Deckopedia Product Photo Shoot
Deckopedia is a new company that is launching soon that will sell decks of cards with interesting subjects and information. I shot photos of their products at my studio in Los Angeles. The client was there and we had a stylist so there were a lot of cooks in the kitchen ;) At the end of the day we walked away with 30 beautiful shots that the client was very happy with.
The cards range in every subject from recipes to games and traveling. They will be sold at gift shops and have some great content so look for them at a store near you soon!
Portrait of a Teacher
I was hired by Educreations, a company that allows you to create and share video lessons with your Ipad or browser, to photograph some portraits of Paul Groves, an AP Chemistry teacher at South Pasadena High School. We had a wonderful session and Paul was a great subject to photograph because he was at ease in front of the camera. Sometimes we (photographers) are not given much time to get a great shot during portrait sessions and my client asked that I shoot quite a few photos in a short period of time. I am so glad to have captured this shot. Paul looks like the pro teacher he is, confident and at ease, exactly what I was going for!
Maternity Session in El Sereno
I'm getting to know a new area of Los Angeles that I recently moved to, El Sereno. It is in between downtown LA and Pasadena and has pedestrian friendly walkways and a lovely park, Ernest E. Debs Regional, within two miles of my photo studio. I usually like to do two hour sessions with the first hour outdoors and the second hour indoors at my studio depending on the time of day. I shot the photo above in my studio and really love the dramatic lighting and the overall mood. I love shooting pregnancy/maternity photo sessions, it is such a wonderful time to capture.
It was the first time Jane and Daniel did a portrait session and they really enjoyed it. It took them awhile to get into the groove of things but once they did we captured some fantastic images. It was an overcast day in Los Angeles so we didn't get to play with the sunlight dancing through the trees too much but we still got to strike a few poses at sundown. Ernest Debs Park is a great space for photos and pretty quiet on weekdays.
These photos are not retouched so please excuse any wrinkles on the clothing and or messy hair! I'm available for maternity portrait sessions year- round throughout Los Angeles and Pasadena so please send an email or give me a call to book a session for you or a loved one today!
Getting Verklempt Behind the Camera
Sometimes when I am behind the camera it is really hard, I mean extremely difficult, not to hold back my own tears! Weddings are so emotional and even though I am there to document the event it is difficult not to get wrapped up in the emotions of the day with the bridegroom, family, friends and guests. When my assistant and I got in the car after Rose and Alex's wedding ceremony she told me she got emotional during the ceremony and that it was the first time that happened to her. I told her that it happens to me all the time! Trust me, I'm still focused on what is happening and hiding my tears behind the camera, using my camera strap to wipe any evidence away :)
Intriguing Interior
I photographed this interior last week for a client who does stunning interior design. This part of the Beverly Hills home was especially inspiring because of the beautiful stairwell, vertical window and chandelier. I love the way the light splashes on the wall through the stairs and the overall feeling of the shot. So far I have heard it is spooky and interesting, I will take both as a compliment. Whatever it takes to make the viewer stop and look is what I am going for, of course it has to have a great look too! I know that is subjective, but as an artist I like to think I know what works and what doesn't :)
Bride Smiles in Los Angeles
Rose and Alex were married this past weekend at the Oak Canyon Nature Center in Anaheim. The nature center has beautiful sweeping trees, small creeks and bridges and a view that would not be easily forgotten. I especially love this shot of Rose taking Alex's hand for the first time on their wedding day. She was just given away by her father and the looks on each person's face in the photo is priceless. Capturing candid wedding photography is one of my favorite things to do in life! It requires a mixture of technical know how, a keen sense for knowing when the next important moment is coming and keeping a calm demeanor even when each shot is happening so quickly and you only get one chance! I feel so blessed that people trust me with such an important day and I am always striving to outdo myself and get everything perfect! Stay tuned for more photos of their wedding once I get the editing process complete :)
Portrait Session at Interscope
Today I headed to Interscope Records in Santa Monica to photograph a portrait of Dave Rene. I was hired to shoot the portrait by an Australian magazine through Elance (elance.com). The shoot was short and sweet. We shot the photo in his office which I always love. I imagine some people spend more time in their office than at their home so it is nice to be in such a familiar place with my subject. They are usually more comfortable because of that. Here is the shot the magazine will use, hopefully they won't crop it down too much!
Uncaged Ergonomics Product Photo Shoot
Recently I did a photo shoot for a laptop stand company and it was a bit on the dramatic side. The model was a no show and then showed up four hours late! The client and I scrambled to shoot the products sans model but since the entire shoot was booked because my client wanted to get a model to use the product, products shot on a white backdrop was not cutting it. We took a break for lunch and the model contacted me to let me know she was able to shoot after all. We ended up going way over the time allotted for the photo shoot but in the end we made it through, with some great shots of course ;) Learn more about the company here: http://www.uncagedergonomics.com/
Sexy Ice!
Photographing ice is no easy feat. It melts, moves and just is not cooperative! I did a photo shoot recently for Neve Ice and was reminded why I used fake ice in my last beverage photo shoot. Neve Ice has special shapes and sizes though, meant to fit certain glasses for cocktails, so going the fake ice route was not going to work for this shoot. We came up with some great shots for their large cube and long rectangular shaped ice. Above is a shot of a Moscow Mule with one large cube of ice. Below we have shots of the ice with honey, next to a strawberry and being lovingly held by tongs. Who ever said ice is boring and not sexy? This was the first photo shoot I did at my new studio in the Los Angeles neighborhood El Sereno, located conveniently 15 minutes from downtown Los Angeles and Pasadena, right in the middle of two great areas. It was a very fitting introduction to my new space because the shoot was fun, my client was excited and very happy and my intern learned a lot, a positive shoot all around :) You can learn more about Neve Ice at: http://neveice.com/
Multicultural Weddings
I have photographed so many weddings throughout the years but my favorite weddings by far are those that bring two cultures together. I am so enriched in Los Angeles because it is such a wonderfully diverse city. From Jewish and Muslim, Japanese and Latino, to Indian and German I have photographed many bicultural couples and their families. Coming from a multicultural marriage myself I am familiar with the rewards and challenges of bringing two cultures together through marriage.
Planning a multicultural wedding can be a bit more stressful than other weddings. Both sides of the family may want to observe their traditions and because of time and money it can be hard. My biggest recommendation is to be balanced and try not to favor one side over the other. Be open minded and flexible. Of course that is easier said than done, especially when families are involved!
I take great pleasure in the differences and similarities of all people. In the end love conquers all and being a wedding photographer allows me to capture and realize that often. Photographing weddings is truly special to me. I feel blessed to be part of such a sacred moment in people's lives. As I like to say to my wedding clients, "You will treasure your photos throughout a lifetime; let me help you keep looking" :) My experience and unique understanding of multicultural weddings allows me to create photographs the couple, their family and friends will treasure forever.