Today, we are in for a treat. And so is all of Chestertown. Today, the one and only Jiho Sohn is coming to town to take pictures of our family.
Who is Jiho? It’s like asking for answers to the riddle of time.
On one hand, Jiho is a colleague at my “real” job. He is a brilliant coder and doer and understander of all things web-based and technologically shiny. He is also the most astonishing spinner of metaphor I have ever met. Jiho does not say anything in a straightforward way. Instead, he conjures up remarkable visual/conceptual frameworks to explain anything at all.
But (to get the the point of today’s visit) he also has a remarkable, ever evolving talent for photography, and as such, is the founder of Jiho Nation, a blog about photography and design.
Jiho came with us to Alaska a few years back, and took some of the most stunning photos of our stretch of beach that have ever been captured. If I were more organized, I’d post some, but it is early on a Saturday morning and I have a photo shoot to prepare for. Here is one of my favorite-ever Jiho shots, taken a few months back at my office in Baltimore.
Here is Jiho, by Jiho.
We have an ambitious day planned for Jiho, with many shots to capture. Here is the shoot list (provided upon request).
Must have:
• Portrait of entire family: M, R, kids, dog, cats (on couch or around flat table in studio)
• Series of publicity shots of M and R only
- Smiling together, looking at camera
- Posing with books, looking at camera
– Making books in studio
• Something showing the barn from the outside. Need to figure out the shot. Maybe we’re inside, looking out from the living room window. Maybe we’re out front, and Jiho gets down low and shoots up at us with barn in background, cropping out electric wires, etc?
• Matthew working at his computer
• Robbi illustrating/painting, etc.
• Kids painting at their easel
• Kids writing with pen/pencil
• Shots with us helping the kids make booksWould like to have:
• Shot of M and R working at flat table, August hanging from bouncer, Alden painting at easel, Kato standing on flat table with no pants on. Jiho standing on flat table, looking down, perhaps with wide-angle?
• Family in Wilmer Park,
- playing in pavilion
- having picnic in gazebo
- throwing rocks near boat launch
– standing near pilings with river in background
- feeding ducks
- running wildly in open green space.
• Signature shots of both living spaces (living room and studio), both with and without us in them.
• Shot of Matthew typing into his computer while Robbi folds laundry right next to him.
• Shot of Matthew cooking dinner while Robbi vacuums.
• Shot of family out for a walk on the brick sidewalks on High Street.
• Alden on her bike, Kato on the trike or in the wagon.
• Shots with Iggy.
• Shots of us at Bookplate (bookstore), looking at books.
With any luck, we’ll find a suitable replacement for our now-tired publicity shot, taken at 2:00 in the morning by no one (we put the camera on a stack of books and set the timer).
We’re also trying to get a nice gallery of photos of the family for the new Bobbledy Books web site. And then there is the relentless grandparent demand for pictures, pictures, pictures. When Jiho is done with us, there should be enough photos to last for a long time.
We’ll report back when the long day is done. For now, go to JihoNation and revel in the beauty.
