News and events from snapfactory

L-R Floyd Bannister, Brian Smyth, Ryan NeVille, Gwen Lindvig, Craig Bolton, Amanda Castillo, Jade Hannah, Nico Nguyen, Chuck King, Lilach Shokargi. Seated: Mark Wallace (they made me do it). Not pictured: Diane Wallace, Chad Westover and Jeff Caroli.

I had a terrific time hanging out with a great group of people this past weekend. Floyd Bannister opened the doors of Loft 19 and allowed us to play in his 10,000 square foot playground, um, studio. Students were able to use Pro 7 packs, ringflashes, gigantic parabolic umbrellas, a huge 35 cyc, magnum reflectors, grids, beauty dishes, Compact lights, Acute packs, and many other tools I’m sure I’m forgetting. The Loft 19 experience is something that’s hard to match in any studio.

We began the weekend with me teaching students about the qualities of light and how you can use different light shaping tools to create specific lighting styles. We followed that by setting up a basic 3 light setup. We then began to experiment with different lighting designs and students were encouraged to experiment and create their own. And create they did! Here are a couple of shots from our students. Great work guys!

Jade as shot by Brian Smyth. Image copyright 2009 Brian Smyth

Jade as shot by Chuck King. Image copyright 2009 Chuck King.

Gwen as shot by Nico Nguyen. Image copyright 2009 Nico Nguyen.

Jade as shot by Ryan NeVille. Image copyright 2009 Ryan NeVille.

Our two-day Illumine workshop is in full swing and I thought I’d post just a few photos of the experience so far. This mega-studio lighting class is being held at Loft 19, and because it’s larger than our own snapfactory studio, allows for multiple set-ups at the same time. We have three models, two assistants and a Lot of cameras! Take a look:

Mark Wallace teaching studio lighting theory at Loft 19 in Phoenix

students Lillic & Niko on set with Mark (I hope I spelled your names correctly guys!)

student Niko shooting model Amanda with a giant parabolic umbrella at Loft 19

I’m looking forward to seeing what the students learned – and photographed- during the weekend. I’ve already gotten a few previews and have been really impressed with them. It’s also really great to see students learning not just from us, but also helping and inspiring each other= everyone just gets better! If you’re in Phoenix and are interested in learning about photography and studio lighting, check out our workshop schedule at classes.snapfactory.com (or click on any of these photos).

A huge thank you also goes to Loft 19! It’s an amazing studio and I love working there. If you need to rent a place for photography or video (they’re soundproofed and can do a full green cyc!) you need to check them out: www.Loft19.com.

ok- on to the photo reviews!

In cooperation with the Tempe Chamber of Commerce social media workshop series I’m assisting in teaching, I’m offering a really smokin’ deal for headshots for business owners to use in their social media profiles (or anywhere online): 

On either June 8 or June 22, I’ll be at Bunna Coffee (NWC of Rural and Elliot Roads in Tempe, AZ) doing new photos for $50! Included in the price is one photo in an avatar size- I’ll email you the file so you can use it anyplace online that you want. (If you would like to get a larger print-size file, that’s available at an additional price.) 

Please email me if you’re interested in this promotion for more information or to get scheduled: diane at snapfactory dot com.

Two weeks ago Diane and I were given a tour of the print shop at AdoramaPix in New York City. We met Ingrid a few weeks ago on twitter (@AdoramaPix) and she invited us to stop by when we were in town.

Mark and Ingrid in the print shop at AdoramaPix.

We were very impressed by the quality of the prints, but two things really stood out to us. The first – everything is hand made. Every print is individually inspected, color corrected, and handled by a human. Every single one. It’s amazing the detail these guys give to quality control.

Diane was blown away by the photo books. These books have a binding that allows every page to lie absolutely flat. There is no gutter – none at all. You can put a bride and groom smack in the middle of a two page spread with no worries.

A close up view of the photo book binding.

If you’re looking for a great place to print books, posters, and more the I highly suggest you check out AdoramaPix! Also make sure you follow @AdoramaPix on Twitter for special offers and tips.