Nothing is quite as iconic as guzzling down a refreshing Coca-Cola after a long day of playing in the sun. That irreplaceable feeling is what inspired a recent shoot, which included Coca-Cola along with a fun outdoor location. Dana Jonas loves the challenge of mixing classic, vintage Coke bottles, and modern, therefore shooting Coca-Cola with adorable blonde models was right up her alley. The day of the shoot was of course typical Seattle; hideous, including rain, clouds, and no sun breaks, yet the pictures still conveyed that young, summer, fun, feeling. Dana explains in her own words how she created sunshine on a cloudy day:
“Believe it or not, this was one of the rainiest shoots I’ve been on. As we shlepped through the wet grass, soaking our feet and testing Ashli’s (MU&H) patience, I realized I would have to work pretty hard to achieve the look I was going for. But, I was certainly determined if nothing else. The girls were troopers and we made the best of it by playing with the focus, composition, warmth of the image and backlighting by using some of my favorite on-location lighting (speedlights). The images turned out great and no one can ever believe that it was raining. Mission Accomplished.”
These sunshiny pictures are here to offer hope to Seattlites everywhere; that summer may come after all. :)
We are living large with an abundance of studio space so we decided to put it to use with our latest project, a 360 degree interior spin of the spacious Freightliner Coronado. Most of us aren’t long-haul truckers and have never had the chance to even venture into one of these massive vehicles. So here’s your chance to sit back and view our interactive 360 interior spin of this amazing truck. Check out the quote below to get insight on the creative process from photographer Henry Ngan!
“Working on this project presented numerous challenges. First and foremost is how to capture this interior space through a camera lens so the viewer feels as if they are actually sitting inside the truck. We accomplished this by experimenting with several focal lengths to find the sweet spot where lens distortion is kept to a minimum. Multiple still images were needed at several angles to capture the full 360 degree view of the interior from front of cab to the rear sleeping quarters. The second challenge we faced is how to light the interior space from the front of the cab to the rear spaces so that we accounted for the varying lighting changes that occur naturally. As you transition from front of cab to the sleeping quarters you have less windows that allow for light to enter into these spaces creating a natural warm environment. Through my extensive exposure to varying photographic challenges my favorite projects are the ones that utilize all my skills and creativity.”
It was a weekend of epic proportions in our home base of Portland, OR. There were so many activities going on from Pride to naked bicycle rides, we decided to hit the streets! Inspired by the Portland Business Journal’s Social Madness competition we decided to bring social back. Nothing’s better than being face to face with our fans and seeing their brilliant smiles. We built a mobile photobooth with an awesome background and of course, our secret ingredient, AWESOME photographers!! Running around the streets not only helped boost our team morale, but helped get us inches away from moving on to the next social madness round. We got a little crazy with fun costumes and sandwich boards; all in the name of charity. We had our eye on the grand prize of $7500 for Rosemary Anderson High School. Unfortunately, our fantastic competition surpassed us in the end. We do hope however we can create awareness for this awesome cause, that helps at risk youth in the Portland Metro area. Check out their website for more info.
Not all was lost, we got some great pictures and made some new friends along the way. See below a sampling of the beautiful smiles of PDX folk documenting their PRIDE!!
Studio 3 loves shooting product, what we love even more is partnering with local companies to help their visual concepts come to life. Recently, we had the chance to shoot the photography for a camera strap company. This was no ordinary photo shoot, David Bell and Craig Wagner had the fun task of reshooting their entire product line. They definitely had a blast working with the client by helping create their vision; styling straps to look as if they were on invisible bodies, accessorizing them, and making every feature noticeable. It’s rare that such a fun partnership comes along, but when it does the shoot ends with everyone feeling extremely accomplished and excited about the future possibilities. Photographers, David Bell and Craig Wagner, took this project in stride. Craig Wagner’s ability to create visual solutions are described in his own words:
This shoot was extremely challenging, David and I were using numerous skills to get the perfect shot, it seemed as if we were more like puppeteers creating realistic suspending products, that appeared to be wrapped around an invisible body. In order to meet the challenge we used such supplies as armature wire and monofilament to create the perfect visual. It was definitely a time in which we both had to step up and rise to a challenge that we embraced! Challenging shoots are definitely something I live for and never fear. I think it’s the challenges that make shooting unique and exciting with each new project!
Seattle and Portland are in the nation’s top ten bike friendly cities, so it’s no surprise our photographers are inspired by the environmentally friendly mode of transportation. Dana Jonas and Chris Eltrich teamed up to play out their personal strengths, with Dana shooting bicyclist Eddie and Chris shooting the fun color inspired product shots, it was a bike to remember. While Chris shot his series in studio, Dana chose a pier on Green Lake and here are her thoughts:
I chose to shoot on a pier in Green Lake to have the option of creating the element of surprise. My goal was to have the viewer take a second look, like: what, wait, wow…is that guy riding on water? The model was great, seeing eye to eye on my vision. He even got so intense as making himself hyperventilate to look authentic. It was a great team and match up, I am definitely loving the fun visual result!
