Corporate Photography - Festival

 A few weekends ago I photographed a cultural festival for interns spending their semester in Washington.  I photographed the same event last year, so I knew what to expect the second time around.  

I knew before hand that the images are going to be used in two ways.  In the short term, the photos were posted online for the event attendees to view.  The longer usage is in support of the collateral material produced in house by the organization.  To meet both of these needs, I was looking to feature as many of the guests as possible, and also produce images that fit the organization's visual style.   

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Corporate Photography - Lectures

Last week I had a fun assignment for one of my semi-regular clients.  They were looking for new images for use in their annual report.  They were looking for un-posed images shot with a shallow depth of field to fit their corporate branding identity.  The images below were shot before, during, and after a panel lecture.  The lecture was at a newly constructed building, so there were plenty of contemporary locations to shoot.  

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Corporate Photography - Photographing Artists

One of the most interesting things about shooting for a museum and college are the artists I get to meet.  When the artists meet with students or give lectures, they often focus their talks on what inspires them to do their work, and the methods behind their thinking.  Whether the artists are photographers or not, I often find some part of what they have to say is applicable to my work.

The images below are from Seymour Chwast's visit to the Corcoran a few weeks ago.  

Seymour Chwast meeting with Students at The Corcoran

Seymour Chwast after his lecture at The Corcoran

Corporate Photography - Corcoran Gallery Exteriors

Most images have a lifespan.  

The image below is a refreshed version of a scene I've shot a few times previously.  The exterior of the Corcoran has recently undergone a lot of changes, and that required new photographs.  The stone was restored to it's original color, and the bright red and orange flags were removed.  The Corcoran is back to looking it's best and new images needed to be shot showing it that way.  

The previous versions of this image appeared in many printed publications for The Corcoran, as well as the home page of the Corcoran website.  When I shot this assignment, I shot a few images very similar to the old ones, and a few that are completely different.  This way the new images can easily be swapped in for the old ones, but also offer new options for future publications.  

17th Street Entrance to the Corcoran Gallery

Corporate Photography - Taking Pictures In An Art Gallery

 The New York Times online recently posted an article about the legality of photographing artwork in galleries.  Often visitors to many galleries are not allowed to take pictures because the work on display is contemporary or on loan from the artist or another gallery. Some galleries do allow visitors to photograph or otherwise copy some of the artwork on display.  With the proper permission, some galleries allow artists to bring an easel and set up shop for a short time.  Many times the galleries will clearly post whether photography is allowed, and when in doubt, the security guards will always know for sure.  

There are other considerations to take into account when photographing art in a gallery.  The NY Times article seemed to make the assumption that a simple snapshot taken on the fly would be an accurate facsimile of the artwork on the wall.  There are a number of factors that can make taking pictures in a museum difficult.  Lighting in most galleries is kept dim as way to preserve the artwork on display.  The dim lighting can in turn make it difficult to get a sharp image handheld, especially with a point-and-shoot camera.  While some galleries will allow photography, none that I know will allow the use of flash.  Often, artwork is framed with glass or plastic in front of it, which can create rather ugly reflections. The reflections sin the glass may not be much of a distraction when viewing the artwork normally, but can easily ruin pictures.  

Drawing in the Corcoran Gallery

Pictures can be a great way to remember a trip to a see a famous artwork or museum, but for an accurate copy of the works, the gift shop is often the best place to visit.