Something About The River

"Floating upward through a confusion of dreams and memory, curving like a trout through the rings of previous risings, I surface. My eyes open. I am awake."

- Wallace Stegner

"Crossing To Safety"

There is something about the river that draws me in.

And it's true that some of the most reflective days of my life have been spent standing in the middle of one. Because when you find yourself there, waist deep and surrounded by all of the elements... there's nothing like it.

It's hard to pinpoint my attraction to it as the constant movement and fluctuation of the surroundings captivate me.

The course of these elements are in synch with our lives - they're non-stop, everchanging and full of purpose too.

But unlike our own lives, the life streaming above and below the surface is much simpler - and pure.

So there you have it.

Maybe that's where the attraction lies.

These days, I find myself talking about fly fishing more than actually doing it - and that's okay.

I also find that my mind can easily land itself in the ideal setting - though in the past.

It's out in the current to be sure... still in sight of the trees and among the eddies too.

Where I see it drifting alright...

Into the light and around the bend.

www.ericschmidtphotography.com

Ivan Doig, Finishing Well, Courage... and Serendipity?

Last year, I found myself in Montana - literally.

I had spent ten days there – discovering new places, finding inspiration, shooting more work and visiting with longtime friends.  I ended up on a journey thru a region that was new to my eyes – although it was familiar to my mind from reading the novels of Ivan Doig.  His stories will take you into towns such as Valier, Dupuyer and White Sulphur Springs.  They are poetic and extremely visual, so you can imagine how wonderful it was to find myself spending time in this part of the state.  Two of the nights were spent in White Sulphur Springs – where I hunkered down in the comfort of simple lodging under a big ominous sky.

It was there that I would stare into that big sky and wonder about the reality of relocating to Southwest Montana.  It would be a courageous move to be sure and it didn’t take me long to realize that the timing was about as perfect as it would ever be if we were going to do it.

Perfect at every level you can imagine.

Relocating to Montana has been on my radar for close to 25 years.   Having my wife and kids onboard with the idea was a huge blessing. I told them that all five of us have to be in agreement, or it was a no-go.  So with that, five thumbs were held high in the air and we started the process.

Bozeman is where our new roots would take hold – that was a unanimous decision early on.

We researched neighborhoods, schools, churches, amenities, organized sports, the library, and volunteer opportunities too.

My wife and I spent countless hours late at night... scouring properties on the ipad.  It’s where we came to realize what was possible and what wasn’t.  Several trips to Bozeman helped whittle down our choices - and we sealed the deal shortly after the New Year.

The following five months were an emotional roller coaster that will stay with me forever.

About every imaginable high and low were a part of my life.  I found that important relationships gained strength while the weaker ones dwindled further – which was reaffirming.

The concept of finishing well became a big part of my life - it's something that I attribute to one of my closest friends.  He’s a man with more wisdom than perhaps any other person that I have known (and an example of an important relationship in my life gaining strength prior to us moving).

He had sent me an email during this past spring and I’d like to share it with you as I found his words invaluable.

“Hi Eric,
A thought struck me after I left. It was the idea of "finishing well."  Sometimes, it's easy to get so far ahead of ourselves that we forget to attend to or appreciate the things that are right in front of us.  You obviously have many things to do before you go.  But know that those things aren't just a means to an end (such as getting you to your next destination), they are part of the journey in your life.  And if you do them well, you will take pride in a thing well done.  Perhaps enjoying something each day, in part, means keeping in mind the idea of "finishing well."  Not like it's an exam or a test… but as an organic part of your life. Because if you are occupied with the idea of finishing each thing you are doing well, you won't have as much time for other things such as worry.  Worry can keep us from feeling genuine emotions such as sadness, which is something we need to feel.  And, when it's time to go, you will be proud of what you have left behind for others and what you have prepared for yourself and your family too.  The losses you are feeling are normal: leaving places with memories of your parents, your family and friends, and your neighborhood too.  But wouldn't it be interesting if one of the things you "enjoyed" were giving yourself permission to feel loss, sadness or even cry.

So how's that for a paradox:  you could enjoy, or at least feel OK about feeling sad... if you needed to feel sad. Because after all, feeling these emotions help us grow, particularly when they're where we are right now.
They're part of being authentic…” 

I’m all for being authentic - and for surrounding myself with authentic people too.

So thank you for that email Pat - I will always appreciate your friendship.

And so what does “Serendipity” have to do with all of this…?

It happened last June 19^th to be exact - as I was headed to bed one last time as a California resident.

We would be rolling for Montana in the morning.  Our goodbyes had been said, logistics handled and in short, we had finished well.

I was getting ready to shut down for the night, when an email came into my phone.  It was from a photo editor out of New York who happened to work for a well-known publication.  She expressed some nice comments about my work and wanted to know if I’d be interested in photographing an assignment the following week…

in White Sulphur Springs, Montana.

Serendipitous?  Perhaps to many.

But in my heart and by having a strong faith, I knew it was bigger than that.

It was a nice start for things to come.

www.ericschmidtphotography.com

The Best Time of our Lives

"There it was, there it is, the place where during the best time of our lives friendship had its home and happiness its headquarters."

- Wallace Stegner

"Crossing to Safety"

Summer is here.

Always arriving in a hurry too.

And then before you know it, out the door she goes - which it will inevitably leave open.

It's the season which instilled my fondest childhood memories.

I pray for the same thoughts to hold true with my children... and it seem to be unfolding right before my eyes.

www.ericschmidtphotography.com

The Sandhills of Nebraska

Just finished up a project that I shot in Nebraska. Feeling fortunate in that I came home with some new personal favorites.

The elements were alive & ready for the taking.

The wind, sky & prairie were definitely inspiring & I now understand why Hwy 2 is so revered.

There is much more to be captured there...

www.ericschmidtphotography.com

Ain't Nothin Wrong With Meat & Potatoes

Imagery from a "meat and potatoes" project that involved five different images to be used in a campaign.

On a creative level, it might not have been the most rewarding assignment for the creative team and myself... but nevertheless, I feel fortunate for the wonderful opportunity and the people that I was able to collaborate with.

"Well, goddamn it, a fella got to eat...."

- John Steinbeck

"The Grapes of Wrath"

So with that in mind, I'd like to share some imagery from a previous assignment where I was asked to capture artistic images of almond blossoms in California's Central Valley - Tom Joad country.

It was one of those projects in which my vision was trusted by the powers that be. The imagery was well received and the creative director asked me to return to photograph pistachio blossoms and pomegranates.

Take a look...

".... and in the eyes of the hungry there is a growing wrath. In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage."

- John Steinbeck

"The Grapes of Wrath"

There is definitely something on the horizon... as I sense it's arrival.

Onward.

www.ericschmidtphotography.com

That's Gonna Hurt

"It's supposed to be hard.  If it wasn't hard, everyone would do it.  The hard is what makes it great."

- Tom Hanks, A League of Their Own

Three Advertising and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta asked me to photograph some more of their ads - thrilled to work with them again!

The five ads we shot have been well received and CHOA wanted to put together some more.

The brief was straightforward... "capturing that moment before a kid gets injured doing what they do."
For obvious reasons, I wasn't able to actually photograph the moment prior to impact - so images were pieced together.

Knowing that there were design elements in the ads that required me to create compositions within a fairly tight space, I came to the shoot with a strong pre-visualization of how I would choreograph the athletes.

With the football and lacrosse imagery I photographed individual players, with some of them launching themselves from a small trampoline (not to worry, we had them land on a large safety pad!).

The cheerleading image came together real smooth.  We had a large trampoline delivered to the set and when we were ready to shoot, we turned our "flier" loose.  I shot images of her jumping... actually, falling would be more accurate.

And in no time at all, we found ourselves with more images than we knew what to do with.

Element one was a wrap.

Onward to the second element which involved some creative choreography.

Picture this... my assistant perched on a twelve foot ladder, throwing a heavy cushion to where I directed.

We made sure it had an awkward shape and with enough girth to make catching it difficult too.  I had him add a little spin for good measure and with that, we had these young ladies lunging to catch it as though it were one of their own.

It worked like a champ and the pieces all fell into place.

www.ericschmidtphotography.com

The Adirondack Region

Imagery from a wonderful project for an agency that I've been wanting to work with for a while.

When they contacted me & sent the layouts over... you can imagine how stoked I was!

Anyhow, I pitched them on the idea of shooting the project in upstate New York - for a variety of reasons. All of which made sense to them.

We worked with a scout who knew the Adirondacks like the back of his hand & he managed to secure a slew of wonderful locations.

And as it usually does, the weather just kind of worked itself out.

I'd have to say that one of the most memorable moments was when a pair of loons swam into the composition while a flight of geese flew overhead (all of this in the midst of fall color).

A huge thank you goes out to Tonya Rinehart & John Rosato @ Mullen for giving me the opportunity to create the imagery.

And as always, thanks to Jon Heglund & Pat Blewett for being a part of the process too!

One last thing... a great place to stay when driving thru Pottersville, NY.

www.thewellshouseny.com

www.ericschmidtphotography.com

A Very Big Deal

"You have to love dancing to stick to it.  It gives you nothing back. There are no manuscripts to store away,

no paintings to show on walls... ,  nothing but that single fleeting moment when you feel alive."

- Merce Cunningham

We have a ballerina living in our home.
She's creeping up on fourteen and is madly in love with dance.
To her, dancing isn't something that can be explained, it has to be... danced!
Truth be told, no explanation is needed because when you watch her onstage, it is absolutely beautiful.

We are truly blessed to have a daughter who is passionate about something so early in her life.
My wife use to tell me that the baby inside of her hadn't stopped dancing for months and that we're probably going to be having a dancer in our family.
I guess it was inevitable.

"For a ballerina, the pointe shoe is more than just a tool of the trade.  It's more than a tradition and it's more than a costume. It's an extension of her body, intimately related to her profession and her art.

It's the essential tool that makes her dancing possible"

- Gaynor Minden Pointe Shoes

Advancing to pointe is a significant event in the life of a young ballerina - which was unbeknownst to me.  Recently, one of my clients was asking about my daughter and how her dance was going.  When I casually mentioned something about her advancing to pointe... her eyes grew big and she told me straight up -
"I remember when I received my first pair of pointe shoes, Eric - that was a very big deal!"

She went on and on about her experience with dance 30+ years ago and I could only smile as it was obvious that she was once a passionate dancer as well.

I'm guessing that she tracked down her old pointe shoes when she returned home.
And if she did that, then she most certainly retraced the steps of a past recital too.

www.ericschmidtphotography.com

Endeavor

En • deav • or :  to attempt by exertion of effort
     (to finish the race)

- my old Webster's Collegiate Dictionary

Felt a bit patriotic this morning as I watched the Space Shuttle Endeavor do one final lap above our planet - albeit ratchet strapped to the back of a 747.
It's final destiny will be a museum near downtown Los Angeles.

It seems like it was just the other day when I watched the launching of the first Space Shuttle.
We are definitely at the end of a special era and I was glad to photograph it - for posterity.

The Space Shuttle Endeavor as it passed over my neighborhood just a few hours ago...

www.ericschmidtphotography.com

A Pretty Good Run

"I've got a '69 Chevy with a 396, Fuelie heads and a Hurst

on the floor. She's waiting tonight down in the parking lot..."

- Bruce Springsteen

"Racing in the Street"

Just rolled back into town the other evening from a shoot that planted me in Wendover, Utah.

The Bonneville Salt Flats to be precise.

It was the annual gathering of men strapping themselves into their machines and hauling ass down a never ending straightaway in their quest to set a land speed record.

I've come to the conclusion that the ink in the record book never dries - as new speeds were being conquered left and right. A couple of vehicles traveled down that lonely track at 400+ mph. Hell, 200 mph is pretty fast in my book... now double it and add a few more.

The moments did not unfold too fast for this kid to capture and I think it would be fair to say that we gave it a pretty good run.

www.ericschmidtphotography.com