ComicCon Germany 2016

Hey all you comic and super hero and super villian fans!

Below you'll find a set of photographs I had the privilege of capturing this weekend in Stuttgart, Germany at the 2016 Comic Con. Since I couldn't find the time and somewhat lacked a little inspiration this year, I decided to find said inspiration in a photographic project. The opportunity presented itself when I had to return home and cut my tour with TUI short. I had purchased two tickets as a birthday present for Flo (a good friend of mine) and now just happened to be local...

The day began off real easy as we (Kira, Medina, Kassandra, Oli, Sebi, & I) rode to the convention center at the airport, sporting a thirty-rack of Pabst-Blue Ribbon-- although you'd usually only find us playing ultimate frisbee and drinking on Saturdays but thats a story for another time. We spent the first hour or so catching people on their way in and animate them to have their picture taken by a strange German/American dude with on awkward accent. We had tones of success outside, using the various locations I could find directly outside the center.

-Click Here For Full Gallery!-

As you can see from the pictures above, pretty much everyone was open to participating in my little project. This makes working a photographer so much fun--when everyone is 'all about' the work we do and can contribute to a fun set of images like this one!

As we continued inside we found more and more photographic possibilities and used every opportunity to take a picture here and there-- at the cost of my group eventually getting a little frustrated with me because I wouldn't stop. Everyone knows that 'one person' who always makes the going out with friends difficult...this time that person was me. Anyways, we stoled the grounds, soaked in some of the atmosphere and enjoyed the rest of the day at Comic Con Germany 2016.

-Click Here For Full Gallery!-

For this project I wanted to go 'low-key' and photograph my set under the radar with no equipment but a camera. I opted to use a Fujifilm xt-10 with a 35mm f/1.4 lens instead of my heavy Nikon equipment. This gave me the optical feel I was looking for even though it kind of limited my workspace somewhat. The camera performed fantastically throughout the entire day, only losing focus from time to time-- something that still frustrates my a little about the x-line of cameras.

-Click Here For Full Gallery!-

Above, you'll find two pretty ladies, dressed as super villain badasses-- on the left a retro Harley Quinn and the 'Joker's wife' to the right. This makes things so fun and always interesting, knowing there are so many photo opportunities to take advantage of-- find the character, place them in an appropriate scene and take an awesome picture ;-) 

A Spontaneous Wedding in Rome

One of the best thing about traveling is trying to figure out how to make the best out of a brief yet moment as this one here. While at the Vatican working a couple traveling alone with a camera attempting to take a good picture approached me. Since there was a brief window for free time, I used the moment to capture an image of the two from Poland. 

Here I'm shooting with a Nikon D7100 and it's 18-200mm zoom. This camera is advanced enough for what I ask it to do in a shooting environment where were-and-tear is the cameras worst enemy. It's reliable, fast and takes decent images.  

Coming Soon!!!

Hope you're ready for some really cool pictures!!?? If you are, then you're in for a treat with this set of images captured aboard the TUI Mein Schiff 3. As a personal project, I wanted to take individual portraits of the artist that perform in the Variete show. Since the show has a circus-esque type of theme, the images needed to represent a similar look. With the little amount of tech available to me and the very limited space available for a studio, we built a makeshift location and got to work.

While the various talents were getting their make-up and costumes ready for the show, the first ones had their picture taken. Now, this all went very fast as they had to be on stage minutes after the picture was taken-- so, all in all, I believe the maximum time spent with each person may have been about 30sec. to a maybe 1min.  This of course presented a challenge of sorts in making sure I got a decent image out of each talent.

For this project, I used a Fujifilm xt-10 with a 35mm f/1.4 lens. For light I brought in two Nikon SB-800 flashes synced with my camera using a set of PocketWizards. One of the flashes had a full CTO filter and the key unfortunately had to sport a soft box. I also used a large reflector to bounce in some extra light where it was needed.

Pic of the Week

-Sevilla, Spain-

April 19, 2016

© Walter Krogh Sites

Fujifilm xt-10, 16mm

4min. @ f/22

.9ND Filter

http://kroghstudios.blogspot.de/p/pic-of-week-archives.html

Mein Schiff 3 in Cadiz

As a bonus perk when traveling on such an amazing ship as the Mein Schiff 3 is you have some rare opportunities to capture truly remarkable imagery. The following images show the ship in dry-dock, located in Cadiz, Spain. The vessel had just arrived back to Europe after spending six months in the Caribbean, passing such fantastic locations such as Dominica, Barbados, St. Kitts, Aruba, Tortola and so forth. During this time in Cadiz, contractors spent over a week rebuilding, testing and cleaning. The interior received a facelift including a new bar and the outside received a new side-thruster. The ship was now ready to spend it's following six month sailing the beautiful Mediterranean.

What was vital for this image to work, was to present a valid size-comparison. What better way than to just place a person in said image. Since there was no-one else available, I packed lightly and took the Fujifilm xt-10 with the kit 16-55mm lens and a small tripod. Unfortunately this is the widest lens I have on this platform, so it had to do. The shear greatness in size when standing directly under the ship was truly a fantastic thing to see (and feel)! 

And yes, if you haven't been reading, these images are all of me using a tripod, camera set on a timer and multiple attempts trying to find the right spot to stand within the frame. Eventually, I was able to capture these three the way I wanted them. Part of the project was also to document the work being done to the ship-- here I was able to capture some pretty cool footage. For now, these three gems may have to suffice.

The above image shows both rudders covered while work was progressing. I was hoping to capture this image without the tarp and completed however time just didn't allow for that. 

Pic of The Week

-Emerald Pool, Dominica-

Feb. 28, 2016

© Walter Krogh Sites

Fujifilm xt-10, 16-55mm

f/22 @ 3sec.

http://kroghstudios.blogspot.de/p/pic-of-week-archives.html

Jenny & Lars, Curaçao Wedding

This has been long overdue! Some months ago, I had the lovely and exciting opportunity to photograph a wedding in Curaçao. This would be the perfect opportunity to capture some amazing imagery of a beautiful couple on a gorgeous island. As I prep some more images for this small gallery, here is one to get started:

...

Pic of the Week

-Barbados-
Feb. 26, 2016

© Walter Krogh Sites

 Fujifilm xt-10, 16-55mm
30sec. @ f/22
.6ND Filter

http://kroghstudios.blogspot.de/p/pic-of-week-archives.html

'Pic Of The Week'

Want to check out some other cool photographs from older shoots, then have a look inside the 'Pic Of The Week' archives. I haven't updated this page for some time but maybe some of you out there might enjoy these images. Once I have some extra time, I'll be sure to post some recent work.

http://kroghstudios.blogspot.de/p/pic-of-week-archives.html

Knapps Castle
Santa Barbara, California
2010

Nikon D90,  Nikon SB-800 Flash
ISO 100, f/5.6 @ 55min.
Sigma 8mm Fish-eye

Portfolio 'Mash-Up'

Below, you can view a set that was used some years back for promotions. Most of these images used to be featured on my web-page. Since I have been exclusively shooting for a German fashion and department store, my web-page has temporarily been discontinued. It's always fun to go through old portfolios and bodies of work long collecting digital dust. Enjoy ;-)

(below: set of stock images used by various firms, webpages and advertisements)

(below: set of commercial, conceptual and advertising work)

Once time allows, a new website will be built. I will post and keep

people updated with future information!

http://kroghstudios.blogspot.de/p/pic-of-week-archives.html

A 'Homage' to Large Format Photography.

During my time in California, I was introduced to the classic style of shooting well known from the beginning of the century--well, the beginning of photography. These cameras are brand new, but present the exact same technology used back in the day. You wont find sensitive chips, transistors and such in these camera, just good old fashion mechanics. Capturing images on a 4x5inch transparency is allot of fun, but a very slow process. You can only capture one image at a time, then you have to 'change the film' and so forth, to continue your projects. The result this size negative yields in comparative megapixels (for those that think in pixels) we'd be looking at a scan in ranges of hundreds of megapixels and up depending on the quality scan and film size.

The below, left image was shot a few years back when I took a road-trip with a friend to Yosemite National Park. Right outside the park, you'll find this lake with salt-rock formations created over thousands of years. This spot has been photographed by all the greats in photography and thus in 'homage' I figured I would shoot using my large format camera in the style of the classics-- only below,  in color. The differences between my digital captures at this location and my film shots are like night and day... I truly love film!

left: Mono Lake, CA -- 6:00am, 2008

Horseman LE large format camera, 210mm Schneider lens

Fujifilm Velvia 100 sheet film, f/32 @ 25sec. 

right: Santa Barbara, CA -- 2:30am, 2008

Horseman LE large format camera, 210mm Schneider lens

Fujifilm Velvia 100 sheet film, f/11 @ 2.5 hrs

Big Sur, California -- One Amazing Place To Be!

I've posted some older photographs taken at Big Sur in the past. Here is one that I found in my archives, and never released. Lately, lots of time has been spent scanning older work and re-visiting material with a fresh eye. Sometimes what one passes up as a mediocre shot can turn out to be a decent one when viewed a day, week or even years later. In this case, it may not be a gallery worthy snap but it is worth showing you. Enjoy :-)

left: Mamiya RZ67, 3200 ISO Ilford Delta, 120 film, f/11 @ 1sec.

right: Mamiya RZ67, 100 ISO Acros, 120 film, f/11 @ 30sec.

(Both negatives scanned with Epson V600, processed
in Lightroom 2 and cleaned in Photoshop CS5)

'Individuals' USA

I had already had the privilege of spending a few amazing years in Santa Barbara, California. I originally ventured out to this spot because I felt in need for a more inspiring environment to study photography. After a few years of practicing and learning under some of the great local teachers at Brooks Institute of Photography, I returned to Delaware to plan and pursue my future goals…

The summer of 2011 marked a convenient occasion that would allow myself to attempt a short but well-planned cross-country trip. My decision to make this venture laid in the simple yet inescapable fact that I wanted to travel and take pictures… After about thirty days on the road, 35 interviews and leaving 24,000 km behind me, I realized how much this country had to offer in terms of sights and sounds. Either way, I knew this would mark the perfect opportunity to develop a well structured set of projects.

As a photographer, I highly enjoy meeting new individuals. With this in mind, I wanted to do a project that went in the photo-story direction. A photograph or portrait accompanied with a short paragraph or article seemed like a solid human-interest piece that yielded value on many levels.

Naturally, the final project would be a more straightforward style of what one would expect from travel photography– a little photo-journalism, night time long exposures, fall colors, street signs, out-of-car shots and panoramic. There is allot to photograph out there, so I both hope you will show an interest in this little production and follow it as the project continues overseas. 

To finish, I would like to explain a few things about the style of the portraits captured. Some time back, when I was interning for a very talented photographer in Santa Barbara, I had the opportunity to witness the creation of a very interesting project. Eliot Crowley, my mentor at the time, would travel this road north and meet interesting people along the way. He would talk to them, get to know them a bit and ask if they wouldn’t mind being photographed for his project. I found inspiration in these ideas and the way they were captured. A few year later and with the upcoming travel opportunities, I decided to attempt a similar but not precisely the same style project. I opted to use a few similar shooting techniques with a couple personal adjustments. In my vision, the lighting would be about 45 degrees of camera axis and should be a harsh light source– allowing for a pool of light to bring the viewer’s attention to that individual. Also, I wanted to include some words on these people and the area we were currently in. With these modifications, I hoped to create something a little different yet more fitting to my capture styles.

If you would like to read up on this project and get to know the people involved, 

please visit the standalone blog here: https://acrosstheusa2011.wordpress.com

'Individuals' Europe (cont.)

I have had the opportunity to meet some really cool people along my travels. Here is a small sample from my ongoing campaign to take portraits of the people I meet along the way. We usually get to spend some time hanging out talking. This is so, once the images are published to my webpage, you can find out a little about them too. These make for some fun conversations as not everyone speaks the same language. Luckily, within most places my native German and English have been well enough understood.

This project, an extension of last years US cross-country drive (http://www.kroghstudios.com/index2.php#!/FEATURED) has been one amazing ongoing meet & greet with personalities and characters truly unique. Not all the images are perfectly executed, however each experience is something new and special and combined with the photograph becomes timeless in itself.

I hope you will enjoy the below preview and continue to check back while the project rolls on and I find more time to write the articles and post the images to my page (www.kroghstudios.com)

The Mobile Photo-App 'Revolution'

The thing about 'Instagram' that has kept me distant up until a few weeks ago is the simplicity of editing and altering existing photographs. I use an app called 'Hipstamatic,' this program is still designed to work like a regular camera-- you are required to choose a type of lens/flash and couple this with a type of film. That being said, you need to know what film used with a particular lens will give you the desired effect. In 'Instagram,' this all happens on the back-end (in post-processing) and thus requires less thought and planning to create an interesting feeling or effect. This, of course has opened the world to a base version of mobile 'photoshoping' and has created a world of altered images that has become standard across the web. Now, Im not saying this is a problem-- it's just another tool to create 'inspiring' imagery. However, it does take us one step farther away from 'tinkering' with film-stock. Different cameras and even using plastic lenses or houses with known light-leaks, expired film and cross-processing has been lost over time-- stolen from us by quick-filters and frames, the classic way of shooting has taken a back-seat.

An example of this change has become evident in family photography. A few decades ago, a photographer was required to have the talent and technical know-how to capture a crisp, correctly exposed image, process this and be able to print-- all within a range of quality expected from someone calling themselves 'professional.' Today, however, the 'professionals' shooting, slapping filters and cheep lens-flairs on their images are the ones receiving the work. The concept of real 'quality' in technical imagery is being overlooked and becoming overshadowed by bad exposures, poor lighting and cheesy filter-effects. I won't deny, there are many 'Instagram' and app-base images that I enjoy and consider to be inspiring. Somewhere along the line I hope we can find a balance between delivering entire wedding portfolios over filter apps and producing work that is inspired by concept, quality and the desire to truly create the perfect image 'in-camera' and not 'fix' or alter the hell out of it later.

Below, I have included three images that were photographed using a digital SLR and then altered using various apps like 'Mextures,' 'PS Express' and 'Instagram.' The idea here, was to make them look as if they had been photographed with a film camera like a 'Hasselblad' and processed in a standard chemical darkroom.

left: Rehoboth Beach, Delaware (2005) 
middle: Oklahoma (2007)

right: Monument Valley, Utah (2011)

Personally, I have enjoyed using 'Instagram' and playing with some of the filters. To really make these images 'pop,' other photo apps can be used to layer effects, adjust colors, contrast etc. To get the most out of each image, one program isn't enough (not for me)-- each one offers a little something else and the base filters in 'Instagram' do a good enough job of 'altering' the image look but lacks other things I miss about classical film photography-- think light-leaks, dust, scratches, emulsion and so forth...

Clint & Becky

A gorgeous & happy couple always produces excellent photographs. Here I had the please to capture this wedding in Herrenberg, Germany. Below are two images from out portrait shoot-- one in a modern, fashion look and the other a bit more traditional. What I've always enjoyed about capturing weddings is the opportunity to experiment with all kinds of shooting techniques-- from photojournalism to fashion to portraiture.

Each couple has a view/perspective of how they would like their special day captured and part of the fun is working with them to create a fun, inspiring and memorable experience.

'An Industry in Modeling' Workshop

This previous Tuesday, I held a workshop in downtown Stuttgart sponsored by Flair Events. This four hour workshop for novice models and individuals who want to learn a little more about the various industries and concepts of modeling is a fantastic steppingstone to improving upon modeling capabilities. The workshop itself is designed to broaden your understanding of what is available to an aspiring model and how to achieve and guide oneself in a satisfying yet lucrative direction.

The class was divided into multiple parts, beginning with a discussion group at which point the various industries were introduced. Here we explored these options and directions and discussed their value within the commercial world and how an aspiring model can best place themselves within this competitive industry. We discussed the legal aspects and model releases. We reviewed campaigns, discussed photography and the value of presenting a broad portfolio.

As part of the workshop we introduced small projects and hands-on concepts such as correct hand placement and the value of portraying certain emotions to the camera. We also tested the models' ability to freely talk into a video camera and give introductions of themselves-- this ties directly into the need to portray a sympathetic and outgoing individual. Finally, we spent about an hour on-location practicing what we discussed and learned in the studio.

Above are just a couple sample images from the six models that part-took in the workshop. They all did a fantastic job and I can only hope they were able to soak up some valuable information for the future. 

Antelope Canyon, Arizona

   A truly unique spot, this little canyon is one of the most photographed places is the US. In the summer when the sun is at it's highest, a beam of light is cast on the canyon floor. Unfortunately I was about a month late in the year to witness this event. However, without the extreme contrast created by sunlight, it allowed the colors to play a greater role. It's amazing what emotions places like this evoke-- a symphony of colors, shapes and lines along with the tranquility, the isolation of the location-- it felt like a dream. Also, the pure natural force required to carve these canyons over many thousands of years, evokes a feeling of drama and respect for nature. This will definitely be a regular stop in future travels out west.

'Midnight in Paris' School Dance

Two months ago, on March 20, 2013 I was requested to capture a set of images at the International School Stuttgart, Sindelfingen Campus. Their school dance was themed 'Midnight in Paris.' This presented a unique challenge to create a shot or set-up that mimicked the feeling of a night in Paris. I was given a single prop to work with-- a cardboard cutout of the Eiffel Tower. Thus, the shoot needed to evolve from the inside out-- how do you make a cardboard cutout look good and still invoke a feeling of luxury, drama and location?

Step by step the set came together. I was able to borrow a fog machine from one of the students which in turn created that dramatic yet elegant feel of a nighttime haze in the park. The plants were stolen from around the school and the Christmas lights then wrapped around the trunk of a small tree. The map was borrowed from the dance props which had been placed around the lobby. At this point, the kids would have been standing or sitting on a crate covered by a black sheet-- something was definitely missing... After voicing my concern of an unfinished set, and the fact that an old table and chair would look great, a good friend mentioned he had a neighbor whom he could call. It turned out, that neighbor had the perfect missing props-- now we were ready to capture some awesome images.

The above four photographs are just a few samples from that shoot. You can see, that even with no prop-house or missing most of the standard studio amenities, one can create photographs family and friends will truly enjoy.

'Carnival of Venice' School Dance

Continuing the school dance tradition with a more involved theme of a Venetian Masquerade Ball. Here the amazingly talented people that make up the Parent-Teacher group went the extra mile to build a paper-mache boat for the photographic set. The trick was to use the limited space available to create a dramatic and dynamic style of images. Naturally, combining the excellent costumes the children wore with this amazing set-- add some special effects like low-lying fog to cover the ground and some cool lighting techniques and the finale result ends up being something pretty special to behold:

... School dance shoots like this, or as we know them in the US-- usually a Highschool prom-like photoshoot, aren't normally this dynamic. Adding the extra creativity, both from others involved and myself brings about a new and more interesting (also fun) way of capturing cool images!

Ireland in Infrared

Last week I had the privilege to visit Ireland with some friends. The brief three days were spent enjoying excellent Irish hospitality and a wonderful mix of clouds, rain and sun. This trip seemed like the perfect opportunity to capture some infrared photographs with my converted Nikon D70s.  The luscious greens and contrasting blue sky presented some amazing results. Below are two images from Leap Castle, rumored as the most haunted castle in Ireland and Birr Castle, a more traditional design also still occupied by a private owner.

A View From 2400 Meters

Recently, I had the wonderful opportunity to join in on my second hot-air-balloon ride of the past year. We lifted off outside Bad Hindelang, Germany-- a small town at the foot of the Alps. The two hour balloon ride drifted us along the mountain side and towards the famous Schloss Neuschwanstein. Even though the air was chilled, the experience and views from up high kept the blood warm. The locals had just weathered through a small snow storm, so the white-blanketed vista and the accompanying balloons created an unparalleled view.

Below, you can see some of the ten other balloons that joined in on the trip and the amazing view from our balloon. We hit a max hight of 3100 meters during this ride. At that hight, we climbed above the clouds and were able to see far into the swiss Alps. With a rolling blanket of clouds framing them into the shot, a beautiful panoramic was captured (check back for image).

http://kroghstudios.blogspot.de/p/pic-of-week-archives.html

A Winter Wonderland

One of my favorite locations within a reasonable driving distance is Schloss Lichtenstein. One of our first snow-days of the season proved to be the perfect time to revisit this castle. When we arrived, the location boasted a virtual 'winter wonderland' and completely blew our minds. The fresh, white-covered ground contrasting to the clean blue sky produced a vibrant and 'dreamy' view to this historic location.

(ISO 100, f/13 @ 1/100)

http://kroghstudios.blogspot.de/p/pic-of-week-archives.html

Revisiting Amazing Locations

A recap from a special camping spot... Loved it here in Monument Valley, Utah. The night shot below basically shows the view I had from my tent as the moon rose over the valley. The early morning image was shot at 5:30 AM somewhat farther down in the desert. This was a truly special spot to hang and I am anxiously awaiting the opportunity to return here again.

left:  ISO 100, f/5.6 @ 15 sec.

right: ISO 100, f/11 @ 8 sec.

Contrast yet Complimentary

Triberg Waterfalls-- tallest/largest falls in Germany. Here a favorite spot along the falls, boasting a beautiful perspective... now just to capture the same scene during winter, possibly frozen.
On the right, A jetty stretching out into the Atlantic Ocean in my former Home of Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.

I placed these images together as a contrast between two extremes. Both images using long-exposure to bring about a dynamic perspective to normal destinations often not captured in the right light. Also, both images use completely different color pallets-- however, as green and magenta are complimentary colors they fit well next to one another.

left: Triberg Waterfall,  Black Forest-- Germany

D90, ISO 100, f/20 @ 5 sec.
right: Rehoboth Beach, Delaware-- USA
D200, ISO 100, f/11 @ 30 sec.

'Individuals' Europe

After a month in Europe, I have had the opportunity to meet some really cool people. Here is a small sample from my ongoing campaign to take portraits of the people I meet along the way. We usually get to spend some time hanging out talking. This is so, once the images are published to my webpage, you can find out a little about them too. These make for some fun conversations as not everyone speaks the same language. Luckily, within most places my native German and English have been well enough understood.

This project, an extension of last years US cross-country drive (http://www.kroghstudios.com/index2.php#!/FEATURED) has been one amazing ongoing meet & greet with personalities and characters truly unique. Not all the images are perfectly executed, however each experience is something new and special and combined with the photograph becomes timeless in itself.

I hope you will enjoy the below preview and continue to check back while the project rolls on and I find more time to write the articles and post the images to my page (www.kroghstudios.com)