Old film, new model, fun photos!

These were really old images of my model friend Theresa Manchester when she was in town a few years ago. I do love point and shoots, and it's just fun to take a quick break, go out in the hallway, and shoot a few images. The film was from a family friend or just a friend, I forgot, but either way it was well on it's way to be expired and wasn't taken care of all that well. Which, and maybe I'm wrong, made it do some really interesting things and gave some really fun hues. I did try to color balance these as best I could, but it was fun to leave them a bit raw as well. 

This next year one of my goals is to use the point and shoots more, either with expired film or new, it's just so much fun and the results are really worth it.

Epson V600 vs V700 - review!

Here is my review of the two scanners, well, mostly the V600 since that's the one that was delivered to me yesterday. I feel fine to comment on the V700 since, 1) this is my blog, and 2) some of the shortcomings of the scanner I got will be picked up in the flagship model.

First of all, let's look at price, which will make this blog post be (for most) more about me getting his and search results than anyone really learning anything. That's because, at B and H, the 600 is $200 right now and the 700 is $600. These are really affordable, in fact I'm amazed that $200 can buy as much as the 600 can do with the quality it does! But, even at $600 it's not like that's a lot of money for someone who needs as much (affordable) quality as they can at home. So again, if you're dead set on the more expensive one and feel you need that, then go for it.

As far as my review part, this will be short! It's a really fast scanner, it does a great job with quality, and it fits my needs really well. Keep in mind I'm not scanning large format, which this scanner doesn't do, and I'm not trying to blow things up really really large. Not that this scanner couldn't do that, I'm sure it can, but I'm not doing room sized high resolution prints like some (well some think they do that) out there. Just doing regular film scanning to outputs that may get to be around 3 feet by 4 feet for my medium format black and whites.

The only few differences I can see are that the 700 gives you better software and allows you to scan large format 4x5 negs (and maybe 8x10). I don't shoot those, and even if I did my old 2450, eventually because it's slow, could scan something that big at a decent enough resolution for me to do something with it. Again, not sure how large people are printing, but a 4x5 at 1200 dpi creates a very large image file.

Don't quote me on this, and I'm sure some will argue, but it goes along with my Ken Rockwell type review here anyway, but I'm not too sure how much difference there will be with 35mm and medium format with the v700. Yes, the 700 is deeper and can focus better on the edges of the bed (this is why the v600 can't scan larger format films, and in general focus around the edges is a limitation of flat bed scanners) but with the v600 we only use the center anyway, so I'm not sure if the added benefits are really worth it. On that note, one of the bigger reasons drum scanners are/were better is that the lens holds a constant distance from the medium and can focus better across the image - however with the scanners we have today and how affordable they are, I'm not sure that's as true now as it was back when I was in print around the year 2000.

So in conclusion, and again I apologize about the poor writing in this post, if you want a v700 they are affordable so go get one, or if you do large format film you will need one, if you want a great scanner for 35mm and medium format, and don't know if you need a v700 then for $200 (today) you can buy a great scanner. Back when I was in print scanners like these were well over $1000 for something that wouldn't be great by today's standards. So again, a person can't really lose here, either one will do a great job.

Do megapixels really matter much anymore?

So I was reading what Ken Rockwell had to say about the D800, which should also have meant me having a drink or shot of some sort as his writing seems to have gone more downhill than where it was years ago, but that's another blog.

He makes a comment, or something to the point that he doesn't know many professionals who use anything over 12 megapixels. Now I'm going to take liberty and assume he means that they don't "need" anything over 12, in which case, and after thinking about this, I started to agree with him to some extent.

Now I know, I know, that some professionals and some projects call for more than 12, but just think about it for a minute. How many family photos are really blown up more than 20x30? How many wedding photos are blown up a few feet by a few more feet? I would say that the vast majority of everything shot is printed no larger than 11x14, if it's even printed at all. Now I know, that's an assumption, but in keeping with that, how many mega pixels would it take to make something 11x14?

For instance, my girl friend and I just got back from a trip to France and she brought with her D40. It's a great little camera, takes great pictures, and we were totally happy with the results. We don't really have plans to print many, if any, images, and no plans at all to make large prints - these were just vacation shots. So to us, even the 6mp of the D40 is a bit overkill.



Another for instance is my headshot and portfolio business. Most of my work is printed at 8x10, if it's even printed at all, and/or it's meant for online content. I'm shooting at 17mp and that's even a bit overkill for what the client needs. In fact, and to keep file sizes down, when I do get my D800 I will still only really import them at 17 or 24 mega pixels anyway. I'm just not working with the clients who need larger images than that.

So Ken may be on to something here, and it will be interesting to see how long this race keeps up. Also, for what it's worth, I put two images on this post. One was shot with a 12mp Nikon and the other with a 30mp digital back. I'm sure you can guess which is which, that's not the point, but they are both strong images, both look good as 14x22's in my portfolio, and both did what they needed to do.

Avoiding scams, scam artists, and wastes of time.

It's summer, the big horse races are over (that's not a race horse I'm told) and it's a fun picture. Nothing to do with the seriousness of this blog, just think it's fun.

So a while back I took pictures for someone who turns out what scammed, and in looking back I could kind of have seen some warning flags but honestly I'm just here to take pictures and get pictures to my clients. Not here to manage their careers, help promote them (past taking pictures), or really get involved and give more involved advice. I have a hard enough time managing myself between photos and work.

The point of this blog is to look at those warning flags as well as look at other things that go on which are either wastes of time or money or both. Keeping in mind my main focus has been models and more traditional commercial modeling and/or fashion modeling so some of these points may not apply to promotional modeling or acting.

So, the scam I was involved in was this. Two guys decided to talk themselves up as promoters who know a old fashion model out of state who can help their client into the industry. They end up taking a bit of money (although they paid me) and skipped town. The guy in question that was their client did have a good look and I hope he tried to do this locally, and I did get him the pictures.

But, let's look at this point by point here.


Being approached by someone who says they are a scout or can make you into a model. 

It is not unrealistic to be approached by someone who can say "I'm a scout and work with so and so and can get you in the industry". This happens all the time and sometimes the models blow up and become big (there was a 16 or 17 year old from Arizona in the past few years that went from skater girl with friends to the lead runway model for major designers in the course of a year). Although it's not super common,

A thing to keep in mind here is that a professional scout will have a business card, contacts, and ways to check into them. In fact I would be willing to bet they would love to be researched and vetted since they want to set themselves apart from the scammers. So if they say "I work with X agency" then call that agency up and see what they have to say.

What happened with the scam I was witness to is that the guys made up their contacts and no one ever followed up with checking them out. Again, I was hired to take pictures and as far as I knew or cared the story was good. Not really my part to check that out, although I would have if asked.


Being asked to give money to promote you as a model. 

So, normally, the scouts would make their model by referring the model to an agency and getting a cut of earnings or whatever they have as a deal with that agency. This works in a models favor if they want to move to a different market and not start over as their home agency would do some of the legwork to get them work, although the paychecks for the model may be a bit smaller.

That said, it's not really normal to pay a scout a ton of money or to pay an agency a ton of money. Normally things like photoshoots will be done outside of the agency, and comp cards and other stuff normally don't add up to more than a few hundred. If someone says "you can be a model with us" or "I can make you a model" and then mentions thousands of dollars, more than likely the only thing they can do and want to do is put money in their pocket.

Again though a lot of good legit agencies in town here have fees, but they aren't all that unreasonable.


Photographers saying "I can make you a model" or giving model classes for free or for a fee. 

This is the one I can't really figure out. The easy way to make someone a model is to point them to agencies. Why someone would want to take on more responsibility or even try to sell themselves as some kind of entry level promoter is beyond me. The only thing I can think of is they are the personality where they want to be validated by having people look up to them or take them more seriously.

The only people that can make you a model (at least for mainstream work) are at the agencies. If you want to learn about how agencies operate then you should talk to the agencies. Seriously, we have some that have been around for 10-20+ years, talk to them, see what they have to say.

Even free classes and stuff. I just really question what the persons motives are. Again, if you want to learn about the model industry then talk to the people who are actually in it, not some photographer giving free advice. Ok, I know I'm giving advice here, but again I'm not trying to manage someones career and mostly saying "talk to the agencies". Talking about those who will go on at length telling new models how it is, when they don't even come close to working in or around the industry.


Photographers saying "sign a release and it's a free shoot" or something. 

So this is what you have to be careful of as bad images or nude images or bad nude images can come back and bite you. This is also why I say that if you're starting out, just pay someone. That way you don't have to sign full releases (or any releases), don't have to worry about what's going to be done with the shots, you can get the images back within a reasonable amount of time, and you're set.

Testing, or TFP, or whatever they call it now days can be fun, can get good images, but it can also be a lot of work, get you a lot of bad images (Lord knows I didn't do great stuff when I started out) and can tend to getting you more naked and in more glamour poses. So not only is it a waste of time to get a portfolio built, but you have bad images floating around out there and the photographer more than likely has a release.


In closing. 

Just be careful, vet people, check out what they are saying, and don't pay someone a ton of money to promote you, and maybe don't sign any release any random photographer puts in front of you.

If you want a list of good solid agencies in town please email me.

Retouched on a iPhone?

So, I've been busy lately and my friend Jessica couldn't really wait to get images posted and ended up taking a few proofs and running them though her iPhone. This was a week or two ago, the shoot was a bit before that, and I'm still a bit busy to get to some of the fun shoots lately (snakes, dancers, fashion, oh my!) but honestly what she ended up doing was great.

I only wish they were higher resolution, maybe some day pushing a button can take the place of retouching (at least for common stuff). This isn't that bad of a thought actually, since a lot of us don't really do much "creative" with retouching, it's mostly cleaning things up a little and other minor stuff. Pushing a button would be great, and give me more time to put into shooting and my business.

Not saying these are the end all be all, and they will be replaced with ones I retouch sometime, but in the mean time they are pretty good.

Andrew Thomas Evans
www.andrewthomasevans.com

When hot shoe flashes just won't be enough.

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.

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

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!

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

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!

Let's take a look at headshots!

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.

Shooting fast - General rules to follow!

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."

Getting the ball rolling for 2010!

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!

Using a red light in the studio?

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!

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

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!