2014 Glamour, Beauty & The Nude Photography Workshop - Glamour Video Shoot with Elizabeth

The private shoot day is always the highlight of Rolando's workshops as you have the opportunity to collaborate with each individual model and work on all sorts of ideas. For the private shoot with Elizabeth (Invy Rose), we both agreed to focus on just creating a single video rather than a series of photos.  Wished I could have done both, but I only have two hands.

We unfortunately did not have Andrew as an assistant this year, so a lot of the setups that I had originally planned on shooting had to be simplified so that it could be done with a single person crew.

I also had to keep track of time so that I did not go over each models' scheduled session, which would have affected their session times with the other workshop participants. Since session time also has to account for travel to and from locations, it further limits the amount of shooting time you actually have. Thankfully Elizabeth and I already had a few shots completed from the previous day of shooting, so we were able to resume right where we left off.

This time we got a very early start, returning to Ironwood Beach first thing in the morning to shoot the rest of the footage we would need for the video.  All of the footage was shot with the Sony DSC-RX10, on a Manfrotto tripod & Edelkrone SliderPlus.

We started shooting in the same spot and same direction we had shot previously, but it wasn't until we flipped the setup around 180 degrees and shot with the sun behind Liz that the footage really started to rock.

Backlight from the sun and reflected light from the sand in front of her looked so amazing that I had to stop and take a few stills with the 5DmkIII.

Liz was simply stunning in front of the camera, and very determined to help me make the shoot a success.  Even when the odd tourist would walk by during our shoot, she told me to continue shooting until we got what we needed.

There were a lot things we shot that day that I really wanted to have stills of as well, but because of the limited amount of time we had and the fact that this was a single person crew, we had to prioritize getting just video footage. We simply just did not have the time or the crew to set up additional lighting and reflectors to really get great stills.

My apologies for the low quality of the screen grabs. Will probably be upgrading to 4K video in the near future to get higher quality stills from the video.

Editing in FCPX, once I had found and licensed the right music through Songfreedom.com, the piece started coming together surprisingly quick. The final version became one of my favorites of this year.


Invy Rose from Todd Mizomi on Vimeo.

See more of model Invy Rose's work by visiting her page on Facebook. To learn more about how you can sign up for future Beauty Glamour and the Nude workshops by Rolando Gomez, visit rolandogomez.net.

2014 Glamour, Beauty & The Nude Photography Workshop - Boudoir Video with Brittany Rhea

For the private shoot session with Brittany Rhea  I decided to work on creating a boudoir style video - something short, playful and fun.

We shot the majority of her footage with the Canon 7D on a Manfrotto monopod. For lenses, both the 85mm f1.8 lens and 24-105mm f4L IS lens were used.

For safety issues, the one shot where the camera was suspended above the model, the much lighter Sony RX10 was used.  Did not have the jib available, so we improvised a camera boom arm by using a Konova slider with one end attached to a Manfrotto tripod. The camera was then panned across the model from above.

For lighting we relied solely on the existing light that filtered throughout the bedroom.

Also played around with reflections in the mirror and some tulle material I had leftover from a previous shoot.

Brittany just rocked it in front of the camera. Whether stills or video, she was very confident and able to take direction well.  Although we only had two hours to shoot all of her footage, it turned out much better than I had planned.

The final video came together pretty quickly once I found the right music to go with it.  Edited it in FCPX on a Macbook Air.



Really enjoyed the opportunity to work with this amazing model, and hope to collaborate with her again in the near future!

See more of Brittany Rhea on Facebook

2014 Rolando Gomez Glamour, Beauty & The Nude Photography Workshop in Maui, Hawaii

The 2014 Rolando Gomez Glamour, Beauty & The Nude workshop in Maui, Hawaii has wrapped and it was a blast to attend.  Four amazing models from all across the US flew in to experience life on Maui.  For 4 days we traveled around Maui, shooting in Iao Valley, at the waterfalls in Hana, and on the beaches of Kaanapali.

I'll be detailing some of the specific shoots in several upcoming blogposts, but for now here's a brief behind the scenes video.  This was shot mainly handheld with a Sony RX10 camera, with a couple of shots assisted by a Varizoom Stealthy Stabilizer Pro

Glamour, Beauty & The Nude 2013 Maui Workshop Part IV - Private Shoots

Canon 5D mkII 85mm f1.8 iso800 1/160 @ f2.8

The fourth and final day of Rolando's workshop was dedicated to private shoots, where each photographer could book private one-on-one photo sessions with the model(s) of their choice in 1-hour time slots and work on their own individual ideas.

Canon 5D mkII 85mm f1.8 iso800 1/160 @ f2.8

This to me is really the most enjoyable part of the workshop since you can get as creative as you and the model want to be - the only limitation is time.

I wish that more of the workshop was made available for private shoots. We actually did get a day and a half of private shoot time (due to the way the rotation worked with 5 models and 3 teams of photographers, we started the private shoots on the second half of day 3),  but I had to leave for work in the middle of the fourth day which canceled out that extra half day for me.

Darn the luck. ;-)

Canon 5D mkII 85mm f1.8 iso500 1/320 @ f2.8

A one hour session may seem like a lot of time, but in reality it passes by QUICK. To make the most effective use of the time you have booked with the model, you really need to have all your ideas planned out and lighting setups ready to go immediately once the model is ready.

Since this was my second time attending one of Rolando's workshops, and because I could go home every evening, I was a little more prepared for the private shoots compared to last time. Not having to go back and forth to Hana meant that I could bring props and gear from home as needed for the day's shoots.

For example, I brought in a bunch of tulle fabric and just covered the living room floor with it for this shot with Devon below.

Canon 5D mkII 85mm f1.8 iso400 1/250 @ f2.8

To help save time, I also relied mostly on natural light for each shoot, adding a reflector to fill in shadows as needed.

Canon 5D mkII 85mm f1.8 iso800 1/125 @ f2.8

For the next workshop's private shoot day, I need to remember to try not to schedule a model immediately before or after another photographer's timeslot.  If one photographer books a model for a 3-4pm session and another photographer books her for 4-5pm, allowing for makeup/outfit changes and moving to different shooting locations, the amount of actual shooting time decreases.  In one case, one of my private shoot sessions ended up being only 40 minutes long. Perhaps it might help in the future if a 10-15 minute break were scheduled in between each timeslot.

Another thing I need to work on is keeping focused during a shoot because I tend to have a really short attention span.  During one of the private sessions, Rolando suggested a creative idea for a shot.  It sounded like a really cool idea so I stopped what I was doing and attempted to setup for that shot. Unfortunately, I did not have the right gear with me to properly recreate the shot he was describing and I ended up wasting a lot of the model's shooting time doing that. Had to save that idea for another time.

In the future I really need to work on making a set shot list, keep focused on it during a video shoot and try not to get easily distracted. (Easier said than done) ;-).

I had originally planned during the first 3 days of the workshop to shoot enough video footage of each model in order to create a short montage piece for each of them.  Due to time contraints, that didn't pan out as well as I had hoped, so I decided instead to just work on creating a single montage which featured all five models. This meant focusing mainly on shooting video and not stills during the private shoots.

I was able to schedule a 1 hour private session in turn with each model over the course of the 3rd and 4th days to get the footage that was needed. Shot all the footage with a Canon 60D, alternating between a 50mm f1.4 and the 85mm 1.8.  For camera support I alternated between a Manfrotto tripod and monopod, and added some slider shots with an Edelkrone Slider.  Also used a longer Konova slider as a makeshift jib arm for a couple of shots.

I licensed music from SongFreedom.com for the final video.  After editing everything together, I started playing around with the footage to a different piece of music and found that I was able to fit a montage of each model into different section of the song.  So in addition to completing the main video, in the end I was able to create individualized "teaser videos" for each model after all.

All editing was done in Final Cut Pro X on a MacBook Air.

The full length version which also has behind the scenes footage of our location shoots I am making available to Rolando for his website.  Don't know when it will be posted though.

So overall, this was a pretty good workshop and I'm really glad Rolando was finally able to bring it back to Maui after all these years. I've already signed up for next year's one and am already starting to plan on ideas for the next bunch of private shoots.

To sign up for the next Maui workshop, visit Rolando's web site.

Glamour, Beauty & The Nude Workshop returns to Maui in 2013- Preview

Will be creating a multi-part post about my experiences at this amazing workshop.  Even had the chance to shoot some video this time around.  Here's a quick sneak peek:

Teaser Trailer - Glamour, Beauty & The Nude 2013 Maui Photo Workshop from Todd Mizomi on Vimeo.

Kojo Couture Photoshoot - Behind the Scenes Video

Been tied up with other projects for a while, but finally had time to sit down and work with some behind the scenes footage we shot on a fashion photoshoot with designer Koa Johnson.



The two posts about this shoot can be found here and here.

Wiring up the Think Tank Multimedia Wired Up 20

One of the problems when shooting wedding videos out on the beach is trying to carry all of your gear and keep it out of the sand.  I used to use a large camera bag to hold all my stuff, but constantly worried about having to leave it unattended on the beach during a wedding.  I wanted to find something that would let me carry the vital necessities with me, yet not get in the way when filming.

I came across the ThinkTank Multimedia Wired Up 20 and it looked like it would fit the bill.  

I also ordered the Multimedia Wireless Mic Kit to go along with it. It attaches to the built in belt of the the Wired Up 20.

One of the great things about the Multimedia Wired Up series is that they designed them with small openings that allow you to run cables between the various bags.  

I have two wireless mic receivers in the Wireless Mic Kit and run the output from that bag into the Zoom H4N stored in the audio compartment of the Wired Up 20 .

Since the cables run through the bottoms of the bags, I can zip the top closed and throw on the included rain cover when needed.

The audio compartment of the Wired Up 20 is designed to open away from the body, so that you can see and adjust the levels on the screen of the audio recorder.

Had some custom right angle XLR connectors made to reduce the stress on the cables that are plugged into the bottom of the H4N.

The cord for the headphones runs through an opening on the other side of the bag.

The Wired Up 20 also comes with a hook to hang your headphones on.  Very handy to have.

The main compartment is nice and roomy.  I can fit a 5D mkII with a battery grip and a 70-200L lens (hood reversed) in the center section  with room for another lens on the side (maybe the 50mm 1.2L when I buy it later this year).

When I shoot a ceremony with my regular video cameras, a Canon XF100 and an XA10 as a second/backup camera, the Wired Up 20 is roomy enough that I can quickly store the XA10 in the bag after the ceremony and continue shooting with the XF100.

The Wired Up 20 also has large side pockets that can stretch out to hold water bottles or LCD lights, or whatever else you can think of.

It also comes with a Cable Management bag and mini bungie cords useful for storing microphone cables and things.

As I make the transition to shooting more and more video with my HDSLRs instead of my video cameras, I'll be using this setup more often since it makes recording dual system audio much easier.

Right now Think Tank Photo is offering up 11 camera pouches and memory card holders worth almost $300 that you can have added for free to your purchases when you visit their website via one of the links on this blog.  Every time you place an order with Think Tank, when you check out you will be asked which one of the items listed below you wish you receive for free.  There is no limit on the number of orders you can place.  You receive free gear with every order. 

To get this “free gear with every order” offer, click on this link or on any of the Think Tank links on this blog:

http://www.thinktankphoto.com/affiliates.aspx?code=AP-483

FREE GEAR LIST

Cable Management 10 ($16.75)

R U Thirsty ($19.96)

LARGE Lens Drop In ($31.96)

Whip It Out ($35.96)

Skin 50 ($22.36)

Skin 75 Pop Down ($28.80)

Skin Double Wide ($35.96)

Skin Strobe ($28.80)

Skin Chimp Cage ($31.96)

Pixel Pocket Rocket ($18.75) 

Security Tag ($25.00)

In Plain English

Stumbled across this site that produces short videos to explain complex topics. For someone like myself who struggles to keep up with rapidly changing technology, this is a godsend.




They have videos that cover a wide range of topics - from online photo sharing to explaining how we elect a president. Check out The Common Craft Show.

Chase Jarvis Videos on iTunes

One of the photographers whose works I admire a lot is Chase Jarvis, a commercial photographer in Seattle, Washington.
I first learned about him through Strobist, and this video was what initially hooked me into his work:



What I like most about him is that he and his staff have produced several behind the scenes videos, which help photographers like myself learn more about the process of producing quality shots. To see more videos of this amazing photographer, go to the Apple iTunes store and do a search for Chase Jarvis - you can subscribe to his free video podcast there. Very inspirational work!

A short introduction

Although I’ve done wedding photography for many years, my main focus was on creating wedding videos. You can see some of my wedding video work at www.islandproductiongroup.com.

After attending a model photography workshop held by Rolando Gomez in Hana, Hawaii, I realized how much I really enjoyed the creative process of glamour/beauty photography.

Thanks mainly to the help of one of the models I met at the workshop, I have continued to learn and grow as a photographer by doing glamour/beauty photography. In the months since the workshop, I have learned so much more about lighting, posing, Photoshop, digital workflows etc. than I ever did before. Yet at the same time, I realize how much I still have to learn. What I learn in glamour/beauty photography also helps me be a better wedding photographer/videographer as well.

Please check out the galleries at www.mizomi.com to see the works I’ve helped to create. The images you see are the result of a team effort with very creative (and sometimes wacky) models, dedicated makeup artists, amazing hairstylists and resourceful assistants. I have had so much fun working with these people and have made many new friends along the way.