Seattle Central Creative Academy: Photography Assignment (High Key Product)

April 11, 2012 by Leave a Comment

High Key photography is a classic product set-up: bright subject, with few shadows and nice highlights.  To go with au naturel consumerism, Tom’s of Maine toothpaste came into play.

The idea was to showcase the “Crystal Clean” result after using Tom’s.  Somewhat pleased, I don’t feel totally successful with the project.  The crystal in my model’s hand appears too large and the actual toothbrush on the right feels unnatural due to the lack of the bottom of the brush.  In the end, the photographer decides about his/her image, while the audience decides on their individual experience.

Location: SCCA Studios, Seattle, WA

Camera/Lens Specifics: Canon 5D Mark II with Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM Macro Lens

variety of settings, ISO 100.

Post: Adobe LR3 & PS5

Filed Under: Art, Bainbridge Island, Cameron Karsten, Commercial Photography, Education, How To, Photo Shoot, Photography, Product Shoot, SCCC, Seattle, Still life, Sustainability, Washington Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Seattle Central Creative Academy: Photography Assignment (EDFAT – aka Stranger Danger)

April 10, 2012 by 7 Comments

Ian Cipra is a man with a passion for apples.  Working the tourist crowds of Pike Place Market in Seattle, WA, Ian sells not only apples, but grapefruits, plums, seasonal fruits and loads of vegetables.  One day it might be a free slice of pear to push their sales.  The next might be an orange.  But on this day, he was representing the crisp sweetness of the Jazz apple.  And thus the tourists flocked – passing, observing, tasting, purchasing – while the apple man put on a show of  wit and camaraderie.

The assignment was to photograph a stranger.  Approach someone.  Collect a volume of point of views:  EDFAT.  Broken down, it stands for 1) ENTIRE, for observing the entire subject; 2) DETAILS, dissecting the subject into specific details; 3) FRAME, framing those details into strong, original compositions; 4) ANGLE, to shoot a variety of angles; and 5) TIME, building visuals by using slices of time.  After 500 frames, an hour and a half of time, and switching between four different lenses for variety, Ian Cipra came out with energy and sold loads of jazz apples to smiling customers.

Location: Pike Place Market, Seattle, WA

Camera/Lens Specifics: Canon 5D Mark II with various lenses

variety of settings

Post: Adobe LR3 & PS5

Filed Under: Art, Cameron Karsten, Community, Environment, Environmental Portrait, Food, How To, Photo Essay, Photo Shoot, Photography, SCCC, Seattle, Washington Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Seattle Central Creative Academy: Photography Assignment (Dark Glass)

April 4, 2012 by 1 Comment

While on break, I had three weeks to come up with a composition for dark glass.  When I was young, my grandfather gave me this old Kahlua bottle, and for years I burnt a candle in the crown.  So, with the ambience of candlelight, I created an evening scenario with the added smooth tasting digestif White Russian.

I shot the bottle, and from there worked around the composition.  And since it was an old bottle, the label was long removed.  Therefore, I took today’s bottle, captured the label, and masked it within PS5, shot the tumbler with the White Russian, added reflections and a tabletop, brushed in the smoke and took my archived image of a wood stove fireplace to fill the background.  The text was selected from the label and fit within the frame.  Complicated but well-worth the time, as well as multiple White Russians consumed throughout the process.

Location: CK Studios, Bainbridge Island, WA

Camera/Lens Specifics: Canon 5D Mark II with Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM Macro Lens

variety of settings, ISO 100, tripod mount.

Post: Adobe LR3 & PS5

Filed Under: Art, Bainbridge Island, Cameron Karsten, Commercial Photography, Education, How To, Photo Shoot, Photography, Product Shoot, SCCC, Seattle, Still life, Washington Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Seattle Central Creative Academy: Photography Assignment (George Hurrell Heavy-Set)

March 6, 2012 by Leave a Comment

A George Hurrell-inspired photography assignment creating a classy black and white 1920’s film noir/glamour shot.  Involved set construction, props, wardrobe and some serious lighting skills.  Here is my mortician with a new patient waiting behind the walls.

Location: SCCA Studios, Seattle, WA

Model: William O’Donnell

Camera/Lens Specifics: Canon 5D Mark II with Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM Telephoto Zoom Lens

70mm, 1/100 sec at ƒ/7.1, ISO 100, tripod mount.

Post: Adobe LR3 & PS5

Filed Under: Art, Cameron Karsten, Commercial Photography, Education, Environmental Portrait, How To, Photo Shoot, Photography, SCCC, Seattle, Washington Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Seattle Central Creative Academy: Photography Assignment (Clear Glass)

March 5, 2012 by Leave a Comment

To light this image of Stranahan Colorado Whiskey I used a giant soft box and placed two Profoto lights inside facing each other to blow out the background.  With two large black cards left and right of the bottle, the edges became defined.  Then with one Speedlite below and slightly in front of the bottle, which rests on plexi glass, I fired it to highlight the label.  One final softbox was placed directly behind the camera and raised to hit the bottle at a 45 degree angle.

There were four exposures composited in PS5: bottle, label, cap and pour.  To wrap it all up in post, the image was masked with a white background.

Location: SCCA Studios, Seattle, WA

Camera/Lens Specifics: Canon 5D Mark II with Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM Macro Lens

100mm, 1/160 sec at ƒ/22, ISO 100, tripod mount.

Post: Adobe LR3 & PS5

Filed Under: Art, Cameron Karsten, Commercial Photography, Education, Food, How To, Photo Shoot, Photography, Product Shoot, SCCC, Seattle, Still life, Washington Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Photo of the Day: Georgetown Brahs

March 4, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Favorite edited version of a one-shot on-location assignment in Georgetown (Seattle, Washington).

Location: Georgetown, Seattle, WA

Models: William O’Donnell and Paris Gore

Camera/Lens Specifics: Canon 5D Mark II with Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS USM Zoom Lens

24mm, 1/250 sec at ƒ/7.1, ISO 500, tripod mount.

Post: Adobe LR3 & PS5

Filed Under: Art, Cameron Karsten, Commercial Photography, Education, Environmental Portrait, How To, Photo Shoot, Photography, SCCC, Seattle, Washington Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Seattle Central Creative Academy: Photography Assignment (One Shot On-Location)

February 28, 2012 by Leave a Comment

I had to previsualize, find a location, bring models/props, light and execute for this pass/fail one shot on-location assignment.  A homeless individual, living in squalor with his meager slice of privacy.  A dirt bike rider, out for a thrill, looking to shred.  The two collide in this scene.

Lit with four lights, I had one Q-flash camera left on the bum’s shelter, two Q-flashes camera right to spotlight and fill the biker, and one Speedlite with a blue gel behind the homeless person.

Location: Georgetown, Seattle, WA

Models: William O’Donnell and Paris Gore

Camera/Lens Specifics: Canon 5D Mark II with Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS USM Zoom Lens

24mm, 1/250 sec at ƒ/7.1, ISO 500, tripod mount.

Post: Adobe LR3 & PS5

Filed Under: Art, Cameron Karsten, Commercial Photography, Education, Environmental Portrait, How To, Photo Shoot, Photography, SCCC, Seattle, Washington Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Seattle Central Creative Academy: Photography Assignment (Floral)

February 27, 2012 by Leave a Comment

To depict the differences of diffused light and hard light on flowers, I created the following composition of an unknown flower species.  Upon completion, the differences observed are slim.  Diffused light – left.  Hard light – right.

Location: SCCA Studios, Seattle, WA

Camera/Lens Specifics: Canon 5D Mark II with Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM Macro Lens

100mm, 1/200 sec at ƒ/5.6 & ƒ/11, ISO 200, tripod mount.

Post: Adobe LR3 & PS5

Filed Under: Art, Cameron Karsten, Commercial Photography, Education, Environment, How To, Photo Shoot, Photography, SCCC, Seattle, Still life, Washington Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Seattle Central Creative Academy: Photography Assignment (Environmental Portrait)

February 14, 2012 by Leave a Comment

To create a narrative environmental portrait, I had three fellow photographers with one Elinchrom and two Triton strobes, as well as a lonely Speedlite.  The Tritons were placed behind the subject through the doorway, with the Elinchrom resting beneath the camera pointed at the foreground and up the stairs.  The Speedlite, attached to a PocketWizard, was placed directly at the feet of my subject (aka Tre).  And once the exposure and lighting was perfected, I placed a handful of potato starch in Tre’s right hand.  One.  Two.  He lobbed the starch over his head.  Three.  I released the shutter, capturing the four flashes while dragging the shutter to 2.5 seconds in order to absorb the ambient light and the fall of the potato starch.  The effect?  A man and his dog, come upon the viewer and suddenly something mystical transpires.  The man is not who we think he is.  Neither is his dog.

Location: U District, Seattle, WA

Model: Tre Williams

Camera/Lens Specifics: Canon 5D Mark II with Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS USM Zoom Lens

24mm, 2.5 sec at f/11, ISO 400, tripod mount.

Post: Adobe LR3 & PS5

Filed Under: Art, Cameron Karsten, Commercial Photography, Education, Environment, Environmental Portrait, Food, How To, Photo Shoot, Photography, SCCC, Seattle, Still life, Sustainability, Washington Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Seattle Central Creative Academy: Photography Assignment (Clothing)

February 13, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Apparel.  The working man/woman’s gloves – Carhartt.  Comes with a price, too.  At just under $30, I purchased these with the intent of photographing and returning them.  Taped to a hammer, stuffed with cotton balls and a sock, hung with 6lbs fishing line and stabilized with a chopstick.  It was hung in front of a black background with two white cards camera left and camera right.  There was a diffusion panel above and a gold reflector card beneath.  Two Q-flashes camera right and camera left in Strobo mode each flashing fifteen times while I dragged the shutter speed to 1 second.  After checking the exposure in LR3, I then shot the background, the top of a nail, with a 100mm Macro, and edited the final photograph in PS5.  Viola.  A fun shoot of construction and design, problem-solving and improvising.

Location: CK Studio, Bainbridge Island, WA

Camera/Lens Specifics: Canon 5D Mark II with Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM Zoom Lens

50mm, 1 sec at f/16, ISO 200, tripod mount, trigger fired.

Post: Adobe LR3 & PS5

Filed Under: Cameron Karsten, Commercial Photography, Education, How To, Photo Shoot, Photography, Product Shoot, SCCC, Seattle, Still life, Washington Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,
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