livebooks blog

Jim LaSala is a multi-award winning fine art photographer and Moab Master who was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. He lived in Staten Island for several years and currently resides in Flemington, New Jersey. He opened “Strike a Pose Photography Studio” in 1990 specializing in Fine Art Photography, Portraiture, and Electronic Imaging. Jim is presently a managing partner for “Xact Studios” in Hillsborough, New Jersey. As well as still life and fine art images, Jim has been passionately involved in documenting the people and their lives in Haiti. We had the pleasure of chatting with Jim to hear more about his work, inspirations, and vast experiences across the globe.

Q: What’s your inspiration?

JL: My parents are my inspiration, and it started a long time ago. We were less fortunate than many and growing up with deaf parents forced me to mature somewhat faster than some other children my age. They truly moticated me to see past prejudices and being held back from the things that you truly want in life.

“Eyes on Haiti” – Jim LaSala

Q: What role does photography play in your life?

JL: Communication. My photography is an extension of my feelings and thoughts and it has been very special to me.

“Blind Faith” – Jim LaSala

Q: Who are some sources of artistic influence for you?

JL: The first person that comes to mind is the incredible works of George Hurrell, “photographer to the stars.” His control of hot lights and dynamic portraiture has helped me understand the importance of capturing full tones and controlling contrast. Also Ansel Adams, who was a master of pre-visualization. I’ve often been asked how I end up with some of the images that I have produced and I believe it has a lot to do with understanding the story you are trying to share. What made you stop to photograph a certain situation? Was it color, texture, or maybe lack of color? Try to bring out just what it was that caught your interest. Don’t just settle for mediocre but keep your thoughts and ideas flowing. And lastly, Sally Mann. I love her storytelling abilities as well as her black and white treatment.

“Profound Silence” – Jim LaSala

Q: Let’s talk about your work “Hope and Despair.” Can you tell us a little more about this project?

JL: I have been fortunate enough to make six journeys to Haiti along with a non-profit organization that has been documenting the people who are in such need. This image was captured on my last trip (February 2011) while we were staying in Port Au Prince. We stayed in a makeshift commune that houses volunteers from all over the world. Behind this building are many tents that are set up for hundreds of people that lost their homes after the devastating earthquake in 2010 that took over 300,000 lives. It is here that we find children laughing, crying, playing, and surviving. Warm and friendly people is what I experienced. The many faces and eyes that tell a story we could never imagine. I’m blessed to be a photographer so I can tell the story through my images, and many times we forget how important our job is. When we are documenting and relaying our feelings about people, it’s not just about pushing the shutter. It’s about caring and respecting life. The story behind “Hope and Despair” is as follows: while in tent city, I spent time walking among the people, trying to get to know them, and make them feel comfortable. I came upon these two young girls who had been in tent city for about a year. One seemed quite eager to have her photo taken, while the other one was very shy. With some coaxing I was finally able to grab three or four images before I continued on. There are many times when I don’t even realize what I have captured. We become voyeurs while hiding behind our cameras. At times, we even lose our sensitivity while trying to capture the emotions around us. Sometimes, it’s not until I actually get back home and start editing that I become very emotional and affected by what I have captured. It is at this time when reality hits and we can no longer hide behind a piece of equipment and separate ourselves from the world. I’m hoping to continue my story. I’m hoping that my images can in some way help a country so devastated and so in need, yet so proud and grateful, even for the little they possess. I’m so grateful that I can share my story with everyone through my eyes.

“Sweet Innocence” – Jim LaSala

Jim’s exhibit, “Cuba Revealed,” is currently showing at the Collection Privee Gallery in Wynwood, Miami.

Check out his website to learn more about his fantastic work!

Project Colombia instructor Charlotte Kesl – www.charlottekeslphoto.com/charlotte-kesl-photography

As I carefully work my way to the tip of a 300 foot crane boom perched 200 feet over the water and swaying mightily as it unloads a giant container ship, my biggest challenge is to not smash a camera against one of the huge steel girders that surround me. More importantly, be careful not to slip on the minefield of grease blobs that wait to slam me into the sharp metal catwalk that is below my feet.

A vessel is assisted by a tug boat as it departs the Subic Bay Container Terminal in Manila, Philippines. Image courtesy of Nick Souza.

Surrounded by giant machinery that will roll over you in a matter of seconds or alternately drop their 2 tons of cargo right where you are standing, my work environment can be extremely dangerous. An ear splitting array of sounds in the midst of controlled chaos, a container terminal plays a roll in our daily lives that most people have no idea about.

The vast majority of our clothing, household goods, electronics and even some of our food are shipped around the world in 40 foot steel boxes on ships longer than four football fields. For twenty years as a corporate industrial photographer I have concentrated on this specialized world. The incredible scale of the ships, the colorful containers and the opportunity to travel captivated me immediately. With a background in photojournalism, telling my client’s stories was easy, but it was doing it dramatically that became my signature style.

Combining my storytelling ability with a strong artistic approach, I create images that are driven by their composition, color or quality of light yet still successfully illustrate the theme or message that they were ultimately created for. This concept has become my brand, with my client’s relying on a unique vision of their industry to differentiate themselves from the competition.

View of the front of a Reachstacker which is designed to move containers in multiple directions. Image courtesy of Nick Souza.

My approach to an assignment always begins by gathering as much information as possible. Very simply, I ask a lot of questions! Working on location is about finding solutions to challenges and still producing the best possible images. In an environment where shoot sabotaging last minute schedule changes are the norm, and cooperation is the key to my success, knowing the right questions to ask is what enables me to produce the types of images that I do. Armed with information, it is easier to make decisions about what I am going to shoot and plan for potential opportunities.

Speaking the lingo and having a great deal of knowledge about what I am photographing has served me well in being able to do things that would usually be greeted with a resounding NO! I am persistent and have been given some incredible access to produce some very difficult shots.

I have been on a lot of cranes, but on an assignment in Cartagena Columbia for the manufacturer, I really wanted to shoot from a different perspective. Making giant steel structures look as impressive as they are in person, showcase my client’s brand, throw in some bad weather mixed with uncooperative local authorities, just another typical assignment!

When working in a setting that has massive scale, finding an elevated vantage point is my favorite way to create a dynamic image. Shooting from on top of a container crane is the simplest way to get above this giant world. My client’s crane in Columbia offered a potentially incredible vantage point that I have never shot from before. A small platform at the tip that was actually below the boom, difficult and dangerous to get to while the crane was working, became the place that I absolutely had to shoot from.

Gantry Cranes unloading a container ship at the Port of Cartagena Columbia. Image courtesy of Nick Souza.

While I work in dangerous environments, I am not a daredevil and safely doing my job is the number one priority. Noticing several minutes of lag time in the cycle of unloading containers, I realized it might be possible to get to my elusive vantage point without risk or interfering with productivity. I was just going to have to convince my escort who really didn’t want to be up there in the first place, that everything would be fine! Utilizing the always-effective bargaining tool of time, as in “we will only be there for a few minutes” I was able to make an image that offered an amazing perspective of my client’s product in operation.

One of the more unusual aspects of a typical assignment is that often I will be shooting for more than one client at the same time. I discovered many years ago that if a project or assignment involves multiple companies, it works very well to combine everyone’s needs into one assignment. Interconnected as vendors or customers of each other, sharing production/travel expenses is always appealing to them. On this type of shoot I provide each client involved with their own custom set of images mixed with selections that are useful for everyone.

Adding this additional level of complexity to my normally challenging assignments has actually enabled me to be more creative. Focusing on the different needs, I’m seeing the situations that I’m shooting in ways that may have been missed. During a recent shoot documenting the delivery of five gigantic automated cranes in New Jersey, I made one of my favorite images by seeing my subject a little differently.

A fully assembled automated stacking crane is unloaded from a heavy lift vessel while a supervisor looks on. Image courtesy of Nick Souza.

In an environment that is filled with giant impressive industrial machinery, it is easy to focus only on that. To enhance the story, I will often include people in the frame adding both scale and a connection. On this particular assignment everything came together when the project manager for one of my three clients put himself right in front of me, blocking my shot. With this extremely large man obstructing my perfect angle, I was just about to move when suddenly I saw a great shot. Placing this giant man clad in yellow coveralls in the center of the frame with his back to me while the action happened beyond him told a great story. It would have been really easy to not see one of my now favorite images when the shot I had in my mind was completely obstructed.

With persistence, luck and a lot of patience, I am constantly searching for more interesting ways to photograph an industry that I have been looking at for a long time.

Kavira Kabambi, 15 year old survivor. Photographed by Sarah Fretwell.

The Truth Told Project

One girl or woman is raped every minute in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The rape is not random, as you might think. It is a power play that targets those who are not in a position to fight back. The rebel and military groups use rape as a scare tactic and way to control and destroy local communities. The DRC’s society is so broken rape is now “normalized.” Millions of girls, women and men have been raped. Many more will be raped in the time it takes you to read these few paragraphs. More »