Your Next Visit
I was grateful to start having some assignments again beginning late June. It's been a long layoff. It's crazy how you lose a little bit of that muscle memory so fast. The camera is an extension of my arm and not having used it regularly. I needed a little warm-up time to get going.
I was grateful to start having some assignments again beginning late June. It's been a long layoff. It's crazy how you lose a little bit of that muscle memory so fast. The camera is an extension of my arm and not having used it regularly. I needed a little warm-up time to get going.
From The August health issue of Sacramento Magazeen
At the beginning of this month, I had the assignment to cover two dental offices. The goal was to photograph how they're adapting with the new COVID compliance, as well as what clients can expect when going to the dentist.
The first office I visited was Wallace J Bellamy DMD in Elk Grove, then Dr. Stephanie Sandretti, DDS, in Roseville.
I was very impressed with both offices and the lengths they are going through to keep their clients and staff safe. I was amazed to learn that they were already doing things pre-pandemic that were in compliance now.
Clients are in for a very safe experience, and in my observation, are going to have less chance of infection at the dentist than at Costco.
Dr. Bellamy, DDS
Dr. Stephanie Sandretti, DDS
The End Of The World
I'm pleased to finally get this image out in Sacramento Magazine’s May Issue. I started working on this idea on March 13th, just as everything was starting to change.
I'm pleased to finally get this image out in Sacramento Magazine’s May Issue. I started working on this idea on March 13th, just as everything was starting to change. I was trying to find a way to make an image about how I was feeling and what I thought was coming. On the day of the shoot Sunday March 15th, we had a window without rain for about 45 minutes. This sky was so dramatic and added to the feeling of the whole image. It's one of those times that everything came together and worked.
Thanks to
Model Chase Bews
https://www.instagram.com/cjbews/
Assistant Kevin Gomez
https://www.instagram.com/kevin_gomez_jr/
Gear used
Nikon Z6
Sigma 35mm Art
Phottix Indra 500's
Edited in Lightroom and Luminar 4
An Afternoon With Chris Sullivan
I was very excited when Sacramento Magazine asked me to travel to LA to photograph Chris Sullivan from the TV show This Is Us.
I was very excited when Sacramento Magazine asked me to travel to LA to photograph Chris Sullivan from the TV show This Is Us. Taking production on location always has its challenges, which are magnified when you have to fly with your gear, making sure you have all the things you need while away. We ended up hand carrying our lights on the plane and rented stands locally in Los Angeles. Everything went smoothly, and Chris and his team were terrific to work with.
It takes a team!
Art Direction : Gabriel Teague
Publicist: Maria Candida
Stylists: Lisa Cera and Tyler McDaniel at Crosby Carter Management
For my crew, it was an all-family affair with my daughter, Savannah Engle, as 1st assistant and my daughter Victoria's brother-in-law US Army Infantry Officer Veteran Clayton Reagan as 2nd assistant. No way things would have been so smooth without their help.
Myself, Chris Sullivan, and my daughter Savannah
Run Cover
A few months back, we went on location for a cover shoot, for a special Sacramento magazine supplement.
A few months back, we went on location for a cover shoot, for a special Sacramento magazine supplement. The day we chose ended up being the only day that week that was overcast and dreary, which worked in our favor. There was a bit of moisture which gave higher saturation to the surrounding plants and also made it easier for our model to function. The lighting for the shoot was Phottix Indra 500's. These lights are so ideal for location work. They offer very durable batteries as well as high-speed sync, which was crucial for a running shoot my other the lights would not have performed so well. It's so important to have a solid crew to help on these types of shoots. I've worked with all of these individuals before, and they're genuinely talented and good at what they do.
Thanks to a great crew!
Model: Arionna Morales
Makeup: Ernesto Robledo
Art Direction: John Facundo
Production: Christine Alward
Assistant: Skip Jones
An afternoon with some amazing history
Recently I was assigned to cover the historic rail yards in Sacramento, which consist of the Railyard, Boiler Shop, and the Erecting Shop for Sacramento Magazine. If you live in Sacramento, then you know this iconic location. Located in downtown Sacramento, it's been a location that I have wanted to explore my entire life. So my excitement, when I learned I was going to shoot there, was through the roof! The short story on why it became possible to shoot there is that the rail museum became the owner of the property recently and the red tape to get in was reduced. It still took a few months of e-mails and phone calls, which I was more than happy to participate in.
Recently I was assigned to cover the historic rail yards in Sacramento, which consist of the Railyard, Boiler Shop, and the Erecting Shop for Sacramento Magazine. If you live in Sacramento, then you know this iconic location. Located in downtown Sacramento, it's been a location that I have wanted to explore my entire life. So my excitement, when I learned I was going to shoot there, was through the roof! The short story on why it became possible to shoot there is that the rail museum became the owner of the property recently and the red tape to get in was reduced. It still took a few months of e-mails and phone calls, which I was more than happy to participate in.
Now for the planning part.
I had no idea what I would face in terms of lighting. All I knew was that the windows are big and beautiful. Knowing I would have some good natural light, I planned on bringing reflectors and strobes. Regularly using my Nikon 810 and Nikon D4, I also wanted to add an extra camera to my arsenal for this assignment, so I rented the Fuji GFX 50R. That's a medium format digital mirrorless camera. I had worked with the GFX the month prior in Palm Springs and loved the files it made. Also, the Electronic View Finder on the Fuji allows the user to see the exact image and exposure of the end product before you take it, which was a massive help in this environment.
Now onto the location.
My assistant Skip and I arrived around 8:45 am for the walkthrough. The first thing I noticed was how friendly the workers were. After further discussion, I came to find out that most of the workers are volunteers. These volunteers are there because of their absolute love of trains.
The next observation I had was how there is a vast amount of trains in the two buildings. As I looked around, I was a bit awestruck by the amazing history that surrounded me. It's tough to do the description justice (which is why I shoot pictures), but everywhere I turned I, saw part of our American history and learned how without the rail system we would not be the nation we are today.
It's time for the images.
We ended up shooting from 9am to noon. I could have gone all day, but our agreement was only for that time window and I never want to push it on these kinds of deals (I want to be invited back!). I made around 550 images and used the GFX for about 80% of those shots. I didn't use any strobes and only used the reflector a little; the light was that good!
Lastly, if you have never been to the main Rail Museum in Old Sacramento, then I suggest you go! And if you have been, then go again. They have some new items that are worth learning about and be sure and talk with the volunteers; they have some fascinating stories to tell.
Making The Most Out Of Your Location
For the past few years, I’ve been working with Sacramento Magazine photographing the area's top attorneys. This is a yearly supplement, and on average I have about 25 firms I have to photograph in a 45-day span.
For the past few years, I’ve been working with Sacramento Magazine photographing the area's top attorneys. This is a yearly supplement, and on average I have about 25 firms I have to photograph in a 45-day span. I genuinely enjoy meeting the different attorneys, and visiting their offices. There are several challenges that come with this type of assignment. If it’s a group shot, it’s very difficult to get everybody to one place at the same time for very long. Often I only get about eight to ten minutes with the full group. And in some cases, I have to photograph the group missing someone and add that person in later. If I know this ahead of time it is definitely workable, and I can leave spaces in the group for the missing person.
The location of choice..
Another challenge is to find the best location for my client. People are always looking to have a fresh image, and for years attorneys have used their libraries, and bookshelves as a background. This has been done time and time again. I try to steer them away from this, providing them with a background more suited for their personality.
When photographing individual attorneys I try to have two locations I can work with quickly. Again these individuals are extremely busy and I often only get between eight and fifteen minutes with them. You have to assess the environment, and lighting quickly to create your plan. A few years back I started having the images sent to my iPad as I shot. This has been a huge help in selecting the final image, ensuring my client is happy with the product that I’m producing.
This week presented all of these challenges. The attorney I was photographing wasn’t going to be available at first, but then found the time last minute, giving me only a short time to get over to the firm and determine my plan. It needed to be outside at twelve noon, which is difficult light to work with. After walking around the perimeter of their office I discovered a wonderful wall, that had aged black marks on it.
Using my scrim overhead I found it created a very nice light as my base layer. I then added in my Phottix Indra 500 light with the wide-angle diffuser and grid attached.
I got the exposure that I wanted on the wall first. Then I adjusted the output of the light to match the ambient exposure, giving me the illumination desired.
I was able to make 27 images in about five minutes. From an equipment standpoint, having my lights on my portable battery pack is tremendously useful. If I had tried to find plugs for my lights it would’ve taken me much longer, and I might’ve lost time photographing the attorney.
Here is the final image of Sacramento Attorney Eric Ratinoff
Cannabis Czar Joe Devlin
Back in November I had the pleasure of photographing Joe Devlin for Sacramento Magazine . He is the chief of cannabis policy and enforcement for the city of Sacramento. This was a fascinating assignment and I learned a LOT about the new cannabis policy. I ended up using one light as a fill. The grow room already had really good light, I just needed to fill the shadows.
Joe Devlin in a new high tech grow farm