Photo artist Joel Grimes talks style, influence with SmugMug films
posted Thursday, April 24, 2014 at 11:11 AM EDT
SmugMug, the Wall Street Journal’s second-favorite photo storage and portfolio service, just released their latest installment in their video profile series, taking a look at the processes, inspirations, and philosophies that working photographers use today.
Their latest subject is Joel Grimes, a commercial photographer known for his surreal composite images. In the 2-and-a-half minute clip, he says that he considers himself an artist rather than strictly a photographer, combining “a touch of reality and a touch of fantasy” in his shots.
Looking at his shots, it’s clear that much of the heavy lifting is done in Photoshop, but lighting plays a major role. In a short interview over at DPReview, Grimes mentions that he was using battery-powered strobes for outdoor shoots back in the 80s, creating a layered look in his shots. Now he uses digital means to make those layers, but still uses the lighting techniques he learned over the years.
The clip and interview don’t get too much into technical or workflow details, but watching the behind the scenes footage should give inquiring minds some idea about how Grimes pulls off the look.
