Fashion and Beauty Photography in Salem

Thank goodness for back ups! My redundant array just saved a whole bunch of work, so here is a belated photo of a local model, Lauren.

This year was good for fashion, with a spring shoot for Bend Living and a whole bunch of commercial shoots in between. I have not done much personal work, which is something that I need to do more.

Check my site www.adamphotographic.com to hire me for portraits, beauty or fashion photography in Oregon.

Oregon nature photography

I have added a black and white infrared picture to my portfolio at www.adamphotographic.com. I am not that thrilled with the conversion. It creates a vignette that is fixable in lightroom, but at the cost of a slightly compressed tonal range. For my first IR experience, using it was interesting.

I am scheduling a few TFP shoots for this weekend coming up. I need to get creative juices flowing after a tight senior year with folks waiting until the very end to schedule a shoot. Maybe it is the economy.

I hope this post finds you well and find promise in our recent, historical election. I am trying to do more charitable work in my very limited time. I am exploring the opportunity to shoot for a charity that helps reduce domestic violence. I will have more info in a week or so.

Senior photos

It has been way too long since I have posted. Busy with seniors this year. It has been busier on the commercial end of things as well.

I will head out this weekend to shoot some nature photography here in Oregon and will post some of the pictures either on flickr or my portfolio, www.adamphotographic.com.

I am wrapped up in this election stuff. I think I have election-itis!

Computers and file management

My portfolio - www.adamphotographic.com

OK, I am old enough to have had a Commodore 64 - that would be 64K.

I am wrangling my 35,000 images today, using 6 externals and 2 internal drives. I have 2 terabyte drives, 3 500 gig drives and 1 300 gig drive. I finally have enough for a simple 1:1 backup of everything with lots of space left for Photoshop to use as a scratch disc when editing.

This is a project that I have been putting off, but filling my 750 gig internal caused so many problems that Lightroom virtually stopped. Hopefully I will get it all square today to get out the photos I need to get done before I see So You Think You Can Dance tonight with the family.

In any case, here is how I will break down my files:

1 terabyte esata drive will hold my photos. There are about 650 gigs.
1 of the same will be backup

1 500 gig usb2 drive will hold family photos + drive image and Outlook backups
1 of the same will be backup with my music library back up as well
1 500 gig usb2 will have my higher value commercial work backed up monthly and kept off site

My 750 internal will hold my business and personal files as well as my Lightroom catalogue. Lots of space will be left for Photoshop scratch (temp) files.

1 300 gig usb2 will back up my internal 750

My 400 gig internal will have the OS.

Total = 4.95 Terabytes (Not counting my laptop, other desktop on which we use quickbooks or my passport drive that I use to ship photos to commercial clients)

I see myself outgrowing this in a year or two, so I may buy one of the network attached storage solutions - or add another 2 drives in my main machine.

Just to get away from the tech stuff, here is a photo from a recent shoot with Marissa. As soon as I am done with the file management stuff, I will edit some more and post again.



(Click to visit my flickr site for a bigger version)

Salem fashion photographer

Marissa is one of my favorite folks with which to shoot. So far, I have edited only one photo, and here it is:



I used a lensbaby, sold by a Portland company. Neat little gadget that is a really good value. I encourage you to check out their stuff!

New shot

At my portfolio site, www.adamphotographic.com, under Personal. Third photo is my new infrared.

Also, looking for some models for a couple of TFP personal projects.

Adam

Nature and infrared photography

I just got one of my cameras converted to infrared, so I will be taking some nature pictures this weekend. Any cool dark-haired models out there want to do a vampire shot for an advertisement? Drop an email!

Adam

Salem senior photography

I have not had as many seniors this year, instead focusing on editorial and advertising photography. While the money is better with advertising stuff, there is something I miss about shooting more seniors. I will share an email I got from a senior from last year, who is now working on her BA in Art.

"This is Lauren - you did my photos last year, and I stopped by your website to see if you're up to anything new when I saw a friend's senior pictures and was reminded of mine.

It may seem totally weird I'm emailing you, but I just wanted to thank you for the encouragement in pursuing my dreams/passion for art, even though I'll probably be pounding pavement and living in a cardboard box later on, haha. I pretty much tore apart that communication arts book you gave me looking at it so much... I'm going to the UO as an art major next year, and when I dropped by your page I just thought I would thank you again for the inspiration and encouragement. Hope you're doing well in life and with your photographs."

I can't tell you how awesome that was of her to send me the email, and, during a tough week, it really lifted my spirits and reminded me why I love photography.

Adam

www.adamphotographic.com

Salem model photo

Just a quick edit of one of the shots of a model. The clothing store that the model counted on being open was actually closed. So all we had was the one bikini, which was not what we planned on shooting at all. Just went for the crazy alley near my studio - light wasn't great out, and I knew this alley would be mostly in shadow.

Used the wide angle to make the walls converge and create more interest. Broke the rule of thirds and lots of other rules, but it seems to work here.

Senior photos in Salem

Summer is here, and senior season is in swing. Here is one of my favorites from last year, done at the family farm.



Anyone in Salem looking for creative senior photos, visit adam photographic
.

Adam

Black and white or color

So which do you prefer?

Glamour photography

My first TFP shoot in a long time went well today. It was short, just to see how the model would do. She is very inked, tall and has a very pretty face, all things that make shooting more fun.

Here is the only shot I have edited so far-

Astoria photography

Man, I must have hit the weather black hole for my Astoria trip this week. It was just nasty with a super flat grey sky and non-stop rain. I drove around a couple of times and just gave up the ghost. I know, I should have shot something, but I just wasn't motivated to derive some photo where I didn't feel very inspired.

I need to try something new and fresh. Maybe it is time to do some TFP model shoots again. It has been a while - maybe it is time to pass out some cards around town.

I will probably do some work for The Salem Project, though I am not sure what at this point. There is a meeting tonight that I would like to attend, but my wife went and made a hair appointment that means I am on kid duty. I will have to connect with Will Bragg later to figure out what he needs me to do.

AT

Advertising photography

I am shooting a couple of sets of ads for various businesses this week. Should be fun.

I did not get to the coast to shoot some personal work like I wanted to, but hopefully soon I will get away. I love photography and need to get some personal stuff set up soon. On another note, I have found a couple of new models to work with, and, if I can get some spare time, would love to shoot some with them.

Anyone out there interested, just send me some snaps. I might be able to use you in a project. I just ask that you not be offended if you are not right for anything I have going at this moment. I keep people's photos on file and do look them up as needed.

Anyway, hope all is well,

Adam

Personal work

I am going to take the opportunity to do some personal work this weekend. Maybe some landscapes - not sure. I took this weekend off of portraits just to take a breath and hang with the family. Sometimes you need to do that, and I am not good about just lounging. I always am also reading a magazine, book, site or something. I have three books in the queue. Two design and - take that back - four books in the queue - one on photoshopping skin and one on lighting.

Photo editing

I insist on editing photos before they go out the door. Some knucklehead decided that means somehow I am a lesser photographer and decided to share that with a model I shot. She cancelled her appointment with him (thank you!), but I thought it strange that someone would think they would get in a model's good graces by denigrating another (clearly superior-really) photographer. Ironically, this joker's photos look like they were over-photoshopped by a half blind kindergartener. Wierd.

Anyway, in case someone wonders about my policy, it is based on the fact that I want my customers to get the best possible photo. To me, it would be irresponsible not to edit the image as it represents me and my work. That's one reason why I don't give unedited photos - even if someone buys a CD of the images (something I try to convince them not to so that they actually print and show the photos), I provide the edited work only. How many photos of the same shoot does someone need anyway? I know I never send someone 40 pictures from the same set (unless it is a wedding). I send my favorite few, and those are the photos that I might print. I also print for relatively cheaply because I want people to have the photos where they will enjoy them.

I figure there are enough craigslist photographers out there who will take snapshots and provide them on CD. My business is different, much more customized to each client.

Just thought I would throw out the explanation so I can point back here if it comes up in the future.

More editorial photography

I have gotten a couple of more bites at editorial work recently. I soooooo prefer editorial and advertising photography. It is about being around like minded folks, interested in making the most artistic photos possible.

Portland Monthly, where are you? Give a young brother a chance, come on. Show me some love. Oregonian or Statesman, I am here for you too - just give me some artistic freedom, and I will make pictures that people will take time to look at.

Anyway, several meetings coming my way, so I hope they pan out! In the meantime, I am almost done editing the pin up stuff, though I don't know that I will post any of them on flickr. Just too much of other folks' influence in the shots taking from my personal vision. I like pin up, but I want to give it a modern edge - less cheesecake just for the sake of cheesecake.

Anyone out there interested? At the last pin up session, I ran into a woman who had to be 6 ft., buff, and had a really pretty face. Her ink and pink hair make her interesting, so I hope to work with her a little and create some cool work.

It will have to be a couple of weeks, because I am taking a much needed vacation. Speaking of which, anyone wanting photos on the beach in Lincoln City, Oregon, drop a line. My in laws have a beach house, and I can shoot there any weekend I am not otherwise booked.

Pin up shots

Did another shoot with GoGo Amy and her pin up class at Cherry Redd today. 10 women. It was fun. Should have some of those shots up this week.
Adam

Gear

I know that gear is probably one of the least important things in creating a picture, provided the gear is reasonably decent. I have been futzing with pen and tablet sets forever, using an 8x6 Wacom until it got jittery. I got another brand, and it was really crappy. Right clicking was virtually impossible, and then it developed some strange double click behavior.

Anyway, this new tablet is cool. It works and does not get in the way. I gotta get back to printing some books today. Take care - Adam

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Editorial photography

Here is a shot that was not used in the current Bend Living spread. I can see why they chose shots that show more fashion, but I think the model looked great in this one.



Anyway, thought I would post it here.

Printing photographs

I am not sure why I have a portfolio anymore, as it seems like most jobs come from the internet. There is something to be said for viewing a print though. The detail, taking time to look through the photo, texture, etc. I love portfolios, but I am not so sure I like spending all of the time creating them. I enjoy the final product but not the process - I was not a darkroom fan, much prefering the creative time in front of the camera.

I love digital. I know hard core film buffs that will argue, but I really don't care. I enjoy this workflow and, aside from the more tedious editing and storage tasks, really believe that digital has helped by forcing people to be more creative. Technical prowess is no longer sufficient, so it makes me look more closely at the creative choices in front of me.

Today, on this fine, slushy Oregon day, I am making a fashion portfolio, which I will use to solicit some fashion work and for senior photos.

I got a book on using my iPhone, and it is letting me use some cool tools to access other peoples' blogs, feeds and podcasts. I am digging this thing, though it has its faults. It is a little slow, and managing content is not as simple as it should be. But, the complete access to the internet is a huge plus. Want to know what movie is playing? Fandango, right there - optimized for iPhone. News? Zillions of options. Photography? Lenswork podcast and a few others that are good as well. Viewing photos...not so much. No flash player on the browser, and flash is how many photographers show online.

Anyway, it is a little boring to go through and print everything, so this post is me procrastinating. Gotta get to work!
Adam

Fashion mid-day

Life has been super busy lately - seems like there is always something more important to be done than photograph and print. Funny thing, making a business of photography. However, professional work does have its advantages, like creating good working relationships with other small business people.

Take Cherry Redd, in the same building as me (Obama's campaign just created an office there, 155 Liberty) the guy built many of the fixtures using recovered pieces of a bowling alley - how cool is that? Check out the counter if you get a chance.

Anyway, I get clothes from there for my shoots. I ordered a black dress similar to the red one in this photo that I will use in a photo sometime soon. Many of the models I work with shop there, and one of them wore this dress from Cherry Redd.

Photographic Inspiration

Interesting couple of weeks have passed since I have written anything. It is not without having done any photography. I have written a lot, ideas in my book, etc. It is tough to find the time to put together the kinds of shoots I would like to. I am kind of past the whole shooting pretty things phase, though I still work with models quite a bit. I just don't get as much satisfaction from headshots and such. I feel like I have been there and done that.

It is time for some more environmental work. I have several ideas for people and their environments as well as several other ideas for projects. I just don't have the time. Heck, I am taking a few days off and have not even updated my portfolio site, www.adamphotographic.com, with any of my recent work. Need to get on that.

Anyway, I am printing some photos for my wall at home, including some of the shots that were in Bend Living. It was interesting to see what other people picked. Most were the same I picked, but there are a couple that I would have rather seen included. However, I understand that the photo is not the reason for the shoot so much as the fashion. I am still happy for that opportunity and hope to shoot some more.

Anyway, I have to get back to printing, but I thought I would post this latest shot of Mary that I liked. It is intentionally cheesy, but I am from Las Vegas and used to have a pair of shorts with the same pattern as the dress that she is wearing. Even more so, I think the environment, lighting, clothes, etc. work. Maybe it is the warped Las Vegan in me.

Family photographer

I shoot pictures of families more than you might think. I really enjoy the commercial and editorial work, but there is something about taking pictures of children that is refreshing - not to mention the look on peoples' faces when they see a really nice picture of their child.

One of the first things that really made me want to be a professional photographer was a mom who cried when she saw her daughter's senior pictures. The daughter cried because she had never seen a picture of herself that she liked (she was a cute girl too), which then made her mom cry.

That made me think that this is something I want to do more of.

Don't get me wrong, I love the kudos from other artists on a cool shot that is executed well and is visually compelling. That is awesome too. That said, there is nothing like simple pictures sometimes to best reflect the subject -



- or even the unposed photos that reflect the context of a typical day -

Color photography

I have been listening to the lenswork podcast lately, and I have to highly recommend it to anyone out there interested in photography or art generally. Some very insightful podcasts made me try some new stuff, and it worked out well. I went out light, brought only a tripod and reflector with a couple of prime lenses (50mm 1.4 and 100mm 2.8) and my 24-105L on my 5D.

I don't usually shoot photos with strong color elements, and I really dislike ubersaturation, but this one worked for me. It was really cold, so Mary and I had coffee afterward. I took the opportunity to shoot some off the cuff lifestyle-ish stuff.

Man, Mary commands attention. Men and women stop (or honk, screech or rev) in their tracks when she is dressed up and we go somewhere. Some woman almost got rear ended while we walked down the street with Mary in a nice (but not that revealing) black dress. It was funny at first, but it would get old after a while. That said, there are worse problems than being six foot, blond and slender (and I would add for Mary's sake - smart and really nice to boot). It was just odd to me, being a middle of the road looks kind of person, to see people act like such dufuses (dufii maybe?) when a pretty woman is around.

Here are a couple of photos from today's shoot:

Salem fashion photo

I find myself wondering what makes a good photo on flickr.

Explore, flickr's automated cool photo chooser, tends to pick trite crap, like kittens and uninspiring flowers (there are great flower pictures, but 99% of them are really bad). I have only had a couple picked for explore, one of which I don't what it was. I had deleted it before I found out it was chosen (you can look up which of your photos were chosen).

I did post one of Mary today that got four comments within 30 seconds of posting, so I thought I would blog it as well. Here is Mary, on a cloudy day, using exposure to create a high key look. Please feel free to comment here or on flickr. I moderate the comments here just to cut out spam, but I do appreciate hearing feedback.

Amy's pin up shoot

OK, now that it is over, I can say that I recommend folks take the class and shoot when Amy comes back in May. All of the women seemed like they had fun, and all but one loved their make up and look. The person who did make up used to be my hairstylist, and now he has his own place. It was probably the least I have had to touch up anyone, though he is not as good as the Amy I usually use for make up at eyeshadow. That said, his under-eye circle make up was top notch. Clothes were solid, from Cherry Redd, and they definitely served to accentuate the girls' figures.

All said, good so far. I did screw up tracking who was who, but I will just print a contact sheet and go into Cherry Redd, to get Derek or Nina's help in identifying everyone. Photos are all edited and will go up on flickr soon. I don't know that any were good enough for my port, but one that I like is below. We went with a white seamless, one of my least favorite ways to shoot, because of the volume of people. With 20 minutes or so each, there was not time to tool much with lights and such.

I definitely want to rent a hotel or something next time so that the bigger girls are not shot super-contrasty against white. We need to get an environment that takes away from the bold figure contrast of the white seamless.

All said, it went really well, and I had a lot of fun. www.adamphotographic.com for my official site.

Pin-up photography

I did a shoot with a bunch of people taking a class by Amy on pin-up modeling. I had a good time, and it was interesting to shoot with such a wide variety of people both age and body styles. I will edit some of the photos and post some on my flickr account this evening. I went generic at Amy's suggestion because of how many people we shot in the day - no time for my usual on-the-fly setup.

Thanks to Cherry Redd (come on Derek and Nina, get that site built so I can link to ya) for putting the event together. I hope we can do more in the future.

Anyone interested, give me a shout, and I will email you when the next class comes around. I think Amy does this here and in Seattle. From what I could tell all of the women really liked the class. One woman didn't like her make up, but everyone photographed as well as they could (photography make up is a little heavier than typical make up) regardless.

Probably the thing I enjoy most about photography is working with people who are surprised at how good they look when a make up artist and decent photographer get done with them. Anyway, fun was had for all. I will post again when some photos are done.

Salem fashion photographer

Wow, life is super busy these days!

First off, I got an iPhone. I know, I was going to wait for V2, but this had a lot going for it in my eyes. The real internet is a big plus, not to mention the access to email anytime. Big shout out to the editor of Lens Work who has a really good podcast. I need to take some of that advice to heart and shoot what I want more - it always turns out better when I do.

That said, I have a very large shoot Sunday with 18 women who are doing a pin-up modeling class at Cherry Redd, the clothing store in my studio building. Should be a lot of fun. The class is booked, so email me if you want in for the next one and I will hook you up with the people running the show. The class ends with a second day photo session of 20-30 minutes with yours truly.

Anyway, I am also working on getting a new web site to split my portraiture and commercial work. Some commercial jobs look down on people who shoot portraits as do some in the fine art world, so I will break up my various efforts into little mini-brands if you will.

I haven't updated my portfolio for a bit nor posted at flickr despite being so busy shooting. I will try to post some today, but I also need to edit some files from a shoot yesterday and last week, which is what I am doing this afternoon.

On an even further non-photo related note, a girl that I dated a little in college emailed me through myspace (I don't visit it very often, so I responded a month late). It was wierd to read that we dated 12 years ago. Holy crap that makes me feel ancient. Anyway, she is still in the motherland of Las Vegas, so maybe I will stop by and say hi next time I am there.

Drop me a line if you stumble across this and we knew each other back in the day,

Adam

Salem modeling

There is some kind of modeling event going on in early March that I have been asked to photograph. I am not sure about the details, but we will see what happens there. The event is Mar. 8-9, with some auditions prior to that.

Likewise, Cherry Redd, a clothing store in my studio building, has asked me to shoot some pin up fashion shots for a pin up modeling class. I think those are Sunday, Mar. 2.

Snow day

Salem school district called a snow day, so I am home editing some pictures while kids play in the snow. I had a lot of fun working with the constraints of the editorial assignment. I may have to try and create my own sometime.

Anyway, there are some more pictures of Lauren on my flickr account, and I will probably put a few more up today.

Editorial fashion photography

It has been a week or so since I posted last - super busy week. Shot with Lauren, who has a fantastic figure, then shot for Bend Living magazine. I can't post those until after they are in print (March edition). I think there were several really good shots in there, which is more than I expected given all of the variables (can you tell I am right-brained?).

Amateur model worried me, but she was super nice, brave, tough and had gorgeous eyes. Makeup was especially solid considering there was no MUA. My alienbees battery failed - I rented some profoto gear that went unused, but we managed to get the only sunny day in memory, so reflectors was all that was used. The model had to look warm while shooting spring fashions at 35 degrees while trying to include waterfalls that didn't look frozen (they were). I was a bit stressed, but once we got into the groove of shooting it went well - the model did a bang up job, and the Art Director came up with a really good shot with a distant waterfall in the background. I had to bust out the 30D just to use my 70-200 at an effective 320mm to get close enough for the shot.

Aside from the first couple of shots, it turned out well - there were a couple of wow shots in the group that I hope are used. I appreciate the opportunity that the magazine gave me and hope to shoot some more for them in the future.

What is the best lens or camera for ....

Your camera doesn't matter anywhere near as much as you think. People spend lots of time online asking, "What is the best camera for...?" or "What is the best lens for...?" I get several emails a week through flickr or my web site asking about what gear I used in a given shot. Usually the question also has no more information, like what they are shooting, where, under what conditions, theme, look, or anything else, just - what is the best?

It really doesn't matter.

You can shoot portraits at a 10mm or even use a lensbaby. I use a 20D, 30D and 5D. You can pick up a 20D online for $500. A lensbaby is around $150. A 50mm lens is $80. If you shoot well, you can find models to shoot for free or who will pay you.

There are 100 other decisions that you make when shooting that matter more than your camera, like concept, lighting, pose, composition, color etc. I shoot in Oregon, which means that it is raining 9 months per year. I have the same places to shoot and try to use them differently (though there has a been a lot in the white room lately). Heck a handy person can turn a garage into a studio).

I just saw an example of some friends of mine who hired a "pro" for $300 to shoot some simple pictures for use on a web site (she had an impressive camera apparently). I have never seen pictures that awful, even from the worst $50 craigslist photographer (I use craigslist too, but what I am talking about are the ones who use a google or flickr account as their "portfolio" and will shoot anything for under $100). I only wish I were unprofessional enough to provide the link, your jaw would drop at the gall of someone to charge for that crap. Anyway, rant over there :)

In short, a camera will record something. Most of them are pretty similar in the grand scheme of things. A good photographer thinks less about the technical stuff (usually it is second nature) and more about what makes a photograph good.

Artistic photography in Salem

Well, I don't usually pull out the lensbaby, but it was a particularly crappy day outside, messing up my plans for a shoot outside with Mary, so we tooled around inside the studio. I had to get up in her face to shoot this, but I really dig how the bokeh worked out - her hair virtually flows.

Salem Oregon Fetish Photographer?

Not really intentionally, I have shot a bunch of latex stuff recently. I had plans to use the leggings and a fuzzy sweater with Marissa, but she dug the corset so much when she saw it that she asked to shoot in it. That corset has been photographically awesome. It is sleek, shapes and pretty much looks good on everyone who wears it. It was a little big when Mary tried it out, but it still worked. It was perfect for Marissa, creating an S curve on the torso and V shape downward.

Lingerie in Salem

Had a shoot with Mary today. Love her figure. She is around 6 ft. and thin without looking sickly. On top of that, she is really nice and smart - really nice to shoot with. More to come at my flickr page and www.adamphotographic.com.

Fashion Photography

You know, this girl's face is amazing. Not only is she a great model, she is super cool to work with.



This one was shot at 1250 ISO and then made even granier in post. I made it more contrasty to go with the dark feel of the shot.