the muse - week eight

If you have not read the introduction to the project, please do so by clicking here

week eight

Canon 7D, 17-40m, ISO100, 1/200,  f/6.3

April 1, 2011

This was our last weekly scheduled shoot so we decided to go to Ogden. I was raised in Ogden and feel comfortable there. There are a lot of great places to shoot. Some of the areas have changed a little but it still feels like home. Also, the weather was awesome! It was the warmest day that Kat and I have shot together. 

We started out by the old rail yard off 31st.  It was afternoon and the lighting was pretty harsh but we persevered.

These first two images are lit with Kat facing the sun.

Canon 1Ds MKII, 70-200m, ISO100, 1/3200,  f/2.8

Canon 1Ds MKII, 17-40m, ISO100, 1/2000,  f/4  

We then headed down the tracks a little closer to the switch. When Kat was getting ready the car door had closed slightly and unfortunately she hit her face on it. I could hear the thunk from a distance so it must have hurt. It didn’t scar or turn red though and Kat, being the professional she is, shrugged it off and the shoot continued. So, if she looks like she is in pain in a couple, it is either from the door or listening to my jokes.  The opening image in black and white was also shot in this area and is one of my favorites from the day.

Canon 7D, 17-40m, ISO100, 1/160,  f/6.3 

Canon 7D, 17-40m, ISO100, 1/200,  f/6.3

I had also brought this Holga lens. It is a pretty unique lens. It's not a Holga simulator but an actual Holga lens. It is the quickest way to make your thousands of dollars camera into a toy camera. It is harder to focus then I imagined but I really like the super soft look and the familiar vignetting. 

These next two images were captured with it.

Canon 1Ds MKII, Holga lenscap, ISO100, 1/160, f - unrecorded  

I really like this second one. The odd thing about the Holga is in composition. Normally I would not have Kat in the middle of the frame(though don't put it past me). But as you can see, if she was to one side or the other, she would be in super soft focus. Interesting working with this lens.

 

Canon 7D, Holga lenscap, ISO100, 1/200, f - unrecorded  

We then headed up Ogden Canyon. These next couple shots were at a trailhead about 1/4 mile up the canyon.They are actually inside some old chimney looking structure.

Canon 1Ds MKII, 70-200m, ISO100, 1/125,  f/5.6, single strobe right

Canon 1Ds MKII, 70-200mm, ISO100, 1/100,  f/7.1, single strobe left, natural light right

Next we shot downtown to the union station. As we were getting set up to shoot a rather intoxicated man hit us up for some change. He then hung around to watch us shoot. It wasn't all bad but made me a little nervous for my equipment. Sometimes when I shoot I leave stuff at various spots. Sorta like a bread crumb trail so I can find my way back to the car :) Mostly just made me a little less portable. 

Anyways, they have quite a few trains that are available to the public. We took some shots with Kat in a doorway of the train that I think turned out awesome! Here are a couple- 

Canon 1Ds MKII, 17-40mm, ISO100, 1/80,  f/5, 2 strobe set-up

Canon 1Ds MKII, 17-40mm, ISO100, 1/100,  f/5, 2 strobe set-up

We then headed on top of one of the train cars. Kat did awesome! We tried quite a few shots up there with Kat's back to the sun. There was also a door into the train car from the top. Kat even climbed halfway down that for a couple shots. This next image is my favorite from up there and actually my favorite form the day. I love the curves and patterns going on with the pose. Kat is a trooper. The bar she is partially sitting on is all that is keeping her on top of the train about 15' in the air. 

 
Canon 1Ds MKII, 17-40m, ISO100, 1/160,  f/5.6, single strobe right

We then went over to the big black train to do some of the more vintage type shots.

Here is one I converted to a custom sepia tint.

Canon 1Ds MKII, 17-40m, ISO100, 1/60,  f/5.6, 2 strobe set-up

A friend of mine, Al Perry, was having an Art show at the Eccles Art Center so we stopped by to say hi. He had some great work and he is a good guy to just visit with.

The day turned out great! However, it was a little bittersweet. This was our last weekly scheduled shoot. We will shoot again and will continue with the monthly shoots throughout the year but the weekly thing was something I looked forward to and really enjoyed. It's just too difficult to commit that kind of time for both of us. It wasn't always convenient for me and I know it wasn’t easy for Kat. But, she stuck to it and gave it 100% each time.  

the muse - week seven

If you have not read the introduction to the project, please do so by clicking here

week seven

Canon 1DS MKII, 70-200m, ISO100, 1/60,  f/5.0, single gelled strobe

March 16, 2011

It was supposed to still be cold this week and the weather didn't let us down. It was cold and very rainy. We went to a nearby warehouse for this shoot.  Started off just grabbing some casual shots. These were all with a single off camera flash. For these next few shots, we were in and out. I just placed Kat in the general location, she struck a pose and I set a light and shot. From location to capture to next location was less than 2 minutes. More of just an exercise but really worked well. I have said it before but it is great to not have to direct Kat and to have her just know the look I am going for. 

-on top of a trailer-

Canon 1DS MKII, 70-200m, ISO100, 1/125,  f/4.0, single strobe- left

-inside a locker cabinet-

 

Canon 1DS MKII, 70-200m, ISO100, 1/80,  f/4.0, single strobe 



 -on top of some old boxes-

Canon 1DS MKII, 70-200m, ISO100, 1/125,  f/5.0, single strobe- left



 -in 'the oven'-

Canon 1DS MKII, 70-200m, ISO100, 1/80,  f/5.0, single strobe- right

These next shots took a little more set-up. and we used a large piece of stainless steel that we found. The lighting is a bit extreme but exactly what I was going for.

Canon 1DS MKII, 70-200m, ISO100, 1/60,  f/5.0, two strobes

Canon 1DS MKII, 70-200m, ISO100, 1/60,  f/5.0, two strobes

We then did some shots with my guitar. I hadn’t had the guitar for long so I hadn't came up with a name yet. If you ask why I needed a name for my guitar then maybe you don't play a guitar. Anyways, it is a necessity if you really care about her. The guitar that is. 

Kat suggested I name her ‘Betty’. And so it is. 

So, we captured quite a few shots of Kat and Betty in front of some old circuit breaker panels. I set up a fog machine and some red gels. These were all a three light set-up. I think Kat could be a rocker though I don't think it's her genre. The third shot is my favorite. but I like them all. For the guitar junkies, though if you are it is probably obvious, the guitar is a Gibson SG standard. It is a sweet guitar.  

 

Canon 1DS MKII, 70-200mm, ISO100, 1/160,  f/4.5

Canon 1DS MKII, 70-200mm, ISO100, 1/160,  f/4.5

Canon 1DS MKII, 70-200mm, ISO100, 1/160,  f/4.5

Next week is week eight. After next week we are switching to a monthly shoot. We will be heading back to Ogden and shooting areas that we ran out of time for back in week three. The weather is supposed to good!

 

After the shoot adventure
It was raining really, really heavy. I loaded everything up in the car and got soaked. We stopped around the corner at a gas station for a drink. I then drove Kat home. 

After I returned home, I realized I was missing a memory card. I unloaded everything from the car and searched every inch of every bag and the car. Danny, my son, and I went back to search the warehouse. We spent about 20 minutes and looked everywhere. We started tracing my steps and ended up at the gas station. I talked with the clerk who had just finished mopping the floors. I got a little concerned that she may have mopped it up as it was an sd style card and is fairly small. No luck there so we went back to the house and searched all the bags and car again. But still could not find it.

My wife and I headed back over to the warehouse to look again. We searched for at least a 1/2 hour but didn't find it. Then, as I was walking back to the car, ready to give up, I spotted a shiny thing on the sidewalk. There it was, upside down rain soaked. It must have fallen out when I was loading the car. I went home and let it dry out overnight. The next morning I checked it out and it worked awesome. Good thing too, more than 90% of my shots were on that card. 

the muse - week six

If you have not read the introduction to the project, please do so by clicking here



week six

March 9, 2011

This week we decided to shoot at the Wendover Air Force Base. 
The base has a lot of history with WWII and has been used in a few films. You can follow the above link to a wiki for more info.
Anyways, it is a really cool area to shoot, has lots of character and is practically deserted most of the time. 

We arrived at the airbase around 2 in the afternoon. We were scouting the location and were drawn to the old barracks area. Unfortunately, this area was fenced and locked. After some research and persuading we obtained permission to shoot there.

This week is a bit different then previous. I'm working on some ideas from the past and more going with what works rather then being wed to a specific plan. As with all sets on this blog, there are a lot more images that are part of the project. My plans are to share some of my favorites here and the rest will be made public in a final collection at the conclusion of the project. 

Here goes, 
I had found an old Army coat and hat at Smith and Edwards Surplus store earlier that week. Below are a few of the images with it. If you attended the 'envisions' art show I had in May 2011 you may recognize a few of these images.

This first shot was Kat walking down the road between the barracks. I really liked the contrast of her pale skin and the dark tones in the sky. She also has a very serious look. One of the joys in working with Kat is that you can explain the concept and she runs with it. No need to over explain or give picky details. This is the shot I envisioned and was grateful that the clouds and weather cooperated as well as the did. 

Canon 1DS MKII, 17-40mm, ISO100, 1/160,  f/9.0, natural light, hdr

And a black and white version in the same area

 

Canon 7D, 28-80mm, ISO100, 1/60,  f/9.0, single strobe (right)

And a bit of a close-up with the glasses. The sun was behind her and I kept the strobe at a distance to make the light harder. 

Canon 7D, 28-80mm, ISO100, 1/160,  f/9.0, single strobe (right)

In the barracks area there are a lot of buildings that are exactly the same except for the varying stages of repair. Most of the buildings don’t have doors and the roofs were falling in.  Makes you wonder when your last tetanus shot was. All was good though. 

Kat brought a police uniform hat / jacket combo. These were shot inside one of the buildings. Most of them are painted this shade of green. I don't remember if this first image was posed or her being frustrated waiting for me to get my lights going :). Actually I do, but I won't say which.  

Canon 7D, 28-80mm, ISO200, 1/100,  f/5.0, strobe right and rear left

This next shot is my favorite with this outfit. It is a bit overly posed but does not appear so. I placed one of the strobes in the ceiling facing directly down on her and another at camera right. I shot this from a cross the road through the doorway which is in the foreground. I removed my lens hood for a bit of hazy flare from the sun outside.  

Canon 7D, 70-200mm, ISO200, 1/100,  f/9.0, strobe right and from ceiling

We took a break for a quick bite and then stopped back over by the museum for some casual shots. More natural light impromptu shots. It was more of a I took charge of the camera nd the general area and Kat made it happen. I think the turned out awesome and I love the look and mood to them. Kat has many faces but I think these show my favorite Kat look.

Canon 1DS MKII, 70-200mm, ISO200, 1/500,  f/3.5, natural light

Canon 1DS MKII, 70-200mm, ISO200, 1/1000,  f/3.5, natural light

We finished the day by heading back to the barracks. I had been holding onto this old  ‘round-eye’ television for a couple years hoping to incorporate it into a shot. I had brought a chair as well but this old vinyl covered chrome chair seemed to fit the scene better.

Canon 1DS MKII, 70-200mm, ISO320, 1/13 sec,  f/5.6, strobe in tv and from ceiling

And this last image was just before we headed out. It was getting pretty dark so we had to work fast. There were a lot of random props laying around. We found this old desk on the porch of one of the buildings did a few shots with it. This is another of my favorites from the set.

Canon 7D, 70-200mm, ISO640, 1/160,  f/2.8, natural light

The trip was a lot of fun and I enjoyed talking with Kat. I thought I knew a lot about her but I learned even more. I am excited to continue the project and anxious to see where it will go. 

Only two more weeks of weekly shooting and then we switch to once a month for the remainder of the year. Next week, the weather is supposed to be iffy so I plan on shooting in a warehouse environment and doing some more impromptu shots.  

the muse - week five

If you have not read the introduction to the project, please do so by clicking here



week five

Canon 7D, 70-200mm, ISO160, 1/100,  f/5.6, natural light

March 2, 2011

We decided to shoot out by the old Saltair building. The Saltair building is awesome. I wish I could have seen the original building before it's demise. On a side note, there is an old movie titled Carnival of Souls that had a good portion shot at the original Saltair. You can watch it free on archive.org. Here is a direct link. 

Anyways, east of the parking lot are some large cement squares. Kat is a pretty good climber so she she scaled to the top. We shot with available light. The image posted above was captured on the top row of blocks. We keep getting Kat up in the air. I imagine we will have her dangling from a cliff one of these days :)

On this next image, I colored a little in lightroom for a bit of a cross processed look

 Canon 7D, 70-200mm, ISO160, 1/100,  f/9.0, natural light - color adjust LR3

This next one was shot with flash/snoot to have more direction   

 Canon 7D, 70-200mm, ISO160, 1/100,  f/5.6, direct flash with snoot

I had brought along an old 20d that I had converted to infrared some time ago. We took a few shots with that. This was the one I liked best. This is IR, no flash sun directly facing Kat. 

  Canon 20D IR converted, 70-200mm, ISO800, 1/200,  f/10.0

The clouds were looking awesome and the sun was quickly heading west. So we decided to stay in the area. We headed over  by The Temple of the Birds. On the way there, we stopped alongside the road and took a few shots. 

On this shot, Kat was back lit with the sun and I used a single strobe on viewer's left. Kat was a trooper and walked the wall in heels with a pretty good wind gusting along threatening to knock her off. 

  Canon 1DS MKII, 17-40mm, ISO100, 1/125,  f/9.0

This next shot was captured similar to the one above. You can see the top of Saltair and Kennecott in the background. If I had to choose a favorite from the day, this would be it.

Canon 1DS MKII, 17-40mm, ISO100, 1/125,  f/9.0

When we got to Temple of the birds, I ran into a fellow photographer shooting some models. The models had some  colorful dreadlocks. Speaking of which, this area has been shot sooo many times, it can be difficult to find something new to shoot here. Luckily the clouds were still looking great with lots of clouds and yellow to blue tones in the sky.

 

We shot quite a bit on and around the train. I shot with one light to balance out the natural light and to narrow the dynamic range of the scene. 

This next image is a favorite from the train. Notice we have her above the ground again. I really look up to Kat :) Sometimes I just amuse myself

This is an extremely low camera angle with strobe on the right.

Canon 1DS MKII, 17-40mm, ISO100, 1/100,  f/7.1

And another shot with a little more of the train. On this shot the hair was lit naturally with the sun coming through the back of the train.

Again, extremely low camera angle and single strobe on viewer's right.

Canon 1DS MKII, 17-40mm, ISO100, 1/100,  f/6.3

We only took a few shots inside the building. the one thing about this building is the graffiti is in a constant state of change. 

Inside the building was obviously darker. To compensate and to bring in more ambient, I boosted my ISO to 320 and shot at 1/60 of a second. I also used a single strobe on Kat. Lots of color in this building.

Canon 1DS MKII, 17-40mm, ISO320, 1/60,  f/9.0

And, although it is  a colorful building, I wanted to capture Kat's outfit in black and white for a little more of a timeless look.

We had some excellent light today and I always love shooting out by Saltair. I think the project is coming along great. I truly enjoy working with Kat. In fact, it is not really work. Ideas just seem to come natural and easily. 

Next week we are going to get an early start and head down to the old Air Force base just outside of Wendover. The weather is supposed to be good.