Winton-Stahle Photography : The Latest News

Come hang with the Winton-Stahle team!

2012-01-21T20:22:00.000-08:00

Friends and colleagues of the Winton-Stahle team, come out and PARTY with us at 9WG Studios in RVA on Friday, February 3rd, "just one week away!". Christopher Winton-Stahle's photographic series "China Now", which has recently returned from a 5-year tour with the Virginia Museum of Fine Art, is being given one last Hurrah in Richmond before getting sent off to its next life. Come hang with us, eat some of our food, drink our beverages, listen to music, dance and have fun with us! Doors open at 5pm. It's gonna be fun. See you there!

9WG Studios located at 9 West Grace St. Richmond VA .

Happy Holidays !

2011-12-25T02:19:00.000-08:00

We have recently concluded that it's best to not bake festive treats from bags with obscure labels... May magic and surprise abound this special day! Happy Holidays from the Winton-Stahle Team!

The Latest Cover for Boomer Magazine

2011-12-17T09:20:00.000-08:00

Here's the newest cover for "Boomer Magazine" by Winton-Stahle Photography. A complete photo-composite created from 10 separate studio images of the ladies and gentlemen featured in the article. This image was created to showcase the magazine's annual "IT" list, which features the top 10 people in Richmond, voted by the public, as being the movers & shakers of the community that are truly making a difference.

Very special thanks to all of those involved, to our fabulous team and to the Boomer Mag crew!

The full article may be viewed online here .

Here are a few images from the feature article.

All good things must come to an end.

2011-12-04T19:41:00.000-08:00

We're picking up TWO CRATES of photography from Christopher Winton-Stahle's exhibit at the Virginia Museum of Fine Art in Richmond, VA tomorrow! This is the "China Now" exhibit that has been touring Virginia since 2006! It's been a long run and five fabulous years of life for this show out on the road but all good things must come to an end. HOWEVER, we're working on booking the show as early as Spring 2012 and have interested galleries and museums in Virginia, North Carolina and Texas! It'll be very exciting to see what happens! We'll keep you posted!

Meanwhile, we'll have two large crates of 30 large photographs sitting in our office floor...

Fun New Images by US!

2011-12-02T21:04:00.000-08:00

December 2011 : Some very fun new images we made for an article featured in the latest issue of Boomer Magazine that's all about the nature of "men" and the art of male bonding. Check it out at http://tinyurl.com/735w5df

Behind the scenes on a new campaign.

2011-11-20T14:06:00.000-08:00

Here's a few clips from behind the scenes on a shoot for a new advertising campaign that will be released very soon and can be seen on billboards in Central Virginia. More details in the weeks to come! Stay tuned!

Farewell to a Respected Richmond Rocker.

2011-11-04T14:40:00.000-07:00

We were sad to hear that lead guitarist of Gwar, “Cory Smoot (Flattus Maximus)” passed away yesterday while on tour with the band. Our company has worked with Gwar several times over the last few years on various music projects and in each of those occasions it has been a true gift to be a part of their creative process and life passion. They are a fantastic group of guys that we admire for doing their own thing and living out their dream. Though our experiences with Cory have been limited to the handful of times we've worked with the band, we are still saddened that the music industry has lost a talented artist and that Richmond, Virginia has lost one of its most respected rockers. Our thoughts and condolences go out to the band, friends, family and fans of Gwar during this difficult time. We will have very fond memories of Cory and of the wonderful energy he brought to our photo shoots.

Happy Scary Day !

2011-11-01T16:28:00.000-07:00

In this new holiday photo we have an"Exclusive Sneak Peak" into a therapy session for troubled and otherwise misunderstood icons of horror,terror and fear." Truth is folks, things are just never quite the way we're made to believe they are... Like so many others, these guys are working through their own problems and need a shoulder to cry on from time to time. This Halloween, lets say a little prayer for all the ghouls in need...

Happy Halloween from Winton-Stahle Photography !

New Cover for Boomer Magazine

2011-10-09T22:39:00.000-07:00

Completely stoked about our latest cover with Boomer magazine. The first editorial publication for us where we've combined "traditional" illustration with our photography. A very positive step in the "photo-illustration" direction of which we want to go. Special thanks to Scott Harris for collaborating on this. You rock, my friend!

To read the article online click here .

What a Trip...

2011-09-14T07:24:00.000-07:00

1,684 miles traveled by car, 7 states, 1 hurricane, a little flooding, a little rescheduling, 42 beautiful dancers, a bit of hot fashion, a near miss with Elton John, a delightfully unexpected family reunion, beautiful scenery through the Appalachian Mountains, one amazing wedding, a smorgasbord of incredible friends & family, several epic conversations regarding the universal law of attraction and a few delightfully satisfied clients. One overwhelming conclusion that LIFE IS GOOD... Yes my friends, the last two weeks have been quite an amazing trip! Thank you to all that have been involved! You know who you are. Love all you guys!

Heading off to New York soon.

2011-08-24T20:34:00.000-07:00

Looking forward to leaving for a week in Saratoga Springs, NY to hang with and photograph all the lovely dancers! I must say, I really do enjoy working with them! There's just something about the energy, the honesty and the raw emotion of experiencing a performance this closely. When I'm connected to a dancer behind the camera I feel their energy, I follow their movement and I dance along with them. It almost becomes a spiritual experience for me and each shoot becomes a special moment shared between myself and that dancer. Here's a new image that will be featured in my dance collection coming soon. Excited to be doing more of this!

- Christopher Winton-Stahle

New Music Mailer Shipping out this September

2011-08-17T20:21:00.000-07:00

Winton-Stahle Photography has a NEW music / entertainment mailer shipping out to record labels this September and we're very excited to announce that soon we will be updating our website and launching a brand new portfolio for "Music"

On the front of this new 5x7" mailer we're featuring a new image from a marketing series we're working on for Boston based hip hop artist, Jihad Scudder of K.R.A.S.H. Entertainment. On the back are three previously commissioned images. The first is of Chad Hugo of the "Neptunes" and "N.E.R.D." that was made for an article featured in Revolver Magazine. The second is marketing image made for rockband "GWAR", and the third is Randy Blythe, lead vocalist for "Lamb of God".

We will also be launching a new portfolio for "dance and movement". These two new subjects will become new specialized fields of focus that we'll be pursuing and we're very excited to be finding our calling, our people in the industry and our pursuit of this specialized work.

Look for more to come soon!

(Here's a glimpse of our NEW home page coming in September 2011.)

Fall Fashion Feature in Boomer Magazine

2011-08-02T20:30:00.000-07:00

Boomer Magazine just released an 8 page Fall Fashion Feature in their latest issue created by Winton-Stahle Photography with Antoinette Essa, Kat Simons, Lisa Schaffner and more. Check it out online or, better yet, go pick up the magazine! It's a beautiful feature. Our team had a fantastic time working with Boomer Magazine and all of the wonderful talent involved in this project. Thank you all for being awesome!

You may read this article online here.

Revealed! Behind the scenes of post-production.

2011-07-30T22:16:00.000-07:00

It's sometimes a mystery what happens between the time of shooting images for a photo-composite and the final product that is created. See a little bit here of what happens between the time after I make a set of images for a project and deliver a final image...

Here's the final image as it was delivered.

Boomer Magazine's 2011 Summer Guide

2011-06-11T00:17:00.001-07:00

June / July Cover for Boomer Magazine by yours truly with styling by Heidi W-S. With the help of a great team of creative Guerrilla Warriors we made this an outstanding cover despite an evening of gusting winds, an immanent storm, and mobs curious, chatty, ice cream hungry locals.

New Spring Promotional Campaign

2011-05-11T09:47:00.000-07:00

This spring we're launching a new Promotional Campaign that is exhibiting some of the latest style of work we've been creating. It started going out today! The new "Smoke & Mirrors" series is concepted and designed by the Derek Machado at Five19 Creative in Richmond, Virginia and new photography has been designed for the campaign by us. Very exciting.

Check out more of our work at www.winton-stahle.com

Winner of an AIGA GRADE 6 Award

2011-04-29T10:40:00.000-07:00

April 2011 has become the month of winning awards!!! We just found out that we've won an AIGA GRADE 6 Award with Morgan Porter Design for a branding campaign we worked on for a Charles City County Library Campaign which involved booklets, brochures and website. Check out the winning website by clicking here . Very Exciting!

Special Thanks To :

Creative Director / Designer - Morgan Porter Design

Copywriter - Terri Jones / Word Play

Winner of a Gold Remi Award @ WorldFest Houston Film Festival

2011-04-21T21:02:00.000-07:00

I was notified this past Monday that I'll be sharing a 2011 Gold Remi Award in the 44th Annual WorldFest - Houston International Film/Video Festival (http://www.worldfest.org) with my friend & colleague, producer/director, Bruce Berryhill. This award is being received for our new self-promotional video we collaboratively produced last year and released this January. Also involved in helping to make this video possible are producer Jordan Rodericks, Cinematographer Alexander Germanotta, Heidi Winton-Stahle and the our fabulous team that have all helped us along the way. Thank you all!

You may view this video on the homepage of my website HERE .

It's also available on YouTube HERE .

Special Thanks To !

Executive Producer - Heidi Winton-Stahle

Co-Designer / Editor - Bruce Berryhill

Producer - Jordan Rodericks

Video Provided by - Alex Germanotta

Hair / Make Up - Phillip Krane Bernier

Talent Provided by - Liquid Talent Group

Clothing Designed by - Lili Forrest

Locations - Karen Molzhon

1st Assistant - Jenny McQueen

2nd Assistant - Hassan Pitts

Talent - Katrina Laluna

Talent - Ami Burke

Talent - Josephe Mann

Talent - Dane Jordan

"If You Build It, Will They Come?"

2011-04-08T05:04:00.000-07:00

I recently had the opportunity to shoot the photography for a feature article that appears in the April issue of The Boomer Magazine. The article is all about the new, highly anticipated, $100 million dollar SportsQuest facility that is being built in Chesterfield, Virginia near our state's capital.

[Dr. Stephen Burton, SportsQuest Chairman and company CEO is overcoming many obstacles and fulfilling his dreams by building this new state-of-the-art facility. After 30 years, he has returned to his original career plan, though along the way it has become much bigger than likely even he could have dreamed, let alone everyone else. “When I started college at William & Mary, I wanted to be an urban planner,” he said. “Didn’t happen right away, so with SportsQuest I have come full circle. I’m an urban planner.”]

Read the rest of this article at www.theboomermagazine.com

The Importance of Staying Creative.

2011-03-11T14:42:00.000-08:00

Someone asked me recently whether or not I still do a lot of personal work to stay creative and just have fun with photography and art. My answer was, “Well of course, with a great big "YES" and an enthusiastic smile! I love visual art! Whether it’s painting, sculpture, performance art, film or photography, I am greatly inspired by it all. I am so very fortunate to be doing something that I love to do! Whether it's shooting simple products on a white background for a catalog or making images of political figures for a magazine, I'm living my dream of being a professional artist!

Being an artist means that you are constantly exercising your mind, evolving your style, and exploring new techniques and ideas. This is just part of the job! However, one of the biggest hurdles I’ve experienced as a commercial artist, “I think” is that I have been known to be "too creative” at times. I've learned over time how important understanding the difference between a "fine art" image and a beautifully executed image that effectively "sells a product" is in my world of business. I am also learning how to effectively balance these two worlds and make them work well for me.

The truth that I've found is that most art buyers love to see beautifully executed "art" images with GREAT concepts but the question always arises, "How can I sell what this person is doing?". An artist's creative mind is the unique trait that sets them apart from everyone else in the business. As an artist, I have an overwhelming need to "create" but not always to "sell". It's been tricky to figure this out. But overall, I think I've learned to just focus on making great imagery in my personal time, continue to grow as an artist, and to keep in mind the importance of creating thought evoking imagery that challenges the mind and keeps the viewer thinking. A very wise person once told me to, “Shoot what you love and then focus on finding the market for it!”. I’m sticking with that approached! Of course it never hurts to keep it simple, clean and design friendly so that other creative minds working in print publications might find themselves saying, "hey, I can see myself running copy around that!"

Featured above is one such image that is derived from a personal body of work I’ve been playing around with on coastal landscapes. Of course my personal landscapes are often influenced by my twisted imagination. Hope you enjoy!

NEW! Winton-Stahle Promotional Reel

2011-02-14T21:33:00.000-08:00

Finally done with the NEW promotional video for Winton-Stahle Photography and I'm officially putting this project to rest! Many hours of work and the assistance of some great talent has been devoted to helping make this video possible. This new promotional reel has been officially added to the homepage of my website. It will also be included as part of our new promotional materials and trade shows.

A very special "THANK YOU" to the following people for helping to pull this all together.

Executive Producer - Heidi Winton-Stahle

Co-Designer / Editor - Bruce Berryhill

Producer - Jordan Rodericks

Video Provided by - Alex Germanotta

Hair / Make Up - Phillip Krane Bernier

Talent Provided by - Liquid Talent Group

Clothing Designed by - Lili Forrest

1st Assistant - Jenny McQueen

2nd Assistant - Hassan Pitts

Happy New Year!

2011-01-02T21:59:00.000-08:00

It’s a new year! There's no better time than the present to create new possibilities for our future and we here at Winton-Stahle Photography feel that there's a lot to be excited about in the upcoming year! We are gearing up for the debut of a brand new portfolio, a new series of promotional mailers, and a new promotional video. We're looking forward to a great year in 2011! So stay tuned!

We are very thankful for all of our loyal clients for their continued support and look forward to building strong relationships in the future. Happy New Year to all of our friends and colleagues! May 2011 be blessed with peace, happiness and prosperity...

2010-12-01T21:23:00.000-08:00

November 2010 : While spending some time near Abingdon, Virginia this Thanksgiving holiday, I came across this little church. Yes, that a very big, and quite bold, crucifix shaped sign over the front door that is made completely of neon tube lights. It was quite impressive and somewhat intimidating. In a sleepy little area adorned by rolling hills, sweet little red barns, and local farmer's markets, it was a bit out of place to find such a decorative feature. A little taste of Vegas in this little mountain town, perhaps... I just had to stop for a moment, gawk at it and take a picture...

iPhone Art.

2010-10-16T18:02:00.000-07:00

Oct 16, 2010 : Today we're in Virginia Beach and at the beginning of a new commercial project. Didn't actually shoot today but we arrived at our location here, checked into our hotel, scouted and prepared for a long week of 10 hour shoots tomorrow through Friday. Lots-O-Workin... We took a little time to stop and enjoy the beauty of the beach while we're here since it's right in our back yard. One of the many perks of the job. Figured that, in the interest of maintaining a bit of artistic sanity this week, I'd start a little "Iphone Art" project. This is iPhone pic #1. Enjoy.

"Cougar and the Cubs"

2010-09-11T15:34:00.000-07:00

“Cougar & the Cubs - Sometimes the predators become the prey…” One of several new self-promotional images we did this summer as part of an effort to pull together amazing talent and simply create “For the Sake of Creation”, to build new work, exchange new ideas and knowledge, gain experience, and have a fantastic day of just creating fun art / photography / illustration / whatever.... This is one of my favorites so far! Special thanks to Liquid Talent Group, Lili Forrest, Phillip Krane Bernier, and our wonderful crew and the great talent we worked with. You guys all ROCK!

Picture of the Month. (August 2010)

2010-08-09T20:37:00.000-07:00

This photograph of Randy Blythe, lead vocalist for “Lamb of God” is one of three commissioned images that has been included in Shutterbug Magazine’s September 2010 Issue. The article in which it's featured includes interviews with myself, Greg Watermann, David Alan Kogut, Bettie Grace Miner & Paul Natkin and is all about photographing musicians. The magazine hits bookstores today, August 10, 2010, so check it out if you get a chance!

Coming Soon! Feature in Shutterbug Magazine

2010-07-30T07:37:00.000-07:00

Christopher Winton-Stahle will be one of several featured photographers in an article for the September issue of Shutterbug Magazine, due to be released August 10th. The article is all about photographing musicians and will feature images we've done for various magazines & record labels of GWAR, Chad Hugo of the Neptunes & Randy Blythe of Lamb of God. Check it out if you get a chance! We're being told it's going to be a great article! Will be posting more when it's available.

For the Sake of Creativity...

2010-07-26T15:07:00.000-07:00

What happens when you take a 10 million dollar mansion, some well-planned concepts, a phenomenal clothing designer, stylist, production team, great talent, an award-winning photographer, and throw them all together simply for the sake of being creative, “giving back” and spreading a little bit of good will? Stay tuned to find out…

Television Spot for "RoomStore World"

2010-07-12T11:51:00.000-07:00

We had the pleasure of working with a smorgasbord of amazing talent in producing a television commercial for RoomStore World. Spang TV was the agency that handled the account, while our company provided all of the still photography and imaging services. Broken Grid took care of the final composite and motion graphic design work.

A special thanks to the accommodating folks at RoomStore World, it's not every day we get to turn a furniture warehouse into a full production studio. And we loved having those delivery guys on hand for extra muscle; that furniture was heavy!

We here at Winton-Stahle Photography feel very fortunate to have worked with such an outstanding group of talented individuals. Special thanks to you all!

Project Credits:

Project: Roomstore World Launch Spot

Agency: Spang TV

Copywriter / AD: Bruce Osborne

Designer / Animator: Yan Goldschmidt - Broken Grid

Producers: Melanie Cox/ Marna Bales

Custom Score: Jody Boyd- Red Amp Audio

Photography / Creative Imaging: Winton Stahle Photography

Maps provided by David Rumsey and Library of Congress

Hip-Hop Dance Clip

2010-07-02T22:06:00.000-07:00

Here's a short little video clip from our shoot with hip-hop dance artist, T.J. Jacobs.

Hip-Hop Dance Photography

2010-06-30T21:55:00.000-07:00

July 2010 : We had a fun little shoot at the studio yesterday with T.J. Jacobs, a hip-hop dance artist from Richmond, VA. What a talented guy!

Cover and Feature Article for Outcomes Magazine

2010-06-30T20:07:00.000-07:00

We had the opportunity to photograph Kay Coles James for the cover of Outcomes Magazine's summer issue. Kay is the President and Founder of the Gloucester Institute, a leadership training center for young African Americans. She was the director for the United States Office of Personnel Management. She was nominated by George W. Bush in 2001 and left in 2005. Previous to the OPM appointment, she served as Virginia Secretary of Health and Human Resources under then-Governor George Allen and was the dean of Regent University's government school. She is currently a member of the NASA Advisory Council. Kay was a lovely lady and it was a pleasure working with her.

Snapshots from Southern Alabama

2010-05-02T02:33:00.000-07:00

: May 2010 : We were recently in Southern Alabama. These two photos from this project were taken in the early morning near the town of Ariton, AL. The long country road in the first photograph ended at the Chicken houses you see in the second. It was an absolutely beautiful morning!

SC Magazine Cover & Feature

2010-04-21T11:41:00.000-07:00

We recently photographed the cover and feature spread for SC Magazine USA. The feature was about, Jake Kouns, co-founder and president of the Open Security Foundation. You may find more about SC magazine here.

My Response to the NY Times Article "Shrinking Path of Photography."

2010-04-08T09:40:00.000-07:00

This is for photographers out there that have read the New York Times article about the "Shrinking Path" of the photography industry. My feeling and response to this is that, with most things, the cream will float to the top. Yes, everything in the industry of photography is getting much harder but there are more opportunities than ever to diversify and branch out. It's easier than ever to reach out across the world and find clients that fit what you do and/or want to be doing. I never expected this business to be easy by any means when I entered it, but there's nothing that has been "truly great" in my life that has come easily, anyway. I've worked my ass off for everything that I have! Though frustrating at times, I continue to stay very excited about the possibilities and opportunities that arise with new technologies and the evolution of this business. Very few great things in life come easily, but, why would we want them to? By enduring difficult times and pushing forward beyond our comfort zone we excel to new levels and have newly developed appreciations for what's important to us in life.

Another little note that I try to also remind myself of is that even though everyone can now "supposedly" take great pictures they still have no idea of how to run a successful business, plan and produce a high end production, or positively manage the stress that comes along with the pressure of having to perform under the gun. That takes a certain kind of person that will not buckle under the stress. It also takes someone that is educated in business practices, negotiating skills, and IP law. Beyond the idea of just having "good photography" this is where I'm putting my money, personally... Most people want life to be easier than what it requires for a commercial photographer and, in this case, this is where the cream will float to the top. Many will have the opportunity to try but only the very talented, dedicated, and truly determined will rise above the rest.

This is just my two cents on the subject.

Stopping to smell the Roses...

2010-03-14T20:36:00.000-07:00

I've spent my entire day driving along the east coast with Heidi on our way back from Saratoga Springs, NY... Albany, NYC, Philadelphia , and Baltimore... What sites these are... Cities with so much life and vast amounts of opportunity. We casually decided early this morning to "stop and smell the roses" by leisurely taking alternate routes through these cities as well as briefly passing through some smaller towns that we'd never thought of passing through just to see what was there. We were pleasantly lost at times without any certain idea of where we were exactly. How exciting that's been! In doing this I'm reminded today of how much of my life I've not yet experienced, what opportunities I have to look forward to, and of all the wonderful people I've not yet met. There's just nothing more awakening than a good road trip and there's nothing more gratifying than remembering that outside of my own little box there's always a world of infinate opportunity that awaits me. I just felt that this was a pretty good thought to share...

Have a wonderful week and don't forget to take time to stop and smell the roses !!! - Sunday March 14, 2010

Cavalier Telephone - "Rate Creep"

2010-03-06T07:48:00.000-08:00

This is one of two stop-motion television spots for Cavalier Telephone that we produced all of still photography for. We worked with the fabulous BES Television in Richmond of whom did all of the final editing and broadcast work. Master of sound, Brent Reese, composed the jolly little jingle in the background of which I'm pretty sure I'll be whistling the tune of for the next ten years.

To see more of our work visit www.winton-stahle.com

Meteor Strike in the Colorado Mountains.

2010-02-28T02:08:00.000-08:00

Recently, While visiting the Colorado mountains I was witness to a meteor strike. What an amazing spectacle that was! Fortunately, with my trusted camera by my side, I captured this image just moments before impact. The good news is that I made it made it out of this situation in one piece. The bad news is that I now radiate a strange green glow and I believe my hair may be falling out. Whatever it takes to get the shot, right! Happy March 2010!

* This is totally fake by the way... The mountain range is near South Park, Colorado but the top half is all custom CGI...

To see more work visit www.winton-stahle.com

The Truth About Photography and Skateboarding...

2010-02-25T16:44:00.000-08:00

Talent, Positive Energy, Dedication, Persistence, and a big ole' set of fat hairy balls... This is what it takes to be a professional photographer... And for that matter this is what it takes to be successful in any creative field of work... I have been skateboarding for 18 years. I've fallen down a lot in that time but after that many years of persistently working toward getting better at what I do, I can confidently say that I feel like I'm pretty good at it. Fact is, I don't fall down all that much anymore, which is a good thing for a 30 year old man riding a skateboard.

I am finding that being a good photographer is a lot like being a good skateboarder. At first you fall down a lot, you get hurt, you get broken, you get discouraged and want to just say F@#K it and walk away... But you can't! You love it too much, it's who you are, and you know that there's nothing more gratifying than working your A$$ off to land that one trick you've been trying for so long to get and finally having the satisfaction of riding away clean... The business of photography is exactly the same... I don't think that I would have been able to find success in photography if I hadn't have first been a skateboarder... It's a tough business but, in the end, its well worth the time you've put into it!

My name is Christopher Winton-Stahle and I am both a photographer and a skateboarder! Despite the struggles, the hard falls, and the occasional frustration this is my life, my love and it is who I will always be...

Featured Article : VCU - "Where are they now?"

2010-02-10T11:51:00.000-08:00

Virginia Commonwealth University's "School of the Arts" recently featured me in a "Where are they now ?" article on the alumni page of their website. What a wonderful honor ! Check it out !

Happy January 2010 !

2010-01-21T21:15:00.000-08:00

Sometimes we tend to bite off more than we can chew and the obstacles ahead often seem like too much to swallow. Don't get discouraged or lose hope... Always remember that any obstacle can be overcome with determination, dedication, and careful planning...

Happy January 2010 to all !!!

VCU Massey Cancer Center : Philanthropic Review

2010-01-08T12:57:00.000-08:00

We worked with VCU's Massey Cancer Center and Literati Design in producing photography for the latest edition of their Philanthropic Review. This was a very successful shoot for a wonderful cause, a great client, and a very inspiring group of subjects. It doesn't get much better that this. A special thanks to Carol and Andrea! What a pleasure it was working with you both!

A Few Candid Photos of our Dream Team!

Christopher Winton-Stahle : Photography Professional...

Heidi Winton-Stahle : Make Up Extraordinaire

Jenny Mcqueen : Knowledgeable Assistant...

Happy Holidays from Winton-Stahle Photography.

2010-01-08T10:16:00.000-08:00

Best wishes for happiness and prosperity to our friends, colleagues, and clients. This photographic construction was custom made for our 2009 Christmas card. Enjoy.

Osage Cottage Website Goes Live.

2009-10-10T09:02:00.000-07:00

We worked with Morgan Porter Design Group this summer to create images for Osage Cottage's new website and marketing materials. Osage Cottage is a very sweet little get-a-way rental near fredericksburg, Virginia that I would highly recommend visiting for a weekend if you're in need of a little peace and quiet. Melinda, the owner of the company, is quite possibly the sweetest lady that you'll ever meet and I guarantee that your stay there would be pleasant.

You can check out their website here for more info!

This image was made in the early morning looking down the road from Osage Cottage.

Now Available Online!

2009-09-21T10:15:00.000-07:00

The Shutterbug Magazine Article, "New Sales Strategies with Social Media", featuring myself, Chase Jarvis, Margo Pinkerton and John Mutrux, is now available for viewing online! Click here to read.

If you like the images in Shutterbug, be sure to check out my commercial website!

Featured in Shutterbug Magazine!

2009-09-08T19:18:00.000-07:00

If you have the opportunity to pick up the October issue of Shutterbug Magazine (released in stores September 9, 2009), there is a great article on pages 44-54 on "New Sales Strategies with Social Media". I'm excited to announce I was interviewed for this article along with 3 other incredible photographers. Chase Jarvis , Margo Pinkerton and John Mutrux. It's a well written article with honest answers, unique ideas for marketing, and a wealth of knowledge that can translate into most any business, especially for those that are self-employed.

The magazine ran quite a bit of my interview and also features four of my photographs as well as a few photos by Chase Jarvis.

The article is available in stores now and will be released online in mid October. I will post a link to it then and have it available on my website, blog, facebook, and twitter so stay tuned!

Please feel free to pass the word along!

To see more of my work visit my commercial website.

A week in Saratoga Springs, NY with ballet dancers.

2009-09-08T18:43:00.000-07:00

This past week we were in in Saratoga Springs, New York doing photography for Sun King Dance Company. The following images are a few production stills as well as some of the final shots of a whole lotta photos at the National Museum of Dance .

To see more of my work visit my commercial website.

Dushi Toy Company Product Shoot

2009-08-31T12:27:00.000-07:00

This was one of several final shots for a cool product shoot for Dushi Toy Company.

Our little setup for the Dushi Toy Company shoot.

Patrick Bozeman (LeadFoot Designs) is tinkering with the product trying to figure out how we want to position it in the composite.

Yup, that's me behind the camera.

“LeadFoot Designs and Winton-Stahle Photography created two images to capture the fun and energy of characters from “Dushi Go with Flow” for their creator Anneke Groenendaal. In these images the characters “Dunk” the duck and “Rabbit” the frog are enjoying a beautiful summer day together after a long trip to the states from the Netherlands.”

If you enjoyed this image and would like to see more, please check out our commercial website!

2009-08-28T18:07:00.000-07:00

Apparently, it appears that when the parents are away the cats will play. I'm going to give our new kitten, Simone, an "A" for effort for at least trying to learn to use the T.P..

To see more of my work visit my commercial website

A Summer Island Get-A-Way

2009-07-29T22:07:00.000-07:00

For the past two years we've been invited by a group of close friends & colleagues to join them for a week on a very small private island near the eastern shore of Virginia. There are no roads to this island nor are there roads on it. To get there you have to take a small motor boat out to it and once you are there.... Well...you're just there to stay for a while. The only manmade structure on the island is one small beach house in which we all stay. The only sounds that can be heard are those of birds and the soft sound of the ocean. When we're there we always feel like we've traveled back in time and are seeing a small glimpse of what the world must have looked like before people came along. This is one of my favorite places to be and is a representation of absolute harmony and perfection. I hope that you enjoy the view.

To see more of my work visit my commercial website.

Charles City Library Website Goes Live!

2009-07-06T09:17:00.000-07:00

The website promoting the Charles City Library Campaign has been officially launched! All photography featured on the site was shot on location by Winton-Stahle Photography. For those of you who haven't been following us (get the full scoop here), the Charles City Library Campaign is a community effort to provide a library for the only county in Virginia without a public library.
Please take the time to support the wonderful cause, and of course check out the delightful photographs, at www.charlescitylibrary.org

June Photography

2009-06-29T12:55:00.001-07:00

We've been out and about this month, keeping busy behind the camera! Check out Allie: She's getting ready to head to Florida and needed new images for her portfolio. We approached her head shots with a little extra creativity. It's great as a photographer to be able work as expressively as we do here at Winton-Stahle Photography. Be sure to check back soon for more updates; there's plenty of exciting work to come!

Book Release & VPLC 30th Anniversary: "Through Different Eyes: The Faces of Poverty in Virginia"

2009-05-08T02:11:00.000-07:00

On the evening of May 28th, The Virginia Poverty Law Center will release an anniversary publication featuring the photography of Christopher Winton-Stahle's photographic series "The Folk of the Blue Ridge" in a coffee table style book titled "Through Different Eyes: The Faces of Poverty in Virginia". The publication is a compilation of many of the pieces that were featured in the original exhibit "Through Different Eyes: The Faces of Poverty in Virginia"that has been on tour with the Virginia Museum of Fine Art since 2006 and includes the work of Christopher Winton-Stahle, Susi Lawson, Scott Neville, and Scott Elmquist..

The Virginia Poverty Law Center (VPLC), an organization based in Richmond dedicated to advocating on behalf of low-income residents of the Commonwealth, will celebrate more than 30 years of dedicated service to Virginians at a reception at 6:30 p.m. on May 28, 2009 at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. Governor of the Commonwealth Timothy M. Kaine will speak at the event as will First Lady of the Commonwealth, Anne Holton, who will honor Jill A. Hanken, who has been an attorney with VPLC since its creation and Jack L. Harris, VPLC's first executive director. Jeffrey W. Allison, Curator of the exhibit and the Paul Mellon Collections at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, will also speak at the event.

Here's a little bit about the "Folk of the Blue Ridge" - a series by Christopher Winton-Stahle

The American heritage of the farming community is quickly disappearing and in its wake many folks in Southwestern Virginia struggle to support their families and carry on their way of life. Commercial Photographer, Christopher Winton-Stahle was raised in Carroll County, one of the poorest counties in the southwestern region of Virginia. In 2004 he began a personal photographic documentary about his family and the people of his hometown. What began as a personal journey for him to understand his own life there has grown into a cultural documentary of this small farming community and the beauty of both its people and their culture.

"As a native of this community, I have come to know nearly all the folks there. They nurture a strong faith that God will carry them through the hard times of life and that their family will be there for them when they slip and fall. They take care of their own and have few wants and needs beyond what God, their family, and the land can provide for them. This body of work has always been about the great strength and pride of these people. They are the working class poor of rural America. Their strong devotion to family, the importance of their faith in God, tradition, interdependence, and their connection to the land is engrained into their way of life and is representative of who they are. Monetarily they do not have much however, from what I have seen having been raised there, they know of wealth that transcends that of modern ideas of what wealth actually means. They are the "Folk of the Blue Ridge" and I am proud to say that I am a part of them."

*Christopher Winton-Stahle

Campaign "A New Library for Charles City County."

2009-02-09T15:46:00.000-08:00

One of the greatest joys that I have as a photographer is to be a part of a project such as this that truly does make a difference in people's lives in the end. This is an ongoing campaign done for Charles City County for the purpose of raising the necessary funds needed to build a library for its residents. From the books and furniture to the residents eager to learn, Charles City County has everything that it needs for a fully functioning library except for a building to call home. It's up to us all to help them to make that happen.

We arrived at the location at around 6:30am and by 7 the sun was coming up. Despite our first scheduled photo I felt that the light was just too perfect to pass up the opportunity to get our hero shot that was actually scheduled for the end of the day instead of the beginning. Turns out it was a good call. This was our cover shot for the campaign's book.

The idea was to present a visual representation, with a somewhat surreal and playful twist, of what the Charles City County Library would look like without a building to house it.

We wanted to create real scenarios with spontaneity that could easily take place in this proposed library and show our viewers what that might look like without the necessary monetary contributions.

Every great library has storytime for the kids. This one was no exception. In all honesty, the more I look at this shot the more I wish I could have experienced storytime in the middle of a field in kindergarden.

We did eight portraits such as this one of different residents of the area that would be directly impacted by a library. They were all asked to write down a couple of sentences about "what a library in Charles City County" would mean to them.

Here are a few "behind the scenes" shots of our production for the Charles City County Library Campaign.

This Campaign was conceived and art directed by Morgan Porter
www.morganporter.com

Product Catalog for a National Polymer Company

2008-10-29T21:28:00.000-07:00

Since the opening of our studio in 2007 we have been shooting much more catalog photography for companies directly and/or through advertising agencies or design firms. In September we had a great project shooting very large chemical storage tanks and product accessory for a 2009-10 company catalog. These tanks were between 15 and 30 feet tall and were quite tricky to photograph. In addition to there size the tanks had many surface imperfections that could be clearly seen in a photograph that made them very tricky to photograph. To efficiently create images worthy of a catalog it required a combination of shooting multiple images and merging them together and then using some pretty heavy graphic design techniques to graphically recreate many features of these products. Here are a few samples of the final images as well as a few production stills from our location shoot at the factory.

September 2008: Housetrends Cover and Feature

2008-10-29T20:59:00.000-07:00

In September 2008 we photographed the cover and feature for Housetrends Magazine. This was an article about "Green Living" at Rocket's Landing which is one of Richmond, Virginia's newest luxury communities. This home was entirely propped by Crate & Barrel and we worked with a wonderful interior designer that really came through for us in putting the right furniture and props together.

August 2008: Feature for Housetrends Magazine

2008-10-29T19:54:00.000-07:00

In August 2008 we had a nice 3 page article published in Housetrends Magazine that featured a very talented artist named Wayne Cain that specializes in stain glass design for upscale homes and businesses. Wayne had the greatest little studio nestled in the country about an hour outside of Richmond, Virginia that he and his assistant, Nancy, work from making stain glass windows using 19th and early 20th century processes. We were very grateful for their hospitality and enjoyed spending the our day with them shooting this article.

The Beauty of Simplicity

2008-07-15T11:06:00.000-07:00

I grew up in a modest little farming town in South Western, Virginia on the Blue Ridge Parkway. This is and has always been a place that I feel I will always hold close and dear to my heart. This past weekend I visited with my mother whom still lives there and was able to take this opportunity to get out and take a few pictures for myself for a change. Something that I have always loved doing when I am there is getting up around 5am and walking along the old country dirt roads that border the parkway and finding people and scenes that inspire me. This particular house with its majestic view and quaint little cat curled up on the front porch reminded me of how important it is to take the time once in awhile to step back and evaluate what is truly important in life as well as the importance of stopping sometimes to just enjoy the beauty of simplicity.

"CHINA NOW" A Traveling Exhibition with the V.M.F.A.

2007-09-04T21:00:00.000-07:00

In 2006, Richmond photographer Christopher Winton-Stahle was part of a bilateral exchange program co-sponsored by the Rose Group for Cross-Cultural Understanding and the China Association for International Friendly Contact. The program's aim is to increase American understanding of China and its history, core values, traditions and philosophy. Winton-Stahle returned with more than 3,000 color photographs focusing on the people, the landscape, daily life, and evidence of China's explosive economic growth.

China's emerging status on the world stage and its relationship with the United States are increasingly the subjects of discussion in the 21st century. Traditions are evolving and, in some cases, being consumed by technology, development and the drive for newer, bigger, better. Transforming the mid-20th-century Mao-era architecture into state-of-the-art facilities for a younger, global, tech-savvy generation has become commonplace in most cities in China. Preparations for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing have led to vast municipal projects intended to put China's best foot forward. The result is the replacement of older structures with new "green" buildings that incorporate the latest in ecologically-minded systems.

Amidst this blossoming growth, hazed by a level of pollution that has been referred to as "significantly worse than Los Angeles," more than 1.3 billion Chinese citizens do what their ancestors have done for centuries - endure.

Patricia Buckley Ebrey, The Cambridge Illustrated History of China (1996, Cambridge University Press) states that "In every epoch Chinese have made use of the resources they inherited – material, intellectual and institutional – to set goals, respond to new challenges, protect themselves, and advance their interests. Because their actions have a cumulative impact on the resources the next generation inherits, change is inevitable but so are links to the past. This I believe is as true today as ever."

It is within this complex cultural experience that photographer Christopher Winton-Stahle spent five frenetic days of exploration and education. Snippets of his vision make up the exhibition and lead viewers to ponder change, patterns, people and the global interplay of cultures.

"China Now" will be available at the Virginia Museum of Fine Art from September 4th to October 28th, 2007 before it begins a three year tour with the Virginia Museum of Fine Art's partnering museums.

Introducing Our New Studio...

2007-06-05T21:21:00.000-07:00

As of June 1st, 2007 we have officially finished the renovation of our new studio on the West End of Richmond in the Commerce Center Business Park. This space started as a bare shell of a warehouse that we acquired last January after we determined that our need for a studio had reached a critical level. We have spent the last six months renovating the space and preparing to make it our new home. Though we were hosting our shoots there with existing clients that needed a studio space we have been reluctant to make the official announcement until now.

So, here’s a little bit of information about the space and what we have to offer.

• 2500 sq. ft. of total space
• 2 shooting sets
• 20’ x 20’ circular cyc wall
• 10’ x 20’ reception area & lounge
• 12’ x 12’ private make up and wardrobe room
• 10’ x 10’ wood working shop with miter saw and drill press
• 20’ ceiling in studio
• 10’ x 10’ mobile floor section on casters
• 10’ x 8’ mobile wall section on casters
• state of the art apple G5’s on mobile carts
• Wi-Fi/Airport and Network
• 2 restrooms (1 with splash sink and a shower…just in case…)
• Studio access through loading dock with 10’ x 15’ garage door

We will be hosting June’s Richmond Ad Club monthly "Happy Hour" Social and open house at the studio on June 28th from 5:30 to 7:30. The happy hour will be followed by the continuation of our open house until 10pm. We will continue to enjoy food, drink, music, and putt putt golf. Please feel free to join us! RSVP us at info@winton-stahle.com to request directions to the studio and to let us know that you’re coming.

Recent Projects

2007-02-08T13:18:00.000-08:00

January turned out to be a really productive month despite the usual trend of having a totally dead month. It started off with a great shoot with Chad Hugo for Scratch Magazine. Chad was such a nice guy. Our shoot with him was a complete success and we were finished with enough time to just hang out with the folks there at Chad's studio and have a few shots of tequila to finish off the night. Check out the new issue of Scratch Magazine to see this feature article!

The next week we were out in the country in a large cornfield, which had been mowed down for the winter, photographing a man to look like a farmer to be place on a billboard for the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation. This was, of course, one of those shoots that you get the model through make up and wardrobe, our crew gets the shot set up and ready to go, and then everyone has to wait in the freezing cold for that perfect moment to present itself when the sun is at just the right point and the sky looks just right. Of course, what always happens in these situations is that the moment presents itself and everyone runs like crazy, working to get through the shots before the sun sets and we lose our sweet light for the day. It's Always a little stressful and quite the rush but these are the kind of shoots that make this really fun and interesting. God, I love this job!

We worked with Frankl Creative in shooting an ad campaign for the Better Business Bureau of Virginia, which also turned out to be a really fun two days of production and photography. I always say that any shoot that involves a smoke machine is going to be a fun one! On this particular job I was able to use the smoke machine on two of our three sets so I was really quite happy about that! We had a great crew and a wonderful cast of talent. I'd like to thank the three little kids that stood in the background for our broken down car photo. These kids were such troopers! It was so cold that evening and we just kept shooting because we were losing our light. Finally when they were about to cry because they were so cold we really started to get some great shots. I'm sorry guys that I kept you out there for so long but It was all for the sake of the art. Besides, no one lost any fingers due to frost bite so it was a good day! What an awesome crew we had for the Better Business Bureau campaign!

We also started on a new year of photographing products to be placed on packaging for Rubbermaid Commercial Products. So, you'll be happy to know that you can find samples of our beautiful photography on most any mop, broom, sponge, or household cleaner package at any Wal-Mart or Lowes in America! We love these guys because they really take care of us and I'd, personal, like to give a big shout out to our agency on this account, "you know who you are" for being such a great client and helping to take care of us in 2006.

Ad campaign photographs for the B.B.B. (Designs by Frankl Creative)

2007-02-08T13:00:00.000-08:00

You've just gotta love GWAR!

2007-02-08T12:40:00.000-08:00

Winton-Stahle Photography shoots GWAR's latest album cover "Beyond Hell"

2007-02-08T09:54:00.000-08:00

This post is coming a little late however since we just launched our blog around the middle of January then I suppose that it's better late than never. Last June after photographing GWAR for Revolver Magazine we really hit it off with the guys from the band and began to build a business relationship with them. About a month later we were contacted by them to shoot the cover for their new album, "Beyond Hell", which was released in the fall. One of the many things that I love about this job is that I always get to meet such a diverse group of people. For example, the day that we met with GWAR to discuss their new CD album we also had a meeting with an architectural firm to discuss shooting one of their new high rises in South Florida. Heidi and I went to the first meeting dressed in our finest clothes with all of our "T's" crossed and "i" dotted. We all sat around a conference table and discussed the project in more detail, making decisions about the job. Immediately afterwards we went down to GWAR's studio, stopping briefly to change into more casual clothes for this second meeting of the day and we went through the same type of ritual of sitting down around a conference table with our client, GWAR, to discuss the direction of the project. The only difference was at this meeting there were severed corpes heads and little dead babies, FAKE OF COURSE, laying on the conference table.

Photography with Chad Hugo for a Scratch Magazine.

2007-01-22T13:46:00.000-08:00

We recently had the opportunity to photograph Chad Hugo for a feature article in Scratch Magazine. Now I have to be honest, before Scratch Magazine called us for the job I didn’t know who Chad Hugo was. However, after doing a little research I definitely recognized his music N.E.R.D., The Neptunes, and some of the other projects that he’s worked on. I just have to say that Chad was one of the most down-to-earth, coolest people that I have ever met and had the pleasure of working with! He was very gracious, pleasant to work with, and after our shoot was over we ended the evening with pizza, great conversation, and a little music. I love this job! I’d like to give a big thank you to Mr. Chad Hugo for being so cool to our production team and for sharing a little bit of time with us after the shoot was over.

Welcome to our Blog!

2007-01-07T23:21:00.001-08:00

Welcome to the official Winton-Stahle Photography, L.L.C. web log! Here you will be able to find out a little more about our company, our crew, our work ethics, our favorite colors, and why we think that you should choose our company for your next photographic project whether you are an advertising agency looking for a dependable, creative, and fun company to do the photography for an ad campaign or a magazine in search of a photographer to shoot a feature article. We are here to take care of you.