Behind The Scenes Of The DeLacy Collection Shoot

I've finally finished scanning and putting the final touches to the BTS photos I took of the DeLacy Collection photoshoot I had a couple of weekends ago. Overall it was a great experience for me and I always enjoy shooting for Delacy. I brought out my Mamiya C300 TLR to shoot the BTS photos. I used a roll of Fuji Neopan Across 100 and a roll of Lomographic B&W film, both expired 9/09 and 12/09 respectively. I added emulsion borders to give the images a more vintage feel.






God I love natural light captured in black and white! If you'd like to see the rest of the set, go on ahead and click the Facebook link to the right which will lead you to my official 17thletter Photography page and become a fan if you'd like!

Now, on to the other projects I'm lagging in...

Update. Or lack of it.

It has come to my attention that I've been lagging behind on a couple of projects on my plate recently. I still have my personal projects that need attending which have suffered the brunt of my lagging and I'm not sure when I'll have those completed. My post work is...slow but that's because I'm anal about what I release to the world...

I had a birthday party I shot recently which I'm happy to say is done and over. I just have to upload them. I also had a shoot this past weekend with my favorite client/friend, the DeLacy Collection for their upcoming line and I'm currently scanning the negatives for the Behind The Scenes shots and I'll soon be starting my post work on a couple of my favorite photos from that day.

So bear (bare?) with me just a bit. I've got a good amount of stuff I'm excited to release in the near future!

A New Format

Earlier this year I picked up a new (used) Mamiya C330 medium format TLR to add to my ever growing collection of cameras. The only experience I've had with medium format film photography came from the toy cameras such as the Holga and Diana which were great cameras! The plastic lens of these cameras gave the photos a lovely soft and dreamy look that's commonly known as lomography. After having seen some fantastic photo on flickr, I leapt out of the 35mm film I was regularly shooting and jumped into shooting medium format by way of the Holga and Diana.

Having said that, these two cameras can't compare to the more professional medium format cameras such as the Mamiyas and the Hassleblads with regards to tack sharp photos. I would've been fine shooting lomo squares for a little while longer but I was inspired by my good friend Alex who owned a couple of Mamiyas and took some of my favorite photos, to take on medium format photography using more professional equipment for lack of a better description.

I recently picked up a couple of rolls of film that I had taken using the Mamiya C330 and after seeing the results, there's alot of learning and getting used to that I'd have to do. It wasn't quite as easy as I originally thought it would be. One of the mistakes that I made was loading the film improperly. Shooting 120 type medium format yields 12 frames per roll but I was getting back 10 frames per roll. I thought loading film would be similar to the Holga/Diana. I had to watch a youtube video to realize it's just a little bit more complicated. That lesson was quickly learned and I should be getting 12 frames per roll now. I also have to get used to the focusing system of the Mamiya and probably other medium format cameras should I purchase in the near future. Shooting 35mm came easy and naturally for me but the transition to using the Mamiya will take some time. Many of the photos I got back weren't as focused as I remembered taking them. Alex gave me the heads up to take my time with it which I'll do so wisely.

The more I use the Mamiya, the more I'll get used to it and hone in my skills which will produce better images down the line. Here are some of the images I took with the Mamiya. I'll regard them as test rolls :)

Preperation

This weekend is going to be a big one for me. I have a babyshower gig on Sunday which was in trouble of being rained out but as I was looking at the 10 forecast, it looks like Sunday will be rain free. If the weather holds up, the babyshower is still on. Really excited about shooting it but I'm a little more excited about the shoots I've scheduled for this weekend.

You see, I rented some gear for the babyshower gig and this would be my first time renting gear on my own. Since I've rented the gear, I had in mind to utilize them before I have to return the bad boys. Might as well you know? I've got the gear for the entire weekend! So I've scheduled a shoot with a friend on Saturday and quite possibly book some more shoots to cover the time before the actual babyshower on Sunday.

I have to be honest and say that I'm a little bit nervous about these shoots because these would be solely for my portfolio but more importantly, these sessions would be based on the ideas that I've come up with through the years. This would be the first time I'd be actually working on my ideas...as in, I'd be the one behind the camera as opposed to me being in front of the camera as my more minor ideas had so called for. Actually, many of my ideas are based on me being the subject which isn't narcissistic in essence. I just picture myself in scenes and frame them that way whenever a male body is concerned.

I don't know if I'm more nervous about utilizing another person to take the place of what I pictured to be myself or whether I'd be able to capture something that would do whatever I imagined some justice...

Eh. Anyway, this is going to be big for me and my photographic work and I can't wait for this weekend. I'm fairly confident all will go well. That I'd come up with some pretty cool stuff and I'm just over thinking it.

STOKED!

A Proper Test (and other things)

A lot of news. Let's start with the biggest:

This past weekend, I was able to properly test out my recently bought Calumet Travelite 750R strobes at a friend's house which I'm stoked to share the photos from that small and impromptu photo shoot. I was only able to test out one of the heads because my friend didn't have a three pronged extension cord to power the other light so there's a bit of unwanted and unintended shadows in the photos.



This first shot, taken of my friend Melissa, was a test shot to see how the light would fall and how it would work with the second light (before I found out I wouldn't be able to power my second light). As you can see, the light itself is pretty powerful as I shot this using 1/3 of the strobe's power.

Stobist info:

1 Calumet Travelite 750R @ 1/3 power high camera left pointed slightly down w/shoot through umbrella







These next couple of shots are of my friend Amanda and it was this set is when I found out I would be unable to use the second light which slightly annoyed me. I really wanted to use that second light. Anyway, there's a slight off white cast to the left of the image which is attributed to the leaves of a tree that was brushing up against the umbrella and scattered the light just a bit.

Stobist info:

1 Calumet Travelite 750R @ 1/3 power high camera left pointed slightly down w/shoot through umbrella

So in conclusion, I'm really ecstatic to finally see what my strobes are capable of. The results are more than what I expected and after shooting and seeing the resulting photos, I'm now seeing the possibilities of where my photography can go, where I can and would want to take it to which is AWESOME. All I had to work with in the past were just the ideas in my head. These strobes have opened up the door and soon (hopefully) I can finally see my ideas physically materialize. Oh, they'll also help greatly on the business end of things. Thank you to my friends Melissa and Amanda for being so kind as to be my models for this test/mini shoot. There's also one more thing that I wanted to mention and that is the modeling light for the strobe used blew out and that annoyed me as well. First real use of the lights, a week old and the modeling light blew out. Lame.

In other news:

It has been awhile since I've posted any news about my Etsy shop and the UNICEF project. As far as the UNICEF project is concerned, I recently sold a print near the end of February that has allowed me to add to the fund which is great. So as it stands:

February sale of American Classic 8x10: $20
UNICEF project received $5
February: $5
YTD 2011: $5
Since project inception: $20.75

As far as Etsy goes, I've been able to add some new/relisted stuff that I'd like to share.



The Lovely One 8x8 $20



Purple & Gold 11x14 $30



Purple Haze 8x10 Giclee Print on Hahnemuhle Photo Rag Paper $50



In Three 5x5 $8



Blossom Bunches 5x7 $8



Pastel Fade 11x14 $30

Before I wrap up this entry, I'd like to mention that I've just opened up shop @ Society6!



Society6 is just like Etsy in that it's an online outlet for artists and photographers to showcase and sell their work. What's great about Society6 is that they also work with Threadless and Urban Outfitters! I'm not all too sure how it works out but I think the more popular prints on Society6 have the chance to sell at these places. It'd be great to see my print on UO's site or walk in to one of they many stores for sale. A bit weird, but great nonetheless...

Lights, Camera, Action

I received my income tax return last week and went ahead and finally bought myself some strobes. I was on the fence with exactly what I wanted to buy. I've been doing some good research and was stuck between buying a monolight kit or buying a couple of Canon 580EX II speedlights. Both types of strobes were very attractive to me and have their respective pros and cons. While I was at Calumet in Hollywood discussing my options with the sales person, I decided to buy the Calumet Travelite 750R kit and I'm quite happy with my purchase. The kit comes with two 750ws monolight heads that are radio capable using Pocket Wizards sync cards, two umbrellas, two stands and a carry luggage with wheels which is a great thing. Basically the entire kit looks like this:



Pros:

The entire kit set me back about $1200 dollars which is a fairly good price considering the other kits from other manufacturers I was looking at such as Elinchrome and Dynalite that had the same amount of power these lights have. Even though they are branded Calumet, the lights themselves are made by Bowens which is a pretty good brand. The ability to use these lights at any given location are probably what attracted me to them. With the separate purchase of a portable Bowens battery pack, I can readily shoot outdoors or any other location without an AC power source. The carry luggage nicely fits the entire kit with room for other stuff such as extra memory cards, cables & cords and possibly softboxes and such. The carry luggage with wheels would make lugging the kit all that more easier. 750ws is more than enough power for any photographer to need and that extra power can come in handy.

Cons:

The dials controlling the power output of the strobes are a bit flimsy and if I were to have any problems with these lights (they're pretty reliable from my research), it would be with the dials.

Weight is also a problem. Even though they're named "Travelite", they're far from it. Each unit weighs in at a pretty weighty 7lbs and considering the total weight of the carry luggage, the cables, umbrellas and the rest of the extras, you're looking at a total weight of 17lbs and that's excluding a portable battery pack should you own one so they're not so light even though they are portable. This can become problematic if your shoot is outdoors and consists of some hiking. Carrying 14 some odd pounds through rugged terrain (and possible a hill or two) will be a mission and a half.

I haven't really properly tested out the unit with a shoot. When I purchased the set, all I did was plug in each unit and fired off a couple of flashes and tested the consistency of the lights which were good although I don't have any examples to show at this moment. I expect to properly break these bad boys in in the next couple of months. I still need to purchase another sync card for one of the units and I intend to purchase a softbox as well.

I also intend to purchase many another set of these lights but lower power like the 350R but haven't really decided. Maybe to complete my portable studio set. However, I do also plan to buy a couple of Canon 580EX IIs later this year in order to make my set more portable. That way, I can decide to take one of my 750R and a whatever 580s I'll own for an outdoor shoot. Carrying 14lbs everytime I intend to shoot outdoors is just too much. Oh, I also need to buy some lenses but that's a whole nother story...

So...who wants to play hmm?

10 Inches of Love

Late in 2009, after being tired of the mohawk I was sporting at the time, I shaved off my hair and began with a clean slate. With nothing in mind as to how I'd like my next hair style to be, I let my hair grow and grow ever since. At some point in time, I'd say mid 2010, I've had enough of my hair growing long and was about to head to Rudy's barbershop in Silverlake to have it shortened. I normally like my hair short, neat and clean a la Mad Men to paint a picture. At this point, my hair has been the longest it has been since I was...I don't know, 8? Long time. Anyway, my hair length was around 5 inches give or take.

While driving on the way to Rudy's, an interesting thought came to mind. Because it has been so long since my hair was this long, to cut it now would be a waste let alone a vain thing. I remembered someone talking about donating hair for the purpose of making hair pieces for kids afflicted with cancer and the like which really had me going. So, driving, I thought "hey, why not go ahead and do it? you're halfway there!". At that moment, I exited the freeway and drove back home with the intention and dedication, to grow my hair out further to donate.

I really didn't think much of the process of growing out my hair. The current 5 inches didn't bother me even though I wasn't used to such a length. Another 5 inches wouldn't be so bad. Well, it isn't (really) but it got a little tough for me along the way. I've lost a couple of nights sleep because hair kept covering my face which could've been avoided as been told, if I had put my hair in a tail prior to sleeping but I didn't do that. The initial comparison to Gallagher by a friend bothered me at first but I took it as a badge of honor later and even went along with the joke. The combing of the hair was probably my main problem. I have wavy hair but I didn't know how thick my hair was until I grew it all out so having to deal with the brushing of it after a shower or what not was a chore and a half for me. I don't know how people with long hair do it.

By the time your read this, my hair would already be gone or at least shortened, and said hair would probably be on its way to the charity of my choice. Locks of Love or Pantene's (which I forget its name), I haven't decided yet. Good chance I'll miss the mane. I've grown accustomed to having it. I'll miss the Gallagher nods. It was fun. One comparison no one has made was Scar, Mufasa's lion brother in Lion King. Some of my friends may get it (me and him being thin in appearance with the lion's mane of hair and all...). I'll probably get that next time as I do plan on growing out my hair again for this very same purpose later in life. Maybe much sooner like later this year. Who knows? Before my hair is still full of black as some friends have pointed out the long strands of maverick white hair. That was another thing that was hard for me...

I asked a friend to take photos of my hair prior to my chopping to...I don't know...commemorate the dedication? For posterity.



Big thank you to my friend Juliyadi Prabowo for snapping the photos.

Flashback

Summer is fast approaching and I can't wait. I've always had the best times during that season. Good times spent with friends. I find myself wondering what Summers of the past looked and felt like.











Time machine please?

Power To The People

The middle east region is in a bit of an upheaval at the moment. A couple of weeks ago, the people of Tunisia revolted against and overthrew its government and since then, the people of Algeria, Jordan and namely Egypt decided to get in on the revolution game and seek out some regime change. The biggest story so far is Egypt as protestors, both pro and anti Mubarak, have been going at it recently and rather violently to what started as peaceful demonstrations.

My political leanings have me siding with the people who seek to see an end to Mubarak's 30 year rule over Egypt so I decided to attend a pro-democracy rally at the Federal Building in Los Angeles to show my support and do some minor photojournalism by documenting the rally. These are just some of my favorite shots from the demonstration. If you'd like to see the entire set, have a look-see at my Flickr account.

Store Updates: January

Hey everyone! Happy new year! I trust you had a capital time partying on nye. I myself had a pretty chill night celebrating with a few friends that consisted of a lot of drinking (given) and board game shenanigans (left field).

I'm in the process of revamping my etsy store at the moment but I've added some new stuff and wanted to give a heads up on what's new for January...



Dancing With The Wind 11x14 Machine Print in Glossy: $30



Memories Of Spring 8x10 Giclee Print on Hahnemuhle FineArt Pearl paper: $60

Also, some of my work has been featured on a couple of treasuries that I think you should check out. These treasuries feature artists/sellers that take a portion of their sales and give out to charities and there are a couple of great stuff that you might be interested in. These treasuries are "Be The Change You Want To See In The World" and "Beauty In Charity II".

One last thing, I'm offering a 15% discount on the items in my store. Just enter "NEWYEAR" in the coupon code entry upon checkout and the discount is as good as yours. Remember that 25% of each sale made will go towards UNICEF's US general fund!

Here's to 2011!