When a family is willing to have real fun in portraits
Earlier in my photography career, I regularly booked family portrait shoots specializing in my own signature candid style. Now I very rarely have family portrait shoots, and typically only for clients I have done other commercial photography work for, like Barb and Dr. Norm. When they asked me if I could do a Christmas Day shoot because that was the only time their entire family would be together, I said yes mostly because I really like them and knew it would be a fun time and I could push the envelope with getting some great candids. The photos in this collection are my own personal favorites from the shoot. The siblings in particular had fun with each other! We made very good use of Highland Park from top to bottom to climbing bars to the merry-go-round!
For me, the phrase joshua tree has always been associated with the famous U2 album from 1987 and its iconic cover art. There is actually no joshua tree in the photo. I finally got a chance to visit Joshua Tree National Park and soon realized that the eponymous trees are not the stars of the park by a long shot. The real attraction are the rock formations. Some tower, some are piles, they are all sitting there challenging you to climb them. This photo story presents a set of black and white photos of a lone climber on a rock face and a series of color photos one of which is made up of silhouettes of me, Jessica, Kiki and Artie!
I have renewed my end of the year custom of choosing my Favorite Five Photographs of the past year. I first did this back in 2009, my first full year as a professional photographer spanning time in Tokyo and Florida. I kept up this custom until 2013. Then there was an absence as things meandered in my life and my business. However, I have reemerged in 2018 with my photo business having had its best year ever, and with a diversity of photos that once again made it very hard to choose just five.
My criteria for choosing are simple:
photos made in the 2018 calendar year (so some great Malibu shots just missed the cut that would have made it otherwise
Only one photo per category
There is something about the photo that appeals to me in a unique way
Below I will post links to all past Favorite Five years. I would really be interested in feedback in the comments on what you think of my 2018 selections, and as compared to my past years’ selections
I do not know if the movie Forrest Gump put this view into my mind, or maybe it was from a time long before, but certainly for years and years I dreamed of seeing this iconic western road view. I believe it to be the signature view from the road of the American West. A road that vanishes and falls and rises into the mesas of Monument Valley that looks alien, futuristic, and ancient at the same time.
I had my third opportunity to participate in Help-Portrait, a national day of volunteering where photographers and others meet to provide a free professional portrait, to people in their local community who otherwise may not be able to afford professional photography. My first time was back in 2011 in St. Petersburg, Florida in a space jam packed with photographers. This was my second year in a row in Albuquerque, New Mexico, but first time getting to shoot. Last year I only helped out with editing. This year with shooting it was great to know that something I helped with will be on that family’s wall for years to come.
I do not often photographs weddings anymore, though I photographed dozens in the beginning of my photography career. In fact, this was only the second wedding I have photographed since 2013! This was a special occasion, however, as networking friend Alex called me up and asked if I could photograph his wedding with just a little bit of short notice (a day!). I was not traveling for rural land photography that Saturday so I said I could do it and would be glad to!
I spent three hours roaming the desert in Socorro County, New Mexico on a rural land shoot. I had five properties to get to criss crossing along a 7 mile path. My very last stop was back at the first stop, where I returned to get some sunset and twilight photos of the property. On the drive in I noticed this funky colored school bus up on a small hill. After I got the shots I needed for my client, I trekked a bit across the desert and up the hill to see if I could get a decent photo of the bus. It looks to be not so long ago abandoned from the quality of the signs still, but there are shrubs growing under and around it already.
