Shooting from the Hip, or why’d I get a drone anyway?

Just because you have a drone doesn’t mean you have to shoot from super way up high! Shoot from the hip you fools. All sharp-shooter, rooting-tooting cowboy, video junkies do!!!!

When I started getting intrigued with drone photography and the videos drones captured, I looked first at the Anafi (a drone by a French company called Parrot.)

The Anafi Drone… sure, sure it has all the usual bells and whistles. (Insert my boring monotone voice here). Giving you a ton of sleep inducing specs; I’ll wake you when this painful part is over, and we get back to the fun stuff.

It’s got 4K video, yada yada…. 21 megapixel DNG capabilities, blah blah blah. Pssst, it’s safe to come out now, the nerdology has left.

Movie made with Parrot anafi Drone Drone Parrot Anafi edited DNG in PS video edited in divimci Resolve Still loving the 4k capabilities of this drone by Parrot. It's the PARROT ANAFI check it out!!! and please like and subscribe to my channel and check out my work at: http://www.pimentelportfolio.com instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drone_portf...

If you know me and are reading this after watching my YouTube video, you are either a Portrait Photographer, someone I’ve shot in studio, or someone who knows me and my love for nerdy photo, techie stuff. So, endure, you might learn something new, useful or something that the next time you see me you can talk about and I’ll pay attention to our convo for 3.5 seconds, before my mind drifts off to…where can I get a cold brewed grande with salted Carmel infused whip? Or is that an Apple Watch you have on?

So, now that we are back. I’ve prob told you over a chipotle burrito the following:

(Insert my monotone voice)

The Anafi had me at 21 mega- whatever and 4K whatcha-ma-call-it video.

But, pssstttt , before you tap outta the tech headlock I have you in….here’s a little something I’ll let you in on about the Anafi…

Ok, insider info here, listen up Girl Scouts. If you wanna get your diddy badge in Drone Video… so you can:

1. Obtain a Merit for your sash.

2. Create really cool, cinematic footage.

3. Be one of the Uber cool kids riding one-wheeled skateboards, chewing watermelon flavored sour patch kids. (Which I love by the way)

   Then; you must know that the thing that makes the Anafi Drone a Videógrafo dream come true isnt all my boring monotone voices info. No, kids of Toyland, my pretties, my techie- junkies, goo-goo doll loving idiots. The thing that makes it so Ice cream cool is, that it has no sensors blocking ground-up shooting.

   Oh ! HELL YES BROTHER!!

   and….. the piece de resistance is, it also has a camera gimble that swings 180 degrees up or down. So yes sports Fans! You can shoot from down low looking up! Or way up high and look strait down with no prop blades in the shot.

   Case in point. Do not rinse and keep repeating the same thing; do something, anything Different. Be who you are. Be A Creative.

   Cheers,

   Oh, P.S.

   I can listen to you for longer then 3.5 seconds if you include the following words in your lingo: Camera, tacos, editing, Subaru, dog, espresso and a few others 😎 Cheers till next time.

   Keep it real!

Altitude Attitude

One of the best ways to maintain and gear up my creativity is to expeience new things visually. Travel encompasses all the senses. Which in turn resparks my creative process.

"What do you remember the most from Germany ?" She asked 

"that coocoo bird ever morning at Cousin Iris's house "  every morning this solitary bird would beckon me to arise shake off my jetlag and go out and experience the Countryside. 

What will I experience next? What will I take back with me? A sight? A sound? A taste? A feeling? 

I love travel the flying the adrenaline the arriving to a new place. All the travel I have been fortunate to experience engages my mind and allows me to spark my creativity.

A quiet moment on a Palm Springs evening.

Discussing a upcoming shoot with my Creative director in the desert air last evening.  Allowing  our minds to engage  in some free thought ideals for our  client. We scramble down a few notes to the makeup artist. 

Then shoot the client a email engaging her ideals and letting her know we are constantly creating images for her shoot already in our creative process time. 

Every part of the creative process is gift to me I can engage a part of my mind and spirit and then transpire a image of that moment to my subject.

"Cool wind in my hair Warm  smell of a colitas rising up through the air " Hotel California The Eagles. 

A flowered vine on a wall in Palm Springs California 

As we exited the small plane into the turmac of the Palm Springs airport a stewardess said to us. " you were really having a great time I wanted to join you". 

We had been engaging in a creative moment a game we had made out of pantomime and word description where we each took a turn at describing her boring escape and safety spiel into a show.  You know life is short and every second I am humbled enough to laugh and enjoy it. 

Cheers!

I am a Kansas City Photographer, my name is Kimberly Pimentel 

and my website is  http://pimentelportfolio.com/

 and I am ready to create a magnificient portrait for you .

Creating a Unique Photographic Style

There are  many Photographers on today's Social media sites, as we all know. And just about everybody has a Aunt, cousin or neighbor who "shoots images".  I personally love that so many people are enjoying photography as a hobby. With so many in the market one must stand out to be seen.

Photographer Kimberly Pimentel, Model Mikaela Carson, Makeup Chandra Cheyenne, Artistic Direction Roxane Henrici 

In order to stand out with your portraiture in today's market you must have unique appeal. It takes much work to create a style that is not the mainstream. It's harder to fit the mainstream when your images are different and your style is unique. But to creatives there's is a big aestethic victory and satisfaction of knowing your "style" is unique.

Im by no means a expert in developing a style of images but I do know what I like  visually and what I have done  to tap into my creative flow and it may or may not work for you. But hey! It's worth a shot and if you grow to love Photography and creating as much as I do and start to see your creative self flourish then it was worth it to me to tell you these STEPS  I took to start allowing myself to DEVELOP A UNIQUE PHOTOGRAPHIC STYLE.   

1. Get acquainted with the Photographic community. Join a shoot  club. Get to know other photographers. It's helpful to have others as sounding  boards for the questions you may have about anything from lighting to copyright. And joining these groups where others are also developing as creatives helps you learn technique and perhaps question your own techniques. 

2.  CHALLENGE YOURSELF TO BE DIFFERENT.  That being said here's the kicker to the first item- learn to live out of the popular bubble. And here's why.  We all learn in patterns we learn to draw within the line,  cut a straight line ect ect. Challenge yourself to be different allow your inner weirdness to be boss.   Creatives think differently. We see things differently and it's ok to  BE DIFFERENT. It's ok to not have everyone love your images or even Like them.  For many years I leaned to hide my creative self afraid that when others would see my unique point of view I'd I'd .... what be less popular. Who cares? Be YOU. When you learn to embrace your unique eye you'll love the results and things will start to change. 

3. Enjoy and surround yourself with the Arts.  What do I mean by this go see a ballet ? Maybe, not your thing go listen to a symphony, umm read a classic. Go to the local museum. Just be in the Arts. When I found myself struggling to define personal style I hopped into a University Class at UNM in New Mexico where I was living at the time.   I went back to the basics building cameras out of paint cans, spending days in the darkroom. Through it all did I learn more about my style of photography? No,  but I had a professor who challenged me and didn't tell me "hey your images are great" instead he told me you need to pick up a canvas and paint,  your a painter inside." I scoffed no way. I'm a lefthander who scribbles illegibly. I can't paint. But years later I did just what he had told me.   I picked up canvas and paints and you know what happened? I set aside my camera and I painted. Furiously I threw paint everywhere. Thinking I'll show him! I'm no painter. But what happened is I discovered that I do love to paint. Why? because I have no preconceived issues in what I should be as a Painter. Instead I was just a ceator. I learned to let my style not over define me but I learned to jus let creativity be. So surround yourself with the arts, write prose, paint, learn flamenco dance do something to engage your creative Brain. 

So get out there and meet people engage in ideals. Learn to enjoy your creative self and not take it to personally when others do or don't enjoy your aesthetics. And enjoy doing things that will engage your brain.  Your art will prosper as you develop a unique aesthetic. 

Top 3 Things that go into a Portrait shoot by Kansas City Photographer Kimberly Pimentel

Clients ask me what's your concept for my shoot. This to a creative can be a loaded question.  First, it's my job as a professional to deliver what you request. But, what if you don't know what it is that you are looking for in a Portrait, it's my job as a creative to bring my creatvity to the table and give you a image that is unique to my eye. And pleasing to you.

Many things go into making your shoot a success. Pre-planning is cruicial and we consider concept as major factor.

1. Concept comes to me through many variables, I like to use vision palletes of color, sketches patterns anything that to me triggers that "look" I want for your portrait.  I find ideals in movies, music, actors, magazines books really anything that catches my eye.  

My vision book includes ads from fashion magazines  that have caught my eye - combined with your color pallete info to be used for makeup. And costume planning and any notes about you.  Concept planning is a way to strength the end product of your look.

2. The next thing wardrobe and hair and makeup.  When a vision leads us to a look we start thinking of you and transforming or enhancing your best features.   My creative assistant and I hunt down wardrobe at a variety of outlets including thrift, rental or your own closet. These costumes may change.   I'll ask you to bring 3 looks of your own.  Hair and makeup join in here to stlyize your look.  We love to get creative at a shoot and create the usual into the unusual.

3. Then comes the Mechanics of it all. The nuts and bolts so to speak of your shoot.  This can include lighting equipment, light meters, hand painted canvas backgrounds, camera and lenses computer to tether your shoot. 

And  then, when everything works just right we nail it!  We create for you a look that is unique and yours.  

Of course there are many, many other details that come into play when you choose to let a Professional Photographer create a portrait for you, we jus considered this a starting list of our top 3 Things that go into planning your Photoshoot.

Contact:

Kimberly Pimentel a Kansas City Photographer  at (913) 687-1464.  to set up your preliminary consult then we'll get to work creating for you.

Kansas City Photographer Studio Shoot

Shooting in Studio Allows me the Luxury of Controlling Light, Sound and Movement. 

Kansas City Photographer Kimberly Pimentel