Joel Schnell - Photographer


Hardware. Soft Ware. Inspiration.
Commercial photography in Minnesota by Joel Schnell

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Firewood
Photographer: Joel Schnell

This time of year is for cutting firewood for the cabin. Cutting firewood is a craft, and there can be an art to it- for those that appreciate a finely stacked row of drying wood. It takes all summer to dry the wood for burning, so best to split and stack it in spring. I love the smell of wood smoke on a crisp fall evening in Minnesota.

The first published photo from my new Fujifilm X20 is included in this post. I was looking for a rangefinder camera more portable than my DSLR. The Fujifilm X20 is a nicely crafted instrument with a large imaging chip. It will make an excellent addition to my travel gear kit.

Cameras: Canon 5DMKII, Fujifilm X20

Editing: Adobe Lightroom 4, Photoshop CS5

www.schnellphoto.com

Shed HuntingPhotographer: Joel Schnell This time of year can be a treasure hunt of sorts in the Minnesota Northwoods. When a whitetail deer buck annually sheds his antlers in winter, they may be discovered when the snow melts. It can be an enjoyable walk in the woods searching for them, at a time of year when it’s too early for summer activities. It is a prized find to discover a matching set of trophy antlers, and they make a popular home decor item. You have to get to them early in the year, as mice and other woodland critters like to gnaw on them. I found this nice 4-tine shed, and keep it with a ruffed grouse tail fan and some pheasant tail feathers to remember my trips afield. Camera: Canon 5DMKIIEditing: Adobe Lightroom 4, Photoshop CS5 www.schnellphoto.com

Shed Hunting
Photographer: Joel Schnell

This time of year can be a treasure hunt of sorts in the Minnesota Northwoods. When a whitetail deer buck annually sheds his antlers in winter, they may be discovered when the snow melts. It can be an enjoyable walk in the woods searching for them, at a time of year when it’s too early for summer activities. It is a prized find to discover a matching set of trophy antlers, and they make a popular home decor item. You have to get to them early in the year, as mice and other woodland critters like to gnaw on them. I found this nice 4-tine shed, and keep it with a ruffed grouse tail fan and some pheasant tail feathers to remember my trips afield.

Camera: Canon 5DMKII
Editing: Adobe Lightroom 4, Photoshop CS5

www.schnellphoto.com

Matthew Quinn, Potter
Photographer: Joel Schnell

Another addition to my craftsmen at work photography portfolio series. Matthew is a gifted ceramics artist working in North Minneapolis. His studio is a rich environment of clay, tools and pieces in various stages of completion. Each piece is wheel thrown, altered, then returned to the wheel for further decoration. I have a few of Matthew’s pieces at home, their beauty and functionality is a pleasure to behold. 
matthewquinnceramics.com

Camera: Canon 5DMKII
Editing: Adobe Lightroom 4, Photoshop CS5
Effects: Perfect Effects 4

www.schnellphoto.com

St. Patrick’s Day Parade, St. Paul MN
Photographer: Joel Schnell
Camera: Canon 5DMKII
Editing: Adobe Lightroom 4, Photoshop CS5

St. Paulites love to show the green on the day to celebrate their Irish heritage. The St. Paul parade on March 16, 2013 brought out all manner of characters. Blustery temperatures in the 20’s meant bundle up for a day outside downtown.

www.schnellphoto.com

Snowscapes
Photographer: Joel Schnell
Camera: iphone 4s 
Editing: Adobe Lightroom 4, Photoshop CS5

I love snow. The colors, the texture, the shapes, it’s almost unlimited. In Late winter Minnesotans get to see an ever-changing canvas of wind-blown snow. I took a few moments from my usual routine of photography for commercial projects to capture the fleeing essence of winter. It won’t be here long.

www.schnellphoto.com

Snowmobiling in Minnesota
Photographer: Joel Schnell
Camera: iphone 4s 
Editing: Adobe Lightroom 4, Photoshop CS5

We’ve been waiting long enough, and good riding snow has arrived in much of Northern Minnesota. Itasca County was my destination, with over 1000 miles of groomed trails. The crown jewel is Scenic State Park, and I’ll go out on a limb and declare it the best 10 mile snowmobile loop trail in the state. A few more pictures from last year show the majesty of the boreal forest of Minnesota in winter. Snowmobiling has an annual $1 billion impact on the state, and is home to 2 of the big 4 manufacturers.

 The iphone was my camera of choice, riding warm and safely inside the breast pocket of my snow suit. The iPhone also provides handy gps tracking and snowmobile maps available by app. 

Our warm and cozy cabin for the weekend dates from 1917, built by local craftsmen that I wrote about previously. It’s a welcome sight at the end of a long day on the trails.

www.schnellphoto.com

Crashed Ice
Photographer: Joel Schnell
Camera: Canon 5D MKII, EF 38-135mm 
Editing: Adobe Lightroom 4, Photoshop CS5

The Red Bull Crashed Ice series came to St. Paul, MN this month. I got a front row view at  an NBC camera jib station for the action. The temp was around 10 degrees F, so I kept a couple batteries warm in my pocket before shooting. I used an ISO of 6400 on the 5D, which excels at low light. The racers kicked up quite a bit of ice dust as they passed. It’s a sport for the fearless, in part because the athletes can’t see ahead of the next curve or below the jumps. I wanted to keep the feel of the excitement of the crowd in the photos by framing the action with the spectators. For Crashed Ice, it’s as much about the event as it is about the sport.

Joel Schnell - Photographer

www.schnellphoto.com

Recent Product WorkPhotographer: Joel SchnellCamera: Phase OneEditing: Capture One, Photoshop CS5 A recent room shot for a national retailer assignment. Creating these environments in the studio is a collaboration with art director, stylist and myself. This set is built in a modular fashion to allow reuse for other products and propping. www.schnellphoto.com

Recent Product Work
Photographer: Joel Schnell
Camera: Phase One
Editing: Capture One, Photoshop CS5

A recent room shot for a national retailer assignment. Creating these environments in the studio is a collaboration with art director, stylist and myself. This set is built in a modular fashion to allow reuse for other products and propping.

www.schnellphoto.com

The Last Covered Bridge
Photographer: Joel Schnell
Camera: Canon 20D
Editing: Adobe Lightroom 4, Photoshop CS5

Built in 1876 and retired in 1962, the last covered bridge in Wisconsin stands in Cedarburg, a monument to 19th century craftsmanship. Pine logs milled in Baraboo, WI were fitted with lattice truss construction and secured with 2 inch hardwood pins, eliminating metal fasteners. 3 x 10” planks were used, with 3” flooring boards. A new bridge spanning Cedar Creek was constructed next to it, and the old “Red Bridge” resides in a park for pedestrian traffic only. I used Lightroom for the old colored effect, and to correct some of the vertical lens distortion.

www.schnellphoto.com

Dog work in the snow
Photographer: Joel Schnell
Camera: Canon 5D MKII, iphone 4s
Editing: Adobe Lightroom 4, Photoshop CS5

As December comes to an end so does the ruffed grouse season. It’s a very peaceful walk in the snow for my dog and I with only the footprints of deer in the snow to mark the passage. In my work for MinnesotaNorthOutdoors.com and Ruffedgrouseminnesota.com I’ve been documenting my days afield with my bird dog Maggie, a Brittany. I include a few tips for new hunters in my stories and illustrate the great opportunities for upland hunting in Minnesota. I use my iphone for portability of camera and the 5D MKII back at the Jeep. 

www.schnellphoto.com