“RNP the Blog”

Found a new spot in Kansas City that is just begging me to use it for a photo shoot…time to round up some talent and make some pictures.

In the meantime if you need me I will be the Lake.

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Followers of this blog have read previously about my father. For those uninitiated my father Larry Nicholson has worked as a photographer and creative in the Midwest since the late 50’s. A few months ago I started working through my father’s photography archive and posting my findings on a blog that I created called “My Father’s Archive.”

Several followers of that blog have requested an up to date portrait of my dad and yesterday I finally made that happen.

When I got this request my mind starting running through a variety of ideas of how to shoot my Dad. My father definitely has a unique way of seeing the world and I wanted to try and find a way to show that in his portrait. The house where I grew up and where my parents still live is a unique property. My parents have a little over an acre of land with lots of trees and even a creek running through our backyard boarded on the south by what we call “The Woods.”

The land is something both my father and I really enjoy so I knew I wanted to shoot him on the property. Once I made the decision to shoot on the property I immediately knew where I wanted to shoot. About a year ago my dad created a piece of art out of two things that most people would have completely ignored. My parents had to resurface their driveway and while the construction crew was there he asked them if they would help him place a large boulder than he found on the property on top of a tree stump. The “rock tree” is actually really cool and I thought an appropriate spot for my father to be photographed.

It was a little odd to “direct” my dad during the very brief shoot. I gave a few very simple directions and let him be. The funniest exchange actually took place before we started shooting when I told him I was going to setup and he asked if I was setting up lights. When I said yes he told me “Nicholson’s don’t use lights.”

I love my Dad…

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It is safe to say that my head was stuck in the clouds on my last day in New Mexico. I was ready to hop on a plane and ride through the clouds back home to my family.

Not to mention the Santa Fe natives were obviously growing tired of me and my fashion choices:

Lonely streetlight:

High Desert Clouds:

Albuquerque Airport:

And finally “Home Sweet Snowy Home”:

All images taken with Hasselblad 500C.

Thanks for taking the journey with me…

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Along Highway 503…

Close to Stanley, New Mexico: Tree #1?

Or Tree #2?

My vote is #1 but I am not the best editor of my own work. The tree images are my favorite from the trip, with the Monument Valley series being a very close second. Is it strange to say some days I feel like the tree? Bending to the strong western winds but still not breaking.

All images taken with Hasselblad 500C.

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Leaving Chimayo…

Shadows on the Wall:

A truly sweet Ford:

Real Horse Power:

All images shot with Hasselblad 500C.

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Chimayo, New Mexico:

Rez Dog #2

Chimayo Bull:

Chimayo Jesus:

All images taken with Hasselblad 500C.

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On the road to Chimayo….

All images taken with a Hasselblad 500C

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Monument Valley:

All images shot with Hasselblad 500C.

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I was scheduled to spend last week in Santa Fe at a workshop but flight delays and emergency dental work threw those plans for a loop (the instructor’s teeth not mine). Thanks to a non-refundable hotel and a non-refundable flight I had some unexpected free time on my hands.

In the end it worked out for the best. I got to visit some areas of the southwest that I hadn’t made the time for even though I lived in Phoenix for close to seven years.

Thanks to my buddy Brandon Sullivan for roaming the desert southwest with me it was epic my friend.

I will post images from the journey over the next week…stay tuned.

Up first…”Rez Dog #1″

All images shot with Hasselblad 500C.

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Shot in January for “My Business Magazine” out of Chicago. My subject (the top half of the image) was Nancy Piper the owner of “Rolling Acres Memorial Garden for Pets” which is located in North Kansas City. As I have said previously it is amazing the places my camera has taken me.

Rolling Acres was a quiet and solemn place and Nancy was an accommodating subject. She graciously allowed me free rein of the facility. I had a vision of numerous animals roaming around the office and that is exactly what I found. I even incorporated them into a few of the images I shot with Nancy.

Rolling Acres is a full service facility, they even have a space for pet owners to hold a memorial service.

As usual I shot a few different setups to give the publication options as well as satisfy my own needs.

I shot a mixture of digital and film and it was interesting to see how the magazine showed a strong preference towards the images captured on film. The Hasselblad 500C still has some life in it. In fact the final image that ran was shot with the Hassy.

I worked solo on this assignment so no crew to give shout outs to but big thanks to Tiffany Mehnert for the assignment.

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