Shooting with Open eyes, an Open Mind and Open Heart.
It’s the first day at the Weddings and Portrait Photographers Convention in Las Vegas and I find myself happily snapping away at newly engaged couple Brandie and John. The shoot was arranged by another photographer-friend Mike and his brother Todd. Just check out the awesome colors and happy expressions!
As soon as I got back from my PPGBA meeting this evening, I happily googled Bert Monroy, the guy who honored us with his presence. It’s usual for PPGBA to have awesome speakers at our monthly meetings, but Monroy was different. He wasn’t a photographer, but in fact an artist who specialized in using Photoshop to simulate images that looked like photographs. While Monroy mentioned people called his work “Photorealism,” he doesn’t like that label. But how else would you describe the art he produces (like the one above, grabbed from his website www.bertmonroy.com). It takes a super keen eye to not mistake this art for a photograph. His job is to make “photograph” renditions of things or scenes that don’t exist. This guy is pioneer. Imagine telling the people at Pixar and ILM how to do their job! Do check out his website, and if you have a couple of thousands dollars to spare, buy one of his prints. They are wonderful works of art.
18 happy years as a couple really shone through the results of this engagement pictorial. I was so happy to be part of their preparations and shoot with Tanya and Edmund that day. The shoot brought us around many parts of Presidio. The weather was great, the camaraderie was spontaneous and fun. It was a truly great day spent with a really lovely couple. We are so looking forward to covering their Napa wedding in September.
It’s wonderful to be outside shooting again! We had a wonderful shoot at the Santa Monica Pier with Mylene, Marlon and their cute three-year-old Martin. The three hour shoot just flew by, as we took shots at the beach, the arcade and the boardwalk. It was my first time to visit that part of Los Angeles and it’s no surprise why it’s such a popular spot with photographers. Now that we’re back in the Bay Area and the nippy weather, we’re definitely California dreaming about the warmth of L.A. and it’s friendly residents.
Below is the album layout for Martin’s Pictorial Book, which is available ala carte when you book a Family or Child Portrait session with Photograffiti. Check out the slideshow here.
Some photos from a recent pictorial with almost 1-year-old Andrew. The pictorial was done just days before his birthday. Such a cutie pie!