Jason Clevering & ME – Photography Blog

For us, part of being photographers is learning and growing, always perfecting our craft, and constantly sharing our enjoyment of this art with others. In the competitive world of fashion, it is wonderful to take pleasure in the camaraderie among those who possess the same passions as we. A language barrier can never get in the way of the nerdy banter of Broncolor vs. Elinchrom or the quick-witted debate of Canon vs. Hasselblad.

We have worked with fellow photographer Juan Rodrigo before, and were very happy to get another chance to create a making of video for him. On board again was Cristobal Lopez, another skilled photographer, to assist with the lighting scheme. Cristina Ocejo Rodriguez was modeling four different looks, including several designs of Richard War, all with a bald cap and variations of crystal adornments. The artist behind the jeweled brilliance was hair and makeup artist Susana Puigsegur. In the end, nobody could have asked for a better team for this shoot as everybody’s contributions were key in its success!

With corsets, lace gloves, risque chokers, and a lot of skin, Cristina looked gorgeous as she was able to express sensuality through her movement and expressions. Juan, equipped with his reliable Hasselblad, was able to both capture her natural softness and illicit strength and beauty in her poses.

We hope this video can express the overflowing talent that was present that day – don’t forget to watch it in 1080p HD!!!

Last week was 080 Barcelona Fashion, a fashion week that dedicates itself to showcasing independent designers. We were able to get passes to the event through a friend who works for the sponsor, so after flashing our sponsor credentials, we scored some pretty good seats to the shows!

The coolest feature of the tent was the scaffolding that separated backstage from the runway and audience – very rugged chic!

Check out the video we made of Yiorgos Eleftheriades’s fashion show above!

In April of 2010, we received a curious phone call from a boutique advertising agency about a conceptual ad campaign for a Cape Verdean beer called Strela. Our first impression was pure excitement… but little did we know, the photo shoot would actually take place in Africa, which only tripled our anticipation! Of course, we were thrilled to hear this, especially since we would be working side by side with a great film crew called Making Off that would be capturing footage for a spot as well as for a making of video.

Here is a brief diary of our adventures:

Day 1: One week later, we were departing Barcelona for Praia, the capital city on the island of Santiago. Santiago is the largest of the ten main islands of Cape Verde. Just off the western coast of Africa, the country was first inhabited by the Portuguese. There, they speak Portuguese and each island has its own dialect of Creole. The most useful word we learned was obrigado, or thank you!

Day 2: We spent our first day location scouting with the guys from Making Off – quick shout out to director/Making Off creator Elias Lalaux, DP Albert Ramirez, and camera operators (who are also talented photographers) Sergi Magallon and David Bretones – and of course our creative director, Laura Garcia. We initially met with Felix, the executive at Strela who would join us in our travels, and his coworkers Sa and Consencao, who were very knowledgable and helpful guides throughout the trip. This was one of my favorite days because we were able to drive around the whole island, seeing various types of rural villages and interacting with the locals. We were also able to check out the Cockpit, the island’s premiere disco, where we would be shooting the next day. The break between the travel day and the first shooting day also gave us a chance to solidify the concept for the campaign: real people from Cape Verde who represent the great taste, attitude, and pride of both the brand Strela and the nation. This would be obtained by capturing our subjects in their natural environment and in ways that portray the fun and carefree spirit of the beer.

Day 3: Our first shooting day! We began by shooting DJ Bife in his booth at the radio station. It was so fun to meet him and his fellow DJs, and carrying our equipment up five flights of stairs was definitely worth it! DJ Bife was super dynamic and energetic – he is definitely a Strela fan through and through. Next, we headed over the the Cockpit, which is the coolest disco on the island. There, we photographed the owner of the club at the bar, which was so fantastic because he not only is a huge supporter of Strela beer, but also exudes the kind and positive spirit that is so representative of the people of Cape Verde.

Day 4: Another day of shooting! This time, we shot a woman named Nichy, who owns a Strela kiosk in Praia. She is a great addition to the campaign because everyone in Cape Verde is familiar with her stand – it is a great location to hang out in the sun and enjoy a beautiful afternoon with friends drinking Strela!

Day 5: Travel day: farewell Praia, hello Sal! A short flight away, Sal is a beautiful island which is famous for its picturesque beaches, internationally known in the surfing community. Our resort was amazing with the beach just in the backyard!

Day 6: Our first subject was a restaurant owner, who we shot at a beautiful cove which overlooked the ocean and fishing boats. A true “Strelista,” he was so much fun to shoot. Next, we headed over to Milu’s restaurant, where she served us a tasty lunch of rice with seafood. A woman of all trades, Milu is a talented singer, dancer, and restauranteur. She literally had an audience gather to watch her sing and dance in the street while we photographed her!

Day 7: Another travel day: because we were all so desperate to watch the Barca game, we took two early flights to go from Sal to Praia to Sao Vicente (instead of the direct flight that took off right at kickoff). Luckily, we made it in time to watch the game….unfortunately, we lost to Inter. It was a sad moment, but we recovered quickly because we were in the beautiful islands of Cape Verde!

Day 8: With an outdoor bar, a modern swimming pool, the ocean in the background, and a beautiful Cape Verdean girl, we had our next shot handed to us! In order to get the right angle, Jason had to jump in the pool to capture Marisa lounging with the only thing that could complete the scene: a bottle of Strela! She looked stunning in her green dress, don’t you think? Next, we joined in on a pickup ping pong game with a friend! To our great discovery, Strela and ping pong mix very well, so we decided to capture that in the last shot. Sadly, we couldn’t all join in on the tournament because we had to get to the airport for a flight back to Praia!

Day 9: Rest! Our last day was spent chilling and relaxing at our client, Felix’s house. There, we spent the entire afternoon eating, drinking Strela, dancing, laughing, and playing ping pong. Felix was such a gracious host and travel companion to the different islands, but also proved to be a wonderful soul and great friend. We were all honored to join him in his beautiful home to feast on lobster, barbecued meat, and the pork dish from Senegal that he prepared specially for us. Additionally, he and Elias both got a chance to show off their DJing skills!

At this point, we were all so happy with the work we had done, but also sad to know our journey was ending. We all got along so well and within a day of meeting each other we had already become a family. It is not every day that a crew can create such strong friendships and at the same time accomplish a great deal of work, but somehow we managed to develop an incredibly productive and positive work environment along with lifelong relationships with the whole crew.

Check out the amazing video that documents the campaign:

We would like to take this moment to thank everyone who took part in this project for an amazing experience. It was a privilege to work with you, and we are so pleased with both the process and the end result. We are so proud to have these photos on billboards all over Cape Verde!

AMI E STRELISTA!!!!!!!

It’s happened to us all. Your garage, or should I say storage unit, becomes so full of junk that you can’t even park your car in it! Then you come to a moment of realization: I really don’t need all this stuff! Maybe you can make a little cash with a garage sale, selling your scrunchies for five cents apiece, and your Schwinn 10 speed for fifteen bucks, while ridding the evidence of your packrat-esque habits and starting fresh.

However, when perusing through the unwanted items of others, you never expect to come across a Prada blouse for less than half its original price. As a matter of fact, when you think of a garage sale, brands like Balenciaga, Louis Vuitton, and Loewe are the last words that come to mind. But with Garaje Cool and Vintage…

When three fashionable women in Barcelona clean their closets, the result is not tattered clothes that will fall apart in the next load of laundry. They realized that their high end hand-me-downs were all in perfect condition, and that they had enough to open a store. And that was the beginning of Garaje Cool and Vintage.

Now they are not selling their own clothing, but instead open their doors to help you sell your used clothing. They only accept clothes, handbags, and accessories by designer brands and that are in pristine condition. This is your opportunity to purchase that Burberry coat and the Hermes handbag you have always wanted – all within your budget! The store is located on Pomaret, 14 and they are open Monday to Friday from 10-2 and 4-8, but only until May 28!!!

We had an amazing time at this photo shoot, which featured their clothing and handbags.
Photography: Jason Clevering and ME
Model: Tatiana De Leon
Hair/Makeup: Noelia Peso
Location: The Wonderful Space

Check out the store today!!!!!

Most of you probably know her as the host of Shear Genius or Matthew McConaughey’s girlfriend, but for us fashion freaks, Camila Alves is one of the ultimate supermodels. That’s why when we were approached to photograph her for the launch of the Italian brand Pinko, we were more than thrilled! Beautiful both inside and out, Camila was extremely graceful and gracious. Dressed head to toe in Pinko fashions, she looked amazing as we got several shots of her in the Jean Pierre Symbol store, where Pinko clothes will be sold. After having the opportunity to interact with her, we have converted from admirers to super fans! In addition to taking her photo for publicity, we were also asked to cover the party that night, which was put on by XXL Comunicacion. There, we were also fortunate enough to meet Pietro Negra, the owner of Pinko. With great music, flowing champagne, and models from wall to wall, it was definitely a memorable night!

While browsing the magazine section the other day, we started to flip through the March edition of Vogue España. To our pleasant surprise, when we reached page 124 and 126, we saw several of our pictures published in the magazine, with credit to Jason Clevering and ME written in the inner margin! The story tells about the successes of The Brandery, and also talks about the Vogue stand at the event. We were lucky enough to be able to capture some of the moments of the stand, which threw ordinary visitors into the glamour of a fashion shoot. With a hair dresser, makeup artist, stylist, and professional photographer, many people were able to experience the high fashion world for a day. Here, you can see the transformation of two guests turned models, named Laura and Carlota. By dressing the subjects in unique and trendy wardrobe provided by brands such as Custo Barcelona and placing them in front of the lights and flashes of a fashion photographer’s studio, many people were able to have their dreams come true. After all, doesn’t every little girl dream about becoming the cover girl for Vogue Magazine?

We were invited  to attend the fashion shows of Barcelona Fashion Week at Plaza Espana by our friends at Frito Lay/Pepsico, one of the main sponsors of the event.  It was our first opportunity to try out the ability to switch between still and video capabilities of the Canon 5D Mark II in a live, uncontrollable situation.  Let’s just say we were not the only ones impressed.  The “Holy S#*t, he just switched to video!” comment from the two guys shooting Nikon behind us were enough to confirm that the future of journalistic media capturing has arrived.

We chose to sit in two different positions for each of the shows we attended:  one near the middle of the runway in the second row, and the other at the end of the runway as low as we could get to the floor.  We also opted for a 24-70mm lens to give us the ability to shoot wide so that we could capture more of the perspective of someone viewing the entire spectacle rather than just filling the frame with strutting runway models.

As we were not shooting specifically for a client, we decided to try this test with less than ideal settings, primarily, hand-held rather than using a mount.  That being said, the only downside of this experiment is the shakiness of the video image, but we will touch on the remedies in a moment.

As always, the still image quality of the Canon 5D Mark II is stellar.  There are many reasons why we switched from Nikon, Mamiya and Leaf Aptus:  price, quality of images, usability, adaptability, and construction.  Every time we pick up this camera it functions perfectly for the situation, and as we have added peripherals (stay tuned for our post on the new PocketWizard Mini TT1 and TTL 5), our entire new camera rig is keeping us constantly “WOWED”.  Here are a few images of the shows from each perspective:

Now came the really fun part.  At one point during each show, we hit the Live View button on the back of the Canon 5D Mark II and began recording video instantly.  1080p High Definition video!  Here’s what it looks like:

Okay, so it’s a bit shaky.  Well, more like a lot shaky, but as we said earlier, we wanted to see the extremes of hand held video shooting.  There are a lot of options to cure the shakiness.  First, we would use a tripod or monopod as we always do when we are shooting for a client during a runway show.  Secondly, we would choose one of a few options for image stabilizers for DSLR’s that shoot video.

The first stabilizer is the P +S Technik Skater Mini.  This portable dolly stabilizes video and creates perfect tracking moves with the Canon 5D Mark II.  All you need is to put it on a surface, aim the wheels, and push for movements that replicate those of large, outrageously expensive motion picture dollies.  The Skater Mini System is available from P +S Technik at www.pstechnik.de.  Here’s what it looks like:

The second stabilizing option is the Red Rock Micro.  This is a combination matte box, studio follow focus, grip, and shoulder mount for the Canon 5D Mark II.  What is great about this camera rig is that it allows you to quickly go from tripod mount to stabilized hand-held as fast as you can flip and release the baseplate mount on your tripod.  The follow focus is really precise for keeping subjects crisp and clear, and the grips allow for fluid movements while the shoulder mount keeps everything steady.  We also like to shoot with Pro-Mist filters to give that motion picture film grain in the raw video footage so that a post filter does not have to be applied and take up a lot of rendering time.  You can check out the Red Rock Micro at www.redrockmicro.com.  Here’s what it all looks like:

There are many more options for stabilizing video images such as cranes, jib arms, stedi-cams, and others, but these are affordable and portable, allowing us to go from mounted to hand-held very quickly.

All in all, our first live test of the ability to switch from capturing still images to video footage on the fly with the Canon 5D Mark II showed us everything we thought would be capable with our system, even the latitude of the stabilizing that we will fine tune during future shoots.  Stay tuned for the continuation of this post during Barcelona Fashion Week in early 2010, and also our first episode of Walkography™ that features video using the Canon 5D Mark II.