Road trip Commercial 2011 from Color on Vimeo.

Which came first…the chicken or the egg?
Well for this shoot the eggs definitely came first.
The egg shot was originally intended to be paired with another photograph which is also monochromatic & has a tape measure featured in it.
I admit to having a slight obsession with all types of bird eggs…they are visually simple in shape and texture yet so pleasing to the eye and a wonderfully tactile object that fits perfectly in the palm of your hand.
Ever read how a chicken produces an egg….Fascinating!

I ended up really liking the shot of the eggs…they looked almost illustrative vs photographic to me, and the depth made me want to reach out & touch the image, maybe roll the eggs around a bit.

I started thinking that perhaps a better pairing with the eggs would be a chicken, and it just so happens that one of my crew members had recently been working on the “Taj Mahal” of chicken coops for his girlfriend’s city chickens. I ask about the possibility of booking a couple of chicks for a shoot and stopped by to take a look at the hens. I was intending to choose a solid white breed, but when I saw the gorgeously graphic black & white outfits of the Silver Laced Wyandottes, I chose two of these girls over the white Leghorn variety.

Once on set, hen #1- Hazel, was amazingly calm and cooperative. She had a bit of swagger and was quite the feathered prima donna. However hen #2 – Bertha, seemed to think we were the paparazzi and managed to avoid any appealing shots while she scowled, turned her back to the camera, gave me some mean looks and then just stomped off set, emphatically clucking “I quit.”    “Well, OK then Bertha …you just sit quietly please and eat a little corn while we give Hazel another shot…Thank-You-Very-Much”, says me.

But….we really had a blast working with Hazel…she was friendly and funny, provoking howls of laughter at times. She had lots of different looks, from coquettish to hawkish, and proved to be entertaining subject matter & a much better pairing for the egg shot!
Hope you agree…..

Tamara Reynolds is one of 11 photographers, from across the US, invited to participate in the Copyright Alliance Exhibit “Recording our History: Faces Behind the Camera”.

The exhibit runs for one week only starting 9/19/2011. The show is part of the Alliance’s ongoing efforts to educate the public about the value of copyright. It’s purpose is to show the importance of copyright protection to a photographer’s livelihood.

Reynolds chose her classic portrait of country music icon Johnny Cash for the exhibit.

View more of Tamara’s videos at her website www.tamarareynoldsphotography.com

Kudo's to Tamara Reynolds for getting lots of press this month! Reynolds is featured on PDN's PhotoServe.com site as one of their Portfolios of the Month for the month of July.              Also this month, Reynolds has an article on the Foundfolios blog about her work with "The Power of One" features for Reader's Digest. Reynolds has produced 12 videos to date for the magazine's iPad app. In the Found blog piece she talks in detail about what it … Read More

via RepGirl Inc's Blog

Several years ago, I started an herb garden in a large planting bed that runs along the front of the studio.
I had grown frustrated with finding really fresh herbs for food shoots & decided to grow my own.
Now we have beautiful fresh mint, sage, thyme, chives and rosemary available for any food shoot.
I really should put in some dill as its spidery grace is one of my favorites (and its sooo green, beautifully reproduced in rgb…dare I say cmyk does not do  its true limey green justice).
I’m always amazed when these herbs bloom…an added bonus for a shoot…gorgeous thyme with tiny white blossoms or dark green rosemary with contrasting purple blossoms.

Ok, so I got a bit carried away this spring & we put in two 4 x 8 raised garden beds (with much help from Erin & Scott).

So, what’s in the summer garden….cherry tomatoes, big boy tomatoes, cukes, yellow & zucchini squash, basil, snap peas, mini sweet peppers & purple potatoes, plus strawberries in additional containers.  We have definitely decided that farming is no easy job, bug issues, working in the hot hot sun….but the payoff has been delicious!

Besides having beautiful vegetables and their greenery & blossoms available for shoots….our mouths are watering anticipating that first summer tomato sandwich!
All of our clients seem to be as fascinated with the garden as we are…I keep getting e-mails asking “hows the garden growing?”

If you happen to be here for a shoot during harvest time you may find that the catering menu will look something like this:

fresh tomato sandwiches on ciabatta bread with basil mayo
marinated cucumbers & onions
black eye pea & summer squash salad
chocolate dipped strawberries & sliced watermelon

Hoping to share lunch with you this summer,
Lisa Adams