Friday, 12 December 2008
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I recently attended an excellent seminar with Bruce Dorn and Maura Dutra in Cleveland. Bruce has an extensive background in cinematography and it always shines through in his work. His wife Maura is one of the foremost digital retouchers in the country. I have learned a great deal from both of them and value my relationship with them. If you are interested, you can learn more about them at their website: http://idcphotography.com.
Bruce certainly isn't as maniacal as he looks here.
Cheers!
michael todd
Wednesday, 12 September 2007
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I just updated the lay out so that you can see more entries without having to click to see more. Just scroll down!
Cheers!
michael todd
Thursday, 09 August 2007
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Here is another picture from Japan. This is a popular tourist spot in Ehime prefecture.
I took this on the ground of Kouchi Castle in Japan.
Finally, here is a picture of me in front of a little post office in Uchiko. This is directly accross from the kabuki theater in Uchiko. I posted some other pictures from Uchiko on May 13th of this year.
Saturday, 04 August 2007
Thursday, 02 August 2007
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Here is a cute shot from a few weeks ago. Obviously most young guys don't want to be kissed by their sisters, and little Eric is no exception. He is becoming enough of a young man to tough it out for the picture of his sister Elizabeth giving him a smooch. They were both in the bridal party for their mother's wedding at a country chapel near Lancaster, Ohio.
Wednesday, 01 August 2007
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Well, the busy season is starting to calm down for me a little bit and I will have time to post some of the amazing pictures I have captured the past two months or so. This is a shot from a week and a half ago. This is one of the bridesmaide's bouquets in front of the other bouquets. This was a nice set up where the flowers already came in vases that would be used on the tables at the reception; the vases were in turn encased in cardboard stands so that they would not turn over.
Wednesday, 23 May 2007
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I have been pretty busy this week, so here is a picture from Japan to help tide everyone over until the beginning of next week. I ran across these portable toilets at a local festival in Japan last year. I was pretty amazed at how cool they could make something so mundane look. I did see a VERY classy toilet here in the States a few weeks ago, but unfortunately I did not have my camera in tow.
Cheers!
michael todd
Friday, 18 May 2007
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I am going to be working a lot this weekend, so I thought I would upload a couple of random pictures.
First, some very nice rose from a recent wedding. I really like the colors especially against the light blue background.
I love all animals, but I am definitely a dog person. But for some reason, cats seem to photograph better than dogs in general. Here is a friend's cat I shot just prior to my last trip to Japan.
Cheers!
michael todd
Wednesday, 16 May 2007
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Here is an engagement shoot I did back in the fall with fellow photographer Bill Morgan. Although it's not too obvious from these shots, we were at Franklin Park Conservatory in Columbus, Ohio.
The groom really had a strong liking of things edgy and industrial. The site really doesn't lend itself well to those kind of shots, but we were lucky enough to run in to this rusted out enclosure.
This shot is a little cliched, but it worked out well especially with the autumn leaves on the ground
This was taken on the Japanese bridge that remains from Ameriflora.
Cheers!
michael todd
Tuesday, 15 May 2007
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With the warm weather we have been having this week, I thought it was time to cool off with some winter wedding pictures. Winter weddings really present themselves with some stylistic opportunities that aren't available the rest of the year.
Less words, more pictures.
Cheers!
michael todd
Sunday, 13 May 2007
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I think people tend to focus more on the pictures here than what I actually type--which is fine. So I may cut back on the commentary a little bit.
One of my favorite little cities in Japan is Uchiko on the island of Shikoku. It is not particularly famous or spectacular, but it is clean and well maintained. It also has a lot of traditional businesses that are still in operation and some new ones that have captured some of that old, Japanese charm.
Here is a picture of the local kabuki theater that has been kept up through the years and still has regular kabuki performances.
These lanterns and curtains sit just below the balcony.
I am not sure whether the barbed wire is to keep people out or to discourage animals from hanging out, but I don't think it would do a very good job at either.
The alleyway really captures the scerenity of the side streets of Uchiko.
And finally here is a little shop that mainly caters to tourist. The sign is advertising delicious vinegared eggs, so I have not idea why they have the picture of cherries below it. Yum???
Cheers!
michael todd
Friday, 11 May 2007
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This is one of my signature shots (whatever that means). It is a little bit on the classical side, but it shows off all of the rings and the flowers. It is also relatively easy to set up during a busy reception. And I usually convert them to black and white as seen here.
Cheers!
michael todd
Sunday, 06 May 2007
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Dale Chihuly is probably the hottest glass artist right now in the United States, if not the world! He decided to do a series of installations in botanical gardens throughout the world. His first exhibition was at Garfield Park Conservatory in Chicago, Illinois, USA. His second installation graced Franklin Park Conservatory in Columbus, Ohio, USA; the conservatory loved the exhibition so much (and through the generosity of a wealthy benefactor!) that they purchased the collection! The main displays are on permanent display and some of the smaller ones are rotated.
This is an artist's impression of Chihuly's work at the Conservatory. As you can see, this is a rather spectacular painting! And I think it truly captures the essence of what Dale Chihuly does.
This is a great piece. It is actually built into the ceiling of a hallway so you are forced to look up to view it. The backlighting really enhances the colors and textures in the work.
The major works in the exhibition are named. One of the more spectacular works is "Sunset Tower". Below is just a portion of the whole monstrosity.
While I am relatively happy with this picture, I don't think a camera can truly capture all of the awe of Chihuly's works that the eye can. I cannot find a name for this piece, put it most closely ressembles one of his works entitles "Reeds." From what I know of Chihuly, these are "generic" pieces that aren't made into a final work until they are in their display space. This allows the piece to be better integrated into its surroundings.
Here is a detail shot.
Cheers!
michael todd
Thursday, 03 May 2007
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Here are a few more pictures from the Yellow Springs spring Street Fair. There is always a range of characters and personalities in attendance. If you have never been to the Street Fair before, I highly recommend going.The good witch of Yellow Springs???
For some reason I have a strong affinity to plants with bright green leaves and bright red berries. Otherwise there isn't anything to special about this picture.
Finally, here is another picture from the Tibet series I presented earlier. Does anyone know what god this represents?
Cheers!
michael todd
Wednesday, 02 May 2007
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Grand Wehrle Mansion is a relatively new venue in central Ohio. It is an old tutor estate on the banks of Buckeye Lake. It is a great location other than the old, small rooms that have to be worked around. It is owned by the same people that also own Valley Dale Ballroom and the Hartman Ballroom, both in Columbus.
It is a fact of our times that more and more parents already have children coming into a marriage. It does add for some new shots, such at this one that would we would have NEVER seen in days gone by.
Here is the signage. A great design and very fitting for the environment of the venue.
It is great when such spectacular moments make themselves available to you as a photographer. This couldn't have been planned!
While this isn't really a great picture, it is interesting to note that traditional cakes have not totally gone by the wayside.
Cheers!
michael todd
Monday, 30 April 2007
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Here is a wedding I shot at Franklin Park Conservatory in Columbus, Ohio, just prior to my departure for Japan. This wedding was actually featured in Columbus Bride magazine so I am not using any of the shots that were published in the magazine since many of you have already seen them. The Conservatory is a great place to hold a wedding and one of the more accessible unique locations in central Ohio. The only caveat is that there is no air conditioning and it can get very hot in the Palm Room on a sunny July or August Saturday afternoon.
Here are the three bridesmaids and their gorgeous flowers:
I don't usually don't do any photo art (a.k.a. altering pictures in Photoshop so that they no longer resemble reality), but this was a simple color shift that didn't look too shocking. This was not submitted with the proofs the client received.
Here is the Conservatory itself:
And finally, a picture of the junior groomsman shot from the outside balcony with some of the gardens in the background:
Cheers!
michael todd
Sunday, 29 April 2007
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I came across some cake pictures from a couple years ago, so I thought I would go ahead and put them up here. I don't think these were ever included in the couple's album. These were taken at Confluence Park in Columbus, Ohio. I am not sure who did the cake, but I think it is a good mix of traditional and modern designs.
Cheers!
michael todd
Saturday, 28 April 2007
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In the town where I lived most of the time on my last stay in Japan, a local club hosts an annual party so that foreigners can have the opportunity to be dressed up in kimono and have a tea ceremony. To me the most interesting part of this occasion in the location in which it is held. Several years ago a wealthy local man had a huge, 250 year old village leader's farm house (called Matanosansou) in Niigata, Japan, moved to the small town of Niihama. I can not imagine what an event this was considering the vast distance between the two cities. The house has been splendidly preserved and period pieces accurately adorn the house.
The first picture is an upstairs window which overlooks the town and ocean below.
Here is a picture of two of my friends getting dressed up and posing with their dresser.
Here is a good view of the tea ceremony masters preparing the ingredients and sweets.
This is a traditional fireplace know as irori in Japanese. There is no flue or chimney. Since natural charcoal is burned, there is very little smoke produced.
Here is a detail shot above the fireplace. I have no idea what this item is called nor what it is used for.
Here are two of the volunteers explaining to use some of the lore of wearing kimono.
The following picture was not posed. I love how this picture how eagerly Japanese share the parts of their culture that their are knowledgeable of and are proud of.
Finally, the ladies get dressed up in kimono as well.
Friday, 27 April 2007
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I am really getting the hang of blogging every day! The biggest change at Xanga the past week is the ability for people without Xanga accounts to leave "anonymous" comments. So go ahead! Try it out! I look forward to hearing everyone's feedback.
Japanese have visited coffee shops and cafes throughout the United States and Europe and put their own unique twist on it. There was a huge boom of building these new Japanese-style cafes throughout Japan about 3 years ago, and most of them are still going strong. Well I love to frequent these shops--the ambiance is great, the food is great and they attract a very cool clientele. The other option is the traditional Japanese kissaten; these establishments are usually saturated with years of smoke, have very limited menus and haven't been updated since the early 70s.
In the town I lived, the leader of the pack and my favorite was Cook's Cafe. I have no idea what the name means; I didn't see a single cook or chef hanging out there. One of the first things you notice even before entering the cafe is the cool and unique retro car sitting out front. It is an old Mazda Carol. I have no idea what year it is. This is the first Carol I had ever seen. Well about a month later I was at a retro-Japan museum up in the mountains and I saw another one--in the same condition and apparently the same year! Hear are a couple of details shots. Check out the old Mazda logo!Here is a shot of a young couple also enjoying Cook's. Nothing was set up (I don't think they even know I took the picture.) and it uses all natural light.
Here are some flowers near the cafe. I have no idea what there are called. Anyone? This pic also Photoshops really well. It takes all kinds of unique color shifts and leaves the result looking somehow natural but surreal.
A few days ago I mention my trip to the small island of Oshima off the coast of Imabari. At the base of the hill is a nice little rose park. I was amazed at the number of women that were devoutly searching through the fallen rose petals to find only the best ones to take home and make their own potpourri with.
And finally a picture of a bridge! Well, this is a pretty big freakin' bridge. It is so big that it was featured in an hour long PBS special. It is much longer and more massive than it appears in the picture. There are only three bridges that connect the island of Shikoku to the main island of Honshu in Japan and this is one of them.
Cheers!
michael todd
Thursday, 26 April 2007
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To get our new web site up all of the way, we are currently redesigning our logo. Here is my second mock-up. We have a very cool graphic designer out in California doing the final version for us. As a couple of people have already asked, this is not going to be the final color.
Being a foreigner in a Japanese company, you are required to participate in every activity imaginable (Well, get your minds out of the gutter!). The area I was living in had the heaviest portable shrines in all of Japan. 85% of the time they are wheeled around, but the other 15% they are carried by shoulder or hoisted over head. It usually takes about 210 men to even get if off of the ground. Since this is a "mens' festival", women are not allowed to participate. And high-school age boys are not allowed to participate because of the strength required and the danger (Someone is killed every year or two!). The difficulty for foreigners is that our shoulders are about 6 inches above the height of Japanese mens' shoulders, so we have to crouch over a bit which is much more difficult than just carrying the thing. The area where I lived have taiko, or big Japanese drums, mounted in the center of the float with two people always banging away. There are four young men who stand on the carrying poles to direct everyone and to cheer us on. And finally there are four small men in the very top ("cloud") of the float whose main responsibility is to keep us from bumping into things--especially wires! I am the "big" white guy in the middle front (The spot always reserved for foreigners in Japan!).
Here is a picture of our Artistic Director, Akane', taken late last fall. She didn't really want me to post this, so I couldn't resist. She is always smiling and really adds a lot of energy to everything we do here at Luminaire Photography.
Finally, here is another picture of myself at Franklin Park Conservatory taken by Bill Morgan. This one has not been tweaked in Photoshop. This is a very cool picture and many photographers use it in the backgrounds of their wedding shots at the Conservatory. If I find out the name of the sculture and the artist, I will post it here.
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Luminaire Photography is focused on wedding photography around the world! We also do a great deal of event and travel photography. We are currently based in Ohio. Please feel free to contact us if you want us to capture the memories of your upcoming event.
