Check out the film by Low Key Studio’s Christoph Benfey & CreateMedia, it came in 2nd place in the Hamilton 24!! It was conceived, written, cast, shot, edited and submitted within 24 hours! Imagine what they could do with 25 hours!

Christoph Benfey

It has been a crazy few weeks since my last post, and between moving in to our new place and shooting, Katie and I have had our hands full! The best thing to do is probably work back from the more recent events, starting with The Hamilton 24 that happened this past weekend.

The Hamilton 24 started out as a 24 hour film festival, but quickly evolved into an entire arts festival…too quickly in fact! Originally, the purpose of the event was to give filmmakers several criteria for a film, and then give them 24 hours to conceive, write, shoot, edit and submit a 5-minute film. Over the years they added more elements to the festival and the screening turned into a week-long display of film, fashion, food, music, dance and many other forms of expression that had to be designed or conceived within a 24 hour period.

In 2011…

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The Instagram Gallery

The Instagram Gallery at Low Key Studio (IG photo by @vikpiccreative)

Our first ever Instagram Gallery took place at Low Key Studio & Gallery on Saturday night, featuring almost 200 Instagram photos submitted by over 20 local iPhoneographers. We all gathered together to enjoy iPhoneography, purchase prints, drink, eat, and see old friends and make new ones. DJ Adverb (@djadverb) kept things going until the wee hours of the morning, encouraging us to bust a move as we treated ourselves to an amazing dessert table by Anela Dujsic (@anelanutella).

Anela really outdid herself with these incredible square Instagram cupcakes – some with the IG camera logo and others with edible Instagram prints! It was so cool to take a bite out of our own photo on a red velvet, chocolate or vanilla cupcake. To top it all off, there were square cake pops (red velvet and chocolate) complete with IG symbols – hashtags, hearts and stars. This dessert table was the icing on the cake!

Instagram photo by @anelanutella

We had the best time creating a tangible, real-life gallery based on the app we know and love. It was so cool to bring people out and make new friends, thanks to the Instagram community. Every single iPhoneographer had something different and special to contribute – their own unique style and perspective of the world – and we couldn’t have done this without each and every one of you!

@_heartandsoul_  @michaelpett  @linda_db  @sumsumdarkside  @markandrewbone  @rorbo  @carolyndawnn  @fiveironflutterby  @kbenfey  @larissabenfey  @instanedical  @shannon_stone  @smb4yall  @djadverb  @vikpiccreative  @mathewwl  @talricci  @poormansparis  @jasonramsay  @vanillachrist  @dimples89  @regmedia  @duaflex  @lovingliving

We are pleased as punch to announce the winners of the following:

1. People’s Choice (Photo): @markandrewbone

There’s no denying that you all loved this shot. It received the most “likes” (heart stickers distributed by you) in the gallery. Photographed in Mexico, these Canadian butterflies make the long migration every year.

@markandrewbone

2. People’s Choice (iPhoneographer): @markandrewbone

For this winner, we added up each iPhoneographer’s total “likes” on all photos. Even with only 3 photos submitted, @markandrewbone was the resounding winner. Here are his two other photos:

@markandrewbone

@markandrewbone

3. Low Key Studio’s Choice: @vikpiccreative

We love the Instagram style of @vikpiccreative and the moments he captures. His photos have a consistent look that not only make his photos easy to recognize, but easy to love, too. Here are some of our favourites:

@vikpiccreative

@vikpiccreative

@vikpiccreative

4. Best #HamOnt Photo: @linda_db

@linda_db is a true Hamilton lover. She shares at least one Instagram photo a day from her walks around the city, and every single photo she submitted to the Instagram Gallery features #HamOnt. There were so many great #HamOnt photos from all of our fellow Hamiltonians, but we couldn’t even pick just one of @linda_db’s! Here are a few:

@linda_db

@linda_db

@linda_db

Congrats everyone! We’ll be contacting you so you can claim your prizes – iTunes Gift Cards! They just seemed so fitting.

This round of the Low Key Photo Booth was our busiest yet. We know you love it, because you took almost 600 photos throughout the night! To make it easy for you to check them all out, we made a video!

Check out Low Key Studio & Gallery on Facebook (don’t forget to like us!) to see the photos and join the conversation – and you can save your favourites.

Finally, in the spirit of Instagram, here are some IG shots that our guests shared from the night. Stay tuned for the next Low Key Instagram Gallery. This was the first of many!

Instagram photo by @sumsumdarkside

Instagram photo by @michaelpett

Instagram photo by @vikpiccreative

Additional thanks go out to Kayla Benfey & Larissa Benfey for all your help 🙂

❤ Katie

Katie & Christoph

WTFunk?! St. Paddy’s Day Party

On Friday, after popular demand, we had the supreme pleasure of hosting another edition of WTFunk?! This time, being St. Patrick’s…eve…we decided to take advantage of the holiday and theme everything around it…green light bulbs, green and irish beers, and of course the Photo Booth.

I’ve never had so much fun running a photo booth at any event as I did on Friday, and the photos turned out great! I’ve included a bunch below, and the rest can be found on the Facebook Page, go check them out! If you are in them or know who is, tag them!

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We would love to pack this thing and take it to other parties! Get at me christoph@lowkeystudio.com if you want to rent out a photo booth like this for your event or party!

The next WTFunk?! party is going to be in June, so keep checking back from time to time here, or on our Facebook Page to get details! And don’t forget about the upcoming Instagram Gallery on April 28th, there’s still lots of room for submissions!

Instagram

YES! It’s the moment so many of you have been waiting for…The Instagram Gallery Show at Low Key Studio & Gallery!!!

This is YOUR time to shine! To share your perspective! To see YOUR PHOTOS in a Gallery Show!

On April 28th at 7:00pm, Low Key Studio will open its doors to the public to mingle and look at your work!

THE PARTY

DJ Adverb (who has worked with Koushik, Classified, Rich Kidd, Smash Brovas, Muneshine and many more) on the decks and the iPhoneography of you and your peers on the gallery walls. Cash bar and free refreshments (including yummy squares – everything’s gotta be in square format!). It’s going to be another epic Low Key party, so even if you don’t plan to submit photos, you’re not going to want to miss it! There will be awesome prizes for great submissions, and the photos will be available for sale – so if yours sells, you get paid!

We’re bringing back the famous Low Key Photo Booth (it’s now a must at every party – check out past events here and here).

SUBMISSIONS

Submission is really easy. All you have to do is send us an email (christoph@lowkeystudio.com) which includes:

• First & Last Name:
• Instagram Handle (your @name):
• Link to your website or blog:
• Attachments with the Instagrammed photos* you want included in your submission.

*If you’ve never saved your Instagram photos to your computer before, it’s really simple. Just go check out Statigram.com, log in using your Instagram user info, and then you can see your whole portfolio on your computer. Then all you have to do is right-click on the image and save it. Using this method guarantees that the resolution will be high enough for a 5×5 print, so please follow these steps if you’re not sure!

We’re going to take care of the rest for you – printing, mounting, promoting, etc. To cover those costs, here are the submission prices:

Early Entry Deadline NOW EXTENDED! (on or Before April 14th, 2012 at 10:00pm):

• 1 Photo: $5
• 3 Photos: $10
• 8 Photos: $20 **

Late Entry (April 14th at 10:00pm – April 20th at 10:00pm):

• 1 Photo: $7.50
• 3 Photos: $15
• 8 Photos: $30 **

**If you submit and pay for a minimum of 8 photos, you also get a feature! This means we’ll highlight your section of the gallery and make sure it stands out from the rest.

PAYMENT OPTIONS

We recommend using PayPal to ensure that your entry submission fee gets to us quickly and without issues. Our PayPal account is linked to christoph@lowkeystudio.com. Just make a note in your PayPal submission to link us to your name and instagram handle so we know who has paid.

If you prefer to make an alternate arrangement (email transfer, or cash or cheque dropped off at the studio), please let us know in your submission email how you will be paying.

SO WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!

The first 20 people to complete the submission process will also receive a voucher for 25% off studio rental! So don’t dilly dally – start looking through your Instagram library now and get those submissions in!

Got questions? Email christoph@lowkeystudio.com and we’ll get right back to you.

We are so excited about this chance to connect the online #HamOnt community at Low Key Studio & Gallery. Tell all your friends!

Be there or BE SQUARE!

See you there!

Rex Music Video Shoot

I just saw on Facebook that Rex’s video for Double Fistin’ Cups was live, it was shot here at Low Key Studio only a couple weeks ago by Jason Matos. Check it out!

Jason does a lot of work with Hip Hop artists in Toronto, but always manages to convince them to make the trek out to Hamilton to use our facility here. Check out the Studio Rental page to find out how you can book Low Key Studio for your upcoming photo shoots, video shoots, or event!

Juxt13

Our newest addition to the creative team, Justine McKnight, will be launching her new website, Juxt13, in a few weeks.

Justine at the Make Up Desk at Low Key Studio

Justine is a highly experienced make up artist, currently working for MAC Cosmetics and also working as a freelance make up artist. She came by the other day to do some promotional shots for her upcoming launch on Feb 14th.

Justine at the Make Up Desk at Low Key Studio

We’re really excited for the launch of Justine’s site and looking forward to collaborating with her on upcoming projects at the studio!

Johnny Major in Ghetto Fabulous

On Friday we threw a party to celebrate Johnny Major‘s Debut Album “This is the Sound” going up on iTunes, and we also took the opportunity to premiere their new music video for Ghetto Fabulous. If you weren’t able to make it out on Friday, don’t worry! Ghetto Fabulous is now on YouTube! Watch below…

This was a Christoph Benfey‘s directorial debut and also features the talented and dynamic Anna Cyzon. Chris Wardle held things down as the camera operator and also edited the final cut. The entire video was shot in 1 day in Hamilton, Ontario.

Since the Photo Booth at WTFunk Happened to 2011?! was such a success, we decided to do it again! But we all ended up having the most fun in it after the party was over! Here are some pics, the rest will be up on our Facebook Page later tonight or tomorrow.

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GG Cole did an amazing job of warming the crowd up before the video started andSanjay Patel made it out again to contribute his signature live art in between sets. This one turned out to be one of my favourites so far!

Another masterpiece by Sanjay Patel

I hope everyone had a great time and we’re definitely looking forward to the next one! Thanks again to everyone that made an effort to come out for the party! Now go spread the word on this video!!

Christoph

Johnny Major is Taking Over Low Key

Everyone in Hamilton knows what happens on the second Friday of every month. Of course I’m talking about Art Crawl! What you didn’t know is that starting this month Low Key Studio will be launching the Art Crawl After Party.

To kick things off we’re pairing up this months Art Crawl After Party with some great friends of ours, Johnny Major. They just released their debut full-length album on iTunes and they decided to celebrate the occasion with us here at Low Key! This will also be the Official Premiere Screening for their Music Video for the song Ghetto Fabulous. They’ll be doing a live acoustic rendition of some of the songs on their album, and GG Cole will be doing an acoustic set as well.

Poster by Christoph Benfey

There will be art on display and for sale in the gallery, as well as Live-Art by Sanjay Patel. Cash bar, so this will be 19+, but FREE TO GET IN!!! If you’re Art Crawling on Friday the 13th, definitely make an effort to stroll over and pop in for a look! Things get started when the Art Crawl starts to slow down. See you here!!

Oh, and while you’re here…check out the workshops and studio rental we offer here at Low Key ; )

WTFunk Happened to 2011?!

Seriously, 2011 flew by!

On Friday we decided to try out hosting a Funk Show featuring DJs John Sikich, Mother Tareka, LP, Devon Craig and Kojo B. Chintoh. We didn’t really know what to expect for a crowd but were pleasantly surprised by nothing but an incredible bunch! I wish I’d been able to take more photos from the dance floor, but we got lots of great moments captured in the make-shift photo booth we set up.

Sanjay Patel was back again doing to perform some Live Art in the Gallery, while the DJs held things down in the Studio. We had so much fun hosting this and received so much positive feedback that we’re definitely going to do it again! Stay tuned for more details, but we’ve nailed the date down to Feb 24th 2012, so mark it on your calendars!

The photos from the booth are up now on our Facebook Page, check them out, and tag yourself if you dare! Thank you so much to everyone that came out and we look forward to seeing you all again in Feb (if not sooner)!

Workshops will be starting up very soon, so if you’re interested in taking your picture taking abilities to new levels and are on a budget, check those out! Also, for studio rentals, we’re offering 20% off for a limited time, so book today to take over Low Key Studio for your next photoshoot, video, or event!

Photos from the Booth up on Facebook!

Much love,

Christoph

What’s Goin On

It’s been a busy month here so far, so I haven’t had much time to do any updating! But things are winding down now for the holidays, so before I get to my last minute Christmas shopping…here’s what’s going on!

The Work of Sanjay Patel is currently on display in the Gallery. He’ll be doing a live painting again on December 30th with live music and the like. It’ll be a fantastic time! Details HERE.

The Work of Sanjay Patel, on display and for sale at Low Key.

The Work of Sanjay Patel, on display and for sale at Low Key.

The Work of Sanjay Patel, on display and for sale at Low Key.

The Work of Sanjay Patel, on display and for sale at Low Key.

In other news, in between rentals and shoots, I’ve been finding time to hang some of my own prints!

A canvas wrap of my photo of the Herkimer building.

One of the hot sellers

Paradiso, by Christoph Benfey

Lonliness, by Christoph Benfey

Easier on the wallet...the 5x5 collection

Nothing like a little bit of shameless self-promotion! I also realized I don’t have any photos up yet of the actual studio since it was finished! What was I thinking? Here you go…

The Make-up Area

The Kitchenette...the mini-fridge is being delivered next week.

Comfortable Couches

Manfrotto Ceiling Mounted Seamless system & Top-Line Speedotron Lighting System.

We have a Neutral Grey, White, Black & Green mounted by default.

Control up to 4 heads from this pack, slap a pocket wizard (we have them) on your camera and you're good to go for wireless shooting!

So there you have it! A bit of an information overload, maybe…but hey, it’s Christmas! There are still spaces available for the workshops in January, so check that out if you’re interested for yourself, or for a gift for the photo enthusiast on your list. Have a safe and happy holiday everyone!

Christoph