Old Photos: Yearbook Portraits

Currently, my primary occupation is that of a student at Moody Bible Institute. I have the privilege of working on the Arch yearbook staff. Working for the yearbook was my intro into the world of paid photography; simultaneously it was also a large step into the financial blockhole that photography is.

Last year we reconstructed the way the staff has done yearbooks in the past. We began focusing on large photos, that portray scenes. These scenes were meant to portray the person in the environment that they work on campus.

Audrey works at the campus coffee shop, "Joe's". I believe she is now the lead barista and manager of the coffee shop, not to mention a close friend who always brings a smile to my face.

Last year Elliot worked on campus at Moody's gymnasium, the Sohlheim Center. This photo was taken in what was termed "the dungeon". Which was really a simple room with pipes that regulate the water flow, chemicals, and temperature within the swimming pool.

Unlike the other photos, the remaining shots are meant to be images used on divider pages within the book. Many of the divider shots were given to me as a blank slate. The staff essentially gave me license to have a ball and do something that fit with the section that they would represent. I definitely had some fun with these photos.

This shot of Thomas, my old roommate, was used as a divider for "Arts & Media". We took this photo at the Chicago Vietnam Veterans War memorial in broad daylight with the use of several small flashes

The two following photos are shots intended for this same purpose, however they were never published in the yearbook.

These shots contain an old friend who is currently in Africa. I've known Jon since middle school. I will hopefully see him again soon.

This last shot is also of Jon. This was intended to be another divider page. It is one of my favorite photos that I've taken, it was never published; it simply did not fit the theme of our book last year.

---

As always, clicking on these images will provide a larger view of the photo. So go ahead, click some photos. Or, if you'd like to see examples of other portraits that I've done click here.

If you would like to commission me to create a photo like any above: (for use by your band, solo album, promotional material, etc.) shoot me an email and we can talk this kind of project over.

[All Images used with permission from the Moody Bible Institute: Arch Yearbook]

Engagement Session: Abraham & Stefanie

Between class, work, friends, and a growing photography business, Friday became a bit of a long day. Due to the time of the year, group projects and papers lend themselves to the chaos of life as a student. It seems that I can rarely find moments to "just be". While I feel close to capacity, I am also clinging to the truth: this (school, work, friendships, & dreams) is all worth the hard work.

Despite being the busiest time of the semester, Abraham was able to create one a unique and memorable night for his girlfriend Stefanie when he surprised her with the question, "Will you marry me?"

Abraham's forethought and creativity insured that these words were not the only surprise. While Stefanie believed Abe was out of town, he secretly set up auditorium at their church for an unforgettable night.

When Stefanie arrived, she had no concept that some of her closest friends were preparing the room for her engagement proposal only moments before.

(Click each image to see larger versions)

I shot with two flash setups, as I could simply switch channels on my PocketWizards to capture candids with distinct looks. While Stefanie walked down the aisle towards Abraham I fired one set and when she arrived at the platform I switched to the other set of flashes. The first set provided the dark, romantic feel while she walked toward her fiance to be. The second set was implemented to provide enough light to cover the entire room, while still looking natural. This next shot was taken in between charge cycles of my flashes. Sadly this dark environment required the use of multiple flashes. In this shot only one flash still fired, revealing the difficulty that shooting in this small church presented.

While this night provided a challenge during the busiest part of the semester, it was a privilege to be with Abraham and Stefanie. At the end of this shoot I could not help but smile from ear to ear, I believe I may be onto something .

Once again, congratulations to Stefanie and Abraham!

---

For more information on hiring me for events and or other engagement/wedding related needs please look at the packages that I provide or simply email me at: matgretenphotography@gmail.com

To see large versions of these photos please visit my Flickr page.

Engagement Session: Emily & David

David and Emily provided me with the opportunity to take their engagement photos this past Friday. While I have been taking photos for six years and have been employed as a photographer for several years, this marks my first official "professional" photo shoot.

We started the evening by taking a few photos on top of Moody Bible Institute's parking garage, which provides an excellent view of the city's skyline.

Thanks to David's observant eye during the shoot, we were able to quickly turn around and catch a sudden last glimpse of the sunset before leaving the parking garage.

(Please click on the photos for larger versions of the images.)

We then proceeded to take some shots using a large(9'x 36') seamless white backdrop. David requested that we specially get some shots of this kind as he has seen some other photos that I had taken on a white background before. (Here and here)

We ended the night of shooting by heading East to Chicago's Magnificent Mile, Michigan Avenue. After again fiddling with my light's and taking a few test shots we were ready to rock and roll.

This was my favorite part of the shoot, as this is the kind of photography that I enjoy most: improvising lighting on the fly on location. Yes I did use small flashes to light the shots on the parking garage (thank you Katelynn for acting as my voice-activated-lightstand!). The shots on Michigan Avenue were different though. They provided a challenge as I have not tried to balance extremely low ambient light with small flashes.

After dialing in the settings and taking a few solid pictures with traffic in the background, we headed to the middle of Michigan Avenue, where we stood on a tiny median. I was able to glance at a few awestruck drivers as they passed, wondering what was going on in the middle of the street.

This last shot was another impromptu shot, Emily asked me if I'd like to take a shot of her and David's feet. I was planning to take this shot, yet in the excitement of shooting on Michigan Avenue it had slipped my mind. As I quickly crouched on the sidewalk I was able to snap two last frames. Emily was quite cold by this point, she braved the cold for awhile! I am not sure as I was focusing on their feet, but I believe that Emily jumped up on David's feet to get a comforting warm hug, which provided me the perfect opportunity for this last shot.

Thank you for allowing me to shoot your engagement pictures Emily and David! I look forward to shooting your wedding in September.

A 'New' Method of Operation: KISS

Keep It Simple Stupid, four useful words I wish people told me more often.

Three nights ago my friend Paul briefly visited my room, while there Paul was surprised that one of my recent photos did not include, "Light flying everywhere, with odd lighting angles." Paul's off hand comment revealed truth about a rut I have fallen into, light for the sake of light. David Hobby refers to this technique as 'nuking' the scene, a technique I'd prefer to move out of.

Thanks to Paul, I have decided to go in a new direction again, backwards. Forget that I have three flashes, that backgrounds can be dropped to black, that cross-lighting can be used to create vibrant images. All those things are great, but honestly, that is not where I want to be. I do not want to throw light around just for the sake of throwing light around. It's time to simplify, to kiss, keep it simple stupid.

In my new quest to simplify I have decided to work with one light with a softbox attached to it. I am stepping back to learn again how to balance flash and ambient, to wield my tools in a precise manner.

I believe that words have meaning, that they can communicate truth or confuse. I also believe that light communicates truth. Photography can confuse, it does so when not under control. This happens when we simply click the shutter, when we are aimless, or when we throw light around without thinking of the ramifications.

This year seems to be a year of stepping back, surveying who I am and what I do. This is a holistic process affecting speech, actions, and thoughts. Now I gladly have the opportunity to extend this process unto the light I use.

For awhile lets keep it simple. One camera, one flash, one photo at a time. Let's do this.

Through the Viewfinder: Chicago

It's simple to walk the streets of Chicago, craning your neck, and soaking in the details, when you are a tourist. However, those who live here, seem to hurry down the sidewalk, looking straight ahead, avoiding eye contact; ultimately losing the details that really make Chicago unique. I can attest to how easy it is to adopt this mentality.

Late for an appointment? Get there, quickly. It's horridly cold out? Get there faster.

Since returning to the city, I have made a few attempts to break the big city tunnel vision that has grown within me. Using TtV techniques in conjunction with a DSLR forces me capture my thoughts, slow my pace, and notice my surroundings. Shooting in such a way is refreshing. It reminds me of the first times I used a disposable camera on a youth trip, shooting the insides of dresser drawers, long hallways, odd buildings, and bicycle racks. (My mother thought I was a bit odd when I came back with those pictures rather than ones with people.)

As I caught my breath, purposely slowed down, and stepped out of the bustle of the city, these are the frames I captured.

Below Zero

Last week temperatures in Chicago plummeted at times to lows of -18°F with overnight winds dropping the temp down to -40°F at times. This is the normal time to grab a camera and head on down to the beach right? For most no, but for me... ahh heck, why not.

After layering on thermals, hoodies, winter coat, and multiple pairs of pants I hopped on down towards the beach. Upon arriving at the beach I enjoyed a brief time of solitude despite being in a world class city. After plodding through the deep snow I found the shoreline, covered in ice being battered by freezing waters. The piles of ice and resulting icicles were fascinating to see due to their location. I snapped away, once again testing the Nikon D300 in a new way, at low temperatures. As far as I know the camera held up to the -10°F temps without compromise.

I was mesmerized by the scenery of the virtual winter desert, but the cold would snap my drooling mind back into reality every time that I left my fingers outside of my gloves for to long. I did bring the Argoflex Seventy-Five along and managed to snag a total of six shots but quickly ditched this approach as I had to keep my hands out of my gloves to effectively take the frames.

Friday's exercise was a challenge in consistency. I went out in hopes of yes, seeing some unique things, but the primary goal was to nail the exposures and test out different options with the D300. I was shooting into shadows for the majority of the time out which presented an opportunity to balance ISO, shutter speed, and aperture. While I have seen the benefit of cranking the ISO in very dark environments I am beginning to see what can be done through adjusting the ISO in settings where there is plenty of light. I usually default to shooting at ISO 200, yet there were times on Friday when I dialed up to 800 in order to get a greater depth of field or a faster shutter for capturing splashing waves. I would consider Friday's exercise a success.

After walking the beach for nearly an hour shooting, buildings, ice, and water, the cold convinced me to return to campus and warm up. The temperature's persuasion did not last for long however, as later that night I had a blast while sledding in Grant Park with friends and makeshift sleds.

Large shots from Friday.

Portraits of Friends

Over the last sixth months I have had the ability and the privilege of providing several of my friends with free portraits. This has been a pleasure as I add to my portfolio, obtain hands on experience, and have the freedom to try new things.

A few days ago I had a chance to brave the cold with two of my best friends, Rachel and Noel. Noel has been the subject of many of my experiments, her patience is second to none.

While driving Noel's house I scouted the area looking for an interesting environment. After arriving at Noel's house both girls let me know they were up to some photos. We grabbed the gear and headed out to the icy sidewalks of Noel's neighborhood. As we slipped and laughed on the ice I set up two light stands, each with an Nikon SB24 and an attached PocketWizard Plus II.
I placed one flash behind the girls, effectively creating a decent rim light. The second flash was placed close to me with an attached white shoot-through umbrella to provide an even and soft fill on the girls.

After adjusting white-balance we started the informal shoot. Catching the girls at the best was difficult through the viewfinder as it was fairly dark out. Between the low visibility and our continued slipping we decided to move to solid ground. Grabbing the flashes we set out for a nearby park.

The real fun began when we hit the playground. By this time we were all pretty cold, but still laughing. My favorite shots of the night came when we moved up onto the playground. I had the girls stand on one of the platforms, while they did this I placed one of the flashes directly below them to throw light through the holes in the platform. The second flash with the white umbrella was placed to the right of the girls. I wish that I had a set up picture as I myself was precariously balancing on two hand rails shooting from above. It was worth it.

Overall it was a great time. I was happy to get some more practice using flash, especially while having fun with some of my closest friends. Inadvertently this night became a field test.Sadly, after the shoot, I realized that I forgot something, ISO. My ISO was set to 1000 the whole time so the images are a little grainy and noisy at 100%. While I was bummed that I forgot to check the ISO setting beforehand I was mightily impressed with how the Nikon D300 handles noise and grain at ISO 1000. That said, I'm still happy with these images and I am looking forward to putting my camera through even more ISO gauntlets in the future.

More importantly I was able to grab a few frames of Rachel by herself to make up for lost time. Rachel was working at a summer camp during summer break and she has told me several times that she would painstakingly view online what some friends and I were doing with photography over the summer. I am happy that I finally took a few great pictures for Rachel, I still owe her some sparkler pictures.