Web Profiles

Defy Gravity
You can literally take flight on Adele Valentino and Jeff Scholl's website (www.gravityshots.com) that features aerial photography with some pizzazz. Valentino and Scholl specialize in low-level aerial photography and fly a specially configured remote control electric helicopter camera ship that enables them to capture images from a true bird's eye view. The slightly busy but functional site design uses virtual "tabs" to help you navigate through its many sections. Of the 2946 (no kidding) photographs found under the Recent Images tab you will see placid landscapes such as "Flathead Lake" and photographs of a lodge at dusk in "Twilight Aerial" that's as good as low-level aerial photography gets. Keep on clicking to see artful monochrome images such as "Photo #3139" or "Drifts around hay bales," both of which should be hanging in an art gallery. There are also video clips made with the HeliCam camera ship that are a lot of fun to view. This little helicopter provides a smooth platform for still and video images that must be seen to be appreciated.

Slovenia
The Republic of Slovenia lies at the heart of Europe, where the Alps and the Mediterranean meet the Pannonian plains and the mysterious Karst. To the north is Austria; to the east, Hungary; to the south, Croatia; and to the west, Italy. Arts and culture have always held a special place in Slovenian history, so I wasn't too surprised to learn Samo Vidic was a photographer, but what's surprising is that he's only been making photographs for four years. And what photographs! His slick Flash-based site (www.onlysamo.com) showcases his electric work in four different galleries. Take a look at his photographs of a guy shoveling snow in the People gallery. It's proof that great photo ops are everywhere and is a testament to Vidic's compositional brilliance. Want some laffs? You will find it here, too, if some causal nudity and a little bathroom humor won't offend you. I have three words for the snowboarding shots in his Snow/Bike/Water gallery: Fab U Lous. Horse racing in the snow? You got it in "White Turf" over in the Action gallery that also includes breathtaking skiing shots as well as photographs of soccer and basketball that are as good or better than anything you'll find in Sports Illustrated. Yet when you get to Places you'll find some images of astonishing grace and style shot in the U.S.A., but the fairy-tale image of Bled, Vidic's hometown, makes me want to go to Slovenia.

Stylish Photography; Stunning Design
What a combination! Ron Mac's (www.ronmacphoto.com) extraordinary fashion photography is wrapped up in a stunning site design from Wiretree (www.wiretree.com) who has produced a world-class website. Mac's images are collected in eight galleries under the heading of "The Work." The visual format is similar in each gallery: A series of scrolling images sit left of a larger window that displays the selected thumbnail. His Beauty images project a kind of wholesome sensuality that is echoed in his Commercial fashion work of men and women. In fact, he has an entire section on men's fashion photographs that are a wonderful counterpoint to how his female models are captured in the Beauty section. His bold Fashion images embody whimsy combined with a retro look that I find refreshing. Note: There is a mild (see-through clothing) nudity advisory for an image or two in the Fashion section. Mac's distinctive and decidedly romantic approach to image making really shines in the section called Art Pieces as well as in the funky casual style he showcases in the CD Covers section. The Headshots section contains black and white photographs of models and actors and is a mini-lesson on what a good headshot should look like.