Kid Super-Villain

So an old friend from high school got in touch with me the other day through Facebook, and asked to do a photoshoot with her son. Of course I was all in, and instead of the hum-drum studio crap, we went on location of course.

I had this idea for a Kid super-hero shoot. I mean who doesn't like to dress up in costume and roam the streets of downtown Lexington, really?

As it turns out, we did a Super-Villain shoot instead. I got the amazing picture above, while walking back to the car at the end of the shoot. Sun setting in the background, silhouette, and a bit of photoshop work, and presto we have our villain Jacob (aka Anakin Skywalker) in a comic book page!

Lightsaber in action here! I selectively (re-colored) the lightsaber.

This is Jacob's best "death grip". This is where Jacob reaches out and strangles me by using the force. He probably is about ready to be done with the photoshoot!
I thought this was kind of cool..........Anakin in deep thought.
I need to photoshop in the darth vader mask.........
Watch out, unsuspecting photographer, lightsabers can cut through Nikon's like a hot knife through butter!

Needless to say, we had a blast. We actually took some more normal shots (location photography, of course) at the Henry Clay home as well. I will have to post those soon.

Get ready for Halloween! Cheers, Caleb

Breaking down "Allergic to Broke"

My most recent photoshoot involved some commercial work for the band "Allergic to Broke". You can check out their music here: http://soundcloud.com/bluepurpleandpink/.

I had planned the entire shoot in Victorian Square (Greg Howell's excellent recommendation), but actually some of my favorite shots were shot in a small parking lot that was still under construction right next to the square.

This shot was taken in the parking lot under a wild looking poker type light from above, and side lit camera right with a wireless flash.

Found this staircase in the parking lot area. The light was dying, but tried to get some high contrast lighting before the sun went back behind the clouds.

One of my favorite shots from the shoot...has more of a portrait flair. I am at the bottom of some stairs shooting up with a 55-200mm zoom. Wireless flash, camera right.

Back to the way cool parking lot and light. We just camped out here for a bit. I was totally digging this scene. The background is the natural texture from the parking lot, which I thought was cool as well. In this shot, I fired the wireless flash (camera right) through a "snoot" to get the focused light, and the big shadows.

The effect I was going for was their face being lit from above, but actually most of the faces are lit with the flash.

Flash, camera left, obviously, going for a big shadows, high contrast. Kind of reminds me of a walking scene from "Reservoir Dogs".

Finally got to Victorian square, more walking.

Bryan Sayler from Think Digital http://www.hirethink.com/ set up the shoot with me, and also was an excellent photo assistant throughout the shoot! You can see him holding my flash at the top of the stairs in this shot. Bryan does excellent web design work for various companies.

Setting up light stands for all the different locations we shot would have been very time consuming. Instead we moved from local to local, and rocked it out in an hour or so.

Finished up at Devassas for a cocktail! Loved the shoot, we had a blast. Good group of guys to work with. They started the shoot with a shot, then finished with a cocktail.......my kind of crew.

Serenity needed.......visit Shakertown.

Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill.

Not 25 miles from my home is an old shaker community that is now run as a museum/non-profit organization. The historic buildings have been preserved and maintained through the years. I have the privilege of hopping in my car, opening the sunroof , and driving like a amateur Monte Carlo driver through the weaving back roads of KY to get there. It was a wonderful, serene Sunday afternoon. Their website is here: http://www.shakervillageky.org/

The shot above was taken incognito at F22 with a 30s exposure; nothing special, I think they have one similar on their website......love the lines, though. (supposedly you have to have a permit to have a tripod)

Shakertown is wonderful for photography, a virtual mecca. Even on a Sunday afternoon with pretty harsh lighting, you can still get some great photos. Hopefully you enjoy some of these photos, as much as I enjoyed being there to taking them!

Hello Kitty; I am jealous!

Lots of neat rooms with nice rocking chairs.

Just like my dining set!

I had to kind of put some work into this one to make it half way interesting. Took the sky out because it sucked...middle of the day blue sky washed out. Used my new 35mm to focus on the hay roll on the left and somewhat blurr the background. Then switched it to black and white to further help the images terribleness as a stock color image.

On this photo, I focused on the middle broom with my 35mm at F1.8, burring the brooms around it to make it the central focal point. I love this photo; the brooms in natural window lighting..... turned out amazing.
I shot this photo at about 1/30 second to get good focus on the non-moving parts, but get the motion from the spinning wheel used to make clothing.

And he is.......hungry.........yes this horse is a he!!

And thats just a few of the shots I enjoyed most. Get out to shakertown soon; its a good time, and money well spent! If you are in need of serenity and peace, it will suffice. Great place to read a book, look around and escape reality for awhile.

Cheers,

Caleb

"Full Resolution" by Caleb Benton

Live life in Full Resolution;
Its too short to live it any other way.
Be true to yourself, and all those around you.
Let your flaws shine like stars in the night sky.
Never diminishing, always lingering
Achilles would be proud.
Let your attributes rise like the sun;
The closer, the brighter, don't water it down.
FullRes doesn't hold anything back.
You are exposed, illuminated, saturated.
Let minutiae go, and don't look back.
Leave Sodom in the rear view mirror.

The key is to believe in onesself,
Don't stutter, tell me what you think.
We can never see eye to eye
If your eyes are always closed, your feelings guarded.

So open your eyes, let your feelings flow,
Like water over the hillside.
Don't settle for the mundane.
Live life in full resolution,
And you will find full satisfaction!

"Portrait of a tree" by Caleb Benton

O tree on the shore of a pond so divine,
Reach out and leave the world behind.

Red, red leaves cover your face,
O may they never fall in place.

Wave your arms; blow me a kiss.

Laying here beside you is pure bliss.

Across the water your reflections show;

I see your face and it makes me glow.

Some see you stagnant, a still life, just a tree,
But I see you in the water, flowing and free.

Reflections of you ripple through my mind,

Shimmering, meandering, glowing, and kind.

One constant blush that never ends,

You show your feelings and I soak in.

When you are naked and bare,

Your beauty is lost in the cold, thin air.

I can't see you that way; I must look away.

I see the best in you, nothing less every day.

Till next season, till next year,
Remain here, in my mind, my dear.

"M and M pancakes"

Chocolate chips never had a chance,
Because the M and M's were making romance.
They got in the dough, on the flipside, you know.
And melt in your mouth like snow in a warm glow.

M and M's, inside, all around, and in between,
Milk chocolate for the soul in the after glow
Syrup get down from your thrown; your crown has been undone.
There is no need for your sweetness anymore,
Not with the bright colors of the rainbow interlaced evermore.

Too much of a good thing, just makes the good marvelous.
It makes the Marvelous, Fantastic, the Fantastic, Heavenly.
Remember nothing can be too sweet, too rich,
Blast your mouth with pleasure and give it a treat.

So bask in the colors of the rainbow, give them a chance
Leave the subtle to the dull; fill your pancake to the brim.
Suck the life right out of an M and M!

“Kobe’s Steakhouse, roll on in”

Kobe, nestled in Beaumont, next to Azure, is a fine place to indulge in some great sushi. The Sushi is fantastic from simple spicy tuna rolls to elaborate rolls with combinations of delectable fish layered with artful precision. Alex, the sushi chef/owner, puts fried tempura in many of the rolls. Alex says that not many other sushi restaurants take the trouble because of the time it takes to make the tempura batter at the beginning of the day. He, of course, insists that his sushi is the best in town, and it’s hard to argue.

The sushi experience is nothing less than pure ecstasy. It makes a filet mignon taste like steak found in the discount meat section; you know the meat with one last day before it hits the garbage can. Alex says the “blood horse roll” is the #1 roll in the restaurant, I suppose that is why it is first on the list of premier rolls. It has fried shrimp wrapped in a blanket of sushi rice with crab on top. This kicked up roll has some serious spice with sriracha sauce drizzled over the top

Sushi aside, the best part about this restaurant is the chef; he is the reason there are so many loyal customers in the seats. If you don’t sit front, center at the sushi bar, then you are missing out. Watching Alex is a pleasure because he is doing what he loves. He is a kind man who has fun with his guests, jokes with them, consoles them, and laughs with them. The many times I have ordered take out I have never called ahead, because then I would miss out on watching and talking with Alex. I love ease dropping into his conversation with his guests. He always makes them feel at home, and never waits a split second to roll out a compliment.

On one occasion I listened to a man tell Alex that his daughter had recently been robbed at gunpoint, but that thank goodness, all was well. Alex never said a word, he just let the man vent the anger and frustration he had with the world that we live in. The man said he was going to get a gun because he did not feel safe any more. Alex nodded on several occasions, and diligently put the order together. That was one of the more somber moments I can ever remember at a restaurant. I know this, however, the man knew that Alex genuinely cared, and that’s the reason he could talk about matters so grim and from the heart.

Alex reminds me of the people of Japan. He is an incredibly hard worker, a man with a big heart, a person who enjoys a laugh, but most of all, enjoys making others laugh. His patrons fight for his attention like children looking up to a parent. His family helps run the business at Kobe; they reflect his kindness.

Sushi, sake, and Kiren what else could you ask for? Let the fish melt in your mouth; let the kiren roll down your throat, and let the compliments roll. Trust me, if you eat here, you will be thinking about the meal well into the next day; there is just nothing that can compare. So give in, roll on in, sit at the bar, and order the anything roll. Its the best roll in the restaurant.......