The behind the scenes look of how I arrive with a great photo.

Client:  The Buzz Oates Group of Companies

The people behind the scenes at Buzz Oates, 34 corporate shots of people, work in progress, still more to come.

Most of my clients only think I shoot Architectural work but I also do people. It is all about the light, picking the right location location and delivering. Quite a process to get this shot.First we scout location one, not much in the foreground, let’s move on to another location.

We look at a building the client owns, might work but we are looking for the State Capitol has to be in the background, keep looking.

A recent assignment “The State Library”, great view of the State Capitol, keep looking. It takes time and energy to do this but the end results are worth the effort.

We settled after 4-5 months, 12 stories up in the air, good location with the State Capitol in the background. I arrived at 6:45 a.m. to start move equipment to the roof.   I would normally cancel this kind of shoot because of the wind.  We had only a limited amount of time of open shade to work in before the sun popped over the top of the building.Make-up, add the supplemental lighting to get that nice catch light in her eyes. It looks natural even between the gusts of wind.
It works and Shelley has great colors in her outfit to hold your eyes on her.
Same location our last shot here before the sun got to high in the sky.Now we had to move to another location, set up a 6×6 silk to soften the daylight and most of all our assistant JR had to hold on to the frame in the wind, so it would not blow it over. Three or four different people here and we break this set down at 12:30, great day, great photo’s and I am happy.

Hank & Thom Loft SF

Client: Big Ass Fans, Lexington, KY

Project: Hank & Thom’s loft in San Francisco, California

As I was told there is no harsh light in the morning a good time would be after 10:00 in the morning, it looks great about that time.  Great space, and I always do what is right for the space and the light. Not flattering light at 10:00 in the morning, outside lights blows out, no separation with the fan from the ceiling, right place, wrong time!  I am here let’s take a look upstairs, and your eyes go directly to the buses, outside the window.  Hank and Thom, this is not going to work for me, can we do this this evening?  Yes, we have no plans, I will be back at 7:00.  Time to kill nine hours.

I am back, just starting as the light slowly starts to change outside. Adding a book to the foreground always adds interest.It’s all about the light, their space was lighted perfect and I only needed one light to light the space. I would say my hosts were great and thru talking with them, I found out that they recently lost their dog “Corky” that they had for 16 years. I always looking to accessorize the foreground, their book on their dog, just gave this a personnel touch, that only Hank and Thom would know, fitting I asked if I could use their book, they said yes. The book open gave to much attention to the book and not the fan.Close the book, turn the chair and add a light on the floor that lights up the fan so their is separation from the ceiling.My hosts gave a very nice glass of wine and adding it to the foreground, just made this like they were reading the book on “Corky”.  This was my favorite angle, maybe darker blue light out the window.

This works as a straight elevation.  I turned the chair on the right side but it will probably look better if that chair is straight.Turn the chair straight, the fire now shows in the fireplace, darker blue light outside gives a nice contrasting to the warmth of the inside and the fan pops from the supplemental lighting.  Yes don’t  forget to crop out the shadow from the fan blade in the top of the photo and photoshop out your cord from your light.Great space, great people, my client is real happy,  I deliver what is right for every job, I only know one way to do it, it’s the right way.

Elyse Vincent Big Ass Fans

Thank you for doing that – the pictures are beautiful! I really appreciate the time and effort you spent on this shoot.