Commercial photographer
Firearms images for S.H.O.T. Show in Las Vegas
It’s S.H.O.T. Show time again! I have a feeling many are running around trying to put the last minute touches on their marketing and display materials for this years show. With all the time, effort and monies wrapped up in creating a presence at the show please don’t scrimp on the photos. Please make sure you are happy with the images that will represent your company and its products. If you’re not 100% thrilled with your images give me a call, it’s not...
Great PGA Lifestyle Shoot with professional group of kids and terrific adult talent!
Last week we gathered up the crew and headed north to West Palm Beach. I have shot at PGA Golf Resort and Spa many times since they open many years ago. This time it was a little different. What was different was that this time, I was given total creative freedom, which was good and bad. I did this shoot with only a shot list and some conversation as guidance. I is nice to be trusted but also a little scary. I found myself second guessing what the agency needed and what the...
Lifestyle photographer mixes Fashion and Furniture
As a commercial photographer, I’ve been looking to try something a little different and to expand the old creative boundaries. Sometimes things just fall into place and present themselves. A client suggested I call Robert at the BON Furniture showroom (Balance, Order, Nature) in Coral Gables as he needed some images for the showroom. After a trip to the showroom I knew it would make a great location for a shoot. I contacted Betty at Betty’s Models to see if any of...
Portraying jewelry as art is successful photography
“Successfully photographing jewelry all by itself is truly challenging. Portraying it as art is a whole other matter.” - Joyce K. Reynolds, jewelry artist and designer of JKR Jewels Collections When I arrived at George’s studio, I knew he could capture the beauty of my jewelry. That he could adequately portray the beauty, glitter and depth of the jewelry with a perfectly-lit tabletop photo. But that wasn’t going to fully convey the quality and creativity of these...
Shooting Sports without a Camera
Our Way of Saying “Thank You” As a way of saying thank you, new catalog clients will receive up to a 30% discount for any last minute photo to dos for your catalog or trade show. Relax and allow our studio continue its tradition of helping your business thrive. Take advantage of this amazing offer today! Looking Back… I have been shooting pictures for a long time. What you may not know is that I have been shooting shotguns, handguns and rifles for a long time....
If it isn’t Green, it isn’t a Deere!
For the past ten years or so I have been working on special projects for John Deere. Last year’s project was to photograph a series of special interest, one of kind and innovative tractors. I traveled from Washington state to Florida and everywhere in between while on this assignment. Most of these have been meticulously restored. They each have their claim to fame. Some were number one off of the assembly line for that model or maybe the last one off the assembly line...
The Power of Preproduction in commercial photography
Have you ever wondered why some commercial photo shoots go more smoothly than others? Well, I have a theory that involves three reasons. The first is pre-production on the part of the commercial photographer, his crew and his producer. The second is pre-production on the part of the agency. The third is the pre-production on the part of the client. All these factions must work together. The client must have a clear idea of what is needed from them and provide the info, product...
Lifestyle Photographer, George Contorakes, handles Luxury Resort LXR Marina
The crew and I just finished a lifestyle photo shoot for LXR Marinas which is part of Luxury Resorts. We worked out of the Bahia Mar Yachting Center in Ft. Lauderdale and did a few photos in John Lloyd State Park. The weather was perfect and the shoot came off like a well oiled machine. This was one of those shoots where the Power of Pre-production held true again. We had great communication and cooperation from the agency and the client. Several small boats, boat drivers,...
Food photographer, George Contorakes, captures the new menu being served at Doral Golf Resort Spa.
We just recently finished a shoot for Mesaluna in the Doral Golf Resort and Spa. The restaurant is newly renovated and their chefs have created a brand new menu. It was my job to capture the flavorful offerings and the chefs. The chefs there are real pros. I had never seen a filet mignon with the bone-in or a miniature ceasar salad in a flute. Oh, and the lunch was pretty good too! #gallery-7 { margin: auto; } #gallery-7 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top:...
How Corporate Culture affects the creative process – insights by commercial photographer
Florida Commercial Photographer, George Contorakes was contacted by an agency to do a series of 3 testimonial photos for a very well known credit card company. The photos were to reflect the lifestyles of the individuals and how the credit card afforded them the convenience and ease with which to pursue their interest. Below are insights as to what evolved: My goal was to portray the individuals in a setting that reflected their passions and interest. One individual was a very...
Great memories from African Safari Trip
Africa wildlife, travel, landscape and commercial photography! Here is a wrap up of my African Safari trip…. The trip started in Miami, a 16 hour plane flight from Atlanta to Johannesburg, overnighted and then caught a flight to Lusaka; the capital city of Zambia…..Then an hour bush plane trip to the Lower Zambezi National Park and Game Reserve…. followed by an hour boat ride to Chiawa camp. Finally made it, I was pretty tired and very excited. Chiawa is a...
The power of professional photography for boosting community interaction when building online communities for your brand
There are several ways to increase community interaction with your fans and/or community base in your business blog, facebook fan page, Myspace, or any online social media platform to enhance brand awareness. My case in point is how often I see empty photo galleries inside of Facebook Company pages and groups. Benefits of using a professional photographer to help increase community interaction and as a way to boost your social media strategy is to use photos as a: Attention...
Commercial Photos appears in Good Housekeeping Website!
I just discovered my photos were used in Good Housekeeping Website for: Best New Multimedia Storage Viewer Featured Picture: 10 Things to Do Before Labor Day Read More
Choosing a Commercial Photographer: Client knows best?
A few days I came across an interesting question on Linked IN: When a client wants something stupid, what do you do? Give em what they want, take the cash and run, or stand up for what you know is the best solution? My response to that discussion was the following: If a client asks for something that is off the wall I usually explain to them the ramifications. It usually comes down to crew time or added expenses, so that translates into money. I explain that the (estimate)...
Legendary Miami commercial photographer George Contorakes showed the nation just why Florida is so special.
Today I discovered some press written about me! Legendary Miami photographer George Contorakes showed the nation just why Florida is so special. Gowns were provided by Rene Ruiz Couture . Gowns were provided by Rene Ruiz Couture & jewelry designs by Jimmy Quiroga & Diamond House. The Mercy Hospital Foundation Ball held in the Hotel Intercontinental was highlighted, as well as the Young Ambassadors of Mercy, led by Mr. & Mrs. Vince Castro and their Havana Nights...
Elephants, Lions, Leopards and Crocs: recount from commercial photographer
I am back from my African safari and it is good to be home. After over 28 hours of travel I arrived at the Jeki airstrip on the Zabezi river and boarded a safari vehicle for my trip to camp. The camp has been made more elegant than I could have imagined. All tents now have in suite bathe, double bowl sinks with gold fixtures, king size beds and an added outdoor shower. It was a far cry from my first trip to the same camp. Lots of interesting people from all over the world. A more...
Rock ‘n’ Roll Bowl – Lifestyle /Corporate Photographer
Did you know that the floors of a bowling alley are extremely slippery? We found out pretty quick after the first crew member landed on his backside. Shortly to be followed by me! So that gave me an idea for Slip “n” Slide bowling. Haven’t worked out the details yet. As you can see some of the talent were more than happy to do a little Research andDevelopment. The Africa Photo Safari is only three weeks away. I leave on August 30th. Hopefully I will be able to...
Picture Perfect Serenity – Moment shared from a landscape photographer
Do you ever dream of sitting out on a deck on a cool night with a slight breeze and being able to see for miles across a beautiful mountain scenic? Then to top it off fireworks erupt in the distance like mini sparklers. Well it happened for me this 4th of July in the mountains of North Carolina. Fantastic! Read More
Going Native! Africa!
At the end of summer I have a trip scheduled to Zambia. I made a deal with a friend of mine that runs Chiawa Safaris. He has two camps on the Zambezi River between Zambia and Zimbabwe. This is where Ralph Lauren meets Simba. Wild Africa with Conde Naste accommodations. This will be a working vacation. So to get myself in the spirit I took a trip to Metro Zoo where one lonely lion was the only animal awake and trying to stay cool in the shade. Stay tuned for more details. Leo Read More
Rummy! – Commercial Product photographer
We just finished a project for Matusalem Rum. Lots of drink shots and beauty shots of the products. This is the perfect summertime assignment for a Florida based commercial photographer. No sweat! 23 Read More
