09.11.2016

Wednesday Morning with my new Manfrotto Gear

09.11.2016

Wednesday Morning with my new Manfrotto Gear

When I first starting taking pictures, I was 13 years old. I would gather my friends, dress up in our favorite outfits and take walks around the neighborhood finding cool spots to shoot in front of. I’ve always enjoyed photographing people and capturing  the real moments. Any time I get a day off I come up with ideas for shoots and plan them out with a team including a stylist, makeup artist, and hair stylist. However sometimes it’s nice to just call up a friend and say “hey let’s go on a photo adventure and explore a new spot”. So today I basically did the same thing I did when I was 13 years old. I called up a good friend of mine, went to her house, picked out some clothes and drove up and around the hills of LA.

ZR4A7844

ZR4A7835

We started shooting in the morning. I always like early morning or late afternoon light. The location we found was so beautiful the way the light shined through the plants. I love shooting on location. I was born in Los Angeles and am still inspired by what the city has to offer. You can drive 15 minutes and you’re in an amazing field with tall weeds a few random green trees.

ZR4A8020

I have always been obsessed with capturing in-between moments and turning them into larger than life moments. That second when someone doesn’t think their photo is being taken. That is where the life is. I love being able to set up a fun and energetic environment for everybody. It is unpredictable how each person takes direction creating surprise and awe after every shoot. Even when I’m the busiest I still try and make a point to shoot for myself. Whether it’s bringing a little point and shoot around or setting up planned shoots. I got into photography because it made me happy and it was the most fun way to express myself. It eventually turned into my career, but I still make time to come up with new concepts. The more I shoot the more I learn.

ZR4A7973

ZR4A7976

Since I’m usually on location I like to pack pretty light. I usually bring my Canon 5d Mark iii and 2 lenses (24-70mm 2.8  & 70-200mm 2.8). Sometimes I will also bring a flash and my Fuji x100t. It’s so nice having my Manfrotto Windsor Camera Messenger Bag because everything I need fits inside perfectly. It doesn’t weigh me down. Being a photographer you’re usually going to be standing in some hunched over position which clearly isn’t great for your back. I’ve had some backpacks that make me feel like I’m hunching over more than I should. That’s why I love the design of the messenger bag. The way it sits on my shoulder and it’s so easily accessible. I don’t need to set my whole bag down to take out my camera. Since I mostly shoot fashion, naturally I’m into having fun camera accessories. I love the look of the messenger bag. It doesn’t look like your plain average camera bag. It has an awesome vintage feel and it’s classy, comfortable, and has personality.

Usually at the end of my shoots I take a selfie with everyone involved in the production. Today my friend Kara and I decided to take a photo of both of us using my new Manfrotto BeFree Aluminum tripod. It’s also nice to occasionally have a photo of me with friends since most of the time I’m behind the lens. So as I wrap up my blog post, I’ll leave you with our wrap photo.

ZR4A7994

Sami Drasin

LA Based photographer.

Website

Instagram

Top
Our Brands