“hit it out of the park”
“last night was awesome”
“absolutely wonde
rful!”
“Thanks for great content!
r.”
Can't wait for the next tou
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The 2011 Pin Up Alooza Tour would not and could not be possible without the financial support from our generous sponsors.
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Hello Friends, First of all, thank you so very much for attending our Pin Up Alooza tour. This year, we have the incredible fortune of featuring Mike Long, a talented and well-respected photographer. This is literally a dream come true, because as everyone knows, Mike is hands-down one of the most talented and well-regarded pinup photographers ever. His enthusiasm, knowledge and innovation make him a valuable source of information and inspiration. He is a great guy, a knowledgeable speaker, and a once-in-a-lifetime talent to learn from.
Pinup photography is fun, challenging and also very rewarding. As it becomes more and more mainstream, I’m excited to share this tour experience with all of you. In turn, as you share the pinup phenomenon with your clients, I hope that you will take many valuable insights with you from this seminar (and a few fun memories too). Once again, thank you so very much for attending today’s show! All the best of luck to you, your family and your studio this year! May 2011 be your best year yet. Warmest, Sandy Puc’
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SANDYPUCTOURS.COM 5
Sandy Puc’
• Canon Explorer of Light • Print Master • Passionate
Peek inside her gearbag online at:
http://sandypuc.com/pros 800.947.9967 420 Ninth Avenue New York, NY 10001 6
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S
o you’ve captured a great expression on a fantastic looking lady, and now you want to put the gloss and finishing touches to your masterpiece. Retouching is viewed by some as a black art, not to be messed with, but the truth is a few simple tricks can turn a nice image into a GREAT portrait. I’ve been a retoucher since before Adobe unleashed Photoshop onto the World. Back in the ‘good old days’, working on high end retouching equipment such as a Scitex Prisma, there was really only one way of achieving an end result. Now, with Photoshop, there are as many ways as there are photographers. As such, there isn’t a best, or right way to do something. What you need to do is test the waters and find the methods that work best for your style of photography and the final image you want to portray for your studio.
Let’s start with skin. One of the hardest aspects of an image to automate, yet one of the biggest areas of Photoshop Actions where you can spend money. Most commercial actions blur the skin in some way, then bring back detail. The problem with all these is that they are ‘dumb’ actions. They don’t know how big your file is, or how large the face is within that file. As such, they blur an amount that is often too much, or not enough and the result is patchy, bad skin. Better than before, but in my mind, not worth presenting to a client. My method of skin retouching is simple. Create a new, blank layer above your base layer. ALWAYS work on a new layer, never destroy the pixels on your base layer. Now. Select brush - and select a soft round brush. If you are using a Wacom tablet, set the opacity of your brush to about 40%. If you aren’t using a Wacom tab8 let, stop reading this right now, rush out and buy one. I
have no affiliation with Wacom at all, but I do believe that using one will increase the overall quality of your work, and save your arm from repetitive strain injury at the same time. Using the option key on your keyboard, option click on an area in the middle of the cheek. Then start to paint, slowly and softly around that area. Do this again a little further out. The aim is to brush the skin color over the top of the base image, building up layers of new color, softer and cleaner than the base file. This is exactly the way old fashioned retouchers would work on prints - only they would spray color on with an airbrush.
One of the biggest problems I see with retouching is that people don’t take a few extra minutes to really finish an image well. If you are extracting a girl and placing in a new scene, make sure your mask is clean, and that you include a grounding shadow. The lack of a shadow is a dead giveaway that the image you are looking at is fake. Also, make sure that perspectives match, or are close. Finally, blending the extracted girl and the base scene together is essential to make the portrait rock. You can do this by matching the contrast and overall color of each element in your finished image. A simple trick here is to apply a final action to the overall image, once you’ve set the girl in, and added a shadow. That will alter both the background and the girl, and make them appear more natural. This would be a good time to apply your favorite vintage toning, or the latest BW action from your favorite vendor.
Build up your color slowly - don’t go in with a big heavy stick. Once you have a nice smooth skin tone, add just a very small amount of noise to that new layer to help it ‘sit’ in with the rest of the image. The result will be the best skin you’ve ever seen! <<before
after>>
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Show Stopper Special
Use these marketing templates to bring in new pinup portrait business today. Each easy-to-use template can be updated with your studio’s logo and contact information, along with your favorite boudoir work for a polished and professional look in a matter of minutes.
• Business cards • Price lists • Brochures • Gift certificates • Postcards • Eblasts
Additional Showstopper Special Offer:
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FOR $63 MORE GET
6 MONTHS OF SPU
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Pinup kits $59
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Tour Videos
Fun and flirty pinup theme
5 HOURS OF TRAINING
’08 Baby
’09 Tots 2 Teens
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’10 Family
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’11 Kids
Reg. Price
SHOWSTOPPER SPECIAL!
Reg $715
SALE ONLY $236
Total
All 4 Pinup Kits + Bonus Boudoir Posing Guide • Business cards • Postcards and bonus • Boudoir Posing Guide • Price lists • Eblasts • 4 Matching Albums • Brochures • Gift certificates
Office Use Only:
Educational Materials
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• Add 6 months subscription to Sandy Puc’ University Reg $149
$299
SHOWSTOPPER AND SPU— Best Deal ever!
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Kitten Pinup Kit: Stylish yet classic pinup theme + Bonus Album
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Boudoir Posing Guide
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$59
6 Month Subscription to SPU + Bonus Tour DVD
ONLY
A la Carte:
TOUR DVDs Babies
Tots 2 Teens
Family
Wedding
Video
Kids
Buy 2 Tour DVDs, Get 1 free
ONLY
Reg $198
FREE SHIPPING!
* Prices are good 48 hours from night of show.
$118
TOTAL
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Easy Payment Plan ____ I understand that all payments are non-refundable and must be applied toward this order. ____ I understand that my credit card will be charged monthly on the 15th. ____ I understand that should both credit cards be declined, the remaining balance will be due immediately and I will be responsible for all collection costs, including any legal fees incurred by Sandy Puc’ as a result of collection efforts. ____ I understand that these materials are protected under copyright and cannot be returned, resold or shared with others. Payments: #1) $ _____ . ___ Date: ____ / ____ / 2011 (today’s date) #2) $ _____ . ___ Date: ____ / 15 / 2011 #3) $ _____ . ___ Date: ____ / 15 / 2011
_______________________________________________________________ Name (as it appears on the card)
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* Due to the custom nature of these products, all our sales are final and no refunds will be given. However, please report it to orders@sandypuc.com and we will do everything within our knowledge and experience to troubleshoot our product. * Please note all products are priced in United States Dollars. sign__________________________________________________________
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Notes
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Sandy Puc’ University is the ultimate educational experience for photographers looking to super charge their studio and inspire their creativity. As an industry trailblazer, Sandy knows how to succeed and loves to share her knowledge with other professionals.
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Benefits: Marketing Calendar Each month receive campaign descriptions, campaign protocol, PSD postcard and eblast templates, blog post, facebook post, campaign wordage, and sample jpgs. Be prepared for marketing, months in advance. Arts and Crafts 101 Templates, brushes, album borders and edges, font lists, textured backgrounds, overlays, wow! Video Communications 102 Sandy’s shooting tips and tricks to make your job easier. Marketing Forum Connect with other SPU members and receive feedback about all of your ideas! Make great connections in the industry, share interesting info you have discovered, or show off your marketing pieces.
- ACTIVE FORUM - 2 NEW WEBINARS - 4-6 COMPLETE MARKETING PROGRAMS - NEW BRUSHES, TEXTURES AND BACKGROUNDS - 2 NEW HOW-TO VIDEOS - FULL MARKETING CALENDAR - 50% OFF OF ALL UKANDU PRODUCTS EVERYTHING FOR
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TOUR SPECIAL 15
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By Sandy Puć
B
efore you get started, talk to your clients about their ideal session. You should have a clear understanding of what they would like to look like and how they envision their final images. Some women may want to be a seductive temptress, while others will want something soft and much less aggressive. When you’re photographing boudoir sessions, understand that not every pose you try will work for every body type. However, that does not mean they are not great poses. It is important that as you shoot, you look at your subject carefully and modify the pose until it works for her body. Sometimes a minor tweak of the hand, altering leg placement or even a tilt of the head can have a dramatic effect on your final image. Be sure your subject is relaxed and excited to participate. It is also helpful to narrow down your favorite poses in advance so you do not exhaust your client.
Once you understand her perspective, discuss these standards: Posture is everything. It’s very important for your subject to keep her back straight. This slims the figure, creates much better lines and ultimately perfects the image. Explain that not only will the entire body look lean, but good posture will accentuate the chest and highlight the
entire silhouette as well. Many of these poses feel awkward but look great. Let your client know that although some poses might not feel natural, your goal as an artist is to create dramatic lines and angles. Often times you will not be shooting the entire body, so what feels most uncomfortable will not even show. Have the subject tighten her muscles to ensure that everything looks toned and fit. This can really reduce retouching time later. Because this seems unnatural for most, throughout the shoot you might need to remind the subject to “tighten it up.” This also helps problem areas like the tummy and bottom. The mental attitude should be anything but tense, so do what to can to help your client relax and enjoy the process.
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SO LET’S RECAP: 1. Posture is everything 2. It feels awkward but looks great 3. Tighten it ALL up 4. Relax, breath and enjoy 5. Practice, Practice, Practice
Tell your subject to take a few deep breaths if they look nervous at any time, and tell a few jokes to break the ice. Let them know it’s okay to laugh and that not every pose will be easy. They should trust that you are watching them carefully and that you
are not going to shoot anything that doesn’t look right. Share a few sample images from your camera to help build confidence if you find that you have a subject who is insecure. This builds confidence within themselves and in your talents.
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There are literally thousands of ways to modify and change a pose to create new and unique looks for your clients. One of the best ways to really understand how to pose the body is to practice, practice and practice. Find a friend who will model for you and then shoot all kinds of poses of her. Don’t worry about backgrounds, props or clothing. Just keep it simple and shoot. Soon you will begin to see what works and what doesn’t. Once you have mastered these poses, start browsing magazines and add additional poses that you think might work well. Soon you will start to see how different body types react to different angles. It will become easier to recognize what your subject will look best in, and even more new poses will emerge through this process.
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By Jerry Ghio
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Shoot. Display. Sell. © Sandy Puc
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23 of Passionate Photographers. Billions of Happy Photos. Millions
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F
ar too often, photographers concentrate on the technical aspects of the art, fussing and worrying about light ratios, which brand of soft box to buy and so on. There are workshops, training videos, books and websites full of technical jargon and helpful advice, but what is often overlooked is the art of getting the best from your subject.
The most effective method of getting the ‘oops’ face, I have found, is to count the subject in - three, two one ooops! I make the noise with them. I pose their body first, in whatever position the shot dictates, then I explain the face I’m after. The best way of doing this is some show and tell. I’m forever making jokes and messing around on my sets, and by showing the client what face I want it’s far easier and quicker than trying to explain it. A 40 year old man pulling off an ‘ooops’ face is either hilarious or very worrisome, depending on which way you look at it! My clients generally fall about laughing when I show them, again adding to the trust between us, and confidence that I know what I’m doing.
Getting the best from your subjects requires you to interact in a relaxed and calm way, but more importantly to be yourself. Pin-up faces are exaggerated, almost cartoon in nature, and often require you to be silly, expressive and help your subject into a state of mind where they can be silly too. This is something that needs to be practiced on your part, as the photographer. The first step to those amazing pin-up expressions is to relax your subject. This starts the minute they walk in your studio door. Make them feel welcome and comfortable. They need to trust you - this is key to them opening up and giving you a ‘performance’, which is what you are after. You can’t just place a lady in front of your lights and say ‘smile!’ - because you’ll get that cheesy grin that we are all trying to avoid.
“I’m forever making jokes and messing around on my sets, and by showing the client what face I want it’s far easier and quicker than trying to explain it.” The ‘oops’ is usually the first expression I go for, as it relaxes the client and shows how silly I can be. From then on, they are mine to mold and I can usually get any expression I need from them. The other big pin-up face is the glorious smile - not a fake one, a giant happy open mouthed smile. Again, you can’t just ask your client to smile. That will result in a chain store cheese-fest. Once you have your client relaxed and in the mood, with their music pumping from the stereo, they should be having fun. That’s when you can make some jokes, throw in some compliments and a smile will be on their face the whole time. The key is to position their body first. Keep up with the gentle flirting and jokes, and as they are about to break into that laugh, you fire off a few frames.
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Most of my pin-up poses contain variations of those two basic faces. Closing both down to be not as exaggerated creates softer looking portraits, but is also a little harder to accomplish. Finding what your client is capable of is crucial in the first few minutes of the session. Build confidence and accent the positives, never point out negatives. If she can’t give that perfect relaxed smile, or a killer ‘oops’ - don’t stress. Keep trying, explain it for every shot, and show it for every shot.
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Book tod
ay and S
$ 5 0 0 J
AVE
ust $149
STUDIO MANAGEMENT 5 DAYS WITH SANDY
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Photography, Workflow and Imaging,Sales and Pricing, Customer Service, Marketing and more!
ONLY 20 PEOPLE PER CLASS Class takes place at Sandyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Studio in Littleton, CO Ask about our payment plan! Available Dates:
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2011 November 2-6 2012 January 21-25 February 5-9 March 11-15 April 10-14
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p u n K i P i t y c E m e rge n
Sandy Pucâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Studio
TOOLS
Tiny Screw Drivers Pocket Knife 2 Large Clamps 2 Small Clamps Duct Tape Allen Wrenches Pliers Scissors String or Twine Cable Release Grey Card Bungie Cord Flashlight
CLOTHING/ ACCESSORIES Sewing Kit Black/White Shoe Polish Lens Cleaning Solution Eyeglass Repair Kit Shower Cap
CHILDREN Bubbles Squeaky Toy Child friendly treats/snacks
EMERGENCY KIT ITEMS COSMETIC
MISCELLANEOUS
Bobby Pins Hair Spray Hair Elastics Combs Brushes Safety Pins Mirror Skin Lotion Sunscreen Lip Balm Lint Brush Calamine Lotion Nail Clippers Nail File Hand Sanitizer Nail Polish Remover Cotton Swabs Small Tissue
Insect Repellent Water Spray Bottle Fishing Line Velcro AA Batteries Super Glue First Aid Kit Asprin/Pain Reliever Black Sharpies Baby Wipes Rubber Bands Water Bottle Plastic Zipper Bags Gloves Canned Air Glue Gun Pet Treats
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