213
Jeff Holt
Wednesday, January 27, 2010, 09:55 AM
Jeff Holt is a dear friend to Chris and me. He is also an excellent photographer out of North Carolina. Jeff was coming through Seattle on his speaking tour with the fabulous miss Lara Casey for the Making Things Happen Intensive Tour. Our great friend Shannon Sewell also drove up from Portland for the weekend, which equates to an awesome sleepover party at the Rhoads and an epic weekend. These two are some of our very closest friends in the industry and we love them dearly. They consistently challenge us in ways that others don't and push us to be better. Having them over for the weekend was just what the doctor ordered. 

Jeff is one of those people that you can let your guard down with. One of my very favorite things about him is his unwavering passion to serve and inspire others. Jeff can find the beauty in ANYONE. He is a natural born encourager and it is absolutely infectious. He encourages the heck out of us on a regular basis. Jeff is a "Big Picture" guy with a vision and personal mission to change the world guns blazzin.' No doubt, Jeff is doing exactly that! 

For Jeff, this is a year of overcoming fears. One of Jeff's personal fears is being on the other side of the lens. So as you can imagine Chris and I begged to take his photo. Facing your fears is all about walking right into them. I think Jeff was surprised at how much fun he could have being on the other side of things and it is our hope that we brought him one step closer to overcoming some of his fear of being on the other side of the glass :) *You can check out Jeff's thoughts of the shoot here*

*And for those techies that are wondering, the large format shots were all shot by Chris and yes, it is natural tilt-blur from the tilting of the front standard and bellows of the camera, not added in PS afterwards. Pretty wicked stuff. 

Enjoy the fabulous Mr. Jeff Holt!


Thoughts
Add a Comment View Comments (32)
Carter Moore says: Tuesday, February 2, 2010, 09:24 AM

These photos are great. I love the styles of his shirt and the colors go together greatly in this series. The black and white of his hand rubbing his face and the next one of him walking are my favorite. Spectacular capture of emotion.
gillian says: Friday, January 29, 2010, 10:31 PM

Great shots of Jeff! Love what looks to be a kung-fu-kick shot, and the airstream shot is great!!!Love the mix of shots.

Jeff is a truly amazing guy who connects with everyone! He's wonderful.

wrecklessgirl says: Friday, January 29, 2010, 03:19 PM

eep. cheep cheep. eep (again). so stinkin amazing.
elizabeth mae says: Thursday, January 28, 2010, 06:44 PM

Love, love, love the personality, the sweet and the serious - how wonderful your skills that they allow us to peer into someone else's soul - you both are always kickin some major butt - love it.

Anna says: Thursday, January 28, 2010, 03:48 PM

I feel like male portraits are some of the most difficult pieces, but you nailed it! I can feel a personality through the film which is so refreshing. Not to mention that he's pretty good looking as well....:)
Gina Meola says: Thursday, January 28, 2010, 02:38 PM

AWESOME!!!!!
Rachel Nickel says: Thursday, January 28, 2010, 02:13 PM

I'm digging the flannel.
jamie delaine says: Thursday, January 28, 2010, 02:09 PM

these are incredible. love the locations and clothes. gooooood lookin' man in some good lookin' photographs.
Jeff Holt says: Thursday, January 28, 2010, 01:36 PM

Wow... So where do I start?! #1 Chris and Sarah - I've told you guys a million times but I'm going to tell you a million more - THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU on so many levels. I'm beyond blessed to have the both of you in my life and to share in this journey together. These pictures mean more to me than you'll ever know. You both inspire me to be a better photographer, business owner and most importantly a better friend.

Ross says: Thursday, January 28, 2010, 11:44 AM

Definately everything you said is true! An amazing fella. and Great photos!

Cait says: Thursday, January 28, 2010, 10:35 AM

Chris & Sarah; You two are incredibly talented. Even though I don't know Jeff personally, there are so many aspects of his character shown in these images. I loved 'getting to know' him through your images.

Emilie says: Thursday, January 28, 2010, 02:20 AM

He looks like a cool guy!! Very handsome!!! I love the photo of his hands!

Audrey says: Wednesday, January 27, 2010, 10:07 PM

Ohhhh, Jeff is Yummy!!!
Sandi says: Wednesday, January 27, 2010, 10:00 PM

I love these pictures! I knew "Jeffery Jefferson" could take lots of good photos...Although, it doesn't hurt when you're working with an AMAZING photographer! :)
Great work!
Janet McK says: Wednesday, January 27, 2010, 06:40 PM

what? this dude doesn't like having his photo taken?! You've totally got the ruggedly handsome, sensitive thing going on here, and your smile is fantastic!

geneoh says: Wednesday, January 27, 2010, 05:40 PM

awesome session. Jeff is a very talented photographer!
Laura says: Wednesday, January 27, 2010, 05:10 PM

Gorgeous photos! I love visiting your blog and seeing your photos...they never cease to inspire.
Christine Pobke says: Wednesday, January 27, 2010, 03:29 PM

Um, greetings Jeff Hot! I mean, Holt. :) Beautiful portraits...and what lovely things to say about your friend. I feel like I know him! :) Everyone needs a Jeff Holt in their life, please share. :)

shannon sewell says: Wednesday, January 27, 2010, 02:52 PM

ahhh- sarah rhoads. what can i say to you?? you are amazing. so amazing that you can capture the amazing that is the amazing jeff holt ;) i mean come on... that's pretty friggin' amazing! :)

seriously though.. you've captured almost every facet that i think of when i think of jeff. his intensity.. his joy.. his ninja skills ;) i love them. all my favorite people equal one killer little blog post...

xoxo ~S
Hannah Taylor says: Wednesday, January 27, 2010, 02:47 PM

Oh that tilt-blur makes me drool! I love the action shots!! You two are so great!
Crystal Rose says: Wednesday, January 27, 2010, 02:41 PM

Looking good Jeff! S + C did a great job :)

AMANDA says: Wednesday, January 27, 2010, 02:19 PM

I think I need a Sarah Rhoads workshop in my life. Any plans to head to Toronto?
Cindy says: Wednesday, January 27, 2010, 12:31 PM

Love it! Love the one where he is laughing. Now I'm inspired to have MY portraits taken. It's hard for a photographer to be on the other side of the lens. Way to be brave, Jeff!
Kat Speyer says: Wednesday, January 27, 2010, 11:42 AM

Plaid shirts and fall/winter colors are wicked. Love the large format w/ tilt, too. :)
Katie says: Wednesday, January 27, 2010, 11:28 AM

Jeff, you rocked it. *high five* :) And Sarah and Chris, these shots are amazing. Loving the large format!
Lara says: Wednesday, January 27, 2010, 11:10 AM

JEFFREY!!!!!!! Look at YOU!! So happy right now I'm in tears looking at these! So blessed to have you in my life. Sarah and Chris, you captured him perfectly. Much love to you both. Just brilliant!
Emily @ Southern Weddings says: Wednesday, January 27, 2010, 11:00 AM

I love me some Jeff Holt! You look great, buddy! Can't wait to see you on Friday!
jeremy parsons says: Wednesday, January 27, 2010, 10:41 AM

Yeah....that's the good stuff. Amazing guys. Man, I love me some Jeff Holt.

Chris Hunt says: Wednesday, January 27, 2010, 10:35 AM

seriously, all they things you say of jeff are true. the shots capture that. way to step into the fear holt. nice work on both sides of the camera!
J@KE says: Wednesday, January 27, 2010, 10:33 AM

Seriously Jeff is a baller!!!! Love your work Sarah!
January Newbanks Soell says: Wednesday, January 27, 2010, 10:32 AM

I ADORE the paper-rock-scissors photograph early in the post. And I only just met Jeff at the MTH 2010 in LA, but your description could not be more dead-on. Jeff, if you're reading these comments, you look amazing. Sarah, I love your work so much. There is so much heart in each photo. Fantastic job.

Ruthie P. says: Wednesday, January 27, 2010, 10:14 AM

Another great session! :)
212
Interviewed!
Tuesday, January 26, 2010, 01:20 PM
This one is a shout out to all of our Oklahoma peeps! For those of you that don't know this, Chris was born and raised in Tulsa, OK. He's a "good ole' oklahoma boy" as they say ;). I grew up in Chicago, but moved to Oklahoma for college which is where I met Chris. We were recently interviewed by Okie Creative, which is a really neat site dedicated to bringing creative minds across Oklahoma together to share resources and gain inspiration. I loved the mission behind what Jeremy Charles is trying to do there. Really exciting stuff. 

We all are a product of our journey and Oklahoma is part of ours. Some amazing musicians and artists have come out of Oklahoma, ie. Flaming Lips, Other Lives and others. We are huge fans of the creative community there; rather, we're huge fans of building a community wherever you are! People are what make the world go round. Wherever we are, we should become part of a creative community. And if you think one doesn't exist in your area... Start it! No great movement has ever happened without someone stepping out, seeing a need and taking a risk. I just got an e mail from a blog reader of ours, Becka Knight, who is doing exactly this with a new project she has in the works... high fives to you Becka! I don't know where we would be without our creative community... the people who push us to be better (each of you who reads our blog included in that statement).
*Those that want to check out the full interview can view it here: Sarah & Chris Rhoads Interview


Thoughts
Add a Comment View Comments (9)
hannah Gingrich says: Saturday, January 30, 2010, 03:05 AM

I absolutely LOVE Barcelona. I was so excited to see you did a shoot with them.
Seattle looks like it has incredible places to shoot photos at. Your photos are fantastic!
Katy says: Thursday, January 28, 2010, 09:39 PM

Awesome! Thats cool you got an interview! Keep up the good work :-)
Olivia says: Thursday, January 28, 2010, 02:12 PM

Good article! You guys are way talented, and I love stopping by your blog to see what you're up to!
sarahrhoads says: Wednesday, January 27, 2010, 05:59 PM

@allison the Seattle PUG run by our friends, The Popes is great! Not to mention to just the community in general with random coffee dates and the online community... all of it is great stuff.
Allison says: Wednesday, January 27, 2010, 04:28 PM

Hey Sarah, Congrats! Love the article! totally agree on being a part of a creative community to push and encourage each other, what are some of your favorites in Seattle?
Amy Rae Photography says: Wednesday, January 27, 2010, 10:37 AM

don't forget Hanson..they came out of OK too! Yeh! Loved the interview. :)
Dianne Jago says: Wednesday, January 27, 2010, 12:20 AM

You are such an eloquent writer! I LOVED every word of the interview and am so inspired by your work. You are a blessing to little photographers like me :)
LaRae Lobdell says: Tuesday, January 26, 2010, 03:32 PM

Your interview is so inspiring! Congratulations you guys!
Ruthie P. says: Tuesday, January 26, 2010, 03:10 PM

Great interview, you guys! Congratulations!! Oklahoma must be really proud :) By the way, I love the photo shoot with Barcelona, they're one of my fav. bands ;)
211
Street Photography
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Monday, January 25, 2010, 08:15 AM
"In photography, creation is a quick business- an instant, a gush, a response - putting the camera up to the eye's line of fire, snatching with that economical little box whatever it was that surprised you, catching it in midair, without tricks, without letting it get away.  You make a painting at the same time that you take a photo." - Henri Cartier-Bresson

Henri Cartier-Bresson was one of the masters of candid photography. He helped develop what we now call the "street photography," a style that has influenced generations of photographers that followed. His work is a brilliant inspiration. 

Although street photography is not often our main medium at the Rhoads, it is something that we really enjoy especially when we travel. We have received several e mails and questions about it since our return home from Thailand. So I thought I would take a moment to share a little bit of what that experience was like and how we went about getting the shots that we did on the streets of Thailand.

Taking photos of people on the street isn't easy. If you are shy or timid, getting close to strangers and snapping the camera is probably not your idea of a great time. Given our temperaments, Chris being more introverted and me being more extraverted, I was much more excited about this type of imagery than Chris.  Getting close and becoming part of the scene is a crucial part to getting the type of images that we want to capture when shooting street photography. We shot all of our Thailand images with our 35mm 1.4 lens or with our 16-35mm 2.8 lens. Shooting wide allows us to be a participant in the scene unraveling before us. It allows us to "be a part" rather than simply being back as an observer, and to us, this is crucial. When shooting street photography we always want to be a participant not a voyeur.

A lot of the questions we were asked revolved around "how" to get the shots that we got of people on the street. It should be mentioned that there are no clear set of rules and guidelines to exactly how street photography should be done, but I would be happy to share with you our personal approach. It can be assumed that when people step into a public space they do give up certain rights to privacy. However, we never want to take advantage of that as photographers.  I prefer to take photos in a relational way. That doesn't mean we have to become best friends with each of our subjects, but learning a few words from the language, smiling a lot, taking a genuine interest in them, knowing cultural norms, and being polite makes photographing a stranger a much better experience for everyone.  

One simple technique that we used since we were in a different country and not everyone speaks english, was to raise my camera up with a smile before taking the photo as a way of 'asking' if it was okay to photograph the person. There will always be those that don't want their photo taken, for those that fall into that category, we of course always want to honor their wishes. In our particular case I would say 92% of the time the people in Thailand welcomed having their photo taken. Thailand is considered "The Land of Smiles" so a smile goes a very long way here, and a simple smile was the door to many of my favorite images from the trip.

There are also certain times when you may be taking photographs of a scene on the street where many people are involved, it can be assumed that you need not ask permission of each individual person in the scene. However, the bulk of what I shot in Thailand on the street was more portrait driven so I tended to use the above approach most of the time.

 A few street photography tips from the Rhoads:
1) Travel light and don't cause a scene. For us that meant that only one of us carried a camera at a time, we never wanted someone to feel like we were going "paparazzi" on them. 
2) Honor & respect the people we photograph and don't be a voyeur. Don't be afraid to get in close. 
3) For the type of street imagery we choose to capture, it is important that we are not sneaky. Don't hide your camera and "sneak" all your shots from a distance with your 70-200mm. Don't be a voyeur, be a participant.

I hope this helped answer some of your questions and shed some insight into how we got many of our shots in our Thailand images. We by no means are experts on the subject and there are no set guidelines and rules. This is just how we chose to go about it and what worked for us. We hope it can help a few of you out on your next adventure. 

A few of street photographers who we dig: 


Thoughts
Add a Comment View Comments (18)
Stephanie Motz says: Thursday, January 28, 2010, 06:42 PM

Wow. These images are beautiful. I love the colours. Thanks for the tips. Can't wait to hit the streets with a smile and my camera!
Hannah Taylor says: Tuesday, January 26, 2010, 02:33 PM

I loved the quote by Henri Cartier-Bresson. Another great photographer that shoots in that style is Jeff Ascough (http://www.jeffascough.com/).
The sunset and the street one is beautiful and I agree with a previous comment about the monks and the camera.
Emilie says: Tuesday, January 26, 2010, 02:28 PM

I love your photos!! The colors are fabulous.
galaxie andrews says: Monday, January 25, 2010, 02:23 PM

sarah, thank you for sharing.
the one of the monk taking a photo of you is just priceless. i love that you can still see his big smile through his fingers and his happy squinty eye from the side. that pictures is so uplifting :))
Taylor says: Monday, January 25, 2010, 01:32 PM

I like the second to last image for it's depth and strong sense of place. Well done. The image of the scooters at sunset/sunrise is interesting too. Looks like something Nick Onken would shoot.

Julie says: Monday, January 25, 2010, 12:28 PM

How fun! Thank you for posting more information on the art of "street photography." I actually just enrolled in a class called street photography, because I want to grow in that specific area! Which means I can't be shy anymore... :)
Rensche van Dyk says: Monday, January 25, 2010, 12:00 PM

Thank you so much with sharing, I'm not a shy person at heart to take photos of people, but when I'm in another country I always tend to not get close-up and ask. Your tips will definitely help on my next trip. The photos are amazing! as I was scrolling through the post I was smiling - I love reading and viewing your blog it always makes me smile:)
MELINA says: Monday, January 25, 2010, 11:54 AM

i love it, thank you Sarah.
I'm going to go over to the Heavenly Village this week and practice some "street photography" for the first time...wish me luck!

Sansaara Photography says: Monday, January 25, 2010, 10:39 AM

Sarah, you know we've been blog stalking you for you a while. Your portraits from Thailand are so impressive and speak so much of your ability to relate to the people you photograph (even with language barriers) :-)
Sophie says: Monday, January 25, 2010, 09:33 AM

Nice post.
Have a look at the work of a great photographer, Raymond Depardon. I love his vision.
http://www.magnumphotos.com/Archive/C.aspx?VP3=ViewBox&ALID=2K7O3R14JHU5&IT=ThumbImage01_VForm&CT=Album
Janet McK says: Monday, January 25, 2010, 09:29 AM

haha. love these! I too really like the monk taking your picture :) And thanks for sharing!
Maggie Hendrix says: Monday, January 25, 2010, 09:10 AM

Just beautiful.
Becka @Studio222 Photography says: Monday, January 25, 2010, 08:43 AM

HAHAH! My FAVORITE is the one of the monk taking a photo you YOU! :) That one made me chuckle out loud. Love all of these. The woman in the purple headband is just mesmerizing! Her smile pulled me in. What gorgeous photos, and people!

Haley Lamb says: Monday, January 25, 2010, 08:36 AM

great post! with great images to go along! ;)
Karen Workun says: Monday, January 25, 2010, 08:30 AM

As always, a lovely post from a lovely couple. I adore the monks with the camera and the watercolor artist the most...thanks for sharing some thoughts on capturing humanity in their elements!
Robert says: Monday, January 25, 2010, 08:30 AM

Thanks for the insight and tips. I've been following your work for 2 months and have been inspired by each and every post. Thanks again!
Alexandra says: Monday, January 25, 2010, 08:29 AM

Beautiful post! Thank you so much for sharing.

Kristen Mallory says: Monday, January 25, 2010, 08:28 AM

I'm in love with these images. I like to do this same thing when I travel, but never got too many of the people because I was afraid to ask. Thanks for the info, I won't be afraid next time! Beautiful imagery.
210
Kimiko & Billy
Friday, January 22, 2010, 10:42 AM
"In every real man a child is hidden that wants to play." - Friedrich Nietzche

Kimiko described her and Billy as having a "Sunday kind of love." :) That makes me smile. After meeting them I understand how very true that statement is. Kimiko and Billy are super playful, light hearted, flirtatious, fun-loving people. They sent me an e mail a while back about modeling for one of our mentor sessions and after reading their note, I fell in love with their sweet sentiments and child-like spirits and knew they would be very fun to photograph. 

These two were our models for our mentor session with Jill Carmel this week. We took them down to where all the boats dock here in Seattle and by the end of the shoot my cheeks hurt from laughing so much. I always love a good 'cheek work out' :)
 
Jill is a photographer who mostly photographs kids/babies and families who wanted to see a little different perspective and approach. Once we wrapped up the session she said, "you shoot couples a lot like how I shoot kids." I loved hearing that perspective! A lot of times we run around and act like goof balls on our shoots and ask our couples to do the same. I believe everyone has an inner-child, some people are just more comfortable tapping into it.  One thing I absolutely love to do is capture that youthfulness in people. It is fun to remember what it feels like to skip and run around with no inhibitions. That is what this session with Kimiko & Billy was ALL about. 




Thoughts
Add a Comment View Comments (16)
anna says: Sunday, January 24, 2010, 03:04 PM

these are beautiful photos. i love the styling & they look utterly completely happy!
amber says: Saturday, January 23, 2010, 02:16 PM

in love with the first pic! great location choice...you always find the best places ; )
darla says: Saturday, January 23, 2010, 12:40 PM

I love how your images tell a story!!
K$ says: Friday, January 22, 2010, 03:36 PM

Magic.
Savannah says: Friday, January 22, 2010, 02:11 PM

Such a freakin adorable couple, and amazing pics. :)
Janie says: Friday, January 22, 2010, 01:47 PM

What lenses do you use??
Katie Neal Photo says: Friday, January 22, 2010, 12:31 PM

Love the photos, love the location! GORGEOUS!
imthiaz houseman says: Friday, January 22, 2010, 12:18 PM

these photos are awesome. just looking at them you want to laugh and smile. i love it!
Ruthie P. says: Friday, January 22, 2010, 11:52 AM

I love these photos! what a happy, fun looking couple! love the colors too! :)
scott neumyer says: Friday, January 22, 2010, 11:02 AM

LOVE these! Especially the ones with all the geekery included!
Alexandra says: Friday, January 22, 2010, 10:56 AM

Oh my gosh these are so beautiful :) :) They look just as you described them, so happy and full of youth :) Love it!

Gail says: Friday, January 22, 2010, 10:55 AM

How adorable are THEY?! I would love to see them get a canvas of that first photo. Just because it's so beautiful :) All of these are wonderful. Love her curls!

Alexandra says: Friday, January 22, 2010, 10:55 AM

Oh my gosh these are so beautiful :) :) They look just as you described them, so happy and full of youth :) Love it!

sean says: Friday, January 22, 2010, 10:51 AM

nice work, rhoads. your work has grown leaps and bounds. i can see a real comfort on both ends of the camera in these. this may sound odd, but, i swear that billy lives in my building, that or he has a twin.

Bianca Valentim says: Friday, January 22, 2010, 10:50 AM

what a fun session!!
i love their laugh!
awesome job!
Cassidy Brooke says: Friday, January 22, 2010, 10:46 AM

LOVE the colors!
You always have the greatest locations for shoots!