Patricia Kline with her individual pies.
I am really happy to have my photo of my wife, baker Patricia Kline, appear in Purdue Alumnus Magazine. Patricia has been featured in Oprah Magazine and The Wall Street Journal previously. Her ipies are sold at Bay Area farmers markets and on line. She also writes about baking in her blog ringalings.
Terry Guyer with Images from Silicon Valley Luminaries Collection.
Artist Terry Guyer paints some fascinating portraits. His series on Silicon Valley luminaries places famous inventors five at a time in paintings. Of course with many of these inventors deceased, Terry gets very creative in putting together his canvases. He portrays the inventors at the age they were when their breakthrough came. In this portrait of Terry, I placed him in front of two of his canvases. Terry used this portrait for his website. It was also used in his story as published InMenlo.com.
Neal Menschel in his studio in Menlo Park
What a pleasure it was to meet and photograph acclaimed photojournalist Neal Menschel for InMenlo. His studio was a minimalist’s nirvana, white walls, lots of natural light and a wall of wires with clothes pins. Anyone who has hung up wet prints from the darkroom will recognize these. He is doing so much I love to do. He teaches, has photographed all over the world and loves projects. His comments about the depth you get in photographs in a project is so true. Projects are so good for finding subtle wrinkles in an established thought or prejudice.
Neal had a chair in the studio with a pillow that read “When was the last time you did something for the first time.” Words to live by and words he has obviously taken to heart.
I recently got to shoot the Lemon Twist Drill Team. The talented folks at Lemon Twist took my photos and made this great promotion for their store. Lemon Twist create unique clothes that are sophisticated and fun. Leave it to them to come up with a unique promotion like the drill team. Featuring their clothes of course!
Jessica Curtis at the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco
I remember early on learning about color temperature and different types of light sources – warm-orange incandescent lights, green fluorescents, cold-blue halogens. I learned they were something to be avoided. I was taught how to gel my lights so they would match the ones behind the subject and then balance the whole thing back to daylight. But something funny happened when I did some night photography. I fell in love with all the colors in my photos when there were mixed lights.
My recent shoot with Jessica Curtis for InMenlo had such an opportunity. The kitchen behind her had all three types of lights I mentioned above. I decided to light her with my soft box and shoot at daylight temperature. This let the lights in the back do their mixed magic.
Chad Puhalj on his roof in Berkeley, CA
The shot of skateboard entrepreneur Chad Puhalj offered one of my favorite mixed light scenarios, a sunset, city lights and my strobes. As the sun fell behind the horizon, it went from yellow to blue and magenta. The lights came up in the city and on the roof where we were shooting, all warm and yellow. I balanced the the desired light temperature to my strobe on Chad. I also fired a strobe on the metal behind him to get a pure silver glow.
Niki Leondakis, Main Lobby, St. Regis Hotel, San Francisco, CA
Niki Leondakis, COO and President of the Kimpton Group was the subject for my cover shoot for TravelAge West magazine. The February 20, 2012 issue featured shots of Niki on the cover, table of contents and with the article. We did the shoot at the St. Regis Hotel near Union Square in San Francisco. Recently remodeled, the hotel has a lively and rich interior, featuring a huge plastic version of their signature Beefeater behind the bar. We wanted to show this rich room and sat Niki at the elegant bar in the main lobby. The ornate ceiling and chandeliers provided a lush backdrop.
Niki Leondakis at Harry Denton's Starlight Room, San Francisco, CA
For the closeup portrait we went to Harry Denton’s Starlight Room on the top floor. This popular San Francisco night spot has also recently been remodeled and I loved the red velvet booths. Ms. Leondakis was a pleasure to work with as was Deborah Dimond from TravelAge West.
Hélène Wickett, Menlo Park, CA
In the photo of the pianist Hélène Wickett (above), I was hoping to use the natural light from the windows behind her to make a warm natural looking image. But the composition of the shot with the piano keys behind her worked really well. There was a door just to her right. I placed a strobe with soft box in there, to add light on the right side of her face (camera left). This also threw some light on her hand and the viola, as well as the piano keys. I like how natural this looks. By using the existing doorway and only augmenting the light coming from there, the photo still looks very natural.
PoshMark team at their headquarters in Menlo Park, CA
In the portrait of Emily Jean, I had a big window late in the day. The light was very soft and faint. I love how the light gently illuminates the curve of her back and face. I added a reflector on the left to fill in the shadows and give her hair extra highlights. This simple approach always seems to yield a very gentle and arm portrait. Throw in that gorgeous smile and you can’t help but be happy looking at this photo.
Emily Jean, Menlo Park, CA
There were windows on both sides and a door behind me and slightly to the left. The room was very dark so I used a high ISO and slow shutter speed and set the camera on a tripod. The long exposure had the added benefit of blurring her hands as she made a bamboo holder for her pots. No extra lights were needed here. I am always amazed at the warmth of the light in a photo like this. Everything looked so dark before I took the photo. But the room was so beautifully unkempt; I wanted it to be preserved for the photo in its natural state.
Joy Imai at her Allied Arts shop in Menlo Park, CA
Tim Christensen, Artist, Menlo Park, CA
This collection contains my favorite photos that I created in 2011. These are presented in no particular order and is really not a top 10. With each photo I mastered a new technique or idea, got a revelation, or got to work with a fascinating person. In most cases, it was all three. There are links to more photos and backgrounds of the subjects nestled throughout this write-up.
Tim Christensen is a talented artist painting nude figures, flowers and other subjects. I shot him for an article in InMenlo.com, a local blog that interviews some very interesting and creative people. This photo was taken with natural light in Tim’s garage/studio. I love his intensity and warmth. The colors are great too.
Miss Nicole Malice, San Francisco, 2011
Miss Nicole Malice is a very fearless and creative model. I had an idea to get a dress and cut it up to reveal her tattoos. We kept cutting and revealing until we were left with this portrait, which I think is very sexy and elegant at the same time.
Nathaniel Skinner, Menlo Park, CA, 2011
Nathaniel Skinner is a family friend I have known since he was an infant. This shot was done as a graduation photo. We went to the park at sunset and Nathaniel started jumping. He had worn the MiSFit sweatshirt and I told him to leave it on. The energy of this photo make it a favorite.
Leonore Daschbach, Atherton, CA, 2011
Leonore Daschbach is one of the Grande Dames of Atherton. She lives in an old house full of warmth and memories. This was another shot for InMenlo. The light comes from a skylight above Leonore. This photo pairs well with the Nathaniel shot. There is a continuity of spirit between the two.
Megan Renee, San Jose CA, 2011
Megan Renee and I were all set to shoot at a location when the owner canceled. We moved to a nearby house where this was shot at the last minute. In the bathroom, I noticed this great shower curtain, which I placed a strobe behind for our shot. Megan stood tiptoed on a piano bench and struck this beautiful pose.
Mr and Mrs Miscellaneous, San Francisco CA, 2011
Mr. & Mrs. Miscellaneous make the best ice cream I have ever tasted. Their store in San Francisco is within walking distance of our home. The place is packed with little treasures old and new. They are a delightfully, in love couple. I cracked a joke and got this charming portrait. Then I took a pint of salted caramel home!
Dimmplz, Burning Man 2011
For the second year, I took my mobile studio to Burning Man. This couple never stopped bringing out the great costumes. They were my neighbors at the burn and were a delight to be near. This image captures the creativity, joy and sense of freedom that I love at the burn. It is my favorite of the 500 portraits I took. Read my blog about Burning Man.
Jen Yu, Lady with Ferret, Menlo Park CA, 2011
I met Jen Yu and got to talking with her when she mentioned her ferrets and how much she loved having them. About this same time, I was taking a course on Italian Renaissance painters and saw Leonardo’s “Lady with Ermine”. I sent an image of the painting to Jen. She showed up with the pearls and ferrets. Then, she nailed the expression. Even the ferret was a star.
Krysta Kaos, San Francisco CA, 2011
Aili Ice, Redwood City CA, 2011
Aili Ice is a floral artist. If I want flowers for my wife, I wouldn’t go anywhere else. She is bubbly and creative. We took this shot in her tiny shop in a storage unit. My lights barely fit.
Karli Henneman in black dress with Vintage Jewelry
I’m not sure when I first became aware of the little black dress. Probably in puberty when I started noticing girls and saw a rerun of Breakfast at Tiffany’s with Audrey Hepburn in her Givenchy dress. I recently took a fashion photography class. When trying to come up with a concept, I did what I always do. I looked to the classics.
Sometimes I worked with Stylists, but usually I asked each model to come to the shoot, with her favorite black dress and a pair of heels. To simplify it even further, I decided to shoot on a black or dark grey seamless background. (For more technical details, see my Lightmonkey Blog.) It was all very simple. In my experience, almost every model has a Little Black Dress or “LBD”.
The LBD started in the 1920’s with Coco Chanel, according to Amy Holman, author of “The Little Black Dress”. Vogue magazine called it her Model T. It was a dress that any woman could afford and wear, very versatile and in good taste.
Kristie California in her own dress and heels.
The thing that strikes me is how every woman looks great in her LBD. Along with the dark background, it really puts the emphasis on the face and legs. The figure looks slim and trim because the dress hugs the body so tightly. Legs appear long because of how short the dress is and the heels extend the height. But I think the real reason is that the subject always feels beautiful and elegant in the dress.
When I started shooting my Women with Tattoos series, I started having the models bring an LBD and heels as well. I got some pretty sparse numbers, but the models always appeared elegant and beautiful.
As I progressed with the concept, I decided to go back to the masters and come up with variations. From Jerry Schatzberg, a fashion photog from the 60s, I got the idea of integrating motion. I tried to catch the models jumping, dancing or moving. I also started having them kneel or twist so I could fill the frame more.
Dove in her own skirt and top.
Like the Little Black Dress, there seems to be no end to the variations on this theme. Coco Chanel herself said it best, “Dress shabbily and they remember the dress; dress impeccably and they remember the woman.”
To see the entire group of Little Black Dress photos, you can visit my flickr page.
Olivia Dantes as she appeared for the shoot. San Francisco, CA, 2011
I am always wrestling with the idea of what constitutes a portrait. Wikipedia defines a portrait as “a painting, photograph, sculpture, or other artistic representation of a person, in which the face and its expression is predominant. The intent is to display the likeness, personality, and even the mood of the person. For this reason, in photography a portrait is generally not a snapshot, but a composed image of a person in a still position. A portrait often shows a person looking directly at the painter or photographer, in order to most successfully engage the subject with the viewer.”
I suppose this is a good starting definition. In displaying the likeness of the sitter, who defines that likeness? I once heard it said that a portrait is four such likenesses. The person as they want to be seen, the person as the artist sees them, the person as the viewer sees them and the person as they really are. I think this last one is what I prefer to strive for, but often only achieve with great difficulty. To get to that true likeness, there are a lot of barriers to break through.
Olivia Dantes, American Apparel Dress, San Francisco, CA, 2011
The person as they want to be seen is a huge barrier. Everyone has a mask they present to the world, especially to a photographer. They pick clothes they might not usually wear, thinking it makes them look better. Hair gets cut or styled. Makeup is applied. Families all show up in matching clothes. When I am shooting a model, I have them bring several outfits to the shoot. But I try to start out photographing them in the clothes they arrived in. The first photo of Olivia Dantes is in the clothes she arrived in – black tank and sneakers. I had Olivia do her own make-up rather than bringing in a make-up and hair person. At least then, I get the person’s own view of themselves and probably a more realistic representation.
The person as the artist sees them is similarly difficult to transcend. I see Olivia as a beautiful woman and tend to accentuate that. For this shoot I brought an orange dress and blue fishnets, with the idea that they would highlight the tattoos – an essential element of her personality. Since there is a lot of orange and blue in her tattoos, I wanted to bring those colors out. We ripped the fishnets to expose the tattoos. So we almost ended up creating a character for Olivia to play, rather than getting a true portrait.
Olivia Dantes, Nude, San Francisco, CA, 2011
The person as the viewer sees them. This is always in my mind. For my tattoo series I enjoy breaking through that prejudice that a lot of people have that tattoos are garish or unfeminine. To me they are a big part of determining a person’s personality, at least in what they want to project to the world. One subject told me that she was always nasty and rude until she got her tattoos. Then they became her shield and she relaxed and could be more herself. In this nude, the gentle lines and elegance of her pose soften the edges of the tattoos and present a peaceful and graceful portrait to the viewer.
Olivia Dantes, Black Dress, San Francisco, CA, 2011
Finally, there is the true likeness, the holy grail of portrait photography. We put Olivia in a black dress. There is an elegance and simplicity that does not distract. The eye focuses on the face, arms and hands. These are the most expressive parts of the body. In this shot, we have her beautiful elegance, simple hair and makeup. Her eyes sparkle showing her intelligence. The slightly uplifted chin telegraphs her strength. My favorite thing is the interlocked index fingers. Perhaps they betray a little bit of unguarded vulnerability and create a gentle counterpoint to the vibrant, strong images tattooed on her arms. This portrait illustrates one of those in between moments we photographers crave. It gives us that insight into the true likeness.
As the great portrait photographer Yousuf Karsh wrote, “Within every man and woman a secret is hidden, and as a photographer it is my task to reveal it if I can. The revelation, if it comes at all, will come in a small fraction of a second with an unconscious gesture, a gleam of the eye, a brief lifting of the mask that all humans wear to conceal their innermost selves from the world. In that fleeting interval of opportunity the photographer must act or lose his prize.”
