International Civil Rights Center & Museum

(Photograph copyright 2010 by Dan Routh)

Greensboro is preparing itself this weekend for the long anticipated opening of the International Civil Rights Center & Museum. The museum will be located in the old Woolworth building on North Elm Street, site of a historic sit-in. Fifty years ago Monday, February 1st, four African-American students from North Carolina A&T University began a sit-in at the all white lunch counter at Woolworth which led to a change in the racial policy there and had a profound effect on the country's Civil Rights movement. The museum will house the original lunch counter as well as exhibits on the Civil Rights movement from other places. Monday morning there will be the official ribbon cutting and opening of the museum, which will draw visitors and officials from around the country. I am proud to be covering this historical event.

Old Bottle

(Photograph copyright 2010 by Dan Routh)

Old glass bottle still life photograph from my continuing project on the green table in my den.

Loading Feed

(Photograph copyright 2010 by Dan Routh)

Neighbor Bobby Bradds loads hog feed at the local mill in Julian, North Carolina. It's an old style feed mill where farmers can still bring their own grain and have it custom ground. Bobby raises "farm raised" pork for the local Greensboro market. His hogs are allowed to roam in a pasture and not shut up in commercial pens, part of the rising "slow food" movement in our area.

Men's Casual Fashion Photography

(Photograph copyright 2010 by Dan Routh)

Commercial casual fashion photography, Greensboro, North Carolina.

Tennis Racquet

(Photograph copyright 2010 by Dan Routh)

Commercial still-life photograph.

Friday Fashion from the Files

(Photograph copyright 2010 by Dan Routh)

From time to time I post a photograph from my film days. This is an outdoor apparel image from a few years back. It's good sometimes to look back to where you came from to help you see where you're going.

The Neighbor's Cow

(Photograph copyright 2010 by Dan Routh)

Photograph of Jersey cow, Grays Chapel, North Carolina.

From a Walk Down the Street

(Photograph copyright 2010 by Dan Routh)

The area near my studio/office in Greensboro is the antique district and has several really good antique shops. I stepped into one yesterday on my way back from lunch and found this still-life of old wooden type.

Egg and Feathers, Photographs on the Green Table

Today's photographs are from a project I started almost accidentally. We have an old green painted table in our den that sits in front of a large window. The texture of the wood in the tabletop is extraordinary and the natural light that rakes across at different times of day and during different weather conditions is equally wonderful. I have started shooting still-life photographs on the old table, mostly very simple objects, things I find around my home and things that have very special meanings to me personally. I've already posted a couple of images from the project (my Grandpa's knife and my Grandma's thimble). The photographs today are an egg and feathers from our small chicken flock. I will post more in the coming days and weeks. With the business climate and the cold weather keeping me at home more than usual, sometimes you don't need to go far to find subjects.

(Photographs copyright 2010 by Dan Routh)

Work Image and Post-Processing

(Photograph copyright 2010 by Dan Routh)

This image is from a recent commercial shoot. For this blog, I do a considerable amount of post-processing to my photographs. I look at a blog as a venue for experimenting and trying new things. How much is enough? Actually, I think enough to produce the feeling that I'm after in a photograph. Digital imaging has made it easier to do such work, but it's nothing new. In film days we used to do all sorts of lab techniques and duping processes to produce the looks we wanted. It just took a little longer and was sometimes a little messier. Even black and white master Ansel Adams talked about the negative being the score and the print being the performance. A raw digital file is merely an electronic negative and it is up to each of us to decide where to take it.

Mushroom Cluster

(Photograph copyright 2010 by Dan Routh)

A cluster of mushrooms forms a patterned design in my backyard.

Pier

(Photograph copyright 2010 by Dan Routh)

Pier, Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina.

Grandma's Thimble

(Photograph copyright 2010 by Dan Routh)

Still-life photograph from a cold Sunday afternoon.

Pig Picking

It was pretty cold this past weekend, but not cold enough to stop neighbor Tommy Routh from continuing with his annual "pig picking" for friends and neighbors at Goat Lady Dairy in Grays Chapel. A 200 pound free range hog raised by his son-in-law Bobby, split in half and cooked slow for about 15 hours until the meat falls off the bones. This is the "whole hog", with a choice of ham, shoulder, rib and tenderloin. I'm primarily a vegetarian these days, but I freely admit I did have to try some. Excellent.



(Photographs copyright 2010 by Dan Routh)

Back to Bad Contracts

In an earlier post I talked about a bad contract I received for a stock photograph a publisher wished to use as a book cover. The original contract had all kinds of language allowing reuse and copyright options that were unnecessary for such a transaction. I told the publisher that I would not sign any such contract, but I would sell one time usage for the stock image for a fee and nothing else. After negotiating and sending proposals back and forth, we settled on a contract that spelled out exactly what I offered originally. They bought one time usage for a cover for a specific book and nothing else. I don't know why they sent me their original contract, maybe they hoped I wouldn't read it, but the whole exercise was not needed for a one time simple use. Moral of the story; read any contract you receive and be willing to say no until you can negotiate the sale to what you want to sell and to what the client actually needs.

Ad Photography. Young Man with Freckles.

(Photograph copyright 2010 by Dan Routh)

Portrait photography out-take from an ad campaign.

Need a Photographer? Then Find a Photographer.

In need of a photographer for your commercial or editorial project, or even your portrait in Greensboro, North Carolina? Then by all means, give me a call. But, if for some reason I’m not available, or if you need a photographer in another city and you don’t want to send me, or if you just don’t feel I’m right for the job, then take a look at the ASMP (American Society of Media Photographers) service “Find a Photographer”. On the national site, there is a listing by geographic area and specialty for the whole country with contact information and portfolios of member photographers. The national link is http://asmp.org/find-a-photographer. Most chapters also have their own listings. ASMP-NC, the chapter for North Carolina members has a link just for this state at http://asmp-nc.org/Find-a-Photographer.php. In either case, you are provided with a comprehensive list of established and experienced professionals that can fill your needs in completing your next photography project.

"Founded in 1944, the American Society of Media Photographers (originally the Society of Magazine Photographers and later the American Society of Magazine Photographers) is the leading trade association for photographers who photograph primarily for publication. ASMP promotes photographers' rights, educates photographers in better business practices, produces business publications for photographers and helps buyers find professional photographers. ASMP has 39 chapters across the country and its members include many of the world’s foremost photographers." (from www.asmp.org)

PS. For all of you with IPhones, there is a Find a Photographer app available for your phone.

Friday Still Life Photograph

(Photograph copyright 2009 by Dan Routh)

We're going through one of the longest cold snaps we've had in North Carolina in several years, and today an arctic blast has hit us again, so I've been working inside the last few days. The photograph is a studio still life of some old gears, a study in shape and texture.

Portrait Photography, Lady in Blue

(Photograph copyright 2010 by Dan Routh)

Portrait from a retirement community, High Point, North Carolina.

Charleston Door

(Photograph copyright 2010 by Dan Routh)

Old doorway, Charleston, South Carolina.

Winter Farming

When cold and messy weather comes, most of us can duck inside and get away from it. On a dairy farm, it means dealing with it head on. Cows have to be milked and fed twice a day whether it's sunny and warm or frigid and nasty. Michael Williams of Williams Dairy south of Greensboro, North Carolina handles it every day.



(Photographs copyright 2010 by Dan Routh)

My Grandpa's Pocket Knife

(Photograph copyright 2010 by Dan Routh)

A prized possession of mine is my Grandfather's pocket knife. For a farmer, his knife is a tool he carries constantly and uses daily. It's a history, a document of a life of work. Each spot of wear is a story in itself.

Portrait on Elm Street

(Photograph copyright 2010 by Dan Routh)

Jennifer. Greensboro, North Carolina.