Commercial Photography

Commercial Duvet Bedding Blanket Pillow Photography St. Petersburg Florida

in

Commercial bedding photography done in client's Clearwater home - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/8 ISO 200 1 sec tripod mounted - Strobist: Nikon SB-800 @ 1/4 power in 43" brolly in foreground SB-600 @ 1/16th power in 43" shoot through umbrella background (window light in left background)Shooting on location (this time a residential Clearwater home) always presents unique challenges, as of course no two locations are exactly alike.  Shooting large objects on location can be especially challenging, especially so when they are in a small space.  My challenge with this commercial duvet, pillow & bedding shoot was to make the final images not look like they were merely taken within the client's own bedroom per se.  Using some set decoration (statue, clock, plant) and turning the negative of having a bright window behind the bed into a feature of the shot, was how I attempted to be as creative as possible within the bedroom location.

Commercial bedding photography done in client's Clearwater home - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/8 ISO 200 1 sec tripod mounted - Strobist: Nikon SB-800 in 43" brolly in foreground SB-600 in 43" shoot through umbrella background (window light in left background)In the digital editing process I smoothed out the transition of full sunlight to orange wall removing all texture.  Contrast was selectively enhanced to compensate for the harsh light falling on the bed and lastly a softening filter was applied to the overall image as small details are a detriment to this type of shot.

Vintage Door Model Portfolio Shoot St. Petersburg Florida with Rita

in

Framing the model, Rita, with detailed architecture and a vintage door - Nikon D300 Nikkor 80-200mm @ f/9 ISO 200 1/100th - Strobist: SB-800 @ 1/4 power in 43" brolly to frame left

For my model portfolio shoot with Rita in downtown St. Petersburg, I finally had a chance to use a very small part of a building I had been wanting to feature in a photo shoot for a long time.  Many times I walked past this spot while teaching 1-on-1 DSLR Photography Lessons and kept making mental notes to use the features of the spot (long brick wall, medieval looking door) in a shoot someday.  Finally, that day was yesterday evening with model, Rita (her official website).

Featuring a brick wall in this panorama model headshot - Nikon D300 Nikkor 80-200mm @ f/5.6 ISO 200 1/60th - Strobist: SB-800 @ 1/4 power in 43" brolly to frame right & SB-600 @ 1/16th power with diffuser cap pointed at the wallThough we only shot in a space of about 10 feet, we were able to produce a variety of different shots by featuring the brick wall or the metallic door as the background as well as close-ups and wide shots.  I also switched between using a 2-strobe setup like the one above, and a single strobe setup like the lead image.  

Model positioning her arm as a triangle to be symmetric with the door handle - Nikon D300 Nikkor 80-200mm @ f/5.6 ISO 200 1/60th Strobist: SB-800 @ 1/4 power in 43" brolly to frame leftRita's style of changing poses after each time I pushed the shutter made for a flow that I had not experienced with a model before.  I really liked it as it kept the shoot moving giving the process a dynamic feel.  

Bokeh made by traffic lights - Nikon D300 Nikkor 80-200mm @ f/5.6 ISO 200 1/60th Strobist: SB-800 @ 1/4 power in 43" brolly to frame right & SB-600 @ 1/16th power to frame leftI liked being able to make soft looking images, like the one above, along with gritty images in the same shoot as no matter how long or short of a shoot, I do like to create a variety of looks for the model.  For the above shot, I thought the straight perpendicular composition looked too rigid, so I tilted my camera to remove the boundary feeling of the 90-degree angle framing.

This images features a vertical line theme - Nikon D300 Nikkor 80-200mm @ f/9 ISO 200 1/100th Strobist: SB-800 @ 1/4 power in 43" brolly to frame leftI was again impressed with the lighting job my 43" brolly did.  I will feature it in a proper gear review soon.  As you can see it does not take a lot of lighting equipment to make an effective portrait.  The above shot features a single speedlight off camera in the brolly.  All I did was place it about 45 degrees to the left of the model on a light stand using inexpensive Yongnuo radio triggers (to be reviewed soon also).  Of course it also helps to have a beautiful and talented model like Rita to work with!

St. Petersburg Florida Professional Business Headshot Photography Service with Buddy

in ,

Professional Business Headshot made in St. Petersburg Florida home studio - Buddy in formal attire - Nikon D300 Nikkor 80-200mm @ f/7.1 ISO 200 1/100th Strobist: SB-800 in 43" brolly to frame right & SB-600 in snoot pointed at backgroundBuddy came to my home studio in St. Petersburg Florida to have his professional business headshot made to improve his online business appearance.  This is exactly why I offer this business headshot service either in my home studio or on location right in your own office or home.  The more Linkedin profile photos I see made with an awful camera phone the more I wonder why anyone would want to represent themselves in that type of unprofessional manner.  

Business casual style professional headshot done in my St. Petersburg Florida home studio - Nikon D300 Nikkor 80-200mm @ f/7.1 ISO 200 1/100th - Strobist: SB-800 in 42" brolly to frame right & SB-600 in snoot pointed at backgroundBuddy was a natural in front of the lens and very fun and uncomplicated to photograph.  He was even wearing eyeglasses with an anti-glare coating that showed no reflections in them at all!

Commercial High Tech Equipment Shoot in Clearwater for Nordson March

in

A real worker being the model for this Nordson March commercial equipment shot - Nikon D300 (tripod mounted) Tamron 17-50mm @ f/8 ISO 200 1/3 sec Strobist: SB-800 to frame left in 43" shoot through umbrella and SB-600 in same setup to frame right - white background added digitallyLast week I had an interesting commercial photography job in Clearwater that on the surface would sound super simple--photograph a large square machine in a warehouse, no editing required as the company's graphic artists would handle that as they use the images I make in online and print media materials.  Easy right?

Well, nothing really is ever as easy as it seems in photography.  The machine itself was about the size of two refrigerators and an off-white color, meaning reflections from any lighting I may use would be an issue.  I used two 43" shoot through umbrellas to produce maximum light surface area in order to try and minimize hot spots on the machine.  It took me quite a bit of time to position the umbrellas so that the upper corners of the machine did not appear as hot spots.  However, once everything was setup, and since I was shooting on a tripod, each shot after that was rapid.  

The purple lighting is the result of plasma being produced! - Nikon D300 (tripod mounted) Tamron 17-50mm @ f/8 ISO 200 1/4th sec - Strobist: SB-800 to my left in 43" shoot through umbrella & SB-600 in same setup to my rightFour minutes after turning the machine on, plasma is produced inside!  Seeing the plasma up close like that was kind of a David Banner moment for me!  To have no glare on the LCD screen I had some of the warehouse staff hold up a white background sheet over me and the machine to diffuse the light and make the screen readable (in another closeup shot).

The two 43" shoot through umbrella setup I used to make all the shots for the shoot.The above photo is the setup I used to make the top photo in this post.  All other shots were made with a similar arrangement of the two speedlights in the shoot through umbrellas.  I have to thank the workers in the warehouse for their help holding the diffuser sheet and for not minding the good amount of space the shoot took up in the middle of their work day.

Office Staff Business Headshots on location in office in Clearwater Florida

in ,

Part of the staff I photographed on location making business headshots for the entire office in Clearwater FloridaThis morning I drove to Clearwater to photograph nearly the entire staff of a business.  It is actually a planned two-part shoot that will entail me returning on another date yet to be determined to photograph the remaining staff.  It was my first time to make so many headshots in a row, all told thirteen different shots.  It was kind of fun for someone to walk in for a few minutes, see how they choose to smile, and then move on to the next person.  No one was really camera shy so all I had to do was tell there where to point their toes and then which way to twist and look.

camera settings for headshots: f/7.1 ISO 200 1/60th Strobist: SB-800 in brolly @ 1/4 power & SB-600 with diffuser cap at 1/8 power pointed at backgroundI was provided with a near ideal space to make the headshots in--a long rectangular room free of obstacles and even a large table for me to spread all my gear out on.  I leaned the collapsible photography background against the wall, setup my lights, dialed in camera and strobe settings, then it was just a matter of getting the best smile out of each person.  No mess, no fuss!  Nice.

Business Headshot St. Petersburg Studio with digital background - Carol

in

Business Headshot made right in my St. Petersburg home studio for a client - Nikon D300 Nikkor 80-200mm @ f/8 ISO 200 1/100th - Strobist: SB-800 @ 1/4 power in 43" brolly to frame right & SB-600 @ 1/8th power with diffuser cap to frame leftCarol visited my home studio this afternoon for a new business headshot.  She was an excellent client and knew how to get into position well.  Before we started shooting I showed her a few different lighting and background options.  Through the process of making the headshot we decided upon a slight shadow and a digital background for the image seen above.  The real background was a light tan wall that I removed and in its place inserted a gray-blue one.  

Making a portrait of any type is a collaboration between photographer and subject, and this time I involved the client in more of the process than I usually do as I was even able to show her on my computer monitor a rough sample of what the headshot would look like on a given background.

I offer business headshots both at your location or in my home studio (as long as you do not mind Kiki).

St. Petersburg Florida Real Estate Photography - Kenwood Neighborhood HDR

in

St. Petersburg real estate photography - Kenwood neighborhood - kitchen view - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/8 ISO 200 9-exposure HDR on Induro CT214 tripod with Nikon MC-30 cable releaseOn assignment for Crown Group Realty this morning to photograph a very nice house in the Kenwood neighborhood that had recently been renovated by the owners themselves.  I am always impressed by people's real world skills like home improvement.  They say kitchens sell homes and this kitchen opened up to the dining room and backyard.  I made a 9-exposore HDR image in order to pull out the details in the kitchen (no window) and in the dining room (windows on either side).

A functional living room in St. Petersburg Kenwood neighborhood - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/8 ISO 200 1.3 secOften when looking at homes, both old and new, it is hard to set them up assuming you want a good viewing angle of your television.  Therefore, I chose to photograph this living room highlighting the great opportunity to setup a home theater due to its layout.  The sofa also faces the front door, which is something else I like in a home.

Well landscaped backyard in Kenwood - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/11 ISO 200 7-exposure HDRThe backyard was also updated, which I thought made for a nice flow from kitchen, to dining room to backyard.  Even though it is very hot in Florida in the summer, it is still nice to have your own outside space to enjoy.

A fenced in front yard in Kenwood - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/11 ISO 200 7-exposure HDRI like a picket fence in a front yard.  I feel it adds a nice framing to a home and if you have a dog it creates another safe outdoor area.  If you wish to buy this home or know someone who might be interested in it, please contact Amy at Crown Group Realty.