I've had some excitement building for a while now about some new work that's been officially released and also for the new site that is on the way for my work.

I've been slammed with preparing images for different shoots and getting portfolios together for the new site which has limited my time for blogging but the plan is to step it up again once carynorton.com is officially unveiled.

For now I'll mention a project I worked on earlier this year that I'm really proud of. I partnered with Slaughter Group to create a new library of images for the longstanding local manufacturing bulwark M+B Hangers. I've never really thought about how hangers are made but I had my mind blown like a tiny child being in their manufacturing plants. It was like living the show How It's Made right in front me.

The first goal was to explore their Leeds, Alabama manufacturing plant—the last metal hanger factory in the United States—and get a sense of their lovely employees as well as document the process by which their various hangers are created.

Step two was to do the same process at their factory in Piedras Negras, Mexico and stop by their distribution warehouse in Eagle Pass, Texas.

Everything was photographed in a very simple way. Most shots are available light shot on a Mamiya 6x7, Canon 1V / 5D, or Leica. I had support in Alabama from Caleb who made it possible to manage all the gear, reflectors, and the occasional low-key light setup (total Strobist style..580EXII on manual shot through a medium shoot-through umbrella).

The process was legitimately fascinating to my science-and-nerdery-driven brain and I couldn't be prouder of the images we created.

Their are viewable currently on the M+B HANGERS website and there was some talk of a physical book down the road, but that's far from confirmed (though I'd LOVE to see these in print instead of just on the web).

Above is Phillip, an energetic and warm employee at the Leeds plant. Below I'm going to put together some of my favorite shots from both locations. We also put together a special advertising series for M+B, but I'll wait to talk about that for another post.

There are so many more I love that really fill in the story. Check out the site to see more.

Cheers

I also recently shot a story for Birmingham Magazine called Best of Birmingham for which I made several portraits of the winners of different categories. My favorite of which was photographing Frank Stitt at Highlands Bar and Grill for three different wins: Frank for Best Chef and Best Local Food Advocate as well as Highlands Bar and Grill for Best Service (for which I also photographed a server, Goran, who has been there since Highland's opened their doors).

The main photo I wanted to get was a classic portrait of Frank shot on large format with simple, natural light. We chatted a bit about what we both wanted out of the shot and I was pleased to know he wanted his kitchen staff in the photo with him for his "Best Chef" shot. I went with the same natural light setup I'd thought about for the solo shot and applied it to the whole group with the goal of creating a photo I could visualize hanging in the restaurant's kitchen at the turn of the century. An image with a certain amount of pride and dignity to it. (I don't know that I could have pin pointed it like that in the moment, but thats the emotion that came with the idea of the group shot and the chef wanting to give credit to his team.)

Enough rambling. I ended up shooting the main shot with a Crown Graphic (127mm) on Fuji FP100C45, recovering the negative, and scanning that. It turned out super gritty and made my day.

While waiting on the kitchen crew to get ready we chatted a bit in the dining area during which time I shot much more casual frames of just Frank which, to my surprise, ended up running as the cover. Below is the cover as it ran for the September issue.

Digging through old images...found this one of the Hunter's Point neighborhood in Long Island City, Queens. The Pepsi sign has been since moved and that site is the future site of the Queens Library.

Something about this shot was eerie to me and felt sort of like it was older than I am...so here it is.

So clearly I've been slacking pretty hard overhere are theordinary.org.The good news is that means I've been busy. The other good news is there is a brand new site on the way at the end of the month. Theordinary.org may still continue to exist (maybe?), but a new carynorton.com is about to take over. And by take over I mean TAKE OVER. It will be the one place to find everything me+photography. Electric lion, poptpop, and every other possible way you can see my images....they will all be hubbed at the new site.

This, as it turns out, is one part admission of slackerdom and one part further promising of the new site. I'm quite excited to finally release a ton of new work and bring a simpler form to keep everyone up to date with the photographs I'm making.

For now....I'll just post a picture. The above shot is Caleb and Laura when we were hanging out in New York in May.

Steph's dad back at Memorial day hanging out on the couch. Pardon the dust.

Saw this and was compelled to photograph it. Seems to me very much a staple of life today. People upside down in large amounts of money, everyone else trying to "help" them while trying to feed their own family. Perhaps too cynical of a view, but I see this stuff everywhere, especially in the poorer areas.

Favorite part is the "No Plantation Politics" sign. What an interesting phrase.

4x5 Recovered Negative shot on Fuji FP100C45.

Tree + awesomeness + Oregon coast = dude in awe.

Please, look at this LARGER. I promise it is better. Really, I'd like this thing huge somewhere.

This is Steph taking a photo of Cannon Beach (aka Goonies rocks) and a few other tourists making a photo with them as well. Yet another favorite Poptpop...yet another from the Oregon coast.

I love HP5 film.

Megan having her hair done / Self portrait.

I've been MIA for a while it seems (to me) but at least for good reasons. Lots of running around town making photos. Lots of trying to put out other weird little fires (it's the little crap that takes so much time).

One of the _good_ things that has taken some of my time lately was to photograph Matthew Mayfield for his upcoming full length release. We had a specific goal and to my delight it called for shooting film and working with a bare bones setup. I love, love, love simplicity.

He had a specific idea in mind. Think old. We shot on the rolling white wall with the Crown Graphic, RZ, and Leica. On the large and medium formats we shot instant film as well (mostly to scan the negatives of them...as it lends itself to the feel we were going for).

Above is a photo of the setup, mid-shoot. Talk about simple. Wall, subject, camera, north light in the studio. Done.

Mr Thoss, again. Another of the three amigos I've come to love in New York.

Sadly, Philippe was shooting when we all got together when I was up in May, so I have no photo for him...right now anyway.

Here again is John Dolan, one of the three dudes who have greatly affected my outlook on creating photographs. In the foreground is Holger...his shot comes next.

Here is Anne again. I knew from the second I met her we'd get along and I try to see her any time I'm in New York. She's an outstanding gestural watercolourist (is that a thing?) (her work can be found Here) Such a lovely person.

This photo....THIS PHOTO....I completely love. Fully. The previous image on this here blog was a recent favorite for being a poptpop. THIS shot is an OVERALL favorite that HAPPENS to BE A FREAKING PICTURE OF PEOPLE TAKING A FREAKING PICTURE IN FRONT OF THE FREAKING GOONIES ROCKS AT CANNON BEACH OREGON (poptafpifotfgracbo).

And I love it.

EXPLOSIONS!

I want this printed HUGE.

Troy, again...from the San Diego trip.

Oh man, this is one of my favorite POPTPOPs EVER.

Steph and I went out to PORTLAND OREGON and visited GARRETT AND HELEN who are awesome and took us to the COLUMBIA RIVER FREAKING GORGE which was fantastically beautiful.

So beautiful, in fact, that YOUNG HORNY TEENS can't keep their tongues in their MOUTHS. SO BEAUTIFUL AND HORNY, IN FACT, that they have PERVY little BROTHER document their unbridled youth on a DIGITAL CAMERA. I can only imagine with that sweet hat and her non shorts they went to the lookout tower and shortly after to do it.

Steph on the train, somewhere in California.

Caleb & Laura in New York in May. Caleb assisted me on the job I was shooting there and Laura came up for a weekend to hang out with him. I enjoy this shot (which I guess is obvious since I'm blogging it?)

click for larger version, if you are into that.

two random hip shots from ny from may. just now getting around to scanning that stuff.

There isn't much I can think of to say about this shot, other than it's completely absurd...and I love it.

Stephanie's parents (William and Kathy) at home in Monroe. On the lawn mower. In their back yard. After a crawfish boil. A for serious crawfish boil.

Her family is the most delightful kind of odd.