rtodd photographer A few Atlanta guys trying their hand at retro photography

Filed under: John Dolye, alexandros salazar, enisha brewster, lighting, stephanie allen hopkins

Who wants to help the photographer build a cool Photography tool?

19
Nov0

Ok, it’s no secret that I’m a huge Chase Jarvis fan. I read his blog on a regular basis because he gives me inspiration for my own shoots. He just posted a video for a tool they use for shoots that I would love to build and use for some of our shoots this upcoming Spring and Summer!

So, if I bought the material, is anyone willing to help build it? I’ll make it worth your time! E-mail me is you’re interested.

rtodd

How Chase Jarvis and his team built their “contraption”

Filed under: chase jarvis, inspiration

Lighting Studies – The Guys

13
Nov0

Charidy Sullivan LaFontaine – 1992

If I had known the lighting study shoots were going to turn out as cool as they have, I would have done them sooner. Stephanie and Enisha did an amazing job. Both women brought their own style to the shoot and were so patient with me as I tested new lighting techniques and tried to emulate cool lighting styles that I have seen.

The results were just as cool as our themed shoots. In fact, I discovered some lighting styles that worked for our Steampunk shoot. The Steampunk Flickr set got 514 views in one day!!! It was unbelievable!! I honestly believe it was a combination of the amazing wardrobe, hair, makeup, five spectacular models, and the new lighting I used.

So, I’ve decided to continue with the lighting studies. Next up – the guys. John Doyle and Alexandros Salazar have graciously agreed to model for me as I try a few more things that are in my head. These two shoots will set us up for our 2010 project – A whole project done in the Steampunk style. You can read about our next project on our site.

John’s shoot is this Sunday, so check the site next week for the results!

rtodd

ps – The photo above is from a shoot I did in 1992 with a really great friend one mine – Charidy Sullivan LaFontaine. She’s just as beautiful today as she was then and has agreed to be a part of our 2010 project. Thanks Charidy!!

Check out all the photo sets at

Filed under: John Dolye, alexandros salazar, charidy sullivan fontaine, lighting, preview, stephanie allen hopkins

Steampunk

29
Oct0

Googie Uterhardt, Amanda Cucher, Larry Dean Davis, Bryan Lee, & Megan Hayes

We have a guest blogger! Larry had such a good time with this shoot (both organizing it AND being a model), that he asked if he could do the blog post this time around. I was more than happy to hand over the reins. So, without further ado – our guest blogger – Larry Dean Davis:

When Todd first mentioned the idea of doing a Steampunk-themed photo shoot , my first question was "what the hell is Steampunk?" So, I did a little research, my first stop being the fount of all knowledge, Wikipedia. You can read it in detail for yourself, but this line in particular caught my eye: "Quite possibly one of the earliest mainstream manifestations to invoke the steampunk ethos was the original The Wild Wild West television series". Well, that hooked me.

"The Wild, Wild West" starred Robert Conrad as Jim West, a secret service agent and was a combination Western, espionage thriller and science fiction. I loved "The Wild, Wild West" as a kid, because it was inventive and smart, with lots of cool gadgets, great costumes…..and Jim West wore really, really tight pants. I was hooked on Steampunk.

I think the pictures from this shoot are the best ones yet. Like "The Wild, Wild West", I think they are inventive and smart, with lots of cool gadgets and great costumes. Plus I got to have kick-ass dreads and a macho-man moustache.

Check ‘em out and see for yourself at our Flickr Photostream. Post comments. Unless you don’t like my moustache, in which case, you can keep your damn opinions to yourself.

Larry

Filed under: 1900, Lainey Welsch, Steam Fest, amanda cucher, bryan lee, george deavours, googie uterhardt, jenny heston heady, jesse heady, larry davis, larry dean davis, megan hayes, preview, steampunk, todd fleeman, wicked wench

Lighting Study II – Enisha

19
Oct0

Enisha Brewster

One day I was surfing Facebook and went to the Profoto Fan Page. dc chavez was the guest blogger and had done a post on light shaping tools. The post was on the "New" Zoom Reflector. Being a sucker for electronics and new toys, I called up my favorite lighting guru, Kelly B, at Showcase Photo and Video. I had my new reflector within two weeks. Unfortunately, I left the new reflector in my guest room for the first lighting study shoot.

I made sure I had it for the second shoot. And MAN, I have to say it is probably one of the best purchases I have ever made. I mean, my Profoto 300 and 600 were the next step, but being able to modify the light is even better. I made myself the goal of only using two lights, and surprisingly I stuck to it. It’s amazing what you can do with only two lights and a beautiful model! I’m thinking about purchasing the Profoto Beauty Dish next.

Speaking of models, I’ve been VERY fortunate to have two amazing models for the lighting studies shoots. The model for this shoot was Enisha Brewster – a friend and coworker of Larry’s. She is an accomplished photographer herself, and thank God she wasn’t shy in front of the camera. (I personally hate having my photo taken). She was smooth, confident, and was more than open to anything I threw at her. The only thing she had to say after she saw the photos was "This has been such a blast. I had no idea how interesting and amazing an experience it would be to see the results of someone else’s interpretation of me."

We’ll be announcing our 2010 project soon, so check back! If you like the photos, please become a fan of our Facebook page or leave a comment here on the blog!

rtodd

Filed under: atlanta theater, enisha brewster, lighting, todd fleeman

What happens if I push this little button?

27
Sep0

Stephanie Allen Hopkins

I used to teach graphic and web design at a technical college. The students were anywhere from 17 to 70 in age. I taught photography (darkroom and digital), web design, Flash, Illustrator, and a slew of other applications and disciplines. It was very interesting to see the difference between older and younger students.

Most of the younger students were willing to try anything. They were adventurous and could quickly look up anything they needed to know on Wikipedia, Google, etc. The only problem was that most of them lacked the drive to do the work to become great designers or artists.

On the other side of the coin were the older students (35 and older). These students were hard-working and determined, but they sometimes afraid of letting go and just trying things. They would ask question like, “what happens if I do….this?”.

My response was always – “Why don’t you try….’that’…and see what happens.” I think as we get older, we’re less willing to take chances and just experiment to see what happens. We forget that on the computer there is always undo. Or that we’re shooting digital, rather than film, and we don’t have to worry about waste.

So, I decided to take my own advice. It was time to just “play”. No wardrobe. No sets. No hair and make up. No scheduling large groups. Just play. These shots were done with just one Profoto 300, one Profoto 600, (okay, I cheated a little and used my JTL160 on a few), and a strip box. I had purchased a Profoto white reflector the day before, but like an idiot, I left it at home. But it proved to me that I could improvise and make do.

Thanks goes to Stephanie for being such a patient and wonderful model. She’s just as beautiful today as the day I met here some nineteen years ago.

If you like the photos, please become a fan of our Facebook page or leave a comment here on the blog!

rtodd

Filed under: lighting, stephanie allen hopkins, todd fleeman

Lighting 101 – Find Out What My Profoto Lights Will Really Do

10
Sep0

Back 1992, I got this wild idea that I wanted to be a photographer. I had no camera, no lighting, no darkroom, but I knew it would be cool. So, I bought a used camera and researched everything about photography and composition. My roommate owned a lighting company and let me borrow some lights, which I set up in our living room. A friend had a whole dark room set up that he was willing to let me have because his mother wanted it out of the garage.

I was lucky to have a lot of friends who were performers at a theme park, so I had lots of great models to photograph. I started developing a style – high contrast model photos. I would light one side and let the other fall off into shadow. I had to give up model photography for 15 or so years. I didn’t have the time or the money to really pursue it like I wanted to.

Fast forward to 2008. I finally had enough money to buy the right lighting equipment. You can still see my lighting style I developed in our photos now. The only problem is – we’ve been so busy trying to develop our style and get our name out there that I really haven’t had the time to really experiment with all the lighting I’ve purchased.

So, I’ve decided to embark on a small personal project – Lighting 101-Find Out What My Profoto Lights Will Really Do. This project will take place over the next four to six months. The focus isn’t wardrobe, hair, or makeup – just cool lighting. So far, Stephanie Allen Hopkins and Enisha Brewster have agreed to let me experiment and play. We’re also looking for a few more people. Check back soon to see the results and upcoming models!

rtodd

Check out all the photo sets at

Filed under: enisha brewster, lighting, preview, stephanie allen hopkins, todd fleeman

Recreating Leyendecker II – Glamour

27
Aug0

Bryan Keith Broadway, Robert Egizio, and Barbara Cole Uterhardt

My friend Katie and I went to New York last October and found ourselves in a Barnes and Noble near the Kennedy Center at 66th and Broadway. I know, I know, who goes to Barnes and Noble when they’re in NY? This was my seventh trip to NY, so I figured – why not? And you just can’t keep Katie out of a book store, no matter where it is.

One reason I enjoyed this store so much was because they had an plethora of photography and fashion books, as well as magazines. While walking down one of the aisles of books, I glanced up and saw a book with a nice looking man dressed in 20s wardrobe on the cover. I took it down off the shelf and started flipping through it. From that day on, I was a JC Leyendecker fan.

I won’t bore you with all the details of Leyendecker’s career as an illustrator. (Feel free to read about him on the site if you like.) The way he captured men (and women) in his illustrations was amazing. I was also intrigued by the way he “snuck” in subtle hints – a glance here, and glance there, a hand on a shoulder – you get the message. All while he was showing off the clothes for major clothing lines in mainstream magazines like The Saturday Evening Post!

We had just started doing shoots a few months before the trip, and I knew I had to give a Leyendecker themed shoot a chance. Fortunately, I have an amazing entourage of artists who are willing to indulge the visions that just seem to pop in my head. Three fantastic models (thank you Barbara, Keith, and Robert), an extremely talented wardrobe person (Linda Patterson), the best hair and makeup guy around (George Deavours), and the one person I couldn’t do without – Larry Davis. (You know why you’re so important!)

So, enjoy our second Leyendecker shoot. If you like the photos, please become a fan of our Facebook page or leave a comment here on the blog!

rtodd

Filed under: 1920s, Robert Egizio, barbara cole uterhardt, bryan keith broadway, george deavours, jc leyendecker, larry dean davis, linda patterson, todd fleeman

The Chase Jarvis Method and Upcoming Shoots

13
Aug0

One of my favorite photogrpahers is Chase Jarvis. He gives amazing advice on his blog. He does something that is really cool – he takes any where from 1 to 100 photos every day with his iphone jsut to see what he can get. He then tweets or posts them. I think it’s a great idea because it makes you stop thinking and just shoot. It also makes you more observant to the things around you. The photos above is my trial at jsut letitng go and trying photos with my iPhone. Larry, Marcie, Dan, and myself wre walking through the Village, and I was waiting for them to come out of a shop and took this. It actually does help when you look around and jsut shoot without all the planning.

We’ve got a lot of great shoots coming up in the next few weeks, and we couldn’t be happier with how they are all coming together. This weekend, we’ll be photographing Wendy, John, Chase, and Tyler. we’re going to give the Fosse Inspired shoot another shot. We can’t wait to see what we get from this one! On the 22nd, we’re shooting Barbara, Keith, and Robert in the second shoot of our Leyendecker series. Linda Patterson, who did the costuming for out first Leyendecker shoot, will be costuming this one too. We’re so stoked about the pieces she’s found already!

We’re also working out the details for our next project. This one is going to blow your socks off. We’ll be announcing the concept in the next month, so check back soon!

Don’t forget to check out all the photos from the past year at our

rtodd

Filed under: Robert Egizio, bryan keith broadway, chase todd, fosse, jc leyendecker, john markowski, larry dean davis, linda patterson, marcie millard, tyler mitchell, wendy melkonian