Update: Darren Hanlon

I met Darren the night of the 11th. He is a quiet and humble guy. We chatted a bit and then he took the stage for his outstanding show in Seattle Washington USA.

The Sunset Tavern is a small venue filled with a warm red aura and the traces of the Chinese restaurant that it was in days gone by. Complete with lacquer paintings and lanterns. It is a place where one is sitting with the performer rather than distanced by a high stage or stackes of speakers. Perfect for a singer songwriter like Darren.

The performance was top notch.

I met up with Darren the next day to take some pictures of him at a local pinball hall. I was surprised to find out that Darren is really an amazing pinball player too!!

If you ever have the chance see him it is well worthwhile.

Images from the show

Darren Hanlon's Site

Up coming shoot: Darren Hanlon

Darren Hanlon will be singing at the Sunset Tavern in Seattle on September 11 2007. He is a great singer/songwriter from Australia. His lyrics wind and weave through some great stories--All set to great tunes.

It will be an opportunity to get some shots.

Stay tuned for the images.

Darren Hanlon's Site

New Band Photos

I just updated my Band photography. All of my work is film based using B/W to capture the full emotion of the performers as well as the subtlety of the lighting.

Adam Forslund Photogarphy
Concert Photography


The bands that made these images possible are:

La Cha Cha

The Blakes

The Lonely H

Stay tuned to read about more projects and ideas in the near future. The last month as been busy and some good posts are being written.

Talk with you soon. Enjoy what is left of the Summer.

Fashion Shoot

You can see some photos I took of Seattle designer Kim McCormick's clothes at my website.

Link has been disabled.

Film or HD what's the story??

Since moving to Seattle three years ago and jumping head long into the Indie film scene I have noticed that like everywhere else Seattle is split into two camps. Film or Video. This is a war that will wage for a long time. Seattle is a technology hub in the USA thus people are drawn to the latest and greatest. HD has a powerful grip on the minds of many producers and directors. New cameras are small and give amazing results. With a guerrilla crew people can capture stunning images and instantly access/edit/share them around the world potentially reaching millions of people in a matter of hours.

Film can present the story in regal colors that HD just can’t match. An ineffable quality that reaches the audience and pulls them in from the moment they see the sun shining through the leaves. Film also gives the director/producer the street credit that can part the waters in a city where many projects are funded or flounder from the pockets of the maker.

In the next few years as technology grows so will both Film and HD. The question is less about what you shoot but how it is shot. Understanding the aesthetics and limitations of each format is crucial to telling the story powerfully on screen. Knowing that HD doesn’t handle low light as well as people think. Understanding HD like other video formats requires more care in lighting to make sure that detail is captured. When working with film the cinematographer has more room to create lighting plots with more latitude. Film has the ability to reach into both dark and light areas and still maintain an image. This gives the director the freedom to set set the scenes in more dynamic places drawing all of the emotion out of a script.

At the end of the day everything boils down to story. If you are trying to show sweeping vistas in Monument Valley then low grade video will hardly capture the grandeur. On the other hand if the story calls for cramped tight spaces then widescreen Film isn’t going to fit. Many people have this idea that Film speaks best with a narrative story whilst HD is best for a documentary or reality. Neither is true.

The director and cinematographer need to make choices together that works best for the story at hand and what will illustrate it best. As a cinematographer I try to build the imagery of a story and working with the director to make the best choices to further the narrative. When a director approaches me I feel very confident that I can bring an understanding of both film and HD to the table to get the results on screen that will best forward the story.

You can link to this article as published in here: Media Inc Magazine

Photo Show

I'm having an opening to a photo show on May 18th at 6:30pm. It will be at World Cup Espresso and Wine Bar. It would be great to see you there. We can chat, drink some wine and have a good time.

See you soon.

World Cup
http://www.worldcupespressoandwine.com/

Directions:
http://maps.yahoo.com/maps_result.php?q1=5200+Roosevelt+Way+Ne+seattle+wa+98105

Upcoming Shoot

I'm going to be shooting a short film titled Fastdraw, MT starting April 20th 2007.

The shoot will be four days total. Three in Cle Elum Washington and one in Seattle. It should be an action packed long weekend.

Hopefully all will go well.

On a film set Murphy's Law will be discussed at some point.

Thoughts on Cinematography

As a Director of Photography my goal is to enhance the story through cinematography. By filling the frame appropriately while avoiding calling attention to the cameras actions with a concentration on enhancing the story.

Film making is a team effort. Every aspect of every job moves the story toward the screen. Each time we step on a set one needs to remember that without the story we don't have jobs. Without good set direction the DP will turn his lens to barren walls. Without good grips the lights will fall and without a good AD the production will flounder. Cinematography means “Movement-Writing” I write (into the film) what other people have created and I try to do it in a way that shows their work as well as add my own personal touch. Every production is only as good as the people working on it. With that I follow the following principles:

1) Fill the frame in a flattering manner.

Be aware of the subject and how the subject appears on the film. Making an effort to compliment the subject with appropriate lighting and framing. Does the object/subject falls on the 1/3rds?? Does the foreground and background work together to enhance the subject to build a better picture?? Is the lighting motivated?? These questions will all have answers if the frame is filled in a coherent way.

2) Make the cinematography credible.

At times one may need to use a device to call attention to the act of creating the image on screen. Cinematography should be "invisible". Self-Reflexive camera is distracting and can come off gimmicky (unless, of course it is required by the story). When moving the camera via a zoom or a dolly be cognizant of why it is moving and if that movement is enhancing or distracting from the story. That doesn't mean that all shooting needs to be done a-la "Drag Net". On the contrary--As cinematographer one needs to move through the story with the characters painting their story frame by frame. It simply needs to be done in a justified and appropriate manner. Look at the set and how the people are interacting with it. If a change needs to be made in order to illustrate the action better. Would it be possible within the constraints of the production??

3) Enhance the story with interesting camera work.

Making sure that the director’s idea of the story is told in a fresh and unique manner. Which will bring out the best details in every aspect of the production from costume to writing. Interesting camera does not mean distracting camera. It means cinematography that bears a mark of the maker. A style and look all its own.