Sacramento magazine may cover shoot

I was very excited to get the assignment to make the May 2021 cover for Sacramento magazine. This one presented different challenges that I've dealt with in the past. A majority of the images I made were with my drone. Some of the locations required me to ride my mountain bike, which presented a set of physical challenges I wasn't quite in shape for.

I'm no stranger to riding, but it's been quite a few years since I've been off-road with my bike.

I put together a small kit to take to the different locations that consisted of my drone, three extra batteries, and, just in case, my Nikon Z6 with a 24 to 70mm. Gabe, the art director, joined me on a few of the shoots. It was great having him along to ensure the images I was making were what he needed.

Going into all these locations around the area reminds me of what great outdoor activities we have in this region.

Sacramento's finest

I had the pleasure recently of working with some of Sacramento's finest. Members of the Sacramento County Sheriff's office. I've been interested in making some portraits for them for quite some time my friend Rich who works for the department was able to set up an afternoon for us to make some images.

Sacramento Magazine Best Of Issue

Sacramento Magazine “Best Of Sacramento”

About two months ago the art director for Sacramento magazine came to me with a concept for the upcoming best of Sacramento issue. He wanted images with a really high saturation look. One of the things about doing photos like this is that everybody has a different idea of what high saturation looks like. The first thing we decided to do was run some test, so we were all on the same page with the look. This was so helpful in determining the saturation and color palette we wanted to keep throughout the entire project.

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.

Portrait Shoot Progression

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.

A few Minutes with Mayor Darrell Steinberg

When I received the assignment to photograph Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg for Sacramento Magazine, I was excited to not only photograph him but to meet him as well.

Stormy Weather Shoot

I've always enjoyed shooting pictures of the sky when it has lots of cloud textures and shapes. It's always been a goal of mine to make portraits with clouds as the background. It took me a while to work through to the style that I have now. In looking back, I may have over thought how to accomplish my goal