Justin DeMutiis Photography Blog

Into the Unknown

admin — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 20:28:06 +0000

Thunder, at 7:00 AM in the Great Smokey Mountain National Park, only means one thing… A storm is coming. I remember it like it was yesterday, I woke the guys up to tell them we had to pack up camp, and skip breakfast because it was about to storm. Although we made the trek up the mountain without our 45 pound backpacks the day before, we had no idea what was about to come. We had to climb 2700 feet over 3.75 miles, up to the highest peak in the park, in what should’ve taken 6-7 hours. Unfortunately, we were only high school students with limited resources and limited equipment. We brought nothing more than a poncho to keep us dry. As we climbed, the temperature dipped, and the storm grew furious. We crossed a slippery cascade as thunder sounding a split second after the lighting. Our only way to keep warm, was to hike as hard as we could. My glasses were wet and foggy, and my hands were stiff from the cold. We knew at the top of the mountain, there might be shelter. So we covered 2700 ft, in 3.75 miles, in only 2.5 hours. Those numbers still blow my mind. The view from the tallest peak in the park was supposed to be spectacular. Instead, we were greeted with a dense fog that was so thick, you couldn’t see 10 feet in front of you. Yet, even as I was shivering from the coldest and wettest day of my life, there was something calming about the potential obstacles we might face in the next three days in the backcountry. To this day, that 5 day hike in the backcountry of the Smokies is one of the greatest adventures I’ve ever had. It tested me both physically and mentally, but today it is one of my favorite stories to tell. I hope to have many more adventures to come.

“When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.” The Alchemist

Tiffany :: Part II

admin — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 15:26:52 +0000

My blog saw more visitors for Tiffany’s images than ever before, so I thought it was only appropriate to post a few more. If you didn’t see the first post, please scroll down immediately and check it out! If you read the comments, than you might have figured out that the last post was shot entirely in film. However, I had to shoot digitally as well just to compare. There are subtle differences, let me know which ones you like the most!

Tiffany

admin — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 02:31:46 +0000

I had the pleasure of first photographing Tiffany in high school, when my passion was just starting to bud. I was the editor in chief of the yearbook, and a player on the football team. Tiffany was the standout cheerleader with unmistakable energy and charisma. After an event, I simply asked her to pose for a picture for yearbook. Without much direction, she posed with a friend and gave me a shot to build my early portfolio. Now starting her 5th season as a cheerleader for the Bucs, I would say she’s more than just a natural behind the camera and she certainly hasn’t lost that energy. With both of our busy schedules, it took more than 2 years to make this shoot happen. Good things come to those who wait right? I’ve been so excited about this shoot… Not only because I’m in love with the shots, but because there is something very different about these images. Leave a comment if you think you know what it is!

Inspiration :: Film

admin — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 02:51:35 +0000

Gone are the days when photography seemed to require limitless patience. Waiting for a photo lab to process my images only heightened my anticipation and excitement after a shoot, and occasionally the results were nothing short of magical. Those days are a distant memory with the instant gratification of an LCD screen. Today we live in a world where technology reigns, and a new camera with more mega pixels and gadgets comes out every few months. Somewhere along the line, a part of photography was lost, but not gone forever.

Lately, I have been thinking long and hard about where I started, and where my work is going. Somewhere, buried deep in the nostalgia of film, I started to remember the excitement I felt when I held my first SLR camera and had the world at my feet.

Two of my favorite images starting out, mark somewhat of a turning point on my journey. One image is of a very talented actor/model, who I’ve had the pleasure of photographing 5 times over the years. The other, is an image shot on expired film, the day before Hurricane Frances. School was cancelled for the following day, so I went to my favorite high school location, The Field. Each visit to The Field, held an adventure, but this day, the story of the impending storm was written in the rhythmic sway of the grass produced by each gust of wind. I still love both of these images today, not just because of the significance behind them, but because there is a certain timeless quality to them that I hope all of my images will have.

This post was dug up from the past, but just might be a preview of things to come.

Jill + Kevin :: Engagement Shoot

admin — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 22:13:19 +0000

All I can say is Jill and Kevin really came with it, even if the weather didn’t feel like cooperating. Yes, the sun never really came out, but that couldn’t change the fact that these two are so amazing together and the camera just seems to love them. The Sand Pearl on Clearwater Beach is not only an amazing location for the engagement shoot, but it will also be where they’re getting married next summer.

Calm After the Storm

admin — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 00:10:15 +0000

My schedule called for a senior portrait session at 7:00 PM on the beach. The weather scheduled an afternoon thunderstorm. Instead of turning around and driving home. I decided to jog 3 miles in the pouring rain, sloshing through puddles, and having difficulty seeing… It probably wasn’t the safest thing I’ve ever done, but definitely amazing. The whole time I kept thinking… The sunset is going to be amazing as soon as this storm clears. Amazing it was… I set out only trying to document the peaceful tranquility after the storm, I finished when I realized I shot over 150 images and filled my memory card.

Roberto :: Bachelorette Season 6

admin — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 16:36:35 +0000

The few moments I take a break from work, I watch channels like the History Channel, Discovery, Animal Planet, and Nat Geo… But when I got a call on a Monday from Stephanie Smith saying… “Turn on ABC, that groomsmen in one of your weddings is on the Bachelorette!” That’s all she said, but I immediately knew she was talking about Roberto. And ever since, I couldn’t stop watching the Bachelorette. Stephanie was my amazing second shooter for Cristin and Pete’s wedding in January. She captured all the amazing shots of the guys before the ceremony… Needless to say, she was happy to do so. I knew Cristin and Pete would be amazing clients and would make my job easy, but one of the things that stood out from their wedding, was what a class act Pete, Roberto, and the other groomsmen were. As the best man, Roberto gave a pretty memorable speech as well. So as you can imagine, I was pulling for Roberto throughout the entire season, but I knew from that first episode that he would be the one to get down on one knee.

The last shot is an image of Pete and his beautiful wife Cristin. Who knew it would only be a few months later, that Roberto would find someone to call his wife. I only hope my name is thrown out there for Ali and Roberto’s wedding!

Greener Photography

admin — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 20:19:56 +0000

What do you get after spending over three hours on the beach the night of Memorial Day? About 10 bags of recycling. Through the month of May, I spent every Sunday picking through garbage cans (I wore gloves), and collect all the recyclables. I’m not going to lie, it’s dirty, but it boggles my mind just how much recycling gets thrown out on St. Pete Beach, particularly on holidays. The images below show just a small sample of the recyclables to be thrown out… Imagine how much I could have collected with an entire team. The garbage cans we went through were overflowing, and probably 70% of the contents were bottles and cans.

You know it’s funny, St. Petersburg was designated the first “Green City” in Florida… I think Florida has a long way to go. Recycling bins next to each garbage bin on the beach would be such a simple solution. If you go to a city like Seattle, their recycling bins are much larger than their garbage cans, and if you leave too much recycling in your garbage can, the sanitation workers won’t take your garbage.

A couple of quick facts for you:

Florida generates over 29 million tons of solid waste per year. If you’re the typical Florida resident, you throw away 10 pounds of trash a day. Now you can recycle some of that trash and help mother earth.

RECYCLE GLASS

Recycled glass reduces related air pollution by 20 percent and related water pollution by 50 percent. If it isn’t recycled it can take a million years to decompose. Every ton of glass recycled saves the equivalent of nine gallons of fuel oil needed to make glass from virgin materials.

RECYCLE ALUMINUM

Twenty recycled aluminium cans can be made with the energy it takes to manufacture one brand new one.

RETHINK BOTTLED WATER
Nearly 90% of plastic water bottles are not recycled, instead taking thousands of years to decompose. Buy a reusable container and fill it with tap water, a great choice for the environment, your wallet, and possibly your health. The EPA’s standards for tap water are more stringent than the FDA’s standards for bottled water.

PLASTIC BAGS SUCK
Each year the U.S. uses 84 billion plastic bags, a significant portion of the 500 billion used worldwide. They are not biodegradable, and are making their way into our oceans, and subsequently, the food chain. Stronger, reusable bags are an inexpensive and readily available option.

These fact were complements of Wire & Twine – 50 Ways to Help the Planet

Hannah + Ian :: Engagement Shoot

admin — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 20:02:29 +0000

Some may recognize Ian as the videographer I frequently work with at weddings, friends and family know Ian because we’ve been best friends since elementary school. Hannah and Ian were one of the first couples I ever photographed in high school, and even then, I knew they would be getting married. Not only did I have the distinct pleasure of doing the engagement shoot at several locations around Blue Ridge, Georgia, but next fall Ian and Hannah will be getting married at Wolf Mountain Vineyards. I like to think this is a preview of things to come. I’ve been looking forward to this shoot for awhile, and even though their wedding is more than a year away, I find myself thinking about it all the time! Nothing like an amazing southern wedding!

Kristen + Mike :: Lange Farm Wedding

admin — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 12:24:25 +0000

The November morning was silent and cool, the water, a constant 72 degrees. Kristen and Mike were reluctant to jump in water, but were willing to do anything for amazing shots on their engagement shoot. This is just one reason I couldn’t wait for their wedding. Not only was their wedding at one of my favorite venues in Florida, but my old friend Meghan was coordinating, and Rob Sword of Sword Sounds was the officiant as well as the DJ. Kristen and Mike’s wedding party would’ve found a way to have fun at any wedding, but Rob Sword made sure there wasn’t a dull moment.

Venue: The Lange Farm
Florist: For Better For Less