Blather

Arangetram

Michael — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 08:11:58 +0000

PLEASE NOTE: My current gallery software has mangled the quality of these images. I’ll try and find a fix. Until then, you can find some non-mangled images HERE

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My first conspiracy theory

Michael — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 07:53:22 +0000

Like all good conspiracy theories there is no direct evidence but I think the photos speak for themselves.

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Cool tree, colder model (42F)

Michael — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 08:09:07 +0000

I’ve shot this tree before but not being a landscape photographer I always felt something was missing (cue the lovely nude model).

It seems that models shooting with me in the winter time have about a 50/50 chance of becoming hypothermic. The wet mud didn’t help when the model lost her footing and came down the roots the hard way. Luckily she wasn’t hurt but it was clearly time to move on to something less treacherous.

We’ll probably come back in the summer, 13 minutes of shooting time wasn’t quite adequate for figuring out the best angles.

For the camera geeks. All images were shot with the 5DmkII and 16-35 f/2.8 L. The tripod was necessary since the I was shooting 1/15 second at f/4.5, ISO 800. Next time I’ll be using more primes and a stepladder.

Rated ‘N’ for Nudity

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Model session in the studio

Michael — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 06:13:41 +0000

Quick and simple Sunday session. Rebecca is relatively new to modeling but her acting skills add and undeniable element of grace and expression.

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Bharatanatyam shoot behind the scenes (Part II)

Michael — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 19:37:27 +0000

Part II from a pre-Arangetram session with the Sengupta family. Go HERE for the first post and details about the upcoming Arangetram performance.

This time we were shooting in the Studio with a full crew, parents, makeup, dance instructor, and the incredibly talented young Tara. Indian treats, Bollywood music blasting on the stereo… I’m going to start writing these items down as requirements in all my contracts.

For the camera geeks. All images shot on a 5DmkII with mostly the 85 f/1.2 L, sometimes a 35 f/1.4 L. Four Profoto strobes, Beauty dish (gridded), Hair spot (gridded), kicker for the dress (gridded), zoom reflector on the background.

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Thanksgiving on the Oregon Coast

Michael — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 19:11:27 +0000

Four families totaling 10 adults and 10 kids, all in one house. I know what you’re thinking but it really was a lot of fun.

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Cyclist vs Hypothermia

Michael — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 21:34:56 +0000

I knew there was going to be rain but I didn’t expect 1″ for the day, and I didn’t expect it all to fall during the shoot. Forecast was for 54F, we got 45F.

Thankfully after several years of racing, Suede is rather used to suffering on a bicycle. By some minor miracle no gear was destroyed while creating these images. It was an educational experience for sure.

Lessons learned…

- You can never have too many garbage bags
- Rig up a harness to help ensure any unexpected maneuvers don’t toss the shooter (moi) out of the back of the truck
- You can never have too many towels
- A truck canopy would be handy
- With proper preparation (and luck) a shoot like this can be accomplished without being electrocuted

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Mico at the Studio

Michael — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 05:46:07 +0000

Mico needed some portfolio images, I needed to balance out my own with a male model or two.

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Bharatanatyam shoot behind the scenes

Michael — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 19:24:27 +0000

Tara Sengupta is a student at Anita Menon’s Anjali School of Dance. The purpose of the shoot was to create invitations and programs for the young dancers upcoming Arangetram.

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An Arangetram is the debut performance of a Bharatanatyam student and only happens after years of dedication to the art. If you’ve never been to one I highly recommend it. I’ve seen many performances by students of Anita and have always been impressed by their preparedness and choreography.

Info for the performance:

Date: Mar. 27th. Saturday
Time: 4:00 pm (seating at 3:30 pm)
Location:
Performing Arts Center
PCC Sylvania Campus
12000, SW 49th Ave.,
Portland OR 97219

You can RSVP via email: info@anjalidance.com or call Anita Menon (503.705.2169). The event is free but RSVP is required

It will be a while before I can release more images as the client requested exclusive use until the invitations are ready.

Now for all you camera geeks! We had 2 hours to shoot before it got dark. We ended up with six different location settings and 450 exposures. I knew we’d need to move fast so I improvised and commandeered our baby cart. That’s a Profoto 7B pack nestled in there. My helpful assistant Mark stood in until the young dancer showed up. I used a 22″ silver beauty dish to the right for key and a medium softbox left for fill. The background was exposed just enough to get really good color saturation. The 300mm lens was chosen to give a really dramatic scene compression, I think it worked.

Camera setup: 5DmkII w/300 f/2.8 IS L. 1/160 second, f/10, ISO 160.

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Family shoot at the Pumpkin Patch

Michael — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 21:15:38 +0000

Each year I donate time to SAWERA, an organization that offers free, confidential, and culturally sensitive services to South Asian women and children who are experiencing domestic violence in Oregon.

Congratulations to the Bandukwala family for donating to the charity and also winning one of my photo packages in the silent auction!

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