first half of 2022 wrap-up

We’ve almost made it to July… holy crap.

I wanted to share a handful of my favorite images from the late-winter/spring timeframe, provide some color around why I really like them, and share a few thoughts about how things have been going recently/what’s on the horizon.

In no particular order, here’s a rundown of some of my favorites. Also, for some reason WordPress seems to reduce the vibrance and saturation of images in blog posts, so just take a peek at these understanding that the actual image likely has more pop and ka-pow than what this shows.

This was a fun action shot during the long jump competition at this year’s girls high school sectional track meet. The pose is top notch. The judge is very focused on trying to decide if the athlete did anything illegal with her jump. The athlete has a look of extreme concentration and exertion. I also really like how the darkness of the background and shadows on the roof are juxtaposed against the light in the foreground.

Here, we have a really nice “environmental portrait” that I’m proud of. We scheduled this session mid-morning (10:00am if I remember correctly) which did wonders for us in terms of lighting. The subject is well lit, relaxed, making a very genuine smile. The backlit area out the window is dreamy and airy. The yellow chair provides great contrast and pop, and draws your eye even more to the subject. This particular session was a profile assignment for Bloom Magazine, but is also a stellar example of what a branding session might produce. Location, location, location (and lots of big windows) makes a huge difference.

These six images are some of my favorite examples of images I created this spring as a result of a special package I’ve developed for parents of athletes. My time so far shooting local high school sports for newspapers has really helped me realize that those little moments in the middle of a game, meet, event, etc. are memories that parents and student athletes alike want to capture but usually don’t have a good way to do it. I’m paraphrasing here, but I got so many comments from parents on social media that were like, “This is my favorite photo I’ve ever seen of *insert kid’s name*.”

Based on that sort of feedback, I began marketing myself locally as the sports photographer available for hire that can focus my energy and attention on your kid for a game and what you get back in return are thoughtful, artistic, professional images that you can then do what you want with (print, post, etc.).

I look forward to offering this package each sports season moving forward, and if this is something you’re interested in, please don’t hesitate to get in touch to discuss cost, logistics, etc. Many of these were taken during the high school season, but I’m also available for travel sports / off-season workouts.

Oh, also, don’t ever quit shooting after a big hit. Kids these days love to celebrate out on the basepaths. I absolutely love those shots.

This is a photo I took of Chef Dustie Condon, based in Brown County. She’s a hustler, firecracker, and one hell of a cook. I’m very thankful to have met her after being asked to come take some test photos of her in her home kitchen that she could then use for social media and branding. She told me this isn’t her favorite photo of herself (haha!), but I love it. The creamy bokeh behind her, the steam coming up out of the pan, the beautiful food being plated in front of her. To me, it just all works well together.

This is an example of a very classic, well-lit real estate photograph for a house that was recently listed. Shot with a wide angle lens and on a tripod, everything is in focus, bright, and sharp. I didn’t want to overcomplicate this listing, but do what I could to capture the beauty of the home, and know based on feedback from the agent and sellers, that I knocked it out of the park. This listing has been on Zillow 8 days, has been viewed 743 times, saved 43 times and had offers within 2 days of being listed. Can’t ask for much more than that.

This is another great example of an “environmental portrait.” The subject is both the two individuals in the photo as well as the business they own and operate. I loved the moody lighting and shadows of this black and white image, and really like the quiet moment caught of both of them looking into each other’s eyes and her laughing and smiling. The angle of the shot works well with the bar acting as a pseudo-leading line as well.

This winter I was asked by Visit Bloomington to photograph and document this year’s Freezefest ice sculpture festival in February. It was absolutely freezing (around 0-10 degrees F most of the weekend), and I really love this photo of one of the professional ice sculptors utilizing a blow-torch to put the finishing touches on one of his pieces. Neon lights at night, ice covering him from head to toe, and FIRE! What more could you ask for? It was an absolute blast to work with the team from Visit Bloomington and I look forward to working with them again for many years to come.

Golf has become one of my favorite activities again, and photographing it is just as fun as playing it. We may not have the dramatic coastal courses available to us like they do in California, Oregon, etc. but something about the pedestrian nature of this photo really draws me to it over and over. This was taken at Cascades Golf Course locally, and while most houses around golf courses tend to be huge monstrosities meant to draw your eye, the homes near our city course are just plain, middle-class options. Golf has to become more accessible and inviting, and places to play like Cascades certainly help with that.

If you haven’t been closely following me on Facebook or Instagram, you may have missed that I recently purchased and have begun flying a DJI Mavic Air 2 drone. At 48MP, the camera is virtually as “good” as my Sony A7rIV, and I’m in the process of obtaining my FAA Part 107 certification/license to be allowed to commercially fly it. More to come on that front soon, I hope.

Summer has admittedly become a tad bit slower for me in terms of hired work, but that’s ok. It’s allowing me opportunities to get out on my own and wander with my camera and shoot images of what I find interesting. Based on feedback I’m hearing, the fall sports season should be very busy for me and I’m really looking forward to shooting volleyball, football, girls golf, etc. I’m also joining the freelance team for The Herald Times in addition to continuing on with Greene County Daily World. This will undoubtedly do wonders in terms of expanding my reach more throughout Greene, Monroe, Morgan, Brown, and Lawrence Counties. If you spot me out and about somewhere, don’t be a stranger. I usually have cards on me, and would love to meet you, say hello, and discuss any opportunities to work together that you may be kicking around. I love to shoot images of people doing what they love.

Thanks for stopping by. I need to be better about posting regularly on here. Stay cool out there and enjoy your summer!

Oh, if you aren’t following me on Facebook, here’s my personal profile (https://www.facebook.com/paul.baechtold) and here’s my business profile (https://www.facebook.com/paulbaechtoldphotography).

Okay – I’m actually done now. Later!