pacifica

the dogs of cortland

lady on the street

taken today

mission @ ocean

I love taking photos from my daily life. Here is one I took this afternoon.  The dramatic clouds were of course the focus of the shot.

zed cards: the editorial shot

When I get a referral for a zed card (comp card) shoot, I start the process by getting a photo of the person I'll be photographing.  The first step is to start thinking about styling so that the person's range of looks can be expressed. For kids, that typically means a good headshot, a commercial print look, an editorial look, and an upscale catalog look.  I thought I'd share some photos of a recent session.  This little girl just signed with Stars.  I also photographed her little brother and sister the same day.

All models have their strengths, and for this girl it was clear that fashion editorial was the big win. Here are some examples of the shots where I was going for a more editorial look.  For the first look, I used the girl's living room, which had a neutral yet opulent look and dramatic  window light.  The second editorial look happened more spontaneously.  We were doing the last look, which is what I call "upscale catalog" (think Mini Boden, Tea Collection, etc.).  There was a lovely tree with spring green/yellow foliage hanging over a sloped wall.  I was able to capture that springy, sun-flared, kind of overexposed look to get a few more editorial-feeling shots.  Of course, with editorials, there is not such a concern of having models look at the camera, but for zed cards, most of the shots involve eye contact with the lens.

straight to new york?

Had a teen shoot last week for a new model at J.E. Talent in San Francisco.  His name is Bryce and I look forward to following his career.

conventional wisdom

It said that professional photos are not required to get an agent, maybe not even recommended. There are many reasons for this.  The primary reason is that agents have particular photographers with whom they like to work, and also specific requirements regarding wardrobe, hair etc.  Getting professional photos before getting an agent might mean that new photos will be needed, and thus more expense.  That said, I get tons of calls from parents who feel that professional photos will give them an edge when seeking representation for their children.  I used to tell them no outright, not wanting to exploit their eagerness to get an agent.  However, I've started offering mini sessions for those parents who are willing to take the risk. Their feeling is that even if they don't get an agent, they still have some great pictures of their children, and it gives their kids experience in front of the camera.  Anyway, these three cuties, who take acting classes with Giovanni Espiritu, are a recent example.  And let me tell you, these kids were great to work with.  Very well-behaved, but not to the point of losing their spunk or being shy.  I don't think any agent would be sorry were they to sign them.

sunday stroll

took this pic downtown last weekend during my shoot for bombshell

look out

there is a new model/actress on the scene and I predict we'll be seeing more of her very soon...

behind the scenes at bombshell

really would have liked to have done the shoot in this bathroom...
http://bombshellclothing.weebly.com