Studio 3's Photographer Craig Wagner & CMD's Art Director Lawrence Wolf collaborate!

Posted on September 10, 2013 by Studio 3 Inc

See below to view Craig Wagner’s in-studio Product Photography and his lifestyle images!

Studio 3, Inc, Behind the Scenes, Commercial Product Photography, Commercial Lifestyle Photography, Lawrence Wolf, CMD
We are excited at Studio 3 about our latest partnership with CMD in Portland. Craig Wagner (Photographer) and Lawrence Wolf (Art Director) talk about their thoughts around their latest creative venture. Read below to hear more about the collaboration between Studio 3 Inc. and CMD.
A few words from Lawrence Wolf at CMD.
“One of the great things about working at CMD is the way the company embraces the Rose City’s bike culture. Bike commuting is actively encouraged year round, with a lot of extra support for people who get into the saddle for the Bike Commute Challenge each September. And, as an art director, I get to spend my days crafting the visual language of all the things we make for our clients: websites, mobile apps, brochures, you name it. It’s a process where I’m fortunate to work with some really talented individuals. This brings me to Studio 3 Photography, and partnering on a creative project that reflects my personal passion for cycling as well as that embraced by Portland and CMD.
I first worked with Studio 3 in December 2010, shooting bird’s eye views of two Western Star trucks. It wasn’t an easy shoot, given the sheer size of the trucks. And thanks to the unpredictable nature of Pacific Northwest skies in winter, we were forced to shoot inside a warehouse. In that kind of situation, you can only get an angle so wide before running into problems with distortion.
But Craig was very methodical in overcoming these logistic issues. Over the two days we shot, we bonded over a mutual appreciation for all things on wheels, be it two, four or eighteen. That shoot was just the beginning of a strong professional relationship, and then this past spring, something got us talking about my old bike.

I’ve been customizing this vintage Trek touring bike since the birth of my son. It had sat in my garage, collecting dust for several years, because it’s so much heavier than my aluminum road bike and I tend to opt for speed. But it’s always been a great bike. The steel frame gives it a really comfortable ride. It reminds me of the matching, yellow Schwinns that my parents used to pedal me around on. When I started thinking about how to introduce my boy to cycling, I swapped out the drop bars for mustache bars (to accommodate a front-mounted child seat). This gave the bike a totally different look, and I suddenly developed a new appreciation for the bike’s classic styling.

Soon after, I added a Brooks leather saddle and matching bar tape. Then it kind of took on a life of its own. Since then, I continue to adjust little details like striped white tires, or black dice valve covers.

My latest addition was designing the “Slow Ride” aluminum head badge, which I had made at International Graphics. “Slow Ride” was influenced by a few things: My son’s 70s-era, Evel Knievel helmet, and the fact that the bike weighs upwards of 30 pounds. We won’t be winning any races on this thing, but that’s hardly the point of our rides.

I was thrilled that Craig was interested in collaborating on a “Slow Ride” shoot featuring the customized bike. As an art director, I really admire his attention to detail and the way he plans a shot. He’s keenly aware of potential challenges, and always has a good solution for telling a story through his lens. Half the fun of this shoot was working together on the idea, putting together moodboards, and scouting locations.”

A few words from Craig Wagner at Studio 3, Inc.
“Working with Lawrence’s “Slow Ride” concept was fun and allowed me plenty of creative freedom. The mood boards were coherent and well designed. With a clear understanding of the desired outcome and tone, we were ready to go. I look forward to many more future projects with Lawrence’s creative concept development and the CMD team. See below for some of the shots we got on-location!”

Get involved in the Bicycle Transportation Alliance’s Bike Commute Challenge by clicking here.To view CMD’s joint blog post click here.

Meet Niki: Chaos Wrangler with a passion for Commercial Photography!

Posted on August 15, 2013 by Studio 3 Inc

Niki our newest Studio 3 team member loves Commercial Photography and a space filled with creatives!

Studio 3, Inc, Behind the Scenes, Portrait Photography, Lifestyle Photography

Every Commercial Photography Studio needs a Niki! We are so elated to introduce our newest addition to the Studio 3 team in Portland! She’s a woman of many talents, interests and experience. She always has something interesting to share with us, to say the least. Read below to learn more:

I love sorting through hurricanes of disorder and packing things away neatly into beautifully labelled little boxes. I’m obsessed with systems: analyzing them, creating them, breaking them down and rebuilding them again. This fascination led me to a crazy wonderful studio in the heart of Portland. At Studio 3, I can use my skills to continually improve our near flawless work flows – meaning clients get their photo and video assets faster, with less hassle. Every creative environment needs some structure to balance the forces of inspiration, creating the ideal blend of impeccable execution and expressive flair.
Of course, that doesn’t satiate my need to wrangle the chaos of life. When I’m not at work, I’m keeping track of cats, snakes, chickens and chores at my urban oasis. Thanks to Studio 3, one of my beautiful snakes is determined that she has a modeling career in her future.

On the weekend, you can find me at exotic pet shops, Portland’s legendary Urban Farm Store, or piecing together larger than life house projects with a little more than bubblegum and a prayer to the DIY Goddess. My tireless fiancé, a converted cat lover and avid skateboarder, helps me tend to the tomatoes and ensures we have time to tear up epic dance floors at The Goodfoot. Creating our ideal blend of uproar and order is second nature; if anything, it’s where we shine.
When things finally feel calm enough, everyone knows I plop down with a full cup of coffee, a plate of bacon and a textbook on political economies.

Commercial Lifestyle Photographer Matt Jebbia Summer Fun!

Posted on July 2, 2013 by Studio 3 Inc

This shoot was a fun collaboration between many of us here at the studio. What made it work was having access to some great vintage props, a great model and a perfect morning of Seattle summer weather. A few words from Commercial Lifestyle Photographer Matt Jebbia!

We came up with the concept of using Dick’s burgers due to the upcoming 60th anniversary of “Dick’s Drive-In”, and we were lucky that fellow Studio 3’s Commercial Product Photographer David Bell had the perfect vintage VW that he allowed us to use.

Since we were a bit worried about taking this awesome vintage car on location I decided to use the Studio 3 parking lot. It provided a nice backdrop and allowed us to utilize some studio equipment that would have been harder to use out on location.
We set up a 6×12 foot sail in the parking lot that helped to diffuse the harsh noon sun, added a medium soft-box to add some light to our models face, and played around with some different camera angles and props to bring this shoot to life. We use a variety of camera systems at Studio 3 but for this shoot I opted to use the Hasselblad H2d with an 80mm lens. It’s not my camera of choice for location shoots but since we were 10 feet from the studio door it made it easy to use and allowed us to shoot tethered for quick image review.

I have a coca cola image in my portfolio already and decided to add the coke bottle at the end of the shoot, just to add a different prop and I felt that we had the perfect model, vehicle, and location to make it work. It was a bit stressful working so closely with a vintage convertible owned by our Senior Photographer. But once we all got into the flow of creating the perfect shot, it all seemed to come together. And luckily for all of us no vehicles were damaged in the process!

To view more Commercial Lifestyle images created at Studio 3, Inc. click here!

Executive Portraits What's your good side?

Posted on October 23, 2012 by Studio 3 Inc

Often times executive portraits can be simple shots of the staff on white, black, red, whatever color your team desires. However, here at Studio 3 we like to mix it up and add some interest to showcasing what’s best about your employees. The environmental executive portrait often adds interest to not only the employee but what a company has to offer. Two of our senior photographers, Dana Jonas and Henry Ngan, have recently portrayed architects and construction workers on site, to give meaning beyond the title.
Read Dana Jonas’ thoughts below on how to find the perfect location for a fun executive portrait:

My favorite part about this whole project was finding the location. I just kept thinking, they’re architects, I want to find something magnificent for them, something that really stands out. I was driving on 15th, in Seattle, and even though I’ve passed this bridge probably a million times, my head whipped around and I think I even said out loud, “Ah-hah!”. So after a super sketchy u-turn, I pulled over and went to check the bridge out. As soon as I got up there, I knew it was the perfect spot. I got so into photographing it, I don’t think I came down for another 20 minutes! It inspired me from the get go, something I always look for in locations.

Getting dirty on the construction site and Henry Ngan’s thoughts on how to put someone’s best face forward:

People are fascinating to me, especially when it comes to their accomplishments. I strive to bring out strong points and the nature of a person’s day to day. Before I take the picture I find out more about them, what they are most proud of, what they love about their career. I want to capture who they really are, what their career means to them, and the value they add, all within the portrait. An environment chosen by them, only adds to that story.

To view more Environmental Executive Portraits created at Studio 3 please click here!

Superheroes! F*** YEAH AMERICA

Posted on September 27, 2012 by Studio 3 Inc

The life of superheroes is often glamorized, however, like most things, life isn’t always so sweet. Photographer Dana Jonas wanted to illustrate the dark side of being a hero, the side in which no one wants to imagine… Inspired by the world being in complete distraught and the wonderment of being completely abandoned, hopeless, in need of a sign Dana created the series F*** YEAH AMERICA! Read Dana’s thoughts below:

I’ll be honest. Mostly I wanted a challenge. A steer away from my usual bright, colorful, happy pictures (granted I cheated and did those too with these guys). Through the process of photographing them I just kept thinking “gosh, if superhero’s were real and trying to save us, I bet they really would feel this way”. With the state of the world, the economy and every sad and crazy thing going on these days, I imagine if that was really in front and behind them, that would be a pretty gloomy existence.

Read below to hear the bright side of Captain America. As Wiki States…

“Captain America is an American fictional character, a superhero who appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 (cover-dated March 1941),from Marvel Comics’ 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby. As of 2007, an estimated 210 million copies of “Captain America” comic books had been sold in 75 countries^.For nearly all of the character’s publication history, Captain America has been the alter ego of Steve Rogers, a frail young man who was enhanced to the peak of human perfection by an experimental serum, in order to aid the United States government’s efforts to win World War II. Captain America wears a costume that bears an American flag motif, and is armed with an indestructible, boomerang-like shield that can both be thrown as a weapon and used to defend against others’ weapons.” – Wikipedia

As Wiki states the “bright side of Wolverine”.

“Wolverine is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Born James Howlett and commonly known as Logan, Wolverine is a mutant who possesses animal-keen senses, enhanced physical capabilities, and a healing factor that allows him to recover from virtually any wound, disease, or toxin at an accelerated rate. The healing factor also slows down his aging process, enabling him to live beyond a normal human lifespan. His powerful healing factor enabled him to survive having the near-indestructible metal alloy adamantium bonded to his skeleton. He is most often depicted as a member of the X-Men, Alpha Flight, or later the Avengers.” – Wikipedia

Wiki states:

“The Flash is a name shared by several fictional comic book superheroes from the DC Comics universe. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Harry Lampert, the original Flash first appeared in Flash Comics #1 (January 1940).Nicknamed the Scarlet Speedster and the “Crimson Comet” all incarnations of the Flash possess “super-speed“, which includes the ability to run and move extremely fast, use superhuman reflexes and seemingly violate certain laws of physics. Thus far, four different characters—each of whom somehow gained the power of “super-speed”—have assumed the identity of the Flash: Jay Garrick (1940–present), Barry Allen (1956–1985, 2008–present), Wally West (1986–2006, 2007–2012), and Bart Allen (2006–2007, 2009–present). Before Wally and Bart’s ascension to the mantle of the Flash, they were both Flash protégés under the same name Kid Flash.” – Wikipedia

And again via Wiki here is Bruce Wayne!

“Batman is a fictional character, a comic book superhero appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and first appeared in Detective Comics #27 (May 1939). Originally referred to as “the Bat-Man” and still referred to at times as “the Batman,” the character is additionally known as “the Caped Crusader,the Dark Knight,and “the World’s Greatest Detective,among other titles. Batman is the secret identity of Bruce Wayne, an American billionaire playboy, industrialist, and philanthropist. Having witnessed the murder of his parents as a child, he swore revenge on criminals, an oath tempered with the greater ideal of justice. Wayne trains himself both physically and intellectually and dons a bat-themed costume in order to fight crime.Batman operates in the fictional Gotham City, assisted by various supporting characters including his crime-fighting partner, Robin, his butler Alfred Pennyworth, the police commissioner Jim Gordon, and occasionally the heroine Batgirl. He fights an assortment of villains, often referred to as the “rogues gallery,” which includes the Joker, the Penguin, the Riddler, Two-Face, Ra’s al Ghul, Scarecrow, Poison Ivy, and Catwoman, among others. Unlike most superheroes, he does not possess any superpowers; he makes use of intellect, detective skills, science and technology, wealth, physical prowess, martial arts skills, an indomitable will, fear, and intimidation in his continuous war on crime.” – Wikipedia

Road trippin' with Sperrys!

Posted on July 11, 2012 by Studio 3 Inc

Photographer Dana Jonas is taking full advantage of this amazing summer weather we are finally getting in Seattle! From our studio in Queen Anne over to North Bend, up to Snoqualmie, through Fall City and circling back over at Carnation, it was truly a full day’s road trip!

The most challenging and adventurous part of this shoot was finding the EPIC yellow VW bus. After many phone calls and emails, someone suggested an upcoming VW show. So I took a drive to Renton and found Jason, the owner of my dream bus. After a break-down and few reschedules, we finally got this beast in front of my camera, and with the help of Jeff, Billy, and the ever-sexy Sperrys, made her look fabulous!!

Portrait Photography: Searching for Spring?

Posted on May 18, 2012 by Studio 3 Inc

The Northwest’s bipolar weather patterns have led us to believe that Spring is either right around the corner or Mother Nature is being a tease. We are definitely hoping for the latter. With a week of nothing short of beautiful weather, Friday has us down in the dumps again. The gray overcast blanket hanging over the city has left photographer Dana Jonas weary about going outside, yet inspired to shoot some portrait photography that expresses her continuous search for the Northwest’s favorite season, Spring. Read her thoughts on her distress or perhaps her lack of Vitamin D:

Sometimes I just have to shoot what I feel. Oh Seattle, how I love to hate you. Every year come April and May, it feels like winter drags on forever. A part of me refuses to accept that the NW doesn’t get summer until July, so they say. I do whatever I can to let my frustrations out via photography, but of course it doesn’t always work in my favor. I would say I am a sun child do to my past living situation, which for many of my formative years I believed was hell, otherwise known as Phoenix. I would whine and whine about the sun to no end. And now I can’t wait for the sunshiney warmth to wash over me. I don’t know, maybe I’m being punished. But hey, the punishment only inspires me.

In this particular portrait photography shoot I had our in house assistant Chris pose as a Sherlock Holmes’ esque character searching for the first signs of Spring! It was so fun finding the costume and even more fun getting the grass, along with the fun colors to all work together in studio. It was a portrait success. Now, if only this weather could turn around…

Check out her fun portrait below.

To View More Portrait Photography Check Out Our Website!

Dana Jonas: The Making of a Mash-Up

Posted on April 10, 2012 by Studio 3 Inc

Ever wondered exactly how Dana makes her vibrant pop-off-the-page Mash-Ups? We managed to snag her off-set for the inside scoop:

Ah, my gosh, the idea came to me as a child actually. I remember sitting in the waiting room for my doctor (I was probably 12), looking through fashion magazines and I thought to myself, I wonder what would happen if I chopped up these pictures and put my favorite pieces together. Years later, I put a spin on that simple yet whimsical idea and called them Mash-Ups!

My process is quite simple really. I find an interesting subject, stick them in front of the camera and get them to do all sorts of crazy movements and dances. At times I focus on the arms or legs, at other times the face. Often I have a general idea of the composition I’m want. I relay that to the model, and let them run with it. Many of my chosen models are also performers or have some background in theater. At the end, I sit with my selects and let instinct and creativity take over. It’s truly a freeing process.

Below is a quick video of Dana’s editing process for Maggie’s Mash-Up, the final image of Ms. Maggie and a couple more of our favorite Mash-Up images 🙂

[youtube 1ujSXwbOQas]

Dana Jonas, photography

Maggie: 5 pieces

Dana Jonas, photography

Nico: 6 pieces

Dana Jonas, photography

Talisha: 9 pieces

30's fashion photography with Designer Peter Czar

Posted on March 19, 2012 by Studio 3 Inc

Dana Jonas was getting her fashion photography on! Her good friend Peter Czar designed the epic clothes featured in the photographs. We were also lucky enough to shoot in a beyond gorgeous home, we are talking museum quality, the house was unreal. When we say unreal, it not only was gorgeous, it was full of beautiful props, furniture, knick-knacks and artifacts galore. Couldn’t have set the stage better for this 30’s fashion photography shoot. As most fashion photography shoots, this one was inspired by the clothes. We couldn’t have asked for anything more shimmering, delicate, & feminine! Thanks Peter Czar. As for Dana, she has a few words of her own:

Oh man, I felt like a bull in a China factory! Although, thank god, I wasn’t. I remember there were little tea-cups sitting out, and I thought to myself “those are probably worth more than my car”. Haha. On the serious side of the things, the shoot was fantastic. For the first picture, I was bleeding a light head to get the power down on the lights, and turned the head around the face the wall behind me. The wood in this house was a beautiful dark, almost red color. The light gave the shadows in the picture a beautiful amber tone, and created the reflection on the antique throttle. The model was gorgeous and I couldn’t ask for her to wear the gorgeous clothing creations any better. The lighting, the fabric, everything came together so perfectly. There are those incredible moments, when everything just comes together so perfectly. Those are the shots I truly live for and what makes fashion photography more then just a picture, but more like a toast to the clothing itself.

To Check Out More Gorgeous Images Visit Our Website!

To Learn More About Peter, Check Out his Website!