BTS: Tattoo Hero Branding & E-Store Launch

In early August I was approached by Tattoo Hero, a start-up company here in Ottawa. They wanted me to take some a bunch of images for their new clothing line and fresh website launch. To tackle their need of creating their brand image, we sought out to capture many options for various areas of the website. They were looking for several editorial fashion images with outfit swaps, single, couple and group shots with each the models and in 4+ different sets. The shoot took place in Montreal at the fantastic Two Horses tattoo shop, who were more than generous in letting us take over their space without them feeling the need to watch over us.

Shawn Bennett probably saying "I gotta be at work in 5 minutes!!" 

Shawn Bennett probably saying "I gotta be at work in 5 minutes!!" 

Enlisting the beauty of 4 models, the shoot started at 8AM in the top floor warehouse, complete with a wall of windows that would turn our awesome location into a massive sauna. Even with the A/C cranked it was 35C+ in there the whole time, cue towels!

The model team laughing at me while I frantically search for my towel to wipe down the back of my camera

The model team laughing at me while I frantically search for my towel to wipe down the back of my camera

Everyone held it together through the exhausting shoot and we were able to complete the many different shots as well as the entire clothing line in a tight 4-hour time slot. This was by far the most challenging aspect of the shoot. Setting up a studio in one room for the apparel, and mapping out the rest of the location to get our 4 different set looks. To battle the harsh morning sun coming through the windows, parchment paper was taped up and curtains clamped together to soften the entire space. This meant not having to use anything other than a reflector for the editorial shots, saving us precious time that would otherwise be spent setting up lights. 

The whole team did a fantastic job organizing and assisting with everything we needed during the shoot.

Amber Allen of Tattoo Hero making some adjustments on Samantha Knoxx 

Amber Allen of Tattoo Hero making some adjustments on Samantha Knoxx 

Big thanks to everyone over at Tattoo Hero, Two Horses Tattoo! Enjoy a selection of the final images in this click-through gallery:

 

  • Photographer: Josh Hotz, www.joshhotz.com
  • Video: David Nuff, www.designbynuff.com
  • Models: Alex Néron of Railbender Studios, Barbara Lepitre, Shawn K Bennett, and Samantha Knoxx
  • Styling, Art Direction and Assistants: Amber Allen, Minh Dao, Brandon Waselnuk

 The new store has just been launched, click the image below to see our final product and get a 20% discount for a limited time!

Click the image to check out their newly launched store, photo by yours truly!

Click the image to check out their newly launched store, photo by yours truly!




Amnesia Rockfest for Jägermeister

The weekend of June 20th marked the yearly music festival that turns the 800 person town of Montebello, QC into a hell on earth that is hard to imagine being possible. More than 100,000 (yes, one-hundred thousand) flock in from as far as the US of A to claim a camping spot or lawn to call home for the weekend. Bands from all over Canada and the US come to fill the airwaves with their sounds, some notable appearances being Cypress Hill, Blink-182, Joan Jett and many many more. I was hired to shoot images of the performances and promotion for Jägermeister, the heavy liquor that most have had their own experiences with. Rockfest f*%^&ed me up before we even made it to the stages, bombing a hill to get to the gate while stuck in traffic proved to be a bad idea. I endured the whole weekend with a nice amount of roadrash counting down the days until I could get my wrist x-rayed back in Ottawa. Here are some of the photos I shot, I owe the sharpness to Nikons VR stabilization system, my wrist wasn't doing much. 

To see the cream of the crop, check out the new gallery on my website under Entertainment. http://www.joshhotz.com/entertainment/music/

Don't forget to share and comment below! Thanks for reading.

Current Show(s)

More than happy to be part of the Chinatown Remixed this year. You can go check out my installation at Troubadour Records on Somerset St, between Bay and Percy. 

 

I also have a selection of pieces up at Town alongside Ryan Smeeton, a local painter. Check them out at 256 Elgin St. Here's a terrible photo to spark your senses. Go enjoy a beer, or their awesome food and take a look!

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