Like many professional photographers just starting out, I photographed weddings. Dozens and dozens of weddings actually, but after a couple of years I switched, for several reasons, to being a commercial photographer. Now, I still photograph a wedding every now and then, but mostly only for friends or friends of friends, and in this case, a networking friend, Sarah. There was something about this wedding that was a first for me, with a wedding being the surprise conclusion to a renovated event hall at the First Unitarian Church of Albuquerque. So my challenge was to be inconspicuous with two large cameras and lenses on my person, in a room full of people who knew each other but not me, so as to not spoil the wedding finale surprise! I am happy to say I did not, and the wedding was a complete surprise to everyone in the hall except me.
Atlas Obscura is a great resource for finding odd places to stop when traveling between places. In this case, we were driving from Sedona, Arizona to Tucson and made a 40 minute detour to see the Domes of Casa Grande. Atlas Obscura describes these domes as being built around the late 1970s for computer manufacturing, but were never actually completed as you can see in the aerial drone photos below. What are the rumors for what happens in the domes and its tunnels now? Nothing less than maybe satanic worship. The area is totally fenced off with no trespassing signs as they have been slated for demolition, but still stood as of January 2020.
For regular readers of this blog, you may recognize both Kawtar and my M3. Kawtar is a networking friend who also was a headshot client 2 months ago. She has a custom of having themed photos of her made every New Year’s. This year she wanted to pose with a convertible, and it just so happened I have a convertible! We decided on a parking garage location for the shoot because it is an appropriate setting for using a car as prop. You would never know how cold and windy it actually was from the photos, but Kawtar was up for any ideas I had, and Jessica was a great assistant making sure all the lighting stayed up in the air as needed.
Linda contacted me about making headshots for her here at the JCP Home Studio in Albuquerque, New Mexico that were not stuffy. I am always happy to make the kind of creative headshots clients want, and if they want ones that allow me to get more creative than usual, that’s even more exciting for me! To start with, we only used a black background for maximum impact. Then I used a variety of different lighting styles and poses to shape different looks for Linda, even though she remained seated in the same place. It helped she brought a few wardrobe changes and was an absolute natural in front of the camera. Thank you Linda for letting me be creative and for choosing so many photos from your headshot session!
This is my second year in a row choosing my Favorite Five photos of the 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 intend to keep this custom going strong on into the future.
How do I choose?
The diversity of photos I made in 2019 once again made it very hard to choose just five, and this year the photos are made from three different devices: my now sold Nikon DSLR, my new Sony mirrorless camera, and my updated drone.
My criteria for choosing are simple:
photos made in the 2019 calendar year
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 2019 selections, and as compared to my past years’ selections.
For the third year in a row, and the fourth time overall, I volunteered in Help-Portrait. This annual event happens in cities all over the country where photographers, editors, and organizers give back in the form of making portraits for families. The organizers were really, really good this year as there were at least triple the people that were able to visit Help-Portrait! Here are some of the families I photographed including a 4 day old baby!
Gilbert visited the studio for headshots and was open to more than just the usual business headshot style. He was ok with me experimenting with different lighting, different editing, and even with him wearing shades! Actually, the sunglasses were by his request and I was happy to oblige! Do your headshots look this cool and modern? This is the way to stand out from your competition and grab the attention of clients and customers!
