M.I.A.

I’ve been M.I.A. for the last few weeks, but will return this Friday with new posts. For now, I just want to say congratulations to Ashley & Andrew on their recent wedding!

Party in Your Pink Cadillac

No, I’m not talking about the Boss. Springsteen’s classic is probably well known within this circle though. On Monday, we had our third shoot as P.I.C., but not for Bruce or the music industry, but for a group of women who know the pink Cadillac well.

We had the opportunity to meet with and photograph the women of Mary Kay in Kernersville, NC. The event was nothing like I had pictured it, however, the pink caddie was better than imagined. It was supposed to be simple event coverage, but Jess and I wanted to try some new things. We ended up with some great photos of the women, with before and after portraits, and some fun stuff at the end.

I think I could really get into this event photography thing if I can have such a great group of people as I did there. Of course, the night wouldn’t have been complete without some mother/daughter shots and some photos outside with my speedlights, strobist style.

There were far to many great photos from that night to post here, so these are just to give you an idea. Enjoy!

Oh! and if anyone ever needs some Mary Kay products, be sure to get in touch with Andrea Andrews, our wonderful host and MK Director.

Into the Woods to Western Alamance We Go!

I remember going to theater performances for my high school back in the day. There were always a lot of people in attendance, mostly because there were a lot of students in the play and their families always came. I remember the plays were always well done, but nothing outstanding, not saying that some students had talent, but it was overall, nothing special.

I had the opportunity last week to photograph Western Alamance High School students in their rendition of the musical “Into the Woods.” The play is mainly a compilation of old fairy tales with some modern humor thrown in. I could not have been more impressed with the students at that school. The leads where so talented that I, for a moment, forgot I was at a high school play.

When I was first contacted to shoot the event, I was only supposed to cover the dress rehearsal. I later returned to shoot their second night with an audience, and I’m glad I did. I don’t know if the students were distracted, or just didn’t want to be there during the dress rehearsal, but lets just say, they aimed low. The night of the real performance they were definitely on their game. The singing was at a level to compete with Broadway actors and actresses, along with the emotion they injected into their performances.

I am definitely looking forward to doing more theater work after this one. I’ve done theater shoots in the past with an older cast, but they were more uptight and didn’t seem to enjoy the presence of a camera.

I’ve included some of the shots from that night in this post, and if you like them, go see any play that is being done at Western Alamance High, because it is sure to be one of the best. I just want to say well done and congratulations to the first time director, Jana Tasich, because without her, I’m not sure it would have come together as well as it did.

RiverRun Down

As stated in my previous post, this past week I was busy working with the RiverRun International Film Festival. The festival ran from April 15-25. During those 11 days I’ve learned more about film and photography than I could have imagine. The experience was definitely worth taking off work for and volunteering my time and service. It’s not everyday that most people get to hang out with filmmakers, actors, critics, and what the director of the festival called “the best group of volunteer photographers for any festival in the country.”

From the “just shoot it” mentality of well known photographer Ben Martin, to the storytelling style and incredible ability of photographer Tim Klein to make all people who cross the path of his lens to feel comfortable and at ease, I have taken away a fare share of advice and experience to improve myself and my craft. The experience has also created some interesting possibilities and opportunities. Holding true to the mission of The Photographic Imaging Collaborative, we feel its important to continue the relationships we’ve built with the photographers at RiverRun.

I was speaking with the photography coordinator and volunteer of the year award winner, David Gregory, about starting a group for RiverRun photographers. I believe this will not only create a venue for critique and growth, but also preparation for next years festival. At this point, I have an extensive list of ideas to share with the photographers who may be interested in being apart of the group. I’m looking forward to this year with anticipation and excitement of what may come.

Overall, the festival was a stellar success and personal victory. The experiences gained will stay with me for life. Starting with the opening night party, to the celebrities, actors, directors/filmmakers, critics, industry experts, public parties, VIP parties in mansions, interviews with the VIP’s, getting my start in videography, and assisting in a shoot with Andie MacDowell at a castle, I could not have had a better time. I’m planning on taking the hours of video I have compiled and creating a short that each of us who worked the events can have to remember our time at RiverRun. For now, you can enjoy some of the photos I shot for the festival.

Director David Gordon Green and Cast of George Washington

And finally, but certainly not least, a quick clip from the Andie MacDowell shoot….

I’m ready for my close up Mr. Bogdanovich

Peter Bogdanovich at the RiverRun Film Festival

This past weekend has been quite the experience. When I originally signed up to be a photographer at the RiverRun International Film Festival I was expecting to just be taking basic crowd shots and event photos. I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I could not have been more wrong. The festival is just getting started and I have enough stories to write a small book.

The first weekend I met legendary Time Magazine photographer Ben Martin. The stories he told were nothing short of amazing, whether it be about the 11 presidents he photographed, how Nixon hated his guts, or how he got a lucky break and became Time’s first staff photographer. I’m still in awe of what I’ve learned from him during our time talking. Ben wasn’t all stories though, during the first event I photographed he was very helpful with providing tips and moving me around the floor to catch certain emotional moments. The most memorable advice from Ben, “Don’t think, just shoot!”

Peter Bogdanovich - PaperMoon

Over the weekend I continued to have experiences I never thought I would have. I’ve had a chance to talk with filmmakers, directors, actors, etc. I also got to shoot world renown filmmaker and actor Peter Bogdanovich. He was nothing like I expected. I figured he would be the typical Hollywood type that was stuffy and absorbed in his greatness. Again, I was wrong. He was very personable and surprisingly hilarious. He kept me and the crowd in the theater entertained and busting at the gut with his jokes, stories and impersonations. The worst part of all of this…I had to switch to videographer mode to cover the event. Why is this bad? How can someone like me (a non-filmmaker) film a great filmmaker like Peter Bogdanovich? No pressure at all…

Leanne Pooley and Tim Klein

Most recently, I had to cover a showing of two films yesterday. The day was meant to be general coverage with nothing really big going on. Surprise, I was wrong about that too. I had the chance to assist another great photographer, Tim Klein. Not only did I get to assist him, but I got to join in on the photo shoot with filmmakers Leanne Pooly, and Robert Stefaniuk. After the shoots were done I was caught off guard when Tim decided he wanted to do a photo shoot of us, the other photographers at the event. I am meant to be behind the camera, not in front of it. Needless to say, I was kind of stiff and uncomfortable at first, but Tim has a way of making people relax. I cannot wait to see the photos of that.

Robert Stefaniuk and his girlfriend

Great things continue to happen, and I’m going to be ready for what comes next. If you are interested in coming to the festival check out their website at www.RiverRunFilm.com and come out to the party tonight at Recreation Billiards in Winston-Salem at 9pm.

More to come later this week. This weekend we will be seeing actress Andie MacDowell. Come out and enjoy the festival!

View more festival photos at http://picasaweb.google.com/riverrunfilm

P.I.C.: A New Photographic Paradigm

So many of you are asking, what is PIC? Well, PIC is the reason I have been M.I.A. from this blog for the past week. It is the culmination of two photographic visions that will lead us into the new economy and new markets. PIC, short for Photographic Imaging Collaborative, is the merger of two photography companies, Kyle Rhines Photography, and Jessica Rak Photography.

Jessica Rak is an amazing wedding and event photographer who is also located in the Greensboro area. I met her a little over a year ago in college. Since then we have met and discovered that our strengths combined would result in an overall better quality experience for our customers. We will be focusing our efforts on commercial and event photography, however we will not limit ourselves by narrowing those categories to something that will not allow us to grow in our craft.

PIC will be a very different type of photography business. Unlike many others, we don’t see every photographer as competition, but as resources. We will actively seek collaboration between local photographers to not only enhance ourselves, but the local industry as a whole.

To do this effectively, we have sought out the input from local photographers, will be meeting with small business consultants, and will be utilizing the resources we have in our networks to bring you the best service and products available. Jessica and I will be keeping you posted on the changes and progression of this endeavor as it unfolds.

Currently we have a graphic designer working on our new logo, vendors have been established, our business plan is coming together nicely, and we have settled on a website domain. In the coming months you will be able to find us at www.ThePICStudio.com. For more information regarding our services or to become a client now, you can visit either www.KyleRhines.com or www.JessicaRak.com and go to our contact pages.

Our first event working together will be the RiverRun International Film Festival in Winston-Salem, NC. The festival begins tonight so come on out and see us!

The Word is Out!

This past friday I had the pleasure of doing a portrait session with Tiffany Blosser, a friend of a colleague of mine. The session turned out better than I could have hoped. I was brought on to do the shoot by photographer Jessica Rak, who is also another Greensboro based photog.

Working with another photographer definitely helps to up ones game and gives us valuable time to learn from each other. Collaboration is where the future of the photography industry needs to be headed. In the past everyone was just seen as competition and inter-photographer communication just didn’t happen. Working together can help to not only make ourselves better, but the industry as a whole by continuously “upping our game.”

So what’s the big news? Kyle Rhines Photography and Jessica Rak Photography will be merging into one company! Jessica and I have decided to become partners in crime for several reasons including providing something most photographers don’t offer…a TEAM. Not just a professional and an assistant or two, but TWO professional photographers working together to achieve photographic greatness.

All the details are still up in the air, however, we will be meeting with a small business consultant in the next few weeks to make sure we DON’T start off on the wrong foot. BIG things are coming people. Prepare yourselves.

During this transitional period we will still continue with our regular services but soon they will be bigger and better than ever. For more information you can either check out my website at www.KyleRhines.com or go to Jessica’s at www.JessicaRak.com .

I would like to say thank you again to Tiffany for letting us work with her and for allowing us to use her as a testing ground for our new business. Congratulations on the graduation!

Light it up! But do it right!

Master light and you can master an industry. (click for larger view)

With my conversations with other photographers, there is one reoccurring idea. Light is the key to everything. You may think that this is just a given in photography, but it’s amazing how many disregard the importance of learning to use light.

Master light and you can master the industry. Being able to use light to create an image and reproduce a vision is the difference between professional photographers and amateurs. Every time I pick up my camera, I do it with the intention of learning to light in a new creative way. I’ll try different things, some that I’ve tried before, some that I haven’t.

As photographers we are in a continual state of learning. If you go to do a shoot, and you rely only on tested lighting set-ups and not trying something new in addition to those, you are doing yourself and your client a disservice. For this reason I try to play with light every chance I get. Thus, the resulting photo you see above. That was the created due not only to boredom on a day off, but because I wanted to try some long-exposure macro photography with a light source I’ve never used before. Mainly an LED flashlight. Amazingly enough, this was my first shot. By trying something different I believe I not only added interest to the photo, but I created a mood for it that could not have been created otherwise.

So where is this all going? Join a Strobist group! There are some great groups all over the country. Lucky for us, we have several in the Greensboro area that do incredible work. However, I need to take my own advice. I have joined the group but because my schedule is ridiculously hectic, I have yet to go to an actual meeting.

If you are unable to join a Strobist group, you can go to Strobist.com to find some amazing FREE information about lighting with off camera flash. Also, if you have the need to spend, I recommend picking up Joe McNally’s book, Hot Shoe Diaries. It’s full of useful information and works great as a source of inspiration.

I should have some more free time coming up later this month so expect to see more shots playing with different and unusual light set-ups and sources.

P.S. Big news to come! Keep checking back to find out what.

Online Store Now Available

Kyle Rhines Photography now offering online proofing and purchase through Pictage!

 

 Kyle Rhines Photography has a new online store! After an event or a photo shoot, photos will be posted online where you can view and purchase prints, digital copies, albums, etc. This will allow for faster turnaround on your photos and easier selection for further editing and custom printing.   

However, not all the products we offer are available through our online store. For specialized products we take the photos you select and then send them to our professional photo labs to create whatever it is you need, be it a metal, acrylic, or canvas print, or custom-made albums and framing.

After each event we will post a link to its personal viewing page that you can find under the “Store” tab on our website www.KyleRhines.com. Photos may be available as early as 7-10 days after the event depending on size of event and number of photos.

If you have any questions regarding this new service or have anything else you would like to say, please leave a comment or contact us through our webpage.

The Green Bean Revisited | The Brand New Life w/Israel Darling

This past Friday I shot my first indoor concert for The Dotmatrix Project. Going into it I was very nervous and apprehensive because I didn’t really know what to expect. Fortunately the night turned out to be a great experience. There were two great bands, The Brand New Life & Israel Darling. I’ll be honest, I wasn’t expecting it to be a great show because it was a small venue, there was live music available at many other places in downtown Greensboro at the same time, and their musical styles don’t usually create massive followings. However, I was wrong on all accounts. The music was amazing!

Prior to going to the show I did a little research on each band and listened to what they had on MySpace Music. I was not impressed. Their live performances far outdid their recorded songs available online. Listening to their stuff on MySpace does not do them justice. The high-energy entertainment that I experienced far surpassed my expectations. Not even halfway through the show they had to start refusing people entry because they exceeded the capacity of the venue. My apologies go out to my friends who I told to come that were not able to get in. The show was great! That will teach you to be on time!

Not only was it a good time, but I learned a lot. Each time I pick up a camera I learn something new, and that night was no exception. I made many mistakes throughout the night, but I think I’ll be far more prepared for the next time. Lighting, space, lens choices, and logistics are all going to be reassessed for the next time I do a live performance.

I finally got to meet some of the great people with The Dotmatrix Project as well. They were all very helpful and friendly and I look forward to possibly working with them again in the future. I haven’t been this excited about a new direction in my photography in a long time. During the show I also got to work with some other great photographers who were shooting too. Stephen Charles, an amazing photographer who has worked closely with the DMP for a while now, and Owens Daniels.

You can check out all the images from the show at The DotMatrix Project’s Flickr stream here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/thedotmatrixproject/

All images are under a Creative Commons license. Please give credit to the creator of the images if you decide to use them in your blogs, your Facebook pages, etc.

Enjoy the picks, check out the websites, and spread the word on these bands.

-Kyle Rhines

www.KyleRhines.com

SLIDESHOWS at the bottom of the page!

Israel Darling

The Brand New Life