A BLOG CONCERNING PHOTOGRAPHY, ARCHITECTURE & INTERIOR DESIGN

I thought I would share this cool article I stumbled across the other day in the Toronto Star. Micheal Chrisman, a Toronto based freelance photographer, has a passion for pinhole photography and long exposures. On December 31st, 2011, he shuttered a pinhole camera that had been exposing photosensitive paper contained within it for one full year. The result is a beautifully haunting, ephemeral image of the Toronto skyline.

"Time is always a major component in photography, but is usually dealt with in fractions of a second," writes Chrisman, explaining his interest in lengthy exposures. "Exploring the limits of the medium is part of what drew me to attempting this photograph."

A pinhole camera, for those of you unfamiliar with the term, is as simple a camera as one can construct, consisting of nothing more than a light-tight box, save for a small hole in one of the sides and a photosensitive medium secured to the opposing wall. This contraption mimics the process by which our eyes see and process light. External light passes through the small hole and projects an inverted image on the opposite wall of the box. For more info, visit Wikipedia for a general primer on the physics and history of pinhole cameras, the camera obscura, and the birth of photography.

Morning breaks to reveal a snowy landscape, still and serene, painted by a passing storm in brushstrokes of white solitude. Town & Country Cedar Homes crafted this cozy cabin to withstand the significant snowfall and brutal temps typical of Colorado winters.

View more photos of this property here. Be sure to bookmark this page and check back each month to download the next installment!

Download the calendar here.

Rustic, yet refined; the dining room of this Yellowstone Club retreat, replete with fibre optic lighting and panoramic views of Lone Peak and Pioneer Mountain, is the definition of mountain luxury. Locati Architects, Design Associates and Schlauch Bottcher Construction, based out of nearby Bozeman, Montana, worked together in a successful collaboration to achieve their client’s vision.

View more photos of this property here. Be sure to bookmark this page and check back each month to download the next installment!

Download the calendar here.

In the November 2011 issue of Photo District News, Jay Mallin tackles the subject of digital photo retouching in Does Editorial Post-Production Cost Too Much? Starting on page 76, Mallin begins the article by exploring the reasons for digital post-production, then transitions to the monetary and ethical ramifications this practice is having on the publishing industry, before finally concluding with several anecdotal accounts of how photographers and magazines are handling this issue. It’s an informative read that sheds a bit of light on this evolving topic and grey area within the photography industry.

Many photographers make the claim that in the modern world of digital photography, post-production editing and retouching are an essential part of creating images and an integral component to defining a photographer’s individual style. The reasoning goes that adjusting color, tone, saturation and contrast are akin to the film equivalents of selecting a particular film stock for it’s look and feel and the traditional darkroom techniques of dodging and burning. The problem this presents is that post-production adjustments take time and money and the photography industry is far from agreed on how much retouching should cost, who shoulders the expense and whether such adjustments are even necessary.

Some photographers and editors are of the opinion that digital files are analogous to film transparencies, where the image is final once the camera shutter is depressed. Publications of a journalistic nature often view photography this way and consider alterations to be unethical, dishonest or unprofessional. On the other side of the coin is the belief that a digital file is more like a film negative, which can be processed and tweaked in a number of different ways depending on the intent of the image. Many commercial photographers and image makers work for clients to create photographs that stylize a concept or portray a product or idea in its best light. When such considerations are the aim, rather than journalistic truth-telling, retouching and post-production adjustments become necessary for achieving these goals and a photographer’s post-production work often times is the lynchpin for securing an assignment.

At Roger Wade Studio, our philosophy and practices fall in line with this second camp. We are in the business of making the best architectural images possible for our clients. To achieve this end, we process our digital photography in-house and employ a number of different techniques, including compositing multiple images and localized color, tone and contrast adjustments. For basic processing and post-production work we charge a flat fee per image. Additionally, we offer our clients advanced retouching services to remove unsightly or unwanted elements that were unable to be removed or repaired when the photographs were taken and the ability to composite in missing elements that were unavailable or missing during the time of the shoot. Retouching above and beyond, such as compositing in lawns, skies and window views or removing things like signs and utility boxes are billed at an hourly rate.

Visit our website to learn more about our methods and photography services or give us a call at 406-886-2793 for more information.

A country cabin by Oakbridge Timber Framing is bathed in the golden rays of an autumn afternoon. With winter fast approaching, green foliage gives way to a palette of reds, oranges and yellows as chlorophyl disappears from leaves and trees begin their preparation for the cold bleak months ahead.

View more photos of this restoration project here. Be sure to bookmark this page and check back each month to download the next installment!

Download the calendar here.

During a recent shoot in Stewartsville, New Hampshire, our client, log home producer Coventry Log Homes, created a short video on how our stylist Debbie Grahl goes about setting up shots for Roger to photograph.

Debbie explains why a stylist isn’t the same thing as an interior designer and how the goals of arranging a scene for a photo differ from decorating a room for living.

View the photos from this shoot or learn more about our approach to styling interior photography.

The bounty of summer’s growing season is colorfully displayed on the kitchen table of this Bozeman, Montana residence. View more photos of this project here. Be sure to bookmark this page and check back each month to download the next installment!

Download it here.

A picnic table at this Bulger, Pennsylvania farm is set for entertaining guests on a warm summer’s evening. View more photos of this project here. Be sure to bookmark this page and check back each month to download the next installment!

Download it here.

After months and months of tedious work conceptualizing, writing copy and coding our new website, we have finally launched our updated creation. Familiar, yet refined, we think you’ll find Roger Wade Studio easier to navigate, more informative and chock full of new photos.

We’d love to hear what you think of the redesign, so drop us a note or leave your thoughts in the comments.