Category Archives: photography

Interesting Reading for Photographers

Since photography is an interest of mine, I have found several books by highly respected experts in the field that are on my “to read list”. I will keep on adding new ones to this post, based on recommendations by others as well as reputations of the authors.

1. Professional Model Portfolios: A Step-by-Step Guide for Photographers is a book by Billy Pegram that reveals various techniques which photographers can implement to create high impact model portfolios. Billy Pegram shares his knowledge of the modeling industry, as well as agency requirements. With a 4.5/5 star rating on Amazon, this book can help both models and photographers achieve the results they would like.

2. Posing Techniques for Photographing Model Portfolios by Billy Pegram. This book reveals how to work with models, and how to contribute to a successful photo session. It is useful for photographers and models looking to create editorial fashion shots, athletics, glamour or nude photography, and shots designed to show curves, reveal personality, or showcase the hands, hair, or legs.

3. Christopher Grey’s Studio Lighting Techniques for Photography: Tricks of the Trade for Professional Digital Photographers has been well-received by intermediate and advanced photographers. It explores the fundamentals of lighting as well as teaches how to solve various lighting problems.

4. The Digital Photography Book by Scott Kelby reveals “how to take pro-quality shots using the same tricks today’s top digital pros use” (Amazon description). It has a 4.5/5 star rating on Amazon, and has achieved praise from photographers of all levels. Scott Kelby is currently President of the National Association of Photoshop Professionals (NAPP) and Editor-in-Chief of both Photoshop User and Layers magazines.

5. The Adobe Photoshop CS5 Book for Digital Photographers (Voices That Matter) is another book by Scott Kelby. On Amazon, a customer called it “the mother of all things Photoshop”. It currently has a 5 star rating, and teaches Photoshop users how to retouch images in order to make them look their best.

6. The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3 Book for Digital Photographers (Voices That Matter) is yet another one of the many books by the highly-respected Scott Kelby, master of retouching. This book teaches the fundamentals of Lightroom, as well as step-by-step guides to using Lightroom

7. Understanding Exposure, 3rd Edition: How to Shoot Great Photographs with Any Camera is written by Bryan Peterson, who is a professional photographer, internationally known instructor, and the bestselling author of several other photography books. This book teaches how to take great photos anytime anywhere, as well as explains the relationship between aperture and shutter speed. You will also learn how to properly expose your photos in what many people would call “impossible lighting situations”.

8. Outdoor Glamour Photography: The Complete Digital Guide to Taking Successful Outdoor Glamour Photographs by Bill Lemon. Bill Lemon’s book explains step-by-step how to create beautiful images when it comes to outdoor photography. Some of the things you will learn about are: lighting, location scouting for various models, and depth of field, best times to shoot, and much more.

9. The Photographer’s Eye: Composition and Design for Better Digital Photos by Michael Freeman. This book explains how to create beautiful, visually-stimulating images. A well-composed shot is aesthetically pleasing, and almost anyone can learn how to see and create great digital photographs.

10. Complete Digital Photography, Fifth Edition by Ben Long.This book teaches the theory and technical skills that are needed in order to take great photos.

11.Lighting Techniques for Photographing Model Portfolios: Strategies for Digital Photographers by Billy Pegram. This book has had several good reviews by photographers who are interested in learning some lighting techniques. Billy Pegram is a well respected photographer and has written several books.

12. The Complete Photographer by Tom Ang. This book talks about how to photograph absolutely everything, from fashion to nature to architecture and everything in between. The book is based on different tutorials for different genres of photography and encourages photographers to develop their own style. Tom Ang is a highly respected photographer who has worked as a photo editor for many magazines.

If you have read any photography books that you feel should be added to this list, please let me know, either by posting a comment, or contacting me through my website. Also, please let me know why you liked and what you didn’t like about the book.

Preparation for Photoshoots: Photographers

There are several things that photographers should remember to do when they are preparing for a photoshoot. A lot of the upcoming points will appear to be “common sense trivial things”, but it is not uncommon for photographers (and models alike) to forget a few things in the midst of organizing and preparing for a photoshoot. Preparing for a photoshoot, especially for those who are new, can have its challenges. Considering that we are all human, we all make mistakes and forget things, and that’s just life. 🙂

Please note that this article is mostly directed towards newer photographers. As a newer photographer myself, I did a little bit of research on what a photographer can do to prepare for a shoot.

The other day, I wrote a blog post on what a model can do to prepare for a photoshoot, which can be found by clicking HERE

1. Make sure you know how to use your equipment and are familiar with all the features of your camera. If you have a new camera or lighting equipment, read the instruction manuals. There is nothing worse than coming to a shoot, where the photographer is blindly fidgeting with the camera, not knowing how to adjust the settings.

2. Study up on some lighting techniques. For example, Billy Pegram’s book called Lighting Techniques for Photographing Model Portfolios: Strategies for Digital Photographers has had several good reviews from photographers and is worth a read.

3. When you contact a model about a shoot, be sure to include details of the shoot. Such details include, but are not limited to: proposed date and time of the shoot, location, type of shoot (fashion, glamour, lingerie, swimwear, etc), compensation (TFP or paid), and whether or not there will be a make-up artist or hairstylist present. That information is important, because it allows a model to do her part of the preparation for a shoot. The more information, the better.

4. When planning a photoshoot, include a contact number, so that the model can call you if needed. Also, have the model’s (and other team members’) phone number. It’s always best to talk to everyone involved prior to a shoot. Additionally, it’s a lot easier to discuss shoots over the phone as opposed to endless emails.

5. 24-48 hours before a shoot, confirm to make sure that the shoot is still on. This includes, having talked to the model on the phone. Also, make sure that your own phone is charged before the shoot, so that people can get ahold of you for any reason.

6. If you are shooting away from your home/studio (or out of town) bring snacks and water. It’s always good to be energized and hydrated for photoshoots.

7. When you contact a model (or when shooting, or when you’re on the phone), do not bore models with some long-winded explanation about the artistic meaning of the images you have in the portfolio and how much of an artist you are. If you truly are an artist, you don’t need to keep saying it-people will see it.

8. For shoots on location, it is best to scout out the location before you decide to bring the model out there. For example, if you are shooting at a park, check to see when the least busy times are to prevent interruptions. Also, some locations may require permits, so be aware of that before you start shooting.

9. Bring spare and charged batteries for your camera, and for any wireless flash devices that you may have. Also, bring an extra memory card, because you might end up taking more images and shooting longer than you’d planned.

10. If you are going outside to shoot, check the forecast, and dress for the weather. If it’s hot and sunny, bring sunscreen and lots of water. If it will be wet and rainy (it’s probably best to shoot on a different day). However, if the forecast says there’s a chance of rain, bring a raincoat and a spare change of clothes.

11. Always test your camera. Keep practicing photography before you plan any formal photoshoots. It’s also always good to know that your camera and lights are working properly before you start shooting.

12. Make sure that you have all your photography equipment and accessories in an organized place. See if you need any filters, sync cords, USB wires, different lenses, extension cords, etc (depending on the circumstances of the shoot).

If you believe that I’ve left something out, please feel free to add it in the comments section, or comment on my Facebook Page.
That way, more people can refer to it later on.

Thank you for reading,
Aviva

Fashions on the Streets of Victoria, BC

The other day, I decided to go for a walk downtown Victoria, to see if I can find any interesting people to photograph. Unfortunately, the lighting wasn’t the greatest, and the camera that I was using is only good for snapshot quality images. However, a heavy professional camera would have been impractical for the day, as I was shopping, and walking around in the scorching heat.

I was walking up Government street, and right as I was about to turn onto Johnson Street to go check out some of the local boutiques, I spotted a beautifully dressed tourist, and I approached her.

She was from Santa Barbara, and was on vacation in Victoria (good choice!). She stated that her colourful dress was Italian, and that instead of paying $350 for it, she paid $80. Additionally, her beautiful Mariano Orlandi purse only cost her $200 as opposed to $600. She got her stunning high heel shoes at Nine West. Nine West, from what I’ve seen, often have deals on shoes. 🙂

Above: Tourist from Santa Barbara.

The next image was taken as I was walking down Douglas Street on the same day.
The girl had just walking out of a cafe, and I took a quick snap of her because I liked the colourful dress that she was wearing.
Below: Local girl walking down the street.

Both ladies were flattered to be approached for a photo.
I am definitely hoping to get out more often, and photograph more people, wearing clothes that I like. 🙂

Cheers,
Aviva

How to Prepare For A Photoshoot for Models


Image Credit: Photo-IMS Photographic, MUA/HairStylist-Mallory McGowan

There are several things that a model can do in order to help make a photoshoot run smoothly. Sure, the photographer’s job is to take good photos, but most photoshoots are two-way streets (that’s not including shoots that involve make-up artists, assistants, hair stylists, and wardrobe people). Regardless of who is getting paid,

Here are some things that a model can do to prepare for a shoot:

1. Make sure that you have the photographer’s (stylist’s, MUA’s, etc) phone number.(Emails are not enough) If you are going to be late, you should call to let them know that you are not simply flaking out. People put a lot of time and energy into preparing for a shoot.

2. Have a list of things that you need for a photoshoot ahead of time. With that in mind, ask the photographer (or whoever is creating the concept) to let you know what you should bring, and then bring some extras. What I mean by extras is a few more changes of wardrobe, shoes, etc.

3. If you are doing your own make-up, be sure to bring your make-up kit with you. Even if you do your make-up at home, bringing your kit to the shoot allows for touch-ups if necessary.

4. If you are shooting lingerie, esp if it’s see through, be sure to cut the tags/labels off. It adds work for the photographer when he/she is finishing the photos in post production.

5. Look at a few magazines that show the style of images that you are looking to get. For example, if you want fashion images, check out the models’ poses and expressions in Vogue, Elle., Harper’s Bazaar, and 125 Magazine. If you do glamour/bikini/fitness/lingerie, check out Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition, Maxim, FHM, Oxygen, and Playboy. Magazines, catalogs, ads-study the poses and expressions. There is a reason why those photos are used that way, and that reason is-the photos are aesthetically pleasing and easy to look at.

6. It’s not enough to just look at magazines. You should try some of the poses that you like before your photoshoot. The reason for that is because no matter how beautiful you are, not every pose/expression will suit you. Look at your poses/expressions in the mirror, practice, practice, practice. Then again, even if something looks good in the mirror, it may not look good in a photo due to the difference in angles between the way you looked at yourself in the mirror and the angle at which the photographer captured it.

7. Take care of your nails. Get them done. No, I don’t mean spend $100 on a manicure/pedicure. I mean, trim them accurately, and paint them a nice colour.

8. Wax/shave your legs, bikini line, and armpits. Unless the concept is au naturelle nude photographs, it is probably a good idea to always remove unnecessary body hair. Also, do not wax/shave right before the shoot, or else you’ll have razor burn/red marks from doing so, which add more unnecessary retouching work for the photographer. It’s best to just keep shaved/waxed. 😉

9. Drink water and avoid salty foods and alcohol for at least 3 days before the shoot. You don’t want to appear dehydrated and hung-over in your photos.

10. Get plenty of sleep before your shoot (and no partying). Eight hours is usually what most people need to feel well rested. If you are tired, have dark circles, and bags under your eyes, you will not look your best in your photos.

11. If you’re bringing props/accessories, prepare everything that you need to bring to the shoot the night before it. Have a checklist of things you need, and check them off as you put them into your suitcase/duffel bag that you take to shoots. This almost eliminates the chance of forgetting something when you go to your shoot, not to mention prevents the unnecessary stress the day of the shoot when you’re running late and have not packed yet.

12. If you’re shooting outside, and the forecast predicts heat and sun, bring sunscreen, water and a towel. Also, it’s helpful to bring make-up with you to the location, in case you need to do some touch ups, after you sweat it off.

13. Before you leave your house, make sure that you know exactly where you are going and where you’re meeting the photographer/team. There is nothing worse than not knowing where to meet everyone, and appearing like a flake because you couldn’t find the rest of the people and didn’t have any phone numbers to contact them.

14. Whether you’re driving, taking a cab, bussing, or walking, leave a little bit earlier than you think you should. You never know when traffic will prevent you from being on time, or some other mishap will cost you some time.

15. If you have nude coloured underwear, bring it just in case you’re wearing see through items, and you’re not comfortable having them see through.

16. If there are any accessories that you are bringing, make sure they are packed nicely, so you are not going through a mess of tangled up necklaces looking for the right one to use.

17. Have the “How?”, “What?”, “When?”, “Where?” “Who?” of the photoshoot figured out, and preferably in writing BEFORE the shoot. Is the shoot TF or Paid? What is the purpose of the shoot? Where will it be? When are you supposed to be there? (don’t accidentally mix up the dates)Who else will be there? (will there be other people around, as in hair/make-up/etc.)

I hope this was helpful. If you have any other points to add, please use the comment section, or simply comment via my Facebook Page.

Thank you for reading,
Aviva

Featured Business: Empress Jade Vintage, Online Vintage Clothing Retailer

I had the pleasure of working with and interviewing Lynn, the owner of Empress Jade Vintage.
Lynn is a fun person to be around, and she is very good at styling clothing and directing models.
I have worked with Lynn on several occasions, and have seen her large inventory of beautiful and unique vintage clothing.

The following image is from our most recent photoshoot for Empress Jade Vintage.

Credits: Photo-IMS Photographic, Make Up-Gracee Blair, Models-Gracee, Myself, ShayRae,Wardrobe/Styling-Empress Jade Vintage

When I asked Lynn to tell me more about her business, this is what she said:

I started selling vintage full time about 4 years ago but I was dabbling in it for a number of years beforehand. Like most vintage sellers I started selling when my own personal collection of stuff got out of hand. When I was your age I was interested in avant garde and theatrical fashion and never found what I was looking for in the malls so it was easier to carve out a unique look by incorporating some vintage elements. I found that vintage clothing offered exceptional style at a fraction of the cost of new and many older garments are simply made better with finer fabric and details. Modern clothes rely on stretch fabric for fit but vintage garments are darted and seamed to follow the curves of a woman’s body. Many women prefer the tailored womanly fit of vintage clothes.

Empress Jade Vintage sells mostly fun inexpensive women’s fashion focusing mainly on the 50s to the 80s, with the occasional piece that is 40s or older. You won’t find too many basics in our store; I prefer to offer crazy prints, bright colors, sexy cuts and things that make a women stand out of the crowd. Empress Jade’s target market is hip, urban woman aged 18 to 30. We also sell a lot of vintage lingerie and our customers are just as likely to wear a vintage slip or a nighty out as clubwear instead of wearing them as undergarments. Surprisingly I do not sell very much locally; 99% of my sales are outside of Canada with the majority of sales from big city centers like LA, New York, London, Paris. I sell strictly online and right now have stores on both Etsy and Ebay. I do think there is room in Victoria for a brick and morter vintage clothing store, and I have certainly considered opening one over the years, but for me an online business offers a lot of flexibility and it fits my lifestyle. For the future I hope to expand my advertising efforts and re-launch my own website in the Fall.

You can check out Empress Jade Vintage onFacebook and
Twitter
Shop at Empress Jade Vintage on Etsy, and Ebay

I wish Lynn all the best with Empress Jade Vintage, and I always look forward to working with her.

Thank you for reading,
Aviva

Kevin Lee Baldwin Interview: Clothing Designer, Team Force One Apparel

Kevin Lee Baldwin is one of two fashion designers who are involved in the creation of the clothing line called Team Force One Apparel. His partner’s name is Amos Walters. Throughout their careers, they have received positive feedback and have participated in several fashion shows.

I am thrilled to have been able to interview Kevin about his fashion line. He and his partner have put in a lot of effort, and the clothing looks unique and comfortable.

AVIVA: How did you get started with clothing design?
KEVIN BALDWIN: Ever since I can remember I was a bit of an artist. I would draw and sketch just about every chance I could get. I believe that when I was in the fifth and sixth grades that I started paying more attention to the clothing I was placing on the caricatures in my artwork. I eventually became obsessed with creating all types of men’s clothing designs and decided to take a sewing class when I was in the 7th grade so that I could make some of the clothes I was sketching. My mother is a skilled seamstress and with her guidance I learned to alter the fist pattern I ever worked with in my first and last sewing class to create a nice piece of work that my class instructor praised. Unfortunately my father was not very pleased to see one of his only two sons (I had four sisters and one brother), sitting at the sewing machine when he came home from work. He hit the roof and I had to quit my desire to learn how to sew. From that day on, whenever I needed an outfit to perform in (because I was also a young musician and singer), I would draw my designs and my mother would do the actual labor. After High school, I quit creating apparel designs and focused on performing with my bands and attended collage at the University of Washington, (studying of all things Sociology and Psychology). I designed a few outfits for my two different bands during my musical carrier and that was it for many years. (1981 or 1982)

AVIVA:How long have you been designing clothes
KB: I did not start up designing again until around 1997 when my friend and now also business partner Amos Walter and I were working with at risk youths as Track and Field coaches. So from 1997 until now thirteen years of serious design. (not including the younger years.

AVIVA: Why did you come up with the name “Team Force One Apparel” for your company?
KB: The program we were working with did not pay for the uniforms of the children who were participating, so if their parents could not afford the uniforms, those children did without. Amos and I decided to create some Track body suits for boys and girls. So we talked about it and sketched some ideas and I drew up the final designs. From there, we created uniform designs for another Track & Field Program and obtained a small grant so that we were able to produce the garments at no out of pocket costs from us or the children, guardians and/or parents. Amos and I had long before the Track & Field, been working a starting a Record Company that was to be named Force One Records. When we began working with at risk children we thought that if we were able to raise money to start an apparel manufacturing company it would be Force One Sportswear. We hoped to be able to raise money for the child athletes and start our own organization for at risk children sports and name it Team Force One. We liked the name and kept it for the Apparel line. Team Force One will be the umbrella for a great many lines of Force One products.

AVIVA:Do you have any designers that inspire you? If so, who?
KB: I do not draw any inspiration from the accomplishments of others nor do I consider myself to be in the same league as any of the famous designers since I am self taught.

AVIVA: What excites you the most about clothing design?
KB: The thing that excites me the most about clothing design is that you are creating. Creating something that you hope others will love, like, desire and/or appreciate. I am also excited that my three sons took an interest in what I am doing and my middle son Frederick attends the Seattle Art Institute, for design of men’s apparel. He has a desire to start his own apparel company someday and may beat me to the success ladder. If he does I won’t mind because I love my children and had a part in something positive.

AVIVA: Can you tell me more about your uniform donations to schools and your volunteer work?
KB: The girl’s basketball uniform donation came straight out of Amos Walters’ pockets. I just helped with the artwork on that one. We hope to create an amazing non-profit education and athletic program someday for at risk youth as well as for those who are not at risk. We want to create an atmosphere of accomplishment and pride in the realm of academics, music, sports, arts (dance, design), and give the children’s parents help that they might need to succeed in their desires. We have a children’s line of clothing on the back burner where the profit proceeds would go to help fund this organization. We have a name of the non-profit and the apparel but do not desire to spill the beans at this time. It may never happen but this has always been the motivation behind all of the clothing and the return to my designing.

AVIVA: If money/time were no object, what is your ultimate goal with clothing design?
KB: Our ultimate goal is to be limitless. We want to be able to send young people to school so that they can learn and come back and contribute to the company and maybe start their own. We want to provide schooling and training for the leaders of tomorrow so that they will not be faced with the same obstacles that stood in our way. I don’t think that you will be able to receive the image that I am including but it is one of our logos for Team Force one. The large triangle represents the mountain that we are climbing to reach our goal. The space / void in the middle represent the barriers we have and must overcome in order to get to the top. The triangle in front without any space / voids represent those we hope to bring up after us in our shadow without facing the ignorance and lack of tolerance we face everyday in our jobs while trying to make to the top. Now the taller triangle / mountain we climbed looks a little like the number 1.

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You can see Team Force One Apparel on Model Mayhem and YouTube

I wish Kevin and his partner all the best in their designer careers. They have set out to make a difference, and I hope they succeed.

Thank you for reading,
Aviva

And Now…Featuring Remi Swimwear

The other day, I had the pleasure of interviewing Ed from Remi Swimwear because I was very impressed by his designs. Ed is a clothing designer and photographer who loves what he does. Ed produces beautiful swimsuits using high quality fabrics. He is currently based in New Jersey.

You can see his beautiful swimwear collection
HERE and on
Model Mayhem

AVIVA: What got you into designing swimwear?
ED: It began with being a fashion/glam photographer. While doing portfolio work for models, it used to irritate me when the girls would bring in cheap looking and or poor fitting suits. Either they thought the suit may have looked cute on the rack or they had friends who would say the suit looked great on them. I’m guessing so the friends would then look better by the pool or at the beach. Either way, it was difficult to have a nice body shot of the models with an average (at best) swimsuit on. So, with the help of a designer friend (Thanks always Silvia!) who needed images photographed of her line, I drew up some designs and had Silvia make them for me to photograph. The suits looked amazing and received very positive feedback from the models. The models then wore my swimsuit designs to a few casino parties and were asked repeatedly by the other girls where to buy the suits. It was then I decided to pursue my own swimwear line.

AVIVA: How long have you been designing?
ED:This is a project going on 3 years now. At first I had no knowledge of sewing or how to begin making suits myself. So I recruited 3 other seamstresses whom all failed for various reasons. Most notably one who bought suits online and told me that she made them but took the liberty to change my designs a bit. I also had one take nearly a a month to design one sliding triangle top.(Which is obviously a bit to long!) So, when these seamstresses failed, I took it on my own to take some lessons from another designer (Thanks Karen!) Now I design and sew the suits myself.

AVIVA: What is your favorite kind of fabric to use for your swimwear?
ED:I use only imported 4 way stretch fabrics that are completely swim-able but are really designed to look great and to make a girls body look better!

AVIVA: What excites you the most about being a clothing designer?
ED:I would say being able to see my work on a variety of people and body types and sizes. A big kick for me is seeing a models face when they first put one of my designs on. It’s usually followed by a big smile, a little more strut in their step and a bit of flirt in the eyes.

AVIVA: Do you look to any other designers for inspiration? If so, who?
ED:I do, but not anyone specific. I try to see where the trends are heading and adapt my style and fabrics accordingly. However, I’m a huge fan of floral prints and will always continue to utilize them.

AVIVA: Besides clothing design, what is (are) your other passion(s)/interest(s)?
ED: As I said earlier, I am also a photographer which allows me to photograph my swimwear as needed. I’m a huge auto racing fan. From NASCAR to Australian V8 Supercars and anything in between, if it’s on, I’m watching! I am also a retired tennis instructor and a big fan of billiards. However, I haven’t played so much lately and would like to get my game back on.

AVIVA: If money/time was no object, where do you hope that fashion design will take you?
ED: Around the world. This is an amazing place and I’d love to see as much as possible…. Especially the beaches!!!

AVIVA: Do you have any additional comments that you’d like to share?
ED:Looking forward to seeing everyone at Miami Fashion week someday,
Cheers!

I wish Ed all the best in his career!

Thanks again for the interview, Ed.

~Aviva

Let’s Talk About Craigslist for a Few Minutes…

Whenever the name “Craigslist” is mentioned, different people have different thoughts floating in their heads…

Craiglist has been in the headlines for the scammers, and rapists, as well as even a killer. However, several other people have talked about legitimate jobs they’ve applied to and got off Craigslist, so to each his own.

What I will tell you about Craigslist, will leave you wondering what my true thoughts are about the site. Instead of talking about what I think of the site, I will discuss the positive and negative experiences that I’ve had with it.

Let’s start with the positives 🙂
~I met a photographer that was able to provide me with photos that I could actually use in order to market myself as a model. He knows his craft, is great at dealing with people, knows how to pose models, is prompt at returning photos. Additionally, I became good friends with his wife and him. His business name is IMS FotoGrafix and his work can be seen HERE

~I landed a gig with JP Erickson shooting for HerFlexAppeal.com, by first finding his ad on Craigslist. I traveled to Vancouver to do the shoot and made a good sum of money.

~I found Eriko, a VERY AWESOME hair stylist who introduced me to Kat of Nightshade Beauty (published Make-up artist), and Shimon Karmel (published photographer). We did a photoshoot in order for Eriko to enter the Contessa, a national hair styling competition.

~I contacted a couple of marketing companies who hired me as Promo Girl for events held in Victoria. They constantly post on Craigslist advertising for event staff in various cities. The pay for promo work is very good, at least $15/hour. Considering that the average North American makes $12/hour, working jobs that are less fun than promotional modeling, it is definitely worth a try.

~Lynn of Empress Jade Vintage and I met through Craigslist and have worked together on several occasions doing catalog shoots.

~I was able to find countless other paid modeling gigs, which by the way did NOT involve nudity.

And now…the Negatives…Dun. Dun. Dun…
~There were a few sickos that contacted me asking me to send them full nude photos. Of course, I just ignored them, and moved on.

~Guys who promised “to make me famous” contacted me on there too, and invariably fed me a bunch of bullshit. Unfortunately for them though, I responded with something along the lines of “If it’s too good to be true, it probably is. No legitimate person offers a girl guaranteed Super stardom just from working with them. Bye”

~People who gave no info on the gig responded to my ad solely with “Hey U, send pic and phone number”. I mean seriously? My ad stated that before I send any info/photos, I need detailed information about the project (time, date, budget, concept, location, contact name and number). If the respondent is serious, they WILL take a moment to add the “extra” but necessary info, as opposed to “Hey u, send pic and number”.

~There were people who claimed to be affiliated with major magazines/agencies/corporations/businesses who sent me shoot inquiries. The only problems were that the return email was a gmail/hotmail/yahoo account, the email was ridden with grammar/spelling errors, they offered me payment up front, and the person who sent me the email asked for far too much information. ID theft? Scam? Who knows??!!

~I’ve browsed through countless Craigslist ads, responded to them, only to find out that:
*the lingerie shoot that was advertised is actually a cover up for a nude shoot;

*the liquor promo gig is actually a strictly commission paid nightclub promo;

*the photographer who advertised Maxim Style photos is actually a pimp

*the person with some agency is a scammer who’s charging large sums of money to be listed on the “agency’s” site;

*the people shooting a calendar are gathering info for a possible ID theft;

*the guy shooting for a swimwear company is a perv who wants to get free pics of women in bikinis/lingerie to “use”;

*and so on.
Just be careful about sending your info/pics online!

In my next article,Craigslist Talk 2.0, I will discuss decoding ads, and ways to tell (based on my own experience) if an ad is legitimate & the benefit of the doubt (including how to respond to an ad where you question it’s legitimacy).

Check out My Facebook Page for more updates and pictures 🙂

Aviva

Tom Gore: Victoria Fine Art Photographer who Runs the Advanced Imaging Lab at UVic

The other day, I had the pleasure of interviewing Tom Gore. His photos have been published in several newspapers and magazines. In addition, he’s had many gallery shows and does not plan on stopping. 🙂 Tom’s collection of Fine Art photographs is outstanding and he brings a unique and interesting style to his work.

He’s shot several subjects, including, but not limited to: architecture, fine art nudes, landscapes, bodyscapes, fashion, portraiture, as well as traveled throughout Europe shooting the beautiful landmarks and experiencing a wide variety of cultures.

Tom Gore is well-educated and well traveled. He has a very creative mind and his photographs definitely show it.

Some of the places where you will see Tom Gore’s work are:
His WEBSITE
Flickr account
Model Mayhem

AVIVA: How long have you been doing photography?
TOM GORE:Since I was ten, but seriously since I first went to Europe when I was about eighteen. So for almost 45 years.

AVIVA: What is your favorite thing about photography?
TG: The ability to make and share ideas through beautiful images.

AVIVA: Where has photography taken you (as in travel)?
TG:Mostly Europe, especially to New York, Mexico, England, Scotland, France, Italy and Turkey. It also took me to the Arctic and the bottom of the ocean.

AVIVA: Do you have any funny/interesting/weird shoot experience that you would like to share?
TG: Well, there was this time I was thrown out of Fort Rodd Hill for photographing nudes in a National Historic Site.

AVIVA: Do you have a favorite subject?
TG: The landscape, the cityscape and the nude.

AVIVA: You run the Advanced Imaging Lab at UVic; could you tell me more about it?
TG: Our Lab was the Biological Photography Laboratory, teaching scientific photography in all its aspects. As everything became digital we “modernized” the name, but our function remains the same, “making the small larger and making the invisible visible”

AVIVA: Where has some of your fine art work appeared?
TG: The Globe & Mail, Saturday Night, CNN, Camera Canada, Camera Mainichi, Raddle Moon and a number of photography text books.

AVIVA: Could you tell us more about your style and what you do to the images during post-processing?
TG: I have a number of “styles”. For about eight years I’ve worked exclusively digitally but I still do a lot of traditional black & white work, both landscape and nudes. I do a lot of somewhat journalistic travel work, mostly in Europe and increasingly I am making large colour pieces that involve collage techniques, with images built in layers in Photoshop. I can achieve exciting results that go way beyond what I could ever do in the darkroom and that is very liberating.

AVIVA: Do you have any advice for aspiring models and new photographers?
TG: Look at as many great pictures as possible and think about what makes them great. Photography is far more about ideas and vision than it is about tools and techniques. Good techniques help realize the idea, but without the idea no amount of technique can make a great image. Models and photographers can learn so much from looking at paintings as well as photographs.

AVIVA: What is your preference: shooting commercial work or fine art?
TG:I don’t do any commercial work now, but when I did I learned a lot by having to deal with difficult locations and situations that I wouldn’t have attempted otherwise. I much prefer the self expression of fine art work, though.

AVIVA: Any last comments?
TG: I wish there were more opportunities to show work. Thanks for asking for my thoughts.

AVIVA: Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me, as your contribution is very valuable!
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Stay tuned for more interviews of photographers, models, designers, make-up artists, clothing store owners, and much, much more!!!

Get inside the heads of the individuals who allowed me the privilege to tap into their thoughts a bit.

Enjoy the beautiful July weather =)

Aviva

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