Love the rock n roll jobs! Another fun project for a great Las Vegas band. If you’re in Las Vegas, be sure to catch this show and tell ‘em Nate sent you. More importantly, check out the CD, the acoustic EP and grab a shirt. I chipped in on those, as well.
If you would have told teenage Nate Ludens that he’d be a photographer in Las Vegas in a few years, he’d probably be pretty, like, stoked. Here’s why…
This is a project that makes doing what I do so much fun. Aside from the obvious “perk” of working with the lovely Linnea again, I had an opportunity to work with my wife, Kathryn, (www.heralasvegas.com) who always does a beautiful job as an airbrush makeup artist – and this time she coordinated the wardrobe as well.
Stay tuned for more details on this project as it’s um, uncovered… (sorry about that).
Click on the photos for a larger image.
You can see some of these in the Black Diamond Digital portfolio galleries, but recently, there have been a few inquiries into what type of products I shoot, and how they turn out, so here are some recent samples for your viewing enjoyment.
Give me a call to set up a product session anytime.
Hey, I’m a hybrid, and I love it. I was a graphic designer first and a photographer second, and I know I’m not alone. The reality is – the industry has evolved to where there’s really fuzzy boundaries between sub-industries. We’re all digital artists when you get to the nuts and bolts of it, so I’m not going to waste your time on that topic, but if you want to buy me a Heineken sometime I’ll be glad to give it a go.
There’s several factors contributing to this shift in the ever-expanding photography industry, the primary reason being the evolution of the “prosumer” creative industry. It’s a cheesy techy term I first heard a few years ago when the Canon 10D DSLR was introduced. Basically, it refers to traditional professional-grade gear sold at an affordable price. Old-schoolers hate it, new-schoolers love it. (I dabble in both schools, and I’m even teaching school this fall). At first, newbies will shoot 1500 photos and weed them out, photoshop the heck out of them, ultimately keeping – who knows – 5-10% of them, burn a disc or upload them, send the bill, and voila! Pro photographer.
When you’re choosing a photographer, folks, there are three basic principles that are tried and true that work for almost any service industry: Quality vs. Budget vs. Turnaround Time. It’s pretty tough to get a 5-star dinner from the dollar menu. (I realize this sounds snobbish, but it’s true). On the client-side, it’s a great bargain to score that newbie photographer for $X that I spoke of earlier, for sure, but it’s going to take him or her a while to process those 1500 photos to get to the 12 you requested, especially using that Dell laptop from freshman year as a graphics station.
Best case scenario for those of you shopping for a photographer: Find a seasoned pro with the gear (nicer than the one Uncle Joe got for Christmas last year) that can deliver quality shots on time for a reasonable price.
There are more of us than you would think. Remember, though – pro gear is expensive, and when you come across a rate is higher than you think is fair, go price out a Metz Battery Pack, or a Canon 70-200mm USM IS lens.
Want to shock a photographer? Ask what percentage of their photos are deemed selections. Obviously, the prime number here is 100%, but even Gisele blinks sometimes. Personally, my keeper rate at events is around 60-80%, and in the studio it’s much closer to 90-100% (I cheat – I shoot a lot of products).
Let’s face it, there are tons of really, really great uses for the typeface Comic Sans. OK, make that two. Snackers convenience stores, and The Simpsons. Everyone else: RESIST the urge to emulate every secretary with a PC and an itch to be creative and/or witty and just stay away!
Today I discovered a really interesting article by Emily Steel from the Wall Street Journal about the typographer who created Comic Sans. “Vincent Connare designed the ubiquitous, bubbly Comic Sans typeface, but he sympathizes with the world-wide movement to ban it.”
Thankfully, the guy has a sense of humor. Check out the article in the Wall Street Journal. And please – I beg you – don’t use it. Just don’t. While you’re at it, you may want to steer clear of Copperplate Gothic and Papyrus, too. You run the very serious risk of finding yourself wearing flannel, sportin’ a mullet, or rockin’ some Oakley frogskins with a walkman in tow. It’s just not worth it.
Our good friends over at Color Reflections Las Vegas showed off this trailer wrap the other day during their Earth Day celebration. When you look at the photos below, notice the resolution (detail) in Cher’s top and the rich blacks on this wrap. They are nothing short of amazing! The HP Designjet L65500 is probably the “greenest” large format printer ever made. The resolution goes up to 1200 DPI using Latex Ink – even the ink containers are completely recycled & recyclable. Email me if you want to set up a tour or get pricing information. Tell ‘em Nate sent ya.
Camera, Grip & 2 BP-511 Batteries For Sale
If you are interested, please email info (at) blackdiamonddigital.com. This is a great 12.8 MP full-frame sensor camera, and it was just professionally cleaned from Canon. Has not been used since it’s return.
Today’s lunch seminar with the IABC was one of the most rewarding professional events I’ve attended in quite some time. Author Sam Harrison guided the crowd of 40+ of us on a tour of our own creative minds. We learned tips about what we can do to build and expand creativity in our respective fields. Suggestions like: “break out of closed worlds,” “make lists,” “check your energy,” “break out of ruts” and “enjoy the process” were discussed in a not-too-lengthy, yet fun and informative way. Overall, Mr. Harrison was very likeable, and I’m thrilled to be introduced to a group that cares about creative businesses and the networking that I’ve been looking for in the IABC Las Vegas. See you at the next event!
Here’s some links that you might find helpful:
Sam Harrison’s Zing Zone Website Link.
Las Vegas International Association of Business Communicators: IABC Las Vegas.
Check out this article with 50 totally free graphic design lessons by Danny Outlaw, from his Outlaw Design Blog. It touches upon some of the basic elements of design, and expands into user interface design, logos, hierarchy, typography, color theory, and much much more.
Essential reading if you are a newbie, or in need of a refresher, like I did.
http://psd.tutsplus.com/articles/web/50-totally-free-lessons-in-graphic-design-theory/
Sometimes a client comes to me with a project that is a perfect fit. This is a fun project I have been investing a lot of time with lately: I shot on location and in studio, designed the logo and now I’m working on the finishing touches of the DVD booklet. Soon we’ll have decals, shirts and DVDs ready to roll out…What the hell is it, you ask? Well, here’s more information from the mastermind behind the project:
“So it hit me like a brick one day, this DVD idea I had…why not make a snowboarding instructional DVD?! I like to snowboard, but am not all that good at it, and I know that there are TONS of people just like me out there. And theres probably even MORE that want to learn to snowboard but are maybe too intimidated by the idea of asking someone to teach them or to even take a personal lesson. So after a little research, I found that there are already a few snowboarding instructional DVDs on the market….but there was one fatal problem with almost all of them…they are ALL way too technical, and VERY…VERY boring!! So after getting together a small group of friends that are snowboarding instructors and brainstorming for a few weeks, we finally shot all our footage and are now in the final editing process!!!
Im very excited about this whole thing!! I dont want to give it all away, but it is going to be awesome, and not only will the DVD be informative, but it will be entertaining as well! Cause lets be honest, who wants to watch a boring narrated video? Not me. Plus we are having all sorts of extras to go along with the actual instructional DVD. Again, it will be AWESOME!!!
I just wanted to forward you all a link to the splash page for the site, which will be up soon!! Please check it out, enter your email address if you would like, and please…forward the link or this message to all of your friends!! (especially any friends that are interested in snowboarding) Help me get the word out!!
Please help me make http://shutupandsnowboard.com/ a success!!!”
