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Behm Photographics – Jeff Behm Photography bio picture

When the Image is Everything

Welcome to Jeff Behm Photography. Please, take this opportunity to get to know a little more about me and what I do by using the Galleries link.

I started Behm Photographics in New Wilmington, PA in 1984 with an emphasis on technical expertise and creative images for many different uses -  principally advertising for western Pennsylvania's heavy industry.  In the early 2000's, I had studios in both New Castle, PA and Houston, TX, and lived predominantly in Houston, returning to New Castle eventually.

In December of 2010, after 27 years in business primarily in western PA, economic conditions had changed so radically that I moved to Frederick, MD.

Among the things that I believe set my work apart is this: the constant striving to simplify the image, the vision.  I couple this with imaginative photographs made with exacting attention to detail.  It is for these reasons that such clients as Korbel Champaign, Werner Ladders, Wendell August Forge, Parker-Hannifin, Trinity Industries, Dallas Hartman, Gorant Candies and many others have sent me all over the world, from San Diego, CA., to Europe.

While paid commissions have been able to feed my creative passion,
work for personal satisfaction had received short shrift until more recently.  That’s when a friend and gallery curator asked to see my personal images, leading to shows in Sharon, PA., Warren, OH.,
Monmouth, IL., and Burlington, VT.

Out of this additional direction has come a new and rewarding aspect to
my career: teacher.  While it’s always been part of my practice to take
on college interns and pass along photographic techniques, this
association with galleries has lead to teaching assignments in Pennsylvania, Ohio and now Maryland.

To paraphrase “Paladin”, an old TV show, “Have Camera, Will Travel”.



About the Photographer

I grew up in a family of gifted artists working in the more traditional media - painting, pottery, sculpting - all of whom I felt were much more talented than I.  Pursuing music as an early career, I ended up  working for Genesis among others, and was exposed to the magic of stage lighting - how light can attract or repel the eye of the viewer.  In there somewhere, I also discovered photography.

What started as a hobby became an obsession, changing my career and the course of  what I’d thought my life would be like.  Now, as a professional photographer since 1984, the creation of images for the use of others is a part of everyday life. 

My clients run the gamut from local companies to firms located on the US west coast, in Canada and Europe;  advertising photography for Anderson Coach & Tour to Snark Sailboats to Joy Cones; from Subway Sandwiches to Universal Rundle to Zambelli Fireworks.  The work has taken me throughout North America as well as the United Kingdom and has been published in TIME, Cheers, Appalachia, Pittsburgh Magazine, and Wedding Flowers International.

Thank you, and welcome.

Jeff Behm, Photographer

Jeff Behm Photography

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Firestone’s Market – Sandwiches to Go-o-o-o!

May 9, 2012 Posted in Commercial/Advert

A pair of recent photographs created for Firestone’s Market on  – of all places – Market Street in Frederick, MD.  (Thus the “Market on Market” slogan.  Simple enough, right?)

Firestsone’s Restaurant has an excellent reputation as a sit down dining spot in Frederick, but what may be their most under-appreciated aspect is the market, immediately next door.  Neat specialty items like locally made ice creams and all manor of foods, beverages and gifts line the shelves.

The focus of the photos (pun intended) we just created for Gillian and Kathy is the wonderful selection of “to-go” sandwiches offered there.  Speedy service of these delicious sandwiches is critical, as is the fact that it’s the same great quality as has earned the restaurant it’s reputation.

What’s also decidedly cool, is the “baguette bag” in which the take away sandwich is served, allowing one to eat on the go without much mess.  It stays in the bag, and you push the sandwich up as you eat, just like those ice cream push-ups we all loved as kids.  Slick presentation, huh?
The pastrami, shown above, is quite literally, the best pastrami I can ever remember eating, and when I lived in Chicago, there were some great delis.  This is melt in your mouth better!

Jeff Behm is a photographer located in Frederick, MD.,  specializing in beautifully lit food photography for use in advertisements, packaging, cookbooks, and publications such as Cheers Magazine, the professional journal of the food service  and bar industry. Using imaginative lighting techniques, Jeff can emphasize or de-emphasize specific elements in selected areas of the image until the photograph communicates exactly what the client desires.

Photographic assignments have taken Jeff Behm all around the western hemisphere, in addition to serving his local areas of Frederick, Washington, Montgomery, Prince George’s, Howard and Baltimore counties.  Services provided include photography in advertising, aerial, food, executive portraiture and commercial use at the highest levels.

For outstanding professional photography, centered in Frederick, MD, call 301.704.7207 to speak with Kym Starks or 724.730.8513 for Jeff.

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Food Magic : Mistero Italian Bar and Grille

April 18, 2012 Posted in Commercial/Advert

After watching the owners of Mistero wrestle with the challenges of renovating the location in preparation for opening their new restaurant, after stopping in about once per month for a year to check progress, it’s been a great joy to breath a sigh of relief and say, “Wow, they’re open and very well worth the wait.” I can only imagine how they must feel.

I recently had the opportunity to create some new food photographs to show off the cuisine and the ambiance.  Visit them at 18 Market Space (behind the parking garage behind Brewer’s Alley) to see for yourself.  You’ll be glad you did.

Jeff Behm is a photographer located in Frederick, MD.,  specializing in beautifully lit food photography for use in advertisements, packaging, cookbooks, and publications such as Cheers Magazine, the professional journal of the food service  and bar industry. Using imaginative lighting techniques, Jeff can emphasize or de-emphasize specific elements in selected areas of the image until the photograph communicates exactly what the client desires.

Photographic assignments have taken Jeff Behm all around the western hemisphere, in addition to serving his local areas of Frederick, Washington, Montgomery, Prince George’s, Howard and Baltimore counties.  Services provided include photography in advertising, aerial, food, executive portraiture and commercial use at the highest levels.

For outstanding professional photography, centered in Frederick, MD, call 301.704.7207 to speak with Kym Starks or 724.730.8513 for Jeff.

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Truffles and Chocolate Easter Bunnies are Good Food!

April 4, 2012 Posted in Commercial/Advert

Recently I posted some photos here concerning a lighting test for an upcoming photography project with The Perfect Truffle in Frederick, MD.  As that project begins to wrap up, this seems like a good opportunity to share some of the images from it.

 

While the project was primarily about the truffles, among the chocolates were some hand made, hand painted Easter Bunnies that are just plain cool.

The process actually imparts a sort of fuzzy texture to the color coating (edible, of course).

By using the negative space in the image above (created from five bunnies), you can talk about what you wish, like the example below.

There were several ways to approach the bunnies, including the traditional…

Ultimately, though we got down to the main project: Truffles.

To see more luscious samples from The Perfect Truffle, visit the gallery.  Better still, come to Frederick and visit them for real!

Photographic assignments have taken Jeff Behm all around the western hemisphere, in addition to serving his local areas of Frederick, Washington, Montgomery, Prince George’s, Howard and Baltimore counties.  Services provided include photography in advertising, aerial, food, executive portraiture and commercial use at the highest levels.

For outstanding professional photography, centered in Frederick, MD, call 301.704.7207 to speak with Kym Starks or 724.730.8513 for Jeff.

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Kym Starks Takes on Marketing of Studio

March 16, 2012 Posted in Commercial/Advert

Advertising Photography Studio Introduces Director of Marketing

As the banner above suggests, we are pleased to announce Kym Starks as Jeff Behm Photography’s Director of Marketing.  Kym’s many strengths and people skills made this an easy decision, designed to enable a more consistent sales and marketing effort for the studio as Behm Photo grows.

Clients can look forward to meeting and hearing from Ms. Starks as she becomes more familiar with her role, or feel free to contact her to schedule a meeting by emailing kym.starks@behmphoto.com or calling 301.704.7207.

A native of New York, Ms. Starks relocated to Frederick, MD about ten years ago.  Experienced in the sales field, Kym has devoted time to her family as of late, and we’re thrilled she’s chosen JEFF BEHM PHOTOGRAPHY for her return.

Photographic assignments have taken Jeff Behm Photography all around the western hemisphere, in addition to serving local areas in Frederick, Washington, Montgomery, Prince George’s, Howard and Baltimore counties.  Services provided include photography in advertising, aerial, food, executive portraiture and commercial use at the highest levels.

For outstanding professional photography, based in Frederick, MD, call 301.704.7207 to speak with Kym Starks.

 

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Planning for a New Food Photography Session

March 12, 2012 Posted in Commercial/Advert

Who knew?  Frederick, Maryland, chocolate heaven.  Keep your eyes peeled for an upcoming post about our photography of truffles!  Meanwhile, here’s a recent photography/lighting test in preparation.  We have here a S’mores, a Peanut Butter and a Caramel.  There was a Pistachio, but it proved too tempting!  It was worth it, though!


Photographic assignments have taken Jeff Behm all around the western hemisphere, in addition to serving his local areas of Frederick, Washington, Montgomery, Prince George’s, Howard and Baltimore counties.  Services provided include photography in advertising, aerial, food, executive portraiture and commercial use at the highest levels.
For outstanding professional photography, located in Frederick, MD., call 724-730-8513 to speak with us.

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Preserving the world’s data from Frederick, MD.

February 22, 2012 Posted in Commercial/Advert

In my career as a professional photographer, among the benefits has been the opportunity to learn more about the world, people, cultures and the incredible technologies people continue to create.  It’s afforded me the best education I could ever have imagined.
Earlier in February, I had the opportunity to work with a firm based in Frederick, Md., called The Crowley Company.

The Crowley Company manufactures more than 70% of the world’s microfilm, microfiche and aperture card scanners between the Mekel Technology and Wicks and Wilson brand.

Mekel Technology is manufactured in California (USA); Wicks and Wilson in Hampshire (UK). Crowley is, as mentioned, headquartered is in Frederick, MD.

On this assignment, I was ably assisted by Liane Spoto, with whom I’ve worked on other projects in the Frederick area.  When Liane wasn’t occupied with the lighting and setups necessary, she also created the available light “on assignment” photos seen here while I worked with Cheri Baker and her associate, Kris Sheckles, from Crowley.

It was extremely interesting for a photographer like myself, the bulk of whose career was spent creating advertising photographs on film.  In today’s digital age, discussing the lifetimes of various media with people as knowledgeable as those at Crowley was informative, as was learning the diverse kinds of information being stored on microfilm.

In addition to manufacturing and distributing these scanners, Crowley also operates one of the nation’s largest service bureaus, having converted hundreds of millions of images from books, newspapers, loose documents, photographic materials, graphic materials, maps, microfilm, microfiche, aperture cards and more. The company is also one of the last firms to still offer analog services, such as microfilm duplicating and processing (making microfilm from digitally-born files).

Why microfilm? It’s still the longest-lasting proven storage medium. If stored correctly, it has a life span of 500 years.

To learn more about The Crowley Company, visit www.thecrowleycompany.com

Photographic assignments have taken Jeff Behm all around the western hemisphere,  as well as serving his local areas of Frederick, Washington, Montgomery, Prince George’s, Howard and Baltimore counties.  Services provided include advertising, aerial, food, executive portraiture and commercial photography at the highest levels.  For outstanding professional advertising photography, located in Frederick, MD., call 724-730-8513 to speak with us.

 

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Beauty Shots for Angel Cakes

December 3, 2011 Posted in Commercial/Advert

Advertising Photos for Angel Cakes

Gourmet Cakes and Cupcakes in Frederick. Amazingly delicious and beautiful cakes…
…Cakes of all types, and photographing these cupcakes in a way that would do them justice was incredibly rewarding.  I love food, I love food photography and the opportunity to photograph not only Angel Cakes, but also for Subway, Gorant Candies, Joy Cones package photos, various restaurants for Cheers Magazine, The Cellar Door and many others, is demanding work, but also among the most enjoyable of assignments.


Photographic assignments have taken Jeff Behm all around the western hemisphere,  as well as serving his local areas of Frederick, Washington, Montgomery, Prince George’s, Howard and Baltimore counties.  Services provided include advertising, aerial, food, executive portraiture and commercial photography at the highest levels.   We also have photographers specializing in fashion, wedding and portrait photography.  For outstanding professional advertising photography, located in Frederick, MD., call 724-730-8513 to speak with us.

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Jewelry Photos for Vortex 13

November 30, 2011 Posted in Commercial/Advert

One great aspect of commercial or advertising photography is working with beautiful objects

and keeping an eye towards capturing that beauty for all to see.  These jewelry pieces by Master Goldsmith Doug Zaruba are just one example.

Photographic assignments have taken Jeff Behm throughout the western hemisphere,  as well as serving his local areas of Frederick, Washington, Montgomery, Prince George’s, Howard and Baltimore counties.  Services provided include advertising, aerial, food, executive portraiture and commercial photography at the highest levels.   We also have photographers specializing in fashion, wedding and portrait photography.  For outstanding professional advertising photography, located in Frederick, MD., call 724-730-8513 to speak with us.

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“The Best Camera Is The One That’s With You”

November 26, 2011 Posted in Art/Scenic, Commercial/Advert, Portraits, Uncategorized

What? Cell phone photos?  Are you kidding or crazy? Nope, neither.

Professional photographer Chase Jarvis wrote a book entitled “The Best Camera Is The One That’s With You” about his use of his iPhone camera to capture daily events and to hone his vision.  Jarvis got an iPhone in 2007, when they first became available, and has been using one for personal work ever since.

Like Chase Jarvis, I’m a professional photographer. Have been for 28 years.  Also like Jarvis, I have found myself encumbered with the gear for work when I was really on vacation or a day off, at a family gathering or just taking a walk.  It bred in me a resistance to taking a camera anywhere except as required for work, yet very often at a cost.  Inevitably I’d see something I wanted to photograph and couldn’t, and I don’t know about you, but I hate when that happens.

When I first became seriously bitten by the photography bug, it was on a fishing trip with two friends to Montana.  It was the summer before Judy and I married, and I was feeling the wanderlust a bit.  A few years before, in the rock and roll days, I’d repeatedly flown over much of the country without seeing it, and wanted to rectify that.  So Al, Jim and I set out from State College, PA., heading for the Madison and trout, camping along the way.  After we’d fished out the Madison (slight exaggeration, but “”shush”) and tubed enough rapids, we decided to see the Grand Tetons, Yellowstone and Denver before heading home.

Now, as you can imagine, much was seen (and done, but again “shush”) on this trip that required a camera, yet none of us owned one!  The killer for me was driving along the highway passing east of the Tetons as the sun was setting.  We were all excited by our unbelievable view of the sun slipping behind those three incredible peaks, rays streaming through clouds, creating sunbeams in the sky and there, in the foreground, the Snake River.   And in the river, a moose!

As you can tell, that serendipitous scene is committed to memory, but it resides there only.

It was the moment I knew I needed to find a way to get a camera.  A good camera, to create photos worth making.

So, returning to the point, the best camera is the one you have with you.  I, too, have an iPhone.  In fact, shortly after moving to Frederick, I posted some images taken in February, 2011, on an incredibly warm Friday with people out walking, dining on restaurant patios and enjoying the sun and warmth here.

Many pro photographers today are dismissive of cell phone photos, and much  of the time, there’s good reason.  But let’s face the bottom line fact, no camera means no photo, and I would have welcomed any camera on that August afternoon in 19__, east of the Tetons.  So, the best camera is the one you have with you, and honing your vision with this simplest of tools is the challenge.  To that end, a few I’ve liked are presented in this post.  In each case, it was the best camera for the job.  It was the one I had with me.

Photographic assignments have taken Jeff Behm all around the western hemisphere,  as well as serving his local areas of Frederick, Washington, Montgomery, Prince George’s, Howard and Baltimore counties.  Services provided include advertising, aerial, food, executive portraiture and commercial photography at the highest levels.   We also have photographers specializing in fashion, wedding and portrait photography.  For outstanding professional advertising photography, located in Frederick, MD., call 724-730-8513 to speak with us.

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Photographers and Models

October 27, 2011 Posted in Commercial/Advert, Uncategorized

Catoctin Mountain Freshet

Jacy in an ice cold stream on a recent, cool, late October day, doing what’s needed for the shot, and believe me, it was cold!

Photographer’s models, if they are good at their job…are called upon to be consummate actors, making their bodies and faces match the message, no matter what.  Jacy is good at her job.

When you commission photography, you expect interesting, well composed photographs that communicate with viewers, no matter what the message, or whether that viewer is you, your family, or clients.

Effective communication through an image is my ultimate goal:  that your photos communicate something about the subject being photographed in ways that stay with you long after first seeing them.

Working with excellent models, like Jacy in this post, makes everything easier and improves communication.  To see some more from Jacy’s session, click here.

Assignments have taken me from California to Texas, Canada, England, Scotland, and most places in between (well, maybe not swimming the  Atlantic).  Located in Frederick Md, and serving surrounding Washington, Montgomery, Prince George’s, Howard and Baltimore counties, I provide advertising, aerial, food, executive portraiture and commercial photography at the highest levels.   For outstanding professional advertising photography and traveling the world, call 724-730-8513 to speak with me, Jeff Behm.

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