Atlanta AmericasMart Mural

It was sure great to spend time with one of our favorite clients in Atlanta at the International Gift and Home Furnishings Market! We have been shooting for Demdaco for the last several years and this year we attended the gift show that we have heard so much about. It was incredible seeing all of the various vendors and the way they market themselves. Demdaco truly stood out with their permanent showroom and the magnificent product displays created by their marketing team. Very impressive!



We played a part with a 12 foot by 25 foot image that we shot outside our new studio in Kansas City. This indoor billboard announced a celebration of Demdaco's Silvestri product lines. We were relieved to see how well the image, from a 35mm DSLR, held up to scrutiny at this size. Especially, when the public could walk right up to the image! This photo was part of their ad campaign that featured a vintage car with six models set against the giant glass wall that defines our new space. The campaign was great fun to shoot.

Bernstein Productions shoots video of new green technology

We just wrapped a production for a new client utilizing our video capabilities. The project involved proprietary green technology, so we will not be able to share the results just yet. But we can show off a still frame. We were challenged on this shoot by tight quarters and a rough environment. All that considered, we were still able to get some interesting shots using our Canon 5D MKII.

The machines we filmed provided several opportunities for unique angles, especially with our wide lenses. We had a long shot list of specific equipment we needed to capture in order to describe this new eco-friendly technology. Otherwise, we might have explored even more extreme angles on the equipment. Even on a tight production schedule in tough conditions, it is crucial to look for creative options. These compositions brought interest to an industrial video that could have easily become drab.

We used a mix of daylight and HMI sources to provide a natural look to the space. We did not want a theatrical treatment for this project. This frame captures a detail in this story. Our location was a prototype facility for a much larger facility to be built in the future. The tight framing and wide lens selection helps the audience imagine a bigger reality.

It's all about the edit!

My wife recently videoed my son jamming out on the drums. It was a short video (less than a minute), where she basically stood in the same place and shot it all in one take with our point and shoot camera. It was a cute little video for the family, but lacking excitement for the larger audience. I thought, let's see what I can do by just dropping it into iMovie and doing a quick edit job. So I imported it in and started splitting the video up into jump cuts, then added some transitions and different video effects to each clip. I even flipped some of the clips in the opposite direction. With that alone it had already taken on a totally different feel. I went on to add the soundtrack, made a few tweaks to the video and voila! Now by no means am I a professional video editor, nor am I claiming to be one, but with some software and a little know how you can do the same thing. So take it one step further and edit that video!

- Chad

It's BERNSTEIN, not Berenstain!

We recently celebrated 18 years in business and it seems that some folks just can't get the name right! We love the Berenstain Bears as much as anyone, so the association isn't such a bad one. But this latest confusion takes the cake!

This is a recent message left at our studio.

Convergence. Video + Photo

We have created various video and film projects over the years for some of our clients. Usually this meant a departure from our normal routine and assembling a crew of talented position players to carry out the clients vision. While I thoroughly enjoyed those collaborations, it is very exciting to have the tools to create high definition video, right in our own camera bags! Chad and I took some time to experiment with this emerging technology and bring our photography knowledge to bear on some little product videos. Of course, we do need to tool up differently with lighting for these studio product vignettes, but the ease for us to shoot motion, while in the midst of a still shoot, is very exciting to us.

Audience demand, for all things moving, will only increase as technology provides more outlets for streaming video and graphics. These moving product shots will give our clients the ability to create rich media at a fraction of the cost of a few years ago. We can also bring consistency to the over all look and feel of printed pieces and broadcast content.

Take a look at our latest product videos and let us know what you think! Special thanks to Jeff Miller for stellar work on the logo animation!

http://www.bernsteinproductions.com/

iPhone Pics (really?)

Recently I was asked if I was working on any side projects, anything personal? I thought for a second and replied yes, everyday. I have been shooting with my iPhone on a daily bases. Uh-what? I received a curious look, she was expecting to hear a specific subject or cleaver concept but not shooting from the hip with a 2mp camera phone. As busy as we are I don't always have the time to get out the DSLR and hit the streets. But I have found that I have always have my iPhone on me! You would be amazed of what you can find around you in a day that can make great photos. With all of the apps and add-ons for the iPhone you can have a lot of fun not just shooting pics but editing them as well. With my flickr account I can upload and social (picture) network all from the iPhone. It has really opened my creative eye and has made me a better photographer! Check out my flickr page and add me as a contact!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/chigger33/

Testing 1-2-3

Sometimes when you set out to shoot an idea or concept you end up getting in your own way. Here is a shot of a mission style chair with a BCBG bag draped over the back. Oh wait, that is what I set out to shoot. After a few lighting tests, I realized my legs were captured in the shots. A light bulb went on, and a new direction was found.

It was quite a duel between my two personalities, one being the stylist and the other the photographer. Setting the timer, running into position, fluffing the jeans, click. It took a few cycles of this routine to get the perfect image. Then it seemed that I was a very lonely person with just legs and a brick wall. I needed to add some of my own personality to it. This was the point of true self reflection........................... music! After rummaging though Darryl's 8 tracks and laser disks to find some current media, the finishing props were found. Out of thin air I had created my first self portrait.

R.I.P- one Night Ranger cassette tape

Microsoft - View My World Shoot with Video

I came across this video from our Microsoft campaign. Over the last two years, we have photographed employees for the View My World website. The site features employee profiles of various interesting and talented people who work at Microsoft. Each subject is asked to hold a card that will feature graphics that are seen on the site. These graphics are added later and help describe the persons work, hobbies, or background. The site took top honors at the 8th Annual International iNova Awards as the Grand Award Winner for Career/Recruitment Websites! We love being a part of that!!

It was great fun meeting and photographing this diverse group in 3 states. We had to concept unique poses for each person on the spot that works with their personalities, fit within the website format, and provide visual distinction across dozens of employees! Not to mention, make these "real people" feel comfortable on set. Fortunately for me, the recruiters did a great job casting employees who really got into the spirit of the event.

This video gives a behind the scenes look at one of our productions. Enjoy!

Working on the book (JELLO MOLD)

I finally had the fire lit under my butt to do new work for my Darryl Bernstein Studio site (still under construction). I have avoided my own shooting for too long. It's just that we are incredibly busy shooting fine work for our clients. Why do I need to actually execute the ideas that pop into my head? Isn't it enough to "see" them in my mind's eye?

Of course not! But that's what you tell yourself before you dive into the next thing. And the next thing. There will always be distractions. And distractions make convenient excuses! After some time, tremendous pressure builds to create an incredible image. To create the best image I have ever done because it has been too long to not have qued up a gem, right? Well, that gives me another fine excuse.

So I get advice. Hire consultants to tell me what I already know... just shoot! Even if it sucks! Just shoot! Okay, okay! I'll shoot some of those ideas that I have kicked around. Just for the sake of creating. Just for the sake of getting to the next one, and the next one. I will post some of these recent efforts to my blog. Please feel free to comment, good or bad. And much thanks too Carolyn Potts for sending me on photo dates that gave me permission to not shoot overly produced images. To shoot RAW in concept and not just format. And, of course a special thanks to Suzanne Sease and Amanda Sosa Stone for challenging me to deliver. To just shoot!, To stop making excuses! To break the mold...

(Note: This post will be added to the Darryl Bernstein Studio blog shortly!)

Reach the Beach!

Sure we have beach scenes in Seattle. You want your products photographed against a setting sun? We can do that! This was our challenge for Paula's Choice recently. With some digital magic and a bit of summer inspiration, we were able to bring the sunshine inside our Seattle studio.

For the cosmetics photograph, we needed to bring the products together seamlessly with a stock photo background, so we shot them on a painted adirondack chair against a blue seamless background to match the blue sky. This helped create the right reflections in our shiny products when photographed in our studio. Precise masking was needed to knock out that background and reveal the sunny beach photo. Throw in some blurring to the background for depth, and you have a convincing composite that puts the Paula's Choice products at a summer hot spot.

For the skincare product image, we added seashells, towels, and of course sand. Lots of sand. When photographing sand, you need a decent amount to create the proper contours and forms. While digital photography makes reviews a snap, there is a certain amount of trial and error to get the sand to flow just right while keeping the product from looking messy. Our client had the cool idea to make impressions in the sand with shells which took some finesse as well.

We are always ready to take our photo productions on location, but it is nice to know that we can get you there in other ways when necessary. Through email, our client was able to oversee every variation and create just the right images for their summer product promotions!

Tennis Anyone?

We have been enjoying a great partnership with Tennis Set, as they build their online superstore for anything and everything tennis. We have been digitally photographing racquets, tennis shoes, men's and women's apparel, and more! This project has been a challenge in volume, roughly 2500 studio product shots to date, and in file management and consistency. We have dedicated Chad as the sole photographer on this highly streamlined project. He has developed lighting and post production techniques to deliver beautiful results on a tight timeline and budget. We look forward to Tennis Set becoming the premier online Tennis Superstore!

Hello!

Welcome to our photo blog! We welcome your input as we chronicle our world in digital photography. We will try to post often and keep clients and friends up to date with studio happenings. For those of you who don't know us, this can be a place to get to know us and the way we work. You can find out more in the about page, of course, and by visiting our website at www.bernsteinproductions.com!