Buttermilk Falls with Amanda and Bridgid

Amanda was my model for the afternoon and her friend Bridgid was my 1st assistant. We shot at Buttermilk Falls just north of Beaver Falls PA.

Another look

I was sifting through some pictures of my Basement Fashion shoot with Tiffany and Amanda and I came across this image that happened to escape my original editing. Both girls were actually sitting waiting for me to adjust lights so they were just sitting there pondering life. Which is probably why it of slipped through. But when I looked at it again, I saw something more....two images in this one.


Tiffany Stare (B&W & cropped)


Amanda/Ball (B&W & cropped)


Original (color, cropped w/light editing)

Girls in dresses

My daughter wanted me to take some pictures of her and her friend in their dresses.

I set up out back with a Vivitar 285 behind and to their right. I think it was set at 1/16 or 1/2 power with the wide angle head. Another Vivitar was set up below and to camera left at 1/16 power but zoomed a little bit.

I set my shutter speed at 1/250th and used the aperture to adjust for exposure and the look I wanted.

One thing to note....always check your camera setting before any shoot. This was the first time I used this particular camera after a cheer/dance competition so it was set for jpg (I always hoot RAW), custom white balance, high ISO and appropriate shutter speed. Ooops!

Tiffany and Amanda Basement Fashion

I had the pleasure of working with Tiffany and Amanda this week. We did a short 1 hour concept development session. I had an idea of tutu's a long time ago...as time goes on, I added to it and made a few changes in my mind. This is just a small iteration of what's in my brain.

Phase 1 of a concept is usually brainstorming and the idea.
Phase 2 is the gathering and maybe execution of that idea and critique.
Phase 3 comes changes.
Phase 4 maybe the everything coming together and the final shot.

I would say that in nearly all cases, this is all done in a one day photo session. Because of my limited time during this shoot, we are breaking it down to several shooting sessions. Next will come the critique of these images. Adding and taking away elements, modifying poses and expressions. Figuring out the necessary makeup and lighting style. Then we will add props and then do the final shoot.

For this shoot....I forgot to get a set up picture...AGAIN...UGH! I used two Vivitar 285 manual flashes on light stands (left light is about 45 degrees to camera left and 6-7 feet up, right light is mostly frontal but slightly off to the right of the camera, 6 feet up). Both are bare at 1/16th power. The space is pretty small and eliminating shadows was near impossible. I might add my diffusion wall the next time and possibly use an umbrella to help soften those shadows. I do like the hard light look, but not too sure on the shadows in this series.

Breathe slowly

For those of you that have shot with me, you know I love taking pictures. For those of you that haven't ever been around me during a shoot....I'm a bit funny. One of those little things that happens to me is that I stop breathing when I am behind the camera. I focus so hard on getting the right shot, the details, clothes, lighting, composition etc...that I hold my breath. Then after a few shots I remember...I actually tell myself....BREATHE DUMMY, BREATHE. By then, when I start to breathe again and give out instructions it sounds like I am hyperventilating.

When I am behind the camera, I don't care who I take pictures of. Seriously. But as life is, some people just stick out more than others. Today...either I lost, or it was take from me...the opportunity to shoot with a model that I thought had truly natural posing skills. She ROCKED the camera.

I received an email this afternoon that said she wouldn't be pursuing modeling anymore. I actually got sad as I read the short, three sentence paragraph. She was gracious in it's content, but the message is still the same and the result took my breath away.

I have never said I can make anyone famous. I don't make any promises that I can't keep and I am honest if we shoot and the images aren't quite working out or if something is really working and we need to keep going on that path. I also realize that modeling at any level isn't for everyone. But damn it sucks when you have something then it's gone.

CY....I do wish we had more time, but as life does, it moves forward with or without us. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, so much for your time we did have.

Tiffany C ptII

I will be shooting with Tiff quite a bit so the post titles might get a bit redundant, hopefully the pictures will not.

Yesterday we just did a really fast session of head shots. But I got her walking down the street and can't pass up an opportunity to take pictures.

(Forgive me for not having setup photos, I keep forgetting to do that stuff).

For the head shots, I had Tiff sit in a wing back chair. I put a bare flash over her left shoulder and a bare flash front/right about 4 feet above her sitting height. Both flashes are Vivitar 285 with poverty wizards (16 channel wireless from eBay). The output was 1/16 on both and looking back, I should have used an umbrella to soften them a bit. Next time I will play with that AND take set up pictures.

The "Main Street" pic was cloudy/available light shot w/ my 300 @ f/2.8.
Headshot was probably my 85mm or 50mm both shot with my original 1D.

We are planning an Alice in Wonderland type shoot soon....not sure where that one will go...LOL

All photos edited in Adobe Lightroom 2.2, sharpness, clarity and black levels adjusted.

Strolling down Main Street


Headshot

Step 1: Get help

I mentioned on Twitter over the weekend that "I have a sense of reinvention, clarification, renewal and refocus. All thats missing is execution".

I'm working on the execution.

Well, less than an hour ago I had a meeting with Tiffany. It's our second meeting actually. I am working with her to be my assistant and muse as well as a second shooter. I hope to impart to her all my knowledge and use her as an idea sounding board as well as tap her youthful inventiveness and keen eye. To top it off, she's eager and beautiful. The icing on the cake is that she lives here in town and we can shoot on a very short notice.

Today we worked with camera basics like ISO, shutter speed and f/stop. She already takes pictures, but the technical details will hopefully make her a BETTER photographer. Thursday we will be shooting business head shots and if time allows, a few wardrobe changes. We'll be able to put into practice some of what we learned today and add in off camera flash.

Having another creative soul to be accountable to, makes the business part more palatable. I like to create, but I need a partner in crime. Someone that is similar, but different enough to make a good team.

Stay tuned for more from us SOON!

All I can say is Breathless

I met Cait at the Seven Oakes Bridal Fair a few weeks ago. She was one of the bridal dress models. When I saw her in the foyer of the facility, I offered her a card and asked if she had ever modeled.

She said no, but her pose said YES!

Well, after a few emails, we got to work together in the studio.

She poses so naturally, it quite literally, took my breath away. We shot for a few hours and did a lot of talking. Eventually ending up with 350-400 images. I have more shots, but some were lighting changes, setups and mods etc. I don't have a signed model release, so I can't show you any shots. But I hope she signs it and sends it then I can put them up in the gallery and on the blog.

I just hope my pictures are good enough for her.

Tomorrow's shoot (ptII)

I've used this title before, but it applies here too.

I met and talked with Cait at the Seven Oakes Bridal Fair a few weeks ago. She was one of those WOW! did you see that? type of women. She's a bit petite but carries herself like a career NYC/Milan/LA model. Or at least what I would recognize.

When I first talked to her, I was taken aback that she didn't have any modeling experience other than the bridal dresses she is currently modeling.

Well, to make a long story short, I will get the incredible opportunity to work with her on Thursday in the studio. I hope my image sof her are half as incredible as I think she is.

Today I am heading to Chatham University to get some headshots, studio portraits and possibly some stock images with Chris. Not sure if I will get any posted tonight though.

Web Gallery updates

Okay, I have two gallery pages uploaded.
Head to the Gallery page...
or
Clicking the links directly won't give you a way to navigate back. Work from the main gallery page and the individual pages will open in a new tab or window.

"J"
and
Tabetha

Wednesday night shoot

I HAD TO EDIT THIS FOR GRAMMAR: Still not sure if it's right.

After some patience testing (i.e. my patience was tested), we finally got to shoot last night. I had put down in my calendar a 2pm shoot. But on our public chalkboard (a wall painted with chalkboard paint) in the kitchen I put down 1pm. I am pretty sure I put 1pm so I knew when to leave for the studio in order to get set up....well, I got there about noon....thinking the shoot was at 1pm. Then sometime after 1pm, I was wondering where she was so I sent a text to my model inquiring. She said she was gathering stuff and on her way. Well......me being short sighted (or ignorant) I thought she was late...like over an hour late.

Well....if you followed my Twitter feed, I sent another text like 2:15, thinking she was 1:15 late and I was ready to bug out. She said she's :20 from the studio. I waited....she got there and apologized for being late. I said she was supposed to be there at 1:00....she said 2:00.

(insert tension joke here)

She was RIGHT!

Dammit!

So she really wasn't all that late...I was just uber early and impatient. Bad time management on my part. WAAAYYYY bad.

Well, I think in my rush to get her to the studio...she had forgotten a bag with all her shoes. Back to her house she went, in the crappy slushy, snowy weather. What a trooper.

The first frame was fired off at 4:45. Ugh, WAAYYY late. She was preparred for an all nighter....what ever it took to get some shots. I was game too, but I knew I would catch hell from the home front, had I shot all night.

Weeeelllllll.........

We didn't fire the last shot until 11:49pm. Five hours of shooting w/a high key (white) background, black background, chairs, bean bag, dresses, shirts, lingerie, off camera wireless flash (Vivitar 285HV), white foam board reflectors, my DIY diffusion panel a whip and mud boots in the staircase as well as in the basement grubby dirty floor. After all was said and done we ended up with over 700 images. That much time on a shoot was fine with me, but my wife was pissed. She's still not talking to me. UGH!!

Well, I promised a shot (or three), here it is (they are). More will come when the model approves some blog and web versions. Maybe late next week. (edit: they are already up)

I wrote the above post then received permission. So here are three images form last night. The rest of the dozen are in the Tabetha web site gallery.

Loving the boots


My take on American Gothic


Wall flower

Seven Oaks Bridal Fair

I worked with Chris at the Seven Oaks Bridal Fair today. It's really fun to talk with the brides to be about their wedding day. Throughout the day, I also talked to a few of the dress models that were working for Mary's Bridal, (located in Beaver Falls). Hopefully they will drop me a line so we might be able to do a few shoots. So if I spoke to you at the Bridal Fair or gave you a business card, I just want to say "hey" and let's get something going.

Pt. II Valentines Day session

Here are two pictures from the final session this week. We shot in the basement for about 25 minutes and did only two wardrobe changes with a couple of prop changes. Last Wednesday, we had more time so we (I mean "me") kind of strayed from the initial goal of an advertisement shot. Well, today I already had something sketched out so it allowed me to focus purely on getting that specific shot. We would pick a pose, then do several slight modifications to change it. Modifications to the pose would be a head turn, smile, no smile, hands on hip, rotate hips, etc. Lather, rinse, repeat.

I was shooting in the basement of the studio. I have to give big kudos to my model. She was standing nearly naked in a very cold room, on concrete covered with in dirt, rocks and various nuts bolts or other items.

I have a meeting scheduled with another model tomorrow and a follow up shoot next Wednesday. I also contacted two others for a session yet to be determined. I should know about all three by tomorrow evening.

It's really nice to be behind the camera again. Gives me purpose.

Quick Model Session

I got to work with Becca again this weekend with a couple of models. We were supposed to have two hours of shooting, but Pittsburgh traffic and a few other snafu's came up. I even cut two locations out because I wasn't able to fit them in. One thing I learned...I need to clear EVERYTHING out of the studio to work. Right now, there are still some boxes in the way and they need to GO! (I was also told I need music.....)

Still, we pulled a few shots out of the shortened session. Here they are.

Leave a comment, let me know what you think!

Creative release

I got the opportunity to work with Jenn again this afternoon. We spoke about doing another shoot together in the past. Last week I just picked a day and today was it. We shot our session during her lunch hour in a cemetery in our town.

She takes direction well and poses very naturally. We bounce ideas off each other and I really enjoy working with her.

Here are some shots that we got a few hours ago. Some people drink, some gamble, I take pictures.

Talent on many levels

Friday evening, I had the pleasure of spending about an hour and a half with Lori Delmer an amazing bundle of talent. I met her because of her talent as a makeup artist. But after talking with her, she is a graphic artist and a beautiful model. We talked for about an hour and a half about many things. Of course we had to talk shop. After working with Becca on a project, I don't ever want to work without an MUA, but there are so many people out there that don't realize the talents that makeup artists possess. Well, like photographers there are good, middle and bad artists. She is definitely in the good category.

So, if you need a graphic artist a model or an MUA for a shoot, definitely check out her web sites.

New approach

As a photographer, I am always on the lookout for new models/subjects and locations. Surprisingly, in our little town, we have a lot of places and locations to use as backdrops. Industrial buildings to grassy parks, coffee shops to tattoo parlors. As for people, in my mind, everyone is just waiting to get their picture taken. It's up to me to find the right timing to ask them.

Wednesday 4/23/08, I did a session with Jenn. She works here in town and I had seen her a few times. Being me, I approached her and handed a card saying I would like to take her pictures. Give me a call and I will see you around.

A few weeks later she called, we met at a local burger joint then set up a session. Here are a few of the 400+ pictures we took.

Massive change in direction

In a short 6 weeks from now, I will be making a short term change in direction.

Because of the current state of affairs.....economically speaking, I will be taking on a different role. I am putting photography on pause until July. Sure I will shoot causally, and as a hobby. But the photo profession is getting put on H-O-L-D !

The "second" studio, which would have been my primary studio just isn't happening. The current building lease holder took three weeks to call me back to let me know it's a good time for her for me to come in and do some more work. I wanted to be in the space at the end of January. TWO months ago. Things just don't seem to be working out. So next week I will stop in and let her know I won't need the space.

On top of that, I have been trying to work with models and other industry professionals to build a team of people. The reality of working with other people that want things for free, makes for unreliable people. I have had so many just not show up or reply to an offer to meet for work. It's frustrating. I'm not giving up on the Modeling/Fashion industry, but I am not charging ahead in that area right now. I guess it's more like a pause, retreat, gather then forge ahead in a different direction.

I will have even more details in a few days.

The week that was - and not in a good way

Not sure what Karma I had tossed around, but I thought it was good....

A little over a week ago I was asked to shoot a portrait of a friend and her boyfriend I was also asked to shoot the basketball tournament right around the same time. Since money trumps in this case, I called and told my friend that I was shooting the tournament. She never called back to confirm or request a different date. Since today was the only day I had available, it has come and gone.

Bummer #1

I was also going to be shooting a themed shoot with a makeup artist on March 5th. She took the role of producer in this and rounded up all the talent. It was to be a pretty cool shoot. I was looking forward to it. Well, Friday night, she asked if I was going to give her the RAW files of the shoot.

To let you all know, raw files are the digital negatives. Very few photographer give raw files, but they will give out full resolution JPG files.

When I said I normally don't give out raw files, she decided to replace me on the shoot.

Bummer #2

I was also thinking how difficult it has been trying to get the studio set up where I have been trying to get it set up. It's just not jelling like it should be. Dealing with too much emotional baggage that shouldn't be part of the business decisions. I think I will give it this week and if nothing major transpires, I will move on. I am just way too behind right now to deal with it.

Bummer #3

The basketball tournament was a big bummer. Lots of good images, but no real direct sales. I will return Monday, but if nothing comes of it, I will have to bag out until the finals on Saturday. Too much work and too much money being spent for no return. It's just not a good decision.

Bummer #4

On Friday, when I went to work on the studio, I also stopped in to pick a date to do some more Hollowed Grounds pictures. I wanted to shoot on Monday since the kids are out of school. I can't shoot in the morning because I am getting the kids ready for school. I was told Monday wasn't a good day and we will have to come up with a different day.

Bummer #5

I can't wait to see what next week brings.

This is what I meant

(THIS IS AN EXPLICIT POST, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED !!!)

I was on a forum a few minutes ago and read something that articulates so much of what we as photographers want to see from our models.

Kevlar Vest Girl wrote: (KVG is a frequent contributor to the Model Mayhem web site)

Good models are very much like good dancers and good actors and good musicians. They feel what they do, they express themselves in the moment before the camera. I don't see any of that in your portfolio. I see a pretty girl that wants to be a model but doesn't know how to be a model. If you are posing for someone that wants you to look sexy, you need to feel that penis inside you and roll with your thoughts and feelings. Very difficult to do with someone staring at you. If the shot calls for wicked bad, you need to see yourself slapping the shit out of your mother because she cooked the beans too long and now they're to dry to eat. If the shot calls for innocent, you need to re-live the time when you were 8 and your dad tucked you into bed right after your bath and gave you a kiss and said you would be his princess forever. If the scene requires you to be sad, make it true that right after your dad said you would be his princess forever, his heart exploded and he died right on top of you.

Body language and expression don't come from some dumb ass photographer telling you to be sexy and work it, they come from inside the vault of your life experience. You have it in you, getting over being too chicken to let us see it is what makes the difference.

Just missed it

Well, my "contact" to a fashion manufacturer/wholesaler no longer works for them. I did get the name of their marketing exec though. Might be a better opportunity anyway. I will put together a tight portfolio and see if I can make an appointment with that person so I can pitch real models in their clothing rather than the mannequins they currently use.

Quote of the day

"Any man who can Drive Safely while kissing a pretty girl...isn't Showing that Kiss The Passion it deserves." ~ Albert Einstein

Initially I didn't actually know who said the above quote, I found it on Kymberly Jane's, Model Mayhem site. Then I decided to do a Google search and found several pages of Einstein and his quotes.

Kymberly's MM page is NOT work safe. She is a model from OC (Orange County, CA) that has nudes in her portfolio, so I choose to not link it. She does have some AMAZING images though.

Why can't I just be happy

I should be pretty excited right now! But I am actually very bummed.

I was going to go to a gallery show of a local photographer, but it didn't start until 7:30 tonight. I didn't have the option to stick around for 3 1/2 hours for it to start, so I headed back home. I don't know if I want to make the 35 minute drive back to the Creative TreeHouse or not......it starts in an hour.

I also got a call from Melissa this afternoon. She already has 3 people interested in the Valentines day shoot. I should be PUMPED, JAZZED, HAPPY...but I am not.

Becca has also done some marketing for me and has 4 people lined up from her side for a shoot. Well, they are probably going to be individual shoots, but at least they are willing participants.

The bummer is, the models Becca has lined up are TFP. That means Time For Prints. I don't get money and they don't get money. I do get experience and they do too, the model will also get a CD or a few prints of the resulting images. It's pretty standard practice for new models and new photographers in the fashion/modeling realm. But once you get to a certain point, you can begin to get paid. It's usually models that get paid and the photographer or their client that pays the models. Not many models pay photographers unless they need a certain LOOK for their portfolio.

Back to Melissa. I will start working on the second floor of her building on Tuesday. Once the insulation and ceiling tiles are in place, I can use it for a studio. THAT, makes me happy. Then I can get a few signs made. New business cards etc and start shooting some high school seniors, family portraits, other portraits and such.

This weekend I have to come up with a few variations of an advertisement for the Valentines day shoot. Nothing too major, but it has to be done by Tuesday.

Patience is a virtue

Since we have been at the new house (since July), I have been enjoying a little local flavor. We have this small burger joint chain that I eat at whenever I can. This week, it's been about 3 or 4 times. But I don't think I have eaten there since mid December. Anyway, I have made friends with a few of the staff. One in particular has really beautiful eyes and I mentioned that I would like to take pictures of her someday.

Well, over the past month or so, she was for it, then against it, then for it....I felt like I was on a see-saw. We made plans to shoot for today (Tuesday) and the confirmation phone call wasn't made last Sunday. So I was like "this isn't worth it" too much trouble for no pay......

Well, we finally made it today. But for her to shoot, she had to bring her boyfriend along as a chaperone.

Red flag one.

She even said he was the jealous type.

Red flag two.

Well, today I called this morning and said we are on for today. She called back a bit later and we arranged a time and location for me to pick them up.

I was there WAY early. Of course, everyone was a bit nervous. He wholly admintted his concern for wondering who is looking at his girl. Her because she's getting pictures taken, and me because I had to deal with a jealous type boyfriend.

Arghhghgh

Of course, I was just plain ol' me. Talking up a storm and spilling my story to help put them at ease the whole ride to the studio.

But as we were heading down to the studio, which is about 35 min away, the BF said, "where are we going?"

I said "down to Bellevue to the studio."

Long, tension filled pause........

Of course, there was a mis-communication. I could see it. They thought we were shooting "in town". I thought I told them it would be at the studio because of the weather.

Red flag???

The shoot almost ended right there.

Luckily I was able to talk them into going. Then again, I was driving.

We made it to the studio, drug up my gear and quickly set up the lights and I went to work.

She was really very nervous. I could hear it in her voice and see it in her demeanor. I talked a lot to help ease her mind. After about 20-30 minutes, she turned. I could see it in her eyes and her facial expressions. She was beginning to warm to the camera.

But for me, a few minutes into the shoot. I was taking a head shot and I was able to see her eyes. So very clearly. I actually had to pause and tell her how incredible her eyes are.

So without any further adieu, here is "K" (and BF) in her(their) world debut.