10.21.08
backwoods getaway
I am now two degrees from one of my photographic gods, Bruce Weber.
I have to give a huge shout out to Jeff Holt, my producer, for pulling this shoot together on our shoestring budget. It would not have happened without him. Thank you, thank you, thank you Jeff!
Last week I headed East to create an outdoors shoot in the hills of North Carolina. Working with Brandon Russell, one of the carpenters from Trading Spaces, and a former A&F model, we spent several days together in the Appalachian Mountains bumpin' extremely loud tunes, off-roadin' and flat out having a blast.
Kelly Ng:
wow! you are my new idol! these are amazing!
(12.31.08 08:33 AM)
Stevi Savage:
I have been sharing this post with everyone i know! love it!
(11.02.08 07:52 PM)
Lydia:
Wow, these are so awesome!
(10.29.08 12:32 PM)
ryel j:
such beautiful work!
(10.24.08 06:01 PM)
Kelly Ley:
Very inspiring images...I adore your work...you really captured such great emotion in these photos!!
(10.24.08 12:27 PM)
denise bovee:
um wow!
(10.24.08 01:50 AM)
FRED EGAN:
Jackie <<< I need to get my editorials on? I'm workin' on it :-D
(10.24.08 12:57 AM)
FRED EGAN:
Nathan <<< I try to work lightly when I'm shooting available light...so no reflectors. The shots inside the cabin are lit by one off camera strobe placed above my camera. No umbrellas ;)
(10.24.08 12:55 AM)
Simon P:
These are seriously awesome!!! Your work grows more impressive by the day Mr Egan, your a true inspiration.
(10.23.08 02:07 PM)
Alex Vannoy:
All I can say is FREAKING AWESOME! It seems to me you have a lot of trouble taking bad photos. HAHA. I'm always looking forward to seeing what new amazing work you have to offer; it always gets me pumped for my next photo shoot.
(10.23.08 11:36 AM)
Heather Espana:
These are AWESOME. What will you use them for? Was it just for some amazing fun, or are you selling them as stock photos? What's the scoop? Curious :).
(10.22.08 11:47 PM)
Vickey Weiss:
All I can say is.... you rock. I can't get enough of your work. And as a former A&F manager (we've chatted about that before) You are so there - Bruce Weber eat your heart out!
(10.22.08 05:20 PM)
Joanna Garcia:
O my goodness!! I want a shoot like this and go on a shoot like this and wait...shoot like this!
Freakin amazing!!! How much for a shoot like this?
(10.22.08 04:15 PM)
Heather Thorne:
simply fabulous. I wanna tag along on one of these! :)
(10.22.08 03:50 PM)
nathan coe:
B...eeee..aaaaaa....utiful images. I love the whole feel and energy. The lighting is amazing!! Did you use reflectors? and the flash shots...are they just off camera strobes or did you use umbrellas? Very cool, love your stuff.
(10.22.08 03:48 PM)
Jeff Soo:
great set! can i just say that you are one lucky guy to shoot such beautiful people?!
(10.22.08 03:22 PM)
Jackie L.:
These are beyond amazing! Love the whole attitude of the shoot! It's so intimate yet fun...great, great, great work!
(10.22.08 02:45 PM)
September:
AH-MAZING. Enough said. (I'm stealing the tree pic btw)
(10.22.08 02:24 PM)
Jenae:
ammmmazing! loving it!
(10.22.08 02:19 PM)
christin:
LOVE the life in these images. Just gorgeous. Gotta love that NC lighting too this time of year. Amazing. Love your work!
(10.22.08 01:54 PM)
FRED EGAN:
Stephan <<< Regarding the dog, she behaved so well because she was trained. That horse I was working with, however, was not. Dog...good. Horse...not so much.
(10.22.08 11:40 AM)
FRED EGAN:
Renee <<< I do these types of shoots for my heart. My motivation is that I LOVE to create these types of images...and eventually I want to work for clients that want these types of images. These are being used to build my book.
(10.22.08 11:32 AM)
FRED EGAN:
Greer <<< I used my 35mm 1.4 and 50mm 1.2 during this shoot.
(10.22.08 11:31 AM)
FRED EGAN:
Martin <<< It's definitely the best set of images I've produced, thanks bro.
(10.22.08 11:28 AM)
Blair Van Bussel:
WOW!!!! i cant get over how fun and beautiful these are. This light is to die for! Looks like you guys had an awesome time too!
(10.22.08 11:03 AM)
Zekeshem Parsons:
Fred! AWESOME WORK! I agree with a previous comment, I feel so inspired seeing your images! Keep on rockin' it, and take care! :)
(10.22.08 07:55 AM)
johnny b waire:
what a sick shoot! incredible imaging. the comments before me stole all of the good adjectives that come to mind. crazy good shite. well done.
(10.22.08 06:33 AM)
Brian Khang:
Wow Fred these are insane! Great work!
(10.22.08 12:59 AM)
Martin Wolf:
I think this is the best I've ever seen from you. The photos are so clean and bright. They really transport this feeling of joy to me. This series is amaaaaaazing, fred! :)
(10.22.08 12:44 AM)
Jeremy Gilliam:
Between this and PCH, your passion projects rock
(10.22.08 12:25 AM)
MARCO:
Mr. C, you've outdone yourself again. The only thing better would be Backwoods Mammoth Men
(10.22.08 12:14 AM)
matt sloan:
great job Bro-seph!
(10.21.08 11:02 PM)
Renee Booe:
This shots are so awesome. So question. Why do you do these types of shoots? What is your motivation? Is it just for your portfolio or is it for a client? Just interested. I really love your work!
(10.21.08 10:44 PM)
Greer%20Rivera:
Very inspiring!
What lenses did you use shooting these?
(10.21.08 10:40 PM)
josh elliott:
dude, this is amazing. so inspiring.
(10.21.08 09:17 PM)
Lara @ Southern Weddings:
What a FANTASTIC shoot! I want to come next time!
(10.21.08 09:10 PM)
Mikael:
one comment: Yummy!
(10.21.08 08:45 PM)
jeremy parsons:
Killer, bro. Just killer.
(10.21.08 08:29 PM)
Kevin Cooke:
Holy freak Fred. Amazing pictures!!!!!!!
(10.21.08 08:29 PM)
fromBrandon:
Wow, those pictures are great, and I especially love the slideshow. Very cool.
(10.21.08 07:45 PM)
brooke schwab:
Hey Fred. I love NC. The photos are wonderful! I was a guide at a youth camp there for 2 summers and got to spend night and day there so it is almost home to me. We raised pigs and our own veggies. I spent many of nights sleeping in a cabin and making breakfast in the wood burning stove. I chopped a ton of wood and slept with one too many mice those summers. The girls look a lot cleaner than i did!
(10.21.08 07:39 PM)
raya:
pretty awesome fred egan, pretty awesome.
(10.21.08 06:08 PM)
jackie wonders:
holy abercrombie! these are spectacular! you need to get your editorials on!
(10.21.08 06:05 PM)
Amy Martin:
So, so, so good Fred! Work it out! :)
(10.21.08 05:57 PM)
Kari Crowe:
sexy...sexy
(10.21.08 05:38 PM)
Dennis:
What a great time....almost doesn't look like work. Good stuff.....
(10.21.08 04:51 PM)
Stephan Maloman:
Awesome job dude. How the hell did you get that dog to cooperate like that? Drugs?
(10.21.08 04:37 PM)
Lezlie:
Speechless...absolutely speechless. These photos are...well "sick" doesn't even begin to describe them.
(10.21.08 04:28 PM)
Carl Reid:
Dangerous...I also saw your message on twitter. Similar to Photosmith's question, how do you select a producer???
(10.21.08 04:23 PM)
PhotoSmith - Sarah e. Smith:
wow! these are ridiculously awesome!!! oh and by the way...how does one get a producer...would love to learn more??? :)
(10.21.08 04:07 PM)
Akil Bennett:
hey man, great shoot!
(10.21.08 04:03 PM)
Jeff Holt:
Um, yeah... WOW, well done man!! What an awesome experience... Looking forward to next time!
(10.21.08 03:56 PM)
Kerry:
Saw your comment on Twitter and viewed about 6 pages of your website. Yes, you have the eye. Beautiful work.
(10.21.08 03:54 PM)
Foster Cryer:
Awesome shoot and I would have to agree that these shots are right out of an AF catalog . . . I'd love to know more about this shoot like what you shot with and if you're feeling generous, what you used for the post-processing. But once again, these are some awesome shots!
(10.21.08 03:52 PM)
dawn:
holy smokes, those are H-O-T sizzle, sizzle!
(10.21.08 03:49 PM)
Mikael:
one comment: Yummy!
(10.21.08 03:48 PM)
Brandon Yarde:
Loving this Photo session Fred
(10.21.08 03:45 PM)
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10.21.08
u.k. invasion mix
The British are coming! With the drop of Oasis, Keane and Snow Patrol's albums this month...I put together a few of my favorite Brit rockers. Cheers!
(exit RSS readers to view iMix)
Steve Gerrard:
Here's some others you may have missed Fred...
Elbow
The Kills
Idlewild
The Courteeners
The Last Shadow Puppets
The Zutons
And if you like Snow Patrol definitely check out The Reindeer Section.
(11.14.08 07:54 AM)
FRED EGAN:
Camille <<< I'm looking forward to Snow Patrol's release later this month also. I listened to one of their new yet to be released songs and it sounds promising!
(10.24.08 12:59 AM)
Camille Elise:
So excited for Snow Patrol's cd release!! They nudged up on my top five of all time when I saw them live....chocolate is definetly the best from final straw.
(10.21.08 02:06 PM)
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10.20.08
through the viewfinder
Taking a five minute break to develop a couple image from last week's shoot in North Carolina...enjoy.
Vanessa M:
Wow! I love the processing on the first image. Any insight on how to create this effect or is it a trade secret? :-) I love your work and am a huge fan!
(10.29.08 10:38 PM)
FRED EGAN:
Britney <<< Thanks for coming out of the blog reader closet :)
(10.24.08 01:01 AM)
FRED EGAN:
Carl <<< Yeah, I could teach the technique/theory behind it...camera cruise?
(10.24.08 01:00 AM)
lauren clark:
AWESOME!!!!
(10.21.08 10:07 PM)
Carl Reid:
The 2nd shot absolutely fantastic...do you teach this "viewfinder" technique!??!
(10.21.08 11:17 AM)
FRED EGAN:
Linhbergh <<< Thanks for sharing your thoughts with me :) I'm not sure if you are familiar with the "through the viewfinder" technique but it's defined as taking a picture of any subject through the viewfinder of any camera with another camera. So I can appreciate your opinion that the framing takes away from the image, but that's just how the image is created.
(10.20.08 10:53 PM)
Caroline Joy:
Fred, it was so great to meet you the other night! Definitely let me know if you come through A-town! Lovin' the second shot there. :)
(10.20.08 09:41 PM)
Linhbergh:
I absolutely love the first one. The only thing I'm not liking is the distressed/film framing. I personally think it takes away from the image. I see what direction you're going for, but somehow it just isn't coming across like, I think, how it should.
The second one is fantastic though. The framing works well here.
(10.20.08 05:13 PM)
Britney Almaguer:
While both of the shots are amazing, the second is just downright inspiring. I dig it so much I wish I taken it. Never have posted on here, but always check in to see the "latest and greatest of Fred". Keep it up.
(10.20.08 04:33 PM)
Jamie Delaine:
Ack, can you please stop being so AMAZING? Sheesh. I love that first shot; feels so personal and up-close--I love when I get that feeling from an image.
(10.20.08 03:56 PM)
PhotoSmith - Sarah e. Smith:
Nice TTV shots! I love using my Duaflex and various other viewfinder camera...haven't used them in a while though, you've inspired me to get them out again!
(10.20.08 02:57 PM)
Chase G:
Awesome. Thanks for this 5 minute break. Haha
(10.20.08 01:59 PM)
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10.16.08
swells and lulls
The wedding photography business is cyclical...made up of swells and lulls...up time and down time. This can be challenging artistically and financially; which is why it's important to be shooting your own projects during the lulls in your year. I just wrapped a personal shoot (Backwoods Getaway) up in the Carolinas that I collaborated on with my friend/producer Jeff Holt. Your projects don't have to be big budget if you have a network to work within...but you will have to spend some money. It may mean you purchase a nice wedding dress to shoot an ideal bridal session, bring a hair/makeup artist on location, hire a model or all of the above. We produced this shoot on a shoestring budget and got great results.
Jeff, models, me and models right after wrap.
Chimping so the models can see what I like and what I don't like when shooting our action scenes.
Shawna Allen:
Wha? You were in the Carolinas and didn't even stop by to say hi? I'm crushed :) Can't wait to see the pics!
(10.17.08 06:53 PM)
Jamie:
Can't wait to see the photos! Sheesh, some people in this world were just born to be models--holy hotness. Hah!
(10.17.08 03:57 PM)
Mabyn:
Your nuggets of wisdom taste great with a little ranch dressing! ;o)
This is so true, not only do I recharge my creative juices on shoots like this but I learn more about my craft as well. It's the time I get to experement, and who cares if it doesn't work.
I look forward to the results of your shoe string shoot.
(10.17.08 03:14 PM)
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10.15.08
business socks
"It's business, it's business TIME! That's what you're tryin' to say let's get down to biz---"
Uhhhh...hello everyone. Before we get started, I should ask something really important. Are we still feelin' the turtleneck???
Amy asks,
"How do you get your graduate clients to loosen up in front of the camera? Or is it natural for them?"
I'm assuming by "loosen up" in front of the camera you're referring to their jumping on beds, rockin' out to their iPods and laughin' hysterically...? One, you really need to have a handle on pop culture. What are kids listening to? Where do they spend their time on the web? What movies are they watching and what are they doing in their spare time? If you are older than 30, you are going to have a harder time establishing a foundation of relatability with the graduate market so you'll have to work harder. Subscribe to Teen Vogue, Cosmo Girl and Nylon to get started on your teen pop culture education. The next time The Black Kids rolls through your city, pony up for the cover.
Second, play music during the shoot as often and loud as possible...their music. And yell, "Yeah Baby!" in your best British accent after every 7th shot.
Third, demonstrate what you want.
Lastly, loosening up comes natural to my graduate clients. They exhibit cultured taste, read interesting books, listen to indie bands and take up diverse hobbies...but most importantly, they don't take themselves too seriously.
Jamie Delaine:
Ok, so one of my friends just showed me the Flight of the Concords youtube video about Business Time. Now, I see that you quoted it. That is the most hilarious video ever. I think I almost cried.
(11.15.08 01:47 PM)
Jamie Delaine:
Ah, great post! Even though I graduated last year, I am going to hire you to take my "grad" pictures someday! Even if it takes four years or so. I LOVE your graduate work; helpful post! Thanks again.
(10.16.08 04:21 PM)
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10.14.08
william fitzsimmons
The world needed to discover the tales of William Fitzsimmons long before I did. I say this in all gravity, this is more than likely one of the best folk albums I've ever experienced. Quite possibly the best album I've ever listened to, period. He touches on the human condition more eloquently and honestly than anyone I know.
Jory and I were talking the other night while singing out loud to his brilliant tunes, and I realized one of the reasons I've formed such an affinity for his songs...they are not lyrically abstract.
It's as if he reached down into my broken heart and created this honest beauty from it. The Sparrow and the Crow rarely plays without tears accompanying Fitzsimmon's delicately crafted songs. I believe that's why I'm enthralled with his latest project: the tears serve as an outward manifestation of pain...and the pain, in turn, reminds me that I'm still alive. He's managed to document the relational progression between two people over 12 songs...brutal honesty, consequence, forgiveness, hope, etc. Hands down, the most impressive concept album to grace my iTunes library to date.
FRED EGAN:
Ashley <<< "I Don't Feel It Anymore" breaks my heart and chokes the tears from my eyes. I love that whole album, it's simply beautiful.
(10.24.08 12:51 AM)
ashley PARSONS:
we recently discovered him as well. "I don't feel it anymore" might be the most beautiful and deep song I've ever heard.
(10.22.08 11:05 PM)
FRED EGAN:
Wrecklessgirl <<< And I cannot NOT thank you for introducing me to The Sparrow and the Crow :-)
(10.14.08 11:21 AM)
FRED EGAN:
Poser <<< I'll have to go check him out again.
(10.14.08 10:15 AM)
Poser:
man, that album sounds so much like denison witmer's safe away i gave you the first night we hung out. really good dude.
(10.14.08 10:07 AM)
Jamie:
OH WILLIAM! I just heard about him probably two weeks ago!!! Kristy (wrecklessgirl) showed me a duet of King of Wishful Thinking he sang with Ingrid--AMAZING!
(10.14.08 09:49 AM)
Kenny Kim:
I got to see him perform in Chicago. You are right he is talented. I very much enjoyed him and Brooke Fraser. I'm guessing you already know about her but if not, check her out!
(10.14.08 09:38 AM)
Michelle:
I went to College with William and I discovered his music a couple years ago. It's fun to see how many people know about him now. He is an amazing artist!
(10.14.08 08:35 AM)
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10.13.08
817.966.9990
See that number up there? If you call it you will not get an Indian tech support representative...you won't receive a solicitation from your credit card company for an awards program...and you won't get a male escort service (...for now).
For the first time I'm--OK, maybe second time...for the second time I'm willing to candidly share whatever I know via iChat video/phone consultation. If you are just starting your wedding/portrait photography biz, now is the time to pick my brain about branding, Look Books (ever wanted to see the whole thing???), the complete story of how I got started [unrated and uncut version], developing your eye, why I don't use Photoshop, what really happens on the Mammoth Men trips [again, unrated and uncut version] and other tales of how to be...well...interesting. Anything is game.
If you're even thinking about dialing digits, do it fast. I'm only accepting 5 more phone consultations at $250/hour. Email me at fred@fredegan.com with the subject line "We Need to Talk" and tell me when you want to pow-wow. If you ever thought it would be nice to have me in your back pocket as a friend, this is a good start in getting to know each other...just sayin'. Also, I'll dish out my iChat screen name so you can hit me up in the future with little nuggets of curiosity.
carl Reid:
Great idea...we all can use help trying to grow our business especially during these hard times. If you don't mind I linked your blog to my blog for our Canadian photogs to participate as well. http://attachedphotography.blogspot.com/
Carl
(10.18.08 08:39 PM)
Kim:
I am dying to take a peek at a Look Book. the consult is so worth it on the otherhand, knowing myself, I would spend just an entire hour yappin' about the weather. And the conversation would end with Fred just telling me to get a life!
(10.14.08 02:53 PM)
FRED EGAN:
Brandon <<< What can I do? I can offer consulting via phone where I'll divulge whatever knowledge you want dropped ;-)
(10.14.08 10:17 AM)
frombrandon:
You definitely need to do a post now on your post processing. You can't just leave all of us poor photographers out to dry. :o) What do you do, Fred?
(10.13.08 11:40 PM)
Sharron:
I'm with the others. Sounds like an awesome chat, but money is an issue. No Photoshop? What do you use? Capture One? Aperture?
(10.13.08 10:59 PM)
Hannah Suh:
Would love to chat it up with you on iChat, but it isn't the cards for me right now. But what a great opportunity for the people who CAN take advantage of this right now. Everyone should have a Fred Egan in their pockets. :)
(10.13.08 10:09 PM)
Pat Sullivan:
Glad to hear the photoshop bit, gives me that much more respect for your work. I think it takes too long anyway, I am a recovering user myself.
(10.13.08 09:45 PM)
Thomas Wilson:
Man I wish! Sounds like a great opportunity but Money is a big issue right now. What stuck me is that you do not use Photoshop! What do you use? Also over the last 2 years of reading your blog I always wanted to ask about your equipment, Nikon or Canon?
(10.13.08 09:41 AM)
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