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“Make it look good baby!” That is what my clients tell me. Well maybe not exactly like that but that is part of my job description. Some of the projects I shoot are beautiful works of art and it is difficult to take a bad photo, that is not what this post is about. This is about some of the pigs that needed a good bit of lipstick before they where ready for the camera.
I scouted this library a few days before the shoot so I knew it was a mess (see below). When I receive an assignment I don’t like to give excuses about the difficulty of the shot, as my clients just need me to capture the perfect image. After taking the before photo (so we could put it all back together), it was time work up a sweat and start the transformation.
Before A couple hours later it was looking good.
After Below is a pretty typical classroom. They are always full of all kinds of informative charts about the ABC’s, 123, ect.
Before After Sometimes the objects of distraction are bigger than you can lift. The time of day can dramatic change the way a structure looks.
Before After Sometimes it is best to wait until the project is finished for the best shot.
Before After
Below is the cover I shot for the March issue of San Diego Magazine. Everybody strives to be on the cover so it is nice when your shot is selected. This was a particularly fun shoot. I had to climb onto the neighbor’s roof which was two stories high to capture this angle. Luckily the sunset was perfect that evening and with a little fill light we were able to capture the image you see below.
 Below are some other projects I also shot for the issue. Here is The Q in Little Italy.
 This one was a real treat to photograph. The Mid-Century architect Richard Neutra designed this house back in the 60′s. The home has been loved and well cared for and is “the only one still intact in San Diego.” I could have spent all day there but I felt very lucky to have access for the afternoon.
To see more photos I shot for this issue click here.
As we know, the photos we see these days are not as they appear. There is always something pushed, dropped in, retouched out, pinched in or pulled out. It is really amazing how far the visual arts have progressed in the last ten years.
Below is a great example of the evolution of a photo into a national ad. Originally I took this photo in New York for Belgard’s Catalog and that was just the beginning. It was then transformed by Wray Ward Creative Group into the ad you see now in Architectural Digest, Sunset and other magazines.
 It was Wray Ward that came up with the Sunflower concept and once Belgard gave the green light the colossal task of bringing the sunflowers to life began.
 Below is the final ad that is running now. Note the color of the house, tree line, oh, and all the sunflowers. Remember whenever you see an ad its all just smoke and mirrors.
Recently I received a call to do some interior photos of the Grande Colonial Hotel, which is a great 93 room hotel located in downtown La Jolla, CA.
This seaside hotel was establish in 1913 and is full of rich character. The goal was to capture the holiday decor in the lobby for their seasonal marketing and it was very important not to disturb the guests. So just like Santa Claus late at night we came in through the chimney which was hard with all the photo gear. Being quiet as a mouse we styled, lit, and shot the space while everyone was asleep. I wanted to dress up like Santa but my assistant was unenthusiastic about the elf suit I picked out for him. I also had a hard time finding room in the budget for the costumes and reindeer so I had to pass on the holiday attire.
We shot through the night and before the guests were getting up for breakfast we had completed our shoot and loaded up the sled. With a big wave and a ho, ho, Merry Christmas! We flew off into the sky.
Happy Holidays and I wish you and yours all the best in 2012
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One of the perks of my job is that my “office” is always changing and this time I couldn’t have picked a better spot.
 You may have seen this swanky penthouse in the latest issue of San Diego Magazine. The unit is located on the 27th floor in the Sapphire Tower overlooking San Diego bay. My shoot took place on a beautiful sunny day and the penthouse was not a bad location to spend the afternoon working. I always enjoy shooting in downtown San Diego and this great location was no exception.
 For this project we were focusing on the interior design which had plenty of style and character. Almost everything was black and white so color balance was crucial. With many different light sources: natural daylight, tungsten, fluoresces, and strobes it was important to let one dominate and blend the accent lighting carefully. I wanted to keep the whites, grays and blacks mostly neutral but just a desaturated black and white photo wouldn’t capture the feel of the spaces. It was important to have those subtle cool and warm tones to add a natural feel to the photos.
 A great attribute to this penthouse is the large open layout. Each space easily flows into the next.
 The black and white made for a very cool graphic subject but it also was inherently a high contrast scene. The key was blending natural light with my strobes to hold detail.
With such a great view we had to stick around for dusk to capture the beautiful view over looking San Diego Bay.
I have to admit my girlfriend and I have a bad habit. One of our favorite pastimes is collecting succulents. Our habit has gotten so bad that we might become the stars of a strange new “Reality TV Show.” For example a few days before Valentine’s Day when every guy in a relationship is looking for a dozen roses I’m out shopping for a rare succulent. Believe me if I showed up with a dozen fresh cut red roses I would get a wired look with a sympathetic “oh, thanks babe.” She would way rather have nice a Kalanchoe Beharensis a.k.a. Felt Plant.
So, with an ever growing collection of succulents taking over the front and backyard it was time to figure out a way to show some of them off.
 I’ve seen people use cinder blocks before as planters and I thought with a little glue (block adhesive) we could take this planter vertical. After all, I wanted this planter to house as many succulent as possible.
I wanted to use cinder blocks because I knew it would be inexpensive (total cost was under $60) and simple to make. Remember I am architectural photographer, not an engineer. Also, I new it would have a great modern feel to use the simple square lines of the cinder block. I love modern design but even “Design With In Reach” is out of reach for a young photographer building up a business.
After a few trips to Home Depot I started to stack up the blocks at this time I was not using any glue I just wanted to “play” with the blocks until I found the perfect shape. After a few different tries I settled on the layout you see now. I carefully took it apart and glued metal screens to the bottom of the blocks that would be holding dirt. Once the screens had bonded to the blocks I started to rebuild the wall, gluing all the blocks together.
All in all it was a fun project and I would recommend it to anyone looking for an inexpensive modern planter wall. This is a great weekend project, just take your time and always try to think ahead so you know what your next step will be. Best of luck!
 
While San Diego’s general public either hates it or loves it, I was excited when I got the call about photographing this LEED certified project.
I knew photographing the pier would have its own unique challenges but wow, this one was tricky. First there were many different contractors, electricians, plumbers etc. all trying to finish up their work at the same time and most of them didn’t want to be models for our shoot (imagine that). Second was the heightened security, due to the fact it is a port; you can imagine we had to have all of our ducks lined up in a row. The icing on the cake was the exterior lighting which was control by a computer (which may have been “Hal” from Space Odyssey) that had a NASA inspired control panel. We were up at dawn setting up for our shoot and had been told that all the lights would come on for our shoot automatically but “Hal” had other plans. I guess he wasn’t feeling that photogenic that day.
Running into problems is all part of the job. Ask any professional architectural photographer and they can tell you that coming up with creative solutions to problems you can’t control is definitely in the job description. With a bit of extra time and work we were able to capture all the shots on our list, much to the clients delight.
 
You may have seen these photos in the current issue of Luxe San Diego. The client is Cover Glass which manufactures a unique frame-less glass door system. As I was preparing for this shoot I knew one of the challenges would be capturing a product that, by design, is almost invisible. While having a frame-less door system is great for showing off the beautiful view, it is not the easiest thing to translate into a 2D photograph.
 It was important to show how the door system closes and stacks away so we decided to do three different photos with only the doors changing. This way the viewer can see how the doors function.
 The key to capturing these photos was lighting and shooting at the right time of day. Dusk is always a great time of day to shoot almost any project. The last hour of the day is normally full of deep sexy blues and pinks colors. Add some carefully placed lighting, strong composition, and a bottle of wine to set the mood. Light up that fireplace and bingo, you have a great sexy photo with a warm inviting feel.
It may seem pretty easy but actually it is a bit more work than that. The client and I were working at this location three hours before dusk cleaning, prepping, and rearranging the furniture. Most people don’t realize how much work goes into a single professional photo but I assure you it is a full time job.
Not because the world needs another blog but in hopes of sharing a little bit with others. One of my New Year’s Resolutions was to start a blog. So, it’s the last day of January and whala here we have it! This calls for a check mark in a box. Now maybe next year my New Year’s Resolution will be to write something. Stay tuned.
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