Happy Halloweeeeeen everyone!

The rewards of Patience and Persistance

Photo Tip of The Day:  Persistence and Patience, when you want to give up; wait just a while longer.

Persistence and Patience are often the two lacking ingredients needed to capture the illusive image.  Wild life photographers know this better than any of us, but it rings true with most photography even fashion, photojournalism and travel. Sometimes I feel God teases me, waits to see just how badly I really want that 'special image’.

A couple of days ago I was shooting on a mountain top in the Colorado Rockies.  After the above videos were shot the rewards of these two continued to avoid me until my fingers hurt and my lips were so cold my speech was slurred.  I was cold.  It was late.  I’d been at above 10,000 feet with my back to a howling cold wind for a couple of hours waiting and waiting.

The mountains were covered in a haze, the sun hid behind a thick layer of clouds.  I tried to at least find art in the snow on the ledges across the canyon.  There was still no shot.  It had been cloudy all day and there were few signs anything was going to change.  I was more than discouraged and tired.  I was ready to crawl back into the SUV and roll back to the base of the mountain.  There it was late spring weather and warm enough for short pants and sandals.

Just before I folded the tripod I heard something behind me.  I turned to find a herd of about forty elk walking single file down the mountain.  Just as I noticed them, they spotted me.  Some elk turned and scampered back up the mountain.  The rest froze watching me.  I was able to slip my IPhone out and snapped a few shots.  After a while I guess they felt I wasn’t a threat anymore and they walked past not far from me and on down the mountain.

At one point I found myself somehow between a mother elk and her young one.  That's when I knew it was my time to gently find an exit.  Thankful for the personal elk experience but still discouraged at not getting my mountain top sunset I packed my gear climbed up the mountain to my SUV.

I sat behind the wheel trying to get warm and fighting the urge to give it up and turn for home.
 It had been cloudy the entire day I really had no hope at this point of any changes.    Then I thought to myself, ‘There is still sun behind the clouds.  It had not set.  Maybe somehow I can find it through the mountains ahead.  Ever astonished at the sheer drops with no guardrails, I drove on around the bends and found another location.  There, beyond the mountain range I saw a hole begin to break in the clouds just below the sun.  My hope was renewed.  I would have never seen it from the other location.  I pulled my gear out and hiked as far as I could to where the ground ended and air began.  There I found another hiker standing on the edge of the ibis, waiting for the sunset.

I found my angle and waited and waited but this time I’d found a hole in the sky.  I knew unless it closed up the sun would eventually drop right into it and lay light across the mountain peaks.  By now the park had actually closed and a park ranger arrived asking everyone to leave.  He let us wait for the sun to lower.  Then in a burst of light it dropped from beneath the blanket of cloud and lit the entire mountain range.

I took my shots, got the address of the hiker so I could send him a print, thanked the ranger and began the two hour drive back down the mountain.  I was content.  I had been ready to pack it in and leave empty handed. 

Patience and persistence had rewarded me again.

(The shot is above.  This is the basic raw and unprocessed image.)

Paul McCartney sold at auction for $10,000

Last week I donated a limited edition photograph, 'Paul McCartney 1' from my upcoming exhibit, to Ted Turner and his 'Captain Planet Foundation'. I was excited to see the photograph sold for $10,000.

I'll be working on the exhibit most over the next several months and hope to launch it toward the end of the year. If all goes well, I look forward to being exhibited in several galleries around the country.

Photo #2: Ted Turner and 26 time Grammy singer Alison Krauss.

Photo #3: Jewelry designer, Elizabeth Dupree Lynch, being recognized as the co-chair for this years event. This years dinner and event had about 700 people at $1,000 a couple and was held in the Georgia Aquarium Ballroom in Atlanta.

Photo Workshops

It’s amazing how time takes wings. Well I’m back from the realm. No crossed fingers, toes or eyes, I’m committed with a vengeance to post more often.

Much has happened since the Ecuador shoot. Some of it I can even tell you about…

I’m still invited to teach at photography workshops around the country. I enjoy it and always seem to learn as much from the students as I teach. I always grow and I do love growth.

Last year I began two photo groups in Atlanta http://www.meetup.com/Larry-Marchant-Photography-and-Model-Teams/. One is a photography and model group geared toward learning and networking . Sometimes we get together for teaching, critiquing and sometimes the group shoots in studio or on location as I make suggestions or instruct.

The second group I formed as a Mentoring Group. One on one, I coach beginning or pro photographers to help them develop the artistic aspect of their work. I have some talented students that really want to learn and I especially enjoy working with this group.

For the first time in years I’ll be producing a full workshop series of my own: the first being on Fashion and Beauty Lighting for magazines. For details follow the links on my website at: http://www.marchantproductions.com. I’ve also been invited to return to Ecuador this summer to teach there (back to the Espanola lessons).

Life for all of us has its ups and downs. This economy is hitting many of us hard but my direction is that if we just weather the storm, do the best we can we’ll end up on the other side, on a nicer beach than before.

Thought for the day: Attitude! It’s one of the determining factors that makes or breaks our lives. Having a wrong attitude toward others and life is a shovel. It will only dig you down deeper leading to less favor and less comfort from others.

The right attitude no matter what the circumstances is a rope. It lifts you, gives you a helping hand and reduces the stress even in the storm. It is a sword that cuts through the night.

There are new stars in the sky and I’ll tell you about them soon.

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Fashion Show (Ecuador, South America)

After finishing the shoot at the Casa Ceibo Resort I was invited to stay on a few extra days to just relax and lay back (with no work). I wanted to (needed to) but had to get back to the states. Maria Susana had also invited me to attend a fashion show she was having in Quito, so I flew back up into the Andes Mountains.

I got checked into the hotel and found the venue for the show. The crowd was larger than I’d expected; around eight hundred to a thousand I estimated. I soon located a cute girl walking around with a clipboard (the sure sign of a coordinator or handler). I introduced myself and she took me back stage where a production assistant and a magazine writer were waiting for me. The models were getting prepped for the show so Maria’s assistant escorted me through the crowd to the edge of the stage and seated me.

I looked around. TV cameras and photographer were everywhere. I found out later that twenty-five of the media outlets over Ecuador had come. The music began and out of the ceiling a platform lowered the first models to the runway. The show was great. I’m still amazed at how beautiful the people of Ecuador are and the models are world class.

(Sorry for not taking photos of the show.) I know I should have brought my camera but I was off duty and just came to enjoy the show and spend some time with my new friends. I’ve found that if I carry a camera with me all the time, I end capturing too much of life on film/disk and not living it, experiencing it. Now days I choose which moments are more important to live.

At the end of the show Maria walked the runway to the applause of the crowd. She took the mike and spoke for a while and then stayed on stage while the media photographed and filmed her. That’s when I got a tap on the shoulder. The clipboard girl was standing beside me. In a cute Spanish accent she said. “Come whit me. Maria Susana wants you to join her.” I didn’t know what she meant but followed her to the entrance to the stage.

The next thing I knew Maria walked to the edge of the stage took my hand and brought me on stage with her. She introduced me to the crowd and we stood there while the cameras clicked. After a few minutes we began to exit but the photographers called us back for more photos. It’s always interesting for me when I'm on the other end of the lens.

When we did exit the stage it must have taken us twenty minutes to get through the autograph signing and well wishing crowd to where the media would be waiting to interview her. In Ecuador she is a true national celebrity. I would equate her to a cross between a rock star and a popular actress here in the states. Everyone on the street knows who she is. After the interviews Maria Susanna, Isabella (one of the models), Maria’s mom (not bad herself), Maria’s primary assistant and I all went to dinner.

It had been a full ten days to say the least. I flew back to the states the next day and took it easy for a day or two before I began the weeklong task of post-production. Digital makes post so much easier. If it had been film I would have been over a light table the next two weeks.

Like I’ve said, travel is one of the best avenues to education one can experience. Each trip to a new country or place opens my eyes and expands me. I simply love it and especially if the people as genuine as are my new friends in South America. They invited me to return in November for the bi-annual unveiling of Maria’s new collection. She said that show will have well over 2,000 people.

I hope I can make it. This time I plan to enjoy a bit more time away from the work scenario.

Ciao

On Location Ad Meeting

Talbot Wilson, our marketing guru, out by the Casa Ceibo pool holding a one-on-one meeting for our new advertising campain.

Part of our South American crew

These two shots are the core of our photo crew. Gabriella (far left) is makeup. Lali and Isabella are models, then myself and Maria Susana the designer & model. Melissa, my assistant and Charlie the owner of Casa Ceibo (far right).

Daniel, owner of Casa Ceibo (far left), Talbot, advertising (next) and Katie, travel writer (center left) got there early and had to leave before the shoot was over. Myself, Melissa and Charlie (far right) stayed on with the models and makeup. Daniel was off the the Galapagos Islands. Talbot left for an assignment in Bermuda to cover sailboat races and Katie was on her way back to Colorado to write travel articles and have her new baby.