Martin Trailer Productions

This is a funny story I wrote about an advertising shoot in the studio that involved bugs, I think they were cotton weevils.

I wrote this for the Advertising Photographers of America, APA newsletter, insideAPA.  Check out some of the other stories there too.  insideShoot

Read here.  Escaped!

Martin

MartinTrailer.com

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A trip to the Salton Sea area we came upon several Geothermal Power Plants.  These are at the south end of the Sea.  We traveled from the west up and around from the north to the south on the eastern edge.  Even from the extreme north shore, you could see the steam from these cooling towers.  Consider these tower are 25 miles south an visible across the sea.

Geothermal Cooling Towers, ©Martin Trailer

Now, these are impressive from a distance and then once you get to them, wow. I pulled the camera and shot as I would for a client, gettin’ the cool shot (no pun intended).  Apparently there are 5-6 of these plants and are off the beaten track, but easily spotted from Highway 111.

Walking around, driving around these plants, outside of the property unless you have permission gives you some powerful image making possibilities.

Read more »

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Mark Harmel southern Salton Sea, @2009 Martin Trailer

March 7/8, 2009

A buddy of mine, Mark Harmel, good fellow and terrific photographer and I traveled out to the desert this past weekend.  We went looking for photo opportunities including the desert flower bloom.

With so many photo opportunities, I will split the stories up into various pieces as I have time to post here.

Our journey took us to the Salton Sea and here we were at the southeast area where these dead trees were still in the water and the edge was very wet from what seemed to be a tide. Read more »

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The economy has been on most everyone’s mind and if not, well they apparently choosing not to participate.

As much as I choose not to participate, I cannot control everything going on around myself or my business.  The photography business is based on growth of the marketplace.  The marketing is growing just not as fast so as one guy put it, “there is less low hanging fruit”.

I think if you push and not accept the no’s, you will be fine.  Could be, I am just optimistic guy, but that is just who I am.

I read too much (info junkie) and so I do find some gems.  This will put a smile on your face, “The Hot Dog Stand” it did for me.

Choose not to accept the gloom and doom, push back!

Martin

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I wrote about some of the motorcycles I have been photographing in the studio a couple of weeks ago.  This week it was bikes and a rider.  Kane Friesen, who comes off a great guy and reasonably sane dude.

©2009 Martin Trailer, Kane Friesen

He trick rides motorcycles at show and demonstrations.  Years past I did ride motorcycles, even the cafe bikes, but never anything like these or in this way.  A “Stoppie” is a big trick it seems, but the client was looking for a more horizontal shot than the typical “stoppie” for the use in mind.

We lit the shot in the contemporary fashion of filled sunlight mid-day, per the art directors decision in studio on a white cove.

Here are a couple of sample shots of the studio work and I added a video clip below of a “stoppie” Kane did setting a new record. You gotta watch it. Read more »

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In an earlier post I mentioned one of the great things about being a commercial photographer you are exposed to so many different people, products and industries.

This week I was photographing executives versus motorcycles in the studio last week.  The executives work in the insurance industry dealing mostly with business insurance products.

When I photograph people, I engage them in some kind of discussion to get them to relax and forget about the camera.  Since these folks talk to a real cross section of the business community, small businesses to multi-national corporations business topics were the obvious subject. I assumed they too had had conversations about the current economy with their contacts.  Thus the question of the day was, “What do you think of the stimulus package?” referring to the $787 billion dollar bill waiting for President Obama to sign into law, since the shoot was the day it was signed. Read more »

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Kawasaki Ninja, ©2009 Martin Trailer

One of the great things about being a photographer is that you get exposed to so many different things.  Professions, services and products.  We just shot some motorcycles in studio this past week and these things are amazing compared to bikes just a few years ago.

They are technologically advanced squeezing every ounce of horsepower out while keeping the weight down.

Honda CBR, ©2009 Martin Trailer

I do not know the computer power on these things, but there is definitely calculations going on.  The reason I say that is the solenoids and timing calcs going on for maximum HP’s whether high or low speed. Read more »

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First, this entry is not specific to photography, but related.

I just started working on a new email campaign and while doing some research, I checked one of my own links and there was a great article regarding the very same, email campaigns. Seth Grodin’s Blog

I have used list services in the past for both USPS direct mail promotions and the same list services for email promotions.  Obviously, the email campaign is less expensive per unit especially with the rising cost of postage, plus printing for direct mail promotions.  One big difference with the two, besides the cost is the response to the promotion.

With a USPS mailed campaign the “good” response is 3% (I have found that to be low) and then typically the phone rings and you know that you have been noticed.  With the email campaign you get much more immediate response and somewhat a false sense of notice.  The email services can tell you who opened your email and what if any links they clicked through too.  Some even tell how long they have “looked” at the email.  The real response is an increase of phone calls and sales. Read more »

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©2006 Martin Trailer

I did this shot while in New York with a Point and Shoot camera.  I met a guy once who asked what was the best P and S camera to buy.  I did not understand since at the time I didn’t own a point and shoot.

When I asked him what he ment, he said “Push here Stupid” with a big grin, doooooh……  I get it.

I try to always carry a camera, try is the key word.  Shots like this sometimes no matter how long you wait, will not happen at the right time.

This shot is as you see it, no PhotoShop, honest.  Sure you could create something like this in a computer which I am writing on, but the fun of photography is the “moment”  and making it happen on screen is just not he same since you don’t get to experience the moment of capture.

Maybe it is just me, but as I look at all the images out there, I do have a tendency to pick’em apart.  I have pissed off a few when the flaws are pointed out.

I don’t pick the stuff apart to be mean, but where I have come from, photography is the truth at the moment, sometimes with some assistance.  When shadows don’t make sense or people are doing things just not possible, I point it out…..

My flaw.

Martin Trailer

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Here is an image I shot testing with some old items I have accumulated over the years.  I will add images as I shoot’em of test images.

This shot to me represents the beginning of a refreshing and beautiful day.  The diffused directional light and the light overall look of the shot pulls it together.

©2008 Martin Trailer

The background, the green is a sheet of shower door material, lit with some green gel.  The base is a sheet of tile from the hardware store, the razor is real and SHARP, brush both were my Great Grandfathers and the shaving cup is a coffee cup I have had around for years, where it came from is unknown.  Just a found item, but it all works together.  Predictable image, maybe to some, but I get a fresh feeling and not the “razor”  feel to it.

Difference of art and commerce is that all that look at the art see something different, and commerce all see or “get” the same thing.

What do you get?

Martin Trailer

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