A Minneapolis Fashion Photographer

When hot shoe flashes just won't be enough.

2011-03-19T14:42:00.000-07:00

So we've all been there, the choice between travel light or take with the hot shoe equipment and save some weight. There are a few choices here, also with high speed sync and gells the smaller equipment may be the right choice.

But consider this.

Dim lit room with pin spotlights from above. Rather than gell a light or setup an umbrella with a gell, how about take a monolight with a battery pack (or plug in the wall) that has a light which matches the room lights.

Simple, easy, what you see is what you get, and if I didn't have that it would have been a lot harder to do with a gell and small flash.

Oh, by the way, you only get 15 min to deicde what to do, how to pose the subject, light them, and try a few different places.

Q & A time with Andy!

2011-02-09T18:50:00.000-08:00

So got a question from someone... Posting it here is in no way to make fun of them, but to spread the answer around like a person would spread butter on bread. Or in my case, stir it into mac n cheese (the generic brand).

"Hey, this might be a random question but I am new to the cities and am trying to start doing studio photography. I was wondering what you started with when you began studio shooting. I What type of lights do you prefer or backdrop material?"

Lights and backdrop don't really matter all that much - just as long as they look professional and get the results you want. I know that's not as sexy of an answer as it could be, but it's really the truth. Sometimes I want the hard light off my point and shoot film camera, other times I want something off of a bare studio head, other times I want something bigger and flatter. It all depends, but it can all look good.

As far as starting out, and I'm very serious, just use a white wall in an apartment or room. There is a lot of new work happening at the coasts using this, and I guess it is or it's starting to come into fashion. So I'd start there, get an umbrella, some kind of studio light (if you're doing a lot of shots using on camera equipment isn't the best, unless you like burning out flashes and buying new ones), and just setup a space in your home/apartment.

If you don't like that as a background, and I'm not a great example of this, but get some fun fabrics or sparkly stuff and set that up 5-10 feet behind the subject (for headshots), works great.

But in short a person doesn't need anything big and fancy to take good pictures. In fact, I trade big and fancy to "stand in front of this wall" for half my shoots.

Anyway, I hope that helps someone out there! It's sushi time!

Yes, for those that don't know, Duck Tape is a brand!

2011-02-01T20:53:00.000-08:00

Coming from MN I know all about this stuff, in fact I think the only people who know more about it are from Canada - the home of the Red Green Show.

So for those of you out of state, or just thinking that it's "duct" - you're not correct.

See the links below.
http://www.duckbrand.com/
http://www.redgreen.com/

=)

Marketing and Business for new Photographers

2011-01-31T09:50:00.000-08:00

- Find your voice, this is the first step. As artists our work/craft is what sets us apart from others. This is true at any level from the JC Penny studios, weddings, products, whatever - we all have our looks, it's what sets us apart from one another.

Although we may want to do everything, it really is best to focus on (at least publicly on a website or main book) a few things. If you want to do babies then focus on them and family - there is no need at all to show product pics. If you want to do weddings then create a site around them and don't show product work or much else. If you want to shoot products then no real need to show fashion/lifestyle unless a product is featured. I'm sure you get the idea.

I know sometimes we think that having more of a range means we will pick up more clients, but in the end all we do is confuse people and get confused ourselves. However, on the flip side having a blog is a great place to show other work, talk about other interests, and post random stuff that doesn't fit in with our core products.

- Find your brand. This is a business, and like any other business we all need to have our own brand, logo, style, and name. Yes, our work does speak for it's self, but we need to have some kind of identity that will stick in our customers minds. It should also be standard and consistent from business cards, fliers, websites, flickr, facebook, etc - everything done is a reflection of the business and the brand. Also remember that consumers only know what you tell them, they can't read minds.

- Find your market. Look up the 4 P's of marketing, and then apply that to your business. Who is your market, who do you want to be your market, how do those people find people like you, how can you target ads to this market, how can you price to this market, etc. From there it's easy.

Let's say I wanted to do headshots for Doctors, and Dentists, well, there are tons of places online I can go to for a mailing list of every dentist and dental clinic in the county/city. There are also professional sites for them, publications, etc... Or, if my market is people between the ages of 30-55, women, who make over $150k a year, and who spend over $1500 a year on makeup, who live in the area - you can find mailing lists for that!

Also know what that market wants’ to see as far as branding. Some will want to visit a studio and see a book (any size), some will be happy with a website, some will want a bigger book, some you may need a few good suits for when visiting them. It all depends, but you need to know who is viewing your work to decide how you want them to view it. Another example, b2b clients may not care to see a really solid SEO'd site, but rather just something with work on it like livebooks or another image based website, so no need to spend a lot of money on someone to create this great wordpress based awesome text heavy website when all you need is simple basic and standard.

Then look at places like ASMP, PPA, mncreative, workbook, livebooks, etc. Not only look at them but see if you can find out if people listed in those places are getting work or if it's a waste of money. Just because something seems like a great idea to us and looks like a great idea to us doesn't mean it's a great idea for us (the Duck Test doesn't apply to marketing). A lot of b2b clients don't really look on google, they don't go on mncreative, and they have internal lists of supported vendors. So the $500 spent on mncreative (for example) may be better spent on a direct mail campaign.

- Find your location. I know I get by cheap, but that's because I'm a bit lazy and don't need to do photos for money. But a studio needs to cater to it's market. This may be having a studio like mine in more of a industrial building, which is fine/great for commercial work or less public work, or, it may be having a store front off of a street. There are costs/benefits to each, and it depends what the studio is meant for. Example, I wouldn't do baby portraits out of my space, I'd go find a location in the burbs where babies are and set-up a shop in an affordable strip mall or affordable location.

- Find your metrics. Running a business or doing anything rarely is a "set it up and leave it alone" type of thing. So finding out if your marketing works, pricing works, and/or general idea works is key. This can be as simple as keeping track of who views a website vs how many calls you get, and how many calls/emails to how many turn into clients. Or how much you're charging vs how much time you're putting into it, vs how much you can charge in that market. But keeping track of numbers, or at least paying attention is key. If changes need to be made it doesn't mean that what was done failed, it just means that what was done didn't work, the results didn't warrant going in that direction, and a new course should be looked at. Even highly planned and detailed airplane flights need to go around storms or work around changing conditions - business is the same.

- Find some help. There are reasons we have, in this world, people who do graphic design, websites, marketing, sales, accounting, etc. The reason is that one person really can't be an expert at everything, and sometimes it's best to hire something out and do it really well then try to limp though it on your own. Sure it costs money, but in the end it's worth it.

Shows from last year...

2011-01-12T15:17:00.000-08:00

Over the summer/fall I really don't shoot all that much black and white, in fact this year I haven't really done much since I'm exploring larger prints and finding new ways to show my work - and gearing up for the spring art crawl here in Minneapolis.

So what happens is I have a bunch of film that sat around needing to be processed, and I finally got around to doing that here the other day. Below are some highlights!

Some Random Hot Dish event at the Record Room (old VIP room) at First Ave. This is always a fun night, and those guys have some great house dj's coming though each first Sat of the month.

My good friend and awesome musician Meredith Firke - http://meredithfierke.com/ - really, check her out! A great local signer songwriter with a nice chill folkish sound (sorry, not a music review person), anyway she kicks butt and you should see her!

My friends in the George Maurer Group at the Dakota last Dec. Two things are amazing about them, first is how they can cram all those people on that small stage, and they do some pretty cool jazz standards in a fun way. Well, and I used to sit in with them back in high school when I played my sax more often.

http://www.georgemaurer.com

Finally, got to see the New Standards close their set (before late night took over) at the Dakota with a very good friend. Although I haven't seen them lately, it brought back memories to hear "I'm a dude dad" and watch them close things down.

http://www.thenewstandards.com/

A new direction!

2011-01-02T15:08:00.000-08:00

Did some fun stuff to start out the new year, now, hopefully, the weather will turn around a bit so I can get outside and do some stuff out there - but in the mean time the studio is pretty warm, and free of snow.

NYE!!!!

2011-01-01T15:12:00.000-08:00

Great friends, a great time, and the T4 was there to capture a bit of it!

I guess I like to shoot SUV's...

2010-11-24T14:42:00.000-08:00

Was doing an engagement session for this couple and as we were waiting for the makeup and hair to get done (it takes time sometimes) the groom to be and I shot the shit and took a few pics of their Land Rover. It was a great way to use up some time, start a conversation, and get a few cool images for them if they ever sell the car. Not to mention it was a pretty hot day (weird for Nov) and the weather was perfect.

The trick to shooting cars, in fact to shooting anything, is to make the most of what you have and work with the limits rather than try to force things or make equipment do what it's not meant for. By knowing how to place lights a person can get by using hand held flashes or in my case a beauty dish, pretty effectively, rather than calling in a lighting truck with a softbox the size of a garage.

Indoor photos with a fashion edge!

2010-11-10T14:50:00.000-08:00

So today I was lucky enough to do a test shoot for a friend at a pretty cool house out in the burbs. We wanted to try a few lighting tricks and see if some of the things I've been doing in the clubs and for bands can be applied to indoors.

It can, and the results are pretty cool. It's not your normal run of the mill room photography. Next year I'm going to try and build on this and hopefully pick up a few clients for high end interior work - when they want something a bit different and trendy.

Whisky Park - Work was finally put up!

2010-10-23T14:28:00.000-07:00

Finally made it to Whisky Park http://www.whiskyparkmpls.com/ and saw the final images from our pin-up cowboy shoot a few months before. These things are large and take up the whole entry way! Seriously, large!

As always it was awesome to work with Mackenzie Labine who is a great stylist and makeup artist (she works at Hair Police as a day gig) and just a great team all in all. Also a thanks goes to http://www.shealink.com/ for working with us and helping realize the vision.

Pics below, and yes, I carry a Droid around with me rather than a huge camera.

Belle Bottom Band! =D

2010-09-25T14:56:00.000-07:00

If you want to listen to some great 70's and 80's rock covers you really should check these guys out. Just a lot of fun, and where else are you going to hear someone doing a Supertramp cover?

www.bellebottomband.com

Motion!

2010-09-12T15:05:00.000-07:00

The same thing we did for Laura Fulk, other than with different lights this time. It's always a challenge to see how talent moves, how to capture them, and how to get all that in a pleasing image.

I think we got it though!

Blue!

2010-09-12T15:02:00.000-07:00

Tried out some new lighting with a friend the other day, got some great results and will build on that throughout the next few months. Let's just say that shuttercuts are totally fun to play with, and with a larger light in that fixture it's going to be a lot of fun going forward!

Sexy fun in the studio with basic lighting and outfits!

2010-08-23T15:37:00.000-07:00

Did some fun fashion work in the studio today - simple outfits, shot it on white seamless and against a white wall, and very simple light! Goes to show what can be done if things are kept basic with the focus on quality over any one theme or style.

The NEW soup can!

2010-08-15T15:34:00.000-07:00

Years ago someone who shall not be named used a simple soup can to solidify themselves as a leader in the art scene. I'm not going to get into what their use meant, you can read all about that in other places – this is my way to pay homage to them, and to let the image evolve into the new millennium.

Color film + bands = FUN!

2010-08-15T15:29:00.000-07:00

Went to the triple rock today and had some film on me, saw a few great bands, got some great pictures, and it's always a good time there!

www.myspace.com/nomiaband

Minnesota State Fair Fine Art Show - Rejected!

2010-08-13T14:41:00.001-07:00

So Today I went and picked up my image from the art show, for some reason or another it didn't get accepted by the judge, which happens. This is why shows have judges, galleries have curators, and why we like some places over others - not because of quality issues, but because we all have different eyes and look for and at different things.

I didn't decide to do the Hopkins show this year, which is a place for the State Fair rejections, since I don't agree with the whole "anything goes that didn't get accepted here" idea, or at least I don't think my work would fit well into that setting. I'm also younger and a bit idealistic, so this view may change in a few years.

E-Tones!

2010-08-09T15:26:00.000-07:00

Was lucky enough to see Tony get out and spin a set at the Great Sun Buffet with my good friend Jake. Room was packed, sound was awesome, and house music is always a great way to spend a Sat night!

Shoot today with Megan from Vision Models

2010-08-09T14:49:00.000-07:00

So today I worked with my good friend and makeup artist Krista Dostal, and a good model friend Megan. We had grand plans for the shoot, however with 90 some degree heat and all of us sweating those plans really didn't get off the ground all that much. So we decided to keep things to a few headshots and simple makeup changes.

The first image on this post was actually the last taken. Where we had fun outside with a sprinkler and got her wet. The light was nothing special - only with a plastic bag of it just in case - and I used a regular reflector with no other modifier.

Below is one of the first shots we took. Again nothing too special with the light, other than it was one of our converted stage lights. It worked, and would have been a bit better if we weren't fighting with high temps and the sun going in and out of the clouds.

After the grass shot we moved the light around and put her in front of a tree. It worked pretty well, and I wished we would have had more time to do a few more shots, however again with the heat we had to work fast before all the makeup melted off.

Finally we took a few pictures of her in front of some flowers. I wanted to get something with the makeup and the purple, which we did do, and will do again once the temps outside are bearable!

Boating anyone?

2010-08-02T15:22:00.000-07:00

Was hanging out at Big Island today and got a picture of this huge ass (pretty big) boat/yacht. Mostly at the peril of my camera since (without a neck strap) I was up to my shoulders in the water. Totally worth it, and hopefully I can find a few projects like this next year!

Citypages! Got one of the main pictures the other week!

2010-07-20T21:23:00.001-07:00

For the promotion of the Teknodoll fashion show an image with Megan was published in Citypages the week of July 11th (or so). It was a lot of fun to shoot, the picture looks great in print, and it was a lot of fun to see the image out in public!

Hopefully more opportunities like that come up in the future!

Runway Africa

2010-07-19T15:00:00.000-07:00

There are a ton of reviews out there, but the show was a lot of fun eventhough the weather didn't really want to work with us all that well. The clothing was awesome, models were pretty good, and it was my first chance to see Epic Nightclub - used to go to the Quest a lot, long story.

Great night, good people, and hopefully a great start for the designers!

OutSpoken, shoot before the show!

2010-07-18T20:03:00.000-07:00

Had a chance to take pictures for Kristy Janigo of http://jnrrfashion.com/ and Erika Langefels. This could have been the start of my run of luck with last minute situations and/or bad weather. We were able to get the shoot done in Loring Park just barely before a storm came in.

This brings up a good point, so we have expensive lights, and cheap lights... I wouldn't trust a plastic bag for rain protection over a light system worth thousands, but I would on the good old Alien Bee's.

=)

And my assistant/makeup artist trusted me enough to hold a light stand as a storm came in...

Fireworks!

2010-07-04T21:34:00.000-07:00

Happy 4th of July!

My latest trip to NYC!

2010-06-30T21:27:00.000-07:00

Seriously, this has to be one of if not the best city in the world. The people are great, the energy is awesome, and I can't wait to get there one of these years. I had the opportunity to shoot with a new model there - in between visiting friends and Irish Pubs.

Two ways to make a great image of a guy... 1) get a fan and blow his shirt off, adn 2) get a Yashica T4 and some Privia 400 slide film! Great times, and I can't wait to get back there.

Thanks to model Jahbar.

Teknodoll lookbook!

2010-06-11T21:07:00.000-07:00

http://clients.andrewthomasevans.com/teknodoll.pdf

There you have it, one of the most important things a designer can do for themselves! I'm not just tooting my own horn either, but seriously, it's all about marketing, and to market a designer/company needs to have something to send out.

What we did for Jolene and Teknodoll, or what I did, was to try and keep the photography simple, clean, and to show off both how the suits could be worn but also the urban lifestyle that she wanted to portray.

Due to her experience with lingerie and bra design, and maybe a bit due to the lookbook Jolene is starting a new job in LA starting very soon!

Thanks to Elle, Megan, and Liza for being models, and my friend Pam for makeup!

Style, how to define yourself!

2010-05-31T22:52:00.000-07:00

So, before my aunt passed away last year she said something about what to and what not to tell artists... What to tell then was that they had your support no matter what they produce, and that you're behind their creative choices. What not to tell them is what you think would sell - since then they would create art with sellability in mind and that would take away from their ideas and from the art its self.

That applies to photos because we all have to make the choice between selling and making money, or going forward with our artwork and live with the results. Granted, some of us will find that are work will be received well, some will find a cool reception, and so on.

This, our style, is the hardest thing to learn of everything we're going to do with photos. It is the next step past the technical skills we need, it's a step past from dabbling into fashion or kids, or whatever, it's what defines us from another person. Personally, and I'm a mid paced learner, it's taken me 4 years to define who I am, and I'm not even close yet. This doesn't happen overnight.

Once we find our style things become fun, we pay less attention to who is doing what, since we're all on the same level - our work separates ourselves. So it's a stress reliever to see that I'm different from someone else, or that my direction is just different enough from another person to give a client a choice.

=)

So it's something to work towards, and keep working at.

Why designers have fashion shows...

2010-05-22T16:57:00.000-07:00

So granted I'm stuck in MN, but I think I have a idea of what happens as far as marketing and promotion, or at least ideally how it should work in a classroom setting, so here goes.

Designers need to be on the cutting edge of fashion, and they need to set trends. This could be either regular clothes for normal people - which would include new styles, patterns, colors - or dresses, and high end clothing which would showcase more of a daring style etc... But they need to keep up with the seasons (time doesn't stop for anyone), and they need a way to showcase each of their lines.

Thus they have fashion shows, and thus fashion weeks, where they can invite the press and/or more importantly all the buyers they are trying to market to. This is why the major shows mostly happen in nyc, la, paris, etc - that's where the buyers are and that's where the market is.

From my understanding of real shows, they are invite only. This is not because the fashion scene is elitist or snobby, (well it is), but more so they understand that the general public, ie Jane Public, isn't their market. They also are writing off the expense as advertising and will make up for it later in sales.

Also, and this escapes most local shows, the real fashion shows are lit very well, since they really do need good images to promote their line. Not something in a warehouse space with house lights...

So we move on to smaller markets, like Minneapolis, and the market is totally different. instead of having shows for buyers they have them for God knows what and charge a cover to make up for the cost. I have no idea why they even do designs since at most shows there isn't a brochure about where to get the clothes, any websites, or any information past maybe "check it out at the local boutique". It's like the whole thing is just an excuse to have a party (at the designers expense, because it's a lot of work), and more of a club event than anything else.

Which is strange, since the same impact can be had if a few designers got together monthly, had a small private show for local boutiques (we have a bunch) and treated it like a mini fashion week where they target the stores rather than the general public.

Also designers need to realize that the show isn't the end of anything, it's just the start. It's like they feel good about putting in a ton of work only to stop when the marketing really begins. Most, from what I understand, don't have a real marketing plan, don't have a mailing list, flyers, post cards, or a system setup to sell their line or if they are in local stores, to expand beyond this city.

So here is what I'd do if I had the time (I don't) or the ambition for this (I'm busy with my own thing).

- Start a series of monthly or bi monthly shows targeting the local botique market, hire a professional photographer to do the runway photos as well as some basic on white or grey shots for general marketing. So that not only can their clothes get in front of people that matter, but they have the material to use later for those people. I'd host it in some basic location, maybe a club before it turns into a club (just need a room that's cheap).

But I'd also have those same designers get together, maybe with the help of local business, and get a mailing list out of more national outlets for sales. So that you have a show, promote your line, and then get it out in front of people.

I understand we do have locals trying to do somethings like this, however they either think the show is the final word and don't followup, or try to make it more of a club event or art a whirl type week than anything else. Sure that looks good in the press, that get's people my age (who don't really have money) out and about, sure you can charge a $20 fee, but as far as getting clothing in stores it does nothing.

But anyway, I'm not going down the fashion road here in town, I'm more interested in shooting shows in NYC, and I really don't have the time or ambition for this cause to jump into it.

Hot swimsuits in Minneapolis!

2010-05-21T21:25:00.000-07:00

Got a chance to work with another Elle, and the Etiel building in Loring park. The swimsuits were done by Teknodoll, and makeup by Pam Brown. I wished I could share more however we're waiting for the rollout of her site and a few fashion shows before getting a lot of the images out.

She is going to have some awesome suits for sale both locally and in a few stores nationally (botiques), so keep your eyes open and watch out for her shows in a month or so!

Kuoth and I do a fashion test!

2010-05-21T21:02:00.000-07:00

Today was the first time my friend Kuoth and I got to work together. It was a lot of fun and we did some amazing stuff. More images can be found on my site, www.andrewthomasevans.com

I'd give away some of the lighting, however let me just say it's pretty easy to do, mostly just blowing out the seamless and getting a reflector or something to fill in. Or, just one light (bare) against a wall - easy to do and you get some pretty cool results.

I usually don't shoot guys hotter than me... but...

2010-04-27T21:14:00.000-07:00

Yeah this was a pretty fun shoot, and got some great images. Granted the headshot above isn't a great one for a model, but it was pretty hot to do, and pretty easy to do. Makes him look like a rockstar or actor.

Then above are a few more shots, the top one done on seamless while the bottom one was just lit with a bare bulb in front of a wall. keeping things simple is a great way to get some basic solid shots, and usually it's not great to try to do too much in a single shot.

Laura Fulk runway! It's here!

2010-04-20T20:55:00.000-07:00

So Today was finally the day of her fashion show, which comes at the peek of a ton of work by her (Laura Fulk), and my friend Ray Shan, among others. It was an awesome venue over at the alumni center at the U of M, and the clothes were great! Below are just a few pics, and check her clothing out at http://www.laurafulk.com/

Laura Fulk cover shoot!

2010-04-16T20:23:00.000-07:00

So for Laura Fulk's website/clothing line we were able to shoot the amazing Elle Williams and I worked with a fantastic team to do some pretty cool stuff. I forgot where the idea came from, but we wanted to do some movement and have a bit of a blur to the main shots. Well, it was Laura's idea, but I forgot where or how she thought of it.

As far as the technical stuff - the shot is pretty easy, just a few gelled lights to either side, hold the camera for a few seconds, move around, and pop the flash off, or pop the flash off first. Easy to do in theory, however takes forever in real life.

Need a Burger?

2010-04-04T20:31:00.000-07:00

So I was contacted by the Lyndale Tap House to do a pin-up style billboard for them. We were lucky enough to work with Angela Kreitlow who is an amazing model, as well as Mackenzie Labine who is an awesome stylist.

The billboard is up though the month of June in uptown off of Hennipen and Lake.

Also the burgers and drinks at the Tap House are pretty awesome! Check it out!

http://www.thelyndale.com/

Ahhh the fun of buying equipment!

2010-03-21T12:18:00.000-07:00

So I got a new camera the other day, a D300, which will let me take band, dj, and club photos again with the best of them. So, let me walk you though what went though my mind when buying this, and why I didn't go to other cameras.

- I shoot in the studio, and it seems that Nikon hasn't made a better studio camera at iso100 other than a used D2x that's affordable. It's amazing, but the only camera that could really help me is a D3x - but I'd rather rent one than pay 8k for a camera body.

- In a few years I think I'm going to get a Mamiya medium format setup, so I really don't want to spend the money yet into a 35mm based camera system.

So my camera choices were the following... Get a great used D3 at a great price, get a D700 around $2200ish, or get a D300 at $1200ish.

The D3 is a great camera, but then I don't shoot sports, I have no use for a fast frame rate, I don't really need to go above iso3200, and it's $2000 more than a D300 which seems to do everything just fine.

I wouldn't mind getting a D700 but it's not a studio camera and I wouldn't gain anything with the bulk of my work. I also don't shoot wide, and the extra stop of high iso isn't really worth $1000 to me.

I ended up getting a D300 for $900 off of craigslist. It does great over everything I need. It focuses well, and it does high iso pretty good compared to the others I was looking at. Also with the money I saved I could more than likey buy a nice super wide lens and that Sigma 30 1.4.

I'm posting this because it seems that a lot of photographers buy something on impulse and want rather than a need or to fit a use. Then they end up spending way more money on something they will never have a real need for or something they will never use to it's fullest extent.

One light headshot shots!

2010-03-04T21:27:00.000-08:00

So I was toying around with the idea of headshots with just one light, well, one big light - 4 foot octabox - and it worked out really well. I guess the road to figuring this out was pretty long, but after a few years it finally stuck.

What's good about this setup is that you can get light that's a little bit dramitic, but also is even enough to flatter just about anyone.

=)

Try it out!

The BEST vacation EVER!!!!

2010-02-28T14:25:00.000-08:00

I’m attending a group shoot with Mr. Stephen Eastwood out in NYC on the 13th, with not only his hotness, but 5 hot Russian models and a Chezk model as well!

OMG I’m IN HEAVEN!!!!

The cost wasn’t all that much really, just what amounts to a months rent between the cost of the event and tickets out there.

Also, (but he isn’t as hot as Eastwood) I get to hang out with my good friend Kevin Michael Reed and stay at his place that weekend, which should be pretty fun and he is one of the best people I’ve ever met.

So all in all a great time, and the biggest challenge will be getting from Newark to Kevin’s place at midnight on the 12th.

My website, done by me! =D

2010-02-28T14:15:00.000-08:00

www.andrewthomasevans.com

So, over the past 7 hours or so I was able to put together a pretty decent temp site that will work great up until I can find a professional to re-do mine in some wordpress or drupal format.

I wanted to keep things clean, and modern, how successful I was at that is up to question. I also wanted to do something different with my webgalleries – and I’ve been on a swap image by clicking bender over the past week.

I was also able to get google checkout going, so now I can take credit cards over the web and other neat things!

=)

It’s not like the site I had talked to my friend about, however it’s pretty cool and I’m proud of what I did.

2010-02-28T14:10:00.000-08:00

Is this fashion, a portrait, or just a regular headshot?

2010-02-21T14:19:00.000-08:00

So at the Laura Fulk preview shoot I was able to take a shot of the model for the makeup and hair artists... I'm pretty proud of it, the model is totally sweet, the hair and makeup were awesome, and it's a really cool shot.

More images from that day will be up at http://www.laurafulk.com/ at some point in time. I can't give anything away, and this headshot dosen't really give anything away - other than I hope you have a spare change of pants near by when the images get up... They are that sweet!

I show it to a friend and he said "dude, that's not fashion" - now granted this friend is out in NYC, he shoots fashion, so maybe it isn't? Or maybe he is just jealous that I get to shoot something like that, or I did it here in Mpls?

Who knows, no big deal!

Foot in the Door 4 at the MIA

2010-02-19T20:14:00.000-08:00

The Foot in the Door show happens once every 10 years at the MIA, and in my opinion it's a fun show where anyone and everyone who does art can submit a piece as long as it fits into a foot by foot box. So, it's a great cross section of artists in the area/state, and pretty fun to do.

So I had to submit one of my photos, the black and white of downtown in the winter, and it got in (of course) but it got on one of the main walls! Which was pretty sweet in a few ways, first finding it was pretty easy, and second is that a ton of people went to the show and saw it - although the credit each of us is given is limited due to space.

The show runs though June 13th, so check it out!

http://www.artsmia.org/foot-in-the-door-4/

So, I love makeup artists sometimes – well a lot of the time!

2010-02-18T14:00:00.000-08:00

So my friend Krista Dostal and I were doing a photoshoot with Catherine Holtz, and we were messing around with some gold leaf... The stuff can really be awesome and we got some pretty cool results!

We took that in the freight elevator, and we did a bit more in the studio!

I always love working with both Krista and Catherine, they are awesome people and we always get some great pictures!

Some of us take pictures in the dark!

2010-02-12T13:48:00.000-08:00

So I have to give credit to my friend Karl Johnston who lives way way way up north in Canada and takes pictures of the Northern Lights. This guy is lucky that he can view them, since we don’t get much down here. So those of us who like to be out at night are forced to find other stuff to take pics of!

He is over at - http://www.karljohnston.com/

For the rest of us we are left to bridges, buildings, walking about town, and trees!

If you’ve wondered what iso 12,000+ looked like on film, this is it! My RB67 is limited to a 1 second shutter, and due to this I have to work with what I can to get an image. (Ok, I can go longer, but it’s a pain, and it’s less of a pain to drag out the 4x5, which is what I’m going to start doing.)

Again I’m putting up with the limits of my camera, and it was pretty dark, but it’s a pretty cool gritty image of the Mill City area in Minneapolis.

This is from a friend and I walking around Loring Park before or after getting some beers – I forget – anyway I got some pretty cool shots with more up on my website!

I guess this is what happens when I’ve had a few drinks and think that wiping off my snow covered lens with a wool glove is a good idea – it isn’t. But, it’s a pretty cool effect, kind of along the lines of putting Vaseline over a lens.

A lot more low light images up on my website! http://www.andrewthomasevans.com/

PARKING METERS!

2010-02-10T14:05:00.000-08:00

So some of us have these silly projects from time to time… I know photographers who take an image a day, or pick one topic and do a series on it. Well, I went out and started a parking meter series – for no more reason than I think they are cool and fun to take pictures of!

=D

Enjoy!

A few easy tips to help make printed prints look better!

2010-02-03T14:08:00.000-08:00

So I have a few simple basic tips for printing prints either on your home printer or sending them out.

In whatever image retouching program you have there should be a Info area where you can see the %’s of the tones of the image – with 0% being white and 100% being black.

You want to keep highlights you care about over 5% - since under that and you run a big risk of them blowing out.

You want to keep things you don’t want totally black under 90%, since anything over that runs the risk of getting really muddy.

=)

I had to walk back to get a picture of this!

2010-02-01T13:43:00.000-08:00

So now and then I make the mistake of leaving my camera at home while I walk about and do stuff downtown. This was one of those days – another day was when I saw a squirrel run up the side of a apartment building with a grocery bag full of something or another…

Anyway, I had to run to the post office downtown and, it’s weird, but I never took notice of the IDS Building from this intersection before. Even though I walk around there all the time, many times a week.

So at 4pm I pretty much ran back, 13 blocks or so, got my camera, and ran back. All that running took about 30 min, stitching two images together at that angle took about 3 hours.

It’s a pretty dope print though, and pretty huge!

I like snow!

2010-01-16T23:01:00.000-08:00

I had a chance to go visit the parents over the weekend, and took a snowthrower out for a quick shoot. Nothing too fancy, and it's a combo of a few pictures, but it works out and I'm happy with it. Next time I go home I'm taking a light though, since it's easier to light a product shot rather than take two and stitch them together.

I'm working for a few more of these product shots among other things for my small business resource site, and hopefully I'll be able to offer a comprehensive product range for local businesses. This would be in addition my main focus of fashion and commercial, but I don't see why I can't branch out and help with product and business photography when I can.

Let's take a look at headshots!

2010-01-04T20:50:00.001-08:00

This all started from a question I got a while back. Someone asked me if I could shoot a headshot that could stand up in other markets, and what the differences in those markets are. I thought about it, scratched my head, called friends, and was puzzled as far as how to answer it because the differences aren't really there as far as what's a good shot here and what's a good shot out on the coasts - this posting is an expanded essay on my answer to them.

I'm going to break headshots down into 3 categories - Models, Actors, and Professionals. Granted I'm sure we can break those down more into commercial models, vs character models (normal people, older people, etc), TV actors vs theater vs whatever, and different kinds of professionals... But, for this posting 3 main categories work out just fine.

(I'm not going to go down the electronic music route and really break things down - http://techno.org/electronic-music-guide/ )

Now I do throw around words like "casual" and "anything goes" - this doesn't mean that the elements of design, or any lighting goes, just that anything well done to a professional standard goes. The whole post is more about style and retouching than anything technical as far as cropping and other deconstructions.

Model Headshots...

Type 1 - The new model.

This is just to get you in the door for open castings and agency visits. So this is a pretty boring shot that just shows yourself off, and they are usually accompanied by a front and side shot of you in a bikini or something - the general stuff you need.

I do suggest that if you want to model to first talk to legit agencies to test the water before throwing money at portfolios and headshots.

Type 2 - Working Models.

So let's take a look at some links...

http://rednyc.com/ - Red model Management
http://www.clickmodel.com - Click
http://www.elitemodel.com/ - Elite

Now, after looking though those sites - and they were just off the top of my head, what can we take from them as far as headshots? There are all kinds of styles represented across the board, we have art images, highly retouched beauty, no so retouched filmlesq, and everything in between.

So what we can take away, as far as fashion, is anything goes as long as it's well done and represents the model well. Some agencies may want a more toned down image, but generally those standards of "anything pretty much goes" holds up anywhere. Although commercial models may want something a little more toned down, but still if we look at local agencies here in Minneapolis...

http://www.wehmann.com/
http://www.meredithagency.com/index2.html
http://www.mooretalent.com/

We see a wide variety of shots - not as out there as the nyc agencies, but nothing to put a thumb on to say "this is what a model headshot is."

Actor Headshots...

http://www.freshfacesagency.com
www.blocnyc.com
http://www.fftmodels.com/adults.html
http://www.headshot-photography.com/portfolio.htm

Again, like models, just about anything goes here. There are studio shots, outdoor shots, retouched, not so retouched, and so on. What is common between them is that there is a little more emotion than model headshots, and it's a little less formal - more casual in the approach, retouching, and expression.

As I mentioned before, anything goes doesn't mean chuck cropping and elements of design out the window, but professional pictures with a range of styles that doesn't have one predominate feature about them in common other than they are of a model and cropped as a headshot.

Professional Headshots...

I'm not going to really post any examples here since we've seen so many of them. They are all around us, on billboards, commercials, in stores, on promotional material, etc. The one thing they have in common is their goal is "I want to sell you something" or "would you buy insurance from me." They are meant to show that someone is a professional, easy to work with, and open to answer questions. Or in the case of some lawyers, that they are serious about what they do and can get results.

What you have to consider with these, is that sometimes they can be a second thought - and they can look like a second thought. So if you're a professional please pay attention to your pictures and make sure you get one that fits your business, that's well done, and that doesn't get people thinking "I can take pictures for you" - because if the general public is thinking that then they aren't thinking about buying your services.

The "real" difference between a headshot shooter here in the midwest and someone in NYC or LA.

I'm mostly serious here, but after talking with a few friends in other larger markets we came to the conclusion that the main difference is, wait for it, overhead and the market.

Think about that for a minute. The demand and competition is more for everyone in larger markets, which means that some of the passable shots that can get a working model/actor by here in Minneapolis may not cut it out in NYC. That doesn't mean that someone here can't take a good shot - we can - that doesn't mean there is any huge style difference - there isn't - it just means that there is more of demand and the market is more critical out there than here.

The other difference is overhead and rates charged. Someone out in NYC can charge $700-1400 for headshots because the market there both can support that amount and the cost of living demands that amount. So again, there really isn't a big difference in quality between someone there and here in the Midwest, just the cost of doing business. Granted there will be celebrity photographers who have a following and charge large amounts due to it, but that happens in any industry.

The difference between headshot photographers.

There aren't as many technical tips and tricks as there were with film. Everyone has the same programs, everyone is online, everyone has the same equipment and access to the same equipment. It all comes down to the individual photographers style, their technical skill, and how well received their pictures are in the market - this goes for any art, and headshots aren't any different.

Since this could be a hot button issue here is a disclaimer...

If you're a new model, actor, working model, working actor, professional, or anyone who needs headshots then I suggest you do some research in your market and see who is doing what and who can provide you with images that showcase yourself and that can be beneficial to you. The reason for this post isn't to lower the bar, but to knock down some myths about headshots and show that the main difference between them is a little bit of style and the photographers vision. I also don't get any work by the links I posted, they are just examples.

Happy New Year! 2010!

2010-01-01T23:09:00.000-08:00

So I was fortunate enough to be in the company of some good friends over new years, and take part in what has to be one of the highest parties in the country and maybe the world - the 50th floor of the IDS building! We had a great time, got some great pics, and it was a awesome way to bring in the new year!

I'd like to thank my friends Travis Scott, Kristin Kaiser, Dj Spur, Scot Moore, and the rest of you up there! I'm both looking forward to doing that again, and to this next year - it should be a great time!

Running around in the dark - Christmas blizzard of 2009

2009-12-25T10:46:00.000-08:00

So, as with last year, we had a late December blizzard here in Minneapolis - and Minnesota for that matter - and as with last year it was pretty much the real deal. For about 3 days driving was a lot of fun, flights in and out were a mess, it was cold, snowed, rained, snowed, and now we have ice all over the place.

Also like last year I tried to get out with my camera and document it a bit, with a few different places and trying a few different things. All of this was done with my RB67, Delta 400 film, and it was pushed to around and over iso1600.

That first picture posted was of the Gutherie Theater and Mill City. It was really dark at the time, still snowing a bit, and the film looks grainy since it was really pushed up to and past 1600, with a lot of added contrast in post. I think the exposure was around a second, f4, and yeah, it was really dark and snow/foggy.

This is our view towards downtown from Loring park. I meant to, and will someday, bring a longer lens to shoot it with, but it's a really cute park and fun view. Kind of like NYC's view from Central park, but much, much, much smaller.

Another view from the river front area of town, just some old grain elevators that are either being torn down, or converted into something or another. I think, after going back there, that this needs to be flipped horizontally, but that's my dirty little secret. Again, it was pretty foggy, a little snow in the air, and I needed to really push the film to get this.

An Alleyway downtown that I always like to shoot for fun. Again, snowy, foggy, but not as cold as a year ago.

A hotel downtown, which was decked out a bit in Christmas stuff, it's cute.

But yeah, that's my trip around town this year! More to come this winter!

Shooting fast - General rules to follow!

2009-12-20T20:23:00.000-08:00

So, my first experience with time limits was when I got into band photography a few years back - actual bands, and not just messing around at the local bar. Before this event I took my time, made sure to get every shot I could, and generally didn't work with a urgency. After this event I learned that clients can, may, and do request that I have "3 songs" and done, and in that time I need to get everything I can, because when they say done, they mean done.

That said, this is also talked about in an interview with David Platon where he said he had about 10-15 min with Russian President Putin to take a portrait (granted all the gear was setup). Which, would give some hobbyists heart attacks, both on the count of the person, but also the time frame.

So for bands, it really is about 2-3 songs and you're done. After that the bands get sweaty, lighting changes, and for the most part they don't want anyone up there in the way for their whole set. Now, don't worry too much, since a lot can be done in that 10 min span, and good shots can happen.

Also, you run into the CEO who only has about 20 min to sit for the headshot, which although more time than a person needs, it also means that nothing can go wrong and everything has to be planned for. Or, when you're shooting some figure skaters and you literally only have 15 min of ice time to setup lights and do the shoot.
RULES OF SHOOTING FAST!

Learn to get yourself in the best positions, and take advantage of them!

I had no idea Wayne was going to do that, in fact I wasn't even a big Flaming Lips fan before that concert - but - after dodging all these balls and stuff in the air - I kept myself around the center of the stage and on him, shooting at moments he and other band members were doing something interesting.

Never give up!

That shot was the last one I took of MIA when she was here a few years back. It was literally the last shot I took before the stage managers said the time was up. Now, the never give up part comes into play because it's hard to get a good shot of someone with dark skin, white hair, under green lights, when they move around a lot... So, if you have only 15 min of time, use all of that, or at least go until you're very sure you got what you need.

Have the equipment for the job, and have backups!

Planning for the shoot is a must! You never know when something is going to break, or even more common, when something is going to be needed. It's better to plan and bring too much than go do it and wish you had something. This also includes for on location work talking to the clients and/or even going there before hand to make sure things can be done how everyone wants them - and that everyone is happy with the choice.

For example this company job I did a few months back, we were doing a portrait of the CEO in her office, and it had some off color walls. You better believe that I was up front in an assertive way that the background wall color was something they would be happy with - and even then I made sure to bring paper and a backdrop stand just in case. I also packed and used my battery pack, so I didn't have to worry about an outlet or something that wasn't accessable.

For band photography, although I don't use it that often, I make sure to bring my 50 1.4, since you never know when 1/60th iso3200 f2.8 isn't going to be enough. Going back to the MIA shot again - if I didn't have the 50 there was no way I was going to stop motion and get a decent shot.

Practice, practice, and practice!

If you don't feel confident to do any shoot (just the shoot, not setup) in 15-20 min, then it may not be time to take on that kind of work. I'm serious here, since you never know when something is going to come up, when this lighting style you had in mind wouldn't work, and when you really need to pull on experence to get the job done.

I'm not saying hunker down in your basement and don't come out for 10 years, but having an understanding of lighting, what to do if someone has glasses, or if what you planned wasn't working out.

Build a rapport with the person.

This was a shot of someone who, although knew we were doing pictures that day at his work, wasn't a model, and who needed to be comfortable in front of the camera. Now, this is something I'm not great at describing, but making a connection with the subjects is a must!

personally I tend to take the "I'm a professional" approach, and assure them that I know what I'm doing, I'm not worried, and I'm not stressing out, and that this is fun for me - then just joke around a bit while taking the pictures. It's easy to get someone out of their shell, to smile, and to get a good shot, you just need to do that and be comfortable doing that fast.

I think we did about 18 people in 2.5 hours that day, which was faster than the full day of shooting that was planned out.

Know when you got what you need!

This may go against the "never give up", but keep in mind the goal of the shoot and know when you attained it. That way you know both when to call a wrap, but also when it's time to calm down a bit and be more creative - since you know you have what is needed. In that series I talked about above, where we did 18 people in 2.5 hours, I only took 4-5 pictures of each person max, and once I got a good few shots then I knew it was time to move on, get them back to work, and get the next person in.

If you're shooting bands... NO FLASH!

That's right, learn to use no flash for live shows - since that's the way they are done. Flash is annoying, it gets in the way, and almost all live performers don't like it. So you're faced with 3 songs, no flash, and once the time is up you're done (period).

This just went from something that sounds fun to a really stressful night in a hurry!

Expect to do the job fast.

Finally, just treat every job like it's urgent and like the persons time is valuable. I'm not saying you need to rush things, or that you need to be frantic, just to keep track of time, and don't drag things on if you don't have to. That way you're ready for the "you have 2 songs" or "they have a meeting and need the office in 30 min" or "our ice time is up in 10 min".

For example, in this series - http://www.andrewthomasevans.com/photo/redlight.htm

She told me, after being late due to traffic and weather, that she only had about 30 min to shoot. Which was kind of alarming in a way since I never did shots with a red light like that before, so it was new to me, and this was the first I had heard of it. Anyway, to make a long story short, I was able to get what I wanted, learn about that process, and get some successful shots within that deadline, and she was able to get to her meeting in time.

I don't think I could have done that, my business headshots, skating shots, or even some of my outdoor work if it wasn't for that first "you have 3 songs" job.

So I hope this was helpful in getting you ready for that first call where they say "you only have 3 songs" or "you have 15 min to shoot this."

Beauty Dish vs Whatever - Fight to the Death!

2009-12-19T12:15:00.000-08:00

So, the question always comes up, and the desire always comes up in photography - I want a beauty dish - or I want a 8 foot octabox, or I want ____ modifier! It's asked by experienced photographers, people who are new and learning, and everyone in between, and it's really a hard question sometimes because at the surface we think all the modifiers are really different - when in truth the differences are mostly folklore and stories.

Now, the target audience are those who are looking for a bit of info on how different modifiers work for headshots. I don't take credit for knowing everything, and all of this is just my opinon.

So let's start out with umbrellas, they are what we all start out with, and work well for the most part. You can go though all kinds of fashion magazines and see them used, and I'm sure you can find them in a few advertisements. They are basic, cheap, and they work.

So here is a shot with umbrellas.

Now, granted I did shoot this a little flat, but the shot is still dynamic, the shadows are still soft, and all in all it's a decent shot for what it is.

So that's an umbrella, and again they work great. The only downside is they catch the wind a lot outside, and the catchlights may or may not be desirable, not to mention that the spill can be a little much if you need tight control.

Now lets move on to softboxes, and I guess I'll throw in octaboxes as well since they are the same thing. Everyone ends up getting one or two of these and they are the natural progression from umbrella. They work great, and project a nice "window" of light on the subject. Also, they can be gridded to control the light - which in my opinon is one of the main selling points to them.

I have a few shots done with them, so you can see the differences from the umbrella one - and again these are just headshots.

Again, as with the umbrella, and at reasonable distances, they give nice even light, even shadows, and as with my work at the time the shots are a little even and less dynamic than I do now. However, the differences between the two modifiers are minimal, and at this point I don't see a reason to go out and buy a softbox over umbrellas - unless you needed grids to help direct the light, or needed a little more spill control.

Ahhh yes, the Beauty Dish! So this seems to be one of the holy grails photographers search for, and the end all be all of beauty lighting. There pretty much the same as umbrellas when it comes to spill, other than they can hang out in the wind a lot better outdoors than umbrellas - and for that they are what I use outside almost all of the time. You can also grid them to get some tight control over their light, which helps inside if you need that kind of control.

Here are a few shots with beauty dishes, and keep in mind they were a clamshell setup, and had a light behind them for fill. Now, I never said this was a scientific test, just showing examples of real world shots.

and...

Now, granted they are a little more dynamic than the others, the shadows are a little deeper - but that's really about it. Also, that difference could be more to do with how I light the first few examples rather than anything specific with the beauty dish... So it's more like going on a drive and having many different roads, all pretty much the same distance, that will get you to where you're going.

RingLights! This is the other quest that people seem to be on, and it's one of the lights that I don't have at the studio. They can be great for fill, they can also be cliche very easily, as well as they can be boring after a while.

This wasn't shot with a ringlight, but the effect you would get is about the same as far as it being even light coming directly from the lens.

So finally, two more examples...

I shot my friend in natural light one day when it was overcast and got this...

It's pretty similar to the first few examples I posted of softboxes and umbrellas, where I was going for even light and less shadows. Which helped me form the opinon that almost any lights will work for almost anything, and that half of the style is in the retouching in post. (retouching is another topic)

The last example is this, which was shot with a 8 foot octabox at my friends place in NYC.

It looks pretty close to the beautydish shots, the shadows are deep, the light is pretty even, but it's done with a huge softbox rather than a beauty dish or something normally associated with this style of light. So again, anything can be done with any light, it's just a matter of how you use it.

Things to look for when you're looking at pictures! The catchlights give things away, pay attention to them when you're reading all those magazines and looking at all these advertisements we have around us. They tell you a lot about how the shot was lit, what modifer was used, and how far away it was.

I may come back to this topic, but again for headshots it really depends on your style and what you're comfortable using and less on what type of light it is. It also depends on how you retouch, since that plays a vital role in your style and image.

Happy Birthday to me!

2009-12-18T17:35:00.000-08:00

So last night was my bday happy hour, party, or whatever you want to call it. Kept things pretty low key, hitting up the Local downtown and meeting up with my good friend Loren Kollmar. Then off to the Saloon for some vanilla vodka tonics... After that was done it was a long cold walk home, and then a bike ride down to the Caterpillar Lounge for a beer and sushi.

All in all it was a lot of fun, saw some good friends, and again kept things pretty minimal for the most part - although getting up this morning was less than minimal, but I took the day off so it was all good!

A snow storm that just wasn't!

2009-12-15T20:21:00.000-08:00

So last week we had a snowstorm here in Minneapolis, and although we got cold weather, 4-5 inches of snow, and winds, it just wasn't the blast some were expecting.

That said, let's take a look back at what happened in 2008, which was around this time or so, but a lot worse, more snow, just as cold, and more windy!

Before we get into the pictures, they are all shot on film, back on 12/14/2008 - which is a year ago or so - I pushed delta 400 to around 1600 in camera on my RB67, scanned it, and then worked with it in Photoshop. I'm not a purist, just an artist using all the tools open to him.

So the first step of the night was to walk around outside, and stop by the bar... Or at least the way I'm telling it today was I walked around and first stopped by the bar for a drink - it was cold out!

From there I took a walk down to the interstate 94 tunnel, and took a few pictures. I did want to get a shot of the cherry and the spoon however the light just wasn't great for it.

Now after that I think I went to the bar again, because it was cold and getting late around midnight. However, it turns out I couldn't sleep as the thought of taking a few more pictures was too much, so at about 4am I got up, got in the car, and ventured out into the un-plowed city.

It's funny, but on the way there was this Jeep off the side of a street... Funny because it wasn't really slippery there, I was in a Jeep and was fine, and I had no idea how that person managed to do that - other than maybe they were drinking - who knows!

So my goal of the night was to get down by the 3rd ave bridge, Stone Arch bridge, and the view of downtown from that side. Which, other than being cold, was pretty fun and I got some really cool images - as seen below.

Again, taken pushing 400 speed film to iso1600, scanning, and not staying there for a while since it was -4 below and around 4am.

And finally, I just love this shot, and it makes me feel cold every time I view it! Now, I did try getting a picture of the Hennipen bridge, but at that point my camera back messed up a bit and I wasn't about to re-load more film in the cold.

Getting the ball rolling for 2010!

2009-12-15T20:08:00.000-08:00

So I guess this is my first post, and my first way of getting this website up and running for the new year.

Stay posted for events, musings of my times, as well as shoots, and discounts for my photography.

** I'm going to backdate some posts to correspond with the shoots they took place with, and for trips, and other things I feel like - again just to get some content up and get things rolling!

$40 off headshots in Minneapolis!

2009-12-13T21:16:00.000-08:00

I'm doing a headshot promotion though the month of Jan!

Click here for more details!

Using a red light in the studio?

2009-12-10T21:00:00.000-08:00

So my friend Ray Shan decided to send me some pictures he found, or the designer he is representing - Laura Faulk - found, or something or another. Either way, I took a look at them and said "well, that doesn't look too hard to do, just have to give it a try."

Yeah, right. I mean it wasn't all that hard, it was pretty straight forward, but really, it's a little more work than I thought i was getting into!

As far as technical notes, and as far as my photoshopping the colors to be like they are, it's really just a matter of setting up a red light, and then setting up the flash so that they don't overpower eachother. A long exposure later and manual flashes, and you should have a pretty cool image. It does take a little work, but the results can be worth it!

HotDish MPLS - First Ave 12/04/2009

2009-12-05T21:25:00.000-08:00

So I normally don't do club or dj pictures anymore, but for friends - drinks - and a little money - I can be convinced to get out and have a good time. Other than that I'm getting old and try to be in bed by 11pm every night, I get tired even thinking about staying up until 2!

Thanks to J Matthews and Nate Laurence and http://www.hotdishmpls.com

Don't be scared to get wet!

2009-07-22T17:04:00.000-07:00

Not that this was a huge risk, but I'm always up for getting the shot, and if that means putting a light out in a few feet of water - so be it! My friend and I wanted to do a shoot, the weather was nice, and frankly we don't have that great of beaches here - or at least nothing along the lines of Cali or other beachy places. So, the only other options are really to get in the water and have some fun.

So we went away from where there would be a lot of traffic, not really because we don't want any onlookers, mostly to get out of the way. We did start with some on land shots, and then after a bit, and after getting a few good shots there, we moved into the water. I wasn't too scared of the rig tipping over when set, but it was fun trying to get that out there and not slip and fall myself.

All in all the results were worth it, and I enjoy pushing the limits a bit and getting shots that others may not.

Going to NYC

2009-06-30T19:06:00.000-07:00

(Me on the left, KMR on the right. )

So I had the opportunity to visit my good friend Kevin Reed this June and stick around his studio for a short week. It was also a chance to see the city, find out how things work there, and shoot a few models and stuff.

Now there are a few things that come to mind when I think about that trip: Angus Burgers at Mcd's, $15 drinks at the club, bars open until 4 or 5am, and Cokes costing way more than they do here! That, and it's amazing to shoot some of the talent out there, and amazing to do it at midnight to 3am!

It was also fun to stay where I did, which was this totally sweet out of a bad movie cheap hotel just a few blocks from his studio.

I was lucky in that he had some mats at the studio for some reason, and since both of us are cheap sometimes I slept on the floor - which was anything but flat - and we kept the tv and lights on because he was scared of bugs, I didn't care.

Now you may think that this would be gross, and that the bugs, and stuff - but here we are in the center of the city, blocks away from Times Square, and we're living straight out of some movie, gritty, dirty, and just hanging around, it was awesome!

Times Square was also totally sweet, and not because it was cool to see the lights really - but because it's a real place, in a real city, and not just something out of a tv show or movie!

And here is Kevin getting a hotdog!

So I was pretty much stuck around the area, not that I couldn't go out and do things, and I had time too, but it's hard to get out when we're doing shoots until 3am, out at the bar until 4:30-5am, and sleeping until noon or 1. Once up it was a matter of finding models, working on pictures, and bumming around.

I did manage to get out to Bryant Park my final day, which was awesome - although I have to admit the subways were more of a way for me to find myself than here, but it's still pretty sweet!

One thing that was different is that this city is always dirty, noisy, and busy. It really doesn't sleep, and there really is a sense of energy around that could keep a person up for a while - something is always going on!

The shoots were fun as well, and getting to work with talent in another city is also great!

I can't wait to get back over there, shoot more, and hopefully to do fashion week sometime!

=)

*All shots that look like film were taken with my Yashica T4, digital shots of the models with either my D2x, or Kevins Phase 1 P30+ back on a Mamiya setup.

Trust your gut and bring your camera!

2009-03-09T21:06:00.000-07:00

So on 03/08/2009 - yesterday as far as this blog date - I had one of those moments where my gut told me I need to go somewhere and I need to bring my camera. As per my usual self I had no idea what was going on concert wise in the city, and no idea that Wynton Marsalis was in town for a few concert dates.

The only thing I did know was that I was semi bored, and my gut told me to head down to the Dakota jazz club, and have a beer while watching their usual late night jazz on Fridays and Saturdays.

What turned out to happen was that Mr Marsalis got done with a concert across the street and subsequently came over to play a set for us at the Dakota... Now again, me being me only knew who he was when I looked up, saw a great trumpet player on stage, and then heard murmers of who it was.

Anyway, the night was a blast, I got a few images of it with my Nikon FG, and they turned out pretty cool. I was polite, didn't try and get close, and didn't try and shoot more than a few pictures. People weren't there to see me up front with my camera, and I wasn't there to do that - I was there to enjoy the music, have a few drinks, and (after Wynton came over) see something really special, in a very small venue.

When a model asks if you have any fans...

2008-11-02T19:24:00.000-08:00

So I was doing a shoot with a few friends, and she wondered if we had any fans in the studio - something about blowing her hair around. Now don't get me wrong, I like this idea, but you really do need large fans that move a large volume of air around, not just any household one will work that well.

Since we're cheap at the studio sometime, we just have 4 or 5 regular fans, and it literally took all of them to get this shot. One or two were aimed at the side, to get the hair started, and then the others were used to push the hair up from the back. This along with 35 or 40 pictures (you wonder why she looks ticked?) and merging 4 together got the shot you see.

I guess the light could have been more dynamic in hindsight, however we were really having a hard time getting the hair to do what we wanted, and I was worried that anything harder would hinder getting her hair to move like we wanted and or limit when we could shoot.

But again, you never know what's going to happen if a model brings up something, and most of the time it's worth a try!