The Who/What…

One of the tasks that I have while working at the Indianapolis Star Media Group, is to work on all of the marketing photography/videography for our self promotion.  Not that I know anything about self promotion (becuase I really don’t), but I am the one that makes different scenerio’s work to show in favor of the paper.  One of our latest campaigns is the “Who we are, what we do” campaign with all of our sportswriters.

(Canon EOS5D Mark II, 50ISO, Canon EF70-200F2.8IS@100mm, 1/160th@F16.  Dynalite 1000xl with pack set to Full Power shot through a 24×24″ Softbox from above left of Phil B to give the white background some Grey Falloff.  Light triggered by Pocketwizard Plus II Transceiver).

Phillip B. Wilson here is one of our loved Colts reporters.  you can check out his Twitter, and Blog on Indystar to see what he has to say.  The man has no filter.  During the shoot we talked about different Sports issues, his opinions on players and Colts staff, as well as a few of his own personal life tragedies that he has finally taken humor in.  Great guy, great reporter.  He has no filter, and his writing shows it.  You may not agree with everything he has to say, but at least he says it; which is more than a lot of people would do.

(Canon EOS5D Mark II, 50ISO, Canon EF70-200F2.8IS@200mm.  1/160th@F4.  Single Dynalite 1000xl shot through a 24″x24″ softbox above and in front of Phil B set to 1/4th power.  Light fired by Pocket Wizard Plus II Transceiver.)

Had plenty of time to shoot any number of things with Phill B.  He was into it, and it showed.  Got a lot of good stuff from his shoot.  Have lots of other writers on the list as well, and in fact that afternoon also shot Bob Kravitz for the same style ads.

(Canon 5D Mark II, 160ISO, Canon EF70-200F2.8IS@200mm.  1/160th@F10.  Single Dynalite 400JR set to 1/8th with a 30 Degree Spot grid above Bob to the left slightly to give a moody Shadow look, while providing a dark grey falloff for the white background.  Dyanlite triggered by Pocket Wizard Plus II transceivers).

You an check out Bob’s Writing also on his Blog or Twitter.  Bob here steps on toes.  He knows that people read his writing not by the people that come up and say they like it, but by the amount of hate mail he gets every week.  Legend has it that he’s even received hate mail from his wife regarding some of his writing.  Really nice guy, he just knows how to push a nerve.  He is yet another person that makes his living saying the things that other people don’t, or won’t.  He talks about how much he loves sports and doing his job, but then talks about how he goes home and has to fight with his daughter regarding sports teams too.  These guys live and breathe this stuff.  At the Indystar, “This is who we are, and what we do”.

That’s the Ad set that ran in last Sunday’s paper.  It’s funny because I can tell the photos haven’t been touched, or photoshopped at all.  It can be an annoyance but even though I’m in advertising I’m really not allowed to touch my images much for the paper.  Reasons being that when I’m out covering events for even the Marketing or Advertising side of the paper I can’t Photoshop things to look better than they are.  I have to make them in the camera as best I can, so in the moment that I can’t do those things I automatically wont.  Not to say that my images don’t get Photoshopped (sometimes by epic proportions even).  I’m just not the one that does it.  The images that ran in the paper last Sunday weren’t as I’d have run them, thanks to complications in the studio.  The ads look good though.  Look for more in the future, as well as for these to be appearing on billboards around Indy, as well as look for Terry Hutchins, Mike Wells, David Woods, and many other already photographed sports reporters to be featured in the future.    Also look for these guys take on the upcoming Superbowl.  They will be there; along with the Newspaper’s Full force.  Lots of people have asked if I’ll be at the Superbowl and I keep giving the same answer.  Right now, I don’t know.  Only thing I do k now, is that my paperwork has been sent in for some currently undisclosed assignments for that week.  What does that mean?  Who knows.  More Soon.