New Work In Isthmus

Check out Isthmus Newspaper this week for a few photos I shot at The Fountain Restaurant on State Street in Madison.

Sci-Fi Fashion Shoot with Claire Ann

Claire Ann after Barbarella (Janet the Planet remix)
Background images: NASA

Claire Ann in silver spacesuit

Claire Ann in Studio H with Opera Gloves

Hair/makeup: Barbara Ann Zanzig @ BZ Artistry

Behind the scenes of the Sci-Fi shoot at Studio H.

New Work: Madison Magazine Jewelry Tearsheet

The new issue of Madison Magazine is on newsstands this week and it looks terrific. We shot this page with a single capture and I like how it turned out.

AD: Tim Burton, Styling: Shayna Miller, Photo: Timothy Hughes

Gelling a beauty dish

Adding a photo gel to your beauty dish can be an easy way to balance your strobe to ambient light color temperature (color correction), adding a creative color tint to your subject, or to add a splash of color to your background. I like to use a warming filter on my key light (which is a Paul Buff 22R dish) because it helps in achieving nice, warm skin tones on portraits.

The easiest way to gel your beauty dish is to measure the distance between the back of the dish and the diffusion reflector. Then cut a strip of gel as wide as that measurement and as long as the circumference of the reflector supports (image attached). In the case of my 22R the strip is 3 3/8 x 21". Finally, I taped the two edges of the gel together so the gel wrap is nice and tight.

Take precautions to cool down your strobe occasionally if using a gel on your beauty dish because the combination of the modeling light and the flash will generate a lot of heat which is trapped by the gel.

For additional reading please visit a full review of my Paul C. Buff beauty dish.

Jewelry and Fashion Show at the Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee

Yesterday I got a call from my friend KJ Lyn who asked if I wanted to check out a runway show in Milwaukee to benefit the Leukemia/Lymphoma Society. I would have time to relax and enjoy the show and so I gladly accepted the invitation. I grabbed my 5D and 35mm prime and set out. Tonight I would be shooting all available light with my trusty f/2. Since I wasn't booked as a house photographer it gave me flexibility to shoot behind the scenes without having to carry my usual runway photo gear.

Checking out the lobby during a little downtime before the show.

The instructional meeting before the practice run.

Model fitting at Boutique B'LOU.

Models taking some mirror time before the runway show.

The Jewelry and Fashion show featuring designs by Lynne Curtain.

Overall, the fashion show went really well. Everyone had fun and raised money for a great charity. I got a few nice candid shots and made it back to Madison glad I went!

New Product Photography in Jan. 2012 Madison Magazine

The new issue of Madison Magazine is out and I had a lot of fun photographing the Shopping + Style Guide for the issue. Sunglasses are very tricky to shoot properly but with experience it becomes second nature. Here are a few of the accessories we shot for the feature.

AD: Tim Burton, Style Editor: Shayna Miller, Photography: Timothy Hughes

Hanging framed photography and paintings

It took me 40 years, but I can now hang framed art by myself, exactly where I want it to be, in one try. With pencil in hand I pick up the framed piece and push it up against the wall exactly where I want it to hang. Next I make a small mark on the wall exactly in the center of the frame just above the top of the frame. Next I measure the distance between the top of the frame and where the picture wire will be in place when held with the picture hanger. Then nail in the picture hanger that far below your mark, hang the art and use a bubble level to straighten. Voila! Perfectly hung art.

Outtake from last night's shoot

I shot an assignment last night with Darcey at my studio but had time to snap a few beauty photos in between looks. Here's one I liked. More from the shoot to come!

Photo: Timothy Hughes @ Studio H in Madison, Model: Darcey, Hair and makeup by Isela Gomez.

New Jewelry Advertisement

The jewelry ad I shot for the December issue of Madison Magazine came out yesterday and I'm super-happy with how it turned out! Here's my favorite shot from the day along with the tearsheet. Model: Samantha George, Hair & Makeup by Taylor Willret and Ashley Franklin of ANiU Salon Spa, AD: Tim Burton, Style Editor Shayna Miller.

One of my photos in SC Magazine wins a min magazine award

In March I did some executive portraits for SC Magazine, a national trade magazine for IT professionals. Yesterday, I got word one of the photos won a min Magazine Editorial & Design Award for Best Photography Spread! The awards ceremony was yesterday at the Grand Hyatt in NYC (which I was unable to attend) but I'm really excited to hear about the award! SC Magazine wins Best Photo Spread Award

From the roadside

Snapped a few photos driving back from Westby, Wisconsin last week that I thought were interesting.

Kickapoo Trading Post

Better Days