An Awards Banquet

Posted by Daniel Payne on April 28, 2011 at 4:00 pm
Tags: , ,

Every year the Tualatin Chamber of Commerces honors people and businesses in the community that truly stand out and deserve special recognition.

I was asked to tell the story with candid photos.

See all the photos.

The room is very dimly lit however the windows let in some outdoor light. My typical camera settings for an indoor event like this are:

I used to shoot flash with a Canon brand however I’ve found that Metz produces a much more consistent exposure.
With event candids I wait for just the right expression then click. The American flag in the background helps tell part of the civic event.
Enjoy the story.

Hazelbrook Middle School – Music Program

Posted by Daniel Payne on May 26, 2010 at 8:25 am
Tags: ,

My daughter Annie used to attend Hazelbrook Middle School and sing in the choir, so I started a fund-raiser for the music program by creating portraits of the students. This year I returned and helped raise money for the music program. Pictured above is me handing a check to Melissa Davis, a music teacher for band, orchestra and percussion.
I love to help out worthy causes and music is always one of those causes.

MAX Award – American Marketing Association

Posted by Daniel Payne on February 25, 2010 at 9:19 pm
Tags: , ,

Thursday night I photographed at the annual awards banquet for the American Marketing Association, Oregon Chapter. They call this the MAX Event – Marketing Award of eXcellence.

See all 105 event photos here.

Event Photography Work flow

Posted by Daniel Payne on February 21, 2010 at 10:57 pm
Tags: ,

I’m getting ready to do formal portraits at a corporate party in March so I’d like to share with you how I’ve automated my workflow to better serve clients. Here are my work flow objectives:

  1. Allow clients to be photographed, see proofs and order in a few minutes.
  2. Minimize any waiting in lines.
  3. Have fun, create lasting memories.

To achieve these objectives I’ve assembled the following technologies:

Here’s how the computers and camera are all connected:

I’m a geeky guy so I wrote my own Applescript to re-size and copy images, plus the proofing and order system was written with PHP, MySQL, Javascript, Dreamweaver and Photoshop.

My web server on the PC is using the popular XAMPP tools, which are Open Source.

Shooting
I operate my Canon 5D just like always, on full manual with custom white balance, everything metered so there are no surprises. Using the USB2.0 cable it takes about 6 seconds for an image to go from the camera to the iMac. I shoot JPEG for event photos to save time and they look just great.
.
Applescript
This script takes about 5 seconds to re-size the full-size image into a proof and thumbnail size images, then copies them over to a folder on the PC where the web server is running.

Proofing and Ordering
The client uses a web browser to see their proofs. At first they see thumbnails. Clicking a thumbnail brings up a larger image with a price list.

 

Post Event
When I arrive back home after the event, then I run another web page to take my batch credit card orders and process them. Yes, I wrote that one too.

Summary
I’ve been able to achieve my event photography work flow objectives by using some standard technology and some custom technology to get the job done. My clients can be photographed, proof and order in a few minutes. They’re happy and I’m busy sending orders to my lab and then delivering prints to clients.

A Different Kind of Bank

Posted by Daniel Payne on December 14, 2009 at 1:52 pm
Tags: ,

Friday evening my wife and I attended an annual party at Umpqua Bank in Tualatin. Here’s a photo of me with Marc Satterlee, an Umpqua store manager.

Some of the more innovate activities that Umpqua has done over the years to connect with the community:

They call their bank a store, and it looks different from all other banks. When you enter it’s like the lobby of a hotel, complete with a concierge-like greeter, free coffee, HD TV with business news, two computers, color printer, and cookies on Friday’s. The folks at the counter know you by name and ask about your business.

Umpqua is doing banking very differently, my wife and both daughters bank there and are simply delighted. On occassion I visit and use their conference room for clients.