One of the first questions I ask a new potential client is "Do you have a shot list?" I'm happy to work with them either way but it helps me gauge how much they may have thought about the details and logistics of their shoot. Generally, when clients come to me with a list of shots, it means they've done some prep work, have a good idea of their brand identity (or brand identity they aspire to), and may already…
I didn't select these photos. There was around 500 of them. Todd Gloria selected these images with the input of his trusted friends and San Diego-based team. I thought it would be cool to show Todd's selects here instead of mine. Often the head shots the client chooses are quite different than what I would pick for them. Here we actually aligned pretty closely on the choices. Maybe we can attribute that to the frequency with which public figures are…
When I learned this simple trick for simulating the look of "golden hour" sunlight with flash, my life as a photographer changed for the better. Suddenly those overcast days were just an extended golden hour, providing the benefit of soft front light with the always-welcome golden back light. I'll give you the simple breakdown so you can start using this to get that sunny look when weather doesn't cooperate. All of the images were made on an overcast day with…
Something from the #protip category today. I had an opportunity to photograph some golf clubs (putters) for Ashdon Golf this morning and discovered the Manfrotto Putter Holder (aka Justin Clamp). It's intended to hold a small flash, maybe an umbrella and/or other items, but its rubber bushings work great for holding the shaft of a golf club. As you can see its pretty easy to get a consistent club angle like this as well. This setup allowed for astonishingly low cuss rates…
Meet Mary Katherine and her best friend Atti. Over the years I've had the pleasure of doing some work for Paws'itive Teams, a top notch service dog organization here in San Diego. I've been able to photograph their teams at annual events and also get involved with their website development. More recently I've decided to photograph some of their teams as a personal project and hope to do more with them this year. It is pretty amazing watching a highly trained…
Making things with your hands is remarkably addictive. The tangible, tactile and often useful finished item is naturally highly rewarding but many have also posited that the "unfinished" nature of more technical handmade projects keeps one's subconscious mind actively pursuing the project, creating constant stimulation and a nagging desire to get out to the workshop. There's also the "legacy" aspect (at the risk of sounding morbid), the underlying desire to extend one's existence far into the future by leaving a body…
With social media outlets representing a big chunk of brands advertising these days, there's a need for nimble, quick lifestyle photography on mid sized budgets. My friends at Wonderful Machine have even coined a new genre for their listings called "brand narrative." Photographers in this category are known to produce a series of lifestyle images to tell the story of a brand rather than the one or two "hero" shots of a more traditional ad campaign. Capturing a large amount…
Recently I had an opportunity to shoot a portrait of one of my food photography clients. Bliss and Baker is a mother-daughter team in North County San Diego making some really delicious crispie treats that you can find at local retailers and restaurants around town. Just looking at the behind the scenes iPhone snap above of our setup, one can instantly recognize the challenge with shooting a portrait in a home kitchen. In most cases you'll be presented with multiple light…
Ballet Folklórico is a traditional Mexican dance form that celebrates the country's regional cultures through elaborate costumes, vibrant colors, and choreography rooted in folk traditions. Each region of Mexico has its own distinct style - from the flowing skirts of Jalisco to the intricate footwork of Veracruz - and the dancers train extensively to master the precise, expressive movements that make the art form so visually striking. It's been a staple of Mexican cultural identity for generations, and San Diego…
Over the past couple of years, I've had the opportunity to shoot quite a few restaurants in and around San Diego and the Inland Empire. Often, my primary assignment is to capture the food but one of my favorite parts is to grab a portrait of the chef or restaurateur. Sometimes its at the request of the client, but often its for my own creative exercise and portfolio. Chefs are generally personable and passionate but they also tend to be…