Family portraits in Temecula

Hi Peeps!
I hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving. I spent the day with my best friend and her family in Temecula eating too much good food.

The following morning, after a couple of hours of Black Friday shopping, I went to do a family portrait session which wasn't too far from my best friend's house. It was a beautiful sunny afternoon with a nice cool breeze that made shooting outside at noon a blessing . We ended up at a gorgeous golf course which offered many different location choices - all within walking distance. A photographer's dream!

One thing I've realized after being a photographer for all these years is that it always takes a few minutes of shooting before everyone starts to relax and get into the groove. This first image was probably about ten minutes into the session. You can really feel the true spirit in their expressions. Shooting in open shade is so much better than trying to use flash and then try and make it look natural. This was natural light that was bouncing off the grass and the trees behind me. I didn't have to use a reflector.
These two little girls were so easy going. Really sweet sisters. They were good listeners and happy to be having their portrait taken. I love how the background colors add to the overall mood of this portrait.
I wanted the portrait of Jenny and Joe to be a bit dreamy and romantic without being overly done. What I decided to do was add a vignette and dull the color a slightly. I like the effect overall.
Here is one of the last photos I took of the session of Jenn and her sister Michelle. I saw these tall wheat-like stalks and had them sit looking away from the camera. It's an unusual kind of background which is why I chose it. Plus giving it an old black and white look helps it feel more artistic and unique. It was a really satisfying shoot.

Photographing Trees

I love photographing trees. No matter if they are in full bloom or have shed their leaves for winter. So many emotions can be felt when you see an image of a tree. Several years ago I had the chance to go "leafing" in Vermont and Maine during the fall season. I had never seen such an amazing riot of gold, red, green, and orange leaves. It was an amazing sight. I find that same rush of emotions when photographing naked branches, bereft of any protection. So many curving branches and bent over trunks. If you were ever looking for a good subject to photograph - a tree is it. You can do so much with composition and framing when you use a tree as your subject. It would have been impossible to see this image if I had been there a month earlier. It would have been filled with leaves.

Sometimes I use my plastic toy camera - (the Diana camera) to shoot images I think might look dreamy. This image was taken on a dead end road in Vermont. It's one of my favorites.


These two images were taken in New York's Central Park. They almost appear ethereal. I am so glad I had the opportunity to catch the trees in their winter splendor.

Shadows and Light

I was thinking about putting together some images for a gallery exhibition next year. I love taking pictures of people, but my other love is creating moody images that are just about lines and shapes and of course texture. I like the way the shadows fall in the nooks and crannies of the train image. Your eye is drawn to so many things and I love the way it feels kind of 3D. I was drawn to the image under the boardwalk because of the repetitive pillars of wood, and that incredible texture of shells and moss and seaweed. It was pretty cold when I took that picture and I think it translates in the image. It almost feels like it could be some magical place in another world.

My Big Birthday Bash

Okay, so today's blog is not technically about my photography - it's a blog about my birthday bash! I wanted to share a few pictures with those of you following my creative endeavors. I celebrated over the weekend and had a really fantastic time. Wanting to celebrate in style, I checked into a suite at Humphrey's By the Bay on Shelter Island. It was a beautiful day and the view from my balcony had a spectacular view of the harbor. Truly luxurious.This is me and Diego with our 2nd cocktail of the evening.
Here's a group shot of some of the friends who came. The others were on the balcony taking a smoke break.
The drink of the night was a lemondrop martini. Strong but yummy!
I wanted to give everybody a party favor to thank them for coming - so I created a CD with all my favorite songs from the 4 decades I've been alive. It was a bit hit. Especially those 70s tunes.
Here's a shot of the suite I had. Super spacious and comfortable and though you can't see it, around the corner is a huge bathroom, vanity area and bedroom. I could move right in!
I saw this view from my balcony and immediately loved it. The reflection on the water is so tangible.
This was my view for two days. Now how can anybody not be cheered up when you have something this great to look at? Cheers to anyone turning 40. It's the new 20!!!

Sometimes the most ordinary things can become the most interesting to photograph. I love the challenge of taking what we see every day and creating something unexpected. As I have written in my blog before - my favorite time to go out and shoot is in the late afternoon. There are so many gorgeous shadows and the light wraps around everything giving it a tasty glow.What its all about is light, shadow, and form. You can create magic if you keep those three things in mind. I learned all this by looking at the works of masters. Edward Weston, Paul Strand and Andre Kertesz are three fantastic photographers who did it best. Drama is created in their photographs using lines, texture and deep shadows. I tried to take a little inspiration from them while walking around my neighborhood with my camera.
Next time you have your camera with you - try and challenge yourself by taking a photograph of an ordinary subject. Choose different camera angles to create drama. Watch for where the shadows fall. Really look through the viewfinder and compose the image. Take your time. Magic is right there - waiting for you to find it.

Family portraits as the sun was setting

This past weekend I drove up to Temecula California to photograph some family portraits. It's about an hour's drive north of San Diego and a pretty pleasant drive - especially on a Sunday afternoon. I arrived on time and ready to dive into the shoot -- but the boys (two typical teenagers) didn't take the idea of being camera ready too seriously. Since it was the first day of daylight savings, I knew I would be losing light pretty quickly but all I could do wait. Fortunately even though the sun had dipped behind the mountains by the time we got started - there was still a lot of available light to shoot with.

I used my 35mm lens and shot these images at F4. I wanted the background to go out of focus, and not distract from the subject matter. Shooting in available light is always something I strive for because it makes for more natural, flattering portraiture.
The only enhancements I had to make to these images was to add an 81K warming filter in Kubota Protools. I loved that this great location was steps away from their house. If only location scouting were always that easy!