News and events from snapfactory

I made the last trip to the old studio today.  Everything is finally moved out and at home in our new location in Phoenix.  Diane and I are both excited to be out of the Tempe studio.  We won’t miss the constant sound of jets flying over our heads, the crumbling building, the leaky roof, or the dumpster just outside the front door.

I know, I’m making it sound worse than it really was.  The old place was a fun location with lots of character and we were happy to have a home in Tempe.  Unfortunately the management company didn’t keep the building in good condition and the business park started to go sour soon after we moved in.  Two months ago the entire business park was sold and new management took over.  But it was too late, the damage had been done and we’d already decided to move to Phoenix.

Goodbye Suite 111.  Thanks for all the memories.

A last look at the studio in Tempe.  I shot this with my iPhone just before walking out the door.

This hole is where we built our makeup counter.  We took that with us.

One of the things I won’t miss at all; the dumpster right outside our front door.

And as a tribute to the old space here’s a video from 2006.  I think it shows everything in the studio except the bathroom.  You may also recognize Lilli and Amanda from previous posts.

Yesterday my friend Bill gave me a very cool gift; a Brownie Junior Six-20!  The camera is in terrific condition and I can’t wait to get some film and start playing.  Maybe I can take some shots worthy of Light Leaks magazine.

My “new” Brownie Junior.

We’ve been busy moving all of our equipment from the old studio to the new studio.  We’re still waiting for the new furniture and a bunch of odds and ends before we call it finished.  I took a “break” during our busy weekend and shot a few photos for my portfolio.  Since Diane was busy working on a shoot at ASU I asked Caroline Diep to come along and assist.  She did a fantastic job.

Our model, Angela, was terrific to work with and we got some stellar shots.  I’ll post a few once I’ve finished with the post-production work.  Here are a couple of shots from my iPhone.

With 60 feet of shooting space we were able to add some color to the background and drop it out of focus for a quick and easy glamour look.  I had a bunch of lights shooting toward the camera so I had to use a lot of flags.

My super helpful assistant, Caroline, who is normally in front of the camera.  She’s a Ford Model and it was a trip having her help out.  Thanks Caroline!

Our first Photoshop class is now up and running!  After years of requests we’re finally in a space that allows us to offer Photoshop classes.  Our first workshop is a three session series titled “Photoshop Basics”.

The cost is $150 per student.  The workshop meets Monday evenings from 6:30–8:30pm, June 2–16, 2008.

The perfect workshop series for Photoshop beginners. This class assumes that you are new to Photoshop and want to learn how to retouch and adjust your images.

This three session workshop is a comprehensive overview of Photoshop. By the end of this workshop you’ll have the skills you need to edit your images using Photoshop CS3.

These sessions are jam packed with hands-on activities which allow you to learn by doing. The first session covers the interface, tools, and menus. The second session explains some more advanced topics including layers, masks, and sharpening. The third session puts all of your new skills to use as you retouch a portrait and scenic photograph.

Click here for more information or you can enroll right now.

I don’t like to steal anyone’s thunder, but I had a blast shooting at the Construction Expo today at Phoenix Convention Center. So I’m just going to post a couple that I was having fun with instead of the people and stuff going on (at least until the Expo gets the images first!)

I actually met up with some old friends there (from my former corporate life) and made some new ones too. I’m very appreciative of Harley Bonham for referring me to do this one for him… as of last night, Harley is a proud new papa! Congratulations again Harley & Julie, and welcome to the world Reagan Elizabeth!