JULY 29, 2010 - BTOWN'S NEW NISSAN GT-R
I've been wanting to shoot an R35 GT-R since they were launched in 2007. Branden's new, white, stock Nissan GT-R answered the call this month and we went out on the town for a bono-fide automotive photo shoot with rolling shots and everything. My friend and colleague Doug James helped with the driving too. It was a really fun shoot, but it was kind of a wet day and there were clouds of mosquitoes to contend with. Regardless, we persevered and are now enjoying the photos!
And Branden was totally cool to work with. Thanks for being so cooperative and helpful, Btown!! Branden also gave me some very enthusiastic, positive feedback: "Simply amazing pictures. I absolutely love [one of the rolling shots], worth the whole shoot! I can't say there are any bad ones in this lot - all look fantastic."
"It was fantastic working with NSPhoto. Highly recommended to anyone who is asked to do a shoot." Thanks Branden! If you drive a high-performance, sports or exotic car, please see my Automotive Photography page and contact me to arrange a photo shoot for you and your ride.
MAY 19, 2010 - NATURE GODDESS MICHELLE BRAILEY
A fanciful, experimental shoot with popular Edmonton model Michelle Brailey. Using a heavy green grotto as our background, Michelle and I made a "goddess of the forest" themed photos. Michelle was exceptional and very helpful and beautiful! This shoot was a learning experience for me.
Working through the photos, I found I didn't use enough light on her to separate her from the background.
The final output was a bit soft because I had to push the levels so much in Lightroom.
Michelle knows I appreciate the time and effort she contributed to this shoot, but let me say it publicly: YOU ROCK, MICHELLE! Visit Michelle's Model Mayhem page.
MAY 18, 2010 - HARD AND FAST WITH MEDINA AVDIC
A quick and dirty photo shoot with flourishing model Medina Avdic in Edmonton. We made a set of "adventure girl" photos on location at a condemned building in downtown Edmonton. I only used one light for this set, I think it really lent a hard, urgent look to the pics.
Do you like our photos? Keep up to date with me by liking the Nathan Smith Photography Facebook page. Medina is also very active on Facebook, click here to hit Medina's page.
MAY 5, 2010 - RACE THE BASE PROMO SHOOT AT CFB COLD LAKE
Accompanied Zahir Rana of ZR Auto in Calgary and Errol Lazare of EXL Films in Surrey to CFB Cold Lake as the still photographer for a promotional shoot for the upcoming "Race The Base" charity event in August. I met some interesting drivers from across western Canada and was able to grab some really hot shots of the cars and jets at the base. I also learned a fair deal from hanging around with Errol: this man is a talented videographer and very easy to get along with.
It was a tremendous day, special thanks to Lt. Col. Rob Carter (base operations) for handling our access and activities at the base. Today's exotic car promo shoot was covered by the Cold Lake Sun and other local news outlets.
MAY 1, 2010 - SLEAZE DOLLS @ MEAD HALL
Tonight I went up to Mead Hall on 166A St and took photos of a live Sleaze Dolls performance. My friends the Sleaze Dolls played an hour long set of metal and I loved every second of it. They were very well rehearsed and played an extremely precise set. They rock. If you're into metal and rock, I recommend you check out the official Sleaze Dolls web site and their Sleaze Dolls Facebook page.
Mead Hall has a pretty great little stage and an adequate PA system, but I found lighting to be a challenge from the floor. There's only one medium power light at the front of the stage lighting the faces of the players, therefore many of the shots I captured show the band being silhouetted by all the lights at the back of the stage. I snapped a couple of frames using an on-camera flash to create some "vintage New York punk scene" looking shots, but I didn't want to be up there flashing them in the face all night so I relied mostly on the stage lighting.
It was a good show, they played well and I think we got some great photos (now posted on Tessa Zintek's Facebook page, take a look!)
APRIL 17, 2010 - ANNA OBLIVION
Anna is an Edmonton model that I met through Model Mayhem. She and I went out on location to shoot a set of "murderous assassin woman" photos. Check the Nathan Smith photo gallery for some of the grim, dark images we created! Anna liked the results, "love them =D thanks a bunch Nathan", she writes. Anna is a very serious model that's aiming to earn work in the metal/hardcore/goth magazine world. Best of luck to you, Anna!
MARCH 27, 2010 - FIRST FLICKR MEET PHOTO SHOOT
I journeyed to the north side of Edmonton with Renee Langelier to meet up with some new friends from Flickr. In a hectic 4 hour shoot, we set up lights, rotated through models, shot dozens of frames and collaborated and conversed about different approaches to the challenges of each station. It was a fun day and a good experience, but WOW was I tired after packing up and heading home. This Flickr shoot was organized by Sandy Phimester, an experienced, easy-going photographer also based in Edmonton.
MARCH 14, 2010 - ARIEL
I had a wonderful shoot today with a genuine, fun model named Ariel. We shot a set of "naughty skirt" and nude photos for Ariel on a cold, bright March morning. Ariel is terrific to work with, she has a contagious smile, cute dimples, cool purple hair and long, attractive legs. She also had dynamite patent leather heels that I loved. Being barely clothed in temperatures just above the freezing mark didn't stop Ariel from making some stunning, endearing photos with me.
Ariel had a ton of positive feedback for me. I think the shoot went well and resulted in some great photos, but between you and me I think her kind words result in part from her natural optimism and good naturedness.
"I love the shots and I had a wonderful time. You were extremely professional and your equipment was top notch. It was a good setting and you definitely had great ideas on how to utilize it! Thank you sooooo much for your time. I appreciate the helpful suggestions without being critical and also your relaxing disposition," she writes. "The pics are amazing! Thanks a million again for a radical experience! Good luck and hopefully we can get together again."
Not just a model, Ariel is also a clothing designer. We are planning on a shoot later this spring to showcase her collection of dresses.
FEBRUARY 13, 2010 - WOSTOCK
My wife and I journeyed out to Wostock, Alberta this Saturday. I had heard that Wostock was a kind of prairie ghost town and thought this would be a good place to check out for new things to photograph. One of my goals for this Wostock adventure was to make some pictures worthy of print and hang on the walls of my house.
We drove up north east of Edmonton on the back roads for several hours and saw more abandoned houses, sheds, cottages and barns than we did active, living buildings. It turns out that Wostock is not really a ghost town, it's just kind of a forgotten town in a downtrodden, abandoned area of Alberta. We found that Wostock wasn't quite abandoned, there were several real live houses in this village, plus an antiques store, post office box and community hall. You can see some of the photos I took on our journey to and from Wostock in the nsphoto.net gallery or the Nathan Smith Photography Flickr stream.
JANUARY 23, 2010 - LEXII
Lexii Armstrong. When I learned the name of this new model, I couldn't stop saying it. I walked around the house repeating it aloud with gusto. "Lexii... Armstrong!" My wife thought I was descending into a madness. Lexii and I did a fashion type of shoot here in Edmonton and man did she have some attitude. I really enjoyed Lexii's go-get-em' attitude, she had no fear! Check out some of Lexii's photos in the nsphoto.net gallery or the Nathan Smith Photography photostream on Flickr.
JANUARY 16, 2010 - MEGHAN
Meghan Donovan is extremely beautiful, charming, cool, and (by her own admission!) a little whacky. But more relevant than all that, Meghan is a talented and easy-going model. I had the opportunity to make some photos with Meghan here in Edmonton and WOW was I pleased with the results. I think these are the best portraits I have turned out recently, thanks in no small part to Meghan's natural good looks but also me learning to light people better. Things are looking up!
Meghan wrote a very magnanimous note to me after seeing her pictures: "I will definitely give out your name to people in need of a photographer! Thanks for the great experience. It was great working with you and the pictures turned out awesome! Can't wait to meet again." (I asked Meghan to refer new clients to me.) See Meghan in the Nathan Smith Photography gallery and on Nathan Smith's Flickr photostream.
JANUARY 9, 2010 - RENEE
When Renee Langelier and I first met, we planned to shoot an "urban decay, hard done by, grimy survivor girl" set. We missed the mark and ended up doing glamour and lingerie, the results of which looked wonderful I think, but not true to the original concept. This time around, we did "hard done by" right, put Renee in a hoodie and went outside to a graffiti wall in Edmonton. Renee did some super modeling/acting and we both were really happy with the shots. Renee gave me some upbeat feedback, "OMG I love them! They look awesome! It was great working with you again! Look forward to collaborating in the future!" All those exclamation marks can't be lying, right? Thanks Renee!
DECEMBER 28, 2009 - HAVOC SKIES
Met up with a very young, very cute teen model named Stephanie a.k.a. "Havoc Skies" for a quick fashion shoot at Southgate in Edmonton. Stephanie was very pretty and pleasant, but this turned out to be a challenging shoot for me, I really had to work to get an interesting photo or two out of it. Anyway, it was fun meeting Steph and her friends, I hope she makes that cuteness work to good effect in her future endeavours! See Stephanie in the nsphoto.net gallery.
DECEMBER 25, 2009 - CHRISTMAS
Those who know me are familiar with my non-participation in the annual Christmas show. Instead of swapping plastic trinkets with my nearest of kin, I've taken to cruising around the city in the early morning quiet to snap a few peaceful pre-dawn pics. I've posted some of the results, check out this year's yule-tide photo cruise in the Nathan Smith Photography gallery and the Flickr stream.
NOVEMBER 15, 2009 - RENEE
I did a glamour photo shoot this weekend in Edmonton with a fantastic model named Renee Langelier. I am really impressed with Renee and would like to work with her on different projects in the future. It's a really refreshing, good feeling to connect with someone on a professional level and sincerely hope they have the best of successes coming to them. Renee had such a wonderful, can-do attitude (and nearly flawless skin), it was super easy to make her look beautiful. You can check out some of the Renee Langelier shoot here in nsphoto.net and of course I have more on my Nathan Smith Photography Flickr stream. Cheers!
If you are looking for someone in the Edmonton area to help you create a glamourous set of photos, stop! (because you've found him). Contact Nathan Smith Photography for one of Edmonton's best, most scrupulous photographers.
NOVEMBER 7, 2009 - ALEXANDRA
New model Alexandra Tremblay came in for a serious lingerie shoot. Alex is a serious young model, very beautiful but very austere. I liked working with her. Alexandra is happy with the final results. "Nathan, I love how the shots look! Thank you so much, they look amazing! [smiley]", she wrote. I put some of my favorites from this photo shoot with Alexandra here on the nsphoto.net gallery, several more are on Flickr if you're interested.
OCTOBER 4, 2009 - DANICA
Went out on location near Fort Saskatchewan with the dynamic and motivated Danica Lawson. Our goal was to make some ghostly, grim images using elements from the abandoned buildings around us. I think did quite well, some of these photos really come across as grim and striking. A selection from the Danica shoot is posted on my site, check those out as well as some others on Flickr.
OCTOBER 1, 2009 - AARON
I saw this Porsche in a Mayfield parking lot and immediately thought - "wow, this guy is paying attention". Aaron Best from Edmonton's Metric Customs does automotive customization and detailing work and his 2006 Porsche 911 was a special project. Aaron's car has the GT3 aero package, lowered suspension, performance exhaust/intake/headers, custom badging and a hot set of wheels from MHT Wheels in Vancouver. It's the wheels I noticed right away. The red on the wheels really stands out.
Our shoot went very nicely and Aaron has been extremely receptive and encouraging about the final results. "Wow... ummmmm... wow? You are extremely talented Nathan, those pictures are amazing and your little touches really make them pop. I am rendered speechless at the moment! Wow!!! Nathan, opening each picture was like Christmas for me, giddy with glee with each click. Words can't express how happy I am with the shots." Aaron, thank you for your time, encouragement and help! You can see some of Aaron's sweet Porsche in the automotive photo set and on Flickr.
If you have a vehicle you'd like to have photographed or any type of automotive photography project, get in touch with me. I am enjoying the automotive photography more and more!
SEPTEMBER 19, 2009 - APRIL
Had a nude photo shoot out on location with Edmonton's April Smart. This was a new type of subject for me and April was a total natural, we worked very well together. Our location for this shoot was terrific, there was lots of interesting concrete and abandoned infrastructure for her to pose against. Abby had a head of dynamite red hair, it really pops in these photos I think. I have a few images from the April shoot posted here and several more on Flickr.
SEPTEMBER 17, 2009 - MARCUS
Did a terrific set of car pictures with Marcus and his 1971 Datsun 240Z. Marcus has really be taking care of this car, I don't think there's a finer specimen in Edmonton. Beautiful new paint, stellar wheels and a clean, high revving straight 6 make this 240Z enjoyable to be around. Marcus was a total champ, very helpful as I snapped photos of his car. A really sharp, focused automotive photo shoot, thanks Marcus.
SEPTEMBER 13, 2009 - CRYSTAL
Went out this morning for a little glamour shoot with Crystal Sheck. Crystal is a cute, 6' tall model from the Edmonton area and has one of the most dynamite bodies I've ever seen. And she drives a really big truck. I suspected immediately that this would be an interesting shoot. It was a cool morning, we needed to take a couple of warm-up breaks to keep the blood flowing! We did several sets of lingerie pics and finished up the shoot with some simple portraits. I think Crystal would be a perfect model for some of the automotive shoots I've been doing. Crystal is a gem of a human being, I wish her the best of success with her modeling. You can check out Crystal's work on her Model Mayhem page.
AUGUST 30, 2009 - CAITI
My new model friend Caiti and I did our first photo shoot together this Sunday in Edmonton. Caiti is a talented, creative makeup artist. The concept for this shoot was "rooftop assassin", Caiti's idea, and I think we nailed it. These photos are some of my all time favorites, I am extremely pleased with how well these pictures turned out. Caiti had a pair of prop practice swords to use with in the photos, I think they look extremely cool. Caiti's creative contribution to this photo shoot was massive, I would like to extend my sincere thanks to her for doing such a great job with this shoot. You can get in touch with Caiti via her Model Mayhem page.
AUGUST 21, 2009 - MARIUS
Did an automotive photo shoot with Marius, his friend and my temporary volunteer driver Doug. Marius is the proud owner of an stock yellow NSX and a laguna seca blue M3. Taking pictures of these beautiful cars was a real thrill, especially the sound of the M3, the thing was like a little jet! I am really pleased with the way the blues in the pictures of the BMW came out. Very exciting photos, I think. On the automotive photography front, I plan on building a rig this winter and practicing with it. I want to expand the range of automotive images I can produce, a rig will help with that.
AUGUST 16, 2009 - MORGAN
A very busy August continues to roll along! This recent commercial photo shoot provided images for new Fort McMurray personal training company Move SomeBODY Personal Training to use on their web site. Owner/operator Morgan Jenkins brought training equipment and several of her past clients to Emily Murphy park in Edmonton and we spent about an hour going through a set of exercises and activities showing Morgan guiding and training her participants. Lots of green in Move SomeBODY's brand and visual identity, the greens and warm tones we captured at the park will fit right it with her existing color scheme.
AUGUST 13, 2009 - ADRIAN
Took some photos of Adrian's car in Edmonton, he's driving a superb blue Honda S2000 convertible. I like the shape of these little S2000 coupes, nice design. I think the gorgeous blue of this Honda really makes some of these shots stand out. We were photographing the car around 7:00 PM, the sun was starting to set and you can see some really warm yellow tones in one of the static shots from the parkade. Adrian and his friend were real good sports, he enjoyed driving for the rolling shots and was very patient with my post-processing.
AUGUST 11, 2009 - AUZZIE
More work with automotive photography in Edmonton. Auzzzie and his 2006 350Z came out for a shoot this Tuesday. I like the body style of the 350Z anyway, but this guy has put a TON of money into modding this whip. Amazing body work, superb gold color wheels and loads of gear inside really make this Nissan a head-turner. Auzzzie tells me he's on his way to Kelowna soon and he's leaving this car behind for some lucky buyer. Good luck! This shoot also was setup via 780tuners.com.
AUGUST 6, 2009 - ARABIAN RYDA
Set up and executed a razor sharp shoot with Arabian Ryda (a.k.a. Amir) and his Porsche 911. This beautiful car was built back in 2000 and looks completely hot. He got it with a perfect looking spoiler and dynamite black gloss wheels, couldn't have asked for a better looking example of a 911. And he was a really good driver. Set this shoot up with the fine people at 780tuners.com. I am really liking the automotive photo work, but I'm getting behind on some other paid assignments. This is a good and bad thing, good that my photos are in demand, bad... well, not 100% bad, I just have to work that much harder on taking care of all my clients.
AUGUST 3, 2009 - RANDI
Model Randi and her brother Dan needed some family portraits done here in Edmonton, I was able to oblige. Afterwards, Randi and I did a fashion photo shoot on our own. Randi had a terrific character and contagious smile, I enjoyed taking photos of her. We ended up at a graffiti covered wall, you can see this interesting background in some photos with Randi's soft countenance. See our Edmoton portrait and fashion photos by browsing the nsphoto.net gallery or Edmonton photographer Nathan Smith's Flickr photostream.
AUGUST 2, 2009 - UNA
Did a sunset fashion shoot with Una Momolu at a pipe storage yard. She's a super fine young model, developing into a really wonderful talent. Beautiful looking skin, Una! Thanks for the great shoot. See the results of this Edmonton fashion photo shoot in the nsphoto.net gallery or on Nathan Smith's Flickr photostream.
JULY 18, 2009 - VINCENT AND MARTHA
This amazing, fun, super couple were married in Truro, Nova Scotia and I took their wedding photos. My first total wedding event. It went really well, I captured everything I wanted to get from the day. I'm currently in the midst of creating their wedding album. Look for some of my favorite shots here after I'm finised! A special thank you to Vincent and Martha for giving me the opportunity and responsibility of taking care of their wedding pictures.
UPDATE: the Martha and Vincent wedding album has been completed and delivered! People LOVE this book. Here are some notes from Vincent on what people have been saying about this fantastic wedding album:
MAY 9, 2009 - BRIAN
Brian McILvride drove his 1966 AC Cobra around town for me to shoot. This is a beautiful car and we came out with some truly fantastic shots. Brian was extremely pleased with the shots of his beloved Cobra. "Stunning, my friend, stunning," he wrote, "these are NICE PICTURES, DUDE!!" See my picks from this shoot by checking the nsphoto.net gallery or look through Nathan Smith on Flickr.
MAY 3, 2009 - CRISTINA
I shot Cristina Stasia and Lola (her 2007 Audi A4) atop City Center Mall and rolling on Saskatchewan Drive. She really liked the results. "I love the photos! You're amazing," said Cristina. "The angles are amazing, and I don't know what you did with the editing but they look straight out of an Audi catalogue." See some selected pics from my first Edmonton automotive photo shoot by going through nsphoto.net gallery or browsing Nathan Smith on Flickr.
APRIL 4, 2009 - CHRISTINA
Christina Tourangeau came down for a shoot. Not only was this model beautiful and fit, but her straight-shooting-get-down-to-business attitude was very appreciated! A cool, surgical model. See some selected pics by going through nsphoto.net gallery or browsing Nathan Smith on Flickr.
MARCH 14, 2009 - MATT
Matt Abraham and I braved a cool 2 degree afternoon to go out and shoot some male fashion shots around the Garneau Theatre. I'm sure he's too modest to admit it, but Matt's rugged good looks actually stopped a bit of traffic. I had a bit of a backlog so I am publicly apologizing for making Matt wait several weeks for his processed images. See some selected pics by hitting the gallery or skip to the Nathan Smith photostream.
PS: hilarious and encouraging followup Matt Abraham posted on ModelMayhem - "This kid is on his way to the top. Everyone who hasn't caught Nathan fever, go now... catch it." Thank you for the plug, Matt!
FEBRUARY 14, 2009 - MARCIE
An action-packed, sporty photo shoot with Marcie Frewin in the bike room. Marcie is an exceptionally tall blonde and she uses a super special psyche-up fist shake to prepare for a round of shots. Check out what we made by browsing the gallery or hitting the Nathan Smith photostream.
JANUARY 18, 2008 - SARAH
A rewarding art/glamour photo shoot with Sarah Amero in the stairwell. It was chilly, but the indomitable Sarah took it in stride and we made some excellent photographs. For our Edmonton photo shoot results, browse the gallery or check the Nathan Smith photostream.
DECEMBER 28, 2008 - KLARA
A marvelous shoot with Klara in the extreme cold of December. We did our best and took shelter in a nearby Starbucks when the cold was too much to deal with. Klara is very beautiful and knowledgeable, she helped me a great deal. To see more of this model, visit Klara's MissOnline page.
DECEMBER 26, 2008 - NEW WEB SITE
Ah, my friends, a new dawn has come for nsphoto.net. Standing on the shoulders of the good people at Pixelpost, I have been able to put together a very attractive and informative web site for my photography work. Please browse the site and send me a note with your questions!
NOVEMBER 23, 2008 - SHOOT WITH MEG
A truly delightful time-for-prints shoot with a lovely model named Megan. We shot for about an hour and a half this morning at several spots on the University campus. In her words, "thank you so much for everything Nathan, I had an awesome time and would love to do it again!" Thank you for the praise and encouragement, Meg, I am very glad you liked the results of this shoot. You can see some of this model on the Nathan Smith photostream.
NOVEMBER 15, 2008 - WEST EDMONTON
Some of the results of a challenging shoot at the West Edmonton Mall are now posted on the Nathan Smith Flickr photostream. These photos were for a story on the "greasy opulence" of the mall for Montreal's "Naked Eye Magazine". I found making the mall greasy and opulent to be a real challenge! I guess I'm more of an optimistic photographer. I'll have to work harder on finding the dark side of things...
OCTOBER 10, 2008 - LOTS OF ACTIVITY
I've started working on the real web site. It's going to be very pretty, you can be sure. Recent events: a fabulous series of shoots for Defining Eve's quarterly magazine, a successful engagement shoot with V and M and a great shoot with the competitive team at Tiger Taekwondo in Edmonton. Also, a very helpful lighting workshop at McBain Camera.
Check out the latest from the Flickr photostream. Send me a message nathan@nsphoto.net if you have questions. Thanks!
AUGUST 17, 2008 - EDMONTON MARATHON
More recent pictures on Flickr but still no big update to this web page. Don't worry, it'll happen! In the meantime, thank you for your interest in my photography. Check the Flickr page and send me a message if you have questions. Thanks!
JUNE 3, 2008 - NEWS
Hello, thanks for visiting this BRAND SPANKING NEW WEB SITE. Brand new as of this morning. Obviously, this site is utterly incomplete, but soon there will be galleries, ideas for future projects and discussions about recent shoots. While you're waiting for that to happen, check out some of these pictures on Flickr to get a feel for my snappy work.