Brian Gomsak » landscape

Thank God for my job!

bgomsak — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 03:14:21 +0000

A couple weeks ago I had a project that required me to get my kayak out on the water at sunrise. As I paddled along side the model and his dog on our way to the location I watched a fine mist hovering over the lake and marveled at the quiet. As I listened to the rhythmic sound of the paddles piercing the water it occurred to me that it had been quite a while and I wondered why it took a project to get me to pull the spider web filled kayak out from under my porch and put it in its’ rightful place.

After a very brief moment of feeling guilty for not doing this more often, it occurred to me that I was on a job and getting paid to kayak and create imagery that conveyed the experience of calm and tranquility when gliding across the water and the solitude one can feel when paddling at that time of day. So when the demands of work, family, and life in general seem to occupy every minute of every day, the fact that my job will put me in a kayak on a crisp fall morning, and a paddle and camera in my hand, makes me realize that I chose the right field……….. at least I felt that way that day and may need to refer back to this post every so often to remind myself of that fact……….

Outdoor series 1

bgomsak — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 21:22:46 +0000

It has been far too long since I had a blog entry. For the sake of just getting something new posted I will be short on words, which apparently is something that I have a hard time doing according to my wife and the friends honest enough to tell me. Interestingly enough, I can be a fairly quiet guy, but when it comes to putting words on paper, brief and to the point is not my style. You would think that being a photographer, I would let the image do the speaking for me…………. for your sake, I will let it in this instance and will try to do so more in the future.

Still

bgomsak — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 01:38:26 +0000

This was back in the days of film when one of my clients was South Carolina State Parks. It was after sunset on an incredibly calm summer evening. If I recall correctly the exposure was around 20 seconds or so and the boat was so motionless that it is still sharp. It was the last exposure of the night before I called it a day and went back to my tent for the night. To think I actually had to wait several days before picking up the film from the lab to see the results……… boy have things changed in this business.

Southern Summer

bgomsak — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 11:32:43 +0000

Horsing Around

bgomsak — Wed, 05 May 2010 15:46:26 +0000

For no other reason than this past weekends Kentucky Derby got me thinking about Horses and Kentucky, where I spent many days of my youth having grown up right across the river in Cincinnati, I thought I would share some images of a Horse Farm I photographed in Paris, Kentucky back in November. Siena Farms recently converted an old cattle farm into a breath taking horse farm with striking yellow stables and is dedicated to breeding and raising world class race horses. Here are a couple images from the photo shoot.

If you are ever driving on interstate 75 through Kentucky and can afford to take 30 or so minutes off your drive, veer off to the East around Lexington and get ready to see some beautiful rolling hills, breathtaking horse farms, and a truly unique and history rich part of our country.

Clients Before Art

bgomsak — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 02:57:59 +0000

I have to shoot an aerial tomorrow for a client and had to do something today that was difficult for me and went against my personal quality and aesthetic standards. I booked a helicopter and a pilot for 1:00 in the afternoon, the worst time to photograph when the light is so high and flat, depleting the earth of all depth and shadows. Not an ideal situation for creating beautiful aerial images. Not only did I go so far as to research the suns zenith, or highest point in the sky, but I scheduled it before the buds on the trees had a chance to sprout their beautiful light green leaves. Why you ask……… Because that is what best served the client and their needs, not mine.

The Reserve at lake Keoweee, South Carolina

Long story short, the shoot is for reference purposes in a law suit where personal property (trees) were destroyed and to best illustrate that, it requires having the property line clearly marked and visible and out of the shadows of the nearby mature trees. As difficult as it is as an artist to go into a job with no intention of creating beautiful photography it is a valuable exercise that reminds me that my needs and or desire to create great photography is secondary to what my clients needs are. It is wonderful when the clients needs perfectly align with ones own vision and expectations as a photographer but the reality is, when you shoot commercially for a living, your job first and foremost is to put aside personal creative goals and to focus intently on understanding your clients needs and delivering a product that serves them, not yourself.

So for now, as much as I love photographing from a helicopter in the early morning or late afternoon when the light is more dramatic and creates great shadows and depth on the landscape below, I will have to approach the job as we always should and do what best meets the goals of the client, not our own and create an image that although may not be beautiful, is effective.

Aerial at Dawn