Inspiration came from Madonna’s music video “Give It 2 Me featuring Pharrell”.

All shots taken with a Nikon SB900 inside a  DIY Beauty Dish.

Mike is a member of The Pacific Savagez Motorcycle Crew based here in the Bay Area.  We’ve talked about doing a massive photo-shoot with all of the members of The Pacific Savagez MC but it’s so hard to get everyone to commit on a date considering there’s over 30 bikers.  In the meantime I took a few portraits of Mike on The White Seamless one day after work.   I thought since most photographers put furniture on a White Seamless, I’d do something different.  Nothing like having a custom Harley Davidson Motorcycle on a White Seamless.

This is Hollywood.  A hair stylist / make up artist from the Bay Area.

Fighting The Villain is a progressive rock band from the Bay Area.  The band members are Caitlyn Mae, Danny, Miguel, Cisco and Will.  They recently got back from a month long tour that covered several cities across the country, and are excited to release their new music video for a song called “Hidden”.

Vocalist – Caitlyn Mae

Guitarist – Cisco

Bassist – Will

Guitarist – Miguel

Drummer – Danny

I can’t begin to tell you how nervous I was taking on this shoot.  This was the first time I was going to shoot a band so naturally I wanted to do good and give the band some great photographs.  I couldn’t have asked for better help than my brother in law, Dreamworld Films, my good friends Fred and James. I couldn’t have done it with out their stellar help.  I’m blessed to have great friends around me.  This was the biggest production I’ve done up to date and it was such a learning experience.  So many things don’t go as planned and you learn as you go why they don’t work.  Sometimes it’s your own fault and other times it’s things you can’t prevent that get in the way.  There were two things I learned from this shoot.  One, you roll with the punches when things don’t go as planned and make the best of it. Secondly, when you surround yourself with hard working, positive people anything is possible.  THANKS to everyone that participated in this shoot.

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.