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Texas A&M University Distance Learning - Photo Shoot

TAMU Distance Learning Photo Shoot - Statistics Department - Dr. Alan Dabney
TAMU Distance Learning Photo Shoot - Statistics Department - Dr. Alan Dabney TAMU Distance Learning Photo Shoot - Statistics Department - Dr. Alan Dabney TAMU Distance Learning Photo Shoot - Statistics Department - Dr. Mike Speed TAMU Distance Learning Photo Shoot - Statistics Department - Dr. Simon Sheather TAMU Distance Learning Photo Shoot - TAMU Distance Learning Photo Shoot - Statistics Department TAMU Distance Learning Photo Shoot - Statistics Department TAMU Distance Learning Photo Shoot - Statistics Department TAMU Distance Learning Photo Shoot - TAMU Distance Learning Photo Shoot - Statistics Department TAMU Distance Learning Photo Shoot - Statistics Department TAMU Distance Learning Photo Shoot - Statistics Department TAMU Distance Learning Photo Shoot - Statistics Department TAMU Distance Learning Photo Shoot - Statistics Department TAMU Distance Learning Photo Shoot -

May 6, 2010 - As the school with the third largest statistics department in the U.S., Texas A&M University has a history and tradition of graduate education in statistics that dates back to 1963. The school has produced over 700 Master's and Ph.D. graduates since it's inception, and now has a goal to aggressively promote the TAMU Distance Learning program. This department has a strong tradition of theoretical and interdisciplinary research with an internationally recognized faculty.  In addition to their on location courses, the statistics department  now offers an online distance learning program.  The online courses provide the same course materials and exams with the flexibility to fit a schedule that may not allow for in-class instruction. 

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Posted by on May 06, 2010



The Unplanned Photo Shoot - Rectorseal Product Saves the Day

We turned on the water to find the leak - it was easy to see.
I came home and found the laundry room and study flooded. Water was leaking down the wall so I removed the fascia panel. There was no insulation on some areas of pipe. We waited for the lines to drain. The Rectorseal® Pipe Repair Kit Step 1 is to use a file to clean up any sharp edges on the pipe. The kit includes a pair of gloves, RectorSeal® epoxy and the patch, all nicely packaged in a silver pouch. The next step is to knead the RectorSeal® epoxy and use it to fill the crack. Next, workthe epoxy around the pipe. Put on the gloves and open the pouch. It contains the patch in a roll. Submerge the roll into water for about 20 seconds. Begin working the patch around the pipe.  It is important to work fast. Rotate the patch in the direction of the wrap to tighten it around the pipe. You can turn the water back on after 30 minutes - since we were not planning to use any water, we let it cure over night.

January 10, 2010 - Over the past two days, Houston has been experiencing a cold snap that has plunged temperatures into the low twenties. My blood must have thinned out over the years because twenty degrees here feels far colder than the same temperature up North. I learned to take the cold seriously after a pipe burst in our kitchen wall in 1999, causing several thousand dollars in damages. So, as we watched the cold front move Southward on the TV weather map, we insulated the pipes on the outside of the house and relocated some potted plants indoors.

By Sunday afternoon I thought the worst was over. It wasn't. When I returned home at 3:00, I found water bubbling down the exterior wall of our home. I shut the water off and went inside, where I found the laundry room and my study flooded. Over the next two hours we moved everything outside to dry, and mopped up most of the water. A couple of small circulating fans did most of the drying.

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Posted by Vic Cherubini on January 12, 2010



A Photographer’s Photographer – Ted Washington

Ted Washington on the Bridge of The Blue Dolphin.
Ted helps out at the epic studio testing the pano equipment and defining a work flow. Ted going beyond the call of duty by climbing a ladder to a crows nest to get the kind of shot the client asked for. Ted working on setting up his Nikon D300 with 14mm lens for a test shoot in the epic studio.

December 22, 2009 – Earlier this month we got a call from an international oil field services company asking us to bid on a virtual photographic tour of their new offshore workboat. This is no ordinary ship. It is the world’s largest coiled tubing vessel, and is truly spectacular in both the size and the technology it employs to service deepwater oil wells. The virtual tour sample they sent us showed a traditional 360 degree panoramic photography, best known as a “QuickTime VR Tour”.

These panoramic tours have been typically used by real estate agents to provide prospective homeowners with a better understanding of a property. I have never been a big fan of this type of photography, because the quality of the images are usually poor, and it seems more of a gimmick than a truly immersive experience. Some tours may require a plug-in be downloaded, which can reduce the size of the viewing audience as many people just won't (or can't due to company policies) do it.  I decided to use this bid opportunity to see if anything new was happening with panoramic photography. I was blown away by what I found.

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Posted by Vic Cherubini on December 27, 2009



2009 Texas Renaissance Festival - Nikon D5000 Photo Shoot

The costumes worn by many of the performers were incredible in both detail and authenticity.
Some of attendees were also decked out in Middle-Age garb. Ren-Fest is a great place for people-watching. This is the Dragon Lady and she was nice enough to pose while I adjusted my camera and flash. Kodak Moments abound throughout the park with costumed actors everywhere. You could hear a pin drop as this sword swallower begins the task of downing a 20” Italian bayonet. He let the  sword slowly descend by gravity alone - it was very dramatic. For his finally, he bends forward, 90 degrees! The grounds were filled with beautiful women. I am not sure if this is how they dressed in the Middle Ages, but she had lots of admirers this day! Her mesh outfit did not leave much to the imagination... Just outside the gates this fair lady dons a costume rented for the day. Many lasses dressed in period outfits that brought out their...er...assets. Hats and head wear were an important part of most costumes as you can see on this lady in red. The theme for the weekend was -Celtic Christmas-. Here we have Frosty and Santa Baby in the spirit of the holidays. A pretty smile on a pretty lady. What does your future hold?  The answer may be found in the Tarot Cards. In any photos shoot, I always try to come away with at least one photo we can add to our portfolio.  This is the one from this day's shoot. Sometimes art mirrors life. This man was covered with tattoos. The Mud Men perform by diving head first into a pit of Texas clay. The crowd loves his enthusiasm, so he challenges the other Mud Man to do something even more outrageous in the mud. And he does not disappoint! One of -The Other Brothers- performs atop on a bowling ball while balancing 3 torches on his head and juggling the other 3. Amazing! A lovely lass and her beau pose for the camera. Face painting was very popular with the young people at the festival. This young man appeared to be quite happy as this Henna artist applies a decorative design to his chest. At the Tomato Torment booth  folks hurled ripe tomatoes at a guy yelling insults at everyone in the crowd. This one hit the mark and the crowd went wild. This instrument weighs over 2 tons and the haunting music that comes from it goes right through you. The Bell Ringer is very reminiscent of something you might see/hear in a Phantom of the Opera performance. This stage act used fire as a theme, She put all 10 torches out with her mouth. Ouch! I visited this performance at 2:30pm, but the 5:30pm show came at dusk and was more dramatic to shoot. Both performers extinguish their torches in unison. One act I remember well from years ago was -Birds of Prey-.  This years show was just as dramatic. This owl was found on the property badly wounded and covered with fire ants.  He was nursed back to health and is now part of the show. The owl's big eyes allows it to hunt for prey at night. This vulture is nature's garbage disposal. In this demonstration the crowd counts down as he eats a chicken leg in less than 15 seconds. It is believed that William Shakespeare was a falconer. The group Wine and Alchemy performed European melodies while a sultry belly dancer dominated the stage. This violin player weaves a Gypsy tune as the audience claps to the beat. As the sun begins to set, the belly dancer appears to almost float around the stage. This dancer went on for over 15 crowd pleasing minutes. Sometimes a simple image can be made more dramatic with a little post production processing.

November 28, 2009 – When the Nikon D5000 debuted last summer it looked like the perfect camera for me. It has the image processor of a D300, along with a 2.7” title/swivel LCD screen. The fact that video can be recorded at 720p, it allows for interchangeable lenses and can shoot at 4 frames per second were just icing on the cake. Since I like to shoot both down low and high over head, I have come to rely heavily on the tilt screen in my Panasonic FZ50. So I felt the D5000 (on paper anyway) should give me everything I needed for just about any shoot I would have to do.

Besides, my Nikon D200 was starting to show its age, and a quick review of recent sales on eBay confirmed I could sell my D200 outfit (body, winder and a couple of accessories) for about the same price as a new D5000. I listed it, and seven days later sold it for $55 more than I needed for the new camera. Amazon was among the first online stores to have the new Nikon in stock, so I bought it just slightly under its list price (shipping was free).

Over the next several months I had a chance to use the camera, but in each case, it was usually an important shoot and I didn't want to risk any problems.  I just did not feel confident enough with the D5000, so it came to each shoot as my backup camera, and typically saw only light duty. The Panasonic did all the heavy lifting. I have used the FZ50 so much over the past two years, I don’t even have to think about it – it has truly become an extension of my hand. What I really needed was a full day with the D5000 in a real world, non-critical shoot.

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Posted by Vic Cherubini on November 29, 2009



Dallas Shooting Supplies – Photo Shoot


November 24, 2009Dallas Shooting Supplies is a relatively new web based shooting supply company. The company is owned by Morgan Richie and Vic Cherubini Jr. who both have a passion about rifles and weaponry. Vic was coming home for the holidays, so I asked him to bring some of his guns so we could do a photo shoot.

I had not seriously photographed weapons before, so in preparation of the shoot, I spent a couple of hours scouring the web for ideas on composition, lighting, and tips on how to make guns look their best. The best sources turned out to be stock photography sites, all of which had hundreds of examples showing guns at their finest.  I collected my favorites and used these images during the shoot for guidance.

Unlike most things we shoot in the studio, these objects have the capability to shoot back. I am quite comfortable handling guns, and respect their power. At age 11, I participated in the Brooklyn Boy Scout Marksmanship Program, and every Saturday for two years we took the LL train to the US Armory in Bedford Stuyvesant.  The first two weeks of the program were all about gun safety, and I can still see Mr. Prebble pointing to the NRA sign on the wall with the three basic rules we all memorized by heart:

  • ALWAYS keep the gun pointed in a safe direction.
  • ALWAYS keep your finger off the trigger until ready to shoot.
  • ALWAYS keep the gun unloaded until ready to use.

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Posted by Vic Cherubini on November 25, 2009



Shots of Opportunity - Cook Compression Photo Shoot

Mechanical Field Services Compressor Maintenance Technicians torquing a bolt
Mechanical Field Services Compressor Maintenance Technician at Work Overhead angle of bolt torquing procedure. Mechanical Field Services Compressor Maintenance Technician at Work MFS Operations Manager, Wade Calk with trophy deer. Mechanical Field Services Compressor Maintenance Shop

September 9, 2009 - Usually when we get a call to do a photo shoot at a client's location, we get a shot list of images that are needed specifically for a web site, brochure, trade show, etc.  So when we got a call from Tim Wold, president of Wold Marketing (a B-2-B Ad Agency in Conroe, Texas) we were surprised to learn there would be no shot list for this particular shoot.

Wold's client, Cook Compression, had recently acquired Mechanical Field Services LP (MFS), and Cook needed some photos for the corporate library.  Tim said we would be going out after "Shots of Opportunity".  At first I was not sure of exactly what gear to pack, but when Tim said to think of the shoot more of a photojournalism assignment, I packed lighter then I would if we were going for a specific shot or series of shots. We were not sure what we were getting into, but decided to treat it as an "adventure" and make the most of it

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Posted by Vic Cherubini on September 06, 2009



Sucker Rod Photo Shoot - TRC Services

Adding a little excitement to a sucker rod photo.
Pump jack showing sucker rod assembly. Close up of Sucker Rod profile A sparkler did the trick. 3D Sucker Rod close up showing shot peened surface. Light tent used to photograph sucker rod in the studio. 3D Sucker Rod Illustrations with reflections - by epic software group.

August 14, 2009 -  at epic any excuse to get a new piece of photo gear is good enough for us, so when a new client asked us to help with an animation showing the shot peening process on their reconditioned Sucker Rods - we invested in a 4" 0 Photo Softbox Lighting Tent. It was the first time we used this piece of equipment, and we were very pleased with the results.  So here is the back story to the product photos shown here.  We also did some 3D modeling of the metal rod which is included as well. .  

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Posted by Vic Cherubini on August 14, 2009





 
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