Guitar Money Photo Concept

Posted by & filed under Concept Photography, Musicians.

Sound of Money, tune your financial instrument

It may be considered the root of all evil, but money is also the inspiration for hundreds of the best pop and R&B songs since rock music started making parents nervous decades ago.

With that in mind I wanted to create a music business concept image using an acoustic guitar.  I started by removing the original tuning pegs and replaced them with half dollars.  Under studio lights I angled white sheets of foam board on the coins to get the reflection and contrast desired.

I used a slate grey paper background to compliment the colors of the guitar and the coins.   The scratches and logo were removed later in post-production.

 

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Photo Art Concept – becoming an environmental reality

Posted by & filed under Concept Photography, Landscapes, Uncategorized.

Landscape print is transformed into a manicured green grass landscape (Steve Greer)

Landscape print is transformed into a manicured green grass landscape (Steve Greer)

Our attitude toward the natural world and our need to control it has long influenced my photography.

The love affair with carefully manicured grass began when the American Garden Club convinced home owners that it was their civic duty to maintain a beautiful lawn.  From that point on the days when Woodrow Wilson had sheep on the White House lawn were gone forever.

This art concept illustrates a future generation of homeowner who will look at a summer meadow and see it as an opportunity to change it to thirsty cultivated grass.

Behind the scenes - composite photos

Behind the scenes – composite photos

Using a 20 ft. length of artificial turf, I hung one end on a background studio stand.   I shaped the ripples in the turf to give the material a lighter more paper-like appearance.

Composing at 24mm at f22, I made sure the camera height matched  the top of the background.  If the lens was higher or lower than this viewpoint, the landscape and portrait composite would not match this perspective and not look believable. At this elevation I then tilted the lens down a little.

Using strobes, I lite the turf to match the intensity and angle of the sunlight in the landscape photo.  The landscape photo was made using a 24mm lens at f4.

A similar studio lighting setup was used for the model holding the foam core.  The portrait was created using a 105mm lens at f9.

Adding and blending the 3 photos was done in Photoshop.

 

 

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2013 New Jersey Wild and Scenic, and 2013 Birds and Bloom Calendar

Posted by & filed under Birds, Bluebirds, New Jersey Destinations, Uncategorized.

2013 New Jersey Wild and Scenic, and 2013 Birds and Bloom Calendar

The selection of calendars out there, and all their formats, never ceases to amaze me.  Even in our digital society, print calendars still exist, and even thrive.

I guess there is a part of us that will always be analog.  I confess, I still like to turn the pages in a book, hold a pen, and put a sticky note on the edge of my monitor.  Of course maybe it’s the 50% off all calendars in January that is nearly irresistible to ignore.

Well whatever it is, whoever first combined how we keep track of the days and months using  kittens or babies was a genius!

This year I have the cover for the 2013 Birds and Bloom calendar, which you can purchase here.  And I also contributed eleven images, including the cover, for the 2013 Wild and Scenic New Jersey, which you can purchase here.

Time to start selecting images for 2014!

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Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Photos

Posted by & filed under New Jersey Destinations, New Jersey Tourism.

Summer visitors on the beach, Seaside Heights, New Jersey (Steve Greer)

Summer visitors on the beach, Seaside Heights, New Jersey (Steve Greer)

As a tourism and lifestyle photographer my job is to create imagery to make NJ look its best.  Much of what draws folks to the Garden State starts with great photos of our pristine beaches, world-famous boardwalks and the lively nightlife in the coastal resort towns.

Ocean City, New Jersey (Steve Greer)

Ocean City, New Jersey (Steve Greer)

Hurricane Sandy hit New Jersey hard and transitioning from emergency relief to recovery and rebuilding is going to be nothing short of epic.  The dramatic aerial photos of the coastline devastation is heartbreaking to look at.

Jersey Atlantic Wind Farm and Waste Water Treatment Plant, Atlantic City, New Jersey (Steve Greer)

Jersey Atlantic Wind Farm and Waste Water Treatment Plant, Atlantic City, New Jersey (Steve Greer)

Many of the iconic amusement parks, arcades, restaurants, boardwalks, and homes I’ve photographed over the years are either damaged or completely destroyed.  It will take time, but better days are ahead.

Amusement Theme Park, on the beach, Wildwood, New Jersey (Steve Greer)

Amusement Theme Park, on the beach, Wildwood, New Jersey (Steve Greer)

Sailing the calm summer ocean and back bays, feeling the “sugar sand” between your toes, attending kite-flying festivals, and being thrilled on one of the many amusement pier rides will return.

To see more aerial photos of the New Jersey coastline visit my website

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A Tribute to Love, in the Golden Years

Posted by & filed under Uncategorized.

From a photo journalistic point of view, I’ve always been interested in senior citizens.  The obvious arthritic hands and weathered faces are just the tip of the creative iceberg to explore with a camera.

This is my visual attempt to  share the insight, stories, and “elderisms” of a generation.  Not so much for the sake of history, but for the sake of relationships.  At this point in their lives, most have shed the trivial distractions of life and have reached a perspective only reached through important lessons learned on their respective journeys.

This personal assignment was a chance to go beyond the pearls of wisdom and clichés like, “life is a journey” or “do what you love”.  Deathbed confessions, excerpts from diaries, and sharing old photos from a misspent youth, gave way to an emotional photographic exploration.

Some of these folks I know well, and others through their generosity allowed me a glimpse into their world.  Seeing their challenges, and sharing joys, regrets, and values,  I learned not all seniors are like Napoleon and Josephine.  Or Gracie and George.    It was more eccentric, crotchety, but never boring.

Thanks so much for all who revealed their lives and participated in this project.  Our time together turned out to be more rewarding and far richer than any image created.

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