Big Day in NJ
What a great day to catch some surf shots! It was a cold winter day in New Jersey - far away from the warm sunshine of our Orlando Photo Studio - when I snapped this shot. I had the day off and decided to go to my old stomping grounds Seaside Heights. Now I know you're saying, "but I think your Photography studio is located in Orlando, Florida." Of course it is! But I do travel from time to time of many photography trips. Again always keeping my camera handy!! Orlando Photographer: Rich Johnson
Brick Wall High Contrast in Mt. Dora - just outside Orlando.
This photo was taken around 11pm in downtown Mt. Dora, Florida - about 45 min from our Orlando Photo Studio. I took this photo with a tri-pod and then took my flash and strobe it while walking up each stair. The shutter was set on 30 seconds. On the larger image you can see little blur spots from me running up the stairs. Our Orlando Photo Studio really enjoys capturing unique Orlando Commercial Photography as well as Orlando Wedding Photography and Orlando Portrait Photography. Orlando Photographer: Rich Johnson of Spectacle Photo.
IR Lens Test in Maitland, FL - just outside Orlando.
This image, captured with an IR photographic lens, shows some of the character of the Maitland, FL area - right next door to our Maitland Photography Studio (just outside Orlando). Our Orlando area photography studio specializes in ultra-creative porttraits, wedding photography, and commercial photography. Maitland Photographer: Rich Johnson of Spectacle Photo.
Guess who's coming to dinner
This is a photo that was taken in at the Face and Body Art International Convention or commonly known as the FABAIC. The artist who painted this devil is Nick Herrera and you can find more of his work on his myspace profile. For the last 5 years I have had the pleasure to work with allot of great body painters and models. When I was first approached about shooting the convention I really didn’t know what I was getting into. They said there was going to be over 300 international artists painting and creating some amazing things. One of my goals with the convention was to shoot it for the artist and not for me. I ask the artist what it is they had in mind when making this piece. I encourage artist input so that the image is showing off the work the best way possible. We no longer shoot the conventions but we still keep in touch with the very talented artists we have meet along the way. Here are a few of their web sites. Orlando Photographer: Rich Johnson of Spectacle Photo.
Nick Herrera
Emma Cammack
Lynne Jamison
Sharon Hodges
Pashur
Greycliff Sky
This landscape image was captured in Greycliff, NC - far outside our Orlando Photo Studio. Spectacle Photo's Commercial Photography portfolio includes similar landscapes, architectural photography, and ultra-creative work with models. Commercial Photographer: Rich Johnson
Orlando Puppy in a Bucket
A member of the Spectacle pet family, Dobie's sweet little face was photographed in our Maitland photo studio - just outside Orlando, FL. A set normally reserved for children's portraiture, this whimsical photograph is more than what the average pet photography offers. Pets are part of the family too and our Maitland photography studio embraces that - fuzzy family members are welcome too! Orlando Pet Photographer: Rich Johnson
HDR Test in Orlando
Orlando Commercial Photographer: Rich Johnson of Spectacle Photo.
Vegetables are good for your heart
Another photo presents it self right in front of our eyes. This photo was taken by my wife Caressa. We where having a BBQ over a friends house one day after a long beach trip. As I was cooking the beens and corn she noticed a unique picture. We also took one of these with beans, and started singing " Beans Beans there good for your heart the more you eat the more you..." Well you know the rest. Orlando Photographer: Rich Johnson of Spectacle Photo.
Bubble Wedding in Orlando
Jessica and Wayde had their Orlando Wedding on January 5th 2008. At the end of their Orlando wedding they both walked out of the reception to a shower of bubbles. If you look real close you will see my wife Caressa in the background of this shot. She was covering the moment from the other end. It was one of those wedding moments that was captured at just the right time. Orlando Wedding Photographer: Rich Johnson of Spectacle Photo.
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HDR Test Church in St. Augustine, Florida
You will notice a few HDR shots in this blog as time goes on. HDR stands for High Dynamic Range - very effective when creating unique Commercial Photography. It is a post processing effect done by joining three different exposures into one. It is recommended you use a tripod when attempting this or your image will not come out as you expected. This HDR shot was taken in St. Augustine, Florida. The sun was setting so I lined it up with the cross. Later in Photoshop I added a few light rays to give it more of a dramatic feel. Orlando Photographer: Rich Johnson of Spectacle Photo.
Painted Love in Orlando
This Orlando Wedding Photograph was captured during a first kiss at an Orlando Wedding. The wedding photo was then enhanced in Photoshop to create a 'painted' background for these newlyweds. Orlando Photography Studio, Spectacle Photo, specializes in ultra-creative Orlando Wedding Photography for engagement, wedding day, and trash-the-dress photography sessions. Orlando Wedding Photographer: Rich Johnson of Spectacle Photo.
Amazing Flower Photographed in Orlando
Orlando Photography Studio, Spectacle Photo, creates high energy photography in our Orlando Photo Studio and on location. Orlando Photographer: Rich Johnson.
Attack of the TV
Now thats interactive TV!!!! This was just an idea I had one day. Maybe a little inspired by the ring! Sometimes I find my self with a cool idea and no one to shoot. So I set up a tripod and shoot away. Of course it takes me a little bit longer to do this cause i have to keep checking the camera to make sure I am in the frame. This shot was taken at our Maitland studio.
Purple Days
Downtown Orlando Wedding
I always enjoy a Trash the Dress Session in Downtown Orlando. Orlando all though small has allot of great places to shoot some really nice and unique photos. Orlando offers the look and feel of a major city with out the large crowds of people and that occasional drive by. Now don't get me wrong there is no substitute for shooting in Times square, but "The City Beautiful" has allot to offer. I like the fact that I can walk the entire city and hit all my favorite spots and not need a cab. This shot was taken on a triangle island in the middle of and intersection. My goal with this shot was to show a calm and relaxed bride in the center of it all. I think she pulled it off great. She looks as if she is having a blast. This shoot also offered up a unique situation for me. While shooting this part of the session we had a family of tourists from Germany come by and start shooting me shooting the bride. I started laughing, and the lady apologized a million times and went on her way shooting everything in sight.
Very Cool Sky Picture
This photo is another reason why it's good to have a camera at hand, when outside Spectacle's studio. I took this one day while driving through Central Florida to my in-laws' house. I pulled over to the side of the road, of course. But none the less I had the camera at hand and ready to shoot this amazing Orlando sunset. Florida has some amazing sunsets. I am blown away how one minute the sky is blue and the next it's on fire and the sun seems to be sitting on top of a building in Downtown Orlando. Sunset shots like this photograph hold more value to me as stock photos that anything else. I use them to composite a sky line as a photo that was taken on an overcast day. People always ask me to shoot on a bright sunny day. There is nothing I enjoy less that shooting on a hot sunny day - especially in Florida. Clouds are a must!!! They block the sun, or even better they diffuse the sun. Think of the sun a a really big hot light, that you have no control over. Now you have the light way over head casting shadows on your subject. Most people don't think about how even your eyebrows cast shadows. The ideal day to shoot for me is a nice cloudy day when the sun goes in and out of clouds. This allows me to experiment with the sun when its out and still get a nice evenly exposed picture. Now i know there are other ways of dealing with the sun but we all have or preferences.
The Truth About The Red Wax Rose
The truth behind the Red Wax Rose. The Red Wax Rose is a book written by Darlyn Finch and published by Shady Lane Press. I was asked to create a cover for the book. Darlyn had come to me with a few ideas about the feel of the book and how she came up with the name Red Wax Rose. She explained that one night while writing one of the poems in the book she noticed a candle she was burning had melted in to the shape that resembled a rose. That same candle is used in the photo. She asked me to take a shot with the candle in a ladies hand as if she was showing you. That night I went home and set up my lights. I then asked my wife if she would like to be a hand model. I get the wax effect I used the following mixture. Kayro syrup, Red food coloring, and Pancake mix. I used these items cause thats what I had at home. If I would of had flower I would have used that instead of pancake mix. I mixed up a thick mixture so it will drip really slow. We then took about 50 shots from different angles. I then took the images back to Darlyn and she picked out her favorite. I photographed the smoke and the real candle separately and made the composite in Photoshop. I get allot of questions about this photo. The one like is... " Didn't the wax burn her skin?". That question makes me feel good. It means that I pulled off the illusion of real candle wax with just simple cooking supplies. You can find out more about this book and the Darlyn Finch at her web site Shady Lane Press.
Water Treatement Plant
Sometimes when I have a free weekend I will go location scouting for cool places to shoot wedding or portrait photos around Orlando, Maitland, or Winter Park. This is one of the shots I took at an old water treatment facility in Central Florida. I love the rust textures and the chipped paint on the walls. This would make for an ideal location to shoot some creative engagement photos - outside of our Maitland, FL photo studio. Now this may be a great location for some couples but not so much for others. I don't want to give off the impression that we go out of our way to be "Different". We don't force our clients to shoot at a junk yard or in the streest of Downtown Orlando. We sit down with the couple or family and ask them questions about themselves and what kind of portraits they want. Then we piece together an idea that represents them. If an Orlando bride who is into horse back riding come in to plan out her Trash the Dress session, I wouldn't suggest shooting at the local Altamonte Springs water treatment plant. I would suggest photographing near an old barn or even with the horse. We approach all our portrait sessions as if the client were a company trying to advertise. You just don't get a photographer you get a design firm when you hire Spectacle to shoot your photos. This approach allows our clients to feel like models.
Back Street Wedding - Downtown Orlando
This newlywed couple wanted to shoot their 'Trash the Dress' Session in Downtown Orlando. This couple also decided to to go a little bit more conservative on the actual trashing part of the session. My mission with this photography session was to create almost an ad-like image. We walked awhile in downtown Orlando shooting pictures here and there. I like how the nicest things in the photo are the Bride and the Groom. They are in a nasty Orlando ally and they totally stand out. Thats the point! You should be the focus of your portrait even if one of you are out of focus.
Spectacle Photo shoots a newly married Maitland couple in Orlando, Florida. This couple's wedding was covered by another photographer. But they wanted something unique to represent the day. We call this session the Newlywed Session. This is when we we meet up after the wedding to capture magic. This is a stress free photography shoot.
This is one ugly duck
Ugly duckling... but a lovely photograph. Lead Spectacle photographer, Rich Johnson, captured a great close-up shot of this creature. Photographed in the great outdoors, just outside of our Maitland, FL photo studio, this duck is part of our Central Florida scenery and although not classicaly cute - she has personality all her own.