I was just catching up on season 3 of Rob & Big. If you haven’t seen these guys, check ‘em out. They’re pretty funny. You can watch their full episodes here. A little backstory: Rob Dyrdek is a pro-skater. He hired Big Black to be his personal security guard for skate sessions to fend off the rent-a-cops while he was skating. They became best friends.

My favorite episode so far this season is when Big wants to show Rob what it’s like to be a big man, so he gets a Hollywood makeup artist to put rob into a fat suit and stilts. They then go out for the day. Meaty the bull dog is awesome. He even skateboards now. Makes me want to get a dog of my own, but I know for a fact I don’t have the schedule and lifestyle to be able to take care of one.

It just reminded me of the PR shoot I did for them last year. Check out the story here: http://www.nickonken.com/Stories/Rob&Big/

I just read this article APE posted this morning. He interviews an Art Buyer at a big ad agency who needs to be named anonymous for contract reasons, but he interview is great information. It’s great how much easier access to this kind of information is getting through the blogosphere.

A couple things that stood out to me in the article:

APE:I think photographers get disappointed with the idea that you need to see something close to what you’re trying to shoot in their book before giving them a big assignment but I find it difficult to redirect people away from their established style and I disagree with the idea that a good photographers can shoot anything. What are your thoughts?

AB: A good photographer has their own style and can’t shoot anything. Nor should they want to…because they’re so good at whatever it is that they’ve focused on, that they’re not shooting everything. Take any great legendary photographer, they didn’t shoot everything, they had a particular style, focus, interest, and then made it their own. When you look at these photos, that’s how you know it’s theirs and not anyone else. Photographers reading this should ask themselves “are they passionate about what they’re shooting and do they recognize the difference of their own work compared to someone else?”

This is great people! It just illustrates the fact that you need to focus on what you want to shoot. Create your own visual style based upon what you’re passionate about. If you’re putting your book together, focus, focus, focus on what you want to shoot, and only show that. If you are just starting, that takes time. Time of shooting and shooting to discover what you love and how you like to shoot it. Don’t rush the process, because it’s a journey, and a necessary one. I think most of the time I need to take my own advice(the last part about rushing the process).

It’s hard enough focusing on photography as one thing, let alone what type of photography you want to create and build your business on. You will be more successful in the long run if you narrow it down, after all "Jack of all trades, Master of none" something we’ve been quoted for ages!

The second thing that stuck out to me was this:

APE: I’m always telling photographers not to worry about the design of the promo, portfolio and website and just make it about the photographs because in the end it’s never going to have an effect on you getting hired to shoot a job. I think many of them take it with a grain of salt because they believe that this kind of stuff really helps landing the advertising jobs. Since I’ve never worked in advertising I have no idea if it does or doesn’t but now you can tell us.

AB: Their photos are what’s most important, and then the “presentation” of their photographs. I can expand here, like I like to see one photo per page if it’s their “print” book (i.e, real prints). Otherwise, seeing an editorial spread is acceptable as long as they like the design. If they don’t, then they should just put a print in the book. Their website MUST be designed well, and this is very important for several reasons. One being, it represents their taste level, two, I want to see large images…not a lot of anything else, and three, the site has to be built well to move quickly around it… all very important. It’s how we source and present photographers to creatives (art directors, stylists, clients, etc.) It’s just like anything else these days, how often do you find yourself on line for anything? So, in my opinion, very important.

Obviously the part in bold is what I wanted to highlight and what I preach. Your brand must be designed well, let alone your website. It goes along with the idea of perceived value. If you’re website is well designed, people will perceive your good tastes and give you a higher value in their mind. It’s just like the car you drive, image is important and it’s a value or level people will see you at.

Secondly, this was a great reminder on how important a good website is these days. I love their quote of  "It’s just like anything else these days, how often do you find yourself online for anything?" For me? Everything! I evaluate everything based on someone’s web presence. Of course people are doing the same of me.

Read the full interview here.

For those of you wondering about the 5D, my buddy Leo just informed me of some rumored info for the Canon 5D MKII that is expected soon.

Check it out here: http://gizmodo.com/367086/canon-5d-mark-ii-rumored-specs-and-details

Just read Joel’s comment: With regards to workflow, which programs are you using these days? Where do you stand with the whole Aperture vs. Lightroom?

Well, I’ll tell you that I stand outside of the Aperture Vs. Lightroom thing because I use Capture One 4. I prefer it when it comes to color. I haven’t yet been able to get the color out of those programs by sliding a couple sliders. I know both Aperture and Lightroom both have better cataloging, and metadata systems, but to me the image comes first. There are a few sketchy things with the program, but again, it’s about the color of the image to me. Capture One has a special algorithm that it uses to interpret the RAW files, which gives me the color I like. Color preferences all depend on what type of color your eye/vision/style prefers as well. I do an initial edit in C1, and process my selects to Jpegs. If the job requires a tiff format, I will go back and reprocess the individual images when the client makes their selects. Saves time and disk space.

My second edit is done in Adobe Bridge.  I can sort through the processed jpeg folder with the processed look, and I’ll star my favorites, then apply any final touches to my final selects.

Just attended what we thought was the Paco Rabanne fashion show here in LA, and it was actually his apprentice. Fashion shows blow me away sometimes with the things that people create. Who would actually wear some of these pieces. Couture is one thing, but if it’s Ready to Wear? A girl strutting the runway in a gold shiny onzie with some hip tassels is not what I nor a lot of my fellow comrades would call hot.

People watching at fashion shows is even better. You’ve got all the fashionistas that wear some pretty bizarre attire and think they’re all that and a bag of chips. I think that is almost more of a show than the actual show.

I worked at back stage at the fashion shows in Paris for two seasons. It was a great time! Trekking across the city to each nostalgic venue leaves me with many fantastic memories. Not that LA is any Paris, but I thought the shows here would be a bigger production. The big Paris shows have all the top models you see in Vogue and every high end clothing campaign you see. The backstage energy is super fun, especially getting to chat up the models. The hair and makeup can get a little freakish especially when it’s designers like Galliano, The above shot is of Tiiu backstage at the Galliano show. She’s a sweetie.

Here’s a few more shots from one of the shows a couple years ago.
http://www.nickonken.com/Stories/GallianoBackstage/

A reader just asked me this: "I love the way you shoot into the sun whilst still preserving the details in the image. I’ve been trying to accomplish the same thing without success. Do you use any filters for this?"

There are a few different aspects to preserving details when shooting. The first thing, is to turn on your highlight alert in your camera. The Canon cameras will make every pixel flash if it’s blown out. This will help you make sure you’re not blowing out the highlights on your subject. I shoot a lot of things back lit, and try to over expose as much as I can without blowing the highlights so I push the exposure until I see the highlight alert. Your subject is what needs not to be blown out because you can’t get that information back in post if there is none there. Backgrounds are fine if they’re blown.

A big thing I look for when shooting in natural light is sun and shade spots. I usually make sure my subject is fully in the sun, fully in the shade, or backlit where the subject’s back is towards the sun. This creates an even light on the subject. Some people like spotty light and shadows on the subject, and if it’s done right it works. My personal preference and style is even lighting on the subject. If I have an assistant, I like to use foam core as a bounce light.

This is for natural light scenarios. If you’re using artificial light, you have to dial down your lights so they aren’t blowing out on the high light areas.

If there is still information in the highlights, you can usually dial them back down in post a little.

I don’t use any filters. What you see is straight out of the camera.

After running into Preston on my scouting trip the other day, I decided to hook up with him for another shoot. The crazy thing is, a few months ago I asked my friend Vince if he knew any up and coming skaters I could shoot. I didn’t realize till I was going through is email after I met Preston that he was on the list of skaters that Vince gave me. Love the random connections of life.

Preston just moved down here a few month ago from Alaska to pursue his passion of skateboarding. He’s sponsored by a few companies like Hurley, Ogio, Gravis and a few others. He’s got a lot of passion and I admire him for that. I love hanging and working with people who bleed passion. He’ll be skating in an upcoming movie.

We were able to help each other out because I wanted some skaters in my book, and he needs some images to submit to magazines and such. I can then syndicate the images to the magazines if they want to use them.

Check out the story: http://www.nickonken.com/Stories/PrestonPollardII/

Someone just recently asked why my images resemble the softness of film. They’re still in focus and clear, but not sharpened to the point where the look really digital. The way I achieve this is quite simple. I turn all the sharpening off in my camera, and don’t add much in post. I’ll add a slight amount with the Unsharp mask filter in photoshop if I’m saving it for the web, but it’s hardly noticeable. Lately I’ve been using Exposure 2 by Alien Skin to add some film grain, but mostly the softer film look comes from turning off the sharpening in the camera.

I also turn down the contrast in the camera as well. By turning down all your in camera settings, it give you more range to work with in post, obviously you can only do this with RAW, which is all I shoot.

Just finished washing Cashback for probably at least the 10th time. That film for me is one of the most inspiring films I’ve seen visually. Check out the making of here. If you didn’t catch my previous post, check it out here.

Grand Avenue plays the song at the end, called "She". I’ve scoured iTunes and Amazon, but can’t find this one song but you can check it out on their myspace page. The rest of the album is fantastic. They’re like Coldplay meets Mat Kearney. I’m definitely adding it to my list of  music faves.

Looks like Freelance Art Buyer Heather Morton has entered the blogosphere. I’m looking forward to following her posts(and of course feeding my addiction through netnewswire) It will be great to have an AB’s inside perspective.

Here she is: http://www.heathermorton.ca/blog/