Photo session in studio

Determining the type of lighting is always a small dilemma. I tend to be a supporter of working outdoors with natural lighting. I often use a reflector to help me, but while lighting results are lovely, most of the time the reflector must be handled by a person. And for a photo shoot in studio I am in favor of using continuous lighting.

That said, continuous lighting has advantages and disadvantages, and flashes, too. So I have to keep doing tests, as in this session with Mariana Uscanga, from which I show you the results. I used several flashes, filters and reflectors. If there is an amateur photographer who would like to know the setting used, I will have to disappoint him. I took many photos, many experiments, I moved everything and there was not one setting, but a bunch of them. And of course, I did not wrote them up. I do not usually release photography tutorials because there is a lot of competition. Producing them usually has a job much greater than what people imagine. So a hug to the photographers who take that effort and  I send for them my recognition and respect.

 

photo session in studio, photographer, Valencia, Spain

Once the photo session is finished …

After a photo session in studio, one must apply in the editing work. In many of these cases, one of the tasks is in the selection of which are the photos we want, because there are often many similar ones. About the selection it is important to decide, more or less, what we are going to do, so that the work does not become too long. In this case, the idea was to keep the interest in the model totally. Eliminating any detail left over from the background was a priority. Then, the control of the tones is another crucial question. And as some of the photos will end, badly that I regret, on Instagram, it was also appropriate to leave them ready for that application.

photo session in studio, photographer, Valencia, Spain, fitness photographer

Mariana had enough patience not to kill me even though there were many experiments, a few disasters and a significant number of repetitions. But probably you will agree with me that the temper and endurance of this Mexican model had a fair reward.

photo session in studio, photographer, Valencia, Spain, commercial photographer

I’m Sergi Albir, professional photographer. If you want a photo shoot in studio, outdoors, or you have a company, or an event, or you want me to record a video of a turtle submerging, or whatever you can think of, you can contact me at +34 644459753 (better by WhatsApp) or sergi@archerphoto.eu.

photo session in studio, photographer, Valencia, Spain

Making wine

Making wine by Archerphoto, professional photographer

I have always liked seeing pictures of people working. It is always interesting: watching how they did things in the past tells us many stories and gives us a perspective on where we are and where we come from. Without needing to be more transcendent, all this comes because, talking with my friend Arturo Blasco, we talked about the possibility of making a series of photos about a version of the winemaking process. Specifically, a process that is somewhat more traditional than the one usually done conventionally, because at Bodegas La Purísima, which is the company where he currently works, they would dedicate an effort to produce one of these wines and he would direct the operation. So I went with him, I spent a day in Yecla (Murcia) seeing how they carried out the whole process.

Making wine in Yecla, Murcia, by Sergi Albir professional photographer Spain
Felipe Martínez checks the state of the selected vineyards.
Grape in Yecla, Murcia, Spain by Archerphoto, professional photographer
Forcallat is one of the varieties of Yecla, Murcia..

Making wine in Yecla, Murcia, by Archerphoto, professional photographer

Making wine

Depending on the weather, sugar level in the grape and other factors, it is determined when the harvest is due. One of those factors that Arturo told me about is polyphenolic maturity. This maturity determines the quality of the grape. It is necessary to evaluate if the color is present and if the nugget when biting it is crunchy and without astringency. Arturo prefers to take the grape to the mouth and chew it. In this way, he says that it is like seeing a color photograph of what the wine will be.

Making wine in Spain by Archerphoto, professional photographer, commercial photographer Spain
Making wine. The vintage is made in a rather traditional way.

In this regard, if collected too far in advance the wine that is obtained will have a lower graduation. This, which for anyone would be only a detail, for the farmer has a key importance: the price is fixed in a significant part by the degrees of alcohol. In this way, when the grapes enter the cooperative, this variable is measured.

Making wine in Spain by Archerphoto, professional photographer
Mariano receives the grapes and makes the relevant checks to determine the price per kilogram.

Archerphoto, professional photographer for business

After transportation

Once the grape is in the cooperative begins the process of elaboration: in ancient times the grape was treading, but today mechanical processes are used. In the case of the grape ink, falling into the hopper goes to a crusher. This paste is pumped to its final destination so that the skin and nuggets get better contact with the must. In this way wine acquires color and body. Hence, in this case, it was sent to a couple of small vats, on which will work later.

From must to wine by Archerphoto, professional photographer
From left to right, Oscar Soriano, Felipe Martínez and Arturo Blasco about to pass the must to one of the vats.
From must to wine in Bodegas La Purísima by Archerphoto, professional photographer
The process of filling the vats with the previous protagonists.

These vats, which I was told were small for the industrial volumes they usually work with, had a capacity of about 300 liters.

Dry ice

Once in the vats, Arturo wanted to lower the temperature to 5ºC. This way the fermentation does not start yet, and thus the mix is acquiring color and aromas. To lower the temperature in a plastic tank has been forced to use dry ice (carbon dioxide in solid form, which is about -60 ° C). When carbon dioxide comes into contact with the must, it goes from solid to gaseous state immediately. The high concentration of this gas, makes a mist appear that offers really impressive images. The process is quite spectacular, and although it seems to be doing something more typical of a Harry Potter movie, he’s only making sure there are no thermal differences between the surface and the inside.

Arturo Blasco virtiendo hielo seco en una de las cubas.
Arturo Blasco pouring dry ice into one of the vats.
Arturo Blasco, enólogo, haciendo vino.
Not Harry Potter. Dry ice is used in both industrial and film making.

The must is left to macerate from that moment, and will begin to become wine. During the process most of the residue will be deposited in the bottom and ready to be filtered and bottled. Or to transfer it to the barrel.

Acknowledgements and contact

By the way, if you are interested in knowing more wine, Arturo writes in El Correo del Vino. It is imperative for me to thank him, not only for having taught me the process, but also because he has lent me a helping hand, proving that I did not commit any important wrongs by telling this. Here you can take a look at his articles related to oenology: http://www.elcorreodelvino.net/seccion/index/72. Also Felipe Martinez was explaining in detail each part of the elaboration.

I’m Sergi Albir. I am a professional photographer (you could say also a commercial photographer, if you like it better) and if you need portraits, videos or anything, you are in Valencia, Madrid, Edinburgh or Tierra del Fuego, and you want to contact me, an email to sergi@archerphoto.eu is the fastest way to find me. Well, and a Whatsapp to +34 644459753. Both things are worth it.