My Camera Gear

My Gear
Originally uploaded by carltonsoohoo

I had to photograph most of my camera gear for insurance purposes. What's not in the photo are some tripods and panoramic heads. I also didn't include my portable mp3 recorder and laptop, which I use on my photo shoots. All this gear was a little over $15,000 and it cost about $900 to insure. Now that is an amazing deal and I would love to introduce you to my insurance agent, Cindy.

Skybridge Panorama

Skybridge Panorama
Originally uploaded by carltonsoohoo

This image was part of a virtual tour that was created for Jones Lang LaSalle, a global real estate management firm. Their local office is in Boston and this property is at Network Drive in Burlington, MA, where Sun Microsystems has a campus. At the time of this posting, office park space is available for rent. Please contact me and I'll get you in touch with the right people. You do need to be a multi-million dollar company though.

I want my picture framed this way....

I want my picture framed this way....
Originally uploaded by carltonsoohoo

I love working with Marti who is so creative, experimental, and simply gorgeous. If you crop out the image outside of the frame, it actually looks like a decent portrait of her.

Gina

Gina
Originally uploaded by carltonsoohoo

Gina is one of my favorite models to work with. She knows how to pose and change expression which is great because I can focus on lighting her. This image has been converted to duotone using Photoshop CS2. It's almost black and white, but with shades or purple. Click on the photo to see the Flickr entry for more lighting details. The image was taken at my studio in the Western Avenue Studios in Lowell, MA. Gina is available to model for you as well.

Naturally Zeph

Naturally Zeph
Originally uploaded by carltonsoohoo

Sometimes, when I get too caught up in how I'm going to use all my lights and be dramatic, and all that, Mother Nature comes along and reminds me that she is still the best at providing light.

The model is Zeph who likes to ride a motorcycle and knit sweaters, like the one she is wearing.

This fall portrait was taken at the Western Avenue Studios in Lowell, MA. The event was organized by the Boston Strobist Group.

Zeph

Zeph
Originally uploaded by carltonsoohoo

I took part in the Boston Strobist photoshoot, http://www.flickr.com/groups/506643@N25/, where I created this colorful image. The plastic tubs have flashes with colored gels, and another flash was used to light her face and body. Zeph is also a sweater designer and she is wearing one of her designs.

Mel

Mel
Originally uploaded by carltonsoohoo

Mel was photographed at Lynch Park in Beverly, MA. She is a contestant in this year's Miss Massachusetts pageant. We wish her good luck!

This photo was taken using SB-800/CTO gel and camera white balanced to tungsten. Flash output was 1/4 power and my assistant aimed towards the upper body. Nikon D200 set to ISO 100, 1/250 sec, f/5.6.

Amy in the Scion

Amy in the Scion
Originally uploaded by carltonsoohoo

Amy was photographed for an Scion advertisement for a Woburn, MA, Toyota dealership.

As she sat in the Scion, we used ambient daylight as the key light, but underexposed one stop - ISO 400, 1/250 sec, f/8. Then we used a snoot on the SB800, 1/4 power, to light her face area. My assistant stood at camera left aiming the light carefully.

Jeff the Photographer

Jeff
Originally uploaded by carltonsoohoo

Jeff is a fellow strobist photographer and he needed a head/portrait shot for his upcoming fashion show photographer's competition. Imagine being given one hour to photograph two models, in front of a dance club audience where everyone is watching you. Next to you are two other photographers also in the competition. Then the audience votes on whose photos are the best. Will Jeff be the LAST PHOTOGRAPHER STANDING???

Anastasia Nikolova

Anastasia Nikolova
Originally uploaded by carltonsoohoo

I had the pleasure of photographing Anastasia who is a classical opera singer in Boston. Her studio is in the Steinway Building at 162 Boylston Street. And yes, that is her Steinway Piano in the background. And yes, she will teach you to sing in a most melodious way.

You've taken enough pictures already!

You've taken enough pictures already!
Originally uploaded by carltonsoohoo

I do photograph models when I'm not creating panoramas. It's almost like a vacation, or a great way for me to relax and take my mind off panoramas. I was very fortunate to work with the gorgeous Akonwara on a Trash the Dress photo shoot.

Interviewing Stephen

Interviewing Stephen
Originally uploaded by carltonsoohoo

As part of the Larry Stark documentary that is being filmed by RedDragonFly Films, we went to visit his friend Stephen, who is a film buff. Stephen has over 2000 DVD's in his apartment, as can be seen in the background.

The interviewer is Barry, and filming is done by Iga while Bernice directs. To see other Panospins from the project that show interviews with Boston area Theatre directors, visit this project page at Panospin Studios.

This is an example of the kind of panoramic portrait that can be done. It's a great way to show off all your "stuff" and prized possessions.

Aunt's 85th Birthday Bash

Auntie's 85th Birthday Bash
Originally uploaded by carltonsoohoo

I'll post these lovely group photos from time to time. 360-degree panoramic photography is not just limited to scenes. It's very straightforward to do small groups such as this photo and larger ones with 150 people. The way it's created is to have people sit around the camera in an equidistant radius. This doesn't always happen for various reasons but people's sizes are more comparable if they sit equidistantly.

Because it is a spherical three-dimensional image to begin with, the flattened projection will still have distortion the farther away from the center of the lens. For example, think about how a world map is a flattened projection of a three-dimensional globe. The land masses near the poles are distorted and stretched out. Even land masses near the equator have some distortion relative to how they look on a globe.

Nevertheless, it is possible to show people with minimal distortion as long as they are close to the center of the image. Closer to the ground and sky will have distortion. If you were holding the photo in your hands, you could curve it around so the edges were touching, thus re-creating close to the original circle that people were sitting around. Then if you looked down into the photo, you would see distortion removed and the roof line of the house would appear to be straight.

Cool huh?

Julie the actor, model, spokesperson, etc.

Julie the actor
Originally uploaded by carltonsoohoo

I had the pleasure of working with Julie Pham on her new portfolio. I used lighting techniques involving small flash units off camera. The location of the photo-shoot is the Western Avenue Studios in Lowell, Massachusetts.

Julie is currently the EJ (Entertainment Jockey) at OurStage
Be sure to see her video clips to enjoy her perky personality.

First Act Guitar Studio

First Act Guitar Studio
Originally uploaded by carltonsoohoo

This 360-degree panoramic photo was taken for First Act, a manufacturer of high end guitars for rock stars and aspiring rock stars. This is their studio on Boylston Street in Boston.

New Year's Eve in Boston, MA USA

Happy New Year everyone! We were fortunate to hook up with Matt West at First Night Boston who also thought it would be cool to take a pano at the midnight countdown. We got to Copley Square around 9:30 PM and it was cold. I had hand warmers from LL Bean, about 3 in each pocket. We first photographed Lisa Hughes and Jack Williams of CBS4 TV while they were getting ready to broadcast live. Then just before midnight, we went across the street to the steps of the Boston public Library where the group U.V. Protection was playing. They counted down to midnight using people with the numbers 10 through 1 across their bodies, who walked across the steps. I positioned myself right in front of number one just as the confetti was blown out. To see the panoramas with sound, click here: www.panospin.com/firstnight. The countdown pano was also accepted at Panoramas.dk, an international panoramas site in Denmark that was collecting New Year's Eve panos from all over the world.