KALOSPIX: Blog https://www.kalospix.com/blog en-us Copyright (C) Kalospix (KALOSPIX) Mon, 16 Mar 2020 07:30:00 GMT Mon, 16 Mar 2020 07:30:00 GMT https://www.kalospix.com/img/s/v-12/u651874648-o148939957-50.jpg KALOSPIX: Blog https://www.kalospix.com/blog 120 80 casual https://www.kalospix.com/blog/2018/8/casual KD8_2424KD8_2424

stupendous fashion

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(KALOSPIX) #editorial #fashion #model https://www.kalospix.com/blog/2018/8/casual Tue, 14 Aug 2018 09:22:37 GMT
the wall posing https://www.kalospix.com/blog/2017/10/the-wall-posing KalospixKalospix

Anka against the wall

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(KALOSPIX) beauty black dress hot legs wall woman https://www.kalospix.com/blog/2017/10/the-wall-posing Tue, 31 Oct 2017 21:49:14 GMT
Brittany Shows Off Her Underwater Swimming Skills for KALOSPIX https://www.kalospix.com/blog/2016/10/brittany-shows-off

Article from TrendHunter editorial

By: Sarah Dos Santos - Dec 27, 2013 
References: kalospix & nextdoormodel
KALOSPIX photography captures model Brittany showing off her underwater swimming skills. The model's bright-green eyes reflect the color of the water and with this vintage lighting effect she looks almost like a mermaid. As the model swims underwater, she holds her breath and the lack of bubbles make her look like a real life sub-ocean wanderer.

The vintage effect really adds a unique quality to the series, because it emphasizes the green and blue undertones of the pool and the model's eyes. As Brittany shows off her underwater swimming skills, she poses gracefully as if her movements were natural. In one image, she lies on her back and poses as one would if they were at the beach -- this image is so striking because it appears to defy the natural occurrences of anti-gravity underwater.
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(KALOSPIX) beauty mood swim underwater https://www.kalospix.com/blog/2016/10/brittany-shows-off Sat, 29 Oct 2016 23:09:36 GMT
“Cure SMA Boston Gala Night of Fashion & Music” https://www.kalospix.com/blog/2016/10/-cure-sma-boston-gala-night-of-fashion-music Attend “Cure SMA Boston Gala Night of Fashion & Music”

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An inaugural event to benefit the New England Chapter of Cure SMA and SMA research,

Saturday, October 15th @ The Whitney Hall, Holiday Inn Brookline.

VIP Reception with local SMA Doctors & Researchers @ 7:00pm,
Fashion Show @ 8:00 pm, and Dancing until midnight.

Featuring designs by Samuel Vartan, Kim Pham, & Lori KC,
Music by Eddie Pasco & The Festival,

Complimentary hors d’oeuvres, a cash bar,

Inspiring speeches, a silent auction, & a raffle!!

A fundraiser to support Spinal Muscular Atrophy research.
Get Your Tickets & More Info @

events.curesma.org/2016bostongala or 1(800) 886-1762

 

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(KALOSPIX) Boston Cure Fashion SMA Show fashion model https://www.kalospix.com/blog/2016/10/-cure-sma-boston-gala-night-of-fashion-music Tue, 04 Oct 2016 04:23:35 GMT
Transparency https://www.kalospix.com/blog/2016/1/transparency The feeling of peeking through a window is an alluring concept for most people. The mind wonders and wants to see even more, especially when the view is obstructed by something (glass in this case). If one can see a little something, then one wants to see even more! It's very simple. Don't you agree?

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This is work I did in collaboration with Andrea Ventura who is a model based in the DC area.  She is a fantastic model, a very intelligent lady with a great personality, and she's full of energy along with latin passion which shows her Central American heritage.  It is clear to me that she can make all images become alluring and provocative by being herself. She almost always "makes the shot" virtually with no effort.    

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A more artistic picture is this one with BJ from MD which is more explicit which also creates a magnetic provocation to the viewer. It offers nothing more than a defocused image of a woman through a glass door, but the instinctive desire too see more is ever so present.

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(KALOSPIX) beauty desire emotion fashion model mood portrait posing transparency woman https://www.kalospix.com/blog/2016/1/transparency Sat, 09 Jan 2016 06:00:00 GMT
Muscular and Healthy Beauty https://www.kalospix.com/blog/2015/12/muscular-and-healthy Some time ago I discovered this awesome fitness model who is a real grand prize!  Michelle Miller (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=118250) is an occupational therapist from the DC area. She's also a superb fitness competitor who ranks high and recently won a 1st place on the Masters Figure Competition. During the competition season you will find her participating in the APC body building circuit.  And when she's not competing, or working as a therapist, or modeling, you will find her at the gym.  In general, she works out real hard and sticks to a strict diet which allows her to be the best she can be.  

when I first took at look at her I immediately discovered the beauty within her. Aside from being extremely beautiful as a woman, she has the most wonderful personality. She is very easy going and will work hard to "get the shot".  She has a great personality, she's funny and extremely driven.

When I first met her I realized quickly that I would want to get a bit away from the standard "fitness" images and create some new material by way of alluring images that would show some playfulness and natural sexiness.  Needless to say, she nailed it.

Below a few samples from some of our work which has been a mix of styles including boudoir and fitness photos. 

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The fit body of a beautiful woman has to be shot with emphasis on proper lighting. Contrast is key to help show her beautiful curves.

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More of Michelle (the perfect body look and form):

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A testament to hard work and the contribution from great natural looks:

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Eating healthy and working out pays off so much (Michelle is the proof).

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Basic Lighting setup here helps emphasize Michelle's natural body outline:

KalospixKalospix Check more of Michelle at http://www.kalospix.com/swimsuit

Be on the lookout for some more posts about Michelle. I hope I will soon be posting some real neat "composite" images we worked on together some time ago.

 

  

 

 

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(KALOSPIX) beauty fit model muscular portrait woman https://www.kalospix.com/blog/2015/12/muscular-and-healthy Fri, 25 Dec 2015 05:30:00 GMT
subtle but emotional https://www.kalospix.com/blog/2014/10/subtle-but-emotional KalospixKalospixKalospix

emotion based modeling

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(KALOSPIX) posing mood emotional https://www.kalospix.com/blog/2014/10/subtle-but-emotional Thu, 16 Oct 2014 11:10:46 GMT
On the Vineyard before the cold settles in... https://www.kalospix.com/blog/2013/10/on-the-vineyard Not too long ago I went to Martha's Vineyard for the day to shoot with a great model from the area. A native of Martha's Vineyard, Maggie came out to meet me at the Ferry and we had a blast scouting locations until we found some nice spots that were unique and were able to get some neat frames. The following are some sample shots of that day.

 

In some nice forests in Vineyard Haven, where the light just peaked through the densely distributed trees.

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Beautiful elusive light ... nice captures

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Then we came across this beautiful Methodist Church on the way up-island and we met this awesome pastor that let us use the second floor area which had a large window exposed to the sunsetting light, which was wonderful for our pictures.. we were after some Vogue Italia style shots.

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It was perfect for this kind of photos. The only challenge was the depth of the room which didn't allow for much else than a wide angled shot or a tight composition.. which worked to our advantage on these pics.

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A great combination of beauty and modeling talent..  (Thanks Maggie)

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Awesome job Maggie!  

Keep an eye for more work with her.  We'll be publishing some great stuff in the future. You can see Maggie modeling for different local clothing stores and actively participating in Fashion Show Runways around New England.  

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(KALOSPIX) https://www.kalospix.com/blog/2013/10/on-the-vineyard Mon, 28 Oct 2013 14:00:00 GMT
End of Summer in New England (2013)... https://www.kalospix.com/blog/2013/9/end-of-summer As the New England summer comes to a close, the last summer outdoor shoots leave you with a good flavor and a feeling of ocean and warmth. Here are some talented models that contributed to create the magic.

 

This is Amanda from Cape Cod.

More of Amanda...

 

Introducing Maggie from the Vineyard.

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and more of Maggie..

 

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(KALOSPIX) fashion fitness glamour swimsuit https://www.kalospix.com/blog/2013/9/end-of-summer Wed, 25 Sep 2013 05:14:46 GMT
landcapes https://www.kalospix.com/blog/2012/10/landcapes What does a portrait photographer shoot when he's not shooting people? Well, in my case I may be shooting landscapes and other more artistic subjects. It's my time to play and try new techniques.

Shooting landscapes demands a different eye than when shooting portraits. You have to be able to capture more of a panoramic view of what typically is a static target. The lens choices seem lean more towards the standard or wider than the long lenses normally used to get emotion and close ups that one seeks in portraits.

Landscapes tend to be more artistic and colorful or contrasty depending on the photographer's shooting and post processing style.

This is an example of a nice, colorful landscape that depicts some sandy dunes in the central part of Chile by the ocean.

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Another example is this one that shows a scene in CA at a surfing beach.

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And here are some pics of the peers in Huntington Beach, CA.

Huntington_0567 as Smart Object-1 And some more peer shots:

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And more..

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Sometimes all you need is to breath the scene in first and after selecting the lens and getting it composed, shoot it!

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(KALOSPIX) https://www.kalospix.com/blog/2012/10/landcapes Fri, 19 Oct 2012 13:00:00 GMT
Environmental Blurr https://www.kalospix.com/blog/2012/10/environmental-blurr An "epic" portrait for some may be a portrait that is large as a composition (one that evokes "grandure"). One that shows more than just a model or subject posing in front of a interesting or nor so interesting background. Maybe one shows more than a subject in a close-cropped frame using a tight composition. All of that is great stuff and fits in many styles of photography, but they are not what one would call an "epic" portrait.  OK - Maybe I am making a bold statement or maybe I am defining something new on my own. Let me expand: if you shoot a frame that captures a lot of background in a certain way, such that the subject is till in focus and such that the subject is the central/focal part of the frame and you use an environmental background to enhance the composition in such as way that it elevates the scene to another level, that's an epic portrait in my mind. How do you compare that to a regular well taken portrait? Well, if you were to take the same photo with a long lens you may get a lot of emotion and impact, but you would loose out on bringing in the rest of the background. The objective may be exactly to capture that kind of a frame and it all may work fine shooting the tight composition with a long lens. But when the objective includes to grab the centrally focused subject with some emotion, and also grab as much of the background as possible the next option is to use a wide lens. But when they ask you to get the background in blur but the subject and what is immediately around it sharp and without distortion.. well, then you have a challenge. You either have to work on post process using Photoshop and some kind of blur or you need to shoot with some kind of tilt-shift lens. The latter being a bit expensive option and not exactly able to capture the objective as required.

Here are some examples of the shot taken with a long lens at a wide aperture:

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And here is sample of a picture using a really wide lens trying to capture the background and the subject:

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And here is a frame that captures the objective as required: Voila!

 

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Or how about this:

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Versus this:

DawnPanorama1      Well - If you are interested in this kind of thing send me a note or a comment and let me know. Whether you are a photographer or a model. We can create epic results with an interesting approach to the challenge.

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(KALOSPIX) https://www.kalospix.com/blog/2012/10/environmental-blurr Tue, 09 Oct 2012 01:00:00 GMT
It happens.. we're all human.. https://www.kalospix.com/blog/2012/9/it-happens-were-all-human It happens.. when you least expect it, you forget things and then loose consistency..  I had not blogged in some time. I hope to fix that again.

This inconsistency was mainly because I have been preoccupied with other things lately and also it has to do with Summer on Cape Cod. So I had a lot of focus on the family and the kids. They were home for the most of the Summer anyway and my travel this Summer was relatively light too. Plus,  I have been going to the beach and swimming almost every night. Nothing better than enjoying the Sun, the sand and the warm (70s Fahrenheit) salty dense ocean water at the beach. It's so much easier to swim in due to it's density versus fresh water. Salt water makes you float more, so for some of us "so & so" swimmers, it makes it easier to make us look like we know what we are doing out there (I wish).

Anyway, today, out of the blue I realized my sin of not updating the blog so I decided to head outside with my little girl Tati and her friend Lindsay to take a quick test shot, and to create an effect that I am now considering to use for my photography, especially in portraits and weddings.

So I will post a few samples of this technique and see how it blends to my style .. and you will be the judge.. :-)

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This first sample pic was taken with an 85mm Nikkor lens at its widest aperture (f2).  So I created a panoramic frame with a very shallow depth of field and had Tati and Lindsay sit casually in the middle of the composition and voila! A bit of photoshop to stitch the frames into a single frame.. and Voila!

More to come.. 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

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(KALOSPIX) panorama portrait https://www.kalospix.com/blog/2012/9/it-happens-were-all-human Fri, 07 Sep 2012 01:00:00 GMT
Shooting in Scottsdale https://www.kalospix.com/blog/2012/6/shooting-in-scottsdale Few weeks back, did a glam portfolio shoot with Lauren Rae. The shoot was fun and with near 100 degrees ambient temperature in Scottsdale, AZ. Despite the temperature, we had a blast!  And we had awesome support from Tonya (MUA) and Chloe (home and lighting) who provided varied assistance during the shoot.  

The idea was to provide Lauren, who is an experienced and well respected fitness expert and model, a look that would make her show off her body in some glam poses and shooting at dusk to give her some golden shine to enhance her beauty and give her a bit of en edgy look.

Lauren looked just spectacular and did a superb job posing for these pics.  

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These are some behind the scenes shots.

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The make up was done in a way such that it helped emphasize Lauren's beautiful blue eyes and features. The hair styling was done so it would give enough volume to keep things edgy but not too much in order to retain the natural look especially for some of the swimsuit looks.

Tonya provided the make up (makeup by Tonya) www.makeupbytonya.com and she did a superb job!

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Chloe allowed us to use her home for the shoot and helped us with a little of everything. She was 120% efficient and fun to be around.  She primarily supported the shoot with the lighting. Whether managing the strobes, operating the light meter or handling the reflector to ensure that the right amount of light was available for each frame.

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It was a lot of fun!

LaurenR_1499 as Smart Object-1 All in all the shoot was a nice time and the team worked together real well.

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Lauren has become a star in the realm of fitness and lifestyle. She is a true role model for everyone interested in healthy living. Lauren recently found home in Dallas, TX and has move her promotion of healthy living to the next level. I love tracking her progress and her postings in Facebook. She always has some great positive phrase or thought that she will post on her wall.  

See below a sample of her work, check her facebook site and make sure you "like it".  

Good Job Lauren!!!

    

 

 

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(KALOSPIX) fashion fitness glamour scottsdale swimsuit https://www.kalospix.com/blog/2012/6/shooting-in-scottsdale Sun, 24 Jun 2012 11:00:00 GMT
Kids https://www.kalospix.com/blog/2012/6/kids Shooting with kids is always a thrill and always a challenge. Recently shooting for Cape Models and Talent in Hyannis, we have been working a little big with all age kids that are future models. The moms and relatives show to the shoots armed for supporting their little guys and helping do the magic. Some of the kids don't know what to do when the camera rolls and other are posing before the shoot begins. It's amazing how much they have though. 

This is Raquel. She's on her way to stardom (no doubt)!

KAL_0359 as Smart Object-1 Fascinating is how one can qualify her natural ability to pose at a moments notice.  Well taught by the Cape Model & Talent modeling guru: Dory. But naturally a little model.

KAL_0622 as Smart Object-1 Kyle on the other hand a future commercial male model. Also really easy to shoot with. Knows his stuff and shows a varied range of styles.

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He is ready for some sports commercial work. He lover golf and soccer as he demonstrated on this shoot. A nice young lad.

KAL_3739 as Smart Object-1 And here he displays some golfing abilities:

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Then there are some incredibly beautiful girls that look like little dolls naturally. And can pose and smile in front of the camera without any problem. This is Sophia and she is a true doll.  Sweetest face in the planet!

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Sophia can be a superb model too.

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And her playfulness never goes away...

KAL_3568 A fascinating set of kids with a tremendous amount of talent. Such that they need to continue to train and harvest in the future. Kids are the best subjects.. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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(KALOSPIX) https://www.kalospix.com/blog/2012/6/kids Fri, 22 Jun 2012 11:00:00 GMT
Commercial work for SCUBA store https://www.kalospix.com/blog/2012/5/commercial-work-for-scuba-store Sorry for the delay on posting. I have been a busy bee.. (I know. That shouldn't be an excuse)...

This weekend I had a few different shoots on the Cape. One of them was for a Scuba Store marketing campaign to boost the visuals at the store for customer traffic and appeal. So I got to play with stuff that's very close to me. I am an active Scuba Instructor so this comes easy in many ways.

So we were trying to mix up ice cream and scuba.  Weird you'll say I am sure., but as it turns out, this Scuba business is a dual business. It's a dive store and an ice cream parlor as well. A mix that may sound odd, but it works! People are attracted to the dive business and stop in for ice cream even if they don't have anything to do on the Scuba side of things. On the opposite the Scuba folks love to go over to the ice cream side especially after a long diving day on the ocean nearby.. to get a nice cold refreshing ice cream.  So how do you mix that up into a photograph. Well let's see if we can break it up into small steps.. first the Scuba section: a sexy diver ...

 

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Also a second frame with another diver that has an underwater metal detector and a treasure from a sunken ship (a bell).

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This gets even more interesting as we add an ice cream so the diver is then seen enjoying an ice cream when she's just got come back from a dive.

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Well, after the shoot and seeing how a model posing as a diver can enjoy so much an ice cream in a sugar waffle cone, I think I am sold!

 

 

 

 

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(KALOSPIX) https://www.kalospix.com/blog/2012/5/commercial-work-for-scuba-store Mon, 28 May 2012 12:00:00 GMT
Gladiator Fires https://www.kalospix.com/blog/2012/5/gladiator-fires The latest items in the news in AZ has been the forest fires that have been burning thousands of acres all over the place. Only when you have seen them close will you really know how intense and scary they are. It's frustrating for the firefighters when the wind drives the fire to devour more dry grass and trees and makes their target move faster and makes the perimeter grow larger.   It's amazing to hear a daily local newscaster indicate that a fire is '0% contained'..  

Anyway, so while being in AZ on assignment and while staying in Anthem which is close to where one of these fires was (the one called 'Gladiator') I took a ride with a friend to look at the Gladiator fire a bit closer. We still were more than 10 miles away from the fire, but we could see a huge smoke cloud that the wind had spread further all over the region. We wound up at this vantage point at dusk (my favorite time of day for shooting)  because of the nice warm light that comes from the Sun.

 

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And this one..

 

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And finally to mix it up (with some subjects)..  

 

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(KALOSPIX) fire forest gladiator https://www.kalospix.com/blog/2012/5/gladiator-fires Tue, 22 May 2012 14:00:00 GMT
Sedona and the red rocks.. https://www.kalospix.com/blog/2012/5/sedona-sedona If you have ever been to Arizona and been to Phoenix, there should be no excuse for not having been to Sedona as well.

Sedona is a a magical place that carries a long history of being a place where people go to find peace and inspiration. It's a place that really leaves first time visitors wondering if they landed in another planet or what.. whether you get there driving or flying in, the first view of Sedona is magnificent. Depending on the time of day the colors of the mountains may seem from another planet.  There is a predominance of reds on all the rocks and surrounding mountain peaks that really captivates the viewers as it takes on the background. Here's where landscape photographers must really get incredible shots. Depending on the time of day, the scene provides a different set of colors to look at.  As the Sun moves from East to West and it gets closer to sunset, the shadows are cast in such concert of shapes along the boulders and mountains. It's like a symphony of light and colors.   

I was recently there in Sedona shooting a favorite AZ family of mine: The Harringtons.  I was lucky to have them agree to a shoot in Sedona so that I could bring out the natural backdrops into these frames.  

These are just some samples of the views I was able to capture.  I will say that Megan and her younger sister Maranda were the most fab models. They are so beautiful that shooting them was mistake-proof (everything you shoot with them comes out great!).  :-)

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Of course with such incredible backdrops pictures look like these mountains are  painted in the background.

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And later in the day.. near sunset the colors turn into a brighter red..

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And also you find some interesting contrasts in flora.

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Sedona. A lovely location, North West of Phoenix, AZ. Worth the visit...

 

 

 

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(KALOSPIX) https://www.kalospix.com/blog/2012/5/sedona-sedona Tue, 01 May 2012 09:00:00 GMT
Arizona has diverse looks https://www.kalospix.com/blog/2012/4/arizona-has-different-looks Did you know there are places right in the Valley, in Phoenix, AZ that don't even resemble a dessert?   Although the one thing that still gives any place place up in AZ is the heat! :-)

 

Look at some of these pics from a recent shoot.  I think they give an air of 'tropical paradise' ... 

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Anyway we wondered around in Phoenix to scout for a nice backdrop to shoot some simple fashion layouts and these are some of the photos we came up. I worked with a local model Shannon who mainly focuses on health and fitness, lifestyle type of work. We had great collaboration from Lenea, a local MUA that provided assistance and coverage for the shoot in terms of anything we threw at her.. she was awesome! and also kept the Make up and Hair working for the concepts we were developing.

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And then to contrast the look with something more AZ like .. Shannon shows us a more edgy fashion using a more typical backdrop in Phoenix on a 103 degree day.  Amazingly our MUA Lenea was able to make miracles with the Make Up as the heat was challenging us all during the shoot (Thanks Lenea!).

 

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The last photo doesn't look like 103 degrees.... well, it wasn't any more. It was at this time when the temp dropped incredibly fast. And in less than a one hour span the drop was significant. From 103 to 90, and you can feel it.! :-)

 

Hope you like the blog so far. I need more comments so I make sure to be striking some interest in these posts. Let me know.

 

 

 

 

 

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(KALOSPIX) https://www.kalospix.com/blog/2012/4/arizona-has-different-looks Sun, 29 Apr 2012 18:24:50 GMT
Wine and elegance https://www.kalospix.com/blog/2012/4/wine-and-elegance I got a little lazy. I hadn't blogged in a little while. So let's mix it up. Let's talk about wine and elegance. How do those two things mix into photography. Well,I think once you have too many, it may not matter!.. But (LOL) that's not what I was talking about. Let's put a beautiful, classy featured and nicely dressed model and let's give her a prop that consists of a wine glass with some good scenery and proper ambient lighting to create a nice warm cozy mood. But let's make sure she exudes elegance and poise in her look.what do we get?

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You can add a social scene or reunion of parties to the scene to create a realistic capture.  I think we just made a frame that creates a little bit of wonder and and focuses attention from the viewer into the scene.

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The mood created is achieved by the technical setup of the lighting, the proper use of the props, styling and posing, but more importantly, as always, by the model's ability to present the attitude that sells the image. Without extreme exaggeration she/he can convey the felling that will lure the viewers in.

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(KALOSPIX) elegant lifestyle scottsdale social wine women https://www.kalospix.com/blog/2012/4/wine-and-elegance Mon, 16 Apr 2012 23:30:00 GMT
Mixing Gliders with Fashion https://www.kalospix.com/blog/2012/4/mixing-gliders-with-fashion On an earlier shoot, a few years ago.

So I did this shoot at the same gliderport I blogged about earlier. This time I had given it a flair of fashion and beauty. The results with my model Jaclyn at the time, were a nice natural beauty depiction of editorial style modeling next to some awesome gliders in the middle of the desert, northwest of Phoenix (a lovely site).

Pure sky and beauty surrounded by airplanes and gliders.

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The day was a hot one, but as true Arizonian Jaclyn was able to endure the Sun without a problem.

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I think this could have been an editorial style photo shoot for a mag at any point. Basically a lot of natural light on these frames.

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And to finish off... one of my favorite frames..  

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Who wants to take glider lessons? :-)

 

 

 

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(KALOSPIX) az fashion gliders legs https://www.kalospix.com/blog/2012/4/mixing-gliders-with-fashion Mon, 09 Apr 2012 12:00:00 GMT
The Gliderport in Pleasant Valley https://www.kalospix.com/blog/2012/4/aviation-related I recently found some pics I took some time ago. These are kind of dear to me since they are part of my aviation life. So I was taking some training here in AZ at the Pleasant Valley Gliderport to get my checkout in gliders some time ago.  I was living in AZ at the time. 

A feeling of peace and solitude is what gliders invokes. It's about flying with the wind by the "seat of your pants" as they say in pilot jargon.

 

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Some of the nicest, bluest skies can be experienced in this area. The rudder and fin of the glider provide the yaw control, while the elevator allows control of the pitch while in flight.

 

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The instrumentation is basic in a glider. You fly and you feel and then you fly to feel again.. while strapped in and moving the control stick (roll and pitch) and pushing on the pedals (yaw).

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The old training gliders wait their turn to go up towed into the sky.

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This are the Piper Pawnee 300 HP airplanes. They are workhorses that tow these gliders in an out.. all day.. 

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And the pitot tube is ready to swallow the raw air to tell the airspeed. How beautiful is that bright yellow on the canvas.

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The more advanced aerobatic gliders look sleek and bright white. Ready for the more daring pilots and those passengers that want to experience a few more G forces than normal when taking an "Acro Ride" for a few dollars. 

 

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At a distance the airport facility looks like a island in the desert.

 

 

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The only shade in the place is provide by this large, very old tree. 

 

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On the way out I experienced a flat tire on my car. That was not much fun since I had to change that tire under a 100 degree day.

 

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Hope you enjoyed this old adventure of mine, in AZ.  :-)

 

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(KALOSPIX) car desert flat tire gliders hot https://www.kalospix.com/blog/2012/4/aviation-related Sun, 08 Apr 2012 13:00:00 GMT
Shooting into the Cape sunset https://www.kalospix.com/blog/2012/4/shooting-with-ticks Today, I had a shoot where I felt the nasty sensation of critters crawling all over my legs and arms. First off there were a large amounts of gnats (tiny flies otherwise called no-see-ams) and other flying things, but also there were some ugly ticks. No deer ticks yet, but the other wood/forrest ticks for sure. Man, what an ugly thing they are if you look at them closely.  Luckily, Johannah's boyfriend works outdoors a lot and deals with these things all the time, and game me some great information and advice. First off, deer ticks don't latch on to their host (person's skin) until 12 hours after landing on the victim's body. Which means you have time to look for them on your body and clean them off within approximately 12 hours. The best way to clean them off is to take a shower as soon as you get home or even early the next day. 

Johannah_9210 as Smart Object-1

Despite the ticks, we shot some sunset 'a la Cape Cod' pics with an interesting dusk setting. There was a cloudy blue sky that gave peeks of brightness from the Sun every so often; enough to capture the bright light and shoot against it. This scenery gave me a chance to shoot with a beauty dish and get some really nice "wrapping" light. Unfortunately my "Vagabond 2" did not want to give me a full shoot worth of charge. So at the beginning of the shoot it started to beep crazy telling me it didn't have enough charge to continue.  Of course that happened smack in middle of the golden hour.  So I had to go to plan B and use one of my trusty Nikon SB900s. And since I hadn't anticipated the failure plus the fact that there was a long hike to get to the car and back, I ended up improvising and using Johannah's hair band to hold the strobe to the light stand. And it worked! :-)

In this shoot I decided to work on stylish, extreme compositions and sculpting with the light as always. I think we did good. What do you think? Here are some samples.

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And another nice sample:

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(KALOSPIX) Cape Cod fashion ticks https://www.kalospix.com/blog/2012/4/shooting-with-ticks Thu, 05 Apr 2012 13:00:00 GMT
Training https://www.kalospix.com/blog/2012/4/training Once in a while even those who think we know it all have to admit we don't.. :-)

It's important to keep up with the new technologies and techniques. There's always someone out there doing something different. Someone trying something else that no one else had thought about. And there is training available to learn that new stuff in a more formal setting. Well, tonight I went to check out a seminar that was sponsored by the PPA (Professional Photographers Association) of America, which is a pretty large organization  and well known all over. I had a few follow up calls from a sales rep from a local Pro shop in Boston that is following a referral from a form I filled to check out some killer lighting kit from "Profoto" which is one of the most known US lighting brands. Anyway, the rep invited me to attend the night portion of the seminar and be part of it.  It was pretty cool and I learned some cool tricks on Photoshop that I haven't used yet. But among other things we were left to try out some Profoto and Wescott lights that were set for demo purposes. They had some models going around and one could use them to shoot the systems with. So I worked on the high key set up they had with seamless gray paper and 4 sets of Profoto lights.  These are some samples. I posted them later into the Portrait pics in the website.

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And this other one:

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I converted them to B&W since I figured they had more of an impact than the original version in color had. 

This Profoto lighting on a seamless grey paper backdrop. 3 lights in the set up. All strobes were the new Profoto D1s. Had 1 large soft box, a medium soft box and a vertical strip light (soft box with cloth grid) as rim light.

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(KALOSPIX) fashion portrait https://www.kalospix.com/blog/2012/4/training Wed, 04 Apr 2012 04:15:00 GMT
Fish and Chips https://www.kalospix.com/blog/2012/4/fish-and-chips Have you ever eaten fish and chips? Yes the one with the fried Sole (i.e. catch of the day) and greasy french fries... the one that the oil is so abundant that your fork slides on your hand if you touch it. But the taste is soo good and when the batter has been made properly, the fish is crispy and golden brown on the outside and the meat is white as can be in the inside. Yes that's the good stuff.

If you are ever around New England, you must go to have the best Fish and Chips in town.. this is the one found in Woonsocket. The old mill town where CVS Pharmacy is headquartered (figure I'd mention that). There is this place called 'Ye Olde English' where they have the absolute best Fish and Chips.  Trust me, it will be greasy as ever, and it will be hard not to get a giant piece as they serve it there. But add some vinegar all over the fish and perhaps the fries as well, and you will have a once in a lifetime lunch or dinner that you won't forget! I was there a few weeks ago and had to take a snapshot with my iphone and this is what I got:

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The truth is that your will want to come back. Al though not on the same week if you intend to have your stomach love you for some time. :-)

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Enjoy and get going to that place. ! or tell me where there is a better Fish and Chips place out there.. 

 

 

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(KALOSPIX) https://www.kalospix.com/blog/2012/4/fish-and-chips Tue, 03 Apr 2012 12:00:00 GMT
Carnival https://www.kalospix.com/blog/2012/4/carnival In my recent trip to AZ, I was able to enjoy a seasonal Italian Festival that took place in Phoenix. It's one of those traveling carnivals that are brought into communities around the country that have all the typical colorful attractions that kids love. The rides, the food, the music, the games, the pets, the people.. etc., all of it is vibrantly decorated at night with wonderful lights of all colors that allure the visitors to each of the rides and attractions.. The different game attendants compete with each other to bring customers in. The kids are running around to the lines that allow them to get onto the rides. It's mayhem fun!

I only had an iphone with me to capture this. I was very happy with the results. I think the iphone makes a great capture tool. I only wished it had more manual settings to avoid the device to try and guess what you want to do.. but it still works. Once I uploaded the pics I did some minimal post processing to enhance the pictures and provide greater contrast or highlights where I thought it made sense.

 

This first one just captures a little of the spirit of a modern carnival. The young kids gathering to laugh and decide where they will hang out next and what they will do together.  Lost of people walking around and families enjoying the fun.

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How about those kids yelling while they go around those vertigo causing "go around" rides..

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I love the colors once the night comes in.. the lights on each ride seem to bring the carnival to life.

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As the darkness of the night comes in the more bright the lights are. A lovely effect that highlights the activity going on.

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Some of the rides are crazy.. I don't know how people want to subject themselves to the punishment of several G forces pushing them around like a top.

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THe colors on this next frame are awesome. I didn't do almost any post processing. And the motion blur created by tracking the moving parts of the scene created the most amazing capture. On the cart are my friend and his youngest son trying to shoot off their own iphone to capture the motion in short video. We later watched it, it was awesome!

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This other one is a typical scene at a carnival. I love the merry go round. I think it almost symbolizes the entire carnival same as the ferris wheel does too. 

 

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The famous ferris wheel..

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or the monkey that takes dollar bills from the audience..:-)

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And finally of course the beautiful people that walk the carnivals!! Watch out!!

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Look for a carnival and go have a blast!!! And take some pictures with your phone camera! :-)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

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(KALOSPIX) https://www.kalospix.com/blog/2012/4/carnival Mon, 02 Apr 2012 12:00:00 GMT
Patriotism https://www.kalospix.com/blog/2012/3/patriotism I am posting this entry randomly, in commemoration of September 11.  I know!.. it's March, so why am I doing this now..?  

Well, I was looking through some pics I took last September at a neighborhood strip mall/plaza in East Falmouth (on the Cape) where the anchor store of that plaza promotes the posting of 1000 or so flags on the Lawn that borders the main road that the plaza is located on.  I want to do this now, so this year in September I will have something to compare this with. 

So these are just some snaps of the event, which is really neat and allows for anyone to volunteer to come by and help plant these flags and feel part of the contribution from the town.

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A nice way to remind people of this event.

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Amazing how people stop by and help..

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Lovely..

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Of course on a field full of flags, like this, who wouldn't like to pose for a photo?

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(KALOSPIX) https://www.kalospix.com/blog/2012/3/patriotism Sun, 01 Apr 2012 13:00:00 GMT
Western Flair and Fashion https://www.kalospix.com/blog/2012/3/interests I had a planned to do a shoot for a portfolio with Dawn.  She is a model based near by Happy Valley in AZ.  During the initial interview I realized that she was into horses and had access to the horse boarding ranch that she has her horse in.  When I heard this I was excited since this meant that we would be able to be shoot somewhat sheltered from the Sun, but more importantly we would be able to bring in some interesting things to the photography. Indeed we would work to create a western feeling and mix it up with fashion to finally use her horse in the sunset frames we had planned to culminate the shoot.

The following sample shots are a peak into what we got out of that shoot.

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And then we worked in a barn at he horse boarding ranch. A typical Arizona deal.

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I'd say we got some pretty nice frames.

On the photo above, we worked with some natural light coming from a window (camera left), added a reflector to fill some of the bottom shadows and added some strobe (camera right) to fill on the face and body.  We recreated a nice feel of country/western using light and then post processing into a sepia tone. We gave this shot a little of attitude on the expression and pose and "Voila"!  Notice the props used. Original western working weaponry. My assistant on this shoot, a local photographer, married to a model who I shot earlier in the week, Bruce, he volunteered a few great western weapons and holster. This really made the shots.

Dawn2012_0157 Lovely! How can you not like this place !!  :-)

 

  

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(KALOSPIX) https://www.kalospix.com/blog/2012/3/interests Sat, 31 Mar 2012 18:23:32 GMT
Superstition Mountains https://www.kalospix.com/blog/2012/3/superstition-mountains That Saturday in March the weather in AZ threatened to be horrible.  Winds were supposed tin excess of 6o miles per hour. Chance of rain over 60%. A risky proposition for shooting outdoors anyway.  So, our model Kristi from MM in Phoenix and I set off in this brand new Camaro looking for a desert-like landscape to do some neat environmental fashion-ny stuff for portfolio sake.  I wanted something I hadn't shot against as a backdrop.  So we ended in the Superstition Mountains, which are an incredible range of mountain peaks that embrace the edges of the Phoenix valley by the southeast side.  The following are some samples from that Saturday shoot.

KristiW_0261 as Smart Object-1 Kristi wanted to get some great pics of her new car with her by the car's side and then some more pics of her inside the car. In these shots the perspective and the angles in which you shoot are critical to ensure the right proposition.  

The wind was strong at times, but the average wind was not as strong as they announced it would be. So in the end we shot anyway, making sure that the strobes were carefully weighted down.

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Then we tried shooting inside the car too... She looks awesome in there .. :-)

 

KristiW_0062 And then we couldn't just leave without shooting next to a Saguaro Cactus.  

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(KALOSPIX) https://www.kalospix.com/blog/2012/3/superstition-mountains Tue, 20 Mar 2012 08:04:33 GMT
Bars https://www.kalospix.com/blog/2012/3/bars Sometimes we like to go to dark places. We like to observe. I think most people there are there to observe and let their steam blow off too. They talk to people. They tell others about their challenges. They tell them about their sorrows and joys. They make plans for their lives and share those with others even though nobody may be listening. They definitely reinvent the wheel at times. They may even do business.  But they have fun doing whatever they do.  All of this makes for these places something interesting for photography.  When the environment (whether full of people and activity or not) shows a lot of darkness and shadows, it is so much more compelling for creating an interesting composition. I think people are drawn to darkness as much as they are drawn to light. 

These are a few simple pics of a place that shows a little bit of that.  I used my "iphone" to capture these shots during a quick trip to Long Island, NY.  I manipulated the composition a little bit to make sure I eliminated eye sores from the shot when I took it.  I later made it B&W to create a stronger impact and ensure that the focus was at the overall scene. As I was shooting I waited to ensure the scene was clean and natural.

 

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Get out there and go shoot something like that. Do it with your phone. Try to get the feeling from the place. See what you get.  Have fun!

 

 

 

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(KALOSPIX) https://www.kalospix.com/blog/2012/3/bars Wed, 14 Mar 2012 18:51:38 GMT
Traveling light https://www.kalospix.com/blog/2012/3/traveling-light Basically when traveling, my light gear consists of the a limited number of key components, that to me, are essential if I want to have a minimum level of options to cover many potential situations. I try to bring what is good for me for either outdoor or indoor shooting. Below in italics, is a rough list of items that I carry on trips. I must say that if I am shooting a large and elaborate project, I will then, without a doubt, locally rent more gear, as needed. OK - This may be boring for the non-photographers but it may be interesting to see how much goes into even the simplest photo trips. 

Light Travel Gear List:

(1) Lowepro mid size trekker backpack, (1) Nikon D700 body, (1) Sigma 24-70mm f2.8 Zoom or Nikkor 18-200mm f3.5/5.6, (1) Nikon 50mm f1.8, (1) Nikon SB900 Strobe, (2) Nikon SB600 Strobes, (3) elinchrom skyport remotes receivers, (1) elinchrom skyport transmitter, (12) rechargeable AA batteries, (2) light stands, (1) Tripod or Monopod, (2) extra sets of camera batteries and the corresponding charger, (1) large Multipurpose Reflector/Diffuser, Hotshoe connectors for the SB600s and elinchrom receivers, assorted cables and plugs, download interface cable for computer, model release forms, assorted lens and strobe filters (polarizers, color, graduated neutral density, CYO, etc.). etc.

So, when I travel "out of my local area" (within 200 miles radius or so) I will generally try to only take light gear as per the list above.  For a larger paid project I will possibly bring a large "ThinkTank" bag with a second camera body and more choices of lenses depending on the project, other bags with stands and thinks I cannot rent. And boy, things get pretty heavy at that point! :-)

The nice thing about a smaller backpack is that it translates into less weight and comfort especially when you have to carry it around airports. But this is nothing compared to traveling with an older medium format camera and it's gear. Something like a Mamiya R67 and a set of lenses. 

In future blogs I will touch on Medium Format equipment.  But as a tease, I'm including a Polaroid photo below from a medium format camera. In this photo the model is a chicken. And she did not want to sign a TFP Model Release!

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(KALOSPIX) backpack mobile on location travel https://www.kalospix.com/blog/2012/3/traveling-light Sat, 10 Mar 2012 02:36:22 GMT
Welcome World https://www.kalospix.com/blog/2012/3/welcome-world I remember that "Welcome World" phrase from my old days as a programmer.. WELCOME WORLD. . was the first message one would write to the screen when learning to code in a new language. 

This is a "Welcome to the Blog world" instead!  Let's try to get this thing going so we can tell the world about what we are up to.. 

One of the More recent shoots was ione I did n Mashpee, on the Cape. I did a casual/fashionny shoot with a local model Johannah, who had been out on leave for a little while due to some back injury.  We wish her well since she's a phenomenal lady and a fun model to work with. She's working hard to get back into it and she's got the right attitude. I hope we're helping that happen.

These frames were shot in the basement at her place, which with a little prep it ended up as a nice raw looking backdrop which was ideal for this kind of shot. We didn't have a concept in mind initially but we went with the flow and came up with some cool images.

 

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And this other one:

 

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On this one I essentially shot this using a small softbox, but I also used a fill strobe and a reflector. The key light had about a 3:1 ratio vs the fill, and the reflector provided just for a little extra punch on some low lit areas. I still wanted a strong shadow in the shot to add drama. The setup was like a modified "rembrandt".  And more importantly, I tried to retain the Kalospix signature "one light style" look.  

All in all, I think we created some decent moody pictures that really felt good! :-)

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(KALOSPIX) casual lighting nikon sb900 portrait rembrandt https://www.kalospix.com/blog/2012/3/welcome-world Fri, 09 Mar 2012 05:05:26 GMT