Uploaded: June 2012
Collection: Vetta
Love this one! This composition happened by intervention of a Getty art director at the Berlin Istockalypse. I had asked the models to start slow dancing in the kitchen and was shooting versions of this when I was pulled aside by the AD who moved me to this angle. I’m quite thankful.
You can view my images from the Berlin Istockalypse here.
Uploaded: April 2013
Collection: Sig+ / E+
Ah, the always useful lived-in interior shots. The messiness of life, and the homey feelings… it’s got atmosphere! I don’t nearly shoot enough of those. Perhaps it’s because they’re not especially fun or challenging to do. I sent this one in after another shot from the same apartment became quite a hit for me (more on that later), and it’s done surprisingly well, income-wise. And… uh… I don’t know what else to say.. it’s a lovely room with a window?
Uploaded: April 2013
Collection: Sig+ / E+
Boy, am I happy she didn’t fall. That’s a wide angle shot, so yeah I was right underneath a few inches away. So what’s the story behind this one? Wellllll, this was shot during the Berlin Istockalypse in 2012. The last shoot of the day. I had slept barely an hour the night before and I was completely brain dead at this point. So as I walked into the room, I had 5 minutes to come up with something, and after I’d shot the room, I looked around, and all my ideas were pretty lame. So I stole a look at one of the art directors’ wish list and saw the word “safety”, turned around, saw a ladder, boxes high up on shelves, and a real-looking model that didn’t look as if she’d cartwheel her way to a pageant victory. So I put all of it together, had quite an altercation with the assistant who did not believe that this would work out and then shot it anyways. I think it works, don’t you? Perhaps I could have done something more commercial, but I was so out of it by then that I’m just happy I got this.
You can view all my photos from the Berlin Istockalypse in this lightbox.
Uploaded: September 2012
Collection: Sig+ / E+
I was so inspired on that day. Maybe it was all the support I was getting from the Getty team around me during this Berlin Istockalypse shoot. I went through so many emotions with my models, and they were so solid, it was just a lot of fun. They just went along with it, giving their all. A moment before, these two were having breakfast, and a moment after they’d won the lottery. It just was next, next, next. Lol. I was told this year in London not to shoot sadness, as these are reportedly harder sales. But I think there is a place for these moments even in stock or advertising. After all they’re a necessary counterpart to happiness…
You can view all of my photos of these models in this lightbox.
Uploaded: June 2012
Collection: Vetta
One of my first images uploaded upon my return from the 2012 Berlin Istockalypse. I don’t know exactly what story the models decided to develop here (I was far away with my long lens during one of the walkabouts and didn’t get to really direct the models until later that morning), but it made this scene work. It looks genuine, candid and fun. One of many during this outing. I put a heavy hand in post processing (I think I had 12 filters in my Nik recipe to do this) as I really wanted to break that Vetta barrier and felt I needed to lay on layers upon layers of special effects to achieve that because the lighting was so drab that day… Well it did land in Vetta, and then sold at both agencies, so I guess I did a proper job.
You can view all of my lifestyle photographs shot in Berlin in this lightbox.
Uploaded: September 2012
Collection: Sig+ / E+
Have I said that I loved pros? Well I do… such generosity and openness. This is why I invest in going to Istockalypses, we get to work with people who do this with 20 cameras (or 3 in this case) in front of them. It was fascinating to watch them work, doing this fake conversation and giving a different reaction every 5 seconds according to our direction. Loved it.
You can view all of my photographs of this model in my Berlin Istockalypse lightbox.
Uploaded: September 2012
Collection: Sig+ / E+
And.. back to the Berlin Istockalypse. I just love this one. I’m one of those crazy shooters working with a 200mm when everyone else is shooting wide. I just love to capture the character of someone with that lens. I attempted a few versions of this concept, but this is, I think, the best. It’s just him, that moment and that expression… What else do you need?
Uploaded: September 2012
Collection: Sig+ / E+
Awwww. A sweet one. I really like how the girl looks peacefully into the camera. She feels so right and protected. She was borderline too old for this, but I thought it would play well with the grandmother hanging on to her as if holding on to time itself, to her little girl growing up so fast. There is another version here with the girl’s eyes shut.
You can view all my photos of these models in this lightbox.
Uploaded: April 2013
Collection: Sig+ / E+
A second one from the Berlin Istockalypse. This one was done in a tie factory, using actors/models in a variety of settings. I loved the interaction between these two models as I’d shot them earlier that day in the fabric section. We brought them to the larger sewing area, got a mannequin, some fabric and staged this in probably 3.5 minutes as I had less than 10 minutes left on my time. I didn’t have time to fiddle with the lighting and so shot at a very small aperture in ambient light, hence the reduced depth of field. I love working with pros, though. They just project that easy-going cheerful confidence on cue, which is extremely time saving. In regards to performance, well it’s another one of those low-selling files on IStock that made most of its money on Getty Images. It turns out there is a lot of these on this list. Hmmm.
You can view all of my Berlin Istockalypse photos in this photoshelter gallery with links to purchase on Istock.
Uploaded: April 2013
Collection: Sig+ / E+
This one just bubbled up with the November Getty sales. Very glad it did, this is one of those that I didn’t really remember from the shoot in Berlin, which was quite hectic, but was surprised and delighted to see it come up in Lightroom as I was doing the last leg of editing for the Lypse in April ’13. I attempted a flare in the upper corner as I was seeing more and more of those everywhere, and part of the job is adapting to the current visual trends. I thought it worked well here and so uploaded it then selected it for Sig+ and, although it laid dormant at IStock, it did get a few good sales on Getty, thus enabling it to reach this list.
You can view my photographs from the berlin Istockalypse in this lightbox.
McComber Photo 