My Evolution with AI in Photography: A Blend of Art and Technology

As a photographer, my journey has always been about capturing the essence of a moment, playing with light and shadows to tell a story. The advent of AI in creative arts presented a curious blend of possibilities and challenges. Generating images through artificial intelligence seemed like a distant, somewhat impersonal approach to creativity. However, my exploration into this new frontier, mainly through Midjourney, has reshaped my understanding and appreciation of AI's role in photography.

The Art of the Gaze: Eye Contact in Fine Art Portraiture versus Traditional Portraiture

There's a saying that "the eyes are the window to the soul," and nowhere is this more apparent than in portraiture. This captivating art form has been used for centuries to capture the essence of individuals. Yet, in a dialogue about fine art versus traditional portraiture, one aspect continues to incite debate – eye contact.

The Timeless Art of Black and White Portraiture

Introduction: Photography is an art form that never ceases to evolve, yet there's a profound depth in the simplicity of black-and-white portraiture that color sometimes obscures. This article explores this timeless medium, with my collaboration with model Morgan and makeup artist/stylist Ernesto Robledo serving as our guiding narrative.

Designer Handbags

At the end of last year, I had a fantastic opportunity to work with Mary Frances Accessories to showcase some new handbag designs.

Lana

I had a special treat this month and photographed an individual I photographed a few years ago as a model. She has transformed into an actress. Lana is a gorgeous actor out of the bay area.

Over the years I've developed a rhythm which allows me to get to know the model, as well as what type of lighting works best for them. This week was a prime example; Emily was in my studio for a portrait session, and while I've worked with her in the past, this was her first portrait session with me. My normal progression is what I like to call, “no make up, makeup, and lighting.” For the no makeup look, I normally just use natural light from an open door. Typically I shoot these on a black background. This allows me to really focus on the subject’s face and learn what lighting and lenses are a good match for them. Once I get these shots done, I have the makeup artist begin the model’s first makeup look. By the time I get the last image, it's typically something a little more complex with the lighting.

Making Of An Angel

I'm excited to have my 1st guest post! Christine always has such great insights. She brings a unique point of view as a wonderful photographer that picked up modeling to help understand the other side of the camera.

Tim

So, I'm writing this and I have not seen the image yet. Not to say that it's not important, but what's most important to me is what went into the making of this image.

I'll start at the beginning. I was approached to be apart of a project recognizing the "Top 10" models of Sacramento. At first I wanted to say no to the project, but my husband, Ryan, convinced me to get involved. He helped remind me it was an honor to have been chosen.

After agreeing to participate, an incredibly talented makeup artist, Cesar Rivera, offered to lend his services for the shoot. Hair stylist Renne Alejandro, was also on board. Cesar brought along another great talent, Florlinda Ayala for makeup as they were planning to make me glow from head to toe! These three are some of the most talented and kind people I know. I couldn't believe they had offered to help me.

I also asked fashion designer Nolan Kouri to help me out with the angel wings that I was requested to bring for the shoot (oh did I forget to mention the theme for the 10 models was angels?) Let me tell you, I should have know he would blow my mind, what I expected and what I got, I... Was... Stunned!

Kouri made a set of 4 foot tall wings that could don the Victoria's Secret Runway. Funny story, I was dressed as a ghost in full makeup at a haunted house when I saw the first picture of them, let's just say I was not able to stay in character because I was so excited!

After realizing how much support I had and how much talent was being brought together for this shoot, I knew I wanted to pull off something extra, something special. For this I asked for Tim's help ( oh yeah, backing up again, he wasn't the photographer for the Top 10 project)

I was more stressed for this shoot than any other one I had been involved in. Even though I know and had worked with all these artists before, this time it was different. They were all there because I asked them to be and the pressure to produce something that represented their talents was felt on a much stronger level.

So this is what we made. Thank you to my friends that worked so hard to make this image! I can't wait for everyone to see it!

Cheers

~ Christine