Winter's hook, line, and sinker...

After another great year of collaboration with the invoko team, we would like to look back and pay homage to our roots-Unfolding Forms. Several years ago around this time when the ice was thick and the snow was deep, we set out to capture the unique perspectives of an age old tradition in the northern part of the midwest. Our project, "The Life of a Minnesota Ice fisherman," combined the talents of Nathan Strandberg-EightHourDay; Dave Schroeder-Pilotvibe and myself to produce a multimedia piece that was fresh, interactive, and approachable in a slightly unconventional way.

As the former name implies, our current collective is indeed a transition from the old and will hopefully continue to be an unfolding form as we are about to embark upon the new year. Here's to a past project, one that has been a cornerstone--opening doors to new people and places.

Best to all of us in the creative community and the road ahead...

Happy Holidays from all of us here at JCP.

Winter's hook, line, and sinker...

Angry Catfish

In terms of new combo bike shop / cafes opening up in the Minneapolis area, The Angry Catfish is definitely in the top tier. We had the opportunity to take a closer look through an assignment for Bicycling Magazine. Proprietor and bike enthusiast, Josh Klauck, gave us the grand tour and indulged us with a few stories about resurrecting the former abandoned space to its present state. The renovated space features three work bays for bike repair/maintenance, a retail area with a spotlight on local frame builders, and a full coffee bar with knowledgeable baristas serving up the finest brews from intelligentsia coffee roasters. It's a great space to grab a coffee, put a few bikes on the wish list and all the while soak up the good vibes.

Angry Catfish

Shadows upon the sun...

All the time he's boxing, he's thinking. All the time he was thinking, I was hitting him. - Jack Dempsey

As the sun was coming up, we positioned our talent into place for the first phase of the boxing workout we had envisioned several weeks earlier. The morning air was cool and fresh as our boxer began his ritual; breaking down the silence with a speed driven whir of the rope as it met with the rhythmic taps of his feet on gravel. It was a great scene and a nice way to start capturing both the stills and video we set out for.

After this initial idea we moved on to another scene based on shadow boxing. The talent demonstrated various moves and then as we starting rolling video, put them all together to form a seamless moment of classic combinations. The scene was reminiscent of a Rocky Balboa type character training for an upcoming title bout. All we needed was the the old grizzled trainer pushing him to the next level with gravelly words of encouragement.

Towards the end of our time with the boxer, we realized how fit he really was. There seemed to be an endless supply of energy and enthusiasm for whatever ideas we could throw at him. In conversation we found out his real daily workout consists of 3 hours of training each day to maintain his current level of fitness--now that's dedication.

Shadows upon the sun...

The Evergreen State

As the year closes out and the winter months move in, it's nice to see a finished project that takes us back to the warmer days of summer...

In the latter part of June we went on the road to Seattle, Washington shooting the first of three "Member Stories," for United Healthcare and AARP. Our subject on this first leg of travel was 81 year old Marilyn Ward, long-time social activist, appreciator of art, book lover, and world traveler. Marilyn proved to be nothing less than amazing, and gave us a real window into her life over the course of the two days we worked with her. We went through a process of capturing video, stills and audio for the final piece, featured above, which will live on a micro-site within the UHC / AARP web space.

Through the collaboration and combined efforts of the Invoko team including: audio designer Dave Schroeder of Pilotvibe and Graphic Designer Nathan Strandberg of EightHourDay. This was the first of many projects we've worked on for United Healthcare / AARP that we spent more time focusing on video capture than gathering still images. The editing was put in the hands of Adam Duguay of Elemental Motion Media who has certainly become a regular part of this past year's motion based projects.

A big thanks to Marilyn for all the time she spent and her patience with our multiple takes and our numerous "can you do that one more time," requests.

The Evergreen State

Inbox - JCP "archive"

Thought I'd share the e-mailer that will be hitting email inboxes this week. Keep an eye out and be sure to take look at new work + recent additions to the "archive" section of the JCP site.

Inbox - JCP "archive"

Frank's House

It's there in every one of us; a duality that speaks to the impossible recesses of the mind that blurs the line of what is real and what isn't. It's the part of life often lived in the shadows, walking side by side with the everyday crowd.

At a certain point of the year when the leaves start to lose their grip, those involved with the brotherhood find a secluded place to meet up simply known as "Frank's House" where they are able to take one day, let the guard down and relax a little. Although this one day is a time to unwind, it's difficult to draw the line between business and pleasure; it's a fine line constantly traversed -- why would a day off be any different?

Frank's House

"Let's Go Fly" - Behind The Scenes...

Just over one month back the JC|P Motion piece "Let's Go Fly" debuted. We now have a completed edit, a "behind the scenes" follow up, which offers a glimpse into how things came together on the day of production this past June.

Thanks again to Elemental Motion Media for cutting this together and as always, making everything look stellar.

Enjoy a little perspective from the production side of the project...

"Let's Go Fly" - Behind The Scenes...

St. Louis + Purina = Best in Show

About forty minutes southwest of St. Louis lies the town of Gray Summit, home to Purina Farms; one of the most innovative and design conscious arenas in the country for showing top breed dogs.

As we made our way to the main entrance, we were greeted by the well manicured, larger than life, canine topiary. The air was electric with four legged champion hopefuls and their handlers whisking off to the next round of showings or heading back to the grooming area for a quick touch-up. Our main goal was to capture the essence of dog and handler / owner relationships for the next round of ad campaigns for Purina's Pro-Plan and Selects high end dog food via the creative minds at Colle+McVoy.

We spent the better part of a Saturday moving all about the various showing arenas and grooming areas capturing the nature of what it means to be at this level for dog and owner; a rapport that is a manifestation of the endless hours of training and care between them. It never ceases to amaze me how dedicated all participants are to becoming the best in show.

Off to Dallas later this week to guest speak at the "Still 2 Motion" talk put on by the Dallas chapter of ASMP. If you're in the area, please drop by. It should be an interesting evening...

St. Louis + Purina = Best in Show

New Band, New Sound, New Look

A perfect autumn afternoon led us to the halls of a local theater in St. Paul, MN where we met up with members of the newly formed folk band Po' Boy Local 151. Lead vocalist and guitar player Chris Jones, gave us free reign to approach and create a unique look that would launch the new band.

In addition to photographing the band we took in a string of impromptu songs as we worked amid the varied indoor and outdoor locations.

Check out their site for more information on the band and upcoming performances.

New Band, New Sound, New Look

Speaking in Dallas = "Still 2 Motion"

A while back I was invited by Jason Janik, VP of the ASMP Dallas Chapter, to speak at a seminar featuring a couple of photographers who have begun working in the world of video / motion. I believe the call came through as a result of the McDonald's "Work & Play" project we had shot and received a write up on in PDN. The idea of speaking on this subject is timely and appropriate in terms of the increasing amount of motion projects I've been working on for clients in addition to my still photography. I am excited to note that just last week we received confirmation of an upcoming project for Boeing which will be almost entirely motion based.

On November 4th I will be presenting my still and motion work alongside veteran photographer / director Stewart Cohen. I'm very pleased to be speaking with such great company and will no doubt learn a lot from the experience. If you happen to be in the Dallas area on the 4th of November please stop by the Angelika Film Center Theater at 7:00 PM for the "Still 2 Motion" seminar. Until then check out some of the recent projects on the JC|P Motion section of my site.

Speaking in Dallas = "Still 2 Motion"

Olson + Bauer -> Behind the Scenes...

Up to this point, the blog has been a venue to highlight finished still + video projects; however, for this installment we thought it would be great to add a behind the scenes look at the Bauer Hockey Athletic Camp 2010 via Olson.

Each of the nine players we photographed were suspended on an 8'x 5' sheet of 1.25" Plexiglas set into a custom iron frame sourced by producer Jim Graham of Power Plant Productions. The force exerted by the blades upon the surface of the Plexi turned out to be 100psi per hockey skate blade. With a professional NHL player above, I needed to ensure that he wouldn't come crashing through, which explains the need for the robust dimensions of the Plexiglas.

In addition to the still photos, composited by retoucher Brad Palm, take a moment to view the time-lapse sequence, compiled by Elemental Motion Media, of the crew and the NHL players that converged in Atlantic City to produce the still images.

Olson + Bauer -> Behind the Scenes...

Let's Go Fly -> Premiere

The newest addition to the growing JC|P Motion archive launches today. We are proud to present "Let's Go Fly" a collaborative piece brought about by the efforts of a great crew and talented post production team. As we've moved forward into video since the launch of HDDSLR cameras it became obvious very quickly that the most important and essential element to pull together any type of motion based project is seeking and building relationships with those in the film + video industry.

We would like to call out a few individuals that really helped shape and mold the piece from beginning to end into the final piece here on the blog.

Adam Duguay, of Elemental Motion Media, worked with us to finesse the finer points all through the editing process. He has implemented a cutting edge technique to help bring the grading as close as possible to the color corrected stills I initially provided as a guide. In addition to all of the editing, Adam has also brought my logo to life in a new animated form which is featured in this piece and will be present in all video projects going forward.

Katie Kirk and Nathan Strandberg of Eight Hour Day have been with me since the beginning working their design magic to elevate everything they touch to an amazing end aesthetic. Credit for the custom opening illustration goes to Katie and her sensibilities regarding the piece as a whole. She has helped guide us in a different direction graphically from our past motion designs, which has been a welcome change and will certainly influence our approach to the next project. Thank you both for your contribution to the piece.

"Let's Go Fly" is the third collaboration with Alex Horner who worked with us on filming "Un Jour Dans La Vie d'un Coureur" and "Bright Lights: Metal In The City." Alex has always brought a great sense of technical and visual insight to all our projects, and we have enjoyed seeing the various perspectives he provides as our second camera operator.

This piece is the first to have audio captured on location while we were filming and allowed us to bring in Patrick Schaefer. Patrick did a great job and helped educate us on the importance of slating a scene to make sure the audio is synced with the video when it comes time for the editing process. When you hear the birds chirping think of Patrick with boom in hand, mixers set and the record button on.

Without further ado..."Let's Go Fly"

Let's Go Fly -> Premiere

Curves and Discs -> Zimmer Spine

Our good friends at nFusion out of Austin, TX brought us on once again this year to continue to build as well as update the image library for Zimmer Spine that we started in 2009. This year we spent two days shooting in Minneapolis at a local hospital as well as Zimmer's recently remodeled HQ.

We've had great success in the recent past, securing a local hospital for a few projects and suggested to nFusion that this facility be used as the main location for the first day of shooting and production with Zimmer Spine. Having access to a real operating room helped our talent to ease into the roles of portraying a surgical team working alongside a Zimmer Spine representative. With an optimal environment such as this, it made it much easier to achieve a realistic look as well as increase and take the overall production value to a higher level than they were used to.

Our second day of shooting was spent at the Zimmer Spine headquarters in Bloomington, MN where various doctor / patient / Zimmer Spine Specialist scenarios shaped up nicely throughout the day. From conference room seminars with reps and surgeons, to a hands on practical experience in an on-site operating room, we had amazing surroundings for every scenario with each shot layered in realism and contemporary architecture.

As always a big thank you goes out to producer Bobbi Peacock and all the crew and talent who helped pull together two fruitful days of shooting in a variety of locations.

Next up- we'll be departing for St. Louis shortly to spend a couple of days amid the environs of a dog show at the "Purina Farm;" shooting once again for Purina via Colle+McVoy. I am really looking forward to this project as there seems to be no shortage of visual options with camera in hand at a dog show. There will no doubt be a post coming from this in the future...

Curves and Discs -> Zimmer Spine

Ice Time...

”A fast body-contact game played by men with clubs in their hands and knives laced to their feet.” - Paul Gallico

Another year of sharpening skates and taping up hockey sticks has come to a close at the 2010 Bauer Athlete Camp where travels took us once again on the road for Bauer via Olson Advertising. Encompassing two days of shooting in Atlantic City, our time was divided between the ice rink and an elaborate indoor setup at a local hotel.

Day one took place at a local NHL practice rink not far from the legendary boardwalk city. The ice arena became the playground for a series of individual skill tests and scrimmages between all the participating players and we had the privilege of better than front row seats to a great exhibition of what goes into being a pro and taking to the frozen stage in the NHL.

The second day involved a large sheet of plexi-glass and nine pro players in full gear, but that's all I'll disclose just yet. This will be the subject of a near future blog post w/ a sweet "stop-action" video that unveils a behind the scenes look at how the most interesting part of the shoot came together.

Although I'm not an avid follower of hockey, I always come away with a new found appreciation for the masters of blade and stick after spending a few days on their side of the frozen hallowed ground they know so well.

Ice Time...

Nothing to do...

A vacation is having nothing to do and all day to do it in. - Robert Orben

A recent evening with my son Wesley, up north, at the lake. Our fourth year together on this trip to a cabin just outside of Ely, MN. Just Wes and I and some time away at a favorite place.

Nothing to do...

Let's Go Fly... -> Part II

"Kites rise highest against the wind, not with it." - Winston Churchill

With any project there is always a degree of production which invariably focuses on the "details." The recent kite project, which is taking shape nicely to be the next JC|P "Motion" feature, was no exception as we brought on talent, crew, equipment, and props-both large and small.

The largest item procured was a beautifully maintained 1971 MG B roadster brought to us by the owner Al Anderson through a contact at Quality Coaches. The classic British sports car provided an alternative option to American iron. With the top down, the car provided a micro environment to photograph our mother and daughter amid wheat fields, tall grasses, gentle rolling hills and an almost infinite sky. On the smaller end of the spectrum we combed the internet and worked with a local prop stylist to secure several varieties of kites- not knowing what would work best to tell the narrative we had loosely storyboarded.

In between seemingly non-stop travel over the past couple months, we've been in contact and conversation with our editor at Elemental Motion Media who is taking the reigns of editing, color, and audio for this project. We're also partnering once again with EightHourDay and look forward to the design elements they'll be bringing to the final piece.

The details are what tie it all together. We're getting close to the final cut; our next installment to the JC|P Motion section of the site. Check back soon as "Let's Go Fly" is nearing completion.

Let's Go Fly... -> Part II

St George's University - Full Circle

The third time is a charm as the old adage goes which applies to our recent collaboration with the Halo Group creating another round of hospital / physician based imagery for the Grenada based medical school, St. George's University.

Similar to the last shoot we used a very minimal amount of lighting, this time from LED 1x1 Litepanels via Cinequipt. Small, portable, and extremely efficient, the LED panels provided a quality of light right in line with the client's vision as well as our desired workflow. We've been using these and other continuous light sources as often as possible in recent projects allowing for video capture alongside our still scenes with minimal change in equipment versus that of traditional strobes.

As always a big thanks to Bobbi Peacock for producing the shoot along with our wardrobe stylist Deborah Fiscus as well as Ashlee Ellert who took care of all our hair and make-up needs.

We've spent a lot of time in hospitals and clinic based environments as of late. A sure sign of the current and future visual needs of clients...

St George's University - Full Circle

"Work Flex..."

"Yoga is invigoration in relaxation. Freedom in routine. Confidence through self control. Energy within and energy without." - Ymber Delecto

Our last full day of photography, shooting for LA HÄCH design, at General Mills Headquarters included a few pleasant surprises, one of which was a flex employee who turned out to be an avid practitioner of the ancient ways of Yoga. We met out on the manicured grounds just outside of the main buildings and were greeted by a nimble, able bodied yogi named Katie. After spending a small amount of time, we realized how adept our subject was at holding various poses and transitioning herself from one move to the next.

Analogous to the balance of body and mind, the General Mills "Work Flex" program has allowed employees like Katie to integrate their full time hours within their personal schedule needs. Thus far the flex program has been a success and has quickly become a viable option for those who need an alternative to the traditional 9 to 5 model.

We've been running at full steam- shooting, working files, shooting, working files... Coming up next week we will be working with the folks from nFusion on a project for Zimmer Spine.

"Work Flex..."

McDonald's "Work & Play" -> PDN Feature

Our latest JCP Motion feature "Work & Play," produced for McDonald's, was recently featured on Photo District News / PDN.

A nice write up that highlights and reveals the projects inception from start to finish. Thanks to PDN for this feature and once again a big thanks to all involved including Elemental Motion Media who brought the stills + video together in this final edit.

We're off and running in Atlantic City this week shooting at the 2010 "Athlete Camp." The project has us profiling 12 NHL players for Bauer Hockey via Olson.

McDonald's "Work & Play" -> PDN Feature

Legs up...

"To get away from one's working environment is, in a sense, to get away from one's self; and this is often the chief advantage of travel and change." - Charles Horton Cooley

It's mid-summer and we're living it up, shooting in seemingly all regions of the U.S., meeting an eclectic group of subjects, shooting for a variety of clients. Enjoy a little slice of life from the first stop of this weeks project in Houston, Texas...

Legs up...

On the beach for UHC + AARP...

A vacation destination to rival that of Florida's hot spots, the city of Myrtle Beach has been welcoming visitors for over 100 years with its pristine Atlantic waters and soft sandy beaches. Last week we had the chance to spend a few days in North Myrtle Beach profiling Andrew and Julie Pytosh for the first of four United Health Care "Member Stories" under the badge of invoko. Our scope for the project included interviews by Dave Schroeder - Pilotvibe, art direction by Nathan Strandberg - EightHourDay, and still + video capture provided by myself - JCP.

I'm excited to look back on this first leg of the project documenting AARP supplement members knowing that the crew and I have raised the bar in terms of collecting content and implementing video into the overall endeavor where appropriate. As I've mentioned before, there's never been a more fascinating time to be in the business taking part in the merging of the still + video media realms. The new gear we've integrated as well as partners in shooting and post production are keeping things quite exciting as we move forward with new clients and expanded project requests.

The latter half of June and most of July have us running at full speed with travel to NYC, Houston, D.C., and Atlantic City. Check out the blog and keep pace with us as we share new people, places, and content.

On the beach for UHC + AARP...

Let's Go Fly... -> Part I

"Imagination is the highest kite one can fly." - Lauren Bacall

As we quickly approach the longest day of the year, we decided to take advantage of the early light and spent the better part of a Saturday morning out in the countryside flying a kite. The project featured the use of new still + video equipment and allowed further exploration into the creative capture process.

Stay tuned for upcoming posts and the eventual final edit, Let's Go Fly...

Let's Go Fly... -> Part I

An early influence and memorable subject...

It's one of nature's ways that we often feel closer to distant generations than to the generation immediately preceding us. ~Igor Stravinsky

Upon a rare dig into the archives of some of my earliest images I discovered a sheet of negatives from a shoot I remember and look back on with fond memory.

While I don't have any "got my first camera when I was eight," stories, I do remember a mid-90's visit to my Grandmother's house in the St. Anthony Park neighborhood of St. Paul, MN. On any given spring, summer, or fall day you'd find Grandma in her backyard, sitting on her back porch swing, glass of lemonade with book or magazine within arms reach. Never in a hurry, always having plenty of time to genuinely listen to whatever topic surfaced; a quality she possessed that seems evermore valuable in today's time and space.

On this particular visit I arrived with a bit more zeal than was typical, my latest camera purchase at the hip- a new 85mm portrait lens ready to try out with a subject I knew would be more than willing and happy to oblige.

I am often asked about what steps or influences shaped my decision to tread upon this path and profession. My Grandmother on my mother's side, Garnet Rice, was the person most likely to have camera on hand, at the ready. She traveled near and far including multiple trips overseas. If I remember correctly she proudly stated she'd been to all fifty states, which for a woman of her means and her era, was quite a feat. There were always piles of 4x6 picture packs laying on her dining room table- she always ordered "double prints" so family members could take home their favorites.

Here's to being inspired by those before us; no doubt my work has a thread of my past woven into it. The road has gotten easier in many ways, yet more difficult and sometimes unnecessarily more complicated in others it often seems.

Grandma Garnet passed close to 10 years back - a vibrant and active woman of 93 years of age. A favorite person who still inspires, encourages, and smiles upon me. For this I am thankful and humbled...

An early influence and memorable subject...

Work & Play -> Final Cut

While capturing video footage is the talk of the industry, we've learned quickly that any footage is only as good as the edited, final viewable product. Without a solid editor, colorist, and a person equally skilled with audio, most footage would remain just a series of clips stored on a hard drive never to see the light of day.

Over the course of the past year and a half I've been working to hone my video capture skills and have had the opportunity to collaborate with variety of editors. The process is always an intriguing one as it always adds more shape and voice to the content than I anticipate. We all have a vision when we set out to create new work, and in the video realm the aforementioned partners are essential to really make these ideas come to life.

This latest video piece is an augmentation of the still project shot for McDonald's over 4 days in Houston this past February. The crew and I worked to capture video clips in a variety of places, between shots, once our still needs were met. John Fontana also gathered ambient sound amid each of the stores we visited. To add to the look and feel we used a prototype glide track manufactured by Humble Monkey Productions which added a nice element of movement to each scene captured.

After wrapping the project in Houston, I got in touch with Adam Duguay of Elemental Motion Media Inc. in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. We had been talking for a while and through conversations I became really interested in his approach to merging stills + video in an edit and just as important his ability to color grade video to match still imagery. A few weeks after shipping him a drive of select stills, raw video and audio we received the first edit which left us here at JCP in high spirits of what had been achieved. With a solid edit taking shape and continued dialogue between Adam and I, we were able to further refine and match up the stills and video content quite nicely.

Enough about our process. Take a look and I hope you enjoy- it's been a long time in the works. In addition to the blog it'll be featured at the JC|P Motion section of the site.

Our clients at McDonald's couldn't be happier with the final joint still / video rendition. With iPad in hand I was psyched to share this and other JC|P video projects at the recent AtEdge Face-to-Face event in Chicago last week, as well as several agencies in the following days. The estimate requests that are coming in are a sign that people are really excited about the merging mediums and are looking for ways to integrate both options on projects, large and small.

Thanks to all involved on this and other projects. Lots in store on the horizon and I look forward to continued collaboration...

Work & Play -> Final Cut

Compellent -> Fluid Data

Inundated by data these days, it's hard to imagine where any of us would be without a way to process and store all the 1's and 0's that have become a part of everyday life.

The Minneapolis based Compellent: a company devoted to finding effective storage solutions for companies all over the world, recently held their yearly conference, C-Drive, which put us on location to capture formal portraits of various patrons attending the event. We had a small space to set up our lighting and backdrop which encouraged a more personalized experience with subjects and crew alike. Over the course of two days, we met people from all over the world and heard a few good stories about their hometown or their favorite outing while here in Minneapolis.

With art direction being a bit more moody and dramatic, the portraits are a departure from my typical daylight based approach and style. I am pleased with where they ended up and could see this project as a catalyst for future photo endeavors.

Compellent -> Fluid Data

American Photography 26

This past January we entered a few images in the American Photography 26 contest- shots from a shoot for Purina via Colle+McVoy. A recent e-mail notification came through announcing the above image had been selected for award.

Out of 8000+ submitted entries only 132 photographers were chosen to showcase their work on the American Photography 26 site. Congratulations to all my peers who made the selection for 2010.

Off to Chicago next week for another project for the N.M.D.P. followed by the AtEdge "Face to Face Chicago" portfolio showing event where I'll be meeting with creatives from both Euro RSCG and Abelson Taylor.

American Photography 26

An evening at the Rodeo...

"I admire bull riders for their passion and the uniqueness each one of them has." - Chris Le Doux

A call came through recently from Preston Kelly looking to commission an image of a bull rider being thrown from a bull for an ad for a national health insurance company. If this were Texas I'm sure it wouldn't have been too hard to locate, but here in the Midwest, it wasn't quite as easy. After reaching out to many folks in the local Minnesota bull riding and rodeo community, as well as producer Bobbi Peacock and some local scouts, we managed to secure a location and an event to capture the desired rider image as well as some additional still + video content for personal / portfolio use.

About an hour southwest of Minneapolis in Henderson, MN sits High Island Arena where the annual Friday and Saturday evening rodeo event was scheduled. Having secured full access to roam amid the event we found an unused horse stall which couldn't have worked better to set up a small portrait area. Once the Kino Flo Diva Lights from Cinequipt were in position for still + video portraits we set out to capture some behind the scenes shots, as well as scout the ideal position to capture a rider being thrown off a bull.

The rodeo was no doubt a true slice of Americana, steeped in rich tradition and history. It was certainly a visual place to spend a few hours and we had a great time working with all the people that keep this sport alive and well.

An evening at the Rodeo...

JCP Site Refresh + "Motion" Category

The photography business is in a constant state of flux and the merging of the world of still and motion seems near the forefront of what is being discussed in terms of new creative content.

Over the past year, we have worked to evolve visually and have been a part of several video based collaborations. As time marches on and projects come and go, a whole new set of work has emerged. An update to the website seemed obvious and became something we worked hard to get underway between projects.

We didn't feel the need to reinvent from scratch, but rather take on a solid refresh of everything that was good about the old site, along with new additions to spotlight fresh work and our recent ventures into the world of DSLR video. We once again tapped Nathan Strandberg and Katie Kirk, of Eighthourday, for the redesign / update which now features larger portfolio images, a sleeker, cleaner appearance, and a new section entitled "JC|P Motion;" dedicated entirely to our video and interactive based projects.

Take a moment to look around the renewed JCP site and be sure to spend some time with the new section JC|P Motion where you’ll find our newest piece "La Vie..." based on the still imagery of the Runner shoot produced near the end of last year.

JCP Site Refresh + "Motion" Category

St. George's University

Grenada may seem an unlikely place to establish a medical school, however, St. George's University was founded on this Caribbean Island over 30 years ago. The medical school currently boasts nearly 8,000 graduates practicing medicine worldwide.

This recent project for St. George's University was in fact my second - both this and the first were in collaboration with The Halo Group out of New York. For this campaign our backdrop was a Minneapolis area hospital which offered up some amazing access to the realistic medical environs we were seeking. With our talent in place and the various scenes lit, it felt a bit like being on the set of a fast paced medical drama. After trying a couple of lighting options, we realized the lighting from our modeling lights (kicked into umbrellas) actually had a more natural look. With some minor gelling we were able to achieve the desired look + feel while pairing with the existing fluorescent lighting.

Thanks goes out to Bobbi Peacock for producing another seamless project, as well as Janna Chin our wardrobe / prop stylist, and of course Ashlee Ellert our expert on hair + make-up.

The only thing missing was a visit from George Clooney- a'la early E.R...

St. George's University

# One

'What doesn't freeze us makes us stronger.' - Tommy 'Hurl' Everstone

A recent shoot for Bicycling Magazine had us catching up with four "bike-centric" people / places in the Minneapolis metro-area. The story hails Minneapolis as the No. 1 bike city in America!

Considering we are a land of frigid temperatures, icy roads, sandspit, and boiler-plate ice, for part of the year, the elements do not take pity on the lone two wheeled bicycle. The fact that Minneapolites ride in these conditions at all speaks to the passion and dedication of riders here in the metro. The Twin Cities have nearly 130 miles worth of bike paths and bike lanes in the streets with over 8,000 individuals using them to commute to work. We were fortunate enough to photograph a few of the many prominent bikers and bike shops/cafes Minneapolis has to offer.

# One

The Golden Arches of Houston

The last shoot for 2009 took place in Burnsville, MN for McDonald's at a newly remodeled store, which led to one of the first shoots for 2010 in Houston, TX. Under the golden arches once again, the main difference between the two shoots, aside from location of course, was a greater focus on what happens behind the scenes as a crew member. In particular, our aim was more directed at capturing a day in the life of crew and managers who play a vital role in the day to day operations of a McDonald's restaurant. We were granted access to all of the behind the scenes areas which allowed us to float around freely capturing images + video of all the elements working together to make a successful operation.

Whenever the opportunity arises for an in depth look behind the curtain, we usually come back with a greater appreciation of the people and the effort that goes into producing the end product; after four days and 7 restaurants, McDonald's is no exception. From the kitchen staff, to window washers to the shift managers, everyone's role is essential for the golden arches to continue to stand tall upon a solid foundation as one of the most recognizable brands in the fast service industry.

Once again we were able to carve out time to capture some video - this time using a beta glide track type dolly system courtesy of our friends at Humble Monkey Productions. I look forward to sharing this final edit in days ahead.

The Golden Arches of Houston

Bright Lights: Metal In The City -> Final Cut

The final video edit of "Bright Lights: Metal In The City" is complete. After much conversation and dialogue surrounding both the edit and color, editor Alex Horner has put the finishing touches on the final cut.

As mentioned in the post on February 2nd, Alex was brought on to capture video alongside the stills I was shooting on this test project involving a car + model amid the streets of the Minneapolis Warehouse District.

The end goal was to cut together a very short narrative, a piece that would match the look and feel of my stills. This is something I am working hard to refine as we dive deeper into the world of video. It's exciting to continually learn what works and what doesn't.

Alex has done a great job with editing, grading and even providing an original track by Composer Steve Horner, his father. I really like where the final piece has ended up. I might add headphones certainly accentuate the experience.

More video on the way. Just shot a still project for the N.Y. based agency The Halo Group at a local hospital here in Minneapolis. We wrapped a little earlier than anticipated so we quickly shifted gears to capture a little video. This content won't likely be used or licensed by the agency, rather will hopefully inspire and cultivate some ideas for another project down the road. The content will likely make its way into my first "reel" which will be coming together soon.

As always it's a great to collaborate with other professionals in the creative industry. Things are changing quickly in some interesting and exciting ways...

Bright Lights: Metal In The City -> Final Cut

New Portfolio + Bonus

Just received word that the new portfolio has been printed and is in route from Asukabook. This will be the third portfolio I've partnered with them on and I couldn't be more pleased with the print quality and their attention to detail. Things seem to get a bit more refined each time we update the book. Upon receipt we'll slip the books into our custom designed cases which compliment the JCP brand nicely.

In addition to receiving the printed and bound book we were recently notified by an Asukabook representative that the portfolio is being featured as the "monthly pick" to be showcased on their website. Check out JCP Portfolio for a sneak peak.

Upon receipt I'll be showing the book both locally and nationally in person as time permits. Paula Gren will of course start showing nationally very soon.

Keeping the wheels in motion...
While we're spending many of our hours on a refresh of the website, collaborating on multiple video projects, and discussing the iPad and it's infusion into the business, we are still giving equal treatment to our printed materials.

Stay tuned - later this week the full motion video "Bright Lights: Metal In The City" will make its debut.

New Portfolio + Bonus

Behind the scenes in scrubs...

Modern medical equipment and accessories are rarely a part of most peoples' daily thoughts, however, at Universal Hospital Services (UHS) it's their focus and has been for nearly 70 years. As the country's leading supplier of outsourced medical equipment, UHS has a presence in all fifty states making sure hospitals have what they need to perform their duties. My crew and I were privy to a behind the scenes look at what goes into keeping up and supplying the medical community with the best technology has to offer during a two day photo shoot.

Working closely with the creatives at Schermer Kuehl, we set out on day one to help tell the story of the receiving, cleaning, repair and eventual dispatching of the rental equipment from one of the main warehouses in Minneapolis. The second day of shooting involved scenes demonstrating actual delivery and use of the equipment by hospital personnel in a medical setting. The next time you see a Baxter pump, IPAP, or other such equipment there's a good chance it came from UHS.

Another interesting project, roaming and collaborating with the A.D. and talent amid a varied backdrop of visual options. I found myself noticing / shooting more silhouettes than is typical. In this case they really seem to highlight / tell the story of UHS.

Stay tuned- our next post will be 100% video. The final edit is complete from the video portion of the, "Bright Lights, Metal in the City..." auto-shoot test. After a long string of e-mails and phone calls with the editor I am really pleased with not only the edit but the color / grading on the final piece...

Behind the scenes in scrubs...

Sing It LOUD

"Without music, life is a journey through a desert." - Pat Conroy

As a long time resident, it's no secret Minneapolis and our neighboring city of St. Paul have a varied and eclectic number of options in terms of live music. On an otherwise quiet Friday afternoon before the lights went down and the amps got cranked up, we had the opportunity to spend time shooting local band Sing It Loud for their currently signed, Epitaph record label. As golden rays poured through the side windows of the Band Box Diner, our first location, we caught up with each of the five members of the band and learned a little more about what makes them Sing It Loud. Throughout the various locations over the course of the afternoon, we picked up on the individual traits of the five members along with a tight knit, cohesive nature they exuded as a group. Many thanks to the band for keeping the crew and I entertained during the shoot. It was a great way to spend a Friday afternoon. Their new album is due out this coming May...

Sing It LOUD

invoko sets sail...

invoko officially launches next week - the new collaborative side venture jointly marketing the talents of: sound designer Dave Schroeder--PilotVibe, graphic designer Nathan Strandberg--EightHourDay, and myself--Jonathan Chapman Photography.

When at the site be sure to check out the trailer for "The Emerald City Rediscovered," an unconventional take on Seattle and some people and places you typically won't hear of. The full version of this piece will debut in days ahead.

In the coming weeks and months we'll be hitting the pavement, talking to a varied list of local and national clients, spreading the word about our new collaborative effort of mulit-media / interactive storytelling. A great team, telling stories in fresh and innovative ways!

invoko sets sail...

Un Jour Dans La Vie D'un Coureur -> Final Cut

As promised in last November's post, the media portion of the running test is up and ready for review here on the blog or in the JC|P Motion section of the website.

Un Jour Dans La Vie D'un Coureur -> Final Cut

Superior bound one frosty morn...

"To say that Lake Superior is the greatest of the Great Lakes is to say much, but it draws no picture of the vastness of this haughty queen of fresh water who has a copper crown, the iron hills for a footstool, and the coldest blue eyes in creation…" - W. Ratigan, Pretty Tall Water Here, in Shipwrecks and Survivals (1969)

Awaking at 4:30 a.m. on a recent morning, my assistant and I set off for Superior, Wisconsin on an assignment for Chicago Magazine. Our subjects were a husband & wife team, originally from Chicago, who made an unconventional late career change. Taking up a new life together, they have focused their efforts on the monumental job of salvaging 6 million board feet of virgin lumber from three free standing, 133 year old grain elevators along the shoreline of Lake Superior.

The images above were shot just minutes before we arrived, traversing Lake Superior as we left Minnesota for Wisconsin. While not an idyllic mid-winter destination, from a travel agent's perspective, I always welcome the chance to head north, shedding a bit of the city for however long I am able. For me it's the first glimpse of Lake Superior that signifies the arrival of "being up north." Travel north this time of year and at this time of day offered a new perspective to a fondly familiar place.

Our next project takes us due south to Texas for a week of shooting - a nice project + destination I certainly welcome this time of year...

Superior bound one frosty morn...

Bright Lights, Metal in the City: An After Hours Project...

Talent at the ready, four wheels and a skin of metal punctuated with a blue and white emblem translated to quite a visual afternoon + evening in late November. The shoot was loosely storyboarded as: a model, a car, and some pre-scouted locations within Minneapolis' Warehouse district. The logistics and weather came together perfectly to shoot this project which had been brewing for some time. The vehicle was acquired via Euro Cars in Eden Prairie and Matt our talent from Caryn Model and Talent Agency. As with the Runner shoot we brought in Alex Horner once again to capture video assets alongside the stills I was gathering.

I am always working to find something new to shoot- a person, place, or subject matter that I've yet to spend time amid. This was my first foray into shooting anything auto related. I approached visually as I have other unrelated projects and am very pleased with the imagery we came away with. Thanks to the crew for hustling this one together- seems to be the trend these days and I don't foresee it changing. I guess that's what keeps it interesting...

The video portion of this shoot should be out soon - I look forward to announcing in a future blog post. For now please check out the gallery of additional stills at the archive section of my site. I am also planning an upcoming e-mail blast based on one of the shots. Keep an eye on your inbox as this will hit very soon.

We've been keeping busy and have some exciting things in the works including a new portfolio- almost all new imagery. We've had a couple of pre-showings with local buyers to get feedback on image selects + pagination. Response has been very good with only minor tweaks suggested around pagination and flow- based on color palette and image selection. We'll be ordering up the books and anticipate them hitting the streets around mid-March...

Bright Lights, Metal in the City: An After Hours Project...

Under the Golden Arches...

"If it's flipping hamburgers at McDonald's, be the best hamburger flipper in the world. Whatever it is you do you have to master your craft." - Snoop Dogg

Just when I thought 2009 was over, one last hurrah came up days before the new year to shoot a project for McDonald's. It was also a nice first project to arise as a result of my recent partnership with Paula Gren of Paula Gren Representatives.

The project offered more creative freedom than is typical. I was told to "do what I do," within and outside the walls of one of McDonald's newest restaurants; one that features the latest in terms of design and architecture. Upon first glance the interior layout and design reminded me of something one would see in Holland or another northern European country known for their avante garde designs. The overall modern look and feel of the store didn't take away from the time tested expectations of the golden arches.

The project involved a pre-shoot casting in the restaurant, gathering a varied pool of "real" talent; everyone from toddlers to teens to seniors. The end product was a library of images - "a day in the life" from an employee and customer point of view. Young and old, people were genuinely psyched to take part. The content we came away with is as unique as the new look of the updated McDonald's.

I've got to say whether working or eating - people are truly "lovin it."

Under the Golden Arches...

EightHourDay + How Magazine

Recently EightHourDay was asked to be featured in the June 2010 issue of HOW Magazine. The 6 page article will feature an interview with Nate and Katie as well as an array of their work. In maintaining their small business feel they asked me to capture their day-to-day life(style) as an intimate design couple. The shoot took place at EightHourDay's studio and presented a rich palette of options suitable as stand-alone images or as backgrounds for the portraits. As always it's a pleasure to work with talented folks in the industry. I look forward to seeing the article in the summer issue of How Magazine.

A happy New Year to all who follow the blog. The best for all and the industry as we move into the new decade...

EightHourDay + How Magazine