Titan Missile Rescue Training

Posted on May 9, 2022 by Doug Simon

What a fabulous location photography shoot!! Not only was being inside a missile silo incredibly interesting, but these rescue trainers do amazing work training a range of professionals in the most frightening environments. On top of it these guys experience life not only noble and heroic, but few of us get to observe. It was a privilege to spend the day with them.

Dangling from a rope doesn’t seem to faze these guys. They are more fascinated with the metals and alloys used in their safety gear and tripods! Our photographer, while standing on a side rail, did ask if someone might hang on to him by his belt as he shot aiming 100+ feet down! Much laughter and great time!

Equipment used:
Canon 5d Mark III
Canon EF24-70mm f/2.8L II USM
Existing Light

Commercial Property Photography, Tucson, AZ

Posted on May 9, 2022 by Doug Simon

This welcoming commercial property provided a number of scenic shots. We shot the interior rooms as well, but these show the gorgeous Arizona sun which proved the ideal lighting!

Equipment used:
Canon 5d Mark III
Canon EF24-70mm f/2.8L II USM
Natural Lighting

Mine Tunnel Photography

Posted on April 1, 2020 by Doug Simon

When you can’t see your hand in front of your face and no power outlet what are your best lighting options in a tunnel? It turns out Kubota builds a nice little diesel 4X4 cave crawler with powerful headlamps and a spotlight on top to handle all the photography lighting needs. This mine has been inactive for a time and was being inspected. It was a great photo shoot as long as you’re properly attired with heavy boots and safety gear. After 45 minutes of safety lecture we were ready to enter. Our first underground industrial photo shoot.

All the shots had to be staged due to the lack of professional lighting which meant the subjects had to hold still. The shutter speed was as low as 1/13 second and an ISO of 800 for most of the shots. We used a tripod for all shots. All shots are straight out of the camera. It was a great shoot!

Amazon Product Photographer

Posted on April 30, 2019 by Doug Simon

Amazon Product Size Reference

Product photography on Amazon has required the product’s background to be pure white with a hex number of 255, 255, 255. This is still standard, but Amazon has broadened product images to include lifestyle photos and staging shots. These allow the seller to show their product in a setting it will be used (staging image) or a person interacting with the product (lifestyle image).
Camaro Product Staging
Our client needed his very small hidden camera in a staging setting, where from a distance it is unlikely to be easily seen and in multiple settings to show its diversity. In addition to stating the measurements in his product details he wanted a visual reference to show the size of his camera. For this purpose, he chose a silver dollar (top image).
Product Staging with Inset

The product and interior staging shots photos were shot using a Canon 100mm 2.8 macro lens with continuous fluorescent lighting. The exterior auto staged photo was shot with natural light, angling the car for optimum use of sunlight.

Product Photographer in Tucson Arizona

Posted on September 26, 2018 by Doug Simon

We shot a full line of industrial lighting products at the manufacturing plant. From overhead lighting you see in commercial retail stores and manufacturing plants to stylized industrial quality hanging pendant lights and solid metal exterior parking lot lights this was an extensive catalog. Some of the lighting products measured nearly 9 feet in length.

Shooting against a backdrop we used existing light which was a mix of tungsten and fluorescent light. We used a 5′ x 5′ scrim to soften the overhead skylight. By trial and error we shot with automatic exposure, viewed each product for accuracy and adjusted as needed to match our eye. Once we began photo editing we had a great reference which gave us a perfect color match. This was the most efficient way to shoot the products within an 8 hour day. Crucial to time management in a product shoot like this is having an employee of the client on hand to move product.

Industrial Hanging Pendant Lights

Jewelry Lifestyle Photography

Posted on November 2, 2017 by Doug Simon

Lifestyle jewelry photos are a great asset to show off your jewelry collection and add “eye candy” to your website. Showing your jewelry worn breathes warmth and personal connection to your gemstone jewelry – rings, bracelets, earrings and necklaces. This session was shot at the jeweler’s store within a two hour window.
Lifestyle Jewelry Photography
These lifestyle images were shot using a Paul C Buff Beauty Dish with a 20% grid using an Einstein studio flash, hand held reflector and a Canon 24-70 mm lens.
Gemstone Necklace
We also shot environmental jewelry product pieces in a couple of settings. Creating a stunning bokeh background to set off the sparkling gemstones.

A tight crop (below) brings the ring forward.
Jewelry Product Photography
This diamond ring (below) was set into a succulent. We manipulated the image with photo editing to keep the focus on the ring. These product images were shot using a Rotolight and a 100mm 2.8 Canon lens.

Environmental Product Photography

Large Product Photography

Posted on November 2, 2017 by Doug Simon

There is a big product and there is a BIG product! Airplanes have beautiful design lines and beautiful paint jobs. They sparkle in the sunlight. Photographing large products means working in a large area, more importantly having staff to maneuver the airplane into the desired position of the photographer. Having a beautiful sunny day with cloudy blue skies makes the session wonderful!
Large Product Photography

To shoot the interior cockpit we covered the windshield with a tarp, squeezed into a tight cockpit and closed the doors to keep out the ambient light using only the glow of the instrument light panels. Using a tri-pod and the slowest shutter speed of the Canon 5d Mark III returned a beautiful shot.

Airplane Cockpit

Bride at Grand Piano in Rancho Cucamonga

Posted on February 22, 2017 by Doug Simon

This is the final wedding couple portrait in the series of three (see below). The bride wanted a beautiful shot at the piano and we decided to embellish with a story.

Shot 1 – Lonely Bride, with little light.

Shot 2 – Enter the Groom, the light of her life.

Shot 3 – Both engulfed in light – on the brink of the kiss.

This was shot at night. Outside the window we set up an Arri 750 open face. The choice of tungsten light created the desired sunset effect through the wooden blinds.
Canon 5D Mark III
Canon lens 24-70 2.8

Visit our Wedding Photography and Engagement Photography pages.

Staff Portrait for Company Calendar in Rancho Cucamonga

Posted on January 10, 2017 by Doug Simon

Staff Group Portrait for Calendar

Group staff photo

When it comes to your the face of your company a fun project can be a calendar. This shot was set with the fun, playful side of the department, inclusive of the department head. We combined ambient light and flash. Set against an exterior window we were able to capture the blue sky.

(2) Paul Buff 64 inch PLM Soft Silver Umbrellas
Einstein Flashes

Staff Portrait Photographer in Irvine

Posted on January 10, 2017 by Doug Simon

Receptionist Portrait
Receptionist Lifestyle Portrait
A lifestyle (aka environmental) portrait session for the company receptionist required lighting setup. Staging the background with existing furnishings we added a couple of lights to create drama and depth to the shot. We combined ambient light with flash focusing a beauty dish on the subject’s face.

Einstein Studio Flash
Paul Buff 22 inch Beauty Dish
10 Degree Grid
5′ Avenger C-Stand
Canon 6D
Canon 24-70 mm 2.8 lens

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