Shots and Thoughts

Photos and comments as I explore my passion for photography. Written to and for myself as a journal to track major moments and minor observations as I continue to evolve my visual art. 

Passport and Visa Photos

One of the "extras" I do for many of my executive portrait clients is to shoot and deliver a new visa and passport photo. Simply put it will be the best one they will ever have. I can't tell you how many times I get a call from an assistant needing this shot in the next 24 hours. When you book and shoot with me, that is not a problem as this shot is covered. It has a very specific required format that the US government dictates: no glasses, no smile, square format, hair behind the ears, etc.

Pro tip: Shoot this first in the studio session to help the client settle in and settle down for the photo session.

How to Assist a Studio Photographer

Yesterday Marcus Jackson assisted me for two executive head shots in the San Jose Japantown studio. He was just perfect as an assistant, partly from his personality but also his extensive work as a top flight photographer. We always do test shots, so please meet Marcus:

San Jose, Japantown Studio 2015

San Jose, Japantown Studio 2015

This got me thinking about what really makes a good assistant, specifically what I am looking for in the studio.

1. On time, be prompt. Actually as the saying goes if your on the set on time, your late. Show up a few minutes early, plan for traffic, etc.

2. Leave your drama at the curb. When you step in to the studio come with a happy face from a happy place. It shows in your work, makes it easy to work with you and most critically the client picks up on the studio vibe instantly.

3. Dress like a photo professional. Dress like your the main photographer. Doesn't have to be expensive or over the top, but clean and cool. When in doubt go with black. No logos, wacky outfits, etc. Just low key cool as your there to be in a support mode. 

4. My main need is for the assistant to handle the lights and background changes. Specifically I shoot each client on white and grey background. Marcus moved seamlessly making these changes letting me stay in the flow with the client.

5. Help with changing cameras and lens. Often we will shoot a couple of looks in the studio that requires going from the medium format to the Nikon, a good assistant will be right there with the set up when needed. They will also double check the settings prior to handing me the camera.

6. They will also watch the tethering to make sure all is working. They don't need to be a digital tech (another position) but sharp enough to call out if there is an issue with the import as we always shoot tethered. 

7. A great assistant will watch to make sure all the lights are firing and as we move set ups making sure the lights are all dialed in. Again Marcus really helped here.

8. Making a genuine, authentic compliment to the client on how they look can go a long way in making the subject confident and relaxed. Genuine, authentic.

9. Checking to make sure the hair is not distracting. Checking to make sure there is no lipstick on the teeth. Checking to make sure there are no labels or straps showing. Never touch the client with out permission.

10. A good assistant with help with shutting down and securing the studio. It takes only a few minutes if we do it together.

Two last points:

1. Assistants get paid. Period. If I get paid you get paid. Rate depends on the gig, location and time needed. If I get paid, everyone gets paid. My personal approach is to pay that day even if I need to invoice client.

3. There is a delicate balance of providing creative guidance to the main photographer. I like it when there is a short conversation as the client is changing or checking make up. I will often ask the assistant is there anything else we need to shoot. But be clear, there is only one director on set.

And of course taking some behind the scenes shots on iPhones. We had a client ask for this yesterday and we should do this all the time. Fun!

Thanks Marcus, your a real pro and a delight to work with.

That Face

As I do so many portraits in the studio, I am usually not artistically pulled into street portraits. 

SF, 2015

SF, 2015

But as I begin to think about a black and white street portfolio leading to a book, I will need some interesting vertical shots. Sequencing them is key in the layout, but I should get 10-15 great shots I can digest in the editing process. Best to shoot all on the Lecia Q 28m in macro mode as seen above. All post processing the same.

Pro tip: Get close on these, real close. Like 10 inches.

Five Steps for Great Photos

I recently had the opportunity to spend time with Melissa and Jerry Ghionis and it was a delight to catch up again. Jerry is one of the best photographers in the world and also excellent on branding and business. Part of his success is built on a foundation of "building" a photo with a client. He has it down to five steps:

1. Lighting

2. Environment

3. Pose

4. Camera settings

5. EMOTIONS

NYC, 2015

NYC, 2015

Also a good reminder to STFD, step back and look at the shot artistically, then put the camera to the eye. Also it is good to use the right tools as in any craft. The Leica is perfect for street, the Phase One is spot on for studio but the Nikon D4 with a 70-200 lens provides the perfect compression for these natural light shots.

Pro tip: Chill out. Follow the five steps. Land on emotion that trumps all else. Do it. Repeat.

Family Photos Make Memories

When you think about what is most valuable to save in a fire, people often say the family photos. These photos make the memories and in a certain way actually become the story. Taking family shots and sharing them is one of joys of my photo life.

Los Gatos, 2015

Los Gatos, 2015

And they become more valuable over time as each day and year passes. 

Los Gatos, 2015

Los Gatos, 2015

Looking for light first, then background, then pose, on to exposure and finally emotion. The five steps to build a photo. More on that later.

Los Gatos, 2015

Los Gatos, 2015

Pro tip: Get the kids to help pose the parents, it was fun and worked for everybody!

A little mystery in each photo

I like images where there is a little unknown, something unsaid, a little of a mystery.

NYC, 2015.

NYC, 2015.

Pro tip: Every photo shoot I should strive for greater creativity. Get the "must do" shots done effortlessly then take a few minutes to play. Often these shots turn out to be favorites for both myself and the client. A good approach for me is to put the camera down and step back and look at the entire scene, then back to shooting.

Executive Portrait in the San Jose Japantown studio

Back from some great location shooting, now time to get some work done in the studio.

San Jose, 2015.

San Jose, 2015.

Glenn came in and we got him a new headshot and a range of images to use across all social media platforms.

San Jose, 2015.

San Jose, 2015.

Glenn rocked the Black Magic Tee Shirt, love this shot in black and white.

Pro tip: Guys want to look cool, women want to look beautiful. It's that simple to say, keeping working the shots till this happens.

Shooting and Viewing Photos with Emotion

My younger brother died last year in Seattle from lung and brain cancer. His last week was spent in hospice but in the recent years he was homeless, living out of his 1980's Toyota pick up truck. I got to spend a day with him about 72 hours before he passed.

NYC, 2015

NYC, 2015

I don't post or shoot homeless photos, it just doesn't resonate with me. But last week in NYC a few images brought back memories of my brother.

NYC, 2015

NYC, 2015

I have a personal, emotional response to these photos, maybe I am finally able to digest what my brother went through in his final years. 

NYC, 2015

NYC, 2015

Emotions shooting photos. Emotions viewing photos. Maybe you feel nothing. Maybe you see nothing.

Does your view change if the word "homeless" is replaced by "cancer" ?

New York City

Always a delight to get to NYC and see old and new friends. A great week shooting, attending Photo Expo and working on my portfolio.

NYC, 2015

NYC, 2015

I got to hang out with Jerry and Melissa Ghionis, Peter Hurley and Peter Turnley in NYC. Also shooting with May Wong, dinner with my wife's nephew David and his beautiful wife Shiling, a photo shoot with Michelle and fun holiday photos with Daniel and Jessica. Ruby joined for the weekend and we took in the Book of Mormon and Hamilton, both excellent. Dinners included Becco, Morimoto and Blue Ribbon Sushi. And of course a little shopping in SoHo! 

NYC, 2015

NYC, 2015

Leica had a major new announcement with the Leica SL full frame camera. Most of the work here is shot on Leica cameras, but I found this announcement just so so. I got to hold an SL at the PPE show and it felt big and awkward, especially the grip. I will stick with my Q, Monochrom and M240.

NYC, 2015

NYC, 2015

So good to be back in California now for a few weeks, then I think back to Japan for trip #100.

Magnum Workshop with Jacob Aue Sobol in Kyoto, Japan

I just finished a week long workshop with Jacob Aue Sobol in Kyoto and it was terrific. The Leica team was also most helpful during the week as the workshop was held in their beautiful Gion Leica store. Jacob, Chloe and Albert did a super job with a diverse set of students. A highly recommended workshop!

Jacob really challenged each of us artistically to find our own voice through photography. Shooting more from the heart than the mind. Shooting and editing with emotion leads to emotional photos. The week also turned out to be a shift in my approach to putting together projects, i.e. series of photos that hang together in a portfolio. The approach is like writing poetry, writing verses that rhyme vs telling a straightforward story. Leaving the flow more open than closed so each viewer can be pulled in with their own interpretation of the theme. We worked really hard during the week on shooting and then editing down to a portfolio of 12 shots. Please take a moment to view my project "Shijo"Feel free to stay in contact with me here.

To start this post I will share with you some of direct words from Jacob as really hit home for me:

"This workshop aims to develop each students ability to create an unique voice within photography. How do you create a personal expression? How do you become unique? When and how do we feel and express ourselves through the pictures we make?

The ambition is to create images with a visual distinction attached to our personality. With their intimate, human and present character the pictures must be filled by the states, where everything shimmers and where we, as viewers, are invited both to deal with our own existence and with what we are looking at specifically. 

It means everything that we can identify with our photographs. They are a continuing study of our close relationships to the world and the camera is the instrument by which we attempt to bring order to understand and communicate with our surroundings.

The more you give of yourself, the more you put yourself at stake, whether you photograph someone you love or someone who is a stranger to you, the more likely the pictures are to reflect your personality, so they become unique - which is fundamental for developing a personal photographical expression."

Kyoto, 2015.

Kyoto, 2015.

Some personal notes from the session as we worked 1x1 with Jacob and also in small groups:

1. I should not crop too much (if at all) in this poetic approach to photography. The crop forces the focus making it a closed photo. The larger view maybe be a little rough or cluttered but it let's the viewer have context.

2. Slow down my walking and shooting to see more beauty. I found a specific pace that works for me.

3. Editing continues to be so important. I think it is best to use the same camera, post processing, frame size, etc. for a portfolio. The variations come from the content, the verses.

4. I like shooting in black and white. I shot the Leica Monochrom with a 28m lens (THANKS Kyoto Leica) and also the Leica Q. It took a few days to dial in my range finder skills, but then when I went back to the Q it felt like a snapshot camera. I need to explore this more.

5. Shoot from emotional connection not through intellectual force.

6. The biggest point in class was to develop a personal connection with your subject so to capture true feeling s or emotions. This can be over an extended period of time or just a few minutes together on the street. The "shoot and run" photos don't convey any emotion to the viewer. I am good establishing this connection but need to push my self to continue in this direction. Stay longer.

7. With that said sometimes a photo shows up and you take the shot with out thinking or talking. These maybe the best as they are really events with true emotions. One shot and the moment is gone.

8. On sequencing photos in a portfolio there is no logic, just feeling. A story often has a detail shot, distant (context) shot, medium shot, etc. to let the viewer construct the story. After an emotional shot it would be good to try a portrait as the viewer can transfer the emotion to the human.

9.OMG Printing! Jacob's team printed out many of our shots on inexpensive paper and it was super cool to touch, feel and organize the shots. It was a complete different experience than viewing on digital. I need to keep printing, even small 4x6 or 5x7 work well. It is also key to the sequencing project as you can step back as see how the rhythm flows. The opposite of this is FaceBook that tees up a photo in a seemingly random approach.

10. A strong photo that grabs the viewer is a good start to pull them in. An open photo at the start works well. An ending photo that is open also makes sense. But there I go thinking again....

11. In general there are more open than closed photos in a portfolio.

12. I did a short photo session in Kyoto that was a major fail, not photographically just the entire event. Memorable but don't need to say more.

13. Overall I shot about 1,600 shots over 5 days and got plenty of exercise. As always there is no telling when a great shot will turn up so you need to be ready and on your toes. Good shoes, an early start, extra batteries and card are all the basics. And coffee, double expresso for me.

14. Do not include any cliche shots in portfolio, it brings it all down.

15. The week was full of ups and downs as my phone completely died, my camera broke (my back up was ready to rock = pro ) and worst of all my good friends in Tokyo had a family medical emergency that was super serious.

16. Jacob is an interesting guy with a background to match. He shoots campaigns and commercial work through out the year but will take Jan/Feb to shooting personal work, about 1,000 images a day. The the rest of the year to edit the images. Interesting. He loves the dark and cold of winter, you can see this in his work. I need to think about what this means for me. I can see how getting in the shooting groove for an extended period would work well. It also makes sense for some time and space to then go back and edit/sequence.

17. We had a fun closing dinner with (more than) just a couple of beers. A lot of fun as the group was diverse from around the world.

18. Emotional connection during shooting results in emotional photos for the viewer.

19. Photos should challenge the audience, viewer. No need for trite common shots.

20. More intimate the photos the more emotions are displayed.

21. Moving from snapshots to emotions. Time is a factor.

22. Looking backwards lets you see what attracts you, what interests you.

23. We did little if any camera tech talk during the week, but ISO 3200 is fine if it helps nail the shot. Technical perfection is not what this approach is about.

24. Give more of yourself as a photographer.

25. Jacob thought talent is over rated. 95% is just plain hard work, shooting 1000 shots a day for 60 days is a real workout. I agree.

26. Great shots make you feel like you are there, in the shot vs. shooting from the outside as a viewer. A little hard to put this into words but cool when you can do it.

27. Shoot what you see, shoot what you feel.

28. Shy is good as a photographer, can result in more complex material.

29. Photo poem needs to rhyme. Almost to a beat.

30. Print draft shots to help sequence. This is very cool, I did this right when I got home to the printer, see below.

31. Person then Place. Open then Closed.

32. Gut feel for picking and sequencing photos. Like music, poetry and art. Almost has a beat to the flow.

33. Edit is as important as photo.

34. Ask "who am I?" when picking up camera.

35. Hang on to conversations longer with subjects. Lean in.

36, Projects are either B/W or color, hard to mix both.

37. Close up, fade away, big picture. Details, then place.

38. No tilt or gimmicks.

39. Curiosity is key.

40. Shooting with out thought. Shoot from emotion and gut. Get in the zone. Flow. I spent some time this summer with Rinzi Ruiz and thought of him often during this week.

41. You can't think your way to a great photo.

42. Be present.

43. Dance together sometimes with subject.

44. Up the odds of a great photo by being present, not thinking, feeling, emotional. Pure intuition.

45. You are alive, make more love. Show more love, get more love.

46. Trust your gut, your camera and the shot.

47. The photograph is not about the tattoos it is about the person, the connection. (VT)

48.  The final photograph is not about the situations and its emotions when you took it, it is about the emotions that a final photograph makes. (VT)

49. Be close not only to your subjects, but also close to yourself. (VT)  

50. Keep an open mind in these workshops as you are there to learn new approaches and ideas. I saw several people that came in stuck in one spot and dug in deeper vs moving ahead. Just an observation, but also so good to see so many people move their work ahead for the final project. The team helping Jacob in the Leica store were great, along with Chloe and Albert.

At age 60 my time is short, I need to shoot and publish from the heart. It also makes me think of what will my photo legacy be 20 years after I pass?

When I got back I printed off about 50 Kyoto shots and played a fun game with my family and friends I call "I, Jacob". They each look through all the photos, select their favorite 12, then sequence to tell a story or poem. About 1/3 of the people said "stop with all the photo stuff", 1/3 tried it and were stressed and 1/3 really loved the project. It was delightful to see what story they told and with no right or wrong answer it was all good. Fun to watch each persons creative voice come out.

Pro tip: Shoot/Edit/Sequence with emotion let's your own voice stand out. One of my personal mantras is "don't be better, be different". Emotional photos do this. Not to worry about my technical skills, they are fine. Shoot from the heart.

Overall a super week that has let me mature my approach to photography = finding my own unique voice.

Thanks Jacob.

One is the Loneliest Number

For a variety of reasons I have been feeling alone and isolated lately, so these b/w photos showed up. I love them.

Kyoto, 2015.

Kyoto, 2015.

Kyoto, 2015.

Kyoto, 2015.

Pro tip: As I started in photography I was focused on the technical aspects to get he the image right (exposure, white balance, shutter speed, etc.). Then I moved to getting the shots in a clean background, really watching the edges of the shot. Moving forward I started to understand light both in the studio and on location. This lead me to get a feel for shooting into the shadows (the short side of a portrait). And on to composition within the frame. Now I am on the edge of shooting emotionally, with feeling and instinct....MTK.

Five Foot Street Tango

Fun shooting this week around Kyoto Station as there is always a lot of people and often the light can be great.

Kyoto, 2015.

Kyoto, 2015.

Pro tip: Get close, get low , shoot tight for the interesting shot. The Leica Q at 50m does this so great.

One Look, One Shot

Sometimes you get to really work a scene, maybe shooting 30-50 shots from different angles to find that special image. Other times you get one look, one shot.

Kyoto, 2015.

Kyoto, 2015.

Pro tip: Keep the camera up and ready to go, you just never know when the image will appear. You can go out all day and get nothing, then on the train home it happens.

Gesture

One the lessons I learned early on from Jay Maisel was to look for gesture in photos. Small, large, implied, etc. but it is this gesture that can move a photo from good to great.

Kyoto, 2015.

Kyoto, 2015.

Kyoto, 2015.

Kyoto, 2015.

Kyoto, 2105.

Kyoto, 2105.

Kyoto, 2015.

Kyoto, 2015.

The trains in Japan are fun to shoot as they all are a little different and it seems we are on them every day. Still looking for my classic "mega full people smashed in during commute" shot! My guess that one will be full of gesture.

Pro Tip: Need to shoot these on manual with a shutter of 1/15 or so with an F10 set up. With this slow shutter speed and no tripod you have to shoot a bunch to get a few that rock.

Natural Light

Natural light portraits can turn out nice in black and white. Elysia has a great natural happy smile, so tried the moody look here.

San Francisco, 2015.

San Francisco, 2015.

San Francisco, 2015.

San Francisco, 2015.

San Francisco, 2015.

San Francisco, 2015.

Pro Tip: These shots look cool at F1.7 but you really need to lock in focus on the eyes. It can be hit and miss so take more shots than usual. Here we took 30+ shots and all but 3 worked well.

My Love of Portraiture

From the very beginning of my professional photo career I have loved portrait work. In the studio,  on location, natural light, it's all good.

Kyoto, 2015.

Kyoto, 2015.

The basic always apply: clean background, right exposure, check the direction of the light and the real key is expression.

Pro Tip: The client expression is a mirror of my expression. In many if not most of my shots you see a happy engaged client full of emotion. The mirror effect works if authentic!

Behind the Scenes

Today I got to work with my friend Rob as he had a photo shoot and I did the Behind the Scene still shots. It is always fun to work with other photographers as I learn something new every time. It is also nice to work with Rob as we both shoot the same camera and post processing software.

San Jose, 2015.

San Jose, 2015.

Pro tip: Rob just got a new toy, the fog machine in the bottom left in this shot. It worked pretty well but it would be good to have a large fan or exhaust vent in place as it gets a little intense. But super cool effect. I liked Rob's approach of experimenting with different light and set ups. Good work.

Photo Printing is Alive and Well in Japan

A trip to any of the electronic stores in Japan will reveal that photo printing is alive and well. There were hundreds of different kinds and sizes of photo paper, inks, frames, etc. This depth of selection is just not seen in the USA. 

Tokyo, 2015.

Tokyo, 2015.

As a side note it is also refreshing to see real book stores still in Japan. The other really cool thing are these photo kiosks located everywhere so people can take in their digital photo SD cards and then print and review right on the spot. There are also a lot of corner/subway photo booths set up to take passport style photos. These are used a lot in Japan for a variety of badges, documents, etc.

Pro tip: As I travel to Japan frequently I will start sourcing my photo printer supplies there. I need to practice with my EPSON printer on how to print various sizes including landscape and vertical on smaller (5x7) paper.

Color or Black and White ?

I have really been into the black and white photos lately, they just seem timeless and cool to me. I am seeing contrast, light, dark, shadows, subtle shades of black as I look through the viewfinder.

Kyoto, 2015.

Kyoto, 2015.

But some content also says COLOR! which is true. Here are two photos the same but with a completely different vibe.

Kyoto, 2015.

Kyoto, 2015.

Pro tip: For me it is best to stay in black and white mode visually while shooting, then in the editing phase make a call if color also works. This keeps my black and white focus intact in my mind. It has taken 6 month to get the black and white mind to develop and I want to go deeper in this direction.

Yakatori with Dave Powell in Roppongi

Seiji and I had a fun night out in Tokyo having yakitori and beer with Dave Powell. We went back to the same place and it was just as smokey and just as good as before. We also got to talk cameras and photos as Dave is the wizard behind ShootTokyoA nice capture of him using the Leica Q on 50m crop mode. I think the photo came out fantastic for indoor low light set up. Dave has lost a few pounds being focused on his health and it shows up in the photo with a nice cut jawline. I need to work on that myself! You can also read about our dinner at his new Japanese web site TokyoMemo.

Tokyo, 2015

Tokyo, 2015

And of course I love the B/W version!

Tokyo, 2015

Tokyo, 2015

Tokyo, 2015.

Tokyo, 2015.

Tokyo, 2015.

Tokyo, 2015.

Tokyo, 2015.

Tokyo, 2015.

Tokyo, 2015.

Tokyo, 2015.

Tokyo, 2015. No fooling this is way out of focus but he way too fun not to include here!

Tokyo, 2015. No fooling this is way out of focus but he way too fun not to include here!

Pro Tip: Don't be shy about moving your subject around for best light and improved profile. If you are going to take a location shot do it with the same forethought and intensity as your studio work. And always take a lot of shots. Here I took 17 shots as we both warmed up together. Best to chimp and check focus before finishing. If your going to make a portrait make a cool one! And drink plenty of beer!