Trafic Design, is a Quebec company specializing in corporate design and branded environments for business. Trafic contacted me to document their promotional exhibit design at the 2017 NTEA Work Truck Show, the largest event in association history. It featured more than 500 vendors with nearly 12,000 attendees, occupying all 566,000 square feet of exhibit space in the Indiana Convention Center. Trafic’s client, Ranger Design, is a…
Photos of conferences could easily become monotonous if they’re primarily focused on people talking on a stage. As a business, you can create more interest and engagement with your brand by following this advice on the type of photography you can create from your events and conferences. To illustrate my points, images center around one day of…
Basketball in March. It’s crazy. Insanity. Lunacy. Delirium, even. There should be a term that applies specifically to this phenomenon. Any ideas? With all of your basketball viewing options this time of year, IHSAA Boys Basketball State Finals is among the best. A few of these players will go on to the NCAA to have the bragging…
Time for high school boys basketball playoffs in Indiana. Here are some photos from Carmel’s 53-36 win over Westfield last night to get you hooked. There will be more in the coming weeks from regionals and state finals, so follow our blog, Twitter and Instagram so you don’t miss anything.
When a game is packed with fans, there’s an energy that undeniably affects how the players play, especially when a close game gets down to the final minutes. Indiana High School Athletic Association State Finals always provide this type of electric atmosphere. Seeing small-town schools play is another great component to these championships because, in some cases, you…
You know wrestling is a popular sport in Indiana when the Indiana High School Athletic Association State Finals are held at an NBA arena. This was something to behold. Watching, it was easy to forget that these are teenagers. A clash of two titans in the 285-lb weight class, evenly matched, brought the entire arena to its feet in…
To call the new Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall at Indiana University a renovation is to greatly understate its transformative effect. Designed by CSO Architects and built by Shiel Sexton, the new south lobby features a soaring glass entry with modern design and technology, while retaining some key touches from the past to honor the program’s legacy. These photos…
When a client needs enough photos for a two-day shoot, but day 1 gets rained out completely, it means a 15-hour, sunrise to sunset shoot. Add to that carrying 20 pounds of gear over miles of trails, up and down hills and rocky terrain, and you have one hard-core day of shooting. I was up for the challenge,…
Kurt Braunohler, Comedian The first time I photographed comedian Kurt Braunohler was at RIOT Comedy Festival in Los Angeles in 2014. At that RIOT show, his joy and enthusiasm for performing was immediately evident and there was a great connection with the crowd. That’s exactly the sort of thing I’m looking to document with this series. So when I…
As a born and bred Midwesterner, I love documenting Indiana fairs & festivals. I grew up in Fort Wayne, Indiana attending the 3 Rivers Festival. Each year, my family would travel to my father’s boyhood home in Wayne County, Ohio to attend the fair. The animals, funnel cakes, disorienting carnival rides and tractor pulls were…
Recently I had the opportunity to work with The Plaid Agency on a spot for Pork Chomps, a raw-hide free dog chew, with everyone’s favorite animal expert Jack Hanna. Taking stills on a video shoot is always an interesting endeavor. First off, the crew is always much larger than on a still shoot. There’s a lot…
“GO BIG!!!” was at the top of my to-do list in March. I was determined to make something happen. I started off with a goal of photographing 30 subjects in April. I doubt anyone went back and counted, but I ended up with 26. In the past, I definitely fell prey to the adage, “Perfect is…
Daniel Elsener, President, Marian University My in-laws, Jan & Steve McCracken, are Marian alumni. As a part of their efforts fundraising for the school, they’ve invited my wife and I to the university’s annual gala a few times over the years. At these events, I’ve always enjoyed hearing President Elsener speak. He mentions here the importance of family…
Bill Browne, Principal/President, Ratio Architects Bill founded Ratio in 1982 and the firm has gone on to create many iconic Indianapolis buildings such as Bankers Life Fieldhouse and the Indiana State Museum. In reading Bill’s answers to the questions below, it’s no wonder he and his company have been so successful. Photographing during a design meeting was…
Lobyn Hamilton, Vinyl Artist Lobyn is a local artist whose primary medium at the moment is vinyl. He smashes and cuts vinyl albums and their sleeves into music-inspired art. A couple of his pieces were recently featured on the set of the hit Fox drama Empire. It turns out that Lobyn was already very familiar…
Tiffany Benedict Browne, Author & Historian On the day I photographed Tiffany, I had the opportunity to witness her enthusiasm for history first-hand. For part of our time together, I followed her on a tour of the Heslar Naval Armory, which is slated to become a second campus for Herron High School in 2017. There…
Broxton Bird Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Earth Sciences, IUPUI Many people dream of traveling to remote mountains of Tibet or Peru. Broxton Bird is living this dream, except his version involves bringing back dozens of meter-long cylinders of sediment from lake beds. These cylinders contain about 2,000 years of climate records. Broxton’s work is teaching us about the world’s…
Sareh Azizi, 15, Violinist & Student Sareh lived her first 13 years in Iran. She began to play violin at age 10, but her family had to keep it a secret, as “western” music is strongly discouraged. Later that year, she and her sister were attacked by police when they saw her carrying her violin,…
Chris Elam, Mosaic Artist Chris Elam, a Bloomington artist, was introduced to me by Kirby Melick when I was in town photographing on Tuesday. Watching Chris at work, and seeing the nature of his chosen medium, I was not surprised to learn that he had attended Seminary. There’s something meditative and spiritual about the process of…
Kirby Melick, Kirby Custom, Inc. Kirby Melick makes furniture and cabinetry on his 13-acre property in Bloomington, Indiana. His business Kirby Custom, Inc features custom fine cabinetry and furniture including kitchens, vanities, bars, doors and more. He begins his workday at 4 a.m. I sauntered in at the leisurely time of 6:30 to start shooting…
Annie Eakin, Annie’s Clothesline Annie and her mother Dede founded Annie’s Clothesline in 2008, working together to design and produce children’s clothing. I caught up with them in Bloomington, IN as they prepared for their biggest event yet, the Country Living Fair in Nashville, Tennessee, April 22-24. The following set of six questions will be answered…
Tatum Perez, Training By Tatum Two of my sisters-in-law train with Tatum and always talk about how much they love working with her. After taking these photos, I could see why. She’s easy going and positive, helping people reach their goals without being that drill sergeant stereotype often portrayed on TV. If you or someone…
Rachael Heger, Support the Girls, Indianapolis Rachael Heger began collecting bras at the beginning of this year to donate to local women’s charities. The goal was to give 3500 bras by her 35th birthday in December. That only took about 90 days, so she kept going. To date she’s donated 4500 bras, and the scope of the…
Alexandra Jackiw, President, Milhaus Management Alex was referred for this project by GK Rowe, calling her a “national Icon in the Multifamily Mixed Use Property Management industry.” Alex was also named as a 2015 Woman of Influence by the Indianapolis Business Journal. I followed Alex as she did a walkthrough of the new Mentor and Muse…
PERSONAL LEGEND PROJECT Malkah Bird, Cooperative kindergarten teacher Entering this project, I knew that Malkah would have to be a part of it. Malkah Bird teaches in a Cooperative Kindergarten in Indianapolis. Her progressive approach to education earns her much respect and adoration around the city. She subscribes to an emergent curriculum philosophy and it produces some…
Kevin Morse, Chemistry Teacher, Westfield High School A couple weeks before the idea for this project came up, I was talking with some friends from high school about the work we were doing. Kevin said how much he loved the entire process of teaching, from reading every new chemistry book he could get a hold of to…
Tim Ayers, Grace Church When my wife Courtney and I started discussing people for this project, one of the first that came up was Tim Ayers. She grew up swimming with his children and knew him as someone who embraced his calling to the church. Over the years, she continued to hear his name mentioned by friends…
Andy Hassler, Blue Mind Roasting Andy Hassler and his wife Sarah own Blue Mind Roasting in Indianapolis. Together they run the business while seeking a path of purpose in life. Andy performs the roasting duties, which I’m featuring in this post. I’m by no means a coffee expert, but I can tell you the cup Andy brewed for me was damn good….
Adam Germany, Fu5ion Personal Chef & Catering Services I first met Adam over the holidays and immediately realized we share similar perspectives on entrepreneurship and following a true calling. It was inspiring to hear how his business has taken off since moving to Indy in 2014 and starting Fu5ion that fall. Adam doesn’t like to drop names,…
Betsy Callahan, Ballroom Dancer When I first started taking Betsy’s photos for this project, I sensed she was a little nervous. Later she told me that I was the first in the family to be invited into the studio. Betsy is my wife’s sister. A number of people in the family said she’d be a great fit…
Sarah Moshe, Immigration Law, Lewis & Kappes My wife has been close friends with Sarah for over 25 years. In the time I have known her, her passion for immigration law has always been apparent. Immigration is an issue that is frequently politicized and spoken about in sweeping generalizations. But the reality is that behind the…
Eric Holcomb, Lieutenant Governor of Indiana I’ve had the pleasure of working with Indiana Lt. Governor Eric Holcomb a number of times over the past few years. I respect his enthusiasm for government and his tireless dedication to improving our state, which is why I immediately thought of him for this project. I’ve photographed him in…
Deacon Bill Reid, St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church Deacon Bill spent 31 years working at Eli Lilly. As retirement approached, he began to consider his next chapter. His sister mentioned that she thought he’d make a great deacon, and he admitted that he didn’t know exactly what a deacon’s role was. As he learned about the…
GK Rowe, Business Design Principal, Q7 Associates GK has a uniquely creative mind, and I’ve regularly called him up over the years to discuss ideas over drinks or lunch. It’s nice to talk with someone who gets it. He’s also one of the best connectors I know, hosting regular gatherings for creatives of all types. Logically,…
Fritz Albright, Wright Road Stables I first met Fritz about 10 years ago when I moved to Carmel and began frequenting Joe’s Butcher Shop, where he was our main butcher man (unofficial title, of course). Always friendly and quick to start a conversation, often times we would talk about his horses. Recently he retired, but I think…
Tommy Baldwin, Musician I met Tommy in a very serendipitous manner. I stopped by my office on Saturday after another shoot and noticed my office neighbors, Kingston’s Music Showcase, were in. For me, music is as big of a passion as photography, and I hadn’t yet found a musician to participate in the project. I thought…
Penelope Dullaghan, Illustrator & Designer Penelope’s work is primarily influenced by nature, and she takes daily walks along the river behind her home. Frequently she paints or sketches what she finds. Her work is used both commercially and editorially and credits include Crate & Barrel, The New York Times, Starbucks, O Magazine and Target. Be sure to…
Frank Basile, Heartland Film Festival, Interim President I first met Frank and his wife Katrina in 2010 when Frank was in need of some portraits for a column he writes. A friendly and unassuming couple, I was unaware of the significant impact they had on the local arts scene. Not only has their generosity landed their names…
Project Statement A couple years ago, the book The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho kept showing up on my radar. After hearing about it several times in just a few months, I thought it must be time to read it. The Alchemist is an allegory about a Spanish shepherd named Santiago who dreams of treasure at the Pyramids and…
Usually when people ask me about getting better sports photos, the question is focused around what equipment to buy. For this post, I want to provide advice for parents, students and aspiring photographers on how to improve sports shooting. 1) Get close. The best thing you can do is physically move yourself as close to the…
RIOT LA 2016 is currently underway in downtown Los Angeles and this is my 3rd time documenting the festival. It’s always one of my favorite events to photograph each year. With standup, improv, podcasts, music and more, RIOT artists are always pushing boundaries and experimenting, and as the festival’s lead photographer, I’ve always been afforded the…
Getting out in atypical weather is always something I enjoy. Wednesday we had an unusually dense fog that lingered until nearly noon. In looking for an interesting place to shoot it, I ended up at Prairie View Golf Club. I was happy to find some golfers out in the fog, which made for some interesting images.
To answer your first question, a paper stopper is that last little flap on your printer’s paper tray that flips up at roughly a 30-degree angle to supposedly stop your paper from falling onto the floor. Hence the above photo. I’ve never had an issue with paper falling on the floor, with or without the…
Today I went to the Indianapolis Museum of Art to check out the exhibit Dream Cars. I love to shoot cars. And as you’ll see, I mostly like to shoot detail shots of cars. “God is in the details,” said architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and it definitely shows in these works of art….
Thought I’d get out and do some shooting yesterday evening. I went to the Cole Noble Gallery at Artistry Apartments during First Friday festivities in downtown Indianapolis. Well, apparently First Friday an extremely large event every month (48 galleries/venues), which I’m sure everyone already knows. Unfortunately, I only had time for one stop. Honestly, I feel like…
I’m not sure what I was looking for when I left my office in the middle of the afternoon to go take photos. Typically, I avoid shooting in the middle of the day because of the harsh light, but I was feeling anxious after sitting at my desk for hours and thought I’d try to work…
CarmelFest is a big Independence Day celebration held every year on July 3rd & 4th in Carmel, Indiana. Since 2012, I’ve participated in the event as a sponsor and “official photographer”. I enjoy living in a smaller city where I get to see so many people I know celebrating our country together as a community….
Whatever I’m shooting, my aim is to document all aspects I see, so viewers will have the most complete picture possible of people in a certain place and time. What people wear says something about their personality. Showing surroundings creates context for the subjects and expands the viewer’s experience. When I’m physically close to the subjects, the…
After a long day of work, when it’s finally time to go home, I’d imagine that most people just go home. I doubt any accountants see a tax return on the side of the road they just have to stop and file. Well, that’s essentially what happens to me with photo opportunities I see. Like last…
At the beginning of May, I was brought on to photograph Finance & Society, an economic conference in Washington D.C. produced by The Institute for New Economic Thinking. A dinner on May 5th at the National Museum of Women in the Arts featured a keynote by US Senator Elizabeth Warren, (D-MA). The following day, the conference was held…
Just down the street from me, there were about 20 acres of trees that are there no longer. Looks like they’re making room for another “mixed-use” blah, blah, blah. Anyways, I felt compelled to go over and take some photos…
I don’t typically do “portrait sessions” anymore, but when my nephew Harrison asked to do some photos for his senior year, I thought it would be fun to try some unique shots. Here are a few of my favorites…
What’s the Deal With Copyright? I’m glad you asked, Jerry. Let’s talk photography copyright. When you create an original work, like a photograph, painting or manuscript, you immediately own its copyright (unless you signed it away beforehand, but we’ll get to that later). That means if anyone wants to publish or use your work in…
If you’re a long-time reader of our newsletter, you may recall we have an annual Year In Review. 2014 takes on a new format: a print & digital magazine. Seeing as how the print version wouldn’t fit into the USB port, the digital copy is presented here. Click here for the high-resolution version, optimized for desktop or…
Ok, I’ve come to realize that as a professional photographer, I should be using Instagram more often. So, from this date forth, I will be updating my feed on a regular basis. You can check it out here: https://instagram.com/zach_dobson/