sirius thoughts

We had the fortunate crossing of paths with David Pescovitz while enjoying watching Tartufi at a Rock Make street festival. And this is not the first time David, Stacey and I were staring at Brian Gorman making chit chat. The difference, we had shot a PR photo set for Tartufi that were gracing postcards prominently displayed on the merch table. It came up that we had shot the photos, and we naturally asked about David’s BoingBoing t-shirt. Bob’s you uncle and our photo illustrative narrative style is making an appearance on his culture blog. David was kind enough to send us a link when it posted, and then I checked our web stats … kaplooey!

This was the synergy of a number of professional efforts that we had been undertaking. It was a natural starting point for us to leverage all of our talent assets and resources to develop a photo style that mixes reality, sets, photo manipulation, lighting and direction. And I believe we made the right choice to pursue a content/creative style that came from our heart (ours being twisted and darkly funny hearts). Not the kind of work you find in the largest amount in San Francisco where you mostly see commercial-lifestyle-best-douche-ever photography. But I think we’ve always felt enough confidence and bond to the work to believe that if we do a good enough job, there’s stuff our there just perfect for us.

So this is certainly the largest traffic push we’ve had come through (except maybe a weird Vimeo thing I just discovered). And we’ve been fortunate enough to be included in a couple other marketing pushes that I can expand upon later (after publishing of course). But until then, we’ll keep doing what we like doing and hopefully more people will keep liking that.

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Had a wonderful time last week clicking off a bunch of looks for friend/hair stylist Akemi Tarembuchi as part of a project for diPietro Todd Salon. Such a smooth and enjoyable experience pushing photons while keeping shadows. I find it tremendously rewarding to have someone appreciate your work pick up on the little things that I feel are important. And it’s nice to have them show up with a bunch of awesome girls from Look and Stars and an awesome creative team. As Akemi is so tremendously busy, the project deadline is not for another couple of months, so I’ll have to keep the goodness under wraps until then. Much wild and wonderful hair was had and it was lovely to light. And hopefully this will be the first of many more fun and interesting projects to come!

And thanks to a quick referral, I truly appreciated the wonderful help of Michelle McCarron in jockeying lights and flags and nets around. It always makes quite a difference to have attentive and capable hands on set … it makes the results sooo much better.

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A little bit ago it certainly was hard to dodge all the news about Apple’s forthcoming iPad. And I was tuned in to it fairly heavily as I could see how the media was ready to embrace a new possible outlet for their relevancy while others were spiraling down the drain. (I remember being offered a newspaper job in 1999 that was almost too good to be true, mainly because they wanted me to help usher them into the digital era. I of course saw no future in it past me being the “Quark Guy.” So I jumped ship and got into streaming media … yeah I digress.) So here we are some 10 years later and while there is a place evolving for my old position, this new platform is solving a problem I’m having right now.

As we’ve made our headway into still photography as a medium, we recognize our intrinsic value of actually knowing how to do motion work while a number of photogs are trying to make heads or tails of it. And the agency side is muddying the waters as they figure out who’s going to work for who. In the meantime, if I walk into a portfolio review with just a printed version I’ll only be pitching a portion of our program. Enter the iPad.

Stacey and I were discussing the launch date one night, and weighing the pros and cons. What was it, who will use it, will it stick. As she was a proud newton owner (I could only lust for one), she knew the value of a smartly-designed handheld input device. But initially we didn’t think it was for us – yet. We saw a future with one or two hanging around with perhaps a little extra income. But after a little bit of analysis we hit on our sweet spot. The ability to show both beautifully reproduced still images and video on a smartly designed presentation for portfolio reviews. One cheap enough that we could arguably leave it behind and then have returned to us. I quickly found myself opening weekend at the Apple store picking one up before they became scarce.

Now that we’ve sipped the kool-aid, we are using it as fully as possible. A quick check of email in the morning while trying to assemble Ozi off to school. Sharing a couple of movies with the kiddo while killing some time. Not having to find a power outlet while waiting for class to get out or he takes a romp about a playground. Observing as the industry tries awkwardly to adopt a new platform by incorporating video and motion graphics. And setting up a portfolio presentation that shows we know enough to help guide a traditionally print medium into a rich experience (so it’s not so awkward).

And the sweet part is that the presentation is delicious. It’s a good size compromise for looking at both still and motion work. I did a new pass on our motion work with the Apple TV settings and the results are just nice. Of course, everything always looks best when big — but this is the right tool to address this audience of one. Now someone has to write the perfect portfolio review app that handles images and motion and we’re good to go.

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Stacey and I hosted an APA SF Motion event at the studio the other night. And they had me sit on the panel to help explore the difference between the still and motion worlds. Moderated by local (and outstanding) ouside clicker Martin Sundberg and providing yin to my yang Portland shooter Andy Batt pushing the boundaries of motion. We all did a little show and tell and then dove in to the pointed questions of the topic.

The walkaway I understood was that there are different levels and types of video production. Some that photogs are used to, that require smaller crews and are more nimble. Others are larger undertakings that DPs are used to where it takes a small army. More over, motion guys have had to work large and small and understand the crew and approach depend largely upon budget, location, scheduling whatever. When possible, you put the right guy on the job so you can focus on the larger equation (they keep their eye on the minutia). Or another way to look at it: just as you choose the right tool for the job, you also choose the right crew for the job.

I see a Photographer as a production company, and as a result they can easily take on video jobs, provided they know how to scale to a project. The photog has been acting as a producer, director and cinematographer, sometimes as gaffer and (photo) editor, the list goes on. Smaller projects will require little flexing, some simple, non-scripted run and gun. But if you start to apply a narrative in most senses, you begin to need control. Angles should match, sound plays a huge role and they must consider film language, editing and other post workflows.

I think the happy ground, especially in my concern, is not that photographers will be taking over motion production, but rather facilitating it. For someone like me who directs and/or shoots I can find a compatible interface and I speak the language. And let’s say that the job grows bigger and needs a soup to nuts type of treatment. We can help support and work with the photographer to handle the whole motion side of the equation and still work it through their umbrella so they interface with the clients. This is just some of the benefits of having helmed our own productions already. And for the ethics question, I can point to the studio business, that a number of the rental clients are friends who bring their clients in to shoot. if I were to start hitting up every production that comes in, I would quickly gain a bad rep, lose a lot of friends, and ultimately lose a ton of business. So I see a good vision of the future … now I have to do the work to manifest it.

And there were some points / jokes lost on the crowd, like this one for instance. As Andy had learned from his efforts into the moving world, you have to have that b-roll.

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We’re getting ready to kick out a series of photos and a short art film from a sweet session we did a couple weeks ago featuring designs from Sugarpuss! As you can see from the karma shot, Jen Summers uses lingerie to inspire this line. Faces you might recognize include Jesse Bodas, Lisa Zomer and of course set meister Stacey. I am being flanked by the wonderful talent bundles known as Alexis and Angela. Hope this has wet your whistle!

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We’ve seen our way through the first installments of the series we did with Siam. The basement section has been processed and looking delicious. We shot this section last as we knew that even at her chipperest, she would only be able to withstand a few minutes at a time. Plus it took us all day to rig up the box truss and harness to place her up there safely. Such things we do for art.

I think when done, this series and the other section may hang on a wall together, but may not occupy the same frame as originally intended. But things change and you have to open to where the road leads you.

The (super awesome fun time) team reads as follows: photo: Jason Mitchell; production (set) design / retouching: Stacey Ransom; model: Siam, model: Patrick; hair / mua: Mil u Ranon; clothing designer (Siam): Meli Innes-Brown; wardrobe stylist (Patrick): Laura Hollabaugh; rigging / gaffing: joe Mendoza, Jesse Dana; grip: Mike Boyd Williams; set dressers: Rachael Nichols, Mike Boyd Williams; set construction: Tyler Murray; wrap crew: Jewlz Comita

Okay, enough already, show us the pics …

… and I’ll let you know when the short film comes together as well. We always like to double load.

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We are starting to kick out our first bits of work from our Consumption series … and first out the gate is Absinthe. And we’ve melded the photo and motion works to provide a complimentary work for an enriched experience. The photos were captured using a fresh Nikon D3x at 1/250 with an old 50mm 1.2 at f8. And then we retooled the set to work with HMIs and Kinos to do the motion work on Red with the Red Primes 60fps with the lenses wide open.

While the short has a very simple narrative it does bring the story of the photo out a bit, and it leaves in of the subjectivity enjoyed by the still medium.

A taste of Absinthe … and for the movie click here.

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I had the good fortune to team up with Eric Shamlin on another project now that he’s made his move over to JVST from Goodby. As is happening these days, they had a campaign that needed the talents of both a photographer and director/dp. Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles for the Nintendo Wii was making it’s push out and due to the concept at the time, they needed someone who could shoot a range of styles and stay true to the vision. The funny / ironic thing was literally the day before, Stacey and I were talking about career paths and shooting Resident Evil came up. So, uh, check.

As the industry goes with combining acquisitions, this was for print campaigns in SF and NYC plastered all over the trains and subways with corresponding web banners with motion.

And as a bonus, they opened it up to worldwide and the UK tossed in a concept.

Each setup for the US was shot both still and motion. In the directing I found myself playing the roll of the zombie to get the proper reaction when there were two ‘normal’ actors in the shot. I’m sure it must have hilarious to be down the hall from us and here me doing repetitive zombie roars (or shouting some non sequitur). And due to the cross shooting, I again chose to go with a gaffer (Charles Griswold from Little Giant) and a photo assistant (Lauren Stocker) to shape lighting and ideas … plus they’re good company on set.

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We are gearing up an awesome shoot for November that is a push into our art series. This first set is a series of consumption. This refers not so much to food as is does to those things that we desire and take in and digest. It will involve a couple of fairly involved sets that Stacey will put together. A floor and a ceiling that are connected by a story. The two places go together but are never seen in the same image.  A diptych that confounds the simple observation.

Key players in our little art party include the uber talents of clothing designer Meli Innes-Brown who is hard at work on drafting something gauzy. Her work includes such things as:

On hair and make up is the fantastic fellow who helped us out this past Thursday on another shoot (pics to come soon) Mil u Ranon. He was a true pleasure to work with and I’m glad he’s coming in for this as well. His work that will be similar includes this photo:

And we have the striking Siam on board as our model who is seen both here and there. She will fit perfectly into our visions of the space and understand the delicate balance of the situation and how to behave.

Ah yes, all so cryptic … you’ll just have to wait and see.

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I couldn’t resist submitting another shot to Melissa Rodwell’s lovely and informative Fashion Photography Blog. (And I saw that another prior selectee had snagged a second week in the spotlight so I figured it couldn’t hurt.) You only gain when you take risks and this one paid off with another selection as shot of the week!

The shoot came about as we connected with Andreas Hinteregger, a hair stylist on a world tour to develop his wild hair portfolio and meet photographers. (He’s still on his trek – now in NYC – so find him and shoot with him if you can!) A few email back and forth and we were locked and loaded.

Our studio was in a horrible, no shooting in there, state of remodel and we were forced into our satellite stage (aka our garage). The smaller space limited some of our choices on set design and lighting. We had decided on a very H.R. Giger inspired look (with a sprinkling of Burton) for the concept. Stacey did an awesome job of pulling together a dynamic set out of found fabric and tubing from Scrap and Builder’s Resource that went up easy and could take an interesting shape. It also allow me to place lights behind it and give it a subtle glow that we could control to our desires.

This time we had the striking Sarah Jane from Ford … all 5’10 of her (and at 15 years old nonetheless). The tone on the set was very playful and we were able to take the concepts further into the fun zone. We had been kicking around this huge lengths of spirally hair, tying them to the set, and were getting into the “what else” stage. Stacey led the charge to start working the angle to get the hair to come toward camera (something we were all envisioning, but not how). Good teams produce great images.

On makeup, we talked ex-local Asheley Joy Beck into paying the Bay Area another visit and plying her mad skillz. She had a deft approach in matching the models and set to bring the concept together. She also saved the day for another of the concepts – seen in an earlier post – by coming up with an alternative to a look-essential bald cap (damn allergies). She’s welcome back anytime.

And Eirik Aswang provided the deliciously studded recycled rubber and grommet creations to cover the flesh and accent the concept. You can see in the image that the garment had these awesome wing bone stubs sticking out the back. It’s all in the details.

Enough talk … let’s image.

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