i believe the term is "haute couture"

Lights:
Okay, so as an EECS person, I may not be the best judge of fashion, but I love the bi-annual FAST (http://fashion.berkeley.edu). That isn't to say all EECS majors are bad when it comes to fashion...look at kiyoshi! I'm here tonight to tell you about my experience at the show, and a few of my favorite outfits (and maybe even my favorite models!).

Several semesters ago, (3 to be exact), I e-mailed the show coordinator of FAST to see if I could go and photograph their show. For me, this all started in the Spring of 2007, moved to Fall 2007, with the Rock the Jade Hep B Free fashion show, and then my then-favorite, Character, presented in Spring of 2008. However, we have come a long way from Character. Helen, you did a fantastic job with this Fall show. You and your team worked very hard putting it together, and you deserve every bit of praise for it. Without a doubt, the shows get better and better each semester.

Camera:
On Sunday, I arrived several hours early to set up a small studio area, as well as the lighting gear that I'd use for the show. Thanks to a fellow co-worker, Dennis Mojado, I had everything I needed, and more, to make sure I could capture the show to the best of my abilities. Here's a quick list:

-Nikon D700 with MB-D10 battery grip
-Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 VR, Nikon 50mm f/1.4D
-4x Nikon SB-800 Speedlights (in possession, only 2 were used during the show)
-2x Quantum Turbo battery packs (faster flash recycle time)
-Bogen Manfrotto monopod (i've learned that my camera gets very heavy)
-6x 4GB Sandisk Extreme IV CompactFlash cards

My fellow photographers reading this probably already know how much I spend on camera gear. I advise those who don't already know NOT to look up the pricing on the above mentioned.

Fashion:
One of my favorite models. She's got the walk and the poses to knock your socks off.



This next girl is one of my new favorites. You can tell by looking in the gallery for the show, because I probably have more pictures of her than anyone else. She modeled at the Rock the Jade show, where I knew she'd have potential. Unfortunately I didn't see her at Character, but was glad to run into her on Sunday.



The next model was wearing an outfit that complimented her body rather well. Smooth and silky, I thought I was looking at an angel when she walked out to have her photo taken.




A quick gander at the BARE Magazine blog puts this outfit at the top of their showcase too. There's a good reason for that. While I'm no expert, I feel that this outfit catches people's attention because of the amount of volume hidden within the folds and frills of fabric. Aerodynamics were clearly not on the designers' minds, but curves and natural earth tones (similar to wrapping a wonton).



Well folks, thanks for reading. Keep an eye out for the link to my gallery for this show.