Idea Book

Willie Andrews

Table of Contents

Photographers

Lighting

Branding

Camera Equipment

Backdrops

Products

References

3

6

9

12

15

18

21

Photographers

I think that one can find inspiration in just about anything.

Being a portrait photographer has been playing in my head for

the longest. It feels like the right direction that I need to be

going with my photography skills. It can be some of the great

portrait photographers like Annie Leibovitz, Michael Muller,

and Mark Seliger. There are many portrait photographers that

inspire me but I love the styles that these photographers possess.

I don’t plan on being a shadow of the photographers that inspire

me but do see myself borrowing some of the angles and lighting

techniques from these artists.

With that being said, I would like to be able to show the

closeness and beauty in all of the portraits that I capture. I like

to shoot all types of personalities and ages can range from

newborn to senior. It can be achieved in a studio setting where I

am in control of the lighting or we can go natural and capture

the lighting that the world provides. It is all about capturing an

image that I am proud of and it makes me feel better to see a

client really satisfied.

Right now, my current portrait portfolio contains only studio

setting portraits. I plan on shooting with a couple of clients later

in the week in natural outside settings to expand my portfolio. I

really love to hear what others can tell me on bettering the

images that I present. I am a work in progress.

Photographers

The two above images are nice to me in different kind of ways. The first image is from Michael Muller. I think that the image that

was captured of Washington is nice.

I like the lighting ratios, the background separation, and the pose that was used in this image.

The next image is from Mark Seliger. It is a capture of Steven Spielburg. I like the dramatic set-up in this image. It has a lot going

on like the personality of Spielburg. The lighting is even and the props add to the character that is the main subject of the capture. It

seems to me like the lion signifies that Spielburg is a beast in his profession.

PhotographersI touch into some of the local inspiration for this part of this assignment. I stated with an artist by the name of Carlton Mackey. I

like the website that he has for viewing. It is really clean. I like the whole layout of his website. I chose the two above images from

Mackey because I like the style. The images aren’t overly edited. He kept things simple with the editing aspect of the two images. I

think that the image on the left has a nice filter and I like the play with the negative space. The image on the right from Mackey has

a simple layout with a yesteryear filter. I like the concept with this shot. It is a grandmother with her grandchild. I look at images

like this and it makes me smile because memories are preserved.

Lighting

I love being in control of the lighting that I can produce in a studio setting. It can be a simple one strobe set-up with a reflector to a

five strobe set-up. The possibilities are crazy when it comes to lighting techniques in the studio. Also, one must be nice with metering

and ISO settings when it comes to capturing dramatic lighting. Having knowledge of using your camera setting is also a must when it

comes to capturing light. I am sure that most of us know about balance settings and aperture settings when it comes to lighting your

subjects. Lighting can get creative with the use of gels and barn doors to control lighting.

Lighting

Right now, I know that I need to upgrade things in this department. I

only have reflective umbrellas and shoot through umbrellas for

shooting assignments. I know that I need some new alien bees and

some soft boxes. But, I make the most out of the lighting equipment

that I have to work with. And, I am slowly trying to save up for a better

lighting set-up. I know that I need more practice shooting with strobes

in a natural environment. Everything gets better with practice and

experimenting.

In the lighting section, the first image shows how using

gels can affect your lighting. The options are endless when

you play with things that alter and modify light. The first

image is from an artist by the name of Kay Fenech. This

image shows how gels look on skin. I think that it can add

a different feel to you images. I want to try using gels in a

dark setting. The next image that I have in this section is

by Shaun Dunmall. It is a really nice image of a water lily.

I love the hard black in this image. The subject is lit up just

a little, but it really stands out with the negative space that

is in the image.

Lighting

The above examples are some nice images of creative lighting. I think that lighting is the very important.

It is amazing how creative lighting can change things. It is a big duty of the photographer to be as creative as they can when it comes to

lighting. Lighting can be as simple as natural lighting to really complex studio set-ups. The possibilities are endless when it comes to

lighting, but it takes a creative photographer to capture theses things

Branding

I am starting to get a grip on branding. It is like creating a

name for yourself and the items that you include yourself with

should match your overall image. Everything should flow

together nicely when it comes to business cards, promotional

materials, web layouts, and design. I have big hope of being

successful with branding on my end. I have a couple of older

business cards that need to be updated. I think that a revamp of

some of the images that I have collected and investing in a

logo and a website with help me out a great deal.

I also must note the 5 P’s in this part of my idea book. These rules are

very important to know about if you are trying to stay competitive in

any type of business. Once you get a good grasp on the 5 P’s concept,

one can understand how to adjust accordingly to numerous situations. It

is all about how you present yourself and the product that you push

along with the pricing and people that you attract with your brand.

I know that I am a long way away from being a powerhouse when it

comes to putting a brand that stands out. But, I think that I will get on

the right track with this class.

Branding

The above examples are successful images of branding. Branding is an important tool with marketing. It is selling yourself. Everything

that you are showing to the world should represent the brand that you vision. The first image is a brand off of Proctor and Gamble. They

branched off of their domination into the detergent game. And, I think that everyone that purchases shoes can tell the brand in the next

image.

Branding

Next, I found a brand logo that I was interested in. The name of the business is Katrin Photography. She has a lotus as her logo and the

name says lotus lens. This marks her brand. She has a name that the world can associate with her business. It looks like a fairly simple

design but I like the simplicity. The next image is another nice logo that I came across. I have learned that sometimes keeping things

simple is the way to go.

Camera Equipment

Right now, I have Canon Rebel EOS. But, I am

gunning for a newer Canon with video capabilities. I

also need to update the strobes that I have. At the

time of purchasing my strobes, I didn’t have

sufficient cash to get the ones that I truly wanted. I

have a standard lens and a bigger lens with a nice

zoom. I wish that I could gain access to the telephoto

lenses that I see the photographers using at football

and baseball games.

Camera equipment is a vital to the photographer. One

must keep the correct tools to get the job done. These

items include camera, lenses, filters, light meters,

extra batteries, and memory cards. It is also important

to have the right software for editing and printing, as

well.

Camera Equipment

Camera Equipment

Camera equipment that I touched on this week was ring lights and light modifiers. The image on the left shows how a ring light looks. I

found this interesting because the ring light isn’t one that you would purchase from a camera store. David Jackson put it together himself

at a fraction on the price. I found that to be really cool. The honeycombs can be used to create tight beams of light.

Backdrops

 

I feel that having backdrops is vital in studio shooting. Right now, I

only have simple colors like black, white, and red. The backdrops are

alright, but I prefer to use seamless backdrops so that you don’t have to

worry about wrinkles and crazy lines while shooting.

I would also love to invest in some nicely painted backgrounds and

amazing props to really make my clients stand out. I have thought

about getting acquainted with using a green screen for extra effects to

images that I capture.

Backdrops can come in all types of styles. Some people use

natural backgrounds.

While others use set-ups that they can purchase to use in

shooting situations. All are important to compliment the

subject that you are shooting.

Backdrops

Backdrops

The backdrops that I found this week were posted by a person by the name of Ashok Bachu. They are some high resolution backdrops that

look really nice. I like the abstract on the left. It reminds me of a painting by a famous artist. The one on the right looks like a window

looking into neighborhood setting. I like it because of the texture that surrounds the view of the scene.

Products

I think that there a numerous products that I could display

beside the images that I produce. Being able to create

custom sized prints, frames, shirts, calendars, photo

books, magnets, and stickers would be a great way to

boost profits. It would be nice to get paid for more than

just capturing and editing, but it seems like it would cost

a little more to keep up items like this. Items like this

might make the prices that I have jump a little depending

on the demand of the products that I have to offer.

The different products that one can product to their clients

are endless.

It can be discs to show a slideshow with music. It can be

books put together to tell a story for someone that has had a

special event like a wedding or a party. If your printing

skills are serious, one can put a capture on just about

anything in these times. But, the client has got to want it and

the photographer must display their products, so that, people

know that you are pushing more products than just your

photography skills.

Products

Products

Last, I found more interesting products that one could use with their photography. I found that you can use flash drives instead of disks

to give to clients. They can be customized to fit your brand or client’s needs. The second thing that I found was something called sticky

albums. It is an app that one can have to deliver image to one’s mobile device. I found this to be convenient in this age of technology.

ReferencesBachu Ashok. Incredible Pictures: Studio Backdrops. 2012. Web. 9 July

2013. <

http://incrediblepics.blogspot.com/2012/06/studio-backdrops-high-resol

ution.html

>

Bargh Peter. Creative Lighting Tutorial For Still Life Photography.

ephotozine. 2011. Web. 1 July 2013.

http://www.ephotozine.com/article/creative-lighting-tutorial-for-still-lif

e-photography-4879

Burr Liz. Branding Myself Without Losing Myself. 2011. Web 2 July

2013. http://www.lizburr.com/personal-branding

References

Carino Rey Francis. Klein Blog Sites. 2012. Web 2 July 2013. <

http://kleinblogsites.blogspot.com/2012/11/adding-measurements-to-ph

otography.html

>

Casey Lara. Making Brands Happen. Cyn Kain. 2013. Web. 9 July

2013. <

http://www.makingbrandshappen.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/1

1/CynKain_newsite.png

>

Dunmall Shaun. Water Lilly. Tib. 2013. Web. 9 July 2013.

http://theinspirationblog.net/showcases/dark-mysterious-20-examples-o

f-low-key-photography/

ReferencesFenech Kay. Workshop. Kay Fenech 2010. Web. 9 July 2013. <

http://kayfenech.blogspot.com/2010/12/workshop.html>

Guy Damon. Photokonnexion. Web. 2013. 9 July 2013. <

http://www.photokonnexion.com/?page_id=8985>

Harris Cindy. N.Cindy Harris. 2011. Web. 2 July 2013. <

http://newevolutiondesigns.com/25-free-nature-hd-backgrounds>

ReferencesJackson David. Jackson & Co. David Jackson. 2013. Web. 9 July 2013.

<

http://www.davidejackson.com/blog/2008/08/26/ghetto-ring-light-tutori

al/

>

James Geoffrey. Inc..Cheer. 2012. Web. 2 July 2013.

http://www.inc.com/geoffrey-james/brand-winners-and-losers-of-2012.

html?nav=featured

Harris Cindy. N.Cindy Harris. 2011. Web. 2 July 2013. <

http://newevolutiondesigns.com/25-free-nature-hd-backgrounds>

References

Mackey Carlton. Jevon Neely. 2013. Web. 9 July.

http://www.mytruevision.com/hope.html

Mackey Carlton. Geoff Yu. 2013. Web. 9 July 2013.

http://www.mytruevision.com/

Margolis Lauren. Photoshelter. Katrin Photography. 2013. Web. 9 July

2013. <

http://blog.photoshelter.com/2013/01/10-brand-building-secrets-for-pho

tographers/

>

ReferencesMartin Anita. Pinhole Pro. Anita Martin. 2012. Web 2 July 2013. <

http://pinholepro.com/magazine/2012/12/how-pinhole-pro-changed-yo

ur-business/

>

Muller Michael. Portrait Denzel Washington.Michael Muller. 2013.

Web. 1 July 2013. http://www.mullerphoto.com/#/13506

Paguyo Nuel. Photography Unfiltered. Nuel Paguyo. 2011. Web 2 July

2013.

http://www.catherinehall.net/blog/2011/12/13/twit-photo-guest-quest-w

inners/

ReferencesRainey Joshua. Prints/Products. Joshua Rainey Photography. 2013.

Web. 2 July 2013. < http://joshuaraineyphotography.com/clients/prints/

>

Sharboneau Evan. What’s in My Camera Bag?. Evan Sarboneau. 2011.

Web 2 July 2013. < http://photoextremist.com/photographic-equipment

>

Seliger Mark. Steven Spielburg.Mark Seliger. 2013. Web. 1 July 2013.

http://www.managementartists.com/photography/mark-seliger/portfolio

/steven-spielberg

ReferencesSwanson Jamie M. The Modern Tog. 2012. Web. 9 July 2013. <

http://www.themoderntog.com/stickyalbums-mobile-marketing-for-pho

tographers

>

Swanson Jamie M. The Modern Tog. 2012. Web. 9 July 2013. <

http://www.themoderntog.com/why-i-switched-to-flash-drives-instead-

of-dvds-and-why-you-should-too

>

Talkington Jim. Location Photography Gear. 2008. Web. 2 July 2013.

< http://www.prophotolife.com/packing-for-location-photography/>