Studio News and Updates...

jtography - on location series - Flip Night at Frankie’s

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 14:29:39 -0400

jtography goes "on-location" at Frankie's on the Avenue for Flip Night. Turn around twice and half the jtography crew are working behind the bar... uh... Anyway, Frankie's is now our new board-room for big power-meetings on Thursdays. Enjoy the video - and see you there.

FIFA - Football and the Future

Mon, 21 Jun 2010 15:43:11 -0400

When I was just a wee lad (small boy) my uncle had the coolest job in the world. No he wasn't a photographer, he was president of the local football association. He travelled sometimes and brought my cousins and me little kits (uniforms) for the then biggest teams. We felt like huge stars, playing epic games on the front lawn of each of the family homes, wearing man-u, spurs and arsenal gear. Official, but mini!

Then, as we grew older, we started attending the games. Not as spectators but as ball-boys. You know, those little groms who run off and get the ball when it goes "out" at the major international games. And sometimes, on the most radical day of your life, a "big", star player would tell you "thanks!" And then, check this, at half time, we'd either go find our uncle in the VIP lounge in the national stadium, or we'd take turns kicking balls into the giant stadium nets. I was 7 or so and there were heady sensations.

Fast forward about 25 years and wouldn't you know it, the soca warriors looked like they were going to make it to Germany. And oh, serendipity, I was by then firmly rooted in the other coolest job in the world, a photographer, and working for TSTT, the team's title sponsor. I went to qualifying games all over the place. Once again I was "all access" on the grounds around the field, big lens in hand, immortalizing the warriors and connecting the sponsorship dots for TSTT. I became a master at finding the best angle to frame the action, the energy and of course the necessary branding. That's the job.

After the local result against Bahrain I had a limited amount of time to shoot on the field - that frenzy at the end of the game when all the accredited media are allowed unfettered access to the winners (the losers disappear pretty quick). I and the whole entourage of the team, various VIPs, aforementioned uncle, jack warner, TSTT execs and a few giddy bmobile world cup campaign winners were rushed to the airport where a chartered jet (nice effing plane, excuse me!) took us to Bahrain.

Everywhere we went in Bahrain was just one amazement after another. Stunning place. A kingdom. I of course with my white skin amongst the "real" trinis, was nominated "Birchall" who had scored against the Bahrain team here in Trinidad. I lost count of the times I heard: "You! Number 7, Good Goal!" Thankfully the exchange was good natured. I'd go on about Bahrain at length, amazing place, but that's in the past and I've blogged about it before. Once again I was on the field after the game pushing a camera under a giant trini flag to bring home the joy.

And then... we were off to Germany. Again cameras ready and a patient wife at home. So many thousands of images depicting the immersion of Trini people and culture into the contrasting world of old Europe. The 2007 phone directory was littered with my pictures. TSTT had their cake and ate it too. The soca warriors didn't win. But winning is a state of mind and they came back heros.

I made exclusive images of president Richards tasting wine in an underground bomb-shelter, our supporters praying before a game; and crying after the loss, the warrior team preparing to play against their own heros... Canon rates their camera’s shutters into the hundreds of thousands and I was right up there!

Trinidad and Tobago didn't qualify again this time - 2010. We may never again. That's football. That's life. But everyone of us is part of a new team. We find a connection and hold on to it, no matter how tenuous. I've "been" to the world cup before, more times than most (through the tv) as my grandmother was from Argentina. We would cry when this great footballing nation lost, and soar with it when it won. Glued to a TV set, cursing the local ads that ran too long.

So here we are. I'm kind of relieved to not be shooting this world cup. The timing isn't great for me (didn't FIFA get my itinerary?) but who knows what the future has in store for us? jtography has enjoyed some of the biggest, most critical international assignments. Highs and lows. We're well regarded as having the experience to handle it. One thing's for sure. If we do qualify ever again... well, let's just hope canon work on their shutter rating because I'm not going anywhere without the finger down hard.

Fashion Week 3 - Unofficial Rant

Wed, 16 Jun 2010 14:12:39 -0400

Lisa Holley writes: ...One word comes to mind when i think of Fashion Week TT3....Nakedness!..

Everywhere you looked there was some sort of body part exposed for the eye to see. I’m not complaining, since the men they had showing off their clothes were delicious! Rip roaring abs, mohawks, teeny tiny clothing... Sigh... it was a joy to be there. With the ladies it was legs, legs, legs, and more legs. I consider myself to be tall, however standing next to one of these lovely ladies I felt like a shrimp. Next time I’m wearing my Stilettos with a side of extra tall!

Fashion week was amazing to shoot. Our crew was: James, Russel, Anthony, Kacie and myself. We work great as a team, however when it comes to following the rules we are notorious for ignoring them and doing our own thing. In this case, I think we may have crossed the line a teeny tiny bit as the media was not impressed with our video/photography antics. From Anthony sticking a steadicam in everyone’s way at the start of the runway and managing to get in everyone's shot, Russel practically walking onto the runway itself to get an awesome pic, and then there’s James, who thought he was hiding but really was in plain site of the TV6 crew for the entire show... Sometimes i really want to put my head down in shame... I unlike the others, actually obeyed some of the rules and stayed out of sight.

As easy as we make weddings look, Fashion Week is harder! Those models have one goal on their mind. Walk to end of run way and back, looking HOT, in the shortest period of time! Trying to capture these beauties in their natural element as they strut the catwalk is like trying to get an awesome picture of a Hummingbird with a point and shoot camera - virtually impossible! Praise Jah - we are Ninjas! We managed to score this shoot at every angle producing what we like to call: EPICNESS!!

It was a pure joy to work with Dianne Hunte and Ian Royer from Fashion Week. They gave us the freedom to be creative which we love, and i can not wait to work with them in the Future.

For the official Fashion Week TT 3 Coverage - complete with a 2 minute badass promotional video - go here. Enjoy the Behind the Scenes images below and a bonus link to the Nikon video that everyone says is “allyuh”...

Fashion Week 3 - Official Coverage

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 14:40:51 -0400

The Official Fashion Week Coverage - through the eyes of jtography. To read more about how we shot this event and how NOT to shoot this event... go here!

jtography - on location series - Maracas Bay

Thu, 13 May 2010 04:38:05 -0400

UPDATE >> The event is now online in our Weddings and Life Gallery Section.

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Just by reading this, you are invited to the first in a series of free location shoots by jtography! For this first shoot, we're focusing (literally) on families - children in particular. And to follow the studio's ethos of quality, natural, candid photographs, we are setting up the world's most advanced photographic equipment in the sun, sand and sea!

The sea??!!! Extremely radical, closeup, ultra-cool photographs of your kids surfing and swimming will be possible. That's because we'll be shooting with the same equipment that's used to film the Discovery Channel's "Deadliest Catch"! And to really make the most of that, one of Trinidad's top surfers, Che Lovelace, will be on hand to give your kids complimentary surfing lessons (equipment provided).

You can contact the studio for details but here's the full scoop:

What: jtography location series / open day.
Where: Maracas Bay
When: Sunday, 23rd May. 10am-2pm
Cost: Free. Prints will be available for sale on the studio's website days later at our standard rates.

“Holding on! - Alex, Damien’s Bay”

How it works / Terms.
1. Get to the beach early on Sunday 23rd May. Attending the shoot is free.
2. Look for the jtography banners and big cameras!
3. Find Brianne and make sure you register your children. You must sign up by 11am on the day. Note, you cannot register prior to the event.
4. Participating kids will be given small wrist-bands so that James, Lisa, Dos and Kacie know who's "in" and who to shoot.
5. Kids must stay (on the beach and in the sea) within the designated zone (banners) so that our photographers can find them.
6. Surf instruction by Che Lovelace is also free to registered kids between these times and small, manageable groups will be taken out in constant rotation. (Note, learning to surf actually starts on the sand).
7. All images from the event will be watermarked with the jtography logo and posted on the studio's website approximately 3 days after. The images will be numbered, not named.
8. Parents can order non watermarked prints directly from the website jtography.com using a secure credit card service and prints can be delivered or collected.
9. The studio and Che Lovelace are not liable for any harm or loss experienced during this event. You are having a awesome day at the beach... and the cameras just happen to be there. Registration merely pulls the whole thing together. Che Lovelace is an experienced surf instructor and lessons with him are optional, requiring parental consent.
10. While we will make every effort to ensure every child is represented on the day, we cannot guarantee this.

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So, come out and have some fun at the beach with your small ones - we’ll be there to take the pictures you wish you’d taken every time you’ve said: “I wish we brought the camera...”

With a Beer in one Hand - This is the Perfect Job

Fri, 2 Apr 2010 15:54:54 -0400

Brianne: Ok so it has been about 1 year since I started working with jtography and boy could I tell you some stories!!! I have seen hardware failure, equipment loss, crazy adventure races and even Her Majesty The Queen! But I have also met some great people who have helped me out while I learnt how to live the jtography lifestyle. For those of you who don't know about the hijinks of jtography please let me explain:-

Miranda: She is the original "Boss" of jto and has helped me from day 1! She has shown me how to do the easiest to the hardest of Administrative tasks and for that I am more than grateful! I would have been SO lost without her!

Kacie: She comes and goes depending on her uber-hip lifestyle, but she’ll always be considered a part of the jto crew! She welcomed me and listened to my complaints about ridiculous deadlines or unreasonable people and even about the ups & downs of my love life... Kacie Lee you are the bestest!

Lisa: She's not the most talkative of girls but she knows how to get shit done! Lisa helps me out when things get rough and without her things like CHOGM 2009 would have been a disaster! But she was there printing & framing and even running when I needed another photographer on the site! Plus she's always ready for a beer!

Dos: The newest member of the jto crew but you would think he's been here from the very beginning! Dos doesn't let a day go by without having the entire office in hysterics! He knows how to make us all relax and ensures that we don't forget that we need to take a step back sometimes and enjoy a shot of tequila!

Team 2: (Anton, Anthony & Jono)- They are the best "back-up-team" I ever had! They work together and don't see me as just the Studio Manager but rather another member of the team. They all have full-time jobs outside of jtography but are always willing to jump on the jto bus and help me out whenever they can!

James: And last but not lease my beloved "Boss" and I use that term very loosely! I have never had a job that allowed me to have such a good friendship with the person who signs my cheques! James took a chance hiring me when he met me at a wedding a whole year ago but he has never doubted me (or at least he hasn't let me know about his doubts!) I haven't always been right when it comes to handling situations in the office but James was never afraid to let me find my own way of doing things. Now he pretty much considers me HIS "Boss"!

I don't know many people who spend as much time in the office laughing like us here at jtography. I literally LOVE what I do and get up excited to go to the Studio. Not only do I play a small part in helping brides, grooms, parents & companies remember a special time in their lives but I am "behind the scenes" seeing the blood, sweat and tears that go into each jto project! I can't wait to get married or have something of my very own captured by the jto staff! Only question is... can they hold a camera in one hand and a beer in the other?

Edit (james): I had to add this picture to answer Brianne’s last question. We sometimes backlight a shot with a wireless flash like this and here’s Lisa, hard at work, with a Stag in one hand as Ossie (the groom) goes down with a little help from his friends (he was just resting, honest)! Technically, she doesn’t have a camera in her other hand but we’re working on that Brianne, I promise.

Your Anti-Burning Campaign - for free

Fri, 2 Apr 2010 15:49:25 -0400

After spending half the day fighting a fire with dos (and all his good neighbours) to prevent it from making a fatal connection between patches of bamboo and his home, we've decided this national inferno has gone on enough. It's action time.

To that end, we are extending the following open invitation to corporate Trinidad and Tobago:

jtography will shoot, edit and produce, at no cost, all the necessary facets of a major anti-burning campaign. Along with you and your ad-agency, we will embark on a journey of education, sensitization and national change, the results of which will be nothing short of revolutionary.

Personally, I see this issue as ripe for corporate involvement. Kudos to the clever minds that altered the nation's stance on drink-driving and the "arrive alive" lobby group.

Billboards, highway signs asking people to extinguish cigarettes properly, a press campaign illustrating the pros (none) and cons (plenty) of slash-and-burn farming... We can do it. Personally, I'd like to start with some aerial photography on any given day so people can fully appreciate the destruction of this land and the quality of the air they are being forced to breathe.

We need a corporate entity(s) willing to put their media budget behind this as opinions won't change overnight. This is your chance to stand out from the saturated "drink/responsibly" message; to look like a national hero; and to work with the most creative production team available, at no cost...

Let's do it before this country is as parched as Haiti.

Is my phone ringing yet?

Buns in the Oven

Fri, 2 Apr 2010 15:44:14 -0400

No, nobody here is pregnant (or at least they haven't told me yet). But we get all anxious and excited when we have something baking that's going to taste awesome. In this case we've been stirring, kneading and allowing things to marinade for a while.

April is going to be a tasty month when we deliver the goods and you bite into some new creations. Without spoiling your appetite, I can give you some clues:

• One course will centre around a contest that involves YOU very much.
• Another has a lot to do with Shark and Bake.
• There's one course that will be very moist and salty (!).
• And the last, for desert, something sweet and crunchy, with many layers and a taste that will last a long, long time!

No peeking. And don't rush the oven timer or it will flop and taste weird.

Chris Dennis - Between Worlds

Fri, 2 Apr 2010 13:35:20 -0400

Salt! Chris’ First Event is in California - we are there.

It’s game-on for Chris and the production team. Chris is currently in the USA for his first events. He’s accompanied by Marcus Gomez for jtography who’s been picking up footage of Chris in action, as well as crucial interviews with the likes of Ritchie Collins, Peter Mel and Coil Industries (Chris’ board maker). Chris will return home briefly before heading off to Brazil. Stay tuned for results and updates.

Taste the new Expo - Be Intrigued

Thu, 1 Apr 2010 05:36:37 -0400

On Thursday the 28th of march, there was a monumental paradigm change in the local special events industry. You now have an entirely different option with regards to analysing potential vendors for your next event: firstly there are the "big expos", held at the centre of excellence, Hilton, hyatt, etc. These are a good option if you want to catch everyone on a level playing field, except that you won't find the top vendors there. 
Really? As the most in-demand wedding/portrait studio, shouldn't we have been represented at I Am Woman the week before? Yes and no. I won't go into too much detail about why we don't attend that function - let's just say it's not for us. I can't fit my service into a little white booth and shove brochures into the hands of everyone who chimes: "allyuh have anything to giveaway?" 
The alternative? Oh, I was so stoked to get a call from Shane Correia and Chef Sacha Headley-Correia from EARTH Chef weeks before about jointly hosting an alternative expo concept at the Banquet Hall, MovieTowne. Be Intrigued is a whole new take on vendor appraisal: no booths, no guessing, no promises and no rhetoric. Just the opportunity to watch how some of the top people in the industry perform in real-time, and share a bite/drink/chat with the owner/operators of these innovative companies. 
Here's a breakdown of how the night unfolded, and how guests were exposed to the most cutting edge special events trends. 
For starters, 9 blocks Design Studio and Scrip-J collaborated to produce a bench-mark invitation. An intriguing black box containing a custom-made puzzle-invite and some delicious edible goodies was hand-delivered to guests. Next, the Banquet & Conference Centre, MovieTowne was adorned with Scrip-J's signage and displays, while Media21's daylight screens guided guests to the venue. Merge Events created an elaborate red carpet entry where Kalloo’s took over valet parking and SenBur coordinated and greeted guests, escorting them into the venue.

Coming out of the elevator, guests found themselves walking into jtography's mobile studio where we did real-time portraits and 8x10 prints to take home. La Tropical lined the way with elaborate floral displays to a completely transformed Banquet Hall which hosted EARTH Chef’s exquisite food and OCEAN premium bar services with the help and cocktail flare of the League of Extraordinary Bartenders provided drinks service. Media21 served up information and jtography showreels on a custom built video-wall. Live Entertainment came from the Alternative Quartet and Shurwayne Winchester. Banging audio for the night was provided by DJ Kern Crosby. 
At 8.45, we screened our Same Day Edit which you can watch on this page. This was the bravest SDE we've undertaken using a lot of time-lapse imagery to show how preparations were made and how the space was transformed up to the minute. You can watch it above - and keep in mind it was produced live on the day. That crossed over to live fireworks by Firepower Fireworks, out in the gulf of Paria off a barge. 
The consensus between participating vendors is that the event is a totally legit alternative to the “big expo”. As a potential "customer" you should probably still attend as many expos as you can. But make sure you look very closely at the vendors who choose not to attend those, for it's likely their reason might just be in alignment with your goals: to produce an event that's unlike anything people have seen, you really need to "think outside the booth". 
For more information, the Be Intrigued event lives on at the permanent website beintrigued.net, which was designed and maintained by 3RS Web & It Solutions. 
On this page you can click to see all images from the event and order prints. If you had your picture taken at the event's mobile studio, and want to order additional, non-watermarked prints, use our print ordering system or contact the studio directly.

Looking Back - the Year's Best Videos

Sat, 6 Feb 2010 05:49:13 -0500

So when we posted the year’s best images and invited viewers to vote, I had no idea that there would be so many votes... on a Friday no less! Shouldn’t you all be hard at work? Or prepping for the after-work lime? Anyway, by popular request, these are the the top videos for the year. Much easier for us to go through than the 200,000+ photos made by certain trigger-happy photographers :-)

Many of these videos were shot even prior to Canon’s introduction of manual controls on their hybrid cameras and ss with the year’s top photos, our newest videos from 2010 leave these in the dust. But that’s to be expected right?

For the year’s best images click here.

Video #1: Richard and Sabrina’s “Love Story”. When I met Richard and Sabrina, they said they explicitly didn’t want to hold hands on a beach... I immediately thought of going in completely the opposite direction. I asked them what kind of music they listened too and if they could swim... and left the details at that - until we were well into the shoot. Either brave or stupid on my part. Anyway, in the words of my best friend: Go big or go home. Richard and Sabrina went big, setting the bar for just about every short action-film in the region thereafter.

Looking Back - the Year's Best Images

Mon, 1 Feb 2010 14:51:39 -0500

2009 was a challenging year but, when we get behind a camera, there's something about that dark little boxed-in viewfinder that helps to shut out the world and transport you to a place where you don't really exist. I tell people who I'm shooting all the time: "don't mind me, pretend I'm not really here." and it's because I'm not... I'm miles away pushing a button that grabs a little piece of their world...

I’m rambling! So to celebrate this process, here’s a shortlist of the studio's favourite pictures from 2009. And we want you to choose yours - vote at the bottom of this story and help make the winning image our "shot of the year". The winning photographer gets a case of beers.

We shot over 222,000 pictures last year. Holy crap! Not easy to sift through but by some feat of badass-ness Lisa pulled it off.

For the year’s best videos click here.

Shot #1: This first shot is from Andre and Rebekah’s Trash-the-Dress session in Bathsheba, Barbados. We were all feeling pretty wrecked - including them I imagine - because we set out to shoot this the day after their wedding before we flew out. That’s a brave mission. In this shot, a wireless flash backlights the spray and freezes the action. I loved the idea of Rebekah splashing Andre like that. We reversed it too, but it wasn’t as playful.

Shot #2: One of the hardest shoots we do each year is the Tropical Power Coast2Coast Adventure Race. The biggest challenge is not just to stay in the race getting the “facts” but to come back with images that connect with the hardcore nature of the race. A blown out sky is always a challenge so we try to light racers when we can. It comes down to travelling with almost a portable studio: reflectors, gels, wireless lights... Anyway, sometimes all that works fine and the shot is “technically ok” but fails to tell the story. After a couple of riders went by with frustratingly boring results, I dragged the shutter speed to 100th/sec and twisted the camera. I lost the sky again but managed to get a shot that stood out. Then it was back in the truck to make up for lost time.

Shot #3: There are so many amazing photographs from CHOGM that it was the hardest selection to make. Moreso because we have a rights/responsibility issue and some of the images do not portray the event in such a positive light. One of the shots, which we thought was THE shot of the year overall, is so chilling that we almost delete it every time we see it. So “runner up” is this image of Her Majesty the Queen of England. The organisers of this event lined her route with scores of boyscouts and other “VIPs” (!) and she was shorter than all of them. The shot below is one of maybe a hundred, rattled off at 10 frames per second, while holding a 7D and 300mm lens high ove my head about 100 feet away. Every shot but this one is a random waste of time. Proof that the planets do align occasionally!

Shot #4: This is a really cool photograph made druing Nicholas and Natasha’s Trash-the-Dress session. They didn’t do a “first dance” at their wedding so we built them a raft for that opportunity... in the Gulf of Paria. This is our only “Behind-the-Scenes” entry for shot of the year and it was taken by Anton from the boat while Lisa and I shot closer. The full-dress and placement of the grooms hands set against the working photographers in the background is an interesting juxtaposition.

Shot #5: Another “Trash” - this time for Brendan and Tracy. We did three last year and they ALL stood out in our selection. Obviously it’s a shooting opportunity like no other. I love the connection between them here and what the dress is doing in the light breeze. All set against the earthy tones of rock and sand and almost no post-production required.

Shot #6: This is from Anand and Alison’s wedding ceremony on Pigeon Point Beach, Tobago. It’s not surprising that Tobago features here because we always come back with our best images from the sister isle. We didn’t all agree on this selection but I loved how the trees and the blue sky just peak through the cloth at the top of the image. The whole partition between that and the ceremony draws a line between the significance of the event and the whimsical nature of the location.

Shot #7: Meiling’s shows always give photographers an opportunity to produce good images. My gripe has always been with the event’s lighting. In relation to the photographers position it’s quite terrible - maybe because flat lighting helps the audience to “see” the whole piece? Anyway, this photograph was made by Lisa who sat on the floor, below the feet of patrons, looking up at the end of the runway. Better light, more drama and an angle that no one else has. Another photographer, who I respect, looked at some of the images and said “their nice, but a fashion mag would have a lot of problems with these...” I deliberately didn’t ask what those problems might be, so that Lisa and I might stay in the land of ignorance - oblivious to the “rules” of the fashion industry. Close call! Meiling has always asked us to produce “a different take” on her shows and the last thing I want is to have guidelines.

Shot #8: This little boy was so cool. I love the catchlight in his eyes and the way yours is bouncing between them and the sharp water droplets. You can bounce forever and never get tired of the connection.

Shot #9: Sometimes we get caught up with trying to “light” details. And sometimes the morning sun does it so much better.

Shot #10: Krista’s wedding had it all - torrential rain, gale-force winds, a pastor who needed a little reminder about their names... Outside the frame in the shot below, about 20 people stood by helping with instructions (mostly to hurry up!). Krista’s attitude and the hard light in the folds of the dress make this shot.

Shot #11: You don’t usually see a portrait of people’s backs but I wanted to find a way to get Navin and Nadita to get anyone looking at this image to share the sunset with them. In low light like this it’s “manual everything” including manual focus which is a pain, but worth it.

Shot #12: After one of the bar-staff, from More Vino, caught the garter, everyone started dancing in the rain. At this point my camera is getting absolutely drenched and the light Lisa is holding (hidden behind the dancer) has set fire to every drop of water. It’s a little intense but I was really trying to get the shot fast and get back inside!

Shot #13: I’ve taken this image dozens of times over the last year. It’s fun to get it just right and I really dig getting the camera down to waist-level where the hem of the dress cuts the shot in half - the world above and below. The venue was really dark which ordinarily makes for poor ambience but here the contrast helps.

This has been a really interesting process for us. It’s already February and so we were completely FLOORED by the fact that there are just as many images as good and better than these, produced in January 2010 alone. So - NO you can’t choose the shot at the very top of the page - you have to wait until next January :-)

I don’t know what to say about that: maybe looking back really isn’t as useful as looking forward. That will be my next post!

For now... we’re looking forward to seeing which image you think is numero uno from the selection above. All you gotta do is vote below. And then it’s: bring on 2010.

Leave (positive) comments below. Pointless arguing in the comments section will be removed by me :-) one love.