I traveled down to Belen for a commercial photography shoot at Aristech Surfaces not really knowing what to expect at all. I had a shortlist, but it was filled with terms like “ocean breeze” and “open pour line.” Right away I knew this would be a very different shoot as I had to put on steel toed shoes and a hard hat! (see the BTS photo below). After gearing up both for photography and safety, it was time to do the actual shooting in the plant that was quite noisy and smelled like plastics. I also had safety glasses on that made looking into my Sony a7R IV rather awkward. This is all part of a being a pro photographer, instantly adapting to a totally unexpected shooting environment while wearing weird shoes and glasses. Thank you to new assistant Pam for helping out on this challenging shoot.
Commercial Product Photography in ABQ done the fun way!
Who would have thought photographing liquid nitrogen tanks for BioLife Solutions would have been so fun! This was due mostly to the circumstances of the shoot, which involved a lot of moving parts from the aforementioned tanks, to multiple lighting setups and lens changes, to dogs being carried around! Just check out the BTS shots below to see what really was in before me as I was trying to make these photographs. The final results show a very sterile and uncluttered photo. Kylie was a lot of fun to work with as she had to work herself being the hand model for the products. Jessica helped out by keeping Artie out the way in his new sling, and adjusting lighting so I could stay focused behind the camera. It was a total team effort to make these photos!
I was contacted by an Arizona based company to make headshots for two employees here in Albuquerque, New Mexico following a very specific setup. Well, my usual lighting and shooting style matched the sample they sent exactly, save for the specific Westcott gray background they wanted. I ordered the gray background, which to my surprise felt more like freeze rather than the usual cotton material other foldable backgrounds are made out of. I really liked it as it was virtually wrinkle free right out of the box! The clients paid for and took the background with them, but I may order one for myself. This style gray background looks fantastic to me. It is bold and full of contrast. It also helps when Naomi and Noelle were on point in front of the lens.
Long-time photography client Noah Starer has made the transition from ceramic artist to glass artist in Santa Fe, New Mexico. It took me some time to figure out the technical aspects of photographing his ceramic work to his desired style outcome, but that time compared to how long it took me to figure out how to photograph this new series of glassware was well, incomparable. It took hours and lots of trial and error to get a shooting setup that minimized glare first, then reflections second. Most of the pieces were glossy and made of reflective glass, so you can imagine the challenge involved when you need to use off camera lighting to make them pop, and then stand in front of the piece of glass to actually photograph it. You can see the BTS shot of what I finally settled on as a shooting setup at the far bottom of this post.
Dr. Singh wanted new commercial portrait photos for his website so we met in downtown Albuquerque at the Albuquerque Convention Center. I thought we would mostly be using the Civic Plaza area as I had for another portrait shoot, but that was taken over by setting up for an outdoor concert. Part of being a professional photographer is being able to improvise right on the spot, so instead of starting outside, we went inside to the convention center. Having photography many events there, I knew a few spots that would work well. No one told us we could not make photographs inside, so we just went about it!
Luxury Home with Stunning Mountain Views in Rio Rancho
My photography work often takes me to nearby Rio Rancho, New Mexico, but never before have I seen views of the Sandia Mountains like this from a residential home. Step out into the backyard and there before you, totally unobstructed by anything artificial, loom the Sandias. Look to the north and south and catch a glimpse of the Rio Grande River. Inside this architectural home features those views from all the rooms on the east side of the home, with its open floor plan. Want to own these views? You have a choice of one night or forever as the owner does list this house as an AirBNB, but is also thinking of flat out selling it. If you value views, privacy, and an awesome home office space, this is the property for you!
Going to 1 Million Cups each Wednesday morning here in Albuquerque, New Mexico provides me with many opportunities on a weekly basis. A recent one was meeting Athena Christodoulou who is running for Albuquerque City Council. She needed new headshots and I hold her I make the best headshots in the city and have photographed many politicians at all levels of government. We had a headshot shoot here at the JCP Home Studio, then I proceeded to run into her at several other events, like the 2019 AFRL Awards where her husband took home an award. Thank you for choosing me as your headshot photographer Athena!
