When Marina hired me for a few portraits of her and her friends, Ethan and Carlos,  I automatically knew I had to photograph them at the historic Sutro Baths in San Francisco.  I wanted a location where they would be surrounded by water and sky.    I met Marina and Carlos last year when I took a few portraits of them and other ballerina dancers at the dance studio in which they practice.

Make sure you check out Marina’s new fashion blog site she started a few days ago.  Urban Stripes

Today I got to meet a few members of Fighting The Villain, guitarist Cisco Estrada was unable to make the meeting due to his work schedule. Can’t wait to meet him.  They’re a progressive rock band from the bay area and have been playing together since 2007.  We discussed a few ideas and several concepts for an upcoming shoot I have with the band.  During our meeting I decided to take a few portraits just to break the ice.    They are about to go on the road for a few weeks so we’ve schedule the shoot when they get back from the road.   I can’t begin to tell you how cool and down to earth they are.  I’m excited to be working with them and take on the challenge in photographing a band.  Make sure you check out their music, in my opinion it’s really good.

Here’s their new single Desiderium by Fighting The Villain

Last year I photographed Jemma and had such a great time I was eager to work with her again.   Due to our busy schedules finding time was not an easy task.   After several months passed we finally found time to go out, take some portraits and scheduled two more shoots for 2012.   I’m starting to realize I might need a helping hand for future shoots.  It’s tough being the art director, the stylist, the photographer and the assistant at the same time.   Our shoot lasted under an hour because the fog came in out of nowhere so we had to cut it short.   In the end, we both were happy with the results and can’t wait for our next collaboration in a few weeks.

Whitney Lauritsen is a journalist, environmentalist, and vegan who promotes healthy living and sustainability. She shares tips on how to be kind to your body and the earth via video, photography, and writing.   She’s originally from Massachusetts and lived in Los Angeles for several years before moving north to San Francisco a few months ago.   Aside from writing, she enjoys photography very much. We talked about our experiences in photography and discussed our favorite photographers that have inspired us.  It was such a pleasure meeting and working with Whitney.   Our original plan was to do an outdoor shoot but unfortunately the weather in the Bay Area was foggy and drizzling.   We did not want to miss the opportunity to work with one another so we took the shoot inside my garage for a few portraits.

All photos taken with one light except the White Seamless which I used two for those.  Thanks To Whitney Lauristen for the opportunity and can’t wait to shoot again in a few weeks.

I received a call about taking photos of ballet dancers the night before the shoot was going to happen.  I had no idea how the location or models looked like.  Never had I taken photographs of dancers before so not only was I excited, I was a bit nervous as well.   That night I tried to think of ideas but it was hard to envision anything.  On the day of the shoot I decide to bring One Light & Two Modifiers, sometimes less is more.   Once I arrived I met the dancers, Carmen, Silas, Marina, Carlos, and Sam.  They were really friendly and excited to be photographed.  I liked the location very much but there was something I didn’t expect.  There was another class of dancers practicing in the same dance studio and I wasn’t allowed to photograph them under any circumstances.  That forced me to be minimal in my compositions.  Nevertheless, I had a great time photographing the dancers.  Also meeting them was a big plus.  We are planning on doing a second shoot but outdoors and more planned out.  If any of you have any suggestions, I’m all ears.

Thanks to Carmen, Silas, Marina, Carlos, Sam and Willie for the invite.   Like always, a huge learning experience and good times.

Lauren had never been exposed to off flash photography before.   It’s a form of photography she wants to learn about and incorporate in her work.   She was kind enough to give me a few tips on how she shoots in a natural light setting.  Learning from others experiences is huge to me.  I feel like I walk away with something extra I can add to my photography.  A big “thank you” to Jay and Lauren for a fun afternoon of photography.  I had a blast!!

Can’t wait to see Lauren’s photography take on a new twist with off flash photography.  Wish you the best and thank you!

Feel free to ask me any questions in the comment box about my lighting..

Thx

Jorge

Johnny & Rose are a unique couple with a unique style. They invited me into their home to take photos of them. I was excited to do so because their home decor was a perfect backdrop to their portraits. A nearby cemetery also became a great location for the rest of the photo shoot. I had a lot of fun because I’ve never shot clients with this kind of look before. They were great to work with and I was thankful for the opportunity.

Feel free to ask me questions in the comment box. Thank you for visiting my website.

This photo shoot was a good opportunity for me to learn a little bit more about Letty from what I already know from listening to her radio show. She shared her inspirational story of how she started from the ground up at the famous KISS FM station in Los Angeles and worked her way up to her own show here in San Francisco. She’s a great example of how hard work and determination can help you achieve your dreams.  Thanks to Letty for being so kind and professional during the shoot.  I wish her the best.

Be sure to listen to Letty B. on 99.7NOW during the weekdays from 10am to 2pm.

Please feel free to ask questions by leaving them in the comment box. Thanks!

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I had never been to Oakland’s Fox Theater before so I was excited to see how the venue looked and what a nice venue it was.  When I arrived I met Spank Rock’s team and was told that he was at the hotel and would be arriving in an hour for sound check.  That gave me time to walk around the venue freely and met a few bartenders that served me free drinks.  Not bad huh?  When Spank Rock arrived,  we talked a bit about his new album, his show and life on tour.  At that point the rest of the artists arrived, Ke$ha & LMFAO.  I was introduced to them and they all where very kind to me.  It was a treat for me seeing these artists during sound check.  Seeing how much work is put into a show and how many people are involved was an eye opener for me.   When the time came for the show to begin, I was asked to turn off my camera when Ke$ha & LMFAO were around.  I was not authorized to photograph them.   I didn’t mind.  Just being backstage with them was enough for me.

When Spank Rock took the stage I couldn’t help but get a few goose bumps, seeing the crowd cheer for him, the amplified sound of music, and his performance is something that needs to be seen.  The energy this guy puts into a show was mind blowing.   I took several shots from backstage but when I wanted to move to the front of the stage, I was denied access by security.  I guess it was due to lack of communication by Spank Rock’s team and the venue’s security team.  At first I was bummed out because I wanted to take photos of him from the front of the stage but quickly got over it.   None the less, I had an amazing experience, I saw an amazing performance by Spank Rock and got to see Ke$ha & LMFAO perform.   After the show ended the backstage parties were in full effect.  Turned off the camera and learned to party like a rock star… haha

Rolling Stone magazine gave Spank Rock’s album, “Everything Is Boring, And Everyone’s A Fucking Liar”, 4 out of 5 stars.

]]> http://www.jmorenophoto.com/blog/spank-rock-live/feed/ 0 http://www.jmorenophoto.com/blog/reias-portrait-session/ http://www.jmorenophoto.com/blog/reias-portrait-session/#comments Sun, 25 Sep 2011 02:32:51 +0000 Jorge http://www.jmorenophoto.com/?p=2661 Reia is one of my co-workers.  She’s an OR Nurse who happens to have some of the coolest tattoos I’ve seen.

I’ve known Reia for several years now but never hung out with her outside of work.  I never knew she was so much fun.  She introduced me to the band Gogol Bordello and served me some beer that gave me a good buzz.  Her boyfriend, Dan, who also happens to have some pretty cool tattoos made a small cameo.  I can’t begin to tell you how cool these two are.  It was my pleasure to hang out with them and photograph them.  Thanks to Reia and Dan for the wonderful opportunity and great hospitality.

Feel free to ask me any question in the comment box.  Thanks for visiting my photos.