The Details

Used a Nikon D3 to photograph this wall detail at Union Station in downtown Los Angeles. The building is a treasure of details that they don’t put into modern buildings. Really like the old and burnished look of the stone and tile weathered with age and who knows how many people have run their hands over it through the many years it has been there.

Photo © Craig Brewer

Broken Arrow Sunset

This photograph was taken in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma which is a neighboring suburb of Tulsa. There are a lot of dirt roads in the outlying areas and I had seen all the dust that the cars kicked up when driving on them. So figured I’d just drive around a bit and find a good location for a sunset and wait for just the right car to drive by.

Being in a rural area there were not many cars and I shot a few that were pretty new but it just didn’t have the right feel. After a while this old pickup truck came toward me and this one was just right for the mood I was looking for. Shot with an old Nikon F2 Photomic film camera and Kodak Ektachrome transparency film.

 

Photo © Craig Brewer

Sand Storm

Took this photograph in Monument Valley on the Arizona/Utah border. Although I have only been there once this place made quite an impression on me and would love to return soon. Really like the remoteness and quiet plus the scenery is like no other place. Was intrigued by the shape of this rock, almost thought it looked like a tomahawk and was all set to take the picture when out of nowhere on a perfectly calm day the wind picked up and started blowing sand all over the place. Figured it might make an interesting image and got off about 5 or 6 shots until the wind went away as suddenly as it came.

After looking at before and after pictures the ones with the sand in the air had a lot more character and this one became a favorite. Used a Nikon D2x and 17-55mm lens and converted to black and white with the channel mixer in Photoshop.

If you are ever in that area of Arizona or Utah make sure you plan a day or two in the area and you will not be disappointed. The area is not a national park but is on a Navajo Indian Reservation with just a small fee to park. They offer horse riding and guided tours which will take you to areas that are off limits to other visitors.

 

Photo © Craig Brewer

Synchronized Racing

OK here is another greyhound picture for those who love them. Took this at the Caliente track in Tijuana, Mexico with a Nikon D2x and 80-200mm lens. Would like to say that it was my incredible skill and timing (yeah right) that captured these two dogs in perfect unison with their right front legs extended, but it was just plain dumb luck.

Even when shooting fast moving subjects I’m not a motor boat shooter like some who just press the release and hold it down while the camera is on autofocus. I like to follow focus and watch for something interesting to happen and then click. But even still when these dogs are running at you at 45mph it is hard to make sense of what is going on and that is where lady luck will smile on you every so often and give you something better than you could have imagined.

Photo © Craig Brewer

Joshua Tree Sunset

This photograph was taken at Joshua Tree National Park. Used a Galvin 6×9cm view camera and Fuji transparency film, then scanned with a Nikon Coolscan 9000. The out of focus effect on the edges was done in camera by twisting the focus standards in all the wrong ways to give it a mysterious look.

Photo © Craig Brewer

Football

Shot this in Mississippi for a credit union advertising campaign. This man was an actual customer of the credit union  and worked at the sporting goods store we used for a location. Shot with a Nikon D2x and 17-55mm lens with available light. Photographs were used for print and television ads.

 

Photo © Craig Brewer

Abstract Blinds

This is one of those pictures that as a photographer you shoot and really like. But when you look at it you wonder if anyone else feels the same way. It’s not really much in subject matter, just a close up of some blinds in the window…it’s more about light color, and design. What really drew me to it was the warmth of the light outside and the cool blue color reflecting on the top of the shades. Shot it with a really shallow depth of field to further abstract the subject and make it more about feeling than a literal picture of some shades. To make the image I used a Nikon D2x and 85mm f/1.4 lens at an aperture of f/2.

 

Photo © Craig Brewer

Union Station Lobby

Photograph of the Union Station lobby in downtown Los Angeles using a Nikon D3 and a 35-70mm lens. Even if you don’t pass through on a train it is a must see place to visit and look at the architecture and detail along with some good people watching. Although let me warn you, there are some strange people hanging around. 

Photo © Craig Brewer

End Table

Still life photograph for company brochure that sells Victorian styled accessories. Shot with  Fuji transparency film on a Cambo 4×5 view camera and Speedotron strobes.

 

Photo © Craig Brewer

Pumping Iron

Shot on location for a physical therapy clinic using a Nikon D2x and 80-200mm lens. Used one Speedotron strobe at an extreme angle for dramatic lighting. Converted to black and white with the “channel mixer” in Photoshop.

 

Photo © Craig Brewer