Smoke 'Um If Ya Got 'Um

Never thought I'd end up at a cigar tasting assignment for a golf magazine. Stranger things have happened I suppose. Not only did I learn a lot about the art of cigar smoking (I wasn't even lighting them correctly), but discovered a cool Jazz club and cigar shop rolled into one. Check out Sara and Peter Roth's jems, tucked into Southeast metro Denver, south of Park Meadows Mall.
This was a great assignment as it challenged my lighting skills. Getting smoke to show up in photographs requires back or side lighting. Two remote strobes, the Nikon SB-800's, were set up high on each side of the room and aimed down at the table. A 3rd SB-800 light was used on camera to not only control the remote units, but act as a fill-flash from the camera. This set-up produced nice drama to the top photograph, as Peter lights a cigar. Not only do we see the flame on the cigar's end, but smoke in the background. The backlight was much stronger than the light in front, creating the rim light around both men's faces and highlighting the smoke. The same light ratio provides the richness, texture, and shadowing in the middle and lower photographs.
My art of [Storytelling With A Camera] is evident even in this simple 3 photograph sequence. Wide shot, with a fisheye lens, establishes the scene, includes all 5 cigar tasting participants; tight shot of the table setting provides interesting detail; and the cigar lighting shot has action, further tells the story of the event.

Run For Remembrance

The first annual "Run For Remembrance" was held last Saturday at Clement Park in Littleton, Colorado. According to the newspaper, about 900 participants ran, jogged, or walked the 5K course. Thanks to Columbine High School teacher Mr. Hill for organizing the event and inviting me to photograph it. Okay, Mr. Hill and I are second cousins, which may have had something to do with it, but I consider it an honor and priviledge to be included. Here's a shortened version of the race day photo story.






1st place women's runner and 1st & 2nd place men's runners pictured above.







All photographs ©2006 Barry Staver. All rights reserved. No publication or other use permitted without express written permission.

A Class Act

That Jon Rizzi is one class guy. He's the Editor of Colorado AvidGolfer magazine, pictured above in his monthly "forethoughts" column. My assignments for the magazine began a few years ago and as we've become acquainted we've discovered mutual friends from our days at Time Inc., and he's provided some interesting subjects for me to photograph. Assignments have run the gamut from professional golfers, to stories about equipment, golf course beauty shots, and several cover photographs. I've got some very cool photographs to share soon from a story that will run in the May issue.
Okay, Barry, what's your point? And why is your mugshot in print?
In the Spring issue my photo credit went missing from a couple of images. As the saying goes, sh_ _ happens. In the scheme of life not a big deal, right? Of course in an email to Jon I probably made it sound like the planet revolved around me and it had come to a stop.
Jon went out of his way and gave up precious space in his column to include this photograph and write up about me in the April issue. I'm humbled that he would do that.

B&W with impact

Black & white photography provides strong emphasis, adds drama to static environments, and certainly helped the E-470 Public Highway Authority communicate it's message. Their Investor Report celebrates 15 years of service to the metropolitan Denver driving community and my friends at Christopherson & Company Communications selected me to provide the photography for this report. Dan and Mike joined me in the early morning hours to drive the Tollway looking for images that conveyed the strength and stability of the highway.


I love this type of photographic challenge: using light, shadow, and camera angle among other things bringing vision to reality. It's always a thrill to see the finished product, designed this year by Gretchen at Ray-Creative. Equally cool are kind words from satisfied clients. Here's what Dan said in an email, "Barry, I just viewed your photos. They are fantastic!... Our art director will have a hard time choosing what to use.
That's a 'good' thing, much better than not having enough to choose from, right?

The "Gasp Factor"

A real treat - Saturday breakfast in Santa Fe with editor extraordinaire Dick Stolley. I spent a good 20 years as a contributing photographer to People Magazine. Fortunately much of that time was under the watchful eye of it's best editor. Dick's constructive critique of photography has been instrumental as I strive to tell stories with my camera.
It's amazing what a properly placed kick in the ass can do to boost one's career. In the mid-80's People threw a couple of black-tie parties for its photographers. These expense paid trips to New York allowed us to meet colleagues from around the world, schmooze with photo editors, and party.
Before one of those dinners, Dick shared his thoughts about photography with us. Feeling pretty cocky, we expected accolades. Instead he told us that the photography in the Time-Life magazines was below par. Ego deflater to say the least-we all wanted to crawl out of the room.
His constructive critique and criticism have stayed with me to this day, playing a vital role in my on-going quest to produce the best photographs possible.
According to Dick, a photograph is successful if it elicits an emotional response from the viewer. The "Gasp Factor" as he called it, causes the viewer to stop turning pages, take second looks at the images, reacting to them on an emotional level: through humor, joy, anger, sadness, etc.
As you begin paying more attention to the photographs that really grab your attention, you'll agree. I've repeated his message in the introduction to "Better Available Light Photography", co-authored with my good friend Joe Farace, in many talks to students and groups interested in good photography, and to myself...often.
Thanks, Dick, for the swift kick...and for the breakfast.

Need a flag?

Albuquerque, I-40 & Carlisle St: Our extremely tight shooting schedule with the Health Sciences Center forced me to drive past this flag vendor w/o stopping-twice. Fortunately, the flags were still flying at the edge of the K-Mart lot as I left town this morning. It only takes Vernon, vlflags.com, 30-45 minutes to set these up every morning-quite a system, eh?
Quick example of how my [storytelling with a camera] style of photojournalism works. Lower image is a scene setter, wide-angle (fisheye lens actually) view showing the flags at curbside with Vernon and Linda's bus in center. Top photograph is tighter (moderate telephoto) showing Vernon on the roof of the bus (almost in silhouette) preparing to hoist more flags.

First Blog

I'm in Albuquerque this week, where the awesome folks at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center have me taking photographs for several upcoming projects. What's a road trip without 'good eats', as they say at the Range Cafe. I've now eaten at all 3 of their locations and couldn't resist photographing these little stoves decorating the Menaul Blvd eatery. I'm told they were acquired on eBay, not sure if they're gas or electric.