Oh, it’s different when you’re in front of the lens

September 4th, 2008

One of Amanda’s Polaroids from tonight’s photo shoot

I’m used to standing just slightly behind and a smidgen to the right or left of the photographer. That’s my comfort zone, where I can quickly hop in and peer through the lens to check out the composition of a shot, see how it’s framed, look for wayward electrical cords to hide or crooked picture frames to adjust.

I’ve been taught well over the years, working with talented shooters including Bill Wright, Andrew Drake, Mike Jensen and all those clever newspaper photojournalists (well, to be honest, newspaper guys rarely allow me look through the lens, but I do try to make suggestions!) 

So tonight the table was turned. And the lens was on me. Oh, for only 100-plus frames or so! And thanks to the very talented Los Angeles-based Amanda Friedman (seen above), it was painless. Actually, it was quite fun!

The reason for this shoot: I’m participating in a story that will appear in Dwell magazine this coming February. It’s called “Dwell Reports” — a monthly product review piece that compares and evaluates a half-dozen or so similar items of interest to Dwell’s design-savvy audience. Each segment relies on the comments and opinions of an “expert,” plus reviews from the magazine’s editors. [At left: Amanda, assisted by Todd Weaver; right: Amanda beind the lens]

As part of the project, Dwell’s editors and I reviewed six cool prefabricated sheds. It was a great assignment, in part because I found something inspiring and unique about each manufacturer’s architectural style, materials, fabrication method, sustainable approaches, and more.

On location with Amanda Friedman, photographer extraordinaire

As always, these new discoveries prompt me to wish I could get going with Bill on Stylish Sheds, Volume 2.

Time will tell. In the meantime, stay tuned for Dwell in February. I hope the story inspires more people to consider adding a few hundred square feet of stylish – extra – space in their outdoor environment.

PS, Thanks to Bonnie and Michael Kelly, generous shed owners who shared their location with us tonight! 

This entry was posted on Thursday, September 4th, 2008 at 10:44 pm and is filed under Architecture, Creativity, Writing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.