Behind the Scenes Architectural Shoot

I thought I'd post a lighting scheme from a recent architectural interior that I shot for a print ad. Although I used tungsten lighting on this particular job, I also use strobes or natural light depending on how the interior "speaks" to me. I always let the feel of an interior determine the type of lighting I use. Because of the white theme of this kitchen, I felt the need for tungsten lighting because of it's high degree of controllability and also for the drama that tungsten lighting can create in what would otherwise be a very flat looking photograph because of the all white theme. I used three types of lights in this shot-Lowel VIP Pro 250w lights, Arri Compact 125w lights and Calumet 650w lights (which are no longer in production). All lights are equipped with barn doors.

Light #1 is a Calumet 650 in the far end of the scene bounced into a white scrim taped to the hallway wall to light the door area. I always use a pure white scrim when bouncing lights because if you don't, your light will take on the hue of whatever color of wall you're bouncing into. On this light and most of the others, I also used "black wrap" a matte black foil that you can buy from well stocked camera stores to drape over the lighting housing to prevent any stray light leaks. Black wrap is also great for using as a gobo attached to the barn doors themselves as another way to get the most control over the light source. Light #2 is an Arri 125 on a short floor stand aimed at the cabinets on the far left hand wall. When this light was first placed, the glare on the cabinets was overpowering. It's an easy fix, though-Just screw on a polarizer and you eliminate the glare. Light #3 is a Lowel 250 on a stand just behind the wall that separates the cabinet wall from the range counter. One leg of the stand had to be Photoshopped out because of the extremely small area in which to place the light. It is aimed to hit a couple places-The glass cabinet containing white serving bowls to the left of the back window and also the shelves on the right side of the same window. Lights #4 & #5 are Lowel 250's on small floor stands aimed down the cabinets on either side of the middle island. Light #6 is an Arri aimed at the end of the island facing the camera and Light #7 is a Calumet aimed at the bowl of nuts and also hitting the cabinets on the right side of the frame. Light #8, another Calumet, is in the family room on the other side of the pass through and is aimed at the cabinets under the back sink. Light #9 is a Calumet and is aimed at he glass paned doors in the family room and Calumet light #10 is aimed toward the sink in the island in order to highlight both the sink fixtures and plates. Besides barn doors and black wrap, I also used neutral density gels when needed and wooden clothespins clipped to the barn doors and used as small gobos. Post production was pretty straight forward-The only real change to the image was to clone the vine outside the window to cover more area.

Nikon D300s DSLR Video

I've recently blogged about my friend, Mike Livera of Kiwi Camera Service. I decided to use his shop to test out video with the Nikon D300s. I have no doubt this is the future. Soon. I think all cameras will just shoot video and you'll be able to extract individual frames as perfect stills like the RED camera does now. I've been following guys like Vincent LaForet and Phillip Bloom on their blogs for info and inspiration on shooting video with DSLRs. I'm just beginning to figure out what my workflow will be and it's a little daunting but even more exciting to think of what's possible.

In the video, the dolly shots are made using the Micro Dolly and the lighting is all natural

Mike Livera - Kiwi Camera Service from Stephen Allen on Vimeo.

Mike Livera/Kiwi Camera Service from Stephen Allen on Vimeo.

Flying Horse Press

I just finished a shoot at Flying Horse Press, a publisher of museum quality, limited edition art books and prints by internationally renowned artists and authors. They are affiliated with the University of Central Florida's Fine Art Press. The work produced there is jaw dropping, absolutely beautiful.

The first shot is of the gallery space and was lit exclusively with available light. White balance on the camera is set to tungsten to turn the daylight in the space blue. The second shot is of the binding and finishing area and was lit with available light and a 650w tungsten spot on the press in the left of the frame, another 650w spot on the press in the foreground and finally a 200w Arri spot on the press in the back. All lights are set up in the same area outside the right side of the frame. The third image is available light except for a 650w tungsten spot that has been gelled for daylight on the right side of the frame and aimed directly at the press in the middle of the page. All three photographs were made with the Nikon D3 and the 24mm Nikon PC lens.

Fall Season

Nikon D3X and and an Elinchrom strobe bounced

into the wall on camera left.

Nikon D3X with direct sun diffused with a 1 stop scrim.

Nikon D3X in available light.

Nikon D3X with available tungsten stage lights and an

Elinchrom strobe with a blue gel in the background

directed toward the camera.

Nikon D3X and available light.

My fall season's in full swing, shooting colleges and prep schools for ad agencies that specialize in marketing for education clients. We spent last week in New Hampshire at a beautiful school working with a great group of people, both staff and students. Here are a few images from the shoot...

Kiwi Camera Service

I shoot Nikon and I'm not impressed with Nikon Professional Services. Since I've been a member, I've tried to contact a regional rep to introduce myself. Never got a call back. As an NPS member, you get expedited repairs (which aren't all that expedited) and access to loaner equipment while you wait on your repair. Since I haven't talked to a rep, I don't have access to the loaner equipment. Great camera gear, lousy customer service. Companies can take a lesson from Apple as far as repairs are concerned. I sent a laptop to Apple this past monday that needed a new screen. I received it 3 days later by Priority Fedex. They paid for the shipping both ways.

I'm lucky I have the wizard of camera repair right here in central Florida. Michael Livera of Kiwi Camera Service has saved me more than a couple of times by repairing gear, usually within a day. I had a problem with a D3 this week-Michael had the part overnighted from Nikon and had the camera repaired the next day. If I had sent it to NPS, 2-3 weeks. He's a great guy and he has my gratitude for all his help. Call Michael when you need a repair and visit his shop. It's a roadside museum of photographic parts from the last century. (321) 303-2757

Michael is shot with my newly repaired D3 and a 50mm 1.8 Nikkor in available light.

Don't Call It A Comeback...Yet.

The Impossible Project, a group that bought manufacturing equipment from the defunct Polaroid Corp and leased the production facility Polaroid used in the Netherlands is getting ready to introduce their first product. See it here- http://bit.ly/YhmL Could Type 55 be a reality in the future?

I've just recently been added to the Alltop blog listing service. If you don't know about it, you should. It's a fantastic site that allows you to input a topic of your choosing and then provides a listing of pertinent blogs. You'll be up all night... Thanks, Alltop, for deeming me worthy! Cheers!

Soaking up the Sun...

Just finished an editorial shoot for a magazine I can name once it hits the stands, of a solar powered umbrella. The top of the umbrella is lined with flexible solar panels which pump out the juice for whatever you need under the sun...Pretty cool, I guess it's time to dust off the old school boom box. Blazing hot day in central Florida and Bryan, my assistant, and I were drippin'. Luckily for us, our beautiful model, Lauren kept it cool and never needed a makeup touchup. We're shooting with the Nikon D3, 70-200mm & 24-70mm Nikon glass and cross lighting Lauren and the umbrella from either side with two Elinchrom heads with reflectors and no other modifiers. After the shoot it was off for Cuban sandwiches and mango shakes at Cindy's Tropical Cafe in Orlando. Fantastico!

Nick Merrick Workshop

I recently returned from Santa Fe, NM where I took a workshop from the living legend, architectural photographer Nick Merrick (www.hedrichblessing.com). He's as great a teacher as he is a photographer and the class was far better than I even hoped for. Here are a couple of shots from the workshop...

Profiling

When working at college campuses, shooting profiles of students or teachers is a way for schools to have the people who actually teach or learn there get the message out about how great an experience it is to be at a particular college. The images here will be used as double page spreads in brochures and billboards along with quotes from people profiled.

The first shot of Staci, the soccer player has Staci lit from the left with a large Photek Softlighter and an Elinchrom RX600 from the right and another RX600 to the right of the lockers in the back bounced into the ceiling. The next shot of Doug, the math professor, is lit with an Elinchrom RX600 to his left and slightly behind him to give him a bit of backlight and also light the blackboard in the background. Another RX600 with a large softbox is placed to the left and a little in front of Doug. The last shot of Cathy, a graduate student, is lit with natural light streaming in through the windows behind her and an Elinchrom RX600 with a 10 degree grid as close and as in front of Cathy as possible and aimed directly at her face to give her just a little extra light. All three shots are with the Nikon D3 and the 70-200mm Nikkor zoom except for the shot of Doug which was made with the 24-70mm Nikkor zoom.

Times are Tough

Sometimes my assistant and I will grab a beer after a particularly long day and decompress. We were in the northeast recently in a small town hard hit by the economic crisis and stumbled into a small bar that catered to a community of veterans who are struggling like so many others. Not a day goes by that I'm not thankful for my Dad, Grandfather and all these guys and women who offered their lives in service to our country. Here's to the vets...

Speaking of Architecture...

I also shoot architecture for architects and interior designers. I've just recently been in Naples, Fl working for a couple of different designers. Most of the work I photograph in that part of the state are condo penthouses. The beach down there is littered with expensive, high rise condos catering to people who spend only a few months out of the year there. I recently saw a statistic that showed there were more millionaires per capita in Naples that anywhere else in the U.S. Anyway, I'm lucky enough to get to photograph these places with the great views. 

My lighting for interiors varies depending on the style of the room and what, if any, available natural light is present. As examples, the first shot of the seating area with the blown out floor to ceiling windows is just late afternoon natural light streaming in from those windows. No other supplemental lighting is used. Nikon D3 and 24-70mm 2.8 Nikkor.

The next image of the hallway is lit with a combination of 11 hidden Arri and Lowell tungsten lights and the dimmed down ambient light of the existing lighting fixtures. Nikon D3 and 24-70mm 2.8 Nikkor.

The last shot of the contemporary interior is lit simply with two 4800ws Speedotron units with standard reflectors on the heads set up on the balcony to simulate sunlight. Nikon D3 and 24mm 2.8 PC Nikkor.  

Ikea vs Breuer

While working in New Haven, Ct, we stayed near an Ikea with  Marcel Breuer designed building in the parking lot. Breuer is from the Bauhaus school and is world renown for his architecture and furniture design. He designed the Whitney Museum in NY, among others. This building in New Haven, I believe, is known as the Pirelli Tire building, and was apparently saved by preservationists after Ikea bought the property sometime around the beginning of this decade. The building is saved but empty. It looks like its only use is as a glorified wall for Ikea to hang it's banners. 

Upon first look, the style of the structure looks pretty heavy handed, almost crushing, until you notice the beautiful sculpted patterns on the facade of all four of its sides. We were lucky enough to happen upon the building late on a clear afternoon so we could get the early evening light highlighting all of Breuer's design elements sculpted into the concrete surface. I'm so lucky to have a job that allows me to travel and stumble upon art in a random parking lot. 

Shot with the Nikon D3 and a 24mm PC Nikkor lens.  

Winding Up...

We're winding up and reflecting on this season of shooting colleges and prep schools. It's always amazed me the difference in personality between one school and the next. I love the distinct vibe you feel at every campus. Small schools have a closer knit, family feel and some of the larger universities are like cities. Some of the kids we've profiled, whether at a small or large institution, have left me with a great feeling about our future. With each passing decade or so in our history, the youth have become increasingly savvy in everything from technology to world view. The best and brightest are better and brighter....Hat's off to the graduating class of '09. 

As for the shots- Andre', a basketball player with his game face on at a New Haven University with a stellar GPA and shot blocking abilities is shot with the D3 and lit with direct sunlight coming through the gym's high windows. Kids in the student center are shot with the D3 with an Elinchrom RX600 with a red gel over the reflector aimed at the guitarist and another RX600 with a blue gel  and a 40 degree grid on the reflector back and to the right and aimed at the couple. The next shot of the "Gladiator Games" that we happened upon at one school is shot with the D3 and available light. Those kids were nuts! The dorm room shot is with the D3 with the white balance on tungsten (to make the daylight in the room go blue to simulate evening) and my assistant holding a Nikon SB800 speedlight over the shoulder of the girl taking the picture and aiming it at the kids she's photographing. The lacrosse kids are shot with the D3 and lit with a RX 600 with a Photek light bank to the left, slightly behind and aimed at the two kids up front. Two more RX600's are bounced against the right side wall to illuminate the rest of the locker room. Finally, the lab scene is lit with a large Chimera soft box attached to a RX600 placed to the left and slightly behind the professor and students, another RX600 at the back of the room with a 10 degree grid on the reflector for a slight backlight on the subjects, yet another RX600 with a 40 degree grid and a blue gel over the reflector aimed at all the glass in the foreground and lastly, a 650 watt Arri spot is aimed on the background lab hood.   

DC3

On the way out of Ohio and to the Detroit airport after a college photo shoot, we saw this old DC3 parked in front of a small airstrip that was bathed in orange from a fantastic sunset. We had to stop and shoot a quick one...I've always had a love for aircraft and the DC3 is maybe the most durable plane ever built. There are still hundreds, maybe thousands, of them in use all over the world. It's the VW Bug of commercial aircraft.

Sometimes You Get Lucky

Sometimes you get lucky. On our last couple of weeks of shooting colleges and prep schools before the break, we met this kid from a college we shot in Ohio. He's from NYC on scholarship and he looks like we plucked him out from central casting for college students. He's got a great look, the right clothes and the glasses! At the end of one of our shooting days, he was nice enough to to meet up with me, my assistant and the art director to get some images to be used for posters and billboards. All shots are natural light with the D3 and 24-70mm 2.8 except the close up on the top image which was lit from behind the student with a Photek light bank (with diffuser) shot through a 1 stop silk. A white reflector is directly over the camera to bounce light into the student.

 

I just recently shot a CD cover for Beth McKee, a displaced New Orleans resident who has recorded a disc of Bobby Charles covers. Bobby Charles is a New Orleans institution who's songs have been covered by Ray Charles to Tom Jones to UB40. Beth's got the pipes and her drummer, Juan Perez (also her husband), sounds like he could be the love child of Charlie Watts and Tito Puente. You can go to Beth's site to sample some of the cd- www.bethmckee.com/Beth_McKee_|Home.html

Beth was shot with the Nikon D3 24-70mm 2.8 zoom using natural light and a white reflector. The inside photo of the cypress trees was shot with the D3 and the 70-200mm 2.8 in natural light.

I shoot a lot of colleges and prep schools-It's my main thing. It's fun-You've got to treat it like an advertising shoot but with non-professional talent (real students and teachers) and be flexible enough to do the photo journalism thing. This first shot is of an art teacher in a prep school I recently shot. The kids loved and gravitated to her. Just the kind of person who's going to wake up the creative side of a young mind.

She's shot with a Photek light bank (with diffuser) directly behind the camera...Nikon D3 with the 24-70 zoom. 

When you go to a new college or prep school location that you've never seen before, you pray you'll find great places (and kids) to shoot. This same prep school was founded on a piece of property that included a beautiful 19th century mansion that now houses the administrative offices of the school. Here's a couple of kids we set up in one of the beautiful windows contained in the building-It's all natural light except for a single Elinchrom head with a 10 degree grid at the bottom of the stairs hitting the statue and woodwork on the far wall. The Nkon D3 with the 24-70 Nikkor.

Here comes the quasi-photojournalism thing. It's class change and it mayhem in the hallways. A group of girls pause to play a game, so you throw up an Elinchrom head at the far end of the hallway, turn it all the way up, adjust the camera for exposure and find a great face to focus on.

Nikon D3 with the 70-200 Nikkor.

This is the photo that introduces my blog. This beautiful woman is Harriet Lake, a philanthropist who lives here in Orlando. I just recently did an editorial shoot with her as part of an article on a new performing arts center that is going to be built downtown. Ms. Lake has always been there for the arts in a city starved for art. She's both an angel and the toniest of dressers.

Harriet is lit from the side with a Photek umbrella diffused with a 1-stop silk. Backlight is from an Elinchrom head with a CTB gel. Nikon D3 and the 24-70 Nikkor zoom.  

Another blog...

I'm Stephen Allen and I'm adding to the collection of blogs authored by photographers. I enjoy reading blogs that pertain to photographers and photography so I hope I can add something worthwhile occasionally. I will make it a point to add technical information to any photos I post. I'm lucky enough to be able to make a living doing what I love and if I can give one good (or bad) example of how I work that might help someone else, that will make my day. I owe something to the other photographer/bloggers that have come before me and have so graciously shared their info.

For the record, I am a Nikon shooter, using the D3 primarily. It's a great camera....

Wish me luck.