NYC Snow Day

So here are some pics from around NYC on the day after we received a nice pile of more than 20 inches of snow.  Enjoy.

Firemen digging out a car.
Snow in the subway.
Radio City snow.
Vendors in the snow.
Peace tree.
Police car being pushed by a snow truck.
Bow on a snowed in bar.

Burger & Barrel Photo Shoot

Had a great photo shoot at the newest NYC burger and wine hot spot (B&B) with their Chef, Josh Capon.  I definitely recommend B&B...and not just because they're a client.  The food tastes even better than it looks and the bar is amazing.  Here are a few shots from the session, and you'll find more on their website.

Brooklyn Winery

So I have a new side project...making wine!  The Brooklyn Winery is about to open in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and in addition to having a restaurant and bar they offer the opportunity for groups to make their own wine.  I'm in one of their first wine making groups, and we're a barrel of Pinot Noir.  We're involved in every step of the process; choosing the grapes, de-stemming and crushing, pressing, racking, bottling, and labeling.  It's a great opportunity to learn about wines and the wine making process.  Very, very cool.  They will officially open in the next week or two.
Check out the link to their website if you want to learn more, and see some informal photos I took while I was there de-stemming this weekend.  Brooklyn Winery.
I'll also be taking some high quality shots of the interior space and menu items for their website and advertising soon.

Being Featured in a Documentary Film

Many of you know that in 2009 I hiked the entire Appalachian Trail, from Georgia to Maine (2,178 miles), and documented it through photography, journals, and interviews with other hikers. For those of you who don't know this, please see the Appalachian Trail Hike link to the right. It's kinda cool.Now, I am working with a documentary filmmaker who is creating a film highlighting several people who live in NYC but need to be connected to nature and the outdoors.  This weekend he and his film crew will follow me for some of my 4 day hike in upstate NY.  We will be working together over the next few months, and I will be filmed more on the trail, in the City, and in one on one interview situations.  It's very exciting.  Any time I can help spread the word about hiking, the Appalachian Trail, the outdoors, NYC, and ME...I am more than willing to do so.

I will be posting updates during the filming.  Keep watching!

-L

A Single Chef

Recently, I was lucky enough to meet and become friends with a very talented cook/chef/blogger named Marguerite. She runs a blog called A Single Chef, and specializes in demonstrating and explaining how to prepare meals for one or two people. She includes a section that will help identify the appropriate kitchen equipment to help replicate the amazing dishes she shares with her readers. Oh yeah, in addition to her amazing recipes and advice, you can find pictures that I have taken of the food she prepares. We will continue to work together in the near future because it's so much fun! Follow her and follow me for a good time and great food.
A Single Chef
enjoy.
-L

Harvest in the Square

A great Food and Wine Fundraising event takes place Tuesday, September 21 from about 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM at Union Square Park.  I'll be there eating, drinking, and taking photos.  Follow the link for additional information.  Great cause (one of my favorite NYC parks) and a great time.
http://www.harvest.unionsquarenyc.org/

2010 Harvest in the Square
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Enter at 16th Street & Union Square West
Union Square Park, Manhattan

General Admission 7:30 PM – 9:00 PM
VIP (Early) Admission at 6:00 PM

Fine Print:

Harvest in the Square is presented by the Union Square Partnership, a 501(c)(3), non-profit organization and proceeds from the event benefit the organization’s ongoing beautification and maintenance efforts in Union Square Park. Contributions are tax-deductible with the exception of $50 per ticket. Attendees must provide a valid form of ID for wine or beer service.

The Best Camera is the One You Have With You

It's an overused statement, but I think it is so true.  Whether you're using the camera on your cell phone, a point and shoot, or a super tricked out high dollar professional rig, what's most important is that you get the shots you want.  As a photographer, I have many camera bodies that I keep around even after I've purchased new ones.  Some people in my life would even go as far as to say I have too many cameras in my growing collection.  Oh well.  :)  I go through stages of really loving to work with one of them for a few months and then switch to another one for a while.
During my 2009 Appalachian Trail thru-hike I used a small plastic 8 megapixel Canon A95 point and shoot.  I was able to take wonderful shots for the entire 5 month journey with this little camera that I bought for less than $150.  (On the right side of this page there is a link to my Trail Journal with pictures from that hike and links to more.)  In everyday life I use the camera on my iPhone quite a bit, but I try to have some type of camera with me at all times because I never know when a great photo opportunity will present itself.
My current favorite walk-around camera is the Canon S90.  It's a 10 megapixel point and shoot with a metal body and the ability to shoot images in RAW format (my preference for file format).  It's small, lightweight, easy to master and includes full manual shooting capabilities.  I love this thing, and the samples below were shot with it this weekend.  Whatever your choice of camera, make sure you learn how to use its features so it can give you the best possible results.  The happier you are with your photographs, the more likely you are to continue shooting and learning more about photography.  Happy Shooting.

-L

 

Summer Update

It's been a while so I wanted to update everyone on what's been happening.  I've been working on several projects this summer. 
I just finished a job for EBOOST, a company that makes a "healthy energy drink" mix.  The pics will be put onto their newly designed/updated website soon.  For now you can see their current site, with pics that I didn't take: EBOOST. 
I'm currently working with the owner of a new bar and grill that is set to open in the fall.  I'm shooting interior pictures during reconstruction to document the progress.  I'll post some pics here and also on my website when the project is finished, sometime in late September.
I've also been working on several personal projects.  One is a self-portrait project that I will publish on my website during the fall.  It's a great exercise in learning.  I'm learning about myself, my camera, lighting, and composition.  Should provide for a very interesting final product.

There is more but I will wait until things materialize before posting additional info. Enjoy.
-L

Star Wars on the 6 Train

Okay, this doesn't have anything to do with my photography, but it is a cool video created by the Improv Everywhere group in NYC.  It's the first scene of Star Wars IV: A New Hope done on the 6 Train (NYC Subway).



CLICK HERE

Advertisement for Lugz

Here is a trailer of an ad created for Lugz, a company I'm working with as a business and photography consultant, starring Cain Velasquez who is an MMA fighter.  I only got to shake his gigantic hand, but the dude is the one of the nicest and quietest guys I've ever met; although, from what I've seen, he's a wrecking machine.  The shoot for the stills and the video were done in NYC over the course of a couple of days.  I'll post the stills when they're finished being retouched.  For the record - I did not shoot this video - it's being distributed by the Lugz marketing team, and a full commercial will be airing nationwide soon.

Weekend Project

Now that I'm working with and learning from a couple of documentary photographers, I'm going to start photographing more people...or people more. The Food will still be the "money maker" (HA!), but I'm going to start a couple of people projects. This weekend I am going to concentrate on getting some up-close and personal shots of people. I think I see people well and I want to translate that into making compelling images. Hope to post some here in the next week.
Also, here comes the World Cup 2010. I'm ready.
If you don't already, you can follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/lancemadson

-Enjoy.

Seasonal Ingredient Map

As I work and talk with people in the restaurant and food blogging business, the topic of Seasonal Ingredients comes up over and over again.  I've seen several charts and graphs highlighting this subject, and recently I found a very cool interactive map on the Epicurious website.
This map allows you to see what is in season by state and month. Hope you find it interesting.  I appologize in advance to anyone who can't view Flash...but they haven't made the switch to HTML5 yet.  :)

Here you go: Epicurious.

What Makes a Photograph Art?

Or really, what makes a photograph good?  It's different for every person and every photographer, but basically, a photo has to "speak" to someone.  What are your photos telling viewers?  It can be simple or complex.  Photos can inform, ask questions, motivate, shock, inspire, or simply make someone smile.

I just watched a great little video/interview with Carol Friedman, Photographer.   Check it out here.   It's one of several very good short videos on BigThink.com.  This site has a mountain of great content.

NYC Tattoo Convention

This weekend I'll be shooting inkers and the inked at the annual New York City Tattoo Convention which is held at the famous Roseland Ballroom.  Probably spend some time with the crew from Rising Dragon Tattoo, and maybe I'll get some work done.  Hope to be posting some good shots here and on my website soon.  Check out their site for more information here.

Savoy, Thank You

Last night was the tenth annual Calçotada, a traditional Catalan onion festival that marks the start of spring, at Savoy in SOHO.  It was an amazing event with great food, wine, music, and dancing.  I'd like to thank the owner, and chef, Peter Hoffman and the equally amazing chef and personality superstar, Ryan Tate for their hospitality and great work.  I'll be posting pictures from the event on my website soon.
If you're ever in NYC, please stop by Savoy and enjoy their amazing food and service.  They have the "freshest" menu around.  Pair that with their great service and you have a match made in heaven.

Documentary Photography

Today I had a great meeting with award winning documentary photographer Marc Asnin.  Talk about passion, energy, and talent.  WOW, this guy is amazing.  I'm lucky enough (and hopefully talented too) to have been accepted by Marc to work with his team on a couple of projects he currently has underway.  This is some really amazing stuff.  Check out his website above for samples of his work.  I'll keep the updates coming and I'll be posting more often over the summer.

On a "Food" note, I'm talking with several downtown restaurants right now about shooting their menus and interiors for websites and ad campaigns.  So things are still moving.

New Leica Digital

I'm lucky enough to have been able to communicate with 1 of 12 authors/photographers who were given test models of Leica's new V-Lux 20 12MP digital camera with manual functions. Evidently this thing is absolutely amazing. Results rival images created with Digital SLR models currently on the market.

Pros: It looks and feels like a point and shoot but has a very good sensor, an amazing lens with 25mm-300mm effective zoom range, and produces great colors. Also shoots HD video. It's a Leica!
Cons: $699 price tag. Shoots only jpeg, no RAW. No viewfinder, only amazing color screen used to frame shots.

Did I mention it's a Leica? I visited the websites of B&H and Adorama and found this camera on preorder. I also found a high end Leica DSLR priced at about $28,000. I'm not saying price is the sole indicator of quality, but these folks make great cameras. Can't wait to get my hands on one. See official info here: http://us.leica-camera.com/photography/compact_cameras/v-lux_20/

Hope that link works.


-- Post From My iPhone

Fine Art Photography

I will soon be adding to my portfolio and my photography skill set.  I hope.  My friend, the artist and philosopher, Geoffrey Raymond, has agreed to let me go to his studio and photograph some of his paintings.  I've always been interested in photographing fine art, but I've never had the chance to do it.  So now I will have the opportunity to play around a little bit (as long as I have more than 15 minutes and a push pin to gauge lighting) and see how paint and different surfaces absorb and reflect light.  It will be very interesting, and maybe I'll get some pics of the artist too.  Regardless, being around Geoffrey is always enjoyable and enlightening.
I'll keep you posted.  You can see Geoffrey's portfolio HERE.

Photos up on Lure Fishbar website

Some of my pics are up now on the new Lure Fishbar website under the Gallery page, including some pics of their dining rooms.  Interesting update to their site; they went with a Blog style site and seem to put up a lot of "celeb-sighting" photos.  Check it out: Lure
Getting ready to send out a new marketing email this week.  Excited about the potential work coming up.

Food Photography Workshop

Attended a really great food photography workshop yesterday and met some wonderful people. Sponsored by Adorama and facilitated by the amazing Lou Manna. They limit it to 10 participants so there is a great deal of one on one work. He's probably the number 1 food photog in the country. He reviewed my portfolio, gave me excellent tips for my workflow, and provided some great ideas for future gear purchases. Check out his site at: www.loumanna.com

Sharpening Images

Here's a great short article from Photocritic about Sharpening Images.  It discusses some basics and then goes into more detail and contains links to more information about why it's important in digital photography.  I always sharpen my images in Lightroom, usually the last thing I do before exporting them.  Lightroom 2.6 and the 3.0 beta both have a great sharpening tool with a zoom feature that allows one to see the results up close.

Why Sharpen Your Images - Photocritic.org

Lance Madson Photography Website Live

The new website is live and in living color. visit and connect and revisit.  It's so exciting.

Enjoy.
Lance

www.LanceMadson.com

Recent Food Photo Shoot

Here are a couple of shots I like from my recent shoot at Lure Fishbar in NYC (SOHO).  They're creating a new website and needed updated shots of items on their menu and also their dining rooms and bar.  Got some very good shots.

Remaining Photo Shoots

So after spending the last week looking through all my shots (mostly Food Photography), and also shooting more over the weekend, I've created another list of food that I want to shoot before finalizing the galleries of my new website.  I think I can have them all shot and processed by early next week so I can get the website up and running by the middle of the month.
In addition to this work, I've been coordinating and linking this blog (ahead of the website launch) to the website along with Lance Madson Photography (LMP) Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn accounts. I'll be representing on all fronts.  Here we go.

L

Food Photography Website Fun!

Had lunch today with a former colleague and we had a good discussion about Search Engine Optimization (SEO) for websites and blogs.  This is something I've been thinking about quite a bit lately as I finalize my new website.  It's good to know that others are going through the same thing and having to wade through the same flood of information as me.  Sometimes the Internet can provide more problems than solutions.  So much junk to look through before finding a few pieces of gold.  We also discussed another issue I've been dealing with...when to pay someone else to do something that's not my core competency - Photography.  I want control, I'm starting out with limited means, and I like knowing how all these things work, but at some point I have to let an expert do what they do...for me.  I know this is a traditional small/new business dilemma, but I didn't realize how difficult it would be for me to handle.

I have another food photo shoot this weekend for a restaurant and then I think I'll have enough food shots for galleries on the new website.  I keep looking through my photos over and over and over again trying to decide what to use.  Then I choose a different set and process them a little, and then I decide to start over again.  It's a mad house...a mad house!
Oh well.  Enough for now.
Later, L

2010 Photography

It feels great to be getting the new blog and website off the ground this year, and I'm so excited about the work and projects that are coming up.  One thing I read on another photo blog (MostlyLisa.com) at the beginning of the year has really stuck with me.  Lisa, who is a wonderful photographer and huge techie among other things, posted "10 New Years Resolutions Every Photographer Should Make". Number 4 really hit home for me: "I will not be hindered by the gear I do not have".  I've always been a gadget and gear guy, but over the last year I've realized that even though the photography business is not cheap and it's hard to do it on the cheap - I can still take great photos without having every piece of top-of-the-line gear.  It's also reassuring to know that others are dealing with this issue too. (Thanks Lisa!)

Test Post

Hello all,
This is a test post for the new Lance Madson photography Blog.  Be back soon.

Lance