"Chef Chris"

Mike McCarty · 07-12-2003, 12:18 AM

I took these photos today at the Windsor Market where I have my studio. Next to my studio is a restaurant where I've been eating to much of the homemade pie that chef Chris creates.

This was just another opportunity to add to my photo ref. catalog. These pics were taken in the restaurant and were influenced by the overhead fluorescent fixtures.

Taken with my Nikon film camera with standard kodak 200 asa film.

Mike McCarty · 07-12-2003, 12:21 AM

here's another pose ...

Michele Rushworth · 07-12-2003, 10:16 AM

Great subject! Can you block out the overhead fluorescent lights when you do your studio photo shoots? Seems like all the light coming from everywhere is flattening the form too much.

Mike McCarty · 07-12-2003, 12:30 PM

I don't usually take my photos inside the market for this reason. There is a huge window wall of north light which I have to utilize, but it usually gets trumped to some degree by all the artificials.

This guy is usually so busy I felt lucky to get a few minutes of his time. So I spent about a half hour "shopping" for this background, always my first concern. There are thousands of props within a few feet so I just walked around for a few minutes and found (borrowed) the vase and flowers ($110 price tag!) I thought might help and threw it in. By the time I had it all set up he was only involved for maybe 3-4 minutes. Part of the reason for these hit and miss episodes is to help me learn the surroundings.

You mentioned the term "block" the over head light. Maybe my thinking was too complicated ... get a ladder and take the bulb out. Maybe I could just get a dark piece of cloth and pin it over the flat ceiling fixture, still need a ladder but they have those.

If I could find a way to control these lights it would be like working on a Hollywood set.

Michele Rushworth · 07-12-2003, 06:42 PM

Either way you reduce the overhead lighting would be fine, I think. You could take the bulbs out or cover them with something. (That might be a fire hazard if left in place too long, though. I don't know how hot they get.)

As to the props in the background, perhaps something that related to his profession might work well. Maybe you could convince him to sit again?

Cynthia Daniel · 07-20-2003, 12:03 AM

Mike,

Speaking of chefs, do you think this photo has portrait potential? It's my son. Of course, straightened. It was purposely taken crooked for drama in the magazine.

Michele Rushworth · 07-20-2003, 10:23 AM

Cynthia, thanks for posting this. I'm glad to see he has taken the creativity he seems to have inherited from you and put it to good use! What kind of cuisine does he create?

It's interesting that a photo displayed on an angle is something we will accept in a magazine but I have never seen this in a portrait painting.

(By the way, in my opinion, this photo would make a nice portrait!)

Cynthia Daniel · 07-20-2003, 11:24 AM

Michele,

Yes, I had the same thought about the angle. What kind of cuisine? I think when I call it New American he corrects me a bit. If you have any familiarity with Charlie Trotter's in Chicago, Charlie is one of John's great inspiration and this is where he is going to work. You can see the cuisine there. http://charlietrotters.com/restaurant/cuisine

John and 5 others went there to eat about a year and a half ago and they walked out with a bill of $2,000!!

Sorry Mike, I know this is off the subject. Just that your chef photo couldn't help but make me think of this photo of my son. Might be a good portrait for someone looking to still build a portfolio (with copyright okay, of course).

Timothy C. Tyler · 07-20-2003, 12:09 PM

Cynthia, I'll be in Chicago on Thursday and thought I'd just swing in and have lunch at your son's place until I saw the second to last paragraph!

Mike the pose is good but I think Michele is right about the light. Good round forms are essential to a happy painting. I look for temperature ranges (cool to warm) natural light will give you that. Morgan Weistling is great with temperatures-see his work. http://www.morganweistling.com/

Mike McCarty · 07-20-2003, 02:32 PM

Cynthia,

I don't see why this would not make a fine portrait. Tweaking the angles and other compositional details would not be difficult. If you could get your hands on a good dense copy of the image that would be best.