Settle Photography specializes in car and people photography.

Cars

Nostalgia is that feeling in your gut when you recognize something you haven't seen for a while that elicits memories and emotions. It might be a picture or an object or a location or a song on the radio or even a smell. We learn during elementary school a definition for nostalgia. But it takes years of experience and an adult perspective to know nostalgia in your heart. That is what I am going for with my images. I want more than just a pretty picture. I want my images to make people pause, to reflect on the past, to remember. Rather than just connecting with the subject, I want the viewer to also connect through the image with their past.

Admittedly, it takes the right vehicle. Not many people will remember a 1937 Oldsmobile. But maybe someone will know that their grandfather had one from their father's stories. Or maybe you have seen pictures of your mother next to one.

There is a certain amount of pleasure when someone says they like my work. But I have real joy when someone starts telling me about how an image brought a rush of memories and emotions back.

I have images of a 1950 Ford F1 Pickup. The owner of it learned to drive on that truck. Less than a month after the shoot, his wife wanted a print as a birthday gift because her husband gave the truck to his son to restore. Only one person has had a long term relationship with that vehicle. But many people will remember a truck just like it in their mind's eye. At a show, a woman approached me and didn't mention my image. What she started talking about was a '49 Chevrolet 5 window pickup her father had. Perfection.

At another show I was approached and asked if I had shot a Tucker. I explained that they were a little tough to come by. I have seen one, but it is in a museum that does not allow photography. I then learned that the person I was speaking to was a granddaughter of Preston Tucker. Since then I have found the location and owner of an unrestored Tucker; it is perhaps the only one left unrestored. Hopefully I will be able to shoot it.

I shoot close to the subject at night. I want a black background so that the viewer can see concentrate on the portrait. I tend to shoot low because that is the viewpoint of a small child (besides making a better image).

The cars and trucks presented my not be your favorites, but there may be one that brings back memories and makes you pause. That pause is when you are saying to yourself, “I remember ….”.

People

I enjoy shooting people where they are most comfortable, whether it be during the day at work, at home, in the great outdoors or even in a studio, if that is their preference.

People photography provides unique challenges. Most of us think about photography around life milestones: birth, birthday, wedding, etc. But some of the most important portraits can be down outside those traditional bounds. The passing of my parents brought me to the realization that photography done at hard times can be the most valuable and cathartic for everyone.

Other Work

Volunteer work for heartsapart.org includes portraits of our military and their families. This work is coordinated through the Hearts Apart organization. It is available to any military family who have someone about to be deployed. There are no charges.

I also volunteer for Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep . Hopefully you have only heard about them in passing. If not, NILMDTS provides in-hospital portraiture when there is a baby that will never leave the hospital.

The blog will be an occasional opportunity for me to express what is exciting me. While not about equipment, I will touch on technique. Additionally, as a photographer, I get access to some places many do not. Those opportunities excite and challenge your ability to come away with the shot.

Representation

Jeff is represented by the following galleries:

Previous Shows

  • 2017 - Jan-Feb - Center for Fine Art Photography Portrait Show
  • 2016 - Jan-Feb - Center for Fine Art Photography Portrait Show
  •             Jan - Xanadu Gallery, Scottsdale Arizona Car Show