Rio – shots from a number of years ago
It’s funny how things around here tend to happen in sequences, initially unrelated but then they link together. This morning I was reading how three buildings collapsed in Rio de Janeiro yesterday. Lots of concern over the cities questionable infrastructure and if they would be ready for the 2014 World Cup and then a couple years later the Olympics. Then later in the day one of our lovely boudoir clients was in the studio picking up her album and amazing wall piece that’s going to take a top spot in her home. She was telling us that she is getting ready for a trip down to Rio in time for Carnival in a couple of weeks. Not surprisingly she is totally excited and looking forward to the trip and some much needed R&R.
That got me to find some of my photographs from a trip to Rio a number of years ago. I wasn’t fortunate to make it for the Carnival, but still had a great time wandering around this beautiful city. The physical beauty of the city that sits on the Atlantic coast, with beautiful beaches, Sugar Loaf and The Christ visible from almost everywhere is simply amazing. Although the blog post that I wrote up at the time of the trip is long gone, I’m still reminded of the amazing contrasts of the city; mountains, forest, the bay, beaches and the sea all within an easy day of exploration. Churches and older buildings hundreds of years old that were solid and strong, then you had modern day structures that looked like they could topple in a strong storm. And then maybe the obvious, rich millionaire homes with no money spared compared to the favelas, pulled together with cents – the slums that took over hills around the city.
A nice distraction looking at these photos today after a rough day here in the studio. Good luck Ms M on your travels.
Seattle Snow Day – first of winter 11/12
Today we saw the first snow of our winter with a good couple of inches that stayed. So pretty 
Repost: Shooting the D4! « Joe McNally’s Blog
A great write up by Joe McNally on the upcoming D4 just announced by Nikon. Sounds like a simply great camera. Next question, when can I justify purchasing this little baby. Some of my favorite comments below, full link to article as well.
Shooting the D4!
In Equipment at 1:15am
“The D4 is an entirely new chapter in the history of the pixels. It arrived in a nondescript box. We all stared at it, like it was something that got sent from a sci-fi movie, and if we opened it, we would find the still beating heart of an alien life form. “
“We knew it was gonna be cool. We just didn’t know how cool. “
“We found our way to a picture, through the muck and the mud. And, right off the bat, I was impressed with the file. It was, in a word, smooth. I know that’s not a techy description, and there’s some folks out there right now counting every pixel, but I was impressed by the detail and the creaminess of the pictures. No sharpness of contrast, and harshly defined lines of demarcation between highlights and shadows. Smooth, in a word, and great skin tone.”
“Through it all, I was continuously impressed with: Skin tone, for one thing.”
“File detail and forgiveness in the shadows.
Responsiveness of the camera in terms of intuitively good exposures and autofocus.
Video quality and new features. Wow. We’re in the final stages of post right now for what we shot. Check back sometime next week for the full scoop. It’s a game changer.
New rocker buttons for moving the auto-focus cursor.
Ease of shifting the auto-focus modes.
Size and clarity of the lcd.”
The fact that I dropped one and it kept working.
Plus, none of us had tried to light an elephant with an SB-910 and a Lastolite tri-grip before.
Another tough winters day in Seattle
My gosh, Seattle has had amazing weather for the first day of 2012. Can’t believe who nice it was,
here are a couple of iPhone snaps to share as I took a little bit of a break. Taken with my favorite HDR application.
South and West views of Seattle this morning
Those initial rumors of bad winter weather coming to Seattle don’t appear to be true ( Yet!!).
Although we had had some chilly days, many of them are also filled with lots of sun allowing us to enjoy the amazing views that this part of the Puget Sound offers. Today was one of those mornings that are meant to be enjoyed, so with tea in hand I went up to the roof.
Looking South you get to see the city coming alive with Mount Rainer in the background. Looking West you have the Sound, the grain terminal and the Olympics in the background. I don’t know if there could ever be a better way to frame the city with those mountains and water around us. We are just so lucky to live here.
These were both shot using an HDR app for my iPhone.
Initial Infrared photographs of Anguilla
Before we left for this trip I managed to find time to have one of my camera bodies converted to Infrared. Without going into huge detail here, the basic concept is to make the camera produce photographs like infrared film, which many film photographers will remember.
Its been a huge amount of fun learning and playing around with this ‘new’ camera. I’m certainly learning and its difficult to master because the light you are exposing for can’t be seen, but here are a few initial shots that I quite like.
All these were taken in Anguilla, British Virgin Islands.
An early Anguilla morning
Got up early to watch the sunrise, such a beautiful morning as the clouds float across the skyline.
Could get used to this : )
DC100 Concept Images
My friends will know that I love Land Rovers having owned multiple ones over the years. One of my favorites, even in rainy Seattle was my old Land Rover Defender 90 – just loved that rig. I’m super excited to see the new Rover DC100 concept shots. I’m hoping the rig makes it to market and the USA someday soon.
Found, one old Nikon D1x
My first professional camera body. This one extremely well used, beaten and dusty after laying around in a dark corner of the studio.
A fun assignment – Frank’s wedding ring
The last few weeks have been really busy with the studio full of clients having sessions for holiday gifts. Most of the sessions have been boudoir and with the occasional family session and we have been having lots of fun with everyone.
A little while ago we got a call from a client wanting us to photograph something completely different – his wedding ring. It turns out it was their tenth wedding anniversary and he wanted to do something different than the usual gifts you can buy. Obviously this wasn’t our usual assignment, although we have photographed a few times for Gritty Jewelry – but this had a lot more pressure as it was a gift and he wanted something beautiful that represented their relationship. We experimented with lots of different backgrounds, lighting and even did some shots with it covered with oil. In the end the final one that Frank loved was the shot below, placed on top of a mirror and laid in water.
Thanks for the fun project Frank!
Deadlines!
As an artist that is often under pressure to perform from the ocassonal client that just doesn’t get
what we do and the experence we provide - I love this video.
Day off – dipping my toes in the sound
A lovely day spent in Seattle, here a long walk in Discovery Park
First initial gallery uploaded
Gradual work on getting the main web site launched. Just added an initial gallery and a basic understanding
of the future structure and layout of the additional ones.Progress, but slow with everything else
happening.
Time for some wine now!
Updated Homepage
I’m gradually figuring more and more on the site and just made the first real update to the homepage gallery. A combination of some of my travel work, boudoir, family and senior work. Still lots more work to do, but making progress.
Site now live – www.PhilHolden.com
Updates Happening!
I finally managed to find some time to start working on this site. It’s been way too long, but so much has been happening in the studio that it’s been tough to get some time for this. Lots more work ahead, but I feel like I finally have an understanding of the core concepts with the layout so I can now start to prepare photographs!
Phil
Working out the kinks
If you have found this site we do apologize as it’s a little
bit of a mess. We are working on the
overall design and layout over the coming days and once we have the basics
figured out we will start to upload the galleries etc.
Pop back in a few days. Cheers
Site somewhat restored
For the 3 people that have ever looked at this site, a few months ago it was hacked. Mostly likely because of a bug in the theme that was installed that some kind sole exploited. Anyway, we have been way too busy to focus on this but I just manage to find the time to reinstall the core content however much of the fancy galleries are lost. And yes, the One A Day project I stopped. Will need to come up with another creative project away from the core studio’s soon.
I’m going to play around with a new design now over the coming days or so and see where things end up.
Photography Exhibit at Alchemy Collections
Before we created the Fine Art Photography Studio and Seattle Boudoir Photography, which has quickly grown into one of the city’s leading boudoir studios, I devoted my creative energy to photographing wildlife, landscapes and various natural and man-made structures. I categorize this as my “travel” work, and throughout the years, I have exhibited and sold select pieces throughout Seattle.
In addition to the short term exhibits, for the last year I have also had a few of my travel pieces featured in Alchemy Collections – one of Seattle’s top contemporary home furnishing stores. Now I am thrilled to announce that we have just installed a number of new additions to Alchemy Collections, which are currently on-display and available for purchase. Here’s a sneak peak of what you’ll find!
Traditional Frames
The first four pieces (shown below) are displayed in a traditional fine art gallery format: photographs printed on a fine art stock paper, matted, and then framed in black metal.
Morning Eagle, Glacier National Park, Montana, USA
Glacier National Park holds a special place in my heart, and this trip was especially meaningful. The “Morning Eagle” boat drew my attention instantly, and in order to get the perfect shot, I found myself wading up to my waist in freezing cold glacier water. Thankfully it was the summer time so I could dry off and warm up! This piece is available as a 16×24 print in a 25×32 frame (inches).
Dock, Glacier National Park, Montana, USA
Captured on the same trip, this shot was taken not long after sunrise. With rays of light streaming through the clouds, illuminating the dock, I was fascinated by the juxtaposition between the bright wood and the sinister clouds over the mountain peak. This piece is available as a 16×24 print in a 25×32 frame (inches) and would be the perfect companion to Morning Eagle.
Viaduct, i99, Seattle, Washington, USA
Even now, as I look at this abstract piece, I see new elements appear before me. I love how the circles seem to meet indistinguishably, making what once were cars and street lamps on the i99, now a celebration of color, reflecting on the Puget Sound. This was all created with a very slow shutter speed. This piece is available as a 22×34 print in a 24×36 frame (inches).
Bicycle, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Taken in one of my favorite cities, I find this shot to be timeless. There is something truly special about capturing a scene in today’s world that could have been taken 50 or 100 years ago. My favorite aspect is the collection of cigarette butts left on the stone. This piece is available as a 16×24 print in a 25×32 frame (inches).
Murals with Aluminum
The second presentation style is something that I first started to use about three years ago and is completely different from traditional framing. First, rather than printing the photograph on traditional photographic paper, the image is printed on aluminum metal sheets. These are extremely lightweight yet sturdy and are printed with a protective UV layer and are scratch resistant. These photographs are printed and then cut into separate 12 inch squares which are then aligned together for the final print. The individual squares are hung together with little hooks so that the whole display hangs away from the wall. The sizes of these pieces are truly impressive. This contemporary style is perfect for a home or business.
Illumination, Seattle, Washington, USA
Taken in Seattle as the sun had just finished sneaking down behind the mountains, the light bulb absorbed the full color of the sky. I love the simplicity of this photograph in its composition. This piece is made up of six squares and is approximately 2×3 feet in size.
The Crossing, Wildfowl Lane, Montana, USA
Back in Montana, while was exploring a wildlife reserve, I came across this wonderful crossroad. Between the glow of the earth and the long shadows, I was reminded of how magical each sunset really is. This piece is made up of eight squares and is approximately 2×4 feet in size.
Walk to the Top, Sydney Harbor Bridge, Australia
Having lived in Sydney for several years, the city holds a very special place in my heart. During a fierce storm (yes, even Sydney has them!), I saw about a dozen people climbing up the Sydney Harbor Bridge, at a height of 440 ft. This piece is made up of fifteen squares and is approximately 3×5 feet in size.
Mystic, Stonehenge, England
Stonehenge holds a dear place in my heart, from early childhood memories, to my most recent visit a few years ago, it is a truly gorgeous place. As my passion for photography developed, I pushed myself to capture this well-known wonder in a unique way, focusing on the abstract, the details, and the way the silhouetted stones seem to open up to the heavens. In the lower right hand corner, the outline of a man walking around the stones challenges the mystical image with a nod to reality. This piece is made up of 12 squares and is approximately 3×4 feet in size.
So that’s it for now. A total of eight pieces: 4 traditional frames, 4 in contemporary metal.
I want to send a special thanks to the folks at Alchemy Collections – Michael, Sandra, Danielle and all others for letting us show these pieces, we are super excited to get them out there! Next time you are in Seattle why swing by and check out the new collection, love know what you think, especially on the alloy murals. They are located at 2029 Second Ave, between Lenora and Virginia.
Normal service will resume soon
For the three people that have ever read this blog you might have noticed that this site was hacked. Our friends at A2 Hosting thought that it was some automated script that took advantage of some security hole, most likely in our WordPress install. With direction from Rob from Kilmer Hansen the basic site is now reinstalled. With this and a few other disaster’s I managed to miss a few of my One A Day project but I’m hoping that I get back into things again.