Ninety Two by ben sasso

THE INTERNET MACHINE

A few ideas on getting your brand out there, and how to keep in touch with your fans

TIPS FOR TRAVEL

Thoughts from my trip to Peru to help you with your travels

SHOOTING INTO THE SUN

Get a grip on backlit situations

EMBER

Behind the scenes with one of L.A.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most forward thinking jewelry companies

Welcome to Ninety-Two. As a photographer, there are two things I hold in high regard. The first is shooting personal work; taking some time away from doing paid work and allowing room for error. Shoot anything you have been wanting to and work your creative muscles. The second thing is giving back to the photo community. I have learned so much from the photographers I look up to and I want to be able to pass that on. Ninety-Two is my yearly magazine put out at the end of summer to display the personal work I shot and to share tips and tutorials with the photo community. It will only contain images taken within the ninety-two days of summer. Kick back and enjoy.

Ben Sasso

23 4 3 92 WRITING

Ben Sasso

MORNING LIGHT Reasons to get your butt out of bed

SHOOTING BACKLIT EMBER

ONLINE PRESENCE Why and how to carry your brand through the internet machine

TESTING

Why unpaid personal shoots can pay off, and how to properly set them up

TEN TIPS FOR TRAVEL Thoughts from my travels to Peru to help you with your travels

Ben Sasso

Tony Sasso

EDITING

Veronica Spake

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Behind the scenes with one of L.A.'s most forward thinking jewelry companies

PHOTOGRAPHY DESIGN

Using the sun and getting a grip on backlit situations

CONTACT

There is something to be said for morning light. It seems like the sun would shine the same on the way up as it does on the way down, but the morning light is just so cool and soft in comparison to the light of the afternoon.

5d II + 35mm 1.4 L 1/400 f/2 ISO 160 If you have the goal of shooting for publications you will need to train yourself to shoot vertically. It seems like it might be a simple thing to do but it is a bigger switch than you think. The more you practice it, the better you will be and the more comfortable you will feel doing it.

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Since I tend to shoot in the afternoon a lot I decided to do a few morning shoots this summer and after each one I was always so glad I woke up early. My favorite thing about Florida mornings is that the haze is still out, adding a lot to the atmosphere and taking a lot of the contrast out of the background. This allows the subject in the foreground to really pop. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s that same haze that makes the sunlight softer when it breaks the horizon. The softer light takes away the worry of harsh shadows and will give you some different looks when shooting backlit. While afternoon light will give you harder sun flare when shooting backlit, the early morning the haze makes the sun flare into more of a sun wash. I love both results, but for different reasons. The afternoon light always gives me great shots when I am looking to portray that easy-going, summerfun style because it gives a much more dynamic flare. The dynamic flare creates a sense of action and movement. That combined with some laughing models can create a strong lifestyle image. The morning light is great for editorial and softer fashion work because of the peaceful atmosphere that the haze provides.

5d II + 35mm 1.4 L 1/400 f/2 ISO 160 I love the editorial feel to this shot and the way the softer morning sun doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t give off any harsh flare. To give this shot more of a morning feel I brought out the blues in the shadows. Typically, morning light is a lot cooler (colorwise) than the late afternoon light.

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I set up this shoot because I wanted some swimsuit shots in my portfolio that aren’t lifestyle but also don’t come across as sexual. Let’ Talk about this shoot specifically. Why this location? Why this model? Why the one piece? I wanted it to feel less like a sports illustrated shot and more like an editorial shot. Even though there were a few things I wanted to focus on this summer they all were driven by the same idea. I feel comfortable with my skills when it comes to shooting late afternoon happy lifestyle work but I wanted to branch out. While it is extremely important to have a solid and recognizable style, it is also important to allow yourself the freedom to experiment. If you aren’t pushing yourself then you will never get past the level that you are at right now. After doing a few fun lifestyle shoots early in the summer I tried to shift my focus towards things I don’t usually do.

If you are going to follow my advice on branching out, it is a pretty simple process. The first thing I did is thought about why I wanted to try different things. Is it because I am not happy with the style I have developed? Am I bored with what I shoot? The truth is that I love my style and I always have a blast shooting lifestyle. The reason I wanted to experiment is because I want to let my brain work a little more and I want to have a photographic style that comes through in more than just one shooting style. By that I mean that my I want my work to be recognizable as Ben Sasso wether it is lifestyle, fashion, editorial or even video. That is why I spent a large portion of this summer shooting anything other than smiling afternoon lifestyle.

While it is extremely important to have a solid and recognizable style, it is also important to allow yourself the freedom to experiment. If you arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t pushing yourself then you will never get past the level that you are at right now. Left 5d II + 45mm 2.8 ts-e 1/250 f/2.8 ISO 640 Below 5d II + 35mm 1.4 L 1/800 f/2.2 ISO 160

The lens I shot this with is all manual focus which is always fun to shoot. There is something about it that makes you appreciate photography more. Just like shooting with film, shooting manual focus really makes you slow down and think more about what you are doing. Since Haley has killer freckles I wanted to do a few shots that emphasize them. I wet down her hair in order to make it darker because I knew that would make her freckles pop. In post I also bumped up the sharpness on her skin to bring them out even more.

5d II + 35mm 1.4 L 1/400 f/2 ISO 320 I love these boulders. They give a great texture but still have a subtle enough color that they arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t distracting or overpowering. I shot this right when the sun was coming up and since it was still hazy out the light was soft enough to not cast any harsh shadows on Haley.

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If you want to be a solid photographer, you need to understand light and how to use it.

5d II + 85mm 1.2L II 1/2500 f/2.0 ISO 160 Longer lenses like the one used for this photo will give large washed out flare like the rings towards the bottom of the image. Depending on your settings and how strong the sun is you can get a beautiful mix of looks with a lens like this. The sun for this photo was just behind Prestonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s face so I hid it, focused, recomposed and shot.

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5d II + 35mm 1.4L 1/1600 f/1.8 ISO 160

When shooting into the sun with a wider lens you will see smaller artifacts of flare like the ones on his neck and stomach. Wider lenses can give you dynamic images and a good flare can add a lot to that.

Lighting is key. If you want to be a solid photographer you need to understand light and how to control it. It is something that can solidify a photographer’s style or put them on the map as someone who still has some learning to do. Among the many lighting techniques I see and use, shooting into the sun has always been a favorite of mine. My love for the technique was brought about by the imperfections and happy accidents caused by the sun hitting the lens. Over time I have grown to appreciate it for its ability to be specifically manipulated. Depending on the lenses used, the time of day, and the personality of the subject, back lighting can give you anything from a dynamic summer lifestyle shot to a peaceful editorial portrait. On most occasions, I prefer even lighting on my subjects which means I shoot with my subject’s face either fully in the sun or fully in the shade. The trouble with shooting an evenly lit photo is that if it isn’t done properly the photo can easily lose its strength. To bring back a dynamic feeling to the image I use the sun and the artifacts it can create when it hits the lens. The trick with shooting into the sun is learning how to show the power and beauty of the sun while preserving the details you want to in your images. One of the most common mistakes that photographers make when starting to shoot into the sun is exposing for the sky instead of their subject. This leaves the subject underexposed and less of a focal point. I hardly ever worry about blowing out the sky because the details I want are on the subject. What I aim for is the limit right before I blow out the highlights on my subject. Even if you are shooting RAW you will not be able to get back blown out details in post because the image data simply will not be there. A good way to find that limit is to turn on the highlight alert on your camera. Every camera has a different way to turn it on which can be found online or in the camera manual without much trouble. The highlight alert will tell you where you have lost details due to over exposure in your image. Every pixel on your image that has lost detail will flash on your LCD screen. If you see flashing pixels on your subject, dial down the exposure to the point right before it starts to flash. This way if you choose to push it farther in post, you still can but the details will remain in your image either way.

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HAVE THE SUN EITHER PEEKING IN FROM THE VERY EDGE OF THE FRAME OR HAVE IT JUST PEEKING OUT FROM BEHIND THE SUBJECT. Once the right exposure has been found the next step is the decide where to put the sun in the sky. My general rule of thumb is to always have the sun peeking. This means to have the sun either peeking in from the very edge of the frame or to have it just peeking out from behind the subject. Sun shining in from the top corner of a photo will give you a strong flare shooting diagonally down into the photo while the sun peeking out from behind the subjects head will usually give you a nice dynamic shot with the flare drawing the viewer’s eye towards the subjects head or face. This “peeking” trick works with anything you are photographing: trees, street signs, kittens. Having the sun peeking out from behind something (almost) always makes a stronger photo than a sun in the middle of the sky.

5d II + 85mm 1.2L II 1/800 f/2 ISO 160

One difficulty you may come across when shooting into the sun is acquiring focus. With the sun beating through your lens and into the sensor the camera will have a hard time finding the point of focus. An easy way to battle this is to focus and recompose. The majority of cameras will allow you to focus by pushing the shutter button half-way and will hold that focus until you push it all the way to take the photo or release the shutter button. I almost always have my center focus point selected and then just focus on my subject and then recompose the shot to how I want it before firing the shutter. So, how do you battle misfocusing when shooting into the sun? If you are shooting with the sun peeking out from behind the subjects head, put the sun right behind their head so it isn’t beating into the lens, focus by holding the shutter button halfway, recompose so the sun is peeking out again and fire away. Hide sun, focus, bring the sun back, fire. It is a pretty simple process that will save you a lot of frustration from waiting for your camera to focus. This works just the same when you are shooting with the sun peeking in from the side of the frame. Just put it out of frame, focus and then recompose. Bam! Problem solved.

Now that you are shooting away, don’t be discouraged when you are getting shots that look washed out. Shooting into the sun can give you stunning results but you usually need to pull them into post for a bit of work to get them there. The two biggest things you will notice once you are working with them on your computer is that they are washed out and not vibrant. Worry about vibrance and saturation last because when you fix the contrast you will find that the saturation is often fixed with it. Bringing back contrast to an image is pretty simple. You can either do it through levels in Photoshop or through your contrast and blacks sliders in Lightroom or whichever program you are working in. For a bit more punch you can bring up the clarity or sharpness until you are satisfied. After doing this and working with the temperature of the photo a bit you may find that the saturation is already back to where you want it. Obviously processing will vary from image to image, but unless you like washed out photos you can expect to do this to the majority of what you shoot. Something you will learn pretty quickly is that every lens handles the sun differently. Longer focal lengths will handle it differently than wider ones and even two different lenses of the same focal length will give you two different results. This is because the sun flare is a result of the sun shining into the lens and bouncing around the glass inside. Longer lenses will give you larger washed out artifacts while wider lenses will give smaller and more dynamic flare. The distance the subject is from your lens and the aperture that the image was shot at will also effect the final image. The reason I am telling you this is so you experiment. Shoot with all of your lenses and change up your settings to see what you prefer. Now just wait for the golden hour between the afternoon sun and sundown and go shoot!

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THE distance THE SUBJECT IS FROM YOUR LENS AND THE APERTURE THAT THE IMAGE WAS SHOT AT WILL ALSO EFFECT THE FINAL IMAGE.

TOP 5d + 35mm 1.4 L 1/640 f/2.2 ISO 320

BOTTOM 5d II + 35mm 1.4 L 1/250 f/2.5 ISO 350

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The lower the sun falls in the sky, the softer it will become. When it is about to break the horizon you will be able to get more washed out flare that wont give you those bright flare artifacts.

5d II + 35mm 1.4L 1/250 f/2.5 ISO 320

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Behind the scenes with

The Ember shoot was one of the bigger productions I undertook this summer. Ember is a company that I have always loved for their efforts to bring others out of hardship while providing a beautiful product. Ember partners with women in Northern Uganda who have lived through the trials of war and works with them to create jewelry solely out of recycled materials. Magazines are turned into bracelets and necklaces, plastic bags are turned into earrings. It’s simple. It’s good karma. It’s brilliant.

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Canon 5d II + 35mm 1.4L 1/1250 f/2 ISO 160

Now let’s talk about the shoot. What was the purpose? How many people were on set? Why did we shoot where we did? How did we make it happen? When hiring a photographer for a shoot that involves products, there are typically two directions you can take. Direction “A” will lead to photos that are meant to do nothing but display the product for what it is. Make the product look good and make it look clear. Direction “B” will lead to photos that are meant to convey a thought or an emotion. Think about Roxy advertisements. Any Roxy ad you see will be of a blonde surfer girl having a blast at some tropical location with the sun peering through her hair and a huge smile on her face. What does this make you think? It tells you that she is the kind of person that wears Roxy. Therefore, you now relate Roxy with fun, summer, and good times. This is photographic branding at its best. Direction “B” is better known as lifestyle photography which is the direction we went in on the Ember shoot.

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TOP Canon 5d II + 35mm 1.4L 1/1600 f/2 ISO 160

In a lot of these shots you will notice that there is not direct eye contact with the model. Eyes are the first thing that people typically connect with in a photo. In order to draw more focus to the jewelry I made the decision to break eye contact which made the model less overpowering.

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Preproduction for this included tech (location) scouting, booking models, a hair stylist, a make up artist, and purchasing wardrobe. We decided to outfit the shoot using J. Crew and Banana Republic because both of their lines are simple and sophisticated. We went with clothes that were plain enough to make the jewelry the focus instead of just blending into the rest of the outfit. After clothing was taken care of, we had to find location. Tech scouting for me always means just getting in a car and going. I always have a general idea in my head of what I am looking for but sometimes it takes a while to find the perfect spot. There is one thing the perfect spot shouldn’t have: commercialism. A beautiful photo can be ruined with a big fat McDonald's sign in the background. I don’t like to see anything that can be easily recognized by all of America; that takes the mystery out of the photo. Since this was a two day shoot we had two main locations to scout. One would be more natural and the other a bit less so. Looking for the first location was AWESOME. We drove around in the Malibu mountains for hours and screamed and gasped at every turn. Taking a

We drove around in the Malibu mountains for hours and screamed and gasped at every turn.

Having a strong and energetic crew behind you can make your life a lot easier on a job like this. James was a blast to have on set, Rachel kept the models fresh and Tony was everything from a camera rack to a DJ. I really couldn’t have asked for a more solid crew. After a full evening of shooting, the night was wrapped up with a delicious Italian dinner in Santa Monica.

The amazing crew on set for day two of shooting. From left to right: Lauren Shute model, James Pearson Ember’s main man, Michelle Tobias extra hand/unpaid entertainer, Jennifer Welsch model, Rachel Burney hair and makeup artist, Tony Sasso brother/assistant/DJ and Matt Wood boat owner/wine and cheese supplier.

simple right hand turn becomes a lot scarier when the only thing on your left is a cliff and a view of nothing but straight down. We found a great spot on the side of a mountain that was just what I was looking for. It had rocks, shrubs, flowers, and a view of the what seemed to be the rest of the Earth. The less natural location we decided to use was our friend’s sailboat at the San Pedro Yacht Club. The rest of the pre production for this shoot was pretty straight forward. The models were Lauren Shute from Orlando and Jennifer Welsch from LA. Our hair stylist and make-up artist was the AMAZING Rachel Burney, also from LA. Day one of shooting was a blast. Upon arrival to the mountain top everyone walked around and gazed at the view before settling down to remember why we were there. On set were our models, our hair and make-up artist, James from Ember and Tony Sasso who was the extra hand for the day. We started shooting around 5pm when the light was where I wanted it and shot for a few hours into the night. The beginning of the shoot gave us great sun flare coming from behind the mountains and as the sun fell lower in the sky we were left with a beautiful soft light. Shooting went on without a hitch and felt a lot more like hanging out than shooting. Having a strong and energetic crew behind you can make your life a lot easier on a job like this. James was a blast to have on set, Rachel kept the models fresh and Tony was everything from a camera rack to a DJ. I really couldn’t have asked for a more solid crew. After a full evening of shooting, the night was wrapped up with a delicious Italian dinner in Santa Monica. Day two of shooting was further south at the San Pedro Yacht Club. In addition to the crew from the following day, we had the owner of the boat, Matt Wood, and extra set of hands, Michelle Tobias. Shooting in the yacht club was killer for lighting because the light would bounce off the white boats and fill in the models perfectly. The second day of shooting ended up being just as great as the first. After another full evening of working, the shoot was wrapped and we headed over to Yogurtland for our post shoot dessert.

On the following pages you will find a collection of the images from each day. To learn more about Ember or to purchase jewelry get on the nearest computer and visit www.EmberArts.com.

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Canon 5d II + 35mm 1.4L 1/400 f/2 ISO 160 With this shot I tried to make the viewer feel as if they are being invited to follow Lauren down the path instead of feeling as though Lauren is walking away from them. I did this by not blocking the view of the path with her body so you can easily see where you would be walking instead of feeling trapped by not knowing where the path would lead you. Small details like that are things you need to pay attention to if you want to successfully carry out your final vision for a photo.

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Canon 5d II + 35mm 1.4L 1/2500 f/2.2 ISO 320 For this shot I had a HUGE white boat right behind me that was bouncing the sunlight back onto Lauren. The result was great even lighting on her face even though the sun was behind her.

TOP Canon 5d II + 35mm 1.4L 1/500 f/2.8 ISO 320

BOTTOM Canon 5d II + 35mm 1.4L 1/1000 f/2 ISO 320

This is one of my favorites from this shoot. A great tool you will find when shooting is natural framing to draw attention to your subject. In this shot I used the two diagonal white lines to draw your eyes in between them and I put the Lauren right in the wooden window frame to draw focus even more. These types of frames can be found all over the place when you are shooting so keep an eye out for them and use them to your advantage! Ninety Two 31

Canon 5d II + 35mm 1.4L 1/2500 f/2.2 ISO 320 In this shot I really wanted to show off the bracelet and have the viewer’s eyes go straight to it. I cropped below Lauren’s eyes make it harder to connect directly to the model. This takes away the aspect of seeing the human in the picture and instead seeing the “mannequin” displaying a product. However, the smile adds to the mood of the photo without being too distracting.

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Canon 5d II + 35mm 1.4L 1/3200 f/2.2 ISO 320 One of the many things I love about the 35mm focal length is that it feels real. You donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get the crazy distortion like you would with a wider angle lens and you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get the extreme isolation that you do with longer focal lengths. It can create a very dynamic image without going overboard.

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Canon 5d II + 35mm 1.4L 1/400 f/2.8 ISO 320 When it is later in the day and you are looking to get a nice blue sky you can shoot with the sun behind you. This allows your subject to be brighter so when you expose for him/her/it the sky will hold itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s color.

TOP Canon 5d II + 35mm 1.4L 1/400 f/1.8 ISO 320

There is something about this photo that makes me feel refreshed. Since she is stretching and taking a deep breath as if she just woke up I processed this one a little bit cooler to match coolness of the morning light instead of the warmer afternoon sun.

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TOP Canon 5d II + 35mm 1.4L 1/2500 f/2 ISO 320

The rule of thirds comes into play here. Putting your subject out of the center in the frame will give a more cinematic feel to the image. This is something to keep in mind when shooting but not something to get hung up on. If you feel an image would be stronger if you centered the subject then you are probably right. Do it!

BOTTOM Canon 5d II + 35mm 1.4L 1/640 f/2 ISO160

This shot was just a fun one since we were nearing the 4th of July.

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After the sun fell behind the mountains in the background we werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t able to get that great sun flare anymore but we were left with a great soft light.

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GET ONLINE OR GET OUT GET ONLINE OR GET OUT

When is the last time you went longer than a few days without checking your Facebook? I’m almost positive that the internet is in the process of taking over the world. It’s in your living room. It’s in your pocket. It’s everywhere. If you want to make it as a photographer, you need to have a strong online presence made up of three essential elements: consistency, personality and content that draws viewers. Consistency not only includes branding that is strong throughout your different online outlets, but also updating blogs and social media. Having a blog and a Twitter or Facebook account that allows your personality to show through is a killer way for people to connect more to your work. When people know who is behind the lens you become less of a company and more of a human. This can come across in your words and also in your design. Hiring a graphic designer who you work well with is key to creating branding that carries your personality. However, consistency and personality are not enough; you need to have content that will draw in viewers. This means strong work, good stories, or even tips and tutorials. These three elements aren’t all it takes to have a strong online presence, but they will give you a solid foundation to build upon. From here I will discuss the three outlets for an online presence and what I believe they should be used for.

WEB SITE If you don’t have one, get one. It is a necessity. Don’t be cheap and get a free version of some do-ityourself web site . Instead, spend some money and get yourself a site that represents you and your work well. Generally speaking, your web site should be considered the home base for your online presence in the sense that it stays the most constant. It should be easy to navigate, showcase your portfolio, host brief information about yourself and what you offer and also have an easy way for potential clients to get in touch. Keep the extra bells and whistles to a minimum. I love hearing that people enjoy how simple my web site is to navigate. Since I am a fan of minimalism it is rad to know that I got rid of the information and extras that do nothing but clutter my site. Keep this in mind when designing yours.

BLOG I have always been a huge fan of blogs. Chances are if you only have a web site people will visit it a few times and that’s it. There is no reason for them to continue to browse if there is nothing new to see. This is where blogs come in. Once you get a blog going it should be updated consistently in order to keep people coming. New photos from shoots, thoughts, etc. Remember, if people come to your blog it is because they want more. Don’t be afraid to give it to them. Along with your photos you can talk a bit about the behind the scenes of the shoot: a funny incident that happened, a story about the client, or your ideas that inspired the shoot. When people hear your thoughts they will relate to you more which will create a stronger connection to your work.

SOCIAL MEDIA With sites like Facebook and Twitter it isn’t hard to get your blog posts out there. Set up a Facebook and a Twitter account for your photography that are separate from your personal accounts. Every time you post a new blog, post a link on your accounts so people know. You can also use it to keep people updated in between blog posts. If you are working on new promo pieces, let the world know. Small updates like that may not seem important, but every time you post something photo related that shows up on a person’s news feed it drills your name into his or her head as a photographer. Sometime down the road that person may have a friend that is looking for a photographer and your name will come up. Bam. Name repetition. So go for it. Post updates about your work, sneak peaks from shoots, etc. The two rules I try to stick by: don’t be annoying and don’t be inappropriate. Let your personality come through but don’t forget that this still represents your business.

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If you want to get a solid start in the industry and want to continue to be creative when the jobs are slow, testing is the way to do it. A test can be anything from a photographer shooting a friend for practice to a full production including models, hair and make-up, props, wardrobe, assistants, etc. The size of your test really depends on a few things including where you are in your photo career, where you want to be, why you are testing, and how much money you can invest into the shoot. No matter how large or small of a production you are able to pull off, if you don’t test you will be static. Testing is vital to a photographer’s creativity and growth. It is a great way to build a portfolio if you are just starting out and a great way to supplement it and try new things if you are already established. If you are looking to enter a commercial photography career you need to shoot for where you want to be. Feel free to practice on your friends but when it comes time to test, find a real model. Once you start working with models you will quickly see that they know how to move, they know how to pose, and they add a lot to the shoot and the final outcome. There are a few places you can look for models that will work as a trade for photos or a lower rate. One of them is a network for photography related creatives called Model Mayhem. Google it. It’s a great place to find people to work with in your area. Fair warning: you will have to sift through a fair share of flakes but there are plenty of creative and talented people on there. When you find them, get in touch and be professional. Another great place to find model is a modeling agency. Crazy, right? Get in touch with a few agencies in your area and tell them that you are a local photographer and would love to test with any new models they have that are in need of photos. Don’t be pushy. If they have new models and they think you fit the job, they will get in touch! Testing can get expensive if you are planning a larger production so it will benefit you to use your resources. Over time you will begin to build relationships with make-up and hair stylists as well as wardrobe stylists and many other creatives. Use this to your advantage. If someone knows they will get solid shots for their portfolio and they enjoy working with you it will be a lot easier to work on the cheap. Keep your eyes open for other ways you can gain something for a test. Over this past summer I had someone contact me who owned a

140 acre ranch in Cleremont, FL that had a lake, a rope swing, horses, dirt roads, and cabins. They got in touch with me because they wanted to have me shoot photos of the property in order to start renting it out for weddings and events. A buzzer went of in my head, so after the client described what he needed (just a simple one day job) and requested a quote I told him that I could shoot it for free if I could use the property the following day for a test shoot. After asking a few questions about what the shoot would consist of he said, “Of course!” Once we scheduled a weekend for shooting I started preproduction for the test. Since the date and location were already set my next step was booking models. I wanted to have four girls on set so I started with two girls I have been wanting to work with for a while and two others that I have worked with before. Luckily all of them were available (although one had to cancel last minute). When testing I usually have the exact look I am going for in mind which is important when communicating with the make-up artist (MUA), hair stylist and models. I always tell the models what kind of wardrobe to bring along with them even though I shop for outfits also. The more options the better. When I first started testing I quickly learned that happy models and crews make better photos. Even if it is a small scale shoot, always consider your crews comfort, hunger, thirst, etc. If it is blazing hot out (it was for this shoot) make sure you have an air conditioned spot for them and some ice old beverages. Snacks like chips, fruit and trail mix are always a good thing to have on set also. This way, during the shoot when you see the models are getting hot you can go inside, grab a snack and take a break. Luckily the couple who owned the ranch was extremely hospitable and bought tons of food and a huge selection of drinks for everyone on set so I didn’t have to worry about this at all. When shoot weekend came I set out towards the ranch with my assistant to shoot photos of the property. With the test shoot the following day we were invited to stay in one of their cabins for the night. After a full day of shooting and golf carting around the property the owners told us to be ready for dinner and karaoke in an hour. Neither of us were expecting that but before the night was over we ate some delicious barbeque salmon and sang some Johnny Cash and Journey. When we finished

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This is another one where I was sliding downhill alongside Kristina. In order to reduce motion blur I took the ISO up to 640 so I could speed the shutter up to 1/2000. In addition to freezing Kristinaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s movement it also froze the water droplets in the air and the back lighting gave them a real pop against the darkness of the her skin.

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This shot of Megan is from the 50 ft. slip and slide through the yard and down a hill. I had my camera in an Aquatech water housing and rode down next to the models. When you and your camera are covered in soap and you are flying down a hill, technical expertise takes a backseat and simply holding down the shutter takes the wheel.

up at about one in the morning we were told to be ready for breakfast at 8:00 am. This is one thing I love about my job. The experience of meeting so many interesting people is irreplaceable. If I wasn’t a photographer I probably would have never sung karaoke on a 140 acre ranch with my assistant and a senior couple. After breakfast the next morning and some last minute shoot prep, the MUA and models started to arrive. We began shooting at about 5:30 PM and shot at a few different locations until sundown. The ranch hand and my assistant were a great help all evening and we had a blast getting some solid shots. All in all the weekend was a success. It was a fairly low budget test because of the trade for the location and I was able to give strong images to everyone involved. Although I have mentioned a few tips to help keep the price down on your tests, please keep in mind that while saving money is important, sometimes spending some can greatly improve your shoot. Don’t be stingy and book an inexperienced MUA or hair stylist when you know they aren’t going to be as talented as you want. Don’t be afraid to spend a few bucks on props, travel, etc. If the goal of your test is to create solid images, be willing to invest your time, money, and talent into it.

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Lately Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve really been loving this kind of shot. Just a straight forward, deadpan portrait. To make the subject pop a bit more I lowered the contrast on the background using a mask in Lightroom. This also made the blurred trees easier on the eyes.

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This is where having a confident model is a huge plus. Laughing is one of the harder things to make look natural, so be a people person and joke around with your models. If your models are comfortable you will more than likely get some great natural shots when it comes time to laugh.

TOP 5d II +35mm 1.4 L 1/500 f/2 ISO 320 In order to make Kristina pop in this shot I put her in front of a darker background. The background in your photos is something you need to pay attention to just as much as the subject.

RIGHT 5d II + 35mm 1.4 L 1/1600 f/2 ISO 320 This is one of my favorite photos from the shoot. I did a set of photos with the pony instead of the horse because I wanted the model to be the focus and the animal an accessory. Ninety Two 49

5d II + 85mm 1.2 L II 1/400 f/2 ISO 320 This shot was taken in one of two beautiful old Fords that were on the property. I was caught eyeing it by the owner so he said, “It’s unlocked. Feel free to shoot in it.” We did.

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5d II + 35mm 1.4 L 1/500 f/2 ISO 320 This is one of the photos I took for the ranch owners of their horse, Hannah Montana. I threw this one in black and white to draw more focus to the highlights and shadows that emphasize the horses muscles. I am always blown away by the strength of these animals.

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Bring backups. Technology is more prone to failu re in harsh environment s so make sure you have extra ba tteries, more than one lens, and an extra body. If you have the backup gear you probably wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need it, but th e one time you only bring one camera body it might fail right before you co me across a flying unicorn.

5d + 45mm 2.8 ts-e 1/500 f/2.8 ISO 640

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A smile and a little effort can go a long way. If you want to take a photo of someone, learn how to ask it in the local language and be friendly. Not only will that make your subject more likely to say yes but it will loosen them up a bit and give you a more natural expression from them.

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These guys were so rad. I tried to always converse a bit before asking to take a photo in order to loosen people up. Miguel (left) offered to put me in a wet suit to go dive for oysters with him. If I had more time I would have accepted.

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When walking around town keep your camera ready, your settings correct and your lens cap off. You never know when you might see something that you want to shoot before the moment is gone.

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If you are looking for something to shoot besides landscapes but donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know where to find it, check out the local market. Most markets are filled with everything from fruit stands to butchers. Take your pick and start snapping away.

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Get out of town. If you stick around the center of town you will end up leaving with plenty of photos of things that people have already seen. While in Cuzco my travel buddy and I waved a few taxis and asked them to take us up the mountain and away from town. They took us up, dropped us off and we walked back. On the way we got some great shots and got to see a part of Cuzco culture that most tourists donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get to see.

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Leave your diamonds shoes and gold chain s at home. Some place s you travel will be more da ngerous than others, but no ma tter where you are there are a fe w ways to make yourself less of a targe t. Try not to wear flashy clothing that will attract attention to yourself as someone who has money. If you need to carry camera equipment around, do nâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t carry it in a nice camera bag but instead in an old backpack. Moral of th e story, dress like someone who wo uldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be beneficial to mug. If all else fails, grow a beard.

5d + 35mm 1.4 L 1/1600 f/3.5 ISO 160 In order to show the magnitude of the landscapes you are shooting, offer the viewer a size comparison in the shot. I had a few images of these dunes but this is the only one that did them justice because of the tiny dune buggy riding across them, the buggy you just now noticed.

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nded. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t go home empty-ha you After every day of shooting rk. wo should be backing up your you t You can buy hard drives tha t and plug your memory card righ are they will copy your data. If you two traveling with a partner, buy o both and copy all of your work ont and of them. Keep one in your bag at I wh one in your partners. This is u. Per did for our two week trip to e hav If our trip was longer I would and brought more hard drives home mailed them to someone at every week or so.

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LEFT TOP 5d + 45mm 2.8 ts-e 1/500 f/2.8 ISO 640

Be prepared for the elements. In the desert outside of Nazca we were met with howling winds blowing sand all over our equipment. Luckily I brought along a rain cover along that allowed me to continue shooting. It would have been a shame to be on those dunes without the ability to bring the camera out of the bag.

LEFT BOTTOM 5d + 45mm 2.8 ts-e 1/160 f/2.8 ISO 1000

RIGHT TOP 5d + 45mm 2.8 ts-e 1/1250 f/3.5 ISO 160

During our last day in Cuzco while we were waiting for our bus, we happened upon a parade in the plaza. The local â&#x20AC;&#x153;Official Photographersâ&#x20AC;? (as their reflective vests stated) were shooting the event with compact point and shoots.

RIGHT BOTTOM 5d + 45mm 2.8 ts-e 1/1250 f/3.5 ISO 160

To capture a more dynamic shot of the parade in Cuzco I took a lower angle and placed the subject against the solid blue background.

Whether you like it or not, chances are that your photos will take on a differen t style when shooting travel work. Befo re you arrive wherever you are travelin g make sure you already have an idea of the kind of shots you want to take so you can hit the ground running. Having said that, keep your eyes open. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t miss out on great shots because you were too busy trying to find the shot you pict ured in your head before you even left hom e.

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If you aren’t adventurous enough to trav el the wilderness on your own, consider hirin g a guide. In most countries it won’t be hard to find someone who will love to show you some killer photo spots in exchange for a bit of pay. If you decide to take this rout e, make sure you interview your guide befo re you hire them. Ask them what they can show you that other guides can’t. It will also be a good idea to let your guide know that you are a photographer and may ask to pull over to the side of the road if you see something you want to shoot. They will more than likely be fine with that but it is always best to make sure ahead of time .

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window bus and try to get a Stay awake on the auty, appreciation for be seat. If you have an st part of your trip. buses can be the be

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RIGHT TOP 5d + 35 mm 1.4 L 1/1000 f/2 ISO 160

LEFT 5d + 35mm 1.4 L 1/640 f/2.2 ISO 160

Kids are always great subjects because they love checking out the camera and are more than happy to have you take their photo. We didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have a problem with this particular kid but one boy in Miraflores was trying to pry my camera from my fingers for about thirty minutes before he gave up.

RIGHT BOTTOM 5d + 45mm 2.8 ts-e 1/2000 f/3.2 ISO 160

This image was taken on the train to Maccu Piccu. Although Maccu Piccu was amazing, I would argue that the three hour train ride was just as great as Maccu Piccu itself. The train was slow moving and took us through the mountains, farmlands and other beautiful landscapes. I may have gone crazy if I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have a window seat.

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TONY SASSO TheTonySasso@gmail.com Ninety Two 75