Bruton Stroube

It's the Pointersaurus, Y'all.

Mon, 27 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT

We hinted at this a few weeks back over on our Facebook page, but now the proof is in the pudding, well, pie-- giant meat-laden pizza pie, that is. Matt, Beau, Sam and Eric took on the Pointer's Pizza Pointersaurus Challenge. The heck, you say? A team of two gets one hour to devour 10 pounds of salty (oh, so salty) goodness. If the challengers are man (or woman) enough to complete the task, a handsome $500 reward is handed out. Easy enough, right? Well...

Say Hello to iPlate

Mon, 13 Aug 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Over the weekend, Jake introduced his inner geek to his passion for old school photography processes. By treating the back glass of the iPhone with photo-sensitive chemicals, he effectively turned his phone into a piece of film and shot an image right onto the damn thing. Is this The World's Very First Wet Plate Collodion iPhone (TWVFWPCiP)? As far as we (and Google) know, it is. And you thought Instagram was vintage...

Jake's full write-up and BTS after the break.

[BREAK]

A few weeks ago, my inner tech geek and camera nerd merged and a new project was created. I wanted to try to create a truly one-of-a-kind iPhone. With well over 100 million of the things sold, it wasn't going to be the easiest task. So I approached it the only way I knew how to make a one-of-a-kind photograph: the ambrotype.

Knowing the iPhone was made of glass, I don't know why it didn't hit me a lot sooner. To make an ambrotype, a piece of glass is coated with salted collodion, sensitized, placed into a camera and exposed like a piece of film. Then back in the darkroom, the glass plate is developed, fixed and washed. This process was invented in 1851 and has recently been embraced again by many artists and photographers for its unique aesthetic and hand-made quality.

I searched the internet and found a replacement back panel for the iPhone without all the Apple branding. Once it arrived, I made a custom holder that would let me use the back panel in the camera where it would take the place of film. With everything I needed in hand, it was time to head to the studio.

After the camera and lighting were placed, I went to the darkroom to prep the back. For the collodion to adhere, the glass has to be perfectly clean. A mixture of Calcium Carbonate, water and alcohol is used as a cleaner.

With the glass clean, it was time to pour the collodion. The technique here determines how the final image will look. The goal is to pour enough collodion onto the plate and flow it from corner to corner evenly.

After the collodion is on the plate, it has to be sensitized, shot, and developed before the collodion dries, which is probably 10-15 minutes. Once sensitized, it has to stay in the dark to be loaded in the holder. The holder is then taken to the camera fitted with a lens that dates to 1872 (woah, camera nerd alert!) and the exposure is made. Back in the darkroom, the plate is taken out and developed. Development times are fast, around 15 seconds (unlike film which takes minutes). After development, you can turn the lights back on. Here's what I saw:

The exposure looked good, the collodion stayed on the panel perfectly. Once the plate is placed in the fixer, the image reverses and a warm-toned image is revealed.

The plate is washed, dried and then a protective varnish is applied. After the varnish dried, I installed the new back onto the phone.

And there it is. My quest is over, for now. Thank you for taking the time to read about the project. Email me with any questions or comments, I'd love to hear from you.

Your nerdiest,

Jake

PS: Follow us on Twitter: @jakepotts and @brutonstroube

Greg Stroube Nominated for 2 Black and White Spider Awards

Tue, 26 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Two of Greg's images received nominations in the 7th Annual Black & White Spider Awards. The contest received over 8,000 entries from all across the world and being selected is a pretty cool achievement.

Greg's image, Savannah Swamp 2 was nominated in the Nature - Pro category and his Dried Apple image was nominated in the Still Life - Pro Category. Greg's images are below and can be viewed in the winner's gallery along with the other selected nominees and winners. There are some great images to take in if you've got a few minutes to spare. Congratulations to Greg and all the other winners of this year's contest.

Now Playing: Phillips Furniture

Wed, 13 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Keep an eye out for these new spots hitting the airwaves around town. This shoot for Phillips Furniture took place over a couple days, partly in studio and partly on location here in Saint Louis. Did someone say slow-mo? Yes, please. These spots are filled with all kinds of Phantom HD slow motion goodness. After the jump see one of the brave copywriters take one (ok, a few) for the team, in the form of water balloons at 1000 FPS.

BSS | Phillips - Coin from Bruton Stroube Studios on Vimeo.

BSS | Phillips - Candles from Bruton Stroube Studios on Vimeo.

BSS | Phillips - Dandelion from Bruton Stroube Studios on Vimeo.

[BREAK]

And the mandatory water balloon shot (firing squad style):

BSS | Balloon Blast from Bruton Stroube Studios on Vimeo.

Black Market Dandelions?

Splish-Splash

Tue, 08 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Quick Pic: We caught Greg on the other side of the camera dialing in the perfect splash for a recent beverage shoot. Who's thirsty?

Now Playing: MGD - Always Tonight

Tue, 01 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT

MGD is launching a national broadcast campaign to highlight its new product label. MGD and Commonground engaged us to shoot and edit a spot in conjunction with their European campaign. Our goal was to focus on strong product imagery while still showcasing an epic night with friends that no one would want to end. Cheers!

AT&T Unified Messaging: BTS

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT

As promised, here's the BTS view from the AT&T Unified Messaging project we recently completed with Rodgers Townsend. Enjoy!

BSS | AT&T Unified Messaging - BTS from Bruton Stroube Studios on Vimeo.

BSS | AT&T Unified Messaging from Bruton Stroube Studios on Vimeo

Now Playing: AT&T Unified Messaging

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Not long ago, we wrapped production on a really unique motion project with Rodgers Townsend that had us gracefully crashing through walls and falling through floors. The outcome was a silky smooth spot for AT&T's new Unified Messaging App. The video can be viewed below and expect a follow-up post with more details on the shoot with some behind-the-scenes of how we pulled it off.

Be sure to visit the AT&T Unified Messaging page to learn more.

BSS | AT&T Unified Messaging from Bruton Stroube Studios on Vimeo

It's PRIME-time

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 00:00:00 GMT

We've spotted some of Brandon's latest animal work hitting the shelves of Innova Pet Food retailers. Brandon and crew headed out on an adventure to the Pacific Northwest with the great folks over at Brighton for Innova's PRIME lineup of all natural of pet foods. We've gathered up some images from the trip along with the finals that are on the packaging.

Also be sure to find us over on Twitter and Facebook. (The rest of the images after the jump)

[BREAK]

Below are a collection of BTS and iPhone pictures from the crew members:

Bud Summer Lifestyle

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Brrrr... It's cold and snowy outside here in the midwest. Hopefully you're able to sip a cup of your favorite hot-brewed beverage, and enjoy the warmth of these summer lifestyle images Brandon created for Cannonball. This shoot was a fast-paced couple of days at 4 locations, including a rooftop, restaurant bar, a lakeside park, and a backyard BBQ.

More pics after the jump, including some BTS and crew shots.

[BREAK]