Vision and Views

Were does the time go. (Commercial Photographer Minnesota)

admin — Fri, 18 May 2012 14:39:33 +0000

This could be a long post. I did not realize it had been 5 months since my last writing. Well I’ll try not to make this a christmas letter. Here some of the things I’ve been up to, not in any order. A lot more time with my family, not that work is slow, but my wife and I realized that my two sons are going to be graduating in a couple of years. We need to spend a lot of time with them before there out on there own.

I have been shooting a lot more video. Here is a 30 second vid I did for a Airsoft event. ( Waring this are NOT real guns).

Airsoft_Airhog_30

Also Mike and Roni from SM-2, the video company I shoot and edit for, and I, had a booth at a St. Cloud Chamber event. Were trying to spread the word on video for the web.

I am told that there are a couple of food project coming my way. One is a cook book. But I can’t say what its about. I’ll let that secret out later this summer.

Well this will need to be it for now. I have to add to my other blogs. One for my studio rental company Areanineteen.com and my food Blog over at Minneapolis food photographer.

Joel

More storage, Always more storage.

admin — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 18:58:43 +0000

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.

Out with the old in with the new. (Minneapolis Minnesota editorial photographer)

admin — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 18:58:07 +0000

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.

Photoshop User meeting October 24th (annual report photographer)

admin — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 12:59:43 +0000

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.

Sometime in Des Moines ( Minnesota Annual Report Photographer)

admin — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 21:08:23 +0000

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

Out with the old in with the new ( Minneapolis commercial photographer)

admin — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 16:50:16 +0000

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.

Practice,make perfect, ( Minneapolis Food Photographer)

admin — Thu, 05 May 2011 20:52:07 +0000

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.

A breath of fresh air. (commercial photographer)

admin — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 16:47:13 +0000

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.

I feel springy ( Commercial Photographer)

admin — Sun, 27 Mar 2011 22:37:35 +0000

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.

Let the curtain close

admin — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 19:57:08 +0000

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.