livebooks blog

Article reposted in partnership with Wonderful Machine.

Wonderful Machine is a production company with a network of 700 photographers around the world, including many photographers who use liveBooks. Today we’re featuring Lou Bopp and one of his latest projects.

Passion projects are an important part of any photographer’s portfolio, and St. Louis based photographer Lou Bopp is no exception. Every year, he makes the time to photograph a subject that fascinates him.

Lou says, “My projects are something that interests me and would make for a compelling story. This particular project was based on my curiosity about absinthe and all of the myths & the dark history that surround it. So I decided to go to the source.” 

The mysterious nature of absinthe dates back to the late eighteenth century France, where the high-proof spirit was believed to have hallucinogenic qualities. This led to several countries banning the liquor, although recent years have seen a resurgence in Europe and the United States.

In November, the St. Louis photographer let his curiosity lead him across the Atlantic to a small town on the French-Swiss border, where he was granted permission to shoot at Distillerie Armand Guy.

“Pierre Guy was my main contact and is the 6th generation to work at his family’s distillery– how cool is that? And although their copper stills & absinthe recipes have been in the family from the get-go, not many of my other pre-conceived visions came to fruition.”

Despite the taboo surrounding absinthe, Lou found that the distillery was a place full of warmth and community.

“Every day after the distillery closed, people from their neighborhood– retired workers, friends, etc. appeared and had a makeshift absinthe party. The absinthe table was open, most people brought cheeses, breads, sausages, or whatever they had. They were great people, it was an absolute blast.”

Shooting went smoothly, even with Lou’s limited French and solo operation. He found that working on his own meant he pushed out of his comfort zone and found new ways to solve problems. The learning didn’t end at the lens, either. Lou discovered some of the best tricks for drinking absinthe, including a surprising way to dilute the drink. 

“At least in Pontarlier, one of the homes of absinthe, the key is the pour. First, you use a tall glass that blooms near the top, with a stem. Next you pour your absinthe, then you pour clean, ice-cold water from a pitcher high above the glass. It can be messy & splashy but oh so good!”

The project has just made its way into a gallery on Lou’s site, and he’s written his own post about his experience on his blog. Now, he has the chance to sit back and appreciate the final product. Perhaps he’ll even celebrate with a glass of his new favorite drink.

See more of Lou at loubopp.com!

Additional Credits

Retoucher: Danny Hommes, Pixelography

Pre- and Post-Production Support: Kathy Reps

Article reposted in partnership with Wonderful Machine.

Wonderful Machine is a production company with a network of 700 photographers around the world, including many photographers who use liveBooks. Today we’re featuring Wade Griffith Photography and one of his latest projects.

“A few years ago, Cinemark contacted Dallas-based photographer Wade Griffith about photographing their first Luxury Loungers. He shot a couple of chairs and one model in-studio, and they used those images for several years for all their marketing and branding needs. This year, Cinemark reached out to Wade again to do a much larger shoot using six models and featuring their updated Lounger design in two different Cinemark theaters located in the Fort Worth area. Wade was excited when he received the call and was thrilled to expand what he had started in the first shoot.

The goal of the campaign was to advertise and market these new Cinemark Luxury Loungers to a diverse audience. The photos were aimed to help show that the updated recliners are electric-powered, plush and oversized and that they also have footrests and cup holders. The tagline of the project was “The Best Seat In Town,” which reinforces the notion that these chairs are the most comfortable and enjoyable way to view a movie anywhere.

Once Cinemark contacted Wade about the shoot, he put them in touch with his producer, Kaylah Key, who then handled all the details and coordination of the project.

After several emails and phone calls back and forth with Cinemark, we were able to put together an estimate and timetable that was mutually agreed upon.

Days before the shoot they scouted both Cinemark theater locations in Plano and Allen, Texas to review the shot list and discuss the strategies that would make this shoot a success.

The shoot was completed over a two day period. The goal was to get 40 final images of the Luxury Loungers with and without models and props from various angles. The crew arrived each day at 8 am with the shooting scheduled to begin around 9 am and wrapping up at 6 pm.

Wade enjoyed working with both the models and the production team.  The Cinemark staff was also very nice to work with, as they helped stage and approve the images as they were taken. In addition to the scheduled shots, Wade also captured some wide angle shots of the entire theater to supplement what he had.

Overall, we had a great team and we were very happy with the results of the shoot.

The main challenge to getting the best images possible was setting up the lighting equipment in the theaters. When they got there the first day they realized they had underestimated how long it would take to set up.

We had a very large scrim that we were using as a shoot through and putting it together ate up most of our setup time. So, there was some pressure to make the time up once we started shooting, which we did.

The campaign has just been released to the public and all the feedback Wade has received from people has been very positive. The client was very happy with the photos and Wade believes they captured exactly what they were hoping for.

I love being on set with a great team of creatives and interacting with the models all day long. It’s an exciting experience, and I enjoy the collaboration that takes place to create great images.

Currently, there are no future plans with Wade and Cinemark. However, Wade is hoping that this successful campaign will lead to more work with Cinemark. As the popularity of these Luxury Loungers grows, he is sure it will create a demand for more marketing and advertising of this type of products in the future.”

See more of Wade at wadegriffithphotography.com

December is a time for giving and sharing with those closest to you. Between family gatherings and reuniting with friends, we know that this is a special season! Here at liveBooks we want to kick the holiday season off right. Our December Spotify playlist is dedicated to the holiday season and all the songs that bring about warmth and good wishes.

Whether you’re updating your liveBooks site, editing photos from your holiday shoot, or drinking some eggnog around the fireplace, we hope that there is something on our December playlist that can help keep you merry and bright!

Is there a holiday song that you have on repeat right now? Tell us which one at social@livebooks.com!

The liveBooks team would like to wish you Happy Holidays! We hope that this holiday season brings happiness and joy to you and your loved one.

Holiday Support Hours

December 19-23:
Phone Support from 10AM-8PM EST
Email & Live Chat Support available.

December 25th: Support Office Closed

December 26-30:
Phone Support from 10AM-8PM EST
Email & Live Chat Support limited. All emails will receive a response within 48 hours.

January 1st: Support Office Closed

January 2-5:
Phone Support from 10AM-8PM EST
Email & Live Chat Support limited. All emails will receive a response within 48 hours.