New at the studio. Savage Ultramarine seamless & 5-in-1 Port-a-scrim

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?)

 Our incredibly patient Sponsor Savage Universal corporation 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
 Savage sent the #5 ultramarine seamless background. We’ve been itching to try out the color, incredibly versatile and mood setting tone.

 Savage also sent their Freestanding 5-in-1 Port-a-Scrim,  (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.

  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!

 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.

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.

 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 Pocketwizard PlusIV transceivers. Moving on to a more "flowy" feel we added an additional light and had Kelly switch to a looser fitting outfit.

Though the session was pre- visualized through some planning we still did use the elixxier set a light 3-D software to have better lay out the lighting and floor plan before the shoot.

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.

 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.
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!

Some of the other gear used.
Nikon D4
Sigma lenses, 24/70mm f/2.8 and 70-200mm F/2.8
3 Legged Thing Frank Tripod

Kelly McCarthy (model) Gianna Joy Bass (MUA & Hair)

 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
.
Rob Lopshire

Model Bag Basics

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.
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.

model/make-up artist Tarissa Rinier

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. 

Model Kara LaSpada

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. 

In fact one of the make-up artists we work with has put together instructional videos.

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.
So again this is a good idea on what you may need at any given time for a photo-shoot.

Hair
• Headband, hair ties/bands, bobby pins
• Brushes, combs
• Hair appliances (curling iron, rollers, straighteners)

Skin
• Skin cleanser and moisturizer (depending on the MUA you might have to arrive bare-faced or with base, best to inquire)
• Make-up kit
• Cotton balls and cotton swabs
• Mirror
• Body lotion for dry skin
• Clear or nude nail polish, clippers, nail file, polish remover
• Press on nails (French Manicure style)
• Lip balm
• false eyelashes

Clothing
• Shoes (High heels and flats – black is a must)
• Slippers
• Black, white and flesh toned underwear (thongs recommended for less lines)
• Assortment of bras (black, white, nude, and strapless)
• Plain black and white socks
• Hose/nylons in Nude and black
• Yoga pants or similar for lounging
• Strapless top
• Sunglasses
• Light dressing robe

Other
• Safety pins, small sewing kit, clothes pins, clear nail polish (for runs)
• Scarf or makeup mask to prevent makeup transfer
• Headache & allergy medication, razor, eye drops, feminine products.
• Music you like, books or magazines for downtime
• Bring your portfolio and/or any images of concepts you would like to try for future shoots.
• Bottled water & snacks
• Planner/calendar or notebook with pens 

Model Becca Allison

Here are some helpful tips to get prepared for your session.
 
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.
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.
3. Arrive early to allow time for planning & make-up
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.
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.

If you have any other tips, tricks or even questions let us know, we will try to have more updates on modeling basics.