I am exhibiting pictures again. After a hiatus of three years I am once again collaborating with Kate from the Möbel Kollektiv. In this exhibition I am introducing Kate to my love of the mountain passes over which I joyfully, hike, bike or sometimes even drive over. Inspired by the music video “Enjoy the Silence” by Depeche Mode we took an outdoor chair with us on a day trip to the high passes of Switzerland.

For our purposes the weather could not have been more perfect. There is a
special atmosphere with fog, and for our story on the re-use of chairs in an unsustainably disposable society, the uneasy weather was a boon. Melting glaciers are just one symptom of a warming world. Our chair is bearing silent witness to an uneasy world. Further words are very unnecessary.

The exhibition is on in its entirety until the end of October 2021 at Klara food market, Clarastrasse 13, 4058 Basel.

A link to the pictures is also here.

https://www.howardbrundrett.net/enjoythesilence

All pictures are for sale and are inkjet printed onto fine art Hannemühle paper.

Ann-Kristin did not sit idly by - she started an new clothes brand!

To promote a new brand, you need compelling photography showing the products in their best light. To achieve this, Ann-Kristin called and asked if I was interested in helping out. Of course I was! It sounded like an interesting challenge for these quiet times. Our first shoot was spent working out what style of photography would go with the brand. For most portraiture I use a long lens with a short depth of field to throw the background out of focus. This is ideal for portraits as a long lens is more flattering than a wide-angle lens which exaggerates the nose and distorts the face. The blurred background also concentrates the viewer’s eye on the face. Of course, rules are to be considered as no more than guidelines and so we elected to use a wide-angle lens and flash. Normally I would avoid this at all costs. And speaking of costs - there was no budget for anything except coffee so Ann-Kristin was the model.

The brief was that the brand is for the local Zurich market and the products are made from 100% organic-based cotton. The photography had to reflect the genuineness of the product and the people in different parts of the city.

Ann-Kristin liked the results of our efforts and so she organised more shoots, this time with models. With the budget now extended to pizzas, friends were coaxed into posing for the camera! The style of photography evolved, and yes more flattering lenses were used for some pictures but the spirit remained.
Here are a few of the results of our endeavours.

Orders can be made on the link below

https://zueriliebi.ch/

With the on-going pandemic Ann-Kristin was eventually made redundant. Within a short time, she then made an about turn in trades as Ann-Kristin now works for a consultancy firm. Previous and current entrepreneurial activities are very welcome in her new job. She'll do well.

Cycling buddy Kate Cyclist on a track in the mountains above Evolène, in the Valais

It has been a funny year with many industries feeling the pain from this pandemic. Anyone involved in the event industry will have experienced a challenging year, and yet other industries are simply thriving. Who had heard of “Zoom” before all this started, who hasn't wished they had invested in tech stocks early on in this pandemic, and who would have thought that this was a great time to be in the bicycle business!

Switzerland has positively encouraged people to get out and exercise,. Even during the height of the lockdown exercise was permitted. I was one of those to take advantage of this, and as a photographer I gave myself the challenge of carrying an extra 2 kilos on my bike to bring along my professional camera for whenever the scenery and weather looked as if they would be conducive to photography. I set myself the goal of never travelling the same route twice and also cycling ten thousand kilometres within the year. This has been largely confined to Switzerland but hey that is about as good as it gets anyway.

I haven’t managed ten thousand pictures from all my adventures, but a summary of those pictures can be found in this link which I have turned into a calendar. I hope you like them. I live in a stunning country; I am grateful that even at my “youthful" age I can still ride around a corner and say Wow! at a new and glorious discovery. And there is so much more to discover!

Here is the link to the pictures viewed on this blog and the remaining months of the calendar.

https://www.howardbrundrett.net/swisslockdowncalendar2020

They are available for sale, drop me a line if you are interested.

AugustThe walking bit of the bike ride near Melchsee-Frutt

JuneTrees in a pasture in Basel Land DecemberAbove the clouds covering the village of Worb near Bern. The Bernese Oberland looming in the background

One of three bridge type service station in Switzerland with new playground

I was called in to capture the celebrations and archive the work that had been done. Stefan Attiger, a senior local politician spoke about the importance of the business as a gateway to the Canton of Aargau, along with the keynote speaker David Bosshart, CEO Gottlieb Duttweiler Institut. Bovida’s owners Zacharias & Abraham Oliver joined Stefan and David in the ribbon cutting ceremony. Swiss comedian Sven Furer hosted the event.

Opening of renovated Würenlos service stationHost and guests presenting at the opening of the renovated Würenlos service station

Sven Furer hosting to guests at the opening of the renovated Würenlos service stationSven Furer hosting to guests at the opening of the renovated Würenlos service station

Balloons to help celebrate the newly opened renovated Würenlos service stationBalloons to help celebrate the newly opened renovated Würenlos service station

Aargau Regierungsrat Stephan Attiger giving an interview

Portrait of CEO of "qioo" Adam Adamczyk

As a rule I ask the client that while they have a professional photographer present can they imagine using pictures for any other context? For example to illustrate an article or press release with the CEO answering questions explaining his strategy for the company.

My contact at "qiio" then said they may need pictures to illustrate a magazine article. That is more unusual as the magazines usually provide their own photographer.

However the CEO Felix Adamczyk was able to give the time and was open to trying out any ideas that came to our minds. The challenges were certainly interesting, how to show a product that is so small yet at the same time show the CEO of the company, how to photograph a person holding an award made of glass which in most lighting will be so transparent as to be illegible.

Below are the results

Mark Stephan presenting to Rehab Week 2019

A great perk of my work is that when I'm called in it is often because something important needs to be recorded. There is a good chance it will also be compelling and inspiring.

A major highlight of the Rehab Week 2019 conference in Toronto was the keynote speakers. Each of the speakers are leaders in their fields and spoke from the heart, sharing their knowledge, expertise and experiences. Slides and videos were crisp and to the point, allowing space to communicate information and tell stories.

Looking back at the pictures, I am reminded of the motivation they inspired across the conference. My job is to ensure that I have captured those special moments ensuring when my clients and their clients see those pictures they will feel the same way, and that they have done a great job by engaging those speakers. I can also rest assured that I have done my job well.

The speakers pictured here are, Mark Stephan Dr. David Putrino & Dr. Geoff Fernie David Putrino presenting to Rehab Week 2019

From there you can navigate to the excellent services that the shop provides.

Here is the link to viewing the pictures from the exhibition EcoChair exhibition

However it is great to see the pictures in situ.

The shop itself is open on Thursday, Friday and Saturday afternoons. I hope that you can make it!