Viewing entries tagged
rotolight

Creating Dorothy- How Never Giving Up Can Result in Your Best Work

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Creating Dorothy- How Never Giving Up Can Result in Your Best Work

Ever feel like giving up photography? Do setbacks set you down permanently? Join Jason Lanier for a video where he perseveres through a setback to create some breathtaking work as he exemplifies the definition of never giving up.

This shoot was conducted in Belle Glades, Florida on the side of a road in a sugar cane field. This was an unplanned shoot that had to be created on the fly due to Jason and his team getting thrown out of their original shoot location. In this video Jason uses the Rotolight Titan X1 in flash mode with the Elinchrom Skyport Transmitter to create some movie like imagery with the models named Maddi and Nicole.

This was shot using the Sony A9 with the 35mm Sony Zeiss lens. Below are images taken at the shoot


**Links to Gear**

-Rotolight Titan X1- for the best deals on all Rotolight products please visit: www.rotolight.com/jasonoffers

-Sony A9- https://bhpho.to/35PyHQX​

-Sony Zeiss 35mm- https://bhpho.to/31XPakZ​

**Links to Social Media**

Photographer: Jason Lanier

*Website- www.jasonlanier.com

*Podcast- www.jasonlanier.com/podcast

*Instagram- www.instagram.com/jasonlanierphotography

*Facebook- www.facebook.com/groups/jasonlanierworkshops

*Twitter- www.twitter.com/jlanierphoto

**Models: Madison Ella and Nicole Taylor

*Instagram: www.instagram.com/madisoneellaa

www.instagram.com/nicole.tayylor

Crew: Anthony Schick, Gato Delix, Greg McCoy

www.instagram.com/anthonyschickphotography

www.instagram.com/gatodelix

www.instagram.com/gregselfaction

We thank you for watching and invite you to watch a few more videos while you're here. Don't forget to click on subscribe and notifications so you're updated every time a new video is released! Thanks! Jason Lanier Photography

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Huge Savings! Rotolight 2 Aeos Bundle Kit (50% Off)

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Huge Savings! Rotolight 2 Aeos Bundle Kit (50% Off)

If you haven’t heard, Rotolight is having a HUGE savings on their 2 Aeos Light Bundle Kit. Below, Jason Lanier (@jasonlanierphotography) and Emily Rinaldo (@em.explores) have provided a demonstration video below to show you what you can do with this extremely versatile kit. In an abandoned farmhouse in Jacumba, California Jason used two Aeoses to light Emily. One light was a key light, the other was placed on the ground, held upright by the battery pack (that’s included in the kit) to illuminate the hay and accent the bottom half of the scene. The lights used were unmodified in LED mode during the day. They created extremely soft, stunning, and timeless portraits.

For more information about this and other bundles offered by Rotolight and Jason Lanier please visit: www.rotolight.com/jasonoffers To take advantage of the particular gear used in this video as part of the bundle please visit: https://www.rotolight.com/product/aeo... Promo Code: JLAEOS-02

Wrap-up: In this video, Jason uses two Rotolight Aeoses in LED mode. One light used as a key light and the other used as accent lighting from down below. This is also one of the first shoots ever where Jason uses the Sony A99ii, Sony's premier DSLT camera.

Lenses used for the shoot include the Sony Zeiss 24mm f/2, the Minolta 50mm f/1.7 and the Sony Zeiss 85mm f/1.4.

**Links to Gear
*Sony A99ii- https://bhpho.to/3goMUYH *
Sony Zeiss Distagon 24mm- https://bhpho.to/3gmCetC
*Minolta 50mm f/1.7- not currently sold
*Sony Zeiss Planar 85mm- https://bhpho.to/38sBcJV

We thank you for watching and invite you to stick around and watch a few more videos while you're here! Please let us know what you think in the comment section below as we would love to hear from you!

Thanks,
Jason Lanier Photography

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Jason Lanier 2020 Workshop Schedule

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Jason Lanier 2020 Workshop Schedule

Are you interested in attending a photography workshop? Join Jason Lanier as he hosts photography workshops across the world in 2020. Some locations include but are not limited to: Annapolis, MD; Atlanta, GA; Boston, MA; Chicago, IL; Dallas, TX; Denver, CO; Laguna Beach, CA; Las Vegas, NV; London, UK; Louisville, KY; Melbourne AU; Nashville, TN; New York, NY: Paris, FR; Phoenix, AZ; Raleigh, NC; San Francisco, CA; Seattle, WA; St. Louis, MO; Sydney, AU; Vancouver, BC; Venice IT - we hope to see you there! www.jasonlanier.com/register

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Blue Horizon- Shooting Urbex, Workshop, and Portrait Shoot in a Legendary Boxing Arena by Jason Lanier

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Blue Horizon- Shooting Urbex, Workshop, and Portrait Shoot in a Legendary Boxing Arena by Jason Lanier

WOW! To say that my experience at Blue Horizon Boxing Arena was epic is a true understatement. My protege Emily and I were in town for a workshop that we had planned in Philadelphia. Emily’s Urbex buddy John Hall @jhal10 reminded her of a place he’d been called the Blue Horizon. He told us that there was some sort of a secret way to get inside of there and that if we tried hard enough, we’d be able to find the man inside who could let us in.

To see the complete experience in 3 parts, Urban Exploration, shoot with a Workshop Group, and the portrait session of Emily, please watch the video by clicking below!

So we knocked on the door for about 10 minutes, patiently waiting until a man opened the door. After paying the man for the opportunity to shoot there, we proceeded to start to explore this magnificent structure that was built as a private estate back in the 1800’s and then converted into a legendary boxing arena in 1961.

One thing that Emily and I share is the love for Urban Exploration. We didn’t even know if anyone was even going to answer the door to this place let alone be able to to shoot there. But since we were in we set out to explore this place for as long as we could. Below are some of the images from the Urbex shoot shot with the Canon 11-24mm lens as well as the Sony 90mm macro.

The Blue Horizon has only been vacant since 2010, but the amount of wear and tear at this property is just insane. I love taking macro shots at Urbex locations because it can really tell the story of a place. It’s easy to get carried away with wide angle shots in urbex locations, but don’t forget the details too my friends.

We asked the man taking care of the place if we could bring a group back. We negotiated a price and then came back the following day with our workshop group. The joy in being able to bring other photographers, many of whom have never been in an urbex place like this before, is just incredibly rewarding. After some instruction they proceeded to map out their own places in the building where they wanted to shoot with the models we brought and then proceeded to shoot them with our guidance.

We wrapped up the session with a group shoot in the center ring. WOW! What an experience. We had two models named Mae and Lauren who played the part of warriors fighting in the middle of the ring. The real trick was trying to recreate the lighting that would have been present during a prize fight. We put a Rotolight on top of a boom on a C stand and illuminated the ladies as they put on a show of might. You HAVE to watch the video to see one of their epic battles stitched together in 156 frames shot at 20fps on the Sony A9. Below is just one of the stills:

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Following our workshop group we reached out to our man on the inside once again and asked him if we could come back for one more shoot with just Emily and I. For the right price he agreed and we returned with two helpers for quite the shoot.

One of the things that made this shoot so awesome was that one of the helpers was a former boxer who actually fought at the Blue Horizon named Thomas Woods. He went 7-1 in his 8 bouts there and it was a thrill to have him accompany us for the shoot. He’s one of my followers and we actually ended up including him in the shoot playing the part of Emily’s trainer. Being that this was our third time at the Blue Horizon we knew some of the best spots to shoot at and using the Rotolight Anova Pro 2 we did an amazing shoot together. Below are some of the shots from the shoot:

What made this shoot so amazing was using the current technology of today to story tell. When you watch the video you’ll see how fun it was to get Emily and Thomas to act out scenes and for me to be able to capture them at 20FPS using LED lighting with Rotolight. It truly was an incredible experience.

I can’t thank my protege Emily enough for everything she did and continues to do to make this such a remarkable experience. This video really shows her depth not only as a model and assistant, but as a photographer as well. Below are some of her images taken at the Blue Horizon:

We can’t thank you enough for following us, supporting us, and giving your precious time to our efforts here at Jason Lanier Photography. The experience at the Blue Horizon was unforgettable and I’m so grateful to the workshop attendees who joined us as well as Erik Rosa and Clif Lowry for taking the time to volunteer and assist with what we did down there.

Don’t forget to click on subscribe and notifications so you’re updated every time we release a new video.

THANK YOU! We couldn’t do this without you.

Sincerely,

Jason and Emily

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Making it RAIN! Epic High Fashion Portraits in the Water using Off Camera Flash- 7 Foot Parabolic by Jason Lanier

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Making it RAIN! Epic High Fashion Portraits in the Water using Off Camera Flash- 7 Foot Parabolic by Jason Lanier

Any photographer who’s been shooting long enough outdoors has had his or her bouts of shooting in the rain. While it can certainly be challenging, it can also be very rewarding to give you some results that are different than what you create on a regular basis.

Well, there are some studios out there that actually offer rain INSIDE of a studio setting. What they do is set up pipes that pass water through with holes in them that drop water down into a studio setting that has the proper drainage and water collection set up to make it possible to shoot with rain indoors.

I recently did a shoot with my muse Emily (you can find her on IG at @em.explores), at FD Photo Studio in Los Angeles. The obvious benefit to shooting indoors vs. outdoors is the fact that it allows me to set up lighting in ways that would be very difficult or impossible to set up under normal rainy conditions.

Here are some of the pics from the shoot:


**Links to Gear:

*Rotolight Products- to get a 10% discount and FREE Shipping on any Rotolight products please visit: www.jasonlanier.com/rotolight to get the promo code now!

*Sony A7Riii- https://bhpho.to/2zu1lJu

*Sony Zeiss 35mm- https://bhpho.to/2IDrv28

*Sony Zeiss 50mm- https://bhpho.to/2FmytlK

*Matthews Scrim- https://bhpho.to/2IE2HH9

*Westcott 7 Foot Parabolic- https://bhpho.to/2ICi3vP

This was a very fun shoot done at FD Photo Studio in Los Angeles. This was shot using the Sony A7Riii with both the 35mm and 50mm Zeiss lenses.

Lighting was set up using the Rotolight Aeos inside of a 7 foot parablic umbrella with a Rotolight Anova Pro 2 used as a kicker light and another Rotolight Aeos used as a fill light.

The model is the beautiful Emily Rinaldo who can be followed by going to Instagram and following her @em.explores.

We hope you enjoy the shoot and invite you to stick around and watch a few more videos while you're here. Don't forget to click on SUBSCRIBE and NOTIFICATIONS so you're updated every time a new video is released!

Thanks,

Jason

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Shooting the Corpse Bride- a Cinematic Story Telling Shoot at the Fitzrovia Chapel in London by Jason Lanier

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Shooting the Corpse Bride- a Cinematic Story Telling Shoot at the Fitzrovia Chapel in London by Jason Lanier

On Halloween 2018 I had the opportunity to do a very special shoot with the Rotolight team at the Fitzrovia Chapel in London, UK. It’s always pretty surreal getting to visit and shoot in some of these exotic locations and we wanted to do something really fun for Halloween. Click below to watch the video of this shoot!

My model Emily and I arrived at the chapel that’s tucked away in the center of London. This is an old chapel surrounded by big modern buildings and can’t be seen from the street. You have to navigate the CRAZY traffic in London (I mean I really HATE London traffic), park in one of the crazy parking lots that charge $60 for a couple of hours and THEN you drag your stuff all the way to the shooting location.

SO, after doing all of that, you certainly hope that the location is WORTH it. Was it?

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YES.

TOTALLY WORTH IT.

So I got Emily settled into the chair for hair and make up where she started the transformation into the Corpse Bride with her Corpse Groom Lawrence waiting for her:

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The biggest challenge when first walking into the church was trying to figure out how to take the ambient lighting down as it was very warm and convert it into the kind of cold blue tones that you’d want for a corpse bride (day of the dead) kind of shoot. So we killed all of the lighting in there and started lighting it up with blue lighting from all of the lights from the Rotolight Ecosystem. In this shoot we used the Rotolight Anova Pro 2, Aeos, and the Neo 2.

The Motion Blurr teamed based out of London filmed the shoot for me and did a great job. Below are the shots from the shoot. I really wanted to craft this as a story and I believe the shots below show the story unfolding even more than comes across in the video of the shoot.

I can’t thank Emily and Lawrence enough for their hard work in making all of this happen. They both did a terrific job of getting into the characters and going for it.

Below is a list of the gear used in the video:

*Sony 85mm G Master

*Sony 35mm Zeiss

*Westcott Halo- https://www.fjwestcott.com/45-round-halo?acc=1c383cd30b7c298ab50293adfecb7b18

*Westcott Eyelighter- https://www.fjwestcott.com/eyelighter?acc=1c383cd30b7c298ab50293adfecb7b18

ROTOLIGHT GEAR: To receive a 10% discount and FREE shipping on the Rotolights used in this video please visit www.jasonlanier.com/rotolight

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Jason Lanier Working with Sony, Rotolight and Jessops Camera in epic 2 week trip by Jason Lanier

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Jason Lanier Working with Sony, Rotolight and Jessops Camera in epic 2 week trip by Jason Lanier

In November 2018 I was blessed with the opportunity to work with three amazing brands, two of whom I’m very familiar with…at some very historic venues no less, the Fitzrovia Chapel, Pinewood Studios, and the amazing Chethams Library in Manchester, UK.

This started a few months ago when I received a call and was asked if I’d be able to fit this event into my schedule….and I was like, “How do I say no to this?”

So I got my Assistant Emily with me on a plane to London following our workshops in Richmond, VA and New York City and we took off to the ever amazing United Kingdom.

Our first stop was an appearance at the Camera World Live Event where I did a speech for Sony and Rotolight called, WYSIWYG- What You See Is What You Get. I get to do a lot of conventions and events and I love them all…but getting to see so many people for some jam packed events was an honor I’ll never forget. We did have a security guard outside of the event tell me I wasn’t allowed to put my elbows on the couch…but that’s for a later conversation lol.

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To check out the second of my two appearances there please click the video below:

Following the appearances at the convention some brave photogs ventured out into the very cold night air of London for a photo walk. We had a beautiful model named Sarah come out for that and we of course had the ever able Emily there as well.

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Following this event Emily and I made a quick pit stop down in Brighton for a fun photo walk on the pier that was a ton of fun! This was great as I’d never been to Brighton before. I’d say the toughest thing about this particular trip was the fact that the jet lag STUNK! Man with so many events the jet lag was tough to shake. Emily threw water on me a few times to get me to wake up. Be careful around here if you’re sleepy, she’ll use a defribillator on you! A big thanks to Darren Fellows for coming down to help with this photo walk as well.

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Following Brighton Emily and I returned back to London to get ready for our Jack the Ripper Shoot! I have to give a lot of credit to Emily for this shoot. Without her efforts it just wouldn’t have happened. You can check out the shoot and video by clicking below:

That was seriously one of the most fun shoots I’ve ever had the privilege to shoot. But we weren’t done there! Rotolight had contracted me for a commercial shoot at the historic Fitzrovia Chapel that we did just a day later. A videography crew called Motion Blurr was hired to document the event. That video will be coming out soon….but in the meantime check out this image of Emily taken at the shoot! This was done with her and a male model named Lawrence and both of them did just great. It was in a chapel and they did play the part of a married couple so…..officially I’ve shot Emily’s wedding lol.

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We ended that shoot and had a tight turnaround because the next morning we were due at the historic Pinewood Studios to give a full days worth of presentations for Sony, Rotolight and Jessops Camera. This was such a fun event where I got to work with so many talented and amazing photographers who were Jessops trainers who came there to learn more about the synergy between Sony cameras and Rotolight LED Lighting. This was a fantastic day to be indoors because the rain and cold were out in full effect that day. Many laughs were shared. And it was such an honor to have so many of the Jessops trainers that were a part of Fedora Nation.

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After that it was a travel day from London to Manchester to get ready for our once in a lifetime event where I got to do workshops for Sony, Rotolight and Jessops at the historic Chethams Library. While the team was prepping for the event I was able to grab a few moments on the piano which was so exhilarating for me. Being able to play a grand Yamaha piano at such a historic place was something I’ll never forget, and I’m so grateful that my Assistant Emily was able to capture this moment with her phone:

Following that we did an event for two separate groups of photographers who came to learn about Sony and Rotolight, again working with the amazing folks from Jessops. It’s such a pleasure to be able to present for multiple sponsors when the products tie together so well.

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This was a truly historic and fun event to do. I mean, how many photographers get to shoot in a library from the 1600’s that also has had scenes from Harry Potter shot there? Wow, what a blessing! We had some vintage clothing for all of the models. During the breaks between the two sessions I was able to quickly do some private shoots with the new Sony 24mm G Master with both Emily (my amazing muse) and another awesome model named Victoria.

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Following the event at Chethams we went out with a few brave souls that were willing to go out into the cold for one last Photo Walk. This was quite a way to end the 2 week trek as we braved not only the cold…but also some drunk dudes, some unruly minors who liked to smoke, and some fans who wanted to say hello. But luckily the group was lively and we had a phenomenal time.

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I can’t thank everyone enough for making this all possible. Emily was a tremendous help on this trip that was the longest of my career (because it was also tacked onto stops in New York City and Richmond before we even came to the UK). It wouldn’t have been nearly as successful as it was without her.

A big thanks to my sponsors Sony, Rotolight and Jessops. Sponsors can be such a tremendous support and help to open up doors. A super big thanks to my man Rod Gammons. He’s a real friend. Mark Baber, you know I love you! And last but not least my family at home. I couldn’t do it without the support of my wife and boys. I love you guys so much!!

Here are the production BTS shots from my time at Chethams Library. Thanks to Rotolight and Sony for taking these. Also stay on the lookout for more videos to come from these events.

I can’t wait to work with all of them again. Next up is speaking for Rotolight and Sony at the Profusion Convention in Canada!

Thanks for reading…:)

Jason

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Snow Queen- studio shoot using the Broncolor MobiLED, Rotolight Neo and the Westcott Eyelighter

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Snow Queen- studio shoot using the Broncolor MobiLED, Rotolight Neo and the Westcott Eyelighter

Last week I had the opportunity to visit the Home Studio of Swng Productions in Austin, Texas while I was in town for the Imaging USA conference for PPA being held in San Antonio just an hour south of Austin.

The shoot wasn't planned at all.  The awesome guys over at Swng Productions follow me online and invited me to the studio to shoot.  As such we quickly put together a shoot calling upon models that we could find in about 3 hours notice.

We found the lovely Ashlyn Simon to be my model.  When she arrived I did what I normally do with my models and had her show me the wardrobe options she had available to her.  She showed me a fur coat that she had with her and we decided to shoot with it and a pair of shiny pants.

I started posing her and once I told her to put her arms up above her head I saw what I wanted to create....a Snow Queen shoot.  When she raised her arms above her head it gave her the appearance of wearing a headdress that was really neat.

So we set up the two Broncolor MobiLED lights with the Rotolight Neo and Westcott Eyelighter to create some truly unique images.  Since it was a studio shoot I knew I'd have to add some Photoshop magic to it to create my overall look.  Normally I'm an outdoor shooter and love using the location as my backdrop, but having the studio meant I had to create it in post.

Below are the shots taken during the shoot.  I also included samples of the same shot:

*Straight out of the camera

*Developed in Lightroom

*Edited in Photoshop

*Enhanced and Finished in Photoshop

Below are the other shots taken during the shoot edited and finished in Photoshop:

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Bridals with the Rotolight Anova

www.jasonlanierweddingphotography.com

This image was taken in Murrieta, California using the amazing Anova light from Rotolight.  The greatest thing about this light is the fact that it throws so much light in such a wide expanse.  Can't wait to share more pics!

www.jlpros.com

Camera settings: Nikon D800, 1/100 sec at f/4.5, 16mm at ISO 500, flash did not fire.  Taken at 8:06pm.

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How Did You Get That Shot?

www.funphotoworkshops.com

I get asked a lot how I take my shots....what equipment I use, where I place it etc.  This is a production image and finished image placed side by side to show you exactly what I did to capture this image.  As listed on the photo I used 4 Rotolights (favorite lights ever), 4 MeFoto tripods for my lightstands, 2 Pocket Wizards and my Nikon SB910 Speedlight for backlighting (off camera) flash.

I hope this helps!  As you can see in the picture we go to insane places and do REAL shoots at my workshops which are done all over the U.S.  I'd love to see you at one soon!!

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Using MeFoto Tripods as Light Stands

www.funphotoworkshops.com

This production image was taken at my Miami workshop in May of this year....

Earlier this year at WPPI I bought 4 new Rotolights that I love.  After buying them I asked myself, "How in the world am I going to use these when I'm shooting solo?"  I HATE using lightstands because they just don't work (for me) since I travel so much.  It seems that if I use one that's light enough to take "on the go" it's too flimsy.  If I take one that's very durable and steady, it's WAY too heavy.  So what did I do?

The hot new item at WPPI were the MeFoto tripods made by Benro.  I already own a Benro carbon fiber tripod and LOVE it.  So I felt comfortable buying the MeFoto's and using them as lightstands.  My friends laughed at me at the time for buying 4 of them, but I am SO GLAD I did.

Since WPPI 2013 I've taken the MeFoto's with me to Miami, West Virginia, Montana, New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, and all over California.  The combination of the MeFoto's with my Rotolights or an off camera flash with a Pocket Wizard just can't be beat.  

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Rotolight RL 48 Interview Kit at a REAL Wedding Workshop by Jason Lanier

www.funphotoworkshops.com

This production image shot by my second photographer Vanden King was taken of me using my two Rotolights from my RL 48 Interview Kit.  This was taken while I was shooting a macro shot of the rings with my Nikon 105mm macro lens at the Palace of Gold in Moundsville, WV.  It was an amazing day and I just love using these lights.  We are currently working out an affiliate deal with Rotolight so we can make these lights more accessible to all of you!

www.destinationweddingphotographerneeded.com

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