Logan County Insane Asylum

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This is the image I was capturing when the Police were called and harrassed me for trespassing.  You gotta understand, there are no gates and this was only 5 feet from where my car was parked.  I guess standing on grass is now an offense.

This is a shot of the Logan County Insane Asylum in Guthrie, Oklahoma.  I was here scouting this place out for a possible Supernatural Shoot location.  But we couldn't find anyone to contact for the place...pretty strange.  It would've been a blast to shoot here!

Camera settings: Nikon D800, 1/800 sec at f/4.5, 16mm at ISO 64, flash did not fire.  Taken at 7:48pm on May 6, 2013 by Jason Lanier.

Creating an Outdoor Studio with Rotolights

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Ever needed to create a studio look outside?  Well, that's what I did last night at my workshop.  Having portable LED lights and a few tripods can enable you to do just that...and the results are AMAZING!  Can't wait to share pics!!

Using my Rotolights at Miami Workshop in Wynwood

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This image was taken at my workshop in Miami last night in the Wynwood area which is the artistic portion of downtown where all the crazy people like me congregate.  There are so many advantages to using video light over flash in a situation like this one.  For starters it's easier to focus and pose the model because you can see.  Secondly there is no bounce back nasty reflection on the wall from a flash being fired.  Third, you can get beautiful even lighting over a great portion of the wall.  I love my Rotolights!!

Moundsville Penitentiary Model Shoot in "The Hole"

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This image was taken at my Supernatural Shoot in Moundsville, West Virginia at the Moundsville State Penitentiary.  The lighting for this shot was achieved by placing 1 Rotolight behind the model (the beautiful Rachel Anne) and then we used two Rotolights on the left and right in front.  No flash was used for this shoot and it was pitch black down in there except for the Rotolights.

This was shot in the solitary confinement section of the prison also known as "The Hole" where many prisoners took their last breath.  We found this chair down there, draped the model in a bed sheet, and started shooting.  I love creating something out of nothing and we worked to do just that with this shoot.  The water on the floor was thanks to the heavy rain we received during the shoot which made this even better.  Hope you like it!

Camera settings: Nikon D800, 1/125 sec at f/4.0, 16mm at ISO 6400, flash did not fire.  Taken at 10:32pm on April 16, 2013 by Jason Lanier at the Moundsville State Penitentiary.

Prisoner's Perspective at the Moundsville State Penitentiary

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I snapped this shot of my group as they were taking a break during my Supernatural Shoot at the Moundsville State Penitentiary.  I was on the upper levels just outside of the jail cells and was starting to work my way down when I saw them and took the picture.  This is  a good representation of what these shoots are like.  It was pitch black and the only illumination on this shot came from the two Rotolights that we were using as flashlights at the time.  Y'all have to join me on one of these, they are so much fun!

Walmart Fashion in a haunted prison

This image was taken at my Supernatural Shoot at the Moundsville State Penitentiary on Tuesday.  This was shot without flash, using three Rotolights, one behind her and two in front, to the left and the right.  I had a challenge from the group to do a shoot using Walmart clothes...so I took the challenge, went into the local Walmart about 10 miles from the penitentiary and in 20 minutes bought the hat, skirt, jacket, and did the shoot!

We had an amazing time and I thank everyone who came to shoot with me.  This Supernatural shoot was truly unforgettable!

Who does a fashion shoot in a haunted penitentiary? Well, me.

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So who else does model fashion shoots inside of haunted places like the Moundsville State Penitentiary...just me baby. This is a production still from the Supernatural shoot on Tuesday that was literally out of this world.  It was straight out of a movie, a thunder and lightning storm moved into town immediately as we arrived, and we went around calling for the ghosts it started to pour, as soon as we stopped, it stopped.  Don't believe me?  We have all the video to prove it.

In this shot you see our gorgeous model Rachel who I was posing at the visitation booths where they would use a telephone handset to talk to the prisoner on the other side of the wall.  Just wait until I start showing you shots from "The Hole" where I had one of the best shoots I've ever done.  Because of the thunder storm the water leaked through the walls and down into "The Hole" which was isolation where they locked up the prisoners who were the worst of the worst. With the water coming down the walls it left 2 inches of water on the dirt floor...it was just epic.  Can't wait to edit and post!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks again for these amazing Rotolights....I need to buy stock in their company because all my students are buying them!  Thanks to all my assistants Vanden, Faye and Joyce for doing so much...I love you guys.

Next Workshops:

• Miami, Florida- April 30, May 1st
• Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, May 7th and 8th
• REAL Wedding Workshop- May 31, and June 1st in Moundsville, West Virginia

Birdcage Theater, Tombstone Arizona

When I decided to start teaching workshops one of the first things I said to myself was, "I'm gonna go to some really cool places."  I'm sick of workshops that are just stuck in hotels or the local park.  I wanted to make my workshops epic...this is an example of some of the awesome places we go!

This image was taken during our ghost tour of the Birdcage Theater in Tombstone, Arizona.  This theater has been witness to many amazing things and people, including over 120 bullet holes from fights, etc.  It's also been frequented by the likes of Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, Bat Masterson, and others.

Another fun fact is the poker game.  The basement poker room is said to be the site of the longest-running poker game in history. Played continuously twenty-four hours a day for eight years, five months, and three days, legend has it that as much as $10,000,000 changed hands during the marathon game, with the house retaining 10 percent. Some of the participants were Doc Holliday, Bat Masterson, Diamond Jim Brady, and George Hearst. When ground water began seeping into the mines in the late 1880s the town went bust, the Bird Cage Theatre along with it. The poker game ended and the building was sealed up in 1889.

Next Workshop: Las Vegas, Nevada- right after WPPI!!