We recently photographed some pretty cool looking products and it made me think. Ok, not too hard but…

Ever wonder why women have so many purses? I figure that it might have all started back in the caveman days. You know, women were the gatherers and we men, were the handsome, daring, not to mention, hairy hunters. Ok, back to the gatherers. Well, the women had to collect berries and what other food they could find and you know all of that doesn’t fit into their hands. So came the invention of the purse – some cloth or fabric or other material to hold the food. But then they added colors and made the purses out of different materials and so came the invention of the designer purse! It’s a theory anyways. I think this evolved into a display of color to attract us men, you know, like how some birds attract others with cool unusual colors.

These days, women switch up their purses so much, one might worry that it could be a wasteful hobby. Well, worry no more. Wo Schiffman, founder of the new company Fibre Arts Design, created a line of bags that are made from recycled materials. Recycled purses that can eventually be recycled. That sounds really awesome. Well, you probably don’t want to recycle these though. They’re the latest trend and they’ve traveled to fashion shows in L.A, San Francisco, and are now on their way to Milan! Who wouldn’t want to keep these new bags! From my perspective as a photographer, the unique colors and fabrics definitely have caught my eye.

Her new line also includes bags for us men. For years we’ve pretended that we didn’t need purses, er, bags and we try to stuff the minimal into our wallet and into our back pocket. Sometimes it does get uncomfortable especially when you’re sitting down for a long time. Nowadays, we’ve got a lot of other gear like sports water bottles, cameras, etc. Besides, hasn’t it occurred to you that it might be dangerous for men to stick their keys in their front pocket? Guys, there is serious potential for injury here! Think about it! Besides I could use something to hold my extra camera gear. Maybe I should consider a man purse after all, er I mean a bag. You think that I could attract the opposite gender by sporting a cool new bag from Fibre Arts Design? Would women find me fashionable? Should I try?

[Show as slideshow]

Makeup Artistry and Hair Styling by Tiffany Chiang of designHERimage

A beautiful day, 72 degrees Farenheit in San Francisco and we spent the whole day in Sintak photography studio. All is not lost! We have a team of fun and talented individuals to party with indoors! We’re shooting bridal gowns today!

Dresses are designed and tailored by none other than Jinza Bridal Couture. There are many bridal shops out there but if you are looking for custom-tailored dresses, using exceptional materials, look no further. Jinza uses only top quality fabrics, pure French silk, organza, crepe, chiffon for a smooth flowing look. Jinza is both down-to-earth and pleasant. Story has it that Kelly (the model and bride-to-be below, YES! She’s a real bride to be married in a few months!) tried over 65+ wedding gowns at Jinza’s with no pressure from Jinza. Now THAT is what I call “excellent customer service”!

Why let me tell you about it rather than checking out the shots…

(Click on images below to see them LARGE)

As with all weddings, I will only recommend the best makeup artists and hair stylists. Take a closer look (click on the image on the right) at the flawless makeup by Beauty Expert Tiffany and extraordinary hair styling by Mikel Sessions. You’ll now have a few phenomenal vendors at your disposal.

Many thanks to Margarita and Kelly for being such amazing models.

- Michael Soo

As a general rule, the wedding slide shows I produce include a few earlier engagement pictures with the bride and groom dressed in their street clothes. You’ll notice in this piece, however, that the engagement sequence actually tells a story. And this is where I get to have fun sharing the experience of a best-laid-plan proposal that nearly got “flushed down the toilet.” Too many metaphors? Here’s the story.

Ronald had a choice to make: a motorcycle or an engagement ring. Of course, he chose the ring. He purchased it, hid it in a drawer, and began drawing up his plans for the perfect proposal. The theme was going to be “Of all the fishes in the sea, I choose you.” He would fill the room with fish, retrieve his ring from hiding, invite Stella over, drop to his knee in front of all his finned decorations, and ask her the BIG question.

Well, Stella pushed up the timetable by accidentally discovering the ring. Not easily deterred, Ronald was determined to stick to his plan. He sent Stella away, and in about an hour, he bought up the fish, tossed them into bowls, scattered them around the room, and Ronald – as we now know – was a success.

 
Poor timing seemed to follow Ronald’s planning. To those of us trying to get to the ceremony, it felt as if the entire Bay Area was there, too. And they were. The streets were crowded with revelers going to the Academy of Sciences’ grand reopening at the same time! Luckily for Ronald, other than that, his plans went smoothly. The wedding, at Zion Lutheran Church on Anza and 9th Avenue in San Francisco, was beautiful. A photography technique I used for this couple with their large family was, rather than backing down the aisle and out the door with my camera trying to fit everyone into the frame, I went upwards instead, using the choir loft—which, as you see, worked out very well.

The reception was at a wonderful Chinese restaurant, Zen Peninsula on El Camino Real in Millbrae. A fantastic part of Stella and Ronald’s reception was a traditional Chinese Lion Dance. The fantastic motion and colors provided an opportunity for me to use a unique camera technique to capture this. I set the flash to high, focused on the nearby subject, then literally tossed the camera while it took the picture. This is NOT a trick to try at home!! However, when done correctly, the foreground is in focus and the background has a blurred quality. Here’s the picture for you to enjoy.

View Stella & Ronald’s Wedding Album

Zion Lutheran Church, San Francisco

September 27, 2008

My best wishes that all of Stella and Ronald’s future plans always turn out perfectly!

—Michael Soo

P.S.: Now that Ronald has his fish of choice, I wonder what he did with all those OTHER fish?

(click to see large image)

When we mention the word, “models”, the first thought that creeps into our heads are pictures of high fashion models that get paid in the millions, flying private jets, drinking champagne, scooping caviar with quaint mother of pearl spoons.

While putting together the 2008 Model Portfolio Photography package for Traci Halvorson Model Management in San Jose, I had an epiphany. Models have gotten the short end of the stick in this tough and competitive business. It’s a job that requires a lot of concentration, hard work, patience, the ability to laugh on-demand and hold poses for long period of time. On top of ALL that, a strong self-esteem to take rejection well and often!

Most casting calls are packed with models, at times, 10-20 of them, vying for the same job. This is especially true when there’s a big commercial gig in town. You’ll notice all the modeling agencies jumping into the fray! Nobody will get lucky everytime either. It’s definitely not the most glamorous work that is being portrayed in the movies.

In fact, in 2006, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the modeling profession in general is ranked #8 in the list of Top 10 Worst Jobs in America! Models made a median hourly wage of $11.22, a bit less than twice the minimum wage of $5.85! Most models needed a second source of income.

Being a model isn’t all about money though. It’s a business that can provide opportunities to meet a large variety of people, directors, photographers, have fun, earn a living and gain glory while you’re at it! Yes, if you are good at it, join a great agency, create an excellent portfolio and you can definitely make a really good living.

It’s really about running a business. Like every business, it requires the model to keep a constant care about the core assets of the business. In this case, themselves! Models need to take care of every aspect of their lives, their skin, look, attire, etc. to maintain a marketable image. Photo shoots can be fun but they can get tiring, long and difficult at times.

To start your work as a model, you need a professional modeling portfolio and a comp card. Contrary to popular beliefs, joining a modeling agency is FREE! Creating a viable modeling portfolio isn’t.

Modeling portfolio is the most important expenditure you will make in the business of becoming a model. It is your marketing agent and your potential meter. It gives the idea to the agency and potential clients that you have the ability to portray the characters necessary for their advertising campaign.

The comp card or zed card that you have printed as your portfolio will always be seen by an agency or client before you get seen.

Those images are your MAIN and ONLY marketing tool that you employ. You will want to impress agencies and potential clients with images that demonstrates your looks and personality. Technology companies in the neighborhood seems to have a love affair with images that has an exact match of what they are looking for. That nurse in a lab coat, for example. When they find a match, they want that model who has that ability to portray their advertising campaign.

Bear in mind that LESS is MORE. You do not win hearts or get picked just because you have more images. However, your images need to be professional, visually inspiring and most importantly, produce an eye popping WOW Factor that enhance your strength, downplay your weaknesses and showcase your personalities.

Interested? Fly us an email.

- Michael Soo

The most fun in any photoshoot is when you get to collaborate with the best talents the industry has to offer. Here, in this shoot, we have:

1. two absolutely stunning models, Charisse and Milena
2. our gracious host, Jinza Jin who owns the amazing couture bridal line at 2040 Union Street in San Francisco
3. our lovely Janice Daoud whom I can’t have enough praise of
4. the most talented hair stylist, Mikel with a fantastic personality!
5. Of course, our Paul Ferradas who is always there to help

What’s this shoot for? How about for all our portfolios? Is that a good enough reason? WE ALL THINK SO!.

While I am at it, I got the chance to try out my new toy, the latest little photo gear from Profoto. The tiny little, Profoto Acute-B 600R battery and of course, its equivalent Profoto Acute-B 600 w/s lamp head. I’m not even counting the modifiers and this tiny light bulb made me bleed $3k. Ouch! And I’m actually thinking of buying 3 more
sets of these? Hahaha. Michael Soo’s lofty goals.

Talk about finances, I’m leaking … gushing money this month. My credit card bill came yesterday and even though I expected it, I still fainted for a few minutes before I ran and played with the lights again. I think I need help. Know a good therapist, anyone?

This is probably one of the main reason why a photographer charges a few pennies extra for their services.

On the bright side, this little sucker is an amazing pack. Possibly the lightest gear available in the market! 10 measly pounds!!! I could see myself pocketing the long term medical savings when I turn 70! That’s where the savings will roll in by the millions!!! Oh yeah!

I really enjoy commercial, high fashion couture shoots for a few damn good reasons. I can’t do the statistical type of shoot where I take 1000 shots, hoping for 1 great shot. I’m the type of guy who wants to take 10 shots, expecting 5 phenomenal shots! That made me really suitting for commercial since most companies only want 1 to 10 great shots and use it for anything from advertising, packaging to websites, etc.

I think we got enough out from this shoot to last us a while. Then again, we’re doing a beauty shoot the day after tomorrow. I guess I just can’t sit around long enough without fidgeting.

- Michael Soo

“I’ll help hold your reflector” is what a fellow photographer will nudge into my ribs when they see my modeling portfolio work. They are interested to work with gorgeous models but has nothing in his portfolio…yet.

It’s a catch-22. You can’t attract a 8/10 model to work with you if you don’t have images of other 8/10 models in your portfolio and you can’t have a portfolio full of 8/10 models if you never work with a 8/10 model!

So, how do you go from point A (zero portfolio, zero interest) to point B (beautiful models calling you to have you shoot them, and PAY YOU $550 while you’re having your fun)?!?!

I suppose everything comes at a price. You can of course start by investing a lot of time working with the 5/10 models. It will take you some time and if you’re lucky and have the charming personality of car salesman, you may coerce a 8/10 to work with you.

The alternative, is to find a good model photography workshop that you can get get some immediate air time with great models in a nice friendly location. They’ll even sign your model release form while rubbing shoulders with you, handing off more of their friends to you.

While you are at it, you do also get to learn about lighting, how to work with models, communications, workflow, tips and tricks that you can’t learn anywhere else.

It’s no secret that I’m trying to put workshops together and one may think this is a shameless plug.

The truth is, this really isn’t my main line of work where I’ll make my millions. I love teaching, I love sharing and I love shooting models. And if I can get paid while doing what I’m passionate about, I’ll be in heaven.

Workshop info provided here, http://www.soophotography.com/workshop/

These shots are done at Libby’s dad’s 300+ acre ranch in the east bay, a location that I’m contemplating on doing the model shoot workshop. There are full of wonderful spots, props and rustic background that will fill your portfolio to the brime with amazing landscape (location work) and model work in one.

On top of that, it’s private and is only a mere 1.5 hrs away from most bay area cities.

When is the model photography workshop? It’s still undecided. I’ll let it swirl in my head a bit longer. Email me if you are interested. msoo (at) soophotography (dot) com

Of course, here is a thread to the SooCool Forum with all the images from that day.

- MS

Her cold stare pierced through the frigid wind. Mild condensed air from her lungs released briefly into the darkness as she stood atop the rooftop, draped in absolutely nothing but a flimsy but fashionable couture black dress, showing her bare back. Soft light carressed every contour of her smooth silky skin. Her black stiletto scratches the ground as she stood, turning her head. She shivered and steadied her pose, warmth from her body slowly drained by the wind. There stood Charisse, conquering nature with her elegance and beauty.

This was supposed to be a ballet-on-the-rooftop shoot to begin but with fog rolling into the city, causing flat lighting, the severe cold and lack of time caused the whole shoot to be drastically change. The photographer’s (ahem!) brain went into hyperdrive, simulating scenarios and creating last minute (more like last second) improvisations to rectify this extremely difficult shooting condition, somewhat reminded him of his extremely difficult photography challenge he faced over a year ago in New York. The same scenario, given to another, can cause a serious panic-attack and extreme nausea. Adding insult to injury, he had to carry over 100lbs of gear up small doorways, elevators, stairs and locked rooftop doors AND wiring 50 feet of cables for the lights. It was an interesting experience, to say the least.

Charisse quickly then swap places quickly with Krystal, scurrying into the deep layers of coats, blankets and jackets that lies on the ground. She’s now happy and warm. That’s a good thing! After a few more shots, everyone adjourned to Susanne’s apartment. Thanks to Susanne, our fantastic host who helped secured the rooftop for this shoot is an extremely bright and charming woman and also the CEO of Point Arcadia. Both Laura (Susanne’s sister who also lives in the same building) and Susanne has got to be two of the sweetest people I’ve gotten the pleasure to know. She was more than accommodating. Hot tea was served throughout the entire shoot. What a sweetheart!

As you can tell here, Charisse is all happy within the warm confines of the apartment. LOL. We were all tired at the time, so we did a few more snaps before we ended the session. It was fun but also a lot of work to put that together. However, the results are freaking outstanding.

- MS