Book Cover Photo Shoot in Albuquerque with an author friend
When local Albuquerque author and friend Sonja Dewing contacted me last week about needing some book cover photos for her, to be written the upcoming weekend, memoir, I was glad I had a last minute spot left in my schedule for the week. There were two concepts for the book cover, one using just some of her items from her time in service (like dog tags, etc) and then one with her holding some of these items. We made the lay flat image first using one of my new Duo Boards with a faux (but hyperrealistic) wood background. Then we made the photo with Sonja on a white seamless background with some of those items in her hand and on her person in various ways (check out the BTS shot below). Over the weekend she chose to go with the items on the wood background for the actual book cover photo. I think the final result turned out great!
While at Hotel Albuquerque photographing an event taking place in its courtyard, in the moments finding different points from which to photograph the event itself, which was just a reception and not very fast paced, I had the chance to take a few photos of the features inside the courtyard like the large water fountain, the flora, and the event tent itself in place no doubt in case of any unscheduled rain. All these photos were taking with the amazing Sony 50mm f/1.2 GM lens. Every time I use it, I find myself re-remembering this lens not only has magical properties, but it can be used for a much wider variety of photo than one may think. For a 50mm lens, it is nearly ten times what I paid for my very first 50mm lens (Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D) back in 2008, but it just might be ten times the lens!
Accurate color with no glare for product photography in Albuquerque
The variety of products I have photographed this year at the JCP Home Studio in Albuquerque, New Mexico continues to grow with the addition of these religious icons made at a nearby monastery in the east mountains. Father Seraphim along with the actual artist from the monastery who painted the icons, assisted in the shoot (see the BTS below). I was shooting tethered so they could see the photos live as they took them to make sure there was no glare and that the colors were being represented accurately. Other than needing a bit of contrast adjustment, the results made right in camera were very accurate to the icons themselves. As usual, it was a great team effort on this product photography photo shoot and once we got things dialed in, in less than an hour I photographed more than 18 icons. Thank you Father Seraphim for choosing me as your photographer!
Event photography inside the National Museum of Nuclear Science & History
I have been photographing various events for NAPAC 2022 around Albuquerque this week, one of which was an evening event at The National Museum of Nuclear Science & History which I had never been to before. NAPAC stands for North American Particle Accelerator Conference so the attendees have knowledge of nuclear science and thus it was a great idea to host part of the conference at the nuclear museum! Once the long time tour guides (they go by a different title actually) announced the choice of going with one about a certain topic and the other for another topic, I had the chance to get some candids of the NAPAC 2022 attendees in the museum itself, and also in setting sunlight, out on the grounds with various airplanes as the background. The photo above is my favorite of the event, as it seems to really have a story behind it. That gentleman in the photo was by himself the entire time wandering the interior and then exterior of the museum keeping to himself with his own thoughts.
One of my best headshots ever made for an actor in Albuquerque
If you can believe it, Roy had no real previous experience in front of the camera for getting actor and model headshots when he visited the JCP Home Studio right here in Albuquerque, New Mexico. In fact, the headshot above is not just one of the best headshots I have made, it’s one of the best photos I’ve ever made all thanks to Roy being a natural in front of the camera, and having just the right lighting for his pose, wardrobe, and for the black background color. We even got experimental using my new V-Flats to make a split color background for one shot! Thank you Roy for choosing me as your headshot photographer (and for Max for the referral)!
Professional Commercial Photography for a Day Spa in Albuquerque
he whole time I was at Remedy Day Spa in Albuquerque, New Mexico making better than stock images, commercial portraits, and interior and exterior photos, I kept thinking to myself, “who knew this oasis was right in the middle of ABQ??” I met Mandy, the owner, who wanted me to capture the full range of spa services she has available, from secluded wooden barrels hot tub soaks, to professional massage, to a large yoga studio. It was one of the most wide ranging commercial photo shoots I have had. The photos feature the actual Remedy team in them, for that better than stock image photo feel because it shows the actual Remedy Day Spa team in the actual Remedy Day Spa setting. Now, all of Albuquerque can see and discover this hidden gem right in Nob Hill! Thank you Mandy for choosing me as your photographer and also to the Remedy team that did a great job in front of the lens all day. And thank you to Jessica for assisting on this, I wish I had gotten a BTS shot of you holding that huge diffuser over the hot tub!
Creative Tea Pot Product Photography in Albuquerque
This is part two of the product photography I made for Alicia of Live Well Tea Company (see part 1). The main focus of the photo shoot was the canisters of tea themselves, to conclude the shoot we made a series of staged tea pot product photos right here in the JCP Home Studio in Albuquerque, New Mexico. This was a fun and creative way to end the shoot, getting each set of tea pots staged to best show them off, from the linear shot above, to the multi-levels of the colorful tea pots below, concluding with lighting a clear glass tea pot set to not be too reflective, but also to be visible. Thank you again Alicia for a great collaboration on these tea pot product photos!
