you can see the opening scenes of Hawaii Five O at the TV Guide link.
I must admit it was a fun evening watching all the hard work play out on national TV. What surprised me more the response from friends, colleagues, and the likes and the biggest of them all, a write up on the Profoto USA’s blog.
The only sad note was hearing Springfield was arrested that day for DUI in California. Hey, publicity is never bad.
Thanks all that watched and for all the great comments.
See my name? HA!
Yes the secret is OUT. I’m going to be on this week’s episode of the new HAWAII FIVE O!!!!!
I actually pulled in by the local coordinator, Angie, to coordinate a “beach photo shoot” as the episode was about a famous fashion photographer killed while on assignment in Hawaii.
Here is the synopsis of the show: HAWAII FIVE-0 “Ho’ ohuli Na’ au” Season 1 Episode 22 – Five-0 focuses on several key suspects when world-renowned photographer Renny Sinclair is murdered while on assignment in Hawaii shooting the annual swimsuit edition of a top sports magazine, on HAWAII FIVE-0, Monday, May 2 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.
I was tasked to coordinate all photographic lighting and grip equipment for “made for TV photo shoot.” Production relied on my skills to make it look believable as well as functional as I also had to assist Hawaii Five O director Brad Turner (Alias, Smallville, 24, and many others) during his real photo shoot.
Brad wanted to try his hand at actually taking still photos and the production again relied on my skill to make sure Brad’s photo shoots were perfect. I sadly was not hired to push a button but all the work put in definitely gave the imagery my signature. Brad did a great job and the images we shot on the beach and inside a studio were phenomenal. Really nice work and, I must say, fantastic lighting.
But the best part of this job was actually playing a photo assistant on TV! With all the hard work put in, production decided that they couldn’t rely on an extra to act like a real photographer/photo assistant so they had me be the on-screen assistant to the actor. Sadly, no lines. (Damn…I could hear myself screaming CARRY YOUR OWN *&^%! LUGGAGE, NATHANIEL! And if any of you photographers I worked back in NYC and abroad read this, just substitute your name and your demands, you ^%#$!!!!)
And the actor, no less, was RICK SPRINGFIELD. Yes, Jessie’s Girl, yes General Hospital, yes mega 80’s great. How fun. Yes only being a young lad back in 1981 when Jessie’s Girl became the #1 single, I sremember the song as a kid and more so now due to the recent 80’s revival and subsequent playing of that song on lite rock radio and being a staple on classic 80’s music cds. I found myself recalling lyrics throughout the long waits between filming to fill the void.
…Where can I find a woman like that…
The episode’s set was out on the North Shore and filmed for three days. The early call times had us out in the chilly Hawaiian dawn setting up the photographic lights for the show. For the first part of the job, my task was to dress a beach setting creating the feel of a real magazine photo shoot in Hawaii. The directors wanted more flash than what I would call functionality but the key phrase was the “bigger, the flashier, the better.” I set up my Profoto 7Bs and one Profoto 7A pack, an Elinchrome Octabank, a few umbrellas, and used several California Sun Bounce reflectors. All the lights were synced to the set camera Springfield, who plays famed photographer Renny Sinclair, to fire when he faked his pictures.
I was surprised to also find that I actually had to coach Springfield in the art of photography. He had very little experience knowing how to act like a professional so I coached him on how to properly hold a large DLSR camera, how focus and zoom in/out with the lens, how to properly stand when taking the pictures, and even what dialogue to use as he interacted with the actress Serinda Swan, who played the bikini wearing fashion model. With the dialogue, I had to channel my inner Austin Powers and gave Springfield such key phrases as “right in the lens, baby” and “give it to me, baby” and other over-the-top phrases that make for good TV. I kept quiet but I really wanted to teach him how to be a super fashion ass but it never came to be. I did ask him if he was an ass in the show but he thought I called him an ass. Funny.
During the filming, I basically just held a Profoto Ring Flash above his head during the scene and acted as if I knew what I was doing. I think I frowned most of the time feigning super interest in the lighting, exposure, etc…I had no dialogue and was loutishly dressed by wardrobe in a loud Hawaiian printed shirt along with a black muscle shirt. I felt more LA than HNL, but I figured people would be looking at Springfield and not me.
Rick was sort of a cool dude. As I’ve worked and photographed other celebrities, its really no big deal to be around people with fame. We chattered about this and that, the models tiny bikinis and the likes. He actually joked around with me as he thought I was surely just an extra but was surprised to see me actually taking test shots of him and testing the lights in several instances. I think most of the crew were surprised to see that extra jump out and work grip and lighting.
With Brad’s photo shoots, we shot on the beach and inside a studio. The show needed several still shots that would be published in a book of Renny Sinclair’s photographic work. The book’s photographs held clues leading the detectives to Renny’s murderer. I, along with several union assistants, set up several 9′ seamless backgrounds, numerous lights, and allowed the director snap fashion photographs of several of the actresses on the show including famed model and actress Angela Lindvall. Brad actually threw me the camera in one of his shots to let me photograph Angela as he knew I could make her shine a bit more than he. I can’t say any of the images they used for the show/book are mine but if you are keen you might spot a bit of my signature in the show as well.
On a side note, its no secret Renny is killed in the show as CBS released the show synopsis. Without watching the show, can any of you 80’s kids guess who kills him?
The past few weeks have been slightly tough with work and personally. My father in law sought refuge with us after the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. He lives in Tokyo so there was no damage to his house or anything around him. Minor broken dishes and the likes but life went on. However, with dwindling food supplies, continuous aftershocks, and the fear of a radiated Godzilla returning to strike Japan, it was best to have him come and sun in Honoruru. Having a third person in our condo isn’t bad but its not holiday time so work must go on.
As far as the tsunami is concerned, I must say its been tough not going and documenting the drama unfolding has overpowered my desire to travel to the wasteland. We figured its best not to have a retrospective on my life after going.
Before and during all of this I had a hectic shooting schedule which had me shooting numerous jobs and as it always seems, all at once. One of the most intensive jobs shooting a travel piece for Delta Sky magazine. Sky assigned me to travel to several islands and I got to shoot everything from horseback riding to a celebrity chef. The spread was published in their April 2011 issue. I’ve already had a few flying friends send me notes they are seeing the Delta line across the friendly skies…no wait that United.
The pdf spread can be found here.
Sky tasked me to document multiple locations around Hawaii within a short time and lots of freedom. I got to pick and choose from a list of locations and venues and decide which would make great art versus what could be picked up from hotel stock. We figured there would be very little value in shooting hotel rooms and beautiful sunsets because most hotels have libraries of that stuff. So I concentrated on the unique, rather, the more editorial view of most of the locations.
One of my favorite images came out of the Halekulani Resort in Waikiki. The Resort has numerous gorgeous stock images of their hibiscus signature pool but the images sell corporate beauty, not what its like to actually see it. You see an idea, a concept, not the reality of a pool filled with tourists. I scouted the pool before I realized dusk and above would get me a great shot. I asked the hotel to get me a room above with a balcony overlooking the property. It didn’t take long to see the images I wanted to capture.
The mag loved it. They actually wanted to use it as the opening spread but the higher ups wanted a different type of image showcasing Hawaii a bit more.
The opening shot of the spread ended up being, again, at the Halekulani. I got a really nice room at the hotel and tried to shoot the model, Cindy, slung sexily over a lounge chair with Diamond Head in the background. Sadly, the sun decided not to cooperate. We had NO sun…the entire day was cloudy. At the end when we gave up, we popped a bottle of wine and Cindy went out onto the balcony to enjoy the view from the $7000/night sweet…errr…suite at the Halekulani. Diamond Head, the night sky, and the beautiful girl drinking wine on the balcony all lined up into a perfect martini shot. Delta was extremely happy as was I. This is the second major spread in their magazine in so many years. I’m fond of this shot and all the work it took to make all of this work out…actually what little work we did to get this shot.
Japan is in bad shape. Tens of thousands are homeless while more than 20,000 are now presumed dead or missing. The Japanese economy is struggling. Entire villages are gone. Its a tragedy beyond what words can describe. The effects will surely surely filter down to the West.
Hawaii, with its large Japanese and Japanese American population, is strongly sympathetic with the tsunami and nuclear tragedy and has done much to raise funds for those in need. Masaharu Morimoto of Iron Chef fame held a fundraiser last night at his restaurant, Morimoto Waikiki. A sellout crowd of 350 people attended and the event raised more than $100,000. Sushi, sake, and songs. A great event all around.
I participated in the live auction by donating two images from my 2010 geisha series. While working in Japan, I was granted rare permission to go “behind the scenes” with an apprentice geisha, or maiko, to document her transformation from normal Japanese teenage into a traditional Japanese entertainer. Access to geishas and maikos is very restricted to Japanese and foreigners find it even harder to meet or even see a true geisha/maiko in Japan. The access allowed me to photograph her applying her makeup, fixing her elaborate hairstyle, and donning a traditional kimono.
Little did I know that this access would help me raise more than $2000 at the auction for the two images auctioned off.
Kristin Jackson, of Jackson Ink, the PR firm which works with Morimotos, holds the the framed image which raised big money last night.
All the proceeds from the event were given to the American Red Cross Japan earthquake and Pacific tsunami relief fund. I feel very proud to have given so little yet made a difference last night. Many of us just sit around and facebook or twitter about how sad they feel but few do anything. We did something. We helped.
We made a difference.
About a week has past since I started this initial post about our tsunami in Hawaii. The earthquake and tsunami in Japan has now been surpassed by a nuclear meltdown at the Fukushima plant. We luckily have gotten a ticket for my father in law to get out of dodge this weekend. Whether he will escape is a matter of the airlines, the governments, and Godzilla.
Below is my first take on our HNL tsunami:
North East Japan is destroyed. Video and still coverage of the earthquake and tsunami damage is astounding. Rather its unbelievable. When we first saw the initial reports on NHK, we couldn’t believe it. It seemed as if Godzilla was just down the road smashing all in his wake. Some images even reminded me of Doolittle’s bombing raid on the once wood and papered Tokyo. It was, as I said, unbelievable.
Its hard to imagine this natural disaster destroying so much so quickly, yet, Banda Aceh was devastated within 20 minutes of their major earthquake.
Really…its unbelievable.
I’m tempted to get to Japan to take part in covering this disaster but I’ve got nothing to offer. I’m not a rescue worker. I could be. But I’m not. I can’t do it. I couldn’t do it in Indonesia and I know I can’t do it now.
The Japanese tsunami hit Hawaii with a wallop. A small one in scale, but a wallop. Houses on the Big Island were wiped out, the Four Seasons and the King Kam Hotel, along with many shops and the likes, were hit very hard Loads of property damage. Several boat harbors on Oahu were severely damaged and there was damage as well on Maui. Things turned out well but not that well. Yet…it wasn’t really a big deal…not like the destruction in Japan.
The waves were scheduled to hit around 3am and Hawaii anxiously awaited their arrival. 3am passes and no major waves. I (again) stationed myself at the Illikai Hotel and watch the harbor to see if anything takes place. About 3:30 I run down to the harbor and see loads of boats sitting in the sand. Water drained out of the harbor and many of the boats were sitting dry out of the water. That spooked me a bit but I ventured out to the beach catching loads of people sitting around, drinking beer, and getting out into the beach where the water had run out.
I shot these fools and wondered how foolish I am for being with them. “Who’s more foolish: the fool, or the fool who follows him? At one point, the water has drained way off the shore, exposing reef, rocks, and whatnot and it quickly floods back in splashing up against a seawall where the guys above were standing.
Once that took place, I knew it was time to boogie outta there. So after a few more hours of darkness, the sunrise made us aware of the damage that took place in Hawaii. But its nothing like the devastation of Japan: thousands of people were killed, entire villages and towns destroyed, and the Japan economic muscle comes to a halt. What happened in Hawaii pales to the destruction in Japan.
To write any more about Hawaii is really saying too much. We had a few docks destroyed and there was millions of dollars of damage. Homes were washed out but no lives were lost. We survived again.