Rolf Hagberg Photography

Snow Wishing

blogger — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 20:27:58 +0000

Nature shot

blogger — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 18:17:16 +0000

Here’s a morning shot from this fall on Bear Island Lake just outside of Babbitt, Minnesota.

Capturing Life

blogger — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 20:24:55 +0000

Shooting photography for Benedictine Health System (BHS) has been a real pleasure over the years. With over more than 40 senior care facilities in seven states, it’s a traveling adventure every time. This is a shot I took at St. Gabriel’s Community in Bismarck, ND. It’s always fun to work with the staff and residents that form BHS.

In this photo, the spirit, happiness, and connection that is felt throughout BHS facilities is captured. The key to a photo like this is the interaction between the people; the lighting is secondary. I use a simple lighting technique that allows me to work with the people in order to catch the interaction and not have to worry about the technicality of the lighting.

Also, I look for opportunities when a resident and staffer are tight together like in the shot above. Less space means more interaction – and a more compelling photograph. Be sure to visit BHS’s website that was launched this week .

A different kind of Winter Biking

blogger — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 20:43:31 +0000

It had been a big blizzard and an energetic friend of mine was having a great time running his mountain bike in and out of snow piles.
I love this photo, something about the juxtaposition of snow and a bike. It somehow captures a joyous explosion.

Now to get this shot, I used a slower shutter speed to get the full feel of the motion and energy.

Wishing you lots of snow in 2012. May it be blessed.

blogger — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 16:52:26 +0000

Snow or not, this time of year has us thinking about cross-country skiing.

This was taken at Trapper’s Landing Lodge in Walker, Minnesota – a very early morning shot on a day that happened to be twenty below. My trusty assistant/model Brooke donned her ski attire and we found just the right location where the sun came up beautifully behind her.

To get this image, we were prepared with our own skis and props. By using a long telephoto lens, we can see through the compacted trees to the silhouetted figure. Silhouettes are captured by putting people in front of the sun and setting the exposure for the sun thus losing all the detail on the person.

But all that technical talk aside, we hope you get out there this season and enjoy the bounty of winter.

Hand to Hand

blogger — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 16:02:40 +0000

Here’s a shot we took for our friends at CHUM – a Duluth-based social service organization which provides emergency food, shelter, advocacy, and outreach to over 7,000 hungry, homeless and low-income people each year.
We love this image. It captures our interconnectedness as we make our way in this world, and stirs in us good, grateful thoughts during this special season.

Chickens on the Runway!

rolf — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 16:16:57 +0000

Here it is, the video of our photo shoot that resulted in stunning, classic, and make-you-smile images. We thought you might like to be a part of the action. Be sure to check out the Chicken Gallery under our Fine Art section. Loretta, Tico, Boom-Boom, Midnight, Cacciatore, Etta, Uncle Eric, & Twelvie are all waiting to be discovered.

If you’re needing a print for the holiday season, please call me or email me directly to ensure prompt delivery.

Click below to enter the runway…

Hope they make you smile!

Rolf

218-343-9439

rolf@rolfhagberg.com

Chicken Run

blogger — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 12:34:07 +0000

Birds are infused with incredible character and attitude. In one of the shots of Loretta, she just seems to be saying, “So, what are we doing today?” In another photo, she’s crouched down showing us a little attitude – giving us that special chicken “one eye.” Honestly, these photos just make me smile.

So how do you get great chicken photos like these? First, you have a great friend like Gail Blum who opens up her jewelry studio for a day. Then you need more generous friends willing to take their birds, stick them in a box and haul them to the location. We couldn’t be more grateful.

But here’s my best tip when photographing any animal – shoot on a wipeable surface. There are many pricey backdrops out there, but a $12 piece of 4×8 tub surround from a hardware store will do the trick. Also, by lighting from below, the chicken’s feathers and feet really show up nicely.

If you’re interested in a chicken photo, drop me an email at rolf@rolfhagberg.com or give me a jingle at (218) 343 9439. Or you can order online at www.rolfhagberg.com.

Lobster Shot

blogger — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 19:32:10 +0000

Food photography is a skill all to its own. And it can take hours. Here’s a lobster we shot for the Grand Casino Mille Lacs & Grand Casino Hinckley.
The chef provided us with five, fresh lobster tails. From the most attractive ones, we grafted the best elements to create a picture perfect entrée. The juicy look is from oiling the meat with cooking oil and sprinkling paprika over it. Then we took an art brush and worked some of the spice into the grooves of the lobster to give the meat definition. Throughout the shoot, we kept the lobster spritzed with water to keep it fresh under the lights.

This was a real team effort involving the casino’s marketing department, the head chef & his kitchen and our photography team to make this meal look as good as it really is.

Chicken Photo Shoot

blogger — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 16:26:43 +0000

Chickens are creatures of surprising beauty and personality. A trip through the poultry barn at the Minnesota State Fair taught me that. I took some portraits of some extraordinary birds at the Minnesota Poultry Growers Association, but I wanted to get some shots of the birds in my friends’ backyards. Part livestock, part pet – you can just feel the affection these owners have for their flocks.

To make the chickens really pop in the photos we placed them on a white seamless background. Then we pushed light through the bottom of the set to get their beautiful feathers to stand out.

What really made the shoot work though was having at least 4 people keeping the birds calm and wrangled. Also having sweets on set, thanks Britt for the delicious homemade coffee cake and to Gail of RockOn jewelry for lending us her studio space and her pretty chickens.

I’m looking forward to working through these photos to see what magic we captured.