UTI--what a name for a company!

It's been way to long since I've updated this blog.

Here's an ad I shot for Universal Technical Institute, with the unfortunate acronym of U.T.I.
This was shot on location in a classroom full of transmissions.

Doesn't he look "heroic"?

Jewelry Video

Jeweler Barbara Boyce describes the five steps of making a silver ring that you will learn in her class.
Direction/Camera: Steve Williams
Production/Editor: Kyrie Cox
Sound/Lighting: Mike Ratrie

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQ5FKWi4UsI&feature=related

Mike on audio

Michele

Michele is a lovely woman and a wonderful friend, and I've always wanted to photograph her.  I hope I've captured a bit of the joy she brings to everyone she meets.  (She also has beautiful skin--hardly any retouching was done!)

Just one light and a little bit of fill.

Of course I had to try some light painting. 

This is a cathode tube light slipped past her during one exposure.

This was also unplanned, but I thought it might look cool to make it seem as if she was creating these tubes of light.  One exposure, shot in-camera.

This "tube" was made by swinging a blue flashlight and then walking towards her.

Ruth King

Ruth King is an amazing local singer/songwriter, and the subject of my first music video.  Here we're taking photos for a magazine and promotion for her.  Ruth is a passionate performer, and I was trying to evoke that in the photos. 

Her face is lit by a strobe to keep it sharp, but her hands and hair are lit with tungsten lights to show motion.

The "stage lights" were shots separately and added later--that's why they're in the same position in both photos.

I couldn't help doing a light painting shot.  Done in-camera.

Ballerina

Varashiva is a lovely young woman and accomplished ballerina.  I look forward to doing more photos of her in the near future.

A double-exposure makes her seem transparent.

Who knew this scene could be in Central Florida?

Nude Light Painting

Maybe that title will get someone's attention--I never know if anyone is ever reading this.

I created a "light cage" by spinning a blue flashlight and then combined me body in PS.

By shaking a blue wire, it gives the effect of smoke.

Combining the two is an interesting effect.

This one is just wierd...and creepy.

Big thanks to my friend Gareth for making this shoot possible.

Bond Girl

Speaking of painting with light...an art director friend saw the photo of Cassidy in silhouette in front of a spiral of light, and thought that it might be useful for an upcoming James Bond-themed party display.  He was satisfied to use what I had shot, but I thought it could be done much better.  My model/nurse friend Nicole volunteered to help, and provided some serious firearms at the same time.  I shot her in silo against a white background in various poses and wigs and then placed her in front of some light spirals I created with long exposures in the dark.  Sort of reminiscent of the opening scenes of old James Bond movies isn't it?

These last two were done in-camera in one shot using a toy "light saber"

Light Painting

Lately I've been playing around with long exposures and painting with light.  I like how you can create things that seem entirely different than the mind would expect, and no two images can ever be the same.

Holding a red light in both hands, I made a heart for my Valentine.

This is formed by spinning a lighted wheel on one axis.

I left this one open so you can see how it's done.  That's me spinning it underneath.

This is not light painting at all--just an extension cord lying on the ground. 

Cassidy

Cassidy works at a local salon, and has a very interesting look and style--I've always wanted to photograph her.  A friend let me use his construction site, and with Mike's great help, did all of these shots (and a couple in the previous post) in just a few hours.

This is a combination of a lot of different layers of light painting during long exposures.

I used sparklers, burning steel wool, a bike wheel covered in lights,

a toy "Star Wars" light saber,

a flashlight swinging on a rope,

and a string of LED lights to make these.

I took photos of Cassidy in various positions on the scaffold and combined them in PS.

Levitation

Wouldn't it be great if we could just lift ourselves off the ground and fly with no assistance?  It's possible with Photoshop. 

Here I took photos as I was jumping and combined them in PS. 

Interesting, but not entirely believable.

These two are doone by having the model stand on something, and then erase it in PS.

Killer Looks

I've been trying to figure out a shoot I could do in this old abandoned house, and with the help of our friend Kyrie, I created a creepy photo.  The honest truth is that creating the fake blood was the most difficult part--the light is entirely what was there at the time.  The hand hanging out of the tub was a last minute addition, and that forced me to set up the shot, get in the tub, and then have Kyrie hit the 10 second timed shutter release.  I like that she's so nonchalant, she's putting on lipstick.

What it looked like

And now for something entirely different...taken just minutes later

Bird Man

Editorial assignment to shoot a potter and his bird, Harley.  Potters at work on a wheel have their face down, so I had to shoot from a low point and still get the bird in the shot.  I put a tungsten light behind John, which you can see a bit in hair and feathers, and used a slow shutter speed to capture the action of the wheel.