Three weeks into the job and it was time for my first on-location shoot with Studio 3, Inc. I boarded Bolt Bus, a company favorite, and set off for Seattle, eager to see Studio 3, Inc.’s cool studio space in the shadow of the Space Needle.
The day started with Chanel Everett, the studio’s Princess of Production, hand selecting an Adidas wardrobe that interpreted the clients’ art direction. With a mood board compiled of different lifestyle, apparel and shoe photography, we set off for the previously scouted Seattle setting.
Two vintage cars, a cooler, breakfast, lunch, snacks, racks of athletic apparel, dope enough to make any rapper weep, and the slaying photography skills of Studio 3, Inc.’s Trevor Boone—all the ingredients needed for success. I loved the Seattle cityscape, lifestyle photography theme and getting to assist with production stills.
The location was picked to compliment the Seattle rapper’s song “Hometown.” Bringing the urban background of the city into portrait photography, Trevor Boone was able to capture stunning duality that showcased not only his professional talent, but the personality of Raz Simone and an edge to Adidas footwear photography.
Images just came through the Studio 3, Inc. digital team, and we are stoked! Our in-house digital department works closely with our photographers and marketing team—removing power lines, clearing alleyway undesirables, and bringing the client’s vision to life every time. Check out a few of our favorite shots from the day.
We will be dropping more images from the shoot, so be sure to follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. When you decide to become a part of the fun, give us a call or stop by one of our studios to talk photography, video and serious retouching skills.
Written by: Eva Goldfarb, Marketing Coordinator @ Studio 3, Inc.
Category: Behind the Scenes
Thank You for Being a Friend…
Ever wonder how the hell Studio 3 has remained one of THE leading photography and video studios in the Pacific Northwest for like, ever?
Becoming a successful studio takes more than “having an eye for composition” and keeping up with the latest trends. Our success stems from the relationships we have built not only with our amazing clients, but also with our freelance stylists, set designers, photo and camera assistants, location scouts, key grips, gaffers, producers and production assistants. It really does take a village!
We’ve also spent countless hours volunteering in our local communities. Whether we’re donating our time preparing and serving food at a food bank, or hosting an event that will help women in need, we love to give back.
We view every job (large or small), every client (new or established) with the same level of excitement as we did way back when we first started out in this crazy industry. For us, the key to success has always been about collaboration, trust, respect, understanding, and a genuine desire to have a great time while creating beautiful photos and videos.
Over the years, we’ve had many conversations start with “OMG remember the time we…” followed by an eruption of laughter. Thanks to our wonderfully creative clients, we’re going to keep rolling up our sleeves and continue to record these memories for years to come.
Although our talent pool is overflowing with rock stars that have a gajillion combined hours of experience, we know that what really keeps our client list growing and growing is all the TLC we put into nurturing those relationships, baby!
Reach out anytime… we’d love to share a funny story or two over a cup of coffee and talk about ways we can collaborate with you on your next project! As always, keep your eyes on our social media channels – we LOVE to share photos of what happens on THIS side of the lens. Who knows, you might even score a cameo in one of our future posts!!
Chatting with Studio 3 Co-Founder, Jim Felt
Studio 3 has was established in 1978 by three high school buddies. We sat down with one of the founding members, Jim Felt, to learn a little more about his lengthy career in photography.
How long have you been a photographer?
I got my first camera in 8th grade but it didn’t occur to me then I would become a photographer and remain a photographer.
What was the biggest “uh oh” moment you can recall having on a set?
We forgot our light meter for a shoot in Oklahoma City. The shoot was during a sunset and we needed that light meter. We called every shop in town and of course nobody had anything for us to use. So I went ahead took the photo without a light meter and it turned out perfect anyway. The client never knew.
What was the most innovative “MacGyver moment” you’ve had on set?
I was at the Redstone Arsenal in Alabama getting ready to shoot a space shuttle. The shuttle flew in on a 747 and we were there to do a mid-operation shoot. The problem was, how was I going to light this thing? I realized that this military base was full of firemen, so I walked up to them and asked them, “Hey, can we use your spotlights to light up this space shuttle?” They agreed and we got the firemen to use the spotlights on their trucks to light up the shuttle.
What was the craziest thing you caught on camera that wasn’t for a shoot?
It was 1968 and rioting over the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr had begun in the Lloyd Center area of Portland. My buddy and I were cruising around and pulled up to the completely empty parking lot of the Lloyd Center Mall. Armed with our Nikons, we approached the mall and it looked abandoned, except for the cop cars that were parked inside of the mall. We proceeded to walk around taking photos of this creepy, empty mall when finally we hear a voice, “What the hell do you think you are doing here?” It was the police, with their guns. They were telling us to leave and even tried to take our film. We had cameras and they had tommy guns.
There have been some unbelievable moments that I’ve captured over the course of my photography career (some planned, some un-planned) and I wouldn’t trade my experience for any other profession in the world. It’s been exciting to watch Studio 3 grow through the “film-days”, into digital, and I can’t wait to see what happens next as we move into virtual/ augmented reality!
Stop, Prop and Roll!
How’d you make it look so GOOD? Well, my dears, it takes quite a bit of searching to find just the right prop. Ask our producers and stylists, they’ve got TONS of hilarious stories about finding the perfect prop for the job!
Stepping into our prop library, you’ll see that we have multiple racks with bins filled with fabric, sport helmets, fruit, tech supplies, mortars and pestles, and pretty much any object you can fathom. We keep it so organized, Martha Stewart would cry with pride.
We keep a hefty inventory of household items on hand to recreate life-like sets. Cups, picture frames, hand towels; we’ve got all the odds-and-ends to spruce up a set. Of course we have a plethora of other homestyle necessities too: luggage, bird cages, mannequins and a gas mask.
The prop library in our Seattle studio even has a fully functional shop attached to it, for when we need to build things for a shoot. What kind of things do we build for shoots? Kitchens, bathrooms, tables, even this beautifully lush “front yard.”
Need fruit, flowers, pie, towels, perhaps a stethoscope? We’ve got it! All sorts of items are constantly being added to our prop library and we are happy to add more to meet your needs. Give us a call and let’s get started on your photoshoot today.
Spirit Week in the Studio
Ready? OKAY!
Our PDX location had its very own Spirit Week as Dehen Cheer paid us a visit. Dehen manufactures custom cheer and dance uniforms. Thusly our spacious, new northeast studio was overtaken by color, hairspray, pom poms and tons of pep!
Glamourous photoshoots require glamourous setups. There was no shortage of makeup on hand. Our studio has lots natural light to get the models camera ready.
Being a high schooler on the set doesn’t mean getting the day off. These young women were hard at work in between shots. We asked what their favorite part of being in the studio was:
“There are so many good snacks!”
“Getting to know others teams outside of the competition.”
“I can nap on the couch until it’s my turn to be in front of the camera!”
We love working with kids! Emerson, the youngest person at the photoshoot, had a lot to say regarding her first modeling gig: “It is exciting. I like when they did my hair. Everyone is kind here and it is fun” adding, “I hope to get into karate next year.”
Big, grand productions are a specialty of ours at both the Portland and Seattle locations! We are more than a photo studio; let us handle the model releases, food, and all other behind-the-scenes needs. Give us a call and take over our studio.
Same Friendly Faces, Great New Location
We’ve had a busy week here in the Studio 3 Portland branch. As is the norm in PDX, we’ve moved! Yes, after 40 years in the same location we decided it was time to shake things up a bit.
Ahh look at that open space! After months of waiting, we have finally moved into the heart of the bustling Kerns neighborhood in Northeast Portland. Creative, fun, vibes are inevitable here as our new location is surrounded by theaters, restaurants, parks, art galleries, few urban farms and our neighbors, Kamp Grizzly.
We loved our time in the Southeast, and we take with us the many years of memories. Memories that we sorted and packed into hundreds of boxes. Boxes that have now formed rising towers, reflecting our decades of innovative commercial photography.
A little change of scenery has proven invigorating. We are buzzing with new ideas and our studio is ready to handle whatever project your brand may have. We are all settled in, so now is the time to swing by either Portland or Seattle location, grab a cup of coffee and let’s chat about your photography needs.
A Glimpse at Photography Production
When you stumble across a flawlessly delicious image you can’t help but wonder; how did they make it look so good? While we can’t reveal all of our secrets, we can certainly give you a glimpse into the messy, hectic, chaotic yet beautiful world of Commercial Photography told from our Seattle Producer herself….
A job always begins with an estimate request, and historically, those like to come flooding in on Friday afternoons, just as I’m ready to walk out the door for Happy Hour.
During the estimate process I learn if I need to find a location, source props, hire a model, or even bring in the occasional docile cat like we did for the Humane Society Cat Calendar. Oftentimes, it’s about finding ways to make the impossible, possible.
With just two words, “we’re approved”, the Production office turns into a hub of organized chaos. Location scouting, hiring talent, finding the perfect stylist, scheduling Post Production…. it’s all part of the thrill in getting everything finalized for the next big photo-shoot and sometimes it’s just hours away!
For a recent issue of Seattle Magazine I was tasked with organizing 20+ food and beverage rock stars to be in the Studio on the same day for their specialty items to be photographed for a feature story in the magazine. Sounds easy enough until you find out that Bakers start their day at 4:00AM when Bartenders are on their way to sleep!! Scheduling the two to be at the studio at the same time is challenging… but we always find ways to make it work.
Now, flash forward through the shoot day(s), hours of color correcting and retouching, and final file delivery and it’s clear that a lot of people have put their blood, sweat, and tears into producing that picture perfect image. Then, when it’s a wrap we wake up the next morning, chug our favorite caffeinated beverage, and happily do it all over again.
Break A Cool Sweat
Here we are in the HOT HOT HEAT of the summer and there’s no way we are hanging up our bathing suits just yet! While breakin’ a cool sweat and trying to stay cool, Studio 3 brought in the Marquis Spas ATV (Aquatic Training Vessel) for a much needed dip. The ATV was delivered on a trailer and was fork-lifted into Studio 3. From there, the team hauled that huge piece of heaven onto a custom-built stage. It took 2 days to fill it up and get it to a temperature that was juuuust right. Once the bubbles were flowing, the cameras started rolling.
Studio 3 has had the pleasure of working with Marquis Spas for many years now. The California based company founded in 1980 strives to provide top-of-the-line aquatic products that aid in rest and relaxation for the “ultimate soaking experience.”
For this particular shoot Studio 3 Film Director of Video Production, David King, filmed the features of the ATV while our Lead Photographer, Craig Wagner, caught some overhead and underwater shots. Craig gives a bit of insight on this splish-splash shoot:
“I was piggy-backing on the video shoot of Marquis’ new ATV. The client wanted to feature someone working out (water aerobics) from under the water’s surface. Since the tank was blue, we chose to give the image an overall blue hue by gelling the key lights.
I shot this using a Canon 5D MKIII in our underwater housing. I also mounted a Canon 5D MKIII above the tank for the overhead image. I remotely triggered the camera and viewed the images in Lightroom. Speedotron packs and heads were used along with our 8’x14′ lightbank with custom flash tubes.”
The end result was comprised of a five-star video and brilliant stills that capture the endless capabilities of a Marquis Spas ATV. If you think you don’t need one, just wait until you watch this.
There’s still a lot more sunshine comin our way for the rest of the summer. If you can’t take the heat, give us a call! Let Studio 3 take care of business while you enjoy the non-stop flow of ice cold drinks to keep you cool.
1 Second Everyday
“There are so many tiny, beautiful, funny, tragic moments in your life — how are you going to remember them all?”
Imagine a movie that includes everyday for the rest of your life… That’s the motto of the 1 Second Everyday app. As of this May, director, producer, video maker, animator, and app creator Cesar Kuriyama has been recording one second of his life everyday for three years. Kuriyama started creating this video diary on his 30th Birthday and claims that if he lives to see 80, family and friends will have a 5-hour-long accurate depiction of his life. The “1 Second Everyday” app does exactly what the name implies. It allows users to create a video diary of their lives by providing them with platform to record, edit, and store one unique moment a day for a year at a time in order to create an irreplaceable memoir. Kuriyama said that his driving force for this project was the fact that he would gain the ability to flashback through his memories and re-evaluate how he approached each day.
In spirit of this moving idea, David King, our director of video production compiled a 30 second video of what one month with the Studio 3 team looks like… and we’ve all come to realize how lucky we really are! Here’s a 30 second glance at our random, crazy, and beautiful lives:
So, if you’re feeling stressed, excited, discouraged, confused, wired, or tired, go ahead and start your very own video. You might be surprised with the outcome. And if you’re looking for a little extra sunshine in your day, give us a call or pop by the studio. We’ll do everything we can to ensure it’s an experience so grand you won’t need an app to remember it.