life is orange

2011-11-23T17:27:00.001-08:00

It all happens here...

2011-07-20T22:21:00.000-07:00

Genevive & Jon Engagement

2011-06-15T15:25:00.001-07:00

I am counting days to your wedding, guys! Jon & Genevive - thank you for getting crazy and wet.

Krista Boudoir Session

2011-06-15T13:37:00.000-07:00

This was a fun session we had just a day before Krista and Sokha's Wedding in Laguna Beach. The schedule was tight so we planned it in between Krista's arrival from the East Coast and their ceremony rehearsal. Huntigton Beach Hilton Hotel room turned out to be more than we needed. We used our portable Profoto generators and of course the beautiful California light!

Demi - boudoir + portrait

2011-06-15T13:23:00.000-07:00

The outside shot is one of my favorite spots around our building on Glassell. Underestimated trash can parking. After temporary rearrangement makes a good portrait spot especially on overcast days. Speaking of overcast. I really wanted to shoot the sunset in the window in my studio, but there are two problems: that is a North window and we have June gloom overcast day, so what do I do? Take two Arri Fresnels and finish it with warm filter. Voila!

Sophie Marie.

2011-06-04T14:35:00.000-07:00

Sophie is approaching her 3rd birthday anniversary on June 13. Minnie Mouse is already waiting for her. The last image was only possible thanks to our dear neighbor Shari, who not only is an expert on Minnie and loves Disney as much as we do, but kept spoiling our little princess (and the prince charming Victor!) with those rare collectibles over time. Sophie insists they all talk and I believe her. 11 days to go sweetheart!

Fotoworks Pro, Irvine

2011-06-04T04:18:00.000-07:00

Orange Portrait Photography flush mounted books by Cypress Albums would not be possible without the tremendous job by Sam Yu of Fotoworks Pro. There are quite a few labs for pros out there but this happens to be my favorite. First of all because it's local, second because of Sam's attention to detail and unbelievable patience with my last minute rush orders, third because Fotoworks uses Fuji Crystal Archive pro grade, which whether for 8x10s or flush mount books is the best choice. Finally it's the quality and large format prints on Lambda which blow me away! Quality. Very rare these days. As much as I love my IPF6100 for enlargements and my Fuji ASK2000 for proofs or passports, the first printer may in some respect compete with Lambda C prints, but dye based prints are fragile and will not resist the heat of the flush mount process. The latter printer just lacks the quality, period. I have been printing myself for 15 years and I can challenge anybody in fine art printing. Come and see my studio hallway in Orange! It's hard work and it's good to know someone who knows their trade because you just can't be the jack of all trades. Remember this: it takes 10 years or 10,000 hours to master a trade. Today's motto: bring the print back! Thank you Fotoworks! Thank you Sam! I look forward to printing my next wedding with you.

Krista & Sokha Wedding

2011-05-27T02:28:00.000-07:00

Krista and Sokha, thank you so much! Enjoy the Caribbean and all the best on your new path together! Congratulations! We like to think that you guys came over all the way from the East Coast not only to check out our Laguna beaches but because you like our photography so much ; ) Krista's boudoir is going to follow soon! The event was fabulously organized by Laguna Village Weddings.

Donna Ruzika Headshot

2011-05-19T21:14:00.000-07:00

Headshot for Donna Ruzika, lightning designer for the Utah Shakespeare Festival catalogue. Thank you!

Bounce Madness!

2011-05-19T17:37:00.000-07:00

Aperture 3 in action

2011-05-16T22:06:00.000-07:00

Aperture's integration of video and stills is as simple as it can be. Just import the images and your video files to a project folder and select the files you want to form slideshow with. Yes, there are some limitations, especially for those who breathe Final Cut Pro air on daily basis, but for an average user looking to produce a photo podcast quickly, it is definitely the weapon of choice. There is a fair amount of transitions to choose from and an option to add and control additional sound. In this case the sound was recorded on a separate Mp3 pocket recorder. Video and stills shot at 2500ISO with 5DmkII and 85mm f1.2L. Export can be fully customized and is very fast, even on my old Apple laptop. As for my son, well... he is excited about this Summer and Curious George, of course.

Dancing the streets of San Francisco

2011-05-06T17:55:00.000-07:00

Back by popular demand.

2011-05-01T22:42:00.000-07:00

It may seem a little strange that Izabela has recently received so much attention on my blog, but all I can say is: people love her photography and they also love her. (read: It's my blog and my wife, I can do whatever I want, right?) On a personal note: Mother's Day is approaching
fast...looking good mama.

Taken April 30 on the way back from shooting interior architecture in San Clemente.
My wife and I love this little Mexican joint (Senor Pedro's Tacos) next to the San Juan Capistrano Mission. Filled with burritos we went to tour the Mission and to check that fabulous April light.
--

Taos Trip on Film - testing new Kodak 400 Portra - scans fabulously!!!

2011-04-29T22:05:00.000-07:00

The Pints & Pixels 2011 Los Angeles Edition - Izabela is among the winners!

2011-04-24T16:18:00.000-07:00

It's not your camera that takes pictures and often it is not even that fabulous piece of glass you have it on. The above shots were taken on iPhones with minor adjustments in mobile version of Photoshop Express for iPhone. We are proud to announce that Izabela actually made it to the final group of winners and her photograph will be printed in a book published by A&I. Proceeds from the book go to Snapshop, a photography program for at-risk youth.

Happy Easter!

2011-04-23T20:11:00.000-07:00

Celebrate Life! Have an egg or two, and love those bunnies!

Taos, New Mexico

2011-04-19T09:39:00.000-07:00

Wedding Destination - Hearst Castle

2011-04-07T11:37:00.000-07:00

The Hearst Castle in San Simeon is owned and operated by the State of California and some parts of the Castle are now being offered to the public for events such as weddings. If you are one of the fortunate ones to be able to afford it, the Hearst Castle is a premium location for your dream wedding. More information can be found on the official website here. I took these snapshots while visiting the Castle with my family. My assistant Sophie ( she was 2 at that time) was very helpful. Tired of climbing the stairs and very disappointed that princess Belle from "The Beauty and the Beast" was not there to say "Hi", she decided to climb daddy's shoulders and sit on my neck the whole time (holding on to my head and covering my eyes with her tiny hands, as she often does to help me navigate around better) while I was trying to take that perfect family scrapbook shot. Thank you sweetheart! They came out great!

Meet Our Photographers - Izabela

2011-04-04T18:50:00.000-07:00

Spending most of our time behind the camera, in front of the monitor or simply chasing our kids around the house in order to make them actually eat something in between fighting for toys or territory, we did forget how it all started when it comes to our photo studio! Of course it all began with us photographing each other. So here are three shots of my bella ragazza, my wife and the photographer responsible for many creative and stylistic ideas behind our work. Some say there will be another post like this with me on the pictures, so I keep my fingers crossed!

Mermaid in your dress

2011-04-03T16:00:00.000-07:00

Some call it "Trash the Wedding Dress" but we like to call it: "Mermaid in your Dress". For all our brides this season we offer this fabulous opportunity to do something unusual and become a mermaid for 2 hours.

To view the entire gallery on our website please click here

2011-03-29T12:57:00.000-07:00

Colleen and Todd Engagement from Orange Portrait Photography on Vimeo.

Colleen and Todd Engagement session at Fullerton Arboretum. Shot and edited by Lukasz Globisz.

Colleen + Todd Engagement

2011-03-27T21:01:00.000-07:00

Only 75 days left to graduation!!!

2011-03-24T11:54:00.000-07:00

Western Michigan University received a $100-million dollar donation this week to start a medical school.
The University President says the anonymous donations is one of the largest cash gifts to a U.S. university. An unidentified donor in 2009 pledged $1.8-million dollars which also went to the medical school. Western Michigan expects to open their medical school in the fall of 2013 or 2014.
More about this story here.

Wow!! Now that the biggest donation to a US university since 2004. Shots above of CSUF Alumnus, Jonathan A Gordon at our studio in Orange.

The Castro Family - Thank you!

2011-03-17T16:10:00.000-07:00

Personal Training

2011-03-17T12:11:00.000-07:00

Exercise at least 30 minute a day....at least that's what these guys say we all should do. Jim is one of the best personal trainers I have known. He is also a very disciplined athlete himself and with his reasonable diet and exercise every day he is a fine example of how one can stay in good physical shape. Jim works at local LAFitness. Here training with Natalie.

Remington 5

2011-03-15T10:47:00.000-07:00

Two shots of the same Remington 5. These photographs are 10 years apart in time and technology used. D3X with 45mm PC lens and Exposure 3 in PS5, Cambo Legend with 135mm Linhof f5,6 and Polaroid 79 film.

Perspective

2011-03-15T09:51:00.000-07:00

My thoughts go to Japan, the people of Japan, especially a couple of friends I used to work with in London. Tragic events like the one in Japan often put our lives in a different perspective. Photo above: Anaheim Hills, California, 2011.

MSF (Doctors without Borders) Response to Japanese Earthquake and Tsunami

Sophie Marie

2011-03-10T20:41:00.000-08:00

Victor Bruno

2011-03-10T20:32:00.000-08:00

dog day

2011-03-10T19:22:00.000-08:00

Cost of street parking in Laguna Beach: 4 quarters. Making your dog that happy: priceless!!!

Four Sisters

2011-03-09T17:40:00.000-08:00

Check out these gorgeous sisters that booked our studio for the signature portrait. Colette, Rochelle, Carissa and Andrea were all super fabulous. Andrea who came all the way from Florida for that shoot. Thank you and we look forward to hearing from you again.

2011-03-08T16:08:00.000-08:00

Apple's Joint Venture has just been launched and it just happened that in my local Brea, CA Apple store I became their first "Guinea Pig", and quite a happy one I must say! Yeah, I am one of those hopeless believers addicted to Apple products but for me the bottom line is that those are the tools and I need them for my work.

The less they break and the faster the service the better, right? As far as the quality is concerned Apple proved themselves successful. Service is way above average, true. However, due to it's high demand it is kind of hard to line up behind a large crowd of customers with their shiny iMacs, craving for more memory or with laptops in desperate need for some complicated upgrade. It can be a full day off your studio/work and if you are like me - I don't have an assistant - you end up loosing a day of your work.

But now there is a solution. Joint Venture lets you register 5 systems with their peripheral devices such as iPads or iPhones and have over the phone support, which if needed reserves a special genius appointment that as a follow up for your over the phone tech support. Example? I need to pin point a problem with a graphic card that is not suitable for my work (this is a very gentle way of saying that something in your Mac simply broke down), so I log in to my account, book a genius call and wait. I get a phone call from Scott over at Apple's Cupertino and of course he comes up with a solution. We run some tests and follow up the next day - Apple calls on time! My replacement part gets ordered and two hours later I pick it up in my local store. Joint Venture works for me, at least this time it has. Cost: $499 for a year for 5 systems. What? Too much? Think what would any photographer do with a day of work, especially with a deadline on your calendar and think again.

Additionally, by joining this program you may take advantage of complimentary education at the Genius Bar 3 times for 2 hours each time with a maximum of 8 employees per each session. Not bad.

Here's some more about it

and a link to Apple's Join Venture site

On a personal not I would like to thank Chris Diaz of Apple brea Store for his top notch service help.

2011 Spring Special

2011-03-08T15:23:00.000-08:00

Orange Portrait Photography 2011 Spring Special: Book our Venice Wedding Package between today (International Women's Day!) and March 31, 2011 and get this amazing hand made 4x6 proof box that can hold up to 400 prints, complimentary of our studio. Contact our studio for consultation or to book a date for your wedding now, or refer a friend and receive up to $100 in gift certificates! 714-639-3688

Here is a you tube video from this year's WPPI. Thanks for all the help and work Maria!

We are in Brides Magazine

2011-03-08T11:27:00.000-08:00

This is our ad in Brides Southern California Edition. Thank you Josh and Jenn. It was a beautiful day. We wish you all the best and hope to hear from you again!

Check out our online profile with Brides.com.

ASMP - Photographers! Your action is required!

2011-03-08T00:30:00.000-08:00

This is a note I received yesterday from the American Society of Media Photographers. Please take a moment to read this and act now, especially if you make your living as a photographer:

You may have heard that the U.S. Copyright Office is in the process of hiring a new Register of Copyrights. The former Register of Copyrights, Marybeth Peters, retired in December, and Maria Pallante has been appointed to be the Acting Register of Copyrights during the search process. For more information about the Register of Copyrights and Maria Pallante, read this press release.
The Copyright Alliance (of which ASMP is a member) has been engaging in many discussions with Maria about the important role that the Copyright Office plays in our society, and how all creators rely on the Copyright Office to be a strong advocate for artists’ rights. The Alliance and ASMP have also encouraged the Office to select a candidate that has an appreciation of the history of copyright, a deep understanding of copyright law, and strong commitment to the principles of copyright enacted by Congress and interpreted by Courts.
Eugene Mopsik, ASMP’s executive director, met directly with Ms Pallante a few weeks ago. He briefed her on ASMP’s views on the issues that photographers face. Now, it is your turn to share your own views.

Share Your Thoughts

Maria Pallante is giving creators a unique opportunity to provide the Copyright Office with thoughts from artists about the important role of copyright and the Copyright Office in our society.
Lucinda Dugger, the Copyright Alliance’s Director of Outreach, will be compiling all of the input into one document and passing it on to Maria. So, please send her your thoughts by Monday, March 14, 2011.
I know you are busy, but a sentence or two (or more) from you would be most helpful. So, if you feel so inclined, please follow these simple steps:

Jot down your ideas. You may want to comment on:
- The importance of copyright in your life;
- That it is important for the Copyright Office to hire someone who is willing to understand and advocate for the creative community.

Remind the Copyright Office that the viewpoints and actions of pro-piracy groups affect creation, innovation, and the economy. Tell the Office that you disagree with these groups who:
- Seem to represent illegal downloaders;
- Advocate that all artists should give their works away for free (and find another way to make money);
- Oppose practical piracy solutions from the creative community;
- Insist that consumers’ opinions on artists’ rights are more important than creators’ perspectives on artists’ rights.

Also include your name, your profession, city, state, and — if it is okay for the Copyright Office to contact you directly — your email address or other contact information.
Email your thoughts to Lucinda Dugger at ldugger@copyrightalliance.org.
Meet the deadline of Monday, March 14, 2011.

Thanks for taking a moment to weigh in on this important issue. It is important that the voice of the entire creative community be heard. Please feel free to spread the word of this request.

-----end of note-------

I encourage all professional photographers to support ASMP by joining it. They provide education, legal support, help pros get software at discounted prices and connect professionals in the industry. My ASMP profile can be viewed here

Snow Storms

2011-03-07T23:32:00.001-08:00

Some winter! It still snows like crazy in Nebraska and Kansas and it is pretty snowy in Denver and Utah. I am so glad my family is finally enjoying the sun and warm weather in Silesia, Poland. Weather forecast for Europe: sunny, 6 degrees Celcius on an average (42F) with a little bit of rain in Spain. Enough for the weather. This shoot was for my friend's beautiful daughters: Melita and Olivia. It snows in Southern California, but only in Big Bear City and Orange Portrait Photography studio.

Profoto with Chimera Shallow light bank on top, Profoto strip soft box and beauty dish on front two sides. D700 with 45mm 2.8 PC-E, 24-70mm 2.8ED, the best assistant in the world (Izabela, my wife) with a Zebra-White California Sunbounce in front, old window pane - Orange Circle Antique shop district in Old Towne Orange, fake snow flakes from Michael's, two very happy and cooperative models wearing GAP, some weather unrelated sneezing. Gesuntheit!

2011-03-07T23:32:00.000-08:00

My kids are all right - 7D test from Orange Portrait Photography on Vimeo.
This is a footage I shot on a Sunday morning while taking photos of our children with my wife. We pulled out our film cameras: a Hassi, 6x7 Pentax and a Mamiya, plus a bunch of 120 and 220 negatives and shot pictures for a Blurb.com book project. Sorry for my bad camera and focus work but I had no redrock or assistant to pull my focus. No stabilization either. Shot wine open with a 35mm 1.4L. No pro res 444 conversion, just basic export. Sound from 7D built in. Sound track from Apple garage loops. The book can be seen here: http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/2006513

And the photos from that morning can be seen here.

Books that inspire me: "River of No Return", Photographs by Laura Mc Phee

2011-03-07T23:31:00.000-08:00

Alturas Foundation selected artist Laura McPhee as its initial Artist-in-Residence in 2003. Ms. McPhee worked during the next two years in the Sawtooth Mountains of Idaho, capturing images that address Americans' conflicting ideas about landscape and land use, and our values about our relationship to the natural world. From May through September 2006, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, featured her Idaho work in "River of No Return", an exhibition of forty 6' X 8' contemporary photographs from more than eighty she created during her Alturas residency. Recently, Yale University Press published a collection of the Idaho images also entitled River of No Return, which features an introduction by poet laureate Robert Haas.

Source: Alturas Foundation

My personal note on this: you don't really need to go beyond your back yard or your neighborhood to produce great images. In fact someone said once that a great deal of learning about any process is action. I often catch myself dreaming about distant assignments. All those remote places waiting for Mr. Slav and to be explored. How pathetic! The truth lies in hard work spread along a period of systematic and hard work. I am going to pretend I did not write this note, of course. As it is often the case, we are great at giving advice but not necessarily at implementing those ideas in our own lives. And for all of you macho photographers with big cameras: check out Laura McPhee and her big 8x10. Great book. Stunning, poetic images.

The Impossible Project

2011-03-07T19:05:00.000-08:00

A very interesting project has been launched recently in the US. The Impossible Project is aimed at preserving what is left after Polaroid decided to drop the production of it's instant films. A group of young entrepreneurs got together and bought the old Polaroid factory plant, some of the instant film production machines and chemical process lines and launched a new instant monochrome film in the famous SX70 and Spectra camera formats.

Those instant films are not for everyone, though. If you are still into shooting film and look for a reliable way of testing before taking the final exposure I would suggest Fujifilm FP 100C instant film for 4x5 cameras. It is a great product especially if teamed with Fuji's Provia f100 used for the final exposure. The images above and the Impossible Project should give you an idea of what I mean here. PZ and PX are fantastic for experimenting with the medium but not stable enough to be a reference. One should not confuse it with the project's original intention. A big thank you to Fuji, by the way, for continuing to manufacture their instant films. Polaroid on the other hand is more about Lady Gaga than serious tools for artists and pros these days. Pop culture uber alles!

Coming back to the Impossible Project I started using PZ and PX Silver Shade monochrome instant film this past Fall. The examples I am posting here are part of my little, private project with a working name:"Objects of the past".

Check out the Impossible Project website and their gallery of images. I was told the new shop in Berlin is a very interesting place to pay a visit. More and more people are turning to new (old) disciplines of photography. Polaroid, or instant photography is the purest of them all in my personal opinion.

I am hoping to publish a book of my polaroids on Blurb this Spring. If you are serious about trying your luck in instant photography be sure to read a book by uncle Ansel Adams: "Polaroid Land Photography", New York graphic Society 1963. Some of the tips regarding the handling of these fragile and unique films are invaluable. Finally, one more publication to check out: The Polaroid Book, published by Taschen - worth looking at....or go to a local shop and get a Fuji Instax Mini camera and start taking instant photos tomorrow! Haiku photography is fun!

2011-03-07T16:32:00.000-08:00

Paul, Scott and Dave of Goodman, Dicus & Teinert, LLP, a successful Law firm from Orange that has recently relocated to the Old Town Orange. I had the privilege of doing head shots for them. More can be seen by clicking here.

Wedding Destination - Catalina Island

2011-03-07T16:06:00.000-08:00

Exploring new wedding destinations with a good friend of mine - Marek. I keep my fingers crossed as he is passing his type rating exams to start his new job for a commercial airline. Despite the clouds we safely landed on what is known in the US as of the the three most difficult airports (Sedona, and Big Bear are the other two) to land. The island is a gem. On a clear day I can see it from the top of a hill next to my house in OC, but to fly to Avalon is certainly something completely different. Because of automobile restrictions on the island the waiting period to get a car permit is.....18 years. Fantastic wedding destination only one hour from LA. Thank you Louie of Du Bois Aviation for taking care of us on that day! More about the island's history here.

Film is alive and doing well.

2011-03-07T15:23:00.000-08:00

How do you save yourself hours spent working in Photoshop, Lightroom and other image editors, not to mention plug ins, presets, etc.? There is a solution and it's called film. A fellow in business calls this process figital. A blogger found while searching the term in google goes even further. He calls it The Figital Revoultion

Anyways, if you think that your old Hassi or that heavy "Guliver"(Pentax 6x7) you got on ebay once has no use these days, think again! Yes, the production cost is higher but just think how much time you just saved on RAW image processing and editing. I have always been a huge advocate of film photography. Ever thought why some portrait workshops are conducted entirely on medium and large format film? To focus on subject while keeping the style of the content simple & consistent so that it does not overwhelm the image. There other reasons like for instance that Zen factor. Slow down. Focus on subject. Forget about the cutting edge of technology. At least for one day. It's worth it! Jack Black, a musician I like to listen at work said once that he particularly enjoys playing on old, out of tune instruments that generally present you with a challenge when confronted. He also said something about playing until your fingers bleed, but let's not go there now. More about that fabulous musician here.

Carnival!!!

2011-03-07T14:49:00.000-08:00

2011-03-07T14:41:00.000-08:00

Aneta Augustyn head shot. Aneta is a very talented soprano. Here is a link to her website's media page and be sure to turn your speakers on! Magnificent voice!

2011-03-07T14:31:00.000-08:00

An example of our premium books with a presentation box. Flush mounted process. True photographic images on professional grade Fuji paper by Fotoworks Pro

Books by Cypress Albums. Find out more about their products here

2011-03-07T14:01:00.000-08:00

It's time to go back to blogging and since it's been a while I have several updates. First of all, Orange Portrait Photography is working on a studio Boudoir book to be printed with Cypress Albums. This fabulous shot was taken at our studio with Virginia Petrucci and Salon 9's awesome MUA/hair job.

2010-07-29T21:06:00.001-07:00

Brian and Christine Engagement from Orange Portrait Photography on Vimeo.

2010-01-30T19:02:00.001-08:00

Such a pleasure shooting them. The available light was magical. I helped myself with old good Norman, battery powered and retrofitted with PocketWizzard transmitter so that I don't have to trip on wires and constantly plug in the PC or jack back to it's socket. It's good to know that that I am not the only madman doing engagement & wedding with medium digital. Check out the guy from down under using Phase One very much like mine here

© slav zatoka

Emily's photo shoot in Orange

2010-01-15T22:08:00.000-08:00

Photo session with Emily in our studio and at fabulous location - Watson Drug Store & Soda Fountain on Chapman near the Circle. Thanks for choosing our studio and big thanks to Watson's for letting us shoot there on a busy evening.

© slav zatoka 2010

2010-01-06T10:16:00.000-08:00

Angela is a Polynesian dancer and runs her
own dance studio and group called Te Varua Ori. It was really fun to take her portrait and breathtaking to see her dance. It's been said many times how difficult it to capture dance. Hopefully I will be able to shoot more of her dance group and in the meantime, here are some shots from yesterday's session in he studio and in my "backyard".

Marek and his student in Oceanside

2009-12-26T20:35:00.000-08:00

One hour in Oceanside's Airport was more than enough to take a portrait of Marek who frequently flies with his students from Phoenix, AZ to various small airports in California. Polaroid, still exists in our digital lightrooms, and so do all other emulsions with their grain and frames. All shots taken with 5DMkII and 35mm f1.4. © Slav Zatoka

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays & All the Best in 2010

2009-12-24T11:16:00.000-08:00

Warm wishes of fabulous Christmas from Orange Portrait Photography.
May this season bring you lots of inspiration to have, yet, another
great year!

2009-11-25T20:50:00.000-08:00

I am very excited about our first appearance in The Knot magazine. December 15 the new issue of the SoCal edition of a must for any future bride will have our ad and profile. Many thanks to Ana and Jimmy and Kris, our tireless make up artist and hair stylist. Mazel Tov!

2009-11-01T00:57:00.000-07:00

Grand Central, NYC. 1/6 hand held.
I look forward to going back there next year. PDN workshops were excellent. Photo Expo is known for its exhibition floor but not everyone knows how good and diverse the workshops are. Check out the PDN magazine for updates.

Check out the nostalgia visit to Greenpoint - litle Poland in NYC.

© Slav Zatoka 2009

2009-10-31T23:59:00.001-07:00

Sophie - my daughter, age 17 months. My favorite, but at the same not the easiest model to work with. Always running away from me when I hold my camera up, and if cornered uses fingers to draw circles on my lens (UV protection filter actually does have a practical application...)

2009-10-10T22:54:00.000-07:00

Busy week at the studio. Thank you Ana Susi! You absolutely rock! And thank you Kris, I could not ask for a better make up work!. Long shooting day but the pain was definitely worth it. Shot in our studio in Orange, with Phase One and Arri lights. What else can I say, we all look forward to our location shot next week.

photo: © Slav Zatoka

2009-10-04T10:17:00.000-07:00

Kate - a very talented model I worked with recently. The shot was taken in Fullerton on a very bright morning. D3X with 80mm planar color corrected in CS4 and graded in Exposure. You may see the results of this photo session here.

2009-10-01T18:26:00.000-07:00

Testing 5D MkII with 17mm TSE PC lens. It's a great camera and a great lens but it's not as useful as 24mm. I use PC lenses with Nikon D3X and must say that it's a great combination, plus D3X beats Canon when it comes down to image quality. The difference is huge, but I love the versatility of 5D MkII and the fact that it produces stunning HD when handled properly.
Check out Redrock micro website for advanced DSLR video accessories. Coming back to Canon's 17mm TSE, the obvious problem is that humongous glass and how it handles glares in some light situations. It's not cheap either, but in many cases it seems a necessary tool for architectural photography and landscapes. For those in favor of less extreme PC lenses the following link provides information on the new and improved Canon 24mm TSE. Enlarged image circle and overall sharpness - for more details read what dp review has to say about it.

photo: © Slav Zatoka, Griffith Observatory

2009-10-01T17:48:00.001-07:00

Another job for Alexander + Hibbs AIA. This was really a fun to shoot. Shaw’s Cove pump station in Laguna Beach, California. D3X in 4x5 mode.
Look forward to come back to Shaw's cove to shoot more, now that Santa Ana winds are here, morning light is great! California Uber Alles!

photos: ©Slav Zatoka, Shaw's Cove Pump Station

2009-10-01T12:50:00.000-07:00

It's October and that means I am packing my bags to go to New York City for two weeks.
As usually I am very excited about the trip. I will be taking 3 day workshops at PDN Photo Expo and shopping for our studio medium digital upgrade. Since I started taking those workshops I must say that it is everything they advertise it as: "come hungry, leave inspired", not to mention this year's opportunity to listen to James Nachtwey talk about VII and his personal work. Other than that I have a lovely family from Long Beach, NY who have a new member to their family and would like me take family and kids portraits. I will also be completing a project that I am working on right now with a journalist and an architect from Poland about Morphosis.
I am very curious to see their new building in New York.

Photo: © Slav Zatoka, Manhattan's West Side

2009-09-30T10:43:00.001-07:00

Julius Shulman - 1910-2009, celebrated architectural photographer died at his home in Los Angeles in July this year. I had the privilege of being able to meet with him and also did an interview which was published in two, leading, Polish magazines: "Swiat Obrazu", a photographic periodical and "Architektura", a monthly architectural magazine.
Julius Shulman was truly one of the greatest photographers of our times. He remained active as a photographer until the end of his life. When interviewing Julius Shulman I was accompanied by a friend and a client, Rollie Alexander, the principal of Alexander + Hibbs Architects AIA, in Anaheim, CA. Despite the age Mr. Shulman was very generous with his time and his sharp mind left us both with a feeling of a profound experience.

photo above: © Slav Zatoka : Julius Shulman and Rolland Alexander AIA, Los Angeles 2009

2009-09-30T01:08:00.000-07:00

NEWS FROM ORANGE PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY:
Last year in October we launched a new wedding package, giving an opportunity to those on the other side of the Atlantic to come over and enjoy a honeymoon in LA while getting their wedding pictures done. A stunning young couple of working professionals from Poznan came over and after surprising them with and extra prop for the session - a powerful Shelby from Hertz's fun collection we started in Hollywood, slowly made our way down the Riviera towards San Diego and ended up in Joshua Tree just for the sunrise. They loved the package and referred us to some of their friends in Poland. It has been successful enough to start a new project - another website based in Europe, in Polish, German, Czech and English languages to advertise our services to those hungry for the West! Thank you Otylia and Woytek!

2009-09-29T23:19:00.001-07:00

This is one of the shots I did with an LA based actress Laura Simms. A tremendously talented model and a great actress with whom I worked several times before. It was shot in Long Beach, on the famous Queen Mary, which is one of the greatest locations in the area, as far as I am concerned. It was shot with D3x with a 80mm Zeiss Planar, one my favorite choices for either portraiture or fashion, both on Hasselblad and Nikon DSLR with an adapter.