Newt Gingrich in Naples Fl.
With the Presidential Republican Nomination starting to heat up with Newt Gingrich I thought I would finally post some photos that I shot for the Associated Press on November 25 th, 2011. When his campagin started to heat up and really gain a lot attention. In this town hall meeting he and his wife Callista shake hands with supporters at the Naples Hilton. Mr. Gingrich took sometime to defended his stance on immigration. All and all I photographed the candidate Friday night and Saturday morning at a book signing event in Naples at the Mercato’s Books-A-Million which was a well attended event.
Naples Resident Lee Barry asks Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich, ask about his policies on Israel during a town hall meeting at the Naples Hilton in Naples, Fla., Friday, Nov. 25, 2011. (AP Photo/Erik Kellar)
Don’t Define Me
I received this video clip from photographer Chase Jarvis and my friend Frank Russell, owner of Indy Lab Designs, at the same time when dealing with a couple of frustrating days.
“Sometimes in our industry, our professionalism, we get [put into] silos…it should be all of our goals to break out of those silos. The more you work, the more people want to put you in a silo so they can define who you are by their terms. Our job is to never let anyone define who we are…”
John Jay–W+K’s Global Executive Creative Director–on creativity and breaking out of silos.
It is one of my biggest challenges to break out of the perception people put on us. I find kind of like looking at art. People suffer over meaning and thoughts of the artist behind what we have done, but the viewer doesn’t really ever know so the pigeon hole the artist. I also have found what people say about art photography is really about them and their experience which in some ways is what art should be about.
Maybe my father said it best.
“It seems every encounter we have with people, particularly the new acquaintances, they are looking to put you in a category. I’ve always enjoy not fitting into a category. The mystery leaves when you are put into the round or square hole that people think you belong.”
Ave Maria Time Trial
What an awesome event a cold, clear and windy morning made for an awesome time trial. Ave Maria was an idyllic location for a time trial with dead straight flat roads. The wind was the only problem but it made for a good event. There were about 40 people that came from all over South Florida to take part in the event.
On a cold windy morning at the town of Ave Maria, Fl, the Collier County 2010 Time Trial started. Erik Kellar Photography
Commercial Photography Naples FL: Office Politics How To Play and WIn an Editorial feature
SO the latest Gulfhsore Business cover was a collaboration between Jesse Adams, art director for Gulfshore Life, models Frazier Gadella, Angel King, Koula Medteis, make-up artist and myself, Erik Kellar. The shot was based on the concept Office Politics: How to play and win. In our initial discussions we had thumb nailed out a half dozen ideas and whittled it down to these three. We had a pretty good idea about the cover. We wanted the man to be the one with the target on his back and I had Frazier reflect a defeated look in his posture. We asked ANgel to give us a range of expressions. After a couple of hundred photos we ended up with the one featured. We transitioned from the cover to the other two photos. The actual shooting time only took about three hours but with meetings and set prep and testing the time really was about 14 hours of work. The ighting is done with several grid spots gelled.
Tamra Nashman Naples Fashion Consultant
Naples image consultant Tamra Nashman poses for a feature about her for e'Bella Magazine on Third Street in Old Naples recently. Photos By Erik Kellar
Tamra Nashman found me through Protocol Models. Tamra came to me wanting to work on a feature about her for e’ Bella Magazine, which is distributed all over Naples for free. Tamra is an image consultant, her website is Extra-Oridnary Image, she specializes in helping people re-invison themselves I guess you could say. She works on the overall appearance and also helps with their inner persona as well. Tamra is a very experienced in both media broadcast and print work and also holds a masters degree. Working with Tamra was quite a joy. She knows her look and knows how to move which made my job easy so I could concentrate on making her as beautiful as I could with the camera. The photos we did together only took about an hour around Third Street South in Old Naples. She relayed her pleasant surprise in seeing the photos I produced for her.
Childhood Obesity: Making Right Choices
So I was hired to shoot a feature for Health Magazine, which is produced by Gulfshore Life. I was contracted to produce a photo about childhood obesity and the choices you make as a parent and how they will affect you child both in the short term and long term. I contacted a friend of mine, Trip Perkins, a chef and food stylist and had him prepare the food for the shoot. The concept was to get a kid, Mason Moran, and sow him getting ready to bite into a big old hamburger. Jesse Adams, an art director for Gulfshore Life, was pretty open to what ever I shot so I had some great freedom. I also ended up using Mason’s mother, Melissa an old friend in the shot. It turned out great. The other alternatives I ended up doing was the hand picking up the cookie with the good choices in the background as well as the food on a balance scale to show how you should weigh your choices. Anyway look for the article in Health Magazine. For the technical minded. I shot it at iso 100 at f.11 on a Canon 5d Mark II, I used 6 lights one on the background, two rim lights on either side, a hair light, a beauty dish over head and in front and a 5 foot octabank for fill behind me.
Susan G. Komen and Physicians Regional in Naples Fl. Mammos & Manicures event
What a great event at Physicians Regional Health Center on 951 in Naples fl. The event featured cancer awareness and education with the Susan G. Komen Foundation Southwest Florida Affiliate. The room was packed with women and vendors. The event included of course free mammograms and manicures for attendees and I helped out Kori Gowan, owner of Merle Norman in North Naples. I did the before and after photographs of some of the women that attended the event and received a make-over. Also offered at the event were free massages, information about cancer and a chance for people to talk with the doctors at Physicians Regional. All and all a fine event with more than 200 people there. For directions to Merle Norman in Naples click here.
Fashion Forward in Naples Fl.
Barbara King Naples FL Fashion Consultant and Stylist
So I met Barbara King at a PRACC meeting in September. What a wonderful vibrant woman. We got to talking and Barbara and I wanted to work on shooting some high school senior portraits together. Barbara is a fashion consultant at http://barbarakingstyling.com/ see a snapshot below of what she has done. But in the mean time I asked her if she would like to shoot with me. So I got her in the studio to do some shots. I worked out to be a nice afternoon and we produced some great photos.
Barbara has been creating fashionable looks since 1995 from New York to Hollywood. Her clients range from Hollywood stars and business executives to up-and-coming professionals. Barbara makes fashion easy for her clients by doing personal shopping, analyzing her client’s closet to keep what works, pitch what doesn’t, and create new looks with a combination of existing and new clothes.
A graduate of FIT in NYC with a Fashion Merchandising degree, Barbara knows the coolest shops and boutiques to find just the right pieces for her client’s wardrobe. She was responsible for the celebrity style makeovers for the stars of the “Miss Congeniality 2″ premiere party, and she has been featured in the L.A. Times, Maxim, Life & Style, the Orange County Register, Gulf shore Life, eBella. She has also appeared on HGTV and the Fine Living Channel.
A model shooting
So I had the fortunate chance to shoot Janelle Ryan recently. Janelle is from New York and is a new to the area with her husband. Janelle contacted me through Model Mayhem , an online modeling co-operative. Janelle needed some new shot for her portfolio. Janelle is a very sweet person who is somewhat new to modeling but knows how to move in front of the camera. She really lit up some of the images I shot and I hope to be able to use her on some projects in the future. Please see the images that are attached.
Battling for Governor
Battling for Governor
Shooting a close race in the Sunshine State
I had a great opportunity recently to shoot both Florida Gubernatorial Republican Candidates before the primaries in July and September. I first shot Florida Attorney General Bill McCullom followed by Naples businessman Rick Scott for AP the day of the primary. Both had the same platform, for the most part, but there was a certain excitement that came the Scott campaign that was not matched by McCullom’s. It was interesting to compare the two campaigns as one seemed very vibrant and the other more low key. All in al each assignment had there unique challenges. Both were very quick with limited access, so photos needed to be shot quickly and cross your fingers you get a good moment. Ultimately Mr. Scott won that race but fortunately I was able to get several good photos that ran across the country.