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.
A fun day in San Jose Japantown today with the Nikkei Matsuri festival. Weather was perfect, we had no timetable just relaxes and laid back.
San Jose Nikkei Matsuri | 2017
But I always try to turn around and see if there is some other shot to be had. Here is the next shot of the shadows from the above image.
San Jose Nikkei Matsuri | 2017
Pro tip: Sometimes it is the second shot that counts!
Ruben joined me in the San Jose Japantown Studios to get an updated classic head shot, but stayed for more creative and fun portraits. He left with a broad range of images to use for the next several years. A fun session, great to collaborate with other creatives.
San Jose Japantown Studios | 2017
San Jose Japantown Studios | 2017
San Jose Japantown Studios | 2017
Pro tip: These shots still need post processing work, a fun day together, more to come. Pushing the creative edges in photography keeps it all fresh.
I shot the musical directors at LG High School as they needed updated images for the annual programs.
Los Gatos | 2017
Pro tip: The battery pack with Elinchrom lights make on site photos pretty easy. Fuji 56mm is a super nice portrait set up, shot on the XT2.
I have been focused on B/W images for my street photography, but last week in LA everything in my vision was full of color. Not only the society and culture but also the light was bright and beautiful.
LA | 2017
LA | 2017
LA | 2017
Pro tip: I dig these color shots but not sure where they fit in my portfolio. My IG feed is pretty clean with B/W, FB has lost its appeal to me, maybe just here for now?
Part of my approach for street photography is have have some clear intent when I go out to shoot. When in LA I had a chance for a few days of shooting and specifically looking for how shadows and light play together, with a strong geometic design held together with a human element.
LA | 2017
LA | 2017
LA | 2017
Pro tip: Intention gives focus on what to look for when shooting street, but I also need to be open to what shows up, not to get pulled into tunnel vision. Intention of emotion would be interesting to pursue, along with these strong style images.
A fun executive photo session with Mary Margaret last week. With 40+ years of experience in the health care field, she had a unique viewpoint on where are today and what the future could hold for an aging population.
San Jose | Japantown Studios
Pro tip: Generally I suggest clients minimize jewelry as it distracts from the overall image. Here I think it works just great. Marty Margaret showed us a photo with a top NFL celebrity where she wore this necklace, great smile on both of them. It still makes her happy and it shows in the image. Love it!
Printing has now become part of my photography process. It helps me with shooting, editing, story telling, etc. Once I started printing regularly it had an immediate impact. Along with the simple joy of holding a creative product.
San Jose | Japantown Studios, 2017
Pro tip: Love this new Epson 800, it has worked flawlessly and the quality of the printer is surprisingly good. Keep a stock of paper and print away!
As I sent out the proofs for my last client photo shoot I saw it was number 500! Wow 500 clients sessions all different, all fun and I am still learning from each one. With most of my business being referrals I want to thank all of my clients for their support over these last few years. More to come!
2017 | San Jose Japantown Studios
Pro tip: Always keep it fresh, new style shots along with my classic head shots keep both clients and I happy.
Marcus stopped by the San Jose Japantown Studio this week to help tweak a set up as I have a new style commercial shoot later this month.
Marcus is a friend but also a great Bay Area photographer with super portraits, family and wedding photos. Not surprising as he is full of life and personality, check his work here.
Pro tip: Check all of this prior to the day of the shoot to work out the details. When the client comes in I want to be 100% connected with no set up nor technical worries.
Just back from Japan where I picked up my Leica M3 which was in for servicing. Shot Portra 400 with the 50mm and love the colors and shooting experience. Hard to put into words but maybe I should do entire project just with color film?
Tokoname | 2017
No need for filters as the color and look is pretty cool. Film also has a different shooting feel and vibe. For me best with daytime shots, out door shots and not fast paced street shots (although there are great shooters that do all of that and more with film). Maybe pick one subject and do a mini portfolio.
Pro tip: I am mainly shooting B/W with digital, I think color is the way forward for me with film.
Update: A nice feature of a "4am | Japan" photo over on the Magnum Photo site, thanks Matt!
Last weekend I spent two days in a Magnum Photo workshop focused on long term projects. About 36 photographers attended in SF and we had five main instructors: Matt Black, Shannon Simon, Leo Jung, Jacqueline Bates and Judy Walgren.
Matt is a well known and respected photographer (Time Magazine Instagram Photographer of the Year 2014) who is from the central valley in California. He is on a path documenting his immediate environment often including the migration of farm workers from Mexico to California and back. This has lead to a much bigger project "Geography of Poverty" where he has crossed the USA four times telling the local stories of families below the official poverty line. He is a deep guy and really committed to the narrative. Take a moment and check him out here.
Did I say committed? His trips last between 2 weeks and 2+ months, often going back multiple times. When you think, ALL IN, this is it.
Lauren Heinz from Magnum NYC was the workshop leader and organizer, the event held at SF Camerwork on Market Street. Excellent job keeping the class on schedule and the space was large, well lit and perfect for this kind of event. Lauren is working on other education classes for Magnum as they rollout new workshops.
Shannon Simon, Director of the Americas and Content Director, Magnum Photos started off the sessions discussing her view of long term projects, with a good dialouge on the operational realities of getting a project completed and published.
Matt was up next and took us though some of his portfolio as he discussed finding an authentic project and his thoughts on publishing directly to the viewers through social media.
After lunch Leo Jung and Jacqueline Bates from The California Weekend Magazine gave us a glimpse into the work and focus it took to get a new magazine published. Super cool as they have made photography and design key elements in the story telling. Check it out here.
The day ended with Judy Walgren, most recently from the SF Chronicle and now with SF start up ViewFind. She shared her career path and what it has taken to adapt as a photographer over these last 30 years. Super valuable when you think about the future and long term projects. More about ViewFind here.
We also got to participate in two 1x1 portfolio reviews on day two, I brought 20 large prints from the "4am | Japan" project. Also nice to sit in on another dozen reviews, always good to see new work in combination with top flight feedback.
"4am | Tokyo"
First 1x1 review was with Shannon and she had asked the "why" question, resulting in a good discussion of where I am headed. She had some good insights on publishing and encouraged me to send in the book when completed. Overall she liked the project and work. She also asked what is the next project, tougher to answer.
Second review was with Matt which was also very positive. He comes from a reportage background but appreciated my "poetic" fictional project. He had some good comments about distance in my shooting and adding a few more personal touches.
Another blog post soon with specific comments and class notes. A great investment in time and my preparation helped the reviewers see my scope and focus of my project. And of course pleasing when top flight professionals dig your work.
Pro tip: With long term projects, good constructive feedback is invaluable as it is inevitable the work evolves through the shooting, editing and publishing process.
Brad joined Vanessa (@pfox35) and I at the Japantown Studio this week and we got new executive portraits for him. A delight to work with, smart guy with ambitions short and long term.
Japantown Studios | 2017
We got a good range of looks, from casual to coat and tie. White background, grey background, studio lighting, natural light, new passport shot, etc. All good, all part of my top shelf offering.
Japantown Studios | 2017
And every guy deserves a few cool shots too! Fun with these dramatic black and white looks, really a crossover to my personal work.
Pro Tip: Bring a range of wardrobe, it really helps on these portraits. Brad was open to coaching and it showed in our final shots together. Shooting tethered makes all this happen easily. And the Black Magic Tee Shirt did its job!
Leica SF had a fun gallery reception on Friday Jan 27 for an exhibit featuring prints by Henri Cartier-Bresson. Arguably the best known early photographer using a Leica set up, also a co founder of the Mangnum Photo Agency. Most photographers have enjoyed at some point in their career.
Pro tip: I meet my friend Faran there and between the two of us we knew a lot of the people, maybe 300+ attended. The photos were all 16x20 then matted and framed, priced between $25K-$30K, maybe viewed as a steal in 50 years?
I had a chance to attend the inaugural PhotoFair San Francisco on Friday January 27 at Fort Mason. Many prominent photo galleries were represented from NYC, London, Shanghai, Beiing, etc. It looked like the focus was to match beuatiful (expensive) work with private client art buyers. As a bonus I ran into a dear friend Debra Reabock, so sweet to meet again.
SF | 2017
The size of the exhibit was impressive.
SF | 2017
Pro tip: I have been focused lately on the world of PUBLISHING and this is one of many examples. Bigger is usually better. Top notch print. Beautiful frame and matte. Thinking through as a final product. These prints were interesting as each was a stand alone piece of art, different from my book sequencing approach. Photos that stand on their own. Full circle! Also the artist statement plays a role to connect the work with the intent and backstory, maybe resulting in an emotional attachment for the viewer.
Kids and pets are so fun to photograph, but can be a challenge. Rob and Max came over to the studio today and we had a great time, a delight to work with.
San Jose | Japantown Studio 2017
Pro tip: We shot on a white and grey backdrop and then went outside for another set up. Good to get a range of looks!
I enjoy studying the work of master photographers, tonight it was watching video of Joel Meyerowitz a NYC street photographer. He discussed the growth and development of his own photography style with reflections from 60 years behind the camera.
I will copy from my friend Eric Kim as he summarized a striking point Joel made:
"I’m going to go on record here—when I think about my photographs, I understand that my interest all along has not been in identifying a singular thing. But in photographing the relationship between things. The unspoken relationships, the tacit relationship—all of these variables are there if you choose to see in this way. But if you choose to only make objects out of singular things you will end up shooting the arrow into the bull’s-eye all the time, and you will get copies of objects in space.”
Meyerowitz expands on the importance of relationships in his images:
“I didn’t want copies of objects—I wanted the ephemeral connections between unrelated things to vibrate. And if my pictures work at all, at their best—they are suggesting these tenuous relationships. And that fragility is what is so human about them. And I think its what is in the ‘romantic tradition’—it is a form of humanism that says we’re all part of this together. I’m not just a selector of objects.
And there are plenty photographers who are great—but only work in the object-reality frame of reference. They collect things. And I don’t see myself as a collector. That’s how I’m different from others—its not a judgment, but a sense of my own identity. For me the play is always in the potential. It’s like magnetism.”
The point that really hit home for me was the distinction of "collecting" copies of objects vs. photographing the "relationship" between objects. This is me moving from a solid/good/great portraits and snapshot photo style to a more mature view of objects/time/space and maybe even emotions. It is really the relationship vs the object.
SF | 2015
Pro tip: I need to think then act on the above. But first maybe reflect as I have never seen this stated so clearly: "collecting" copies of objects vs. photographing the "relationship" between objects.
Time for some fun! I will try shooting 120 film on my new glow in the dark Holga.
Los Gatos, 2017
Pro tip: This is a "just for fun" camera but I think might help jump start my film goals in 2017. Google Holga cameras if you want the interesting backstory.
My friend Ruben joined in the studio this week and we spent three hours on my "4am | Japan" project. He was kind enough to review and comment on all 66 images, reviewed the marketing and pricing, timelines, etc. but the BEST part was a deep personal discussion on what I am I saying through my photography, what this specific project means and where am as an artist and photographer.
SF | 2017
I am still processing the conversation but here are some notes I took:
What is my point of view for the project and in general for me as an artist?
How do you move a viewer from Appreciation to Attachment?
What is my personal story and how does it bridge to my work?
How do you move a viewer from Head to Heart?
Artist Personal Statement
Invitation to the viewer to join the experience (maybe via intro 4am video)
My message is unique, authentic
Pro tip: A deep meaningful conversation with Ruben, I might update this post as I reflect. The biggest take away was "how to" move the viewer from Head to Heart and my "owning" my work as an artist, from top to bottom.
John Lowell Hall, using the medium of photography to express and share his point of view.
2017 starts off with some fun in the Japantown Studio as Antonio needs a new head shot for work and social media.
San Jose | Japantown Studio 2017
Pro tip: We got a range of images but I always think a darker jacket like this works well for guys. A fun session together usually results in great shots.
Sometimes I get asked how much post processing I do on my photos. The answer is "not much" as I shoot a lot and don't use photoshop at all. Just a few tweaks in Lightroom, minimal if no cropping.
SF | 2017
The above shot straight out of camera, the below after my edits.
SF | 2017
Pro tip: My best shots require the least tweaking. Also key is to work the scene. For the above set up I shot 35 shots, interestingly like a roll of film!
