Rangefinder Magazine
November 2005
Click Here for printable version of this article.
Insight/On the Cover by Bill Hurter
This issue of Rangefinder is a bit of a melting pot, but one of the most interesting
articles is Lorraine A. DarConte’s profile of Chase Jarvis (page 34), an engaging
and hugely successful lifestyle photographer. One might ask, “What exactly is a lifestyle
photographer?” I know I did. My first guess was that a lifestyle photographer is
a hybrid—a cross between an advertising photographer and an editorial photographer.
It turns out that this is pretty close to the truth. But what makes Jarvis unique
is authenticity. His clients—outdoor apparel companies, airlines, and other well
known corporate entities—see in his work an absence of ego. The subject, whatever
it might be, is king. The action he photographs is editorially sound—realistic
and typical of the activity performed by world-class athletes. But there is that element
of the advertising photograph in his work too—the idealized, nearly perfect
view that elevates the importance of the scene. Jarvis says of lifestyle photos, “They
evoke more of the ‘off moments’ in life—what a normal person does—not the perfectly
designed and captured moments that habitually appeared in advertisements a
number of years ago.” Skateboarding, for example, is a favorite subject of Jarvis. But
it is not necessarily the action that appeals to him, but what skateboarders do when
they’re not skateboarding. “I’ve tuned into the sensibilities of many of the subcultures,”
says Jarvis, “including their fashion and music sides, in order to continue
developing my work in a more authentic and compelling way.”
Other highlights this month include the start of a new yearlong series on Photoshop
CS2, which will be authored alternately by Michelle Perkins and Eddie
Tapp. Our first article, by Michelle, is about CS2’s revolutionary system of file
management, called Bridge (page 86). Other great reading this month includes Judith
Bell’s article on European fashion wiz Sean Ellis (page 8), and “A Day in the
Life of WPPI” (page 14), a GraphiStudio treatment of four great photographers’
views of WPPI’s annual trade show and convention.
Bill Hurter, Editor
ON THE COVER:
PHOTOGRAPHER: Chase Jarvis
CAMERA: Nikon F5
Film: Fujifilm Provia 100 film
LENS: Nikkor 28–70mm f/2.8 AFS-ED
EXPOSURE: unknown
HARDWARE: Macintosh G5 Duo (2 Ghz dual
processors, 4GB RAM), Wacom Intuos3 6x8
tablet with 6D Art Pen
SOFTWARE: Adobe Photoshop CS2
SCANNER: Nikon LS 8000Painter IX
COMMENTS:This image is fun and simple. It
was originally shot for a Patagonia catalog to feature
the company’s boxer shorts. I came up with
this concept and ran it past the art director, who
was very enthusiastic, since it was a unique and
subtle way to feature underwear. I’d scouted this red wall in Seattle prior to the shoot
and knew at what time the light was just right. Scott, the model, was rock solid, and
we kept the styling to a minimum in keeping with Patagonia’s brand core. After shooting
a variety of angles and views, we determined that the flat, direct style of this image
was the strongest. We nailed this shot in just under an hour.
For more information on Chase Jarvis and his unique brand of lifestyle photography,
see Lorraine A. DarConte’s article about him
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