Steve Gibson Photography: Blog

Kansas City Niads

Wed, 08 Mar 2017 19:50:48 GMT

I've had a fascination with Kansas City's fountains for years. It started years ago when I got to work on a book project call Kansas City, The City Of Fountains. I've taken photos of many of the fountains in town, and always enjoy coming across a new one I didn't know was there. And as all of us Kansas Citians know, we are the city of fountains.

I wanted to do a project that related to the fountains in a way I hadn't come across....using the mythological Naiad. Since the Naiad is from mythology, I wanted a etherial, spiritual feel to the images. This is one from my show that I had of 10 images. Enjoy!

Kansas City is pretty cool!

Thu, 09 Feb 2017 20:23:13 GMT

Many people agree, Kansas City has some great stuff....sports teams, The Kansas City Royals, Sporting KC and The Kansas City Chiefs. We've got some really great food and micro breweries and distilleries. With all of this great stuff, I still am drawn to an icon of the KC skyline, the Power and Light Building. Its recently gone through a transformation to become apts/condos and lots of great restoration. It is building that everyone knows in town. I am always viewing it when I drive or walk around the downtown area, searching for new glimpses or angles to view it. I could post the hundred or so pictures I have of it....but here are just a few from my collection. Enjoy

Sailing or a photo opportunity?

Wed, 22 Jun 2016 20:11:41 GMT

A made a trip to Florida to see my good friends Peter & Christy. They have a sail boat...and they are in Florida, and I live in the midwest.....and he's a fellow photographer....why wouldn't I want to go! I intended to do some relaxing while down there and take a photo of Peter with his dog Beau for a project you can find on my website of photographers and their dogs. Part of our trip was to sail to St. Petersburg and spend the night anchored in the marina. Well it just so happened that the day we sailed into St. Petersburg, there was a sailing regatta happening. And to get to where we were to anchor, we had to sail through (not dangerously) the middle of the regatta. Since my friends live on the boat, it just so happened that Peter had a long 400mm lens handy, and, well, being a photographer, I just had to shoot some images of this event from a perspective not lots of people get to....right out on the water near the boats. Oh, and then on the sail back, we just happened (once again good luck) upon a wind surfer at a great time of day for light that couldn't have been surfing any better for pictures...I think he was posing for us. Enjoy a few photo snipits!

A little Happenstance

Tue, 17 Nov 2015 16:18:47 GMT

I was taking a little time one afternoon to take some pictures with my friend Julie. It's something I've done any number of times with her...we have fun exploring places and seeing what we can capture. But this occasion was different. Julie didn't bring her camera, as she was supposed to be my subject, along with her ever present sidekick hound, Sara. We had picked a spot in town to head out to, but before we left she just grabbed a hat to put on. Julie always has a knack for having found interesting things at stores she goes to, so seeing the old style logo'd hat was nothing out of the ordinary. We went about my shoot for a project I am working on, and we came along this sign. It then hit me that the sign and hat were the same...and that I had to make a portrait of just Julie (and the hat and the sign). I went out that day to make a certain image, and came back with a great photo by happenstance. Thanks Julie!

Photography on Fashion

Sun, 30 Aug 2015 16:49:39 GMT

Nobody I know would ever think I was going to help create fashion...and neither did I. But for the past nine months I have been working with a local Kansas City designer, Heidi Herrman to create a series of dresses that embody iconic images of Kansas City. She came to me and discussed the idea, wanting to somehow use photographs I took to be printed on the fabrics. I was excited and nervous all at the same time. I wondered how I would make these iconic Kansas City things translate onto something someone would want to wear. I didn't want it to be just my photograph on fabric, I wanted it to be more artistic. So I spent many hours trying different things with the images...making collages, transforming parts of the photo to be placed somewhere else in the photo and so on. So we forged ahead, and created an initial 5 dress line for the West 18th Street Fashion Show in June. Before that show, I had a thought....wouldn't it be great to photograph the dresses with their Kansas City Icon? Heidi and I both agreed that would make for some great imagery. You can find those five dresses with their icons in the September issue of KC Magazine. For that shoot we enlisted a local milliner, Amina Wyrick Hood to add some extra style to the outfits.

Now we didn't want to stop with just 5 designs, we came up with 5 more dresses. All of the 10 designs will be shown at Kansas City Fashion Week in September at Union Station. Come out to that event, you will get to see some great fashion, and enjoy some Kansas City Icons.

The Beauty of Horses

Fri, 17 Apr 2015 17:23:40 GMT

I've always had a fascination with horses. The texture of their hair, the color of their eyes, the strength in their bodies...it makes pictures. So I asked a friend of mine to pose for a photo with another friend of mines horse. I wanted a serene setting that was just fields for the image. Luckily we had one right next to the barn. Shelley wasn't used to horses' as big as this one (Shelley is nearly 6ft) and he was excited to be out of his regular area. Its was a fun shoot full of excitement (horse got loose), but everyone ended up safe, and great memories and images were made.

Film Makes Me Happy

Tue, 17 Feb 2015 21:46:39 GMT

Chicago, 2015

I've mentioned this before, but I like film photography. The not knowing if you really got the shot...the anticipation of waiting till your film is processed. Don't get me wrong, film makes me slow down and be more methodical about my images, but I still don't have that immediacy of seeing the image and knowing 100%, like with digital cameras.

I also really like the square format of my medium format Hasselblad. Sometimes I think I was always meant to see things square. I’m happy when I look through the viewfinder, and it’s square, not rectangular like my DSLR. It’s a nice change of pace from my everyday view.

Anyway, this is a shot I took while I was recently in Chicago on a project. I took some time one morning to go hunting images and came back with this one. I found the repetition of the two buildings windows, paired with the curved lines of the center building and the reflections of each other inside of each other quite the visual stimulant.

Enjoy

The Conversation

Fri, 19 Dec 2014 23:26:47 GMT

I've been trying lately to get back to my roots on some personal projects, film photography. Film makes you think a bit more before you press that shutter, plus I'm using a square format Hasselblad camera for my images. Personally, I really like the square format, it's probably a balance thing.

On to the image.....I asked a friend of mine Andrea, if I could take her photo. She's also a photographer, so for me, there was an added challenge for me in making an image. I've know Andrea for a number of years, and have watched her grow as a photographer, and have been lucky to work with her on several instances. Some photographers don't like to be in front of the lens, and Andrea was a little timid about it, so I wanted to make it as low key as I could. I decided we would just talk, and during that conversation I waited for moments that I would press the shutter. I think I captured Andrea pretty well, especially if you know her. Thanks Andrea for being my subject for the afternoon.

Feed Creativity, not your belly

Mon, 17 Nov 2014 21:15:05 GMT

Well, with Thanksgiving right around the corner, it made me think of all the overdoing that many of us will partake in the next two months. While it's great to be spending time with family and friends, the preverbial holiday bulge, or "I'll start my workout after New Years" phrase, it made me think of my friends Rachel and Anthony who are personal trainers. They both put in the time to stay super fit, and help others stay fit with their company Compound Health and Fitness. Now I know they both will eat things that aren't super healthy (at least I hope so, that would make me feel better), they do eat right.

Now, if only i can find some creativity to feed myself with, instead of this leftover Halloween candy.

Art, It's Everywhere!

Thu, 04 Sep 2014 22:29:55 GMT

Recently I got the chance to photograph a talented artist named Eugenia Ortiz. She was having a show at a friend of mines gallery, the Base Gallery. We spent a little time talking about her art, and exhibits that have been in locations across the country. If you'd like to see more of her work, go check out her website Eugenia Ortiz

New Portraits with Heidi Herrman Design

Thu, 10 Jul 2014 01:41:52 GMT

My friend Heidi Herrman let me sit in on one a fitting sessions for one of her upcoming shows, and I grabbed a few shots of her working. Heidi's designs have a classic tailored look to them. Her design studio is located in the Crossroads District, in Kansas City, MO

Always Making Memories

Mon, 05 May 2014 21:52:03 GMT

Last fall a good friend of mine, Andee asked me to help with a project that is near and dear to her, Alzheimer's. Of course I said I would help. I was amazed at the work that had been created by the artists. Laura Ozenberger had quite a collection of paintings from the yearly auction for the Heart of America Chapter.

Check out the link below for the article, and think about supporting the local Alzheimer's association.

http://www.ascendsgoldenguide.com/caregiver-resources/alzheimers-support/painting-memory/

Behind every photographer.....is their assitant

Thu, 27 Mar 2014 23:26:53 GMT

So, I have this great job of being able to photograph things. And every once in awhile I have my best assistant ever come with me. She always has a smile on her face, a great attitude and is full of suggestions on how to photograph things. Well, until it lasts more than 45 minutes. Then she has to move on to things that are more important. Still, it's always nice to have her there.