IPHONE LIGHTING

I spent four years studying cinematography in college and had the chance to work with professional cinema cameras. Yet, despite owning my own digital camera for snapping stills, I continually find myself taking more pictures with my phone.

There's no denying the convenience- I always have my phone on me. It's lightweight and fits in my pocket, allowing photos to be taken indiscreetly. And for what it's worth, my phone isn't that bad. I've taken some pictures I'm really proud of and have captured moments where I might not have thought to bring my camera.

However, one of my goals is to be better about carrying my camera with me, so that I can lessen my dependence on my phone (and make all the money spent on actual cameras worth it). I hope this is a goal that doesn't fall by the wayside.

FLOWERS, 2014 (iPhone 4) - a contrasty-er throwback to Dutch 17th c. still life paintings 

ALMONDS, 2014 (iPhone 4) - light through glass and window blind shadows never get old, I love these tropes

LINCOLN PARK CONSERVATORY, 2015 (iPhone 4) - like the contrast in this one and the slight warmth of the light, wish there was a bit more detail in the shadows 

Close up version of the previous shot... 

BEHIND THE SCENES

BTS "DASIY," 2015 (iPhone 4) - a snapshot from the set of pickups on one of my films - very "X-Files" 

STAND-INS SITTING IN ON "HENRY GAMBLE'S BIRTHDAY PARTY," 2014 (iPhone 4) 

SHARING

I saw something online the other day contrasting our collective mentality between film and digital photography. Something along the lines of: film - shoot 24 images, digital - shoot 1000, film - develop 24 images, digital - download 1000, film - print 24 images, digital - print 0, film - look at 24 images, digital - never look at photos again. While this might not be entirely true for all of us, I certainly can be an offender of taking hundreds of photos (while shooting digitally), download them to my computer, and look at them only whenever I need to clean out my hard drive.

Recently (in an attempt to make some space on my computer and create a few free gigabytes), I uncovered folder after folder of digital photos (and a few film scans) I've taken throughout the years. There's been a lot to sort through- especially in the years after I got a smartphone with a halfway decent camera- but it's been interesting to see how my photographic eye has changed (and hasn't) and recall where I was physically and mentally while creating these images. 

Not all of the images I found were anything special- most are silly snapshots of my sister or family and purely documentation shots from camp or trips- but some are images I really love that I just never got around to posting or sharing anywhere. I'm not much when it comes to maintaining a consistent online presence, but I figured this unofficial blog would be a good place to share some old work and let some of the images that have been sitting idle on my computer have a place to live and be displayed.