THE BLOG
IDEAS - THOUGHTS - DISCOVERY
TURN YOUR IDEAS INTO PIXELS
I wanted to share some thoughts on the importance of organizing creative shoots through storyboarding. It’s fascinating how many innovative ideas can be born when we take the time to write them down.
By creating a storyboard, we can outline our visions systematically—including details like location, props, models, camera angles, and lighting. This practice not only helps us stay organized but also significantly boosts our productivity. I encourage you to set specific goals for each shoot and think about how to achieve them. Once you start documenting your ideas, you may find that your creativity flows more freely.
On set, remember that while the storyboard serves as a guide, it’s okay to deviate from it as new inspirations emerge. The storyboards are just the beginning of our creative journey. Let’s continue to unlock our potential and turn our ideas into stunning visuals. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts.
TOYKO, JAPAN
I wanted to take a moment to share my experience from the incredible 12-day photoshoot I had in Tokyo with Getty Images and iStockphoto. Photographing everything from kids playing in the park to business boardroom meetings was both exhilarating and challenging. As you can imagine, such a journey requires meticulous planning.
I faced numerous decisions about what to bring along, considering whether to shoot with my Hasselblad or Canon cameras, if I should pack lights, and how many props to take. After much contemplation, I managed to carry many props, including a fun hammock for family park shots and a partially assembled birdhouse complete with props like a carpenter's pencil, hammer, nails, and a bit of sawdust to create the right atmosphere on set.
Shooting on location with iStockphoto was a fantastic experience. I had the pleasure of meeting many fellow photographers and creatives, which added immense value to the trip and helped forge lasting friendships. It really emphasized that capturing great photos involves a lot of work, planning, and team support.
After wrapping up the shoot, I had gigabytes of images to process. I followed a strict backup routine, ensuring I had three copies of my work by 10 PM each night— one on my MacBook and two on 2 TB Lacie rugged hard drives. Just to be extra cautious, I even sent one of the backups via FedEx to my studio in case anything went wrong with my luggage.
Overall, it was a memorable experience that taught me the significance of preparation and collaboration.
FASHION PRODUCTION
I wanted to take a moment to reflect on what it took to produce our recent fashion shoot. This project was a medium-sized endeavor involving around 17 talented individuals, including producers, stylists, and 3 dedicated assistants. With 4 cameras, along with an array of lighting options like strobe and continuous lights, we were well-equipped to capture stunning visuals.
We were fortunate to find an amazing location at Ambient Studios in Atlanta, which offered the perfect combination of natural light and expansive open spaces, including a kitchen and a large cyc wall that made shooting much easier and more enjoyable.
In total, we invested eighty thousand dollars for props and wardrobe, ensuring every detail was perfect. Additionally, we brought in talent from Italy, California, and Idaho to elevate our project and bring a diverse touch to our shoot.
BACKUP - BACKUP - BACKUP
I wanted to reach out to share an important reminder about the necessity of having an extra hard drive for all our current shoots and essential documents, like model releases.
While cloud backup services might work for some, they’re often not sufficient for high volume shooters who handle terabytes or gigabytes of data. In our experience, after attempting to back up 1 terabyte of data to a cloud service, the process took weeks, and due to our ongoing shoots, we found that the cloud service couldn't keep up.
Having an extra hard drive makes the process much simpler. It allows you to easily copy all your data and keep it at a friend or relative's house, making it accessible without the worry of monthly fees that come with cloud services.
Unfortunately, we faced a major fire at our home studio recently, which served as a stark reminder of the importance of securing our data. Thankfully, we did have an off-site backup, but it made me realize how critical it is to have a reliable and efficient backup strategy in place.
Please consider this as you manage your data. Don’t let an unforeseen disaster catch you off guard.
GEAR OVERRATED?
I often find myself rotating my gear every two years to keep up with technological advances. I have a variety of equipment: strobes, tungsten lights, LEDs, as well as a collection of cameras including Canons and Hasselblads, alongside numerous lenses and computers.
As I reviewed my favorite photos from the past year, I noticed a common thread - most of them were taken using natural light with just a little fill. It's interesting to think about how much money I could have saved by relying on simpler setups! My go-to lenses have been my Canon zoom 24mm to 70mm and the Hasselblad 35mm to 90mm. I rarely reach for anything else, which has been an eye-opener.
This experience reinforces a valuable lesson for me: it's not about the gear, but rather the concept and production. The strongest images often stem from a solid idea rather than the equipment used to capture them.