Ian Witlen Personal RSS Feed http://www.behance.net/theCameraClicks While on assignment to shoot the 21st Annual Christmas Toys in the Sun Motorcycle Run for the Sun Sentinel, a South Florida daily newspaper, I spent the entire day photographing all aspects of the motorcycle subculture. In the middle of shooting portraits of the bikers on this overcast day, I came across what would lead to be my best photograph from the take. It was United States Air Force Captain Stephen M. Chomiak, a member of the Vietnam Veterans of America, Chapter 23, who inspired this photograph. For the past nine years, Captain Chomiak has set up his replica of the Vietnam Memorial Wall at Markham Park in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, as a part of the annual Toys in the Sun Motorcycle Run. About 35,000 motorcycles ride from Pompano Harness track to Markham Park for the event every year, and this year, over 60,000 toys in addition to approximately $500,000 were brought in to donate to charity for the holidays. Seeing it through the lens of my camera made the event much more meaningful, seeing as how I have participated in the event with my father in years past. http://www.behance.net/Gallery/Kenneth-Cole-aWEARness-Blog/176939 While on assignment to shoot the 21st Annual Christmas Toys in the Sun Motorcycle Run for the Sun Sentinel, a South Florida daily newspaper, I spent the entire day photographing all aspects of the motorcycle subculture. In the middle of shooting portraits of the bikers on this overcast day, I came across what would lead to be my best photograph from the take. It was United States Air Force Captain Stephen M. Chomiak, a member of the Vietnam Veterans of America, Chapter 23, who inspired this photograph. For the past nine years, Captain Chomiak has set up his replica of the Vietnam Memorial Wall at Markham Park in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, as a part of the annual Toys in the Sun Motorcycle Run. About 35,000 motorcycles ride from Pompano Harness track to Markham Park for the event every year, and this year, over 60,000 toys in addition to approximately $500,000 were brought in to donate to charity for the holidays. Seeing it through the lens of my camera made the event much more meaningful, seeing as how I have participated in the event with my father in years past. http://www.behance.net/Gallery/Kenneth-Cole-aWEARness-Blog/176939 Fri, 30 Jan 2009 15:18:16 -0600 Shepard Fairey in Miami during Art Basel Miami 2008 in Interview Magazine. http://www.behance.net/Gallery/Shepard-Fairey/156761 Shepard Fairey in Miami during Art Basel Miami 2008 in Interview Magazine. http://www.behance.net/Gallery/Shepard-Fairey/156761 Tue, 09 Dec 2008 22:43:13 -0600 I decided to take a slightly different approach to street fashion. I set up a single studio strobe and my 4x5 camera outside of Umi Lounge, a busy Fort Lauderdale, Florida nightclub. I chose to do this during their indie dance night, CRUSH, because of scenesters that pack the club from wall to wall. I began pulling people aside who were dressed a bit different than those who normally attend. While my approach and composition are a bit uncharacteristic of the usual street fashion photo, the photos are just as much about the person wearing the clothes as they are about the attire. After all, scenesters habitually dress to be seen. I did not ask anyone to pose for me, I simply asked them to sit down for roughly one minute. Each person positioned them self in accordance to how they wanted to be portrayed. After about an hour of photographing passers-by, a crowd began to form around my camera. Many of these scenesters, whom are not shown in this collection of photographs, started to form a line to have their photos taken, even though I had not asked to photograph them. This made me contemplate whether these party goers were in line to be seen or to be scene. It seemed more like they were playing a game of follow the leader rather than trying to be the leader. http://www.behance.net/Gallery/Street-Fashion-South-Florida-Nightlife/117070 I decided to take a slightly different approach to street fashion. I set up a single studio strobe and my 4x5 camera outside of Umi Lounge, a busy Fort Lauderdale, Florida nightclub. I chose to do this during their indie dance night, CRUSH, because of scenesters that pack the club from wall to wall. I began pulling people aside who were dressed a bit different than those who normally attend. While my approach and composition are a bit uncharacteristic of the usual street fashion photo, the photos are just as much about the person wearing the clothes as they are about the attire. After all, scenesters habitually dress to be seen. I did not ask anyone to pose for me, I simply asked them to sit down for roughly one minute. Each person positioned them self in accordance to how they wanted to be portrayed. After about an hour of photographing passers-by, a crowd began to form around my camera. Many of these scenesters, whom are not shown in this collection of photographs, started to form a line to have their photos taken, even though I had not asked to photograph them. This made me contemplate whether these party goers were in line to be seen or to be scene. It seemed more like they were playing a game of follow the leader rather than trying to be the leader. http://www.behance.net/Gallery/Street-Fashion-South-Florida-Nightlife/117070 Thu, 14 Aug 2008 16:38:01 -0500 http://www.behance.net/Gallery/Protoman/117069 http://www.behance.net/Gallery/Protoman/117069 Thu, 14 Aug 2008 16:28:34 -0500 Ringlight, theCameraClicks http://www.behance.net/Gallery/Learning-to-have-fun___/59222 Ringlight, theCameraClicks http://www.behance.net/Gallery/Learning-to-have-fun___/59222 Sun, 10 Feb 2008 21:43:07 -0600 http://www.behance.net/Gallery/Augi-Sanchez/58487 http://www.behance.net/Gallery/Augi-Sanchez/58487 Tue, 05 Feb 2008 15:12:17 -0600 Testing the second ringlight that I built. http://www.behance.net/Gallery/Ringlight-Tests/57750 Testing the second ringlight that I built. http://www.behance.net/Gallery/Ringlight-Tests/57750 Thu, 31 Jan 2008 16:19:37 -0600 theCameraClicks portfolio selections. http://www.behance.net/Gallery/Portfolio-Selections/54613 theCameraClicks portfolio selections. http://www.behance.net/Gallery/Portfolio-Selections/54613 Thu, 10 Jan 2008 22:33:17 -0600