Creative Spotlight: Key Interiors - Virginia Tile

We met up with Debby Hill, Director of Design from Key Interiors, Inc., for a commercial photo-shoot a couple of weeks ago.  The photography tells the story.  Commercial/Retail spaces that have heavy foot traffic can often present quite a challenge for the design team. The Designer has to make sure that the floor layout, product visibility, selection workspaces, all work and flow together for unmatched customer experience.  Those staffing the space need easy access to product samples, implementation, and client consultation areas.  

The fit and finish of materials, cabinets, workspaces were all superb and especially robust.  

 

Notice too, the commercial will-call area for the construction professional.   Here, the commercial client isn’t left to feel as though their business is an afterthought.  Impressive will-call counter and meeting spaces for product reps and craftsman along with demonstration areas for product and installation tools complete the project.  

 

Overall, the end result is what one comes to expect when working with an excellent design and build team.  If you have a commercial or retail space that needs freshening or evening a complete remodel, give Debby a call.  Key Interiors is Chicagolands premier commercial design/build firm.  Below are a few highlights.

Shot on Film: A Bygone Era - Mexico November 1976

When I have spare time, I enjoy film scanning.  We have several high-quality scanners here in the studio, but my favorite is our Minolta DiMage 5400.  There was a time when we would shoot hundreds of rolls of color reversal film per year and scanning was a part of our regular workflow.  Particularly Fuji Astia 100, as it was my hands down favorite.  Often, we would load these film slides into projector trays and have client image viewings using a projector and screen.  That being said, we were always on the lookout for additional projector trays and would often find them for sale at estate sales, garage sales, flea markets etc.  We could never have too many.

 

Nearly everyone kept the original boxes that the trays came in for storage which kept the tray in pristine condition.  Many came loaded with family photos, business photos, snap shots, vacations etc.  Whenever we noticed that the trays had slides in them, we would try to return the film to its proper owner.  In some cases, however, it was impossible to tell when and where the tray of slide film came from and surprisingly many if not all didn’t want the film back.  Just throw it away was commonly heard.  Well, that’s something that a photographer never does.

 

I started to randomly pull a slide or two from some old trays that we hadn’t emptied and scan them.  I am going to post them here under our new feature ‘A Bygone Era’.  I will also try to identify the time period in which the film was shot, the type of film and if possible, the location.

 

I think this is going to be fun, because for me anyway I can look at a slide and just try and reminisce to what life was like during this time.  Since most of the film I have was shot during my lifetime, this won’t exactly be difficult to do.

 

Our first slide is obviously taken from a hotel room while someone was on vacation in Mexico.  This slide is stamped November 1976, a simpler time indeed.  The film here is Kodak Kodachrome.  Notice the complete absence of grain and the robust colors.  Like most film, it scans and displays like it was shot yesterday.  I hope you will enjoy our series of images as we look back at A Bygone Era, and if anyone recognizes the slide as their own, please email me so that we can return it to you.

 

Norman

Random 009: JMD Builders

Here is another shot from a Chicago condo photoshoot that we did for JMD Builders late last year.  The architecture, interior design, and craftsmanship are superb throughout.  JMD is headed up by Jerry Dardick and if you’re looking for an exceptional builder, to handle your project from concept to conception, give Mr. Dardick a call.

This image was captured using a Sony A-850 camera and a Minolta 20mm prime lens.  As with all of our work, this image was completely hand processed and crafted to the highest standards.

Shot on Film: Condo Interior - Water Tower Place Chicago

Back in 2005 I was shooting a custom condo in Chicago’s Water Tower Place.  We were setting up several cameras to shoot multiple rooms simultaneously so that we could quickly capture the magnificent cobalt blue sky that we get here during dusk off of Lake Michigan. 

While waiting as the Sun was descending, My business partner Mary Beth fired this exposure using a Minolta XE-7 on 100 speed Fuji Asita color reversal film.  The lens was our favorite Minolta Rokkor 24 f2.8.  We always used that lens for our general interior architectural work.  

 

This wasn’t the final shot, which we might display at a later date, but it is captivating; watching the descending Sun pour the beautiful hues into the room.  This image was scanned back in 2005 using a Minolta Dimage 5400 dedicated film scanner full frame with no adjustments applied.

Random 008: JMD Builders

I shoot most of my architectural work using a full frame Sony A850 and a 20mm Minolta prime lens.  I also usually will revisit some compositions with a Sony A700 and an 11mm Sony lens for spaces where I need just a little extra room for a proper composition. 

While preparing to pack up my camera bag, I was standing here just looking out that at the beautiful cobalt sky, and thought I would shoot this one last shot.  I am really glad I did.

 

This exquisite space built was built by JMD Builders and will most likely be included in our Creative Spotlight in the near future.  This image was photographed using a Sony A700 camera with a Sony 11mm lens.

Creative Spotlight: Gleason Architects, P.C.

I received a call last August from Gleason Architects.  They were looking to photograph a historic building in Maywood, Illinois.  I met with Thad Gleason and Mike Koehl at their offices.  During our meeting, Thad and Mike outlined precisely what shots they were looking for.  As seasoned architects, they understand composition perfectly and it really made my workflow easy.

 

When I got to the space, I was very impressed with layout and final finish of the project.  Remodeling an historic building is no easy feat.  When I mentioned to Thad that I wanted to feature the work on my blog, I asked if he had any before photos.  You will be floored as I was, when I saw what they had to work with.  So, ‘what can you do with a good architect?’  Apparently, anything you want!  Below are some of the before photos from the Gleason Architects archives and some of our favorite after photos.

 

I have also included the entire summary from Gleason Architects.  Grab a cup of coffee.  It is an excellent read.  

If you are looking to work a miracle with your challenging project, don’t hesitate to give the team at Gleason Architects a call.   

Great Lenses: Minolta AF APO Tele-Zoom 80-200 1.2.8

Continuing in my list of Great Lenses is this gem from Minolta, the AF APO Tele Zoom 80-200mm 1:2.8

This particular lens was on loan to me from fellow photographer Ronny Robinson.  He was assisting me in an outdoor shoot a couple of years ago and while I was using my favorite 24-80 zoom lens, Ronny was using this amazing Minolta Tele Zoom.  

 

It really worked out well as Ronny was shooting candid shots from a distance while Mary Beth was directing poses and I was shooting the formal portraits.  (Nothing like having a good team to work with.)  While I do own really nice 80-200 f4 Minolta Zoom, the high speed of this lens intrigued me.

 

When we were finished, Ronny handed me the lens and said to try it out for a while.  Despite its size, the lens handles well.  Lens construction and build was top drawer, certainly among the best I've ever seen.  Focusing is super-fast and the extra speed really allows one to capture amazing available light shots.  Truthfully, I didn’t want to give it back.  This lens has just the right balance of sharpness and character that delivers beautiful vibrant images.  Suffice it to say, I’m looking for one to add to our arsenal of lenes.  I highly recommend this one!