Earlier this month, the Peterson Companies contacted me for a Sip and Shop photography shoot at Fairfax Corner. Because I have done a number of projects for the marketing team there, I looked forward to making these images with them. We met on undeniably the hottest day of the summer so far! Despite the heat and humidity, the models assembled were troopers and did not let the conditions show on their faces.
In the light of newly passed legislation you can now carry alcohol through certain sections of the property. Following the directions on this website, it is possible to enjoy alcoholic beverages in one of the most walkable shopping centers in northern Virginia. Fairfax Corner on the positive side, is very pedestrian friendly. Being that they have many restaurants that are participating, I can see this being very popular! Especially if we have more days that are as hot as the day of this shoot. Thanks to Joanna and Crystan for reaching out and helping me make these fun photos for their advertising!
Tripods are not the most exciting piece of photography gear. In fact, reading photography forums, you would think that the tripod is an obsolete piece of equipment! The newest digital SLR cameras are so good in low light, that many think that you can just push up the ISO values in the camera to keep your shutter speed fast enough to minimize blur from camera shake.
For a quick review, ISO will determine how sensitive your camera sensor it to light. The higher the value, the lower the amount of light is needed to show up on the sensor. So a photo taken at ISO 200 at 1/30th of a second will be exposed the same amount as a photo taken at ISO 1600 at 1/200th of a second. At 1/200th, you can take a lot more sharp photos because your shutter speed is much higher. At 1/30th, your hands make shake more (especially during outside holiday family photos!).
The advances in technology are really game changing for photographers. When I am in a situation where I am photographing people at an event such as a wedding, or ballroom dance, I will push the ISO however high I need it to go to save the recycle time with the flashes since you never know when you need to have another pop of light. The action will not wait for the photographer! But there are many times when having a good steady tripod underneath your camera is essential. Recently, I have done a lot of shoots with outside Christmas lights, and interiors. It has been a huge help to use the tripod in these cases. I can get a nice long exposure which will blur any of the people in the photos which adds some action into the photos.
Another advantage of using lower ISO 100 – 200, are the colors! I am shooting in a saturated color style these days, and lower ISO values make it really easy to punch these up in post. You lose a lot of this ability once you push the ISO too high. There are many colorful decorations to photograph this holiday season, so get out your tripod and use it for steadier, more colorful images.
Last Saturday, I was the official photographer for the Northern Virginia Magazine Fashion NoVA show held at Fairfax Corner. At this time, there were 7 collections presented showcasing the latest Fall fashions. It was an especially beautiful day out on the main plaza where the runway was setup. Vendors had booths at the side where the large crowd at the show were treated to samples from P.F. Changs, Uncle Julio’s, two restaurants that have locations at Fairfax Corner.
The fashion show had 7 different collections present from South Moon Under, Undeniable Boutique, D’Milikah, Read Wall, Aerosole’s, Chic Envy, and Belle Mode Intimates. Prior to the show starting, I made some images as the Paul Mitchell School of Tysons Corner worked with the models. Their stylists worked the hair and makeup ready for all the models before the show. It was a lot of action, but the models were ready for the runway, and showed off the designs well! I took a position at the end of the runway. As can be seen, a runway set makes it easy to position yourself for photos as they walked. Here are some of my favorites from each:
I think these show off the designs very nicely! In order to pull off the looks, there was a lot of work put in from different players. Firstly, the designers put the outfist together. Next the hair and makeup stylists worked with the models. Finally, the organizers coordinated the logistics of the show to make this a success. Subsequently, the next show is tomorrow at Pentagon City Mall. Join us there for more!
