Dozens of Muslins

A Prom to Remember

2011-09-06T15:19:00.000-07:00

We're a little bit late with this post, but we wanted to thank Mike Knausz of Mentor, OH, who gave us the opportunity last spring to be part of a very special event - A Prom to Remember, whose mission is "to provide the ultimate prom experience for teens who have been affected by cancer." We were honored to have the chance to donate a copy of 3D041, "Moon's Best Friend," to Mike (who does business as MK Photography). Thanks for the call, Mike, and best of luck to the folks at A Prom to Remember as they continue their noble mission.

Box Derby Fall League Kickoff!

2011-09-06T15:04:00.000-07:00

We're guessing we're one of the very few vendors who sends things out in used ("pre-owned?") boxes. While it may not be advisable from a presentation standpoint, we just can't stand to pitch out all that structurally sound, relatively clean cardboard. So we decided to make a game of it!

Here's how it works:

This fall we'll send out twelve brand-new specially-marked single- and double-background-sized boxes. Each will carry a label on the outside with the name of a team. With the help of Cracked.com, I've put together a list of a dozen of the professional, college, and high school teams with the best names.

Here, then, is the line-up for the inaugural season of the Box Derby League:

The Thailand Tobacco Monopoly (professional Thai soccer team)
The Cairo Syrupmakers (high school in Cairo, GA)
The Brevard County Manatees (minor-league baseball team in FL)
The UC Santa Cruz Banana Slugs (University of California campus)
The Columbia College Fighting Koalas (University in Columbia, SC)
The Scottsdale Community College Fighting Artichokes (AZ)
The Yuma Criminals (high school in AZ)
The Mt. Clemens Battling Bathers (high school in MI)
The Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters (pro Japanese baseball team)
The Watersmeet Nimrods (high school in MI)
The Teutopolis Wooden Shoes (high school in IL)
The Hiroshima Toyo Carp (pro Japanese baseball team).

Simply: whichever box survives the greatest number of shipments wins, and everybody on that team (if you receive that box, you're on the team) will win a $25 credit towards a future rental. I'll make the announcement and post relevant stats in a future newsletter.

A little bit of fine print:

I'll ensure equity among travel distances for each box. In other words, an all-California team would have a big advantage over an all-Florida team, so I'll make sure each team recruits from across all time zones.

You can make minor structural repairs using tape only - any re-construction using additional cardboard, sheetrock, or pressure-treated lumber will be grounds for disqualification. We do, however, encourage you to bribe - er, I mean enlist - your UPS driver.

In the event of a tie, I'll calculate the winner based on total mileage traveled.

If you only do proms, sit tight - Spring League will be upon us in a few short months!

3D010 on the USS Hornet!

2011-09-06T14:54:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago we had the great pleasure of sending one of our backgrounds off to a unique venue - the flight deck of the USS Hornet, a de-commissioned WWII aircraft carrier docked here in Alameda, CA. Our client, Jan Lundberg, print-on-site photographer extraordinaire, sent us these shots. Were not sure what's up with the severed cockpit, but it is certainly possible that the searing laser-like awesomeness of our background cut that jet neatly in half. That's Jan in the orange, juggling asteroids. The afore-mentioned awesomeness of our background combined with Jan's set-up actually caused an aberration in the space-time continuum which disrupted gravity. The astronaut helmets were software add-ons she did on site. Thanks for the shots, Jan!

2010-09-14T12:31:00.000-07:00

This summer we had the opportunity again to donate one of our backgrounds to the San Francisco AIDS Walk's Starwalker tent, a party venue for the Walk's big fundraisers. This year they went for 2D40, Bridge at Sunrise. We were happy to participate in the Walk's tremendous fund-raising efforts.

2010-09-14T12:04:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Melanie Humphrey of Estes Park, CO, who sent in this extremely well-timed shot from an assigment at a dance school (obviously) last spring. We think it might be the first time a single person managed to take up the entire frame...

The Only Constant Is Change

2010-03-31T10:17:00.000-07:00

The March 31st issue of The New York Times contains an article discussing the changes in photojournalism In the last few years"three forces coincided. They were the advertising downturn, the popularity and accessibility of digital photography, and changes in the stock-photo market." For professionals, none of these has been welcome. Want to read more? Click here.

Taking out the Trash

2010-02-23T10:09:00.001-08:00

These shots come from a recent Sadie, as photographed by Jan and Craig at Camera Works Photography in Bullhead City, Arizona. The background is 2D33-Urban Street Scene - garbage can sold separately. We think this is a great example of creating a photography experience that far exceeds what moms or friends with points-and-shoots can offer. Thanks to Jan and Craig for sharing their work and their ideas!

Dozens' Dubious Design Department

2010-02-05T11:05:00.001-08:00

We came across this background on failblog.org. Nothing I would say could possibly enhance the experience of viewing this gem. Feast your eyes.

AAMP

2010-01-29T17:56:00.001-08:00

We're looking forward to seeing all our friends at the Bay Area's February meeting of the Association of Minority Professional Photographers. Please call us at 510-525-1715 for details. We'll carpool.

Mourning the Loss of a Namesake

2010-01-29T10:42:00.001-08:00

This is background 3D65 (DJ Salinger), which we had painted in the midst of our authors' names series. The image itself bears little connection to Salinger - as a nonagenerian New Hampshire recluse, we doubt he frequented many night clubs. We don't have any boulevards, parks, or mountains to name for him, so this scene will have to stand as our tribute to this literary giant. We'll always be grateful for his gifts of Holden, the bananafish, et al.

Coming Soon to an iPad Near You!

2010-01-29T08:18:00.001-08:00

Well, we've started on You Tube, but the sky's the limit. Or the iPad. Tempted? See how easy it is to use our backgrounds by clicking on our less-than-two-minute video (hey, we're all victims of some form or other of ADD). Click here as we try to match in viewers the number of round-trippers hit by local ex-hero steroid-denyer Barry Bonds. Lovingly and appropriately scored by songwriter Brian Wilson, our YouTube video affords you the opportunity to 'Dance, Dance, Dance" while learning how to "Photograph, Photograph, Photograph."

A Postcard Suggestion

2010-01-19T11:21:00.000-08:00

James Burke of Burke Photos in Marquette, Michigan found out how easy it is to create a low-cost mailing that he hopes will bring him more dance business.

While we can't do the mailing for you we're happy to provide jpegs that you're welcome to use in making your own. Thanks for sharing, James. May this winter and spring bring us all lots of dances!

Senior Portrait Artists 2010

2010-01-11T13:03:00.000-08:00

We kicked the new year off with a drive down to San Diego for Senior Portrait Artists to display our wares and get a little fresh sea air. It was a little strange for us to be in upper-seventies heat in January, but stranger for others - we breakfasted one day with a gentleman from Minnesota who noticed it was -17 back home. I don't imagine he was looking forward to the close of the show. Here are a few shots from the conference - our booth, the hotel, and Teddy Perez, my brother-in-law, whose company is contracted to clean the windows of the high-rises across the way.

Client Tip - Posing Menu

2010-01-11T12:57:00.000-08:00

Sherrie Schouten won our first client tip competition with this posing menu. Here she writes about her process:

"I came up with this Posing Guide years ago to help make the lines go faster. The kids could pick their pose and that would make them feel like they had some control. Since then, I take two poses and let them look at both...and they choose which one they like best. By the time I've deleted the unwanted image, we are ready to photograph the next couple."

Dozens of Muslins at the Los Angeles AIDS Walk

2009-11-02T10:21:00.000-08:00

We were happy to be able to contribute 2D37 (Carnival) to the Starwalker Party at the LA AIDS Walk. Starwalkers are individuals or groups of people who raise a certain amount of money for the event. Their primary motivation might be altruistic, but we like to think that getting to have their pictures taken in front of our backgrounds is at least a secondary goal. Congratulations to our friend Scott and the rest of the AIDS Walk Staff for another successful event. We are proud to be the official photographic background suppliers for the AIDS Walks.

Don't Fear the Camera Phone

2009-10-30T11:31:00.001-07:00

It's a commonly held conception that the widespread use of digital cameras has cut into the professional photography market. For a different perspective, read the following quotation. It comes from July's issue of Professional Photographer - it's an excerpt from an interview with Seth Godin, an expert on marketing. According to Seth:

"Since Matthew Brady - the guy who took pictures of Lincoln - for 150 years, photographers have made a great living when they had no better technology than everybody else. Making a great living at photography has never been about access to the tools....To photographers I say, 'Are you doing photography worth paying for? If the consumer's choice is between doing it himself for free or paying a professional hundreds or thousands of dollars, what is it about what you're doing that's worth paying for? I'll tell you this - it's not because you can take a pretty good photo.'"

According to Seth, it's the experience you create for your clients. He continues:

"What [great photographers] do for a living is create an experience and an approach that is so remarkable people can't help but talk about it. What they do for a living is create interactions between themselves and the people they are taking pictures of. Or to create souvenirs of what they do so that people can't help but talk about it."

Client Showcase - Sherrie Schouten of Sherrie Schouten Photography, Port Angeles, WA

2009-10-28T16:16:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, Sherrie rented 3D06 (Great Wall) and 3D13 (East of Eden) for the Port Angeles High School's homecoming portraits. She shared her marketing strategies with us:

Strategy #1 - Sherrie posted the two background choices on her Facebook page so her clients would know what to expect. Because we ship out for arrival on the Tuesday before the dance, she had plenty of time to iron out the wrinkles, hang the backgrounds, recruit a date (her son-in-law, in this case), and create the photos.

Strategy #2 - Sherrie writes: "...I printed a picture of each of the backdrops as 8x10's and had them at the table where the kids pay. So many of the kids didn't think that Great Wall looked good until they saw the effect in the actual photograph. Also, it is a lot shorter than the other one (the length is much shorter) and I think that they thought the floor would show in their picture."

And finally, another excerpt from Sherrie's email: "Good thing for your backdrops, because if I didn't have them - they would have no reason to have their "professional" picture taken since they all have cameras ON THEIR PHONES even!"

We're indebted to Sherrie for her wonderful compliment, her lovely shots, her willingness to share her ideas, and her patronage over the years.

Don't Say "Nyet" to Vignette

2009-10-28T11:33:00.000-07:00

I confess. I'm a Photoshop novice. I used to use the primitve burn and dodge tools in Photoshop to create a vignette. Then I learned a more sophisticated way to create a better vignette using a second layer. But this one, from Scott Kelby, author and Photoshop expert, is an easier and more effective method of vignetting images. Here's how you do it. (Since we're Mac snobs I'm including the Mac "command" key in the text; if you have a PC—and you know who you are—you'll substitute the "control" key, whatever that is.

After opening the image, add a layer (command-J). Set the blend mode to “multiply” and choose the “marquee” tool to create an area you wish to vignette. Choose “refine edge” from the radio button at the top of the screen, and change “feather” to 200 pixels. (You can lower that for lower resolution images). Hit “OK”, then “delete”, and “command-D”, which will leave a soft vignette around your image. You can then change the opacity slider from 100% to something less to suit your taste. This beats playing around with the burning or dodging tools by a long shot.

Failblog.org's Best Prom Outfit

2009-10-21T13:32:00.000-07:00

One of our favorite sites is failblog.org, where subscribers send in videos and photos of things that aren't quite right. We were struck by this "fail" the other day, called "Epic Fail Baggy Pants Fail", and we realized that this would have been one prom outfit that we wouldn't have wanted to photograph...

Please Pardon the Immodesty

2009-10-19T07:08:00.000-07:00

We have long maintained that your dance business will be enhanced with our 3D backgrounds, but we didn't realize how much until we received this email from Emily Provance, a high school teacher associated with Ohio's Sandy Valley Local Schools.

About our 3D70 (France Inatra), she wrote..."our photographer was very impressed with this one. He thought it was one of the best dance backgrounds he's ever photographed in over 35 years."

OK, so we like to show off a little. That's why we're in this business...

SPA in San Diego

2009-10-13T07:36:00.000-07:00

If you're shooting dances you know about SPA (Senior Portrait Artists), an organization on a constant quest to provide information for the senior photographer in a creative, artistic, and innovative form from both inside and outside the photography industry.

Now sign up for the Spa Event in San Diego January 4-6, 2010, and take Jon Read's class on Blue Ocean Proms, Sports, & Dances: Diversifying Your Senior Market.

By no small coincidence you'll see that one key to Jon's success is Dozens of Muslins. We'll be there, too. We look forward to seeing you and showing you how your business can grow with our backgrounds.

A Little Nostalgia

2009-10-05T15:07:00.000-07:00

We were digging through our archives and found the May, 2005 copy of People, and re-discovered this shot of 3D56 (Your Asia). (We don't remember the photographer, but it's from Killeen, TX - any claimants?) Anyway, it was part of an illustration for an article called "Proms Gone Wild," which documented excesses such as a $5,000 liposuction, an $8,275 Versace gown, and a $6,000 spa treatment. $4 billion was spent on proms in 2005, the article reported. That was a long time ago, before Lehman Bros...and Bernie Madoff...and General Motors...

Smoker

2009-10-03T05:20:00.001-07:00

At some point in our lives we've all thought about becoming "real" photographers. I was twenty-two, a passionate amateur with a college graduation gift Nikon FTN, when I saw this old man, sitting on a bench near the bocce ball courts by San Francisco Bay. I measured the light on my hands, set the focus at about 2', whirled and shot this image on Kodachrome 25. Surprised and disappointed, he unleashed a torrent of expletives at me that forced an immediate retreat. Several days later when I picked up my slides, I was delighted with this image, and I thought to myself at that time, "I wonder if I could ever make a living at photography". It was ten years after that before I had enough nerve to try, and I've never turned back. I entered this photo in Digital Photography Review's "Formal Composition: Portrait" and received a 7th place among the 150 entries. Hey, I think it's even better than that.

A Top Ten Finish

2009-09-30T13:36:00.001-07:00

I (Jason) managed to eke out a top-ten finish (barely - I was tied for tenth) out of 76 entries in Digital Photography Review's "Gimme Shelter" challenge. The requirement for the challenge was to include two of the following in one's image: shelter, fire, stone. Strangely, a very similar (virtually indistinguishable) shot I entered in the same challenge came in 43rd. This shot was my best finish - overall, I'm managing a mediocre 46th percentile or so, which means you only have to be slightly less mediocre than I am to claim your $25 prize...

Marketing 103

2009-09-30T13:34:00.001-07:00

Here's a flier promoting a two-background dance. On the left is yours truly, along with yours truly's then-girlfriend, now wife.

Props Part Deux

2009-09-30T13:23:00.000-07:00

Here's another example of props in action, Nunes style. John Nunes is a photographer in Petaluma, CA. In addition to the creative and effective use of props on the part of its inhabitants, Petaluma is also known as the former host city of the world arm-wrestling championships, not to mention the city where the cinematic tour de force "Howard the Duck" was filmed.

Rust

2009-09-30T12:53:00.000-07:00

We're still entering as many challenges as possible on Digital Photography's Review Web Site, from "Eyes" to "Vertical Panning" to anything and everything that addresses the ten or so new challenges that come up each week. And of course, we invite you to participate, too. In fact, it's free money. If you beat us, we'll give you $25 from your next rental. Click here.

Had you entered the "Ultimate Panorama" you would have won the money, no sweat, as I was humiliated with my "Bonneville Salt Flats" panorama, five images that I stitched together. Apparently critics thought I might have been better served by using my "delete" button on my camera a little more judiciously.

I feel better about this one. Carl's Buick finished 10th out of 250.

Nasty Lines

2009-09-30T11:56:00.000-07:00

Jadyne and I joined this “single file line” to get our passports stamped so we could sail from Brindisi, Italy, to Piraeus, Greece. You can make your lines work a whole lot more efficiently than this if you...(1) let thirty or so couples make “appointments” by signing up in half-hour increments, and (2) set your background up in such a way that people in line can’t see and distract the couple you’re photographing. Or throw M & M’s at them. Which happened to us at Santa Rosa HS’s Homecoming.

We were comfortable shooting about 60-70 couples an hour. One person posed (my trusted assistant, Alan Bartl), one person accepted orders, checks, and cash (Jadyne), and one person lazed by the RB67 with its long roll back, smiled at the couples after Alan had posed them, counted to three, then repeated the operation about seventy times an hour.

The Early Bird Actually Does Get the Worm!

2009-09-14T13:37:00.000-07:00

From Nancy Bouliane, one of our favorite clients, and perhaps the only person who has ever emailed us to say how much she enjoyed reading the pointless, ridiculous, and nonsensical text that accompanies our backgrounds...

This is my 21st prom to do here. When we plan the theme...I do a display with the whole "look" to promote it. It has been great...using your backdrops the last few years because that always sets the stage for their "getting the picture"...that and the invitation.

Thanks!
Nancy

A 7th Place Finish for My Dad

2009-09-09T12:45:00.000-07:00

Jason and I are still entering images into Digital Photography Review's Challenges. (He's doing better than I am). This image finished a respectable #7 in a 50's theme. After my father died I went through his endless carousels and dredged up several Kodachromes from my childhood, including this one, taken in Cincinnati sometime in the fifties. One of the three boys is yours truly, but I'm not saying...

Spot the Differences

2009-09-04T13:50:00.001-07:00

Here are two copies of 3D57 (Party Gras), as painted by two different artists. We've had copies of our most popular backgrounds painted by as many as four or five artists, each of whom has a slightly different style and technique. We've even had the same artist copy the same design at two different times, which can also lead to small variations. When we send out multiple quantities of the same background, we send out copies painted by the same artist at the same time, whenever possible. Barring that, we'll send out backgrounds painted by the same artist at different times. If that should prove to be impossible (very rarely) we'll let you know that you could be receiving backgrounds by different artists. The variations between these two images are typical of what you might expect to find. Some of our clients worry that their subjects will prefer one over the other, but in our experience, this only happens in the case of two totally different designs, and even then, only sometimes.

Marketing 102

2009-09-04T13:23:00.000-07:00

Here's Jan Lundberg, of SF, CA, going all-out for one of her clients - she made this background "menu" for a jazz-themed party last year, using high-res JPEGs we sent her. If I'm remembering right, the client decided to rent a couple of them...so obviously, we heartily encourage this sort of approach.

Props Part One

2009-09-04T13:00:00.000-07:00

This scene was put together by Dirk Bietau, of Santa Rosa, who's also featured in our "Double Prom Set-Up" posting. Here he showcases how a few small (read: easily transportable) props can add to one of our backgrounds, in this case, 3D24 (Dock of the Bay). We design all of our backgrounds to complete scenes by themselves, thus eliminating the need for props, but that doesn't mean a couple of carefully chosen items can't add additional interest.

Digital Photography Review Rejection

2009-09-04T12:51:00.000-07:00

I (Jason) submitted this to the "Autumn" Challenge, but there were "several complaints that it has nothing to do with Autumn." When else are you supposed to play mud football?

Return of Trompe L'Oeil

2009-09-04T11:41:00.001-07:00

What Does it Mean? How Does it Work? And How in the World Do You Pronounce it?

Let's start with #3...it's pronounced "trômp ˈloi", which is French, meaning, "Trick the eye."

What Does it Mean? According to Wikipedia, "It's an art technique involving extremely realistic imagery in order to create the optical illusion that the depicted objects appear in three-dimensions, instead of actually being a two-dimensional image."

How Does it Work? That's the hard part. Our artists know that to successfully create the three-dimensional illusion the entire floor of the background has to be painted with exaggerated brush strokes, rendering the appearance of objects as common as a suitcase completely unrecognizable. Railway tracks have to bend, an asteroid is stretched to the breaking point, and marble pillars curve. When the camera lens sweeps across the floor, suddenly the suitcase, stretched across the vertical and horizontal planes of the background, becomes a real suitcase, the railroad tracks and the pillars straighten, and the asteroid becomes round again.

Here's an image of 3D106 (Call Me Flowers), stretched out, as it was painted, laid out flat. Click here to see the completed transformation, courtesy of Peg Buckner, in Fallon NV.

High-Tech Set-Up

2009-09-04T11:28:00.000-07:00

Here's a high-tech set-up from Kendrick Shadoan of Muncie, IN, featuring background 3D70 (France Inatra).

Marketing 101

2009-09-04T11:22:00.001-07:00

Here's a Tolo Dance ticket made from an image of 3D77 (Sweet Dreams), from Jason Alvord of Extreme Sports Photos in Yakima WA. We can provide high-res JPEGs of our images if you have to make tickets, posters, etc. for your dances.

Group Shots

2009-09-04T10:24:00.000-07:00

Here are some great examples of group shots from a few of our clients - the top one comes from Diana Cooke at Cooke's Fine Photography in Bishop, CA. Note the triangular composition of faces, which is much more pleasing than a police line-up-like horizontal row. On the bottom left is a piece of Fred Molesworth's work, out of Encore Photography in Salem, OR. Fred squeezes in 15 people in our background, using three separate levels—the floor, unspecified (and apparently backless) stools, and for the three young men in the back, their own two feet. In addition, Fred disguises poles, cords, lights, and other distracting elements by simply and selectively burning in the edges. Bottom right is another triangular composition from Jim Wham, of The Dalles, which is also in the Beaver State. Here he uses a bean-bag sort of thing to help create different levels.

Another Digital Photography Review Entry

2009-09-04T10:15:00.001-07:00

Okay, so it isn't going to be hanging on a museum wall anytime soon, but the theme of this challenge was "Laughter," and this fits the bill in triplicate. Here's the description I posted:

"My dad's 60th. On the pretense of showing him our new car, my wife and I picked him up at his SF Bay Area home, only to collect a hitchhiker (my brother, who had come in from Sacramento), and then stop at a lemonade stand (which was staffed by my aunt and uncle from Colorado.) When he opened the trunk to pack up the lemonade stand, he discovered my sister and her husband, who'd secretly flown in from Kathmandu."

Photo Tip - Corsages and Boutonnières

2009-09-03T10:22:00.000-07:00

Look carefully at wrist corsages and boutonnières. Make sure that boutonnières are straight (especially challenging on some shirts!), and wrist corsages are turned so that you reveal the flower, not the strap!

Unsolicited (We Swear!) Client Testimonials

2009-09-03T10:11:00.000-07:00

"THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! You are so awesome...Thank you!"
Nakita, Portraits by Nakita, Roeland Park, KS

"Thanks!...The kids will love it! We have told other photographers about your business, as we realize our time is valuable, and your backgrounds save us tons of time and angst with worry about how something will look."
Tyann, Marc Nathan Photography, Sugar Land, TX

"...I will be happy to vouch for the tremendous product and service you guys provide."
Jeff, Lifetouch National School Studios, Roanoke, VA

"Thanks...background photographed great."
Michael, Cooke's Fine Photography, Bishop, CA

"Just to let you know I thought your background looked great! Even the 'individual close-ups' were good looking...I would recommend your service to anyone. You have been so easy to work with and your product is super!"
Carolyn, Ambiance Portraits, Roswell, NM

"Everything went GREAT! Thank you so much for all your help. We really appreciate it!"
Holly, Minds Eye Photography, Saint Marys, PA

"Thanks for all you do!"
Lisa Dunlap, Dunlap Photography, Minerva, OH

"...We loved the 'pocket' for the backdrop rod on the back of the Taj Mahal backdrops. Either we never noticed it or it wasn't on the other backdrops we have used but it mad life soooo much easier!"
Donna and Greg, Greg Villegas Photography, Santa Maria, CA

"Thank you for getting back to me so quickly. Always a pleasure working with you!!"
Yvonne, Class Photography Inc., Crown Point, IN

"Both Great!!!! Love the bkgs!!! Look forward to next prom season!!!!...Thanks again!"
Jonathan, Lifetouch National School Studios, Allentown, PA

"It worked well. The kids loved it."
Rick, Realife Photography, Kennewick, WA

"Thanks, this worked out great. The students were very pleased."
Tony, Santa Clara Valley Photographic, Campbell, CA

"The...prom backdrops worked great. This was their second year to use your 3D backdrops and they are planning on using them again next year. The students appreciate having a background that matches their prom theme...and I appreciate how easy it is to set up and shoot. Thank you."
Tim, Lynn Grove Images, Navasota, TX

"Thanks for everything...I will be using y'all again!"
Kay, Treasured Portraits, Sealy, TX

"Just wanted you to know it was a great success. Will be using your services again."
Mark, Montgomery Photography, Laguna Niguel, CA

"Everything went well with the muslin as you can see. I really liked it and so did the kids. Thanks!"
Colleen, Fotobug Portrait Studio, North Bonneville, WA

"I rented one of your backgrounds for a recent prom and I could not be happier with the product and the service. With such a convenient and easy to use system we are looking at pursuing the market a lot more aggressively than in past years. Part of our plan involves a redesign of our website to direct prom committees to in order to see the backgrounds available."
Tom, Burtchaell Photography, Billings, MT

"Thank you! It looked great and the kids loved it! We are really pleased with how the backgrounds photograph and the ease of setup and of course your excellent customer service!!"
Jan, Camera Works Photography, Bullhead City, AZ

"Prom background was another big hit following up the hit from last year."
Buck, Jackson Photography, Port Lavaca, TX

"We have had nothing but exemplary customer service from David and Jadyne at Dozens of Muslins. They are true professionals and their backgrounds photograph outstanding. It makes it easy for us to sell our service as we almost always match a special event theme by using the Dozens of Muslins web-site. Customers have been thrilled with the images we provide using their backgrounds and my photographers love the simplicity of the background fitting into a small box or bag for transport."
Alex, Lifetouch National School Studios, Reno, NV

"The prom committee loved the backdrop and we delivered the packages 5 days after the prom. Thanks again."
Sam, Sam Santilli Photography, Philippi, WV

Photo Hobbyists Snapping Up More Business

2009-09-03T06:52:00.000-07:00

The San Francisco Chronicle ran a story this morning about something that we all know, that amateurs are taking over the business—"It'd be nice to get paid, but I don't really care," said the San Francisco resident. "What are they going to pay me, a hundred dollars? I'd rather get copies and show them to my friends."

And later, the owner of a publication wrote, "The quality was great," said Heather Luplow Hartle, owner of 7x7 publisher Hartle Media Ventures. "The average person wouldn't know if it was amateur or professional."

To read the entire disheartening article...

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/09/03/BU2H19DPFN.DTL

(On the other hand, sites like "Flicker" and "Istockphoto" are buying shots from everyone, not just amateurs. Perhaps this will open up new opportunities for us all.

Double Prom Set-Up

2009-09-02T14:33:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple shots of a double-background set up, courtesy of Dirk Bietau, in Santa Rosa, CA.

Top Image:
Dirk uses 3 lights—a key light (45 degrees left of camera position), a fill light (black umbrellas next to tripod), and a hairlight (softbox on a boom). While students are waiting in line Dirk shows old black and white movies on the big white screen in the rear of the image.

Bottom Image:
A closer look at one of the two setups. The background is stretched and taped to the floor. Velvet is suspended on either side not only to prevent students from seeing those being photographed (he very wisely has them line up behind the backgrounds, so they won't be a distraction), but to obscure lighting equipment when photographing groups. (Our muslins are 10' wide, and groups of 12-14 can be accommodated without the need to go beyond the muslin itself. But that's another article).

Digital Photography Review Entry

2009-09-02T14:20:00.000-07:00

If you've read out September newsletter, then you know that we're actively entering images in Digital Photography Review's web site challenges. Since every entry is ranked according to the votes it receives from members, we're risking the possibility of finishing dead last, which is pretty awful for a contest that doesn't really award any money, trips to Disneyland, or gas for life.

Also, since our names are published along with our entries, we're opening ourselves to the possibility that people will click on that, see our names, visit our profiles, and send us obscene rants about Obama's health care plans, or more likely, suggestions for Canadian pharmacies, or how we can improve ourselves in the bedroom.

Okay, enough. This was a macro-shot I took on Kodachrome about twenty years ago, sold to a company that was making a flower calendar, waited for a couple of years for the calendar to sell a zillion copies. When it didn't, they returned the slide along with $100. And that's pretty much why I never went into the stock photography business. Thanks for looking.

David

Client-Suggested Poses

2009-09-02T14:09:00.000-07:00

These come from Wallace T. Wiggam, of Santa Rosa, CA - poses 1, 3, 6 and 7 are top secret and could burn your eyes out if you look at them directly.

Lighting Our Backgrounds

2009-09-02T12:10:00.001-07:00

Lighting

I've been asked from time to time how I light the images that appear on our web site. Here's a brief synopsis and explanation. I always use at least three lights—the key, fill, and a boom with a softbox. Occasionally, I may use a background light, an accent light of some kind, or a focusing spotlight. But these are the exceptions. Most every conventional image was illuminated the same way—with a key, fill, and hair light.
 Michael Libutti some years ago discussed the four main factors that determine the quality of light a key light produces: angle, size, distance, and intensity. All four principles apply to proper key light placement in dance photography.

Key Light

The key or main light is the principle source of light. I place the key light on about a 45 degree arc from the camera position and raise it to a position two or three feet over my head. I then feather the light considerably, which allows only the edge of the light source to light the couple. It may seem counter intuitive to watch 95% of the light disappear off to the side of the couple, and indeed, many times my assistants have wanted to pivot the light stand so the light appears to be directly falling on the subject. However, flash readings confirm for me that the light that's falling where I want it to fall (on the couple itself) will measure f11 with 100 ISO. There is little light left over for the background itself.
Once the key light is correctly raised and feathered, the second issue, size, needs to be addressed. I either use large Balcar white umbrellas (w/ a black back) or Larson softboxes to produce large soft light without fear of lens flare. Since I’m sometimes operating in inconvenient places, it is important that I control as many variables with my lighting as possible, while still retaining the flexibility that large soft lighting provides. With Powerlights and Larson soffboxes, I can often bring in my key light just out of view, feather the light, and still get f 11, which is amount of light I want from my main light.

Fill Light

I place the fill about shoulder height, just out of view, on the opposite side of the key light, and measure it at f 6.3, or halfway between f 5.6 and f 8.
 If I want to lighten the background I exchange the Larson softboxes for large Balcar umbrellas. White on the inside and black on the outside, these large umbrellas provide an even soft light, which may spill onto the background enough to render it a bit lighter in photographs. The black surface of the umbrellas prevents lens flare.

Hair Light

 I used to use a Plume wafer softbox as a hairlight, but I found that removing it from the ceiling of my studio is such a nuisance that I abandoned it in favor of a mini-softbox of indeterminate design and origin. That’s where I hold my meter, and where the heads of the blond surfer boys are likely to stop. I shoot at f 11
 At this point we're ready to go. For us, it's at this time that one of our employees takes the money; another checks gum, wrist corsages, ties, boutonnieres, then guides the couple to an on-deck circle, off-camera, in a visually advantageous position, then poses the couple. I refine the pose, if necessary, removing hands that grow out of shoulders, getting hair out of faces, making sure that jackets fall properly, etc., I generally don’t like to have people watching the couple whose portrait I’m doing, but if the next couple sees us set up, they can be a little easier to pose.
There is no "right" way to light a dance photograph. Many of our clients use a simpler one light solution. The boom can be a nuisance, especially in Father-Daughter affairs, where the light has to be carefully monitored in order not to illuminate those "follically challenged". (How's that for a euphemism?). Nevertheless, I've found that my system provides an attractive three dimensional depth and modeling without deep dark shadows that I've only seen achieved with a multiple light system. I like it.
.

3D49 - National Champ

2009-09-02T11:48:00.000-07:00

Sam Baugh, Lifetouch and Prestige Portraits Photographer from Reno, Nevada, entered this photo in a National Portrait Excellence Contest held by Lifetouch. With 250 entries in the Special Event Category, his Prom and Dance portrait was selected as National Grand Champion. The background is 3D49 ("Papa Razzi.") We've got 11 copies, some of which are currently in the shop, undergoing carpet re-redification. We don't get many "Pink Carpet" themes.

The Best of Both Worlds

2009-01-07T11:48:00.000-08:00

In this picture our prolific friend Jan Lundberg blends a couple of different technologies - the three-dimensional composition of 3D28 (Atlantis) and an on-site printer with digital overlay capabilities. The result is a multi-layered image that can be created in moments in a comparatively small area. We suspect that perhaps the technology of fermenting grain and/or fruit may have also contributed something to this photograph.

Senior Portrait Artists - Las Vegas

2009-01-07T10:42:00.001-08:00

Dad (a.k.a. "David") and I spent the first Saturday of 2009 driving nine hours from the Dozens of Muslins headquarters in northern California to the westernmost fringes of Las Vegas, where the Red Rock Resort lies, for this year's Senior Portrait Artists conference. It was to be a historical event - DoM's first-ever trade show, and neither of us knew what to expect. The resort was the size of a small town, and after several trips up and down the wrong escalator, and back and forth through the hotel's hallways, which were about a half-mile long, we got settled in. We checked out our booth, which was at the end of a central aisle, next to the folks from DNL Photo Packaging. That's their 8x10 Signature Color Box in the bottom left, with the Reversible Aqua/Chocolate Ribbon. The show was great - we don't talk to many people beyond our UPS driver so it was great to get out into the world and make some friends. And we actually got to see what several of our clients look like!
We also managed a couple of trips into Red Rock Canyon to hike, explore, and for Dad to shoot. These pictures are from the Calico Hills area of the park - rusted iron in the rocks gives everything its red color.

Special thanks to everybody who made it a great trip. In no particular order the folks from: DNL Photo Packaging, Madcamp Backgrounds, Burrell Colour Imaging, Denny Manufacturing, BWC Photo Imaging, H&H Color Labs, the Maheus, Back to Back Design Works, Read Photography, Cripe Photography, SunWest Studios, On Broadway Photography, Dunlap Photography, and Inter-State Studios.

Booth photo: F4, 1/60, ISO 1600. Red rocks: F8, 1/200, ISO 500. B&W shot of me: F7.1, 1/200, ISO 500.

May Induce Euphoria

2008-12-16T13:25:00.000-08:00

This is the staff of Mossbarger Photography, in Scappoose, Oregon, setting up 3D24 (Dock of the Bay) for a winter ball last weekend! Considering it was about zero degrees up there and they're out working on a Saturday night, these women look like they're having way too much fun. As much as I'd like to credit the amazing-ness of our backgrounds for the levity (levity...get it? ha!), it probably has more to do with the folks at Mossbarger than with us. Thanks for sending the picture, Mary!

Lab Recommendations

2008-12-11T10:35:00.000-08:00

Tell us about your lab! We want to hear your recommendations and your stories about your photo labs. Hit the comment link below, take a second, and give your deserving photofinishers some deserved publicity.

Marketing Tips - Background Menus

2008-12-08T11:09:00.000-08:00

This one comes from our friend Jan, of Jan Lundberg Photography in San Francisco. We provided her with some high-res jpegs of our jazz-themed backgrounds and she put this collage together, added some photos of some props, and passed the menu along to the event planner who was organizing the party. We considered this one a particularly successful marketing idea - the planner not only found a photo background she liked but also rented a second one just to add to the party's decor. Other photographers have incorporated our backgrounds images into their websites, or simply included a link to our site.

The 3D Effect Continued (ad nauseum)

2008-12-02T15:39:00.000-08:00

On the left is a photo of our background 3D10 (Space), stretched out. The top half looks normal; the bottom half looks funky. But once it's set up with the fold in the right place, and the subjects in the right place, and the camera in the right place, it magically transforms to the image on the right.

The 3D Effect

2008-12-02T15:11:00.000-08:00

What began in Italy in the middle of the 15th century with Piero della Francesca's painting "The Flagellation of Christ" culminates in our line of 3D backgrounds, as demonstrated here with 3D49 (Papa Razzi). We harness the same tricks of perspective, depth, and foreshortening to create three-dimensional scenes that place art not only behind the subjects, but beneath them and in front of them as well. We're fairly certain Francesca would have been duly wowed. Also, our backgrounds are much less expensive than his work.

Dozens of Muslins Introduction

2008-12-01T19:04:00.001-08:00

Hello and welcome to the launch of the official Dozens of Muslins blog, the first salvo in a multi-headed, all-out assault on the world wide web. (The other heads are a little more modest - basically we just tell everyone who will listen to us about our website and services.) In brief: we rent out high-quality, hand-painted scenic backgrounds for the dance and special event photography market. We have 130 (and counting) original designs, and we can ship anywhere in the US, with very little notice, if need be. But beyond that, we are an information hub - with clients in 42 (so far) states, we have our fingers on the pulse of the senior portrait industry all across America, from Cape Canaveral to Hilo to Port Angeles. Our clients tell us what works for them, and what doesn't. There are many pressures facing professional photographers, from the rise of digital photography and accesible scanning technologies to the difficulty of selling portraits in today's economy, and having access to information about best practices can make or break a small studio. So please watch this space - we'll use it to publish photos and tips, and we'll keep you informed about sales, new designs, and the like. And please post your comments, whether it's feedback for our business, tips for our clientele, or anything else on your mind. Well, almost anything else. Thanks very much!