Under Our Skin

Posted by Aaron - 12/10/09 at 09:10:00 pm

I’ve been wanting to blog about this for awhile and finally getting to it. I had the honor of documenting the film release of “Under Our Skin,” a new documentary about Lyme Disease. The film is a fascinating uncovering of Lyme disease, some of the myths and controversies and personal stories involved. I highly recommend it.

Aside from covering the event, Anna Studenny and I wanted to give some of the “Lymies” who attended and provide them with a free portrait. The Hollywood Theater has tight hallways and the only available place for a white backdrop was tucked in the back hallway, shooting in front of the men’s bathroom door.

“Alright, beautiful smile…” SLAM. “Oops, sorry about that…oh, it’s just the photographer.”

Shaking off the growing lumps in my skull, I tried to take as much time as possible to hear their stories. The confusion, pain, and hope that they all carry with them is remarkable. Some were struggling, some on their way to managing and I think all of them related personally to the film. I hope I was able to capture just a glimpse of these beautiful people.

Thank you all who allowed me to be a part of this and all who let me into your life a little. More of the film release HERE.

Portland Iron Chef Event, 2009

Posted by Aaron - 22/05/09 at 03:05:00 pm

I had the absolute privilege of being the photographer at the Portland Iron Chef fundraiser for the Children’s Relief Nursery (www.crn4kids.org), a N Portland non-profit dedicated to preventing abuse and neglect of young children.

The hosts did an amazing job with decor and everyone had a really good time. The food smelled amazing. And hopefully they were able to raise the funds they needed to keep their operations running smoothly so they can do what they do best, helping kids.

Photographically, this was quite a fun challenge. Light was extremely low (as you can see) and shot most of the event with a wide open aperture, high ISO (around 1250), and on camera flash with my trusty diy-foamie bounce card. By keeping the ambient exposure well lit, you are able to minimize the power of in-your-face flash and create a much more effective mood. Three big boos and a hiss to in-your-face on-camera flash!

There, doesn’t that feel better? Anyways, event photography is a challenge, hard work, but rewarding when you get those special moments.

See more at www.aaroncphotography.com/ironchef09

Thanks! Aaron

St Johns Parade

Posted by Aaron - 09/05/09 at 05:05:00 pm

The St Johns parade was quite fun. I stayed in 1 spot to see how much good shots I could get. Nice challenge!

Justin Power, at Mississippi Studios

Posted by Aaron - 13/04/09 at 10:04:00 am

Anyone in Portland (or beyond) needs to check out Justin Power. Fantastic songwriting.

*His myspace page
*Videos of his performance with the Portland Cello Project

look for it