Featuring: Jamie Nammany, President-Elect ASID/OC

I had the pleasure of photographing Jamie Nammany of Interior Matters last week upon my return from the UK.  Jamie is the President-Elect of the American Society of Interior Designers Orange County.  We had chosen to photograph her in her beautiful home because as its designer, she loved it's design elements and colors.  As a client, it's the ultimate in comfort when being photographed.  As a photographer, making my clients feel at ease results in better images and there is nowhere more comfortable than their own home!

As she showed me around and we discussed areas we could use, I felt like I was touring a gorgeous design house, but one that felt so much more comfortable.  We choose three areas to work in, but I knew the minute I took my first test shot, what would be my favorite.

My favorite spot was a small corner in her dining room, with window light coming from both the side and the front of her, brightening her eyes and naturally softening her face.  I knew that the wall color would become a little darker and would enhance the richness of her blouse color and the minute I took this image, I knew we had a winner.  I also knew that the drapes might be distracting for the final image.  I always try to get as close to my finished image as possible in camera, but sometimes a little help is necessary in processing.  In photoshop I extended the canvas to remove the drapes and created this: a much stronger, cleaner image of Jamie.  (You might also notice a little smoothing of her blouse on her shoulder to look a little neater).  (on a side note: I really like creating a little fun in photoshop like this GIF, but what I don't like is the banding it added to my image (insert frown face here) so I've included the image as well)  

 I love how rich and elegant yet friendly this image feels--just like Jamie.  Congratulations Jamie, on your upcoming Presidency!

If you'd like to see more of Jamie's gorgeous interiors, click here.

There's no place like home. Portraits at Home!

I'll go just about anywhere to shoot a good portrait, but admittedly, I love photographing clients in their own home!  When you're at home, you're relaxed, a bathroom is nearby, and food and drink make merry.  My clients this weekend wanted to combine a "We've moved into our new house" and "Merry Christmas" theme all in one--a great idea!

Before any session, making a plan for the shoot so that it flows smoothly is critical--particularly when kids are involved.  Or dads.  Sometimes dads too.  Or anyone really.  With home portraits, I like to take a look ahead of time to see the areas I have to work with and the lighting conditions.  It allows me to plan out my lighting and the equipment I'll need to bring.  We'll talk about each area that we plan to photograph in and what needs to be done to ready it for the shoot. If we need furniture or props, we'll talk about that and make sure they are there the day of the shoot.  Clothing is always covered in the conversation.  On the day of the shoot, I want you to feel completely ready and relaxed--not feeling like you've got to run out to find one more outfit.

With this home session, we planned to start at 2:30--typically not an optimal start time during an outdoor session, but we planned to start at the front of the house in a beautifully shaded area and work our way to the open area in the back with direct light as the sun started on it's downward trajectory.  When kids are involved, I usually have about an hour before they start to tire of me.  I'm fascinating and fun, but I like to leave those littles wanting more rather than spent, so I plan my sessions to make the most of my kid time.  But at home, I usually get a little longer, because kids can take a break and head to their room or grab a snack.  And I try to plan the most fun part of the shoot for the end, so that the anticipation of the end shot keeps the energy level up.  With this home session, we planned on a few that involved the pool, so EVERYONE was excited to get to that part!  Just another cold winter day in Southern California!

Got a crazy fun idea for a shoot with me?  Let's chat about it!
Talk to you soon!