Posted by on February 22, 2009
For the past few months I’ve been working with my cousin Saul on his headshots and website. We both have full time jobs, so it’s been a slow process. Scheduling conflicts aside, we have managed to put a gallery together and I’ve learned quite a lot about outdoor posing and studio work.
For our first session we planned for three to four wardrobe changes in two different locations–Downtown Riverside and my home studio. This seemed like a good start for both of us. The shots around the downtown area were fairly straightforward. Areas like that are really nice because you get an infinite variety of backdrops for no money. The day was clear and fairly sunny, so we stayed in the shadows in order to avoid squinting. In retrospect, I do wish we’d gone in the late afternoon to catch a bit of that light just before sunset.
Back in my studio we set up in the late afternoon, but because it’s a home studio there were some problems with light streaming through windows and casting shadows. Luckily, Saul was patient and in about half an hour the sun was low enough to let me work. Overall, I was able to get some good studio shots.
You can view a sample gallery up at www.saultejeda.com. The site and the gallery are both in progress, so check back for updates. We hope to have his resume, bio and some performance videos up very soon.
Posted by on December 26, 2008
Jessica allowed me to be her holiday photographer yet again this year. I strongly believe it’s because she has fallen in love with the quality of work and not because I’ve been her personal photographer since birth.
This year I learned a lot more about dealing with a toddler in a portable studio. Equipment used during this in-home shoot included my Canon EOS 5D, Speedlight flash unit, a tripod, a tungsten light, some background fabrics and some stands. All of this is important because you have to keep track of all of these items a lot more intensely when there’s a toddler scurrying about. Kids will be cooperative for about 20 to 30 minutes tops. Beyond that the session becomes a game of patience and control. Luckily Jessica’s parents and uncle were around to help and were able to provide some entertainment for a while. Of course, when that wasn’t enough we did resort to letting her wriggle her fingers in some feeder fish. Sound gross? Maybe, but it was great for some giggles and that made for some nice shots.
(more…)
Posted by on July 15, 2008
On the morning of the 5th I drove over to orange county to take team picture for the O.C. Impact girls’ softball team. They were a fantastic group. I took this fun team photo that they plan to put on their banner at Nationals.
(more…)
Posted by on February 29, 2008
A few weeks ago, my friend David Lee asked for some help on an Engagement Shoot. David was one of my assistants at Tom & Ashley’s wedding, so I didn’t hesitate to offer my services 
We met at The Mission Inn in Downtown Riverside. To the best of my knowledge, The Mission Inn charges a fee to use their location for photography, so I wondered if David had gotten permission to shoot there. Well, he hadn’t. However, we were presently surprised to see that there was a bridal show there, so we were able to wonder about for quite some time without being detected. In fact, no one approached us until we tried taking photos along a walkway outside. When they asked us to leave and did so immediately, so it was no big deal. Luckily, the area just outside along the mall is really nice. There are some antique shops with cute facades, benches, statues, water fountains, etc. That served as a perfect background for our shots.
I really enjoyed the experience and I heard from David that the couple was pleased with all of their photos