PotD: Undie Run

Last night (technically this morning) ASU organized the first annual midnight Undie Run through the campus in Tempe. The idea was to wear clothes that you wanted to donate to charity, then at midnight strip down to your skivvies and run through the campus.

It was insane. Thousands of people showed up. There was a band and everything. It was just a huge party. 

Here are my Photo(s) of the Day:

PotD: Spot News!!

I wouldn't really call it luck because I don't take pleasure in other people's misery, but I seem to have a knack for catching fires...

I was leaving Glendale Community College today when I saw smoke only a couple of blocks away. After letting the emergency vehicles pass, I parked down the street, grabbed my gear and ran over to catch this scene.

Here are my Photo(s) of the Day:

PotD: Country Thunder

Saturday night took me to Country Thunder out in Florence.

I got to see the original country mullet king Billy Ray Cyrus up close and personal.

Here are my Photo(s) of the Day:

But my favorite part was hanging out with my twin nephews as they played on the tractor equipment on the concert grounds.

PotD: FEZ

Today I found myself at FEZ restaurant and bar in Phoenix. There is a charity event called Dining Out for Life that FEZ is participating in.

Bartenders and servers were busy buzzing around behind the colorful bar. Here's my Photo of the Day:

As for my previous post...The "multiple" really isn't as difficult as you might think. The editing is the most time-consuming part.

Set Up: Camera on tripod (set to timer) with strobes on stands to either side of the frame.

I shot three separate photos making sure that the subjects in the photo(s) are never in the same spot. As long as the environment or the lighting don't change, then you're good to go.

In Photoshop I simply picked one frame (the one of Steph and I at the corner of the couch on the left) as the base, and then cut and pasted ourselves from the other two frames onto the base frame. You actually don't even have to be that careful when cutting out the subjects because the pixels will blend with the base frame background nearly flawlessly.

Just be sure to include the shadows when you cut out your subjects so that the lighting and shadows are consistent, which makes the finished product more believable. 

PotD: Trying Something New

I came across a couple of images in a local magazine recently by photographer Daveed Benito (check his stuff out at http://www.modelmayhem.com/pic.php?pid=2322799...Amazing). He creates what he calls "multiples" where the same subjects show up multiple times in the same frame.

I was hanging out with my wife at home tonight and decided to try it out.

Here's my Photo of the Day (click to enlarge):

Playing Catch Up

Hello, everyone. Sorry about the lapse in posts. I've been a busy bee. Here's a sampling of what I shot last week.

We're putting together a cowboy package to promote Country Thunder since it's coming to town, so I had to run around to different country bars and retail stores around town.

Last Thursday night there was a lingerie fashion show at Axis/Radius. Before the show, a couple of gals warmed up the runway by dancing around in their underwear.

And then there was the Phoenix Pride Parade. This group calls itself "The Sisters."

PotD: Western Diamondback Rattlesnake

Sunday I spent the day 4-wheeling on quads through the desert behind Saguaro Lake with my oldest brother, Aaron. As we were riding down a trail I just missed running this little guy over... He didn't seem too happy, so I couldn't get too close.

Here's my Photo of the Day (click to enlarge):

He was about 4-1/2 feet long and short a rattle...Is a rattlesnake still technically a rattlesnake if it doesn't have a rattle?

PotD: Tattoo Expo & Avnet Tech Games

Here are a few shots from a couple of events I shot over the last two days.

These first two are from the Avnet Tech Games hosted by the University of Advancing Technology in Tempe:

This team from UAT raced the clock to set up a network off of a set of specs. They were judged on accuracy and neatness... When they started there were no cables at all...Techtastic!
This MCC duo had to construct and program a robot to pick up a plastic ball and then carry it through an obstacle course. It seemed like a fun challenge.

These next couple of frames are from the 2008 Tattoo Expo in Mesa on Friday:
This guy was getting a giant green gecko tattooed to his left shoulder...It didn't seem to bother him much. That's what you call "machismo."

The guy on the right was looking to have a botched tattoo fixed by a seasoned pro.

PotD: Geisha A Go Go Again

I had to go back to Geisha A Go Go (see previous post for explanation) to get a shot of the chef...These were meant to be fun, lighthearted photos to showcase the chef's personality a bit, but he was very stiff in front of the camera, so this didn't really turn out how I had envisioned it.

Here are my Photo(s) of the Day:

PotD: Geisha A Go Go

We are going to be profiling a number of restaurants around town that will be involved with the upcoming Scottsdale Culinary Festival. Today I went to Geisha A Go Go in Scottsdale.

The idea was to shoot the chef preparing a dish, and then one of the servers bringing it to the table. Unfortunately, one of the bartenders there cut himself pretty badly with a knife and the chef had to take him to the hospital.

My Photo(s) of the Day are of one of the tables at the restaurant. I took these as test frames while I was setting up to shoot the server setting a plate of food on the table.

This first frame was shot with available light from the ceiling and windows.
The restaurant has bright green curtains, one of their signature colors. So in this second frame I added a midi slave with a green gel off to the right, and had my strobe set on the table with a sync cord.

Tune in tomorrow for the finished product. I have to go back since the chef was at the hospital.