Swid Powell Collection
I have two “move-in” location projects this summer. This is the first. I spent two weeks wedged (in the most comfortable way) into a small studio, photographing 80+ objects from the Yale University Art Gallery’s Swid Powell collection for general museum use and in preparation of a planned symposium in the fall. You can find out more about Swid Powell here, as explained from a 2007 exhibition. The collection includes objects designed by including Frank Gehry, Zaha Hadid, Stephen Holl, Richard Meier, Robert A. M. Stern, Stanley Tigerman, and Robert Venturi, among others. The symposium is to be held November 12-13, 2009 at the Yale School of Architecture.
Thanks so much to John Stuart Gordon for having me and all the effort polishing all the silver. The project was a pleasure.
 Capture Screen |
 Object with shrouded lens |
This nutty piece was shot with two different light set ups and pieced together to remove highlights on the green glass vase (as seen in single capture on monitor above), but keep some additional light on the large metal gold bowl.
 Finished Image |
I could post many neat looking design objects like Steven Holl’s Oil Can creamers or the Tigerman building tea service. Maybe I’ll post a link with a special Swid Powell gallery if I get a chance. UPDATE: Link to gallery of Swid Powell objects.
Anyway, keeping with the behind the scenes theme, there were many a single plate (charger) to photograph. My secret thanks goes to Tony DeCamillo, a staff photographer at YUAG for a perfect plate back drop. Plates were photographed safely on their back and then dropped into the background. Oh my god, this made blazing through about 40 plates a breeze.
 Behind the Curtain |
 Mappelthorpe design, finished image |
Chris