Ivan Lesko Blog

7FT Gundam Papercraft

ivanlesko — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 22:39:57 +0000

After nearly a year, the 7ft gundam papercraft project is finally complete!

Big props to my brother Taras Lesko , aka the VisualSpicer, for creating this amazing project.

When I first saw the completed papercraft, I knew the photography would have to match the project in terms of wow factor. Growing up being a fan of the gundam cartoons, I wanted the imagery to have the same futuristic and animated feel as the series. After a couple nights of shooting at midnight on location, gathering lens flares for two days, and getting the perfect picture of steam, the result is a series of images that took this papercaft to a new level.

Rock Climbing

ivanlesko — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 16:55:18 +0000

Here’s a recent personal project I just finished up for my portfolio. My aim was simply to put a twist on rock climbing photography that hasn’t been seen before by incorporating my style. Here’s a video I put together to show the process of how the image was made. Thanks to everyone who helped out on this project.

Talent: Matthew Konsmo
Thanks to: Lily Warner, Taylor Grant, & Andre Malski for the help.

A7 Papercraft

ivanlesko — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 02:49:56 +0000

My brother (aka the visualspicer) recently put together one of his papercraft’s for Audi’s new model, the A7, to present at the New York Auto Show. The video went viral soon after the release and looks like it has surpassed 1 million views.

The studio photography towards the beginning and end were shot by me prior to sending the car out. Be sure to check out his website to see more of his papercrafts. There is enough to keep anyone entertained for a while.

Move Over Mumford

ivanlesko — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 03:48:08 +0000

A short performance from one of the street corner bands at this year’s Seattle Folklife.

Hiatus

ivanlesko — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 01:04:39 +0000

I used to think whoever who said it was too easy to get comfortable assisting was lying.

Turns out he was right. It’s been a while since I’ve shot any personal work. There’s a whole batch of personal work coming up shortly, stay tuned.

Looking Back

ivanlesko — Fri, 07 May 2010 04:36:12 +0000

Every artist’s goal should be to continually grow and improve their skills whatever their craft might be. If you’re not progressing, you’re mostly getting stale which is bad in any case. I thought it would be fun to go back about 5 years into the past and reflect on how my work and attitude towards photography has evolved.

More after the break.

About four years ago when I was a sophomore in high school there was a bit of a schedule conflict and I had a choice of taking a photography or ceramics class. I took the red pill. My attitude towards photography before I picked up a camera were: this is dumb, anyone can push a button. I literally did not have an ounce of interest toward still images. How things have changed since then…

2006. The genesis of my photography career. Spent about the first year shooting 35mm B&W film. These pictures best be described as lacking substance and containing no attention to detail. But hey, have to start somewhere, right?

The first picture I ever took. Just wow..

This really gets me. My thought process was pretty comical..

2007. This is the summer I spent doing the “real job” thing. 3 months and 50 hours a week later I had a choice between keep working to buy some used car or investing in a dSLR. Glad I took the red pill again. This phase can best be described as the “I only shoot pretty” and the “HDR Hole” (writing this reminds me how outdated HDR really is). My first digital images..

Although, this picture has never gotten old to me. In a way, this represents the epitome of photography to me. 90% of photography is just being there and taking pictures. If I wouldn’t of been excited of taking my first sunset pictures (haha), this memory would of never happened. It’s been hanging on my wall ever since.

2008. Spent more time researching the best gear than actually taking pictures. Better cameras do take better pictures, right? The strobist obsession begins.

2009. Getting there. My lighting skills slowly improved as well as my retouching.

2009 Post-Summer. This is when things started to click. The hard part now is coming up with the concept. If I can think it, I can execute it.

2010 Has been a great year. I’ve been cranking out images more than ever. I’m honing in on my personal style more and more and really searching for a deeper meaning with my photos. The most recent shots can be viewed in my portfolio. I can’t wait to see what else I create in 2010!

Now, I know I don’t have and endless supply of tear sheets or national campaigns under my belt. But I’m working on it. What’s important to me is that I’m progressing and heading in the right direction. To go from a B&W shot of some leaves to creating elaborate composites that take 4 shoots, 9 images, and 12 hours to create is a huge leap. 10 years from now I’m sure I will look back at the images I’m creating now and laugh. But for now I’m content.

It’s nice to take a moment and look at the progression of your work. How are you developing?

Ellensburg Write Up

ivanlesko — Mon, 03 May 2010 22:20:43 +0000

Every once in a while it’s great to just go out and take pictures for the fun of taking pictures. I headed out to Ellensburg, WA with two other photographers, a truck bed full of equipment, and the intention of having fun. It’s been a while since I’ve shot any landscapes. After 12 hours of shooting and unpredictable weather, here are some of my favorite shots from the trip.

how a picture is made pt. 2

ivanlesko — Sat, 01 May 2010 02:12:25 +0000

Following up on my previous post on how the little things can inspire a picture to be made, here’s the second in the lobby series. A larger version can be viewed on my portfolio.

..and a few details..

Pool Time

ivanlesko — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 20:15:16 +0000

What better way to celebrate Seattle’s Spring weather than spending some time lounging by the pool?

Five models, a great location, and an 8-inch Chi-wee-wee later come these two shots. Enjoy!

How a picture is made

ivanlesko — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 06:30:17 +0000

I’ve been thinking about what gives me ideas behind the images I create. I can usually narrow down one moment in time, a song, piece of wardrobe, a certain model’s look, an event that inspires an entire photo shoot. In this case, it was a location. When I first stepped into this plaza, I knew it would be a great spot for a shoot. About two weeks later and countless hours of retouching the shot is finished. The size here doesn’t do it justice, take a look at my portfolio for the larger version.

The second shot in the series will be in the days to come.