Seufert's Scenes

Cape Cod Photo of the Week: Illustrator Edward Gorey

Link: http://www.EdwardGorey.net

Edward Gorey at the old Cotuit Center for the Arts in October, 1996, which has since burned down.

I shot a documentary with the active and uncharacteristically eager illustrator Edward Gorey, who died at his home in Yarmouth in April of 2000 for the last five years of his life.  Though the documentary is still winding its way through the channels of red tape at his estate the video clips and photos I shot of his house continue to make "news."

Most recently mentions of the documentary project and the photos of his house as he left it spread onto a dozen sites, why, I'm not exactly sure.  Here's a sampling.

http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/afterword/archive/2009/09/24/bookmarks-inside-edward-gorey-s-house-diy-dan-brown-a-book-trailer-hit.aspx

http://blog.magersandquinn.com/2009/09/at-home-with-edward-gorey.html

http://blog.gesteves.com/post/195102794/edward-goreys-workspace-desk-by-christopher

http://www.boingboing.net/2009/09/23/

http://community.livejournal.com/edwardgorey

You can see the photos, snaps really, of the way he left his house, which has since been dismantled, sold, and then partially reassembled here.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mychatham/sets/72157604189279962/

It goes to show you how dynamic the internet can be if you put yourself out there and these types of cycles of ongoing interest in my film project keep me determined to make it happen.... eventually, despite the work and cost of realizing the release of an independent documentary in the world today.  It's also interesting for me to find that there's just as much interest out there in the photo images of his house, as in the film images of the man himself.

More Soon,

Christopher Seufert

http://www.MooncusserFilms.com

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Cape Cod Photo of the Week- Dawn at Chatham's Stage Harbor

Link: http://www.AuthorZoom.com

Now that Labor Day is passed we Cape Codders can go out and begin our own summer!

I shot this week's featured photograph at the end of October one dawn in 2006.  It was selected this year as the cover of the official 2009/2010 Chatham Chamber of Commerce Guide. They are also selling a poster of it for $10 in downtown Chatham and at their visitor's center and it's been wildly popular, now it's it's 2nd printing of 500.  Great exposure....

If you're interested, I'll be signing copies of this poster at Chatham T's (583 Main Street) in downtown Chatham on Saturday, September 12, 2009 from 2 to 4pm. 

See more info at Facebook

©Christopher Seufert Photography

http://www.ChathamPhoto.com

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Remembering the Real Walter Cronkite

Link: http://www.MooncusserFilms.com

Before I did photography.... and audio... and author marketing.... and multimedia in general, my company was just a video production company, with half of my projects coming from here on the Cape and the others over the bridge.

Now that I'm married and here full time I don't do as much film as before due to the travel requirements.  So, I had a great time this week remembering one of them however, a documentary narrated by veteran journalist Walter Cronkite.  I directed the film for the Chatham Marconi Maritime Center about Guglielmo Marconi's wireless station here in Chatham.  I was in 6th grade when he retired so I never considered it a possibility that I'd one day get to work with him, let alone direct his narration one on one over headphones. 

When he died last weekend I received an interview request late at night from CNN and early the next morning found myself in the telephone calling in a live interview to their anchors all over the world.  It was horrifying but I was honored to be able to talk about my experience over the winter of 2004 working with him and finding out that he was just as sincere and down to earth as his reputation. Here's a clip from it.

Though I was sad to hear about Mr. Cronkite, who led an amazing life,  I remembered how much attention he and his staff gave our script that winter, his generosity in donating his time (and that of his staff), and also how he hung around and talked to us for 20 minutes after the narration was cut.  

Here's the CNN transcript...

---------

WHITFIELD: Walter Cronkite's voice gave credence and authority to more than just news. He also used his famous pipes in a documentary about Italian inventory Guglielmo Marconi. 

Chris Seufert, producer and founder of Mooncusser Films, worked with Cronkite on the project. He joins us now by phone from Cape Cod, Massachusetts. So glad you could be with us, sorry under such circumstances. Tell me about your memories of Walter Cronkite.

CHRIS SEUFERT (via telephone), PRODUCER, FOUNDER, MOONCUSSER FILMS: Hi, how are you? 

Actually, I am not as old as some of the people who have much more direct experience with the reality and the myth of Walter Cronkite. But, you know, I was in sixth grade when he retired. 

But I am old enough to remember being in -- in my pajamas in the early 70s playing with trucks on the floor and seeing those helicopters swirling over the jungle canopy and hearing that voice, you know, that was sort of the nightly narration. 

So, yes, when I began this project with Walter and worked on the script over many months, and then we finally walked into his office, it was certainly with some nervousness as I walked down the hallway toward that --

WHITFIELD: Give me an idea of what was the first encounter was like. Yes, you knew him as the myth, this bigger than life man. But then when you saw him and you are now face to face, were your knees knocking? Give me an idea what kind of butterflies you had in you.

SEUFERT: I was certainly shaking in my boots. 

We had had some contact with him over the months before that I started to feel pretty comfortable with who he was. He was really behind the script and worked with us in a very detailed way to shape it into something he'd be proud of. 

So I really admired that, because a lot of people that would -- you know, a lot of people as famous as he who donate their narration to a project like this is --

WHITFIELD: Do you know how it even came about, by the way, how you were able to convince him to depart from news and be the voice in this documentary?

SEUFERT: Well, there was a producer on staff who had friend of a friend who knew that Walter was crazy about wireless radio. And so we knew someone that knew him, and basically got the word out to him that we were doing a documentary about wireless radio, and it sort of -- this untold story. 

And he accepted right away, to my complete and utter shock. But we, I went into New York with several of the crew members, and we were ushered up to his floor at CBS. And it hardly look like the office of a retired man, I must say. It was just like any working professional.

WHITFIELD: Really, meaning it just seemed very down to earth, very ordinary even?

SEUFERT: No. It was pretty intimidating. And, uou know, it's right in the center of Manhattan. And he has the whole floor. 

And his staff was extraordinarily professional and dedicated to him. And, you know, they worked round-the-clock. This was not a man that was -- you know, moth-balled yet. 

So when we walked down the hallway and you hear that voice, your first reaction is someone left the TV on.

WHITFIELD: That booming voice.

SEUFERT: And then we walked in, it was quite the opposite. He was not intimidating at all.

WHITFIELD: That's lovely. 

Well, thanks so much for sharing your experiences and having this brush with greatness, the greatness of Walter Cronkite. Thanks so much. 

And, of course, we have been hearing from you as well. So many people have been sharing their memories of Walter Cronkite.

----------

The photos we took of Walter that day were syndicated to a network of 120 tv stations across the country from Hawaii to Maine so our little Chatham project has gotten quite a boost from Walter's project.  Thanks to him this short documentary is now on the map for much more than just Guglielmo Marconi, but for being one of the last professional projects completed by this veteran journalist, who may have been a part of more historical moments in the 20th century than any other single person. And we had a blast with him too.

Here's an article that Tim Wood wrote at the Cape Cod Chronicle wrote highlighting the more local component of the Mr. Cronkite's involvement.

Need a film or video shot?  Come by my studio here at 2469 Main Street in Chatham or contact me here

Christopher Seufert

Cape Cod Video Production

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Family Beach Portrait Mania

Link: http://www.ChathamPhoto.com

Well, it's mid-July and the season is in full swing for everyone doing any kind of business here on the Cape.  After a sluggish winter (which ones aren't here commercially) this is the time for photographers to book up on their weddings, family portrait sessions, and events.  Work like a lunatic now and enjoy what's left of the summer come October, that's the plan here.

At this time of year I'll sometimes have two family portraits scheduled at the end of the day, when the light is most flattering for portraits.  When you have an hour to shoot 15 to 30 people in full group and individual set ups now's not the time to agonize for 15 minutes over flash settings.  So, journalistic style shooting is the order of the day.

It's actually very difficult shooting when it comes to lighting and, flash or not, you've got to have a grasp of your camera in manual settings, and not just full auto.  Why?  Because the camera meter gets fooled all the time.  Typically I shoot at several frame rates, with and without flash, for each setup and go for as much variation as possible within 30 seconds or so with just about as many images to choose from when I master them out later.  Shooting this many also avoids awkward hair moments, blinking, mouth distortions due to talking, and odd kid moments in the back row.

You might see this type of photography as pretty basic but it really can be a trial by fire for even the most experienced photographers, especially the subject wrangling part.  I really do love it and have grown by leaps and bounds shooting as many as I do.  The location changes, the sun and weather is always different, the clothing and exposure problems are limitless, and still, every customer deserves 100 to 200 final images that are crisp and color balanced, no exceptions.

This is why you'll see me leaving my camera at home when I'm out with the wife and kids on summer nights.  I've just filled both cameras and the batteries are all on charges.  Let's hope the weather has fully recovered and those of us who depend on it for a living can get enough work down now to have our own summer come September, when the go carts, ice cream shops, and bumper boats are still open.  Oh, and the water is still warm enough for swimming.

Need a family portrait or know someone who does, just let me know.

Christopher Seufert

http://www.CapeCodPhoto.net

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Cape Cod Photo of the Week- Back to the Beach

Link: http://www.CapeCodPhoto.net

 The back screen door at the Fowler Shack, just steps from Peaked Hill Beach and the best blueberries you've ever tasted.

Spring really is here and it's time to throw open the windows and doors again.  And by next month the summer and the beach make the welcome backdrop to our daily lives...  Everyone knows that summer on Cape Cod really begins Memorial Day Weekend, right?

 To celebrate I'm having a cocktail reception/opening of my new framed photos at the Munson Gallery on Sunday, May 24th from roughly 4:00pm to 7:30pm (time to be announced). The event is sponsored by Bohman Thayer Real Estate and will feature the prospective images for my very beachy coffee table book entitled "Dune Shack Life: Photos from the Cape Cod National Seashore", inspired by my three weeks' residency out at the shacks last summer.

I'll also be having an opening of the final images in December at the Crane Gallery in Orleans (Snow Library), which will also feature multimedia components, such as audio soundscapes and a screening of the companion short film I'm also producing.

Monitor the ongoing progress here

http://www.CapeCodPhoto.net

thanks!

Christopher Seufert Photography

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Cape Cod Photo of the Week- Gillnetting Boat Allegedly Used for Whale Harrassment

Link: http://www.ChathamPhoto.com

"Unicorn", the boat owned by Chatham gillnetter Robert Eldridge Jr, that was allegedly (very allegedly) used to harrass a humpback whale last summer. 

©Christopher Seufert Photography
ChathamPhoto.com

And an alternate wide shot

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Cape Cod Winters: A Shoot for Boston Magazine

Link: http://www.ChathamPhoto.com

Chatham Light Bluff during a Snow Squall

Recently I shot photos for the current March, '09 issue of Boston Magazine at the Cape Codder Resort in Hyannis.  The name of the article is "Come for the Beaches, Stay for the Blizzards," about Cape Cod in the wintertime.

(Read it here http://www.bostonmagazine.com/articles/dispatch_letter_from_cape_cod/)

Shoots like this, coming from magazines over the bridge, really help to pay the bills here in the off-season, as they tend to pay better than the on-Cape publications.  The extra exposure is great too, of course, but it's also great to be able to go explore a part of the Cape I wouldn't normally have the chance to, and also to meet some of the people here that make the Cape tick.

Photo Assistant Chris Kolb Stands in for the portrait subject as I make lighting and exposure adjustments.

The shoot consisted of two parts:

1.  Capture scenes of a snowy, cold Cape Cod winter.  Visit tourist destinations normally associated with summer and shoot them in their icy, white bleakness.

2.  Then go to the Cape Codder resort and shoot some of their condo units and also a portrait of Cape Codder president, Bill Catania.

A seemingly boring but necessary establishing shot.

One of the kitchens in their condo units

Typically, I post a proof sheet for the editor or art director to cull through, at high resolution, and then they download what they like for the final article.  I make every effort when doing this to post enough of a selection for them to have enough variety, but not so many that they're forced to wade through too many redundant shots, or ones that don't fulfill the proposed concept.  Featured here are the final shots and also some of the test and proof shots that went into pulling of the shoot.

Next week, a shoot for Rhode Island Monthly Magazine.

Until then,

Christopher Seufert Photography

http://www.CapeCodPhoto.net

Cape Codder Resort President Bill Catania

Bill Catania in the Condo Billiard Room(Outtake)

Bill Catania (Outtake- This one's just a touch too squinty)

Cape Codder Resort Condo Bedroom

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Christopher Seufert Photography for Buy Fresh, Buy Local Campaign

Link: http://www.CapeCodPhoto.net

Final Logo using photo elements below.

Contrary to what some might think, working as a professional photographer on Cape Cod is not all beach portraits and framed sunsets.  There are some great over-the-bridge jobs that come my way (more on that next week), but some of the most fun jobs can originate right here on Cape Cod.  The unexpected nature of the inquiries that come into my studio really does help to keep the off-season fun, bringing me out to areas of Cape Cod that I wouldn't normally get to see in my daily round. 

Case in point:  Christopher Seufert Photography was tasked to shoot the photos used to design the Barnstable County Campaign logo above.  After walking the farms and fields of Barnstable shooting chickens, crops, and assorted bucolic views, several images were combined as inspiration for the project artist to design a logo using several features from different photographs.  It's satisfying to provide real Cape Cod places for inclusion into what could be a more generic Cape Cod scene, not the sort of job I would have predicted when setting out on this adventure. 

The barn used in the logo, which comes from the lettuce farm image was used as-is, with the window and open door situated as we shot it, however, it was colored red in the final logo.  The other elements, the rows of crops and the Sandy Neck village buildings were added direct from the images.

In the coming weeks I'll be talking more about some of these unusal gigs.... photography with my wife on her current New York Times Best Selling book, a recent job with Boston Magazine shooting at the Cape Codder hotel, and also I'll discuss how I got my recently released self-published hard-cover Cape photo book picked up by a publisher.  Want to see more of my stuff?  Just click on the photos below to see my ongoing stream at Flickr...

Sandy Neck Lighthouse

Barnstable Lettuce Farm

Barnstable Farm Sprinkler System and Crops

More information about the Cape Cod Cooperative Extension Horticulture, Agriculture, and Natural Resources Program

The Cape Cod Cooperative Buy Fresh Buy Local Cape Cod Campaign aims to connect consumers and businesses to the freshest, most delicious locally grown and produced foods available, while also supporting local growers and the agriculture and aquaculture communities on Cape Cod.

Why Buy Local?

-Exceptional Taste and Freshness: Local farmers offer food that is bred for taste and freshness rather than shipping and long shelf life.

-Strengthen Local Economy: Buying locally grown food keeps your dollars circulating in the Cape Cod Community.

-Support Endangered Family Farms: Family farms are part of the American tradition of self-sufficiency and serve as the basis of local communities.
Safeguard Your Family's Health:

-Knowing where your food comes from allows you to be sure that your food is free of pesticides, hormones, antibiotics, etc.

-Protect the Environment: Local food doesn't have to travel far, reducing carbon monoxide emissions and packaging materials.

©Christopher Seufert Photography

2469 Main Street

South Chatham, MA  02659

http://www.CapeCodPhoto.net

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Cape Cod Photo of the Week- NY Times Best Selling Author

Full disclosure here: Today's photography blog is partly a shameless plug about my wife, who's book will debut next week at #5 on the New York Times Best Seller's List (for fiction.)  The rest plugs my photography services, and whatever's left is merely the idle ramblings of a Cape Codder snowed in on a dark afternoon, and dreaming of summer.

A few months ago when my wife, Author Lisa Genova, got her self-published first book, Still Alice, picked up by Simon and Schuster, I got the job to shoot her new head shot.  She picked Hardings Beach as a location, where I shoot a lot of beach portraits, so I  knew the best time and place to get what we needed.  We hired a make up artist (Lisa George) and camera assistant (Chris Kolb) to help out and three hours later the job was done.  At the time Lisa had sold about a thousand copies of her book over the course of a year, not bad for a self-published book, but not exactly high exposure, so it was a pretty casual affair.  I didn't quite imagine that this photo was destined to be the most widely distributed one that I've ever shot and probably will ever shoot. It's a great book sure, but there's a lot of luck involved.  Great books go unpublished every day and nothing is a definite hit.

         Formal Shot #1                                  Formal Shot #2

Since her book was released on January 6th the runaway sales have gotten her a #5 slot on the NY Times Best Seller List.  Certainly all the plugs and appearances that go along with that ranking will no doubt push her to all sorts of  film options and Oprah Book Pick levels of exposure (two quick predictions).  Just today, for example, she was interviewed by Time Magazine.  Most all of these will use her official head shot for the article, as the interviews are conducted by distance.  Of course the back of every book, all 250,000 of them to start, have the image too.  So, I've got my wife to thank for letting me tie my photographic caboose onto her literary achievement.

  Setting up for the headshot...

On a less personal level however, the lesson here for professional photographers is this.  Always shoot your portraits and headshots as if your image will be seen by millions.  There is just no telling what this person in front of you will go on to do, even if you think you know them very well.  Take your time and get your focus sharp.  Stay tight on the desired image so that it doesn't neet to be cropped and full resolution can be maintained.  Also, all shots of people can use touch-up work in Photoshop, even with the use of an on-set hair/makeup person.

A quick test shot done in 5 minutes without hair/makeup several days before the shoot.

The funny part of all of this is that the image she chose was one that I snapped as a camera test in between the formal setups (top of this page), usually a natural delete.  As of this week that one shot now represents my work more than any other image I've ever captured.  I have indeed found that some of my more off-hand shots go on to be the most successful.  The first shot I made at the hotel on our honeymoon is now the first photo that comes up if you go to Yahoo.com and enter in the search term "Hawaii."  A shot I took on the highway on my way to my grandmother's funeral is my most popular stock photo image.  I could keep going here about all the shots I take outside of my main course of work that consistently get more notice but hey, this article is about my wife.  Buy her book!

Christopher Seufert Photography
htttp://www.ChathamPhoto.com

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Cape Cod Photo of the Week- Chatham Lighthouse at Christmas (HDR)

This week's photo is another high dynamic range image, created by shooting three images at three different exposures (autobracketed two stops.)  HDR is not an effect but a type of photography that I use to shoot in difficult light.  The resulting image can look extremely different or very similar to straight photography, depending on how you process the images.  Usually, I output with high saturation, low noise,  and high contrast.  See the very bottom of this blog for another example.

When it comes to well-shot (and indeed overshot) places like the Chatham lighthouse I prefer to get experimental. The world does not need another boring image of this location.

If you're reading this you're invited to the Christmas wine and cheese Open House that I'm hosting at my photo gallery on Saturday, December 20.  I've just released my third book (a general Cape Cod photography book entitled Cape Cod & Islands Views) and I'll be signing all three here too, if you're still looking for unique Christmas presents for those Cape Codders who already have everything.

I also have framed ($70 to $550) and matted prints ($20 to $30)  and as well as the CD's and DVD's that I've produced for my multimedia company Mooncusser Films.  If you're a photographer come in and talk shop. I've also got an extensive vintage camera collection that is worth a browse...

Happy Holidays,

Christopher Seufert Photography

WHEN
Saturday, Dec. 20, 2008
2:00pm - 7:00pm

WHERE
Christopher Seufert Photo Gallery
2469 Main Street, South Chatham

DESCRIPTION
Christopher Seufert signs his new coffee table photography book "Cape Cod & Islands Views: A Photo Journal" at a Christmas open house, featuring free refreshments, wine, and cheese.  Stop by anytime between 2pm and 7pm and enter the raffle for a free framed print. 

Also signing
"Chatham by Air: Aerial Photos of Chatham, Cape Cod"
"Chatham Views: A Photographic Journal."

More Information
http://www.CapeCodPhoto.net

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