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THE INTERNET MACHINE A few ideas on getting your brand out there, and how to keep in touch with your fans TIPS FOR TRAVEL Thoughts from my trip to Peru to help you with your travels SHOOTING INTO THE SUN Get a grip on backlit situations EMBER Behind the scenes with one of L.A.’s most forward thinking jewelry companies

Ninety Two

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A photography magazine documenting a summer of work as well as some tips, tricks and treats for the photo community. Enjoy!

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THE INTERNET MACHINEA few ideas on getting your brand out there, and how to keep in touch with your fans

TIPS FOR TRAVELThoughts from my trip to Peru to help you with your travels

SHOOTING INTO THE SUNGet a grip on backlit situations

EMBERBehind the scenes with one of L.A.’s most forward thinking jewelry companies

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Welcome to Ninety-Two.

As a photographer, there are

two things I hold in high regard. The

first is shooting personal work; taking some

time away from doing paid work and allowing

room for error. Shoot anything you have been

wanting to and work your creative muscles.

The second thing is giving back to the photo

community. I have learned so much from the

photographers I look up to and I want to be

able to pass that on. Ninety-Two is my yearly

magazine put out at the end of summer to

display the personal work I shot and to share

tips and tutorials with the photo community.

It will only contain images taken within the

ninety-two days of summer.

Kick back and enjoy.

Ben Sasso

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MORNING LIGHTReasons to get your butt out of bed

SHOOTING BACKLITUsing the sun and getting a grip on backlit situations

EMBERBehind the scenes with one of L.A.'s most forward thinking jewelry companies

ONLINE PRESENCEWhy and how to carry your brand through the internet machine

TESTINGWhy unpaid personal shoots can pay off, and how to properly set them up

TEN TIPS FOR TRAVELThoughts from my travelsto Peru to help you withyour travels

CONTACT

1 11234143

55

76WRITINGBen Sasso

PHOTOGRAPHYBen Sasso

DESIGNTony Sasso

EDITINGVeronica Spake

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There is something to be said for morning light. It seems like the sun would shine the same on the way up as it does on the way down, but the morning light is just so cool and soft in comparison to the light of the afternoon.

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If you have the goal of shooting for

publications you will need to train yourself to shoot vertically. It

seems like it might be a simple thing to do but it is a bigger

switch than you think. The more you practice

it, the better you will be and the more comfortable you will

feel doing it.

5d II + 35mm 1.4 L1/400

f/2ISO 160

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Since I tend to shoot in the afternoon a lot I decided

to do a few morning shoots this summer and after

each one I was always so glad I woke up early. My

favorite thing about Florida mornings is that the

haze is still out, adding a lot to the atmosphere and

taking a lot of the contrast out of the background.

This allows the subject in the foreground to really

pop. It’s that same haze that makes the sunlight

softer when it breaks the horizon. The softer light

takes away the worry of harsh shadows and will give

you some different looks when shooting backlit.

While afternoon light will give you harder sun flare

when shooting backlit, the early morning the haze

makes the sun flare into more of a sun wash. I

love both results, but for different reasons. The

afternoon light always gives me great shots when

I am looking to portray that easy-going, summer-

fun style because it gives a much more dynamic

flare. The dynamic flare creates a sense of action

and movement. That combined with some laughing

models can create a strong lifestyle image.

The morning light is great for editorial and softer

fashion work because of the peaceful atmosphere

that the haze provides.

I love the editorial feel to this shot and

the way the softer morning sun doesn’t

give off any harsh flare. To give this shot

more of a morning feel I brought out the blues in the shadows.

Typically, morning light is a lot cooler (color-

wise) than the late afternoon light.

5d II + 35mm 1.4 L1/400

f/2ISO 160

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I set up this shoot because I wanted some swimsuit

shots in my portfolio that aren’t lifestyle but also

don’t come across as sexual. Let’ Talk about this

shoot specifically. Why this location? Why this

model? Why the one piece? I wanted it to feel less

like a sports illustrated shot and more like an

editorial shot. Even though there were a few things

I wanted to focus on this summer they all were

driven by the same idea. I feel comfortable with

my skills when it comes to shooting late afternoon

happy lifestyle work but I wanted to branch out.

While it is extremely important to have a solid and

recognizable style, it is also important to allow

yourself the freedom to experiment. If you aren’t

pushing yourself then you will never get past the

level that you are at right now. After doing a few fun

lifestyle shoots early in the summer I tried to shift

my focus towards things I don’t usually do.

If you are going to follow my advice on branching

out, it is a pretty simple process. The first thing I

did is thought about why I wanted to try different

things. Is it because I am not happy with the style

I have developed? Am I bored with what I shoot?

The truth is that I love my style and I always have

a blast shooting lifestyle. The reason I wanted to

experiment is because I want to let my brain work a

little more and I want to have a photographic style

that comes through in more than just one shooting

style. By that I mean that my I want my work to

be recognizable as Ben Sasso wether it is lifestyle,

fashion, editorial or even video. That is why I spent

a large portion of this summer shooting anything

other than smiling afternoon lifestyle.

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While it is extremely important to have a solid and recognizable

style, it is also important to allow yourself the freedom to experiment.

If you aren’t pushing yourself then you will never get past the level

that you are at right now.

Since Haley has killer freckles I wanted to do a few shots that emphasize them. I wet down her hair in order to make it darker because I knew that would make her freckles pop. In post I also bumped up the sharpness on her skin to bring them out even more.

The lens I shot this with is all manual focus which is always fun to shoot. There is something about it that makes you appreciate photography more. Just like shooting with film, shooting manual focus really makes you slow down and think more about what you are doing.

Left5d II + 45mm 2.8 ts-e1/250f/2.8ISO 640

Below5d II + 35mm 1.4 L1/800f/2.2ISO 160

5 / 6

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I love these boulders. They give a great texture but still have a subtle enough color that they aren’t distracting or overpowering. I shot this right when the sun was coming up and since it was still hazy out the light was soft enough to not cast any harsh shadows on Haley.

5d II + 35mm 1.4 L1/400f/2ISO 320

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5d II + 35mm 1.4 L1/400

f/2ISO 320

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If you want to be a solid photographer, you need to understand light and how to use it.

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Longer lenses like the one used for this photo will

give large washed out flare like the rings towards

the bottom of the image. Depending on your settings

and how strong the sun is you can get a beautiful mix

of looks with a lens like this. The sun for this photo

was just behind Preston’s face so I hid it, focused,

recomposed and shot.

5d II + 85mm 1.2L II1/2500

f/2.0ISO 160

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When shooting into the sun with a wider lens you will see smaller artifacts of flare like the ones on his neck and stomach. Wider lenses can give you dynamic images and a good flare can add a lot to that.

5d II + 35mm 1.4L1/1600f/1.8ISO 160

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Lighting is key. If you want to be a solid photographer

you need to understand light and how to control it.

It is something that can solidify a photographer’s

style or put them on the map as someone who still

has some learning to do. Among the many lighting

techniques I see and use, shooting into the sun

has always been a favorite of mine. My love for the

technique was brought about by the imperfections

and happy accidents caused by the sun hitting the

lens. Over time I have grown to appreciate it for its

ability to be specifically manipulated. Depending on

the lenses used, the time of day, and the personality

of the subject, back lighting can give you anything

from a dynamic summer lifestyle shot to a peaceful

editorial portrait.

On most occasions, I prefer even lighting on my

subjects which means I shoot with my subject’s

face either fully in the sun or fully in the shade. The

trouble with shooting an evenly lit photo is that if

it isn’t done properly the photo can easily lose its

strength. To bring back a dynamic feeling to the

image I use the sun and the artifacts it can create

when it hits the lens. The trick with shooting into the

sun is learning how to show the power and beauty of

the sun while preserving the details you want to in

your images. One of the most common mistakes that

photographers make when starting to shoot into the

sun is exposing for the sky instead of their subject.

This leaves the subject underexposed and less of

a focal point. I hardly ever worry about blowing

out the sky because the details I want are on the

subject. What I aim for is the limit right before I blow

out the highlights on my subject. Even if you are

shooting RAW you will not be able to get back blown

out details in post because the image data simply

will not be there. A good way to find that limit is to

turn on the highlight alert on your camera. Every

camera has a different way to turn it on which can

be found online or in the camera manual without

much trouble. The highlight alert will tell you where

you have lost details due to over exposure in your

image. Every pixel on your image that has lost detail

will flash on your LCD screen. If you see flashing

pixels on your subject, dial down the exposure to the

point right before it starts to flash. This way if you

choose to push it farther in post, you still can but

the details will remain in your image either way.

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HAVE THE SUN EITHER PEEKING IN FROM THE VERY EDGE OF THE FRAME OR HAVE IT JUST PEEKING OUT FROM BEHIND THE SUBJECT.

5d II + 85mm 1.2L II1/800

f/2ISO 160

Now that you are shooting away, don’t be discouraged

when you are getting shots that look washed out.

Shooting into the sun can give you stunning results

but you usually need to pull them into post for a bit

of work to get them there. The two biggest things

you will notice once you are working with them on

your computer is that they are washed out and not

vibrant. Worry about vibrance and saturation last

because when you fix the contrast you will find

that the saturation is often fixed with it. Bringing

back contrast to an image is pretty simple. You can

either do it through levels in Photoshop or through

your contrast and blacks sliders in Lightroom or

whichever program you are working in. For a bit more

punch you can bring up the clarity or sharpness until

you are satisfied. After doing this and working with

the temperature of the photo a bit you may find that

the saturation is already back to where you want it.

Obviously processing will vary from image to image,

but unless you like washed out photos you can

expect to do this to the majority of what you shoot.

Something you will learn pretty quickly is that every

lens handles the sun differently. Longer focal lengths

will handle it differently than wider ones and even

two different lenses of the same focal length will

give you two different results. This is because the

sun flare is a result of the sun shining into the lens

and bouncing around the glass inside. Longer lenses

will give you larger washed out artifacts while wider

lenses will give smaller and more dynamic flare.

The distance the subject is from your lens and the

aperture that the image was shot at will also effect

the final image. The reason I am telling you this is

so you experiment. Shoot with all of your lenses and

change up your settings to see what you prefer. Now

just wait for the golden hour between the afternoon

sun and sundown and go shoot!

Once the right exposure has been found the next

step is the decide where to put the sun in the sky.

My general rule of thumb is to always have the sun

peeking. This means to have the sun either peeking

in from the very edge of the frame or to have it just

peeking out from behind the subject. Sun shining in

from the top corner of a photo will give you a strong

flare shooting diagonally down into the photo

while the sun peeking out from behind the subjects

head will usually give you a nice dynamic shot with

the flare drawing the viewer’s eye towards the

subjects head or face. This “peeking” trick works

with anything you are photographing: trees, street

signs, kittens. Having the sun peeking out from

behind something (almost) always makes a stronger

photo than a sun in the middle of the sky.

One difficulty you may come across when shooting

into the sun is acquiring focus. With the sun beating

through your lens and into the sensor the camera

will have a hard time finding the point of focus. An

easy way to battle this is to focus and recompose.

The majority of cameras will allow you to focus by

pushing the shutter button half-way and will hold

that focus until you push it all the way to take the

photo or release the shutter button. I almost always

have my center focus point selected and then just

focus on my subject and then recompose the shot to

how I want it before firing the shutter. So, how do

you battle misfocusing when shooting into the sun?

If you are shooting with the sun peeking out from

behind the subjects head, put the sun right behind

their head so it isn’t beating into the lens, focus by

holding the shutter button halfway, recompose so

the sun is peeking out again and fire away. Hide sun,

focus, bring the sun back, fire. It is a pretty simple

process that will save you a lot of frustration from

waiting for your camera to focus. This works just the

same when you are shooting with the sun peeking in

from the side of the frame. Just put it out of frame,

focus and then recompose. Bam! Problem solved.

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THE distance THE SUBJECT IS FROM YOUR LENS AND THE APERTURE THAT THE IMAGE WAS SHOT AT WILL ALSO EFFECT THE FINAL IMAGE.

TOP5d + 35mm 1.4 L1/640f/2.2ISO 320

BOTTOM5d II + 35mm 1.4 L1/250f/2.5ISO 350

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5d II + 35mm 1.4 L1/1250

f/1.8ISO 160

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The lower the sun falls in the sky, the softer it will become. When it is about to break the horizon you will be able to get more washed out flare that wont give you those bright flare artifacts.

5d II + 35mm 1.4L1/250f/2.5

ISO 320

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5d II + 35mm 1.4L1/250f/2.5

ISO 320

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Behind the scenes with

The Ember shoot was one of the bigger productions I undertook this summer. Ember is a company that I have always loved for their efforts to bring others out of hardship while providing a beautiful product. Ember partners with women in Northern Uganda who have lived through the trials of war and works with them to create jewelry solely out of recycled materials. Magazines are turned into bracelets and necklaces, plastic bags are turned into earrings. It’s simple. It’s good karma. It’s brilliant.

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Canon 5d II + 35mm 1.4L1/1250f/2ISO 160

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Now let’s talk about the shoot.

What was the purpose? How many people were

on set? Why did we shoot where we did? How did

we make it happen? When hiring a photographer

for a shoot that involves products, there are

typically two directions you can take. Direction

“A” will lead to photos that are meant to do

nothing but display the product for what it is.

Make the product look good and make it look

clear. Direction “B” will lead to photos that are

meant to convey a thought or an emotion. Think

about Roxy advertisements. Any Roxy ad you

see will be of a blonde surfer girl having a blast

at some tropical location with the sun peering

through her hair and a huge smile on her face.

What does this make you think? It tells you

that she is the kind of person that wears Roxy.

Therefore, you now relate Roxy with fun, summer,

and good times. This is photographic branding

at its best. Direction “B” is better known as

lifestyle photography which is the direction we

went in on the Ember shoot.

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BOTTOMCanon 5d II + 85mm 1.2L II1/800f/2ISO 320

TOPCanon 5d II + 35mm 1.4L1/1600f/2ISO 160

In a lot of these shots you will notice that there is not direct eye contact with the model. Eyes are the first thing that people typically connect with in a photo. In order to draw more focus to the jewelry I made the decision to breakeye contact which made the model less overpowering.

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The amazing crew on set for day two of shooting. From left to right: Lauren Shute model, James Pearson Ember’s main man, Michelle Tobias extra hand/unpaid entertainer, Jennifer Welsch model, Rachel Burney hair and makeup artist, Tony Sasso brother/assistant/DJ and Matt Wood boat owner/wine and cheese supplier.

Having a strong and energetic crew behind you can make your life a lot easier on a job like this. James was a blast to have on set, Rachel kept the models fresh and Tony was everything from a camera rack to a DJ. I really couldn’t have asked for a more solid crew. After a full evening of shooting, the night was wrapped up with a

delicious Italian dinner in Santa Monica.

Preproduction for this included tech (location)

scouting, booking models, a hair stylist, a make

up artist, and purchasing wardrobe. We decided

to outfit the shoot using J. Crew and Banana

Republic because both of their lines are simple and

sophisticated. We went with clothes that were plain

enough to make the jewelry the focus instead of just

blending into the rest of the outfit. After clothing

was taken care of, we had to find location.

Tech scouting for me always means just getting in

a car and going. I always have a general idea in

my head of what I am looking for but sometimes

it takes a while to find the perfect spot. There

is one thing the perfect spot shouldn’t have:

commercialism. A beautiful photo can be ruined

with a big fat McDonald's sign in the background.

I don’t like to see anything that can be easily

recognized by all of America; that takes the

mystery out of the photo. Since this was a two day

shoot we had two main locations to scout. One

would be more natural and the other a bit less so.

Looking for the first location was AWESOME. We

drove around in the Malibu mountains for hours

and screamed and gasped at every turn. Taking a

simple right hand turn becomes a lot scarier when

the only thing on your left is a cliff and a view of

nothing but straight down. We found a great spot

on the side of a mountain that was just what I was

looking for. It had rocks, shrubs, flowers, and a

view of the what seemed to be the rest of the Earth.

The less natural location we decided to use was our

friend’s sailboat at the San Pedro Yacht Club. The

rest of the pre production for this shoot was pretty

straight forward. The models were Lauren Shute

from Orlando and Jennifer Welsch from LA. Our hair

stylist and make-up artist was the AMAZING Rachel

Burney, also from LA.

Day one of shooting was a blast. Upon arrival to the

mountain top everyone walked around and gazed

at the view before settling down to remember why

we were there. On set were our models, our hair and

make-up artist, James from Ember and Tony Sasso

who was the extra hand for the day. We started

shooting around 5pm when the light was where I

wanted it and shot for a few hours into the night.

The beginning of the shoot gave us great sun flare

coming from behind the mountains and as the sun

fell lower in the sky we were left with a beautiful

soft light. Shooting went on without a hitch and felt

a lot more like hanging out than shooting. Having

a strong and energetic crew behind you can make

your life a lot easier on a job like this. James was a

blast to have on set, Rachel kept the models fresh

and Tony was everything from a camera rack to a

DJ. I really couldn’t have asked for a more solid

crew. After a full evening of shooting, the night

was wrapped up with a delicious Italian dinner

in Santa Monica.

Day two of shooting was further south at the San

Pedro Yacht Club. In addition to the crew from the

following day, we had the owner of the boat, Matt

Wood, and extra set of hands, Michelle Tobias.

Shooting in the yacht club was killer for lighting

because the light would bounce off the white boats

and fill in the models perfectly. The second day of

shooting ended up being just as great as the first.

After another full evening of working, the shoot

was wrapped and we headed over to Yogurtland for

our post shoot dessert.

We drove around in the Malibu mountains for hours and screamed and gasped at every turn.

On the following pages you will find a collection of the images from each day.

To learn more about Ember or to purchase jewelry get on the nearest computer and

visit www.EmberArts.com.

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Canon 5d II + 35mm 1.4L1/400

f/2ISO 160

With this shot I tried to make the viewer feel as if they are being invited to

follow Lauren down the path instead of feeling as though

Lauren is walking away from them. I did this by not

blocking the view of the path with her body so you can

easily see where you would be walking instead of feeling

trapped by not knowing where the path would lead

you. Small details like that are things you need to pay attention to if you want to successfully carry out your

final vision for a photo.

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For this shot I had a HUGE white boat right behind

me that was bouncing the sunlight back onto Lauren. The result was

great even lighting on her face even though the sun

was behind her.

Canon 5d II + 35mm 1.4L1/2500

f/2.2ISO 320

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This is one of my favorites from this shoot. A great tool you will find when shooting is natural framing to draw attention to your subject. In this shot I used the two diagonal white lines to draw your eyes in between them and I put the Lauren right in the wooden window frame to draw focus even more. These types of frames can be found all over the place when you are shooting so keep an eye out for them and use them to your advantage!

TOPCanon 5d II + 35mm 1.4L1/500f/2.8ISO 320

BOTTOMCanon 5d II + 35mm 1.4L1/1000f/2ISO 320

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In this shot I really wanted to show off the bracelet and have the viewer’s eyes go straight to it. I cropped below Lauren’s eyes make it harder to connect directly to the model. This takes away the aspect of seeing the human in the picture and instead seeing the “mannequin” displaying a product. However, the smile adds to the mood of the photo without being too distracting.

Canon 5d II + 35mm 1.4L1/2500f/2.2ISO 320

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Canon 5d II + 35mm 1.4L1/3200f/2.2ISO 320

One of the many things I love about the 35mm focal length is that it feels real. You don’t get the crazy distortion like you would with a wider angle lens and you don’t get the extreme isolation that you do with longer focal lengths. It can create a very dynamic image without going overboard.

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Canon 5d II + 35mm 1.4L1/1600f/2ISO 320

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When it is later in the day and you are looking to get a nice blue sky you can shoot with the sun behind you. This allows your subject to be brighter so when you expose for him/her/it the sky will hold it’s color.

Canon 5d II + 35mm 1.4L1/400f/2.8ISO 320

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There is something about this photo that makes me feel refreshed. Since she is stretching and taking a deep breath as if she just woke up I processed this one a little bit cooler to match coolness of the morning light instead of the warmer afternoon sun.

TOPCanon 5d II + 35mm 1.4L1/400f/1.8ISO 320

BOTTOMCanon 5d II + 35mm 1.4L1/500f/2ISO 320

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The rule of thirds comes into play here. Putting your subject out of the center in the frame will give a more cinematic feel to the image. This is something to keep in mind when shooting but not something to get hung up on. If you feel an image would be stronger if you centered the subject then you are probably right. Do it!

This shot was just a fun one since we were nearing the 4th of July.

TOPCanon 5d II + 35mm 1.4L1/2500f/2ISO 320

BOTTOMCanon 5d II + 35mm 1.4L1/640f/2ISO160

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After the sun fell behind the mountains in the background we weren’t able to get that great sun flare anymore but we were left with a great soft light.

TOPCanon 5d II + 35mm 1.4L1/125f/1.8ISO 320

BOTTOMCanon 5d II + 35mm 1.4L1/1600f/1.8ISO160

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When is the last time you went longer than a few days without checking your Facebook? I’m almost positive that the internet is in

the process of taking over the world. It’s in your living room. It’s in

your pocket. It’s everywhere. If you want to make it as a photographer,

you need to have a strong online presence made up of three essential

elements: consistency, personality and content that draws viewers.

Consistency not only includes branding that is strong throughout

your different online outlets, but also updating blogs and social

media. Having a blog and a Twitter or Facebook account that allows

your personality to show through is a killer way for people to connect

more to your work. When people know who is behind the lens you

become less of a company and more of a human.

This can come across in your words and also in your design. Hiring a graphic designer who you work well with is key to creating branding

that carries your personality. However, consistency and personality

are not enough; you need to have content that will draw in viewers.

This means strong work, good stories, or even tips and tutorials. These

three elements aren’t all it takes to have a strong online presence, but

they will give you a solid foundation to build upon. From here I will

discuss the three outlets for an online presence and what I believe

they should be used for.

GET ONLINE OR GET OUT

GET ONLINE OR GET OUT

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WEB SITEIf you don’t have one, get one. It is a necessity.

Don’t be cheap and get a free version of some do-it-

yourself web site . Instead, spend some money and

get yourself a site that represents you and your work

well. Generally speaking, your web site should be

considered the home base for your online presence in

the sense that it stays the most constant. It should

be easy to navigate, showcase your portfolio, host

brief information about yourself and what you offer

and also have an easy way for potential clients to

get in touch. Keep the extra bells and whistles to

a minimum. I love hearing that people enjoy how

simple my web site is to navigate. Since I am a fan

of minimalism it is rad to know that I got rid of the

information and extras that do nothing but clutter

my site. Keep this in mind when designing yours.

BLOGI have always been a huge fan of blogs. Chances are

if you only have a web site people will visit it a few

times and that’s it. There is no reason for them to

continue to browse if there is nothing new to see. This

is where blogs come in. Once you get a blog going

it should be updated consistently in order to keep

people coming. New photos from shoots, thoughts,

etc. Remember, if people come to your blog it is

because they want more. Don’t be afraid to give it

to them. Along with your photos you can talk a bit

about the behind the scenes of the shoot: a funny

incident that happened, a story about the client, or

your ideas that inspired the shoot. When people hear

your thoughts they will relate to you more which will

create a stronger connection to your work.

SOCIAL MEDIAWith sites like Facebook and Twitter it isn’t hard to

get your blog posts out there. Set up a Facebook

and a Twitter account for your photography that are

separate from your personal accounts. Every time

you post a new blog, post a link on your accounts

so people know. You can also use it to keep people

updated in between blog posts. If you are working on

new promo pieces, let the world know. Small updates

like that may not seem important, but every time

you post something photo related that shows up

on a person’s news feed it drills your name into his

or her head as a photographer. Sometime down the

road that person may have a friend that is looking for

a photographer and your name will come up. Bam.

Name repetition. So go for it. Post updates about

your work, sneak peaks from shoots, etc. The two

rules I try to stick by: don’t be annoying and don’t be

inappropriate. Let your personality come through but

don’t forget that this still represents your business.

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If you want to get a solid start in the industry and

want to continue to be creative when the jobs are

slow, testing is the way to do it. A test can be

anything from a photographer shooting a friend for

practice to a full production including models, hair

and make-up, props, wardrobe, assistants, etc.

The size of your test really depends on a few things

including where you are in your photo career, where

you want to be, why you are testing, and how much

money you can invest into the shoot. No matter

how large or small of a production you are able to

pull off, if you don’t test you will be static. Testing

is vital to a photographer’s creativity and growth.

It is a great way to build a portfolio if you are just

starting out and a great way to supplement it and

try new things if you are already established.

If you are looking to enter a commercial

photography career you need to shoot for where

you want to be. Feel free to practice on your

friends but when it comes time to test, find a real

model. Once you start working with models you

will quickly see that they know how to move, they

know how to pose, and they add a lot to the shoot

and the final outcome. There are a few places you

can look for models that will work as a trade for

photos or a lower rate. One of them is a network

for photography related creatives called Model

Mayhem. Google it. It’s a great place to find people

to work with in your area. Fair warning: you will

have to sift through a fair share of flakes but

there are plenty of creative and talented people

on there. When you find them, get in touch and be

professional. Another great place to find model is

a modeling agency. Crazy, right? Get in touch with

a few agencies in your area and tell them that you

are a local photographer and would love to test

with any new models they have that are in need of

photos. Don’t be pushy. If they have new models

and they think you fit the job, they will get in touch!

Testing can get expensive if you are planning a

larger production so it will benefit you to use

your resources. Over time you will begin to build

relationships with make-up and hair stylists as well

as wardrobe stylists and many other creatives. Use

this to your advantage. If someone knows they will

get solid shots for their portfolio and they enjoy

working with you it will be a lot easier to work on

the cheap. Keep your eyes open for other ways

you can gain something for a test. Over this past

summer I had someone contact me who owned a

140 acre ranch in Cleremont, FL that had a lake, a

rope swing, horses, dirt roads, and cabins. They

got in touch with me because they wanted to have

me shoot photos of the property in order to start

renting it out for weddings and events. A buzzer

went of in my head, so after the client described

what he needed (just a simple one day job) and

requested a quote I told him that I could shoot it

for free if I could use the property the following

day for a test shoot. After asking a few questions

about what the shoot would consist of he said, “Of

course!” Once we scheduled a weekend for shooting

I started preproduction for the test.

Since the date and location were already set my

next step was booking models. I wanted to have

four girls on set so I started with two girls I have

been wanting to work with for a while and two

others that I have worked with before. Luckily all

of them were available (although one had to cancel

last minute). When testing I usually have the exact

look I am going for in mind which is important when

communicating with the make-up artist (MUA), hair

stylist and models. I always tell the models what

kind of wardrobe to bring along with them even

though I shop for outfits also. The more options

the better. When I first started testing I quickly

learned that happy models and crews make better

photos. Even if it is a small scale shoot, always

consider your crews comfort, hunger, thirst, etc.

If it is blazing hot out (it was for this shoot) make

sure you have an air conditioned spot for them and

some ice old beverages. Snacks like chips, fruit

and trail mix are always a good thing to have on

set also. This way, during the shoot when you see

the models are getting hot you can go inside, grab

a snack and take a break. Luckily the couple who

owned the ranch was extremely hospitable and

bought tons of food and a huge selection of drinks

for everyone on set so I didn’t have to worry about

this at all.

When shoot weekend came I set out towards the

ranch with my assistant to shoot photos of the

property. With the test shoot the following day we

were invited to stay in one of their cabins for the

night. After a full day of shooting and golf carting

around the property the owners told us to be ready

for dinner and karaoke in an hour. Neither of us

were expecting that but before the night was over

we ate some delicious barbeque salmon and sang

some Johnny Cash and Journey. When we finished

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This is another one where I was sliding downhill alongside Kristina. In order to reduce motion blur I took the ISO up to 640 so I could speed the shutter up to 1/2000. In addition to freezing Kristina’s movement it also froze the water droplets in the air and the back lighting gave them a real pop against the darkness of the her skin.

5d II + 35mm 1.4 L1/2000f/3.5ISO 640

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This shot of Megan is from the 50 ft. slip and slide through the yard and down a hill. I had my camera in an Aquatech water housing and rode down next to the models. When you and your camera are covered in soap and you are flying down a hill, technical expertise takes a backseat and simply holding down the shutter takes the wheel.

5d II + 35mm 1.4 L1/2000f/3.5ISO 640

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up at about one in the morning we were told to be

ready for breakfast at 8:00 am. This is one thing

I love about my job. The experience of meeting so

many interesting people is irreplaceable. If I wasn’t

a photographer I probably would have never sung

karaoke on a 140 acre ranch with my assistant and

a senior couple.

After breakfast the next morning and some last

minute shoot prep, the MUA and models started to

arrive. We began shooting at about 5:30 PM and

shot at a few different locations until sundown. The

ranch hand and my assistant were a great help all

evening and we had a blast getting some solid shots.

All in all the weekend was a success. It was a

fairly low budget test because of the trade for the

location and I was able to give strong images to

everyone involved. Although I have mentioned a

few tips to help keep the price down on your tests,

please keep in mind that while saving money is

important, sometimes spending some can greatly

improve your shoot. Don’t be stingy and book an

inexperienced MUA or hair stylist when you know

they aren’t going to be as talented as you want.

Don’t be afraid to spend a few bucks on props,

travel, etc. If the goal of your test is to create solid

images, be willing to invest your time, money, and

talent into it.

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Lately I’ve really been loving this kind of shot. Just a straight forward, deadpan portrait. To make the subject pop a bit more I lowered the contrast on the background using a mask in Lightroom. This also made the blurred trees easier on the eyes.

This is where having a confident model is a huge plus. Laughing is one of the harder things to make look natural, so be a people person and joke around with your models. If your models are comfortable you will more than likely get some great natural shots when it comes time to laugh.

TOP5d II + 35mm 1.4 L1/1250f/2ISO 320

BOTTOM5d II 35mm 1.4 L1/1000f/1.8 ISO 320

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In order to make Kristina pop in this shot I put her in front of a darker background. The background in your photos is something you need to pay attention to just as much as the subject.

This is one of my favorite photos from the shoot. I did a set of photos with the pony instead of the horse because I wanted the model to be the focus and the animal an accessory.

TOP5d II +35mm 1.4 L1/500f/2ISO 320

RIGHT5d II + 35mm 1.4 L1/1600f/2ISO 320

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This shot was taken in one of two beautiful old Fords that were on the property. I was caught eyeing it by the owner so he said, “It’s unlocked. Feel free to shoot in it.” We did.

5d II + 85mm 1.2 L II1/400f/2ISO 320

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This is one of the photos I took for the ranch owners

of their horse, Hannah Montana. I threw this

one in black and white to draw more focus to the highlights and shadows

that emphasize the horses muscles. I am always blown

away by the strength of these animals.

5d II + 35mm 1.4 L1/500

f/2ISO 320

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Bring backups. Technology

is more prone to failure in harsh environments so make sure you have extra batteries, more than one lens, and an extra body. If you have the backup gear you probably won’t need it, but the one time you only bring one camera body it might fail right before you come across a flying unicorn.

5d + 45mm 2.8 ts-e1/500f/2.8ISO 640

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A smile and a little effort can go a long way. If you want to take a photo of someone, learn how to ask it in the local language and be friendly. Not only will that make your subject more likely to say yes but it will loosen them up a bit and give you a more natural expression from them.

These guys were so rad. I tried to always converse a bit before asking to take a photo in order to loosen people up. Miguel (left) offered to put me in a wet suit to go dive for oysters with him. If I had more time I would have accepted.

5d + 35mm 1.4 L1/320f/2ISO 160

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When walking around

town keep your camera

ready, your settings correct

and your lens cap off. You

never know when you might

see something that you want

to shoot before the

moment is gone.

If you are looking for something to shoot besides landscapes but don’t know where to find it, check out the local market. Most markets are filled with everything from fruit stands to butchers. Take your pick and start snapping away.

LEFT5d + 35mm 1.4 L1/400f/2ISO 160

RIGHT5d + 45mm 2.8 ts-e1/1600f/2.8ISO 160

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Get out of town. If you stick around the center of town you will end up leaving with plenty of photos of things that people have already seen. While in Cuzco my travel buddy and I waved a few taxis and asked them to take us up the mountain and away from town. They took us up, dropped us off and we walked back. On the way we got some great shots and got to see a part of Cuzco culture that most tourists don’t get to see.

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Leave your diamonds

shoes and gold chains at home. Some places you travel will be more dangerous than others, but no matter where you are there are a few ways to make yourself less of a target. Try not to wear flashy clothing that will attract attention to yourself as someone who has money. If you need to carry camera equipment around, don’t carry it in a nice camera bag but instead in an old backpack. Moral of the story, dress like someone who wouldn’t be beneficial to mug. If all

else fails, grow a beard.

In order to show the magnitude of the landscapes you are shooting, offer the viewer a size comparison in the shot. I had a few images of these dunes but this is the only one that did them justice because of the tiny dune buggy riding across them, the buggy you just now noticed.

5d + 35mm 1.4 L1/1600f/3.5ISO 160

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Don’t go home empty-handed.

After every day of shooting you

should be backing up your work.

You can buy hard drives that you

plug your memory card right and

they will copy your data. If you are

traveling with a partner, buy two

and copy all of your work onto both

of them. Keep one in your bag and

one in your partners. This is what I

did for our two week trip to Peru.

If our trip was longer I would have

brought more hard drives and

mailed them to someone at home

every week or so.

5d + 45mm 2.8 ts-e1/2000

f/3.2ISO 160

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Be prepared for the elements. In the desert outside of Nazca we were met with howling winds blowing sand all over our equipment. Luckily I brought along a rain cover along that allowed me to continue shooting. It would have been a shame to be on those dunes without the ability to bring the camera out of the bag.

During our last day in Cuzco while we were waiting for our bus, we happened upon a parade in the plaza. The local “Official Photographers” (as their reflective vests stated) were shooting the event with compact point and shoots.

To capture a more dynamic shot of the parade in Cuzco I took a lower angle and placed the subject against the solid blue background.

LEFT TOP5d + 45mm 2.8 ts-e1/500f/2.8ISO 640

LEFT BOTTOM5d + 45mm 2.8 ts-e1/160f/2.8ISO 1000

RIGHT TOP5d + 45mm 2.8 ts-e1/1250f/3.5ISO 160

RIGHT BOTTOM5d + 45mm 2.8 ts-e1/1250f/3.5ISO 160

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Whether you like it or not, chances are that your photos will take on a different style when shooting travel work. Before you arrive wherever you are traveling make sure you already have an idea of the kind of shots you want to take so you can hit the ground running. Having said that, keep your eyes open. Don’t miss out on great shots because you were too busy trying to find the shot you pictured in your head before you even left home.

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LEFT TOP5d + 45mm 2.8 ts-e1/2000f/3.2ISO 160

LEFT BOTTOM5d + 45mm 2.8 ts-e1/1250f/3.5ISO 160

RIGHT 5d + 45mm 2.8 ts-e1/3200f/3.5ISO 160

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If you aren’t adventurous enough to travel the wilderness on your own, consider hiring a guide. In most countries it won’t be hard to find someone who will love to show you some killer photo spots in exchange for a bit of pay. If you decide to take this route, make sure you interview your guide before you hire them. Ask them what they can show you that other guides can’t. It will also be a good idea to let your guide know that you are a photographer and may ask to pull over to the side of the road if you see something you want to shoot. They will more than likely be fine with that but it is always best to make sure ahead of time.

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Stay awake on the bus and try to get a window

seat. If you have an appreciation for beauty,

buses can be the best part of your trip.

5d + 45mm 2.8 ts-e1/1000

f/2.8ISO 320

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RIGHT TOP5d + 35 mm 1.4 L1/1000f/2ISO 160

RIGHT BOTTOM5d + 45mm 2.8 ts-e1/2000f/3.2ISO 160

LEFT5d + 35mm 1.4 L1/640f/2.2ISO 160

Kids are always great subjects because they love checking out the camera and are more than happy to have you take their photo. We didn’t have a problem with this particular kid but one boy in Miraflores was trying to pry my camera from my fingers for about thirty minutes before he gave up.

This image was taken on the train to Maccu Piccu. Although Maccu Piccu was amazing, I would argue that the three hour train ride was just as great as Maccu Piccu itself. The train was slow moving and took us through the mountains, farmlands and other beautiful landscapes. I may have gone crazy if I didn’t have a window seat.

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LET'S CHATBEN SASSOBenSasso.com

TONY [email protected]

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