Shoes Archives - Studio 3, Inc.®

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.

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.

Footwear Photography – Jimmy Choo x Voodoo Donuts

Posted on June 30, 2015May 22, 2019 by Studio 3 Inc

Open box of Voodoo Doughnuts with crumbling half-eaten donuts and silver snakeskin Jimmy Choo heels on the table
Sometimes a concept has to take a number of disparate elements and meld them together into a cohesive whole. It can be a challenge when dealing with tiny details that can make or break your vignette. When it comes to taking care of all the elements that appear in the photo, WE style it so everything appears at its best.
Take this Voodoo Doughnuts and Jimmy Choo heels project: a footwear photography meets food photography mashup with a Studio 3 spin. Voodoo Doughnuts, an iconic Portland mainstay for quirky and delicious donuts, mixes with Jimmy Choo, an iconic upscale shoe brand exemplifying everything that is luxury. Our Team has years of experience in staging props in a way that feels consistent within a single image. Captured by Photographer Matt Jebbia in a studio-designed environment with a studio lighting setup mimicking early morning sunshine, every element in the frame was artfully arranged to keep the viewer’s eye moving through the photo. Every crumb, every morsel, every donut, every prop: angles, shadows, colors, textures, and sizes were chosen specifically to show each piece at its best and tell a story.
What story do you see when you look at this photo?
And, more importantly, how can we style YOUR images to create an unforgettable iconic story? Reach out and see. We’ll have the donuts ready.

Shoe Photography – Danner Boots

Posted on March 10, 2015May 22, 2019 by Studio 3 Inc

Men's Danner Williams Boots shoe photography shot by Studio 3
No matter the subject, Studio 3 shines a light on great photography and lifestyle setups that put the WOW in the everyday.
These Danner 6″ Oiled Black Boots just begged to be shot in an environment with moody lighting that reflected their rugged toughness, and Photographer Craig Wagner styled an entire garage set around them for that specific purpose. Placing our Video Director David King‘s Suzuki TU250X motorcycle in the background, he created a monochromatic set filled with blacks and browns to bring out the colors in the shoes. With overhead Speedotrons, Craig focused spotlight-style lighting on the boots in the foreground. The profile and oiled leather grain of the boots required a treatment as if photographing a high-end car, he noted, which he accomplished by choosing the ideal amount of reflectors and kickers to highlight those curves and wood grain heels. A vintage shoe-shine tote with buffs and waxes completes the story: a guy tinkering on his bike in his garage stops to give his favorite Danner boots a polish before setting out for a ride on the open country.
What resulted is a shoe photography shot where the gloss of these boots highlights their shape, workmanship, and durability…stopping anyone in their tracks, wanting to try those boots on and head out for an adventure. Studio 3 Shoe Photography Danner Boots
Ready for YOUR next adventure? Call Studio 3: WE Light It, WE make it look great, WE showcase YOUR product in the best light. Give us a call at (503) 238-1748 in Portland, or (206) 282-0939 in Seattle to experience it.

WE Do It Better

Posted on March 3, 2015May 22, 2019 by Studio 3 Inc

Studio 3 show photography vintage Nike sneakers
Why chose Studio 3? Because whatever you want done, WE help you do it better.
Take this shot of vintage Nikes, for example. The brief was to take a fresh approach with footwear photography and shooting a pair of vintage Nike sneakers – so the Team created a very gritty-looking night environment to showcase the shoes. But the idea was to keep the setup looking as un-styled as possible, like the person had just kicked the shoes off and they landed exactly as they did. The Team was striving for a moody atmosphere, so having reflections throughout helped underscore that mood. The “street” locale was, however, created entirely in-house. Photographer Chris Eltrich laid out 4′ by 8′ of bricks to make the paving stones, pouring sand in-between them to look like grout, and finished them off with some large pavers for the “sidewalk.” He wet the set with a spray bottle to create those reflections, which proved a challenge due to to the bricks and sand absorbing the water. He had to spray continuously all the way down to the moment he clicked the shutter, or everything would dry. All the work paid off in the end and resulted in a wet-looking, gritty set as a backdrop to the cool Nike kicks.
In post-processing, Digital Lead Alex Gumina found that the bright yellow of the sneakers didn’t look ideal against the background. The logos weren’t “reading” in the final photo and the feel was a little off, so he converted the image to black and white to play up the vintage aspect. The monochrome treatment was just right and made those logos POP!
From an open brief to an ultra-specific “mood” created entirely in the studio, our Team takes any concept from origin to exceptional execution. Perhaps anybody can just do it. But WE do it better.
Call us today to find out how we can do it better for your brief, each and every time.

Footwear Photography – Kate Spade Heels on Ice

Posted on December 9, 2014May 22, 2019 by Studio 3 Inc

A photo of Kate Speed glitter heels in a freezer
One of Studio 3’s specialties is compelling footwear photography -and our Team works tirelessly to come up with new and interesting ways to depict shoes. Because shoe photos can get run-of-the-mill unless presented in a cool (sometimes literally!) way.
The brief was to shoot a really hot pair of Kate Spade heels…in a really cold environment. To juxtapose the literal with the figurative, mix creative concepts, and craft something eye-catching and arresting. The background needed to be drenched in cold, impersonal blue tones, but the shoes needed to look on FIRE. As soon as you flip to this ad in a magazine, these shoes needed to shout: “BUY ME, I’M SASSY!”
Photographer Chris Eltrich was instrumental in bringing this shoot to life: he built the freezer scene from the ~~fridge~~ ground up in order to make those pumps POP. Producer Megan Nolan sourced all the props as well as the [canned] snow for the freezer burn. Originally the model’s hand was bare with icy-colored nails; after feedback we adjusted to have the model wear a sleek evening glove as she grasped the shoe.
In post-processing, Digital Artist Alex Gumina worked to downplay the cool blue tones being thrown onto the shoe from the freezer, and bring the shoe back to life without compromising the frigid background. Placing the shoes in the Studio 3 light box to obtain neutral lighting, and then color matching them in the digital process was the perfect solution. In order to showcase the Kate Spade logo, he also had to recreate the logo separately and adjust the angle and tone to fit the footbed of the shoe. In this way the heel and the brand are the focus, and the background pulls the viewer in and makes them curious enough to pause and wonder what’s afoot.
Does your brand need to warm up your footwear photography with some sassy new concepts? Contact the Studio 3 Team to add that fire to your next campaign. Because ice is nice…but HOT images are our specialty.

Product Photographer Matt Jebbia Pump It Up!

Posted on August 28, 2012May 22, 2019 by Studio 3 Inc

Scrumptious Voodoo Doughnuts and a pair of Jimmy Choo Eros Pumps, is there any better combination for a photo shoot? We decided to pair these two products to create a story of Sweet Misery. Who hasn’t arrived home in the early morning hours after a late night of dancing and bar hopping. Those early morning hangovers sure are better with a cup of Joe and some doughnuts fresh from the Voodoo shop. Read on to get some insight on this creative shoot by Product Photographer Matt Jebbia.

My inspiration for this shoot was hashed out over a studio brainstorming session. The concept was a little off beat. Expensive shoes and doughnuts aren’t what most photographers think of as a match made in heaven. But I think most of us can agree that we’ve managed to spend way to much of our hard earned money on a pair of shoes at some point in our lives. And I wanted to play off this odd pairing and totally exaggerate the idea. This was really the beginning of the creative idea for the shoot. Adding Portland’s famous Voodoo doughnuts just seemed like a fun idea and completed the conceptual story “Sweet Misery”. We began by setting out the assortment of donuts, and built the rest of the set around the Voodoo. I knew that I wanted some nice warm sun light streaming through a window so I setup my first light behind the shoes, added a color warming gel and placed a 4×8 sheet of white foam-core in front to fill some of the harsher shadows. All that was left was some light on the background and a couple of spotty grids to bring out the doughnuts and sparkles in the Jimmy Choo pumps. The hardest part of this shoot was keeping all of my co-workers away from these delicious treats. – Matt Jebbia

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!!