Morningstar Productions

Flip Books at Comic Con on the News!

2010-07-22T21:20:00.001-07:00

This last week we were hired by Nickelodeon to produce Flip Books at their booth in Comic Con - a huge convention about comic books and "all things pop culture". A reporter for a San Diego news station came by and checked us out on preview night. Her report the following morning featured the Nickelodeon booth and she said that we were her favorite thing at the entire show! The planner for the booth was beside herself with excitement!

Starting that morning people came directly to the Nick booth because word spread that it was the best booth in the show. They waited in line for up to an hour to make their own Flip Book! The original plan was for us to produce Flip Books a few hours a day but it was so popular that they extended our hours to almost twice the amount of time. It's nice to be appreciated, but our feet were not so happy.

I put together a little video with the news clip and our favorite video clips of the guests making their Flip Books. It's funny to see adults acting silly and having so much fun - really worth a good chuckle!

Click on the image below to view the video:

Flip Books by Morningstar Productions

Setup Day at Comic Con

2010-07-21T14:39:00.000-07:00

Today was setup for the Nickelodeon booth at Comic Con - what an ordeal! We moved our equipment in "guerrilla style" by dragging in thru the front doors rather than pay a $100 per box fee. Oy! After setting up we got to work training staff and making some Flip Books for the preview night with media from around the world.

I made a little video of the first day. And for any fellow geeks, the special thing about this video is that it was shot and edited entirely on my oh-so-cool iPhone 4! We do love our toys!

Click on the image below to play the little one minute video. Prepare to be amazed!

Happy Face slideshow in France turns romantic

2010-06-10T23:41:00.000-07:00

We finished a 7 day incentive program in Provence and Monte Carlo with the traditional "happy face" slideshow on the final night. Dave had an idea to give it a twist. Instead of all fast-paced happy faces showing how much fun they had, he thought we should play on the romance of the French Riviera and the Princess Grace connection in Monaco. So on one of the nights we asked each couple to "show some romance". They responded with little smooches, a peck on the cheek, a hug and sometimes a good laugh. We put this at the end of the show with some old French music and make that portion of the show black and white. Gave a very fun, romantic and nostalgic feel to the show.

Click on the image below to view the slideshow in a large window:

Photography by Rand Larson and David Atkisson, Morningstar Productions

Flip Books at the Empire Polo Club

2010-05-27T20:26:00.000-07:00

This week we introduced our new Flip Books at a chamber mixer at Empire Polo Club's new venue: The Date Shed. Very cool place! And people really had a good time making Flip Books. See if you recognize some of the famous people who came thru our line!

Making art at the museum

2010-04-10T00:07:00.000-07:00

The last few years the Palm Springs Art Museum asked us to provide some fun photographic keepsakes for their open house night. They wanted something that relates to their art collection. Two years ago we did fun photos in the style of Andy Warhol. Last year it was graphic posters in the style of the Obama Hope poster. Tonight we made photographs in the style of the Lichtenstein comic art that was recently donated. I think people had a good time - we had a blast making funny photos.
All of the photos can be found HERE
Use the password "photos" to download an image (click the download button above the image)

Last year's graphic art photos are still online HERE

Instant digital photography by Morningstar Productions

Desert Olympics and a slideshow!

2010-03-15T15:55:00.000-07:00

Seems to be the year of the slideshow - and that makes us very happy! This last weekend Access Destination Services had an international group out at the Desert Adventures Old Miner's Camp for a "Desert Olympics" team building. The people were from all over the world, but I noticed that the folks from the Hong Kong office were the most enthusiastic of the bunch (that is after the New York City group who was the most competitive!).

I think the slideshow turned out very well... it showed how much fun everyone had!

Photography by Rand Larson, Morningstar Productions

A fun little video about a cute dog named Patches!

2010-02-19T21:57:00.000-08:00

Last summer we played with an HD video camera and made little videos. Fun stuff and good practice! My favorite video from the summer was about our little Jack Russell Terrier named Patches. A friend saw the video the other day and said that we really should share it so, here it is! Enjoy it in full HD glory!

Live, from the Kodak Theater in Hollywood!

2010-02-03T12:21:00.000-08:00

Every once in a while I get to be part of a very fun event. This was one of them! I was hired to be an additional photographer for a Japanese network marketing company's awards event at the Kodak Theater. That's where they hold the Oscars. Cool place. I'm one of those people who always watches the show so I was very glad to have a chance to see inside! The photography and video was coordinated by Greg Russell of Tandem Digital and the stage events were produced by Anthony Bollatta of Bollatta Entertainment.

Getting to see a cool space like the Oscars stage is nice, but....

what I really enjoyed was seeing how much the guests enjoyed themselves. The group was mostly Japanese housewives and it was evident that this event was very special to them. They dressed up like famous actresses coming to the Oscars. The VIPs arrived in stretch limos with a crowd on the street. Doesn't take much to create a scene there! And the dresses! At one point there was a break in the ceremony so that they could take photos on the stage. It was all silk and smiles.

It was one of the more unusual awards ceremonies that I have seen. Even though it was in Japanese I didn't get bored. Too much happening!

After the ceremony they went to the ballroom for dinner and a "Salute To Hollywood" show that Anthony produced. I've seen a lot of these kind of shows, but this was the most high-energy version that I've ever seen. Kudos to Anthony for including music from what I consider a strange but beautiful musical "Moulin Rouge". Below are some photos from the entertainers. More photos can be seen here.

When the Michael Jackson performer came on, the audience rushed the stage screaming and reaching out for him. At one point I seriously thought they were going to pull him off the stage, and so did the performer! I noticed that he kept his distance after that. People really enjoyed his songs the best, and he was over the top.

Then the DJ came on and started playing some crazy dance music. The ladies were dancing in the aisles and just about anyplace. The take-home image is of a lady in a beautiful kimono doing the Macarena. What a crazy world we live in!

Very cool decor at the Museum

2010-01-23T23:10:00.000-08:00

Why is it that Shari Kelley is able to blow the socks off every single event? Maybe it comes from getting up at 4:30am to have quiet personal time. I guess that allows the creativity to flow if you don't wake up running. But whatever it is, she and her team really pulled off a great event at the Palm Springs Art Museum this week.

She partnered with Kevin Swank of T&S Hoist and Rigging to add some amazing, colorful light fixtures. I've never seen anything like it before. Made me think of something that you would see in Tomorrowland at Disneyland. The only thing missing was Space Mountain rising in the distance!

My job was to take photographs of the decor, but it was decor in motion. So I pulled out my latest toy, a camera that takes HD video as well as stills and took short video clips. That was the only way to communicate the dynamic feeling in the rooms. I came home all excited from the event and put together a quick little video to show it. It really shows what they did for this event.

The music for the slideshow is "Stand By Me" as performed by street musicians around the world. That was the theme for the event, and Shari showed the video at the end of the dinner. I bet it was an amazing event!

Below is the video I made. Take a look, it's fun!

Rand Larson
Palm Springs Photographer
www.MorningstarProductions.com

A sign of change!

2010-01-07T10:31:00.000-08:00

This week we got 2 calls from event planners at the very last minute looking for us to provide photography at their event. By last minute I mean, calling at 8am to see if we could be at the Hyatt Grand Champions by 8:30am! I love those kind of calls, keeps me on my toes!

But what was interesting in both cases was that the event planners had been tasked to take photographs during the event. I saw this a lot last year. The person in charge of planning rooms, meals, travel and a thousand details also had a little point-and-shoot camera in their hand to take the casual candid photographs in their spare time. They would hire us for the difficult stuff like group photographs. But I understand. The entire industry is under orders to do the same as before, but for half the cost.

This time, both of the event planners put their foot down and told their client that they needed to hire a professional if they wanted professional results. I'm quite impressed! Maybe it's a trend of a little push-back. I like it because both events allowed me to hear interesting presentations and see fun stuff. Oh, and I got paid!

It's a good trend!

Rand Larson
Palm Springs Photographer
www.MorningstarProductions.com

A beautiful wedding and gracious giving

2009-03-27T11:53:00.000-07:00

The following entry is from our wedding website blog....

Once in a while we are fortunate to be part of a special wedding celebration. Recently Dave and I were asked t photograph a several day wedding at a beautiful resort in Mexico. That alone is enough to talk about. But the bride and groom did something really special.

They told all of their guests that they really had no need for gifts. Instead they wanted to do something to help the people near the area of the resort. So they setup a Foundation to fund a few of the existing local charities. Guests were asked to make a donation to this charity in lieu of a gift. Something truly remarkable in any time, especially now with so many people in need.

One of the days before the wedding I joined the bride, her mother and the bride's 7 year old daughter to take a tour with one of the charities. It is an organization that helps the migrant farm workers who come to the region once a year but have no place to live. These workers simply set up a camp at the edge of the farms living with whatever scraps they can find. Often they burn pesticide bags to cook their meals. There is no sanitation, no water, no education for the children. the parents lack basic understanding of health issues.

This organization works to provide housing and education with basic heal care for these people who live on the absolute fringe of society in Mexico.

The gifts from this wedding won't be filling shelves, or put in closets or returned at stores. Instead these wedding gifts will be changing people's lives, people who need it most.

Our hats off to Jessica & Tim who did something very special for their wedding celebration. Something very special.

We made a short video of the visit so the guests could see who their donations will help. CLICK HERE to see the video.

If the video doesn't play on your computer, then you can update the QuickTime player on your machine. Download the QuickTime update here.

Wedding Photography:
Photography By Rand

Fun Times at Pappy & Harriet's

2009-02-06T09:08:00.000-08:00

There is this funky little place called Pappy & Harriet's in Pioneertown about 20 miles north of Palm Springs. Total honky-tonk funky cool. Like something out of a movie. Yes, they did film western movies at the site back in the 50's but now the place really looks like a set for some strange Pulp-Fiction type of movie. Or better yet the biker bar that Pee Wee Herman stumbles into. Makes one want to dance on the bar!

Well, thru the wonders of FaceBook a few of us Palm Springs High School (PSHS) alumni learned that one of our very own was to perform there! Calling all PSHS Indians! Come on out and support our very own! Steve Poltz was in the marching band the same time I was. He played drums and I played saxaphone. I think he was better than I. Now he's a world-traveling music man making some pretty great music! Really great! Amazing great! Me like!

Of course I had to take photos. I don't think I know how to sit still and enjoy a concert without moving around. So I've posted photos on a gallery HERE. All you PSHS alumni feel free to download the images, and you can post your own for others as well. And Steve? If you can use a photo, have at it!

What was my favorite part? When Steve quickly sang our Alma Mater "In the silence of the desert...." I think I heard more than just myself singing along! I've used that song as an ice-breaker before myself. Once I had a group of women executives to photograph and I told them that if they could get organized quick enough to meet the planner's time schedule I would sing my alma mater. So I did. And they smiled. And the photos looked great: powerful female executives being amuzed by a singing photographer.

In the silence of the desert

Where the sands of silver shine,

Stands our glorious Alma Mater

'Tis our haven and our shrine.

Be we humble in her presence,

For her blessings never fail.

Palm Springs is our Alma Mater.

So to her, all hail. All Hail!

Best to you Steve! And thank you Ardee for alerting us all!

With the Design Dawgs at The Special Event

2009-01-27T12:00:00.000-08:00

What a hoot! I was invited to join Dave Merrell and The Design Dawgs as a guest blogger for his presentation at The Special Event in San Diego and it was a blast! They say that people enjoy talking about themselves (hence this phenomenon called Blogging). But talking about oneself in front of other people? What a rush! Here is a photo of me trying to look smart with my new glasses while Dave quizzes me on how to take better event photographs.

I scared Tom Budas when I stood up and showed how to lean against the wall to support the camera when taking an available-light photo. He was afraid I was going to push the fake wall off the stage! Close call.

At one point I did look into the audience and saw a few people eagerly writing down my 4 tips on how to take better photos of events with a point-and-shoot camera. I like it when people are eagerly writing down what I say! Makes me want to stop and make sure I'm saying it right!

So with that thought, I will give this some thought and make a few posts about how you as an event planner can get better photos of your events when you just can't afford to hire a professional photographer. Stay tuned!

www.MorningstarProductions.com

Calling in the Marines

2008-11-15T23:35:00.000-08:00

Tonite we did a job that was unusual for us. We took photographs at an officer's ball at the Twenty Nine Palms Marine base. They originally contacted us thru the Renaissance Esmeralda Resort where they had planned to have their event, but it was moved back to the base.

Rather than a sponsored event, we were selling photographs to the individuals. This is something that we don't normally get involved with since we are busy with sponsored events. But this is a different kind of year! And when I thought about it, something in my gut said that we need to offer something for these brave individuals who are doing so much for us. And I'm glad that we did it. If nothing else, I got to take this very sweet photograph. (Check out those dimples!)

Normally we are taking photographs that are given away to people who may or may not appreciate all of the lavishness that is being poured out on them. Tonight was very different. The people we were photographing were paying out of their own pockets. And these are people that I'm already so very indebted to. I'm very glad we could do this. All of the photos are online here.

(Posted by Rand)

Palm Springs photographer.

The right tool for the job.

2008-11-09T18:10:00.000-08:00

PAWS of Palm Springs, a boutique pet supply store, hosted a fund-raiser tonight. It was to raise money for the local Animal Samaritans shelter. They asked us to provide a photo booth where the people could take their photo with their dog. They key is that people were dressing up their pooches for a contest! Being dog lovers, and owners of several pound puppies we were happy to participate!

But neither Dave nor I have ever photographed pets before. I had read that it's helpful to have a squeaky toy. The understatement of the evening!

No matter what the owner did, nothing compared to the sound of the little rubber octopus! Curious to see the photos? CLICK HERE to see some funny-dressed dogs and their owners all being entranced by a little squeaky toy!

A Lesson Learned

2008-11-08T22:00:00.000-08:00

Tonight I was hired to follow Marilyn Monroe and Frank Sinatra lookalikes to take photos with guests at a corporate event after-dinner party. The goal was to have the photos ready for the guests immediately during the event. As usual, people loved getting their photographs taken with Frank and Marilyn, who are excellent celebrity look-alikes. People also love that their photographs are ready right away, and that they look so good. Technology can be sweet. We used our instant print system with wireless transmission during the event.

At the end of the photography time, when I was printing the photos I was mobbed by people looking for their photograph. Quite the mob scene! But there was one problem, and that leads to the lesson I learned.

The production company had their photographer at the event as well. He was taking photographs sometimes with me, and sometimes on his own. So the guests were all wondering where those photographs were. They didn't want to hear me say that "the other photographer" was not with me. They don't care. It doesn't make sense to the guests at all.

My lesson is that I should have either offered to print his photographs, or I should have made sure that we stuck together and took the same photos. I really should have been on my toes, I should have put myself in the position of the guests. They don't know what's going on, they just get very dissapointed when that great photo with Marilyn Monroe is not printed out with all the others.

In the future, I'm going to do my best to be proactive about this!

(Submitted by Rand Larson)

Immediate uploading images to a remote client

2008-10-29T22:55:00.000-07:00

We have a very good corporate event client who had an unusual request. They needed photographs and video of an event of theirs to be uploaded to the internet so that their client could view the progress as it happened. They asked us what we could do.

We love a technical challenge!

We used a WiFi transmitter on our Canon cameras to immediately send the still images to a MacBook Pro laptop that was nearby. This laptop was in a vehicle with the motor running since the event was on public streets and we needed constant power. The laptop was also connected to the internet using a Verizon air card. As the images arrived in the laptop, an operator added them to a web gallery. This part was really quite easy.

At the same time, Dave was taking video footage of the event. When he thought he had something good, he would go over to the laptop to transfer the footage to the laptop. Then the operator looked for 20-30 second clips that "told a story" and he uploaded that video clip to the internet. Uploading the video clips was the slowest part, it took about 3-5 minutes to upload the clips versus a few seconds to upload the still images.

Everything was connected to one webpage so that the remote client simply refreshed their browser to see the new content as it was added. The event started at 7am, and by 7:15 there were stills and video clips posted online with constant updates during the event.

The end client was very happy. And we had a blast!

I am the kind of computer-geek that really enjoys catching life blog updates of various events online, in particular whenever Steve Jobs gives a keynote I am at my computer hitting the refresh button every 15 seconds. This time Dave, Colin & I were the ones uploading constant updates. It gave a strange feeling of communicating with someone, but not being able to talk to them. Really very fun. I hope we can do this again!

Of course, our client and the end-client need to remain anonymous so I can't link to the work.

A very creative video of a very creative party!

2008-10-17T23:15:00.000-07:00

Recently I was at the Moscone Center in San Francisco to photograph a very large event that was produced by Extraordinary Events of Los Angeles. The even was gigantic! They put large video projections along the perimeter of the event, over 300 feet on one wall. The video was seamless and rolling throughout the night.

After I took the photographs of the setup and decor I started wondering what it would look like if I were to hold down the shutter and let the camera take as many photos as it could. These new cameras can take over 30 images per second for as long as there is room on the memory card. So I let the camera fired away for about 2-3 minutes at a time.

I shared these images with Greg Russell of Tandem Digital who produced the video. He incorporated those sequences into an amazing followup video. Take a peek at the video and find some inspiration for a fun idea on how to use video in an event. If your computer can handle it, watch this in the Large setting. It's really quite amazing to watch.

Click below to watch the video:

Take note that much of the video is footage shot by Greg, then portions of the video were created by the still images that I shot. I think the effect is quite interesting.

-Rand Larson
Palm Springs Photographer
www.MorningstarProductions.com

Old Posts

2008-10-01T18:03:00.000-07:00

We are moving our blog to a new system hosted by Blogger. But there's some great stuff from the last few years on our old blog!

It's going to take me some time to enter all of the old posts into Blogger, so if you are curious about old entries, CLICK HERE to read previous entries.

And what is so special about the old entries? It's all amazing stuff, of course!

We talk about taking photos at Cirque du Soliel in Las Vegas, photography on the Orient Express, photos from London and Venice, custom photo books, photo kiosks, and my favorite entry: Food Fight at the Ritz-Carlton! If you are looking for ideas for your event, take a peek!

Palm Springs photographer
www.MorningstarProductions.com