A New Speciality?

I don’t post very often and lately what I’ve been shooting are jets and I guess more specifically, the Hawker 900XP. I just shot another one a couple weeks ago and here are a few of my favorites from the shoot

I’ve grown to really enjoy shooting these planes and also meeting the crew that help to move the plane around for me. I still remember the first time I was asked, “where do you want the plane?” and its a little less surprising to hear now but I appreciate the guys that take time out to help me position the plane where I need it for the best look.

The crew also helps to hook up the plane to power so I can get some light and A/C on in the interior however, they have yet to ask me to shoot the plane while in the air…still waiting for that request.

The interior was in really nice shape which definitely makes things easier when cleaning up images. Until the next one…

Hawker 900XP Jet at FRG Airport

Forgive me, my readers, as it has been a long time since I’ve posted. I may post things a little out of order but will post, nonetheless. This one is about a Hawker 900XP that was in need of some new images to advertise it for chartering.

I try to get some variation on the angle and as much as possible to get the plane away from other obstructions without needing to have help moving it multiple times.

This plane has seating for 5, plus the couch.

I think its always a nice touch to bring in flowers or glasses to make it more inviting. The crew I worked with on this shoot was nice enough to arrange this for me.

I can only imagine what its like to be piloting one of these in the air. Must be a rush.

Whiskey Anyone?

Over the years I’ve tried to be conscious of what I enjoy shooting. What would I shoot if I had complete control and could produce the content that I felt challenged by and can produce something that I’m proud of as an artist? For me, that is commercial work.

For this shoot, I had an idea to produce content that felt like it could be in a magazine or trade advertisement for a new passion of mine: whiskey.

Johanna was great to work with in helping me work through perspectives to capture the smell test. I wanted to add a bit of color so I accented the brick wall with a purple and green gel to add some visual interest. Just a slight turn from the model and a different color gel bring a very different feel between these.

I wanted to create a mood, an atmosphere that brought you in and made you want to be a part of it. In my research for this idea I found very few ads of women with whiskey so that was appealing to do something different from what you normally see.

Again experimenting with different lighting here. I have just two lights on Johanna. I had planned for a third but when I arrived to setup, one of my lights died so I had to make due with two.

Fitness Portfolio with Lance

On Tuesday mornings I take a class at 5:45AM with a bunch of other loyal attendees to workout with this guy.  Lance is full of energy, intense and focused on having fun while giving you the workout of your life.

The workout takes place at Lifetime Fitness, although I know he does training and classes at various gyms around NJ.

He was very gracious in front of the camera and we had a good laugh in between shots being taken as he came up with these very intense poses.  Looking at him here, he's not someone you'd want to end up on his bad side however, he's the nicest guy you'd ever want to meet.

This is the first of hopefully more trainers and fitness professionals I'll be able to shoot with in the coming months.  Looking forward to more.

e-Commerce Clothing Shoot

Tamasha-Knit, a Persian based company, asked me to shoot their holiday line.  The company is a family run business and was founded by two sisters.  Priya was my contact for this shoot and she was fantastic to work with.  We spent a lot of time up front talking about the look she wanted and how we would achieve it.

One of the first aspects of the shoot was to choose a model.  I gave them a couple choices based on people I had worked with in the past.  As luck would have it, I had only worked with Cassandra one other time but she proved to be as great selling clothing as she did kicking sand around during some beach volleyball.  The client loved her as well!

I think it really comes across in the images that these colors and fabrics and really nice to wear and look at. Cassandra incorporated some fun movement into each of the items and I just tried to catch it.  

As we got further into the shoot, we had a pretty quick rhythm that we established to make the most of each piece, get something from the front, side and back and move onto the next piece.

In addition to the heavier material, there were also some light-weight scarfs that had some amazing colors to them.

As a part of their holiday line, they are also making travel blankets and the accessories that go with those sets like a pillow and mask.  Overall, such a fun shoot and always great to work with new clients.  I look forward to the next line we can capture together.

Handbag Advertising Shoot

This year I had a very specific goal to execute several advertising shoots during the course of 2017 to show the execution of a concept to delivery of images.  This is the second in this series.  The first was a jewelry shoot featuring some David Yurman pieces.  This one is all about the handbag!

I selected two bags that inspired me and worked with Brittany Rendon again to style the shoot based on the feel I wanted. The first shown here was a Michael Kors bag.  I love how the expression of love for this bag comes through on Erke's face.  Effrosyni also did a great job with hair and make-up changes throughout the day!

The great styling work from Brittany really shines through on the pieces above.  We also featured a variety of sunglasses to enhance the look on some of the images.  Erke effortlessly works a variety of poses to showcase the bag and the clothing to give a sense of fun I was imagining when first thinking about this shoot. 

I had to put this jumping image on its own.  Wow!  You should have seen the air this girl was catching and looking so effortless with bag in hand.  Special thanks to Olya for her attention to detail in cleaning up these images to look magazine ready.

The next bag was a Louis Vuitton that I thought had a very cool look to it. This one is called the Kimono just in case you'd like to get one.

So, Erke is a model but also an accomplished dancer.  I worked with her on a previous shoot when I first discovered her jumping skills and brought her back for this gig.  I leave you with a few more of her catching some air with Louis. Awesome shoot. Great team!

Model: Erke Roosen
Stylist: Brittany Rendon
Hair + MUA: Effrosyni Pimenidis
Assistant: Achim Harding
Retouching: Olya Bro 
Photographer: Darrin Estep

Jewelry Advertising Product Shoot

One of most important goals I have for my business each year is to continue to push myself creatively and do personal work that's inspiring and challenging.  Its also very important to me to work with a team of people you respect and trust.  This is the first in a series of shoots this year that will showcase my ability to build out an idea, find the right team to collaborate with, and execute on that vision.  In my opinion, when these elements come together it can take the final output to the next level.

For this shoot, I developed a concept inspired by a well known jewelry designer and collection I was drawn to.  I built a creative brief and explored what would be featured, how I would display the jewelry to convey a feeling and emotion.  I wanted it to feel effortless while being very intentional.

One of the most important roles in my creative team was the stylist.  Brittany was a referral from the make-up artist (MUA), Lyndsey.  Her role is critical to helping bringing a rough idea to life and tell the story.  Its also critical to have a MUA that can deliver on what's planned and a model that can interpret the direction given and add her own bit as well.  Everyone is an essential part of the team.

The storyline here follows three parts: 1) Preparing for a night out 2) The night out itself and 3) Reflection.  The first two images above represent the preparation.  Everyone gets ready with this much bling on, right?

The classic little black dress (LBD) helps feature a variety of the pieces we had for this shoot.  We simply turned it around for a different perspective.  Another aspect I explored in terms of the final output is color or black & white.  Which do you like better?

With the level of detail and scrutiny I've given to these images it gives me an appreciation for the final results.  There's a LOT of work that goes into the planning and executing of a shoot like this.  I really love it though.  All of it.

Finally the "reflection" image.  What I've gathered here are a small sample of the great images that came from this day.  As I mentioned above, I worked with a team of people that I want to thank and recognize for their contribution to this project.

Model: Stephanie Damiano
Stylist: Brittany Rendon
MUA: Lyndsey Ariel
Assistant: Tom Spota
Retouching: Olya Bro 
Photographer: Darrin Estep

Laundrylux Laundromat - The Bronx

I know I say it a lot but I'll say it again.  I love referrals and repeat business.  This, to me, is so important.  This was the second laundromat shoot I've done now for Laundrylux which manufacturers commercial laundry equipment.  The first one was in Queens and this time I was in The Bronx to shoot a location that was just about to open.

I wish I would have counted the number of people that stopped by this location to ask, "Are you guys open yet?" while I was shooting this space.  It was impressive and there's obviously demand for it in the neighborhood.  The space is GIANT (as the name indicates), clean and new and ready for your laundry needs.

Pictured here was Jim.  He was my contact at this location and one of the owners of the space.  Super nice guy and I wish him all the success in the opening of this beautiful location.

Laundrylux washing machines at Queens Laundromat

I was recently hired to photograph a laundromat in Queens to help support the manufacturers, Laundrylux marketing effort for both current and future laundromat owners.  I was connected with the owner of this location and we agreed on a date to shoot.

On the night before the shoot, it was raining...hard. The next morning, no change.  Fortunately, there were only a few shots I needed outside. 

There was a brief reprieve from the rain so I took advantage to get shots of the exterior.  The location is on a pretty busy street relatively close to the LGA airport.  Once back inside, I knew the key to this shoot was to get the color right.  When fluorescent lights are used, they throw off a green cast that isn't terribly visible until you compare it to other light.  So for each of the locations in the store, I would reset my white balance on the camera using a card to ensure I was capturing an accurate, balanced color from each section of the store. 

This shoot went well and the people involved in the shoot were great to work with.  I definitely look forward to shooting additional locations with this group.

Lifestyle stock video shoot

Recently, I helped put together a shoot for Tom, a friend I’ve worked with at Shutterstock, to shoot some lifestyle video to be sold as stock footage.  We started planning this in late summer and settled on a date when we could all get together.  Tom lives in a nice neighborhood in Manhattan so to keep it simple we shot in his apartment and just outside the building near the water.

The model on the shoot was Stephanie Damiano.  I worked with her 2 years ago when she was toward the beginning of her adult modeling career.  Since that time, she’s done very well for herself.  She’s currently in 3 films, had TV appearances and other exciting projects in addition to  being an NYU student.  Samantha Linn was the MUA that had worked with Stephanie in the past and joined us on set.  She was great to work with as well.  

Stephanie texting face-timing on camera

Anyway, onto the shoot.  I brought my Movi to the shoot to have Tom try it out.  We planned for some fairly static shots and some that included movement and the Movi gives you this fantastic, smooth feel to the shot.  While Tom was shooting the scene below, I was able to snap a few stills of Stephanie eating this fruit plate.  She did great in making it look like she was really enjoying it.   I’ll update this post once the final clips are posted for sale.

Stephanie enjoying "the best fruit ever"

Great crew and super fun shoot!

Update: Here's a link to the videos.

BTS: Stride Video Shoot

Okay, maybe the behind the scenes (BTS) material should come after the project but I have it now so I'm sharing it.  

Aldric (upper left), Darrin, Theresa, Lucille (lower left), Ian, Mike, Lucille (right)

A couple months ago I was contacted to put together a video that highlights what its like to work at Stride, an agile consultancy based in New York City.  We're shooting this in two parts.  First, we interviewed three employees, plus the Head Of Talent, Lucille to introduce the video for us.

Theresa (left), Darrin/Theresa (middle), Jenna (right)

There were three of us working the shoot this time.  Myself, Theresa, and Jenna.  While Theresa and I were shooting, Jenna grabbed shots of our talent and the crew working the scene.  Great stuff!  Soon we'll be shooting the second part of the video which will include some more interviews and a company meeting.  Stay tuned for updates on the finished video.

Darrin (upper left with Jenna in the lens reflection), Theresa (lower left), Ian & Mike (right)

I was fortunate enough to have some great help on this shoot:
Theresa Keil: 2nd shooting, video interviews
Jenna Fernandez: BTS shots + assistant

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Twitter -> https://twitter.com/destep001 

Commercial Work: Drive-Thru Systems for VGS

I love when new challenges come my way.  A couple months ago, I stopped by the offices of VGS (Visual Graphic Systems) to provide a quote to photograph a set of drive-thru systems.  There were four separate "systems" in place that each have components that can be swapped out for advertising purposes.  VGS has their systems in a warehouse, which is great for shooting indoor however, it presents its own set of challenges with mixed lighting, reflection and framing the objects with enough contrast that they can be cut-out and delivered as a Photoshop layer. 

I was very fortunate to have some help.  Theresa, who has worked with me on many shoots, helped from the planning to the execution and I can't thank her enough.  Also, all the VGS staff was very accommodating when it came to helping with moving items and blocking out light from some windows.

A couple of the systems I'll highlight here are the Dunkin Drive-Thru and a VGS exclusive drive-thru system called "Burger Bar".  They've put a lot of effort into making and building this system that has a lot of great humor.  They note, "Don't touch / 8'6" / The Bun" on the top of the Welcome Bar.  On the menu, one portion reads, "Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner".  This particular system has a digital menu component on the right side that rotates different signage as you wait to place your order. Here's what the whole system looks like. 

Burger Bar Drive-Thru system with digital menu system

Another system we shot was for Dunkin'.  Its amazing how many little things you notice about what's in and around this system when you look at everything blown-up to 500%. 

Dunkin' Donuts Drive-Thru System

Great clients (thanks Anna & Shannon) and fun, challenging work.  I look forward to additional opportunities with VGS.

Bottle & Bottega Studio Images

I first shot this space last July, when it opened.  I was asked back to photograph the updates to the space.  Rupa, the owner, has remained very busy since she opened and the evidence is on the walls.  There are so many great pieces in this space that weren’t there before.  It's looking great!

There are two sides to the space.  What’s shown above are both sides of the studio.  There’s plenty of seating to accommodate large parties. More shots of the interior here...

It's not common for me to work in Photoshop however, for this exterior shot, I saw the potential in the original image.  We planned this shoot on a Sunday night as it was the most likely time when we wouldn’t have someone parked in front of the building.  We were both disappointed to see that there was one car was parked in front during the shoot.  I continued to shoot inside but the sun was starting to go down and the lighting was nice outside.  Clock was ticking.  I took some shots with the car in front just in case but fortunately, the owner of the car arrived and left.  I quickly snapped the shot on the left and cleaned it up to become the image on the right.

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Video: Aspen Landscaping Advertisement

Aspen is leader in full-solution commercial landscaping in the NJ/NY area.  They have just added an irrigation division to their business and I was hired to shot an advertisement announcing this new venture.  

I worked with Mark (the project manager) and Angelo (spokesperson) to produce the video.  This was the first time they had ever put together a video like this and it was fun working through the requirements and messaging with them to arrive at this final product.  From what I understand from them, this is also pretty unusual in the landscape business to have a video like this so this should be a nice differentiator for Aspen Landscaping.

Noise

I've had the recent pleasure to shoot some corporate gigs with my friend Joe.  This session was at a company called Noise.   Nice group of people.  They are an agency that focuses on creating campaigns, products and content for the young adult market.  They've recently taken on an engagement with Joe to bring Scrum practices to their organization.  Here are a few of the images from the shoot.

I also got some environmental images as well.  Since they're called "Noise", they of course, had a turn table in the office.  Of course.

A little piece of [photography] history

There's so much information to consume these days that you have to be selective about what you choose to spend time keeping up with.  For photography, there are only a handful of photographers I follow on a regular basis.  One of those photographers is Chase Jarvis.  He's a commercial photographer that has done a lot to bring a sense of community to photographers around the world and oh, by the way, he take some pretty great pictures too.

A recent project was of interest to me to check out, especially since it's being displayed in NYC and now that I'm working again in the city, its pretty easy for me to get to. Yesterday at lunch, I made the trek to the Ace Hotel to check out the "Dasein: an invitation to hang" display.  Its a collection of snap shots from around the world, hand picked by Chase and placed in this gallery space for people to take it all in and contribute either in person or virtually.  To some extent, it takes on the next step to a "Best Camera" app his team also developed.  Fun stuff.

Here's a couple pictures I took of what the display looked like...