montana photo blog
one frame at a time…
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Archive of "Uncategorized" Category
rue du muse…
From left to right: Montana Pritchard, Sandy Maranesi, Courtney Bingham, Choice Gray, Amanda Parisi, and Sloane Sapan
once again the girls from ELITE MIAMI were the stars of the shoot. Choice, with stunning blonde hair and Courtney with the amazing long locks were the perfect pair to showcase an array of amazing lingerie put together by stylist Sloan Sapan. Being the consummate professionals neither girl was thrown off by the television cameras and Holavision hostess wandering around the set during the shoot. keep you eyes out for the special 30 min feature on Montana and the studio coming to Holavision the middle of february.
From Home Depot to Le Boudoir
With the hundreds of photo shoots that Montana has photographed, this was my very first as the new Director of Production. From building the set (much thanks to the help of assistants Angie and Darlene) to forming call sheets and food spreads, there is a lot involved with shooting fashion. We lined up two models, hair stylist Amanda Parisi, and make-up artist Sandy Maranesi to produce the perfect mood that Montana was envisioning. Along with the photo shoot, we were host to the production of the TV show “Dolce Vita (sweet life)” on Hola Vision featuring Montana in a 30-minute segment to air in February. Everything went smoothly and I’m extremely excited to work on future projects in the works. —Lauren McLeod
the fabulous world of montana…oh, and donald trump too
it’s not very often you get to spend your saturday with Donald trump, Jerry Rice, Lawrence Taylor and Miss Brazil that is unless you work with montana at the studio because that’s exactly what happened when we were hired to photograph for the Golf Channel’s upcoming series “Donald J Trump’s Fabulous World of Golf”. we shot at the amazing Trump International Golf Club in west palm beach. the weather was overcast, rainy, sunny and then windy so at the end of the day it looked like we had been shooting for a week! we are sure that with all that celebrity firepower the series will be a huge hit and we are equally sure montana’s favorite part of the day was when he was “forced” to hop in for a photo with , Vivian Noronha, former miss brazil and the holder of multiple beauty queen titles. keep your eyes peeled for the episode coming in april 2010.
Greetings Friends!
Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Leslie Corredeira & I am Montanas’ Managing Director. I’ve lived in West Palm Beach the majority of my life and worked catering to the “Rich & Famous” in Palm Beach prior to landing this amazing opportunity!!! So, after 3 whirlwind months, I would like to share some of my highlights.
So after getting word that I was Montanas’ new Assistant, I packed my bags, grabbed my passport and headed to Bermuda…..not bad for my first day! I loved this beautiful island & learned all about the basics….you know, “dark & stormys” & “rum swizzles”.
"I have arrived"
Mashed Potato Martini: Quite possibly the best thing I ever ate! I hope to see you very soon my dear friend!
A new fan of the sport of Golf
Here we have Montana and I after our very comical dinner at the Historic "Dooky Chase's Restaurant". New Orleans was such a fun trip and that city will forever hold a special place in my heart. The food, the culture, the people; definitely want to go back very soon!
Lastly, one of our last assignments of 2009 was to shoot for Donald Trumps’ upcoming show on the Golf Channel called “Donald J. Trump’s Fabulous World of Golf”. Debuting April 26, 2010 . It was very exciting to see up close “The Donald” along with Jerry Rice and Lawrence Taylor.
Here I am with Sandy Maranesi (Contributing Artist Makeup artist) steering clear of "The Donald". My golf cart driving skills have grown exponentially since working at MPP!
I look forward to keeping all of you up to date on many more adventures we here at the Studio get to go on! Happy 2010 Everyone! -Leslie =)
Production Paradise
Check this out!
http://www.productionparadise.com/member/miami/montana-pritchard.html
We were recently the showcase member in Production Paradise: Miami Edition in December 2009. Click on the link to read more about the showcase and see what Production Paradise is all about.
In case you missed it live…
WPBF Channel 25 News got “Up Close” and personal with Montana about his Isolation Revealed Exhibition and the details behind his travels to all seven continents. Here’s the link in case you missed it live.
twenty ten is here and the studio is all clean
happy new year from montana, leslie, lauren and kirby our resident miniature schnauzer!!!
we have many exciting things booked for this upcoming year but we have room for more so give us a call about your upcoming projects, we look forward to working with all of you in the VERY near future
the exposure of virtue…the show
what is virtue? who is virtuous?
who decides?
YOU do, I do, we all do,
everyday people judge based on what they see,
what they imagine to be the truth. right or wrong,
they decide.i believe that the beauty of these images lies in the fact that the model allows me to place them in my studio and become a part of the process. my muse is their smile, their hair, their voice their beauty…my muse is the women just being themselves, that is beauty to me. my desire is to bring time to a halt and force the viewer to face the very essence of all that remains on display in its honesty and truth. this representation of the moment is in fact a self portrait of us all…
montana pritchard, november 28, 2009a special thank you to Angelina Myers for art direction and Cheyenne, Danielle, and Melissa for allowing me to photograph them for this body of work.
There are still selected prints available for purchase. giclee print, 9” x 6.5”, 2009, $ 345 print only
the exposure of virtue…behind the scenes
in a collaboration with angeline myers as the art direction and kristin brown as the fantabulous hair and makeup artist we began shooting for an upcoming exhibition titled “the exposure of virtue”. here are a few behind the scene images to tide you over until the exhibition hits the wall
talent and beauty
one of the greatest parts of being a photographer is all of the talented artists i get to work with on jobs. (still hard to believe i get paid for doing what i love!) This job was no exception… hair and make-up was provide by Mish poletti of CA Palm Beach and the fabulous wardrobe styling was by HOT PINK based in Delray Beach, florida
faceless but fabulous hair
mannequins and fantastic hair were just the ticket for the upcoming international ad campaign for Enzo Milano a maker of killer hair styling products used by everyone from the girl next door to the Pussy Cat Dolls. we cant show you any more then this sneak peek but keep an eye out for the new imagery its going to blow you away!!
i smell a turkey
Although its october, the studio suddenly smelled of thanksgiving. Chef Jeremy Hanlon of My One Chef walked into the studio with a full on thanksgiving feast! We were shooting images to go along with his favorite turkey day creations for the Sun Sentinel News in Fort Lauderdale. Keeping in the tradition of not doctoring any of the food we shoot for Jeremy we had to work fast! In less then an hour we shot all of the images needed and then as is always required we began the tasting. All i can say is GET THOSE RECIPES!!!!
on the runway…
it's always good to get the angle right the first time
not so much room for assistants Julia and Lauren
this is not your typical on the runway post. we were booked to shoot for Jacobs Flight Services at the Boca Raton airport. Owner Jason Jacobs was our subject and the extremely fast Beechcraft Premier 1 was the backdrop. The finals will be able to be viewed in print ads and on the web.
on the beach with Kat Sand
With a great day of weather, a fantastic model and a crew that knows the ropes my job is a piece of cake. We shot the most recent campaign for Kat Sand on the beach at singer island then headed back to the studio to shoot the look book which is a series of images to show prospective buyers the entire line of clothing. Our model Jessica from Elite Miami was fantastic and made the transition from 20 mph winds on the beach to the white seamless in the studio perfectly. Mish, our make up artist with CA Palm Beach knocked the ball out of the park and Kat was the perfect stylist (of course). Keep your eyes peeled for the print work that is to come!
TECH NOTE:
For those tech peeps out there the beach shots were lighted using a Dyna Light battery pack to plug in a 1000w power pack. I shot with a bare head (frosted dome) and 9″ reflector exposing for the models face. we shot at about 11am in order to be able to blow out the background making it a bit more surreal. We placed the model in the shade of a palm tree to kill the highlights on her hair making the light appear very soft. The sand did the rest of the work for us reflecting the sun right back up at the model.
2,000 feet to the deck and no door
the key is to shoot your self portrait and act like you don't know its being taken
20 below zero is way to cold to shoot out of the window!
no flip flops here
I’m hired quite a bit to shoot aerial images for everything from lifestyle in the Turks and Caicos to a golf course in Bermuda. All of these shoots have one thing in common. Preparation. If you climb into that helicopter unprepared you will not return with the images your client has paid you to produce. here is a brief look at the things i do before and during an aerial shoot.
1. talk to your pilot- go over all your needs before the shoot date, discuss weather delays and postponement costs. These vary from service to service. Remember, almost every pilot that you fly with has been on hundreds of photo shoots, some of them will know the light better then you! There should be no surprises on shoot day.
2. be prepared to give the pilot the gps to your shoot location and your pickup location if your not leaving from the airport with the pilot. be early to your pick-up, the clock is ticking and you are paying for every minute. If you are flying for quite a distance before you arrive at the shoot area discuss with the pilot where you will be taking off the doors. You don’t want to fly for an hour sans doors, it slows you down (costs you cash) and is LOUD.
3. take ONLY what you need, this is no 747 with overhead carry on space. depending on the bird, your space will vary from none to nothing. For most shoots i carry two D3 bodies with dual 8 Gig cards in each. Most of the time i use a 70-200mm and a 24-70mm. These cover most of what i need. i gaffer tape my lens shades to my lenses. Remember, the door is off and you are hanging out of copter inside of a wind tunnel. the worst thing next to you taking a dive to the deck 2000 feet below is your lens shade blasting back into the rear rotor. Empty your pockets of anything you dont need, you will be sliding back and forth in the back seat and your wallet sliding out and into the sea below is neither cool nor environmentally friendly. Cell phones, sunglasses, eyeglasses, pens, shot lists…keep everything in a safe place. I use a Zing bag that has a drawstring closure and a clip on the side.
4. Flash cards- Take more then enough cards, there are no quick runs to the car to grab more cards. Make sure all of your cards are formatted, you will be changing your cards on the go so cut a step out of the process by having the cards ready to go.
5. if only one door can come off, when given the choice, i always have the door on the pilots side taken off. Its easier when you are discussing landmarks to be on the same side.
6. this is going to sound odd but hear me out. i gaffer tape my seat belt, i wrap it a couple times around the clasp. Why you ask?My second or third flight i was shooting a couple walking down the beach at sunrise. It was chilly so i had on a jacket which was a bit bulky. Leaning my body out of the helicopter and resting my feet on the skid i shot for about an hour until the sun was too high. i called on my radio to the producer that we would make a flight path change and moved back inside to move over to the other side of the back seat. When i reached down to open my seat belt it was gone, not connected. There beside me, un-lifesaving, the belt had come undone and i didnt realize it as i rested on the skids my life unknowingly in my own hands. so, one small strip of tape wrapped around my belt is an insurance policy that i’m willing to take an extra 30 secs to prepare.my last piece of advice, watch that liquid intake before the flight!
no panic at this disco
stylist extraordinaire sloane sapan steps into the set
giuseppe stikes the traditional test pose
perfect lips and eyelashes
nikki, montana and sloane
michelle, nikki, sloane and giuseppe
Shoot day at 251 Palm Beach is one of our favorite locations and today was extra special because we were tasked with shooting a portrait of one of our favorite ladies in the world, the one and fabulous Nikki Oden of Eleven Spa Vegas and Eleven Spa Delray
You are going to have to wait to see the final images in use when you get your invite to the Studio 54 party on 11.11.09. Not on the guest list? no problem, just throw out my name and you be just fine:) Or, just in case, click here and sign up
from missed flights to miss scotland
models Mhairi Cairnduff (left) and Miss Scotland 2007, Nieve Jennings (right) wearing the Fall line of Tartan Spirit
having arrived in glasgow, scotland after 36 hours of travel, 5 missed connections, lost baggage and stolen equipment things were looking a bit flat…but wait there is a bright side. A simple shoot of the “ladies” boat ride and luncheon turned into a great opportunity to photograph two models during a post-luncheon, boutique fashion show that showcased the fabulous fashion designs of Scottish designer Joyce Young.
Joyce, creator of Tartan Spirit, was on hand to emcee the fashion show which was lead by no other than Nieve Jennings, Miss Scotland 2007. These images were shot while the models walked in between the ladies lunch tables. I asked each girl to pause in a spot where i was able to utilize the bright side light coming in through a window. By using the soft daylight as a main light i was able to utilize the warm tungsten light to complete the mood of the room. Oh, and by the way…i had less then 10 secs to shoot 2 frames of each shot
raw and uncompromised
i have had many assistants ask why i shoot jpg+raw for everything i shoot from Visa ads to test shoots. i have always answered the same way, “you never know” here are a couple of those you never knows in action. The Tiger Woods shot and the Padraig Harrington trophy shots were a no brainer to shoot raw but the shot of the hands wasn’t so much. That shot came during another shoot for American Express. What you are looking at is a cropped version of the original which was a full body vertical image. (You have to love the Nikon D3’s) So when you are shooting, shoot raw. Don’t take a chance on missing out on potential large scale usage and larger usage fees! With digital storage so cheap you have no excuses to not shoot raw.
the traveling dream…or not
wow, you get to travel 200+ days a year and get paid for it! This is the most common reaction when chatting with someone about my business. It’s true, we do get to travel to a ton of killer locations all over the world and after 10 years and over 2 million miles on delta i still enjoy the locations, but it isn’t always as glamorous as it seems.
Take this trip for instance, i am in Cincinnatti shooting 150 portraits of the nations best junior golfers for the PGA of America. Seems easy enough on paper…that is until the thunderstorms hit west palm last night as we were on the tarmac. ok, so we are delayed a couple hours but not to worry, amazingly enough i am actually on a direct flight. I’m prepared with book in hand and a rented movie on my iphone so i am not concerned. When i wake up, the hot coffee my seatmate spilled has just reached skin…this coffee is almost Mcdonalds hot! She apologizes and we get the spill contained just as the pilot announces our detour around what looks to me like a wise decision. The thunderhead is approximately the size of iowa and looks like a scene straight out of the movie Twister. So, with this in flight delay we land 3 hours late. Now to the baggage claim…ahhh, yes the odds are against me on this one. We flew on a overbooked commuter so odds are at least one of my four 70 lb pelican cases made a circuitous trip to atlanta on it’s way to the Queen City.
I wait until it’s just me and the baggage guy eying my incomplete stack of gear. I begin the walk of shame bagless to the baggage room hoping that there is one more late flight in with one last pelican case and a stand bag. 30 min later with the dreaded lost bag report in hand i wander near the number 1 bag area and there before my eyes is one pelican case and one stand case sitting all alone! Are you kidding me? it came in the oversize bag area…i did not see that coming. i consider going back into the delta room and have a chat but, it’s now after 9pm and i still have to set up for a 7am first shot. So off i head to the rental car shuttle pick-up. This is always fun alone, oh did i mention that i am sans assistants on this one? Just me, 5 bags and 150 high schoolers over two days. The rental car shuttle bus comes and inevitably i have a crowd behind me muttering as i fill the entire luggage space up with my gear. My reserved SUV has interestingly morphed into a toyota matrix, not so SUV.
After a 45 min drive to the location i walk into a dining room with a note that says i can set up my gear in the corner between the breakfast buffet and the desert table, interesting to say the least. I set up as far out of the way as i can and hope for the best when morning comes, oh, its already here. It’s midnight and i still have to check in my hotel which is named… wait for it…THE GREAT WOLF LODGE. Yes indeed, a giant faux log cabin hotel with a huge indoor waterpark. If there is one thing i do love it is a theme hotel, things are looking up!
6am comes early and i head to the breakfast buffet, i mean my shooting space. The kids start pouring in at 7 and now at 10:30 i am 41 portraits into the day. All things considered its been a smooth trip so far and lets face it, any day you get work where you can reach over and grab breakfast without standing up is a good day. more coffee please…
my eat in studio...note the chef restocking for the lunch rush
foodART9 Happy Hour Friday July 23 5-9pm!!
here is a quickie video of some of the preproduction for FoodART9 at 251 Palm Beach. Join us tomorrow to see more of the behind the scenes as well as the final images. We will be at Hot Pie Pizza in downtown west palm beach. 123 south olive ave wpn fl 5-9 happy hour drink specials including $55 veuve-clicquot bottles!!
