On this page you will find my works in progress, completed works, the occasional behind the scenes coverage, and on a good day I'll even share a song.
Rolls Royce Harlem Photo Shoot
The wind was strong, the temperature unforgiving. Everything else was just perfect. The location…the clothes.. the stylist…the lighting. Everything lined up nicely. But I’ll never look at this image and not be reminded of how incredibly cold I was.
Jason Joseph Photography - Editorial portrait photographer New York to Los Angeles
(Source: jasonjosephstudio.com)
Food Portrait: Winner Winner Chicken Dinner
Food Photography is something that while I do not practice often….I enjoy immensely. The reason being, I enjoy food and photography immensely. Anytime you combine passions, you’re bound to have worthwhile results. I like to play when I cook. I experiment. Much the same with photography. The rules once learned are best served when broken.. and the limits pushed. I think most great chefs would concur ( least from what I’ve gathered from watching The Food Network ) If I can make an image that is lasting, timeless..and memorable ..then any and all efforts to make said image were not in vain. Now if I can do the same thing…and make an image of something in a fresh (pun intended) way, then I’m ahead of the game. My goal in making this image was to celebrate the life of the chicken believe it or not. I think that to ignore the reality of a situation is the worst disservice you can bestow upon the moments of your life in which you have the opportunity to react, interact, affect the moment…situation or event. If you truly wish to have the most resonance…its best to embrace the reality, the good bad and the ugly of it.. embrace it and accept it. This is what was at play here….and I say play because play had an equal share in the thought process. I wanted to make the viewer aware of the death of the chicken..the frivalty in which we so nonchalantly handle the carcasses of these once feathered friends is nearly completely overlooked as we simply drool and consume. Now I’m not pointing a finger and shaking the bone in it…I’m simply reminding us of the reality of something which we gloss over, and I’m doing so in a playful manner….paying homage to this species of animal that gives of itself to this planet in a way so much larger than many other species who have historically escaped such fate. In connecting it with something human I’m connecting the viewer in a manner in which they can more personally relate..yet by choosing the skull and crossbones pirate symbolism…I’m doing so in a playful way. The choice to make the image dark.. grainy and unfocused is an attempt to instill some level of uncertainty, discomfort and even a looming sense that will haunt and potentially ( hopefully ) continue to remind the viewer in their continued relationship with food to remember its origin…and in turn hopefully appreciate it even more than it’s perfectly seasoned palate pleasing offers. Celebrating something by way of photographing it, to me…is best done when the photographer is in tune with the object and how that object is perceived by society, and when the photographer is honest with their audience, their subject…and their own vision. The result can only serve to do the subject justice…no matter what the subjects fate, otherwise. As always I hope you enjoy the work. Please pass it along if so. Leave a comment, share your thoughts, and subscribe if you wish.
Jason Joseph Photography - Editorial portrait photographer New York to Los Angeles
Christmas Tree
Christmas Tree Oh Christmas Tree,….Are you singing along with me yet?!? With Thanksgiving barely under our loosened belts and Black Friday a Ghost of Black Friday Past…. It is time to carry on with the next official phase of the holiday season here at my house! Time to erect the Christmas Tree! While I’ve always been a fan of natural trees, and our family used them for the majority of the holidays… we have had one… or two faux trees. This particular Christmas tree was not one of ours though. I found it in a restaurant. It was twirling round, mocking me and the last glass of wine I probably could have done without. After a brief discussion with the owner of the establishment, it was settled.. I was to make an image of this tree like no other! I cant remember exactly how I set the shot up, I propped the camera up on something, and after a few frames…finally had just the right shot!
They were all rather interesting but this one just sorta screamed…”Look at me! I’m a Christmas Tree!”
The patrons who were there watching all agreed.. the other images could all go.. THIS tree was flirting with us in this shot and it probably wasn’t going to get any better than this! “If Frosty The Snowman had been a Christmas tree … this would be it!”, someone chimed! Yes… yes I agreed! Its been my online tree now for I think going on 5 years, and its just one of those images that I’ve grown rather sentimental about. I may put up a real tree in the house.. but this… this will be my digital homes tree for some time to come! I hope you enjoy it! And may you and yours have an excellent holiday season, a Merry Christmas…and a Happy New Year!
~j.j.
Jason Joseph Photography - Editorial portrait photographer New York to Los Angeles
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Stronger Than Stone
A new nature still life image from the hills of Mine Kill Falls, New York 2012
Jason Joseph Photography - Editorial portrait photographer New York to Los Angeles
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This new portfolio image came to be as I was shooting a job on spec for a UK company. The concept was centered on “the restriction of youth by technology.” It was also the reason behind my “borg” photo,
which you may have already seen from an earlier post. In an effort to illustrate the concept in a myriad of angles I wanted to make images that were on completely different ends of the spectrum but that could both easily tie in to the mantra of technological restriction. The setting for the lil diva was staged with an accoutrement of toys she eagerly donated to the cause, a love note to her Dad which was written before hand, and a handwritten Allowance Money label for a jar of coins. When she finished writing out allowance money, she turned to me and asked me ” What’s allowance mean?” Not wanting to blow her parents cover, I simply replied…oh it’s money you saved that you earned. “Ohhhhh” she lamented. I think they’re still in the clear! I think the Oreo cookies came into play out of sheer synchronicity. When I saw them I knew they had to be in the image. Knew I needed a white plate, and soy milk … though a bit yellow, was a good stand in for cow’s milk! The image was beginning to tell a complete story. It was up to the lighting to tie it all together. Working with a limited amount of space, meant a few things. I was going to have to forgo complex flags and limit the amount of wrestling Id do with the light on set….and in stead bend it to my will in post. There was another reason behind this decision, and that was simple. I was working with a little girl whose attention span was at best 15 min. at a time and that is only if those 15 min. are the space between commercials on her favorite TV show. I decided to give the image a good “base” lighting and by this I mean, I lit it so that it was even yet soft and moderately directional. I started with a beauty dish 5 feet behind her and 4 feet above her lighting the top of her back with the feathered bottom edge of the dish. This allowed the low 8 foot white ceiling to bounds some of the light back down and really helped to give the even look I wanted. Then just to give it a bit of direction … much like an oil painter starts with a sketch… I placed one speedlight 1 foot in front of her and three feet above her on a very low power, I believe we were at 1/64th power at ISO 100. This light was extremely subtle. Its visible only in the top band of the headset she is wearing. It gives a little separation to it. It also lit the top of the glass of milk nicely,and was a flattering source for Barbie. Lastly I added one more speedlight camera left again on low power 1/128 and tossed a bit of light on her hair just to give it a bit more of a sense of direction. The rest was a bit of dodging and burning in Photoshop, and a bit of adjusting with the color balance and rgb curves till I had a feel that said evening moonlight. If I learned one thing on this shoot, it’s that children will work with you so much more efficiently and so much more willingly if you simply treat them as part of the team, and talk to them as if they are a bit older… basically set the bar high for them.. and that tends to be the zone in which they will operate. Works like a charm!
Jason Joseph Photography - Editorial portrait photographer New York to Los Angeles
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