Hello all! I’m so excited to announce the launch of my new website! Check it out!
I’ve taken some time (behind-the-scenes), between photoshoots, client meetings, emails, taxes (whaaaat, what’s that?!) blogging, bookkeeping, being a mommy to an adorable 2-year old, moving houses, being a wife, killing it at Crossfit (haha.. that last part is laughable), keeping up on social media (what’s this stories thing I need to do?)… okay, clearly a lot… to find and curate images that speak to my style, breadth of work, expertise, and experience. I’ve narrowed the galleries down extensively, but hope it gives my viewer (you) a quick and beautiful walk through my work. My passion.
Wow, it’s been ages since I’ve blogged. I wholeheartedly blame becoming a mother (to the world’s cutest baby girl, might I add), but it’s a legitimate excuse. Entrepreneurship is more than full-time gig as you are in charge of every aspect, detail, decision and it’s hard to turn your mind off from ideas, inspirations, and dreams. Adding motherhood to that mix, and well, blogging got pushed to the back burner. Now, that being said, I also wholeheartedly believe it’s important. A kind of debrief from the work we are so passionately creating, as well as a working documentation of the process and behind the scenes nuances that you don’t always get from a portfolio page on a website.
I was fortunate enough to land the Lawless Beauty Campaign from 1650 Agency, here locally in San Diego, and immediately loved the brief. Not only is Annie Lawless taking the world by storm with her new line of Natural AF Cosmetics, but she is a gorgeous model for her brand and so gracious to work with. From the start, we wanted the look to be something all-natural, both with tonality of the imagery and also minimal wardrobe and styling. For lighting, we definitely wanted bold but also very flattering as it’s for her cosmetic line. I love how they turned out and how they’re being used for her brand.
This last weekend, a bunch of my friends and I went camping at Lava Lake in the Cascade Mountains. The stars were shining so bright from our campsight that the next night we went to the lake at around midnight while I snapped this long exposure of the stars. Here’s the fun result! Enjoy!
I had the pleasure of photographing a residence in Black Butte Ranch recently for Kirsti Wolfe Designs. It goes without saying that with Kirsti Wolfe designing a home, it will be absolutely beautiful, but this one was just my style! The Atkins Residence is a contemporary home in the heart of the thick forest of Black Butte. With mountain views and custom amenities from head to toe, I was really hoping Len and Karen Atkins would adopt me to move in! Here are a few highlights of my time photographing their home.
As a professional photographer, understanding, discerning and controlling light is one of the most crucial elements for producing captivating imagery. No matter the subject matter, no matter the project. In the creative world of professional photography, there is an element of subjectivity. Do I want a moody emotion to portray our concept or do I want a bright airy feel to the image? Working closely with creative directors, designers, and clients, understanding the intention of the image and creating a mood and feeling for the audience is the end result, but taking the concept and turning that it in to a tangible product can’t happen without knowing lighting.
Here are a few tips to help understand lighting better. Whether you’re a novice photographer looking to improve your skills, a creative director who would like to better articulate your needs to your photographer, or whether you’re a client looking to understand the photography world a little better, these 3 tips will help.
1. Watch for shadows and highlights.
As you go throughout your day, look at what different light sources are doing. Is your desk lamp creating a hard shadow because it’s a bare bulb? Do your white curtains cause really soft shadows on your couch? Do the patterns from your stairs or blinds cause different shaped shadows? I know, these questions might seem elementary, but as soon as you start recognizing what different types of light sources do to create different types of shadows and highlights, the easier you can start re-creating it. There are many different types of light, which cause different shadows. You can use it to your benefit and alter light with precision. Harsh light with direct shadows, soft light with diffused shadows. These help create a mood. Ask yourself if you want a mysterious image; having harsh shadows with very little detail in the shadow area can help create the right mood. If you want a cheerful image, having little shadows with soft light might help brighten it up.
2. Look through magazines and try to recognize light direction and quality.
When I was being trained at Brooks Institute of Photography, one of my first lighting assignments was to put a binder together of all the different types of lighting (light quality) and light direction. My teacher literally gave me a list of 50 or so lighting demands to fulfill. For example, an image using a 1:4 lighting ratio with the light coming from camera right. Diffused light coming from behind the camera. (Gap Baby uses this technique often). Rim light, butterfly light, Rembrandt etc etc. The list went on. It was amazing. What it did was teach me to see light and all its effects in order to mimic it myself as well as learn the vastness of its uses. I think I even still have the binder, in fact. The quality of light refers to its harshness. Do you want a very soft light or a direct light? If you wanted to photograph an interrogation room, chances are, the light would be from above with a bare bulb. It’s not flattering for a portrait, but it’s emotional and harsh, conveying the appropriate emotion. If you wanted to photograph a Charmin ad, talking about the softness of the toilet paper, soft, diffused lighting would help convey that better. Light direction helps to determine where shadows land as well as what aspects of the subject to highlight. For instance, if I’m photographing food, I want a lot texture, which is not going to be achieved by putting the light right above my camera (on camera flash) or behind me. It might be soft light or hard light, but it won’t get the appropriate look because of the light direction and placement.
3. Try to be intentional about seeing lighting color temperatures.
Lighting temperature is another way to control your lighting effects and convey the message of your client. There are many different color temperatures, measured by the Kelvin temperature scale. An easy way to describe a basic temperature is warm or cool. If you are photographing an iceberg for Patagonia outdoor gear, you may not decide to put that warming gel on your lights to warm things up. Perhaps, a warm light would be appropriate for a cozy fireplace scene with a glass of brandy. Do you get the distinction? Understanding color temperature and utilizing it or altering it will help create a more concise message in the photograph. Not to mention appropriate color balance. In addition, there are always lights in various locations that a photographer will need to balance or work around. For instance, overhead fluorescent lights do not create flattering light for a portrait. If you need to photograph an executive in a boardroom, however, learning to either work around the fluorescent tube, overpowering the green-tinted light, or putting a gel over the light will be a necessary decision for the photographer to make. Balancing color temperature is necessary in order to avoid having a green tinted CEO, looking sick to the stomach.
In short, I can’t stress enough how important knowing and controlling light truly is for photographers, or for choosing a knowledgeable photographer for your next project. If you have any questions or would like to keep this discussion going, please feel free to comment below. It’s kind of a passion of mine, and would love to “geek” out with some more lighting talk.
//Want to see more on lighting? Check out this previous post with a cool before/after : lightingmatters
Being in Zambia now has given me a little bit of time to actually post some commercial photography work from before I left. It was such a blessing to be so busy right up until we left, but gave me no time to show anyone what I was actually up to. Here’s a quick look at a home I photographed in Pronghorn for Mount Bachelor Design Studio. The home boasts wide open spaces and French country interior design, with flares of antique hardware, country murals and one large industrial sized fan. Thank you MBDS! It was a pleasure working with you on this project!
Looking for information on getting an estimate for architectural photography? Here’s a great link to highlight some key details and things to consider… http://tinyurl.com/3ffkj4b
If you’ve ever had the pleasure of spending some time with Shannon Bex, you would know how beautiful, talented, and incredibly gracious she is. Known for her part in the all female music group, Danity Kane, Shannon has re-created herself to become BEX, a sweet new band showcasing her unique country-pop-soul sound and awe-inspiring dance moves.
Shannon and I met over a glass of wine at a crowded, little wine cafe through a mutual friend, and immediately knew she was going to be an incredible person to get to know and photograph. Luckily for me, she is just that wonderful!
Photographing her for some of her PR and a recent magazine article, Shannon proved to be vulnerable yet strong, a lil’ goofy behind the scenes yet absolutely stunning in front of the camera! Take a look…