behind the scenes « … DUFFOTO …

welcome to my blog

Friday, January 1st, 2010

here you will find a selection of examples of my ongoing art design and photography projects

click on any image to zoom in on detail

use the category links at right to select your area of interest, be it photos, record covers, etc

enjoy!

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Just received the good word that James Lee Stanley, one of my performing songwriter heroes, will be using one of my live photos of him (taken at a 2008 FarWest Folk Alliance showcase) as the cover for his upcoming live record. Stay tuned for further news on this news!

James is still selecting the photo he wants, but here is a sampling from the series (click to view slideshow):

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Far-West Conference

Monday, September 15th, 2008

Duff Ferguson has been selected as an official photographer for the fifth annual Far-West Folk Conference, which will be held this year in Phoenix, AZ. We are very proud to be part of this stellar event.

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Let loose

Thursday, September 4th, 2008

Bradley Keys wearing the “Adventures of…” download card we designed on stage at Avalon, LA.

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Portrait setup

Tuesday, August 19th, 2008

A typical portrait setup, this one employing a screen owned by the subject.

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bangkok band

Sunday, March 2nd, 2008

here is my friend who owns a couple of bars in bangkok, wearing his duff headband (formerly a duff beanie but beanies and dreads generally don’t mix)

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i was framed

Saturday, December 22nd, 2007

Susan Hiraoka framed up one of my photos as a gift to her mother, adding ribbon around the edge for a stylish touch

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the good things live on

Wednesday, December 12th, 2007

i once did some research into time capsules, and one consistent piece of advice is to make the container as beautiful as possible. things that are pleasing to the eye are treasured even if they have no practical use.

on that note, i get occasional email from a fellow who bought my old 20th anniversary Macintosh (circa 1997) from me when I left New York City. he displays it as a piece of art in his living room, though it still works great and is built powerful enough to boot OSX years later.Â look for it on the wall shelf in these photos.

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rich mcculley

Wednesday, December 5th, 2007

great review for Rich McCulley’s Cerro Gordo, including kudos for the artwork
______________________
Rich McCulley - Cerro Gordo
By Scott Sexton/About.com
Guide Rating -

In a world where there are so many different styles of music, it is impossible to discover all of the lesser known artists. Although they may not be mainstream, some produce the best music available. Country music however, has one of the most diverse following that literally goes from coast to coast. Although it may be stretching it to say Rich McCulley is country and rock, listen to his new album Cerro Gordo in order to see that good music doesn’t need a genre.

There is only one thing you need to understand when you go to purchase an album from an independent artist and that is most of the time they are not perfect. The artist puts their heart and soul into every song, but, at the same time, they know that if it is too perfect it will not be believable. Rich McCulley may not be a household name, but he is gaining fans all over the country with his “rootsy” rock tunes. Born in Fresno, California, he followed his love of music which has helped him sink his feet into the L.A. music scene and become a permanent fixture. Rich does not just find his heart in front of a live audience, he also loves being involved in the writing and producing of his music as well. Co-writing all ten songs on this album and then being in the studio behind the board as well proves his love for music as a whole. From start to finish he is “hands on,” making sure the outcome is what he had envisioned from the start. Some of his co-writers have extensive roots in country music like Duane Jarvis. If his name sounds familiar, it may be due to the fact he has toured with Dwight Yoakam and Lucinda Williams. Rich expresses all of his emotions on this album. Everything from relationships to the love he has for his home state can be found on this record. The background music is full of acoustic sounds that will grab your attention from the start.

Upon getting this album, I was very excited to hear it, simply because of the front cover. Although that may sound very odd, the cover is not full of color and doesn’t have his face plastered all over. Instead it looks like Rich went in the opposite direction by toning it down. With a simple gray background and a pile of large rocks, it was obvious this album was going to be raw and full of emotion.

Once it was in the CD player, it was exciting to hear the first song. Unlike anything I had ever heard, yet delivering something familiar, “Forget It All Again” brings to life things we all do, and often don’t realize or even think about. Simply singing about the knowledge of love, he describes how “maybe someday we will learn half of what we need to know, and forget it all again by tomorrow.” That saying alone shows off his sense of humor and his style of song writing.

“Forever California” is a personal favorite off this album. It has a great beat and shows his love for his home state. This tune will make anyone forget their problems, and really makes you want to call up a friend and scream “road trip” in the phone.

This whole album has a great feel to it. There really isn’t a bad tune on it. Songs like “I Finally Lost,” “By The Way,” and “Hearts On Fire” all have great messages to them.

If you know anyone who loves the “roots” sound, this is a must have for them.

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Gary Burden

Wednesday, October 17th, 2007

had the opportunity to talk for a bit last night with Gary Burden, one of the true legends of album art design. he is still working (just did Neil Young’s “Chrome Dreams II” record), and it was an honor to shake his hand and trade a few war stories. his son Jesse is also in the business and a fine fellow as well.

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watcher from the skies

Wednesday, October 3rd, 2007

here’s our new upstairs neighbor at home

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westbury

Friday, August 24th, 2007

jared barkan stopped by today with a strange old amp and we plugged it in

sounds like a sears silvertone

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fisheye

Tuesday, May 22nd, 2007

another addition to the lens glass, an awesome Canon 15mm f/2.8 with 180 degree angle of view!

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passing out the cigars

Tuesday, May 22nd, 2007

we have a new addition to announce in our lens glass collection here at the studio, a vintage Canon 80-200 f2.8L lens. this is best of breed technology from the early 90s that rivals any lens in its class today, known in photo circles as the “magic drainpipe” for its incredible sharpness and brilliant color.

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the best place to start

Thursday, April 26th, 2007

is at the beginning

this is a new place for friends and clients to come by and see what’s new at the art studio

might be new photos from a session that day

might be a link to something worthwhile

you know… a blog

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Archive for the ‘behind the scenes’ Category

welcome to my blog

James Lee Stanley

Far-West Conference

Let loose

Portrait setup

bangkok band

i was framed

the good things live on

rich mcculley

Gary Burden

watcher from the skies

westbury

fisheye

passing out the cigars

the best place to start

About Duff

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