Shooting Sport Editorials (Part 2)

Almost every Bay Area climber know that some of the best rock climbing pictures in the world are taken in Yosemite, California, a mere 4 hours drive from San Francisco.  But what do you do when your client lives in San Francisco and has only a few hours to spare for a climbing photo shoot?   Fortunately the Bay Area boasts several scenic rock climbing locations, and places like Mt. Tam and Turtle Rock offer sweeping views of Marin,  the East Bay and San Francisco.  These images were taken for client Jameson and Jackson Search Partners to profile the outdoor lifestyle of company executive Claire Musngi.

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Shooting Sport Editorials

In recent weeks, I've had several really fun on-location shoots that took advantage of my strength in environmental portraiture, and my love of outdoor adventure sports.  My client, Jameson and Jackson Search Partners, asked me to profile their staff for the launch of their new website, so I was thrilled to have the opportunity to flex my creative muscle and photograph these scenic action and editorial images. 

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Simplifying Portraiture

I’ve been in a black and white picture-making mood lately.  This need to “go dark” emerged during my earlier black and white portrait experiments and has stuck with me stylistically since then.

A lighting instructor once taught me that shooting a subject against a black background was cheating because it was too easy of a thing to do and doesn’t challenge you creatively.

I disagree.  I like to strip the background of all distractions so that my subjects become the center of attention.  I want their expressions and emotions to fill the image.  I don’t want their faces to compete with any other element in the photo.  It actually forces me to work harder to create a classic, timeless portrait that is both beautiful and meaningful.

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