ArtPrize's Rick DeVos -Round 2

Another photo from my shoot with Rick DeVos of ArtPrize.

You can find my other entry from this shoot here.

ArtPrize's Rick DeVos

This week I had an hour or so with ArtPrize creator and Grand Rapids based entrepreneur Rick DeVos. ArtPrize needed new portraits to help satisfy the barrage of media requests for photos of Rick. ArtPrize is deservedly getting worldwide attention...as is Grand Rapids in its wake.

I scouted several prime (if not unusual) locations within steps of Rick's downtown office. I'll post a few more favorites as I get time...almost everything we tried seemed to work.

I'm quite proud to be officially shooting for ArtPrize and will help create a book/catalog for them during the 2+ week event...can't wait!

Vacation & Knuble Residence

The Kelly family is officially on vacation for the next 10 days...soaking up some much needed sun and relaxation on Lake Michigan's pristine shoreline.

I'll leave you with a dusk shoot from a few nights ago. National Hockey League star and Grand Rapids native Mike Knuble built a wonderful new home in East Grand Rapids. I was commissioned to document the home for interior designer Kathryn Chaplow, architect Jeff Visser, builder Joel Peterson as well as Cosmopolitan Home Magazine.

The Knuble family was extremely accommodating and generous with their home and time...an exceptionally gracious family to work with.

Awesome Michigan Travel Video from 1949

Pre-"Pure Michigan"...you could drive cars on Sleeping Bear Dunes!

additions to portfolio

I've been slowly adding some new photos to my portfolio web site to the point that it's worth mentioning it's been freshened up. So if you haven't been to my site in a while drop by and take a peak.

In the next month or so I'll be adding some work that's been under wraps for a while.

Interlochen and Cornerstone Architects

I've been shooting up north the last few days for Cornerstone Architects and the Frey Foundation...it's been a great trip.

In addition to their GR presence, Cornerstone has a sizable office based in Traverse City. They've done some great projects in this area. If you're a design firm in Michigan right now, I can't imagine two better communities to hang your hat on that seem to be surviving the economy better than most.

This is a new fine arts building Cornerstone designed for Interlochen Center for the Arts. I had very nice weather and these dusk shots really accented the design. There is a natural vignette at the top from stretching my tilt/shift lens to it's limit.

Daisy May - "WaterFall"

This is a beautiful 7 minutes...worth the escape!

Joseph Jeup

I came across this photo tonight. I shot it last December. I liked it then...but I really like it now for some reason.

This is Joe Jeup; owner of Jeup Furniture and a good friend. I've been shooting for Jeup off and on for almost 10 years. He's the best furniture designer/manufacturer I've ever seen.

Jeup Furniture built a new facility last year; it's extremely impressive.

This photo was taken inside a staining room before their facility was operational...the stainless steel provided nice reflections. I used two strobes for this set-up.

Meet Nixon

A sneak preview of a story coming out next week in Rapid Growth Media.

This is Nixon. He's a rapper/producer and a major figure in GR's burgeoning hip-hop community.

I'm sitting on it!

How did I make it through June without really posting anything here? Well...I can tell you it wasn't because I didn't want to share some highlights of some great projects I've been working on.

In fact it's been KILLING me lately not to be posting more recent favorites...I've been working with some very creative people and I've been given an awful lot of freedom to shoot things however I want. But for now, for one reason or another, these photographs are still "under wraps" by the client.

That's pretty standard...you don't want to leak anything on a blog and erode the potential impact for the client.

That said...I've been very busy...and I'm particularly excited about recent work I shot for Lux Land, Karisa Wilson, Spencer Mulder, The Grand Rapids Community Foundation and the list goes on. Not to mention film projects for Ralston Bowles, Disability Network and MomentumMI.

I've also been involved in one of the most ambitious, creative and fun projects I've ever shot for Wondergem Consulting...we're still shooting this one off and on all summer. By the fall this tiger should be ready to be unleashed. And no, Chris Knape..."tiger" is NOT a hidden clue! :)

Although I woudn't mind shooting a tiger...with a camera...any one have a tiger?

Karisa Wilson photo shoot - outtakes

I wanted to shoot outside instead of the studio...so we set-up a backdrop in my backyard to photograph the amazing singer Karisa Wilson.

My girls Maddie and Hanna were great assistants...they love Karisa.

My assistant Josh stands in while we tweak the lights...he's got a sweet portfolio of stand in shots.

I'm really happy w/how the shoot went. Karisa was up for anything and we experimented a lot...it paid off big time. We'll have to wait until her new album comes out to see the final photos!

Madcap Coffee - Photoshoot

A couple of quick picks from my shoot at Madcap Coffee in downtown GR for the Grand Rapids/Kent County Convention and Visitors Bureau.

I always love shooting for the CVB...this shoot was for potential cover photos for the annual Visitors Guide...a very high profile magazine for this region. It's an honor to get the call from Janet Korn and Kate Wiltzer to help create the cover.

Georgia was our model and she did a great job. Ironically, I tracked her down after seeing her several times at Madcap Coffee...and thought she'd be perfect for this shoot!

Inspiring Photographers - part one

Yesterday I was itching to discover new work to admire and be inspired by.

So on Twitter and Facebook I asked photographers to tell me who inspires them. I'm still sifting through some fantastic work and links. Thanks everybody for chipping in.

A few people asked me to share which photographers inspire me.

So I'll speak to inspiration...and not necessarily influences on my work. Here's a list in no particular order...perhaps I'll post more later:

James Nachtwey - purpose like no other. I'm glad I have not witnessed what he has documented

Hiroshi Watanabe - (photo above) My good friend, Hiroshi...he's the Japanese Cartier-Bresson...only better. There is a hard to describe formality to his street photography. I was honored to attend his wedding in Hawaii a few years ago.

Katie Barnes - young, emerging, highly talented, she documents everything...she'll be a household name in 10 years...no pressure, Katie!

Mark Seliger - One of the best careers forged from music, celebrities and editorial work.

Annie Leibovitz - I greatly admire the deliberateness of her portraiture, although I'm not always fond of her work...I've learned a great deal by looking at her career.

Anton Corbijn - U2's longtime photographer and friend of the band. He also works in film and that's where I find myself migrating. Although his latest film "Linear" for U2 was the most awful thing I've ever watched...literally...but I still love you, Anton.

I'll add more artists later...feel free to send me your favorite photographers!

environmental portraits on the fly

One thing I love about shooting for Rapid Growth Media is the challenge of walking into any given situation and having to create an interesting portrait.

All the shoots are location based...I never know what the people or the places will look like before I arrive...there's no art director except for myself.

This is Daniel Morrison of Collective Idea...a bright company located in Holland, MI. He was photographed in the City Flats Hotel.

Other times I'm not so lucky with such a cool interior :)

I'm BACK...(sort of)

Well...hello there little blog...my how I've been neglecting you.

Been over a month since my last post...that means I'm buried in work and having a blast.

Been working on several film projects simultaneously...both big and small...as well as the full plethora of commercial photography that I love so much.

These are busy times...giddy up.

Above is artist Rick Beerhorst in his studio; he's an amazing painter...a more amazing person.

The destruction of Iroquois Middle School

A very beautiful school from the 1920's is being torn down across the street from my house. The old Ottawa Hills High School (and later Iroquois Middle School) was an architecturally significant school. It was built at great cost and to last much longer than the 80 or so years than it was in use. 

More importantly, it was designed in a similar vernacular to the unique brick homes of the that era that comprise the Ottawa Hills Neighborhood. Together, this school structure and the surrounding homes were a perfect design compliment to the other...they worked in unison.

Unfortunately, the design of the new school that is slated to replace it is an example of the low budget, low material cost, suburban school design. Visually the new school would fit much better into a newer community like Rockford, Caledonia, Byron Center; places that have seen explosive school growth with brand new homes, brand new roads and brand new strip malls...in other words...any place other than the historic neighborhood of Ottawa Hills.

It's very sad to see such a beautiful building being torn to bits each day. It is sadder still to live across the street from a prime example of how our culture doesn't value our past or the historic structures that provide an identity to our Present and give Future generations an idea of who we were in the Past and where we came from.

I believe in architecture and the power of GOOD design (good design is not inherently expensive). Not enough was done to save a small portion of the standing building.

Jim Rides His Bike - short film clip

Jim Rides His Bike from Brian Kelly Films on Vimeo.

I'm working with Square One (a great communications firm here in GR) to create an short film for Disability Network. This is a short clip from yesterday's shoot.

Aquinas Shoot - Metro Health Hospital

I did a shoot this week for Aquinas College...one of my longest standing clients...10 years running!

This is John Ebers, a graduate of AQ's Sustainability program. He landed a great job with the new Metro Hospital facility. His job is to reduce waste and energy consumption.

John's pictured on a portion of Metro's green roof...a spectacular place.

Faith turns 4!

I'm a little behind...

Faith had a birthday on May 4. We had a wonderful party.

She's already packed a lot of life into her 4 short years.

She inspires her dad to no end...

Harley Ride in California

Best bike trip ever...I had a blast.