Method and apparatus for commercial photography

• US 4,771,305 A
• Filed: 04/06/1987
• Issued: 09/13/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Potoroka, Andrew J.
• Original Assignee: Potoroka, Andrew J.
• Inventors: Potoroka, Andrew J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gellner, Michael L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brown, Brian W.
• Application Number:
  US07/034,677
• Time in Patent Office: 526 Days
• Field of Search: 354/75, 354/76, 354/290, 354/291, 354/81, 354/150, 352/132, 296/24 R, 296/171, 296/164, 296/168, 248/481
• US Class Current: 396/1
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 15/06 Special arrangements of screening, diffusing, or reflecting devices, e.g. in studio

Abstract

A mobile photographic portrait studio apparatus, in a preferred ebodiment thereof, comprises a truck-drawn detachable studio trailer having functional studio areas therein for production line-type movement of studio customers and photograpic work in process, the trailer having a movable outer wall so that the natural environment outside the studio can be used as the portrait background, the studio having (a) adjustable mirror means for reflecting selected natural backgrounds to the studio camea and (b) various other features adapting the same for mobile studio functions of which a fixed studio is not capable, the object being to provide convenient and inexpensive photographic services at special sites, such as fairs, athletic events, scenic tourist sites and the like.

Claims

1. A mobile photographic/portrait studio, said studio comprising a vehicle including a studio chamber enclosure formed by a floor, a ceiling, spaced opposite outer side walls and spaced outer front and rear end walls, said chamber having a plurality of functional areas, one of said areas being the portrait subject seating area, said seating area being disposed adjacent one of said outer walls, at least a portion of said one of said outer walls being movable away from its studio chamber enclosing position, so as to provide a first outer wall opening in said enclosure, whereby the environment outside said studio as seen by the photographer through said first opening provides a natural background for a portrait of the subject and whereby the natural background seen through said first opening can be changed by relocating said vehicle, one of said outer walls having a separate second opening through which studio customers can enter and exit said studio without interfering with use of said first opening for photographic operations.

2. A movable studio such as that recited in claim 1, wherein said movable wall providing said first opening is said rear end wall.

3. A mobile studio such as that recited in claim 1, wherein another one of said functional areas is a photographer'"'"'s camera operating area including a camera and disposed adjacent said subject seating area and opposite said movable wall providing said first opening, whereby the subject is seated between said camera and said natural background seen through said first opening.

4. A mobile studio such as that recited in claim 3, wherein another of said functional areas is a photographer'"'"'s work area disposed adjacent said camera operating area on the side thereof opposite said subject seating area, whereby exposed film and/or photographic prints can be conveniently further processed into a finished product such as a matted, glassed and/or framed portrait of the subject without interfering with the photographer'"'"'s operations in said camera operating area.

5. A mobile studio such as that recited in claim 3, wherein said second customer entrance and exit opening is formed in a portion of one of said side walls that encloses said seating area, at a trailer rear-to-front position between said movable wall first opening and said camera operating area so that customer movement through said studio is available directly to and from said seating area without access to other of said studio areas.

6. A mobile studio such as that recited in claim 4, wherein another of said functional areas is a customer service area disposed adjacent said photographer'"'"'s work area wherein said finished product is delivered to and paid for by the studio customer, said service area being separated from said work area by wall means and having a customer service window third wall opening for delivery of finished studio products to customers and receiving payment therefor.

7. A mobile studio such as that recited in claim 1, wherein another of said functional areas is a utilities area equipped to provide any desired utilities such as electrical power, heat and/or air conditioning, sanitary facilities, water, food storage, sleeping facilities and the like required for operation of said studio and the comfort and safety of the studio operator.

8. A mobile studio such as that recited in claim 1, wherein said vehicle comprises separate driving and driven vehicle portions, said driven portion comprising a trailer housing said studio chamber, said floor, ceiling and walls of said chamber being the bottom, top and outer peripheral walls of said trailer, and said driving portion comprising a truck connected to said trailer, said truck and trailer having cooperating means for disconnecting said truck from said trailer for more convenient use of said truck as a means of transportation free of said studio trailer.

9. A mobile studio such as that recited in claim 1, wherein mirror means having mirror adjustment means is provided to reflect to said camera, by use of the "angle of reflection is equal to the angle of incidence" principle, a natural background other than the natural background otherwise seen directly through said first opening from said camera.

10. A mobile studio such as that recited in claim 9, wherein said mirror adjustment means comprises power means operable by the camera operator from the camera position in said studio.

11. A mobile studio such as that recited in claim 10, wherein said power means comprises electro-mechanical and/or hydro-mechanical power means.

12. A mobile studio such as that recited in claim 9, wherein said mirror adjustment means comprises a ball/socket joint-mounted mirror support and separate means to rotate and swivel said support at said joint and to move said joint linearly toward and away from said trailer, each of said means operating independently without being affected by or affecting any other means with respect to mirror adjustment thereby, whereby a substantial number of different mirror positions can be accomplished as needed to reflect the most desirable natural background, which may vary from customer to customer.

13. A mobile studio such as that recited in claim 1, wherein color-coded, numbered and/or selectively-lighted location means are provided on said studio outer side walls visible to the portrait subject, whereby the camera operator can easily and quickly adjust the portrait subject'"'"'s head and/or body position by directing the subject to face a particular one of said side wall location means.

14. A mobile studio such as that recited in claim 13, wherein said selectively lighted location means are selectively activated from a control switch panel accessible to the camera operator.

15. A mobile studio such as that recited in claim 1, wherein a temperature-insulated wet photographic processing laboratory is provided to facilitate the maintenance therein of temperatures required for wet developing of exposed film and prints.

16. A mobile studio such as that recited in claim 1, wherein a plurality of artificial background panels are mounted for extension to positions behind said subject seating means.

17. A mobile studio such as that recited in claim 16, wherein each of said panels is roller-mounted, said rollers being alternately mounted opposite each other for extension of alternate panels in opposite directions to substantially reduce the roller mounting space, as compared to mounting all of said rollers adjacent one another for extension in the same direction from said rollers.

18. A mobile studio such as that recited in claim 17, wherein said artificial background panels provided in said trailer are roller-mounted on rails extendable over said extended floor provided by said downwardly pivoted rear end wall.

19. A mobile studio such as that recited in claim 1, wherein said movable wall is hingedly connected to said trailer so as to be pivotable downwardly as an extension of said trailer floor, said subject seating means being adjustably mounted on tracks in said trailer floor and said removable wall extension of said floor, whereby said subject seating means can be positioned on said extended floor outside said trailer.

21. A mobile studio such as that recited in claim 9, wherein an operator'"'"'s living convenience area and a studio operating utilities area and equipment are additionally provided.

20. A mobile photographic/portrait studio, said studio comprising a vehicle including a studio trailer and a separate truck, said truck and trailer being easily connected and disconnected, as by a fifth wheel mechanism therebetween, said truck being adapted to serve the functions of hauling said trailer and providing convenient transportation for the studio operator when disconnected from said trailer and said trailer being adapted and arranged to provide a convenient and efficient production line-type studio operation by the following general order of functional areas from one end of said studio to the other:

portrait subject sitting area, camera operating area, portrait finishing work area, customer service area, said studio having an outer rear wall and connected opposite outer side walls enclosing said sitting area, one of said walls having a portion thereof movable to provide a first opening in said one wall to expose the environment outside said studio for use as a natural portrait background.

22. A mobile portrait studio, comprising a wheeled vehicle having a floor, a ceiling and outer opposite side walls and front and rear end walls enclosing a studio chamber, said studio chamber comprising a plurality of functional areas arranged in a particular sequence and equipped to enable an efficient assembly-line type flow of customers and portrait work therethrough from the rear to the front end of said chamber, thereby minimizing the time and cost to deliver framed portrait product to customers, said functional areas comprising, from the rear to the front of said studio, portrait subject sitting, camera operating, portrait framing, customer service, studio utilities and operator convenience areas, said subject sitting area being enclosed by said outer rear wall and side walls, at least a portion of one of said outer walls enclosing said sitting area being hinged at said floor and pivotally movable outwardly to provide a studio floor extension outside of said studio chamber, for portrait subject seating outside said studio chamber, said sitting area having seating means movable from said sitting area floor to said floor extension provided by said movable wall, said movable wall providing when in its floor-extension position forming a first opening to enable use of outside light and the outside environment as a natural portrait background, as in inclement weather, another of said outer walls enclosing said sitting area having another movable wall portion providing a second wall opening providing a customer entrance and exit, whereby customers may enter and exit through said second opening without interfering with use of said first opening for portrait background purposes, said second opening further providing, if desired, a natural background not visible through said first opening.

23. A mobile studio such as that recited in claim 22, wherein a mirror is mounted adjacent said sitting area, said mirror having mounting means arranged to provide independent pivotal and translational movement thereof with respect to said sitting area, to reflect through one of said openings and into said sitting and camera operating areas natural backgrounds not seen from said camera operating area.

24. A mobile studio such as that recited in claim 23, wherein said first opening is in said rear outside wall of said studio chamber so that said vehicle can be backed toward the desired natural background, and wherein said sitting area includes portrait subject seating means, artificial portrait background means and portrait subject posing means, said seating and/or said artificial background means being mounted so as to be movable onto said floor extension outside said studio chamber, said mirror being power operated and said mirror and said portrait posing means being operable by the photographer from said camera operating area, said second opening being formed in one of said outer side walls enclosing said sitting area, said portrait framing area being disposed adjacent said camera operating area on the side thereof opposite said sitting area so that exposed film can be processed and framed in said framing area.

25. A mobile studio such as that recited in claim 22, wherein said customer service area, said operator convenience area and said studio utilities area are located toward said front end of said studio, said customer service area being disposed adjacent said portrait framing area, so that finished portraits can be passed thereto, and along the same outer side wall in which said second customer entrance and exit opening is formed, said customer servie area outer side wall having a third opening disposed on the same side of said studio as said second opening so that customers exiting from said studio can conveniently proceed outside said studio, so as to not interfere with studio operation, to said third opening to receive and pay for their finished portrait.