Black and White Color: 2011

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Bewitched Fashion, The Series

I did it! I survived my fashion photography class. For the final we had to do a six image series. The idea has been in my head for a while but I had to find the opportunity, the models , and the location (which fell into my lap). I shoot my final with four lovely models who I went to Italy with. The location was the creepy basement of my friend/model Alex...she has a crematorium in her basement (creepy=PERFECT!) Here are the seven images I chose (I did one extra picture so tell the story)
You have to understand this shoot is completely different than the usual in studio I go for. Im usually about the simple clean image, but I really wanted to challenge myself, which I did in more than one way.

This is one of the rooms where I shot...I got over my fear of spiders during this shoot!

Crematorium room with a tea party

Beautiful model Devin played the innocent tea party guest

Gorgeous models Alex, Emily H., and Emily B. played the creepy tea party guests, Alex was the host it was her basement so I thought it was a good fit!

This is my favorite image!

Hope you enjoyed my photos. I am always available for any professional photography for any occasion, and photos are also available for purchase. Please leave comments and suggestions. Thank you for you continuous support. -Deanna C. Sakal

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Bewitched Fashion (Behind the Scenes)

I have been working on my final but i have had the idea in my head for the least couple of months. My roommate Mary Hautman shot a behind the scenes video of my shoot...so here is a sneak peek of what is to come soon!

Go to this link to see it!!!
Bewitched Fashion- Sneak Peek of a Photo Shoot

Hope you enjoyed my photos. I am always available for any professional photography for any occasion, and photos are also available for purchase. Please leave comments and suggestions. Thank you for you continuous support. -Deanna C. Sakal

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Beauty/Glamour

This past week our assignment was Glamour/Beauty. I decided to base my photos off of peacock feathers. I styled the makeup myself taking the colors from the feathers and here is what I came up with this week.

This is the photo I used for my assignment.

But this was my favorite picture from the shoot!

Sunday, October 16, 2011

October Issue of Thread!

Introducing the October Issue of Thread!!! This is the 7th issue I have worked on. Can you believe it! My work is on pages 32-36 for the cosmetics page (again, apparently I'm good at cosmetics, because I've shoot it four or five times.) Check it out at the link below and tell me what you think!!! Also towards the bottom are a few photos that I shot for the story that I liked and they were not put into the magazine!

http://www.myvirtualpaper.com/doc/thread-magazine/thread-magazine-october-2011/2011101301#0

The cover photo was shot by my roommate and friend Mary Hautman! Very exciting I think!

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Drama!

For class we had to do a concept photo shoot and the concept was a new perfume called Drama. It was an interpretation assignment. My shoot was in the studio and it was a challenge. I put up two poles and then attached a pole horizontally to hang the curtains on. I had one light on a boom with a 20 degree grid spot to have a narrow light on my model (the amazing Emily Burns), and then I had two lights behind the curtains and they both had red gels on them. Here is what I came up with.

This is the photo I turned in for the assignment!

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Moving towards Professional!

I have been trying to get my professional photography up and running and I was recently asked to take some engagement pictures for a couple friends, Emily (my roommate in Italy) and Kenneth. Here are just a few shots. As always I ask to spread the word that I am always available to do any type of photography, my professional website is www.deannasakalphotography.zenfolio.com

It's all about the Texture

So I have returned from Italy and dived back into my photography classes at Ohio University. The class I am taking this quarter is Fashion Photography! Here are some photos from my first assignment "texture". It had to be black and white and show texture through shadows. Enjoy!

Thank you to my fantastic model Becca Romano! I put in one color photo for fun!

This is the photo I turned in for my assignment.

Hope you enjoyed my photos. Please leave comments, or suggestions of photos you want to see posted as well as ideas for photos I can take. Thank You.

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Pasta and Vino (the perfect meal in Italia)

While in Italy we went to a place where they produce pasta and then we had a wine tasting. The pasta was produce by a family business and was made and packaged fresh. We had the chance to tour the facility and see how they made their pasta, then we had the chance to buy it. Following the pasta factory we headed to a vineyard for a tour and a wine tasting. We saw how wine is made and then tasted three different wines produced by the vineyard. It was the ultimate italian experience. When my program was over my parents cam over and we went to two more vineyards on a private wine tasting tour. My favorite wine was the dessert wine and white wine from the vineyard I went to with the OU program.

My favorite out of the three was the white wine.

This is the dessert wine, It was made from dried grapes and should be served with a sour dessert.

Chianti is known for its red wine. The vineyards have to use 80 percent merlot grapes to be a D.O.C.G wine and 20 percent any other red grape. The black rooster is the symbol of a D.O.C.G. wine. The wines are colored red by the grape skins. If any bacteria gets into the containers holding the wine, it will ruin and become vinegar. The wine is stored in containers or barrels for 12 - 18 months.

The proper way to taste (red) wine. ( is it sad I'm under 21 and I am experienced at wine tasting?)
1. Pour the wine into the glass and let it breath
2. When holding your wine glass hold it by the stem so the heat from your hands do not mess with the temperature of the wine.
3. Tilt the glass over a white surface to observe the color. Some wines look red while others look like a deep red color.
4. Swirl the wine in the glass and look at the liquid running down the sides. The streaks going down the sides are called leggs. The leggs indicate the alcohol content in the wine. The more leggs the more alcohol.

5. Smell the wine. Don't be shy place your nose deep into the glass.
6. Take a sip of wine and swish it all around your mouth to get the full taste of the wine. Different parts of the tongue can sense different tastes.
7. You can spit out the wine or swallow it, your choice

Eat cheese (pecorino is my favorite) or bread while tasting your wine.

Hope you enjoyed my photos. Please leave comments, or suggestions of photos you want to see posted as well as ideas for photos I can take. Thank You.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

All Roads Lead to Rome... at least for 2 days!

Over the weekend (July 22-23) we went to Roma. At first I was not super excited because we were traveling with 50 other students from a different program, but in the end we only saw then maybe 3 times. I also was not excited because this was the last big excursion of my study abroad experience.
We had to meet at the train station at 6am (uffa!) and I have never been one to sleep on the bus. The drive to Roma is about 3 hours and another hour of traffic, so it already started off as a long day. Once we got to Roma the first thing we did was go to The Vatican. We saw the Vatican museums with about one thousand of our closest friends, and then we were literally herded into the Sistine Chapel. Let me say the chapel is amazing, its the rude guards literally herding people and being rude to people that makes the experiance very unenjoyable. We then went into the world's largest church... Saint Peter's Basilica. This church is amazing and relics it supposedly has inside is even more amazing. Just to name a few this church has the tomb of Saint Peter (hint... St. Peter's Basilica), is has a piece of the cross which Christ was crucified on, it has the spear that pierced Christ's chest, it has the cloth which Saint Veronica (patron saint of photographers) used to wipe the sweat from Christ's face as he carried the cross, and it has the chair which Saint Peter sat in. But guess what... Know one actually gets to see any of these things that the church has.

Top of Saint Peter's Basilica

Sistine Chapel

Inside Saint Peter's Basilica

I liked this because I love the Da Vinci Code and this is from the movie!

   After The Vatican we had an hour break, which in Roma is about enough time to get out of the Vatican. We then went across Roma to the Colosseum and the Forum. We went inside the Colosseum and took many pictures, and then we walked through the Forum where we learn some stuff and took many more pictures. After the Forum I was ready to make my way to the hotel which we did, and I was very happy to do.

We tried to be Gladiators but we look more like Power Ranges!

The Forum

The Forum Again!

   The next day we started off bright and early with a brisk morning walking tour of Roma. we went to a small chapel where the inside had the most unusual display. Inside were the bones of around 4000 people displayed in different patterns. It was morbid but very interesting. The chapel had a great message at the end. It was "What you are now, we once were. And what we are now, you will be" it means live a happy life without any regrets. We then saw the Spanish steps which are named because at the bottom is the Spanish Embassy. When we reached the steps it had decided it was going to rain... and when it rains in Italia it is no joke, it pours. We then went to he first McDonald's in Italia, and i was the fanciest McDonald's I have ever been to. We then made our way to the Trevi Fountain to throw our coins and make a wish or three. This was another place where we took lots of pictures. After the fountain we walked some more. We went to the Pantheon and walked some more and then we had our free time. The roommates and I went shopping and then we went and got lunch at a really good laid back restaurant. I had Tiramisu alla fragola (strawberry), and it was amazing. After a great lunch we headed back to meet out bus to head back home to Firenze. It was a great weekend but it was nice to return to Piazza di Santa Croce (home).