With the belief that if I don’t start writing now, I never will…..

I was contacted by Car & Driver a couple months back with, of all things, a portrait assignment.  On top of that, it was a portrait of the famous (or infamous, depending on where you are from) Paul Tracy.  A race car driver I have watched since I was in high school almost 10 years ago. Known to be fast, ruthless, and a bit on the crazy side, I knew this would be a great day or a terrible one and that the gray was non-existent with him.

When I got to his house it became apparent that the guy who was know for getting into fistfights on the track, literally, was as easy going as they come.  We kicked back and watched the last half hour of a race on TV before the camera even left the case.  Shooting went well right away, and I hesitantly presented an idea that I had tossed around on the flight over.  The concept of a racing driver that doesn’t separate his personal life from his profession, one who talks in gear ratios and grip levels and that is nearly unaware of a life that most of us accept as normalcy.

I told him why not have you sunbathing in your swim trunks and helmet?……

At this point I expected him to tell me that was the dumbest idea ever and proceed onward to a different portrait.

But that was not the case, the exact answer I got was…

“what color swim trunks?”

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Tags: Blair Bunting, Car & Driver, Editorial, Lighting, Nikkor 24-70, Nikkor 50mm, Nikon, Nikon D3x, Paul Tracey, Photography, Portrait, Racing, SB-900

Last glass of wine ushering a final image to be scrutinized before this day ceases and this week becomes last.  I have traveled much, shot well, and am back to count the hours before another departure. The wine has been good, the company entertaining.  Moonlight Sonata tells me that I will relax by the end of this message.

I have neglected you, the reader of this blog, for which I apologize.  Intention was not in spite, but nestled itself in the forever battle of a photographer’s priorities.  My mentor taught me that closing of a day should bring resolve to one question.  “Did I do everything to please the client?”  yes

Those who read this and enjoy my work, I promise you more is to come and this time will be worth its wait [sic] in gold. patients, and a good weekend to you

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Tags: Blair Bunting, Photography

Sitting on a plane contemplating Einstein’s postulates on light and relativity, I find myself wondering in realms of time and their application to my work.  With most of my portraits being about 8-10 feet away, I found out that by definition I am, in a sense, a historian.  After all, what I capture on my camera is not the moment, but rather the 3 billionth of a light second it took to reach my film plain.  With the collision of physics and philosophy I start to question Cartier-Bresson’s moment and it’s relevance in relativity.  Just imagine the distortion that your intended image takes on as the light from the strobes reaches your subject and then the existence of the subject itself reaches your camera, and to top it off, God forbid that it is a large print that increases it’s ideal viewing distance to your audience, it could be abstract by the time it reaches their eyes, let alone gets processed.

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Tags: Blair Bunting, Einstein, Photography, random thought

Finally, the time has come that I can show the first image from this years Deadliest Catch campaign. With so much production people behind the scenes, a veritable laundry list of people are due a proper thank you for this shoot.

The shoot was actually produced in Arizona with a multi-set studio being built, one inside, and one outside.  It was a testament to our nerves of, as we had  about 10 packs and about 15 lights on a subject that saw around 50 buckets of water mixed with milk, detergent and dirt thrown on him repeatedly. Not to mention the 3 wind machines that blasted his face to the point of rawness and ear plugs.

In the end though, it all comes down to the people that helped make it happen.   From the creatives at Discovery to the studio manager that worked overtime on prep days, the producers that made trips to Dunkin Donuts for my favorite breakfast, all of my assistants and grips that staggered lunches so that the set could be prepped properly, my stylists that nailed every aspect we needed and the talent that carried our vision to the camera.  This is your campaign guys

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Tags: Blair Bunting, Deadliest Catch, Discovery Channel, Discovery Creative, Loft 19, Nikkor 24-70, Nikon D3x, Photography, Photoshoot, Profoto, Studio

It’s not every day that I can say that my work came to a halt due to an earthquake, but yesterday was an exception.  While working on my new portfolios I looked up to noticed the blinds rattling and my wine swaying.  I decided that was a sign that I needed to take a break from editing and enjoy Easter, as I hope you all did as well.

With that enjoy this image of Andre Ethier from a recent shoot for ESPN Magazine

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Tags: Andre Ethier, Blair Bunting, D3x, Earthquake, ESPN Magazine, LA Dodgers, Nikkor 24-70, Nikon, Photography

I am excited to be able to release some of the work I have been shooting over the last four months.  With NDA’s nearly through this promises to be some interesting work to say the least.  More to come on Wednesday…

In the meantime, here’s one that made for a lighting nightmare, but turned out nicely…..

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Tags: Blair Bunting, Nikkor 24-70, Nikon, Nikon D3, Photography, soccer

Here’s one from the very beginning of my journey in photography when things like grass and fences found my eye

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Tags: Blair Bunting, Canon, Canon 28-70 L, Canon D30, Fence, Photography

We all know my love for a good glass of wine and a some shallow dof, this is as close as I get to both…

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Tags: Blair Bunting, Canon 1D, Canon 85 L, Depth of Field, Photography, wine

The lighting is clean, the expression and action strong, but I cut her fingers of on the frame!  The AD didn’t mind and we had actually some fingers comped in for the final, but as for the blog shot…. no fingers

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Tags: Blair Bunting, Nikkor 24-70, Nikon D3, Photoflex, Photography, SB-900, SB900, Volleyball

If you have been noticing some images missing or others moved, your eyes are not deceiving you.  I have been adjusting all the images on the site to reproduce better with the new standards of color management now available in most browsers.  Normalcy will return soon…

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Tags: Blair Bunting, Canon G10, G10, Photography, sunset, Tempe

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About
Blair Bunting is one of the few left in this world that truly loves his job. Whether it’s shooting sports cars in France, actors in LA, or athletes in New York, there’s always a story.
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