Erik Almas Photography

As I get older I get more and more intrigued by authenticity and how to achieve this in my images.
What makes an image honest?
What is real about a 2 dimensional representation of what we see?
Now add Photoshop to the equation and what’s authentic becomes even more questionable.

In 1817 the poet and aesthetic philosopher Samuel Taylor Coleridge suggested that if a writer could infuse a “human interest and a semblance of truth” into a fantastic tale, the reader would suspend judgment concerning the implausibility of the narrative.
He coined this Suspension of Disbelief…

In composite photography, even though the image is not real, one can still create an authentic emotional response to the image. One can craft something that in the execution feels authentic and honest to the eye and on a visceral level feel real.

Disbelief suspended and authenticity achieved?
It’s a big subject that is best solved over a good bottle of vine.

Till then I will explore authenticity in both the simple portrait and the larger composites…

I will leave you with a couple of my recent composites.
One done for Sky promoting the TV show 24 and another for Dassault Systemes.

The background image for 24 was shot over 2 days on Westminister Bridge. We locked our cameras down and shot a few frames every 10 minutes or so till we had captured beautiful weather and light and frames without people for the 24 hour time span we needed. We then had 20 minutes with Kiefer Sutherland. We set up a backdrop next to the stage where they were recording the show so Kiefer could just walk onto our set during a break in filming.

In the below image for Dassault Systemes we shot designer Julien Fournier in Paris.
In this composite the idea was an interactive experience being so close to the real thing one can step right into Julien Fournier’s design studio…

Cheers!

Brand identity is not about showing off an image anymore. It’s about telling a story which consumers can relate to and identify with…

With the 5d being released every photographer got a film-making tool in their hands. This was, and still is, in many ways the perfect storytelling vehicle for us photographers helping brands go beyond the still image in their quest to tell their story.

It seemed so easy at first and I excitedly jumped in filming everything I saw…

Now, 4 years later, the craft and vision I have to my stills are getting translated into moving images and solid stories.

I have a great relationship with a winery in Sonoma called Repris. Having shot their still images we went on to translate these to moving images telling the story of wine from place to harvest to tank to barrel to the bottle enjoyed.

For me it was important that visuals of these moments translated perfectly between the two mediums, retaining my visual identity in both and leaving Repris Wines with a visual language translating across all formats.

As we collectively are becoming more and more visual I, as a photographer, have to continue to evolve. This both to have fun and learn new things but also to stay relevant in a fast changing visual market.

I’m excited to share the first OF many motion/still combinations that I am working on!

And here’s a Behind the Scene look on how it all came together:

I love a challenge!
And creating images sometimes truly is.

When GSW came to me with the idea of some one being trapped in a syringe I was really excited about the challenge of getting this done.

There are a lot of considerations that goes into the crafting of images like these.
Would we do it all on the computer, making the syringe in CGI, or do it all in camera with a custom built 8 foot tall syringe on location?

Could we possibly get this size syringe made? And if so how would we get the people in it? Would the tank and water distort their bodies too much?
Now, if we did it CGI would we be able to make it look real? Could we on the computer replicate the tactile, almost weightless quality of clothing in water?

And what about the emotional aspect of it? If we were to have the talent feel and express the emotions of being trapped would it not be better to have them be wet and in a syringe for real? For me this was the most important question. It’s these subtle things that to me make images successful…

After talking to the agency and my producer we all felt a combination would be the best approach. We set out to custom build a water tank in the shape of a syringe, large enough to hold a person, then creating the top and bottom of the syringe in CGI.

We also realized getting a massive tank like this with water hot enough to make our talent comfortable would be a tough task on location.
So we headed for Los Angeles and spent 3 days on location shooting our supporting cast and another 2 days in studio shooting our hero talent in the studio.

I find myself to thrive on great ideas. Ideas and concepts that make images a crafted moment that go beyond the 2 dimensional surface of a magazine or a tablet…

A big thanks to the guys at GSW for trusting me with making these ideas come to life!

Another big thanks to all the support from everyone from the producer to the retouch in making it all happen. This one was truly an effort of many…

The Sports Illustrated Swim suit Issue is the second largest marketing event in the US. Only the super bowl is bigger in terms of people seeing the content and the advertising exposure that comes with it…

From a marketing and photography standpoint this is a big thing and I’m proud to have shot the inside cover of this issue for the past 2 years.

In collaboration with The Richards Group we have created bodyscapes where a stunning girl in a swimsuit, landscape and truck has come together to one image.

The process of getting the pieces together and the places we went to do so made for an amazing assignment both on the creative level and for the experience…

In creating the background landscape we traveled to White Sands New Mexico. One stunning place that in the early morning light takes on an ethereal quality that just leaves you speechless. At 28 degrees Fahrenheit it was not the place for a model in swim wear so we headed out for warmer weather.

In addition to warmer temperatures we also needed a place to shoot a secondary set of images and a motion piece for the ipad edition that would speak to unique experiences…

We set our sights on Cuixamala. An extraordinary place 3 hours south of Puerta Vallarta, Mexico…

 

Here’s the images we captured and the Behind the scenes look at how it all came together.

 

In the magazine with the fold out cover there was a cool reveal making the ad look like this..

 

 

The Behind the Scenes!
If time check it out…

 

The final iPad edition imagery.