Hero Post: Culture

Being that we had a week to work on this project, for me that meant just the weekend. I had two images in mind both associated with coffee. Colombian and Kona. For Colombian I was hoping to associate the main colors with the flag and for the Kona a Hawaiian looking environment that had no grass skirts or coconuts.
So Saturday I luckily was meeting with friends in the morning and begged one who was running on 4 hours of sleep to model for me at a cafe in Sylmar. I stopped at michaels and grabbed a flower to hot glue to a clip and voila made hair clip. I also picked up some fake ferns to stick in the background.
Before heading from North Hollywood to Sylmar one of my friends did her make up a "natural" look that was well rested and off we went to the cafe.

Makeup by Bella Villeda

As we got there it was pouring rain, the sidewalks were flooded. not so Great so we went inside the walls were blue so I tried some photos inside with a speed light bouncing off the ceiling, but the cafe is so tiny and busy they were looking like candid snapshots.

Buffalo Bruce's cafe interior

So after a bit I went outside while it had picked up to a light rain and much better lighting. I set up the area and then had her sit on my jacket. while I snapped a few under a patio umbrella. She was cold so it did not last too long. A resident kitty decided to make a cameo, he really added to it.

Before edits

Before edits

For Sunday's Colombian Coffee theme I luckily asked my friend who is recovering from a bike accident if she had time to be my model. Fortunately for me she is limited in her activities right now. So we drove down to Boyle heights with a chair and small table. I painted the coke bottles that morning to add the other predominate flag colors of the Colombian flag. We found the sought out yellow wall of the Appetito restaurant and set up next to the musicians. There were these blue blocks where the musicians were seated we tried that but there was a white cloth hanging with a large crucifix and there was some tagging on it. I didn't want too much there to take away from the Colombian colors. We shot for a while the people walking by were walking by curiously. It was a nice change from the prior project where everything seemed to be a problem.

alternate

Pre Production: Culture

The two cultures I wanted to portray for my photographs in relation to my two favorite coffee blends. I was thinking Colombian and Kona coffee and respectively themed photographs.

For the Colombian coffee scene I would like to find a small bistro set and sit my model  with a mug of coffee. I am thinking of setting it up in front of a bright yellow wall. I know of one in Boyle heights if I can't find one closer sooner. I'm hoping to incorporate the colors of the flag by painting some bottles on the table red and blue.

Boyle Heights wall - Photo by: Michelle Moran

I'm hoping to recruit my Colombian friend to be my model she may have attire appropriate incorporate more to the style I was going for with the photograph.





For the alternate Kona Coffee scene I was hoping to have the environment look more Hawaiian I was thinking of finding a model with a flower behind her ear with long dark hair wearing a long flowy dress that she could wear and some island style jewelry to be used. I would like to shoot in an actual coffee shop, ideally Buffalo Bruces in Sylmar they have wonderful colorful settings inside and out. If I could bring a potted fern plant, I would like to incorporate that into the  background of the shot. I would craft a centerpiece for the table. 

Buffalo Bruces

Actual Cafe in Kauai

WIP Post: Time

1.3 sec F/20

For my Time Photo I headed to Union Station with a gorilla pod and some neutral density filters.

Upon my arrival I saw so many security guards and staff on the floor being watchdogs telling people they cant have such big carry on, walk don't run, can't sit there I instantly was to apprehensive to risk setting the gorillapod down. The moment I took my camera out a security guard came and walked by me twice before I took any photos. I went to check in with a guard who seemed in charge, rather than piss them off after the fact as advised by Anneka. They stated it was fine with the camera and lens I had and the fact that I was a student. They just reminded me no flash and no tripods. So I tried to make do with what I had to work with and braced myself along some columns. My shutter was set a random times between 1-2 seconds depending on the lighting. I was hoping for more crowds but some groups would come in waves. I imagine it was more active on Saturday than other days of the week with more weekend travelers.

Unedited

Upon looking at the shots, there were many shots with ghostly figures but the shot that stood out to me most was one with a man who stayed relatively still while there is movement all around him.  The other shots seemed too far from the action, a closer human element was the reason for the Hero pick.

Alternate shot

Alternate shot

WIP Post: Direction

Snow conditions turned into a blizzard and Long Boarder alternative flaked on me. So I then changed my own direction for a night shot hoping to capture the direction of a car with a long exposure. As I'm driving scouting locations I come to think of how that sort of shot would fit with a niche and I think since time was related to a Los Angeles landmark Union station, I could relate it Los Angeles travel or tourism that could be in an Instax ad about LA travel Probably.

Exposure test shot

So I tried to find an ideal angle showing the Griffith Observatory and the directional light trail of a car. In an effort to move away from the parking lot and its hideous lights I saw cars parked along the lower east end of the lot. I found a way to move my own car there to add some height to my short tripod. I messed around to find a suitable exposure between 2 and 2.5 minutes and then I waited for any car to turn on and drive down. After 20 minutes I saw lights and I opened the shutter for about 40 seconds come to find that it was just a golf cart type vehicle coming to the car in front of mine to grab some items from the trunk. I stopped the shutter. Then I waited 15 more minutes before another care came along. I opened the shutter for the remaining time to hit the 2minute 15 second mark I was aiming for. I found that the observatory was not as crisp, I swear it was the tiny earthquake I did feel my car shake a bit... So I would attempt one more shot hoping it would take just one car and no time in between exposures. I heard a car coming up the hill I opened my shutter and it turned out to be the park ranger pulling up next to me to tell me I could not be there it was an employee lot and I clearly bypassed the cones to get there. I asked if would ask if she was driving up the lot so I can just complete my shot and leave and then she told me she could give me a ticket and with that I thanked her and left.
For an Instax photo I think it is definitely worthy to be used.

Employee lot

Setup. Jacket blocking the street light

Pre-Proposal: Time

For the time concept I was thinking of shooting at union station preferably at dusk, I would go early to scout an area and prepare. I would like to work with a slow shutter speed and the people scrambling around to leave a blurred trail. The idea being that time is of the essence there in order to not miss the train and derail the days plans.

I have only passed through the station once never with my camera. I looked online and noticed that not alot of photos had any elements of this so I researched the policy of cameras in there. I saw no tripods are allowed so I was advised to bring a tabletop tiny tripod to set somewhere and try to make it work.

Pre-Project Proposal: Direction

Being that I've been delving into Sports Photography and that I will be heading to the snow for a couple of days I thought I could try to seize the chance to shoot up while there. Weather permitting a blue day and not this. Since there is an expectation of fresh loose snow, It would be nice to capture a rider carving with their board when changing directions on the board. It usually entails a turn in going heelside to toeside or vice versa often times causing a spray with enough speed.

If the sun would grace me with its presence it would ideally be a sun in shot, since the sun tends to be on the south side of the mountain i would be facing south standing in place, while a rider approaches and I can shoot from a lower angle.

Being that the lift does not operate after 4pm sun in shot is my only real option the next few days. I plan to bring my zoom lens and possibly a speedlite as backup.

Hero Post: Music

Hero

I had planned to shoot this project in the studio using the grey wall. Since that did not provide enough coverage we added a grey seamless on the side so I would be able to shoot at an angle. I setup up two lights behind the model overhead on a boom. The light on the right had a double layered pink gel and the left had doubled up deep blue gel. The model/DJ setup about 2-3 feet from the background. Once the faulty lighting situations were fixed it was nice tweaking lights to match how I had pictured it. Initially I had two gelled soft boxes on him but that left out some contrast between him and his background. Then removed the softbox and red gel from the light on the camera right and put the reflector back on to cast light on the subject. He had plugged in his equipment so they too would cast some light.

Unedited Hero

Towards the last hour we turned on the lasers, one of the two would not create much design unless it was sound activated. Not just music from a phone but it needed loud booming bass. So my assistant had to crouch down to constantly tap it. We turned off the overhead red gelled light and I had to use my tri-pod and a slower speed to catch the movement of the light.

Initial the rejected Hero pick

In the final few minutes we tried no lights except the lasers to hope to create a silhouetted shape. So in the dark for 20 seconds while the shutter was open, about 6 people were clapping in the dark while the subject stayed still for 20 seconds that was admittedly fun and felt silly. Will reattempt the post edit. These shots did not come out too great, the light from the exit sign cast a red light and lit up the subject.

Lasers & blue gel

Setup shot- started dismantling thus drawn alien bee