MICHAEL SETO PHOTOGRAPHY

Long Live Opera!

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Seto Photography) — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 18:33:00 +0000

Okay, so I'm like Julia Roberts from Pretty Woman...that scene where she goes to the opera with Richard Gere and he says first timers either love it or may learn to appreciate it, but if the latter, it'll never be 'part of their soul.'

Well, color me happy because the first time I saw an opera at the Metropolitan Opera, it became part of my soul. Tosca to this day remains one of my favorites and opera I recommend to neophytes venturing to the concert hall for the first time. (Note, not a huge fan of the new production Met, please bring back the ostentatious yet eye pleasing Zeffirelli set.)

Top to bottom: Jennifer Johnson Cano, Emalie Savoy (with Yo-Yo Ma), Dmitri Pittas, Renee Tatum (L) and Layla Claire, Layla Claire, Angela Meade (L) and Jennifer Johnson Cano

Photos by and Copyright to Michael Seto 2011

But the opera is ultimately about the singing, and boy, what a set of instruments. So whenever there is an opportunity to see some opera, I take it, and this summer was no exception with the Met Opera staging six recitals around the city. And, as one of the City Parks Foundation photographers this year, I had a chance to capture some of the rising stars as they serenaded opera aficionados under open (and sometimes rainy) skies.

I was able to get a lot closer than my normal subscription seats (14 years running) at the Met allow - I'm up in the Balcony - so it's a treat to see the power, emotion, and performance up close. Recitals also give people a chance to hear a combination of classic and well known arias, one after the other, like going straight to the dessert cart. We're often familiar with these melodies from ads or movies or other sources, but it's nice to see them live and for newcomers to understand the context and the character - since most of the performers introduced each piece before they started.

Until then, see you at the Opera!

Ch ch ch changes...

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Seto Photography) — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 14:56:00 +0000

I always see photos of the now defunct Vesuvio Bakery being sold by some of the stock photo street vendors.

An illustration of the constantly changing face of the City.

Photos and Copyrighted by Michael Seto.

Thanks for the Tip

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Seto Photography) — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 19:56:00 +0000

A funny photo from a stroll in SoHo, speaks for itself.

Copyright and photo by Michael Seto.

Photos from the Doug Karr film Art Machine

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Seto Photography) — Mon, 23 May 2011 19:42:00 +0000

I'm happy to be able to post some photos from a film I worked on last year, as the unit photographer. The images were recently made available to the public as part of the film's press kit.

These are from the feature-film, Art Machine, starring Joseph Cross, Jessica Szohr, and Joey Lauren Adams. The film is currently in post production.

See more about Art Machine at http://www.artmachinemovie.com/index.html

Images Copyrighted 2011 Art Machine / Photo by Michael Seto

Spring Arrives in NYC

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Seto Photography) — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 17:22:00 +0000

Well, it feels more like we skipped most of spring and went straight to warm, humid summer.

One day it was 30F, and I wrapped myself under my heavy down comforter. The next day, I was rooting through my closet to find a pair of shorts as the temperature shot up to 65F.

This Easter Sunday, New Yorkers, tired of the long, cold, snowy, winter, flocked to Tomkins Square Park to enjoy an afternoon on the grass.

Winter of 2011 - Big Storm Number Two

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Seto Photography) — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 13:01:00 +0000

New York City
27 Jan 2011

My backyard and front yard in the East Village, New York City, this morning, circa 7 am. Photos by Michael Seto.

The weather guys did not predict quite a big snowfall. Happy Thursday morning, 27 Jan 2011, New York City. Can you say global climate change?

Updated www.michaelseto.com Website

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Seto Photography) — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 16:31:00 +0000

Good morning,

We have just revised, updated, and relaunched our website.

www.michaelseto.com

The primary change included adding larger photos and thumbnails for easier navigation. As well, a more streamlined and accessible list of our services, etc. We hope you like it.

The Blizzard of 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Seto Photography) — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 18:11:00 +0000

New York City
Dec 27, 2010

Some photos from the East Village after the blizzard of 2010. This is being called the sixth largest snowstorm in the city's history, with 20-inches deposited in Central Park.

Complexions Contemporary Ballet - Summerstage 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Seto Photography) — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 12:48:00 +0000

The Complexions Contemporary Ballet perform at the City Parks Foundation's Summerstage in Central Park, August 10, 2010. Photos by Michael Seto.

I got the wonderful opportunity to shoot a couple shows for the City Parks Foundation's music program, performed in parks throughout the five boroughs during the summer.

Live action performances in a low-light situation present some tough challenges for a photographer, from an equipment standpoint and then from a capture standpoint.

Equipment-wise, better performing gear will give you greater opportunities to get the shot. The low-light levels require a combination of fast-glass, lenses with a max aperture of f2.8 or faster, and a camera capable of shooting high-ISO (1600+) without a lot of noise. Higher end camera's also possess superior (read faster) auto-focus systems.

This combination allowed me to shoot at my selected ISO of 2500, with a shutter speed of 1/250 - essential to freeze the movement - at an aperture of 2.8. I normally shoot in Manual mode, selecting all three key exposure measures based on conditions and my intentions.

Whereas, a consumer zoom at f5.6 would require an equivalent shutter speed of 1/60, giving unusable amounts of motion blur, or a ISO of 10,000.

Often, the distance to the performers calls for a telephoto lens, in this case, I used the Nikon 70-200 f2.8. The 85 f1.8 and 50 f1.4 also come in handy in these situations...now if I can just pick up the 200mm f2.

Gear aside, the other challenge is, similar to sports photography, capturing the classic "decisive moment." When is the dancer at the apogee of her leap? When is the critical interaction between dancers? The peak moment of emotional performance?

If you have not seen the performance before, you don't know any of this and need to 1) guess, 2) anticipate, and 3) get lucky. For me, it's taking clues from the music, the body language and facial expressions of the dancers, do they tense or do something that "tells" an upcoming peak movement? Is the music reaching a crescendo? These often signal a critical moment in the performance.

The other aspect is to consider your shooting angle, be aware of what is in the background, are you singling in on one performer or taking in the whole? Are you leaving room in the composition for movement? Is the light silhouetting the performer? Side light? Back light? Gulp, hatchet light?

All these factor in - camera, environment, performers, and the photographer's skills and intent. When it works, it's a zen-like feeling, where I am aware of all these inputs, but at an unconscious level; I'm not thinking about it. I know what my settings need to be, I feel the music and the dancers, and the moments seem to pick themselves and the shutter fires. That's being in the flow of your work, and I find that I feel that most often when photographing a live performance.

New York Marathon 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Seto Photography) — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 12:46:00 +0000

The mass of runners pours down Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

See more photos of the 2010 ING NYC Marathon that were shot for The L Magazine at their website:

http://www.thelmagazine.com/newyork/at-the-2010-nyc-marathon/Slideshow?oid=1808307

Migrating Travelogue to Blogspot

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Seto Photography) — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 12:52:00 +0000

Good morning,

Over the next few days (as time allows), I will be migrating my old Travelogue to Blogspot. The entries will be backdated to the appropriate date. This Travelogue represents my travel writing while on an around-the-world backpacking trip from 2001-2003. I'm doing this to rationalize some of the many disparate web properties I'm maintaining and hopefully through this, expand the audience as well.

Thanks for bearing with me.

Michael

Definitely Not the Cheap Seats

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Seto Photography) — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 15:18:00 +0000

This past summer, I received recognition from the Met's Teammates in the Community program for my work, including photography, for the New York City's premiere food rescue organization, City Harvest.

I accepted the award at home plate at CitiField, home to the New York Mets, just before the first pitch was thrown out. And it was right after the National Anthem. Wow. Not an everyday occurence. Here's the video from that award presentation, courtesy of the Mets and CitiField. And of course, thank you to City Harvest, who nominated me for the award. They are a cause near and dear to my heart.

Video Courtesy and Copyright New York Mets

PS: Would have been even nicer had the announcer known how to pronounce my surname.

Dave Nee Foundation 2010 Gala Images

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Seto Photography) — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 15:15:00 +0000

We recently worked as the event photographer for The Dave Nee Foundation's 2010 Great Gatsby Gala, an important fundraiser and awards ceremony for this non-profit that promotes suicide prevention.

Take a look at a montage of our images at their website:

http://vimeo.com/16735856

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Seto Photography) — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 15:16:00 +0000

Above: New York City's skyline at dusk and early evening.

I'm lucky to be a photographer living in NYC. Everything around us is a photographic subject. I admire those photogs that spend a lifetime documenting some aspect of the city, Jay Maisel's images of the World Trade Center come to mind.

But one needs to be disciplined about bringing your camera with you. As Chase Jarvis said, "The best camera is the one that's with you." No camera, no photograph - unless of course you consider iphones or other camera phones.

Walk Around Lens

I recently added the Nikon 35mm f2.0 prime lens to my arsenal. I found the 50 f.14 just not wide enough for a walk-around lens. Carrying one of the big zooms, either the 17-35mm or the 24-70mm, just felt too heavy. WAAAAH! It's one thing to lug those on a paying job, another to just sling it on my D700 (sans MB-D10 battery pack) as a camera/lens combo to carry all day.

I did like the 24-85mm f3.5-4.5 ED as a walk around consumer zoom. Unfortunately, mine got damaged and I'm holding off on repairing it. I'm anticipating this rumored 24-105 f4 that Nikon Rumors and Thom Hogan expect to be announced any day now from Nikon.

Anyway, I do love the 35mm/D700 combo. It's light and unobtrusive. I plan to start shooting more with just primes, using the 35, 50, and 85 f1.8.

Dessertopia

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Seto Photography) — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 11:18:00 +0000

Mmmmm, some of the deserts from Chef Eric Ripert at Le Bernadin, New York City. All shot with the Nikon D700 paired with the older Nikkor 50mm f1.4 AF, not the new G version, wide open under natural window light (well, about f2.0). That aperture and about 1/80 second to keep it sharp while hand-held called for ISO 1250 or so ensures a narrow depth of field and that creamy bokeh to the rest of the image. I chose the settings manually to give it a white, dreamy background - perfect to match the dreamy deserts of celebrity Chef Ripert. I love the different shapes of the plates as well.

St. Andrews - Golf's Birthplace

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Seto Photography) — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 13:11:00 +0000

Top: Links golf, where the land meets the sea.
Middle: St. Andrews, the home of golf
Bottom: A foursome starts down the 1st fairway of the Old Course, the St. Andrews hotel in the background.

Watching the 150th Open Championship at St. Andrews golf links this week reminds me of my trip there in August 2006. We experienced perfect weather, 65F and sunny for four days of golf. However, the morning we stepped on to the famed Old Course, the golf gods reminded us of the nature of true Scottish links golf. They blessed us with 40 MPH sideways wind and rain. Later that afternoon, we played the New Course to glorious blue sky and puffy cumulus clouds.

But at least we got our taste of some real Scottish weather.

Happy Father's Day 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Seto Photography) — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 16:17:00 +0000

Father and son, Shelter Island, NY. May 2010.

Beautiful Kyrgyzstan

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Seto Photography) — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 15:00:00 +0000

I'm saddened by the news of the ongoing ethnic violence in Kyrgyzstan, pitting Kyrgyz against Uzbek peoples. I was in this beautiful mountain country in 2007 and found the people warm and welcoming. I do hope that the violence abates soon. Here are some images from that wonderful ten-day trip from Bishkek, the capital, around Issy-Kul Lake, then south to Osh.

For more images, see www.michaelseto.com/Proofs/Kyrgyzstan/

Fashion Week - 2009, Here We Go Again...

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Seto Photography) — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 15:34:00 +0000

Top: try to get both feet on the ground in your shots, this takes practice.
Second: the make-up artists (MUA) and hair folks work long, hard days
Third: a fun behind-the-scenes shots of the clothes hanging ready for the models
Fourth: this year, I saw a lot of young models with their mothers in tow
Bottom: the martini

Images © Copyright 2009 Michael Seto

Mercedez Benz Fashion Week (Feb 2009)

It always feels cooler to say you shot Fashion Week than to actually do it. Being in the tent feels like the copy from that Vodka ad "in a world full of golddiggers, posers, and wannabees..." Photographing there is fun for about ten minutes, then it's just work, then it's just a pain in the a--.

Shooting a runway show is enjoyable, for the first few times. There are some people who love it and you see a lot of them year after year at Bryant Park; they love to tell the newbies (like me) where to sit and just act like chaperons or air traffic control to the flock of photogs and camerafolks on the media riser.

Tips for the runway. Using a fast capable SLR, I use the Nikon D700, I knew whatever the lighting conditions, I'd be able to get the shots I needed with it's high ISO and fantastic autofocus capability. First things first, get to the riser early, especially if you don't have a reserved spot - it gets crowded. Be courteous and try and wedge yourself in so you don't spoil someone else's shot. Bring the minimum amount of gear and leave your bag elsewhere. Remember you normally can't use flash. A folding stool is great as well, or a hard camera case to sit on. I bring the D700 with MBD10 and the 70-200 VR, then I sling a D300 with a 17-35 for some wide angle shots of the venue.

I shoot on Manual and chimp beforehand to get my settings, I like f4 to give me some background blur but still enough DOF to get a face sharp, at least 1/250 to freeze motion, so today I ended up at ISO 800. Fortunately, lighting at the show tends to be consistent day-to-day and all along the runway. Matrix metering can get fooled by the bright runway and dark backgrounds sometimes. I shoot on Dynamic AF-C with 21-sensors active; initially focused on the face of the model. Nikon's AF works like a charm, tracking and predicting focus for me. I work the zoom as they walk out to frame them properly and then zoom in tight to get some close-ups at the turn.

The tough part it timing their steps so you get both feet on the ground. A leg bent at the knee can make a model look like an amputee, and a raised leg can look like she's listing and about to capsize (which happens sometimes with stilettos). Using a fast camera with bursts of 8 FPS helps of course - but you still want to fire when she's about to put her foot down. Knowing how your gear functions helps immensely in timing this.

Make sure you're equipment is ready and you have plenty of memory. A show runs maybe 20 minutes and you get say 35 looks, you're shooting 8 FPS the whole way, 20-25 frames per look equals 700+ shots...and in RAW I only get 350 images on a 4 GB card. Be ready to change quickly (or get a bigger card); there is no letup or slowdown - you're like Lucy at the chocolate factory. Get behind and you're going to be stuffing chocos everywhere and explaining to your editor why you missed the one key look they wanted.

This year I also got a chance to shoot backstage at the Rebecca Taylor show. You get a lot of insight into the chaos of how a show is put together and executed. And you realize how young these models are. You can get some fun, behind the scenes shots, just don't shoot the models undressed or someone's going to yell at you and you'll find yourself thrown out (or hit by Mom's handbag). Every girl seem to be from Eastern Europe and most sit around in i-pod zombie mode.

If you think being a model is glamourous, hang out for a couple shows behind the scenes at MBFW. The way they cycle through hair, makeup, wardrobe...I've seen chickens at Tysons get better treatment.

That's all for now, hope to see you in the riser in September...maybe.

Basic Assignment Loadout

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Seto Photography) — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 02:26:00 +0000

Like many other photographers, I have a collection of camera bags. One of my favorites is the Domke J-3. Here's a photo of my standard loadout for photojournalistic type assignments as well as lighter event work. The rule of thumb here is two of everything so if something fails I'll still be able to get some kind of image.

Cameras, a D700 and D300, plus one MB-D10 battery pack, compatible with both cameras. I do lose one stop of low-light capability with the D300 but I like the FX/DX combo. I'll usually pair the D300 with the 70-200 to give me added reach with the 1.5 crop factor. The D700 sports the 24-70 zoom.

Lenses, a 24-70 f2.8 and 70-200 f2.8. I can also cram in my 50 f1.4 if required. I'll sometimes swap the 24-70 for a 17-35 if I feel the assignment calls for a wider angle zoom. The setup does not allow for all three of these fast zooms to be carried unless I ditch either the Turbo or one of the SB-800s.

Flashes, 2 SB-800s and a Quantum Turbo battery with CKE cable to power one of the SB-800s. I'll throw in the Demb Flip-it for my bounce. Normally for PJ type assignments I'll leave my flash brackets behind.

Rapid Strap, (not pictured) I'm a big fan of the R-1 strap from Black Rapid Strap (www.blackrapid.com). This let's you hang one camera at the small of your back and bring it up rapidly (pardon the pun) to a shooting position. I've used it with a 70-200 on a D2x with a SB-800 attached - it's plenty sturdy and I have no fear the camera will work it's way loose. I use Op-Tech straps for my bodies.

Well, that's the basic loadout that I carry on many assignments that call for a minimum of gear, but redundant enough to cover any contingencies and malfunctions, as well as fairly lightweight and unobtrusive in the well designed Domke J-3 bag.

High Profile Event Photography

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Seto Photography) — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 13:37:00 +0000

**Click to enlarge any of these images.
Images © Copyright 2008 Michael Seto

Top photo: The 20-foot ceiling precluded bounced flash, so I used the Demb Flip-it (see below) to give me nice even lighting off an SB-800.

Middle: Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao speaking at the Waldorf-Astoria during a lunch sponsored by the National Committee on US China Relations, Sept 23, 2008.

Bottom: Dr. Henry Kissinger introduces the Chinese Premier.

New York City
September 2008

My client called, "I'll need your social security number and date of birth."

"Oh, what for?"

"A Secret Service background check."

I was silent for a moment, "Oh my..."

The National Committee on US-China Relations (ncuscr.org) hired me to photograph a luncheon they sponsored honoring the Premier of China, Wen Jiabao, who is the equivalent of the US Speaker of the House, third in line in Chinese politics. The luncheon would take place at the Waldorf-Astoria in midtown Manhattan.

Cirque de UNGA

It was one of the events in the week-long UN General Assembly. A real circus and pain in the neck if you life anywhere near the UN. Traffic barricades and motorcades abound.

Working with heads of state can be exhilarating as well as daunting. Their schedules are planned to the minute, protocol, assistants, and of course security surround the dignitary. It's a zoo. With literally dozens of moving parts - the photographer falls pretty low on the totem pole. In this instance, the NCUSCR did a fantastic job of coordinating with me and the other photographer ahead of time; they asked for our input for the reception and VIP greeting area.

The Chinese Premier would be greeted by NY Governor Patterson, Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao, Ambassador Carla Hills, and Dan Brown, CEO of Motorola. Then he'd meet 30 plus VIP dignitaries, including Dr. Henry Kissinger and Ambassador Madeline Albright. My job...get perfect photos of each person meeting the Premier.

The Gear - Go Wide Young Man

For something like this, a suit and tie is mandatory, no ball cap and jeans thank you. A professional photographer needs to maintain the proper decorum and you're representing your client so make them look good.

My primary camera was the D700 with MB-D10 grip and Nikon's 17-35mm f2.8. You want wide on these types of shoots since space tends to be confined, you will be close to your subjects and people will be moving in and out of frame. This is the key PJ lens that you can't live without. Most of the shots will be at 24-35mm and you will inevitably get a lot of fluff on the sides of the frame. Fortunately, with 12 MP you can crop out a lot and still have enough pixel density for a great image.

The high ISO capability of the D700 (and D3) is unsurpassed and gives you maximum flexibility for shots with or without flash. I chose flash here, mounting a SB-800 with a Demb Flip-it (www.dembflashproducts.com/flipit/) and connected to a Quantum Turbo battery for fast recycle. No Stroboframe here - too unwieldy. These photos are not fine art, they're PJ so blast away.

I set my camera for 2000 ISO, -1 2/3 stop on TTL on the -800, a shutter speed of 1/60 (I wanted some ambient), and f8. Yep, like they say, "f8 and be there." While f8 demands more of the flash, it gives plenty of depth of field so you get some latitude on the focus in these fast moving situations. (At 5' distant, f8, 35mm, you get 3' of DOF, 1' in front, 2' behind. Plenty.)

I carried everything in a Domke J-3. This is a compact journalist bag, in black it looks small and professional, yet holds everything you need comfortably. No backpacks for this type of gig.

Kit: D700 w/grip. D2x. 70-200 VR, 17-35, 50 1.4. 2 x SB-800, 1 Quantum Turbo, assorted cards, batteries, lens cleaner, etc.

The Scrum

Fortunately there were only four of us working the greeting area, me and my partner, a photographer for the Chinese delegation, and a shooter for Secretary Chao. So we just lined up off to one side. Try to play nice with other photogs, introduce yourself, understand what they're there for and you can help each other out - like making room for a shot for each other. Yes, it can be win-win.

The problem was the two translators, two VIP greeters and a couple other assistants that kept getting in the shot - either in the background, or cutting in our line. The key here is you need to be assertive. A shrinking violet photog will not get the shot needed. Just tap the offender on the shoulder and ask them to move (in Chinese if possible).

Some dignitaries will know what they're doing, some won't. A good photographer will figure out which one they are and quickly intervene if necessary, placing people in their spots and telling them where to look. Take charge as required but lay back if not. Remember, we're not the show, we just capture it; but woe betided you if you don't...

Find A Unique Angle

The luncheon speech was standard podium shooting. I shoot manual for fixed situations like this. A black background can often fool the meter so I spot meter the face, and then tweak it till I'm happy. Shooting one particular setting also makes it easier to make batch adjustments if required in post (and yes, I only shoot RAW). These photos were at ISO 2000, f4, 1/100; I didn't mind shooting at 1/100 since I was using the VR while hand holding.

Then one of the PR guys suggested I go up with the rest of the pool photogs...what?! Screw that, I thought, I'm the official photog with full floor access. But, I reconsidered, maybe I'll get a different shot up on the balcony, and I did. So instead of the mic and face photo, I got a couple decent stage setting (pardon the pun) images. See, sometimes the PR folks do know what they're talking about and have the photographer's best interests in mind.

Good luck and good shooting!

Life on the Set - Part II

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Seto Photography) — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 13:17:00 +0000

Top Photo - me with a Jacobson sound blimp.
Bottom - Uh, okay, now where does the still photographer fit in?

Life on a Movie Set, Part II

As a still photographer, one of your key interfaces is the Sound Mixer. Aside from jostling the camera guys and making their lives generally miserable by crowding in with them, the person who's job you can most screw up is the sound guy. They're responsible for getting the dialog and other sound recorded at a high quality level. The usually do this with wireless lavalier mics on the actors, as well as a highly sensitive boom microphone - held by the - you guessed it boom guy.

Make friends with the sound guys. Introduce yourself and tell them you're there to work with them not against them. The sound of your shutter and mirror is like a gunshot in a small room - especially if it's a quiet scene - you need to muffle that. Not only the sound guys; it bothers the actors as well. So...

Jacobson Blimps (see picture above) This is the standard for muffling the mechanical action of your camera and is about 95% effective. www.soundblimp.com It's built for either Canon or Nikon and has a variety of tubes for various lenses that allow you to use your zoom.

The blimps are fairly straightforward. Attach remote cord, squeeze camera into the spongy interior, attach lens, attach lens cover, close and shoot.

Shooting is a bit less intuitive. For the Nikon there are two buttons, the bottom one acts like pressing the shutter on your camera half-way, the AF and metering are activated. The top button focuses and fires the shutter simultaneously. To pre-focus and reframe you need to fully hold down the bottom button and then (while holding the bottom) depress the top button. It takes a bit of getting used to.

Zooming is a bit awkward since turning the exterior tube sometimes causes noise or squeeks. Sometimes you need to wrap a few rubber bands on the zoom ring of the lens to get enough traction for turning the external tube to work.

Sometime I would remove the tube and shoot with just the camera in the blimp, allowing easier access to the zoom/focus ring, but this allows quite a bit more noise to escape.

The biggest problem with the blimps is you don't have access to any controls during a shoot without opening the camera. Therefore I will often shoot in manual mode, with ISO, aperture, and shutter speed all determined beforehand. I use the versatile Sekonic-358 to meter the scene, getting an incident reading often right at the actor's face (I meter the stand-in). Sometimes in a dynamic scene where the lighting changes, I use the Auto ISO feature of the D700, which I found to be astoundingly accurate. I seldom use aperture or shutter priority since I need to positively control both of those to achieve the look I want.

More Lens Flare? Finally, the blimp comes with clear filters on the end of the lens tube - so if you have additional protective filters on your lens you now have two additional pieces of glass - making shots very succeptible to lens flare. I suggest removing as much glass as possible when shooting, since you can't use a hood with the tube.

The Talent Well, they are the key piece in the movie puzzle. As the still guy you have a couple rules: 1) stay out of their sight lines, 2) do whatever they say, and 3) make them look great. They can be touchy and a bit spoiled but as well very nice and generous. They have tough jobs as well - to deliver emotion on cue. Sometimes anything can distract them - like you standing in their sight line (where they are looking). If they ask you to move, move right away.

Each actor differs on when they like still photographers to shoot, some like it on rehearsal, some on actual takes. And if they can hear your camera go off (even with a blimp you can hear it in a quiet small space) it may distract them.

The key here is discretion, stay low key, wear black to fade into the background, try to stay very still during takes (aside from working your zoom), and be mindful. A lot of times it's about gauging the mood on set and acting accordingly.

Also, a lot of actors have 'kill' authority meaning any photo they don't like gets deleted and never to be seen again.

Over time you get to know their work habits and preferences. Often, asking someone, like their publicist, can get you some inside info ahead of time and keep you out of trouble.

Playing Nice With Others You quickly learn who is who and what department does what. God forbid you try and grab a six-step (ladder) and move it yourself! All (big) movie work is union and sometimes they get a bit territorial about their jobs - if you need something moved, consult the right grip guy first. Make sure you stay out of people's way and let them get their work done - life on a movie set is a lot of "hurry up and wait" while sets, lighting, camera, wardrobe is tweaked. You can spend hours setting up a 15-second take. So bring a folding stool and a book (and laptop).

While the still photographer is technically part of the camera department, since we work alone we're sometimes treated like the red-headed stepchild of the crew. One way to make friends is to take a lot of behind the scenes shots of the crew - everyone likes good pictures of themselves to send to family and friends.

The Martini (The martini shot is the last shot of the day on a movie set.) Overall, the still photographer on set can be a long, tiring, tedious, and technically challenging job, wrought with chaos and emotion. As well, it can be fun, rewarding, interesting, and exciting...and you get to hobnob with the stars.

That's a wrap!

Unit Stills Photography - Life on a Movie Set

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Seto Photography) — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 18:38:00 +0000

Top Photo - me with actor Cary Elwes (yes, from Princess Bride) on set. Learning the work habits of the actors in your film and respecting their craft puts you in good stead with them. That means knowing when you're in their sight lines or bothering them generally. And, of course, taking pictures that make them look fabulous helps as well.

Bottom - a movie set is a crowded place with lots of different departments (art, camera, asst director, grip, gaffer, wardrobe, production, etc.) Learning who does what and respecting their contribution enhances the cooperation you'll get as a photographer.

Images © Copyright 2008 Michael Seto

New York City, September 22, 2008.

I just wrapped principal shooting on a film last week where I was the STILLS photographer; sometimes call the unit-, stills-, or production photographer. The unit photog's job is to take high quality still photos that mimic the look of the film for marketing and publicity purposes. The principal filming took place in New York City for 18-days. We worked long 12-hour days on set.

So what does that mean? Often, movies need to be sold to a distributor, and high quality photos that accurately reflect the 'look' of the movie are critical to making the sale. Often the actual film is not ready or available to send around to various movie distributors - so that's where stills come in. Additionally, the stills may be sent to magazines, like Entertainment Weekly, Variety, etc. for publicity.

Why a still photographer? When you're shooting a movie with film (not digital), it's tough to get a high quality image pulled from a (motion) film frame. First of all, film is shot at 24 frames per second so your shutter speed is only 1/48th of a second* - sometimes inadequate to stop motion sufficiently to give you a crisp sharp image. Plus, sometimes it's tough to find the exact frame you want from thousands of feet of film. Even with digital video, it's common to have a unit photog since their camera resolution beats most video - though with hi-def and the RED cameras this is less of an issue.

Also, the still photog can get images from slightly different angles as well as behind the scenes shots of the director with the actors, and portraits of the actors around the set - especially if they're in costume.

Simulating film. So my job is to shoot photos that look like what the director and cinematographer (or director of photography, DP) see in their monitors. To do that, I need to position myself as close to the camera as possible, and use a lens on my camera that mimics the field of view of the motion picture camera.

Getting close to the camera means making friends with the camera operator, his first asst cameraman (1st AC) - who pulls focus and is joined at the hip with the camera operator, and then the 2nd AC - who uses the clapperboard and generally assists. You need to balance the need to get your shot with the needs of the actors and the film cameras...you come in a distant distant second (or tenth).

Nitty-Gritty Equipment Choices: The 70-200 mm f2.8 was the workhorse! I found 80% of my shots required my 70-200 mm VR lens. Mainly because this lens gave me a field of view most similar to that of the video camera. (This may vary if you're doing a David Lean or other movie with lot's of panoramic vistas.) As well, the fast 2.8 aperture allowed shooting in low light - often the case on a movie set. My average camera settings (most of the film was shot indoors) were ISO 1600, f4, at 1/100.

I shot with the Nikon D700 to take advantage of it's full-frame FX sensor and unmatched ability to shoot at high ISO with relatively low noise. I felt comfortable shooting at up to 6400 with some post-production NR. My 50 1.4 and 17-35 2.8 also saw use. The jury is out on a mid-range zoom; I just did not find that much time to use it (when shooting stills). Behind the scenes (BTS) is another area. I think the 24-70 2.8 would work great here, but I did not have one with me on this gig.

Working on Set. Someone said being on a movie set can be like high school, with all the cliques and popularity contests and petty infighting. I didn't find that to be the case, though there were some standoffish individuals. Overall, people are very nice, especially if you take a moment to learn their name, what their job is, and respect their contribution to the effort. You may think that craft services (catering) is not too value added, until they deliver coffee and sandwiches to a crew standing in the freezing rain for three hours.

Everyone and everything must work together to pull off a successful film from art to wardrobe, to lighting (grip) and the acting. Moving lights around might not be as technical as the SFX (special effects) stuff - but you learn that it's just as critical.

*It's not the intuitive 1/24 because the shutter closes as the film mechanism advances the next frame into position and then exposes it. Shutter speed of 1/48th of a second is just an approximation.

End of Part I of "Life on a Movie Set." Stay tuned for Part II.

Boot Camp Graduation

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Seto Photography) — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 02:00:00 +0000

Images © Copyright 2008 Michael Seto

While I was in San Diego last month for the U.S. Open Championship (won by Tiger Woods), I decided to attend a graduation ceremony.

Marine Corps Recruit Depot (MCRD) is know among Marines everywhere as Boot Camp. This second week of June at MCRD San Diego, 330 young men of Golf Company officially graduated from eleven weeks of training under the close unyielding eyes of their DIs or drill instructors, known by their campaign hats, unofficially called Smokey the Bears (top photo).

Family and friends make up the majority of the crowd. But there are always a contingent of former-Marines (myself included) in attendence; we're never called ex-Marines because "Once a Marine, always a Marine. The former Marines come to get a taste of the brotherhood they've long since left, but which will always leave its indelible mark.

The graduating Marines march past the crowds in the grandstands before they're dismissed and reunited with their families and loved ones. They'll receive ten days of leave before they report to their next duty station. Most of these Marines will go on to serve in combat in Iraq or Afghanistan.

I too marched for countless hours of close order drill on this parade deck, or grinder, over eleven weeks that felt like eleven months. In August 1986, I, like many before me and many after me, marched down the grinder one last time and earned the title, United States Marine.

Semper Fidelis.

US Open Golf - Torrey Pines

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Seto Photography) — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 23:31:00 +0000

Images © Copyright 2008 Michael Seto

I spent Tuesday at the US Open practice round with my camera. I am now a big fan of the practice rounds at major tournaments. I got very close to both Tiger and Phil Mickelson, both of whom came out to practice on the Torrey Pines Course, San Diego.