Michigan State University

I’ve shot quite a bit the last few weeks for Michigan State University’s College of Human Medicine. It's another stunning addition to Grand Rapids' burgeoning Medical Mile.

Recent Shoot-Urban Bike Park

I love shooting for Rapid Growth Media every single week. The stories are all positive and shooting for them allows me to meet all kinds of innovative people around Grand Rapids that I'd never otherwise get to photograph.

These photos are of Nate Phelps. This dude made a great BMX/Mountain bike park out of a blighted, abandoned park on the city's tough southwest side (he also had a lot of volunteers, dust, dirt and determination). It's this type of grass roots effort that makes Grand Rapids arguably the coolest place to live in the Midwest.

That's right, I said Grand Rapids, Michigan :)

Click here to read about the Rapid Growth feature story about Nate.

And please check out the rest of my photo portfolio. I'd love to work with you: www.briankellyphoto.net

Have a great weekend,

Brian

UICA-Behind the Scenes

I proudly serve as a member of the board of UICA...the Urban Institute for Contemporary Art...one of the most unique art organizations in the entire country. We're building an amazing new facility.

Take a quick video tour with me and UICA's Executive Director Jeffrey Meeuwsen.

If you'd like to donate and support this amazing place...as well as have your hard earned dollars generously matched by the Dick and Betsy DeVos Family Foundation you may do so here.

Aquinas College Video - President Balog

In a video I was very pleased to produce, direct and shoot, President Balog discusses the strengths and heritage of Aquinas College as well as highlights some exciting developments that are on tap in the upcoming year. You can also view the video in full HD.

I'm hiring one brave soul

Hey everyone...I'm really busy with a wide range of projects and am looking for one talented (or perhaps brave) individual to come work with me in the following role. Send me an email if you live in Grand Rapids, are able to multi-task and would like to know more about this position:

About Brian Kelly, LLC

Brian Kelly, LLC is a full service commercial photography and video production company that services a very diverse range of West Michigan based clients.

Position

Brian Kelly, LLC seeks an individual to execute the roll of project manager/producer/client liaison/personal assistant. This person is the first point of contact a client may have with Brian Kelly, LLC and often the main point of contact for the client throughout a project. This person works very closely with Brian Kelly to assist in the efficient flow of communication between clients with projects in various points of production within the company.

Responsibilities may include scheduling meetings, photo and video shoots, controlling the flow email and phone communications, coordinating location scouting, delivering files to clients, running to the photo lab or to other vendors, shipping/mailing, obtaining shooting permits and/or other location and logistical permissions, shepherding projects from estimation phase to final billing, grabbing lunch or coffee on location as well as be a 2nd assistant on some larger photo or video sets...it's a little bit of everything and every day is different.

This person minds the gaps as well as does a fair share of babysitting Brian Kelly’s right brain. This person needs to be very detail oriented with strong communication skills and the ability to track multiple projects on various points of completion at any given time. This position requires a fast paced, intuition-minded, and highly professional individual with an understanding that attention to detail and the fast turnaround of a dynamic product is essential to the continued success of Brian Kelly, LLC.

Bonus points for fluency in Photoshop/Lightroom/InDesign and the nuances of ice cream.

This position requires a minimum of 20-30 hours a week with many weeks likely to exceed 30 hours. Pay rate is negotiable based on experience and other software skills.

Brian Kelly, LLC is an equal opportunity employer.

ArtPrize-Behind the Scenes-Interview with Young Kim

I had the pleasure of meeting and photographing Young Kim on Saturday for the official ArtPrize book that will be coming out later.

As you know, there was a HUGE buzz about Young's installation at 47 Commerce...(here's the first video Josh and I made about his work). It seemed to be the one piece everyone was talking about and most felt strongly that Young Kim deserved to be in the Top 10. Fortunately, he was recognized with a $5000 Curators Award by UICA at the ArtPrize awards ceremony on Thursday night.

I think you'll like Young Kim even more after listening to him talk about his work, his experiences in Grand Rapids and ArtPrize.

ArtPrize-Less Videos = More Photo Shoots!

I've been blown away by how many people have tuned into this blog and watched our videos over the last week and a half...literally thousands and thousands of people. Josh (my assistant) and I have been having a blast putting these together and we're very pleased that you are enjoying and sharing them with others.

Many people have come up to me on the street and said "you're the ArtPrize video guy," or "we love the videos you're doing for ArtPrize."

But just to clarify one logical assumption you may have; I am not being paid by ArtPrize to produce these videos, nor have I ever discussed with ArtPrize what the subject matter of my videos would or wouldn't be. I am doing these videos purely out of excitement for ArtPrize and my unabashed love of Grand Rapids.

The only reason I spend so much of my own time (and my own money) producing these videos is because I have 100% creative control of what I want to say and what I want to show you about ArtPrize.

We'll try to do a few more videos as time allows this week...but we may not be able to produce as many due to one major project that I actually am being paid by ArtPrize to produce.

ArtPrize has commissioned me to document the Top 25 pieces of art as well as take a unique portrait of each of the Top 25 artists. These photos will be used for an upcoming official ArtPrize book/catalogue that will be released later.

So this week will be a mad dash of scrambling to locate artists, see who's in town and hopefully make some incredible images that will honor the artists, their work and ArtPrize.

So stay tuned...keep checking back here for more behind the scenes content of some of my photo shoots for ArtPrize...still photography of some incredible artists and their art!

ArtPrize-Behind the Scenes - Get out the VOTE!

Today is the last day of voting and artists with the most UP votes will be launched into the coveted the Top 10...so get out there and make your votes count...there's a ton of prize money on the line!

So VOTE UP for the pieces you think are deserving of a shot at $449,000 in prize money!!

ArtPrize-Behind the Scenes - Rob Bliss

I was lucky to be with Rob Bliss shooting the big 100,000 paper airplane toss as part of his ArtPrize entry...take a look behind the scenes at one of the largest scale events in the history of Grand Rapids.

ArtPrize-Behind the Scenes - Tanglefoot

If you're here for ArtPrize, don't miss the amazing Tanglefoot Building. It's one of the off the beaten path places that will blow you away!

ArtPrize-Behind the Scenes - Dufala Brothers

Okay...so this is proof ArtPrize comprises both high brow art and the surreal.

ArtPrize never promised you consistency...but they did promise you a unique experience.

The Dufala Brothers are bad to the bone. The Toilet Tricycles races were quite the ArtPrize performance piece.

ArtPrize-Behind the Scenes-ACTIVESITE

ACTIVESITE = Artspace

ACTIVESITE @ ArtPrize

Check out our latest Behind the Scenes video at ArtPrize...Josh and I are working hard to bring you a taste of what's turning Grand Rapids completely upside down!

ArtPrize-Behind the Scenes-Rick DeVos

A quick look behind the scenes as Rick DeVos officially kicked off ArtPrize...already easily the most significant cultural event ever in Grand Rapids.

My assistant Josh and I will keep bringing you more behind the scenes footage and photos of interesting things we find during ArtPrize.

ArtPrize is nuts...follow my blog as I go!

I'm shooting non-stop for ArtPrize the next 18 days. Me and my assistant Josh will try to bring you an interesting angle into this major cultural event...and attempt upload cool stuff here at the blog

You can follow me on Twitter if you want all the quickie inside dirt (twitter.com/briankellyphoto). Actually, I won't be posting any dirt even if it happens...cuz I'm cool like that :)

I'll also be posting some cool behind the scenes videos from some of our photo shoots from time to time here...for real...so check out my blog often.

Park(ing) Day

One of the more surreal events in downtown Grand Rapids...Park(ing) Day.

Behind the Scenes Photo Shoot

Behind the Scenes Photo Shoot at The Winchester from Brian Kelly Films on Vimeo.

This is kind of fun...tag along with me at The Winchester on a recent shoot for the Grand Rapids/Kent County Convention and Visitors Bureau. A lot of work/planning goes into getting just one photo option for the cover of the annual Visitors Guide.

This shoot was unusual because we wanted to shoot with the models at dusk...and The Winchester is ALWAYS packed at night. It's one of my favorite places to eat and hang out.

You can also watch it in full HD by clicking on the arrows by the "Vimeo" logo on the player.

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!

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.

Art Prize - World's Largest Art Prize announced for GR

This will have a huge impact...very innovative...brilliant and great for Grand Rapids.

I'm looking forward to documenting the entire initiative for ArtPrize: