Darius Vick Blog: Commercial & Editorial Photographer

The Strong Men of Lincoln Terrace Park

2010-08-18T12:21:00.000-04:00

Sheepshead Bites

2010-04-21T12:56:00.007-04:00

I was recently contacted by the editor of the Sheepshead Bay News Blog. He came across one of my images and asked for my permission to use it and I gladly obliged. Even though it's not a million dollar client it's still nice to know that some people appreciate your work. http://www.sheepsheadbites.com/2010/04/midweek-photo-enjoy-it-while-you-can/

Is It Right Or Wrong?

2010-04-21T00:26:00.002-04:00

Two days ago I made a blog post expressing my excitement to work with a woman I had never worked with before. She wasn’t a super model, nor was she a celebrity; she was simply an interesting woman. As a result of my post I got some backlash from a friend. They felt that it wasn’t politically correct to single her out and give her praise on my blog because the other women may feel bad. To set the record straight, all of the women that I photographed that day brought great energy but Sophia gave that extra something that made me raise a brow. Perhaps her background in martial art helped her to move so fluid on uninhibited. Whatever it was, it was inspiring.

As a photographer finding inspiration is a never-ending quest. One day the rippling water in the toilet may inspire me, other times I may not feel like picking up my camera for weeks. Maybe my friend is right. Maybe I shouldn’t have hi-lighted Sophia’s performance publicly. After all, he is an attorney and we all know how much attorneys know about being inspired by a model.

So I ask the question, is it wrong for photographers to hi-light the performance of a model in a public forum? Should McDonalds stop hanging the employee of the month’s photo on the wall? Should teachers stop giving the well behaved children gold stars? I think not. I’ll let you guys know what the responses to these tough question were in a future post.

There's Something About Sophie

2010-04-19T01:11:00.003-04:00

Sophia is one of the many women of color that I've photographed for Natural Hair Project aka NHP. Our session together was amazing. She brought the type of energy to set that photographers dream about, not to mention I found her extremely fascinating. She had the grace of a Ballerina and the spunk of a U.S Marine. This was one of the rare times that I didn’t want to stop shooting my subject. I think you’ll be seeing a lot more of Sophia and hearing a lot more about how super duper cool she is.

License and Registration Please...You're Right!

2010-04-16T07:47:00.003-04:00

Last weekend my riding buddies and I were pulled over in the middle of Time Square by the NYPD. They claimed it was routine stop to check for license and registration. Based on how friendly they were and the smiles on their faces, I think they just wanted to admire our bikes up close.

New Prints In The Studio

2010-04-09T19:10:00.002-04:00

Plum Beach: Shot Of The Day

2010-04-05T07:22:00.006-04:00

There is no story behind this image. I just liked it. I captured it while I gave my clients a break to warm up. It was pretty cold at the beach on Saturday.

I Should Have Told Them Earlier

2010-04-03T08:43:00.003-04:00

I have a photo shoot today and I had to do some location scouting this morning. I knew that I wanted to shoot on the beach but I had to make make sure it was clean. I completely forgot about how beautiful the sunrise is on an early spring morning. I immediately became inspired by the warm tones bouncing off of everything. I snapped some shots and what I got in camera is exactly what I'm probably going to do in post in terms color enhancement. If I only had the clients there I could have saved my self some time in photoshop. Our call time is 12 and the light certainly won't be this gorgeous. I should have told them earlier.

Shannon Come Home

2010-04-02T08:09:00.002-04:00

Shannon is my Canadian muse. She was here in New York for a while but had to return to Canada to finish her studies. She's definitely the most daring model I've worked with. I can't wait for her return.

He Hates Being Shot

2010-03-31T07:18:00.004-04:00

Often I'll use my son Darius to test a new lens or some new lighting technique. The truth is that he absolutely hates it. The sight of me coming towards him with my camera makes him cringe. Each request to have him pose for me is met with some small amount of resistance but eventually he complies. I try to make things as painless as possible. In fact, I think having a tooth pulled would be more painless for him. So you might ask, why would I put my son through such torture? The answer is simple. He’s consistent. I know that no matter what I’m going to get some cool shots of him. He has this signature blank stare that he puts on. His expression is like a cross between I hate my life right now and I want to smash your camera. Editing his files never takes more than a few minutes. Because his expression never changes I’m only checking for correct exposure and sharpness. I want to take this time to thank my son for being the most consistent and patient model I’ve ever worked with. I love you Darius.

Not Sad But Inspired

2010-03-20T10:58:00.006-04:00

During a recent trip to Atlanta, GA I visited my father at the assisted living facility where he lives. A few years ago my father suffered a stroke that left him unable to walk without the assistance of a walker. Soon after he was diagnosed with diabetes. As his health weakened so did his desire to take physical therapy. A decreased interest in activities is one of the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, which he has also been diagnosed with. My father used to be an outgoing, independent and fun loving man with a huge love for life. Now he’s bound to his wheelchair but is too weak to push himself in it, so he just sits and waits for someone to push him. The image of my father in this photograph could not more opposite than the father who raised me, taught me how to ride a bike and whopped my ass when I deserved it.

I was reminded of this photograph by the recent passing of my aunt (my father’s sister) who also suffered with diabetes, amputated legs and too many surgeries to count. Just like my father she too was vivacious and independent. In fact, she was so independent that even in her final days she had the strength to write her own obituary. She wasn’t going to let anyone screw up her funeral service. I know this post may seem morbid but for me it reinforces how many emotions and memories can arise from a single photograph.

Disease is often out of our control as is many things in our lives. Two things that are in our control is our ability to create and inspire. Despite my need to reflect on life and death I hope that this photograph inspires you to create despite the circumstances under which it was created

Happy Birthday Yvette

2010-02-28T03:15:00.011-05:00

You are probably asking your self-why is this woman standing in Jimmy Neutron’s head? Well, there is a simple answer. Yvette Helin is the top costume designer in NYC. Yvette’s clients include Geico, Disney World, Warner Brothers and Nickelodeon, just to name a few. You can catch funny man Tracy Morgan wearing one of Yvette's costumes in the new movie Cop Out, starring Bruce Willis. Yvette is undoubtedly a super busy woman and a super talented artist but she managed to carve out some time for me.
I met with Yvette in her Greenpoint, Brooklyn Studio to take her picture for a portrait series. While I was there she updated me on the status of a very special projects she’s working on for the Jordan Heads movie. The project is 95% complete and will be unveiled to the world shortly. You’ll see more of Yvette and read more about her amazing creations in a future post. Yvette also had a birthday this weekend so I’d like to send her a huge Happy Birthday.

An Unexpected Portrait At Brookfield Farms

2010-02-22T17:57:00.006-05:00

This weekend I was in Buffalo, NY helping my cousin and fellow photographer Brandon Vick on a photo shoot. The location was the Brookfield Farms Equestrian Center, a beautiful twenty-acre horse utopia. While setting up the lights I couldn’t help but notice a gentleman paying very close attention to the abnormal activity that was taking place inside of the stables. Eventually the gentleman walked over and introduced himself and immediately made me aware that he used to be a photographer in his younger years. He started sharing stories with me about his trips down to the city and the odd jobs that he had worked. The more stories he shared the more interesting he became. After a short debate in my head, I finally asked the storyteller if he mind if I took his photograph? Before the words could fully pass my lips he answered “yes”.

Because we were shooting in a dim horse stable and horses are sensitive to flash burst, I was faced with how I was going to light him. A few yards from where our exchange was taking place there was a window with beautiful sunlight spilling through it. Being an ex-photographer, he instinctively positioned himself right in front of Mother Nature’s soft box and within four short frames I captured this image.

That's Them Chopper Boys!

2010-02-17T16:18:00.027-05:00

Along with being a passionate photographer, I’m also a motorcycle enthusiast. As a child I can remember sitting in the back of my father’s Oldsmobile, barely tall enough to see out of the window. I remember how excited I would get when I’d hear the roaring engine of a motorcycle approaching from behind. The sound was unmistakable. I’d wave my arms frantically hoping to get the driver’s attention. If I were lucky he’d see me and acknowledge my frenzy with a nod or a smile. Ever since then I’ve been obsessed with anything on two wheels. A few years ago I was able to satisfy my obsession and acquire a custom chopper. Now I have a new family, a band of brothers who all share the same passion for the two wheeled beast.

Currently I’m working on a photo series that will document the travels of these urban cowboys as they jockey their machines across urban landscapes in style and fashion. There has always been an organic coolness that riders have embodied through their utilitarian yet fashionable apparel. I felt it was important to preserve and contribute the culture that has been a continuing inspiration for the fashion industry. I’ll be working with fellow rider and style guru Ouigi Theodore of The Brooklyn Circus. Ouigi is a big supporter and contributor of the bike culture with his motorcycle inspired line of T-shirts. I’ll keep you posted as things progress. Until then ride hard but ride safe.

Breakfast With Phill

2010-02-14T12:20:00.010-05:00

What better way to brainstorm than with a hearty breakfast at a Brooklyn landmark (sort of)? Mike's Coffee Shop is a Brooklyn staple and always a great source of inspiration. Just a stone throw away from Pratt Institute, Mikes has no shortage of colorful patrons and artsy fartsy types waiting to be served. My close friend and art director Phill Shung met up to discuss the planning stages of a new photo project that I’m very excited about. I’ll be sharing more details about the project as things progress.

Phill has extensive experience in the media and fashion industry, helping to launch a number successful clothing lines and magazine publications. I must admit, having Phill on my team almost feels like cheating, like having a pair of eyes in the back of my head. A good art director should be able to foresee any photographic problems that may be a retouchers or clients nightmare and Phill does a great job of doing that. A good art director also pays for breakfast, which he did, so I’m grateful for that as well.

Can We Eat Now?

2010-02-06T10:31:00.009-05:00

Lisa Eisen is a private chef in NYC and just an all around sweetheart. I had the pleasure of shooting Lisa for SET Magazines holiday issue. I went into the shoot a little worried about how I was going to light Lisa and the kitchen evenly. The studio we used was big, beautiful and had tons of natural light. Unfortunately that light was not in the kitchen area. To make matters worse it had really tall ceilings. I decided to use a white wall that stood adjacent to the kitchen as a giant reflector, pointing my lights at it and bouncing the light back into to the kitchen. Once I sorted out my lighting issue the rest of the shoot went smoothly. Photographing a chef is always fun because my crew got to eat the food afterward.

The Plane!!! The Plane!!!

2010-02-01T15:03:00.017-05:00

This is one of those divine moments where the unexpected turned out to be a photographic blessing. In this shot is Camille Thompson, one of my makeup artist friends. We had been out in the freezing cold trying to capture an image for her blog when we decided that the location wasn’t cutting it. This location is next to the airport so there were airplanes flying over every 5 minutes. After taking many shots where a plane entered the frame unintentionally, I decided to make the best of it and shoot something deliberate. I synchronized my watch, Camille got into her pose, the next plane flew over, and this was the result.

Breakfast With Tek

2010-01-21T07:34:00.020-05:00

Tattoos and turkey bacon was the order of the day in this Clinton Hill neighborhood eatery as I kicked it with Tek, 1/2 of the hip-hop group Smif n Wesun. I've been hanging out with Tek a lot recently, documenting the recording of both his solo and the group's new albums.

A Miracle At Atlantic Station

2010-01-19T22:46:00.005-05:00

One of the rare days of snow fall in Downtown Atlanta, Georgia. Sadly tho, this flurry of flakes is coming from a snow machine tied to a lamp post.