Hallo [sic].

I haven’t been as diligent about blog posting as a productive artist/photographer should be, but what are you gonna do? I’ll try to be better. Now that I have a bunch of the assignments and projects that have been completed, I have good content for a bit. Now if only I can stay focused…
Here’s how I hope I’ll throw it down for now:
- I’ll keep one blog for both Pedal Power Photography and Tiny Russian Studio; the headline should give you a clue which one I am posting for.
- When posting about assignments or out-of-the-box projects, I’ll try to highlight challenges and how I dealt with them, or any other interesting aspect of photographic process[es] involved.
- I do art too!!! And I’ll post whenever I feel like I’ve got something I am comfortable with sharing publicly.

Short intros rule, so I’ll jump straight to the point with the first posting of the 2012. HOLY SHIT, THAT’S MY FIRST POSTING IN 2012!!!!
Ok. Sorry.
A few weeks ago a fellow business and a neighbor in the building where my studio is at, QRSTs Screenprinting and Embroidery, has asked me to take a few photos of the facilities and the work day in general. Now, Peter Rinnig, the owner, is the nicest guy ever and used to be a professional artist (paintings), so he digs the environment that artists/photographers/creative people need to work in. He left me to my own devices to wander around and do whatever I needed to get the best out of it.

Let’s take a look?

Step Into QRSTs Factory

Ink, Ink, Ink everywhere - my kind of paradise!! I was a little worried, however, that with my affinity for dunking my apparatūs in all sorts of damaging substances, water included, that this paradise may quickly turn into hell.  I’ve asked one of the guys at the factory which desk they were not using and that was the farthest from the ink and staining objects, so I can set some of my equipment there.  Since my studio is literally next door, it made sense to just put the camera around my neck and grab a couple of lenses in my hands.  Given the high risk of getting dust, ink, and/or other by-products, I didn’t mind making another trip to my space to pick up my travel photo bag for extra protection.

QRSTs Ink - any color!!

For the above shot I’ve used two Nikon SB-900 flashes, one pointed up and bouncing off the ceiling (white), the other set up on one of the upper shelves, slightly behind me.  Being quite short myself, I’ve used a step stool to get a bit more of the all-around image.

I am convinced that in my past life I lived in Spain and died in a corrida.  As a bull. I am draw to all sorts of reds, so no wonder this shot was one of the first I took:

Rad Kupcakes (sic)

Having made a few screen prints myself, I’ve always wondered how they get those ity-bity lines to print… Photo emulsion is the way to go, no doubt, but I haven’t really been successful in getting the tiny lines myself.  Here’s the “big secret” revealed (for me at least): high pressure water stream pushing out of a very small nozzle.

Preparing Screen Prints

Now, if we move into the main space, you’ll see one of the guys working with the printing machine. Absolutely everyone who works there is super cool, friendly, and seems to be enjoying their work.  This guys in particular did a little dance for me too

Printin' Tees

Close Up of Printin' Tees

In the same big open space there is what looks like one of the big library aisles: rows and stacks of the screens made for the clients over the years, in case they need  a re-run.  Not sure how long QRST’s keeps old screens for, though, you’d better check that for yourselves

Screen "Library"

To shuffle away from the screen printing, here’s something QRST’s also does: embroidery and digital screen printing.  Once you see the digital screen printing machine, if you’ve ever had [an access to] a pro grade photo printer, you’d be exclaiming like me: ” oh this totally makes sense!”

Digital Printing

One mention though, to be able to handle those, you gotta be of a special breed:

Born to Be Wild

YOU GOTTA BE WILD!! The taking of this photo was surrounded by high risk, since this guy is so wild, you’d not want to get him upset….

Below are a few photos from the embroidery lab at QRST’s, and some might be able to tell that I just got a hold of a new macro lens and was enjoying testing it out in the field.

Embroidery Close Up

Thread

“That’s all she wrote” for now!!!  See you next time (soon). TR