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This week we’re blogging as we go, traveling and shooting throughout the western United States. Chris is on a seven day editorial project and we’re going to take you deep behind the scenes and share what it’s like to live life on the road, before during and after the shoot. All content posted from previous day.

chris crisman behind the scenes west adventure

6/17/13 – Mondays are always tough. I’m on the road quite a bit and when a get chance to spend time at home, I like to shut off work as much as possible. Being that this past weekend included Father’s Day, transitioning back to work was particularly unfriendly. Couple that with a 6:00 AM call time trip to the airport, and I just had to take a deep breath and shuffle along.

chris crisman behind the scenes west adventure

We travel so much now that we’ve developed a system for every part of the process. We have to pack the right numbers of bags right up to the 50 pound limit as to not get hit with one of the big over the top fees that the airlines would love to charge you. We know the area of the parking lot to head to in order increase our chances of finding our car in a week. There are a few other things that aren’t worth mentioning, but you probably get the idea. We take pride in making the airport transfer process a smooth ride. (For a bit more technical approach to how we travel, you may want to take a look at our blog post on the subject.)

chris crisman behind the scenes west adventure

In our time of unlimited wireless connectivity, I still have a very hard time keeping up with my email. If I’m shooting more than 3 days a week, it is impossible to keep my inbox at zero. The flights are usually my best opportunity to get caught up and also keep my mind organized for what lies ahead of us. However, unending shooting also creates a backlog of other work processes to keep up with.

chris crisman behind the scenes west adventure

Today’s flight was an editing day, a mental prep day for this week’s shoots, and then a chunk of time being spent on overseeing the post production coming out of our studio right now. That said, if anyone reading this was expecting an email from me, I’ll advise you to email Robert this week if you need something quickly. (He’s not kidding. studio@crismanphoto.com is always available for emails).

chris crisman behind the scenes west adventure

chris crisman behind the scenes west adventure

This is one of those weeks that I feel more like a trucker/traveling salesman/wifi hotspot and less like a photographer. We’re going to hit 5 states in a week and most days we won’t have time to sit down and have a meal with the unique people we’re going to meet. There is a certain pace to things these days that is just what you have to do to make it all work.

chris crisman behind the scenes west adventure

This post may sound like I’m complaining, but don’t be fooled.  I am grateful to be here, and there, and everywhere, doing exactly what I’m doing.

Questions? Comments? Let us know below or @crismanphoto or /Crismanphoto on facebook. Cheers!

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It’s not often that we have the time to slow down, and really immerse ourselves in a good article, book, or magazine. When the opportunity affords itself, we’re often looking far and wide for a good read that’s worth the time. Whether that can be found on the bookshelves in the studio, the stack of magazines on our desk, or queued up in an RSS feed on the web, the sheer amount  information is plentiful out there – it’s just a matter of filtering out the junk. Lucky for you, we have a new monthly series on the blog that cuts through the crap and shares inspiration and information that we find especially valuable. Consider it required reading.

chris crisman required reading heather elder community table

Entire books and endless magazines are devoted to the craft, technique, and technology of photography. With enough time and enough patience, almost anyone with a camera can learn the skill-set and train themselves to see light, shape light, and make beautiful photos. Alternatively, there are countless artists in our creative industry that create beautiful work but have no experience or knowledge in the business of photography. It’s not easy. The business is not often discussed; mainstream attention tends to focus on the “how-to” of making photos, not becoming a commercial photographer. Thankfully, the information is out there. Our rep Heather Elder writes an excellent blog that often delves into the business side of photography.

One of the most insightful articles she writes is The Community Table, a series of conversations held directly with the top minds in our industry. Most recently she sat down with a dozen Art Producers in San Fransisco to discuss topics touching on everything from the state of the photography to licensing and usage, copyright, and the bidding process. In all honesty,  you’d be hard-pressed to find a more informative yet personal look into the business of photography today. Do yourself a favor and set aside some time to read through The Community Table San Fransisco:

Community Table SF – The Appetizer Part I

Community Table SF – The Appetizer Part II

Community Table SF – The Main Course Part I

Community Table SF – The Main Course Part II

Community Table SF – Dessert Part I

Community Table SF – Dessert Part II

Community Table SF – The Digestif

 A big thanks to everyone at Heather Elder Represents and Brite Productions for making the Community Table series possible. Any questions? Thoughts? Let us know @crismanphoto or in the comments.

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chris crisman richard branson portrait photography pdn photoserv

“Crisman’s photographic approach and style are the result of years of refining his process and vision, but the core values in his imagery have never changed. “I always try to make captivating, honest and noble pictures,” he says. The 24 pages of “Up” show just that, from the empty stretch of the runway meeting the horizon of the open sky, to the industrial beauty of the spacecraft that will lead into the next space era, to Sir Richard Branson looking out over the California desert where an idea he concepted nearly two decades ago is nearing its completion.” – PDN

chris crisman richard branson portrait photography pdn photoserv

We’ve been interviewed for PDN PhotoServe about our recent shoot with Sir Richard Branson and Virgin Galactic for Wired UK. Chris goes in-depth to discuss how the project came to be, the unique challenges we faced, and our reaction documenting this incredible endeavor. It’s definitely a worthwhile read!

chris crisman richard branson portrait photography pdn photoserv

Make sure to check out the full article over on PDNonline.com. For even more of the story, we broke the shoot down into three parts on the blog:

Part I – the Spaceport

Part II – The Features

Part III – The Cover

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chris crisman captial girls aarp magazine video

In December of last year we received a call from our good friend Caitlin Peters and AARP The Magazine to shoot stills and a video interview with the critically acclaimed authors of Capital Girls. Writing under the pseudonym Ella Monroe, the duo behind the hit series of young adult novels is also known as Amy Reingold and Maz Rauber. We spent a few days down in Washington DC with Amy & Maz, delving into their daily lives as authors and bringing their creative process to life. Keep reading for our video interview and more shots…

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chris crisman website update crismanphoto

We kicked of 2013 strong with a brand new print portfolio (check out the video if you haven’t seen it yet) and we’re following it up with an equally large update to www.crismanphoto.com! We’ve put in weeks of work and days upon days of sequencing to get it all right, but we are live with a brand new version of our online portfolio.

chris crisman website update crismanphoto

Starting from the ground-up, we reworked the presentation of our site with the goal of making Chris’s images all of Chris’s best photos as easily accessible as possible. You can find the latest & greatest pictures in the “New Work” section, and then surf through portfolios of portraits, lifestyle, and landscape work. If that still leaves you wanting more, we’ve included entire image libraries with everything from NASCAR to camping.

chris crisman website update crismanphoto

Take a look and let us know what you think @crismanphoto, on facebook, or in the comments!

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chris crisman philadelphia photography photographer visit studio

Truth be told, we think Philly is a really great town. We know that most of these blog posts come from somewhere on the road, or share the story of some crazy adventure, but when we’re back home in the city of brotherly love, Chris and I are really happy to be home. And there isn’t really anywhere else we’d want to call home.

As for our fine city, we thought it might do Philly some good to highlight a handful of our favorite industry-related establishments, and offer up a few pieces of advice for those looking to shoot, produce, or just take visit to Philadelphia. Want to know the best of the best in our hometown? Keep reading to find out…

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chris crisman studio portrait oliphant backdrop

There are so many talented visual artists out there. Honestly it feels like every day we find something that inspires, intrigues or excites us – or better yet, something that sparks an idea for collaboration.

Way back in the summer of 2011 we were shooting an advertising project with a very special need for a particular backdrop. In finding and producing this backdrop, we were introduced to Sarah Oliphant. Since then we’ve worked with Oliphant Studios and their incredible painted backdrops as often as we can. Over the years this collaboration has produced a handful of unique beautiful photos. Keep reading to see…

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