Cheyne’s Photo Blog

Steampunk w/Christian

Christian has a great face for modeling modern fashion. I wanted to try some anachronistic fashion with him, so a Steampunk shoot was the perfect style. Once I gave him some movie & culture references of what the genre was, he immediately knew how to pose to evoke the right feel.

Styling the outfit was as much fun as shooting it. Various accessories gathered from my closet. Things aren't what they appear to be in real life, but that's what makes steampunk so fun. It allows the audience to use their imagination. Who is this guy and why is he outfitted in such a way? You're left to build your own story, which means you'll be looking at these photos for (hopefully) hours.

Christian was great to work with and I look forward to working with him again!

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Lighting info:
CANON 580EXII @1/4, cam right, zoomed to 50mm
Quantaray 900W @ 1/4, cam left (behind model) for rim lighting.

     

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Fashion Editorial: Anthony Lopez

       

When I was in LA a couple weeks ago, I got the opportunity to work with experienced male model Anthony Lopez.

Anthony has such versatile great looks & physique, so I tried some fashion editorial shoots with him. A different direction from my previous work, it was more about the lighting and mood. We shot these in my hotel room, using the sun and the cheap hotel lamp as my only light source.

Because I was traveling lightly, I only brought one light with me. I got around this handicap, by using the sun as my 2nd light, it's most evident on my vintage Rugby shoot with Anthony. Using the sun for backlight also means the sun was behind Anthony, so he wasn't squinting. It's smart solutions like these that produce great photos.

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I need a house!

Well, not to live in, but to shoot in.

I need a house that has a June / Ward Cleaver-style dining room and/or living room.
Tacky wallpaper, old-style architecture. You know, like a TV set. I need it within the next two weeks.
Any leads you may have for a house in Honolulu, please let me know: cheyne@firebirdphoto.com

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Retro Diner Boy: Micah Lee

While I was on vacation in LA, I booked some photoshoots with some outstanding male models.

I selected Micah because he has a uniquely handsome face and wasn't afraid of doing conceptual work, judging from his port. he's also a character actor for Disneyland, so he knew exactly how to pose and emote.

I designed a retro diner outfit for him, now the only problem was finding the perfect location. Location scouting on foot in a new (mostly industrial) neighborhood is exactly as tough as it sounds. Luckily while on my trek, I found an abandoned A&W Diner two blocks away from my hotel! It had the perfect look for my concept and I was so happy I found it!

So there you go, serendipity even followed me on my vacation! These shots are awesome. I wish we had old diners like these in Hawaii.

       

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My Disney Birthday!

       

Just returned from my Birthday Adventure in California. Went to Disneyland for my birthday (11/11) and I had a blast! Thank goodness my friend Jojo is a seasoned Disney expert, he helped to plan which rides to do in order of wait time.

I haven't been since I was 11 years old, so seeing it with adult eyes gave me a new appreciation for everything. It's waaay more fun as an adult.

Here are some photos I took while roaming the Magic Kingdom. Admittedly, I didn't take as many as I should have, but I was way too excited to shoot stuff. I just wanted to *experience* it. There are more photos in my Flickr album. Of course I had to do some of my signature vintage processing on them; it makes them uniquely mine :-D

Oh yeah, after this trip, I've made the decision I want to move to California. I'm going to plan on being there by my 30th birthday, which is next year. Oh my god, I'm approaching 30.

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Shooting in SF & LA!

Aloha everyone!

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Wiseman Ohana

Aloha!

I'm running behind on updates, but I wanted to show you these photos of the beautiful Wiseman Ohana. Victoria and her husband Drew are such a great couple and their daughter is so adorable! Great times in the great outdoors!

Christmas is coming up, so if you need beautiful family photos, give me a call!

     

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70's Saitia

model: Saitia
stylist: me

Saitia is a modern, hip guy with a look perfect for urban and typical fashion shots. Which made it challenging to do a vintage-inspired shot with him, since I couldn't style his very modern crew cut.

Obviously, I drew inspiration for this from the iconic Jimi Hendrix. Although he felt odd in an afro wig (and kept letting me know how "different" it was for him), Saitia was a great sport and helped bring my vision to life.

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strobist info:
CANON 580EXII @ 1/4, cam right into white brolly
Quantaray 900W @ 1/4, zoomed to 700mm, cam left, behind model (for hairlight)

     

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The Manley Ohana

   

Shot the Manley Ohana a couple months ago, but I've been so busy I haven't been able to share the photos until now.

They wanted family photos while everyone was present, so it was scheduled to be shot before their eldest son was to return to the mainland for college. It was a very gusty day, which made it challenging for my lighting. I opted to go sans-umbrella (seeing as how they're already on their last leg from so much use) and used diffusers and creative lighting angles. Dealing with multiple lighting conditions (direct sunlight, brightly backlit sand, shaded seating areas, etc.) made for an interesting shoot, but in the end the shots turned out fantastic. Thank goodness it was a clear day so we could get Diamond Head in the background!

If you're looking for vibrant, fun family portraits, check out my photo packages! They start at $250.00 and hour and are well worth the memories!

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Come Sail Away with Me

     

Another fantastic collaboration project!

The model:
Cerise Marchan is a wonderfully talented model who can pose like a pro. She's a local girl who looks great in front of the camera, so it was really easy to work with her and give her direction. Plus, she's mature and handles herself professionally, which I love.

The hair & makeup:
My trusty Mish came through again with another beautiful pin-up inspired look. From the sultry red lips to the stylized victory rolls in her hair, Mish pulled this look together in an hour (a record, I believe!) and she still managed to do a wedding for another client later in the day. Her talent is priceless in helping to bring my vision to life.

The wardrobe:
A random thrift store find, the nautical blue jacket was the perfect style and cut for this sailor-themed shoot. The white shorts were picked up the day prior to the shoot. It helps to have a vision in mind when shopping. That way you don't overspend or overlook anything that can be styled into something awesome.

The shoot with Cerise went so well that we scheduled another shoot right after, this time with my good friend/model Jason Loo. Those pictures will be available on my website (www.firebirdphoto.com) for you to view.

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