Tag Archives: Commercial Photography Minneapolis

2018 Motions Reels

As the year wraps up and we start looking forward to a busy 2019, we thought it would be nice to share a few motion reels highlighting some of the fun, challenging and unique video projects that we worked on in 2018.  Video has become an essential tool for companies all of sizes to communicate to customers, employees and the public in general.  Drop us a line to find out how we can make your commercial video or photography project come to life with amazing results.  Check out more of our work on our YouTube channel.

Marvin Windows – BTS Video

Ever wonder how big our space is here at Gamut One Studios?  Well, it’s big enough to build a small home in it. Bill Bartlett and crew proved this last summer on a unique photography project for Marvin Windows, if you build it, they will come.

Enjoy this quick Behind-The-Scenes video of the project that exceeded Marvin Windows’ “big” expectations.

Marvin Windows Set Build from Gamut One Studios on Vimeo.

No Selfies, please! Creating Great Corporate Portraits

Don’t get us wrong, even professional photographers love a good selfie, but when it comes to your career and reputation, a high-quality portrait is the smart choice.  And, since very few people actually like getting their picture taken, how does one get a great headshot?

With over 20 years of experience, Gamut One Studios’ four talented photographers offer unsurpassed expertise in getting the best business portrait.  To get started, we will review the subject’s desired headshot style, usage needs, their profession and their company brand to achieve the perfect professional look.  Additionally, our convenient Edina location allows for either in-studio or on-location packages that are easy to schedule and budget.

Subject Profession

Professions in fields such as law, finance, insurance and medical often seek out a more formal look to their portraits due to the high need for professionalism and trust in their positions. Creative industry employees need to go above and beyond in creating an eye-catching and current look that will suitably represent their company and line of work.  Casual portraits are often appealing to fields where a subject wants to appear open and relatable to his/her peers.

Corporate Brand Image

Your company may have a certain brand aesthetic that appeals to your industry and frequently the marketing materials or brand standards will dictate how formal or staged the head shots should be.

 

Business portraits

Corporate portrait photography by Gamut One Studios


In Studio or on Location 
Some clients like the look and structure of photographing on an in-studio set while others want a specific location such as their corporate facility for the background.  Some commonly used head shot backgrounds are: 
  • Outdoors
  • Company building or facility
  • Soft focus background indoors or outdoors
  • Colored canvases and paper backdrops (in studio or on location)
  • Flat or textured walls
  • Company products in background
Poses, Cropping and Retouching
Usage of the image will dictate whether it should be a full length, half or close up shot but no matter what the pose, the subject needs to be relaxed or at least look relaxed for a quality portrait. Making sure your subject is ready and comfortable is very important for impressive portraits and a skilled photographer will know how to make the subject at ease. Gamut One Studios also offers professional hair & make up stylists’ services that can make a big difference in how the subject feels and can really bring out the best in each person. Additionally, our post production retouching services utilize a variety of adjustments that result in a natural and attractive portrait.

While not everyone likes getting their picture taken, when done right, it can be a powerful tool in creating a strong image for you and your company.  At Gamut One Studios, we always go above and beyond when creating your professional portrait…so much so that you may never want to use a selfie again!

 

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An Old Holiday Favorite, In a New Light

At this time of year, holiday traditions centered around food often ‘consume’ much of our time and energy.  This year, Gamut One Studios wanted to spotlight the problem of hunger in the Twin Cities.  Cans of green beans, cream of mushroom soup and fried onions were cleverly shaped into a Christmas tree for our annual holiday card, by our own food-savvy photographer, Jeff Schmieg.  With help from the crafty hands of stylist, Laurie Goeman, and G1’s builder-extraordinaire, Myron Wolf, they created a wonderful image that will hopefully warm up the holidays in more ways then one.

While it would be fun to grab our can openers and whip up a super size casserole, this work of art is a small part of Gamut One Studios’ gift to the Groveland Emergency Food Shelf (GEFS). Started in 1975, GEFS is located in the basement of the Plymouth Congregational Church in South Minneapolis. They serve over 1,500 households every month with a mostly volunteer staff.

Gamut One Studios is proud to support their much needed work with a donation on behalf of our clients.  The gratitude expressed by the GEFS volunteers and their clients was incredible and confirms the validity of ‘It is better to give than to receive.’

If you are looking for a way to give back this season, GEFS accepts food donations of all varieties in person and gratefully accepts cash donations through their website at www.grovelandfoodshelf.org.  It’s amazing how they can leverage their food dollars in ways that consumers can not with a normal grocer.

Gamut One Studios will continue to support the Groveland Emergency Food Shelf with a fundraiser and food drive at our 4th Annual Super Bowl party in February.  We look forward to seeing you all there!

Feels like it’s been around forever…

Campbell’s Green Bean Casserole recipe (using their cream of mushroom soup) was developed in 1955.

That’s a lot, but they need more…

Groveland Emergency Food Shelf buys 70-80% of the more then 30,000 pounds of food they distribute every month.

Did you know? Green beans are also called snap beans because of the sound they make when being broken. Green beans can also be called string beans because many varieties used to have a long string that ran along the seam of the bean.

Extending the reach…

The Groveland Food For Youth program was the state’s first food shelf specifically aimed at helping homeless and at-risk youth to age 23 with food and referrals to other organizations.

Happy Holidays from Gamut One Studios!

Food Photography on the Fly

Recipe for Success

If you’ve been to the Minneapolis-St Paul International Airport lately, you know that the Minneapolis Airport Commission (MAC) is pulling out all the stops to keep travelers entertained, well-fed and happy. Gamut One Studios’ Jeff Schmieg, our food shooting specialist, has been part of that project for over fifteen years now.  MAC’s most current promotion is a bi-monthly coupon book called Eat, Shop, Relax. Each cover of this book is an entree image shot by Jeff from a MSP restaurant, such as French Meadow Bakery, Ikes, Axel’s BonFire Grill, TGI Fridays, and more.  Working with Kate Dougherty from MAC Marketing, and food stylist, Laurie Goeman, Jeff uses his years of food photography experience to create mouth-watering images for the featured restaurants with such detail that visitors and travelers can almost taste them!

Food Photography CoversGreat ingredients

Of course, every project has different challenges and this is where Jeff’s extensive experience shines. Whether it’s planning a location shoot at the airport or trying to simulate the atmosphere of the restaurant in studio, there are issues and details that need creative solutions.  Props, backgrounds and table top surfaces are cleverly chosen to enhance each image aesthetic and theme as well as addressing height and size challenges like a horizontal product needing to fit the Eat, Shop, Relax book’s narrow, vertical layout.

“Their creative, professional and detail-oriented approach always produces gorgeous looking photos. One thing that sets Gamut One Studios apart, aside from their vast amount of experience, is the extensive prop and background collection that is available.”     ~ Kate Dougherty, Minneapolis-St Paul International Airport Marketing

Food photography on location

Food related issues are worked out as Jeff, Laurie and Kate communicate with
the restaurants to learn the specific details of each entree and how those will affect the shoot. Is the entree going to arrive par cooked or does it need to be created fresh on set? Do we need some fresh cilantro to top the dish? Working with a flexible and experienced crew helps in creating a tasty and successful image.

Well Crafted

And even with all the preparation, Jeff knows better than anyone that photographing food almost always involves some ‘tricks of the trade’.  Keeping that bowl of soup or mug of beer looking like it is fresh and ready to be devoured can take tricks ranging from food replacements (hint: marbles hiding in the soup) to fast hands bringing in a new batch every few shots.  Gamut One Studios creates top-notch food images with help from food stylist, Laurie Goeman.  Laurie’s eagle eyes and quick hands work their magic while Jeff perfects the lights, angles, and focus for achieving the ultimate fresh food image that fits perfectly into the layouts.  In addition, partnerships with clients like MAC’s Kate Dougherty whose hands-on approach and upbeat attitude, help move a time-sensitive and demanding photo shoot along.

Food Photography Minneapolis Saint Paul

After all that goes into the photo shoot, the final result is an appetizing photo that draws customers into the restaurants. Next time you’re at the airport, pick up one of the Eat, Shop, Relax booklets and see for yourself how Jeff’s food photography looks good enough to eat!

Corporate Portraits: Your Best Image

Crooked tie, shiny forehead, high school yearbook pose … we’ve all seen some unflattering corporate headshots that do no favors to the subject or company. But, since very few people actually like getting their picture taken, and even fewer are naturally photogenic, how does one get a great headshot?

At Gamut One Studios we know that a great portrait is a powerful tool in building a strong image for you and your company.

Gamut One Studios always goes the extra mile to create extraordinary client headshots in a convenient, budget-friendly manner.

And to deliver those easy-going, yet professional shots, trust the unparalleled experience of our four photographers.

We can offer every possible type and style of corporate portraits or headshots. We’ll share our secrets with you on how to combine the subject’s profession, corporate brand image, and usage requirements to get the picture that speaks more than a thousand words about you or your brand.

Convenient Scheduling

Recognizing convenience as an important piece of the puzzle, Gamut One will help you design a schedule depending on how many employees are going to be photographed and their availability. With four full time photographers, we do our best to accommodate your first choice for time and scheduling date.

In Studio

Some clients like the look and structure of photographing on a set in our studio while others will want a specific background such as their corporate facility as the location. Either way, Gamut One Studios will scout all location options and work with you on a suitable plan.

Your Location

Some clients will want to schedule a drop in photo shoot where employees come to the Gamut One studio to have their portrait taken. For other clients, we may go to their offices and schedule employee time slots during the workday.

Do you ever wonder why some people just seem to take better pictures than others? That’s also part of our plan – the Gamut One photographers are experts in putting their subjects at ease to get the most impressive and natural photo possible.

Group time slots

Some companies have to schedule just one-person-at-a-time photos due to time constraints or a preference to photograph new hires immediately. In these situations, we will use a pre-approved set up and employees will stop by our studio, or we meet them on location.

Cost Concerns: In all types of photo shoots, we are conscious of your budget and end goals. The greatest cost savings comes from scheduling multiple people for the same day.

Once we’ve chosen a time and location, Gamut One Studios will also help you consider the ‘little things’ that make a portrait stand out. Your subject’s profession, corporate brand image, and usage requirements (such as annual report, website, etc.) are all taken into consideration and we will design and facilitate the best look for you.

Retouching?

Of course. Photoshop has become a verb. Retouching always makes it better. Whether it’s tired eyes, shiny forehead, or not the right shade of lipstick, we will take care of it. Left your suit coat at home, but need it for the photo? We have even “shopped” that in for a customer.

Our shooters, Bill, Dewey, Greg, and Jeff are also all Photoshop wizards and take great pride in every image to deliver you the best.

When you need a professional portrait to compliment your company or brand, Gamut One offers a clear advantage in portrait photography. Whether updating your website, creating a new sales brochure or just have a new company hire, we will work with you to deliver the best images for your company’s success.

Give Hope this Holiday Season

Each year we highlight an organization as the focus of our studio Christmas card. The organizations are always something that we feel strongly about supporting due various personal or family connections.

This year, our focus of the card and financial support is the Catalyst Foundation, an organization that couldn’t be any closer to the heart and home of Bill Bartlett .

Bill and his wife Therese are parents of two adopted children from Vietnam, Moya (14) and Nate (12). “My family has seen first hand the dire need for help within the communities of Vietnam,” said Bill about their humanitarian trips to Vietnam.

Catalyst Foundation

The Catalyst Foundation provides hope for Vietnamese children through scholarships, aid in the form of medicine and medical supplies, support programs for schools, and a variety of other humanitarian projects.  Catalyst Foundation was built to help not only children, but also whole communities.

Catalyst, a non-governmental organization (NGO), is fully supported by individual and corporate sponsors.

Catalyst Aid Expedition

In 2006, Bill spent 2 weeks traveling thru the Mekong Delta region of southern Vietnam where he volunteered as part of the Catalyst Aid Expedition. Areas of assistance included building homes for families in need and participating in a free dental clinic. Many children have never had any previous dental care, much less ever used a toothbrush.

Lending a hand

Sometimes lending a hand can be as simple as listening, playing, just looking into the eyes of child and letting them know that they matter. Catalyst also provides opportunities for kids to be a kid, to play and do crafts and just put a smile on their faces.

“The Children of the Dump”

In Feb. 2012, CNN highlighted the importance of the Catalyst Foundation’s efforts.

CNN anchor, Natalie Allen’s coverage “The Children of the Dump,” tells not only of the heart-wrenching circumstances of these people, but also of the determined efforts of Catalyst Foundation leader, Caroline Nguyen Ticarro-Parker, to help the community fight human trafficking with a holistic approach and hands-on programs that are helping to change the lives of whole families and giving them hope for the future.

http://thecnnfreedomproject.blogs.cnn.com/2012/02/13/hope-for-vietnams-children-of-the-dump/

How Can You Help?

Catalyst Foundation was founded in 1999 by Caroline Nguyen Ticarro-Parker. Caroline lives with her husband and 2 adopted Vietnamese daughters in Northfield, Minn. Read her full story  at http://www.catalystfoundation.org/our-founder.  We encourage you to visit Catalyst Foundation website, there are programs available for all levels of support.   http://www.catalystfoundation.org/

You can be a catalyst to help the children dying from starvation and the lack of basic medical supplies.

“We truly feel like Vietnam is our second home and having the opportunities to participate with Catalyst’s missions of hope has been a life changing experience for all of us!” ~ Bill Bartlett

Happy Holidays and God bless!

Bartlett Family, 2012.

Capturing the Screams

Put yourself in Bill’s shoes. Recently he set out to photograph the atmosphere of Nickelodeon Universe, a world-class amusement park. The best way to comprehend the challenge Bill faced is to visit the park at Mall of America. As proven in Nickelodeon’s 2012 marketing campaign, “We Want Your Scream,” the place is an overwhelming, kid’s nirvana. Bill’s recent assignment was to capture it all.

As you may know, the campaign went on to become an award-winning success. Just how did Gamut One contribute to this brand-building blockbuster? Well, Bill’s photography figures prominently in the campaign. Here’s how he operates…

First of all, Bill plans everything possible. Clients often ask: What contributes to a successful photographic shoot? The answer: Technical execution is critical, but the key to great photography and successful integration with the overall marketing campaign comes down to planning.

At Mall of America there were time constraints due to scheduling. Additionally, Mall of America’s enormous skylights change the lighting minute-by-minute. Navigating the model group through the rides required upfront planning and careful on-site management. Timing was a constant consideration. Allowing a motion sick kid to take one more “drop” on the Rock Bottom Drop (it’s exactly what it sounds like!) wouldn’t get Bill the shot he needed. Because the opportunity to capture genuine emotion is fleeting, successful shots don’t just happen, they are planned.

Understanding the key client objective is critical. During pre-shoot discussions with the client about the goals for “We Want Your Scream,” the mandate became pretty clear: capture the scream. To do so, Bill pushed the limit. Since he was dealing with high speeds and excitement, he had to board the rides. Riding backwards on a roller coaster eight times to get the perfect shot? Been there. Done that.

When Bill walked through the amusement park for a pre-shoot visit he was immediately struck by the magnitude of technical aspects the job would face. Each ride presented different obstacles and opportunities due to the layout and pure emotions of the ride models. Through utilization of stop action photography techniques, Bill was able to freeze flowing hair and capture peak emotions. Tactics such as slow shutter speed and effective panning illustrated the speed and raw power of the ride experience.

When Bill starts having fun it’s contagious. By participating with the group he gained insight into their experience and captured the unique essence of each ride. At Gamut One, having fun is more than a method of meeting client goals, it’s a competitive advantage.

And that’s the story of how Bill took more speed than a photographer can handle (to this day he can’t look at the Splat – O – Sphere, without getting “that sinking feeling”). To keep up with our adventures in photography subscribe to our RSS feed.

A “Giant” Super Bowl Party

Our second annual Super Bowl Party on Feb. 5th, 2012 was a “Giant” success. We wanted to recap it here in case you missed our Facebook album post just a few days after the party.

The Giants defeated the Patriots 21-17 in Super Bowl XLVI, which gave the Giants their fourth Super Bowl title. The game was action packed and even BIGGER than life as shown on our 35-foot cove wall.

Over 215 guests enjoyed our large selection of tailgating fare including nachos, brats, hot dogs, and of course our selection of almost 10 chili varieties. The Gamut One Chili Cook Off is a highly anticipated savory event where our guests taste, enjoy, taste some more and then vote on their favorite chili selections.

GOLDEN CHILI PEPPER AWARD

The chili varieties were outstanding this year, but only one could be crowned as winner. The 2012 Golden Chili Pepper Award goes to Dewey Koshenina for his Spicy Chicken & Mushroom White Chili.

When asked about what made his winning chili so special, Dewey proudly responded that his recipe is not for the lighthearted. “Chili should make your tongue scream for your Mommy,” Dewey said with a grin.

Dewey beat out 8 other entries, including the 2011 winning recipe by Bill Bartlett.

FAMILY FUN

As always, the Gamut One party is family friendly. With face painting, basketball, and of
course the bouncy obstacle course, all the kids had a blast!

VIP LOUNGE

Thank you to all who supported Beyond the Yellow Ribbon with your silent auction bids for the VIP Lounge as well as purchasing raffle tickets. Your support has made a difference with this great organization and the lives of our troops.

GAMUT ONE PHOTO BOOTH

This is always a big hit for our party. The expressions and posing creativity of the kids is always a blast! If you would like an electronic copy of a Photo Booth image, just email us at the studio. See a sample of some of our favorites here.

We look forward to celebrating with you all again next year!

Pick ‘Em Challenge Winner

Many entered, but only 1 could win the G1 Studios 2012 Pick ‘Em Challenge contest. Congratulations to Roger Kadrlik who picked the Patriots to win the AFC Championship and the NY Giants to win the NFC Championship.

Roger won a movie family pack of tickets and a concessions gift card. When told about his winning prize, Roger said, ” We haven’t been to the movies in a long time. Maybe we’ll even take the grand kids.”

We are now just 2 weeks away from the big game which is a rematch of Super Bowl XLII. In that 2008 battle, the Giants defeated the Patriots 17-14, giving the Patriots their only loss of that season. The Patriots will be seeking vengeance. Can they pull it off?

Come to Gamut One Studios for the party starting at 3 p.m. on Sunday Feb. 5th. We have invited clients, friends and family. If you have not replied yet, be sure to check your email as we just sent out a reminder RSVP.  Your RSVP today will help us plan with food and beverage numbers.

 
 
 
 

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