The importance of a backup plan.

            A backup plan is an essential part of photography. Not only for your school assignments but also for your jobs you should always have that backup plan. While you always hope everything goes smoothly you never know. If you don't have a plan “B” then you could end up loosing a job or failing your assignment. One thing I always do when I have something that requires a model is I make sure I ask more then one. This way if my preferred model can't make it then I have someone else to take there place. Another important thing to think about is having backup equipment. Especially if you are doing a job for someone. Nothing is more embarrassing then not being able to complete the job because your equipment failed. If you are shooting for a wedding then you could wind up getting sued if you don't get the job done.

            I personally don't have a backup pro body but I do have a mirror less camera that I can use if needed for my assignments. It still shoots in RAW and has the capability to swap out the lens. I wouldn't rely on this camera though if I was doing pro job like a wedding or a Sweet 16. If you can not afford to purchase back up equipment then make sure you rent something to use for those jobs.
         
            There are many rental companies that are available to rent all types of equipment. Depending on how long you need to have the rental equipment it is always cheaper to purchase it is you need something for weeks at a time. However if you just need it for the weekend then by all means rent it. When choosing a rental company you need to look at how they have the rentals set up. Most of them will place a hold on your credit card for most of the replacement cost of whatever you are renting. While this doesn't matter to much with a regular credit card, this can make things very difficult if you are using a debit card. Now suddenly your bank account shows no funds because it is reserved just in case you brake or loose the rental equipment. There are many different rental companies so it doesn't hurt to google them and shop around. Also some of your local camera stores may offer rentals as well.


Thursday Ambassador

Getting Spooked!

So you are in your first year of a four year bachelor of photography program and you keep hearing about how you have to be able to shoot interiors of buildings, news stories, portraits of business people, create window light when there isn't any, etc. The list can seem unending, and at times school will too. Do you allow yourself to get spooked away?

As I look back on my AIPOD experience, I can remember the hardest things, and the most discouraging as well. I didn't, however, get spooked off.

By far the hardest thing was finding models for all the different kinds of assignments. It is easy to ask family members, but as you advance, you will find that you are no longer allowed to use family. I found my best source was through church. Sometimes I could ask people directly, but several times I asked youth and adult leaders to help me. They led me to some of my best models. Another great source is contact a modeling agency and ask for new model candidates who need portfolio images. (You can trade the model's time for use of your images.)

Another difficult things was timing. Some classes start and immediately you have shooting assignments. Having to arrange quick shoots with no prior knowledge of what kind of models you'll need can be overwhelming. I suggest you build a list of people (not family) who like to model or at least be photographed. Then you have several people you can contact on short notice. Normally at least one person will be available. Another issue with timing is that life doesn't go on hold just because you are in school. Prioritize and ask for help. None of us are super-humans.

Learning lighting was difficult, especially in an online environment. I suggest you ask for video samples if they are not provided in your classroom. lynda.com has some tutorial videos. I love creativelive.com for online webinars. Another option is following examples from a good book. I love Glenn Rand and Tim Meyer's The Portrait Understand Portrait Photography put out by Brooks Institute Press Rocky Nook. Learn to quickly create a loop lighting pattern. If you get that down and can create it in 30 seconds, you will be in good standing for most portrait sessions!

After the newness of being in photography school wears off, you roll into the perseverance stage. One class just leads into another and another. It will seem unending at some point, but think about all the classes you have to complete to get your degree. When you started then were all on one side of the scale. By mid program, the scales are evening out, and soon there will be more completed than unfinished. Finally one day you will be completing that last class. If you have given everything to your learning experience, you will have not only done something wonderful for yourself, but for the world around you as now you are able to capture the beauty and amazing details that most people miss.

So remember, don't let the hard times spook you. Instead capture the emotions of those days in images that you can share with someone who needs to be encouraged also.

Have a Happy Halloween and a great Thursday!

My First Club & MM Shooting!

Hello again and welcome to another Terrific Tuesday!

We have talked in the past about becoming members of several organizations that are there to help us.  With some of us finishing our studies, we are looking for ways to keep our skills up to part and keep shooting after graduation.  Networking is always important in our field, meeting new people and interacting with them is vital to keep our presence fresh out there in the community and in the internet.

This last week I joined with a local Photography group in Killeen, TX just to see what it was all about.  The group meets every other week sometimes in the weekends and sometimes in the middle of the week.  This was a great way to meet other people that see photography as a passion while at the same time getting to know other professionals in the fields of make-up and hair styling.  They had two models that are listed on Model Mayhem coming over for some constructive criticism and for us to see and listen to their point of view when it came to posing them and taking their images.  After the presentation we had time to set up the studio equipment and practice some studio shooting.  Below are some of the images I took that day.

            

At the end of the meeting they signed some model release forms for us so we are able to use the images on out websites, the flip side was that we also gave her permission to use our images for her profile.

There were some Pro's as well as some Con's about doing all this, let me explain:

Pro's
1.  I met some people in my field of study and passion,that understood where I come from when dealing with photography.
2.  Networking and meeting hair stylist and MUA's that are part of the group.
3.  I use their equipment, Alien Bees and 48" Beauty dishes, their backgrounds and props.
4.  Membership for the group is free, we split the cost of the paid assignment for the model, the other model used TFP (time for prints).
5.  I got to practice with a new model that I have never met and got her critique about my techniques.
6.  I have new images that I can use on my website.

Con's
1.  Shooting time was limited, we did three rounds with 3 minutes of shooting every time.
2.  Concept was somewhat missing as we all shot a standard setting, the model selected the poses.
3.  No variations in the set up and the lights since they had to be done in a way that minimized preparation time between shooters.
4.  No control over the lighting.
5.  The membership is open with amateurs, new photographers, hobbyist, professionals all being in the same group when shooting began.

As you can see there were some good points as well as others that could be addressed to the coordinator.  But the overall point is very simple; networking helps you!

Do not sit still and just do what your studies require you to do, go out there and meet people and be part of something!  Do some research and see what is offered around your community when it comes to photography groups or clubs, they can offer some interesting options for you,and who knows, you might end up expanding your area of operations!

Go out and see what you can find, it doesn't have to be a big organization, this group only has 40 members and the shootings are first come first served with variety in the subject matter.  You can share what you are learning and see how it is done out there in the real world (more or less).

Have a great and fantastic Tuesday!

Where are the Models?

Hello everyone, and welcome again to another edition of Terrific Tuesday blog, I am your Ambassador today and every Tuesday!

If you are in the field of photography, there will be times that you are going to need a model to complete an assignment or homework from one of your classes.  If you are in your first year and have not have the pleasure to have living subjects in your compositions, well, just wait it is around the corner.  Courses such as Lighting, Portraiture, Portraiture II, Advertising Photography 1 & 2, Creative Concepts, Advanced Studio Techniques, will have the need for living subjects.  So by know you might be wondering; where do I find models to help me with school?

The answer is simple: everywhere and anywhere!

Let me share how some of my models came out to be part of my experience with the school, you might find that you are in the same position as I was when I first started.

The first area that you might explore will be family and friends.  That is great, they might say that they don’t have experience, you could say that you don’t have the experience working with models either.  I started with pictures using my wife as a model, she was very shy at the start and now she helps me by giving me opinions about my ideas and serves as someone that I can share my vision, after all, she knows me better than anyone else.

That followed by using my daughters who have modeled for me for fun and for classes.  Once their friends saw some of the pictures I took of them, some of them asked if I could take pictures of them too!  Ok, so now I have more people that I can use for assignments, which brings me back to one important statement: don’t let the models run YOUR show, the object is for them to have images for themselves but you also need to do your work at school!

http://www.modelmayhem.com/411651 Ajani Photography

Once my co-workers saw the images that I was creating, some of them decided that they would help me too (see the pattern?).  I have now taken images of co-workers, families and friends, and it all started with creating great images that were admired by others.

Ok, you might be wondering how to coordinate all the people that I have mentioned here.  Well, remember that every course is 5.5 weeks long so you do not need to use all your resources at once, look forward to what you need in the next classes (if you can) and figure out who in your pool would work for what you have to do. It is not always going to work out with a limited pool of people and that is when you need to branch out and seek new models.

Once you are comfortable with your skill directing others and you have a better understanding of how your vision, your brand and your concept can work together, you might want to venture out and become a member of Model Mayhem.  This website provides an area where you can search for photographers, models, stylist and other professionals that can help you with your work.  Becoming a member is free and the process takes about a week to complete.  If you want to look more into this website and what it has to offer, here is a link for you to follow.

http://www.modelmayhem.com/

So, there you go, finding models is not as hard as it sounds as when you began your studies.  The more people you photograph, the better you will get.  The more new people you photograph the better the chances that your vision and work will be seen around the world!

Just keep shooting and don't be afraid to ask new people to pose for you, who knows you might be taking images of the next supermodel!

Drop me a line and share any of your experiences with models, we all can share and learn from each other. Until then, this is your Tuesday Ambassador signing off for now.  You all have a great and wonderful day!

Tuesday Ambassador

Increasing your portfolio without breaking the bank or paying out of pocket.

Good Morning and Happy Sunday Everyone! Today I wanted to talk about a great experience that I had last weekend. I recently joined a group called the Philadelphia Glamour Photography Group on Meetup.com. I joined at a time when they were just about to have their huge meet up that they have every year at Riddley Creek State Park, in Media, PA. The meet up was on a Sunday, close to 160 Models, Photographer's and MUA's showed up.  This whole thing was new to me, I was a bit overwhelmed as I didn't know any of the member's yet, but I did go with a friend, her boyfriend and her kids. That made it a bit easier when they arrived. Other than being overwhelmed, I was really taken back, by how inviting, accepting and friendly everyone was. They had a small ceremony for one of the members that  had recently passed and had planted a tree in his honor. This was very moving, being able to be a part of this was truly amazing.

Now on to my point... Many of us want to increase our portfolio, but you don't want to have to pay a model or you may not have the money. This meet up was free to everyone involved. The MUA's were paid for their work, understandable as they need to replace their makeup. Models brought many different outfits and then it was like a feeding frenzy. Models changing outfits, changing locations several times during the day. All with over a 60 or so different photographers asking them to do different things. Every model will get copies of their photographs, usually in digital form. (I'm assuming), but this was an opportunity to really expand your portfolio with several different models with different looks and not breaking your bank or paying out of pocket. There are many other groups that do similar meetups, some charge depending on the event, but I suggest that you take a look at this option and find  a group in your area or even start one of your own. So get out of your comfort zone and start taking a chance!  I did and I will never regret it.

Below are some of the photos I took during this meet up.

  Photos taken by Wayne Salat of Flash Mob Photography Network

  Photos taken by Wayne Salat of Flash Mob Photography Network

  

                                                      

   Photos taken by Wayne Salat of Flash Mob Photography Network

                                                              

Photos taken by Wayne Salat of Flash Mob Photography Network

Enjoy Your Sunday and Photograph Something Everyday!

Sunday Ambassador~ Wayne

Visions of Nature

Have you ever heard someone say, “She’s as pretty as a peacock?” This week I shot 16 beautiful young adult models in evening gowns. Looking at them I began comparing them to beauty I have seen in nature. I decided to create a visual mimicry of nature by combining their natural beauty with the beauty of the gowns they modeled. Can you see the resemblance?

  

Bedecked by the pleating on her bodice and ruffles on her skirt, and jeweled at the waistline like the stamen of the bright Astor, she stands on long, elegant legs. 

Similar to a hummingbird with more wing than body, she hovers and looks beyond the tiny pointed beak.


Bright purples bleeding into dark tones, the slender purple gown puddles at the base like Salvia on its stem.

Glowing like Golden Rod covering a field, her glittering gown accentuates the golden tones of her hair and flows into a rich puddle like a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow.

Just like pure raw burnished Bituminous Coal, this pleated and pinched gown frames her face with glimmering silver and amethyst jewels at the neckline.

As delicate, yet bold as Pink Lady Slippers, the satin white waistline and pink bodice stand apart from the lacy skirt, like the “slipper” of the queen’s flower.

Flame red California Poppies command attention on the hillsides of the coastline, just like our model in this tall narrow gown.

Flittering and floating around and round, this full skirted tulle dress comes together at the bejeweled waistline like the wings a Blue Morpho Butterfly.

Like wispy little petals pulled together into a bold bright Pink Dahlia, her delicate bodice and jeweled waistband flow into a full and flowing skirt, pretty enough for any princess.

Reminiscent of flowing seaweed swaying in Monterrey Bay, the matching shoulder wrap adds a playful element to this floor length satin chiffon gown with its draping neckline that sways with her movement into the v-shaped décor at the waistline.

I love being a photographer! What do you love?