LYTRO Camera A PRO or A CON?

Click on the living LYTRO image above to see the technology in action.
Today LYTRO had a hands on demonstration at the Wired Store in Times Square in NYC. I was fortunate to have the trial run with Lytro's uniquely designed light field camera at a pre-demo special invite only session. Ooooooo fancy right?

Here's some pros and cons just from my brief encounter with the camera.
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The thing about the LYTRO Camera is... this is the first one. Yea obviously Spencer thanks. When the LYTRO 2 comes out the ones that got the first one will say "Awwww man I wish I waited." Although as the light field technology progresses the older LYTRO digital files will be able to use the latest LYTRO software advances. Which is smart on LYTRO's part because at some point in our past digital experiences the digital media we created just won't work on the latest computer or OS. Like my buddy Douglas who had bought the first Leaf digital back for $30,000 and at a certain point that digital back only ran on a certain Mac computer running a certain OS software. However LYTRO claims that your living images will be able to keep on living even when the newer LYTRO technology takes over from the old.

Additional blog posts about LYTRO:
LYTRO – Will It Be A Fad?
Could Lytro Squeeze into the DSLR Market?
LYTRO’s Release Date Is Missing Out.

Be a guest blogger contact Spencer right after you tweet this post.

The Future Of Advertising, Photography Business, World Economy

Intervention Cindy Gallop MasterClass 15-11-11 by iabfrancetv

Cindy talks straight up in this video... "We can not use old world advertising in a new world market." If you are about to create a new business venture or currently have a business then watch this video. For those of you that are experienced business veterans - definitely watch this video you will be let inspired and empowered. Cindy Gallop may be talking about "Advertising" however the premise of Ms. Gallop's talk can be applied to not only business but life, politics and world economy

Over the past 10 years I've had to shift my focus and the way I market my photography business. I used to just shoot fashion, beauty products and corporate executives but after 911 I lost 70% of my clients. Fashion clients dropped their original production schedule dramatically. InStyle magazine use to keep me quite busy then I found out they started shooting the still life products on their desks! I did not want to give up my photography career. Yet my photography business basically imploded and I had scramble to reinvent my photography business in a different way. By creating multiple streams of income from my iStockphoto portfolio, small business & creative consulting, web development, SEO consulting and social media marketing. These new avenues gave me a whole new direction for my business.

Now that I had a new direction my marketing routine had to be "blown up" as Cindy puts it. Cindy says "the only way to create something new is blow up what you already have and start from scratch." I use to do the e-campaign promo followed by direct mail piece. All that time and money generated nothing. Nope, nada, no work came in from all those efforts. How do I know? Anytime my phone rings and a potentially new client is calling I make sure I ask them "How did you find me?". Keeping track of where your advertising dollars are working or not working is marketing 101. So what did I do to put in place of the old marketing? I redesigned my website and loaded it with proper SEO keywords. I recently had my site graded by HubSpot's website grader and it got a 76 out of 100. Not the best if I was in school looking for an "A" but for a website 76 is really good and yes there is still room for improvement. Blogging is a key element to a business's presence online and a blog generates approximately 46% more traffic to a website. The key for my business is networking. ABC.... to the sales people out there ABC stands for "Always Be Closing" but in my case ABC stands for "Always Be Carrying" business cards. When ever I hear of an opportunity that my skills can fill out comes my vintage business card case and I simply say "I can help you with that... here's my business card." Nothing pushy just polite and simple. If you are looking to make some business cards yourself Moo is great! Simple to use, versatile, green options, and excellent quality.

If you have any questions that you'd like answered comment on this post. Come on it's just us.

My intention is to use my tutorial section of my site to provide useful photography, marketing, business, dog whispering and matchbox car racing information and tips.

Samsung vs Apple: The NextBigThing Is A Flop

[caption id="attachment_1116" align="aligncenter" width="404" caption="This guy looks unimpressed and bored with the Samsung phone while the guy behind him is more interested in his iPhone!!!"][/caption]
I'm sorry... NO, I'm not...this ad is CRAP. There I said it! Yeah that's right I've got the cojones to step up and say something.

The reason people wait "9 hours" for the iPhone is because that bloody thing is awesome! I can deposit checks directly to my bank account, book a Zipcar, get subway information with directions and times, touch a date and time in my email and it automatically gets put in my calendar, voice command multiple features on the phone.... jeez I could go on and ON. The only thing that Samsung toted in TheNextBigThing was the screen is bigger. Whoooooptieee Freaking Doooo!

Note to Samsung if you want to persuade potential customers to come buy your product show them what they are missing. Create a feeling... you want your customer to say... "COOL." I do not hear any of my iPhone friends complaining about the size of their screen. If I wanted a bigger screen I'd get an iPad.

Look I get that Samsung is trying to capitalize in the smartphone arena and piggy backing on the iPhone is gonna drive some traffic to your product. The problem is Samsung hired the wrong creative team. Yes, I get the Samsung phone is iPhone like but ultimately Samsung needs to set itself apart and blaze a trail that get people to go "WOW I want one". Well Samsung..... ya didn't.

You can watch the ad by clicking on the link below if you got a minute to kill.

Samsung Vs Apple: The NextBigThing Ad | Digital Buzz Blog.

Foundations of a Working Photographer

Full course available at http://www.creativelive.com/courses/zack-arias-again

Want to be a good photographer? Want to do it for a living? Want to rise above the bottom?

Zack's first workshop was all about studio lighting. This time around, he's covering what you need to know to be a professional working photographer. Many people requested a class about business. Many requested natural light. Plenty wanted strobe + ambient. Everyone wanted more "client interaction" and posing guidelines. Zack's digging deep and covering as much as he can.

Listen closely to see if photography is a fit for you. I too started out like Zack in the film era of photography. I am so thankful to have the film / technical aspects of photography as my knowledge base. It has been over the last few years that professional photographers have really stepped up their education of new photographers. The is very important because educating the younger photographers will not only improve their photography skills it will improve the value of a good photographer to express ideas visually.

Nikon D800 Review - Release Date

2 years ago I was ready to purchase the new Nikon camera. My Nikon D2Xs has been a great workhorse of a camera but it is missing that ever imposing video feature. Since I am invested heavily in Nikon lenses this keeps me as a Nikon shooter. I love the Canon 5D Full HD video capture at 1920x1080 resolution quality for video and 2 years ago I was excited about the NEW Nikon D3s. But wait... it only had 720p video!!! For $5g's I said "NO way not until you get that puppy up to 1080p!" Especially for that kind of do-ray-me. With photographers continually having to expand their horizons the tools of the trade are more important than ever. Photography gear is expensive and the equipment I purchase I want it to meet mine and my clients needs. I'll be curious to put the D800 through the paces on the battle ground.

The Nikon D800 has no set date for when Nikon will release this camera to the public yet. I predict they will release the Nikon D800 in the Spring of 2012. Although I don’t know all of its features and specs just yet, I can tell you that it will have a resolution of 7360×4912 (36MP), HUGE! The video resolution will be better than that of the D3s camera. It will also have different video modes: 1080p/30/25/24 and 720p/60/30/25/24, and both CF and SD memory card slots. My only concern will the Nikon D800 have the shooting still speed of the D3s. We shall see.

Come on Nikon it's time to bring it!

RESOURCE MAGAZINE » GEAR NEWS: Upcoming Nikon D800!.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you the Nikon D800 | Nikon Rumors.

Next week I will have a hands on test demo with the LYTRO camera. Read the preliminary post about the light field camera.

Andreas Gursky's Rhein II Photograph Auction Record

[caption id="attachment_1066" align="aligncenter" width="447" caption="© Andreas Gursky Rhein II - copy by Associated Press"][/caption]
Is Andreas Gursky's Rhein II photograph worth $4,338,500?

Personally I’ve seen lots of art that I think is not worth it’s weight in salt. However art is a subjective thing. Photographs – art for that matter are worth what the market will bear. Question is who can bear with 4+ million dollars in this economy? Obviously the very wealthy. Why would they pick this particular photograph? My theory is artists are treated like a commodity on the stock market and currently Gursky's work is a stock these investors see as lucrative buy. Next question is how long will the buyer hold on to this photograph before they sell it to turn a profit? Because 20 years from now I'd be shocked if this image is worth a 5 figure sum.

In my opinion Andreas Gursky’s photo Rhein II is not worthy of a postcard. If this image was to be submitted to a stock photography library it would be rejected.

The price tag on some art is determined not by it’s content but by the story around the art. All this talk is driving the price higher.

The Conscientious Extended makes some good points: "Why don’t we talk instead about what photographs tell us - regardless how much they’re worth? If Rhein II sells for so much money, why don’t we talk about the photograph? Let the millionaires and billionaires play their games at Sotheby’s, let them fight with oligarchs and sheikhs over their prints and paintings and sculptures and now photographs. None of that adds anything to photography - other than that little further corruption of the soul, when money is taken as the most important measure of a photograph’s value."

Read this article by Conscientious Extended for more information

Want to see the top 10 most expensive photographs listed by The Telegraph.

Review of the LYTRO Camera

I've been watching LYTRO from almost the beginning. The technology sounds great... in theory. However seeing the actual specs that this camera will output - to me it's now a gimmick. Here's why:

- LYTRO has their own software to manage the images. If you don't use their software then the actual file the camera outputs is only 1080 x 1080... not that big.

- Want the focus "later" feature in an App form. Well your device will first have to be fitted with Light Field Sensor in them first. Phhhhish... that will not happen. The sensor and the optics are completely different to that of the sensor that is currently your digital gadgets.

- The LYTRO camera will fail in a low lighting situation, anticipate a noisy digital file. Forcing you to shoot mainly during the day. Which means the camera will color correct for daylight, however photography in it's self is based on that color temperature already. Sad really selecting a different color temperature can create some cool effects to your imagery.

- Another note about low light situations, the camera does not have or accept flash accessories and really with that said you are mainly shooting outside during the day. What about night time shots with friends... lots of missed memories.

Look this camera's technology has the potential to shift digital photography as we know it. However the design of the camera is limiting the technology. For the price tag of $399 that is a bit steep for a gimmick camera. Consider this for $450 you can buy the top of the line point and shoot that creates high resolution RAW images, HD video, has a flash, ISO adjustments for low light, self timer, panoramic stitch capability.... come on man I could go on and on.

Ohh and by the way. The 1st generation of any new technology learns a lot of it's short comings when it gets in the consumers hands.

The bottom line... the skinny are you ready... pass on this gadget for now.

More info read this CNET article

SCAMMERS Get Me So Mad

This morning I come out of the subway and I hear that delightful ping from my iPhone to let me know that I have a voice message. I'm the type of person who puts out the kind of energy that this message is possibly a past or new client. As I am walking down the hill to my studio I listen to a message from Hector from Colombia. His message was just this.. "Hi this is Hector calling you from Colombia, South America will you please give me a call back at" and he leaves his international phone number. Immediately I'm thinking scam so I dismissed the message and deleted it from my phone.

I get into the studio and fire up my computer. There is an email in my inbox from Hector letting me know he just left me a voice mail and would I please give him a call. Why would I call this guy? He left no company name or what he was calling in reference to. The hard ass in me is this is a scam but I actually do not know for sure at this point. So I send him an email from one of my alias email accounts. Tip: If you suspect you are being contacted by a potential scammer communicate via a different email address then your primary email address.

So here we go with the email string:

HECTOR:
Hi Mr. Gordon, I called you a few minutes ago from Colombia, South America. I am looking to hire a freelancer who is willing to travel to Colombia and work on a 3d architectural project. Could you please return my call 011 573 315 447 6654 or write me a message letting me know what time I can call you. Thank you.

ME:
Hi Hector,
I received your voicemail.
How did you find me?
Due to the various SCAMS I need you to verify your full name and company.
Do not call me until I have this information and verified your business is legit.
Thank you.

HECTOR:
Hi bikeny, my name is Hector Delgado and I work for a construction company called CELCRETO S.A.S., we are located in Medellin, Colombia, the address here is Carrera 66 No. 48C-13 and the phone number is 011 574 260 2055 or 011574 230 5698, you can visit our website at www.celcreto.com, my cellphone number is: 011573 315 447 6654, I got your information searching through google www.spencergordon.com. Thank you.

****NOTICE how he called me bikeny. If you are really calling me for a job you would know my first name. See my alias email has already started to work. At this point I know this is a scam.

ME:
Mr. Delgado,
What exactly do you need my services for? Why are you not contacting someone from your local area?
Please tell me your budget constraints.
Thank you.

****TIP - Ask short and to the point questions.

HECTOR:
Hi bike, thank you for your prompt reponse. The company that I work for is looking for someone to develope architectural visualizations of its projects in 3D, the reason why we are not hiring locally is that the majority of developers, who have recently graduated and lack experience in designing, are charging way too much for their work, while designers from the US who are well experienced in this field, charge a common sense figure for their work. As far as budget constraints, I would need you to give me a figure that would include x amount of hours, travel expenses, etc., etc.

***NOTICE - He is now calling me bike not bikeny. Two.... 3-D project. If Hector had been to my website it is clear that I do not provide that service. Maybe you are thinking it's a language barrier thing... Nope in his voicemail message he had excellent language skills. I was quite surprised by the way, after traveling sometime in Colombia and finding not many english speaking Colombians.

ME:
Hector,
Let's be honest.
I don't think this project is for me. Obviously I do not do 3D work.
This is a scam.
Do not contact me again.

That's the last email interaction.

I did do some searching on the internet for scams by this guy. I did not come up with any. I also only spent about 5 mins. looking around on the internet for any information on Hector. I did not find any info. which means he changes his name or this was his first attempt. The website he provided is questionable. It is there however the images are stock and if that is the quality you present to potential clients then I know you can not afford my services much less fly me to Colombia and pay for all my travel expenses.

It's up to us to stop scammers. That's why I've posted this to my blog. Beware folks let's look out for each other.

November News FLASH

Click on the newsletter to enlarge.
Looking for the hot links... here ya go!
Bike by Me Blog Post | Bike by Me Interactive Website | Between The Chicks

Thanks for taking a glance at my monthly News FLASH.

Until next month... if you can't wait that long feel free to drop me a line and say "Hi".

Sign Up to receive the monthly News FLASH updates.

Lucy Frend - Designer of Unique Silk Tops

Lucy Frend is a designer of unique silk crop tops for women's clothing. These women's silk tops are thoughtfully united from two beautiful silk scarves. One of a kind luxurious pieces of wearable art.

Lucy's process is she collects visually stunning silk scarves, then inspects the each one for any imperfections. The scarves she sources are vintage usually created by Valentino, Hermes, Channel and other top fashion designers. Lucy really enjoys searching for the perfect pair of silk scarves to unite into eloquent fashion creation.

Another twist is that the silk tops can still be worn as a scarf as well as head scarf. The longer silk tops can be worn as previously mentioned as well as a belt! How's that for being fashion forward.

Back in early Spring of 2011 Lucy was considered, amongst a long line of other designers, by Henri Bendel's of New York to be showcased in their store. They loved the silk crop tops however they stated "it is a beautiful piece of women's clothing but Bendel's only sells accessories." Lucy demonstrated the other uses of the unique silk tops as an accessory, unfortunately Henri passed on the opportunity.

It was pleasure working with Lucy. The tops are so gorgeous.... hey the holidays are fast approaching. Want to really make a statement give one of these beautiful silk garments. Again these are one of kind, no else will be seen in another silk top like this one. OK sorry... I don't mean to hard sell ya. I wish you could see the silk tops in person though. Ok I'll stop now.

Read Lucy's intro blog post here.

LYTRO's Release Date Is Missing Out.

Looks like Lytro is not going to release it's much anticipated camera for market until early next year! What a waste of the PR momentum built up over the past few months, along with potential holiday sales. Lytro will also be missing out on the actual field testing from all the anxiously awaiting photography consumers. That is priceless R&D info folks.

One reason to hold the product from market could be that Dr. Ng, founder and CEO of Lytro, uncovered a serious flaw in the Lytro camera functionality. Maybe manufacturing glitches are unable to produce enough stock for the demand? We could go on and on. Other than that release the darn camera, run out of stock... the buzz will just create more desire. Come on Lytro we want to take this camera for a test drive!

A recent post from the NY Times.

Yeah I'm off on the release date for LYTRO, here is my previous post. I'll admit it, I can't be right all the time.

Looking for photography, video or web design solutions?
Contact Spencer Gordon today!

Between the Chicks - The YES Dress - 2nd Line is in Production

Between The Chicks - The YES Dress - 2011 from Spencer Gordon on Vimeo.

Between the Chicks the creators of The YES Dress is preparing to launch their second line on October 19th. As the women's dress company finishes production this week the Chief Chicks are confident their second dress line will be a great success. Coming off a recent October issue article in Woman's Day magazine where Between the Chicks were featured in a start up business article. The founders Julie Gordon and Stephanie Kikis are very excited about the new fun fabrics and styles. The launch is open to all chic chicks, click here to view the invitation to attend. Save the date, October 19th, in your calendar and drop by to be the first to try on the new line.

Below is the cover to the Between the Chicks last line.

I've had the pleasure to work with Between the Chicks since their inception. Guiding Between the Chicks through photography, web design, e commerce, marketing, social media and business consulting it has been amazing to watch their women's dress company grow and evolve.

Other posts about Between the Chicks.

iPhone 4s. Do you know what the "s" stands for?

Do you know what the "s" stands for in the iPhone 3Gs and the iPhone 4s? It stands for "SUCKER". I've been caught in this upgrade consumerism ploy twice, once with an iPhone and the other with my pro camera Nikon D2Xs. Unless you know going into your purchase that this "s" version is only an inkling of what the next real version will have in store you may want to wait. The iPhone 4s is releasing Oct 14th. Ask yourself this question: "Can I wait?" If your answer is "Yes." Then I advise to listen to your inner voice.

For instance when I bought my iPhone 3Gs I was so excited. It was my first iPhone and my phone contract was allowing me to upgrade. We have all at one point or another been strong armed by our phone companies as to when we can upgrade. Any-whoo ........ My friends that had the iPhone 3G were envious of my iPhone 3Gs then the iPhone 4 came out 12 months later. The iPhone 4 blew the doors off the iPhone 3Gs! I wish I could have said that about the difference between the iPhone 3 and iPhone 3Gs. The 4 had a better screen the video and audio were far superior than the iPhone 3Gs. The list goes on and on.

So if you don't have to upgrade or can wait until the release of the iPhone 5 you may want to hold your horses.

Good News is that in addition to AT&T and Verizon the iPhone is now going to be available on the Sprint network.

Click here to read a related article by Ad Age Digital.

Photo credit: © Spencer Gordon for Oyster bathing suits

LYTRO - Will It Be A Fad?

The Lytro's technology is going to be an enormous leap forward in the digital imaging world.

Some are questioning is this just a fad. A fad I think not..... Lytro is laying down the stepping stone towards another technological advancement, something along the lines of what we saw in Star Wars as kids. The much anticipated advancement will not only lend itself to 3D imaging it will also be the beginning of...... wait for it. Holographic imagery, that's a ways down the road for the moment. The consumer market is not fully ready for the hologram.

I for one am looking forward to the new light field technology. Bring it on! Not having to focus allows me to "focus" on what is occurring in the moment.

Be ready. The Lytro Camera release is fast approaching. As I stated in a post in July I believe the release date will be later this month.

911 Photography Then & Now

It's hard to believe it has been 10 years since the 911 attacks. There is an article by the La Times that is showcasing photography of 911 in a "Then & Now" format. It's interesting to see the contrast between the before and after shots.

Then
[caption id="attachment_851" align="aligncenter" width="590" caption="© Suzanne Plunkett / Associated Press / La Times 9-11-01"][/caption]
Now
[caption id="attachment_850" align="aligncenter" width="590" caption="© Mark Lennihan / Associated Press / La Times 8-4-11"][/caption]
Here is a link to the original article.

9/11: Revisiting World Trade Center attack site, then and now - latimes.com.

Related blog post by Spencer Gordon. A personal 911 photography project.

911 Photography Project - An Artistic Tribute

[caption id="attachment_799" align="aligncenter" width="590" caption="2010 View from Brooklyn"][/caption]The 10th anniversary of 911 is upon us and since 2006 I have be working on a photography art project each year specifically on September 11th. The project involves photographing the tip of Manhattan from both New Jersey City and  Brooklyn Heights.  This project deals with the use of a unique large format Speed Graphic camera from the 1940's that shoots 4 x 5 film.  Old school style. Yes the kind of camera you have to put a dark cloth over your head where the image is upside down and backwards in the back of the camera when you see it on a grainy piece of glass. The purpose of the project is one pay tribute to New York City and it's scarred skyline as well as document the transformation of a great city as it's skyline takes on a new shape.

This Sunday from the upper east side I will ride a mountain bike to two locations.  Packed in the bike's side saddle the antique 4 x 5 camera and I will venture to my first location at the Brooklyn Promenade.  I will arrive at the first location by 7:45am to set up this unique piece of photographic equipment.  At precisely 8:46am is when I expose the first shot.  Why 8:46am? That's when the first plane hit the North Tower. After that shot is complete I then re-pack and ride to New Jersey City.

It has been over the last 5 years that I've been doing this project.  It's interesting to see the progression of the city's skyline.  One year there was the waterfall installations another year a modern silver twisting building was completed a different year a warehouse has been torn down.

The project will complete when the Freedom Tower is finished.  Upon it's completion I plan to exhibit the complete body of work.
[caption id="attachment_800" align="aligncenter" width="590" caption="2010 View from New Jersey City"][/caption]

Let There Be Light - Illuminating Photography

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="590" caption="©2011 Dennis-Calvert "][/caption]
Most people when they think of photography a single flash is as high tech as they may get. Dennis Calvert takes photography to a whole new level with his various lighting elements and layering techniques. His work resembles imagery as if it comes from another world.

For me from day one photography has always sparked my curiosity. From the first polaroid that developed in front of my eyes to latest digital technology. Photography is like a puzzle and there are so many tools a visual artist can use to create the imagery that one desires.

With LYTRO "light field" technology about to launch it's latest digital break through. I can appreciate Dennis's use of pure light in a simplistic yet highly creative application.

LYTRO - Killing the Professional Photographer?

Photography is an ever evolving technology. From the onset of photography painters scoffed at photographers for the "ease" of replicating a scene. The debate back then was; is photography really an art form if all you do is push a button. Are you kidding me! Just dealing with the toxic film and processing is in itself an art form. Painters strived to replicate a scene as close to reality as possible, when photography did just that, ticking off a few people.

Fast forward to LYTRO's anticipated technological release, yet another reason for photography purists to grumble and moan. I too am a lover of traditional photography however; I embrace technological advancements and use them everyday in my business. Think about it, auto exposure, auto focus, auto white balance, imagine the first motor drive to advance film. LYTRO's 'light field' technology won't be the last invention.

My one concern is the ever growing saturation of newbie photographers. While technology advances the newbie's skill level has not, they have missed the actual backbone of photography. Technology is making it easier for the "newbie" to be perceived as a photographer thereby diminishing the value of the professional photographer. Professional photographers are masters at lighting, composition, in camera image solutions and production experience. Are professional photographers a dying breed?

I look forward to the LYTRO camera technology. It will only enhance the skills of all photographers, more so for the pros. As I stated in a previous post not focusing on focus allows the photographer to give their full attention on the composition and the moment. For the newbie of the newbies for them the term of "focus" will almost be extinct.

Not Focusing Is The Future? The Lytro Camera - DigitalRev.com.

Could Lytro Squeeze into the DSLR Market?

The much anticipated LYTRO camera has everyone talking, and the questions buzzing are; will LYTRO come out with it’s own DSLR. As in the article by TechRadar Shoot first, focus later camera explained. TechRadar gives us the usual information about the LYTRO camera, then poses the DSLR question toward the end of the article.

Could LYTRO squeeze into the DSLR market? For LYTRO that might not be the wisest move. I predict once the LYTRO technology is proven in the consumer market, LYTRO will then either license the technology or be bought outright. With the established big camera makers battling it out for market share, I believe, Nikon is perched to sling shot itself past Canon and the others. Since Canon has dominated the hybrid camera market for the last couple of years, Nikon may be the sleeping giant finally ready to wake up.

Newcastle Brown Ale: Shadow Art Installation

San Diego based agency Vitro created this shadow art installation using 3000 real-life Newcastle Brown Ale bottle caps. This video shows how the two New York shadow artists created this large scale public art piece. The 28 square foot shadow sculpture displays as an unusual looking billboard by day but transforms by night to reveal this striking image.

A brilliant use of light and shadow. Sometimes a simple effect is the best visual.

via Newcastle Brown Ale: Shadow Art Installation | Digital Buzz Blog.

London Riot's Cause Levi's to Hold UK Campaign

[caption id="attachment_578" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Is Anybody There?"][/caption]
Here's an idea -

With the marketing dollars / pounds that Levi's would have put into their recent campaign in London. They would get more "wear" out of their brand if Levi's put that money into helping to repair the communities affected by the riots. In an article by Advertising Age, Levi's traveled to 13 countries just to do research for their latest video. The amount of money that went into just the billable hours of research and travel for the ad campaign in it's self would be a nice start.

Levi's could even do a documentary style marketing piece on the "Rebuilding Of"...so much potential. It's would be a WIN WIN for Levi's and the London riot victims.

Imagine the press and word of mouth. This would far out way any print, outdoor or social media ad video marketing.

Lytro's First Fashion Shoot Falls Short

[caption id="attachment_551" align="aligncenter" width="538" caption="© Coco Rocha for Lytro"][/caption]
Lytro's first fashion shoot. Falls a bit short in concept and quality of the imagery.

The concept of select focus is brilliant! However in the fashion world 93.33%* of the time the focus is going to be on the model. Since I can already control my depth-of-field in camera, then I really have no need to refocus the image later.

With that said looking at the examples given from this test fashion shoot** I think it would have been best to use multiple models in the same shot. Allowing the viewer to focus on the subject of their choice. Or perhaps worked a prop product into the shot like a car or a handbag. Toggling between the model and product being in the foreground or background is a more effective concept. The power of telling a story in the image is just waiting to be created.

Ahhh!!! I have so many ideas for this camera and technology. Let me have a crack at this thing.

*Number was scientifically constructed by a team of braincells in the right hemisphere of my brain. Used for dramatization only.

**I also realize this was a test shoot and I'm sure Lytro / Coco was working under strict budgetary constraints.

Chelsea Art Walk - Michael Mazzeo Gallery

[caption id="attachment_527" align="aligncenter" width="360" caption="© Carlos Loret de Mola - Cold Shower, 2007 "][/caption]
The Chelsea Art Walk is a great way to see some amazing art. And possibly bump into old friends. Really!!!

Last night I walked into the Michael Mazzeo Gallery. Michael just happens to be the very first photographer I assisted for in New York City in 1993. Being brand new to the city I was going around knocking on doors looking for work, the old fashioned way. I remember meeting Mazzeo at his studio one day in his kick ass loft over on Lafayette. Michael was kind enough to take the time to meet with me. After a brief interview I went home. Upon entering my apartment the light was flashing on my answering machine, old school right. It was Mazzeo asking me if I was available to assist the next day!

Fast forward ohhhh 18 years later there I am standing in Michael's Gallery. He recognized me instantly, he lifted the hat off my head to make sure it was me. We had a good laugh.

The Michael Mazzeo Gallery specializes in contemporary photography, works on paper and related media.The gallery was founded by photographer and educator, Michael Mazzeo in October, 2005. It has since become one of the premier showcases of new and under-recognized talent in New York's Chelsea Gallery District, having awarded twelve artists their first solo exhibitions in New York City and including more than 100 others in group exhibitions. Mazzeo's artists and exhibitions have been featured in many prominent publications, such as The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Art In America, the Village Voice and numerous online venues.

Small Business Accounting - Quickbooks Tip

Accounting... :-p yuck! But it is something all small business owners have to deal with on some level.

I’m an avid user of Quickbooks. It really simplifies my photography business accounting tasks. You can even back up your books to MobileMe in one click. Which is a good idea to keep a back up record of your financials off site. Just in case a twister comes and takes your business to the land of OZ.

BTW there is an update for Quickbooks 2011 in preparation for Apple’s OS Lion.

For more info on small business accounting tips go to Chase Jarvis's Blog.

Back Up Your Media - LaCie Drives

Backing up is the key to a secure media library. We cannot stress how important it is to your workflow, or daily life, to do a routine back up system. Whether you are a professional creating video and photo media, or a teenager just taking snaps with friends, if you don’t have back up of your media you will seriously be upset when your drive crashes. Ohhh, yes, at some point it will……

At Spencer Gordon Studios we buy two identical LaCie 1 TB drives. Why only 1 TB in size, because we don’t want to put a lot of our eggs into one basket. Keeping your drive size down obviously limits the amount of media that can potentially be lost or corrupted. Next we name our drives, for instance, in the photo above the two vertical drives on the right are named DuWop and DuWop Copy. The black LaCie drives on the left are named Digit and Digit Copy. We specifically name the drives that way for back up purposes. Giving them a name with “Copy” attached to it let’s us know that this is the mate of the working drive, by the way Digit Copy is going into retirement this week, we’ll explain that in a moment.

SilverKeeper is the LaCie back up program that is simple to use. After you create the “Back Up Sets” in the program and the scheduling of the sets, that's it, you're ready. We back up everyday in our studio, at 5pm our SilverKeeper program kicks in and starts to back up the days work from DuWop to DuWop Copy. Effective, mindless, and no extra work on your end.

As we mentioned before, Digit Copy is retiring this week. What that means is Digit and Digit Copy are nearly full. Digit Copy is being packed up all comfy and put into long term storage off site. Off site? Digit Copy is staying at my sister’s house if you must know. It is always best to store your long term back up away from the original. Fire, flood, wild party, you never know, just make sure the Copy drive is somewhere else safe.

TIP: Don’t fill a drive completely. Good rule of thumb is to leave 600mb – 1gb of free space on the drive. Why? Sometimes a drive can potentially lose / corrupt information if the drive is filled to the max.

Lytro Camera - Focusing on NOT Focusing

Lytro is redefining the word Focus… the new 5 letter word.

Eliminating the 'element of focus' allows the user to focus on what is 'actually' in the picture frame. In the picture above imagine the shot taking place at night with the camera focused on the city. The shot is ruined because the nude model is out of focus. Take focusing out of the equation, the user is free to compose and capture the moment.

A big complaint, from users of point and shoot cameras, are missed shots while waiting for the camera to focus. Lytro’s camera has a no shutter lag time which means you don’t have to anticipate the shot. Lytro captures the moment when it happens, allowing the Lytro user to focus on the moment at hand.

Eric Cheng talks on Lytro's blog with Richard Koci Hernandez, a photographer who has actually used the Lytro camera. For those few that have had the chance to play with the prototype… lucky dogs!

Kick Butt Color Correcting Lighting Tip

Here is a color correcting lighting tip for the photographers and filmmakers of today's generation. Have you ever heard of Kelvin? No not Calvin of Calvin and Hobbes... silly goose. Kelvin is a measurement of the color temperature of light. For instance daylight in the photography / film world is 5500k, which is considered neutral in color temperature. Tungsten lights on the other hand are 3200k, so if your camera is set for daylight your image will look quite warm in color. Now obviously you can just change the white balance setting on your camera to compensate. However what if you are combining natural light 5500k and tungsten 3200k? If you are anything like me and want to avoid as much post production as possible. I like to get the image as close as possible in camera.

Here's what you do.... you add a FULL CTB to your tungsten light. CTB.... what is this guy talking about? CTB stands for Color Temperature Blue, so if your light is orange / warm in color to get it back to neutral you need to add blue. This FULL CTB converts the tungsten light back to a daylight balanced light source. Note that the FULL CTB will block 1 stop worth of light, so adjust accordingly. To see a light and compensation conversion chart CLICK HERE.

If you want to go full out on how to correct for other non-tungsten lights you may want to buy a color meter. Depending on your level and how detailed you want to get with your light color temperature control. Beware color meters are pricey. Not to worry most lights these days have the color temperature rating assigned to that particular light. So it won't be to hard to figure out what you need to correct the light for your assignment.

Spencer Gordon New Website Launch

Spencer Gordon recently launched an entirely new website / blog.
Go to www.spencergordon.com

Please note that this blog will be discontinued. Please refer to the new site.

Bike By Me - The Super Hero of Custom Bikes

Bike By Me building bikes designed... well by you. Yep, that's right you pick the colors for the frame, chrome, seat, grips, rims, tires right down to the chain. Cool huh?

Bike By Me are the cape crusaders of colorful fun clean designed bikes. The superhero beacon in the Manhattan scene above is part of a concept shoot Spencer Gordon shot after Bike By Me's debut in the New Amsterdam Bike Show. The concept was to shoot the bikes in an iconic NY setting. Then the composite image would be used as an interactive piece. The viewer will mouse-over the photo stumbling upon a person holding a bike in the scene. By clicking upon a particular bike it will open that specific bike in Bike By Me's website. To view the completed version of the shot above click here. Mouse-over the city skyline to turn on the Bike by Me beacon.

The design of these bikes and the company's website has been notarized by various publications. The latest was from NotCot.org highlighting this concept photograph.

Fun fact about the final image. In post production over 840 spokes had to be recreated.

Lytro Release Date

[caption id="attachment_356" align="aligncenter" width="590" caption="What is your wish?"][/caption]
The much anticipated release date for the Lytro camera is......drum roll please. Well first let me tell you what I discovered from a CNet Video interview with Ren Ng the founder of Lytro. Mr. Ng's interview was cryptic to say the least. However here are some of the key points Ren discussed.

The Lytro camera will be
- a mass consumer market camera much like a point and shoot
- selling for a few hundred dollars. Or "competitively priced" as Mr. Ng stated
- no shutter lag or having to focus
- yes you can do long exposures
- the "Living Image" file resolution will be the equivalent to that of a
Nikon or Canon consumer camera outputs.
So that will be anywhere between 10 - 20 mb's.
My Nikon P7000 puts out a 19mb file. That is more than enough.
- Lytro's image file will be it's own file format.
- the software technology will be able to be applied to video.
- currently the technology is retro capable... they had a 3 yr old Lytro image that they were able to apply the current software to in their testing.

The last thing that Ren stated in the interview is that the Lytro camera will be hologram capable and they are already developing that feature. Hologram!!! Cool.

So back to the release date, Ren stated that the Lytro camera will be available before the end of 2011

I predict that the camera will come out in October of 2011 just in time for the NY Photo Expo and of course the holiday season shoppers.

Earlier Lytro post.

2011 4th of July Photo Contest Entries

2011 4th of July photo contest entries are starting to come in.... Here are a few examples.

From kids. Photo submitted by Erin Gahagan


To fireworks. Photo submitted by Graham Biddy


Enter your patriotic themed photo for a chance to win a NIkon Camera Bag Style 9793.

The most "Liked" photo WINS!

Deadline for entries is July 25th 2011 by 11:59pm. The winner will be announced August 1st 2011.

Please note that your photos fall under the terms and conditions of Facebook and I promise not use your photos for any other usage then the usage for this blog for Spencer Gordon. Let's just keep it simple, we can all play nicely in the sandbox together.

Go Pro Camera Pros and Cons

Go Pro Hero Helmet camera wow what fun! I just got the Hero Camera last week so over the weekend I put it to the test. I decided to teach Jeep, a French Bulldog, to swim and since the camera is water resistant to 180 feet this would be a perfect opportunity. No... we did not dive that deep with Jeep, come on he is only a beginner in the water. That's next week. Ha!

So far I've tried the camera on my bike helmet, underwater using the head strap and it is really fun. It takes a bit to get use to the menus. The thing is so small the LCD screen can only have so much info on it so most of the features are in 3 - 4 letters. Just think of it as your are covert operative and you have to break the code. The directions are easy to follow so not to worry.

Pros of the Hero:
- Small
- 1080 HD quality
- Durable: shockproof, rugged
- Water Resistant to 180 feet
- 5mp still images
- Other useful features, different resolution settings for video, time interval still photo, photo burst and a self timer
- Comes with a few mounting accessories
- SD card compatible *make sure you get a class 4 or higher card.

Cons of the Hero:
- Menu is cryptic
- No screen on the camera to replay
- SD card sold separately
- No safety leash in case the camera pops off it's mount. Hey ya never know....
- No markings on the mount for degrees of angle. Here is a post I found that will help with determining your appropriate angle. Click here.

I'm gonna have a lot of fun with this camera. So many ideas I want to try. Stay tuned!

Beware of Mack Carthy - Scam - Con

[caption id="attachment_407" align="aligncenter" width="590" caption="Booger OFF"][/caption]
Emails from a Mack Carthy are a scam. This person is allegedly having a wedding in Denver, CO.

I got an email earlier this week asking if I would provide a quote to shoot a 100 person wedding in Denver. I could tell by the wording that the person was up to something. We have all seen enough of these spam, con, scam emails to spot a fake right away. I responded to the email asking "where did you find me?". They responded by saying they found me on Photoserve. If you want a wedding photographer you are most likely not going to be looking on a commercial photographer site like Photoserve.

After a quick search on the internet I found another photographer who blogged about the same person, Marco Garcia Photography. Marco thanks for your post. This is one way we can limit the scam artists and protect other trusting people who might fall for a scam. Yeah this guy will probably change his a.k.a but it is up to us to police the internet we just have to be persistent.

Scams - are a waste of our time!!! If I wasted your time with this post I apologize..... now back to our scheduled programming.

Small Business Start Up - Between the Chicks

[caption id="attachment_384" align="alignrcenter" width="590" caption="Tina Dress - The YES Dress - Between the Chicks"][/caption]
Are you a small business start up? I've noticed that in this economy with people getting laid off they have finally growing some cojones to create their dream company and follow their passion. This story emphasizes the importance of finding a business mentor that guides a new business entrepreneur through the company's creation.

In September of 2010 I was contacted by a small business start up called Between the Chicks. A start up fashion company, by 2 former Ford models from the 80's. Julie and Stephanie had an idea for a unique dress design that they were very excited about. Neither of the Chicks had started a company from the ground up before. This is where I come in..... I started my photography company back in 1995 and even though I'm not a fashion company the basic steps are similar to creating a new company.

To start they had to agree on a business name.... that was already settled. They were proud of the name and beaming with enthusiasm when I asked them.. "is the domain name available?". They're faces dropped as they ran to the computer to frantically search the internet, relieved that YES the name is available. Branding your company from the beginning is key.... there are companies out there with similar names and they just add something like nyc to their URL, not recommended. In this techno-forward world the power of SEO ( search engine optimization ) is king. Having a company name when entered into the browser's search box and your company is towards the top on the first page is definitely beneficial. However there is more to just a name.... SEO - I will touch on more later.

Over the next few months Between the Chicks were hard at work on their fashion line with fabric suppliers, pattern makers and manufacturers. In addition I was guiding them through the process of getting a business license, business bank account, working with graphic designers for business cards, company logo, budgeting and the immensely important e-commerce website to sell their garments.

They wanted to launch the company line in April of 2011, so the pressure was now on! In the early part of 2011 I began to create the e-commerce website. If you are planning to have an e-commerce site give yourself at least 4 - 6 weeks just for the approval process of the SSL Certificate and other bank requirements. As with most fashion companies there are many times delays with products being ready and our deadline was fast approaching. In March of 2011 we photographed almost the entire line. From the moment I got the website online I started working on the SEO.... remember this is going to be a very helpful tool with your company's presence online. Anytime a person sitting at their computer and are looking for "fun summer dress" ( as an example ) the goal is to have Between the Chicks at the top of the search. I spent many hours filling in meta descriptions and keywords for each image and each page of the website. You can even buy "search engine visibility packages" with your web host to help with SEO. If you have the money in your budget an experienced web person is key to have handle your SEO it can be quite mind boggling.

A week before the launch of the company we did the second shoot for the late arriving garments. Preparing the images and finishing their website just in time for the April 13th trunk show. With a fully functioning e-commerce site the convenience of accepting credit cards made the trunk show a great success. The "YES" Dress was now officially live to the world. The day after the trunk show I got a call from Julie she left me a voice mail, she started crying because she was so pleased with the site and the sales from the launch. I kept the message on my phone.

This October there will be an article about Julie and Stephanie the partners of Between the Chicks in Woman's Day Magazine. Even though the Chicks have a long way to go, they have conquered one of the hardest parts of a start up business just getting the darn thing off the ground.

Lytro - Pros & Cons

Last week I raised the question is "Photography Going To Change Forever?". Writing about the company Lytro creating a breakthrough new technology using a microlens array is stirring a buzz amongst the photography world. With 50 million in start up capital and recruiting a 45-person staff from top companies such as Microsoft, Google, Apple, Intel and Sun Microsystems. It appears that Lytro could be on to something.

Lytro is developing a point-n-shoot camera comparable to the those made by Canon and Nikon with a rumored price point of a few hundred dollars. In conjunction with the camera you will need the sophisticated software to decipher this new light field "Living Images" and to use the unique select focusing feature.

PROS: about the technology:
- NO lag time with the shutter release
- NO concern about where you are focusing cause you don't have to
- 2D or 3D imaging capture
- Images are interactive
- Video capable
- Hologram capable

CONS: about the technology:
I base this upon the Lytro Picture Gallery
- It appears there are only 2 focal planes
- Some shots do not have an authentic depth of field characteristic.
- I am seeing some pixelation in some of the shots. Possible output quality issues
- To get the full effect of the "living image" users will have to compose their images differently. Most people take a rather flat 2D composed image meaning their subjects are mostly on the same focal plane.

There has not been a release date set for the camera. However, will the images live up to the hype of the technology? For me I want see this baby ( camera ) in action! Lytro, get it in my hands!

2011 4th of July Photo Contest

Enter to WIN a Nikon Camera Bag.

Submit your best patriotic images of fireworks, BBQ parties, candid photos of family and friends showing a July 4th celebratory theme.

Upload your photo to Spencer Gordon Studios on Facebook. The most "Liked" image will win.

Share this photo contest with your family and friends.

Winner will be announced August 1st 2011.

Tripod Pt 3 - How it works.

This episode Spencer will go over how a tripod works and it's set up. Also in this episode is a quick tip about using the camera's self timer to avoid getting camera shake in your images

If you missed Tripod Pt 2 click here.

Photography Is It Going To Change Forever?

[caption id="attachment_293" align="aligncenter" width="590" caption="The point-n-shoot of it's day Kodak's Brownie Camera."][/caption]
How many of you out there remember the cute little camera called the Brownie? When it came out it was the modern day version of a "point-n-shoot". Well hold on to your hats boys and girls.

The technology of photography since it's inception has been constantly evolving. Now there is a new technology on the horizon by a company called Lytro. The light field sensor may be the next leap in the photography timeline. The light field sensor captures the color, intensity and vector direction of the rays of light. What does that mean? Well the light field sensor processing with give the user the ability to change the focus of the image after the shot is taken. YEP... you read that right. If you prefer the subject in the background to be in focus instead of the subject in the foreground it can be done. Light field cameras offer astonishing capabilities. They allow both the picture taker and the viewer to focus pictures after they’re snapped, shift their perspective of the scene, and even switch seamlessly between 2D and 3D views. Astonishing really... I can't wait to try one!

LYTRO has invited me to try out their light field camera on Dec. 14th at the Wired Store in NYC. Would you like hear a straight-up honest review? Let me know if you have any specific tests you want me to try out with the camera.

Looking for photography, video or web design solutions?
Contact Spencer Gordon today!

Client - Bike By Me - New Amsterdam Bike Show - New York

Building the show case at New Amsterdam Bike Show, NYC 2011.

Bike by Me, a Swedish bicycle company, launched their new collection of custom-on-demand-bikes on the 30th of April in New York City. By shipping 26 bikes from Sweden together with a home made truss and carpet. The show case was something out of the ordinary. More on this on www.facebook.com/bikebyme.

To see all the details click HERE

Bikes Bikes and more Bikes

Recently I did a shoot for a really cool bike company called Bike By Me. Bike By Me, a Swedish based company, has a great interactive website where the user actually customizes their bikes' color. The plan for the shot is to be on the company's website as a rollover interactive image and when the user clicks on a particular bike that bikes' color combination is prepared for you automatically.

Johan, the owner of Bike By Me, contacted me about photographing his bikes. His goal was to show his bikes in a New York City setting. Bike By Me was going to be attending the New Amsterdam Bike Show and they were very excited about their USA debut. Johan and I had brainstormed some ideas via Skype before his arrival in NYC and we came up with a playful concept using an iconic NY background out in DUMBO near my studio.

We shot 20+ bikes on location in all kinds of wacky situations. It was crazy and fun all at the same time. Hustling bikes in and out of the shot because after a bike was shot it had to be broken down and packed in it's box to be shipped to Sweden. We made it in the nick of time cause the shipping company truck that was picking up the bikes right from the Brooklyn Bridge Park location arrived as we place the last bike in it's box. Johan's team: Renee, Negar, Fran and Jens worked like a well oiled machine.

Here's a shot of all of us at the end of the shoot. I was run over by bikes!!!
[caption id="attachment_285" align="aligncenter" width="590" caption="Running over Spencer the photographer!"][/caption]

Click HERE to read the article about Bike By Me's exhibit at the New Amsterdam Bike Show.

Barter with the Band

Bartering can be a great way to not only get what you need, but to make new connections that may lead to new business opportunities.

Nadia Ackerman, an amazing singer songwriter, is seen in the shot above with her band. I needed a custom music piece for a fun magical silent film I did for 145 Antiques, Nadia needed the shot for some upcoming gig promotions. We did this shot in a matter of minutes… literally.

Nadia’s band was rehearsing at Euphoria Studios in NYC. The objective was to photograph the entire group, however, there was not enough room in the rehearsal space. Meanwhile a band was gathering outside the studio door to use the space when Nadia’s rehearsal ended. I asked David Sokol, the owner of Euphoria, if I could shoot the band in the lobby, without even looking at me he said “NO”. I waited a little while as David and his manager were busy turning over some of the other rehearsal spaces. As things calmed down I asked David again if I could shoot in the lobby, once again he said,“NO”, proceeding to point to photographs on the walls that he didn’t want included in my shot. I stated that I was going to get the band to lay on the floor for the shot which would not include the photographs, David then said he’d have to approve the shot, so I said “Ok”.

As I begin to set up my camera and the one Nikon SB900 speedlight needed for the shot, David is observing my set up and talking to me about his photography. Nadia’s band walk out of their rehearsal space. The elevator doors open and another band walk into the lobby and shuffles past us into another rehearsal space, the lobby is now quite crowded. I explain the shot to the band and they get into position quickly. I start shooting while David is still talking and asking questions, and the elevator doors open again to spill out yet more people, but Nadia’s band is laying on the floor in front of the elevators so they can’t get out. I’m giving direction to the band to run through various facial expressions, and in two minutes we had it! PHEW! Nadia’s band get up from the floor smiling, laughing, and poking fun at each other. David asks to see the shot on the
camera and said, “that was a great idea for a group shot.”

If you want to hear the music that Harvey Jones and Nadia did for my silent film click HERE to see some Magic.

Tripod Pt 2 - Which one is right for you?

This episode Spencer will go over which tripod is right for you. Spencer will give a quick "blocking in" photo tip for still life shooters as well as 3 tripod recommendations.

If you missed Tripod Pt. 1 click here.

Portfolio Review Days - Conclusion

[caption id="attachment_326" align="aligncenter" width="590" caption="Where did it go?"][/caption]
Last week I attend the NYC Fotoworks Portfolio Review. So with the launch of the new website I wanted to get some quality creative feedback about what works and what doesn't. Now there is one thing we need to remember when getting any feedback about our art. Someone's critic is subjective. The key is in the listening... For example one creative told me my "work is too diverse", while another creative told me they "like the diversity of my work". However the first creative told me I needed to "tighten up the work I am showing", while the second creative told me I "need to narrow down my work to my strongest pieces of work". From this example I will continue to show my diversity and I will re-edit my portfolios down to the best of the best.

Always follow your vision listening to the world around you. If one person calls your work "a dog" you can generally dismiss that comment so keep wagging your tail. If two people call your work "a dog" start sniffing around for poop. If three people call your work "a dog" then you better start barking.

Thank you to all the creatives that took the time to meet with me:
Smart Magna - Michael Moore
Barron's - Adrian DeLucca, Photo Editor
Giorgio Baravalle of de.MO
Wonderful Machine - Sean Stone
Lucky Magazine - James Morris, Director of Photography
Freelance Editor - Paula Trotto
Clare O Dea - Agency

New Blog Location

Howdy,

Sorry I've been M.I.A.

I've been working on a completely new website that incorporates my blog.

Here is the link info to NEW Blog.

I hope you will check it out.

Get out there and shoot!

Cheers,
Spencer

Portfolio Review Day

One of my goals this year was to learn more about the photography industry. After 18yrs most would say you can't teach and old dog new tricks. Bulls@#$t. Part of learning about the industry is learning about yourself. So over the next few days I am attending a Portfolio Review via NYC FotoWorks. I'm really looking forward to meeting new people and getting some constructive criticism.

The new webiste site I've been working on is a bit precarious, just a few more glitches to take care of but the portfolio section is up to speed. So hit me with all you got! I can take it.... be gentle NOT.

Victoria Secret - Smoke Screen

[gallery columns="1"]
I was asked by Victoria Secret.... well not Victoria herself but their creative team to photograph a few of their ladies. How could I say no....right? The challenge was that the models were going to be in a smoke screen. Actually it is a vapor mist curtain that will have rear projection graphics they tell me. The trick is to light the models properly without washing out the graphics on the vapor curtain. These shots were done all in camera, no post manipulation. Yep.... lighting ratios are my forte.

For the company that does this kind of thing, this is tiny compared to what First Fountain can really do.

Candid Snap Shots

[caption id="attachment_188" align="alignleft" width="950" caption="Girl Chasing Bubbles"][/caption]For the last month I've been participating in a Candid Snap Shot project hosted by Chase Jarvis. I've been shooting new stuff with my Nikon P7000 gotta love it's size and power! I've also been pulling images from my library of images for the project. I gotta tell ya it has been nice. We have been working really hard on getting the new website ready and the Invitation to Hang project has been a fun and freeing project to just shoot some pictures.

Tripod Pt. 1 - What & Why

The basics about a tripod, what is it and why would you want to use a tripod.
Directed and filmed by Spencer Gordon www.spencergordon.com

Coming Soon A New Blog

Stay tuned!
I'll be releasing a new blog in the next couple weeks.
Sorry for being M.I.A.

Magic

Written, directed and filmed by Spencer Gordon www.spencergordon.com

A collaboration with
145 Antiques - www.145antiques.com
Elizabeth Hagins - Set Designer - elizabethhagins@gmail.com
Brett Cooper - Costume Designer - bdaddycoop@yahoo.com
Travis Ryder - Wardrobe Assistant
Harvey Jones - Music - www.harvjones.com
Nadia Ackerman - Vocals - www.nadiaackerman.com
Justyna - Make Up & Hair - makeupbyjustyna@gmail.com
Vlad Kraven - Magician - www.Vladkraven.com
Diana Ferrante - Beautiful Magician's Assistant - diana.beautopia@gmail.com
Ildikó Tóth - Photography Assistant

Tripod Pt 3 - How it works.

This episode will go over how a tripod works and it's set up. Also in this episode is a quick tip about using the camera's self timer to avoid getting camera shake in your images

Tripod Pt 2 - Which one is right for you?

This episode will go over which tripod is right for you. Spencer will give a quick "blocking in" photo tip as well as 3 tripod recommendations.

Tripod Pt. 1 - What & Why

The basics about a tripod, what is it and why would you want to use a tripod.