Spencer Watson Photography

Intel Extreme Team Shoot

2011-04-03T15:59:00.000-07:00

Here's a few shots from a campaign I did for Intel's Extreme Series motherboards. It was a great experience collaborating with everyone involved, and I got to try some ideas I've been wanting to do, which is always fun.

For my fellow technique geeks, I put together a little tutorial on how I shot some of the images, and how I did the effect in photoshop.

Extreme Team Tutorial from Spencer Watson on Vimeo.

If you're having any trouble using Vimeo, here's the Youtube link.

Hunter Paye Website

2011-03-16T13:36:00.000-07:00

Just a quick look at something I love, a great collaboration. Here's Hunter Paye's website for his album that I did the images, cover, and packaging art for. My initial concept was to make the album a stack of Polaroids that folded out, and I worked closely with artist to get the feel he was after. Then the images were turned over to the web designer who took the image concept and Hunter's music and made this great animated Flash page.

The pictures even 'develop'! How cool is that?

All I do is Read Patton Oswalt tweets...

2011-03-14T19:45:00.000-07:00

...And it's sadly distracted my attention from this blog. For those of you still here, in the coming weeks I'm going to be posting quite a bit more, my latest fashion shoots, the campaign I shot for Intel, some tutorials, some new band shoots, and details on my upcoming trip to the jungles of Peru and the deserts of Chile.

In the meantime I actually do update my Facebook Page, and you can follow me on Twitter.

First up though, here's some shots from Patton Oswalt's show at Helium in Portland. Thanks to both of them for having me there. It goes without saying that he was great.

I call this part Then People Started Sending Up Drinks

Mike Drucker opened for Patton and was really hilarious. And yes, that is a Legend of Zelda jacket he's wearing. Awesome.

It was a great nerdy night. Be sure to check them both out if they're performing near you.

May you live in interesting times

2010-11-07T00:10:00.000-07:00

Old Chinese curses aside, I thought I'd give an update for those with enough morbid curiosity to follow my burgeoning photographic career. First off, I've been out of action as of late, side lined by a dislocated shoulder. I went to see the Mastodon, Deftones, and Alice in Chains show; what I saw of it was great. Here's the part that wasn't quite so good:

This slowed my video work while I trained stand ins (who did a great job), and brought my photo work to a dead halt. That was 4 weeks ago, and now that I can use my arm again I thought I should get back to work (also got bored after running out of pain pills). Luckily the model for my shoot was Emma, who is super easy to work with, and impossible to take a bad picture of. Here's sneak peek:

I'm also excited to almost have my new site completely ready. It just needs some fine tuning, a port edit, and it's ready to go. If you'd like to get an early look, go to Spencer Watson Photography. The hardest (and most terrifying) part was narrowing my focus as a photographer, and cutting out images that didn't fit that focus. Once I get the site finished I'll post a long rambling screed on the importance and difficulty of finding (or deciding) on your voice as an artist. Hopefully some of you can learn from my mistakes.

Until then, stay out of mosh pits, and don't drink at concerts. It's cheaper to drink at home beforehand.

The End is Extremely F__king Nigh

2010-10-05T01:34:00.000-07:00

Looks like my main site (aetherdrinker.com) has been the victim of some little punks hacking, and has been blocked by Google. This is probably a good thing. I could go in and find and remove the malicious code, but at this point it just isn't worth the trouble. Anyone who visited my old site saw that it was ambitious but rubbish. Sleek, cool, and useless. The site and my portfolio on it did not reflect my current level, and were not very professional. As it was my first experience with a website, I have graciously forgiven myself.

Now my hand has been forced, and it's time to launch my pro site, Spencer S Watson Photography (dot com). I might need to work on that name though. So by all means avoid my old site, and tune in soon for my new one. I'm very pleased with how my new portfolio is shaping up, and I'm excited to share it with everyone.

So thank you anonymous douchebag hacker, you've helped me overcome my procrastination.

Long Time No See

2010-09-28T12:48:00.000-07:00

Man, blogging is hard. I'd rather be out taking pictures, making movies, and building random toys, so updating this page gets pretty low on my list of priorities. To catch up my very patient readers (both of them) on what I've been doing the past few months, here's some of what I've been working on. Be sure to click on the images to see the non-Blogger-ruined versions.

DIY iPhone 4 Steadicam

2010-07-16T00:34:00.000-07:00

I've been working on a fun little project that I though I'd share. After getting the new iPhone, and really digging the quality of the video, I tried to do some filming, only to get motion sick looking at the footage. There's no image stabilization that I can tell on the phone, and hand holding a tiny lightweight camera obviously causes a lot of shaking. So after doing some research around the net I decided to build this:

I do get that this is a stupid amount of work to put into improving the video quality of a cell phone, that fact didn't escape me as the nerd haze descended over my eyes, and I started sawing and drilling. But my precious iPhone 4 demanded to get a fair shot at being a real camcorder, and I think it rose to the challenge admirably.

I know that Tiffen is coming out with an iPhone steadicam sometime soon, but that's likely to costs hundreds of dollars, and doesn't come with a modified Nerf gun handle, which I think is a big design oversight. Besides, it's more fun to build these kinds of frivolous things yourself. All you need for this $30-$40 worth of parts from Home Depot and your local skate shop, and thick enough skin to actually take this thing out in public. I've included an instructional video below, as well a short demonstration I did. Keep in mind when watching that you still need to learn how to use a steadicam to get the most out of it.

DIY Instructional Vid:
And just in case the quality sucks on the YouTube version, here's a Vimeo link to the demo video:

iPhone 4 Steadicam from Spencer Watson on Vimeo.

Let me know in the comments if you want more detail on how to build one yourself. If you're looking for parts for it I put them in my Video and Rigging section of my store (the link is toward the top right of the page). And if anyone knows the names of those Portland skaters in the demo vid please let me know so I can update the videos with the credit they very much deserve.

Edit:

And for the record, I'm not claiming to have invented anything here. So a huge thank you to all the people who posted great instructions on making the different parts. I'll try to post some credits soon, until then hit up Google and YouTube for more great instructions.

And thanks very much Gizmodo, CrunchGear and Make for featuring this How To. I hope people have fun trying this for themselves (and probably making mine look like crap in comparison).

('’)

Wig Splitters

2010-07-11T23:17:00.000-07:00

Here's a real quick look at a shoot I did with Twigglet for Wig Splitters. By the way, I noticed that some pics I post look a little soft/blurry. This has something to do with the resizing Blogger is doing (I guess I should resize them myself), so just click on the image for a better view.

Rocket

2010-07-11T16:06:00.000-07:00

Here's a sneak peek from my shoot with the lovely Rocket.

The Camera That's With You

2010-07-11T15:17:00.000-07:00

I may not have a top of the line Hasselblad with a Phase One back (I would accept donations though), but I do have some really very nice gear. Then why is it that 95% of my pictures are shot with a cell phone? The short answer is because it's always there. But aside from the ease of cell phone cameras, and the increasing quality, I think there's something more to it. My 5D Mark II is simply too good for capturing my everyday life. There's just something about bad low quality pictures. In many ways they seem to resonate more with that nostalgic part of the brain that swells with age.

I'm sure anyone whose into toy cameras knows what I'm talking about. But even Holgas aren't as convenient as cell phones, which can fill that same niche of taking pictures just for the nerdy fun. Hipstamatic on the iPhone takes great advantage of this. It has not only replaced my desire to carry around $5000 worth of camera gear everywhere I go, but also snuffed the life out of that pompous geeky little voice in my head that still held out respect for anything analog. Screw purity, fun is fun.

Twigglet

2010-07-11T14:44:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite alt designers to work with is Heather of Squeak Designs. She brought some of her latex goodies by for a shoot with the amazing Twigglet. Here's some of what we came up with.

Sudden Anthem

2010-07-11T14:35:00.000-07:00

Here's a quick sampling from my shoot with the guys from Sudden Anthem. I might just have to require hats in all my shoots from now on.

Pigs Foot, The Jello Flavor That Was Never Meant To Be

2010-07-11T14:20:00.000-07:00

Time to get back to this whole blogging thing, and I'll start off with a really fun shoot I had with Ivy Slime. She always has awesomely bizarre ideas, and this one involved getting a pigs foot and encasing it in a jar with blue jello. Oh, and she brought along a killer outfit, since it couldn't all be about the pigs foot.

Spencer Watson Photography

2010-04-28T16:54:00.000-07:00

To explain; more and more my work is being published and credited as Spencer Watson Photography (which is of course my real name), not Æther Drinker Photography. This is because I'll be launching my professional site for my independent work later this year, and Æther Drinker Photography will be no more. So if you're searching for Spencer Watson Photography, hopefully you'll spot this blog post.

Æther Drinker has been my experimental test bed where I can play and experiment without further besmirching my good name. This way I've been able to branch out from my regular paying gigs, and find myself as a photography and a brand, with some amount of anonymity. So I intend to take what I've learned about photography, creativity, branding, and marketing, and bring that to Spencer Watson Photography. Hopefully giving it the best start possible.

I'm working on my new portfolio now, designing a new website (with a portfolio page that works), and I'll be tying my design, portfolio book, branding, and promo campaigns together with the help of Brand Envy /Lost Luggage. A lot to do, but luckily still a lot of time to do it.

The Gremlins In the Machine

2010-04-28T16:28:00.000-07:00

You might have noticed that my Portfolio page tends to suck, and generally not work under some browsers (most notably Explorer and Firefox). This is being addressed soon, possibly with a whole new site.

Hunter Paye

2010-04-15T01:03:00.000-07:00

Just completed the artwork and design for Hunter Paye's solo album (which is awesome, be sure to check it out). The album is called All The Walls Are Windows. It was kind of a rushed collaborative process because of his impending tour, but after lots of back and forth, and some late nights we made the deadline, and I'm extremely pleased with the final result.

Here's the front and back of the album:

The artwork on the back was initially very different, and since so much time went into, and I so rarely do this kind of thing, I thought I'd share it.

This image is a composite of many different landscapes and elements from all around the world. And since I'm obviously trying to show off, and there's a fair chance you're not impressed, then I'll add that I did it all blindfolded and drunk.

Here's a few more images that came out of a photoshoot I did with Hunter prior to this. You can see a couple more in an earlier post.

Some Of What I've Been Up To

2010-04-15T00:42:00.000-07:00

For all those things that got lost in the ever exploding kerfuffle, here's a bit of what I've done and am currently working on. (You can click on the images for larger versions)

Sudden Anthem band shoot sneak peek:

Indigo Armada band shoot:

Model shoot with Jenny:

I might be using that last one for a photoshop/lighting tutorial, so stay tuned for that, and drop a comment if you're interested.

On Assignment in San Juan Island

2010-04-15T00:31:00.000-07:00

Not much I can say about this job, completely top secret hush hush. Intriguing, no? Anyways, took tons of pictures as usual. All of them were WAY better than these shots below, just incredible. But I deleted them. For they say, in Japan, whenever a master potter should happen to make a perfect pot, he should always throw it away.

So yeah, either the perfect pot thing, or I'm getting great at making up poetic excuses for being lazy.

I'm Not Dead

2010-04-14T16:57:00.000-07:00

Obviously my updates have been few and far between lately, but I'll be changing that soon. I have a lot of updates on the way from the mountains of work I've been digging through. Here's a little from the latest album art I designed.

Be back with more soon.

A Season of Tanagers

2010-02-23T13:30:00.000-08:00

Had the chance to check out my bro Shane's new band A Season of Tanagers at The White Eagle McMenamins. Full disclosure; Shane used to drum in my last band, which was unarguably the greatest band that had ever existed in the history of forever, and I'll reveal the name of that band when I'm famous, and you can all run to iTunes to buy our album. So, conflict of interests aside, his new band kicks ass. Here's some pics from their first show.

Be sure to check them out the next time they play, and come dressed for Spaghetti Western cosplay.

Where in I become the Borg

2010-02-23T13:11:00.000-08:00

In my shame I must admit I am no longer the impossibly cool rebel you all admire so feverishly. Like a three legged cat defeated by a burrito wielding washing machine, I have joined Facebook. The pressure was indescribable. I hope that one day we can all come to respect each other again, and collectively bury our shame.

Behind The Scenes - Hanna

2010-02-08T15:05:00.000-08:00

Helped out Jess from Jessica Watson Photography for her shoot with the lovely Hanna. In this instance as her lighting slave. For those of you who follow me on Twitter, and I know it's an incredibly exclusive group, you might have seen the lighting set up, and the out of camera image for the shot below.

I'll be tweeting pics of my lighting set ups, and other behind the scene thingies for most of my upcoming projects, and shoots that I collaborate on.

And in case you're taking part in Jess's Bella Femme boudoir package (and OMG you should), which the Hanna shoot is an example of, I should note that I am in no way involved in that (it's definitely a No Boys Allowed kind of shoot).

Icarus The Owl

2010-02-07T17:06:00.000-08:00

Did a shoot last week with the guys from Icarus the Owl, who are kicking off their national tour Febuary 20th at Satyricon. Do yourself a favor and check them out, you can give them a listen at their MySpace page. I had actually shot the band in a previous incarnation last year, and ended up putting together all the artwork and packaging for their album The Spotless Mind. Here's the artwork I did for the cover...

The new touring line up dropped by the studio, and we had a fun laid back shoot. I kept the lighting set up pretty simple, just my ring flash mounted with the moon unit for my main, and my AB800 with a strip light whenever I needed some back light. I wanted to keep a casual but edgy feel, and not anything that might look over-produced, so I avoided any really dynamic light, and tried to go with 'I'm not posing' kinds of poses.

Again, be sure to check them out if they're playing near you. And if anyone is interested in how I processed these shots let me know in the comments. If I get enough interest I'd gladly share my layers pallet, or even make an action or two.

Fun With Kids, Cameras, and Smoke Monsters

2010-02-07T01:14:00.000-08:00

Hellz yeah, once again it is time to nerd out, and prepare for a bevy of half baked time travel theories that always coincide with a new season of Lost. I was stoked to see one of the extremely few TV shows I care about back on, even more so since it was a great season premier. To celebrate, me and the kids decided to have a little fun making our own smoke monsters.

The set up is pretty simple, here's what you need to do it yourself;

1- Any camera with a hot shoe, macro setting, and tripod.
2- A remote flash (wired or wireless)
3- A dark surface for backdrop
4- Incense

We just set up the camera facing the back of our couch, pointed the flash at the smoke from the side so it wouldn't hit the backdrop, focused in on the smoke, and fired away. I took the shots while the kids (Calvin and Noah for future reference) waved stuff in the smoke to create turbulence.

I won't bore you, my imaginary readers, with the pics we got. Have you ever seen smoke? Yeah, they look like that. The fun part was taking them into Photoshop, and having the kids tell me what they wanted to do to the smoke to turn it into their very own smoke monsters. The following pics were manipulated with simple hue/saturation adjustments, mirroring, and some warping. What they came up with cements in mind both their genius, and their obvious need for future therapy.

Personally I see some creepy stuff in there, but then I always flunked those Rorschach tests. If you want to give it a try, it's a quick and easy project that's fun for all the pyros in the family. Drop a message in the comments section if you'd like to see a more detailed tutorial on this.

Before putting the gear away today, I decided to do some practice for my upcoming skate and snowboard series that will involve some sequence shots. We had lost the light, so it's a pretty grainy shot, but I'll leave you with little Calvin in a shot I call Batman's Humble Beginnings.

('’)

Velocity

2010-01-26T23:55:00.000-08:00

Still testing out this whole posting thing, this time with images. Here's a couple shots I did with the amazing Velocity (you can see more of her in my portfolio section, and at Zivity, NSFW). The clothing came from über rad local Portland designer Squeak Designs.

If anyone is interested I can go into how I did these images, from lighting to Photoshop.

Pay no attention to the man in his underwear...

2010-01-26T23:10:00.000-08:00

...Because he is trying to get the site up and running. As you may have noticed the browsing in the portfolio still leaves something to be desired, and I've now switched to a different style for the blog. Hopefully this will make life easier, and my amazing posts even more amazing. If you want some time to kill, let me know what you think of the new blog layout, specifically if you like the whole minimalist thing, or if it could use a little more zazz.

Under Construction

2010-01-03T21:56:00.000-08:00

Hi, I'm local photographer, musician, and nerd Spencer S. Watson. Welcome to my new portfolio and blog. As of now you're early to the party, and there's nothing here to see yet. Soon enough you'll be able to view my photography of the Portland music and alt-fashion scene, read pro photography tips and tutorials, and suffer through the occasional rant.

First and foremost this is a site about photography, and specifically band photography. If you want to see some of my other photography you can check out my wife's awesome site www.JessicaWatsonPhotography.com, where I'm a second shooter, and frequent blog contributor. Here I'll be posting a lot about local Portland bands that are must-sees, about alt-fashion photography, and any kind of portaiture that I don't think will be too boring.

Photographers will want to check this site for gear tips, lighting tips, and photoshop tutorials and actions. If there's something you're interested in, just drop me a line, or leave a comment.

Hopefully this site will be up and running soon. And yes, the awesomeness of this site may be soul crushing to the weak of heart. FYI.

-L8er