I was contacted by GVI, a video production company based out of Washington, DC to make BTS (behind the scenes) still photos of a video interview they were doing here in Albuquerque. I have done a few shoots like this before, but not for a long time. It is an unusual thing to photograph essentially making a video. I was asked to put my cameras into silent shooting mode, which both my Sony a7R IV and Sony A7 III mirrorless cameras have. That was also odd to push the shutter and hear and feel nothing at all from the camera! This was a fun challenge to incorporate the equipment and also the interviewee in the frame.
When I first arrived at the Grand Canyon in northern Arizona, there was a bit of down time before I could actually go and see the canyon itself. Fortunately for me, a group of elk was foraging right across the street. This was my first time to photograph elk like this. It turns out these animals are real characters sticking out their tongues at me, laughing, and getting themselves covered in snow just to make a photo more interesting! Thank you Grand Canyon elk for being so photogenic and letting me get some great wildlife shots!
Getting creative with food photography in Albuquerque
I got a chance to do a food photography shoot in Albuquerque, New Mexico at Luca Italian Bistro for a new outfit called PopMenu that allowed me to be much more creative in the shots I made, as compared to UberEats which has strict guidelines. For one thing, I could use off camera flash to make shots I cannot just using natural window light. Check out the BTS shot below to see the setup I used to make these photos. Of course no setup can make up for the dishes themselves not looking pretty, and the table surface being ugly, but as you can see both of those were not the case here. The food plating was beautiful and the wooden table top made for a great background. This kind of food photography shoot is really fun for me!
Why choose Jason as your headshot photographer in 2020?
There are several great reasons why you should choose me as your headshot photographer in 2020. To start, I am a top 3 rated commercial photographer in all of Albuquerque. I photographed dozens of individuals and entire business teams in Albuquerque last year. I invested in the best mirrorless camera there is. I make headshots in a modern style in how I use lighting, what i use for backgrounds, and the poses and expressions I get from even the most camera shy clients.
After 20 years I returned to the Grand Canyon to find quite a different landscape. In March 2000 there was only patchy snow/ice along the south rim, and as I hiked all the way down via the Kaibab Trail to the Colorado River, the temperature actually increased as I descended. Visiting now in December 2019, the winter season presented Grand Canyon views dominated by white. Snow blanketed all the trails, viewpoints, and even the walls of the canyon itself. In fact snow was all I could see at first because the entire canyon was filled with clouds, or mist, or cotton candy for all I could tell. Finally, after several hours the clouds lifted and the Grand Canyon in its winter colors were revealed!
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!
