Portfolio Perfection!

Posted on January 21, 2014May 22, 2019 by Studio 3 Inc

At Studio 3, we are constantly improving our portfolio by being inspired by photography trends, current advertising campaigns, as well as feedback from local portfolio shows. This particular shoot was meant for photographer Craig Wagner. We had been constantly receiving client needs that included drinks, food, incorporated in a lifestyle environment. We decided to meet this need, by heading to a Portland hotspot, Produce Row. Below you can read Liz Swales, the Portland producer’s take on the shoot…

The Seattle marketing team came to me with the request of adding some beautiful, natural, and simple lifestyle, drink shots to Craig Wagner’s portfolio.
The first thing that came to my mind was Produce Row, a place that I used to manage and call home. The bar, lighting, classic nature and overall feel of the well known restaurant and bar in Portland, Oregon made it a dream to shoot in.
We were able to use what Produce Row has to offer, lots of whiskey, fancy mixology, and a bar with 25 taps. It was the perfect set up. With the addition of Craig’s beautiful lighting and creativity, we were able to create classy images that met the request.
I set up the shoot among two days, knowing from previous experience that there are only about 3 hours in the day the restaurant is slow. I didn’t want our shoot to affect or be effected by their overall patrons.
This made our team work well and get our creative ideas working in a timely fashion.
It was a great experience combining efforts with our team and my old team at Produce Row, while capturing the beauty and knowledge of drink mixing.
-Liz Swales

And of course, this story wouldn’t be complete without Craig Wagner’s insight on how he was able to capture such beautiful images.

The sequence of the bartender making a drink are amongst my favorite, I created a bit of energy by dragging the shutter to allow movement, the soft natural light was a bonus.
With mixology being all of the rage these days, I thought it be nice to expand my portfolio with some environmental shots, my producer sent our scout to a few locations including Produce Row, which was remodeled in 2010, the space, environment and lighting made it the perfect choice for this particular project.
Shooting on location can be challenging, light conditions can change rapidly, space can be tight and you may need to shoot during business
hours. We chose to break the shoot into two afternoon sessions to lower our impact on their patrons.
A large bank of north facing windows provided beautiful natural light. Only using a flexfill and a kicker light in addition allowed us to move
around the venue quickly.
-Craig Wagner

Check out Craig Wagner’s beautiful images below and be sure to give us a call for your next on location shoot!

Produce Row

Time Lapse: Forest for the Trees Northwest

Posted on September 24, 2013May 22, 2019 by Studio 3 Inc

About two months ago, we were approached by Portland artist Gage Hamilton, the organizer of a public mural art project “Forest for the Trees Northwest“, as a possible site for one of 10 new murals that would be going up the week of August 19th. The south wall of Studio 3 was of particular interest due to it’s size, accessibility and well, it looked like it could use some artistic love. Just standing in the parking lot looking at the vast orange canvas that would be transformed into an original piece of art, we wanted to find a way to document the process. All we were told was that the artists would be painting for 5 days, that the outcome would be a surprise and that the result would be epic and spectacular.

After much internal discussion around documenting this creativity, we decided the best way to document the week of painting was going to be the creation of a time lapse video. We set up a GoPro Hero 3 on the roof of our neighbor, the Jolly Roger Bar and Grill and recorded from dawn til dusk for 5 days. The GoPro also took an exposure every 30 seconds. Through our friends at Star Rentals, we were able to provide the two scissor lifts to the artists to assist with the project.
Hawaiian artist, Kamea Hadar (@kameahadar), and Australian artist David “Meggs” Hooke (@houseofmeggs), worked throughout the week and gave us an amazing addition to the studio and the Hawthorne neighborhood.
Check out the resulting time lapse video and the amazing art that the guys created. Better yet, drop by the studio and check it out in person. ~ David King / Director / Studio 3 Films

To see more of the “Forest for the Trees Northwest” art work located in the Portland area please visit their website at http://www.forestforthetreesnw.com/

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

Posted on September 10, 2013May 22, 2019 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.

Film Director David King What a beautiful campus!

Posted on April 5, 2013May 22, 2019 by Studio 3 Inc

One of our favorite places to visit and shoot, is the beautiful campus of Washington State University, Vancouver. The scenic views from the campus’ hilltop location are breathtaking and change dramatically through out the seasons. Our crew visited the campus again for our second video collaboration with WUSV’s marketing department. Here are a few words from our Film Director David King.

For the second video in our series for Washington State University Vancouver, we were asked to help the university highlight how “non-traditional” students thrive at the Vancouver campus. With an enrollment of just over three thousand students, an average class size of twenty, and a student to faculty ratio of 1:14, WSUV truly caters to the student that is serious about furthering their education without sacrificing the whole university experience.

For this video, we directed our focus at transfer students, students that have families, those that hold down jobs outside of school, and those that are looking for help with financial aid. We spent the day on campus, interviewing five students with very diverse backgrounds and career aspirations. The common thread for each of them was how easy it was to be a student at Washington State University Vancouver while working and in some cases, raising a family. It was great to hear them talk about what makes Washington State University Vancouver so special.

We were able to utilize some of the scenic footage we captured on our earlier visit in the fall, before school had started for the year, as well as shooting some new footage with the campus bustling with student activity. The video ultimately ended up on the WSUV website and is viewed often by prospective students who may be looking for a university that will fit their unique circumstance.

Check it out here, or visit the WSUV website at http://www.vancouver.wsu.edu.

To view more Videos created at Studio 3 Films please click here!

Photographer Henry Ngan Cruising Wild Alaska!

Posted on October 1, 2012May 22, 2019 by Studio 3 Inc

Photographer Henry Ngan stepped out of the studio this summer and into an adventure along the Panhandle of Alaska.

I first arrived in Ketchikan, Alaska by boat then went by Tracy Arm Fjord in the Tongass National Forest and then on to Juneau and then Skagway. What an experience! In Skagway I got to take an amazing rail trip on board the White Pass and Yukon Railroad, a narrow gauge railroad, up to White Pass just across the border into the Canadian Yukon. The railroad did a lot of steep climbing, to get to the amazing scenery. We went across trestles, bridges and tunnels. Along the way up were bears, hikers, and local folks camping out. The train was made up of vintage passenger cars pulled by three Alco DL535E locomotives. In Juneau, where Governor Sarah Palin once held office, I visited the Mendenhall Glacier just to the north of town. The glacier was formed from snowfall compaction which took place over thousands of years in the Juneau Icefield above Mendenhall Lake. Glacial ice as you can imagine is very hard dense ice and has a rich blue color. It is blue because it absorbs all colors of the spectrum except blue which it reflects and because of the lack of air bubbles. The extreme color made this one of the most breathtaking photographic experiences. I can’t wait to go back!
If you ever get a chance to go to Alaska be sure to visit the Ketchikan community! It is a great environment for inspiration and is nestled in the Tongass National Forest. Ketchikan’s impressive variety of shops and galleries feature work of many of the island’s resident artists.
Already living in the great Northwest, I was wondering what it is I could possibly experience in Alaska that’s not already in my own back yard. Alaska is truly spectacular and everything is much bigger, more remote, and unspoiled. It really is the Wild West, more so than anywhere in the lower 48. It’s kind of like the Rocky Mountains in Colorado but much more grand. As a photographer living in Portland, I’m surrounded by natural beauty everywhere I point my camera and love sharing that vision with the world. I photographed using a Canon 40D with a 17-55mm lens. A rule I try to follow when photographing outdoors is to shoot early and late. This rule gets you the most interesting lighting when time and weather conditions allow. The effect is more directional, warmer or cooler, and more mellow. Below are some wonderful images capturing the unspoiled and remote scenery. – Henry Ngan

Floating Glacial Ice, Tracy Arm!

Train ride to the Yukon!

Outside Juneau view of the Fjords!

Mendenhall Glacier!

Sunset over Juneau!

Lifestyle Photographer Dana Jonas: Dumped Series!

Posted on September 11, 2012May 22, 2019 by Studio 3 Inc

When we first saw Dana Jonas’ Portfolio these are the images we viewed. Searching for a new Lifestyle Photographer can be a challenge these days, but we were very intrigued. The entire hiring crew at Studio 3 was awestruck by the creativity and inventiveness. We later learned these images were a collaborative brain-child of stylist and set designer, Dennis Turner and of course photography was exclusively by Dana Jonas. This project aimed to put a visual face on the feeling of rejection and loss. If you’ve ever experienced either of those emotions then you understand we immediately had to meet her. We loved her drive, passion, personality, camera technique, and lighting ability. She shoots exclusively with the Canon system, into Lightroom, and finesses her images in Adobe Photoshop. As far as lighting she enjoys being able to control her subject in a set environment. One of Dana’s many strengths is her ability to preconceive the image and follow through to the end. It is very rare that you meet a Photographer that also brings Digital Art into her creativity. Now that she’s part of the team she will have a full Post Production crew to support her efforts! We look forward to showcasing more of her amazing talent in many future blogs and for years to come.

Here’s a sneak peak at our very own Dana Jonas’ infamous “Dumped” Series!

To see the entire “Dumped” series by Dana Jonas, please visit the Vermillion on Thursday evening September 12, 2012.

Vermillion Art Gallery and Bar: 1508 11th Ave, Seattle, Washington 98122

For full event details please follow this link.

To view more Lifestyle Photography by the Studio 3 team, please click here.

Or you can go directly to: www.studio3.com

Road trippin' with Sperrys!

Posted on July 11, 2012May 22, 2019 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!!

Coca-Cola With A Twist!

Posted on June 29, 2012May 22, 2019 by Studio 3 Inc

Nothing is quite as iconic as guzzling down a refreshing Coca-Cola after a long day of playing in the sun. That irreplaceable feeling is what inspired a recent shoot, which included Coca-Cola along with a fun outdoor location. Dana Jonas loves the challenge of mixing classic, vintage Coke bottles, and modern, therefore shooting Coca-Cola with adorable blonde models was right up her alley. The day of the shoot was of course typical Seattle; hideous, including rain, clouds, and no sun breaks, yet the pictures still conveyed that young, summer, fun, feeling. Dana explains in her own words how she created sunshine on a cloudy day:

“Believe it or not, this was one of the rainiest shoots I’ve been on. As we shlepped through the wet grass, soaking our feet and testing Ashli’s (MU&H) patience, I realized I would have to work pretty hard to achieve the look I was going for. But, I was certainly determined if nothing else. The girls were troopers and we made the best of it by playing with the focus, composition, warmth of the image and backlighting by using some of my favorite on-location lighting (speedlights). The images turned out great and no one can ever believe that it was raining. Mission Accomplished.”

These sunshiny pictures are here to offer hope to Seattlites everywhere; that summer may come after all. 🙂

Location Scouting: Finding the Perfect Photo Spot!

Posted on April 3, 2012May 22, 2019 by Studio 3 Inc

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: