I’ve written about the shoot we did for ELK at the Multnomah Whisk(e)y Library, the award that it won for best new design via Eater.com, and now it has garnered national attention via Hospitality Design Magazine. The article is short and sweet, and gives a little insight into the aesthetic and design approach by my friend and ELK Co-founder, Kelly OG. Come on in… You can read the article, fully adorned with photos from your’s truly, Click HERE. Being that this is a photography blog, I’ll share a little about my approach to this shoot. Firstly, this space is warm and dark, rich wood and leather lit by lamps as seen in the images. The room is large, yet very uncrowded as it probably accommodates no more than about 50 patrons at full capacity. If this were a restaurant focused on maximizing space, you could probably fit near three times that if you wanted to, but the approach here was for uncluttered, yet non exclusive solace. Instead of 8 tops, there is a large fireplace, rugs, end tables and room to move around, instead of sleek, space saving modern tables and seating, there are couches and leather arm chairs. This large space created a couple challenges for me. Firstly, how to light it. This became pretty easy because instead of lighting it, I didn’t. I used the existing light, balanced to the best of my ability by way of dimmers and the like, and then I combined multiple exposures to blend the dynamic range. In this space, the shadows are dark, and the areas of light are working to spread as much as a tungsten bulb can. Of course, this created a bit of a challenge in that it is easy to go overboard and unnaturally represent the space. Secondly, there are many smaller, more intimate vignettes within the larger overall space. We certainly wanted to both showcase the individuality as well as show how they work together to create the whole. Herein lies, what in my opinion, is the greatest design achievement. A harmonious, yet diverse layout which can offer quite a variety of experience, depending on where you experience the space from. You’ll notice tighter shots of the different spaces, along with some more sweeping, 180 degree pano shots to show the bar in its entirety. While I learn and grow from each project, and certainly see areas for my own improvement in these shots, I am very happy with how this all turned out. I’m thrilled for the ELK Collective, and honored to be part of it. Congratulations to the ELK Family, you guys did an amazing job with this space. It was a pleasure to shoot the MWL, and I look forward to future projects! Hit the link, read the article and drop a comment on HDM’s website. Cheers and happy shooting, Tyson
Tyson Robichaud Photo-blography 
Congratulations Tyson…it is a beautiful image . This should put you in the millionaire range…or at least in the range to get a brand new GH4 . Which would be great to shoot at a Timbers match . Able to grab an 8 megapixel still from the video is amazing . Look forward to your next installment . Take care .
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SLF, I will certainly bring up your assessment upon my next project quote 🙂
The GH4 at the Timbers games might be necessary if we keep getting drenched as we did this weekend… I’m still drying out.
Thanks and I hope all’s well!
t
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That’s great man! Good work. What did you shoot with? Was it the Canon? I’ll read the article you posted the link to. Fantastic to get your work in a magazine man, living the dream 😊
Take it easy
Chris
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Thanks Chris,
Yes, It was the Canon and a combo of the 17-40, 14mm and the 35mm lenses. I did do some shooting with the OMD and Oly 75 for some accompanying shots, they just didn’t make the mag 🙂
t
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It’s certainly interesting. They liked the wider shots. It still seems a bit HDR-like for whatever reason but I’m guessing it’s fairly close to the feel when you walk into the building.
Congratulations!
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Thanks Nobuyuki,
I’ve done my best to strike a balance between detail and realism with my post work, especially for interiors. Sometimes the little extra punch provides a bit more visual interest which may or may not suit a particular project.
Cheers,
t
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Of course. I’m not sure how I’d photograph the same areas. My techniques are probably completely wrong for spaces but I’m always analyzing and I’m probably too aggressive.
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I always appreciate honesty and constructive criticism. It’s good for me to hear from other photographers, and if it looks over processed to you, I appreciate you saying so. Keeps me on point you know?
t
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It wasn’t mean offensively. I hope you can accept that. I haven’t been to the building, so I have no idea, but I expect that it’s well-lit. As well, shooting for a magazine needs great lighting.
When I’m photographing sports, I have little control over anything. I’m at the mercy of the available lighting, my distance from the action, etc. When I approach anything but sports, it seems too calm, too controlled, and my results feel unrealistic. The train depot I photographed yesterday almost looks like a drawing and it just feels as though I did something wrong.
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