Rangefinder Magazine
August 2005
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Insight/On the Cover by BILL HURTER
The world of professional photography is forever renewing itself with the fresh new faces of photographers whose unique approach to visual problem solving make them stand out from the crowd. They’re not always new to photography; they may have been in business for some time yet have reinvented themselves and their creative approaches. Cherie Steinberg Coté (page 8) photographs a wide variety of subjects, including events, glamour, portraits, pets, fine art, nudes, commercial and corporate work. She’s good at what she does. But when she set out to photograph fashion and then later to incorporate that style into her wedding photography, things began to happen for her. Cherie embodies the new breed of photographer who is not content to re-make successful images. Instead, she uses each session as a chance to step outside herself and experiment, saying, “Sometimes you’ll capture your best shots during this period.” Tim Schooler (page 14) is a senior specialist and lighting expert, but what really sets his work apart from others is the way he captures faces and eyes. They’re distinctive and carry just a touch more contrast than we’re used to seeing. His work is impactful and edgy, and his customers, although young, are discriminating and can’t get enough of his work. Bryan White (page 34) is an uncompromising photographer who excels at mixed media. His work depends on his skills as a photographer, painter and collage expert. He demands artistic depth and clarity from himself, and he instills a desire for fine art in his clientele. By raising the bar artistically for himself, he has raised the expectations of his clients and consequently reinvented his business. Charr Crail (page 42) photographs rock and roll and live performance acts as well as corporate, editorial and individual portraiture. She is this year’s winner of the WPPI Award of Excellence in the Premier category, which means she’s someone to keep your eye on. Also in this issue is Patrick Ross (page 54), a throwback in the world of digital capture. Ross, a recent graduate of Brooks Institute, shoots pristine 4x5 landscapes in the tradition of Sexton, Dykinga and Muench.
Bill Hurter, Editor
PHOTOGRAPHER: Charr Crail
SUBJECT: Karin Gillingham, model, Sacramento, CA, 4/30/04
TITLE: “Mother Nature Sleeps”
CAMERA: Canon EOS 10D
LENS: Canon 20–35mm f/2.8
PROJECT: Painting with light
CREDIT: Copyright © (2004), Charr Crail
COMMENTS: “A flashlight provided the only light during a 39-second exposure, which required the model to remain completely still as she was carefully painted in. There was some post-production work done as well, both in Photoshop CS and Painter 8 to enhance her skin tones and hair color. I chose earthy colors for skin and hair, but the flowers are natural. Painting with light offers challenges beyond anything I’ve played with before and I often consider it a collaborative experience with my subjects because they need to learn what I’m doing in order to work well within the process. It’s a challenge for them to remain that still too!”
Charr Crail is both photographer and artist. Her range of subjects spans rock and roll and live performance acts to corporate/editorial work to individual portraiture. She is this year’s winner of the Grand Award in the Premier category in WPPI’s Awards of Excellence Print Competition. See Margaret Lane’s article about Charr on page 42.
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