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ADDRESS:       Flat 202, 49 Belevue Street, Cape Town, South Africa 8001​

FACEBOOK:    wowME | Photography ​

​TWITTER:          @w_o_wME

E-MAIL:           info@w-o-w.me​ or kalistez@gmail.com​

TEL:                0790438876​ or 021-424-3251

​D.O.B:             23rd January 1981​

Russell Tranter Curriculum Vitae

 

I originally started my career around the iconic English racing circuits as a Sports Photographer for the MSVR Formula 3 Cup Championship, in which i was the photographer & social media expert for Dave Karaskas Racing. This inspired me to become a full time photographer and eventually move back to my home town of Cape Town, South Africa.


Upon my return,  i quickly tried to break into Cape Town's photography scene by starting my own company called wowME | Photography, which specializes in Wedding Photography, Portrait Photography, Pet Photography, Food Photography, Editorial & Commercial Photography.
 

Having gained experience within my own company, i decided (as an individual always willing to learn and experience as much as possible), that i would find those companies & people with vast and endless experience in the photography industry and learn from them to improve my skills and knowledge.

​

Responsibilities include:

  • Framing subject matter and background in lens to capture desired image.
  • Focusing camera and adjusted settings based on lighting, subject material, distance, and film speed, selecting and
       assembling equipment and required background properties according to subject, materials, and conditions, directing
       activities of workers assisting in setting up photographic, and arranging subject material in desired position.
  • Estimating and measuring light level, distance, and number of exposures needed, using measuring devices and
       formulas, coordinating and directing office services to aid executives.
  • Prepare records and reports, such as client fulfillment orders and detailed client listings.
  • Analyze operating practices and procedures to create and revise existing methods.
  • Managing all Social Media platforms, including.... 
        Facebook | Twitter | Google+ | deviantART | Flickr | LinkedIN | Tumblr | Delicious | Stumbleupon

 

Founder, Photography & Designer @ wowME | Photography

Sept 2011 - present

Camera :

  1. Canon EOS 7D

​

Lenses : 

  1. Canon MP-E65mm | f2.8 | 1-5x |
        Macro Lens
    ​
    A unique manual-focus lens designed exclusively for macro shooting, between life-size (1x) and 5x life-size.  At its maximum magnification, you can fill a 35mm frame with a grain of rice. ​
  2. Canon 'L' EF | 70-200mm | f/4L | USM

    Top range Canon EF lenses are designated "L-series", or "Luxury" lenses.[10] L series lenses are compatible with the full range of EF or EF-S mounts and as they are aimed at the high end user, most also include environmental or weather sealing and constant maximum aperture.
  3. Canon EF-S | 15-85mm | f3.5-5.6 
        | IS | USM

    The Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM Lens delivers top-tier image quality over an excellent general purpose focal length range in a nicely-sized/weighted/built body with great AF and an excellent implementation of Image Stabilization​
     

Speedlights : 

  1. ​Canon Macro Twin Lite MT-24EX

    As the name implies, the Canon Macro Twin Lite MT-24EX Flash is primarily suited to macro flash photography.
  2. ​1x Canon 580EX II

    The 580EX II is Canon's top-of-the-line, professional grade external flash.
  3. 2x YN-0565EX
    ​
    The brand-new YN-565EX is the first wireless TTL supporting flash by Yongnuo. This Chinese company has already been prooven to produce  good quality with a reasonable price marked with the extremely successful YN-460, YN-560 and their TTL flashes.​
     

Other Equipment :



  1. ​2x 40x60cm Softboxes
    Professional Softbox Studio Lighting Kit with 2x85w 5400K CRI>90 Bulbs.
  2. ​Background Support System
    2.7m (H) x 3m W) 
  3. White & Black Screen ​
    100% Muslin Backdrop 3m x 6m
  4. 5 -in- 1 Photographic Light Reflector
    32" (80cm) Silver, Gold, Black, White & Translucent, Collapsible.
  5. ​2x 43" Optical Satin Umbrella​
    Optical white satin umbrellas can be positioned close to the subject for quick and easy bounce-light diffusion or as a shoot-through diffuser.​​​
  6. ​Camera Tripod with Pro Fluid Head​
    This is a professional quality heavy duty video camera tripod. It is solidly constructed and superbly engineered.

Dave Karaskas Racing

Race Photography & Social Media Manager

​2009 - 2011 ​

Responsibilities include:

  • Photography of the car, pit crew, the racer and other members of the team from each round of the MSV F3
       Championship Cup. This includes...
  1. ​Scouting the track
        To locate the most dramatic point of the track and to setup where the cars appear to be battling it out in
        wheel-to-wheel combat. Speaking to the racers themselves usually points you in the right direction.
  2. ​Selecting appropriate shutter speed 
        Minimize camera shake, while still showing signs of movement. 
  3. Composition
        Generally the best view of a car is a three quarter front view as this adds depth and shows more of the car. However
        for a more creative feel     i use a panning technique or use a shallow depth of field to throw the background out of focus.

     

  • Organisation of all Social Media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, Website
  • ​Dave Karaskas Racing Logo Design & Illustration
  • Website Designer & Manager of Dave Karaskas Racing
  • Employed to photograph the Bremner Building & surrounding campus for the University of Cape Town,
       Human Resources Department. These photographs were used for their new website and for media use.
  • Created colour theme for their website
  • Created web banners for use on their website.

University of Cape Town

Freelance Photographer

Photography
Cape Town Wedding Photography, Stock Photography, Sports Photography, Family, Couples & Kids Portraiture, Food Photography, Photojournalism, Traditional and Digital printing, Digital video, Video editing, Graphic design, Color correction, 
Post Production Image retouching & enhancement in Photoshop CS6, Including...
skin smoothing, blemish removal, hip or general weight reduction, lip enhancement, eye brightening, teeth whitening, wrinkle removal & make-up enhancement.



Design

​Website Design & Layout, Illustration, Retouching, Logo's, Branding, eMarketing, Packaging, Interactive PDF's, Exhibition & POS Artwork, Search Engine Optimisation.



Software

Photoshop CS6, Illustrator CS6, InDesign CS6, Lightroom, HTML Editors, Video Editing Software, Mac O/S, Microsoft O/S

Pik-A-Pak Electrical Distributors

Product Photographer

2007 - 2010

Responsibilities include:

  • Taking photography of all warehouse products for use on Packaging, Websites, Social Media, Marketing,
       Catalogues & Advertisements. The products i photographed ranged from...      Domestic Appliances, Audio Visual,
       Telephones, Heating & Ventilation, Lamps & Lighting, Home & Garden, Electrical Accessories, Vacuum Cleaners
       & Floorcare
  1. ​Seamless Paper Set Up
        To create a smooth seamless background in which the product can be placed.
  2. ​Lighting Set Up 
        I used 3 lights. 1 above the product and 2 on either side. This requires some tweaking as light placement depends on
        the size of the product in question and the Angle of Incidence, when highly reflective surfaces are involved.
  3. ​Reflector & Diffuser Usage
        Direct light tends to lead to hard lines and shadow. In order to avoid this i aimed for a diffused light through a
        translucent fabric or bounced light from a gold, silver or white reflector.
  4. ​Camera & Tripod Set Up
        The aim is to be consistent with every single photograph. That way the same angle is repeated every time and you’ll
        see the same style of shot for every item in your catalogue.

Igenix

Interior & Lifestyle Photographer of Kitchens & Kitchen Products

2010 - 2011

Responsibilities include:

  • Lifestyle and in-situ photography for kitchenware products. These photographs were then used for websites
       and high profile advertising. When photographing a kitchen, the following needs to be taken into account.
  1. ​Best Angle
        Find an angle which incorporates most of a kitchens features. Decided whether stitching multiple images would be
        a better option for including features.
  2. ​Lighting Set Up 
        Turn on all kitchen lighting, including ceiling lights, extractor fans & worktop surface lights.
  3. Clutter
        To remove clutter, washing up liquid, dish towels or scrubbers. At the same time arrange chairs, table clothes
        and flowers to their best positions.
  4. ​Props
        The idea of a prop is to inject some life into the photograph and give the impression of a family, or working kitchen. 
        I used props like, Bread with cut slices, Coffee Plungers, Fruit Bowls or Flowers. 
  5. ​​​Perspective
        I would take photography from all angles and viewpoints as a different perspective can really change the feel of an image.
  • Employed as stand-in photographer at Circuit de Francorchamps (Spa Race Circuit) for Christian Hauser Racing.
       T    he Number 1 F3 Racing Team. This was quite an experience and i managed to get my photographs published on
        their website.

Christian Houser Racing

Stand-In Photographer

My History

Professional Skills

Work Experience

Equipment

  • To photograph 500 cocktails for an annual cocktail book. These images were required to be "stock" as in,
        uniform, brilliant white back ground, correct colour and be located in the  best lighting position to eliminate reflections.

MUDL - Mixology Released

Cocktail Photographer

Freelance Experience

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