4 Photography Styles from PROs | We ASK 4 PHOTOGRAPHERS

“Photography for me is not looking, it’s feeling. If you can’t feel what you’re looking at, then you’re never going to get others to feel anything when they look at your pictures.”

Don McCullin

Although there is a finite number of photography genres you can associate with, like portrait, beauty, lifestyle, wedding, etc, YOUR STYLE is what really makes you stand out in the ocean of competition in any niche. In this “ASK 4 PHOTOGRAPHERS” Youtube episode our PROs share their unique stylistic approach to photography and how it helps them to differentiate from others.

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

Arturo Evaristo @artcrooks : The type of photography I’m most inclined to shooting would be, I guess, color theory. I love to photograph people in front of red backdrops, yellow backdrops, blue backdrops, all primary colors. Eventually, I’ll venture into darker portraits, and use dark red, but mostly color.

Ben Tsui @bentsuiphotos : I like a lot of colors, not saturated color. I kind of view color and light like foam, like soft foam that has a little bit of texture, and a little bit of weight.

Arturo Evaristo @artcrooks : The best way to stand out, once you’re done with color is, most importantly: Your choice of model, your props, and what message you’re trying to send out.

Arthur Brian Marroquin abmpix.com : My favorite shots are the ones that truly just show the person, and they’re like right in the eyes. It’s great. It doesn’t matter what the clothes are, it doesn’t matter what their hair looks like, it’s just … It’s all about them, and you’re like, “Wow. I want to get to know that person, I want to work with that person.” Those are my favorite types of headshots for sure.

Wanderlust Creatives @wanderlustcreatives : Our style is very dramatic, I would say. With photos, we like to show mood, we like the moody feel. We like shadows, we like contrast in our photos. We like pops of color, even though there’s still some shadows in them, and we love photographing details.

Ben Tsui @bentsuiphotos : I approach my subject … A lot from a distance, where they’re in their own environment, so almost like a little bit of voyeurism.”

WANT TO LEARN MORE FROM PROS AND SHOW YOUR STYLE ON SET?

SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE TO ATTEND PHOTOGRAPHY MIXER that will take place on June 24th in one of our Los Angeles studios .

Watch the full episode :

John Henry Pitts III shoots Miss Justine Marie

#GucciGang is the first thing you will find once opening the website of photographer John Henry Pitts, III. While we do not know how Gucci John is and whether or not he is a gang affiliated member, one thing is certain – his photography rocks!

Few words about the photographer:

Hi! My name is John Pitts. I’m an art director and photographer who has been working in the fashion/lifestyle industry for almost 10 years now~ I love working with young, upstart brands who are looking to bring something new to the table. I also love working with people who are a little different, a little crazy and a lot of passionate!

Passions: Heavy Metal, Coffee, Underground Fashion
Aspires to work with: Malcolm Gladwell, Cara Delevingne

This session’s crew comprised of:

Photographer John Henry Pitts, III INSTAGRAM

Model Miss Justine Marie INSTAGRAM

John Henry Pitts III shoots Miss Justine Marie -wrongron, Wrong Ron, Studio Photography, shot at FD Photo Studio, rental stages, Photoshop, Photoshoot, photography services, photographer, Model, Miss Justine Marie, Los Angeles, John Henry Pitts III, FD photo studio, DTLA, blog, beauty shoot, !Hill2, !done

Stage Hill 2 is one of our latest additions and the second blackout stage we currently offer. Painted all black from top to bottom with the matte color this stage absorbs the light making it easier to control reflections and have complete control of the light painting. Spacious, nicely conditioned and minimalistic, Hill 2 is perfect for video and photo shoots, big or small crew. As any of our stages, it comes with three paper backdrops preinstalled – white, grey and black, and three strobe lights included. For more information please check stage Hill 2 on our website.

Wedding Shoot in Art 1

Event planning company Intimate Gatherings specializes in organizing everything from A to Z for your future wedding. For this lovely couple the vision was to have a Minimalist Industrial Loft Wedding, with a few details, lots of space, flowers, and an accent on simple yet catchy look of how newlyweds might celebrate the big date.

Write up from Intimate Gatherings on FriarTux.com:

I saw the space before I had the idea. The white, clean, urban space was calling for a shoot to compliment the beauty of this studio’s simplicity. Too many details, and the space would get lost. So we built the shoot around the aesthetic of the studio. The core idea, is that of a slightly edgy couple who love simplicity and elegance. They love beautiful things, but are still doing what they can on a budget to pull together an elegant wedding day aesthetic. For example we envisioned an edgy DIY couple who chose to forego cake, and go for something a little bit more outside of the norm, like home made truffles with a monogram of their last name on it (inspired by the many cooking websites that they love to try recipes from). Or why not dye some cheese cloth at home and use it as a beautiful and elegant table runner for the table set up? Couple that with lush greenery, and you have a beautiful minimalist DIY wedding set up.

This session’s crew comprised of:

Event Planning + Design: Intimate Gatherings
Photography: Victoria Johansson Photography
Menswear Style: Grey Notch Lapel Suit with a long black skinny tie
Florals: The Flower Method
Wedding Gown: Madeleine Fig
Hair + Makeup: Mirta’s Beauty Box
Rentals: Party Pieces by Perry
Stationery + Calligraphy: Haven & Hasbrook
Vow Books: Wedding Story Writer

Stage Art 1, a long-time FD Photo Studio favorite, was used for this shoot. With the high-key white industrial design that FD is notorious for, Stage Art 1 is a clean setting that can be manipulated to fit all kinds of projects. This space has its windows facing South and West and gets beautiful direct light during the PM hours, and great open-shaded light in the morning. Take a look at Stage Art 1 HERE to see what equipment is included in

the hourly rate, as well as its availability and pricing.

Wedding Shoot in Art 1 -wrongron360, Wrong Ron, Wedding shoot, Victoria Johansson Photography, Studio Photography, stage Art 1, shot at FD Photo Studio, rental stages, Photoshop, Photoshoot, photography services, photographer, modeling, minimalist shoot, Los Angeles, Intimate Gatherings, industrial loft, FD photo studio, fashion, DTLA, blog, !done, !Art1

Milan+Shannon Photographer Duo

Milan and Shannon are not only a husband and wife in normal life but also a creative duo that specializes in photography and videography. They visited stage F to capture series of test model shots of a young, beautiful representative of Photogenics modeling agency – Sydney Miller. Working primarily with natural light, photographers shot clean, warm and soft images that best represent model’s unique looks.

Milan+Shannon Photographer Duo -wrongron, Wrong Ron, test model shoot, Sydney miller, Studio Photography, Stage F, shot at FD Photo Studio, rental stages, Photoshop, Photoshoot, photography services, photographer, PhotoGenics, modeling, MilanplusShannon, Los Angeles, FD photo studio, DTLA, blog, !done

Few words about creative duo’s experience at FD:

Milan and I (Shannon) are a husband and wife photography and video team. We rented Stage F and were very happy with not only the studio, but the very helpful staff. We are itching to come back and shoot at the rooftop studio next time.

FOLLOW:

Photo/videographers Milan and Shannon – WEBSITE INSTAGRAM

Model Sydney – PHOTOGENICS

Stage F was used for this team’s creative session. The studio is the smallest space we currently offer for our clients. Yet it is one of the most brightest stages with the tremendous amount of natural light coming from North West. It has gained a nickname – “light box” by some of our regulars and it truly fulfills it at any time of the day from dawn until dusk. This studio also features two section laminate floor of white and dark color for your creative needs. As with any of our stages, Studio F comes with 3 strobe lights already included in the hourly rate and backdrop seamless paper installed. Take a closer look HERE.

WINNERS of Spring 2018 Yelp Contest

Another round of free studio time giveaway is at the door step! Meanwhile, we are ready to announce this Spring 2018 term Yelp review winners!

For those who have never heard about our seasonal 4, 8 and 12 hour package giveaways, NOW is time to put down your sandwich or taco, head over to Yelp and find FD Photo Studio there. Why ? Every season we count Yelp reviews left for our studio and draw winners randomly and live on our Instagram account!

The rules are simple – all of our creatives are welcome to participate, including photographers, videographers, hair and makeup artists, models, talent, etc.; and all you have to do is write a review about your experience at FD Photo Studio.

For Spring season our lucky winners are:

1st Place: 12-Hour Package – The first place prize goes to Greg P..
You can check out his review HERE.

2nd Place: 8-Hour Package – In second place, Jasmine “Jas” F. receives an 8-hour package! You can view her review HERE.

3rd Place: 4-Hour Package – Joe J. will receive a 4-hour package ! View the review HERE!

Packages can be used at any stage at any day of the week.

Be sure to keep those reviews coming in! We’re doing another drawing in the Summer 2018! Thanks again to all of our great clients that shared their feedback with us, we will grow and continue to provide you with great spaces for your creative projects.

To see the full details of our package giveaways, visit our website

Jeremy Meeks at FD Photo Studio!

Jeremy Meeks has made many headlines in last few years as his life went up the spiral from a gang member of “crips” to a top fashion model cat walking on runways. Speaking of “how to become a celebrity” topic, Jeremy got his spotlight after a mugshot of him was taken by police and posted on Facebook, instantly becoming viral!

Here, at FD photo studio, Jeremy Meeks was recently photographed by Corey Guevarra for a cover of 26 MAGAZINE.

Just to give you an idea how badass this model is, here is the snippet from Jeremy’s WIKI page:

Meeks was born in Washington on February 7, 1984, and is the son of Katherine Angier^[6] and brother of Emery Meeks.^[7]

In 2002, Meeks was charged with robbery and corporal injury to a child. Meeks had violently assaulted a 16-year-old boy when he was 18. After making a plea deal, he was sentenced to serve two years in a California prison. During this time he admitted that he was a member of the North Side Gangster Crips.^[8]

While still in prison and serving a 27-month sentence, Meeks, dubbed “hot felon” by the media, signed a modeling contract with White Cross Management.^[9] Also while in prison, he signed with Hollywood talent agent Gina Rodriguez.^[10]

During New York Fashion Week in February 2017, Meeks made his runway debut.^[11] After his appearance, Voguemagazine described him as a “buff bad boy”.^[12]

In June 2017, he was on the catwalk during Milan Fashion Week, walking for German fashion designer Philipp Plein.^[13]

In August 2017, Meeks appeared in a campaign for Israeli sunglasses fashion house “Carolina Lemke”, partially owned by Bar Refaeli.^[14] The campaign tagged Meeks’ background as “different than” Refaeli’s, who appeared in the campaign alongside Meeks, stating “There has never been a mix like this”.^[15]

Grooming & Wardrobe was provided by Kwame Waters .

FOLLOW Jeremy Meeks on INSTAGRAM for daily updates!

Here are some of favorite pics from Jeremy’s Instagram feed:

Just released! Go get your copy! @fgukmagazine @jimjordanphotography

A post shared by JEREMY MEEKS (@jmeeksofficial) on Nov 9, 2017 at 4:39pm PST

BLESSED !!!! @amfar

A post shared by JEREMY MEEKS (@jmeeksofficial) on May 25, 2017 at 3:43pm PDT

At FD Photo Studio, we already have 21+ amazing unique stages available for rent. While constantly expanding due to overwhelming demand, we strive to bring not only the quantity but also the quality to our clients. Each of our spaces features specific advantages and perks, as we like to cater to certain needs – be it natural light, blackout, cyclorama walls, and different aesthetics offered by each of our stages. Every space has an independent calendar with up-to-date availability, as well as rates listed for each. Visit our website to browse our options!

14 Photography Tips for Beginners from PROs | We ASK 4 PHOTOGRAPHERS

ASK-4-photographers-14-photography-tips-for-beginners

“Some photographers take reality… and impose the domination of their own thought and spirit. Others come before reality more tenderly and a photograph to them is an instrument of love and revelation.”

Ansel Adams

If you are just starting out as a photographer and a bit nervous whether or not you will succeed, this episode is a MUST WATCH for you. We asked 4 Professional Photographers about their struggles and obstacles they faced during a career development and lessons they learned from it. Paul Roustan, Paul Capra, Bekah Wriedt and Sana Nodelman came up with 14 TIPS for beginners for our “ASK 4 PHOTOGRAPHERS” Youtube series .

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

Paul Roustan: First, become comfortable with the techniques, and understanding the techniques, master the techniques. And once you’ve done that throw it all out the window and just start exploring.

Paul Capra: Nobody gets there the same way as the person before. Everybody struggles as an artist to survive and make money. Making money off of what you love to do is probably one of the hardest things, so there’s gotta be some give and take, and sacrifice there.

Bekah Wriedt: Constantly be learning. You will never be there, and just to keep learning and keep growing, and ask people who are smarter than you who have been in the industry longer than you have. To just be humble, and to seek advice and knowledge. That’s my biggest advice.

Sana Nodelman: Don’t ever try to be someone else. Just be yourself. Try to find your own path. Don’t copy anyone.

Paul Capra: But, you know, no one person knows it all. You kind of jump in and figure it out, get your feet wet.

Paul Roustan: You should always have a little bit of fear and panic with whatever project you’re trying to do. You wanna be outside your comfort zone.

Sana Nodelman: Grind hard, and work hard, every single day. Little by little, step by step, shoot by shoot.

Paul Roustan: And you want to learn from that. You want to fail as hard as possible, learn from it, and you’re gonna grow. If you’re not a little bit nervous, then you’re not learning.

Sana Nodelman: Every little detail is very important. And the devil is in the details. Just pay attention to everything.

Paul Capra: But you gotta definitely love what you do on a consistent basis.

Sana Nodelman: Focus on the lighting. It’s very important. You can use any gear, like, anything. But if you’re messing up with light, you’re done.

WANT TO LEARN MORE FROM PROS AND ASK THEIR ADVICE? SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE TO ATTEND PHOTOGRAPHY MIXER that will take place on June 24th in one of our Los Angeles studios .

Watch the full episode :

Stage UPGRADE: PRO II now has CORNER CYCLORAMA + more

Photo studio rental with corner cyclorama available for rental in Los Angeles

Even a month ago, the only stage that had a fully functional Cyclorama wall was stage C. Although that cyc is undoubtedly awesome wide creature of 19 feet in length, the new toy we installed in PRO II stage is nothing short of versatile monster.

The double curved, floor to ceiling CORNER CYCLORAMA is now available for you to shoot anything from professional fashion e-comm photoshoot to a serious film/music video production. And best news is, unless you want it freshly painted for $49.99, the cyc comes as is and already included with the stage rate.

Oh, that is not all.

Over by the window, we installed a custom made rustic wooden platform with a bed – a perfect setup for any bed scene (excluding porn, your pervs.)

Take a closer look on our WEBSITE and check what equipment and other perks are included in this stage’s rent.

Motion Blur Portraits with Daniel Norton | Adorama TV

Another great episode of “OnSet” by Adorama TV with Daniel Norton reveals how to use a shutter speed creatively. Combining slower shutter speeds and movement, Daniel and his gorgeous model Stephanie show you how to get creative with some simple window light and adds a bit of flash to refine the image in the end.

WHAT IS THE SETUP?

For this setup Daniel uses one strobe light ProFoto B1x with a rectangular soft box. The background is simple white, and is chosen on purpose – since we are catching the blur of motion, on a black background those see through blurry movements would not translate on a photo otherwise.

At first Daniel uses natural light only, which gives him somewhat decent results. However, without a strobe the image lacks the punch. So using artificial light from the same side as natural light turns out to be a great idea.

WHAT ARE CAMERA SETTINGS?

Daniel uses what seems to be his favorite medium format camera Hasselblad X1D-50c with 90mm Hasselblad F/3.2 XCD lens . He shoots at whooping F20, with ISO 200. His shutter speed is constantly changing, since we focus on its creative element. Different shutter speed gives different density or length of motion blur, so it is a really hit or miss situation and requires experimentation.