3 Things to Consider When Making a Promo Video

Am I ready?

That is one of the biggest questions I hear from artists that are considering a promo video. What about my brand colors? My 3 words? What about albums I carry? 

Am-I-ready? 

In some ways, yes, those are details you should be concerned about. They don't have to be perfected, but certainly to a point that you are at least happy with (confident at best!). Honestly, I would compare this process to building a website. In essence, this video will be a MOVING experience of what your brand stands for, your values, and your promise. The essence of who you are. SO, how do you know if you're ready?

These are 3 things that I would tell my potential clients to consider for a promo video:

T I M I N G // 
Knowing Who You Are. This includes knowing your strengths and passions. Consistency. Is the style I am portraying or message I am sending consistent in my work? Analyze your journey in your photography. This journey will continue to evolve - there is no finish line - but you know when you have a strong foundation. You stand for something.

CHOOSING YOUR STORY TELLER // 
How do the videos (s)he has made make you feel? Can you imagine yourself in them? Are you captivated by the videos and do you connect with them? Is that how you want your story told?

And one of the most important..

T R U S T // 
There are 2 people to trust. Your story teller ... and you. Most likely if you were inspired by your story teller and their work, it is pretty easy to hand the reigns over. But there's a second part to this: trusting yourself. If you know who you are, trust yourself and what you do. This is why timing is number one. Your story teller (this goes for videographer, photographer, and graphic designer) can make the BEST product - but if you do not feel that YOU are represented, then you will not be happy. Period. No awesome transition, imagery, or music will change that because the purpose here is to tell YOUR STORY.

I love finding that story. I can ask the questions to dig deeply into finding what it is that makes you stand out. There are perspectives that we need as artists - someone on the outside - because sometimes when we are so deeply embedded into our world it's hard to see those key elements that define us. And that is what I love to do and what I am here to do. To help ARTICULATE it. But I cannot tell you who you are. There's a midway point to meet with your story teller.

I want to end this with Mike's story. Read his perspective being on the other side before watching his video. When Mike contacted me, I had already been following him enough that I had an idea for his story. He's highly recognized as a storm chaser, but I saw the connection between that and his family and what a beautiful story it was. Honestly, it was far more beautiful when I started filming it than what I pictured in my head.


There is no greater gift than that as a story teller. And truthfully, I believe that kind of magic happens when those 3 things I talked about come together.

All for a little blue bag

Let's start at the end. The end of my fabulous NY trip that despite how short it was (and seriously, NY cannot be done "short") - I ate great food and visited great friends. Clearly I need a round two.

But today is about the end of that trip. About my worst airport experience, ever.

I was prepared for it. My friend had just warned me that because of the federal cuts = less air traffic controllers = big time delays in NY.  I took a not-so-cheap cab to the airport just to make sure I arrived on time. This is the part I tell you that one of my bags is carrying my clothes and the other is my carry-on bag (that I am glued to) carrying my camera equipment (subway is not an option). Anyway, I get there on time. And not just on time, but security was not a hassle, and I even had 20 minutes so spare before boarding. I was feeling good! No delays here!

Ha.

Five minutes before we are set to board the intercom comes on to announce what I was hoping would not be announced: delays. But I have a 2 hour layover in Charlotte. Maybe I'm ok?  Still, those traveling to Phoenix and San Francisco are asked to head to the customer relations counter. The customer service rep then proceeds to tell me that if I want to leave TONIGHT this is my only option:

-Take a cab to another airport 30 minutes away (in rush hour - hope you catch that next flight!)
-Catch direct flight from different airline that they'll set up for me
-Oh, and no we are not responsible for HOW you get to the other airport (i.e. cab fare out of my pocket)

I tried arguing my way into a voucher but had no such luck. FYI, if it's weather or air traffic control related, no one owes you anything. The girl beside me, fortunately, was in the same situation, overheard my interaction and asked if I wanted to split a cab. YES. But first we have to go back and pick up our checked-in bag from the carousel and wait 15 minutes! Awesome.

Our checked-in bag finally gets pulled out and into our hands. We hurry off into a cab, split the fare, rush out of it, into the airport, and to our new counter. I have to pay for ANOTHER checked-in bag but am comforted that the previous airline will be reimbursing me (headache). The security guy helps me with my heavy blue carry-on, I put my laptop bag in, and get through security. I grab my laptop bag and shoes and start booking it to the "shuttle" I have to take across the airport. Ten minutes later I am booking it across the airport when all of a sudden....

I realize I am not rolling my heavy, blue carry-on bag with me. My camera bag.

My heart is about to leap out of my throat and I have the horrible realization that I left my carry-on bag SOMEWHERE in this airport. I know for sure it had to have happened either at security or the shuttle I had to take to my gate.

No, no, no. God please no. This is all I can think after this horrible flight delay. Not my gear. I rush to the first airport worker I see, fighting back tears, I tell him my situation. There is not doubt that there is desperation in my voice and he speaks very comforting to me that I should first tell my gate I am here before I pursue looking for my bag. I run to my gate (oh, I can't even tell you how FAR this gate was on top of having to take a shuttle here) and tell the people at the desk in a very panicked voice. They try calling the people at the shuttle to find out if I left it there and tell me to wait. I try waiting for a few minutes but I just can't. It might be in security and if I keep waiting, I'll probably ALSO miss my flight. I start running back to the shuttle area. When I get there the woman tells me "do NOT take the shuttle. You WILL miss your flight." I say that I won't get on that flight ANYWAY without my carry-on! At this point, I don't care if I miss it ... I just need my bag. The shuttle finally arrives and when I run in, a worker sitting by the driver asks me if I'm the girl looking for her blue bag. "Yes, I am." And halfway into the trip back to security check-in she yells to the back "Hey! They didn't find your bag!"

Oh, thank you for yelling that across the shuttle to me. Thank you. Ale, don't cry. It has to be in security.

I run off the shuttle when we finally get to our stop. I run up to the TSA person and he announces that they have MY BAG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! All the pressure, the exhaustion, the stress - it is all filling up behind my eyes as I've been trying to push it back. Fighting it's way to become tears, I hold them back, grab my bag, thank him profusely and book it back to the shuttle area. I just want to go home now. I run to the counter and ask if there's any way to get a cart to take me back to my gate instead of waiting for the shuttle so I can make my flight. The women at the counter (one of them being the one from the shuttle) just look at me and one says "all you can do is wait. You probably missed your flight." And it's pretty obvious from my face that I'm devastated and as I turn around the other woman mutters: "All for that little blue bag."

[[ Dramatic Pause ]]  Excuse me? I don't have words. In fact, I think I see red but really I only see blur because my tears can't hold back anymore. All I do is turn around to look her in the eye and express so much distaste for her lack of class. Tears start to shove their way past my eyes. I turn back around to walk to the corner and at least give myself a moment to cry. As I do this the woman yells "M'am, just sit down! You can't do anything else!" And I turn back, also yelling throwing my hands up, "I'm not going ANYWHERE!" UGH. I mean, I freaking need a minute to CRY over my "little blue bag" that carried ALL of my equipment worth THOUSANDS that I thought I lost after having to switch AIRPORTS. And YOU have the nerve to say "JUST" for this bag?!  If she only knew. Boy, did I cry. Pretty much hyperventilated because every bit of stress and anxiety I was holding back just crumbled down at that moment.

Phew. Those tears clearly needed their debut. So, the shuttle comes, my puffy eyes and carry-on bag get on in silence, willing that plane to still be there. I text Jose that I have my bag but I might not be home. He has been so good to me throughout this ordeal texting me words of comfort and reassurance. As soon as the shuttle stops, I start running - so uncomfortably with not-made-for-running shoes and heavy bags. I see a man waiting at the edge of my gate and when I see him wave me down, I burst into a faster run of happiness. I'm going home! I'm the last passenger, only making it because of a slight maintenance delay. I get on the plane and sink heavily into my seat, sweating and catching my breath. Let's go home plane.

Jose met me at my gate with flowers. I met him with tired eyes, heavy bags, and 4 cookies from NY. He wrapped me tight, I closed my eyes.. and I smelled home.

Film vs Digital: A Comparsion

So this is less "versus" and more of a comparison. This was taken during this shoot with the beautiful Stephanie Neiheisel.

All film photos were photographed on my Mamiya 645 (*edit: digitals shot on 5D MKIII) and I actually used TWO different kinds of films. One of them was the Fujicolor 400H which is a pretty popular film and the other was Ektar 100 which came with my Mamiya. I was super curious to see the kind of results the Ektar would create...

Bottom Left: digital photo of the PRINTS. Prints, prints, prints! If you have never held a set of film prints - do it. Completely different experience to see and touch film prints. Bottom Right: Ektar 100 Film.

So the photo on the left down here is Ektar 100 film. It has this sort of maroon tone to it.

Now let's get into the comparisons: 

Do you notice the difference in skin tones? Especially the warmth/slight pink with Fujicolor film? But you have to keep in mind how I asked my lab to process it AND how I process my own digital images. 

These two are a little bit closer in regards to warmth, but you can still see the difference in skin tone. I love both.

Ektar. YES.

Ektar film. My thoughts: I think this film works SO great on Stephanie. I specifically wanted these to feel moody. The funny thing is that I TOTALLY thought the Ektar film was a black & white film! So here I was, shooting them for a black & white look. Anyway, I don't know how this tone would work for a different mood. I think it suits Stephanie's look - her tattoos, her dark hair, and her beautiful cheekbones.  There's a hint of darkness about them that suits this Ektar processing..

Ektar: 

Fujicolor:

Thoughts?! Like I said, the Ektar came with my Mamiya because the guy I purchased from had a half-used box he threw into the package. Now I'm curious to try it more.  Do you like Ektar or Fujicolor more? Would love to know which you connected with most!

Bicycle Beauty

First, let me start off by saying that this dress is actually Becki's mother in law's vintage PROM dress (with a cardigan over it). I mean, are we resourceful or what?!

I teamed up with Sarah Hubbell of Emma Magazine and Becki Crosby of Whippy Cake (model & stylist) to bring to life my version of a Bicycle Beauty. I imagined a beach cruiser (happened to score this hot-pink one from Craiglist. Holla!) and the basket just filled to the brim with flowers. A flowy dress, a vine looking headpiece, and shades of pink.

So back to this prom dress. Oh man - HILARIOUS behind the scenes footage I should have gotten: Prom dress gone a-la-wrong. Fortunately it was towards the very end. I wanted one "last" shot of her biking across this sidewalk (I quote "last" because when is it EVER your last shot?!) and right at the END of the shot I look up from my camera to find the bottom of the prom dress completely tangled into the bike breaks and chain!! After our failed attempts to get Becki unstuck to this bike, I call Jose to the rescue. My husband shows up with his tools and I am like "well, hello good looking." Haha. No seriously, this guy took apart the chains and managed to rescue the dress. 

Jose - thank you for being that guy ;)

And a thank you to Jenn of Mignonne Handmade for the gorgeous head piece.

Coral and Mint Inspiration

Oh, la la Spring. I'm in love with the styling of this shoot. Coral and mint are typically very romantic colors that are matched together but these colors can be more than romantic... 

I partnered up with Alex Evjen and Megan Bryant of AVE Styles to explore the shades you'll be seeing a lot this Spring. And don't worry, Alex can guide you on the different ways to incorporate these colors.

Stephanie Neiheisel (check out her blog!) of SN Makeup Artist has a natural edge - she was not only our makeup artist - but our model as well. Stephanie has a beautiful blend of feminineness and edge. My fav :)

Megan Bryant's fun hair:

See... romantic, edgy, or chic. Coral + Mint.

But how gorgeous are those shoes?! I'm really loving that electric blue. And coral? Well, that love affair has been going strong for years now ... years ;)

p.s. Check out Stephanie's post for more photos and even more details. Seriously. Do it!

Lipstick and Film

Did you know...

That lipstick holders are about the same size as 120 film?!

Y'all. I mean, WHAT?

It's okay to laugh at me because I would too! I don't think I can express how insane this is for me and it all came about as an accident. I found this beautiful case at a local thrift store. Look at that color?!

When I opened it up and noticed it was a lipstick holder (or that's what it looked like to me), I actually thought about removing that casing and replacing it with fabric so I could turn this into a clutch.

But, like many projects - I sort of set it to the side and found myself using it more like a prop.

Well, I started putting my used film rolls on top of my ottoman and they kept rolling off and falling to the ground. I don't know what made me try this, but I opened up the lipstick case (that was also on my ottoman) and started putting the rolls in there. To my surprise, they fit perfectly!!

Lipstick and film. Seriously? Could the photography world possibly be snapping her fingers saying "yeah, girl!" at me? I think so.

Anyway, these babies are FINALLY - and I do mean finally making their way to the lab today. Sans the case. Sorry Richard -- it's staying with me :)

A Glimpse of Ale

For those of you that don't follow me on Facebook, I wanted to highlight this little "About Me" video I made a few weeks ago. Hopefully it really does give you a glimpse into the things that make me, me :)