Nicholas LaClair Photographer and Director for Print and Film

quiet

an old image, revisited and reworked.

To print 12x12 in my new book. Please view full size.

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new site intro and reel

so far, it's a rough draft ... and I'd love some feedback.

... includes Kristin Diable's "Gypsy Queen" video (DP) and commercial work I directed last month. The song is "Sweet Disposition" by The Temper Trap (thanks to Katie V the music/photo/graphic design genius for that recommendation).

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the last of my polaroid 54 sheet film

(click for larger view)

Julia from Modelogic/Wilhelmina Richmond.

It's official - it's all gone. There's no more sheet film left in my stockpile, and dwindling amounts left in the world. Seriously - who wants to start producing it with me? Any takers? Anyone? Show of hands - we'll make Roversi's year.

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in a changing world

in a changing world ... film and digital. (click above for larger image)

The image on the left was made with a Speed Graphic 4x5 and Aero Ektar 7" (178mm) f/2.5 shot to Kodak Portra 400NC using tungsten lighting and white balanced in post (a technique my friend and old Brooklyn roommate Bon Jane/Rachel Brennecke likes to use on roll film).

The image on the right was made with a Canon 5D and 50/1.4, then processed to look like film (specifically, 160NC or thereabouts and, as they say in the cooking world, seasoned to taste).

I'm not posting these to start a debate or even compare what is obviously apples to monster trucks ... I'm just exploring a little and using my blog as a digital darkroom notebook. I didn't even intend to try to make these two images look similar in tone or color - my eye was just going that way independently.

As for the unique tilt/shift, um ... that wasn't on purpose. Just before this photo was taken I discovered the hard way that the Speed wasn't quite all the way in the tripod head (thanks Monfrotto for scary designs) and it hit the ground with all 32,000 lbs of Aero glass. Luckily, nothing was hurt ... except the front standard (the part on which the lens is mounted), which looked like it'd been in a four-car pileup. But the show must go on, so I gaff taped the rails back to the body and focused by sliding the whole thing by hand - so all that crazy out-of-focus is mostly by uh oh.

I suppose I'm reinforcing my own idea that there's a right tool for every job, and that can be affected by large things such as budget or turnaround time ... but can also be affected by very small things like the honesty that comes from slowing down the process through the formality of making a 4x5 expsoure - or sometimes I find I'll lose some people if I slow things down too much. They become impatient and I lose that spark, which I can gain again by grabbing a motor drive, 35mm or digital and cranking through some frames.

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