Spring/Summer Lookbook for Sweet 1985 Jewelry

Sweet 1985 is coming out with a new jewelry line and we have a sneak peak at their new Spring/Summer ’15 Lookbook! Fashion and beauty photographer Steven Starr is the creative eye behind the images, which were taken at FD Photo Studio. Check out just a few of the amazing shots Starr took to feature Sweet 1985 SS15. Sweet 1985’s motto is “Make Jewels, Not War.” The company hand-crafts eco-friendly jewelry, using locally sourced materials and Swarovski crystals. The new line, “The Amalurra Collection,” will be a little different than past collections. But, you’ll have to wait to see more! Steven Starr is a fashion and beauty photographer based in L.A. You can see his profile here at Model Mayhem.

Le Tokio Amor Fashion Photo Shoot

Clothing label Le Tokio Amor visited the FD Photography Studio not too long ago to get some professional photos for their new clothing line. Photographer Andrew Aquino snapped a few shots for Part 1 of the “=is an element of…..” collection.

Le Tokio Amor is a representation of modern street culture. When people wear our designs they transform from everyday city dwellers to fashion influentials without barriers. We are the contradictions and aspirations that mold fashion.

Le Tokio Amor makes High-End Streetwear with a sophisticated twist.

Our clothing is best described as comfort driven layers meets versatile sportswear. We pride ourselves on quality over quantity which means each garment is handmade and hand-crafted with the customer in mind.

Models: Lori Nohlen (@lorinohlen) & Patty Perez (@patttyyyy)

Designer and Stylist: Asha Moné / @letokioamor

Photographer: Andrew Aquino / @supwiththeworld

Asha Moné Designer/Creator of Le Tokio Amor

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Twitter and Instagram: @letokioamor

3 Studio Light Schemes with Just One Strobe

Sometimes a project doesn’t have much room in its budget and you find yourself working with the bare essentials in a professional photo studio, with little to no idea of how to make it work. Don’t lose hope though because those small budget projects can be just as creative with a little imagination! A strobe light for instance is not only affordable but it can also create hundreds of looks. So rather than scroll through page after page of people’s ideas and tips, why don’t you find out what the best three are right now?

The Softbox Position

If you are a fan of Benoit Linard’s use of lighting then you might be pleasantly pleased to hear that his simple yet strikingly soft lighting look can be created with relative ease. This isn’t the only plus point though as all you need to create the look is a bare strobe light positioned far right of the camera and a softbox positioned far left. The look is easy to recreate by having your model stand close to the softbox.

The Suntan Position

The suntan position is a fantastic strobe light setup that can create stunning portraits. It creates powerful up-close shots by its use of continuous light which is reflected onto the subject. The look is created by having the subject surrounded by three reflectors in the suntan positions. The suntan positions are to both sides and one right at front. The bare strobe light needs to be positioned to either side of the reflectors. This particular positioning of the reflectors creates shots that illuminate the eyes and features of the subject.

The Blind Position

Sometimes it can be hard to create a great lighting look when you are working in a small space. However that doesn’t mean that it can’t be done. If you are shooting on location then there will be a whole range of objects you could use to manipulate the light. If you are working in a professional studio then you will have props. One of the best props to create a stunning image is a blind. Placing your strobe light behind a partially open blind and cutting out all other lights will create a striking visual look. These are just three of hundreds of ideas out there that can help you turn the ordinary into the extraordinary. A strobe light might not seem like much but once you have fully unlocked your creative demon then you will realize in some situations it’s actually all that you need. Often the best creative works start out as simple ideas and once those ideas flourish so do the finished products. Letting your imagination get the better of you is how great ideas are born and that’s why, with just a strobe light you can create something magnificent. It doesn’t matter whether you chose a professional photo studio or a filming location; your strobe light really could become your best friend.

New Photos of Pro Stages with finished Cyc Walls

FD Photo Studio Pro Stage I with north facing windows. *Cyclorama is under construction.

We’ve recently finished working on two large Cyclorama walls in our Pro Stages (Pro Stage I and Pro Stage II). Here are some new images of this two spacious stages with unique frame-less windows. The stages available for still photography, video filming, events and we’d love to give you a tour, just call us at 323-454-2323

: New Large Cyc wall. *Cyclorama is under construction.

: Huge Windows with Cyc Wall *Cyclorama is under construction.

: New Top and bottom curved Cyc wall. *Cyclorama is under construction.

: New-York Style Fire-stairs

: Make-up Station

First Photos of New Stages

FD Photo Studio Pro Stage I with north facing windows

Finally our new stages are almost ready, finishing some touch-ups today. Stage D is available for rent starting this weekends. Both Pro stages rent will start from Monday October 13. During first month we will have a special discounted rate for those stages, please ask administrator for more info or to schedule your studio rental.

3 New Stages Opening Soon!

FD Photo Studio Pro Stages with Cyc wall. *Cyclorama is under construction.

We are happy to announce that 3 new stages will be opening on this week – October 8, 2014 All three will be equipped with new floor-to-ceiling curved Cyc Walls, and comes with our package of strobes, light stands, backdrops, wireless sync – Included at No extra charge! Both Pro Stage I and Pro Stage II have a central Heat-Ventilation-AC units and a separate bathroom for each stage. The walls between stages has additional soundproofing added and thick drywall installed, plus new windows block a lot of sounds from the street – it will come in handy when shooting a video or recording any sound projects. Unfortunately we don’t have any photos of new stages yet, but we do have a floor plan and you’re always welcome to call us at 323-454-2323 and stop by to get a tour of the stages. Stage D, is located at our building on 530 E 8th Street and about 1800 sq.ft. with 2 North-facing and 2 West-facing matte windows. Very soft daylight and great diffused evening light. Pro Stage I – will be located at our new location in Downtown, at 224 E 11th Street. Size is slightly above 2800 sq.ft. with 5 Huge Frame-less clear windows facing north. Pro Stage II is around 2900 sq.ft. in size and located in our new building as well, has 1 large window and is more suitable when you need blackout stage and full control of the light. All 3 new stages will have a special pricing in October. Call us or stop by to get more info.

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New Ring Light & Floor/Wall Backdrops

We recently updated our equipment list with several new items: First of all it’s a new Ring Light (RingFlash) Unit, which is a powerful self-contained ringflash system designed to meet the challenges of the new-generation creative professional photographer. It is extremely compact, lightweight and easy to use with professional or semi-professional cameras having lenses up to 4 inches in diameter. A studio ringflash is an invaluable and instantly favorite tool of the professional photographer due to its ability to produce essentially shadow-free lighting, revealing unique catchlights in the eyes of subjects when used with fashion and portrait work. Additionally we have a 56-inch Moon Unit™ with Giant 50-inch ring shaped mask for it. The Moon Unit™ is a highly adaptable accessory for our ABR800 Ringflash. It acts as an extremely low weight, ultra thin 56-inch octabox, or a giant 50-inch ringflash for conventional use, or a shadow-free halo light when mounted on-camera for traditional aim-through ringflash use. Second – We got brand new 5ft by 7 ft Floor/Wall drops by Savage. It’s an extremely realistic floor drop, which can also be used as a backdrop. It comes with a heavy-duty non-skid rubber backing, and printed on a very durable material for realistic colors and comfort. We have Grunge Brick and Gray Pine available. Also Wood Plank and White “Classic Wainscot” backdrops available from a different brand.

Stage C just got a NEW Infinite Wall

After finishing our new cyc-wall (also know as “infinite wall”, “curved wall” or cyclorama) in stage C it got a lot of attention and quickly become very popular among our clients and friends photographers. Smooth lines + good natural light from the window did a great job for perfect catalog or editorial photoshoot., it’s also got featured in couple music videos and video projects. We didn’t expect it to be used as heavily as it turned out, so eventually it got some cracks and broken plaster in some spots. Because we understand the importance of backdrop and expectation of photographers to have a perfectly smooth and clean cyc wall we decided to go with rebuilding it, to provide more durability and to make sure it’s not gonna break again. The New, rebuilt Cyc wall looks and features the same 19ft wide, 10ft tall and 11ft high measurements and look, our main goal was to insure it doesn’t get cracks during photo or video sessions. In addition, to provide better service and experience, we repaint the cyc wall with dead flat white fresh paint everyday, so photographers can start right away with like-new fresh infinite wall. The use of the cyc wall is still included in the Stage C rental rate, we don’t charge you any extra for it, however we would ask you to be gentle with it and can add a $59 repainting fee if the cyc wall or floor gets dirt, stains or footprint on it (just to cover paint and labor expenses).