Tear Sheet: Spartan Negotiator Book Cover
Back in February, I received an email from Michael Savage, publisher at Savage Press. He had come across one of my noir images and wanted to talk about using as part of the cover of a new book called Spartan Negotiator, written by John F. Saunders.
We sent some emails back and forth and he told me what he was looking for with for the cover. The main character is a muscular, tattooed badass. Mr. Savage thought my photo would fit well. However, he did say that they were also thinking about shooting a fresh image, possibly ususing someone already inked up. That’s a key detail to the tough-guy main character, Frank Kane.
In the end, though, they did end up using my image on the cover, which I was very happy about. When Mr. Savage sent me the proofs, I thought it looked great.
Here’s the original image that I shot. It’s not THE first in my portfolio of noir shots, but it’s pretty close. Maybe the second or third I shot in that portfolio.
The image was inspired by a scene in The Godfather movie. Sonny and Michael Corleone with the rest of the “family” waiting to hear where the meeting with Sollozo will take place. Sonny is sitting there with his white tank-top t-shirt and suspenders and that image stuck with me. So, I wanted to incorporate that element.
I liked the natural light coming in the window that morning. The automatic in the back of the waistband, cocked, added to the whole scene for me. I always wished I had a bigger crucifix, though, for the wall.
I do like how Savage Press added the shoulder tattoo on the Kane character for the cover. In an email with the author, John tole me “I wanted more tats, to contrast with the noir quality and the modern love of tattoos. But it (the cover) still came out great.”
In any case, I’ve added Spartan Negotiator to my summer reading list now. Author Saunders is now in good company with James M. Cain, Mickey Spillane and Robert Penn Warren to keep me occupied over the course of the next few months.
You can pick up Spartan Negotiator right from the Savage Press website (link above) or at Barnes & Noble, Amazon and other fine booksellers.
Also check out the Spartan Negotiator Facebook page.
© Mark V. Krajnak | JerseyStyle Photography | All Rights Reserved 2013
Joe McNally Gets High – Really High
In case you haven’t seen this video yet, have a watch. Some behind-the-scenes (and on-scenes) action as Joe McNally prepares to climb,, then does climb, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.
Pretty incredible.
I love Joe’s axiom, even after all these years – Trying to get his camera in a new place. He’s been saying that for the nearly 14 years that I’ve known him and that piece of advice has always stuck with me (well, that and “make sure to take the lens cap off first.)
The thing is, he makes it look easy. Yet, it took him years to get the permissions to get up there to get these shots. He’s done this before so he knows about high-climbs, how to belay in, how to be safe doing all this. That’s all part of what goes into to making these photos.
“Just turn your face into the light a little bit.” – I love when he says that to the guy hanging off the building. Hey, even 2,700 feet up, you have to art director your subjects. Hell, I forget to do that when I’m just standing at sea level. He’s not thinking about getting off the side of the building, he’s thinking about what he needs to make the shot great. Not like he’s coming up again next week.
Joe’s been doing this a long time. Here’s a shot that Joe emailed me back in, oh, maybe 2001 or so. He was working on a Nat Geo story called The Power of Light. One of the things he wanted to illustrate was the guys who changed the light bulbs in the Empire State Building spire in New York City. (Watch that video here.)
At the time, the fact that he climbed the Empire State Building, to me, was cool. But what was even more cool was that, after the fact, he EMAILED A PHOTO TO ME. Again, this was 2001 or 2002. That was still a novelty to me. Fast forward less than 10 years, and he’s Instagraming a shot from the world’s tallest building, it’s going viral and he’s just hoping not to drop his iPhone.
Joe McNally / Empire State Building
That’s what I love about the arch of Joe’s career – he’s continually learned, studied, advanced with the times, learned the new gadgets and gear. But above all, he’s held true to his axiom – Get Your Camera In A New Place.
Above all, though, he’s never taken himself too seriously and continues to have fun when he on location. This is still one of my favorite portraits of Joe, and not just becaue I shot it.
Marburg, Germany 2000
Also, big props to Joe’s assistant, Drew Gurain, who shot most of the Burj Khalifa video (except for the GoPro stuff.) I’ve met Drew a few times, a really warm guy and wonderful shooter as well. Check out his portfolio here, read his blog and follow him on Twitter.
© Mark V. Krajnak | JerseyStyle Photography | All Rights Reserved 2013
Weekend Shot: Bridge To Evening
It’s not exactly The Walk To Paradise Garden, but it was a quiet, special moment I’ll remember.
Saturday, I spent a lot of time out and about with the kids. My wife was out doing some running around and, after drenching rains on Friday, Saturday was warm and sunny.
After dinner, we climbed into the truck and headed back into Allentown and the local ice cream shop. They kids got cray – soft serve vanilla for all three!
Me, I went with Sea Salt Caramel in a sugar cone.
We then walked the short distance to the lake in the center on town, and followed the shaded bridge path to it.
Chase had run up ahead, Liv was in the middle, and little Matt dawdled along, pulling up the rear.
It was a beautiful evening, I was with my kids, we were eating ice cream looking out over a lilly-padded lake.
No complaints.
(Well, ok, one complaint. After using the Canon S100 a lot on Saturday, I woke up on Sunday to a lens error. Won’t retract. Can’t shoot it. Should be still under warranty, but still. I love these little point-and-shoots but I’m getting discouraged over their lack of durability in non-extreme conditions. I can see if I was killing it, but that’s not the case. Stay tuned…)
Canon S100 + Early summer evening + Dawdling 20 month old + Nik Silver Sepia = This Weekend Shot
Find It. See It. Shoot It.
“Jay Maisel always says to bring your camera, ‘cause it’s tough to take a picture without it.” ~ Joe McNally
Man, I drive myself crazy sometimes.
Leaving the house and not having a camera with me is akin to walking out without my pants on.
Embarrassing. And not just because everyone could see my Scooby Doo boxer shorts.
Even though my Blackberry has a camera in it, that doesn’t count to me. My Blackberry is a last resort. I could probably draw a better picture than the BBerry can take. In a super pinch, maybe it works.
No, I have to have my Canon 50D and my Canon S100 with me. Either both or at least one. Gotta be with me.
In the pocket. On the truck seat next to me. At least in the bag behind the passenger seat, easy access.
Because if they aren’t, I don’t get the shot that leads off this post.
I see it in my head, but I can’t shoot it.
I blow it.
And it becomes like an itch that can’t be scratched. Just burns inside me.
Here’s how hit happened: The other evening, driving home from work, I’m about seven minutes from the driveway. I’m on the backroads, driving through Upper Monmouth County farmland.
I pass this farm. I look right, and see a scene out my passenger-side window, which is down. The itch starts.
I drive about a quarter of mile up, swear softly ’cause now I’m going to be later for dinner. I swing around, splashing through a puddle of mud, reach over and grab the 50D.
I flick it on. It’s AV at ISO 500 -1 or 2 EV, wide open. That’s my typical. It’s usually always on that setting when I turn it on. I know what I’m getting right and away and work it from there. But that’s usually the start.
I pull back around. Impossibly, he’s still there, hasn’t moved. Now he’s on my window side. I raise the camera, and yell up to him:
“Hey, how are ya? Can I take your picture?”
Sure, go ahead, he yells back.
It’s how I wanted it. The sun is above and behind him, to my left slightly. Before I turned around, I saw this – it would be in B&W, a silhouette. I wanted the tractor. The pose. The hat.
That’s what I saw in the blink of my mind’s eye about 90 seconds or so earlier.
I checked my rearview (I’m stopped in the middle of my lane) – no cars, yet – raise my 50D. I fire off one, two…he puts the tractor in gear and begins to roll off. He is working, after all. The pose has changed, the hat has moved.
I fire off one more.
But the itch has been scratched. Pretty sure I got it.
Later, I check the frames out.
I did. I got it.
Here’s the last frame I made, in color. I like it.
But not as much as the B&W version. That’s what I saw.
Yep…gotta have the camera with you.
Find It. See It. Shoot It.
That’s all there is, really.
© Mark V. Krajnak | JerseyStyle Photography | All Rights Reserved 2013
