You wouldn’t expect it, but our local King Soopers has a cake decorator who is making some pretty cool cakes for people. This one was for our daughter’s 5th birthday.
Recently I was contracted to do some product photos for a new local Colorado company – FirstGearKits.com. Based in Evergreen, they sell various types of emergency kits to cover potential natural disasters in whatever area you live, work or play in. Having been a Boy Scout when I was younger, I still believe in the motto “Be Prepared” and definitely see the value in kits like this. Heck, as often as our kids lose cellphone chargers, a kit including a hand crank cell charger would be worth it by itself.
Water cascades over the top of the Evergreen Lake Dam, driven by high winds.
On 06.09.10, In Industrial, Photos, By Chester
Gears to control a spillway or other valve at Evergreen Lake Dam.
As seen through the trees at the base.
On 06.04.10, In Industrial, Photos, By Chester
These steps led from the bottom of the Evergreen Lake Dam to the top.
Over the weekend I had the pleasure of doing a senior photo session for Victoria, from Lakewood High School. She chose Red Rocks Park for her shooting location, and we could not of had a better day. Blue skies, mild temps and little wind made for a fun time. We captured some great images of her that her family and friends will treasure for years to come. Thank you Victoria, and good luck to you.
Except for a brief spring snowstorm last week, spring is really here in Colorado. That means it is time for me to start shooting flowers again. The photo above is my first serious attempt at taking a macro with my new Olympus 50mm f2 macro lens, mounted on my new Olympus E-30. I was playing with different f stops and focus points, so I wasn’t expecting any “good” shots. Really just wanted to play with things a bit. On top of that, it was really windy, and the flower kept moving. After all was said and done though, the above is one of the quality images I got. I look forward to playing with this lens more as different varieties of flowers come into bloom. My neighbor has a great columbine patch, I hope that comes in well this year.
As for my E-30 and new lenses, I am definitely loving them. The camera is fantastic, giving me good action shots and good macros. Looking forward to using it on some portraits in the coming weeks. So far I am very happy that I made the upgrades I did.
On 03.25.10, In Gear, By Chester
Been ordering some new gear, and yesterday my new Olympus Zuiko 50mm f2 lens arrived. I didn’t have much time to play with it yesterday, but I did take a couple of photos. This is not by any means an exhaustive writeup or review, I need to use it more first. Immediate reaction though: WOW. This thing is crazy fast. Can’t wait to try it on my E-30 when it arrives next week. And I especially can’t wait to try it with my EX-25 for some serious macro work. I love this thing already.
And of course, I had to try a candid portrait with it. I need to work on this a little more, but I like it alot.
Twice now in the last 7 days I have been asked to do product shoots. I do these in my home studio here in Lakewood. One company who has become a repeat customer is WM Devices, a local producer of electronic effect devices for musicians. William hand builds all of the equipment he sells, and doesn’t sacrifice a sharp look on the exterior. Baked enamel finishes with screened lettering, these look right at home in any musicians kit. If you are a musician, check out his stuff at wmdevices.com.
I like shooting products. I can take as long as I need to in order to get the lighting just right, and can take multiple images if I need to. I normally use my DIY Light Tent, but for larger objects, might revert to the DIY Backdrop holder. Lighting is the really fun part, making sure to get the colors just right (especially for something like the WMD Geiger Counter above). I can take all day if I need to, and the client gets charged a flat rate, so it isn’t eating into their budget.
If you have a product you need photos of, drop me a note or give me a call and we can discuss your needs, timing and budget.
