I recently had the privilege of photographing a 50th birthday party in Palo Alto. Guests arrived as the sun set on the beautifully prepared party area. Celebrants talked, laughed, reconnected with old friends and shared precious memories and I was invited to document the event.
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Tony & Angelica at Civic Center
A newly wed bride and groom contacted me to re-shoot their wedding pictures at Civic Center in San Francisco. They told me that their photographer lost their images from their original shoot. They also sent me a set of images I initially thought were only for inspiration. I assured them that I would be able to do what they wanted and then met with them on the a day of their choosing.
What I didn’t understand was that they wanted to recreate the inspiration images as faithfully as possible. Later that night, after sending them proofs, they expressed their disappointment. I panicked because I had shown them images as we worked and I didn’t think that my work was lacking. Eager to make things right, I offered to retake images the next day and they graciously agreed.
What they told me as we worked was that they wanted wider shots that showed them in the context of the wonderful architecture of the building. They didn’t mind that there were others couples and photographers working in space. We arrived early enough on the second day to be able to take wide shots in the space without too many other competing couples and their photographers. This was a good lesson in commutation for me.
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Wonderful High School Portrait on a Sunny Afternoon at Filoli House in Woodside, California.
This high school portrait session took place at Filoli Historic House & Garden, in Woodside, California by East Bay Photo. Most of the photos were taken with available light because this location does not allow the use of a flash inside of the garden. This is a beautiful space with numerous places to sit, a broad spectrum of colors and textures and ample shadowed spaces that allow photos to be taken at any time of day.
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Captivating Family Portraits in Albany, California
I staged this dramatic family portrait in an Albany, California, living room with a 8ft wide black backdrop and two strobes. Originally we wanted to do an outdoor portrait but weather conditions prohibited that. The family’s living room was large enough for a backdrop so we used a large sheet of black fabric.
The home can be a good staging area because it’s familiar and comfortable. It can work well for a family portrait, when there are disabilities, small children, adverse weather conditions, clothing changes or other situations that benefit from a familiar environment.
Even though available light can be effective in certain situations (individuals or room with very large windows), most indoor spaces are too dark so an additional lighting works best. I usually work with 1 or 2 portable lights and I’m actively exploring other sources that can work well in a home environment for family and individual portraits.
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Noon Portrait in Refugio Valley Park, California
I started this portrait around noon at Refugio Valley Park in Hercules, California. This can be a good time of day for a portrait as long as it isn’t too hot and there are large trees. Trees provide ample shade so that you don’t squint. They also allow for bright, colorful backgrounds and ample contrast. I typically use a flash so your face is bright against the glowing midday background.
Refugio Valley Park is a great space for portraits because of the well maintained grass, the trees, places to sit, the water features and the varied terrain. During earlier hours of the day, it’s also fairly empty so we can have our choice of spaces.
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Mr. Dewie’s 10 Year Anniversary, Solano Ave, CA
A selection of images from Mr. Dewie’s, on Solano Ave. in Albany, CA.
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Father & Son Portrait
A few pictures from a recent sunset portrait photo session in Alvarado Park, Richmond, CA. This session was done for a father and his son who had only recently started walking. As parents may know, children this age like to constantly move and this little one was no exception. Photographing a child this age is a lot like photographing a sports event with only one player. What works best is for the parent to focus on their own disposition and expression while I keep my eyes on the child’s expression.
