Teddy Smith Studio

The work of Martina Arrighi & Joaquín Muñoz

noreply@blogger.com (Teddy Smith Studio) — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 17:34:00 +0000

We are featuring a exhibition of gallery quality prints from Argentinian photographers Martina Arrighi & Joaquín Muñoz.

You can view and purchase prints of their work here:

http://gallery.teddysmithstudio.com/g/martina_arrighi

Teddy Smith shoots Val Kilmer!

noreply@blogger.com (Teddy Smith Studio) — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 22:14:00 +0000

Virginia, Charles, and I had an exciting night on set with Val Kilmer.

Congrats to Kade & Jo Ann!

noreply@blogger.com (Teddy Smith Studio) — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 22:09:00 +0000

Virginia and I had a great time shooting their wedding. Hope they are having fun on the honeymoon!

National Geographic to use our photo again

noreply@blogger.com (Teddy Smith Studio) — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 22:08:00 +0000

Our lightning over the state capitol photo will be used yet again by National Geographic. This time to promote their 2010 worldwide photo contest. Exciting! I can't wait to see how it will be used.

Louisiana Press Association 3rd Place Award

noreply@blogger.com (Teddy Smith Studio) — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 22:06:00 +0000

Just discovered the lightning over the capitol won third place last month in the Louisiana Press Association awards for Best Feature photo in the state!

http://www.businessreport.com/news/2010/may/03/business-report-gets-21-louisiana-press/

225 Magazine Health & Beauty Issue

noreply@blogger.com (Teddy Smith Studio) — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 21:56:00 +0000

225 health beauty, originally uploaded by Teddy Smith.

We were very excited to be published by 225 Magazine in their recent Health & Beauty Issue. For this job we photographed two models before and after a makeover by Jason Keller at The Gallery Salon.

Modeling for Virginia

noreply@blogger.com (Teddy Smith Studio) — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 21:32:00 +0000

_N1S9799, originally uploaded by Teddy Smith.

Virginia has an idea to shoot a model on a grungy bus stop at sunset. She likes lens flare and low contrast so to test it she took the lens hood off of the 35L and tried to get some lens flare happening. Then had me stand in and look cool.

Blood Out Stills Prep

noreply@blogger.com (Teddy Smith Studio) — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 21:30:00 +0000

_MG_0838, originally uploaded by Teddy Smith.

We've had to acquire some new glass for our gig shooting the stills on Blood Out. I think I have most ranges covered now. ;)

Solitary Grave

noreply@blogger.com (Teddy Smith Studio) — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 21:27:00 +0000

_N1S0223, originally uploaded by Teddy Smith.

While driving back from Thibodeaux for an interview I noticed a small graveyard. I pulled over to take a look and saw this lone grave far away from the others. I think it could be a great setting for a shoot.

Virginia models a 300mm f/2.8 IS

noreply@blogger.com (Teddy Smith Studio) — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 21:25:00 +0000

_N1S0126, originally uploaded by Teddy Smith.

In preperation for shooting the stills on Blood Out we acquired a 300mm f/2.8 IS. Virginia complained about the huge size of the lens but couldn't wait to get a photo of her with it. ;)

Concept Photos for a Movie

noreply@blogger.com (Teddy Smith Studio) — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 21:24:00 +0000

_N1S0366-2, originally uploaded by Teddy Smith.

Andy Cheng, the director of Redline, stunt coordinator on Mission Impossible III and Rush Hour 2, asked me to produce a series of concept photos for a pitch to a studio.

Shootrite Katana Rifles

noreply@blogger.com (Teddy Smith Studio) — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 20:52:00 +0000

We did a product photography shoot for Shootrite Firearms Academy. These photos will be used to promote their new lightweight line of battle rifles.

Website Remodeled

noreply@blogger.com (Teddy Smith Studio) — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 23:34:00 +0000

As you can see, I have remodeled the website. I did this mostly to include a much requested portfolio section. Please send me any bugs you find. It is still a little buggy in Internet Explorer. I am a photographer, not a web designer so bear with me!

Headshot Day Rescheduled

noreply@blogger.com (Teddy Smith Studio) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 16:36:00 +0000

We are rescheduling headshot day due to a conflict with a movie filming. Please contact me for more details. Thank you!

-Teddy

Everything You Need To Know About Headshots

noreply@blogger.com (Teddy Smith Studio) — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 16:57:00 +0000

Are there really movies filming in Louisiana?
Yes! With 80+ movies slated to film in Louisiana this year, we have been nicknamed the "Little LA" by insiders.

What should my headshot look like?
You! Casting directors prefer tight, closely cropped shots with a natural look. They do not want to see digitally altered Glamour Shots which look nothing like the real person.

How often should I update my headshot?
Anytime your appearance changes you should get a new headshot made. If you make substantial changes to your hair, lose or gain weight, or have any cosmetic surgery done you need a new headshot.

Why shouldn't I just go to a portrait studio and have my headshot made?
You can! Many people do just that. However, it is important the studio you choose understands what exactly a headshot should be. From looking at the thousands of headshots we have seen in the last year, it's clear local studios do not understand the headshot formula. Many shots from local actors are heavily digitally altered, have too much glamour lighting, don't have clear shots of the front of the face, have no identifying information on the photograph, or just look amateur in general. Further, many studios are not prepared to offer affordable headshot packages. Most studios price their photos individually which would end up costing you thousands of dollars for a few hundred headshots.

How do you price headshots?
At Teddy Smith Studio, clients can purchase individual headshots online at a la carte pricing and have it delivered via FedEx Overnight to any casting director in the world. Alternatively, you can instantly download an email sized photo and send it to directors electronically. Finally, you can order a bulk package of headshots at a much discounted price and have them delivered in about a week.

About The Author
Teddy Smith has worked in the broadcast television and film industry for almost two decades and has consulted with Hollywood casting directors to deliver the perfect headshot. Teddy has made headshots for celebrities such as Sherman Hemsley (George Jefferson, The Jeffersons) and has been published nationally by National Geographic and USA Today.

More Ochsner Portraits!

noreply@blogger.com (Teddy Smith Studio) — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 17:57:00 +0000

We shot another portrait set for The H Agency and Ochsner yesterday. Thanks to Kade for helping me out on the shoot!

Sunset Recording artist BrotherBrother Music Video

noreply@blogger.com (Teddy Smith Studio) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 22:16:00 +0000

We shot a small music video for Sunset Recording artist BrotherBrother. The entire video was shot at The Roux House on 3rd Street in one hour on very little budget. Be sure to click the YouTube HD button to see it in 1080P. We used the Canon 5D Mark II camera, 70-200mm 2.8L IS, and 35mm 1.4L lenses. Lighting was with 150w & 300w Arri hot lights.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTY4i7p7XIk

Ochsner 2010 Ad Campaign

noreply@blogger.com (Teddy Smith Studio) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 20:46:00 +0000

We were very excited to be chosen to photograph Ochsner's 2010 ad campaign. The first two photos were shot last month and the mock ups of the ad are below.

Ciera as a Mummy

noreply@blogger.com (Teddy Smith Studio) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 22:17:00 +0000

One of my favorite models called me with a last minute favor. Would I mind taking a few pictures of her in a costume she put together for a Halloween contest? Despite shooting paying gigs everyday at 7am this week and being so exhausted I was about to make myself sick, I couldn't say no to some Halloween fun.

I packed the Profoto D1 Air monolights, fog machine, and Vagabond 2 and went out scouting for a decent location. I quickly found an abandoned building downtown and setup in the alleyway behind it.

Canon 1Ds Mark II has arrived!

noreply@blogger.com (Teddy Smith Studio) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 19:32:00 +0000

Finally, after 7 days in FedEx purgatory our new to us 1Ds Mark II arrives. I would describe it as Like New shape with all the manuals, boxes, even plastic bags the wires come in. There are some scuffs around the bases and a ding or two around the body, but otherwise it looks great.

17 megapixels in a weather sealed package. Now I can shoot in the rain!

So you want a nice digital camera... PT 3: L Lens Introduction

noreply@blogger.com (Teddy Smith Studio) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 21:58:00 +0000

OK, in parts 1 & 2 we figured out what body is right for you right now. We also set you up with a $100 Nifty Fifty. The lens is working out for you, but now you'd like to move into something wider for landscapes or maybe something that has more zoom for sports or wildlife photography. The L lenses are coming to your rescue.

First, some terminology and why they cost so much..

USM: Ultra Sonic Motors offer extremely fast and quiet focusing. Some consumer Canon lenses also offer USM but it actually is not the same technology. It's more of a sneaky marketing ploy.

Full Time Manual Focus: This is actually I feature I didn't know about until I bothered to read the manual that came with my 35L. You can instantly disengage the auto focus by simply turning the manual focus ring. This is great when you are trying to focus on something behind something else, especially a subject behind a window. If the auto focus is locking onto the window you simply turn the focus ring to manual focus, take the shot, then release to let auto focus take over again. Brilliant!

IS: Image Stabilization is available on many L lenses and helps you keep the camera steady in low light shooting. It's basically a gyroscope that spins inside the lens and balances the elements even when your nerves have your hands shaking.

Weather Sealing: Many L lenses are weather sealed so you can shoot in adverse conditions.

Special Glass: These lenses contain all sorts of exotic glass with names I can't pronounce. What all this expensive glass adds up to is extreme sharpness, less lens flare from light sources in the frame (like street lights or the sun), and better contrast.

Non-rotating front elements: Focus a regular lens and you'll notice the front piece of glass turns as well. On an L lens the front glass stays in place. This is useful when you have filters attached to your lens.

Signature white paint on the telephotos: Look on the sidelines of any major sporting event and you'll see long lines of white lenses. Those are all Canon L series telephoto lenses. The white isn't just a marketing gimmick. It helps keep the metal lens body cool to the touch under hot sunny conditions. And it works. Compare a black Nikon telephoto sitting out in the sun to a white L and you'll understand one reason why 99.9% of professional journalists and sports photographers are using Canon.

High Resale Value: It's rare to find a well cared for L lens selling on the used market for more than 10% off it's new price. These lenses are excellent investments. Some of the older discontinued lenses sell more than they cost new. If you need to sell you won't have trouble finding a buyer. Post it for sale in any Canon forum at it's fair market value and in just a few minutes you'll get a line of 3 or 4 people wanting to buy it.

That's the basics of the L series. In PT 4 we'll take a look at the most popular L lenses for landscapes, portraits, street photography, sports, and wildlife.

So you want a nice digital camera... PT 2: Your budget & buy new or used?

noreply@blogger.com (Teddy Smith Studio) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 19:14:00 +0000

With the last post we went over some basic photography terms and abbreviations. We'll start using those terms now to help us decide which camera to choose and if you want a new camera or a used camera.

Your Budget
If you have $10,000 to spend, buying a camera is a no brainer. Just get the best, most expensive top of the line camera in Canon's arsenal (currently the 1Ds Mark III at $7000) and a few great lenses. However, I'm betting you have far less than that so let's get started at the bottom.

$200 - $300
You might think $300 would not be near enough to get into a nice DSLR setup, but you just haven't examined all your options. Professional photographers can be obsessed with having the newest camera bodies which means the used market for older digital cameras is huge. A camera body that cost several thousand dollars just a few years ago can now run just a few hundred dollars. It's important to point out we're talking camera bodies not lenses. Used lenses hold their value very well. You'll save at most 10% on a used lens but 50%-90% on a used body.

So, for 300 bucks what can we get? The semi-pro Canon 10D is running about $200 and I recently saw a high end totally professional Canon 1D for $300. These are both crop sensor cameras, are slow compared t0 a new camera, but accept all current Canon lenses, flashes, and give beautiful images for the internet or up to an 8x10. Add a Nifty Fifty to one of these bodies for another $100 and you have an excellent camera setup to learn digital photography. When you are ready to move up to something newer, the controls on your new camera will be identical or very similar and it's unlikely the values will have dropped much further. You can sell and get all or most of your money back. They are at the price point where pros pick up a few just to throw in their car for emergency use. In fact, I have a 10D in my camera bag for backup in case my 1Ds Mark II goes down.

Another plus about buying an older used body is often you can get a huge amount of accessories included for little extra. I've seen 10D packages that include a dozen extra batteries, an extended grip, extra battery charger, and half a dozen CF cards for $250.

$800 - $1000
So now we're at the price point where we can start considering a brand new Canon Rebel with a zoom lens included. If you just want something you can get at Best Buy with little hassle and a warranty then this might be the way to go. Just keep in mind the Rebel line is the entry level system that is missing many of the pro features of their older big brothers such as hookups for studio lighting. You are also paying a premium for that EF-S "kit lens" that is practically worthless. If you do decide to buy a new Rebel your first order of business should be to toss the kit lens in the trash and buy a Nifty Fifty.

If you have this much money, a better decision may be to get a $200 10D, a $700 17-40mm F4L lens, and a $100 50mm 1.8 lens. When you save another $1,000, your EF lenses will still be good when you move into the next tax bracket: Full Frame.

$1000 - $1500
Ah, now we're at the magic point where we have all sorts of really terrific used options. Your top priority if you have this much cash is to go Full Frame. Add an L lens to any Full Frame body and you have reached just about the pinnacle of image quality for any price. Sure you can sink more money into newer higher megapixel cameras, but the image quality will only creep up marginally. There is a reason why a 5 year old Full Frame body still costs more than a brand new Crop Sensor Rebel. My shot of the lightning striking the State Capitol was with a 5D Classic and a 35mm F1.4L lens.

Your two choices here are a 5D Classic or a 1Ds Classic. The 5D is also known as the 5D Mark I, 5D1, or just the 5D. And similarly, the 1Ds Mark I or just a 1Ds. The 1D is NOT the same camera. The 1D is a crop sensor camera. The "s" indicates Full Frame in the 1D line.

The differences between the 1Ds and the 5D is quite a lot. The 1Ds is a professional weatherproof sealed camera (when coupled with a sealed L lens), was about $6000 new, and has likely bottomed out on the deflation scale (it probably won't cost much less in a year or two). The 5D is newer, so it's faster and feels like a modern digital camera, was about $2500 new, and is not weatherproof.

Just like when we were looking at $300 packages, we should be looking for used setups which include lots of extras. the extended grip on the 5D is a worthwhile accessory. With a 1Ds, you should be looking for extra batteries since Canon batteries for the 1Ds are about $120 each. Also, make sure the 1Ds comes with a charger. A replacement charger will run you about $250 and photographers don't always include them because they can use the same charger on their other cameras.

$2,000 - $3,000
If you have this much money and you don't have an L lens yet, I suggest you turn around and buy a $1,000 5D and spend the rest on a nice lens, some master/slave flashes, and a tripod. Once you get into the 17 - 24 megapixel land of the 1Ds Mark II and the 5D Mark II you absolutely can not be using cheap lenses. I know I said megapixels don't matter (and they usually don't), but once you get past a certain resolution point you have exceeded the capability of your Plastic Fantastic and are just wasting megapixels instead of putting them to work.

OK, so you have a great lens and are willing to drop $2k - $3k on a camera body. Your two Full Frame options are the new hot 5D Mark II, that can do live view, record video, and make your breakfast in the morning, or the lost and long forgotten 1Ds Mark II. It's a tough decision. They are both exceptional cameras. The 5D2 has more megapixels, a warranty, and can be bought at Best Buy right now.

I recently chose the 1Ds Mark II due to the weather sealing, capability to record to both the CF and a SD card at the same time (for backup purposes in case one fails, oh yes CF cards fail), and it's track record of durability in extreme environments. Annie Leibovitz (arguably the greatest living photographer) has been seen using the 1Ds Mark II. The 2009 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition was partially shot with the 1Ds Mark II.

So that's it. In part 3 we'll go over L lens options and terminology.

So you want a nice digital camera... PT 1: Basic Terminology

noreply@blogger.com (Teddy Smith Studio) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 16:54:00 +0000

Before selecting a new camera it's important to understand a few basic photography terms:

DSLR: Digital Single Lens Reflex Camera, also known as a "pro style" camera or a "money pit". The difference between a DSLR and a regular pocket camera is you generally don't look at the screen on the camera to compose the shot. You look through a viewfinder, old school like. DSLR cameras almost always have interchangeable lenses so you can get really wide shots with a wide angle lens or really close up shots with a telephoto lens. Some of the newer DSLRs allow you to "live view" which means you can compose the shot by looking at the screen, however DSLRs really aren't meant to be used in this way and I don't recommend it.

Megapixels: Are irrelevant and one of the great marketing gimmicks of the 21st century. It's a cool word that's fun to say. People love to talk about how many MEGAPIXELS their new camera has. If you agree that most of your photos are going to end up on the internet, and the average size of an internet photo is 1 megapixel, you'll soon see an 18 megapixel camera is overkill. Even if you print a lot of photos, a 4 megapixel camera made 8 years ago will make a decent 8x10 print. We're talking beginner cameras here. Your goal should not be to print huge posters with your new beginner camera. There are other things which are far more important than megapixels...

Camera Sensor: A camera sensor is equivalent to a frame of film. You'll remember back in the day we had all sorts of different sizes of film; 110, 120, 35mm, and in the 1990s APS came out (supposedly Advanced Photo System). The size of the film makes a huge difference in image quality, as does the size of a camera sensor. Larger sensors mean better low light performance, less grain, and better colors. Pocket cameras use a sensor equivalent in size to the tiny 110 film cameras from the 1970s. This is not good.

Crop Sensor: Most DSLR cameras (Canon Rebel, XTi, 10D, 20D, 50D) you'll find at the store have a crop sensor which is the size of the APS film from the 1990s. APS is considerably smaller than a 35mm film frame. They are called crop sensors because they have the effect of "cropping" your 35mm lenses. What this means is a 50mm lens won't get you 50mm of view. It gives you closer to 80mm. In simple terms, your lenses won't be able to go as wide but they will zoom in further.

Full Frame Sensor: The higher end DSLR cameras (Canon 5D, 1Ds) have full frame sensors which are identical in size to a 35mm film frame. These cameras offer exceptional low light performance, depth of field, and noticeably better color. Your lenses will be wider, but not zoom in as far as they would with a crop sensor.

Canon EF-S Mount: There are two basic types of lenses in the Canon line up. EF-S lenses are designed for the smaller Crop Sensor cameras and will not fit Full Frame cameras. They are identified by a white dot on the mount.

Canon EF Mount: EF lenses are designed for Full Frame cameras and will fit either crop sensor or full frame cameras. They are identified by a red dot on the lens mount. Since an EF lens will fit on any Canon camera, but an EF-S lens won't, you should seriously consider buying only EF lenses even if you currently have a crop sensor camera (like a Rebel). This will ensure the lenses you buy now will be compatible with the body you may buy in the future.

Focal Length: How wide or how far your lens can zoom in, measured in millimeters. A 17mm lens is very wide. A 50mm lens is considered standard. A 200mm is considered telephoto. 400mm and above is considered supertelephoto (and super megabucks).

F Number or F Stop: Lower the number, the more light it lets in. Higher the number, the less light. Simply, low numbers mean you can shoot in darker places without a flash. A F1.2 lens will shoot in near darkness without a flash. A F4 lens will stop being effective around sunset. Small differences in numbers can mean big differences in price. A 50mm 1.8 is worth about $100. 50mm 1.4 about $350. 50mm 1.2 about $1250. And the king of them all, 50mm 1.0 is about $4000.

Canon L Lens: These are the high end "Luxury" lenses that provide top of the line image quality, fast focusing, solid construction, hold their value very well on the used market (some out of production L lenses are worth many times more than they cost new) and are sometimes weather sealed. They are identified by the signature red ring around the end of the lens and the astronomical price tag. An L lens is the single most important piece of equipment you can invest in to immediately improve the quality of your photos.

Canon's Nifty Fifty also known as The Plastic Fantastic: Canon's 50mm F1.8 $100 plastic lens. This is a very inexpensive lens that provides outstanding image quality and exceptional low light performance. It looks cheap, feels cheap, is cheap, but will deliver many times better performance than the lens that came with your camera. If you simply can't afford an L lens, this is the next best thing.

In Part 2 we'll decide if a new camera is what you want, or would an older used camera be a better choice...?

Cover of The Greater Baton Rouge Business Report!

noreply@blogger.com (Teddy Smith Studio) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 15:54:00 +0000

Our lightning photo was used for the cover and printed twice inside this month's edition of The Greater Baton Rouge Business Report!

Art Melt 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Teddy Smith Studio) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 19:06:00 +0000

Friday night was the 6th Annual Art Melt at the Shaw Center in Baton Rouge. Thousands of people showed up. This was the first year they asked me to work the crowd with a little of my "performance art". Virginia was snapping pictures and helping me look good.