Headshots...

Part of studio life is doing headshots for various individuals who need them for their business or work. Dr. Ron Zetterberg contacted me and needed portraits for his editor so they could select the image for his latest book.

He showed up in his California attire: shorts, sandals, and a printed shirt and pinch cap! But he carried in his portrait attire, I guess to be safe :). So we discussed what the editors might want... formal, informal, etc. So we did both for his session.

I couldn't help but post this image of Ron as part formal/part informal getting ready for the session. It's never boring... we try to bring some fun to the shoot...

Happy 4th

Wishing you and yours a happy traditional Fourth of July! Just a thought: Wonder what this nation will look like a year from now? Hope we have some freedoms left...

Well, anyway, enjoy the hotdogs and beverage of your choice and lift a glass in cheer of the red/white/and blue!

Engagement Session...

well not quite, but the other day these two dogs were just having a lot of fun with PDA -- Public Displays of Affection. One of them was tied up to a post and was just yapping away. I went over to pet him/her and the next thing I know, we were joined by this other little dog who began "kissing" the dog tied up.

It was fun watching them interact! I couldn't help but take a few photos of them as they cavorted about. And then, the "free" dog took off... maybe to find another conquest... like the Governor of South Carolina?

Fair Art

We spent the last two days at the Del Mar Fair watching the horses strutting their stuff. Horses are an interesting animal; it is amazing to watch them jump, and do the other equestrian activities which they are trained to do. My daughter was awarded seven ribbons, including one blue for her efforts. Besides getting a really good sunburn, I have a lot of horse photos to go through.

So what did I do during the down time? I strolled through the fair using the Lensbaby to capture some artsy images of the amusement rides before the fair opened. It was fun looking for the shot.

And then I purchased a bag of warm Kettle Korn and forgot about the sunburn!

Fair Time

Hey, in San Diego it is county fair time. It's a fun time for all; lots of things in which the family can participate.

And our for our family, it's no exception. A two-day horse show! So with all the hub-bub surrounding the fair, a horse show was scheduled. It will be interesting to see how this all works out.

But at least there are a lot of food vendors with that gooey fair delight available to help pass the time. And the fair provides great photo ops!

Neighbor Boys...

were out in front the other day doing their version of dare-devil feats on their bicycles. A couple of the young guys are into BMX riding -- jumping hills, tricks, etc. So I thought it would be interesting to try some photos as they did their jumps.

This image was taken at high noon, so I needed a flash to fill in the shadows and to stop some of the action. We had a lot of fun waiting for each young man to make his best jump... so over and over they went while I tried to get the best photo of each. After the shoot, I did some of my fancy photoshop work on the images to make them really pop!

Bands

Had a chance to work with a group of young men this weekend on their promo photos for their band, Deaf to Silence. We spent about two hours and did some guerrilla shooting - driving around the east side of San Diego and looking for some cool backgrounds.

The thing that impressed me about them was their graciousness, politeness and willing to try various ideas to attain some cool images. And of course, I was excited about trying what they envisioned, as well. A good collaboration between client and photographer always wins.

In this image, we found this closed flower shop and used it as the background. After using the location, I suggested using the little table and chairs and having one of them act like he was serving the others. So he ran to Jack-in-the-Box, bought some drink and tacos and then I worked this scene... which they really liked.

They've seen the proof of the shoot and are really pleased with the outcome.