studioes-blog

[studioes-blog]

Dont force it, work with it.

Shawn, is a mountain of a human being. In fact it was a challenge to shoot him with my low ceilings in the studio. What I took away from this shoot was, when you have a look don’t fight it work with it. Shawns family wanted to redo their senior photos because they were not happy with the results. I am thankful that they chose me to do the re-shoot. I had a quick on the spot interview with Shawn and learned of his love of basketball, video games and how he views life itself. The words that stood out to me when talking with Shawn were fearless, content, control, these words were used to describe how he feels when he is on the court with other players. I ran with it and he delivered.

Guess what guys its SEO time! My favorite time of the blog. This time as a photographer of senior portraits and other photographic needs. I am going to say it flat out. I don’t like Maroon 5, came on the radio the other day in the car and I said “No sir, I don’t like it” and that’s that. That happened while I was at Fort Bragg going to Lillington with a stop off in Bunnlevel North Carolina.

Common photog knowledge will tell you to make the model smile and then in the after shoot go gonzo on the frequency separation to make the skin oh so silky smooth. Now once again with this being on the internet I have to speak frankly here, I am not condemning photoshop at all, its a tool we all must use and adapt to each clients needs and wants. I use frequency separation all the time and I cleaned up Shawns skin quite a bit on his shoot, I want him to look his best, but again its what me and the client are after in the shoot. This is the reason Shawn and his parents sought me out, as his previous shots were tight closeups only and his skin was so blended, well it was very noticeable to end the story here. When meeting with mom and dad the goal of the shoot was some wider frames for a project that mom had in mind and they wanted their son to look like himself and boom:

Haha more SEO. You know I also shoot some newborns did a headshot the other day and well I love this photography thing. In fact I couldn’t be happier to serve the fine people of Pinehurst and Fayetteville North Carolina. This SEO tag is a little lame, Ill get it right in the next one. Promise, if not I’ll be a free photographer! Hoho, watch that one rise in the google search ranks. I love algorithms, so smart yet so dumb.

The smile, when a client uses words like dominant, fearless, control, I don’t see a smile. Shawn is a very gentle young man and my shoot with him was a blast. There was no need to force a smile out of him. He has that dominant presence in his stance and height add in the look and he rocks it, again don’t fight it work with it.

You might notice the use of the white background and since no one reads this Ill talk to myself here. I love the white background, so clean and ready for anything. We chose it so Shawn can stand out in the frame, he carries the contrast, both in his fearless mindset and the caring young man he is in person, then apply that visual contrast to his images. 

SEO baby! Pressure is on folks I would not like to work for free so I need a zinger here. Studio ES a photographer that works more than 9 to 5 and you will get more than 5 portraits which is better than anything Maroon 5 puts out. OHHHH got em. Come see us for all your photographic needs in Sanford and heck Ill even drive to Fort Bragg and Fayetteville North Carolina for senior portraits, newborns and headshots.

I want to close with my favorite image of the shoot. Its those moments why you never take the camera to far away from your eye.

yeah yeah, photos, babies, seniors portraits, maternity! oh and Shawn and family ordered prints! let me give a seo shout out to White House Custom Color for great prints. Studio ES, Sanford what ever, love vinegar in my BBQ North Carolina.

Joe Mcnally once stated in his books you never take your eye out of the camera and don’t put the camera away until you at home. That is not verbatim but you get the idea. I live by that philosophy I wish Shawn all the luck in his studies as he tackles programming so he can work in the gaming word. Its a booming industry and I know he will be a powerhouse in it. Thanks for the opportunity guys.

[studioes-blog]

Emotion is King, Queen, Rook, Knight, its everything.

Back again folks with two images that I want to share because they are a bit off the block for run of the mill photography. While we are taught to chase that correct exposure, watching noise levels, blown highlights, critical focus, I feel that as a photog with that list in front of me all the time I can lose focus on the real meat of the photo. I am talking about the emotion of the scene and the person. What and why are you taking this photograph? On a recent shoot I was tasked with paying homage to a father passed away less than a year ago. Leaving behind a weeping mother and children. Lets talk:

Studio ES sadly presents SEO magic. You can find us near lillington north carolina. we are photographers and we shoot newborns, family, senior portraits and headshots. Is headshots one word or two? I can never answer that.

Pa Kelly was a life long firefighter for the Fayetteville Fire Department. He passed last year and the family is quite broken up about it. I was asked if there was a way we could incorporate the helmet into the family shoot. I agreed and asked if I could pay homage in my own way to the fallen.

I chose the contrast between warm and cool ends of the spectrum. Warm light embracing the helmet like memories of all who knew him and cool for the resting place where his soul can find peace. 

When I step back and think of my emotion of the scene I was trying to create, its that kiss of warm light on the helmet that brings it all together. With out that its just a properly exposed helmet sitting on the dock. While still impactful to those who knew him, I wanted more emotional punch to any viewer. Chasing that little bit of, hey, this guy was something special and I found that emotion with a hint of warm light.

Homage to the fallen. Photographer at Studio ES loving the work with newborns senior portraits and headshots. Its a little somber of a post to go all kooky with the SEO but I have to keep up impressions. so, portraits, photos, studio and all that other stuff that google looks for in the text. Find us in Pinehurst North Carolina.

Always training in chiaroscuro. I can never get enough. The play of light and shadow. Above is my intention to express thru fall off and the play from highlight and shadow the time when some one passed and living are grieving. We are torn between a place of happiness and sadness at the same time. I sought to express this duality with the transition of light to shadow, Pa Kelly’s memories live on and bring us joy yet inside the living there is forever a dark empty spot that was once well lit.

The technics of this shot are simple, yet managing all the light was touchy. I wanted a subtle fall from light to shadow not an extreme from light to dark as you get from using natural light with out bounce and such. Her highlights are raw unforgiving sunlight, easily managed with f-stop. The challenge was getting her skin and the white helmet to behave as one with my strobe. Luckily for me when the masters speak I listen. Light’s intensity falls off with distance, to solve my dilemma I placed my umbrella right on moms face and allowed for distance between strobe and helmet. I also feathered the light more toward moms skin to help out with the helmet not going nuclear on me.

The shadow fall off was the ol one two punch of negative fill and masking my umbrella to control the size of my light source. I really can’t sing enough praises of the 4 in 1 umbrellas or in my case the 8 in 1 umbrella. Very handy piece of kit.

Since this post is all about emotion and I carried out my idea in composition and lighting all that is left falls on the subject. This time perfect skin, big eyes and bright smile dont fit the emotion of the scene. I handed mom the helmet and asked her to think of a great memory to tell me. The rest is posted in the photo above. I can not thank her enough for allowing me the opportunity to honor her late husband, I hope that I captured the enormity of the shoes he left behind. Thanks a bunch Kelly Family.

More to come.

Find Studio ES here: https://studioes.photoshelter.com/index

Before the internet starts churning we all planned this shoot and I was not the terrible photographer who grabbed a item of grief and said hey lets make some photos. Gotta keep a lid on that gossip folks.

[studioes-blog]

I shot a baby! With a camera folks.

I recently had my first newborn experience and whoowee what a trip and a great time. I love feeling the rush of don’t mess this up, people are watching, I live for it. Lets lead with our subject. Ellie.

SEO time you cant escape it, you know. Only this time Studio ES is tuggin at your heart strings with the magic of newborn photography. That’s right starting as a senior portrait and headshot photographer wasn't enough we added the babies to our list. Oh yea, Bunnlevel, Pinehurst, Fort Bragg and all that stuff. Id rather talk about the photography.

Ellie was a trooper through the shoot and with eyes like that she will melt your heart in an instant. Mom and I discussed a really simple yet elegant shoot for the little lady. So gear for this shoot follows that same rule. A couple of strobes and and umbrella, I used the square mask on my umbrella because relative size of square silk to Ellie was enough to make it nice and soft also allowing me to still put a little bit of shadow on her for some details. Now you know the equipment and rational behind it lets talk about the shoot.

I think I like newborn photography this shoot was wonderful. I gotta stick to protocal and squeeze in the SEO. Studio ES shooting newborns still loves to photograph seniors and headshots lives in the Fayetteville, Pinehurst area and photographer, yea, back to the babies.

I am glowing writing this, you would think she was my newborn. Being my first newborn there are always challenges that I must rise to meet. First was mom and I talked about the time to do the shoot, we decided on right before older brothers nap time, giving me an hour to setup and prepare and a hour to shoot, I can make this work. Following the teachings of well respected photographers I kept saying in my mind keep it simple stupid. Known as the KISS method, Ellie already has great skin, color, every thing is ready to go, don’t ruin it by over complicating the shoot.

The largest challange on the shoot was, I was late for a newborn shoot, Ellie was three weeks old when we shot and she was very alert and checking out her surroundings. Typical newborns are shot in the first week and are late if shot in the second week. I had to let go of that sleepy look, it was simply just too late and our lady was way to interested in whats going on around her.  Giving up on the sleepy look didn't sadden my heart. Making silly faces and sounds to catch a smile makes it all worth it.

Newborn smiles captured by Studio ES in Lillington North Carolina. SEO is lovely it allows me to shoot senior portraits, headshots and just sweet awesome photography.

I really don’t have to much to say, it was a wonderful shoot and I am hungry for more. I will close with some words of wisdom I learned studying the masters of photography. Those words are “Never put the camera away until you get home.” That is not verbatim but the idea is keep it ready you never know when you will capture something like this:

Studio ES, short form SEO. Newborn photography, seniors and headshots who knows maybe maternity? Find us taking photographs in North Carolina, Bunnlevel. Thats it.

He will make an excellent big brother.

Find Ellie and others at: https://studioes.photoshelter.com/index

[studioes-blog]

Happy family is more than No.29 at your local Chinese restaurant.

Enter the Kelly-Mullins-about five other last names. Yeah it was a huge family photography day. However what was special about this job is that everyone was very patient and pleasant to work with. As is the nature in the creative industry what works in our heads rarely works in the field. One must grow and develop that quick fix bag of tricks for on set use. Luckily I have cut my teeth on many a film set. That was a piffy post, point is the Mullins-Kelly-Lots of other names crew was great.

I got space underneath a photo! its SEO time, wubba lubba dub dub. Studio ES branching out into the family photography realm. Diggin it so far. Google please I submit to you. All your photographer needs in the North Carolina Lillington area can be met at Studio ES. Babies, Seniors, Portraits, Headshots and whatever other keywords I need to use here. Newborn photography.

Let the above frame set the tone for the blog and the day I had with the many last names crew. I took way to many frames to share on this blog so I will just comment about some of my favs. Above was one of those moments expressing the fun loving nature of this crew. I couldn’t be happier that I was chosen to do their photos. Nothing to epic to say in terms of lighting just fillin in to beat the sun out of the frame. I choose to put a backlight to add a little interest to the previous frames and it just jammed on this frame really nice specially with the ladies being blonds.

SEO time. Maybe just maybe Studio ES will get sick of SEO. Nope not happenin. All us photographers must serve our Google masters. Whether you need newborns, senior portraits in Sanford North Carolina Studio ES has got your back. A  little secret no one knows about me but I can use in SEO is that while stationed in England I did some maternity photography it was great but did not survive the trip across the ocean. Send your complaints to the moving company, I forgave them, after they cut me a check. Can’t forget headshots and family pictures too.

Speaking of adding interest this was the frame we setup the backlight for, just the Kelly girls. The jokes and laughs shared on set were plenty enough that I had to wrangle my self back on task a couple of times. You don’t need much else in front of a camera than a couple of pretty ladies and some basic lighting to make a great frame.

Guess what? Chicken butt? nope SEO butt. Yup I said that. We here at Studio ES are a light hearted group of one photographer serving the North Carolina state in the Fayetteville area. Giving you the services of newborns, Seniors, portraits and headshots and other photographic needs. Anybody remember a phone book? I do but I was a kid so I don’t really understand the SEO on those. Maternity shoots got lost during the move, sad panda.

Meet the real stars of the show the puppy dogs, puppy being a loose definition. This frame is the reason I was hired as the Mullins group needed a Christmas card, and with handsome doggos like those two who can say no.

Now I can already hear the other photogs typing away, a real pro wont catch the shadow, OMG lens flare. Sorry but we all know about sacrifices made on set to make frames happen. First off, we needed the lake background, when looking at older photographs the lake was full. When location scouting the lake was drained a little bit, two days later on shoot day the lake was empty. So yeah, challenge accepted, I have to frame up to let the photo accept the Xmas card wording and decorations along the edges, so. a close frame to eliminate the shadow is out. A simple fix is to fill it in with a light, however to wrangle the sky into any color I was workin my strobes on the top end just to get a decent exposure on my couple, just ran out of lights and have to live with it. The flare, well let me try to quote the great Akira Kurosawa on why he would choose his frames the way he would. “If I where to move the frame a inch to the right you would see the Toyota building, which did not exist in feudal Japan.” That’s not verbatim but you get the idea, in this situation anywhere I moved I would either end up with no lake and a bunch of muck but no lens flare or right where I was with the lake and a lens flare. We all have to make sacrifices to make things work and at the end of the day the Mullilns and lots of last names party was happy and that is all that matters.

How about a little serious SEO here, the frames above don’t scream sarcasam. Studio ES trying to serve all your photography needs in Sanford North Carolina. I love to shoot Seniors, Headshots, Portraits and family photography. Babies and maternity too. Photographer out.

The top frame with son a pappa was one of those moments when trying to get our little guy interested worked out wonderfully. I as a photog come from the school where the look on the face and the emotion trumps all. Lighting, a little soft focus, I will forgive and still use a frame if the emotion is right. Papa and son gave me that emotion loud and clear even if the focus is a little soft. Thanks guys. 

 The other star of the show is this little guy and his message on the back of the shirt. There is a certain age window when you dont get lots of chances to light and even going natural you have to be Johnny on the spot with your clicks as you only get one chance and then its over. Luckily our little man was interested in the process and the gear I was using, so the trick was to give him a strobe to head towards and snap away. We got it. 

Just as the shirt says a big congratulations to Ginger and family on their up coming new addition to the family. A huge thanks to all the Mullins-Kelly_last namers for a wonderful time on set, great doggos and getting to know you and your family inside and out. Looking forward to meeting you all again.

If you can stand my personality and would consider working with me here is my website: https://studioes.photoshelter.com/index

[studioes-blog]

Firefly was a good show, Serenity was an ok movie end but Destiny is a great person.

The end of this summer I had the pleasure to work with Destiny and her cousin Emily. Destiny is the prime example of having patience and willingness to work out the problems of a shoot. We had an original plan to use her ROTC uniforms. At the time of the shoot the uniforms were collected back to the master of ROTC and could not be used again till the next year. Yeah, thats the life of a photog.

Thankfully I always run a interview and location scout for every shoot that I embark on. I learned during the interview that Destiny shares and incredible bond with her cousin Emily. I set out to express that bond with a simple setup. One light, and my ladies touching heads as one unit.

What always comes at the bottom of a photo? why its SEO magic! Erik arnt you the photographer who manipulates the google search results? nope, no one can do that but google. You just need to understand how to look at websites like a machine would. Keywords baby! Speaking of babies, photography and Senior portraits Studio ES chugging out of Fayetteville North Carolina would love the opportunity to take care of all your photographic needs.

The above two shot was a touch trickier than it needed to be. I don’t have modeling lights so, that made me have to crap shoot the focus. I hit it, but rolling into the future of my photographic journey it will be nice to have a unit with modeling lights. A wonderful note about Emily and Destiny, though they are separated by distance they spend every weekend together. During that time they are inseparable and have the most wonderful bubbly personalities. I felt this pose was wonderful to express who they are, during this entire shoot there was lots of laughter between my ladies. I hope they know I enjoyed the shoot as much as they did.

Erik your buying back links to your website to boost its ratings aren’t you? Ha I wish I had that kind of money. Do you have any idea how expensive web 2.0 back links are? and its a monthly fee! no thanks I will just write one legit blog. Speaking of blogs! Photography, portraits, family, headshots and high school seniors. Studio ES is a photographer located in the Fort Bragg North Carolina area waiting to hear from you. Oh yeah, newborns too.

I am obsessed with the white backgound. Why? its just so useful and having the reflective floor to catch that shadow, just, oh man. Above is Destiny on the white background. We wanted to do a elegant cap and gown, and placing a pretty lady in front of the white background I would say we accomplished it. Thank you Destiny. I don’t have much else to say.

Shameless shameless SEO. Studio ES gettin right to the point here, is a photographer currently serving the Sanford North Carolina area. As you read this think of Senior portraits, babies, family and headshots, why with SEO like this you cant go wrong. All hail our Google overlords. Photography. newborns.

A girl and her dog, meet Serenity the six month old one hundred pounds Saint Bernard puppy doge and a kind soul. I always agree with whomever said that dogs are the best people I know. This frame is absolutely Destiny in a nutshell, when not with Emily her love and affection is focused on Serenity. I wanted to express this relationship as simple as possible, the setup is nothing more than her front yard and a fill flash to keep the sky from going nuclear, a slight bonus is the catch light in her eyes. A bit of advice if its not broke don’t fix it.

No one who lives in the Pinehurst area reads this blog, I know, because I can see the metrics. Alas, Studio ES will keep truckin. Seniors with great ideas, family fun, professional headshots everything photography and a photographer. I just laugh every time I write long tail SEO, I’bet ya, that my blog shows up just as much for newborn photography as it does for SEO. Serving the North Carolina photography needs I learned that I like Rick and Morty, not enough to jump up on the counter at McDonalds though.

Lets end with dem eyes. I want to end on this frame not because of complicated lighting setups but because behind Serenity’s head Destiny is smiling and kissing her dog. I know this because I was there, you know this because you can see it in her eyes. Wonderful job Destiny thank you for a fun day of photos and the chance to get to know you on the inside. 

I have been forgetting to put my link recently. If you can stand my sense of humor in this blog, wait till you meet me in person. Professional to a T yet loose and patient. You can find Studio ES here: https://studioes.photoshelter.com/index

[studioes-blog]

Nope didn't die. They made me an art teacher. Oh and my sense of humor hasn’t changed either.

Well well well. It may seem like I died, but I didn’t. They made me an art teacher, which I think is pretty cool. I was originally just going to be a substitute teacher so I could still put my main focus on photography but as I settle in and find some more free time in my evenings I am picking up where I left off. Speaking of leaving off how about a little SEO magic.

Studio ES, has been getting requests for newborns, family and children photography. Since I live in Sanford North Carolina and love to take senior portraits I figured why not eh? Also Headshots.

I love SEO, its just robots reading text you can say whatever you want. As long as google can find those keywords your good to go. Erik don’t you take your business seriously? of course I do but what fun is life with out a sense of humor? Also no one is reading this anyways, only google.

Let me actually make a point here, soon to come is Destiny a Senior I shot at the end of August. She was great.

More SEO? Yup I am addicted just like Tiger Woods.

Photographer serving Fort Bragg area. Giving you Headshots, Senior Portraits. Soon to come Newborns and other photographic needs from Studio ES.

So yeah, as I mentioned in my first SEO rant above I have been getting lots of requests for family type photography, newborns, kiddos and such. I am accepting jobs for family photography. I will post some after my first clients. Also I must rebuild the website to reflect this. Give me a couple of days. More to come...

[studioes-blog]

Clark Kent sucks. I’d rather be saved by Kaia.

You should know by now how every blog post starts off. It’s my fourth post so that responsibility is on you. But in case you forgot here is a reminder, it’s SEO.

Studio ES had the privilege to work with Kaia on her Senior pictures at Fort Bragg in the good ol’ state of North Carolina.

Sweet sweet nectar, it’s like my SEO is tearing laps around the backyard but it’s stayin still. Still waters run deep. Carl ATHF

 Right now rather than f-stops, color, framing ect. Let’s discuss Kaia and that core element to a person. You will most likely be sick of hearing about how important the interview is with your client. However, your going to have to get used to it because the success of your photo and the connection with your client is dependant on it. With Kaia I called it the core, who is she? what does she want? hopes, dreams, fears? I got answers to all of these. Kaia has big plans for her life, rather than just the ho-hum of a 9 to 5 she is determined to put her life on the line for all of us. Like her father, she has a plan to join the service, and it does not end there either, while in the service she will pursue a law degree with plans for a career in politics. 

 That was a lot to say, and was equally difficult to express in one shot, not having 50 speed lights, access to the desert or a mountain top, I had to touch roots with my independent film attitude of do the best with what you have. My thoughts immediately went to Clark Kent and his transformation into Superman. That transformation is what Kaia will have to go through and is exactly what I wanted to express, with big plans in law and her serving to protect us all, how could you not think of a superhero? Witnessing Kaia’s ambition and getting to know her better I believe she will make a great leader and like I said in the title I would much prefer Kaia come to my rescue. 

 I am absolutely itching to talk about f-stops, shadows and gels but I cant, I promised. Stupid promise, hope it dies.

SEO is just so much fun, better be careful as South Park is in the background right now.

Fort Bragg is the home of Studio ES your place for Senior photos, that is a little too advertisy.

How about Senior photos shot by Studio ES at Fort Bragg are awesome. Yeah I like that better. Oh, I forgot the photographer at Studio ES lives in North Carolina. Hahaaa triple kill SEO!

 Kaia has depth, and I wanted to touch on more than just a tough inside and out ready for the military life. I learned just like all of us she has a soft spot and has sorrows to deal with. In the interview Kaia shared a moment with me, she told me how her best friend had to move away with her family. Being an active listener in our conversation I picked up on the change in her tone and body language. I asked if it was alright to talk about her friend, she agreed, and I was shown the treasure trove of notes and letters that they send to each other and I was graced to see the red jacket that was left for Kaia to wear. Once again folks interview and get personal with your client, by me seeing these items the frame, emotion, props everything was in place, all I had to do was fire the shutter. I felt if I missed this opportunity I should hang the camera up.

 I designed this story to be a two frame piece, in essence the drama and comedy masks. On one side expressing joy even though Kaia’s friend is absent. Let me tell ya shooting this frame was fun. I got to hear many stories about the two young ladies and their adventures. Kaia sold that happiness in her expression so well in many of the takes that I had a hard time to choose which one for delivery. Something that I care more about than your mouth smile is smiling with your eyes, and in this frame Kaia is truly smiling with her eyes. The making of this happy frame shows me that the bond that Kaia and her friend share is unbreakable, cherish that fact ladies.

 The first frame expressed happiness and a unending friendship, however, there is a darker side, no matter what you can not deny the fact that there is a great distance between Kaia and friend, We all know even the toughest people need to reach out for your friends embrace once in a while. When its not there we reveal our humanity and show that we are vulnerable. When I was shown the jacket I knew that this was the embodiment of Kaia’s besty and there was only one thing we could do with it, give it a hug.

This is the last frame of Kaia and what happens in my blog when we post a frame? Come on folks you know, it’s a little Search Engine Optimization.

Senior Portraits are best shot with a photographer. In fact other than drawing and painting I don’t know another way. At Fort Bragg you can contact Studio ES for a photographer to shoot your Senior photos. So dry today, I need to inject the humor back into SEO. Hang in there folks I’ll find my voice again. North Carolina just because.

 Classic beauty. Kaia has range, from the President of the United States to a girly girl who likes vintage clothing and photography. Hahaa that one was natural SEO. This was the first shot of the morning and just as I titled it a classic beauty shot, whenever I see this frame I hear the words Ilsa and airplane. I wanted to appease Kaia’s appetite for the vintage. While making this frame in the interview Kaia and I decided against the instagram filter look and went to film noir. The loving embrace of black, white and shadow play, no filters just minus color and put the light and shadow where I want them. The beauty in the center of the frame helps a bunch too, I couldn’t have done it with out you Kaia. That is all I have to say about this frame, it worked out exactly as we planned so dear reader, again with the interview, do it, you need it and if you refuse, sell me your gear cheap when you quit.

Kaia has much more to see over at: https://studioes.photoshelter.com/index

I want to wrap this up with my own soft spot. I got to know the Paris family inside and out. Recently I learned that now is their time to move on to the next station, off to Hawaii. I want to give a huge thanks for letting me into your family, showing me their strengths and trusting me with the vulnerabilities. I’ll never forget you guys, safe travels all around. Sauerkraut in jars folks, endless sauerkraut.

[studioes-blog]

Gavin’s got guts and guts is enough.

Peeps we love SEO so much why not start with some eh? Above in this Senior portrait is Gavin. His portrait was takin by Studio ES in Sanford North Carolina.

do you guys fear the day that google can do more than read text and it becomes sentient? i do.

Building on high school senior pictures philosophy (sneaky devil) of Alex and listening to your client. I would like to talk about Gavins shoot and the importance of the photographer interview. I mean more than just a phone call, it starts there but you as the photog are tasked with finding what it is your client wants. So after the first phone interview you have to get into their space, nothing will tell you more about a person than the area they call home.

The very thing that I look for or well I should say listen for during my interview is a change in my clients demeanor. This is the signal that your on to something. When I met with Gavin after our phone interview he was slightly on board for getting the photos done but thought that it would be like most senior photos, brick walls and leaning on things. I told Gavin that I want to make images that mean something to him. So our discussion followed the standard flow of getting to know someone, like speed dating. Whats your favorite: music, sport, movies, food ect and so fourth. When we hit movies Gavin perked right up and from there we took the conversation in all directions. Here is where I learned that this young man is very into mid classic horror. Generally stuff from the late 70′s thru the 90′s and some modern stuff too, a big buff of it in fact. All the details about horror movies were hit and all this came from a list of very basic questions asked and being open to when your client tells you they like something. Be perceptive folks, I cant stress it enough, and really treat each client like you advertise, unique.

So many words, you know what this blog needs? that’s right a little SEO magic.

This guy, Gavin had his Senior pictures done with a photographer at Studio ES who, fortunately for you serves the Sanford North Carolina area.

I would like to start with Gavins white background work. Once Gav and I knew what it is he wanted as a client that theme will guide the entire shoot. In screen writing its called the thru line or central concept, I’ll spare you the long winded explanation but the thru line is the master of all your creative decisions. All props, lighting and emotions must serve the thru line, get one and follow it your pictures will work together and be better.

Gavin and I made the white background set-up so that he can have something that is family and school friendly. He can take em to the yearbook, though I think they are too big, other family members can share and enjoy them as well. Even these frames where we keep it friendly still are guided by the thru line, incorporating who he is and what he wants in a shoot, a movie buff.

SEO is like the potatoes to your meat. People complain about the carbs but you gotta have it.

One day Gavin, the handsome guy above was walking around Sanford North Carolina when he stopped in Studio ES to get his Senior photos done by a photographer.

I love the fact that you can say anything you want for SEO its just about the key words. It’s going to be a fun ride.

Lets drop right into the horror and the core that is Gavin. He has props baby! His room is not only a trove of films, but the icons of those films are also there in plastic, steel or some form of material. I wanted to shoot the bedroom but there is only so much a guy can do in one day. 

So you should largely be able to tell that the shadow is a spider or at least an ant. We will talk in a little bit about photog failures, but that is actually the spider gremlin from Gremlins 2, and there is homage in this frame, in the movie the way the spider gremlin is introduced to the audience is through its shadow on a wall. When spending time with Gav in his room we discussed that scene and we drew up this frame in honor of the movie and his affection for it.

I told Gavin lets go for it I can make that happen like in the movie. Which in a larger look we accomplished our idea. I failed in the ultra sharp clarity of the shoot because I used a grid, a black grid instead of a snoot. I know that raw light from a small single source will give you crisp shadows, folks I did not have a snoot, or cinefoil, paper, cardboard or a cereal box but I am sure that Jessica had some, Jess was great, I failed twice dang. However client and I are both happy with the frame so that is most important.

Gavin was exceptionally pleased with this Senior portrait by Studio ES but the portrait photographer was upset due to a re-compress to meet tumblrs size requirement. We are in Sanford North Carolina and its 2017, size limits, sheesh.

Gavin loves scream. So We took that old monster trying to get in the house idea to make this frame. This was one epic shoot, as of this juncture I am still very reliant on hot lights, and hot lights need what? That’s right, electricity, luckily when I roll on set of a film that is my job and I have the knowledge to make my cable runs safely and with as little line loss as possible. Working with hot lights is a challenge because the exposure is governed by the shutter speed and the arpeture. Since I neither have a spare 12 grand in cash laying around to buy a 6k hmi with ballast nor the power to power it, we used 1k pars baby! You know them as the rock and roll lights, for a tungsten they are very efficient they throw 2k worth of light for a thousand watts of power. Did I loose ya? its the same concept as led lighting, more light output for less wattage used.

Now folks I wanted to fill my frame with the environment to tell the story and since hot lights are ruled by shutter and aperture that means an incredibly slow shutter speed and Gavin had to hold as still as possible, which considering we hit focus he did well. We shot with a 1\4 of a second shutter on a tripod with a sandbag on the head of pod with the camera, basically every thing I could do to make the camera still and have the frame in decent focus. Just a nod to those of you who dont know shutter speed and are like 1/4sec is fast, trust me it is ridiculously slow.

Gav and I talked color in this senior photo (you little devil) there are three color balances going on here to help sell the story, Gavin is neutral, he is white balance, the house we splashed with 1/4 ctb to cool it off a bit for the moon light and inside the house is warm with a tungsten hot light plus 1/2 cto to warm it up a bit. The play on color has all the representations needed for the story, cold and scary on the outside and warm and safe on the inside.

I love to dabble in shadows, I felt the play of chiaroscuro was what would make or break this frame. The frame just wouldn’t work if every detail was lit. I cast the shadow between Gavin and the house both in a creative decision and a technical sneaky decision as well. Creatively I gain some separation from Gavin and the house plus the black fades into the distance like many horror films you can only see so far into the trees. On a sneaky technical note I am hiding two things from you. First the fact that there is a slide attached to the little house. Also I am attempting to soften the fact that it is a play house as well. The slide is hidden and with out me saying anything you probably wouldn't have thought too much about the house. I was mildly successful, next time keep mouth shut.

Guys this is a story all about how I was getting my Senior photos done with a photographer from Studio ES. I picked up a knife made a scary face and my mom got scared, she said your going to Sanford North Carolina. Do do do dooo.

SEO song, thanks Will Smith.

Can we give it up selective lighting? yeah or sometimes known as lighting. The power of lighting is this, hey you, look here. That is your goal for every frame you ever create. With Gavin we wanted that horror story feel. Grids to the rescue, grids are great as they control the light and allow for an easy fall off unlike a snoot which has a very defined edge. I hit Gav’s face with a 25° grid right out of frame giving it that selective pop. I also used a 25° grid but a touch further back to hit the mask as well. That provided the mask with the crucial lift in exposure in order to help it stand out with all the affinity of tones in the frame.

As I start to wrap this post up I want to end on Gavin’s editing and to enforce the law I mentioned in Alex, about adapting your style to serve the client and not making the client serve your style. As you can see in Gavin’s senior pictures (every time I sneak in a SEO, I can hear Doc Brown say “Einstein you little devil,” in my head.) we transitioned from light to dark both in lighting and editing. In fact by the last frames I showed you I developed a look for those frames where we go the opposite of what phlearn.com tells you, against the standard cleaning up of skin and photos.

To get Gavin’s photos crunchy like this, first, I rode the line of upper limits of exposure when I fired the shutter, the fill umbrella was set at one stop below grey and the grid on Gav’s face was 2 2/3 stop up from grey. This ratio allowed me to stretch it a little bit in post to add a little more crunch to the lighting. 

I zapped a few acne that cluttered up his face. Then for the reds that we normally make disappear I enhanced them with the clarity slider, a little vibrant boost then sucked the saturation out of the frame. Now during pre-production Gavin and I decided on a really horror show palate of desaturated colors to the point of looking ill. We got it.

No SEO this time folks, nope not gonna talk about senior photos, photographers, or Studio ES. I’m done.

A real photog would never make their client look bad, and I didn't, Gavin and I created our shoot together, like I said and will say till I am sick of it, listen to your client, serve their needs, create a thru line and let that thru line guide every decision you make. In the words of Shia LeBeouf, do it.

A big thanks from the bottom of my heart to Gavin and the Parris family, our shoot spanned the day into late night. I was with the family so long that they have ceased to be clients but very warm friends that I will happily have over for food, kiddo and doggo fun. This shoot was amazing and I am still dying to meet Mr. Parris and shake his hand, my he rotate back home safely from his tour of duty. Thanks fam.

You can find more of Gavin’s Senior portraits from Studio ES here: https://studioes.photoshelter.com/portfolio/

[studioes-blog]

You never forget your first. Alex

Alex Senior photos by Studio ES in Lillington North Carolina.

You always remember your first time, though not my first rodeo with a camera Alex is my first senior. I would like to express the value of listening to your client, and I mean Fight Club level of listening not just waiting for your turn to talk. Alex was not into the idea of senior portraits but his mother wanted them. This of course provides the problem of how do you photograph some one who doesn't want to have photos? The answer is taking time and listening to what they are worried about and the reasons why they don’t want to be in front of the lens. Otherwise you end up with forced smiles and long day which you both will be glad to have end. 

When I set up a meeting with Alex we discussed what was the reason he did not want to take the photos. Turns out he is just not interested in the time investment and all of the hullabaloo that is involved with the today's senior pictures. Got it, simple and quick shoots are what this nice young man will give me.

Once Alex’s concerns were heard, I made the move to make the shoot Alex’s and why not they are his photos at the end of the day. Alex and I both got involved in discussion about set ups what will look good and be the most efficient, we arrived at the classic black background, three point lighting and we would vary the pose and frame from there, oh yeah, we used his living room so when I was setting up and taking down he could be in his normal environment.

After this I noticed that Alex had warmed up to the idea oh having his picture taken and I asked if we could play with shadows instead of bright and even. We  agreed, I was elated. The meeting closed with the other details, minimal editing, date and much doggie love from Odie.

Senior Photo of Alex with Table top lighting Studio ES in Lillington North Carolina

OMG the SEO is off the charts, watch I’ll learn in the future I’am doing it wrong.

Alright enough plugs, till the next picture. So the shoot was just a continuation of the meeting really, Alex was still on board for getting the photos done and I was setting up gear and then we began to talk about life and how he wants to get involved with the world of finance. I told him that’s great just stay away from the world of photography.

Our first set up was the classic three point light as seen in the first frame of his senior photos, we varied the pose a lil bit and after about 15 minutes I said I have enough to work with, Alex expressed shock that it was that quick, and we both decided to do more. I even got to change the lighting setup to the above in the table top position letting his eyes fall into shadow as was famously done in The Godfather, adjust pose and attitude to match and your off to the races.

Now in case you haven't caught on by now, the power of really listening to your client comes full circle as Alex and I pressed for more and the dude was enjoying the time we had together, so much so that we even took it to the silly realm.

High School Senior Alex, with favorite book The Dwarfs balancing on head. Portrait by Studio ES in Lillington North Carolina.

SEO baby! Just like makin those movie films. Send me a message if you got that one.

By the time we reached this frame the barriers were torn down and the shoot was great, I’ll end it here because I could talk all day. As I took down my gear Alex was involved enough that I taught him what a C-stand is and how to safely operate it. A real somber ending because we knew that the time has ended, all I can say is Thank you Alex you were great.

Again the power of really listening to your clients will make every shoot magical. I learned this lesson early on in film school, do not force your style on the story rather adjust your style to fit the story. Replace story with client and shazam.

You can see Alex and my other Seniors here: https://studioes.photoshelter.com/portfolio/G0000xfP7wnxotCQ

More to come.

Peeps this was such a great post why not end it with one more shameless SEO plug? Yeah, Ok.

Studio ES is trying to be your go to source for Headshots and Senior Portraits serving Fort Bragg, Fayetteville, Lillington, Sanford, Pinehurst in North Carolina. 

Also, Photographer. 

[studioes-blog]

Yeah failed already.

Lets talk about failure. Such as witting a blog late at night then clicking post instead of save. I’ll edit it tomorrow. Also I can add the pictures I wanted to add. Here’s my dog Boba to cover for the mistake.

More to come.

SEO time! Studio ES is working to gain a foothold in the Headshot and Senior Pictures market in Sanford North Carolina. Make sure to read my process as I dont shoot sessions by the hour, you book me, the entire day is yours.

Process here: https://studioes.photoshelter.com/p/process

[studioes-blog]

Intro, blog ideology and apology.

I have never blogged before, wow so modern of me aww wait, vlogging is the thing now. I missed the train there, for now I’ll stick to the blog. I am Erik Reuter currently stationed at Ft. Bragg with my Mrs. I attended university to study motion picture film in which I focused on cinematography and being that we are outside a production hub for me, I will continue to grow and practice my skills through Senior Portraits and Headshots. Nice little SEO there eh? That is a brief about where my skills come from.

Now about me quickly, since the world now runs on TLDR; and since text is an absolute terrible way to convey character I’ll help you out, you should be able to grasp from my little quips that I am quiet the jovial person. I take that attitude with me on set and like I light switch turn it off and on as needed, so trust me, when I dont need to make absolute measurements or crystal clear communication I will be my normal happy go lucky self. Those of you who shot with me already know exactly what I mean and future clients will too. I always strive to make my sets fun. I dont mind being around myself so hopefully our time together you will feel the same.

Now, speaking of being in a room with myself, Oh hi Mark, Let me talk a lil bit about my blog ideology, I will treat this as a stream of conscious type flow. Using references from anything really, like the “Oh hi Mark” is from The Room by Tommy Wieseau, the worst movie ever made go watch it and your life will be better, and trust me he did not hit her, he did not.

So a random mess of a blog? isn't that dangerous for a business owner? Yes and no, The yes: some of you will be turned off by the style but that is the way of the world in creative endeavours, also there was nothing I could do that would make you hire me anyways if your mind is already made up. The no: from all the photog blogs I have read and followed they are generally the same, here is client and here are the photos we took then dead silence till the next client. Great for SEO not so much for personality. The photogs I look up to put their personality in their shoots and their blogs. I will do the same, so you will see my clients, but rather than just seeing them I will talk about what we wanted, what we got, where we succeeded, failed, why, how, what did I learn? add in other stuff as well. That will be my blog flow.

The apology, what for? why? well for me being me, and the frufru. Folks, I come from the professional film background so when you meet me and read my blogs and website you will notice that something is missing: the passion, capturing special moments, and cameras that just fit in my hands. That my friends is called the frufru and its just marketing speak, I never had a production coordinator call me and say “Hey Erik, you feeling passionate today? got a camera that just fits in your hands? great your going to capture the precious moments of Hoarders for 2 weeks.” So I apologize, I just don’t say it or put it up on my website but I’ll let you in on a little secret, just this once. Your Seniors, your kids and your moments are special, I will let my images and my work put into them show my passion and honestly a camera never fits in my hands, they are clunky devices undergoing constant engineering and re engineering but I have good news generally camera technology takes two steps forward and one step back. So we will get there one day, if I live that long.

See that wasn't so bad? A few random quotes and some quirks but it should read and get my points across. Now for some real fun: Shameless SEO

Need Senior Portraits and headshots? Studio ES works out of Fayetteville, Sanford, Pinehurst, Fort Bragg and Lillington North Carolina or also called NC.

Here is my site for your consideration and for my first back link, hooray google thinks I am more important and will move me up in the ranks. 

https://studioes.photoshelter.com/index