What you need to know before shooting music videos

Shooting Music Videos: 5 Unexpected Lessons

Learn simple techniques to make your music video stand out.

Music videos are a chance for filmmakers to get very creative, also can be a lucrative business when you reach a certain tier. Today I want to share some very straight forward tips & tricks to help level up your music videos. These are a few things you need to know before shooting music videos.

Properly prepare

Listen to the song. Fall in love with the song. Plan your shots, get familiar with the location. The lighting, how you want to light things, the gear you want to use, the shots you want to get. Nothing has to be perfect or go exactly to plan but its better to have a plan in place. You'll feel more confident about doing the music video knowing you do your part.

Bring on some help

There is so much value in having help or having a team. Having someone designated to one or a few particular things takes work of your plate do you can focus on what you need to focus on.

Get a variety of shots.

Using different focal lengths/lens, different angles and perspectives can help at interest.

Bring the best out of whoever you're working with.

Dont be afraid to direct,  be the authority figure and get creative. Understand that you're seeing this project or video through the scope you see things from a different perspective.

Do your best and have fun

Wandrd Roam Sling Bag Review: The Ultimate Travel Companion

Perfect For Everyday Carry

Wandrd 3L Roam Sling bag is designed to carry your everyday essentials.

Looking for an everyday carry bag? well look no further. Wandrd is known for their award winning gear for travel, photography and daily carry. The roam sling comes in three sizes. 3 liter, 6, liter, and 9 liter. The two bigger sizes offer a few more features but the 3L works great for everyday carry or point and shoot situations.

This bag is priced at $100. The bag is made of tarpaulin materials which is weather resistant and durable. It has YKK zippers, and straps on all sides of the bag, dual straps at the bottom for a water bottle, keychain clip, Two interior pockets, One main compartment and one smaller compartment behind it and a small zipper pocket.

• Sleek design

• All sides of the bag have handles. Easy to grab or hang the bag up.

• Secondary hidden strap to secure unwanted motion. (Great for bike riding)

• Straps equipped with quick release function.

• Tarpaulin material is pron to scratches

• Dual pockets make the bag feel smaller than 3 liters.

• Not flush, Kind of has a “Lunchbox” form factor.

Overall Thoughts

This is a great everyday bag for personal use. The 3 liter size it great for daily essentials. If you wanted something to house your camera gear, I would suggest something larger.

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2nd Soul Fragrance Review | Zaharoff X Stay Fresh Productions

Is this a fragrance worth trying?

Good morning! Hope all is well. As for this post i’ve had this fragrance for a little over a week. So i’ve had some time to get to know it. It is important to me to approach this video as the average consumer., I’m a photographer,  im a video creator for myself and others, I'm your average day to day person that’s big on self care. I like to dress nice and smell good. I’ve collected have several fragrances, Although I think it’s interesting I wouldn't consider myself a fragrance enthusiast. I can respect and appreciate the space. But I want to make this video from the average person and why they should or shouldn’t consider purchasing 2nd Soul.

Who is Justin Copeland?

Justin Copeland is a musician with a youtube channel exploring the art of fragrances. He has a great perspective. I enjoy how he dissects different scent profiles and such. More importantly his content comes from an authentic and genuine place.

First Impressions

It’s a beautiful presentation…

The story and creativity being this fragrance is conveyed through its packaging. 2nd Soul is the flanker to his initial parfum “Brass & Soul”. You can read more here about the inspiration behind 2nd Soul.

I'm not too familiar with all the notes and how they smell so I decided to use keywords on how it makes me feel. That’s why we reach for colonies and perfumes. They add on a layer to us, they make us happy and compliment our mood.

The initial words I would use to describe this fragrance is it is intoxicating and smooth. Fly and enjoyable. The opening is a bit bright but still feels intimate with some depth. The dry down gives me a bit of that fresh "out of the barber shop" kind of feeling. All around I really enjoy this fragrance.

When Would I Wear This Fragrance?

This can be a signature scent for the cooler weather. This doesn't need to be oversparyed. A good 2 or 4 sprays for my taste works just fine. Two behind each ear for a regular day to day wear usually. Otherwise this is a great date night fragrance. Cozy intimate statement piece. Also I can pull this off at work related functions. Networking events, on set, or even cafes for editing. All around a great fragrance for the cooler weather. The only place and time I wouldn't wear this to the gym and in the warmer weather.

Pros

It smell good, last long, and you won't smell like anyone else. The best pro for me is that it's a great price point for what you're getting from the product. The packaging, presentation, and the overall quality. This is not a cheap watered down fragrance nor does it smell like it. This is blind buy worthy.

Who is this fragrance for?

This is for a person who is sure of themselves. That person that garners the attention when they walk by without trying too.

I belive most of us wear fragrances because we like it and for the compliment factor. This fragrance is a bit more complex than that. I think it’s important to keep that in mind if you're coming from using your everyday designer fragrances. I have 3 niche fragrances. And love the journey they take and the story they tell first spary to hours later.

Final Thoughts

I dont have anything bad to say about 2nd soul. I love the idea behind it, the presentation, and it delivers with how it makes me feel. I think this is a true representation of everything justin intended it to be

The Model Experience Fashion Show at LA Convention Center

LA Fashion Week !

The Model Experience Fashion show at Los Angeles Convention Center.

I had the pleasure to attend LA's premiere Fashion Week Event at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Included a full day of back to back Fashion Shows, Red Carpet Appearances, Brand Activations, Vendors, and more. Previous celebrity guests have included Meagan Good, Christina Milian, Eric Bellinger, and Shaun Ross. Fashion Week tends to attract celebrities.

The Model Experience is proud to power this all-inclusive, immersive experience during Los Angeles Fashion Week. TME believes in creating opportunities, fostering collaboration, and building community. What better way to participate in one of L.A.’s most exclusive events than to JOIN US.

Hope you enjoy some of the photos I captured below 

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Let’s Create Something Great Together

5 Tips for Beginner Photographers

Are you a brand new photographer?

These are 5 Essential tips that every beginner photographer need to know when starting out.

Learn and develop your skill. Leaving your camera on auto mode won’t cut it…

Thing about any trade skill, Let’s use a plumber for example. He had to learn an specific set of skills in order to get the job done. He doesn’t rely on his tools, but instead his tools aid him in completed the task along with his skills and knowledge. Photography is not exempt. Taking the time to learn your skillset and excute is essential in the marketplace. Learn and develop your skill, leaving your camera on auto mode won’t cut it.

Camera settings beginner photographers need to learn.

3 camera settings you should learn are shutter speed, aperture, and ISO. There is plenty of free information on these topics but I want to give you an general understanding of each. You can think of the Shutter as the curtain over your sensor inside your camera, that open and closes every time you take a picture. Your shutter speed is how fast that curtain open or closes. Depending on what your shutter speed is set too It can have different effects to your image. The faster your shutter speed is you start to freeze motion, the slower it is you add motion blur to your image.

Aperture is like the iris in your eye for the camera. It’s measured in something called “F stop” The higher the aperture number the smaller the hole is (Letting in less light) the lower your aperture number is the larger the hole is (Letting in more light). A higher aperture will bring more into focus in the image, A lower aperture less will be in focus and will give shallow depth of field. This is when whatever you focus on is in focus and everything else in the background or foreground is blurred.

This image was taken at a wide aperture 1.8. This helps ensure our subject is in focus while also helping to separate him from the background. A lot of people like to refer to shallow depth of field as an “Cinematic look”.

This group shot was taken at a slighlty higher aperture at F4. This is to ensure everyone in the shot will be in focus. Typically between F5.6 and F8 would work best for small group photos (Depending on how many people are in the shot )

ISO is how sensitive your camera sensor is to light. The higher your ISO the brighter the image will become and the more sensitive the sensor becomes to light. The Lower your ISO the darker the image will be and less sensitive it will be to light. A lower ISO will keep a cleaner image, a higher ISO will introduce some grain in your image.

These settings sound like a lot to unpack. But learning them and learning when to adjust them according to your shooting scenario is key.

When we are first started out it’s normal for us to shoot what we can and get our feet wet. Family, friends, birthday parties, whatever opportunities come across to us. Over time it’s important to find yourself as a photographer. Ask yourself what do you like? What can you see yourself doing long term? What areas of photography can you see yourself growing in? The sooner you can come to this realization the better off it will be.

It's best to niche down and specialize in specific area(s) of photography.

You don’t need all the gear in the world…

Just the gear that helps you get the job done.

Referencing the plumber again, if a plumber came to your house to fix your toilet with a tire you probably wouldn’t take him serious. As a photographer within a specific niche you want to invest in gear that compliments what you are doing. Gear that’s going to help you get the job done. Having all the gear in the world doesn’t make you the best at what you do. Having the right gear for the job makes you efficient.

As beginner photographers we may get caught up in just the creative side of things. It’s imperative to inform yourself with the business side of photography. One book I recommend to get you started is “ Best business practices for photographers“ by John Harrington.

Also gather as much information as your can from peers in the photography community, 1 on 1 sessions, mentors, books, and workshops.

5. Learn to Attract Clients instead of Chasing them.

Over the course of time of developing your skill, learning your niche and specializing to that niche, you want to create ways to attract those potential clients. A lot of beginners make the mistake of chasing potential clients away with amateur pricing and sales tactics. Present yourself professionally with a website and a great body of work. Put your work in front of your audience.

Let your work speak for itself, create a great impression, become a pleasure to work with, and leave clients with an experience.

In Conclusion

This is straight forward information to get you started in the right direction. If you need additional help in specific areas you would like to grow, consider looking over some of my 1 on 1 sessions.

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