Category Archives: Personal

Outro

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My internship in the still-life studio ended last week. It culminated in a presentation of my work – and of the work from the other three interns – as well as a critique of said work. We also shortly discussed our experience there and what we may expect out of the future. It was bittersweet but I promised myself that I will do whatever I need to in order to return as an assistant. I will surely miss being there, even if it was only two days out of the week.

Below is one of the images I presented. I was assigned to create a cover and inside spread/lead-in to a copy of Men’s Journal with a topic to use as a guide for what to shoot. My topic was “The Adventure Issue”. Part of the assignment was to study the publication we were given to learn what kind of photography falls in line with their style. Our task was similar to the mental process that almost any photographer should go through when creating a compelling series of images: to tell a story that will grab the readers attention but while simultaneously focusing on the needs of the client.

Passport to Ride

This shot took roughly 2.5 hours to shoot. It required only one light (beauty dish w/ grid from coming from the top towards the bag and two white cards for filling in some shadows. It was at a fairly sharp angle and was no more the 4 feet above the subject and 2 feet away. Using only one light made it extremely easy to work (especially since I had been working by myself). Adjusts were made quickly and visualizing the image before and after the adjustments was rather simple. I used the grid to make the image more dramatic and to give the light a more noticeable sense of direction.

The materials you see are all my own that I personally use, including the passport. The table-top is a rather small rectangle of concrete with the yellow stripe painted on. The leaves, dirt, and rocks were all found in the studio (in the cupboard where props are kept, not just laying around). I also smashed a glass battle with much needed motivation coming from the studio manager. (“Smash it!!”)

The post editing work was far more complicated than the actual shooting. My rush to finish photographing, as one should expect, led to mistakes – mistakes that I then was forced to deal with in post. Generally, the amount of work needed to fix a problem in post is far greater than the effort of fixing the same issue before exporting and turning the camera off. I won’t go into details but one should always try to keep the very basic in mind as they will usually keep you from making huge fuck-ups. An assistant will make this a lot easier. Having even further help on the set (coming from any of the stylists or art directors) will lend even more assistance to ensure a perfectly rounded product before it ever even hits a computer screen.

Glass Flower Analysis

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Glass Flower

Above, quite clearly, is a picture of a small glass flower. I took this while trying to practice some basics of lighting. The equipment I had on hand was limited to: a small white box with white paper; a LomoPro manual strobe; and an Alien Bee 800 strobe with a reflector. The first thing you might notice about the image is that the subject is directly in the center. Again, I was not attempting to create a masterful composition but was simply testing my light placement and strength. The small LomoPro speedlight was hanging above the flower point slightly behind it, shooting directly into the paper leaving a fairly noticeable brighter section directly overhead. The unevenness of the light is something I did not immediately distinguish and will likely try to avoid were I to have a similar setup. The Alien Bee strobe was placed directly behind the camera, standing roughly two feet above the subject with the head angled down directly at it. This was, primarily to hide the shadow behind the flower after failing in my attempt to eliminate it altogether. There are some shadows still visible near the blue pot which can be addressed in Photoshop.

Speaking of Photoshop, below is a comparison of another image of the very same glass flower but using a 100mm Macro lens. On the left is the natural image whereas the right is the same photo after having been edited.  Other than the typical clean-up one does to remove dust, the main task of the edit was to eliminate the shadow near the right petal. I do not remember exactly how I did this but it was quite likely a series of complicated and not fully thought out steps that required a greater degree of time and effort than necessary. I typically begin by entering quick-mask and creating a selection of the subject. After selecting the inverse, I simply create a new layer of the subject and another layer of the background. I then edit these two layers accordingly.

Glass Flower Comparison

Photo Assisting In Review

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For the past two months I have had the pleasure of interning at a commercial still-life photography studio in the Flatiron District on New York. This comes after deciding that I would naturally fit into and thoroughly enjoy a career in the field of photography. And, as with most careers, one must start from the bottom. As the present moment, I am seeking to educate myself in the mystical art of assisting a photographer while on the set while also picking up whatever details I can about light, equipment, and business nuances.

I will shortly reflect on the past two months. I will also attempt to post a series of personal projects as time goes on.

Any time you flip through a magazine, browse the web, watch TV, or even walk outside you will inevitably see a photographer’s work. But, you never really know it, or at the very least comprehend the amplitude as such until you begin looking for it consciously. I also failed to realize how much work went into the industry as a whole – camera and computer hardware and software; owning or renting as well as staffing a studio and office; multitudes of agencies;  specialized equipment such as lights, stands, power packs; general items of usefulness which mainly involves tons of paper, plastic, and quirky objects to be used on the set. Much of the inventory of our studio comes from local retailers and some of the more intricate and carefully selected items are typically rented from manufacturers and artists whose base of operation is in New York.

Not long after distinguishing myself as having entered a bees’ hive of economic activity did I then also connect the photography industry with the near endless amount of roles it fulfills for other industries. The most obvious example can be found in magazines that one may purchase at a news stand to gawk at celebrity fakenews. Within these publication you will undeniably find adverts for a wide range of products such as the latest line of chemical treatments for frizzy hair or pale skin. Advertisements have been for quite some time a necessary part of procuring funding for magazines and newspapers but has perhaps even more aggressively become a cornerstone of the internet. You may, in fact, even realize that there are few places left in an urban setting where you are not in the proximity of an ad of some sort. Bus stops and trains are littered with muscular men sporting little more than underwear. Walking on the sidewalk will likely reveal billboards and large posters within viewing distance portraying a perfectly captured bottle of beer. Advertisements and, by a necessary extension, photography are virtually inescapable. But a photographer’s work is not found only in adverts but also in company websites, buyer’s guides, and a host of other tactfully designed uses of said work.

While the process of creating images can be daunting from the perspective I described above, it is surprisingly simple. The photographer, much like a captain of a vessel, runs the show with a complete comprehension of that is necessary to get the job done. His assistants will typically be responsible for maintaining the studio area, ensuring quality control, and simply being aware of the state of affairs. Meanwhile, art directors from a magazine or fashion brand will be confirming that the results are as requested. Stylists will also be present to handle any merchandise with care and to display them according to the art director’s instructions. (This dynamic is unique to my own experience in the past two months while working with a single photographer and is likely to differ substantially with respect to the situation.)

My co-workers are without question some of the most wonderful individuals I have ever had the chance to work with. I take this as a sign that the industry is a good place to be and I see myself being for quite some time.