tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65139859539531800232024-03-14T00:02:15.906-07:00Robert LopshireAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14718619474863251585noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6513985953953180023.post-79127807328284235722018-11-15T12:05:00.001-08:002018-11-15T12:05:38.823-08:00New at the Studio. Savage MultiFlex Light Stand. Part 1<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
We were looking forward to the arrival of this light stand here at the photo studio even though we have a number of <a href="https://savageuniversal.com/" target="_blank">Savage Universal</a> stands in the studio including the Drop stand which we featured a while back (you can check it out here <a href="http://robertlopshire.blogspot.com/2016/02/new-at-studio-savage-drop-stand-easy.html" target="_blank"> New at Studio Savage Drop stand</a> ).</div>
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So you may notice the key word "studio" mentioned a couple of times already . For the most part our arsenal of lighting stands are pretty much "studio equipment", we have used the Drop stand and other models out on location but the new Multiflex stand has quite a few nice features which makes location shoots easier so this will be our first two part blog feature. We'll go over the key features which make this stand the "all-terrain" go to stand for us as well as our new indoor location stand. So for part one we're headed out of the studio for show & tell.</div>
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Let's start with some specs :)</div>
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Savage sent the <a href="https://savageuniversal.com/products/light-stands-accessories/multiflex-light-stand/" target="_blank"> 6' extending version</a> , it also comes in a 10' model.</div>
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The 6' model extends to 75" tall and collapses to 26".</div>
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Holds up to 9lbs extended.</div>
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It weighs 5.5lbs.<br />
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The 10' version extends to 125" tall and collapses to 39.5" in height.<br />
Max load at 8lbs when extended and weighs in at 6.5lbs.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-n0PwS3xlA0s/W-x_gUtHnoI/AAAAAAAACbg/xA_9iYMnEV07OdtrjkkB_LcNp2dWc0w9ACLcBGAs/s1600/_DSC4320.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1065" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-n0PwS3xlA0s/W-x_gUtHnoI/AAAAAAAACbg/xA_9iYMnEV07OdtrjkkB_LcNp2dWc0w9ACLcBGAs/s640/_DSC4320.jpg" width="425" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The 6' MultiFlex with Nikon SB910, Expoimaging Rogue grid. <a href="https://www.pocketwizard.com/" target="_blank">PocketWizard</a> PLUSIII transceiver</td></tr>
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Starting at the top the center post has a classic feature which we only find on a few light stands and its one of our favorites. The steel stud/spigot is removable and is double sided (1/4"-20 thread and 3/8") with a top vertical position or a side horizontal hole. This comes in really handy for a lot of macro photography lighting scenarios.</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u4y4SOvFL2s/W-x_dh6zoGI/AAAAAAAACbY/YJa3pBlMOP8arqzwjHVGzrTTNy8gZ9TMACLcBGAs/s1600/_DSC4322.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1065" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u4y4SOvFL2s/W-x_dh6zoGI/AAAAAAAACbY/YJa3pBlMOP8arqzwjHVGzrTTNy8gZ9TMACLcBGAs/s320/_DSC4322.jpg" width="212" /></a><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0iC8u-hRxfA/W-x_eGX5d-I/AAAAAAAACbc/xlbx3UkvJqY2PMNVQcfHJjRv7yZAiAfIACLcBGAs/s1600/_DSC4321.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1065" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0iC8u-hRxfA/W-x_eGX5d-I/AAAAAAAACbc/xlbx3UkvJqY2PMNVQcfHJjRv7yZAiAfIACLcBGAs/s320/_DSC4321.jpg" width="212" /></a><br />
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The center sections </div>
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are also air cushioned to help prevent lighting</div>
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from accidentally slamming down when</div>
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tensioners are loosened.</div>
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The big feature are the legs, two of the adjustable legs work in unison while the third slides independently giving the stand the versatility for slopes, stairs, uneven ground and can even be slid under objects or against walls for confined spaces.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BhkEvUdhLzo/W-x_no4GefI/AAAAAAAACbk/ctbCQSVIzmUqbr--UR4gX-mBMbUOMteKACLcBGAs/s1600/_DSC4324.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1065" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BhkEvUdhLzo/W-x_no4GefI/AAAAAAAACbk/ctbCQSVIzmUqbr--UR4gX-mBMbUOMteKACLcBGAs/s400/_DSC4324.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"What stands on stairs , alone or in pairs?"</td></tr>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9jCyrWJW2r4/W-x_qRV3aOI/AAAAAAAACbo/NW246__RCFMc9WuUH9epdlCYrnO7TFn9wCLcBGAs/s1600/_DSC4325.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1065" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9jCyrWJW2r4/W-x_qRV3aOI/AAAAAAAACbo/NW246__RCFMc9WuUH9epdlCYrnO7TFn9wCLcBGAs/s400/_DSC4325.jpg" width="265" /></a><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9jCyrWJW2r4/W-x_qRV3aOI/AAAAAAAACbo/NW246__RCFMc9WuUH9epdlCYrnO7TFn9wCLcBGAs/s1600/_DSC4325.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><br />
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All of the legs are telescoping with flip locks for fine tuning the stance, a bubble level is attached for really getting things balanced out and all the legs have rubber feet that keeps stand from sliding around.</div>
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For the first trial we wanted to keep the lighting equipment light and simple with the speed light and another Rogue light bender. In the coming week we'll post about our studio set up with some heavier gear, speaking of heavy I decided to push on the stand to test the leg locking strength and discovered a minor issue that I informed my contact at Savage about. The bottom leg sections were a bit slippery due to some oil residue, this was easily corrected by spraying some window cleaner on the sections and wiping them down. I'm guessing it was some residue from the machining process.</div>
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Back to the first trial, we booked singer songwriter <a href="https://www.sofmusic.com/" target="_blank">SØF</a> , she's modeled for us a few times and always does a fantastic job. Cold blustery day for the shoot so going to apologize to her again and a big thanks for putting up with me and the weather :)</div>
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As you can see we switched the from the Rogue grid to the <a href="https://rogueflash.com/collections/rogue-lighting-kits" target="_blank">Rogue Flashbender 2 XL Pro</a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0zYoxajXyFc/W-x-QPsjrfI/AAAAAAAACZs/2wgrhazUupsBh3pK6mF7NEFuL2bHjfHFQCLcBGAs/s1600/_DSC4367.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="425" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0zYoxajXyFc/W-x-QPsjrfI/AAAAAAAACZs/2wgrhazUupsBh3pK6mF7NEFuL2bHjfHFQCLcBGAs/s640/_DSC4367.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Warm blanket is a must, those leaves were cold and wet! What a trooper!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-C-5q7Qq_dpA/W-x-XbSPuzI/AAAAAAAACZw/-6_8pSk1kwwAww9xlb5_1zmbHS_Wzv8KACLcBGAs/s1600/_DSC4368.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-C-5q7Qq_dpA/W-x-XbSPuzI/AAAAAAAACZw/-6_8pSk1kwwAww9xlb5_1zmbHS_Wzv8KACLcBGAs/s640/_DSC4368.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Still smiling...and hopefully not planning revenge</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7yDWB_CfAlk/W-x-ZkzAYHI/AAAAAAAACZ8/FrgoaSRJX003G0kBWoaIgUlp_E8sVMDEACLcBGAs/s1600/_DSC4370.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1065" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7yDWB_CfAlk/W-x-ZkzAYHI/AAAAAAAACZ8/FrgoaSRJX003G0kBWoaIgUlp_E8sVMDEACLcBGAs/s640/_DSC4370.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The stud moved to the side position. For safety we added a sandbag to the stand anyway, though it was pretty rock steady it was very windy and we don't take any chances with equipment that close to the model</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9JIM6BphNCg/W-x-ks9yexI/AAAAAAAACaE/P6SFbKus6CwD3q3eb3A8z36fC68qBodKwCLcBGAs/s1600/_DSC4385.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9JIM6BphNCg/W-x-ks9yexI/AAAAAAAACaE/P6SFbKus6CwD3q3eb3A8z36fC68qBodKwCLcBGAs/s640/_DSC4385.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finally off the ground! The stud switched to the vertical position. We did take the sand bag off for this session, the stand was nice and level on the slope</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-92fx8HU6cfw/W-x-n3GFrNI/AAAAAAAACaI/wZnByDYydB0c2qruTKzTkIruqXhgblIsgCLcBGAs/s1600/_DSC4398.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-92fx8HU6cfw/W-x-n3GFrNI/AAAAAAAACaI/wZnByDYydB0c2qruTKzTkIruqXhgblIsgCLcBGAs/s640/_DSC4398.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waiting for the sun to hit the tree</td></tr>
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So moving from sessions the stand did a really good job in the low positions with a nice wide stance and moving to the slope it was no issue getting it level on the hill. Good part of adjustments can be made with one hand while some fine tuning was done with two. It does come with a removable strap and a cable guide </div>
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/tool holder clipped to it and it all can be stowed in the travel bag it comes with. A little heavier than some of my studio stands but it makes up for that with stability and versatility! It's pretty snazzy looking as well, bit of a sci-fi look to it :)</div>
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Going to wrap up this chapter, we'll follow up with part 2 in the nice warm studio.</div>
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For more information check out this light stand and other equipment used on the Savage website.</div>
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<a href="https://savageuniversal.com/" target="_blank">https://savageuniversal.com</a></div>
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Also some of the other brands/products contact,</div>
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<a href="https://rogueflash.com/" target="_blank">https://rogueflash.com/</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.pocketwizard.com/" target="_blank">https://www.pocketwizard.com/</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.nikonusa.com/en/index.page" target="_blank">https://www.nikonusa.com/</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.sigmaphoto.com/" target="_blank">https://www.sigmaphoto.com/</a></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kIJcVXXfck8/W-x-YrcU47I/AAAAAAAACaM/-qic_i6SLLYXUxqoZ17CSWhmQWbd4aQdQCEwYBhgL/s1600/_DSC4376.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kIJcVXXfck8/W-x-YrcU47I/AAAAAAAACaM/-qic_i6SLLYXUxqoZ17CSWhmQWbd4aQdQCEwYBhgL/s640/_DSC4376.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14718619474863251585noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6513985953953180023.post-81309579558946245742018-04-17T12:29:00.001-07:002018-08-11T08:29:23.370-07:00New at the studio. Savage Ultramarine seamless & 5-in-1 Port-a-scrim<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-haVakTmiKmM/WtY3-HsRyhI/AAAAAAAACW0/jhszG_i3o1Q2uK8KHRwktauHUlWkvwlSQCLcBGAs/s1600/_DSC9500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-haVakTmiKmM/WtY3-HsRyhI/AAAAAAAACW0/jhszG_i3o1Q2uK8KHRwktauHUlWkvwlSQCLcBGAs/s640/_DSC9500.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Going to start off by apologizing, last few months have
been pretty hectic in and around the studio. Just around Christmas I
developed pneumonia which lasted for about a month, maybe a little bit
more. Plagued by some car and truck issues and some studio repairs everything just seemed to
stack on top of each other for a while. Setting this aside we’re posting
a “new at the studio" blog installment. (better late than never, right?)</div>
Our incredibly patient Sponsor <a href="https://savageuniversal.com/" target="_blank">Savage Universal corporation</a> was kind enough to send us some new gear to try
out here in the studio. Once we got the news they were shipping the products we started to put together a plan featuring
model Kelly McCarthy and make up artist Gianna Joy Bass<br />
Savage sent the <a href="https://savageuniversal.com/products/seamless-paper/ultramarine-seamless-paper/" target="_blank">#5 ultramarine seamless background</a>. We’ve been itching to try out
the color, incredibly versatile and mood setting tone.<br />
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Savage
also sent their <a href="https://savageuniversal.com/products/light-modifiers/freestanding-port-a-scrim/" target="_blank">Freestanding 5-in-1 Port-a-Scrim</a>, (large
55“ x 79“) version. It's comes with your standard 5 in 1 set-up with white, gold, silver, black and diffuser. A lightweight aluminum collapsible frame makes easy to manage.</div>
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It comes with a stand to position it in a number angles and orientations. A handle is also included that attaches to the stand if you want to have an assistant hold it up and over a model to diffuse or block sunlight outside the studio...for this I've always referred to scrims as "model swatters" as it looks like the assistant is holding a giant fly swatter over the model...."didn't nail the pose?... give em' the swatter!" Kidding!</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pK8i7wK7Yvs/WtY4JvQmAKI/AAAAAAAACXI/D5gDPnIKprUDWIrOFWkeoclgbhPt9h4QgCLcBGAs/s1600/_DSC9616.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><br />
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</a> We’ve been trying to hunt down a great large scrim
for quite a while. Not only are they versatile for the studio but for
outdoor shooting they're almost a necessity.</div>
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With
the ultramarine color and consulting with M.U.A Gianna for the makeup
color and Kelly about the clothing we decided to keep the shoot sleek
and stylish for a strong fashion look in a dramatic mood. Kelly has no problem pulling that off.</div>
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We did a two light set up
at first as we had a lot of reflective coverage happening with the scrim. We
implemented our Bowens Gemini series monolights triggered by the new <a href="http://www.pocketwizard.com/" target="_blank">Pocketwizard</a> PlusIV transceivers. Moving on to a more "flowy" feel we added an additional light and had Kelly switch to a looser fitting outfit.</div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-l6gzRU0J8aY/WtY4NWYJzHI/AAAAAAAACX4/PrCCmFjF_qcYAOorDopnEmoXvS3ow8YrQCEwYBhgL/s1600/_DSC9695.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1065" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-l6gzRU0J8aY/WtY4NWYJzHI/AAAAAAAACX4/PrCCmFjF_qcYAOorDopnEmoXvS3ow8YrQCEwYBhgL/s320/_DSC9695.jpg" width="212" /></a><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eOymIPDpSqs/WtY4Rgj9dFI/AAAAAAAACX8/5pbWxhW6lNArqBS88R6GdMLBPFzM8yQwwCEwYBhgL/s1600/_DSC9770.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1065" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eOymIPDpSqs/WtY4Rgj9dFI/AAAAAAAACX8/5pbWxhW6lNArqBS88R6GdMLBPFzM8yQwwCEwYBhgL/s320/_DSC9770.jpg" width="212" /></a>Though the
session was pre- visualized through some planning we still did use the
<a href="https://www.elixxier.com/en/index.php" target="_blank">elixxier set a light 3-D</a> software to have better lay out the lighting
and floor plan before the shoot. </div>
The shoot came
off without a hitch, the seamless background color just gave an instant
mood to the shots. Kelly matched her posing and expression to the tone
of the shoot, Gianna did a great job with the make up, she really set
the tone and attitude with some stunning eye makeup. She really transformed Kelly.<br />
<br />
The moody #5 Ultramarine seamless background is one of my favorite colors in the studio at the moment and I'm really looking forward to trying it out with some different lighting scenarios.<br />
As far as the model swatter...um, scrim I could not be happier. Warmer weather around the corner I can't wait to use it to it's full potential outside the studio or on location! <br />
<br />
Some of the other gear used.<br />
Nikon D4<br />
<a href="https://www.sigmaphoto.com/" target="_blank">Sigma lenses</a>, 24/70mm f/2.8 and 70-200mm F/2.8<br />
<a href="https://www.3leggedthing.com/" target="_blank">3 Legged Thing</a> Frank Tripod<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BtbHQDxhxMI/WtY4Y2T7mmI/AAAAAAAACXw/4-_gO_8DYQw1HwR5G89E_YFXEjVjOlPVQCLcBGAs/s1600/_DSC9786.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" height="265" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BtbHQDxhxMI/WtY4Y2T7mmI/AAAAAAAACXw/4-_gO_8DYQw1HwR5G89E_YFXEjVjOlPVQCLcBGAs/s400/_DSC9786.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kelly McCarthy (model) Gianna Joy Bass (MUA & Hair)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Well I hope to update the blog more often, lot of things happening here and the business is headed into a few new directions so I hope you stay tuned<br />
.<br />
<b>Rob Lopshire</b>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14718619474863251585noreply@blogger.com0200 Fairview Rd, Frenchtown, NJ 08825, USA40.493951 -75.04652499999997440.300796000000005 -75.369248499999969 40.687106 -74.723801499999979tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6513985953953180023.post-61027920767854340832016-02-09T08:21:00.000-08:002016-02-09T11:41:36.757-08:00New at the Studio: Savage Drop Stand® Easy Set Light Stand <span style="font-size: large;">For our second installment of "New at the Studio" we're featuring a new light stand by our sponsor Savage Universal, Savage sent the <span style="font-weight: normal;">Drop Stand® Easy Set Light Stands to our studio last week for us to try out. When our contact notified me of the new stand I really did not know what to think, I've heard of quick stands but never heard anything good about them, I also did not think I would ever use one as it seemed the few on the market were on the low quality end with flimsy construction and the only high end ones I found were similar to what was used by a friend of mine who is an electrician, they were expensive and no way to convert in for photographic attachments.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Happy to say the stands Savage sent me fit the bill, a good quality, well built sturdy stand with the feature I never thought I would use. Once I made a quick adjustment to the "collar limiter" I was picking up and dropping the stand with ease all over the studio. the stand is incredibly handy for a number of situations, the main situation being those days I may not have an assistant for the day.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> I never liked asking a client or model if they could "give me a hand" (though most are willing to lend a hand). Some photo shoots call for a change of scene or even just a changing of the light set-up, this proved to be pretty easy task with the Drop Stand even with gear or camera in my other hand. This may not sound like a big deal to some of you but moving a light stand in a locked position makes for a hazardous tripping situation if you don't fold the legs away before moving it.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> I found it worked very well on most hard surfaces in and around the studio, other indoor surfaces such as deep carpeting you may need to place the legs manually after placing it...same with a few outdoor surfaces but the legs dropped into position with no issues, just a minor adjustment after the legs unfold.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_LNEw2BxzeE/Vrn_S3jgF9I/AAAAAAAACTM/bB52iDtpNUw/s1600/DSC_2196.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_LNEw2BxzeE/Vrn_S3jgF9I/AAAAAAAACTM/bB52iDtpNUw/s640/DSC_2196.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Up there with Bowens Gemini monolight (extended to full height)</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">On to the other features and specs, Savage sent us the 13' stands which are great for studio or you need to get that light way up there, the stand actually expanded a bit higher than 13' but I really don't think I would like to have anything that high unless I really had to, though it was pretty stable that high I would probably station an assistant near it or load some sand bags at the feet for safety. </span></span> <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dWah2O1gTmw/Vrn_Shsa6kI/AAAAAAAACTA/zD8ALwbEcoc/s1600/DSC_2197.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dWah2O1gTmw/Vrn_Shsa6kI/AAAAAAAACTA/zD8ALwbEcoc/s640/DSC_2197.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How's the weather up there?</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--BOt5xUPCE8/Vrn_TH3lJLI/AAAAAAAACTE/Zc_9xZM8PXw/s1600/DSC_2200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--BOt5xUPCE8/Vrn_TH3lJLI/AAAAAAAACTE/Zc_9xZM8PXw/s400/DSC_2200.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
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Back at ground level the stand has one of our favorite features the 1/4 20-3/8 reversible spigot stud that can be mounted vertically or horizontally, this comes in handy with a few continuous lights and speed lights that we use in and out of the studio. <br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5SRHkHwHxiY/Vrn_RA5wrSI/AAAAAAAACS8/nbUUChc8PKE/s1600/DSC_2186.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5SRHkHwHxiY/Vrn_RA5wrSI/AAAAAAAACS8/nbUUChc8PKE/s400/DSC_2186.jpg" width="265" /></a>Other Specs:<br />
These are air-cushioned...so no gear comes crashing down when tension knob is loosened.<br />
All Aluminum construction (4 section) with aluminum collars.<br />
Supports up to 15lbs.<br />
Max height 13' (400cm) (though ours extended close to 14' I refrain from extending to limit on all stands, but that's me being Mr. Safety).<br />
Minimum height 47" (120cm).<br />
Folded 45"<br />
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Sizes to be released in stores;<br />
7'<br />
9'<br />
13' (the ones we had the pleasure of using)<br />
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Another nice little feature is the blue leg connector joint...this makes it easy for me to spot my Drop stands across the studio among my other studio stands.<br />
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We'll probably post updates along the way but so far these stands are making life around the studio less hectic when we're on the move.<br />
For more info on these stands head over to the Savage site <a href="http://savageuniversal.com/products/light-stands/drop-stand" target="_blank">Savage Universal Drop Stand</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14718619474863251585noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6513985953953180023.post-49367885614666280032016-01-20T11:50:00.000-08:002016-01-21T11:43:07.093-08:00Me and My Mantis"From whence arrived the praying mantis?<br />
From outer space, or lost Atlantis?<br />
glimpse the grin, green metal mug<br />
at masks the pseudo-saintly bug,<br />
Orthopterous, also carnivorous,<br />
And faintly whisper, Lord deliver us."<br />
~Ogden Nash.<br />
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<div class="poet" itemprop="author" style="text-align: left;">
Looks like a little lady we photographed back in September of last year is gaining a bit of popularity, we sold out of prints of her at a show in December and the shots have one a few awards on some photography competition sites. Funny thing is I'm not a fan of selling prints or entering competitions, guess I might have to look into it more.</div>
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<div class="poet" itemprop="author" style="text-align: left;">
The little lady I'm referring to is an adult female Chinese Mantis<span class="st"> (Tenodera sinensis)</span> , I was heading out to my truck to leave and do some errands, I opened
the door to climb in and I felt something hit my arm.<br />
She landed on me and crawled around for quite a bit, she was completely fascinated with crawling all over me....up the arm, onto the neck, around to my back and on to the top of my head. I gently escorted her
to the tailgate of my truck then ran inside to and grab my gear. </div>
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She waited for my return in the same spot I left her, she headed towards me again to climb aboard. I moved her to a few spots to capture some shots, first shots were her on my truck, she immediately re-gained interest in
me, the camera or her reflection in the lens...she proceeded to
examine the scene by crawling on every bit of my gear.
Fearing she would lose interest I moved her to a set of white
plastic milk crate stacking/organizers I had sitting out side my
garage (reason for the white studio look). </div>
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Even after I moved her to the top of the crates she waited around for me to set the shot up, when I started making some photos she figured is was a good time to groom herself...not sure if she was cleaning her mandibles or her toes. Maybe she had a big meal and was picking out some of the lovely bug bits from her mouth, mantises are a voracious and beneficial predator in the insect world.</div>
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We get quite a bit of them here at the studio, I watched a female eat a large group of hornets right out of a nest in a short amount of time...snagged them right out one by one and devoured every last one of them<i> </i><span class="st">Mmm Mmm Mmm Crunchy! They also happen to be nature's little fashion models...they love to pose and check out cameras, this pertains to the adult females... adult males are a bit skittish and the young usually don't like to stick around for anything (in this area anyway).</span></div>
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<b><span class="st">Back to the gear and set-up.</span></b></div>
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<span class="st">I used my <a href="http://www.nikonusa.com/en/nikon-products/product-archive/dslr-cameras/d4.html" target="_blank">Nikon D4</a> with <a href="http://www.sigmaphoto.com/apo-macro-180mm-f28-ex-dg-os-hsm" target="_blank">Sigma APO Macro 180mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM lens</a>.</span></div>
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<span class="st">For the most part I usually shoot most all my macro starting at aperture f/16 but because the mantis is quite lengthy I set to f/18 or f/22. You really need to play with your angles and perspective when capturing them.</span></div>
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<span class="st">For the most part they move pretty slow so 1/100 to 1/125sec shutter speed works well. ISO I had at 100. It was hand held for this as I was changing positions with her movements and the space was limited.</span></div>
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<span class="st"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="st">Nothing shows a mantis personality more than their big beautiful eyes so getting a nice catch light in the peepers is crucial for us with the Praying mantis or any insect really. Had the <a href="http://www.nikonusa.com/en/nikon-products/product/flashes/sb-910-af-speedlight.html" target="_blank">Nikon SB910 speedlight </a>attached on camera with a <a href="http://www.rogueflash.com/collections/rogue-flashbenders?gclid=CIzN-piIucoCFZaRHwodsGUGyw" target="_blank">Rogue FlashBender</a></span></div>
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<span class="st"><br /></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yOCfIlQi0Fc/Vp_mJP_kJqI/AAAAAAAACSg/Lnj_mPzbkZw/s1600/21721980761_089bbeba1c_k.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yOCfIlQi0Fc/Vp_mJP_kJqI/AAAAAAAACSg/Lnj_mPzbkZw/s640/21721980761_089bbeba1c_k.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You have a little something stuck to your mouth... no here, do you want
me to get it? Napkin Please! 1/100sec, f/22, ISO100, 180mm (Click photo to enlarge)</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> Ready for the cuteness overload?</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uDvzVHSAw9I/Vp_PXW1oOkI/AAAAAAAACRw/ayCS-SvQAeM/s1600/21712692785_e244136060_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uDvzVHSAw9I/Vp_PXW1oOkI/AAAAAAAACRw/ayCS-SvQAeM/s640/21712692785_e244136060_b.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kissy face!!! 1/100sec, f/18, ISO100, 180mm (Click photo to enlarge)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xxgl5qRCnSo/Vp_PXBUhXWI/AAAAAAAACRo/hOkJcpENXi0/s1600/21601397710_2c60429f8c_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xxgl5qRCnSo/Vp_PXBUhXWI/AAAAAAAACRo/hOkJcpENXi0/s640/21601397710_2c60429f8c_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Same image as above, rotated and cropped to show detail. (Click photo to enlarge)</td></tr>
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<div class="poet" itemprop="author" style="text-align: center;">
Probably one of my favorite insects to photograph and just a big fan of them in general. I guess if I had a spirit or totem animal I would hope it was the mantis...looking back my very first encounter with a praying mantis as a young child it was a similar experience. Walking near my home and suddenly had one land smack in the middle of my chest and staring right at me inches from face...I remember the racing of my heart from the sudden surprise but almost as fast as the shocking large bug encounter happened the curiosity and respect was created by meeting such a beautiful creature or maybe it was just the big puppy dog eyes looking up at me ;)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EI3FQMntdtE/Vp_PXSNcMNI/AAAAAAAACRs/M34bOV4XGyU/s1600/12043131_10206890026156704_5924937272574209371_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EI3FQMntdtE/Vp_PXSNcMNI/AAAAAAAACRs/M34bOV4XGyU/s320/12043131_10206890026156704_5924937272574209371_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Little girl hanging on the flashbender while I try to get some shots with the mobile. (Don't click, not a good pic of me)</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We were able to grab some behind the scene video as well :)</span></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/oeiRQ1pShG0/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oeiRQ1pShG0?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/23362579@N02/albums/72157624469642830" target="_blank">You can see our praying mantis photos and more macro work here </a></span></div>
<div class="poet" itemprop="author" style="text-align: center;">
<h3>
</h3>
<h3>
If the Praying Mantis is your Animal Totem:</h3>
You have learned to take your time and live your life at your silent pace. You never make any movement without careful thought
or contemplation. You know exactly where you are going and when you
will get there. Even within this calm and serene environment you are
capable of quick and decisive action when opportunity presents itself.<br />
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<br />
<h3>
If Praying Mantis has crawled into your space;</h3>
Usually the
Praying Mantis makes an appearance when we’ve flooded our lives with so
much business, activity, or chaos that we can no longer hear the still
small voice within us. Taking a step back and some simple meditation
would be in order here because the external din we’ve created needs to
be quieted so that we can come back to our own truth. The Praying Mantis always comes to us when we need peace, quiet and calm in our lives.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14718619474863251585noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6513985953953180023.post-81016796680121880672015-07-31T13:21:00.000-07:002015-07-31T14:16:05.853-07:00New at the Studio: Savage Universal Macro Art Adjustable Dual Arm LED Light Well we wanted to call this (and some upcoming) blog post(s) "Equipment Review" or "Field Test" but we are sponsored by <a href="http://savageuniversal.com/" target="_blank">Savage Universal</a> so it really would not be right to give a product review, Savage sends us some awesome gear and we wanted to share with you some of the cool things we get to use in and around the studio...so instead of "gear test" or "product review" we're just going to share some photos, our experiences and maybe some cool tips or tricks that might help you if are looking into the products.<br />
You might know Savage for their seamless paper backgrounds, backdrops, support stands and other studio equipment but recently they started promoting their <a href="http://savageuniversal.com/products/macro-photography" target="_blank">Macro Art</a> line up including extension tubes and the Dual Arm LED light we are featuring in our write up today.<br />
Not going to lie...being sponsored is pretty cool and it's something we never thought would happen (more on that later in an upcoming post) so when packages show up it's like Christmas morning, we grab the boxes, run into the studio and immediately open the boxes to gaze on the gear with wide open eyes. After that we start thinking of all the different shoots and cool projects we will do with the gear. Most of the time we head right out and start shooting but it was later
in the day so I decided to venture out first thing in the morning.<br />
It was no different when the LED light arrived but when you open the box you have gear that looks like it's gazing back at you, anything with a science fiction looking appearance is good in our book especially when it almost looks like one our favorite subjects to shoot in our spare time...insects. I exaggerate a bit but the dual arms do resemble some bug antennae, these antennae...excuse me I mean arms are flexible articulated covered extensions which can be positioned in many ways for pinpointing lighting on your macro subject. You can attach the light right to the hot shoe of your camera or secure it to a light stand or tripod via a cold shoe such as the <a href="https://enlightphotopro.com/gear/frio-v2-coldshoe/" target="_blank">enlight photo frio</a>.<br />
The easy to read control panel on the back has options for Flash or Continuous and each arm light can be operated separately, the lights at the end of the arms are surrounded by a cooling fin like casing. <br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7TLxUD7VyoI/Vbu6BPZ38sI/AAAAAAAACQk/5oav6qHTSDI/s1600/_7242038.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7TLxUD7VyoI/Vbu6BPZ38sI/AAAAAAAACQk/5oav6qHTSDI/s640/_7242038.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bug view</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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The other gear for the session.</div>
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Camera Nikon D4</div>
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Lens <a href="http://www.sigmaphoto.com/product/apo-macro-180mm-f28-ex-dg-os-hsm" target="_blank">Sigma APO 180mm Macro f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.3leggedthing.com/" target="_blank">3 Legged Thing </a>Frank tripod.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-olkVtiw_5T8/Vbu6osI7LNI/AAAAAAAACQs/a3mpyWTn2tE/s1600/_7242039.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-olkVtiw_5T8/Vbu6osI7LNI/AAAAAAAACQs/a3mpyWTn2tE/s640/_7242039.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
The LED light arms measure about 23" so that was plenty of length to reach around the Sigma 180mm lens (w/hood).<br />
We were able to go above, under and around the lens for multiple lighting angles and more importantly stayed in place. If shooting insects you might want to position the lights in the desired orientation first as with most articulated arms they make a squeaky sound when you bend them...which could startle your multi legged subject. Also because the arms are pretty long you might want to remove the light if you are picking up your gear to relocate, the arms could bounce up and down when walking and you don't want to have the light hit the front of your lens...those light casings are metal.<br />
Here are some shots we took with the dual Arm LED light starting with the image of a wild carrot called Queen Anne's Lace (<i><b>Daucus carota)</b></i>.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-s9qnJol4QIk/Vbu5fgkMKZI/AAAAAAAACPY/wZEoONj7DP0/s1600/DSC_5427.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-s9qnJol4QIk/Vbu5fgkMKZI/AAAAAAAACPY/wZEoONj7DP0/s640/DSC_5427.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1/125sec, f/11, ISO1600</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Here are some thistle. Love the way we were able to aim these lights.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7xFHUy-lJKY/Vbu5lH79SeI/AAAAAAAACPk/dhz5JrEg4UY/s1600/DSC_5461.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7xFHUy-lJKY/Vbu5lH79SeI/AAAAAAAACPk/dhz5JrEg4UY/s640/DSC_5461.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1/200sec, f/16, ISO140</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EM0vjwqwBIE/Vbu5nYQsweI/AAAAAAAACPs/IRWjkEpP8OA/s1600/DSC_5462.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EM0vjwqwBIE/Vbu5nYQsweI/AAAAAAAACPs/IRWjkEpP8OA/s640/DSC_5462.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1/200sec, f/16, ISO140</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HnxNTcWeBPE/Vbu5oa6tocI/AAAAAAAACP0/29StW5t4P_o/s1600/DSC_5463.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HnxNTcWeBPE/Vbu5oa6tocI/AAAAAAAACP0/29StW5t4P_o/s640/DSC_5463.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1/200sec, f/16, ISO140</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
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The great thing about thistle is they attract butterflies, butterflies can be pretty skittish at least around here in the rural parts of New Jersey so it's best to focus on the flower and wait until they land while remaining quiet and still. We were lucky enough to have these Eastern Tiger Swallow Tails fluttering around the thistle all morning. We had one arm pointed underneath to get some light under the thistle as well as under the wings and the other arm coming down at a 45 degree angle to get some catch lights in the eyes.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_joOVffI8Oo/Vbu5avKJxMI/AAAAAAAACPM/mIm_0Hi9u60/s1600/DSC_5454.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_joOVffI8Oo/Vbu5avKJxMI/AAAAAAAACPM/mIm_0Hi9u60/s640/DSC_5454.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hi There!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QVWCmmcUR-s/Vbu5fPhR_SI/AAAAAAAACPU/mGA9y5Jvar0/s1600/DSC_5437.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QVWCmmcUR-s/Vbu5fPhR_SI/AAAAAAAACPU/mGA9y5Jvar0/s640/DSC_5437.jpg" width="425" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">awww, shy butterfly. ButterShy?</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zGUDCxzpTVI/Vbu5suJNPrI/AAAAAAAACP8/YzxQ2bs2-mI/s1600/DSC_5469.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zGUDCxzpTVI/Vbu5suJNPrI/AAAAAAAACP8/YzxQ2bs2-mI/s640/DSC_5469.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1/125sec, f/16, ISO400</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KzMWMJbDdT0/Vbu5w8XKS9I/AAAAAAAACQE/-ggApOrtJcE/s1600/DSC_5472.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KzMWMJbDdT0/Vbu5w8XKS9I/AAAAAAAACQE/-ggApOrtJcE/s640/DSC_5472.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-krC21hpt5mY/Vbu5yuserbI/AAAAAAAACQM/A3HEKX7OE7Y/s1600/DSC_5474.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-krC21hpt5mY/Vbu5yuserbI/AAAAAAAACQM/A3HEKX7OE7Y/s640/DSC_5474.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sharing the thistle with a bumble bee</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R5gEdlK6Zfk/Vbu50TvTqiI/AAAAAAAACQU/eIplGPVvnaw/s1600/DSC_5480.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R5gEdlK6Zfk/Vbu50TvTqiI/AAAAAAAACQU/eIplGPVvnaw/s640/DSC_5480.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Slurp!</td></tr>
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Some insects I will actually approach without my gear and gently move in closer to see if they will "bug out", if they take off I pretty much know they won't stick around for me to set up my camera. Butterflies will usually return multiple times to the same flower so as mentioned before you just want to get set up, focus and wait. Don't try chasing butterflies from flower to flower it's near impossible to capture anything that way. I've actually watched photographers chase bugs when they switch flowers or fly away and the only thing you might get doing that is exercise, not that there is anything wrong with that but I enjoy relaxing behind the camera and sometimes with a tasty cool beverage while the bugs do all the work. We will have another post on photographing insects and even hummingbirds which explains in more detail on our set-up and method.<br />
That's pretty much it for our little write up, still testing the waters on blogging so I hope you at least enjoyed the photos. Again hoping it did not come across as a review, more shots soon when things settle down a bit here at the studio. More than likely we will bring it inside the studio to check it out during a product shoot or two.<br />
For more on the Macro Art Dual Arm light or other Savage gear just head over to their site <a href="http://savageuniversal.com/" target="_blank">HERE</a>.<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14718619474863251585noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6513985953953180023.post-3752585149148224882015-06-05T10:56:00.000-07:002015-06-05T15:05:38.366-07:00Ring Around the Garden<br />
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A few years back photographic company <a href="https://enlightphotopro.com/" target="_blank">enlight photo</a> featured
us in their blog after seeing some photos I took of an iris that
blossomed in our neighbor’s garden using their orbis® ringflash. I really did
not expect it lead to much but it began a great friendship with enlight photo,
their CEO/inventor James Madelin and staff.</div>
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Honestly I was pretty excited as a few other photo companies
at that time were blogging about us and featuring our work on their official
sites as well as social media pages.<span style="color: black;"> </span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UzhqBZXKpM4/VXG-Le09UbI/AAAAAAAACNc/CpH5m5kWZ0c/s1600/5759254964_3c804b38fb_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UzhqBZXKpM4/VXG-Le09UbI/AAAAAAAACNc/CpH5m5kWZ0c/s320/5759254964_3c804b38fb_o.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">our neighbor's iris</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<a href="https://enlightphotopro.com/2011/08/31/macro-flower-photography-lighting-tips/" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;"> </span>You can check out the write up here</a> </div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Since then the orbis® flash system has been our “go to”
modifier for a number of shooting scenarios…not just for floral photography but
for macro insect photos as well as portrait jobs in our studio. You can check
out <a href="https://enlightphotopro.com/gear/orbis-ring-flash/" target="_blank">the orbis® here</a> as well as other snazzy gear they have. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We’re reaching the tail end of spring here in the wonderful
state of New Jersey but a lot of blooms have been hesitating around here,
though we had a ton of iris pop up some of the more interesting flowers we have
surrounding the studio are taking their sweet time due to some weather issues.
Well we were not going to let that stop us…keeping a close eye the flowers that
did decide to bloom and having our gear ready at different points of the day I
ventured out a couple of times with an idea I had working on for a while that
involved the orbis® <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>flash. I had been
experimenting with different lighting techniques and angles for an image style I had used with
some insect photography, basically dropping the camera’s ISO to 100, setting
the aperture to f/16 (or higher) and a shutter speed of around 1/125sec or a
bit faster, those settings combined with a flash can cause the background to “black
out”.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Though this effect is nothing new getting the light to hit
parts of the subject in a pleasant manner can be tricky for a number of reasons
the main being the shape of the flower and its orientation…some flowers face
up, some face down and others face every which way when following the sun.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Utilizing the shape of the orbis® I was able to create some
interesting lighting, with flowers facing down or out to the side I used it in
an “under light” position while flowers facing up I directed the flash from
above or downward 45 degrees. The under lit proved to be my favorite because it
gave the illusion the flowers were creating the light like mini street lamps.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For the actual equipment set up we attached the orbis to our <a href="http://imaging.nikon.com/lineup/speedlights/sb-910/" target="_blank">Nikon SB-910</a> with the head rotated to the same direction of the ringflash (to keep flash controls accessible) and fired it with a set of <a href="http://plusiii.pocketwizard.com/" target="_blank">PocketWizard PlusIII Transceivers</a> and to keep everything tidy and usable with one hand (when needed) I implemented a dual flash bracket.</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QrJqk41vFaE/VXG-LSDtqdI/AAAAAAAACNY/QbD7f5Oengk/s1600/16591771394_96578e7e46_c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QrJqk41vFaE/VXG-LSDtqdI/AAAAAAAACNY/QbD7f5Oengk/s640/16591771394_96578e7e46_c.jpg" width="420" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Under lighting set-up</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ID91oSWTE1E/VXG-LltYmAI/AAAAAAAACNg/BqmCG5eGU5w/s1600/16594019683_129112cb24_c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="422" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ID91oSWTE1E/VXG-LltYmAI/AAAAAAAACNg/BqmCG5eGU5w/s640/16594019683_129112cb24_c.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Under lit result</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eltTJ1CLGFM/VXG-J6C4KKI/AAAAAAAACNA/wMJGZ5sZAi4/s1600/17321267004_48e2d1afec_c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eltTJ1CLGFM/VXG-J6C4KKI/AAAAAAAACNA/wMJGZ5sZAi4/s640/17321267004_48e2d1afec_c.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lighting from above</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ss3Us4wfKLU/VXG-Js4PoUI/AAAAAAAACM4/GjkFxPq1_bI/s1600/17223916515_ce716d7d90_c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ss3Us4wfKLU/VXG-Js4PoUI/AAAAAAAACM4/GjkFxPq1_bI/s640/17223916515_ce716d7d90_c.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">even shooting down on under lit tulip made for a neat shot</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7P-5NJsEWIA/VXHZp2vU7pI/AAAAAAAACOE/nusf61idL0Y/s1600/16601476204_a371e0819b_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7P-5NJsEWIA/VXHZp2vU7pI/AAAAAAAACOE/nusf61idL0Y/s640/16601476204_a371e0819b_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">flower facing down, under lit</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aoj-BLu2EDQ/VXHZp3UrdNI/AAAAAAAACOA/wWj3neHCx2M/s1600/16603729403_211ba168a9_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aoj-BLu2EDQ/VXHZp3UrdNI/AAAAAAAACOA/wWj3neHCx2M/s640/16603729403_211ba168a9_b.jpg" width="425" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Under lit, the yellow of the flower becomes illuminated</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SihUAAdBvKw/VXG-Ke8avnI/AAAAAAAACNE/W5xVv0GPYGc/s1600/17940754332_dc13d087a4_c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SihUAAdBvKw/VXG-Ke8avnI/AAAAAAAACNE/W5xVv0GPYGc/s640/17940754332_dc13d087a4_c.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Have you met my ant? Lighting above.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Other gear for these shots include the <a href="http://www.nikonusa.com/" target="_blank">Nikon</a> D4, <a href="http://www.sigmaphoto.com/product/apo-macro-180mm-f28-ex-dg-os-hsm" target="_blank">Sigma APO Macro 180mm f2.8 EX DG OS HSM</a> lens and <a href="http://www.3leggedthing.com/" target="_blank">3 Legged Thing</a> Frank tripod.<br />
<br />
<u>Two more features on us from the gang at enlight</u><br />
<br />
<a href="https://enlightphotopro.com/2014/10/17/orb-spider-orbis-macro-flash-shoot/" target="_blank">"Orb Spider orbis Macro Flash Shoot!"</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://enlightphotopro.com/2011/12/20/interview-with-macro-photograher-robert-lopshire/" target="_blank">"Interview: photographer Robert Lopshire"</a><br />
<h1 class="node-title">
</h1>
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14718619474863251585noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6513985953953180023.post-69076964604097059592015-05-12T07:44:00.000-07:002015-09-17T05:08:25.636-07:00Model Bag Basics<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">We get quite a few questions on this subject before, during and after sessions...which is fine you should ask as many questions as possible about a shoot if you are not sure on anything.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The subject being "the model bag", the model bag usually contains quite a bit of items a model may need for a shoot including items the make-up artist or stylist may bring to a photo-shoot.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5TtNOu2bxMc/VVIJYdGoIxI/AAAAAAAACL4/DU85yjaDsYk/s1600/8659318002_5b28acf87c_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5TtNOu2bxMc/VVIJYdGoIxI/AAAAAAAACL4/DU85yjaDsYk/s400/8659318002_5b28acf87c_z.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">model/make-up artist Tarissa Rinier</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;"> It's best to be over prepared than under...even if a shoot is lined up to have a make-up artist and or stylists. We have had occasions surface the day of a shoot where someone could not make the session due to an unforeseen issue or emergency. Sometimes due to constraints it's easier or cost effective to move ahead with a shoot instead of postponing especially if it's for a client or other crew or models have come from a distance. </span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ny83fc_g3rA/VVIJa-IxRHI/AAAAAAAACME/eFT8YJNoT1o/s1600/8704785496_4a146bd477_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ny83fc_g3rA/VVIJa-IxRHI/AAAAAAAACME/eFT8YJNoT1o/s400/8704785496_4a146bd477_z.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Model Kara LaSpada</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;">On a side note a model should learn to do two basic "looks" including "the smokey eye" and "the clean look" There are hundreds of videos online on how to do apply the looks on your own. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">In fact one of the make-up artists we work with has put together instructional videos.</span><br />
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Going back to the model bag here is a general list and I say general list because I don't want you to think you need to go out and buy all the items at once, most models build this bag over time and some even keep this bag ready to go or keep a lot of the items stored in their car if they get a call in.<br />
So again this is a good idea on what you may need at any given time for a photo-shoot.<br />
<br />
<b>Hair<br />
• Headband, hair ties/bands, bobby pins<br />
• Brushes, combs<br />
• Hair appliances (curling iron, rollers, straighteners)<br />
<br />
Skin<br />
• Skin cleanser and moisturizer (depending on the MUA you might have to arrive bare-faced or with base, best to inquire)<br />
• Make-up kit<br />
• Cotton balls and cotton swabs <br />
• Mirror <br />
• Body lotion for dry skin<br />
• Clear or nude nail polish, clippers, nail file, polish remover<br />
• Press on nails (French Manicure style)<br />
• Lip balm<br />
• false eyelashes<br />
<br />
Clothing<br />
• Shoes (High heels and flats – black is a must) <br />
• Slippers<br />
• Black, white and flesh toned underwear (thongs recommended for less lines)<br />
• Assortment of bras (black, white, nude, and strapless)<br />
• Plain black and white socks<br />
• Hose/nylons in Nude and black<br />
• Yoga pants or similar for lounging<br />
• Strapless top<br />
• Sunglasses<br />
• Light dressing robe<br />
<br />
Other<br />
• Safety pins, small sewing kit, clothes pins, clear nail polish (for runs)<br />
• Scarf or makeup mask to prevent makeup transfer<br />
• Headache & allergy medication, razor, eye drops, feminine products.<br />
• Music you like, books or magazines for downtime<br />
• Bring your portfolio and/or any images of concepts you would like to try for future shoots.<br />
• Bottled water & snacks<br />
• Planner/calendar or notebook with pens </b><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nSeXmV23Fhg/VVIJan6W-AI/AAAAAAAACMA/LuBe8yVG3N4/s1600/12329600303_239e80065e_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nSeXmV23Fhg/VVIJan6W-AI/AAAAAAAACMA/LuBe8yVG3N4/s400/12329600303_239e80065e_z.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Model Becca Allison</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Here are some helpful tips to get prepared for your session.<br />
<br />
1. Get plenty of rest: Have a good night’s sleep the night before the shoot. Avoid partying the night before a photo shoot. Drink lots of water the day before as it can hydrate your skin.<br />
2. Try not to wear tight or restrictive clothes before a shoot. These
can cause lines in the skin which can take quite long to disappear.<br />
3. Arrive early to allow time for planning & make-up<br />
4. Do not experiment with new skin treatments the night before the
shoot. Any new treatment can cause skin irritations or allergic
reactions. Test out the treatments well in advance of the shoot in order
to know how your skin will react and how long your skin needs to
recover.<br />
5. Practice posing. There is a wealth of information available including
hundreds of videos online that demonstrate posing technique (beginner
to advanced) the more you memorize as far as posing with or without
products the smoother a shoot will become.<br />
<br />
If you have any other tips, tricks or even questions let us know, we will try to have more updates on modeling basics. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14718619474863251585noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6513985953953180023.post-20027304986825920922015-05-01T10:55:00.000-07:002015-05-01T10:56:10.665-07:00Coming up on a year...<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I wanted to make sure we posted our press release from our sponsorship, pulling it up on the <a href="http://savageuniversal.com/" target="_blank">Savage Universal</a> site we realized it's almost a year ago.</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> Though it was not our first sponsorship it was a major one as it's by a company that is the world leader in photographic backgrounds and equipment. It's been an honor to be a part of such fantastic company, they have supported us tremendously. Our main company contact Alyssa has been an absolute pleasure to work with.</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Here is the official press release <a href="http://savageuniversal.com/media-press/press-releases/savage-announces-sponsorship-of-lopshire-photography-llc" target="_blank">Savage Announces Sponsorship of Lopshire Photography, LLC</a> </span></span></b><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LR3ZrnSfoZU/VUO50tAoONI/AAAAAAAACKY/_1GGfonEVVg/s1600/Savage%2BSponsored%2BPhotographer%2BWebsite%2BBadge.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LR3ZrnSfoZU/VUO50tAoONI/AAAAAAAACKY/_1GGfonEVVg/s1600/Savage%2BSponsored%2BPhotographer%2BWebsite%2BBadge.png" height="248" width="320" /></a></span></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">pretty snazzy graphic they made for us huh?</span></span></td></tr>
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<br />
<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> So if you are poking around on their site you're going to come across quite a few of our photos in the ads as well as the features.</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Recently they have been using our photos for the specialty <a href="http://savageuniversal.com/products/specialty-backdrops/translum-backdrop" target="_blank">Translum background</a> in ads appearing in Shutterbug magazine and images are being printed on their packaging, I have to say nothing beats that feeling. When I was younger I always thought the coolest thing was to see my photos in a major publication and Savage is one of the reasons that has happened.</span></span></b><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-p7JW-vSWRkA/VUO8d4b35zI/AAAAAAAACKs/VkCUw5nD4-g/s1600/16254092603_8c30c808c0_c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-p7JW-vSWRkA/VUO8d4b35zI/AAAAAAAACKs/VkCUw5nD4-g/s1600/16254092603_8c30c808c0_c.jpg" height="400" width="262" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Model Becca Allison</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WtsHAzAzZQI/VUO8d85VubI/AAAAAAAACKw/3aQC9n1rMzw/s1600/16265143383_be3fe55a66_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WtsHAzAzZQI/VUO8d85VubI/AAAAAAAACKw/3aQC9n1rMzw/s1600/16265143383_be3fe55a66_b.jpg" height="395" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">set-up diagram</span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14718619474863251585noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6513985953953180023.post-59839018409677646832015-04-30T11:53:00.000-07:002015-04-30T12:23:49.563-07:00The start of something<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Starting to get the hang of it (blog writing/posting), hit some bumps so if you see a post one minute and not the next you know we hit a snag.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">As mentioned we wanted to start a blog because of the number of followers we are gaining through our new sponsorship as well as the features from quite a few photographic companies.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> By no means am I a word smith so expect some goofs, errors, grammar fails and other blogging fender benders.</span> </span><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qiPrN6BgtAE/VUJ2qRIcFLI/AAAAAAAACIk/kzoYKbp9fag/s1600/10728977746_6a160164e2_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qiPrN6BgtAE/VUJ2qRIcFLI/AAAAAAAACIk/kzoYKbp9fag/s1600/10728977746_6a160164e2_o.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The studio</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IED2HhtNsSM/VUJ2u3YDkuI/AAAAAAAACIs/L_oAFI_0phs/s1600/15064491032_27f8c11b70_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> As of now there is not that much to report except we are heading into our busy season, commercial clients as well as models start to feel pressured to refresh their images...spring thing I guess. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Feel free to comment or even more importantly throw some tips and tricks our way,</span><span style="font-size: small;"> <span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">this venture is a learning experience for us.</span></span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IED2HhtNsSM/VUJ2u3YDkuI/AAAAAAAACIs/L_oAFI_0phs/s1600/15064491032_27f8c11b70_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IED2HhtNsSM/VUJ2u3YDkuI/AAAAAAAACIs/L_oAFI_0phs/s1600/15064491032_27f8c11b70_o.jpg" height="200" width="132" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">hey, that's me</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">We will be posting photos (you would think right?), tips, tricks, news and more from us as well as other sources. </span><br />
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