Alas

1/60" at f13. ISO 100 with a strobe
October 23rd, 2007

I love getting into the Halloween spirit. So my choice this week is fitting for the season. The skull is a decoration I grabbed off the mantle on the way out the door. Add in some low lighting and a rose I claimed from someone else's shoot and I got a nice ominous picture.

I tried this shot from all different angles and found that side lighting created a moody kind of gothic look. The positioning of the rose and skull was Cristina's idea. She has informed me that from now on she should be my art director. I promptly agreed since she has a much better sensibility for organizing a scene then I do.

Elizabeth

1/250" at f10. ISO 100 with a strobe
October 16th, 2007


I didn't expect to be doing another studio shoot quite this soon. But I also didn't expect to get a shot like this. Kind of funny since I went in prepared with a shot list and a couple lighting setups in mind.

The general positioning was one I'd seen in a book recently, but I wanted to make it my own. I positioned an overhead strobe to give a soft spotlight and asked Elizabeth to wear her favorite brimmed beanie to add a sense of 'her' into the photo. The size and shape of the hat changed her profile really nicely.

The results were exactly what I hoped for. Its like she's looking up into a light from the heavens. I also think the hint of nudity gives it an element of purity and freedom. And yes, it is just suggested nudity, that's my sister-in-law up there so keep it clean.

Storm a-Brewin'

1/125" at f8. ISO 200
September 22nd, 2007

Alright, back to a regular posting schedule. Recently, my wife and I wanted to spend a day out, and after finding that it was going to be rainy all over California, chose Mercer Caverns as our destination.

I like to visit caves whenever I get the chance, they're fascinating and beautiful, and best of all there's no water falling from above (except there usually is). On our way there, we hit the little town called Murphys that we didn't even know existed. It had some good wine tasting and a classic car show that day.

We decided to have lunch there after visiting the cave (look for a picture in a future post) and found everything from quaint little churches to mardi gras mannequins. The town library happened to catch my eye.

On a normal day, I'm sure it looks welcoming, the shape and the two picture windows kind of look like a happy face. But that day, the rolling storm clouds above and the quality of light gave the whole thing an ominous feeling. If we weren't in California I'd be looking for the wicked witch flying overhead.

Jenna Lee Mercer

1/60" at f11. ISO 100 with a strobe
October 2nd, 2007

This week I got my first chance to shoot a model in a studio setup. Her name is Jenna Lee Mercer and she and her boyfriend came in with their 4 month old puppy. I was warned that working with animals is difficult, but the little guy was sleepy and just sat there with Jenna and looked cute. The model on the other hand moved around a lot and looked cute, which is much more helpful in creating a variety of shots.

This is certainly not something I want to do professionally, but I think I can guarantee this won't be the last studio shoot posted here.