GRAND OPENING OF DR. PHILIPS CENTER
November 6, 2014

At the right place and the right time, BIGEYE Agency has found itself in the center of the new downtown art district - after they were moved from their original location on Lake Eola. The new neighbor to be completed and settled in today was the new Dr. Philips Center. The new and beautifully designed building has been under construction for the past two years. Now that it is completed, the center has set Orlando on the stage as one of the world's growing art communities. To show BIGEYE's appreciation for the arts, we held a mural painting contest that was finished just in time for the center's grand opening. 
With all these new opportunities, BIGEYE will be in the eyes of the art community. 

The new DPAC center has three different theaters dedicated to Walt Disney, The De Vos Family Room, rehearsal studios, and a couple of bars for mixing. At the grand premiere opening, Mayor Bundy as well as many members of the city board were present and speakers. The ceremony was adorned with The Voice contest winner singing the national anthem and Orlando City color guard. From this beautiful premiere, I can already tell that the performances that will come through will be just as magical!
There will be several events that welcome the community and the DPAC center to downtown Orlando:
 

- Community Open House (Free Event)
  November 8 from 12:00 pm to 6:00 pm

- Community Open House (Free Event)
  November 9 from 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm

- Carmina Burana produced by The Orlando Ballet and Bach Festival Society
  November 22 at 7:30 pm
 

BIGEYE INTERNSHIP MIDTERM REFLECTION

October 29, 2014

BIGEYE is a full-service advertising agency located in the heart of Downtown Orlando. As an Intern, I have already felt like family to the employees and fit in right with their company culture.

The areas of work that are tasked to me include: project management, internet/market research, social media marketing, participate in internal brainstorming and client meetings. Since I am a photographer, Shelby the marketing manager has assigned me special tasks of capturing the company's quirky culture. 

I have been uploading photos periodically of in-office events and whenever I have been sent elsewhere. So far I have only been to the Arnold Palmer Hospital to help photograph signage being put up.

I had the opportunity of photographing the new project manager, Kendra, for their website. 

Recently, I have been documenting the mural painting that will be featured on the BIGEYE home where it will be viewed highly on Downtown Orlando and the new Dr. Philips Performing Arts center. This has been my favorite event to be a part of. The campaign BIGEYE ran for artists to participate in the contest was called "Take it To the Streets". The contest awarded one muralist $750. There were only six artists that submitted work. The winner that was chosen best depicted the art scene that the Downtown area is becoming with the new Dr. Philips building and also includes the BIGEYE logo somewhere in the piece.

PROFESSIONAL HEADSHOT AT HOME

October 25, 2014

UCF stands for opportunity. Once again I will have the chance to offer a great opportunity for career searching students. Several of my Marketing courses have stressed the importance of professional image offline and online such as my Digital Media Marketing class.
Cell phone selfies will not impress employers when they review a student’s resume or LinkedIn profile. Students should understand the importance of brand “you” and have a strategy to appear as the number one candidate on all of their profiles.

Professional headshots can be expensive for a few photographs. For a corporation, headshots of executives and employees can range from $100-$300 each person. This is way out a college student’s price range. My photography business offers a quick solution for students seeking out opportunity at Career Fairs at UCF.
What better time to take a professional profile picture when students are already dressed for success?

This entry will be a great tip for students who want to take professional photos at home if they can’t afford the service.
The two main materials and factors that need to be considered are:

- Location
- Lighting

If you desire a workplace setting, make sure the background is not too distracting from the subject. It is not always necessary to use a white or black backdrop, but it is the cleanest option. Alternatives to a professional backdrop would be a soft colored wall – or a bright one, depending on the kind of employer you’re trying to impress.

The way light is positioned in a room can make a big difference when taking a picture. Photography is the art of light after all. Professional constant, flash, or speedlites are usually used, but natural light can also work as well. The main light should be right in front of the sitter, above them and slightly to one side. This could be a strong ceiling light or from a window. To avoid harsh light, use a reflective material on the opposite side to balance the light on the subject. One final light, if possible, should be lighting the background behind the subject. This will help bring out the workplace background if there is one; or the background light can be used to eliminate shadows. If you have an on-board or external flash for your camera, use a diffuser or something to bounce the light off of so the subject will not have any harsh light on them.

BENNY BENASSI & A BEING BUSINESS PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER

October 9, 2014

This entry will not focus so much on the artistic process that goes through photographing renowned DJs like Benny Benassi. Let's focus on the other side of being a photographer, the professionalism that should go along with it. These days the photography market is becoming over saturated, especially with the recent uprising in live music photography. A major contribution is the electronic style, in my option. Since 2012, EDM has been flooding the ears of many. Now in 2014, you can find elements of electronic music in almost any genre. This can be seen as a positive: uniting of all genres, or a negative: dissipation of real "live" music.

On this topic of electronic evolution with photography, I want to mention how Benny Benassi was one of the first house producers to sweep the nation before the EDM boom with his hit in 2003, Satisfaction. So you can only guess this was going to be a monumental event that I get to photograph. The production brought to Firestone Live was more than a few additional lights brought in by HTG. Lighting nodes were rearranged to be aligned in the front of the stage to give room for the LED wall the Danceaholic Tour brought in.

My challenge this week was silhouetting of the DJ or in other words back lighting strongly emitted by the LED wall. As a photographer, you should have knowledge how to conquer these obstacles by adjusting your settings. This wasn't the difficult task for me, it was dealing with stage restrictions for the additional production. It wasn't until the end of the night that I had the courage to get in front and close enough to the DJ to take the shots I wanted. Here were my main concerns:
- Invading the DJ's performance view
- Upsetting his tour manager or HTG's manager
The best method to put away these doubts is to approach these managers in a serious and professional manner. This is a way you can properly introduce yourself, create a relationship, and ensure that your images would live on beyond the event page that it would be posted to.

I successfully followed through with this thinking and was able to obtain the tour manager's business card to send images over. The reward for this networking was compensation for my photographs and reposting of my images onto Benny Benassi's website.

SAFE IN SOUND FESTIVAL

October 3, 2014

It was only a little over a month before outdoor stage equipment was being set up once again in the Firestone Festival Grounds. Independent Music Festival took place August 23rd with Excision headlong. This October, Excision will be returning for another headlining tour except with the one of a kind three piece bass  live performance. All of the artists in the lineup for Safe in Sound definitely were for the bass heads. Destroid, the headlining act, consists of Exicison, Downlink, and KJ Sawka on the drums. It was impressive to see two of my favorite DJ producers playing the "wub wubs" live on midi-guitars. 

But before this sound crushing performance, the festival started off with a local favorite: Dvnk Sinatra. Not only does the duo know how to rowdy up a crowd properly, I applaud him for his marketing efforts. They throw out a number of goodies to the crowd with their DJ name on it: lighters, towels, and beanies, They were luckily squeezed in this show with a 30 minute slot last minute. The real opener was Terravita. It's not too often that you attend a festival with headliners from the start to finish. I believe that's really what made this festival successful. Why start soft when you can hit the ground shaking.

Terravita was a great blend of dub step along with mainstream music. Along with his MC, Terravita had the crowd prepared for the "ball trap" god UZ by closing out his set with "Rude" by MAGIC! The very first time I saw UZ at a festival was right here in Orlando and then next in Vegas. His persona definitely keeps the audience captivated and fits his dark trap music style very well. It is known that UZ always performs with a mask, snapback on, and hoodie up. The secrecy of his identity has us on the edge every time with every build up.

 

CANON AF POINT SELECTION

October 1, 2014

Everyone has a method of getting critical focus for a shot. There is not a right or wrong way, but several options that Canon technology has given photographers with newer dSLR models from the Canon 7D until the new Canon 5D Mark iii. Canon engineers have included many new features to focusing technology such as by adding more autofocus points, smaller spot time focus points, three options for expanding the size of an AF point, and even a joystick to control selecting the point.

The specific camera model that I am using is the Canon 5D Mark iii - so this is the autofocus system that I'll be breaking down. The Canon 5D Mark iii has a new 61-point, high density reticular AF system, which sets it up to have tremendous flexibility and control, and ability to capture nearly any type of subject matter. The AF selection method has been available since the Canon 7D, but there was no expansion option. The new Canon 5D allows your to expand the single point into 4 extra points, 8 extra points, and even a zone AF option that covers up to 12 points.

All of these points can also be easily cycled through using the right dial near the shutter and the AF-on back button. Moved points can also be saved by clicking the back view finder button. This makes it much easier to photograph all types of subjects on a shoot. For me, I have to switch from shooting narrow subjects that include one or two in a group, to a wider focus shot that has more than seven people in different directions. Photographers may think that using the AF 61-point would be the best option, but there is really no control. 

Focusing on a person's head or eye is still the most important, no matter how many people in a group. If you are using the 61-point selection and a shallow depth of field, one person's hand that is closest to the lens can throw off the entire focus of the shot. That is why the new focus technology gives the photographer more flexibility and control to achieve the desired composition and focus of every varying shot.

TOMORROWWORLD 2014

September 25-28, 2014

Last year, TomorrowWorld welcomed 140,000 visitors from over 75 countries to the Chattahoochee Hills just outside of Atlanta, Georgia. This marked the first international edition of Tomorrowland, the world's most popular electronic music festival, held in Belgium each year.
TomorrowWorld is a 3-day festival known for innovative and immersive experiences with fantasy like decor, enchanting acts, and camping. Luckily I was able to take part in this experience last year and now the for the second time in 2014.

Performing among eight states, TomorrowWorld assembled a nearly 300 strong line-up including Tiesto, David Guetta, Armin Van Buuren, Afro Jack, and Porter Robinson. The location sits within 8,000 acres of rolling hills, lakes and forests. The 2014 lineup included some of my favorite Djs this year: Skrillex, Bassnectar, Zeds Dead, Datsik, and Laidback Luke. 
Many of the other Dj's I have had the opportunity to photograph at Firestone Live were playing at TomorrowWorld. My friend who was working production for the festival was able to obtain media credentials for me. I was really excited to be celebrating my second TomorrowWorld in a special way. This was the opportunity that I have been working towards all year!

Unfortunately I did not keep my relationship networking with some Dj's as close as I should have. I may have met some tour managers and the artists itself, but I did not do a good job of continuing that network. This became a learning experience through failure than a reward. 
My first lesson is to have my online presence set. I believe that this digital marketing class will help with motivating me in that direction. Something as simply handing a manager my business card can go a long way. 

My friend Jordan who was working production met with me at the festival with some let down news. Media credentials were more strict this year than he thought. Even with an approved pass, I would not be allowed into the pit area, and definitely not have stage access. In order to have stage access, I would have needed special approval from specific artists. This is where I realized that I had let loose relationships with artists that I could have kept. Even recently photographing ETC! ETC! and Morgan Page could have led to at least something great if I had put more effort.

This was definitely a lesson learned that to survive in this industry, there is more than just my work  that needs to speak, but also my personality and business goals need to reflect my creative work.

FIRESTONE LIVE CONCERT SERIES

September 12, 2014

What first inspired me to take photographs artistically was the passion I could capture through live music performances. Being a musician myself, I always felt connected with other musicians and can predict their actions on stage - just like a sports photographer would be knowledgeable to strategic football plays to create a successful image. 
Luckily many of my friends were musicians in Daytona Beach so I had the chance to practice comfortably at local venues. Four years later, I am shooting in venues with top notch lighting, sound, and production in general. My progression from using onboard flash has now expanded to producing low light images that put you in the front row and even back stage.

​Firestone Live is the venue where I majorly shoot Electronic Dance Music (EDM). But every couple weeks I get the please for capturing live bands - and it's always a great variety! Last month's concert series consisted of metal bands. This edition had a mix of arena rock so soft "biker" rock at the end. 
Leaving Haven was one of the most solid bands to perform that night. Great energy from the band as a whole, clean vocals from the front man, and huge support from their fans!

After their set, I had the chance to speak with Chris their drummer. I was fascinated with the talent local bands have been show casing lately. I wanted to find out what other venues out here in Orlando support local rock. Chris mentioned a couple bar-like venues like Stigma - but to my surprise they have opened for headlining acts at House of Blues such as 3 Doors Down!

Even though Orlando is a much bigger city than Daytona Beach, I felt the old vibe of a musical family. Something I noticed from teenage rockers was an ego that their band was always the best. This time EVERY band supported each other, that was something nice to see now that I'm older.
One of the guest singers for Empire Theory was celebrating her birthday that night. Members of each band took the stage and conducted the Firestone crowd to a roaring "Happy Birthday"
(No mics needed)

DESTINY MIDNIGHT LAUNCH

September 8, 2014

It has been over six months that I have been scheduled to work at the Full Sail Gamestop, 
It has been over a year that I have played a first person shooter or open world video game.
It has been about two years since I've put time into my last massively multiplayer online game.

I've been counting down the days until the release of the highly anticipated game from Bungie and Activision. This new video game put an end to the hiatuses I just listed. The reason why I haven't recently worked at Gamestop or played video games in general is because I chose to put my time into more school related productivity. 
Since last summer started, I focused most of my efforts on preparing myself for my last year at UCF. Now that there is a little more free time in the fall with longer semesters, I feel like I can reward myself with my favorite pass time.

My room mate / best friend is the assistant store manager of the Full Sail Gamestop, so I have worked closely with some ideas and goals that she had for this special midnight launch. At my summer internship with Orlando Weekly, I was able to convince Monster Energy Drink to donate several cases of their drinks to dedicated customers who wait as early as 9:00 AM to be the first person in line. Other unique additions to this midnight release that made it special were Jeremiah's Italian Ice truck, raffles with prizes, and a DJ to entertain the line. Usually I work the register by pre-ringing preorders or crowd control.

Destiny's launch was very special this time around, because my best friend proposed that I take photos to really show how much this local Gamestop cares for their customers and that they are having a good time! With this unexpected project, I feel as though I enhanced the experience of "the guardians" and Gamestop's brand!

Hopefully this won't be the last time that I have this opportunity. If seen by the right people within the company, more doors and possibilities can be open for me as a photographer and my best friend as their store manager. Now for the game itself, it has reached the hype that has been constantly growing. Unfortunately I still haven't found the time to create a character myself. Over the weekend I plan to catch up with my friends so we can play together!

Independence Music Festival

August 23, 2014

This would be my first Electronic Dance Music festival on this size of scale that I would be shooting. Luckily it is also the company's first event to be held at my photography residence, Firestone Live. The other resident photographer, Ben Weickert, and I took the challenge of documenting this music event from 12 noon to 2:00 am. It was great to have my creative friend by my side to bear the summer heat and party-goers through out the day.

The difference of a normal concert and a music festival are the other activities that they offer, the duration, and the headliners. For this festival, it so happened to be one of my favorite dub step producers - Excision. Ben and I have had the pleasure of photographing him once before at the House of Blues, but never at an outdoor event like this. IMF, for short, had more than 7 stages through out the day, life performing aerialists, vendors, food trucks, and water slides. Photographing all these different elements to make one complete element was another challenge for us since we normally shoot musicians only. 

Ben and I decided to rotate every two hours who would be shooting. The turnout of people attending was not what we expected, little to none. It was not until the sun was down that we were able to make Firestone Live's festival grounds look packed with more than 400 people. By the time the party-goers seemed to become alive, the Orlando City Police Station shut down the event at 11:30 pm for violating sound regulations.

Firestone Live opened it's doors to the attendees for free admission to the after party since the out door event was shut down early. To everyone's surprise, Excision played a set from 1:30 am to close. This was a great response for disappointed attendees to Independence Music Festival.

Hopefully next year, promotions and hype will draw a better crowd. I wish Carine, the founder of IMF, success on to her next part of IMF events in Puerto Rico!