Wild Motion

Posted April 19th, 2008 in Lifestyle / Engagement

I had a chance to shoot the cover of Wild Motion’s next CD, and before doing that, I wanted to get to know the band a bit better and watch them jam! They played in a home recording studio on the hills of Alum Rock in San Jose, and the view from up there was fantastic! The studio was filled with an eclectic collection of instruments, paintings, and momentos. But what made the images pop were all the colorful light sources - a purple lantern, the “Miller” neon signs, and lighting on the wall. The studio definitely got character!

I used a technique called “painting with light” (see 2nd to last image) - basically the room was completely dark and by using a video light, I was able to “paint” only the parts I wanted to show in the picture. I wanted to draw the attention to the band member and their instruments, nothing else. The soft video light gave me the flexibility to evenly light their faces without any harsh shadow and provided the overall image with a warm and glowing feeling.

Check out the band’s website here: Wild Motion. They are playing next month, I believe, check out their schedule for the latest information. It was nice working with you guys, Bob, Karen, Steve, and JD!

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Go SHARKS!!!

Posted April 12th, 2008 in Random Thoughts

I am a HUGE San Jose Sharks fan, and this is absolutely the best time of the year! After the heart breaking loss to Detroit in last year’s playoffs, they are once again looking good going into the playoffs. I was sooooo excited about the start of the playoff season, and Peggy just came to the realization that the playoffs would be much longer than a couple of weeks, “So, if the Sharks win tonight, they move on to the next round, right? WHAT, it’s the best 4 out of 7 per round?” Sorry honey, I am going to be glued to the TV shouting like a mad man until … hmm … June when the Sharks win the Stanley Cup, of course!

Go sharkies!

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david: fingers crossed for next year! (September 5, 2008)

Any Suggestions on Locations for Engagement/Lifestyle Shoot?

Posted April 10th, 2008 in FAQ, Lifestyle / Engagement, Wedding

I almost always get asked this question - sometimes the bride and groom already had some ideas in mind, but often they were looking for suggestions.

In general, many prefer to find locations that define San Francisco - The Golden Gate Bridge, Trans-America Building, cable cars, Fisherman’s Wharf, Palace of Fine Arts, etc. These images will always stand up to the test of time, celebrating the great times and memories here in the Bay Area even if their lives take them elsewhere in the future.

I also suggest to the couples to think about places of significance to them. What restaurant did they go to on their first date? What do they love to do together on weekends? What are his or her all-consuming hobbies? Answers to these questions somethings lead to very interesting and creative locations!

Lastly, great backdrops could come from anywhere (and they are all around us!). Wherever we go, I will always be looking for interesting compositions as influenced by colors, lines, symmetry, shadow, balance, and rhythm

For example, I found this right outside of PetSmart and REI stores.

Lately, I had been on a mission to find a location that looked as if it was in the middle of a forest. But at the same time, it had to be right next to civilization - I couldn’t expect my brides and grooms to hike half an hour up a mountain! As I was wandering around Presidio over the weekend, I found exactly what I was looking for!

Another example of an interesting location is Fort Point at the bottom of the Golden Gate Bridge. Whether it’s the red brick wall or the beautiful arches, it is full of great angles and details.