portraits of the 2010 santa barbara summer solstice celebration

by Kevin Steele

large prints currently on exhibit at D'Vine Cafe 205 W Canon Perdido....stay tuned for the 2011 gallery and book edition!

This project began with an idea - let's do something different. Let's create studio portraits near the start of the parade, just before the parade began. With so many great characters joining the carnival atmosphere it was bound to be a visual playground.  

Just two weeks before the parade I contacted Claudia Bratton, Executive Director at the Summer Solstice Celebration, with the idea. With her assistance it came together quickly: David Shelton offered his great metalworking studio right at the start of the parade while Samy’s Camera provided the lighting and grip gear.    

The day before the parade, my assistant Nico (also my son) and I set up the studio. We did not really know how many people to expect and the lighting had to be perfect and flexible. The following morning, June 26th, we welcomed over 100 beautiful individuals over the course of four hours before they launched into the parade and festivities.   

These are their images. 

Thank you to everyone who participated and to everyone who makes the Summer Solstice Celebration the best day of the year in Santa Barbara.

Limited Edition Prints

Fine art archival inkjet on quality luster archival paper, signed and mounted on 1/2” gator board with braces for mounting. Please e-mail Kevin Steele for details. (Twenty of the characters can be previewed here.)

Character prints   

20” x 28-32” $200
(any character from the book)

The Mad Hatter

24” x 36” $250
(absolutely my favorite image)

The Solstice Staff

18” x 77” $350
(not ALL the staff, only the lucky ones) 

The Book 

The best images of all the 100+ Solstice People who stepped into the studio in the few hours just before the parade launched up State St. With quotes provided by many. 

Solstice People

(Price has been lowered from $60 due to increased demand.)
104 pages, 8”x8”, signed: $45 (plus tax)