Blue Collar is an excellent interactive agency based out of Hood River, OR.  We worked with Rob McCready (Partner and Director of Client Services) and April Donovan (Creative Director) of Blue Collar Interactive. They both provided amazing creative direction and strategy to shooting this new Sigma Lens Customization USB dock and Sigma Optimization Pro Software.

“We wanted to create an environment that didn’t signify anything too specific, but portrays the workspace of someone that takes photography a level above being just a hobby. The technology being developed here is very new to this industry, and through a new R&D initiative, Sigma is taking a giant leap towards new innovation in it’s products.” – Jeremy Dunham

Here’s a little behind the scenes as well…

I see this sort of thing done a lot, but the light almost always strikes me as a bit off. Usually an orange gel is just thrown over the main light and that’s it. That has always seemed wrong to me because if you look at the sky at magic hour there is usually a range of colors going from orange to purple to magenta to blue.

For this shot I used a number of different gel combinations to achieve the effect. Orange on the bottom to simulate the sunlight, magenta in the middle to simulate the red band of light, and blue on the top and on the opposite side to simulate the open sky.

You can see how the light falls in the highlight.

Though it is still obviously a studio shot I think this technique is a little more of an authentic match for magic hour.

You can see more of Jeremy’s work Here

I started going to the Portland Historic Races and Columbia River Classic at Portland International Raceway (PIR) about 6 years ago.  These two races are a chance for owners of vintage race cars to get out on the track and compete against other cars of similar category and age.

There is a huge variety of cars here, some from the 50’s with single cylinder motorcycle engines, and even retired 90’s Formula 1 cars.
There’s also a huge variety of owners and car enthusiasts that show up as well.You’ll see everything from a motorhome towing a 40’ trailer that holds several cars plus mechanics to a single individual who pulls the car on an open trailer with their pick-up, and single-handedly does all the work themselves.

While it’s exciting to see and hear the cars fly around the track, I really like to walk around the paddock and see the cars and people up close.

I like to see what leads up to and precedes the races.  It’s hours of preparation and sometimes inventive home engineering that keeps these old and sometimes finicky cars running.

“We wanted the photography for the Chez Marie packaging to mimic all the good things their product has to offer—fresh, natural, top-of-the-line ingredients made with love and care.  Steve Cherry is AMAZING with lighting, and Lucy Neilson, food stylist, has never let us down with her gorgeous compositions.

I’ve been working with these two for several years now, and having their help on projects makes my life about a thousand times easier.

Everyone was happy and it turned out to be a really successful project. The photography really made the packaging what it is.”                                               -Kristin Casaletto, Art Director/Graphic Designer with Sasquatch Agency

 “Many people want to decrease their overall meat consumption for health, economic, or environmental reasons. They are the driving force behind the growing ‘meat alternative’ category…”      - Founder & CEO (Chief Eternal Optimist) Marie Osmunson

“I’ve worked with Kristin at Sasquatch on a variety of other clients. She always has an innovative approach that challenges us to find new directions in photography. Most of all, this was a fun shoot, creating a fun new look.”  - Steve Cherry

“During this shoot, we tried to maintain the integrity of every ingredient in a fashion that was in the clients’ best interest. ”  - Lucy Neilson

Here at Polara Studio, we couldn’t be happier to represent such a suitable product in the Northwest’s health-food niche. Chez Marie is a brand that has always been recognized as one of the healthiest choices in the frozen food isles.

There is an old saying, “The best camera is the one you have with you.”

That’s not always true with being a photographer and in search of that perfect travel camera. It has to be small enough to fit in your pocket and take amazing photographs and videos in the middle of the day as well as the middle of the night. The camera that any helpful stranger on the street can use without chopping your head off.  The camera that works just as well in “Manual” as it does in “Program”. The camera that does not scream “Steal me!”. The list goes on and on.

The past few trips I have carried both my DSLR and my mirrorless camera, sadly my DSLR has mainly seen the inside of the suitcase while the mirrorless has seen the world. It has interchangeable lenses and has the option to save the images out in raw image format which is a huge plus. While no one camera is perfect in every shooting situation, the mirrorless camera does stand out with its versatility and size.

Here are a few photographs taken by Derrin Battles with his Sony NEX 5n on a recent anniversary trip to Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico.

We’re showcasing a beautiful gallery of food photographer Michael Shay’s personal work today. A wordsmith and poet in his own right, Michael’s words are the most qualified to do justice to the gorgeous photos.

“Le Marais started as a fortified church outside the walls of Paris in 1240 AD. In the 17th century it was the preferred residence of French nobility. After the French nobility moved on in the era of Versailles the district became a popular and active commercial area hosting one of Paris’ main Jewish communities. Today though the Jewish community’s influence can still be seen Le Marais it is one of Paris’ main localities for art galleries boasting many trendy restaurants fashion houses and is also the center of the gay community in Paris. I spent a week in Paris this last spring. One afternoon I took my camera, armed with a Lensbaby 2.0 selective focus lens, and documented life in Le Marais. One of the photographs was taken in the cafe near Victor Hugo’s residence where he was said to have worked on Les Miserables. My favorite discovery found all over Paris as graffiti is a phrase, ‘regarde le ciel’ or ‘look at the sky’ ”

Here at Polara, we dig improvement. How can we create better images? Cultivate better client relationships? Push our talent to new levels? The start of a new year is always a good time to reevaluate our standards, and set new goals. 2013 has been no exception, and we’re very excited to see what new experiences are coming our way this year. Be sure to check back on our blog, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram feed (you can find us @polarastudio) in the coming weeks, as we begin to feature personal work done by our photographers, along with their inspirations and stories.

2013. It’s going to be epic.

Here at Polara, we’re always suckers for a great story. We love hearing about the rich history behind the products we photograph, whether it be athletic attire from adidas, the elixirs of House Spirits Distillery, or the concoctions of Moonstruck Chocolate. Learning about the process behind these goods creates an environment in which we are able to enhance the experience of our clients, and learn a few cool new things along the way.

Recently, our product photographer Steve Cherry was in studio with the team from McIntyre Direct for a Filson catalog shoot. Along with shooting brand new items, Steve also had the opportunity to photograph a pair of historic tin cloth pants, as well as a vintage barn coat. Keep in mind when we use the words “vintage” and “historic,” we aren’t throwing those terms around lightly – these items are from the early 20th century. They’ve seen hard work (think hard time done in the forestry service and in the logging industry) and due to Filson’s superior construction and dedication to creating a durable and quality product, they have very much stood the test of time in every sense of the word.

Filson was started in 1897 to cater to the influx of miners making their way through Washington for the Klondike Gold Rush. After the crowds dissipated, C. C. Filson turned his attentions to the timber industry. Now with flagship stores in both Seattle and Portland, the company also focuses on crafting superior garments for the avid outdoorsman – a perfect fit for a company with such deep Northwest roots.

One of our favorite catalog product stylists, Jenn Hogan, is responsible for the styling of Steve’s terrific photography. Both Steve and Jenn have created a visual that fits Filson’s brand and philosophy beautifully. As Susan McIntyre said, “The important thing about the Filson brand, which they didn’t so much create – rather they discovered – was the Filson materials. The fabric, and the craftsmanship, are so superior that many of their garments last for a lifetime and get handed down to the next generation.”

It’s that time of the year again – time to gather with your family and friends, giving thanks for the past year and the seasons to come. To have some fabulous and heart-warming food, watch some football, drink some wine, and enjoy a few days off (possibly take a nice, long nap as well).

We wanted to share this dark chocolate turkey crafted locally here in Portland by Moonstruck Chocolate. Photographed by lifestyle photographer Steve Cherry with styling by Lucy Neilson Radys, the process of creating this turkey is a labor of love from start to finish. When asked about his favorite part of the shoot, Steve said “Oh, it had to be when they put the turkey together. First they painted the inside of each clamshell mold with all those gorgeous colors, and then poured the chocolate into each side. Once they had cooled, they combined the two sides and sealed the edges. It was a really cool process to see in action.”

On this chilly Thursday morning we at Polara wish you all a safe and happy Thanksgiving, filled with camaraderie and maybe even a little bit of chocolate. Cheers!