montana photo blog
one frame at a time…
312 portraits and the golden arches
no, not the Big Mac arches mind you. we are shooting in French Lick, Indiana over the next 8 days with the first two days in the comfort of the French Lick Springs Hotel. Comfort yes, down time? not even close… we are shooting 312 portraits of golfers for the Golf Channel and PGA.com. That comes out to 20 per hour so there is not a lot of tweaking lights for each golfer. The set up is as standardized as we can make it so that it covers all sizes and shapes. the results of the marathon portrait set are on view this week at PGA.com or during the broadcast of the PGA Professional National Championship on the Golf Channel. Oh, and if your trying to think why you have heard of French Lick, it’s the home of basketball legend Larry Bird.
this is not your grandma’s cupcake pan
locations are hot in south florida in the summer time and not in the wow, that’s cool kind of way, so it was great to be in the studio for the day. Always a fan of the food shoot we were excited because it was Bigtop Cupcake day! Laura, our food stylist, arrived with the freshly baked cupcake tops, bottoms and several bags filled with the tools of the trade (aka. the secret kit). while Laura was busy decorating away in the kitchen we set up and started shooting the products on a clean white background to allow the designers many options for packaging and ads.
A special thanks to Greshka with Global TV Concepts for her keen art direction and to the crew for not eating any of the cupcakes before their time.
as i watched the 50 foot putt tumble into the hole…
amazingly enough it’s true, the putt did fall in but we will save that for later. yes, I played in a charity golf tournament, once those that know me stop laughing at the scene i will continue. Studio manager extraordinaire Lauren set up the studio for a foursome in the Palm Beach Aluminum 4th Annual Charity Scramble. So after some coercing i was able to convince 3 friends that it was a worthy enough cause to justify being on the same golf course as i was with a club in my hand. Sunday afternoon we headed out to the course, when pulling into the club i turned left and made a beeline for the driving range, not realizing that when you play golf you drive to the club drop. ok, so ive shot hundreds of pro-ams, scrambles… but still have a few things to learn about playing the game. amazingly enough i did find out that playing golf in 90 degree heat is way cooler then shooting golf in that heat, and dont get me started on how easy it is to get around in a cart!! enough of the talk, lets let Lauren’s pics from the day do the speaking. oh, and by the way yes we used a few of my shots including a drive and that ridiculous 50 foot putt that dropped right when the sirens started blowing to stop us from being struck by lighting.
An Inside Look at Montana Pritchard, Golf Photographer Extraordinaire
1. What originally started the path of shooting the wonderful world of golf?i was called by the PGA of America in 1994 to bid on a contract to shoot all of their advertising, golf courses and golf action. i was way over my head and had to do some serious research and practice before i showed them any film i had shot. i actually bought 5 or 6 golf magazines and pulled out images to hang on the wall. i looked at them through my camera lens to get a feel for what i should be seeing. turns out i had a pretty good eye for the game2. What’s the weirdest thing that’s ever happened during a golf-related shoot?i had a covey of quail run out in front of me while walking/running to catch up with a foursome during the PGA Cup Matches. unfortunately they misjudged my speed and i stepped on one of the little buggers and crashed and burned on the cart path. it was like a yard sale, camera bodies, lenses, gatorade everywhere! the quail survived although my 17-55 lens did not.3. If you could trade places with anyone for one day, who would it be and why?well, it’s certainly not the President of the US, lol… i guess it would be a painter, i would love to be able to paint like Rembrandt.4. What’s ultimately your favorite thing about picking up your camera?i love having the ability to capture a single moment that i see and no one else does. It’s all about seeing the light, both literally and figuratively. I love that it gives me the ability to be in business for myself and the freedoms that that affords.5. Everyone perceives photography differently. What’s the one thing you try to show the most through your images?for me the emotion of the moment is the absolute most important thing to show. to be able to share this emotion and have people see an image and not be able to stop looking at it is my ultimate goal. i have a handful of images that i feel like this is the case.6. Who are your main influences and what have they done to inspire you?my biggest influences are two painters that have become very close friends, Paul Aho and Sam Perry. i was fortunate to have them around as i grew as an artist. They taught me composition, contrast and split field composition and most importantly the importance of being an artist. i’m more driven by composition as a basis for my images because of them. for me the impact of the image is only this and not the subject.7. Some writers have “writers block.” Do you feel like you’ve ever had “photographers’ block”?absolutely, when i can hear someone chewing gum. it’s like edgar allen poe’s tale tell heart. its all i can hear!! but seriously, i do get blocked when i have spent too much time producing a shoot and not enough time alone thinking about what i want to shoot.8. What or who would you love to shoot that you haven’t already?i have two major goals in photography, i want to have a fashion image on a billboard in times square and i want the cover of a major American fashion magazine.9. Share one of your favorite images with us:
my favorite landscape is looking out of my tent at the moss covering the volcanic rock in iceland.
my favorite fashion image is for Pucci of a girl leaning into the wind in a studio in miami
rain, rain go away!
shooting outside in south florida in the summer is a 50-50 shot so when faced with a 80% chance of rain for the entire week that we were to shoot the latest campaign for Tehama we marched boldly forward with total disregard for the weather man’s prediction. after a 5 am wake up and a glance up to see the stars shining above i had a good feeling about the morning at least. call time was actually pretty reasonable at 7 am. We arrived at the gates of Frenchmans Reserve under a cloudless sky and were greeted by our models, Brett and fernanda from NEXT Miami who had arrived spot on time. By 7:15 Amanda at hair and Kristin at makeup were well on their way to our clean natural im golfing and i’m fabulous look. Anthony our grip truck driver and assistant from KOMAR began the process of carting all the gear out to the golf course, no small feat using 2 traditional golf carts! Thanks to a stellar crew our first shot was in the can by 8:15 am. The weather held clear the entire day and things could not have gone any smoother. By 5 pm the gear was packed, the models were on their way back to Miami and Tehama had their images for a new and fabulous campaign. Just another clear day in south florida.
3 days, 6 major championships and SIR NICK FALDO
ok, so the author and a/d’s plane was delayed by the volcano in iceland and the florida summer was 90 at 8:15am but who could complain when your shooting one of golfs great players for his own instructional book. Morning came pretty early after an 11 pm walk through at the Marriott Grande Vista (don’t feel bad, there were most definitely some pints involved). Sir Nick Flado pulled up ready to go, shirts in hand and off we went. over the next 3 days we covered every facet of the game under perfect florida skies and a few inside of an improvised studio with the most fantastic A/C. By the way, if you get a chance to eat at Nick’s Grill make sure you order the steak salad!
peace, quiet and perfect par 5
one on my favorite things to do is to sling a 60 backpack over my shoulder and head off to the mountains in search of solitude. when im not able to jet to some random mountain range i look forward to the jobs that allow me to do the next closest thing while working, shooting golf courses. i am in the process of shooting the ritz carlton golf club in Jupiter Florida. the course is in magnificent shape and because season has passed us by i have it all to myself to shoot. here are a few teaser pics to tempt you to pop out of work early and tee it up!37 minutes of fame…
Below are a series of videos you may have missed between the assortment of blog posts. An interview on Bermuda TV, a segment on the recent exhibition Isolation Revealed, and Dolce Vita (a half hour special that aired on the Spanish channel Hola Vision). With 37 minutes of material we’ll be hitting the big screen in no time!
models and bottles oh my
just because the easter bunny has left palm beach doesn’t mean it’s not still the place to be seen, especially if you were at 251 Palm Beach last wednesday night to see us shoot LIVE. we had 5 beautiful models and a full crew on the dance floor from 8pm until midnight working our photo magic in front of a celebratory crowd. Helping us out on the wardrobe styling front was Gracia Maria with Sex2Sea. Cristiana Shields jeweled all of our girls up with her own hand made creations and amanda parisi was on spot for the girls hair. As always L Square (Leslie and Lauren) were the go to assistants allowing me to concentrate on making beautiful images. In case you missed it here are some behind the scenes pics of the best wed night in town.
an ode to my jeep
Sometimes as a studio manager, you gotta run around and pick-up in some interesting places. With 2 days before our huge studio show ” Right Here Right Now” & also having 14 models in that day for blinc cosmetics. My jeep is a great lil escape from the hustle and bustle…..UNTILL you get on I-95 and have a giant plastic planter come barreling at you!!! Ahh yes there are many times where my life flashes before me & I find myself on the side of the highway, waiting for roadside assistance or like in this instance, pulling plastic from underneath my suv! But this day we had a great team at the studio so I knew I could count on things running smoothly while I met with the sign maker, the home depot, the paint store, fedex, the post office, the t-shirt maven (Jerry), sally beauty supply for some back up mascara wands (for 28 eyeballs), lunch from Ambrosia for over 20 people & @ the end of a 12 hour day here was the end result:
Mish Poletti working her magic along with the crew from blinc cosmetics
Kristin Brown giving us some "eye"
steady camera skills!
Montana, Leslie, Sarah Lowe (Marketing Director from blinc cosmetics), Lauren and Kristin Brown...."good show people!"
make sure to check out check all the blinc products online at www.blincinc.com and drive safely people!
xo,
Leslie
Set the TiVo’s!
In case you missed the Premiere of Donald J. Trump’s Fabulous World of Golf, check out the Golf Channel for other air times!
Got Rox??
Well we think you should. No…really, go the website www.got-rox.com and order yourself (or someone else) a gorgeous hand crafted and one of a kind piece. The company is run by the designer Dana Koenig and we were more than willing to shoot some new lifestyle material for her (soon to be on the website). And who WOULDN’T want to start the day with two gorgeous models Abigail and Ana Maria from Elite Miami, hair stylist Amanda Parisi, make-up artist Kristin Brown, and wardrobe stylist David Fittin? Needless to say, the crew above made it an absolutely perfect shoot and we couldn’t have asked for a better rainy day!
Inside the House of Vintage
…is Michelle Parparian. Oh and an endless stock of vintage clothing, jewelry, and accessories. Just to name a few. So when we were contacted to provide product images for this adorable house (and it really is a house!) we didn’t hesitate to get our hands on pieces from the 1920’s. Interested yet? Visit her website at www.houseofvintageinc.com and take a look at some of our fav’s above.
Instant Gratification? Most Definitely!
If you haven’t heard about Gratify, the new American Gastro Pub in West Palm, then we’re here to help. We were quick to take Managing Partner Gene Playter and Executive Chef Scott Helm up on their offer to shoot interior and food images for them. Not only does it have a cozy “come hither” feel about it, the food is simply, well…gratifying. Check out the pics below and please try not to slobber all over your keyboard.
And the journey continues…
It’s April?! I know, I know…it’s been a while since we’ve had the pleasure of updating you on the happenings of Montana Pritchard Photography, but if you’re following us on facebook then you understand right? We’ve been shooting almost non-stop for the past month, from interior photos to close-ups of make-up by Blinc. I’ll be posting more posts right after this one, so feel free to read and look all about our endeavors and the wonderful people we’ve been working with.
Oh, and I’m Lauren, the (not-so-new) Director of Production here at the studio. I’ve been meaning to introduce myself. And when I say meaning…I really mean writing this blurb about 20 times and not having a chance to publish it. But you have been receiving my newsletters, invites, and reading some of my blog posts already. Aside from working for Montana, I’m learning the ropes to someday becoming a photographer myself. And what better way to learn than from the best? (I know, corny. But whatever.)
More to come!
-Lauren McLeodthe golden bear and teddy bears
sometimes jobs turn into experiences that go far beyond the commercial world of photography. that is exactly what happened during our shoot for the PGA tour and Honda at the Miami Childrens Hospital. We arrived at the Hospital at 7:30 am via a start before dark ride from palm beach. It’s never one of my favorite rides but i wasn’t about to complain as the lobby was filled with nurses, doctors suitcases and gear headed to haiti to help the earthquake victims, an early morning call time in miami didn’t seem so bad after all.
our purpose for the day was to capture Jack Nicklaus and his wife Barbara with the Honda CEO during a visit to the hospital. We followed the group around and photographed while a commercial for Honda was being shot. It was most definitely a pull on your heart strings kind of day seeing all the children in their beds and the families in the waiting rooms. Keep your eye on the tv during the HONDA CLASSIC for the commercial. And remember you can donate at the Miami Childrens Hospital website
no dark and stormys before this interview
always ready to hop in front of the camera montana took time out of the shoot day to be interviewed by Glen Jones for Bermuda TV while recently shooting on the island for the PGA Grand Slam of Golf. take a look at the GALLERY for more of the final images from this years events
48 degrees and windy with a 54 degree wedge
really? are we in florida or crossing the northwest passage? 48 degrees and a stiff 2 club wind greeted us as we walked out of the orlando hilton and headed to the orange county national golf course to shoot an instructional piece for pga magazine.
on tap for this morning were 4 pga professionals (including michael breed, host of “the golf fix” on the golf channel), world renowned penman don jozwiak and a shot list that when completed would give a 10 handicapper the lessons to make his first cut. here are some behind the scenes images of Lauren, leslie and myself on the frozen tundra of orlando. We have tossed in a few finals but have to keep the rest under wraps until the magazine hits the newsstands.
Boca Raton…Meet Holy Guacamole!
Boca Raton…Meet Holy Guacamole……..Exactly what we thought when we were introduced to Rocco’s Tacos famous Guacamole, made by Rocco himself! We started the day shooting images of the interior and also had the pleasure of shooting multiple appetizers, entrees, and desserts cooked by the world famous Nunzio. After you try out Rocco’s in Boca, don’t miss out on Big Time Restaurants other locations such as: Grease, Reef Rd, and many others. Check out their website for a full list of their restaurants.
Elaine reunites with Peterman…
"I'm reading the most fascinating article on the most fascinating people of the year... And, done"
I put on one of my finest silk business-casual dresses that morning not knowing what I was about to encounter. It was our final day at the 2010 PGA Merchandise Show; Lauren and I were strolling up and down the aisles when I discovered a booth that felt familiar. I looked up and it was indeed John O’ Hurley….I hesitated & did a double take…..”PETERMAN???” “NO!….It cant be!”……as we approached the booth, I just went for it “May I have my picture taken with you?” I handed my iphone over to Lauren and the moment was captured. After we thanked him and walked away he said “Would you like a Catalog?” Clouded in all the excitement of meeting an Icon of TV and the Big Screen, I was like “OF COURSE!!” He then proceeded to sign the J. Petermans Owner’s Manual No. 75 for lil ol’ moi! It was truly one of the highlights of my trip to Orlando! The story takes a tragic turn for the worse when we ran back to tell Montana the news of this discovery and John O’ Hurley had already vanished when we went back to his booth (*insert sad face*)….till next time Peterman!!!!
