Studio Headshots for a Monterey Actor and Theatre Creative
Lloyd Brewer, also known professionally as LJ Brewer, came to my Pacific Grove studio for an actor headshot session. Lloyd is a local actor, performer, creative, and co-owner of Paper Wing Theatre & Supper Club on Cannery Row in Monterey. Lloyd had ideas for his headshots, but we were also very freewheeling in the studio seeing what worked best. For the first time, a client brought their social media consultant to a shoot! So it really was a team effort in creating the look of all these headshots for Lloyd. We set out with a goal of making a series photos that show a range of emotions that can open up Lloyd to roles other than villains, which he said he often plays. His Instagram profile name is even “reluctant_villain.” It was great working with Lloyd and his social media consultant, and very interesting to also see their own process for choosing the final photos from the session which we did in studio at the end of the session. Good luck in New York Lloyd and thank you for choosing me as your headshot photographer!
A Complete Business Photo Session for a Local Pacific Grove Accounting Team
I came to know Travis through the Pacific Grove Rotary Club. In talking he expressed an interest in updated team headshots for his accounting team, as well as some “better than stock” candid photos of the team in action. I said I would be very happy to help out with that when you and the team are ready. Well, they survived tax season this year and we scheduled a date for me to bring the mobile studio setup to his office, which is actually only walking distance (if I didn’t have to bring so much photo equipment) from my own photo studio. It took a bit of creative setup to make the best use of the space for headshots, but in the end I was able to figure it out and make the same great headshots I do for all clients whether it is at their location, or at my downtown Pacific Grove photo studio. We moved on to make a couple of group shots, then some candid business portraits, or as I call them, “better than stock” images, which required a little bit of acting on their part which they seemed to enjoy! Thank you so much to Travis for choosing me as your photographer. It is always great to work with a fellow Rotarian too! And thank you to first time photo assistant Theresa, for helping with this multi-faceted shoot and getting that BTS (behind the scenes) photo of me below.
I was very glad to be asked back for a second appearance on Monterey On Tonight hosted by Gary Morris! My first appearance earlier this year turned into a conversation about photography, community, and especially drone video after they played my surprise engagement drone video on air. Now knowing the freewheeling interview style that Gary has, I had a few things prepared to talk about, but like before, things just went in a natural direction talking about my drone work and then how I got started in the photography business itself. It’s a rather unusual story about how I became a professional photographer, so be sure and listen to the interview about all the way through for the full story!
It was great having Max visiting my photography studio here in Pacific Grove, California for an extended actor headshot session and portfolio shoot. He was very expressive in his poses and the impression he wanted to give in each photo. I was glad to setup the lighting and background to best capture these images to complement his ideas as we worked together to make them. Several of the photos I thought were well suited to converting to black & white as well and offered them as a bonus in his edited photo gallery I delivered shortly after our shoot (I like to get edited photos to clients asap!). Thank you Max for choosing me as your actor headshot and portfolio photographer!
Professional Headshots for the People Helping Lead the Pacific Grove Chamber
I have always joined the local chamber of commerce in all three states I have had my photography business. So naturally I joined the Pacific Grove Chamber of Commerce right at the launch of my photo business in California, and became an ambassador right away too. I have valued my relationship with the PG Chamber from the start, getting a referral the very next day! The chamber itself has directly supported my local photography business as well. The latest example was hiring me to make team headshots for the board of directors for the chamber itself. To maximize convenience for every one, board members had the option to come to my photo studio on their schedule, or, at the January board meeting, get their headshot made at the mobile studio setup I had right outside the boardroom. And since that time, through my team headshot system, new board members have come to my studio for the same consistent, professional headshot as everyone else got months earlier. Thank you to the team at the PG Chamber for choosing me as the photographer for photographing the board!
Dr. Gentry reached out to me about the new psychiatric practice he is opening in Carmel, California, and how he wanted a series of personal branding photos for his upcoming website. As his office space was still coming together, we decided to start in my studio here in Pacific Grove for the first shoot, focusing on branding photos that would prominently show his logo on his white coat. We worked carefully together on both expression and posing to get the look Dr. Gentry wanted for representing himself to patients on his website and other branding materials. That process also involved getting the background color right, choosing the best shirt to wear under his white coat, and then focusing on the most important part of all, his eyes, so they conveyed the right tone. Thank you, Dr. Gentry, for your patience as we worked through all of those details together, and thank you for choosing me as your photographer.
When a Team Grows, the Branding Should Still Match
Eight months after I first brought my mobile studio setup to Monterey Natural Wellness to photograph Dr. Allison and her team, and two months after she first sent new team members to my headshot photo studio here in Pacific Grove, she reached out again because a new team member needed a headshot that would match the same established look. Melissa does not live nearby, so I was glad to schedule a shoot time for her specifically that worked best for her to maximize convenience.
