Become Better Photographer: David Bergman teaches to “Slow Down”

In the world of ever accelerating technological boom, photo cameras have become astonishingly fast, smart, small. Yet is it always a good idea to use hi-tech for self-advancement? After all, do you want to make better photography through gear OR to through your eye ?

Today David Bergman from Adorama TV will share 3 steps need to take before a first shot captured. These techniques show more analytical, manual thoughtful approach to photography.

Analyze The Frame

The very first step is to closely look at your viewfinder. Pay attention not only to your subject but also the background. Meticulously analyze each corner of the frame to make sure there is nothing you don’t like. If there is, however, try moving your position left or right, up – down, move around.

Everything Manual

Yes, that dreaded “m” on your switch needs to be turned on. Once feared hell that “m” was bringing to you manifesting in unknown too bright or too dark pictured, now will become your best friend and teacher. Learn how to change Shutter Speed, Aperture, ISO to acquire full control of your exposure and begin using it creatively.

Manual Focus

It is time to use your other hand. That spinning thing on the lens that had no use before, (since you are snapping away with convenient Auto-Focus), now will become your another friend too. Catching your subject in focus manually is both active and productive experience. Learning how to dive from one focal distance to another will literally extend your photographic vision of the set.

Watch the full episode with David Bergman and Adorama TV:

Long Exposure Photography by Cathy Merenda

With a single source of light and long exposure a photographer can achieve undoubtedly breathtaking photos. The futuristic composition gets even better if that light shines rainbow like with burst of color! Photographer Cathy Merenda showed just how beautiful long exposure photographs could be!

A little backstory to the shoot:

“FD Studio B was great. All black and perfect for light painting. Rachel was 8 months pregnant so we documented this time in her life with some dramatic photos using yards of silk and an LED stick”.

Stage B is a benchmark blackout stage designed to provide complete control over the strobe light. Painted all black and with shut off windows this stage preserves complete darkness for your photo and video projects. As any of our stages, B comes equipped with black, gray, and white background paper, three strobe lights and numerous modifiers for your choice. To check the availability for this stage as well as find more helpful information about our rental please see the WEBSITE.

4 PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS FOR BEGINNERS! WE ASKED PROs, ep. 5

6 PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS FOR BEGINNERS! WE ASKED PROs, ep. 5

“There are no bad pictures; that’s just how your face looks sometimes.”

Abraham Lincoln

WATCH THE FIRST PART OF PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS HERE .

In a 5th episode of series of photography tips for beginners, we continue capturing thoughts of 4 Professional Photographers in Los Angeles that will help you better your photography.

The full interview is available of YOUTUBE. For your convenience, here is the transcript of it as well.

Ben Tsui @bentsuiphotos : My advice to newcomers. Leave your ego outside the door because you’re always going to be judged by your worst performance. And they’re always going to remember it. Even though it’s a thick industry, it’s a very small community. If one mistake, hopefully not a catastrophic mistake that you make, that they’re always going to remember it. Be pleasant, be polite, and you’re going to be doing this for a long time.

Alex Harper @alexgharper : Just be authentically the artist that you want to be. Create the art that inspires you. And find that. Spend time figuring out what that art looks like. Who you are. And don’t rush it. But work. Work at finding that. And I think it will come. I think everyone is in their own way their own kind of artist. And be truthful with what that is. Learn from my mistakes of trying to be an artist that I’m not and I can tell you it didn’t get me very far. No one was enjoying the art that I was making in the way that I wanted them to because it wasn’t even really the art that I wanted to be making. So spend that time with yourself and your camera or your paintbrush, or your dancing shoes or whatever your art form is. And find out your truest artistry I guess.

Arthur ABM Photography: Anyone who’s just getting started, pick up your camera and just go take photos. Go grab someone and just take photos. Learn from your mistakes. That’s what I did. I still make so many mistakes. I just don’t put them out there. Don’t send them to the client. Just go. Grab your camera and start taking photos.

Chris Curiel @c_curiel87: If they’re beginners I would say don’t stress about the gear. Because I thought about gear all the time and as I progressed I noticed that you don’t need gear to make a perfect photo. You can have a toy camera. And sure it does make a difference. It throws the impact way more better, but you don’t need a top of the line gear. Because I have done photo shoots with Canon AE-1 and then I’d done a photo shoot with a Leica R7. And I look at them. They’re both stunning images. But you can tell that it also depends on the other person, how they’re going to express themselves.

WANT TO LEARN how to shoot with strobe lights, in the studio environment?

JOIN US FOR “Studio Lighting 101” WORKSHOP that will take place on October 17th, 7-9pm, in one of our Los Angeles studios !!!

Watch the full episode :

ALEZZANDRA for her new single cover

Born and raised in Sweden with a Serbian background, and now residing in LA, Alezzandra is an international recording artist, vocalist and producer. Propelled by her female empowerment narrative, poetic lyrics, psychedelic textures and enticing and expansive voice, Alezzandra, writes with rich spectrum of emotion and eroticism.

Few words about artist’s experience at FD:

“It was a pleasure to shoot my single cover release photos at your location & Im happy to share my story with you. My friend Jhana Parits is the amazing photographer behind these shoots!

Alezzandra the triphop / ambient rock artist combines her lyrics with beats, dark ambience, hypnotic rhythms, and soulful vocals. With her new release, Alezzandra has exposed her deepest secrets and darkest fantasies through provocative images, lyrics and sultry vibes.

Watch out for her full video EP, The Black Rose and stay tuned for more exciting announcements. ”

Find ALEZZANDRA & her music here:

Spotify, Sound cloud, Website and Instagram

Stage B features all black walls and ceiling, with capabilities to completely shut off the natural window light. Equipped with black, gray, and white background paper, three strobe lights and numerous modifiers for your choice this stage is all you need for a perfect, intimate, creative environment. To check the availability for this stage as well as find more helpful information about our rental please see the WEBSITE.

Fashion & Portrait session by Timothy J

If you have not followed photographer Timothy J yet, here are few arguments that might persuade you to so right after. Beautifully executed photography without much gear.

A story of the photographer Timothy J:

“Timothy J is a freelance fashion photographer. He studied at Columbia College Chicago. Timothy spent his childhood in the wild forest of the Philippines. He encountered snakes & wild beasts upon exploring the land. He naturally learned which plants are poisonous and not. He also naturally learned which plants are medicinal or edible – I guess there’s something about nature & humans. It’s all connected. Tim also mastered raising chickens at a young age without any help. He started with one pregnant chicken and by 2 years he had 80+ chickens in total. He started doing all this by age 8 for fun. It was never for food nor to sell. Last but not least, he trained geese to act like guard dogs to protect his chickens from cats and burglar. Yes, Philippine cats eats chicks and full grown chickens. Tim is now a grown man, had a normal education in the states. Although he grew as man here in the states, he will never forget his amazing childhood memories. This is just 20% of Tim’s childhood experience. If you’re curious feel free to email him or just ponder”

This session’s crew comprised of:

Photographer: Timothy Fernandez
Makeup : Chloe Schlossmann
Models: Claire & Sophia

The crew has chosen Stage A due to its size and affordability. Nevertheless, this Stage provides outstanding natural lighting conditions where there is a direct sunlight in the morning through north and east-facing windows, and beautifully soft indirect light as the day goes on. Equipped with all of the same great gear that’s included with all of our studios – strobes, light modifiers, radio trigger, and paper backdrops – it’s a wonderful place to be able to achieve different looks all in the same place. Visit Stage A on our website to learn more.

!GROUP SHOOT! Fall Fashion and Colorful Sets

Our previous get-togethers such as this one or this one brought many bright minds and DSLR cameras to FD photo studio, who greatly benefited from this unique opportunity of fully equipped professional set including models, MUAs, stylists, not to mention group learning curve was going through the roof.

It is time to re-charge your charge your camera again. We are bringing to you new group photoshoot with “Fall Fashion and Colorful Sets” theme.

Here are few details about group shoot:

Who?

3 Professional Agency Models with diverse looks

What?

3 Colorful Setups
4 Hours of Studio Time
Props, fabrics, lighting gear
Networking Time with other Creatives

Where and when?

The event will take place at stage D, at 530 e. 8th street, Los Angeles, CA 90014. It will happen on October 6th, 2018, 3-7pm so mark your calendars.

How much?

To have such a shoot organized for yourself only, a photographer should expect to take $1500 out of pocket. Since not everyone can afford such a price, we decided to take the workload off of our shoulders, your fair share is ONLY $120.

GET YOUR TICKETS HERE!

E-commerce shoot for Toko-Toko

Simple yet rich e-sommerce photographs were shot by Niza Dafney in stage A. Emphasized by natural light exclusively, the composition focuses on vividness of the subject – neat and beautiful art of Melissa Sunjaya.

The story of this photoshoot from Lola:

“My company is called Toko-Toko, it is an online boutique carrying brands from Indonesia that are Sustainable, Fair Trade and Vegan. Part of our sales benefits community projects which provide clean water, healthcare, and education for the villages in Indonesia.

In this photoshoot, we are featuring the work of Indonesian-based artist Melissa Sunjaya. She is the Founder and Resident Artist of Tulisan brand in Jakarta. All illustrations on the merchandise are by Melissa. Items sold in this photo shoot will benefit an animal rescue in Jakarta, Indonesia. “

The small crew comprised of:

Lolo Santosa from Toko-Toko

Photographer Niza Dafney.

WHAT IS YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY STYLE? WE ASKED 4 PROs, ep.3

“Beauty can be seen in all things, seeing and composing the beauty is what separates the snapshot from the photograph”

Matt Hardy

WATCH THE FIRST PART OF 4 PHOTOGRAPHY STYLES HERE .

In the third episode dedicated to different styles photographers have, we explore perks of black and white genre, the perception of color, and why one genre is preferable over another.

The full interview is available of YOUTUBE. For your convenience, here is the transcript of it as well.

Loretta Richert @lolagraphy_photo : I shoot dancers and movement, so I love when a photo isn’t just a picture of a dancer in a pose. I want it to capture the mood of the dancer that I’m shooting. So I would say, a little bit moody but also, I shoot for an emotional effect, unless I’m doing fears. Then I want it to be … But that’s a mood too, because that’s kind of the feeling that I’m getting from the dancer. I just try to capture their feeling more than just a shape or pose.

Ron Khy @ronkhy : The best way that I would describe my style of photography is a mix between very clean, good colors, vibrant colors, and just straight-on composition that best shows off the subject. For example, if I’m shooting fashion, you want to show the person. You want to show the outfit, and you want to do that in the best way possible, but in the cleanest way possible without any noise, and without any stuff in the foreground, stuff in the background. Usually for fashion looks, I’ll be clean.

Dee @trill_imagery : I have a style, I probably would say, that’s more of a fashion editorial but with a sexy edge to it, kind of like a Helmut Newton type of vibe to it. I kind of like that look, so I’m more so in the fashion editorial, edgy kind of lane, so to speak.

Ruben Tomas @ruben_tomas : Well, my style of photography mostly is in black and white. I really like the contrast of black and white. I always try to cut to the soul of the persons I’m shooting no matter if they are models, or artists, or just regular people who hire me. I always try to cut to the soul. Everything is in the eyes, what happens in the eyes of that person that you are shooting. When I choose the pictures, because for me it says something, but maybe for another person it says another thing. It varies a work about the composition the composition of the picture. There’s always hair involve it and sometimes water. Yeah, I will describe my style of photography as a very human experience.

WANT TO LEARN how to shoot with strobe lights, in the studio environment?

JOIN US FOR “Studio Lighting 101” WORKSHOP that will take place on October 17th, 7-9pm, in one of our Los Angeles studios !!!

Watch the full episode :

#PlayboyPrinces with anti-harassment message

The #PlayboyPrinces are turning heads and drawing attention to an anti-harassment message. Produced by interactive storytelling and performance art group, “The Adventure Effect,” this tongue-in-cheek cosplay is designed to raise awareness about harassment in the pop culture convention community.

The Adventure Effect launched a video and photo series that encourages awareness and peaceful protest of harassment. In the video, Tinker Bell, the Hugh Hefner of the group, encourages cosplayers who face harassment to “glitter bomb” their aggressors with “pixie dust” in order to alert others to their inappropriate behavior.

“We wanted to highlight sexual harassment as a gender-neutral issue. Women are the primary targets of harassment in the convention community, but all cosplayers experience it. There’s a culture of sexy cosplays on women, and we wanted to create an homage to those projects that would also spark conversation,” Adventure Effect co-founder Sara Katz-Scher said. Why the pixie dust? “We got the idea from a group that combats street harassers in Mexico City with confetti guns. Ultimately, we just want to spread awareness.”

The costumes were designed by The Adventure Effect’s co-founder, Neil A. Williams II and produced collectively by Neil and many of the cosplayers involved in the project.

Many of the cosplayers in the group have never worn a corset before. “This is also an opportunity for our male cosplayers to experience the physical and emotional challenges that are ‘standard’ for many female cosplayers,” Sara explained. Neil said, “I felt pretty awkward when we got out of the car. I’ve worn cat suits before, but I’m showing a lot more skin.”

The complete project is available at The Adventure Effect’s FACEBOOK or INSTAGRAM.

This session’s crew comprised of:

#PlayboyPrinces Concept: @TheAdventureEffect

Hugh Hefner/Tinker Bell: @ThatPrincessGirl

Snow White’s Prince: @andrewclemmons

Prince Charming: @thejerm94

PrincePhilip: @lostboycosplay

PrinceEric: @jimmysherfy

TheBeast: @kirk_a_cola

Aladdin: @elijahenchanted

Flynn Rider: @thegeekgatsby

Kristoff: @twfalls

Prince Hans: @rynoshaughnessy

Photographer: Jim Donnelly @happytriggerLA

Stage D is one of the most spacious and most affordable spaces we currently offer. Suitable for both large and small production teams, this stage is on always on a high demand. Lighting conditions are of supreme quality. If working with natural light, towards the sunset the studio gets plenty of great, warm light through large south-west facing frosted windows. There are three strobe lights always available within the stage. Have a look at our calendar for availability, prices and contacts on our WEBSITE.