Jan. 25,
2023
| G. Michael Dobbs
SPRINGFIELD – If you’ve been to public events or sports, there’s a good chance you’ve seen Chris Marion at work. The well-known photographer has been shooting in the Pioneer Valley for years for local media, the Spirit of Springfield, MGM Springfield and others.
And you might know that the Springfield native and resident has had a long association with the NBA, the WNBA and that his work has appeared in Sports Illustrated.
Now Marion has entered into a new aspect of his career – his first real studio. He was briefly at the Indian Orchard Mills with a space and said he started looking for another location.
“I really wanted to be here,” he added about the Gasoline Alley complex on Albany Street. Of the studio, he added, “It’s a blank canvas, so to speak.”
He is hosting an open house on Jan. 28 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and is planning a basic photography workshop for the public on March 25 at 11 a.m.
Marion explained to Reminder Publishing the space used to be “the junk drawer” for Gasoline Alley, but after the clean-up, the large room would allow assignments from portraits to car photography. The studio has 16-foot-tall ceilings and a garage door that would allow for vehicles to be driven in for photography sessions.
Car photography is a growing field for both businesses and owners of vintage autos and Marion said the studio is large enough for proper lighting as well as having a solid color background for a shoot.
“It’s not weather dependent and we can control the light,” he said.
The studio is large enough Marion said he could have three set-ups for different assignments up at once.
He is also planning to have a set built for family portraits at Christmas time.
The studio “has a lot of potential,” and Marion said, “The culture here is exciting.”
He noted Gasoline Alley is preparing to host several food businesses.
Marion started his freelance career in 2003 but went full time as a freelancer eight years ago. Last year he worked “a lot” for the NBA with which he has had a 13-year relationship. He has shot NBA games, worked on the G League (formerly known as the NBA D League) and has had assignments with the WNBA.
He describes himself as a “huge fan and proponent” of the WNBA and said that league is “more fulfilling on many different levels” than the NBA.
For the NBA he recently photographed a pre-season event with the Bucks and Hawks in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, which he described as an amazing experience. The NBA has also used his services during a trip to Japan.
“Honestly I still can’t believe what I’m doing,” he said of his assignments.
Marion is now fine-tuning the studio and the possibilities it presents. For more information, go to www.chrismarion.com.
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