Thursday, August 30, 2007

Great Art


I shot this today as a possible location shot while scouting for a job . I like it by itself but don't know why. Wish i could shoot like this.

Sunday, August 26, 2007

Newly Discovered CR Footage


This just in. Through some complicated forensic technology we have uncovered this never before seen footage that includes me, my crew and a helicopter in the same photograph!!! It would be ideal if the helicopter had something to do with our photo shoot or if I could be seen highfiving/hugging/toasting the client or even if the crew was remotely interested in what I was doing but you have to crawl before you can walk.

Forbes Cover




When I work on a story there is a fine line between shooting the same picture over and over again and creating a unified approach so the whole package holds together. Laura Johnston did the post.

Monday, August 13, 2007

Broening .com:The Sunshine State

I try to be cheerful and upbeat. I try to spin things in the most positive way. Really I do. I want to use exclamation points in my blog. Gone are references to any struggle. Any wrong turns. Any bad behavior. Things are great great great! Welcome to my advertising photography blog. Come in and there is no end to the amount of sunshine we will blow up your ass.
I started the blog when my advertising business was slow and editorial was steady. Now they are both going well but I can’t unring the bell. I am too old or stupid to spend all my time generating a bunch of stories where I am the hero and all is swell.
Someone I used to work with saw my blog for the first time and said it would turn off any potential client who came across it.

Just a two sentence mention of a campaign successfully executed in a far off land and maybe a few behind the scenes of the photographer and Art Director hugging. Extra points if a helicopter can be included.
What’s wrong with that? Why can't I do that?

Gorillas in the mist

We were on a job. We had to do a bunch of shots in a few days and everyone was exhausted and looking forward to a half days'rest before three more days of shooting and a trip home.
We had just wrapped the last shot before the break and the account guy stepped up to the producer and said the client wanted to look at wardrobe in two hours.

The producer took a step back. "No the crew needs a break. We can look at
wardrobe in the morning"

The account guy took a step forward. " No we need to look at it today"

The producer took a step back"No"

The account guys took a step forward "Yes"

Producer stepping back"No"

The account guy took a step back 'OK"

The producer later said she was not sure she would have been able to hold her ground if there had been a wall behind her.

The entire conversation took place with body language.The words were like an over frothed form on top of a giant veal chop served at a high end Manhattan restaurant .The real action took place on the meat.

We have the internet and the space shuttle but when it comes down to it we
are just monkeys in the jungle communicating by beating out chests and
picking bugs off each other.

Sunday, August 12, 2007

the shirt



I once shot a job on a ship. It was a giant ship on a giant ocean.

On the ship were eight models. Two were black. The man had a wooden leg. He had lost it as the result of a blood clot a few years earlier.

Each day the black couple would be slated as being “heros” of at least one of the shots. They would start front and center in the frame and slowly be sent farther and farther back in the photograph until invariably they would be up a staircase or seated at a far away table. The woman of the couple got more and more upset. The man took to calling it the blackground.

A meeting was called. I set them down explained that the client had traditionally marketed predominaimnly to afflunat whites and was having a hard time going all the way and having minorities featured in their advertisng . I said I felt like there was an elephant in the living room and that something needed to be said.

He said, “You know she’s black?”
She said’Yeah but his leg is white.”

They both said they were professionals and they understood and would just go about their jobs. I said we were shuffling the schedule for the next day and they were not needed for the early morning shoot.

He said, :” Good because I am especially black at 5 in the morning”

He gave me this shirt he had worn earlier in shoot after I said how much I liked it. I can't wait to wear it.

Monday, August 6, 2007

Cockrocking in the North Atlantic





Cockrocking was in full effect in the North Atlantic. 8 models, 7 people in the crew. 15 cases of gear, 20 boxes of wardrobe, 23 shots in six days, 35 knots winds. Could it be done? Not sure but at the half way point of all was going well.