Behind the Scenes Look – “Nomad Photoshoot”
by Kauwuane on Oct.12, 2011, under Photo Shoots
I don’t do a lot of behind the scenes video of my shoots, mainly because the one’s I’ve seen are pretty boring!..About the same as most photographer’s blogs. But hey I thought this would be a cool shoot to capture on video, plus its my blog and I’m trying to do better by updating it. These kinds of shoots can only happen with a great team, concept and energy. Everyone did great and their talents were on full display.
A behind the scenes look of a great concept come to life with the help of a team of very gifted people.
My!..What a big lens you have!!
by Kauwuane on Oct.05, 2011, under Uncategorized
For many of you that don’t know I operate out of 500X Studio in Dallas, TX. The studio is basically a co-op of some of Dallas top photographers. One of the best things about shooting at the studio is getting the opportunity to borrow each others cool stuff and that includes models too! I recently had the opportunity to borrow a 400mm 2.8L Canon lens from a fellow photographer who rented it to cover action shots of a little league football game. I was also able to borrow from a model from a shoot by another photographer that was taking place in the studio at the same time. Yeah we have it like that at the studio..models and equipment just sitting around doing nothing.
We’ll let me tell you, this lens is huge and I mean huge. If you’ve ever watched a NFL game and seen a camera guy with this big ‘ol white lens attached to what appears a little camera thrown over his shoulder then you know what I’m talking about.
I would never do a full fashion shoot with this lens, its just too big, but I just had to do a test with it. Hey, it was just laying around, oh and did I mention that the model was just laying around too. We’ll not laying but she was in the studio so I had to put them both to work.
This lens can’t be handheld, you must and I stress must put it on a monopod or tripod to hold it steady. I tried a monopod at first but I still wasn’t comfortable with it until I mounted it to my tripod. I’ve attached a few photos from the test shoot. These images are straight out of the camera, no post processing, no contrast correction, sharpening or anything…just call it Raw!
The thing to notice is the bokeh(blurry, creamy background) behind the subject. Only a lens like this would produce something so beautiful and yet so sharp. Of course it helps to have a beautiful model just lounging around the studio, but that’s how we roll at 500X Studio.
TV News CW33 interview
by Kauwuane on Mar.05, 2011, under Uncategorized
I finally get to update my blog with some exciting news. I had the opportunity of being interviewed by Toni Duclottni for a local Dallas news station. I think I did ok but check it out for yourself.
Finally Updated!!!!!!
by Kauwuane on Oct.01, 2010, under Uncategorized
Finally got the website updated. I have a few of the new photos in the front under each category but I placed some new shots further into the site as well. This is simply to make people look through the entire site instead of just the first few pages. I hope you will be able to see something that you like and who knows you may even see a old image that you’ve overlooked a time or two. My favorite update to the site was my shoot for the Black Affair. I had so many great images that it was hard to choose which ones to showcase. I wanted the images to tell a story and have a very strong editorial feel. I think this was accomplished but I’ll let you be the judge of that.
The music is the same, hey, I really feel the music I have on the site and it’s me, plus it’s my site…LOL! Some people don’t think I should have music on my site but I really want the viewer to be in a total mood when viewing my images. I want them to be totally immersed in a new environment and I feel the music adds to the experience. Plus have you ever tried watching a movie with no music…boring!!!!!!!
Anyway, sit back, have fun and enjoy the new images.
This is why I love what I do.
Portfolio Update Time!!!!
by Kauwuane on Sep.22, 2010, under Uncategorized
Yep, it’s about that time again! Time to update the ‘ol website and my printed portfolio. Yes I still have a printed portfolio that I keep in my studio and take around with me when I’m out beating the streets for work. I know a lot of photographers are now using the IPad to show their photos to clients and I haven’t quite dove into that yet, but have been thinking about it. I mean it would be cheaper than printing in the long run. I can store old photos in different folders just in case a client need to see something in particular. Hmm, I may need to ponder on that a little harder.
I always look forward to updating my website. I shoot so much over a given time period I tend to get behind on the retouching and categorizing what I think is portfolio worthy. I often struggle choosing between images that I simply like for whatever reason and the images that may potentially bring in more clients. It’s always a balancing act that photographers or anyone that works in the creative world have to deal with. I mean it could be the coolest image ever shot but if it doesn’t represent the type of work a client wants to see then it’s not really doing you any good. Your friends and family will tell you how great it looks but they are not helping you pay the bills on the first of the month. I still have a few images that I’m not quite done with yet and have made it a goal of mine to have the images done and uploaded to the website by October 1st. I’ll make sure to send out an announcement when the new images have been added.
Check back soon
This is why I love what I do!
My Day of Reflection
by Kauwuane on Sep.08, 2010, under Uncategorized
Wow!..Didn’t realize that it’s been so long since I last updated this blog.
We’ll were do I start, first off today is my birthday and I’ve already received a ton of text, email blast and Facebook post from a ton of people and I truly thank all of them. When I set out to update my blog today I wasn’t quite sure in which direction I wanted to go with it. Part of me wanted to do something simple so I could just say that I did it and another part of me wanted to lay it all out on the line. I chose to be somewhere in the middle. I never wanted this blog to be about how I shot a certain image or what type of light, reflector or any other gadget used in capturing a shot. I wanted it to be a way for you to get to know me a little bit better and maybe see why I do what I love to do.
So first a little background on me. I’ve been in photography for over 7 years now and a full-time working professional for the last two years. No I didn’t grow up with a camera in hand and no my dad, grandfather, mother or any other relative give me a camera as a child. The only camera I ever remember seeing as a child was a Polaroid camera and it seems like we never had film for the thing. If it wasn’t for those class pictures we took in school, I don’t even think I would have many photos to look back on. I didn’t even think much about those pictures back then, yeah it was cool how the photo came out the camera but I was more into drawing and painting as an expression of art. Photography was something that came much later in life and it came in with a bang.
Looking back on things over the past few years, this career in photography has been what I call LIFE. There has been good times, and bad times. I’ve met a ton of people that I never would have met had I not gotten into this profession. Some of those people have been there when I needed them and some have let me down when I needed them. Photography has been good to my family and it has also been mean to my family. I know that I’ve sacrificed a lot to pursue this career and I also feel that I haven’t done enough to get to where I truly want to be. I regret some of the decisions I’ve made over the past few years and I embrace what I’ve learned at the same time. There are times when I ask myself did I do the right thing, is this truly the path meant for me, but in my heart of hearts I know and only I know how I fell when I’m doing a photo shoot. I know how I feel when I see my clients face light up from a simple image. I don’t know how much good I’m doing in the big scheme of things but I do know that I’m doing something that I love to do. For 27 years or so I asked myself what was it I wanted to be when I grow up. I asked myself that same question after I graduated high school, again after college and yet again after I got my post graduate degree. For the first time I can honestly answer that question. I know what I want to be when I grow up, I know what I want to be in 10, 15, and 20 years from now. Will I be able to sustain my business? Only time will tell but it won’t be for lack of determination and drive!
Would I do some things differently?…Of Course! Would I do it all again…Yes?
This is why I love what I do!
House of Haute…Haute…Haute
by Kauwuane on Jan.20, 2010, under Uncategorized
Over the last few months I’ve had the pleasure of working with a young lady by the name of Toni Duclottni that has a dream and the will to make her dreams come true. At first she was just a client and now I consider her a good friend. She commissioned me to shoot all of her personal images. She needed a nice stockpile of images to be used for personal, business and promotional use. But the thing that impresses me the most is the effort she puts into her weekly webisodes that she uploads to Youtube. And I do mean weekly! I have the hardest time just updating a blog that takes very little effort, but to actually do a 10 min. video segment with all the editing is amazing. And the best part is that the show is purely about something that she loves. I tell people everyday that when you are pursing a passion, the work that it takes doesn’t seem like work at all.
Anyway make sure to checkout ALL of her episodes and let me know if you happen to see a little ‘ol segment about a photo shoot we did together. I’m not one for the camera but I think I caught the bug..cough…cough..my bad it’s only a slight cold. Please show her some love and also subscribe to her Youtube page….http://www.youtube.com/user/HouseOfHaute
Haute on Camera: A Kauwuane Burton Shoot
This is why I love what I do!!
Merry Christmas
by Kauwuane on Dec.24, 2009, under Uncategorized
I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year!!!
A Photographer’s Bestfriend
by Kauwuane on Nov.05, 2009, under Photo Shoots
Many people would think I’m talking about my lights, the models I use or even Photoshop. Nope, I’m simply talking about a group of artist that makes what I do look great. I’ve mentioned this to new photographers a lot but my best friends are makeup artist (Mua’s). It didn’t take me long after I started shooting to realize the importance of a good mua. A good mua can bring out the features in a person that you may not see at first. They know how to highlight just the right areas of a face and hide all the small imperfections. It’s pretty well known that I won’t shoot without a mua on board. Not only that but I’ll go to bat for any of my mua’s anytime. They know they always have me on their side. If my mua says that a certain color will look better on a person then that’s the direction I’ll be going. I believe in letting experts do what they do best. I absolutely love doing beauty shoots in which the focus of the session is simply on the model’s face and the artistry of the makeup.
So to all photographers, never underestimate the importance of a good mua. What they do is so important to having a great shoot. They are able to transform a model right before your eyes into the idea of what will take your image to the next level. Be kind to your mua’s and treat them with the up most respect and in return they will provide you with work that will truly amaze.
Some of the makeup artist that I’ve had the opportunity to work with are below. By all means get in contact with them and take your photography to a whole new level.
Bridgett H. – www.bridgetth.com/
Bridgett Washington – www.modelmayhem.com/97520
Brooke Laurine – www.myspace.com/laurinedale
Latonya Flournoy- www.modelmayhem.com/flournoyimaging
Kassie’s Kreations – www.kassiecoleman.com
Lorina – www.modelmayhem.com/ellethemua
P3 Lab - www.p3-lab.com
Shonny – www.sassieface1.com/
Virtuous Reflections -www.virtuousreflections.com/
This is why I love what I do!
Ndambi Photo Shoot
by Kauwuane on Oct.08, 2009, under Photo Shoots
I’ve been shooting full-time for almost 2 years. In that time, I’ve been blessed to have the opportunity to shoot various local artist. Every now and then I’ll have a more recognizable artist walk through my door. I was recently blessed to have the opportunity to photograph the beautiful neo-soul artist Ndambi. Ndambi was introduced to me by an amazing makeup artist named Bridgett Washington.
Photographers remember that makeup artist are your best friend. Never take what they do for granted!!!!
One of my tasks as a photographer is to pull the best out of a person. Not only getting them to relax, but getting them to take their personality to the next level and show me a side that’s not normally seen by everyone. Ndambi was a tad shy at first but as soon as we got her some breakfast and turned up the sounds of her new CD, she woke up and showed out. Checkout some of the resulting shots below. Also make sure to pick up her new CD or visit her website…ndambionline.com.
This is why I love what I do!
