Behind the Scenes Archives | Page 7 of 8 | Studio 3, Inc.

Dana Jonas: The Making of a Mash-Up

Posted on April 10, 2012

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 — Studio 3, Inc.

Maggie: 5 pieces

Dana Jonas, photography — Studio 3, Inc.

Nico: 6 pieces

Dana Jonas, photography — Studio 3, Inc.

Talisha: 9 pieces

Drink Photography: Pisco Sour

Posted on April 5, 2012

In the great DIY spirit of Portland, we decided to take a stab at creating our own version of the Pisco Sour after salivating over Craig Wagner’s amazing drink photography, shot at local watering hole Circa 33. Pisco is an unaged brandy, that has a very unique flavor to it. The Pisco Sour happens to be a great drink to try out this unique spirit on. No one does it quite like Circa 33, but we thought we would give it a shot. With cocktail shaker and martini glasses in hand, we took a stab at the delicious cocktail. Since we already had the opportunity to shoot the drink at Circa 33, we decided to film our personal creation. As you can see, it was quite the happy hour where Pisco Sours were enjoyed by all!

[youtube 4lTMmWSNLIk]

Thanks to Producer Rachel Meyer for stepping up to the plate as our in house Mixologist and Videographer/Digital Artist David King for the documentation of our taste test. It was great getting a chance to taste the creation that Craig’s drink photography was inspired after. We have been begging him to go shoot more cocktails, to inspire perhaps a weekly happy hour! Maybe we’ll even get a chance to try it with food. If you make this delicious drink at home, we recommend you try the Pisco Sour with a South American inspired meal. 🙂

Here’s the recipe, so you can make your own Pisco Sour at home:

Ingredients:

1 1/2 Ounce Pisco
3/4 ounce lemon juice
1 Ounce Simple Syrup
1 Egg White
3 dashes Angostura Bitters

Preparation:

Pour the pisco, lemon juice, simple syrup and egg into a cocktail shaker, then fill with ice.
Shake Vigorously and Well.
Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
Add Angostura bitters to taste.
Enjoy!

The mouthwatering drink photography:

To View More Drink Photography Check Out Our Website!

Location Scouting: Finding the Perfect Photo Spot!

Posted on April 3, 2012

Caffe Vita has been one of our long time FAVORITE cafes, so naturally photographer Dana Jonas would turn to this fabulous string of coffee shops in search of that “perfect” feel. It got us thinking, what does she look for in a location and why? So we asked!:

One of the main things I look for when location scouting is versatility. Most often a businesses will need to remain operational, which can lead to more than a few dilemmas when customers enter the picture. You could wait hours for a guest to move to get the shot. The best way around this is to find a location that has many possibilities, and hope that one or two will be available.

With this location in particular, I absolutely adored the look and feel. Warm, vibrant, open, clean, this shop just screamed out to me as soon as I entered. It didn’t seem very busy when I scouted and I also consulted with the owner as to what the best time would be to shoot as far as their “hot” times for coffee service. She was extremely accommodating and made us feel more than welcome to shoot at her shop.

Another thing I considered was weather and what direction the front bank of windows faced. Even though I was shooting indoors, it is extremely helpful to know what type and direction of available light will be falling through the windows. Sometimes I want harsh lines from sun and sometimes I want clouds. Most of the time, I would prefer clouds, and just make it look sunny to give me more control. In that case I need access to the outside of the windows, which this place had as well! Amazing location, amazing shoot, amazing models. Loved every minute of it.

Check out Dana’s location scouting photos and final image below:

Enzo's: A Meal to Remember

Posted on March 29, 2012

Lee Mendelsohn, Portland’s Photography Representative, gives her two cents on one of Portland’s culinary gems, Enzo’s:

“Without hesitation my favorite restaurant in Portland is Enzo’s Italian Cafe on Alberta in the northeast. Every time I go it feels like I am at home which is one of the many reasons I have brought my entire family, all of my friends, and many of the wonderful people I have met while working at Studio 3. This is a neighborhood restaurant where everyone knows your name! Enzo lives a satisfying life and it shines through his food.

Immediately upon entering, you are greeted by name and served homemade delicious warm bread right out of the oven paired with authentic olive oil from Italy. I personally recommend the Cavatelli with Basil – WOW – out of this world! The antipasto, his homemade sausage, and tiramisu are must-haves as well. When asked about his favorite menu item, Enzo responded without hesitation, “Orechiette e cimedirape” which means “little ears” in Italian. Intriguing. If it’s Enzo’s favorite, this will be my next meal for sure!

Enzo (owner/chef) grew up in Puglia, Italy and learned the art of cooking from his mother at a very early age. Prior to introducing his restaurant he spent many years opening coffee shops, traveling, and working in manufacturing. Enzo always dreamed of bringing the flavors of Italy to a restaurant environment and now that dream is a reality.”

Stay tuned for Enzo’s upcoming events in April! Easter Brunch, Special Wine Dinner (introducing 6 new Italian wines), and an event where he will be discussing an upcoming trip to Italy. He will be inviting 25 lucky guests to tour his hometown. Also, Enzo will be hosting a one year anniversary party during the Alberta last Thursday Event on April 26th. A must visit for any Portland resident or tourist!

Be sure to visit their website and like them on facebook!

Camera Envy: Canon 5D Mark lll

Posted on March 28, 2012

We are like kids at Christmas when it comes to our new favorite toy: the Canon 5D Mark lll. It has been a blast playing around and learning all about it’s new capabilities. With two studios full of tech enthusiasts we couldn’t wait to learn all about the new camera’s impressive capabilities. In order to share our enthusiasm, along with our new found knowledge, we thought we’d let photographer Matt Jebbia say a few words about the research he’s done over the past few days :

One of the perks to working in a large commercial photography studio is getting the chance to utilize some of the latest and greatest equipment on the market. We’ve been obsessed with the Canon 5D Mark ll for some time now. Last week, our obsession began to wane, as we were lucky enough to acquire one of the first to market Canon 5D Mark lll’s. At first glance the 5D Mark lll has some real physical advancements over the 5D Mark ll. The camera grip has been slightly redesigned, giving it a more solid, user-friendly feel. The power switch has been relocated to the top of the camera next to the mode dial. And who can argue with the new 3.2 – inch LCD display! It is a definite plus over its predecessor, more screen real-estate is definitely a bonus.

Where the new Canon 5D Mark lll really shines is with the new improvements added to the menu, giving this camera an increased depth of character. First of all the Canon 5D Mark lll delivers a substantial increase in ISO sensitivity with the ability to shoot up to ISO 26,500 and with an expanded ISO range that tops out at 102,400. Canon has also redesigned the 5D Mark lll full-frame sensor to use pixels that work better in low light conditions. A marked improvement is the new 61 point AF (Auto-Focus) system, a huge improvement over the 5D Mark ll ‘s 9-point-auto-focus system. Although, personally I hope this feature isn’t more hassle than it’s worth. When it comes right down to it, the fast paced nature of being on set doesn’t really allow for time to make your way through 61 points of focus.

When it comes to the concern of shooting state of the art video, the new 5D Mark lll delivers dramatic improvements to it’s audio capabilities. The addition of an audio headphone jack will surely make our videographers ecstatic. The added feature of an on screen audio level indicator allows the user to monitor and adjust audio levels while recording video. Truly a great addition to a strong family of cameras.

We are so excited to start producing new, fun work with this Canon 5D addition to our camera family. We look forward to sharing everything we learn about this awesome photography & videography tool. 🙂

5 Client Habits Commercial Photographers Love

Posted on March 23, 2012

Of course, commercial photographers love each and every one of their clients. Clients help bring new ideas to the table and keep commercial photographers shooting what they love, the client’s product. With that being said, there are a few habits that make the process of commercial photography just that much happier for everyone 🙂

Inspiration Pictures: They are extremely helpful when working with visually driven people. Think about it in terms of a musician. If you wanted him or her to play a song at your wedding, they would acquire the song, listen to it, dissect it, emulate it, and ultimately make it their own masterpiece. Inspiration images allow the photographer to understand the lighting and feeling the client is ultimately going for.
Detailed Shot Lists: Be as detail oriented as possible; right down to the facial expressions or angle of the drink on the table. A detailed list helps everyone, from stylists to assistants, get on the same page. You can include images, product #’s, really anything specific to get the detailed message across.
Patience: This goes for everyone on set. In-order to keep a positive, motivated, passionate crew, everyone must be given adequate time to handle their end of the production. Nothing leads more quickly to an unhappy working experience then frustration or rushing everyone involved.
Clear, articulated feedback: Trying to use positive, instead of negative statements, with your co-creators, will lead to positive results. Instead of simply saying “This isn’t working”, it helps to say “Could we try this amazing outfit?” or “How about this angle, the light looks so great from there.”. It’s a more specific, positive statement.
Know what you want: This goes hand in hand with the first 2 topics, but it can’t be stressed enough! This is ultimately the key factor in getting the best out of your extremely talented commercial photographer!

Commercial Photographers — Studio 3, Inc.

Barriers to visual communication.

Catherine Loyer- Modelicious!

Posted on March 15, 2012

Jim, owner and photographer at Studio 3, has photographed Catherine numerous times. You could call her his muse. Not only is she a fantastic model and ready for any crazy ideas he throws at her, she is also an amazing musician. Which means her and Jim have a lot to talk about!

Check out her music online here! — Studio 3, Inc.

Oregon Food Bank: Giving back IS fun!

Posted on February 24, 2012

Our team attended the Fresh Alliance – Oregon Food Bank this week! We managed to process 7,619 pounds of food and helped provide 5,680 meals for people in need. It was great getting together as a team and putting together meals for people within the community. If you want to do the same its quite fun, especially seeing your co-workers in hair nets, latex gloves, and an apron! 🙂

Beyond the great team bonding, the studio likes to get together over a common goal of helping out every quarter. It’s necessary we get out and give back when we can. Every 3 months seems to be more then doable with a large chunk of our studio participating in their own volunteering initiatives. The reason why the Oregon Food Bank is a common cause among the Portland studio has to do with the food bank’s innovative practices and dedication to offering healthier food options for all. Which is something we can all get behind.

There are many ways you can help out the Oregon Food Bank, you can dedicate your time, donate money, or drop off food donations. However you decide to get in action will be greatly appreciated by not only the food bank but by those in need. With the food bank working on public policies to make sure no one goes hungry, you can also help sign petitions and/or attend a fun event, such as the Waterfront Blues Festival.

For all things Oregon Food Bank, including volunteering, upcoming events, and public policies visit their website: http://www.oregonfoodbank.org

It’s hard to resist these beautiful faces, especially accessorized by hair nets. To learn the stories behind the faces click here!

Martini-Pinball Fever!

Posted on January 27, 2012

Yesterday was Martini Thursday in the Studio! We were bumpin’ and grindin’ through an epic pinball challenge. That’s right…we get Manhattan’s at work. Jealous much??

— Studio 3, Inc.

Claudine Ebel: Styling Made Fun!

Posted on January 17, 2012

Every project we work on is a collaborative effort, with a team of people behind it that make it all come together. Working like this is a great experience because it allows for every person to focus on their piece of the project while getting to help and learn from others, and most of all meets cool, new people in the process! Speaking of cool people, it’s our pleasure to feature our friend and stylist-extraordinaire, Claudine Ebel on the blog today!

Claudine might have one of the best attitudes of anyone we’ve ever worked with. ‘I love this! I love this!’ You can always tell when Claudine Ebel has entered the studio! Full of creativity and fun-loving energy, she has had a great fashion sense from the get-go. She recalls that at age 5 her mom’s friends would ask who was dressing her! Little did they suspect that the cute kid whose style impressed them would grow up to be a stylist highly demanded in the industry. As Claudine would put it: ‘I was born to style.’

Having her natural talents guiding her the whole way, she’s ecstatic to be prospering in her career, saying that she’s “living the dream and it only gets better.” We at Studio 3 are lucky enough to be able to join her in saying that we’re living a dream, getting to work on cool projects for awesome clients and constantly meeting great new people. And of course, we’re always happy to help support another’s dream. Claudine Ebel’s presence is truly bright and always positive, making every shoot we work with her on a great working environment.

Take a look at Claudine’s talent from the shoot below, and be sure to check out her work in action, in her production, Flight Serena here! Keep up the great work, Claudine!

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