I love behind the scenes pictures. I recently was on a photo walk during the king tide in Santa Monica. It occurs twice a year where amazing reflections from lights cast down on the wet sand and the water below.
While I did capture quite a bit of the ferris wheel and deep orange glowy sunset. I wanted something different. I captured the photographers standing in line and one accidentally by himself. Technically these are not great but I had fun exploring new techniques. Keep your eyes open……
All shoots are about a ton of things but one thing I know is that it is not about me! It is always about who or what, the process and results. I never know what to expect at times and recently I was taken a back by a whole ton of emotion about the people who came in for this project. It was a grant for a healthcare provider and they hired me to capture family portraits of their patients in their community.
The families were nervous and unsure what to expect. They spoke only Spanish so I had to demonstrate in a physical way how I wanted them to interact with each other. In the end we had fun and they showed their loving selves towards one another. It was very moving to capture them and see the end results. I really felt touched and honored to be a part of their new family portrait which for most was their first time.
Will my client be using this image; not a chance! This is me having fun on the set. I conspired with the models to tell my client that THIS was the end all and be all of shots and this would be “the one”. When the client showed up he looked at me oddly and said, “but this is a children’s table”. I said it’s okay trust me it’s going to be awesome. I snapped the photo and we all busted out laughing. I told him I was just teasing. We all ended up loving the photo. It helped lighten up the mood and everyone was relaxed.
When I am asked what I love to photograph; I typically can’t answer. It's probably wildlife but I don’t capture that for a living. I began as a Street Photographer and to this day I love it when my clients need street chic shoots.
I feel I am in my element and I also love the post-edit process. For this image, I felt it needed something so I added a palm tree in the left corner behind the building! Paul Smith is an iconic store in the Melrose District in LA and I love the minimalistic vibe of the building.
I absolutely believe in team! My eye is strong but I don’t have 8 of them. I love the big girl jobs when the entire team from the Company is on the shoot and present being involved. I love the energy, insight and team work. The most important thing is making the team go home as heroes! In the end I am fortunate they booked with me and care to deliver epic results.
I was super stoked for this recent shoot. We decided on a vibrant and colorful area in the Arts District in DTLA. The Handbag Designer and I scoped out the locations to tie in awesome building backgrounds so the bags would play nicely and pop against them. We had a ton of amazing walls and art murals to work with. It’s so important to merchandise and style your shoot layouts in the areas you want to photograph in and have fun with it!
Recently I had a complex business shoot that was broken out in two days. There was a ton of concern with the marketing team that we would be facing no sunlight and also a major storm that was expected to blow through. I did have to make a call to shift day 2 outdoor shoot to the day before because of the storm but ensured the team that shooting in outdoor natural light ( no sun ) is actually a good thing too.
For this particular project it was actually a benefit not dealing with the sun. At times especially in So Cal our sun is bright and can be harsh. We had success everywhere on the grounds not having to worry about shadows or harsh lines. So no sunlight, no problem!
3 most important things to me when in a shoot: Light, Background and my Subject. Fair to add a 4th which is my angle or perspective. In fact for headshots the lower you go all the better. Especially company shots. If you are standing up while the subject is sitting down the result can be too much over towering them. Being eye level or even lower results in a stronger and more real connection the viewer see’s in the person. Additionally, it helps with better composition so that the background isn’t drowning out the person.
The background is always as important. In this case the Company manufactures textiles and sells fabrics. I felt it was a good idea to utilize their fabric swatches in their conference room which nicely ties into who they are what they do.
The goal in these types of shots is to have the viewer feel they want to know that person, trust that person and ultimately want to do business with them.
I was asked to photograph the corporate team at the end of our shoot. Since their new building is still under a remodel I offered to place their company logo onto the wall behind the glass in post. They were so excited since their temporary space did not have any signage or branding anywhere. Sometimes it’s the little extra things I can do for a client which helps them and makes that lasting impression.
I’ve seen a ton of changes in the business photography world over the years but none have been more relevant and most important than now. The pandemic brought on a lot of stuff for folks and the requests I am getting for headshot updates and commercial lifestyle branding updates has been at an all time high.
The digital landscapes are always changing and it’s been out with the old and in with the new in so many ways. I believe the clients I work with have a sixth sense and want to up their image game and need the best representation of themselves or their product and service they sell. Showcasing that story is more important than ever and I am loving capturing this new found spirit and positive change!
I was happily blown away when I was asked to photograph a few Olympic athletes for the company who is the ball, cap, and suit sponsor. I have always dreamed of capturing Olympic athletes. I got the call and ran with my camera. Ya just never know what’s around that corner. Just say yes.
We were not quite ready to roll during this set as the product to be featured wasn’t arranged yet. I overheard the Director of Photography tell the actors to “chill for a minute”. To my surprise Francisco takes a cannonball leap into the pool It was a super hot day and I was lucky to capture the moment. It’s those in-between moments that end up being my personal favorite surprises.
I feel super honored to have had the opportunity to photograph the vaccination sites at BACH in Northern California recently. I was beyond impressed to witness the hard working medical staff conduct these vaccinations. I was also blown away at the amount of logistics that go into this process for us! Tirelessly working around the clock with precision and care. Truly heroes among us.
It always amazes me to see shining stars rise to the occasion in a global crisis. I have seen astonishing risk-taking photography, masks being produced at lightning speed and a designer I know who came up with a necessity. A simple necklace holder for our masks so we don't lose them while being in style. Simple and effective. I was honored to photograph her product. Stay creative friends.
I love & admire companies, like EarthyPup, who believe in pets living a green lifestyle. This marketing event I shot epitomizes that concept. Eco-friendly living for all!
Collaborating with extraordinary creative minds at the table can really add just the right ingredients to enhance the projects flavorful purpose and messaging.
I won’t ever miss the chance to see the pro surfers, skaters and bmxers at the Vans US Open in Huntington Beach, CA. I am in awe over their athletic gifts and it reminds me how amazing the human body is and what it is capable of. The best part for me is always no matter what capturing their outrageous maneuvers and when I do I am one lucky gal to be there when it happens.
It’s my lucky day when I see a person wearing colors which happen to just about match identically to what they are standing or walking in front of. I realize there is another artist’s artwork in this image and it was not my intention. Rather, what I saw here were the amazing group of colors coordinating in perfect form. When I hit the streets to shoot photos, I have a blast being surrounded by humans expressing their own individual style and sometimes matching the world around them.