Creating Sunshine: Lighting, Props, And Backdrops

Posted on February 13, 2019May 28, 2019 by Studio 3 Inc

Here at Studio 3, we create warm summer days year-round.

Our amazing team brings sunshine and warmth to the office every day. Likewise, we bring sunshine solutions to your product photography with lighting, props, backdrops, and our digital media team. You bring the product, we’ll bring the summer-location your budget approves.

Lighting and backdrops and props, oh my!

The most important technique our team applies to create sunshine for a photo is lighting. For example, one of our photographers, Craig Wagner, modifies and utilizes lighting at different angles to create specialized shadows and ambiance for your creative projects. Just call him walking sunshine. The key is properly spaced lighting to obtain the perfect shadow every time. High ceilings are used to our advantage for room sets creating that needed distance for a large subject like this shot for Marquis Spas.

Marquis Spa Behind The Scene Lighting Photo Marquis Spa Photo In-Studio Lighting

Our photographer’s crisp shadows and dramatic sunlight are not all we can provide in-studio. We also have amazing props and backdrops. The color and texture of the background add a sentiment to the photo evoking a mood. Backdrops can range from subtle soft colors to a crisp white or a seamless backdrop to create that sunny day.

In this photo, you can see how the backdrop, lighting, and various props tell a summer story on their own.

Our Digital Media team:

Along with our photographers, our digital media team create sunshine and warmth even on the rainiest days. For composite images, they combine multiple layers to create one beautiful and flawless scene. When putting together a composite image, one has to consider many different variables. The most obvious are the colors, placement, and size of different elements. As a result, these decisions will affect how, where, and in what order the viewer focuses their attention.

‘For this piece, I played a lot with the placement of the surfboard and boombox to make it feel natural, organic, and compositionally pleasing. Light and color also play a critical role in how a viewer responds to a piece and whether an image looks “realistic”. I wanted this particular piece to have a nostalgic, yet timeless vibe, and I think the long shadows and warm tones created by the sunset help convey this feeling.’ –Lucio Barbarino Digital Artists at Studio 3

Rain or shine, the team at Studio 3 have your back to create that perfect photo you visualize for your brand. Give us a call. We would love to add a little sunshine to your day.

Let's Unpack This: A Look Inside Studio 3's Location Lighting Kit

Posted on November 16, 2017May 22, 2019 by Studio 3 Inc

When shooting lifestyle or product photography on location in the Pacific Northwest you rarely know what you’re going to get. The rain gods in our home states of Oregon and Washington are prevalent and powerful. Deluge or mist, the Studio 3 team arrives on location prepared for anything.
How do we juggle variously lit environments, keep a tight timetable and budget, and still exceed our client expectations? Experience. We have perfected our method in the madness that is this glorious industry. Now, thanks to the Internet and the power of social media marketing, we are able to share some of that wisdom with you.

What does the Studio 3, Inc. team need to create beautiful photography on location, you ask?

Be it a location shoot for Danner Boots, ShedRain Umbrellas, Amazon, or Kaiser Permenante our fail-safe location lighting kit includes;

3 Canon Speedlites

Radio Slaves

3 Lighting Stands

3 ft. Soft box

Medium Umbrella

AA Batteries

CTB Gel

CTO Gel

Light Meter

PRO Bar

This minimalistic kit is best used for atmospheric, lifestyle, and commercial work.
“[This lighting kit] is best used in situations where your key light is the light already available. When working on location you’re supplementing available light with the strobes you bring with you. An important part of that is to match the color temperature of that available light—we do this using gels [CTB or CTO]. This allows you to separate your subject from the background and really focus the viewer’s attention on the product. ” – Joshua Romberg, Photographer
In need new lifestyle photography for your next campaign? Give us a shout; we’ll get the gear.

Brand Identity; Telling YOUR Story Through Photography and Video

Posted on August 11, 2017May 22, 2019 by Studio 3 Inc

In an era of constant online noise, brand identity becomes quintessential. Customers are seeking not only quality, but also an authentic buying experience; the real people behind the business. They are seeking companies with similar values and lifestyles as their own.
How do you build an unmistakable brand identity? How do you tell your story? Whether you are creating a new ad campaign, or updating your catalogue’s product photography, every image should speak to your customers.
Once you have defined your brand, you can begin to effectively market it. That’s where we come in. Studio 3, Inc. works with you to create personal visual solutions. We show the world how awesome you are.
Let’s take a closer look at how different photos craft different emotional responses. In other words, what your photography is saying about your brand.
1. Your Colorways; Cool vs. Warm

Colors evoke emotion. Cool colors calm, while warm colors educe action—like this photo for Nike that encourages me to get out of this chair and go for a run.

2. Your Lighting; Studio vs. Natural
Whether your image is sun-soaked or sleekly structured, the quality can’t be compromised.

This beautiful cocktail shot for Seattle Magazine is captured with a splash! Inspiring thought on what a customer should do next (hint: buy some whiskey). Need help deciding? Here are Five new Washington Whiskeys to Try.

Embracing the brand identity of Coca-Cola, natural lighting was used to flood the scene with a sense of summer. Now that’s affective lifestyle photography.
3. Your Audience; Outdoor vs. Luxury
Who is your target market? What do they value? Creating environments for your product takes target market research.

What better way to appeal to Danner Boot’s outdoor customer, while staying true to the Brand’s value of craftsmanship, than to put their boots to the test in the Pacific Northwest.

“Hold a Danner boot in your hand and you’ll notice the hand crafted precision. Try it on and you’ll feel the difference. Test it against the elements and you’ll appreciate the value of a product that is built to last.” -Danner, Since 1932

However, when your marketing luxury like Jimmy Choo, the environment changes with the contrasting brand identity.

“A 21^st Century Luxury Accessories Brand, with shoes at its heart, offering an empowered sense of glamour and a playfully daring Spirit.” – Jimmy Choo

4. Your Appearance; Organic vs. Styled

Are you showing a process or presenting it’s end result? As brands and agencies move towards targeting the holistic customer, we see the shift manifest in an increase of lifestyle photography… And that’s in addition to the perfect product shot, 360-degree spin, and detail so good you can almost feel it. It’s a comprehensive marketing approach. You are your brand, and we are your people for all things photography, videography, and retouching.

5. Your Quality; iPhone vs. Professional Photographer
If you think it’s expensive to hire a professional, just wait until you hire an amateur… said a brilliant person. After meeting with a client, and doing a little research on their product, we stumbled upon this brilliant blog post that couldn’t say it any better.

“It’s amazing how big of a difference having really nice pictures of your space can make. A few months ago I ran an informal experiment (as research for another project) where I listed my apartment for rent on craigslist. They were both the same price, in the same area. One listing had really nice pictures taken with a high quality dslr and wide angel lens and the other had badly lit pictures taken with my iPhone. The listing with the nice pictures got 10x the emails.” – Jon Wheatley of Need/Want

Maybe it’s obvious, but maybe not. In today’s digital age everyone has a camera in their pocket, and iPhone 7s are promoted as so good they can be used for magazine covers and advertising (We won’t name names). We are bombarded with mediocre images… like this production still that I took versus Craig Wagner’s beautiful image masterfully finished by digital artist Michelle Smith. See the difference?
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Regardless of the project or scope, Studio 3, Inc. works with our clients, building relationships and crafting the perfect image for their brand. If you have yet to work with us, what are you waiting for? Drop us a line, let’s put our heads together to create something beautiful.

Stepping On-Location with Studio 3, Inc.

Posted on April 10, 2017May 22, 2019 by Studio 3 Inc

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.

Spring Into Style With Keds!

Posted on April 29, 2014May 22, 2019 by Studio 3 Inc

Spring means a lot of things: blooming flowers, constant showers, and our favorite… spring-cleaning. Now, before you decide to write us off as crazy, it’s important to consider the positive outcomes that spring-cleaning can bring. In the best-case scenario, you will open up your closet (that by now looks worse than the aftermath of “Twister”), throw away your worn-out kicks and threads, and HOPEFULLY replace them with new ones. However, in the chance that you experience the worst case scenario… Well, we can’t help you with that. BUT we can produce some pretty sick photography and would LOVE to use your closet as a still-life, that is if nothing is growing in it. But, for the sake of helping you spring into style, let’s just say this is a best case scenario. So get ready to do a little seasonal shopping! With that said, let us introduce you to our favorite spring essential, one the most emblematic shoes in history, the Keds’ classic Champion Sneaker. Keds
This undying style was captured by lead shooter, Craig Wagner. Craig created this elegant black and white image by doing what he does best: applying just the right amount of light and shadow for a flawless, timeless look. However, Craig isn’t the only star in this production. Did we mention our Portland Studio Producer, Liz the Whiz, is building her hand and foot modeling portfolio? If you want these photogenic stems in your next shoot, contact Studio 3 for bookings. You hear us Keds!? To put it plain and simple, if you’re one of those spring-cleaner’s out there who happens to own a pair of stylish Keds, let us be the first to admit it’s not always necessary to say “goodbye” to the old. Unless you don’t own a pair. In that case, get to cleaning your closet and say “HELLO” to the new! Get off on the right foot this morning and go get yourself a pair of Keds… the only shoe worthy enough to pass under the spring cleaning radar.