Music Video - Center of Attention Song and Performance by Al Calderon https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cx4nSMIrZ7w In the last video, I took you with me on a pre-production journey for the most recent music video I shot, Center of Attention. In this video, I document the production side of things. This encompasses everything from first impressions with the talent to what happens in the midst of filming, and then the take-aways from each video. The purpose of this video is not only to shed some light on the production process, but also to normalize the idea that mistakes happen on set, and it is how you work through them and learn from them that elevates you as a filmmaker. I hope you enjoy!
My 2022 DOP Reel - How I got here
The last few years have been quite a journey for me in the creative space. I quickly went from being categorized as a photographer to something I can’t really even define. Some might refer to it as a Director of Photography, or a Gaffer, Creative Director, Art Director, Co-Director, and even a Producer. The point is, I’ve taken on quite a few roles, and expanded my knowledge base, as well as my experience in the production wheelhouse.
Shooting my first Music Video
Don’t get me wrong, as a photographer I had been doing odd jobs here and there as a videographer - whether that was shooting instructional videos or business promo videos. The difference is, video had always been an afterthought to me creatively, and more than anything another means of generating income. The catalyst for the transition into something much more substantial was a one-of-a-kind human I happened to connect with named Ethan Ardalan.
We connected through a mutual friend and I actually used him as a model for one of my shoots.
From my shoot “The Modern Fool”
He told me he liked my vision and it was then I found out he had just come back from Vancouver Film School. This guy had not only just finished film school, but he was also an incredibly talented musician.
Ethan Ardalan Live: By Speakerboxx
We talked, and he told me he wanted to form a creative collective full of talented and eager artists looking to create and elevate each other. Ethan asked if I wanted to explore the creative side of video and be the director of photography for a music video he wanted to make. Of course, I was interested.
With the helping hands of some friends, the two of us built a tiny 8x8 set and began filming. Whoa, what an incredible experience that was. We filmed an entire music video within an 8x8 space and began editing it. Through the process, we formed an unbreakable friendship and realized how much we enjoyed working together - elevating each other’s ideas, and bringing the concepts behind our visual narratives to life.
We worked on several different projects together from start to finish - pre-production, creating treatments, shot lists, and pitch decks. Post-production - editing and color grading. He was my Director, and I was his Director of Photography. We sort of just naturally fell into the idea of starting a Production company together that would be different from everything else out there - it would follow our vision. We called it Unapollogetic Media - a collective believing wholeheartedly in our vision, with ambitions as vast as the universe.
My 2022 DOP reel is a culmination of this ideology. If it wasn’t for Ethan Ardalan I don’t know that I would have ever taken this path, grown this much, and frankly, ever believed in myself and my vision as much as I do now. He was a one-of-a-kind human, and I owe everything to him. I will never forget his art, his inclusiveness, our deep talks, and belly laughs.
Ethan Ardalan
Shooting Portraits on Set
Today, I’m going to take you with me on a shoot. We’re going to talk about the lighting setup, the set design, deconstructing an artist's song to come up with a concept for the shoot, and how I came to the end result of the photo.
So, let's jump right into it. Right off the bat, I was fortunate enough to have my man Sy here who is a full-time lighting technician. Very rarely do I get help when it comes to lighting with photography, so it was nice to have a person to take some of the weight off, but more importantly – having someone gaff on set that understands the language of your vision and can translate it is such a gift.
In terms of lighting, the goal was to make Leesa the center focus, so we put a spotlight on her, which was basically just a 10-degree Fresnel on an Aputure 300x 90 degrees at ceiling height. The other two lights were really just there for fill.
Let's talk about the set for a sec. This was a very minimal set. In an ideal world, every artist would have the support and funding to make their vision come to life on a grand scale, but we don’t live in that world, and so part of my job is trying to work around budgets. we spent less than 100 dollars on the set, and the biggest purchase was the chair shaped like a heel. Leesa’s song Club Love is about living in your own world but finding someone who can get you out of …out of your shell so to speak. So, on a literal level, Leesa is sort of daydreaming and doesn’t want to go out, but she gets a call from the person she has feelings for asking if she would go to the club, and the rest sort of the story explains itself.
For this shoot, Leesa really wanted two things. First, she wanted the photo for this single to show her in a sort of glamorous state, getting ready with friends yet expressing the emotion of reluctance. Second, she wanted to paint the bottom of her heels red to throw her spin on red bottoms. It was kind of perfect that the high heel-shaped chair also had a red bottom.
The rest of the props I had at my disposal. That includes the vanity, costume jewelry, hair curler, and glamour mirror.
When we discussed the color scheme for the fits, we agreed that basic black and white would work and would make the jewelry and red heel stand out.
I shot this on the Pentax 67 with Kodak Gold 200. Though the film stock really didn’t matter in terms of color because I manipulated the heck out of the color in the photo. Originally, I was going to put on a Pro mist filter, add a little haze, and give it a daydream-type look, but we came to the conclusion that making the scene look like a house where everyone was getting ready to go out, but bringing the vibe of the club into the house was a good idea, and I tend to agree that it fits the song better.
Overall, I am happy with the finished result. We also had fun with this shoot. There were a lot of great behind-the-scenes moments and shared a lot of laughs on set.
Shoutout to No1elsebutrico for shooting BTS and Lifeflicksyouintheface for joining in and grabbing some of his own great photos from this shoot.
Thank you for watching, I hope my content has helped someone today! See ya soon.
My Favorite Medium Format Film Camera?
Now I’ve shot with the Mamiya RZ67, the Pentax 67, and the Hasselblad 500cm – all for a substantial amount of time, and I want to help you make an informed decision…if you were going to pick between these three, which one would you choose and why?
When I first made the switch to medium format film, I went with the RZ67. There were two main reasons for this. First the modularity.
The RZ isn’t the only modular camera out there – but the grip, the ability to use my Profoto strobes, the metered prism viewfinder, and my favorite part…the rotating 120 back that allows you to switch from landscape to portrait orientation without moving the camera…those were the selling points for me. Another bonus is that you could connect a digital medium format back to the RZ and get both digital and film photos on the same camera. Some of my favorite photos were taken on the RZ
Now the negatives…The RZ is Massive. It can look a bit intimidating and intrusive to others. The other downside is the focusing screen. Your milage may vary, but the stock focusing screen was just about impossible to hit focus with my eyes. I had to pay a hefty sum to get a quality focusing screen. This leads me to my next point, The modularity is great, but when you buy a camera for 1200-1500 with a lens and find out you must throw another 1500 dollars into the accessories to make it optimal – and that’s assuming you buy them mint. It can be discouraging. Overall, this was an amazing camera, and the only reason I sold it was because I had my eye on another beauty.
That beauty was the Hasselblad 500cm. Touted as thee fashion photography camera, and famously known as the camera that went to the moon – the 500 series is iconic. I was intrigued by the 6x6 format. The Hasselblad is also modular which I love, and much much smaller and lighter than the RZ67. The 500 didn’t have a good grip which was a bit of a bummer for me, but the abundance of great prism viewfinders to choose from as well as the stunning 80mm lens and the extra 2 photos per roll were all attractive features. Not to mention, you don’t need a rotating back like the RZ if your camera shoots square photos.
I’ll admit, there was a bit more of a learning curve for me with this camera than the RZ. I think a lot of that had to do with the way the film is supposed to be loaded. For whatever reason, the film has to be loaded upside down which can be confusing and making sure the film is tightly loaded can be a bit tricky at first. But I can only describe the shooting experience with this camera in the same way as my Leica M6 – Magical.
Now let's get into the Pentax 67. This is my current daily driver. Unlike the other two cameras, this camera is sort of the way it is. Flash compatibility is not really there. You can use flash with certain lenses, but it’s more expensive and more of a hassle than it’s worth. Another negative is that you won’t have the same nice bright waist-level viewfinder attachment that you would on the RZ and Hassy. Instead, you have your choice of prism finders. Otherwise, you could take it off and look through the top, but it is not the same. The form factor is more reminiscent of the film DSLR cameras such as the Nikon f2 for example.
But there are so many positives. It is easy to load. It just works. You could jump into this camera as a beginner with no problem. The wood grip attachment is fantastic. I don’t even use a camera strap because I am so comfortable with the grip. I’ve never had an issue with the focusing screen, ever. Let's not forget the 105mm f2.4 lens. The lowest aperture you’re going to find among the 3 cameras if bokeh is what you’re into.
So what do I recommend? If you’re looking for ease of use, reliability, and flash isn’t part of your workflow, get the Pentax… but if you want using your camera to be an immersive experience, you use strobes, and want a camera with a small form factor that is also a global icon, I would definitely recommend the Hasselblad 500cm. It is my favorite medium format camera of all time.
Medium Format Film Comparison (Kodak Gold 200 vs Cinestill 50d)
Today I compare the new Kodak Gold 200 for medium format against Cinestill 50d. I have always loved the vintage-looking tones I get out of the Cinestill 50d and the unique bronze hue. Once Kodak came out with their medium format version of the Kodak Gold I just had to try it. After doing a casual shoot around the city I noticed some similarities with the tobacco color tones I was getting and the first thing I thought was, "let's put these two head to head" Full disclosure, the results you get with the film stocks vary depending on whether or not you are in direct sunlight, or are shooting with controlled studio light. Hope you all enjoy it! Leave any questions or comments down below and see ya next time!
Lighting Photos Without Professional Lighting
In this video, I talk about how to light your photos with minimal lighting equipment. I explain that expensive, professional lighting is not always necessary if you know the mood/story you are trying to convey. In most forms of photography, the goal with lighting is to replicate a real-life scenario - whether that is through a time of day (I.E. - using blue light to replicate night time) or through an activity (I.E. driving a car and using red lights to replicate break lights of the car in front of you and green light to replicate a street light). The goal most of the time with professional lighting is to have control over the scene. If you are able to find a way to control the light you have at your disposal, it is less likely that professional lighting is necessary. Now I'm not saying figure out how to block light with lamps and forget professional lighting altogether. What I am saying is two things - first, you can work around professional lighting in a pinch - second, professional lighting is simply a tool to help facilitate your narrative. Hope you enjoy the video!
Film Photography Challenge
In this video I film a challenge between two of my colleagues. The beginning of the video is a fashion spec I put together in the midst of the challenge. For this video I wanted to create something entertaining while still sending a message to all of you. And there are two take away messages from this video.
First, if you are passionate about something, go for it. Too many times i’ve seen this with artists and felt it myself - all of this self doubt. Comparison is a double edged sword. First it can be discouraging when you constantly compare your work to others who you admire. It’s great to admire someone, but realize we all have our own unique perspectives and we all have our own story to tell. The benefit to comparison is that it can also push you to elevate or reinvent yourself. Seeing how these two respected each other, soaked in each others process and tried to get out of their comfort zone was frankly inspiring to me.
The other message this video sends is that art is an experience that transcends genre. an important lesson I wanted to get across was that as a photographer, a painting, or even a song can inspire an idea. As a music producer, a photo or even a color can inspire a sound. The take away, don’t limit yourself, acknowledge the beauty that you are different, and keep pushing.
Flash Photography (How to Tell a Story with Lighting)
Today I’m going to talk about something I think is very important, and that’s lighting. Lighting is one of the most important parts of facilitating a narrative. It helps your audience determine the time of day, and the mood you are trying to portray. Lighting also helps give your frame depth. Now in the earlier clips, for example I used lighting to help create the atmosphere of waking up in the morning. I also used lighting to parody a stereotype with gels. In the last clip I used lighting outside at night to help amplify the aesthetic of what it might realistically look like having somebody stand where the model stood during the time of day he was standing there. First I want to talk briefly about lighting inside. So when lighting Indoors I try to imagine where lights might be placed in the real world and how the gradient of that light might fall. Second, I try and dramatize that light. Use of practicals like lamps or candles help create that depth, especially if you don’t have a ton of artificial lighting to work with. I’ve also used flash lights with gels taped to them or construction lights from Home Depot in a pinch. Now lets talk about gels. Gels are a great way to recreate a visual. I might not be a fan of the typical YouTube lighting, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have it’s place. I personally try and light with gels the same way I light everything else, and that’s deliberately. A good example of this is a shoot I did a while back outside at night. The model was in a truck and I wanted to replicate what it might look like in the real world with them maybe parked or stopped at a red light, then amplify that light to help dramatize it. So I added some a light with blue gel, and I added a light with a red gel coming from a different angle. This gave me the look I wanted. In the last clip, I tried to recreate and then dramatize what it might look like standing outside of that building at night. Part of what you have to consider when looking for a location at night is, how well lit is it already. That could make the difference between no lights, one light, or 5 lights. So this location was already decently lit. All I did when lighting it was try and follow the path of light that was already there. I used a magnum reflector to amplify the light coming out, and then I made sure to bounce it off of the white wall. This diffused the light and created more of a gradient of light to shadow. The last thing I want to talk about is angling light. Lighting is not as simple as putting a flash on your camera and going. Depending on the angle of the light and the spill of the light, your going to create a different mood. Shooting straight on with an on camera flash creates a harsh bright light with no shadows on the face. This doesn’t necessarily look organic. If you were to take that flash off camera, and aim it at a 45 degree angle at the subject, you’re going to create some shadows, and harsh ones at that. Think of it as being outside on a bright and sunny day. This usually is associated with a more dramatic aesthetic. Now if you add some sort of diffuser onto that light, it’s going to help even the spill of light so there is more of a gradient of light to shadow. That is a more natural look and is associated more for example with something like an overcast day outside. So to summarize, going forward, ask yourself, what is the aesthetic I am going for, what story am I trying to tell and how can light help facilitate that story.
My experience with medium format film ( Mamiya RZ67)
Today, I want to discuss my venture into medium format film with the Mamiya RZ67. I have been experimenting with film over the last year, and over the last six months, medium format film. What is medium format film? Well, generally speaking and in the broadest of definitions, its film that covers a larger surface area, giving you a different field of view and quality of compression than that of standard full frame cameras. In other words, the aesthetic is different. Couple that with the fact that this is film we're talking about, and you're going to get a quite different look than you would with a full frame digital camera.
I've noticed that using this camera has forced me to take photos differently than I normally would. This has led to different compositions and shot planning than I have had in the past. In other words, it's led to me experimenting, and experimentation is always good when it comes to creating!
In this video I talk about the camera I've been using - some of its benefits, and some of it's downfalls. I also provide plenty of examples of images taken with it as well as some behind the scenes with the camera. Whether you're interested in learning about the camera or if you just want to see some good photos, take a look!
Best Lens and focal length for the Fujifilm GFX system
This video is about what I consider to be the best focal length on the fujifilm gfx medium format digital system. That lens is the gf 45mm 2.8 ( roughly a 35mm Full frame equivalent). I don't want to get into spreadsheets and specs, but to sum it up, it has a lot to do with the creative possibilities associated with helping the environment tell the story in the photo. This lens and focal length inspires creativity, and probably one of the first pieces of gear responsible for me set building and looking to create a narrative within my photos.
Finding your Inspiration
Finding your Inspiration
When I started to shift gears with my photography, from restaurant, food, and real estate photography to photographing models, I found myself in a bit of a bind. Some of the most popular photos on social media are pictures of pretty people with blurry backgrounds, and so naturally, that’s what I tried to emulate.
At this point I equated likes and followers on Instagram to success but didn’t fully understand the definition of it. After not so long I realized a few things, first – My photography wasn’t standing out. I wasn’t any better at taking the same bokeh’d out photo with an attractive model and an indistinguishable background than any of the other photographers with an already established following, who had a slew of Instagram models wanting to photograph with them. Second, I felt confined. I was copying photographers, copying other photographers, who were copying other photographers, and frankly, I couldn’t answer for this specific genre of photography – why do I take pictures?
One day I was looking through some of the poetry and short stories that I’ve written, and it dawned on me that I could potentially get the same message across in a different medium – photography, so I gave it a try and translated one of my poems into a photo series. Not only did I attempt to take photos that I felt had substance, but I also felt accomplished because I felt like a broke through the barrier I was faced with. Simultaneously, my photography was evolving into something that aligned closer with what brands are looking for – the ability to send a message through a photo, or series of photos.
It wasn’t long after, that I began analyzing some of my favorite writers, artists, movies, and tv shows to try and find ways to tell a similar message with my camera. Consuming these forms of art in a different light gave me a new source of inspiration, and a way to use different mediums to tell a story with photography, but most importantly, it gave my photography a purpose.
Story Over Everything
Like many of you, I’ve spent copious amounts of time watching YouTube tutorials. For me, lighting was the subject I became obsessed with. I would look at the work of many other photographers and the first thing I would think was – wow the photo must look so good because of how it was lit. This led me down a path of slowly accumulating a bunch of strobes and modifiers – which isn’t necessarily a bad thing in the long term when building a business in photography, but I became “lighting obsessed” so to speak.
I started with an off-camera flash and a trigger. I was so proud when I first managed to make my grey seamless (my second purchase) white for the first time from shooting a flash onto it. I quickly realized that the flash was limiting my potential after watching more YouTube videos on lighting, so I upgraded to the Profoto lighting system. Instantly I noticed a difference, mostly in ease of use, color consistency, and the best part (the strobe never misfired!) – But I definitely felt that buying into the Profoto system gave me an edge in lighting. I was using my Profoto b10 just about every day. Rembrandt lighting, check, Butterfly lighting (with a reflector, another purchase I made) check, Loop lighting – you get the idea. I realized I was improving, but I knew I was far from achieving the look some of my favorite photographers would produce, so I read more articles, watched more Youtube videos.
After attending a lighting workshop, I came to the conclusion that one light just wasn’t enough (real shocker there). Naturally, I bought a second light. Perhaps by now you are starting to see a trend, and keep in mind, throughout this purchasing process I was also purchasing lighting modifiers which can be quite expensive themselves. I’ll spare you the rest of the very predictable details and finish by saying I ended up with 4 lights, a plethora of modifiers, and was still unhappy with the look I was producing.
It wasn’t that the photos didn’t look technically well lit, the problem, which I think many others overlook as well, was the content. My photos were not saying anything other than – I spent money I could have been saving, on camera gear. The skill that my idols had that I needed wasn’t necessarily lighting, it was the ability to tell a story. I was shook by this discovery, and just how long it took for me to acknowledge it- I am a writer after all.
Soon after I realized the narrative was what was missing, I began to pick up on nuances in each Youtube video. A lot of professional photographers tend to dumb down the clarity and sharpness of their images in post-production, some of them add noise, and almost all of them dodge and burn. In essence, it wasn’t until I discovered how important being able to tell a story is that I discovered that you don’t need a state-of-the-art camera, or 8 strobes to accomplish that. Now don’t get me wrong, I still love my Profoto strobes and use them on just about every shoot, but now I ask - how will this help advance my story - whether that is creating a mood or conveying a certain emotion, adding depth to the image, or facilitating a grand narrative. So next time you get out there, ask yourself - what message do I want to convey?
Thoughts on the Fujifilm GFX 50s in the studio
I’ve been doing all of my studio shoots with the medium format Fujifilm GFX 100. So why am i testing the much older Fujifilm 50s? There have been a lot of critics of the GFX 100 on YouTube. Many of them have complained about the auto focus speed and shutter lag among other things. All the while, I’ve been happily shooting away with my camera. The auto focus, while not as snappy as something like the new Canon R5, is more than enough for me in the studio. In fact, I prefer to be more in control of the focus with back button AF, as opposed to continuous AF which i’ve found to be inconsistent in some cases with the most highly touted AF systems. And in terms of the type of shooting I do, and 5 frames per second is more than enough. Over the past year I have been testing a wide array of cameras, from crop sensor mirrorless, to older film and rangefinder cameras. Besides reaffirming my initial stance on being happy with the GFX 100 - having to manual focus and shoot with cameras with closer to one frame per second had sparked a curiosity to see whether or not a Fujifilm GFX 50s could hold up for me.
A few things i’ve noticed that I am happy with. Firstly, the battery grip, it’s great. I feel much more comfortable with the 50s and the battery grip in my hands then I do the battery grip the GFX 100 comes with. The camera is definitely lighter as well. Another thing I do like is the hump in the back. A lot of people criticize the hump, but it definitely reminds me of a modular style camera similar to Hasselblad or Phase One (hope Fuji comes out with their own soon).
A few things I dislike - First, the lack of a usb c port for tethering. There are ways to get around this, but we’re talking of a matter of convenience. It should come as no surprise as the camera is five years old, but still, it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Second, the Electronic Viewfinder lag. I’ve noticed that sometimes the EVF decides to act up and as a result there will be some significant latency in the EVF. This for me is a bit of a deal breaker as I am not an LCD shooter.
Few things I am indifferent about. 50 Megapixels. While 50MP is more than enough in most cases, what I notice with a 4x3 sensor is that unless I am shooting specifically for instagram, I am required to crop in post. In order to maintain a composition I am happy with, I have to sacrifice image quality. With the GFX 100 I’ve never worried about image degradation doing this, but with the 50, in some cases I have noticed it’s limitations. And yes, I could just shoot in a different aspect ratio, but part of the beauty with a 4x3 sensor is the composition.
Takeaway. What i’ve learned shooting with the Fujifilm GFX 50s is that for studio work it is still most definitely a viable option. The fact that the camera is five years old, yet still has features that I actually prefer over the flagship camera is quite impressive. I think that if Fujifilm came out with an update 50MP GFX camera, it would have my name written all over it.
Behind the Scenes from my shoot with the GFX 50s
Shot on the Fujifilm 50s with the Fujifilm GF 120mm f4 macro with a Profoto beauty dish as key and a guided b10 on the background as a separation light.
Shot with the Fujifilm GFX 50s and the 45mm f2.8 with a guided beauty dish as a key light and a large umbrella for a background light.
Is Film Viable in the Studio?
This is a question I've been asking myself more and more as time goes on. The "Film Look" has become quite a popular term amongst the photography community. The praise film receives is an interesting juxtaposition during a time where photoshop composites, CGI and heavy edited images dominate advertising. Our digital cameras are adept at communicating with state of the art strobes making the execution of very technical images much easier with digital. This was my first studio shoot using a film camera to supplement the digital images, and the results were surprising, despite the challenges.
No doubt, it is possible to add a flash, or strobe to a film camera, however - not all film cameras can use strobes, and not all strobes are compatible with all film cameras. In more complex lighting scenarios the photographer may need a light meter to find the correct lighting ratios for a given scene. And then there's the fact that you have no sample image to view to see whether or not you are achieving the look you desire. Some photographers use digital cameras to test the lighting first, and then switch to their film camera - however, we are talking about convenience here and whether or not it the look film provides is worth the extra effort. In other words, In order to answer whether or not film is viable one must ask how much they value convenience, and whether or not the look film produces outweighs the convenience of producing a digital image.
Below are two images from my most recent shoot. The first image was shot with 35 mm film and the second with a 100 megapixel medium format digital camera. Let's ignore the fact that my digital camera has a larger sensor than my film camera - and many film photographers who shoot studio portraits use a medium format film camera. How do you think the film photo holds up compared to the edited digital image?
Disclaimer, the film photo was not edited, and I did not have a compatible strobe or remote so I was limited to the modeling lights on my strobes - which meant less light was hitting the model.
In the digital image, the magenta and blue gels stand out as well as the smoke. I've dodged and burned the photo in photoshop and used tone curves, to name a few extra steps. While the two photos have different compositions, it is hard to refute the fact that the digital image is more technical, yet, there is something about the film image, I suppose, a "film look". The gradient from light to shadow is so subtle, maybe because of how well the grain sits on the image. The magenta gel has turned a bit red (probably due to the film stock) but is also more natural looking, and overall there is a nostalgic feeling to the image, which I suppose I was going for to begin with.
To answer the question of whether or not film is viable in the studio - it depends. Ask yourself what emotion or aesthetic you are trying to convey and whether or not film can help advance that vision. In this case, despite the composition maybe not being the best way of telling the story, I think that the qualities of film definitely helped convey a sense of nostalgia. Overall, I am happy with how the image turned out, and will definitely be using film in the studio to supplement my digital images in the future!
