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.

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"

“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)

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

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...

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"

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

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

Hip-Hop Dance Photography

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

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

: 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

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."

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...

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"

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.

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...

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?"

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 !

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

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.

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