May 2009 Photograph of the Month: Sunset at Pigeon Point

Sunset at Pigeon Point

This month’s photograph is titled “Sunset at Pigeon Point”

In my work I am usually facing the wrong direction to see the sunset, so this is a somewhat unique image for me. I shot this image as part of a series I was working on at the Pigeon Point Lighthouse; it has turned out to be my second best selling stock image. The Pigeon Point lighthouse is unique in that it is the only “classic” lighthouse on the West Coast. Its tower-like structure is required due to the low cliffs that are available at this location, while elsewhere along the coast the cliffs provide the elevation required to lift the lighthouse up out of the fog on the surface of the sea.
This was a difficult image to create because I wanted detail in the lighthouse without creating a solid black silhouette. To achieve this I needed to wait until very late in the sunset cycle, beyond what most people see as complete darkness, and then I light-painted the lighthouse with a two million candlepower spotlight from the camera position. The result was the perfect combination of darkness and light to capture the mood of the scene.

It was challenging not only because of the technical and creative obstacles I needed to overcome, but also because once it was done I was 100 feet from the beach  negotiating rather treacherous wet rocks covered with seaweed in the dark with my camera bag & tripod, the tide was rapidly advancing and I had a 25 foot cliff to climb. I made it out safely and now have both an interesting story to tell and a wonderful image to share.

I hope you enjoy this month’s photograph.

All images in my “Photograph of the Month” series are sized and formatted as a screen saver or computer desktop wallpaper. You can click on the image to open in a new window or download; please, share it with your family and friends, with my compliments.

A job well done

I just delivered a completed project to Marie Chan of Interspace Design, she is also the President Elect of the Peninsula Chapter of the California ASID.

Here is one of the images from that project. You can view the others in my Gallery.

Interior Design Photography: Breakfast counter through kitchen to diningroom.

We shot this residence in Saratoga, CA – a town on the south-west end of the San Francisco Bay – a couple of weeks ago. It was a lot of fun working with Marie. She has worked with some very good architectural photographers in the past and understands the need to be careful and work hard at getting things set up just right. She always brings fresh flowers and a good selection of vases. She really is quite good at floral design and her minimalist discipline really worked well to contribute to the final images without taking over the shots.

The home was bright and airy and the interior design had a clean, fun feeling to it. I shot it using the High Dynamic Range Imaging technique to capture the natural softness of the light to enhance the contemporary design.

The homeowners were absolutely wonderful about letting us come into their home and make the changes we needed to create these wonderful images. They had a remarkable collection of glass figurines. I was almost afraid to touch any of them but we did what needed to be done to get the job done… we just did it very carefully.

Marie and I had to go through a few rounds of proofing because both she and I wanted to make sure the colors were just right. I’m always happy to work with my clients to ensure their work is being represented the way they want. It took us about a week and five different sets of digital proofs, but I am very proud to say that the color is perfect – according to Marie. I am very proud to hear a client say such a nice thing about my work.

Filoli – A “Study” in before and after.

Last week I had the opportunity to photograph the study at the Filoli Estate annual flower show for Miller Design Company.  Bob and Jacob are both very talented designers and I am honored to have the opportunity to help them with their photography on yet another project.

Here’s just one of the images from the show. The rest are on display at the Miller Design Company blog.

High Dynamic Range Imaging

I used the High Dynamic Range Imaging Technique that is making such a  hit with my clients. As you can see it allows me to capture the emotional essence of a space much better than ever before.

I have been busy

Once again I am shocked to find that so much time has passed since I last made an entry here. I’m glad to be busy but it seems there is never enough time to do all the things you want to do.

Right now I am waiting for the computer to process a few images using the HDRI technique that I am working with. The results of that are absolutely amazing and I will be posting more about it and more images soon.

I have been busy shooting interior design for Miller Design Company at the annual Filoli event, Interspace Design at a private residence. Viscusi Elson Interior Design at another private residence – we shot two ads and a full house shoot for Gina that day.

I’ve also been trying to keep up with several volunteer projects, one for the SF/SPCA and another for Canopy.org.
I am still working on the feral cat project for the SF/SPCA.
And Canopy had a lecture by E.O. Wilson an environmental celebrity and Pelegrino University Professor Emeritus. This was a really big deal for them and I was glad to make a contribution. Canopy was very nice and listed me as one of their sponsors along with Stanford and many other prestiious organizations, my wife and I are pleased that we found a way to be philanthropic despite our (comparatively) limited means.

I’m still trying to get my files transferred to my portfolio gallery. It seems each time I hit the “G’s” another project comes up. At this rate I’m not sure if i can get my archives posted, but my clients need my help, so…

The wheels never stop turning…

unless they’re grinding to a halt.

I’m shocked to see that it’s been a week since my last post. It seems like it was only yesterday and yet it also seems like it was a lifetime ago. I’ve been busy with shooting, meetings with clients, proposals to write, a trip to Fresno for work and upgrading my website to take advantage of  technological advances.

The website has been the single biggest draw on my time but with the addition of the gallery and blog there were a lot of structural changes that no one will ever see that required a major investment to implement. They’re done now and the goal of improving the customer service I give my clients is being achieved. There are some functional changes that need to be made because of the advancements, such as the means of identifying the individual projects while still protecting the privacy of the end client. But these changes will require time and collaboration with my clients to determine the best solutions. I  always consult my clients when making and changes to the way I work; this is why my operations, policies and procedures work so well for them, because they help me plan and implement them.

O.K. I have to go now. I have two proposals and seven HDRI images to process as well as a slide show to produce and two delivery DVD’s to burn. I remember a time when simply writing two proposals would constitute the majority of a days work, it is simply amazing what we can accomplish these days, but it’s still takes hard work and a lot of it to keep things moving.

Bye!