Terry Williams, commissioner of fisheries and natural resources for the Tulalip Tribes, looks out across Tulalip Bay near Marysville, WA.

I was hired by the Ocean Conservancy to shoot a number of subjects for a project they are doing on ocean acidification. We traveled to sites in Washington that included Neah Bay, Olympia, Marysville, Shelton and our home-base of Seattle during a three-day period. Two of my favorite images from that assignment are of Terry Williams, a tribal leader with the Tulalip Tribe.

Terry Williams, Tulalip Tribe, poses for a portrait.

Back home in Seattle, I spent a couple of days shooting stills for Megan Griffiths’ new film “Lucky Them” starring Toni Collette and Thomas Haden Church. I shot stills for Megan’s last film “Eden,” which debuted at the SXSW Film Festival in Austin, TX, will be showing at the New York Film Forum in March and has won a number of awards. The days on set are long, with many exterior shots (meaning standing out in the cold and rain) but lots of fun. I love watching the process of making a film and Megan always assembles a top notch crew of talented people. The challenge is to shoot stills that look like the scenes in the film, without getting in the way of the cinematographers and everybody else on set, and doing it all with a sound blimp around my DSLR so my camera doesn’t make any clicking noises.

Director Megan Griffiths on the set of “Lucky Them” with director of photography Ben Kuchins.

I continue to do work for the Washington Athletic Club monthly magazine. I photographed three people for a story on members who work at non-profits. My shot of Jamie Van Horne, director of partnerships at SeeYourImpact.org, made the cover.  She works in a great building in Pioneer Square with big windows and high ceilings in the common room.  I was able to just bounce a strobe off the side wall that mixed nicely with the ambient light for this cover shot.

Jamie Van Horne, director of partnerships at SeeYourImpact.org, on the cover the Washington Athletic Club magazine.

I was hired to do a shoot for Health.com for a feature they call “I Did It!” which highlights the story of someone who has lost a lot of weight through diet and exercise. They wanted the shot outside, with our subject, Megen Karlinsey, in workout clothes. Those of us living in Seattle know that January is NOT the time to be doing a shoot outdoors, because chances are it is going to rain. It wasn’t just raining the day of our shoot, it was pouring, heavily. I had done some brainstorming the day before and bought a clear umbrella for Megen to hold. We did the shoot just down from my house on a bridge that I drive over everyday. The bridge has a great view of Seattle’s downtown and an awesome green railing that curves to make a nice graphic photo. I don’t think the photo has run on the site yet, so here is a photo of my friend and wonderful hair, make-up artist and stylist, Glynne Davies, braving the elements for the photograph.

Megen Karlinsey with hair and make-up artist Glynne Davies on the Jose Rizal bridge in Seattle.

Finally, I spent four days in Palm Springs (I know, I know….tough job) in January for the Clinton Foundation Health Matters conference and Humana Golf Challenge. Rather than posting yet another photo of President Clinton or a photo of a professional golfer who I wouldn’t even be able to identify,  I end with a picture of me (either sunburned or blushing) and Vincent Damon Furnier, better know as rocker Alice Cooper, who attended and performed at one of the awards dinners. Schools Out Forever!

Me and Alice Cooper. (Photo by Adam Schultz/The Clinton Foundation)

My job during the three-day meeting is to shadow President Clinton and photograph him greeting participants and speakers, attending panel discussions, speaking during the plenary meetings and well, just walking from event to event. Here are a couple of my favorite photos from this year.

Former President Bill Clinton and President Barack Obama share a quiet moment backstage before Obama speaks to the crowd at the Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting in New York on September 25, 2012.

Chelsea Clinton with her parents, former President Bill Clinton and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, backstage at the Clinton Global Initiative annual meeting in New York on September 24, 2012.

President Clinton checks briefing material in his hotel suite, which has been converted into a meeting room, before the arrival of a visiting head of state.

Wonderful Machine – Spotlight

Wonderful Machine

Evolve Images - featured blog and light box of my images

Evolve blog feature

The weekend began in Seattle at the Olympic Sculpture Park for the evening wedding of Wyn Strodtbeck and Sarah Ringold. After the ceremony and before the reception, Wyn and Sarah took a walk in the Sculpture Park so we could shoot some portraits as the sun was setting. We had them posed next to the Alexander Caulder sculpture when I realized if I framed it just right, the Space Needle was in the background. Mt. Rainier even made an appearance on this great summer day.

The next morning we were up bright and early and on the road to Vancouver, British Columbia for the wedding of Dara Nadel and Jonathan Pavlich. They were married at the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel. We had fun shooting photos in the alleys and cobblestone streets of the historic Gastown neighborhood. Once again, we had beautiful weather so shot more portraits after the ceremony as the sun was setting. The reception included the most spirited Hora dance either of us had ever witnessed.

All photographs ©2012 Barbara Kinney Photography

It was a long and exhausting, but fun weekend, full of great photos and great moments. Congrats to both couples!

One of the highlights of the trip was visiting Nelson Mandela at his home in Qunu, South Africa, the rural village where he grew up. I was nervous about making this photograph because I wanted to respect Mandela’s privacy and not be too intrusive. I waited to be called into the room and thought I would only have a minute or two to photograph the meeting. However, the living room was full of family members and staff and nobody seemed to mind that I was there. I felt like I had my picture and was turning to leave when another photographer came bursting into the room. He was shooting for the Mandela family and he asked the two former presidents to shake hands (which I thought was a bit cheesy.) As they did, he patted Mandela on the shoulder and said “Madiba, smile!” A grin came across Mandela’s face and THAT was the photo, not so cheesy after all. The day we visited the former South African president was considered Mandela Day and the next day was his 94th birthday.

President Clinton visited Nelson Mandela on the eve of his 94th birthday at his residence in Qunu, South Africa.

Another special moment of the trip was when President Bill Clinton met with Ugandan teenager Bill Clinton. I was part of a White House trip to Africa in 1998 when President Clinton met an infant who was named after him. The local Ugandan newspaper ran a story during our 2012 trip about the boy. Our staff was able to track him down and arranged a meeting at the airport. It was an emotional moment as the two embraced on the tarmac. Later that evening as we were flying to our next stop, some of the staff and myself were talking about the 1998 photo and thinking about how great it would be to see the two photos together. I am notorious for never throwing anything away (you never know when you might need something) and that means my computer is usually full of outdated files and folders. Luckily, a slide show of my White House images that I had prepared for a presentation two years ago, was still on my laptop and believe it or not, the 1998 photo of Bill Clinton holding Bill Clinton was there. I paired the two photos and we were able to send it to the Ugandan newspaper the next day and post it on the Clinton Foundation website.

President Clinton meets 14-year-old Bill Clinton in Uganda (right) President Clinton met Bill in 1998 when he traveled to Uganda (left). Bill was named after President Clinton because he was born on the day the President arrived in Uganda.

My favorite photo from the trip was a candid moment between father and daughter. As we were on the tarmac in Kigali, heading for the airplane, I turned around and saw this wonderful moment in beautiful light. Thanks to Nikon for loaning me a 24mm f1.4 lens for the trip, which was just what I needed in this low light situation and was a perfect match for my new D800 camera.

President Clinton and Chelsea on the tarmac in Kigali, Rwanda before boarding a plane to Uganda.

The trip was full of wonderful moments and great photos – here are a few of my other images from the week. An entire gallery of photos can be viewed on the Clinton Foundation website along with blog posts from staff, Chelsea and members of the delegation including actor Jeffrey Wright.

President Clinton and Chelsea Clinton visit City Year South Africa in Johannesburg.

Chelsea Clinton listens to children share their stories and artwork at the Polana Canhico Health Facility in Maputo, Mozambique.

After attending the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new library at the No-Moscow Primary School in Qunu, South Africa, President Clinton, Chelsea Clinton, and Former First Lady of South Africa Graça Machel spend time listening to children reading.

President Clinton meets students at the Building Tomorrow Academy of Bubeezi in Uganda.

Dancers welcome President Clinton at the Butaro District Hospital in the Burera District, Northern Province of Rwanda.

Rivet & Sway website

Rivet & Sway, the eyeglass frame website that I have been shooting for, has launched! Most of my work is spattered throughout the site, including all of the product photography. A bit of a departure from the work I usually do – product photography is tricky, but I enjoyed the challenge. I shot 23 pairs of frames, each in three colors.

In addition to the product photography, I rented a studio for a day and photographed real people (meaning not professional models) wearing the frames.  We shot each person from six or seven different angles so that when you move your mouse over each subject, you get a 180 degree look at the frames. Pretty cool!

Try this link for the 180 degree image:

http://rivetandsway.com/womens-glasses/faster-pussycat#Jet-Black

Follow this link to my pictures of chef Zephyr Paquette.

http://rivetandsway.com/the-perch/issue-1/profile-zephyr-paquette

You might have to register on the site to gain access since this is just a beta site right now. Once you sign up, you can start ordering frames. Rivet & Sway is anxious to start shipping to customers.

Thanks to Adam Crowley for the use of his studio and his assistance on the shoot, Glynne Davies for her expert hair and make-up skills and Ryan Adams for figuring out the post production on the frames. And finally, here is the Rivet & Sway staff with CEO John Lusk (seated) and vice-president of product, Sarah Bryar (to the right of John.)

The Rivet & Sway staff

Zephyr at a table at Skelly and the Bean with a stained-glass butterfly, a signature of the restaurant.

Last weekend the planets must have been aligned because I did a shoot where everything came together. I had a great subject, great clients, great light and what I think are good, okay…..maybe great photos. I am working with Rivet & Sway, a soon-to-be launched website selling prescription eyeglass frames. I have been doing products shots for the company, but last Saturday photographed chef Zephyr Paquette of Skelly and The Bean for a profile piece that will be featured on the site. Zephyr’s eyeglasses are an extension of her personality, so she was a perfect subject to try out many of the Rivet & Sway styles.

Zephyr looking for fresh produce at the University District's Saturday farmer's market.

We met Zephyr in the morning at the University District’s farmer’s market and followed her around as she selected fresh produce, cheese and other items for that evening’s menu. Then off to her North Capitol Hill restaurant for portraits, cooking shots and a chance for Zephyr to try on lots of frames. Sarah Bryar, vice president of product for Rivet & Sway, and writer Ritzy Ryciak were along for the shoots. We all chatted, laughed, tasted a yummy side dish that Zephyr created, drank a little wine (okay, just me and Zephyr drank wine,) tried on frames and even managed to get some work done. As I was packing up my gear, Zephyr asked, “do you just love your job?” And you know, on days like this – yea, I do!

Trying on a pair of Rivet & Sway glasses

Many of the Rivet & Sway frames

And just a quick note…….my friend John Lusk, CEO and Founder of Rivet & Sway, says the beta launch date of www.rivetandsway.com is June 18th. Be sure to go to the website now to sign up for sneak peak previews of the frames. They are hoping to have 1000 sign-ups before launch time.

Preparing for the evening dinner crowd.

Skelly and the Bean

Do you just love your job?