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

Gemstone Photography and Composite

Posted on May 9, 2022 by Doug Simon

The annual Gemstone Show was back with its regular month schedule for February 2022!

Our client wanted a layout with raw turquoise stones, the caliper and a polished stone, but with some sort of staging. We suggested using a stock background as a great affordable choice to create a wow factor for website photography. The original stock image provided the texture and grit; and photo editing layered on eye catching dimension. We shot a catalog of turquoise gemstones, but the lighting for the unprocessed turquoise and caliper required lighting adjustment and filtering.

Equipment Used:
Canon 5d Mark III
Canon Macro Lens EF100mm f/2.8
Multiple Softboxes
Multiple Gradients

Jewelry Photographer in Tucson

Posted on October 15, 2021 by Doug Simon

Product on white photography is at its best when jewelry is the object. The gorgeous reflective surfaces create light magic on their own. Adding photographic lighting which is then manipulated to capture the most interesting reflection is the fun part. Every nuance of the camera changes the drama. That also makes it one of the most challenging product photography sessions. So many choices!

…and waiting until the necklace stops swinging!
Canon 5D Mark III
Canon Macro Lens EF100mm f/2.8
Softbox with gradient
Rotolight
Back lit

Product Branding Photography

Posted on August 2, 2021 by Doug Simon

Product logos are an investment and well thought out. As your business grows your logo becomes your brand (think old western movies). When expanding your advertising into merchandise your photography needs change a little. For our health supplement client the next step was t-shirts, hoodies, totes and facial masks.

While the lighting tools are the same the configuration of the light sources and modifiers changes substantially. We still used one softbox for continuous lighting, scrims to direct light and foam core for bounce. Shot using a Canon 24-70mm lens and a Canon 5d Mark 3 camera.

Gemstone Jewelry Photography

Posted on July 29, 2021 by Doug Simon

Jewelry photography requires a lot of time for trial and adjustment. Gemstones are often translucent so the lighting is critical to capture the many shades and the way the human eye will perceive it when worn. Manipulating the backlighting is key coupled with light modifiers to direct the light.

No flash was used. The difficulty in photographing jewelry is the highly reflective surfaces. With more stones and beveled cuts the number of reflections multiply. We used one softbox for continuous lighting, scrims to create gradients and foam core for bounce. Shooting an entire product line with few “like-products” requires a new setup for each piece.

Shot using a Canon f2.8 100mm Macro lens and a Canon 5D Mark 3 camera.

Commercial Real Estate Photography

Posted on July 16, 2021 by Doug Simon

For realtors selling commercial property eye-catching photos are essential.

But commercial buyers want to see beyond the building: the neighboring businesses and their adjacent signage and properties; views from long angles, across interactions; what is the traffic visibility of the property; any unsightly obstructions which distract from the property.

And of course strategic 360 angles.

Equipment used:

Ladder
Hat
Sunscreen
Canon 24-70mm Lens and patience for the sun to move for optimal composition

View more of our commercial and industrial realty photography.

Car Detailing Tool – Product Photography

Posted on December 29, 2020 by Doug Simon

This was a fun product shoot. All the tiny and large attachments of this car detailing set needed to highlight how the tools and attachments are used. A show and tell project!

It’s helpful to have a gorgeous car’s paint job for the background. Any product staging or styling demands planning and set-up is always lengthy. There is no such thing as “an easy shoot”. The results are worth it. Once the car was in place all dust had to be removed, and monitored as we moved equipment around. Tarps we hung on the walls to help minimize reflective lighting interfering with our lighting.

Angling the softbox for the right bounce is the fun part!
These were all shot with 1 softbox, using a Canon 24-70mm lens.

Health Food Bottles – Product on White

Posted on December 29, 2020 by Doug Simon

Dark glass bottles shot on white background are a challenge. (The largest bottle above is plastic.) The goal is to manipulate a soft subtle reflection on the face of the glass. Backlight was critical to bring out the depth of the bottle without blowing it out. The backlight had to be focused and controlled. We shot 90 products in a range of sizes all light modifiers had to be adjusted for each size and shape.

We used no flash, multiple diffusers, continuous lighting, 100mm 2.8 Canon Macro lens and one softbox.

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!

Product Photography on White with Multiple Angles

Posted on August 20, 2019 by Doug Simon

Some products are just gorgeous due to their exterior surface. This diamond pattern is lovely! The reflective nature is the tough part about photographing this product. Our client is launching a new product line with two sizes of this unit. They also wanted to show the quality of craftsmanship, details and a product styled use image.

Product styling always sounds simple: Grab some items and stack them inside. The last thing you want for your product is distraction from the unit. In this case we discussed colors of soda, lid options, choice of cans, what to put on the top rack, position of the labels and making sure everything was “balanced” to the eye–and keep these items from moving/rolling. Attention to detail pays off in a well laid out composition and the product “shines”. In this case–it always shines!

Reflective products (glass, metal, jewelry, high gloss acrylic products) offer challenges. Once the lighting is in place-then you begin to block out reflections you don’t want – inclusive of the photographer in the product. Controlling the light to not blow out the high reflection, yet show off that very shiny surface we all love. The diamond metal pattern here controlled some of the typical hot spots. We were also able to make use of massive overhead natural lighting and several white reflectors to obtain an even product surface look. Working all of the elements together takes a lot of time. We spend more time setting up a shot, than shooting, typically. Shooting multiple angles meant repositioning everything (continuous lighting, white reflectors, c-stands, every clothes pin and re-taping) with each change of angle, and the second unit.

When you’re selling online any product photography should include an all-the-parts shot, manuals included. Let prospective clients know what’s in the box. We’ve also been asked to edit the photos adding the dimensions for clients. Make it easy for people to buy your product!

Continuous Lighting
Natural Lighting
White Reflectors
Canon 24-70mm 2.8 Lens
Canon 100mm 2.8 Macro Lens

Professional Photographer Tips

Take Better Photos

Category Archives: Photography