My Pictures From Last Shoot

5 assistants, 3 clients, 2 models, and a partridge in a pear tree

After a week of being away from the Studio helping my sister move to Chicago for graduate school, I was welcomed back with the most responsibility I had yet at my internship. I was in charge of the talent. This meant I had to pick them up at the Highland Inn and transport them to the shoot and then drive them to the airport at the end of the day. The first day of shooting was on August 28 and I arrived to pick up the models at 12:45 pm and then take them down the street 1 mile to a restaurant before 1 pm. As one could imagine I was nervous because I didn't want to look incompetent in front of these women who I helped pick out of a pool of models. The 2 models were very nice and talkative even though I could tell they had a rough night. One was from Brazil and other from LA, both being roughly my age. When I arrived at the shoot the crew was eating and had been working since 7:30 in the morning. They had shot a family barbecuing and apparently the fire, kids, and animals did not behave so most everyone was worn out. Of the 5 assistants there I didn't know 2 of them. Ryan and Keith were there, of course, along with John Herre who I hadn't seen since the NATICK shoot. The last two were Jason Fobart (or J-Fo) who was the digital assistant with a massive rig that included two 22 inch screens attached to a dolly custom made running off of a G5 tower, and Morgan (I never got a last name). Both of these guys I have heard Scott, Ryan, and Keith mention of and apparently all of these guys were the main people who get hired in ATL and it didn't hurt they were some of the nicest guys I have met while interning.
The shoot was great. Although the restaraunt was small there were a ton of people there. There were 2 stylists, 5 assistants (plus me), 2 client reps plus 1 of the client's client rep, studio producer, and 2 models. This was the least number of people. It reminded me of the famous picture that showed Richard Avedon's production crew.
The one thing that stood out to me about this shoot is how everyone had a job to do while the photographer did what he needed to do. Scott told me that sometimes the photographer has "tunnel vision". He/She wants a certain shot and sees it a certain way and when it doesn't work they get frustrated and needs people to help him pull back and see a way to solve the problem or start all over again.
I didn't really do much other than stand around and if I saw something that needed to be done I did it. I did everything from picking up trash and taking it out to moving things that will be in the shot and helping move lights. I tried not to be in the way of the assistants because I didn't want to step on any toes. Kyle, an assistant told me to always stay near the photographer so if they need something you are there to do it. So that is what I did. I also helped out Callie with ice and drinks. I just did anything I thought would help. After leaving taking the models to the airport I went back to the shoot to help and then left at 7:15 pm. Ready for the next day.
I arrived at the site of the next shoot the next day at 9:45 am after stopping to pick up some bananas on the way there. Again the site was very close to the Studio, about 1.5 miles. It was a huge 3 story house in the middle of Five Points on Euclid Ave. When I got there they had been shooting the first shot of 2 little girls playing musical instruments for 45 minutes. After watching the kids go from cute to rambuncious to cute and then obnoxious we set-up another shot for the kids to be making cookies. Scott mainly used the Keno and the Parabeam with this shoot more then the first day. The Keno and Parabeam are like a cross between softboxes and continuous lights with grid spots on them. He used these lights along this strobes to get a natural lighting situation, like he always does. Those shots went without a hitch and soon it was time for me to pick up another model. So I drove to the Highland Inn and picked her up at 12:15 pm and drove her to the house. She was immediately placed into makeup while the rest of the crew and I ate lunch. It was then time for the family shots. Both of the family shots were going great until it started to rain when we were shooting at the garage. We had some power problems with the computer and lights plugged into the same circuit and had to remedy that problem. Then it started to sprinkle so we moved everything into the garage. It then began to pour so we moved some of the shots to the front porch only using the sun, which was peaking through the clouds and one white reflector and a silver reflector. This was improvised because the other shot was not possible with the rain. Scott was able to pull away from the other shot to focus on another while the first shot was not possible. He managed to work through his tunnel vision. The shoot ended with me driving the model to the airport at 7:30 pm.

Table Clothes and Publix

Today, Aug 17th, I arrived at the Studio to help out Iain (the other photographer that rents a place in Scott's loft ). Iain mainly is known for his natural lighting of food photography and is from London. I was on as the second assistant and Kip was the first. I mainly watched everything that they did and talked to as many people as I could to find out what they did to get where they are. There were 2 food stylists, Angie and Adam (he was her assistant), and a prop stylist who brought 3 large tables full of stuff. After waiting around alot for the food to get prepared. I was sent to pick-up breakfast at a restaurant just down the road called Belly's General Store. When I got back and placed the food on a table for everyone to enjoy, I was asked to go downstairs in storage to get two rubbermaid buckets of table clothes for the shoot. After Iain picked out the one he liked with the least amount of stains he asked me to iron it. It was a good think I know how to iron, thanks mom. While waiting on the food to be cooked I noticed that Iain has a small research library filled with magazines like PDN, BON APETITE, DONNA HAY, and GOURMET. After I went to pick up lunch from Surin and Fellini's we went back to photographing food. We photographed blueberry cobbler, cookies, cakes, chicken salade and other receipies that someone designed for PUBLIX and we were photographing them for newspaper and magazine print. The chef also dropped by to see how the shoot was going and offered his input. I also helped by naming and organizing the files after capture (with Kip showing me how to use capture one) and flagging and masking the lighting rig. After photographing 8 of the 13 or so products the crew decided to stop because they were also going to shoot the next day. I left the studio at 6:47 pm.

Break and Lighting Set-up

On August 16th I was back in the studio after a week off. Scott was in New York for his birthday and to show his book around to clients. I was able to go home and spend time with my family and a friend of my going away to school in Texas. When I got to the studio at 1 pm I was asked again to go to Staples and buy an industrial 3-hole punch because the other broke. Upon returning to the studio I helped Callie with the model packets and wrote out an email with the model's name, sizes, and what part they were in the shoot (i.e. "white woman", "coffee girl"). After finishing that task, and Scott not being back in the studio, Callie left and Iain asked to help him set up his lighting rig for his food shoot the next day. While getting ready for him I shot pictures around the studio with my camera. Iain and I set up his lighting situation for the next day shoot with a table, with a strobe on the floor pointing up with a soft box aimed toward the ceiling, white poster board set at a 90 degree angle to bounce the flash forward, a diffusion box, a sheet of diffusion paper, and then two pieces of white foam core to bounce the flash back. He set up his computer next to the rig with his Hasselblad EL/M with a Phase One back tethered to his computer running Capture One. We left the studio after photographing 2 apples on a plate and he was happy with the results. I left at 5:45 pm.

Doc Chey's and Layer Masks

On August 8th at the Studio I arrived at 10:30 am and was asked to turn around and get ink for a CMYK printer in the office. I got the model number of the printer and ink cartridge and this time I went to Office Max on Ponce. They also wanted my to drive to Sam Flax for 5 rolls of self-adhesive linen tape for Scott's Ad book. Upon returning it was lunch time and I got everyone's order and went to Doc Chey's, an oriental restaurant, for the order just down the street on N Highland. After returning and consuming the meal, Scott showed me how to retouch on a file so that he can remove what I did on each file by using a layer mask. I worked on 10 files taken for the NATICK shoot back on August 2nd. He let me go retouching hair, dirt, and imperfections with the file. That took at least 4 hours and then everyone in the studio left around 5pm.

Availibility and Staples

Today on August 7th I was at the studio from 1 to 5 pm. I arrived at the studio to Scott and Ryan working to get things done from the last shoot and to get ready for on next shoot coming up on August 28 and 29th. Callie needed some things from Staples so I left for that. I could not find an Staples close enough so I went to Office Depot and purchased a recycle bin, light bulbs, and printer paper. I also went to the bank to deposit some checks for Scott. After returning, Callie was upset that I didn't go to Staples but I assured her I got the same exact paper, just a different package. I then helped with model availability sheets for the upcoming shoot. I wrote down the models names in order on the table from front to back in piles (front of the table was the ones Scott really liked, the next pile back was not as much liked, etc). I also wrote down price, agency affiliated with, and if they were available. I also talked with Iain about working with him on the 17th.

Pictures from Aug 2 Shoot

August 3 and Pre-visualization

On Friday Aug 3^rd I came into the studio at 10:30 in the morning. I talked to Scott about the shoot the day before. We talked about how he pre-visualized the images and then knew how to shoot them. Afterwards, I put some boxes into storage downstairs and put the leftover drinks from the coolers into the fridge. I talked to Matt, the food photographer assistant, about what all he does to help Iain. He is about my age and went to school for photography as well.

I left the studio at noon.

August 2 and Photoshoot

I arrived at the studio on August 2^nd at 7 in the morning. Since Callie was at the shoot - house to get the keys, I had to pick up 6 bags of ice for the 3 colors filled with bottled water, Red Bull, assorted soft drinks, and Gatorade. There were 3 assistants at the shoot this time and they were Keith Martin, Ryan Flynn, and John Herre . . .plus me.

We unloaded everything once arriving at the house. The owners were out of town so we had the place to ourselves. We began putting everything together in, or working from, the driveway. This included all the stands, strobes, digital workstation (with laptop and large screen) and tripod.

The first shot was set up in front of the house with the large softbox to the right. The model was standing on the front porch so Scott had to stand on a ladder. The second shot was inside of the house in the living room with the model laying on a chair. The shot included a Fernell light (a movie light that can focus or flood the light much like a flashlight) fitted with a strobe outside to flash light into the window like the sun and a beauty dish as the key light off to the left. Another strip light was set up on the right to light the side of the model and used as a hair light. The third shot was with the model standing behind the island in the kitchen / living room with the beauty light to the left and the curtain used as scrim for the ambient light into the window. The fourth shot was set up with the model on the stairs with a strobe with a grid while using curtains as a scrim for the ambient light and the Fernell light coming through the window. The fifth shoot was up stairs in the TV room with the model laying on a couch with using a softbox and reflectors. The sixth shot was set up in the shower of the master bedroom. The model was standing in the window of the shower. The glass of the shower window was frosted so a strobe was set up to simulate sunlight coming through with the beauty dish in the shower with the photographer. The last shots were set up downstairs with a strobe and reflectors.

This shoot I learned a lot of how to work with a crew and with a model. Scott told the model a few things that I remembered like “Tell me a story with your eyes” and “I am going to ask you a question and answer me with your eyes”. This showed me that Scott realizes the model will make the picture. He also pressed the idea of previsualization of all the photographs.

I left the studio at 8 pm.

August 1 and Pre-Pro Number 2

On August 1^st, I arrived at the studio at 3:30 in the afternoon and talked about the shoot on the 2^nd. I talked to Iain, the food photographer that rents out of Scott Lowden Studios. I helped with organizing the model photos and took out 8 cardboard boxes to the trash. We talked about the schedule for the shoot and that I needed to get 6 bags of ice and get the model from the hotel next door, Highland Inn, at 7:20 AM. Also, there was a preproduction meeting that Scott wanted to see. It basically was an extension of the first meeting with the stylist. She brought the clothes she found and Scott and the art directors from Current talked them over. Scott also took polaroids of the clothes and taped them to printed pictures of the locations where the model would be wearing what clothes to help visualize the images.

July 31 and Scouting Again

On July 31 I arrived at the studio at 10:45 in the morning to Scott, Callie, and Ryan working on the production for the Natick shoot and managing the contact list. They told me that The Glen was rented out on the day they were going to shoot and they didn’t want a crew in the hotel that day. This was frustrating because they already let us scout the place and then took it back and wouldn’t let us shoot there. We went to scout a modern house off of North Avenue that would be a nice substitute for The Glen. Scott brought his camera again and shot everything just like scouting the last time. The house was very graphic and thoroughly modern with big windows, mainly made of concrete, monochromatic palate, and a sense of being in a museum because of little or no personal touches.

After arriving back to the studio, Scott and Ryan immediately processed the scouting shots and put them up on his website for the art director to look at. Scott showed me how to put up those pictures on his website with a php program specifically written for his website.

Before I left in the evening at 4:30, Scott received an email from Mark Anderson, an editorial photographer in Atlanta, who needed an assistant on Monday August 6^th.

July 26 and Pre-Pro Meeting

On July 26 I met up with Scott at his studio at 9:30 in the morning to go to a meeting at the ad agency Current to talk to the stylist about the Natick shoot. We drove over to the agency and when we arrived I sat and listening to the meeting. It consisted of the stylist, Kim, and the agency talking about what kind of clothes she needed to buy and bring and from what stores. After the meeting, Scott and I drove back to the studio. We talked about how he found his photography style. He said that he likes to have the picture show the people in the photos were it looks like they have done something, are doing something, or will do something. He said that it gives the photographs another level rather than just a pretty girl in a pretty place.

After getting back to the studio I helped scan model releases that the signatures weren’t legible. I scanned them darker so the signatures could be seen more clearly. I also cut up about 90 photos.

I also found this quote in a “The Negative” by Ansel Adams: “Once you begin the process of visualization the final image becomes the paramount importance, and you are far less concerned with the subject per se than with your representation of it”.

I left the studio at 5 pm.

July 25 and Scouting

When I arrived at the studio at 10:30 in the morning I was quickly put to work organizing model photos for an advertising job with a mall that is opening in Natick, Mass. Callie, the studio manager, told me that dealing with model talent was the hardest part of the job and I get to see why with this shoot production. The organization of the talent included printing out pictures of the models, writing the name of the model, writing out the representing model agency, and the price of the model. Scott likes to have the pictures in his hands to physically move around on a table and not on the computer. He laid them out with titles (like “white boy” or “ethnic woman”) and in the first pile his first picks, the second pile his second picks, and the third pile his last ditch picks. This way he can go down the list and check availability and write yes and no on the actual pictures.

After helping to organize the model pictures and information Scott, Ryan, and I went to scout “The Glen”, a restaurant / hotel in downtown Atlanta, GA. We met people from Current, the ad agency that contracted Scott, who were acting art directors for the shoot. We walked around the hotel and Scott shot pictures of what he thought could be used for the shoot\After scouting, we all rode back to the studio and talked about the shoot on Thursday Aug. 2^nd and the preparation day before. Scott told me that if a photographer wasn’t sure about the lighting he could have it worked about before hand by either setting up in a similar area or come in a few days before and do a test day.

Scott also told me some things about scouting: Don’t burn bridges with the owners of the places you are shooting, if you are shooting for someone else, you should shoot even the bad angles so you can explain that these are bad angles, keep a library of scouting pictures so you can use them for other shoots, a good scouting lens would be a zoom lens like 28 – 104 mm, shoot a room wide then go in tight for specific shoots, and shoot a background how it will look - if will be out of focus shoot background that way.

I left the studio at 6 pm.