Stephanie

I don't believe that everything happens for a reason... but some things do! I first met Stephanie when she came along with Shantey to her shoot. She kind of just hung out in the background and threw out some advice every once in a while. It wasn't until the end of the shoot that she mentioned that she had done a few photo shoots and would be interested in setting something up. So we set something up, but little did I know it would be one of the best shoots I've had in a long while!

We seemed to click right away, which is always a good sign. It means more good photos, more range of emotions and more fun! Sure enough, we got some great photos from this shoot and had a blast! We shot 5-6 different looks, which is a crazy amount of changes to make during a 2 hour shoot, but it didn't feel rushed and we got good photos from each look.

One of the best things about really clicking with someone is when you can just be yourself. During this shoot, I felt really good (might have been the Red Bull, but I don't think so). We laughed a lot and things got a little silly, but that's OK. We're both really happy with the images and we're already planning another shoot. Keep an eye out for that one. It should be even better than the first!

You can see more photos from the shoot here.

Colorado Springs Photo Shoot

I first ran across Gary when he commented on a few of my photos on a web site. He and I had done separate photo shoots with the same model (Tanya), so since we had that in common, along with our photography, we struck up a virtual friendship. A few months later, he asked me if I'd be interested in participating in a shoot that he had set up that involved a few models in Palmer Park. Of course, I said Yes!

The shoot was on a beautiful Saturday in early February. Fortunately, the weather cooperated and was nice because it could have been miserable! We had quite a few models who didn't show up, but it actually worked out quite nicely because there were two photographers and 4 models. Any more models and some would have been left out.

Ross lives in Colorado Springs, so he didn't have far to drive. Zach and Sarah both drove down from Denver, just like me! Mandi drove the farthest, as she came down from Fort Collins. Everyone got to know each other a bit and then we started shooting. Zach and Sarah brought their dog along, so we got some "family" photos as well as some individuals. Ross was on his own for the first part, but later teamed up with Mandi for some "couple" shots.

Between the grass, the trees and the rocks, we had lots of location options to choose from. The variety really helped to make it a successful day, as we had quite a few different looking photos of each person or group by the end of the shoot. As the sun set, it started to get chilly, so we called it a day, but everyone was very happy and enthusiastic about the shoot, so we left feeling good.

Gary and I (and his assistant, Crystal) went to get some pho and get to know each other a little better after the shoot. It was amazing how much we had in common. What started out as a friendship because of a mutual acquaintance quickly turned into a friendship based on shared interests. We were already planning our next shoot before we were done with our soup. It's coming up at the end of March and should be amazing!

You can see more photos from the shoot here.

Tech Tuesdays - A Quick Wish List

I thought that instead of writing about technology I already have, today I'd write about a few things that I would like to have. I'm not going to write a list of top-of-the-line camera bodies and lenses (although I wouldn't mind owning them), but instead a few things that I've found myself wanting for practical reasons.

Practical reasons? Really? Yes, really. It's easy to get caught up in gear envy and want to get the fastest glass, the best pro bodies and awesome strobes. I understand that and regularly drool over gear that I can't afford. It's also nice to be comfortable with what you own and actually find little parts of your system to be upgraded that will actually make a difference in your daily shooting habits. That's what this list is. So, here we go...

- Battery grip: After doing a photo shoot where I shot over 1300 images in portrait orientation, I decided that a battery grip would be a worth-while investment. I'm sure my wrist and shoulders will thank me.
- Higher-capacity memory cards: I had read something a while back that stressed the importance of shooting with lower-capacity memory cards so that if you lose a card you don't lose so much work. I think it might be better to have the ability to keep shooting and not disrupt the flow of the shoot to change memory cards so often. I've had some great shots that I've lost because I had just filled a card with my last shot.
- More Pocket Wizards: I've already got two, but more are always better. Whether I'm shooting with someone else who doesn't have any or I need to trigger a strobe that doesn't "see" the flash from my main strobe, I think a few more will come in very handy someday.
- Editing tablet: I'm getting tired of using a mouse to do fine editing on my images. I think this would save a lot of frustration.

These final few are just the start of my new camera wish list. I'm not planning on getting a new camera this year, but it's good to know what you need, right?
- Better high-ISO performance: With the advances that have been made in the last year, there's no reason not to get a camera with better high-ISO performance. I could have used it last week...
- 100% viewfinder: I would love to see everything that's going to be in my final frame. For some reason this has started bugging me lately.
- Larger viewfinder: This will probably come with a 100% viewfinder, but I'd love a larger view of what I'm shooting.

At the moment, that's about it. Sure, there are lots of other things that I'd buy if I won the lottery, but as far as "needs", these are at the top of my list because they're more practical and will be more useful on a daily basis, no matter what I'm shooting. Time to go shopping...

Tech Tuesdays - Stylists

So my latest, favorite secret weapon for photo shoots is... a make-up artist? That's not really technology, now is it? No, it's not, but I figure anything that can give your photos that extra edge, that extra bit of polish is worth writing about, so here we go.

Last week I did a big shoot for a local hair stylist, Tanya Owens. Over the course of 4 hours we worked with 11 people and about 15 different looks on two different backgrounds. She was doing some amazing things to these people's hair! I had never done a photo shoot before where the hair was so done, so out of the ordinary. It makes a huge difference! I know that it's not feasible to have a hair stylist for every shoot (although it would be nice), I know that for big shoots it's one of those things that can take your images to the next level.

Speaking of taking things to the next level, Jacki Renee (aka Bella Amore) was on hand to do everyone's makeup. If Tanya's hair took things to the next level, Jacki's makeup put the images over the top! I don't want to say that women don't know how to do their makeup, because they do. They do it every day and it looks great. The problem is, in my opinion, they do it every day! Anything you do on a daily basis will start to become routine. Routine can be boring. Jacki's makeup is not boring! She put on colors and styles that I'm sure these women had never dreamed of applying. The best part is that they just looked so good! The color came out so well in the photos that I was just blown away (and so were the women when they saw the photos on my camera)!

If my normal photos are good, then adding a hair stylist or makeup artist will make them great. Adding both will make them amazing! Who wouldn't want amazing photos? From now on, whenever it's possible I'm going to have as many stylists as possible to take my shoots to the next level.

For more info about Tanya and Jacki, please visit their Model Mayhem sites:

Tanya Owens
Jacki Renee

Sumi

When Sumi arrived at the studio, I asked her what she brought to wear. When she replied, "A cocktail dress, a wrap thing that I've never worn and a kimono," I knew it was going to be an interesting shoot. Interesting turned out to be inspirational and fun. The outfits were all so different, it was like three different shoots. To top it all off, Sumi had the most variety with her poses and facial expressions out of anyone I've worked with.

I think the best description I can come up with for Sumi is that she's a free spirit. She gives the impression of complete confidence, both in who she is and with what she's doing. This attitude came through during the shoot as well. It was not as if she was modeling, but more like she was acting, like there was an internal scene in her head that she was bringing to the room. Her movements and facial expressions were not typical model fare. They came from a little deeper and were a little more personal.

My favorite part of any shoot is usually when I put away the strobes and pull out the hotlights. These let me shoot in a style that I enjoy more, namely portraits. For the hotlights, Sumi chose to wear the kimono. The combination of my shooting style and her outfit gave me some of my most powerful portraits I've shot yet. She really connected with the camera and it shows in the photos.

By the end of the evening, we were tired and hungry, but we were happy. She gave me some new looks and she let me try a few new techniques. When people can work together and get into the creative spirit together, I think the results are special. Hopefully you think so too.

You can see more photos from the shoot here.

Tech Tuesdays - Pocket Wizards

When I first moved into the studio, I was unsure if I should spend the money on a set of Pocket Wizards. I knew I didn't want to be tethered with a cable, but wouldn't the "Poverty Wizards" work just as well for what I needed? They don't have 100% reliability, but who needs that? Seriously, I've got better things to spend my money on. Fortunately, I decided to play it smart and safe and get a set of Pocket Wizards. I don't think I'll ever regret that decision.

So what are Pocket Wizards (PWs)? Technically, I got a set of Pocket Wizard Plus II Transcievers. They're radio transmitter/receivers that communicate between your camera and studio strobes so that the strobes fire when you take a picture. There are lots of products on the market that do the same thing. Some are simple cords that attach to your camera and to a strobe. They're not wireless, but they're cheap and are 100% reliable. The downside is that you're tethered! "Poverty Wizards" are cheap radio transmitters that are only about 90% reliable, meaning that for every 10 photos you take, the flash won't fire in one of them. The upside is that they cost a fraction of the price of PWs. There are others that are just as reliable as PWs and are even less expensive, but they are not as ubiquitous as PWs. Ultimately, because of the number of photographers who use PWs and the number of products that have PWs incorporated into them (strobes, power packs, even light meters!), I decided to suck it up and buy a set.

Using them is about as easy as it gets. Attach one to the hotshoe of your camera. Attach another to a strobe (you've got to have the correct cable to attach it, and different flashes need different cables, so plan on spending some extra money for it). You're ready to shoot! There are no settings to mess with. There are no calibrations to set or buttons to push. Turn it on and shoot. As long as both PWs are on the same channel you're good to go. If someone else is shooting on the same channel as you, just change them both to a new channel (takes about 1 second).

The most important thing about PWs is the reliability. Although I've only been using them for a few months, I haven't missed a shot yet. I have experienced what it might have been like if I had purchased a cheaper alternative. Since I only have 2 PWs, I have to optically slave a few flashes when I use more than one, which sometimes means using a reflective umbrella to "catch" the light for the sensor to see. During one shoot, I wasn't getting flashes 100% of the time from my background light, which was kind of annoying. It just made me more thankful that the PWs don't miss a shot.

Ultimately, Pocket Wizards are not that expensive. Compared to the rest of the gear us photographers use, they're really pretty cheap. I don't plan on going out and buying a bunch of them anytime soon, but if you're planning on doing a lot of studio shooting, they're worth every penny!

Mandi

Working with Mandi was one of the best surprises I could have hoped for. It was the first time I had worked with a gray seamless background, which is now one of my favorite backgrounds to use! We started clicking pretty quickly, so her poses and expressions quickly started working very well. The lighting was doing some really good stuff for us. All-in-all, it was a great shoot!

Mandi made the drive down from Fort Collins for this shoot. She brought a good selection of clothes that gave us quite a few different looks. The thing that surprised me the most, though, was her face. It seemed like we got so many different looks with just subtle changes to the lighting or her expression. She's a lady of many faces!

I just had an opportunity to work with Mandi again this past weekend (I'll post a little something about that soon) and it was like meeting an old friend! She is definitely going places in the modeling world, so keep an eye out for Mandi.

You can see more photos here.