Here’s a few from a recent shoot where I went for a modern take on a noir theme. I think it came out quite nicely, what do you think?
Modern Noir by Allen Klosowski
Modern Noir by Allen Klosowski
Modern Noir by Allen Klosowski
Modern Noir by Allen Klosowski
The full set can be seen on SuicideGirls.com sometime in the next month or so.
Lightning Rods Beef Jerky
So not everything in photography is about the metal, glass, and plastic camera gear. Sometimes it’s about your mind and body working in harmony to delivery maximum creative destruction to your clients.
However, when jumping between five assignments in two days, your mind and body can get a bit worn and dulled. My body is a temple, so in these situations I stick to my usual routine of Diet Coke and beef jerky (always carry snacks, clients don’t always feed you!).
What the hell am I rambling about? I think I just might have found the best invention since Baconnaise.
It’s an energy-powered beef jerky. A product mother nature was too scared to create on her own.
Yes, that’s right Lightning Rods are as the packaging proclaims, “Meat Stix Gone Wild“. They are 0.95 ounces of meat byproduct with Red Bull like qualities. Sounds insane? It is.
The Lightning Rods website says:
Lightning Rods are the original high energy beef sticks with an energy boost in every bite. They are the perfect blend of energy enhancement in a delicious beef snack. Packed 42 individually wrapped 0.95 oz sticks per box, these gluten-free 5 inch beef sticks are mildly flavored with a pleasing aftertaste. Made in the USA with US-raised beef, Lightning Rods feature the unique combo of Guarana and Ginseng. Guarana, a Brazilian berry, offers a delicious flavoring and a caffeinated zap. Ginseng, an Asian herb, assists the body to restore itself to health and it has beneficial effects on sports performance. Let the energy evolution begin!
I can tell you after having eaten a few of these babies, I do feel a bit of mental sharpness returning to my brain each time. I’m now carrying them on assignment everywhere. Easy to pack and store in my photo gear, and with ingredients like that I’m sure they have a shelf life longer Dick Clark’s hair! Did I mention that they taste pretty good too?
What does this have to do with photography? Nothing really. What does it have to do with awesome? Everything. Also, I’ve always wanted to have a “Beef Jerky” tag on this website.
Just don’t forget the breathmints. Nothing a client likes more than processed meat breath.
The Right Ons at SXSW 2009
My photo of The Right Ons from SXSW is being featured on Twangville.com, check it out. The photo was shot with a Canon 5D using the Canon 24-105mm EF L F4 IS lens.
I told you yesterday about the Worldwide Moment project. It is a project which is aiming at capturing a Worldwide Moment of Peace on 09.09.09 at 9:09:09 by receiving simultaneous photographs from 10,000 people all over the world! It is calling for photographers of all skill levels, and there are mini-moments that you can join in on every week. If you’re not up to date, you can learn more here.
I took my picture today to be included in the 04.15.09 Mini Moment, and I thought I would share.
Denver, CO shot for Worldwide Moment by Allen Klosowski
This image is a stark contrast to the shiny environment I captured last time in the heart of Denver.
Only blocks away from the hi-rises, fancy restaurants, and rooftops, there is a much different story. Taken on the corner of 29th and Larimer St. is an area in the midst of an uncomfortable transition. Plagued by a large homeless population, rampant crime and poverty, and encroaching yuppies with their doggie day-cares and German cars.
This convenience store, called only “The Store”, is run down and tattered, but still going. It mainly serves the large homeless population sheltered at the Volunteers of America Center located directly behind the store. It sells mostly homemade Mexican food out of worn crockpots and surely not up to health code, and “loosey” cigarettes for a quarter each. A transient from the shelter can been seen in the background on a bike. Bikes are a major source of transportation for the homeless population in Denver, and are mainly obtained not through cash, but by the smashing of bike locks. “The Store” closes promptly at 5pm, as the area around the store quickly becomes dangerous as the sun sets.
Want to see what other photographers have come up with? See the images here as they are posted. It takes some time to get them all up, so please be patient.
And please, considering joining us next Tuesday for the next Moment.
Denver, CO shot for World Wide Moment by Allen Klosowski
I shot the above image of Denver off my balcony for the World Wide Moment project. It is a project which is aiming at capturing a Worldwide Moment of Peace on 09.09.09 at 9:09:09 by receiving simultaneous photographs from 10,000 people all over the world!
This includes at least one photograph from someone in every country in the World. Then they want to exhibit them. All together. As a reminder of what’s possible, if only for a moment.
Here’s what they did on 08.08.08 at 8:08 – it’s pretty incredible.
World Wide Moment 08.08.08
It’s an ambitious project, and it needs your help. We need more photographers in more locations to get the project up to it’s goal. You are that photographer – and amateurs and pros are all invited.
Getting started is easy. There is a “mini” World Wide Moment every Tuesday from now until 09.09.09. They’ve got a Facebook account with almost 4,000 members, plus a website, a you can follow them on twitter.
It’s just that easy, and a lot of fun too! Won’t you join us?
Once you’ve taken your picture, just email it to Brett at World Wide Moment, and include a brief synopsis of what was happening in the picture, and where it was taken. I can’t wait to see what your moment looks like.
Selena and I were priviledged to be chosen as the event photographers for Swallow Hill’s Roots Fest at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House this year. It was an incredible experience, and I wanted to share some of the images from the event with you!
Boulder Acoustic Society performing at Roots Fest 2009 / Photo by Allen Klosowski at K2PhotoStudio.com
Kicking off the night was Colorado’s own Boulder Acoustic Society (BAS), who have been performing and teaching at Swallow Hill throughout their rising career. Old school but never old, they represent the new wave of American roots music, dubbed by Darol Anger as “…the future of String Band Music on a silver platter.”
Joe Pug performing at Roots Fest 2009 / Photo by Allen Klosowski at K2PhotoStudio.com
Joe Pug, who is receiving widespread critical acclaim as one of the most respected songwriters of this generation, made his Denver debut at RootsFest. Pug has been on tour with the Bo Deans and is making his debut at the Ann Arbor Folk Festival later this month.
Gandalf Murphy performing at Roots Fest 2009 / Photo by Allen Klosowski at K2PhotoStudio.com
Delivering music that can “heal what ails ya,” Gandalf Murphy and the Slambovian Circus of Dreams took to the stage to create an enchanting atmosphere, using traditional folk instruments, tasty electric guitar, and the distinctive singing and songwriting of Joziah Longo. Their latest CD, The Great Unravel, was hailed by the UK’s Maverick Magazine as “mightily impressive and hugely original… ’tis truly an epic soundtrack.”
Tallest Man On Earth performing at Roots Fest 2009 / Photo by Selena Klosowski at K2PhotoStudio.com
Tallest Man On Earth performing at Roots Fest 2009 / Photo by Allen Klosowski at K2PhotoStudio.com
Swedish singer/songwriter Tallest Man On Earth, aka Kristian Matsson, will also be made his Denver debut fresh off his tour with Bon Iver, one of the most talked-about of 2008. A mysterious figure, he has been drawing comparisons as “the next Dylan.” Pitchfork Media couldn’t resist declaring the cliché as well. In a recent review of his album, Shallow Grave, Amanda Petrusich writes “…(he) manages to embody Dylan’s effortlessness so well…infusing his songs with a detachment that, miraculously, is neither cold nor alienating. Like Dylan, Matsson is so natural a songwriter that these tracks feel predetermined, tumbling out of his mouth with an ease and grace that’s increasingly uncommon.”
Leo Kottke performing at Roots Fest 2009 / Photo by Allen Klosowski at K2PhotoStudio.com
Innovative acoustic guitar virtuoso Leo Kottke’s fingerpicking sounded amazing in the Opera House’s finely crafted sound qualities. Having survived a series of personal obstacles including partial hearing loss and tendon damage to his hand, Kottke has emerged to become one of the most masterful of modern guitar players. His performances are captivating, coupling his playing with monologues that range from strange to humorous. Unconventional in style and composition, he pushes boundaries and inspires with his art, which ranges from blues to jazz to folk and beyond.
Ricki Lee Jones performing at Roots Fest 2009 / Photo by Allen Klosowski at K2PhotoStudio.com
Rickie Lee Jones broke into the music scene in 1979 with her self-titled debut that captured the Grammy Award for Best New Artist. Instantly hailed by critics as a “highly touted new pop-jazz-singer-songwriter” and another critic as “one of the best–if not the best–artists of her generation.” Since that time she has garnered more Grammy nominations, winning another in 1989 for Best Jazz Vocal Performance for “Makin’ Whoopee!” Other accolades include being ranked #30 on VH1’s 100 Greatest Women of Rock N Roll list and receiving Italy’s prestigious Tenco Prize in 2001, honoring her musical career. A profoundly original trailblazing artist, Jones has connections with fellow headliner, Leo Kottke. She collaborated with him on her 1993 release, Traffic from Paradise, and produced his Peculiaroso (1994).
Hot Rize performing at Roots Fest 2009 / Photo by Allen Klosowski at K2PhotoStudio.com
Hot Rize’s high-energy and unique sound is legendary and appealing to fans both young and old, featuring Grammy Award winners Tim O’Brien and Bryan Sutton, plus Pete “Dr. Banjo” Wernick and eTown’s Nick Forster. This event also marks Hot Rize’s 30th year in the bluegrass history book. The celebration is especially serendipitous as the original members of the band got their start by being part of the Swallow Hill community. Swallow Hill’s recording studio, Sawtelle Studio, is named in honor of original Hot Rize member, Charles Sawtelle, who passed in 1999.
It was an incredible evening, one I was glad to be a part of!
Allen Klosowski is invading SXSW 2009!
So in case you haven’t seen my twitter stream, or read my Facebook updates, I’m on my way to the most badass music festival that ever was – SXSW in Austin, TX. I’m roadtripping down there with David Pennington of Syntropic Music as the official photgrapher. We’ll be blogging our journeys, so hopefully you can follow along with us!
Read our travel blog here: Syntropic Music Invades SXSW 2009
Or don’t. But no, really, do.
Serefina hanging out in Dog House Record Studios
A friend of mine here in Colorado specializes in custom fit chainmaille outfits of all kinds, but many for women. Recently he asked me, and my friend Serefina, to help him put his online catalog together. Although he’s still building his website and catalog, I thought I’d share a few shots I took for the catalog.
Chainmaille Metal Chaps
Chainmaille Metal Skirt
Chainmaille Bikini
On the export, these came out a bit brighter and flatter on the web than their print counterparts. I’ll see if I can fix that when I have time. In the meantime, enjoy.
Thanks to Serefina, and thanks to Dog House Music Studios in Lafayette, CO for the location to shoot. It was lots of fun!
And for those techies, this was shot entirely with a Canon 5D, 24-105 EF L lens, and a single Alien Bee B800 light setup as a butterfly light to compliment the stage lights.
I’m trying to get caught up with my huge photoshop photo load, but in the meantime, I thought I’d keep you entertained with some of our previous work. Here’s a few from a fun set we shot with our friend Alyssa Phillips here in Denver. It’s a modern take on the classic pinup, all for a good bit of fun!
Close ups can be fun!
This was shot in a retro basement in a house here in Denver. We used butterfly lighting with no fill lights to create the Noir style, heavy contrast look.
Sometimes a modern pinup can be a bit more fun!I love playing with all angles.
We tried to play on the retro feel of the room, and the black and white polka-dot dress. Technically this set was shot with a Canon 5D, a Canon 24-70mm EF L 2.8 lens, and one softbox in a butterfly lighting setup powered by Alien Bee lights.
I love playing with all angles.
Our photography is all about fun, and we really thought this set was just that. Lots of fun! Enjoy.
Legs
I was fortunate enough to be able to attend the Krav Maga Winter Training Camp this year as both a photographer and a student. I couldn’t actually tell you how much fun it was, because you wouldn’t believe me. Thanks to James and Shannon Hiromasa at Colorado Krav Maga for hosting the event.
For those photography buffs out there, I did want to share a few pictures, and discuss action photography in low light of mixed sources.
Jeff Jimmo demostrates controlling your opponent for the Krav Maga class.
In a shot like that above, there is a mixed lighting source of flourescent and daylight coming in through the venue doors. Additionally, flash photography is a big no-no in a teaching environment, because it has a tendency to completely distract the class. So you need to be able to catch quick action, but at the same time be able to be discreet.
In all these images, lighting temperature was an issue. While I set the camera up for fluorescent lighting, even those have varying temperatures. I shot all the files in RAW and tried to balance them with my eyes in photoshop to overcome. While the pictures aren’t 100% consistent, they are plenty good for their respective application.
For all the shots on this assignment, I used a Canon Mk III 1D with a 24-70 EF 2.8 L lens. I also had a Sigma F1.4 50mm on hand, but didn’t use it because the Depth of Focus is too short in action photography to capture much of anything.
Krav Maga knife defense drills.
In the shot above, two students are moving very quickly to grapple with each other to avoid a shock from the much feared “shock knife” which can deliver 7,500 volts to your neck. Not pleasant. The trick here is to stop action, and stay out of the way of the students.
For both of the shots above, I used the same setup, and shot mainly a F2.8. The trick is that I used ISO 3200 for all the shots. Some would say that this is an unusable ISO, but for indoor action, it works quite well. I find that with the Canon Mk III 1D, shooting at ISO 3200 is not a problem, as long as exposed – or even over exposed. The noise is not distracting in most normal sized prints, and it much preferred to motion blur or underexposed shots at ISO 1600 pushed to far beyond their limits. However, if you severly underexpose ISO 3200, there is no way to recover a decent photo, even when using RAW.
Even at ISO 3200, I was able to slightly underexpose all of these image to help keep shutter speeds high, and then push the images 1/2-1 stop in Adobe Camera Raw before bringing them into Photoshop.
The drama is in the struggle in Krav Maga.
To convey the life and death struggles that Krav Maga training can put you in, I often focused on the strained facial expressions of the participants involved. When shooting in a crowded gym with over 200 people drilling, wide angles can be distracting.
Shock Knife defense is no joke.
That glowing blade is the spark coming off the taser-like portion of the training implement. Had I used a flash and overridden the ambient lighting, the blue/purple spark would have completely disappeared from the image.
Sometimes a bit of motion blurring is acceptable and shows action in the frame.
John Whitman demonstrates gun defense from behind at a distance.
This show could be better without motion blur, but it does show the quickness at which John Whitman can take away your gun and then beat you to a bloody pulp.
Remember your audience when shooting.
Even though you may want to focus on the drama of the situation, and the action, remember what your images will be used for by the organizers and teachers. Use a variety of angles and positions to showcase those involved in organizing and teaching at an event like this. They will appreciate being able to show others what they do. It will also help the training schools demonstrate the level of interest in both their martial art, and the instructors teaching it. Not every shot has to be an action shot.
So in summation, photography is almost always a trade off. Motion blur or noise was the compromise I was forced into for this event. Learning your gear will help you mitigate any negative consequences of the trade-off and keep you prepared for the challenging situations as they arrive.
Hope this post helps you in your low light adventures, whether it be martial arts, basketball, or even youth hockey.
