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.
A new Pebble Beach location for Corvette Z06 Auction Photography
I have photographed several cars for auction for Brian of Peixoto Auto Group in the past. They were all his client’s cars (a Lexus, a Mustang . This time though, it was much more personal as his very own Corvette Z06 Convertible was to be in front of my camera! Add to that we were trying out a new location and the variables that brings, I wanted to be focused and make sure I delivered once again for Brian a set of photos that will really drive the bids up when he lists it on Bring A Trailer. The new location was a spot I had considered for a while, the large turnoff area on 17-Mile Drive called Bird Rock. There is a lot of space there, so even if it had some tourists, there would be space. Well, there were way, way more tourists there than I thought, in fact at one time 3 bus fulls!! Not only that, the local wildlife was getting in on the action. While trying to get a low angle shot, I see appear right under my camera a squirrel very much unafraid of me and looking like it wanted a snack! I said sorry buddy, no food, only a camera — haha.
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!
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.
Chase contacted me with a sudden need for a headshot, and not just any headshot, a military service style headshot, which I have actually never done before. Fortunately, I had time in my schedule to get him in my Pacific Grove Photo Studio the very next day. The scramble right up until shooting time was finding a flag to use in the background! Chase found one last minute, but it was too tall to stand up on its base in my studio even with its high ceilings. So I then had to figure out how to prop it up at an angle so it could first, fit, and second, look like it needed to. There was use of a lot of clamps and a couple of light stands to make the final background happen! But!! Then Chase had forgotten his tie and there really was not time for him to drive back home to get it. So I thought, let’s check the nearby thrift stores for one. We had to go to three to find one that was close to what he needed, albeit the wrong color. Dark blue was close enough, so that in editing I could adjust it so it looked black like he needed. As you can see, this was not the usual headshot session, but I was glad to be able to pull everything together in a true team effort to make these headshots. Good luck Chase with your applications!
Making the most of a tight location for Car Auction Photography in Watsonville
I am always excited when Brian of Peixoto Auto Group reaches out to me about photographing his latest client car. This time it was another car auction photography shoot for Cars & Bids. I drove up to Watsonville looking forward to making great shots of the white Lexus GS 350 he told me about prior to the shoot. The one challenge was going to be the location. I had seen it before, and at that time of day, the mix of sun and shadow would not really work. However, scheduling this one early in the day allowed for me to have the lighting and space to make it work. I used the barn as the backdrop for the required 360 exterior shots, then had Brian move the Lexus to another driveway spot to get cleaner backgrounds for the interior photos. I wrapped up the shoot going low angle getting some hero shots with my trusty 24mm f/1.4 and 50mm f/1.2 lenses. In the end I was very pleased with the variety of photos I was able to make for Brian in this location and really liked the inspiration I had in photographing the very cool looking interior of this GS 350. Thank you Brian for continuing to choose me as your car auction photographer and for the wonderful 5-star review!
It was my pleasure to have local Pacific Grove realtor and fellow Rotarian, Arleen, visit my photo studio for updated headshots. Anytime people I know in the local business community choose me as their photographer, I am very flattered. Arleen has a lot of personality so I knew it would not be hard to get great headshots of her! With a wardrobe change, and several background colors changes, I was able to make a variety of modern headshots for Arleen without taking up much of her very valuable time, as realtors are very busy of course! Arleen also gives back to the PG community through her volunteering with the PG Rotary Club which is where I first met her. Thank you Arleen for all you do and for choosing me as your headshot photographer!
