Cheyne’s Photo Blog

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.

***
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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Arabian Prince

   

I never like to do the obvious, so when I was contemplating a theme for South American model Marcos, I immediately discounted doing a "Futbol"-themed shoot; Sports is not my thing. I wanted something that would showcase his exotic looks (and impressive physique) and also my signature vintage style.

It dawned on me to take a trip to the Middle East and re-create an Arabian Nights theme. After some research, I had a better understanding of Arabic & Middle-Eastern styles of garments and how I can reproduce them on a budget. I lucked out and found some great harem pants on sale at the local Goodwill. Paired with layers of costume jewelry and a gold vest I already had, the outfit was complete - except for the headgear.

I own an actual Fez (a souvenir from my friend's trip to Egypt) and a muslim knit cap, but they still didn't look right to me. Well, as you can tell from the 2nd photo, the solution was staring me right in the face, so I went with it. Yes, I used the same window curtain that I used for the Matador shoot. It was the perfect color & texture, so how could I refuse? Wrapped around his head and accented with a gold brooch I got from Japan, the look was complete!

You heard it here first, people, the stylist who refuses to use the same outfit twice did it this time. The lesson here is one of re-invention: view an object as something else, re-purpose it, and it will ensure you stay under budget and will flex your creative muscles.

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First Friday Flea Market

   

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Go! Retro!

I recently had the opportunity to shoot a retro swimsuit line made entirely in Hawaii. The 1979 bikini line is designed by German-born designer Suzanna Kuhlemann. The photos were for a feature article that would appear in Go! Airlines' In-Flight magazine It was very big press coverage and I was honored to have been a part of it!
 
Suzanna's designs are very retro chic and very in-sync with my style of photography, so it was a perfect partnership! Thanks to Suzanna and Go! Airlines, we were able to shoot at the iconic Royal Hawaiian Hotel. It was the perfect backdrop and an oasis for a photographer like me who's used to shooting on sidewalks and public beaches. The space and security of a solid location is such a priceless perk that made me feel like such a hot-shot photographer. It was the biggest photoshoot I've done so far and it was with the help of my amazing team that I not only survived, but got some amazing shots as well!
 
The models were cast based on not only their beautiful looks, but because of their professional attitude and ease to work with. Some of you eagle-eyed readers may recognize Cade & Rachel from previous shoots, while Mykol and Michelle are both seasoned models who brought just as much professionalism to the project. All of the models shared the same passion to bring the vision to life, which helped a lot. It should also be noted that they're all very brave to be on display in these outfits, having a beautiful body and the nerve to showcase it in public ranks high on the courage scale!
 
My helpful assistant Jacob provided the support I didn't know I needed. I normally work alone, so umbrellas falling over or memory card changing is normally something I do by routine. Jacob was thoughtful and helped to keep things on schedule.
 
The fabulous hair & makeup was done by my dependable and dynamic Mishy le Fleur (of Beauty by Mish), who did the hair & makeup for both girls in 2.5 hours, very impressive! She totally understood my vision and also gave both girls unique hairstyles that everyone, including wandering tourists on the hotel ground, raved about!
 
It was a fantastic and successful shoot and I can't wait to see the photos in print!

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