About JUSTINELEMENT Photography
Finally finished the pictures for Jon and Johanna at the Shootout. This couple always comes out whenever I’m in need and I’m glad to give them some shots. The shootout last month was really small and personal and we got to really explore cal poly. I’m definitely going back here to shoot. Jon and Johanna were the perfect couple. Hope you like their shots!
Make-Up by Gaby Manalo
Please Enjoy.
Today was the 4th installment of the Eloloment Shootout hosted by lawrence “lolo” tolentino and myself. It was a very intimate shootout with a cast of just 12, (thanks to my horrendous date change that caused so many people to be left out who got out of work for last weeks original date, once again im sooo sorry!!). The group today was super fun and consisted of very avid photographers with a great passion to learn and just test out their techniques. We delved into many different styles, but well I guess you’ll have to see for yourself. Here’s a preview. Special thanks to Johanna and Jon who modeled all day for us, and once again, were amazing talent.
Lawrence Tolentino of Lolophoto.com and I have been throwing shootouts for the younger photographic community so people can meet others, shoot for fun, and just get out there in the community and practice, learn, and share some knowledge and passion they have for their art. Lawrence and I have thrown maybe 3 or 4 of these in the past but we’ve made this one at Laguna Beach our 2nd official shootout since we started this group officially on facebook. Hence 2.0!
Anyway it was alot of fun and i love how we all were able to get together and just share the experience. Over the long months of a photographers work, things may end up getting repetitive and loopy, especially when it becomes your career, but things like this always help stir things up again.
This time around we went out with a group of photographers, total throughout the day was about 30 or so members and we shot at my favorite spot in Laguna Beach, behind the Montage Resort. The area was absolutely beautiful again and the sky and weather was perfect. We practiced some natural light techniques, composition, modeling and communicating strategies, and I helped people with some solid flash work. Great help was passed around, I even got to try some new compositions thanks to the others who went. Thank you to our awesome models who all went, especially the couples Kat Blanco and Mendrick Leelin, and Tony Tran and Maricar Vidal. You guys were awesome.
don’t foreget to check out the facebook group page if you’d like to make the next one or just see more pictures from all the photographers that participated.
Keep shooting, keep asking questions, keep learning! Please enjoy responsibly.
Lawrence and I gathered a bunch of photographers again to do a shootout at UCI, it was a great experience for everyone bringing together amateurs, hobbyists, and professionals alike. Our models were Jocely and Kevin, Dennis, Cindy, KJ, and George. I had a blast leading the group and showing everyone different techniques and styles. We’ll be hosting another shoot again sometime in the near future :) So keep close and go to the next one!
heres a shade foreground shade background shot
this is spot shading and figuring out how to find a good shot in those situations
people in their element :)
reflector use :)
finding light and spot lighting with natural light
angles and lines
backlighting
and finally shoe flashes and balancing :)
kind of a tour of what i helped people learn. good day all togther, hope everyone had fun!
Share on FacebookSo that about does it for my socal photog shootout photos from last thursday, i had an awesome time thanks to the team of leaders and all the friends i’ve met. All of you that i’ve added and added me, I hope that we always keep in touch and our work only gets better as our eyes and skills progress. Keep shooting, keep doing what you love, and ofcourse share your work. Let me know if you ever need anything in the future. For all the models and everyone that helped in someway, thank you for volunteering your time, i absolutely love the pictures as i hope you do to. Now all i gotta do is update that portfolio :)
Here are a few leftover pictures i didnt throw in any other blogs, Hope you like them! Keep shooting, keep bookmarking, and think of me the next time you know someones getting married! -justinelement
Sarah and Derek’s Engagement was another session I shot last Thursday in old town Pasadena. This was a really fun shoot because this time we got to run around everywhere and get these guys in mid moments. Once again I left it to humor and awkward moments to really strike the element in them. It was sooo fun, eventually everyone started saying the silliest things. One person even told them to lick each other. Oh boy, it was a great shoot and Sarah and Derek were a great couple to shoot. Gavin and Erin Wade led this cool session which had great sunsetting light. :)
I was able to have two sessions with Sean Smetona and Ashley Snyder last Thursday, the first session was out on the streets of old town Pasadena with cars running by. None of the pictures on the first half of the shoot called out to me so instead of giving you guys some “almost made the cut” I decided to just show you the stuff I was feeling. After sunset we took my alien bees and white lightning studio lights out to the alley a block away and got some great shots. Most of the shots were up against walls, something I almost never do, but it was a good time to try something new. So you’ll see these shots are probably a little different from what I normally do and what i’ve learned in lighting classes, but its good try experiment and try new things right? Some of them came out nice and here they are.
If theres also something I’ve learned that I can share with fellow studio photogs, its whenever shooting outdoor studio, always try to mix ambient and available light with your strobe, and never overpower excess light completely. Thats something we did great here in these pictures. Go home and try some of this stuff on your own if you get a chance :)
Sean and Ashley have also agreed to also come out and shoot during my Project: Paradise Production on the 27th of february. I’m excited about that shoot because we have a cast and crew of over 15 people, from assistants, make up artist, hair, wardrobe, and models. Sean and Ashley are such great models I couldn’t help but ask. Thanks guys! You were awesome, i hope you like the shots!
Kacee and Eric’s Wedding Ceremony session was another thing i got to shoot last Thursday. It was really fun trying out new things and interacting with the court. All of them were so fun and estatic and it was easy getting laughs and real smiles from all of them. I noticed later that other photographers shooting them werent as fun and out there as i was. I guess that just backs up the justinelement style i’m working on: fun, real, and enthusiastic pictures full of life. I’ve never really enjoyed posing people and having them stare at the camera as much, thats why i lean toward candid photos and editorial photos where the models are looking away. Something i take from Todd Laffler (my favorite fotog) that i will always cherish. Hope you like these pictures of the ceremony. It was definitely a great learning experience. P.S, Garrett Davis of Garrett Davis Photography led this workshop, other than the useful information and expertise he shared, it was nice hearing advice about what and where to be shooting from a learned wedding photog :)
Last Thursday was the Socal Photog Shootout in Pasadena where I shot different sessions and got to hone my skills in wedding photography. This was the first session of six, Jenn’s Bridal Portrait Session. Jenn King is actually a photographer herself, so she knew exactly how to make the poses just seem right. I had an amazing time working with everyone and shooting her. I even got to come back and shoot her some more later on, but i’ll post those pics up later. I’m going to try to edit a couple pictures every day and post up the different sessions i have on my blog, so keep me bookmarked to see the progress! Thanks to everyone that made the shootout possible, i absolutely had a great time!
All Images Copyright JUSTINELEMENT Photography