There’s a spot in my Minnesota photo studio, that is used for storage. Its two levels, with the second level not going all the way as the ground level. this was becuse of the heat conduit and we needed a place for the 16-ft and 12 ft ladders and t 12-ft backgrounds.   Well, its getting very crowded.  What seemed like endless storage 5 years ago. (I just build the studio and had got en rid of a lot of stuff before I move), is now a mess.   So I took the time and  moved the ladders, put the 12 ft backgrounds horizontally. and finished off the second level. Now there is an additional 100-120 sq. ft of space.This should help with the mess, for a little while.

The new year brings resolutions and promises, a chance to start something new. Thats what I been up to lately.  I take the time between December 20th and the 20 of January , to plan for the new year. Yes thats right I really sit down and think of what my “brand” will offer. I look at the current services I am offering and what equipment I think I will need. What will  my marketing be and to who.  Are there some new skills I need.  So far this is what i have figured out. I am going to continue  learning video shooting and editing, for my own projects but also with Social Media Made Simple (SM-2).  I am going to concentrate  on the food photography side of my brand. I’m going to use a company called Pavlv, for the marketing and mailing, of mail pieces.  I am going to have a sale/marketing rep for both the food and the BDI brand.  I also need to up my game  to land more clients.  It is a ambitious plan.  I have to see what I can get done.

I am happy  that the October meeting of the Central Minnesota Photoshop and Lightroom user group, thats a mouth full, will be meeting at the studio  next week October 24th.  there’s food, fun, some information and prizes.  If this intrest you please follow the link and rsvp for more information.

J

I recently had the opportunity to escort my wife to Des Moines IA for 3 days. She was there for  a certification course  she needed  her work.  so it gave some time to explore the city.  I had the fortune to meet Brent Isenberger. A local Advertising Photographer and fellow ASMP member. we had lunch and shared war stories.  I had a great time.

I did some  images from my hotel room, of the Des Moines skyline. I was testing out my cameras  intervolrometer.

Here are the results. I should have gotten up earlier,  but 6 am was early enough.

Des Moines Time laps

Theres been a change at my minnesota photo studio. A new expanded and remodeled kitchen was added. In June, 2011 Area nineteen the studio rental company  that operates out of my studio, had a studio rental for a week. The client needed a kitchen as a set for a video shoot. They did not want to build a set with a kitchen,  The client liked the lay out I had, so they asked if I could remodel mine. Of course I said yes.   Here are just a  few of the changes we made.  I swopped  on counter tops to white. Added new doors new pulls. Built a custom moveable white island, and repainted the walls a pleasant green color. Before and after photos below. So does any one want some maple cabinet doors?. I have a lot of them.

Being a commercial photographer in Minnesota. Or any were for that matter, takes practice. I am regularly called apron to be creative with image, a moments notice. I build my creative muscle by using it and practicing my craft. I did this recently. Shooting a bowl of soup. I did not have any preconceived idea. I just wanted to create some thing that would be different from the way I shoot most my images. My style.

The day warned up to a balmy 60 degrees at my Minnesota photo studio. This let me open up the studio garage door and draw the large poly silk curtain across. The studio lit up from all the light.   outside thru the curtain I could hear the birds singing. And you could feel the genital breeze flowing out side. Spring has arrived.  I did also need to shoot some colorful zippers in a sun pattern for a trade show graphic.  I love working with the natural light.   The sun and the Poly silk curtain  made the lighting look great on the zippers. soft but yet detail in all the right places.

Last week we here in Minnesota, had a mid February thaw. The temp reached over 50 degrees for a couple of days. The snow was melting and I could finally see the black top of my parking lot. It was good. Which of course met I stared the spring clean. In doing so I found some paint on a back shelf. A nice bright yellow and a olive green. The colors and the weather inspired me so I proceed to repaint the hallway into the studio were my sample images hang. The color was a deep red. There was no way the yellow was going to cover the red, so a little high hide white paint,  I use to paint the cove, took care of the red. The yellow is bright. I mean slap in the face bright. It’s great. As soon as you open the door to the studio it wake you up. The project samples jump off the wall.
The green I used in the entry/ reception area. I did pick up a lighter green for the window wells and the walls were the sun comes in the windows. This is an accent color. You don’t notice it during the day but at night. It brings out the shape of the room. I my try some more painting.
My office could use a new coat.

In my march to better images. changing the fabric (and the whole mechanical system) in front of my garage door was this week project.  This fabric is used when I shoot using daylight. The semi translucent curtain is suspended on a roller in front of the garage door. Sun light gets defused and is just wonderful to shoot with. Its a 12×14 foot wall of light. But it was a a DIY system and not very convenent if you needed to use the gragedoor.  I used stuff from around the studio to build it.  I was searching the web and came found a company in California called canvas grip. They make lots of Flags,Scrims, and silks for the movie industry.   I contacted them and Ivan was great to talk to.   They make custom silks. so I talked to them about a new curtain.  I had a 15 x13.6 ft Poly silk curtain made.  I went to the local Ace Hardware, and bought the cabling and brackets that I needed. it went up well. but its been only around  20 degrees out so I have not opened the door to measure the amount a diffusion and the quality of the light. I think I’ll wait unill it gets warmer.

J