RouseGallery...The Blog

The Blossoming of Summer

What a thoroughly-enjoyable commission.

We shot these lovely photos with dear new-found friends before the blogging started happening full speed last season...so I wanted you to see them now and allow this portfolio to be a visual incarnation of the possibility and potential that is dawning upon us for another portrait season...rain, or no rain.

Hang on tight. The 100 Days of Summer at Ron Rouse Photography is about to begin.

R

P.S. for PHOTO BUFFS: Extra special family session as this is a film session! Kodak NC-400 and 800 on cases like this. We did some DURST scans for some extra snap and luminosity in the images. Shot with the Mamiya RZ and the 140 lens of course...nothing else will do!

Now this is how you Decorate a Ballroom:

Welcome to "The Enchanted Forest". You will find your accessory for the masquerade ball at your place setting. Enjoy the panoramic view while the orchestral score plays and check out the killer ice sculpture. Dinner will be served shortly.

P.S. This wedding commission was so much fun.

Shutterbug ramblings (I hear you, camera fanatics!): Same film and camera as listed yesterday. Top image one of the few instances where I would go to a 90mm (normal) lens on the RZ...coupled with at least a one second exposure to gain some depth of field for the scenic shot. Middle and bottom images: back to the typical 140 macro, I'm sure a 1/4 second or so since more shallow depth of field is preferable in those setups. Yes, there's gonna be some yellow in the film from the tungsten lighting; simply court the extra warmth as a benefit, not a distraction in your image, and get rid of the excess through enlarger adjustments if printing optically or in Adobe CS (actually, I prefer Nikon Editor/Capture) if you're scanning, as was the case here.

Now this is how you do a Wedding:

I know..you're thinking: rock concert...or wedding??!!

The bride wore a designer original, one of only eight produced worldwide. The crystal chandelier ballroom was donned in the wedding theme of "the enchanted forest". The gourmet dinner was served in multiple courses. A court jester came to entertain the children. A movie on the lives of the bride and groom was shown over dinner and they were "roasted", celebrity style. A twelve-piece orchestra serenaded people on the dance floor, while patrons donned their masks for the masquerade ball. And in the image above, the wedding party entered the reception ballroom as the orchestral score built to a crescendo.

Now, THAT is a wedding.

R

P.S. Tomorrow, view the decor in the ballroom for "The Enchanted Forest" theme.

P.S. for Shutterbugs! Undeniably, a film commission. NC-400 medium-format, the film of choice. The top image (silhouette) shot as I recall at 1/30 sec. wide open on the F4.5 140 macro lens of the RZ67. The bottom image utilized my traditional medium-format strobe setup: Vivatar 285HV flash diffused by Lumidyne softbox with shutter-dragging.

Hadley...and Roscoe, starring in: Endless Summer

On the heels of yesterday's post, I figure...the exhibition of one great Hadley photograph merits another.

Since people are always anxious to see images of Hadley, I figured I would share one with you from summer at the lake, also featuring a guest appearance by Roscoe, our ever-present lakeside Yorkipoo.

This is one of about 100 images I've scanned in the past few days, burning up the midnight oil with my Epson scanner, relishing the re-emergence of favorite images on my computer screen and getting the serious bug to commence the film shooting again.

And all the while, I'm dreaming of summer at the lake. Sigh...

R

P.S. Technical mumbo-jumbo: Ilford XP-400 120 size film shot on a Mamiya RZ 67 with a 140mm macro lens, at something around F5.6 I'm sure.  Undiffused daylight.

Christmastime Revisited II

 

Here's some more of the favorites from this past holiday season...

R

 

Christmastime Revisited I

Hey...was looking through the files and thought you would enjoy viewing some of the glad tidings of joy we were able to help in spreading this past holiday season. Enjoy...

R

   

Melissa's Wedding...

What I love about the selections for this folio is that these photographs are irrevocably shrouded in mystery..and yet, they reveal a very distinct story, if anything, heightened and made more memorable by the obscurity of the images.

Fill in the blanks, cherish the emotions that are evoked, feel the ebb and flow of the day.

R

 

Rauchelle and Shane

"...Christmas is for sharing..."

Percy Faith orchestra and chorus, circa 1960s

The First Annual Family Gathering Christmas Session

What an awesome way to spend a Christmas Eve afternoon.

And, most of all, this shoot has been over seven years in the making...ever since I created Jenni and Jami's senior portfolios! Now, with the whole family gathered to celebrate the season and on the heels of the big family reunion earlier this fall, we're thinking...this is gonna have to be an annual event! (hey, that means I'm booked already for next Christmas!) Although, I did suggest that perhaps we meet for one of these winter rendezvous in, oh let's say: Vegas, Cabo, Bora Bora...

Actually, we had a 38 degree day, one of the two warmest in December as I recall. Hence, the great moments that follow, spurred by an afternoon of fellowship and reminiscing and devouring Christmas cookies!

R

It's Christmas y'all!!! (featuring Wendy and Tammy)

...uh, well...at least it felt like Christmas on this cold, windy evening in the fading light! But, neither sleet nor rain nor breeze blowing the hair in the eyes can stop the epic, ideal, holiday picture of all time from happening! And after Wendy's senior session this summer, it's about high time we added sibling Tammy to share some of the spotlight!

Despite the fact that I could barely feel my hands at the end of shooting on this wintry day, the shared laughter added warmth to the moment...and that vibe is transparent in this choice image. Enjoy, compliments of your snow day crew.

R