My father bought me my first camera when I was in eighth
grade.
By ninth grade I was photographing for the year book, and developed my skill for portraits,
especially candid portraits. When I took my first portrait class after I graduated from Berkeley High
School, it was obvious
that portraiture was my medium. I love working with lighting and people to produce images that
please my clients and that also stand alone as art. I love texture in my photographs, so I ask subjects
to wear interesting
clothing, like leather or denim jackets or knit sweaters.
From the moment I meet a subject
I am visualizing possible angles and lighting to make pictures that capture some of the
essence of the person in front of me. When we actually get to work in the studio, it is only a matter
of setting up the lights
and camera so as to create and photograph these pre-visualizations.
Because I have a relaxed "bedside manner" in the studio I put my subjects at ease. Sometimes it
takes a few minutes, but I am patient. This placid studio atmosphere helps makes the experience
bearable for those
who avoid the camera, and fun for the eager subjects.
I always show kids (and adults if they are interested) how the camera works. I let kids set off the
flash and look through the camera. Sometimes I will let my subject get behind the
camera and take a photo of me.
I have also been doing a lot of outdoor portraiture
in the last few years. Sometimes I work at my clients' house, but more often I take the
individual, couple or family to a nearby park. Recently I photographed an author for Chronicle
Books. Because the book was outdoor oriented, we used the park as our setting.
In the past two years have also seen an increase in my executive portraiture business. I have
photographed executives from Bank of America, Cushman & Wakefield, Franklin Resources, Inc,
Blue Shield, PG&E, Bank of California and other San Francisco organizations. It is a fun challenge
to get a portrait that meets my criteria in a matter of a few minutes with an art director looking over
my shoulder.
I avoid three approaches to portraiture:
The shopping mall/high school senior portrait look, in which every subject is photographed
in the same three or four poses with the lighting dictated by the marks on the floor.
The
second is the
"trendy" style of portraits, where the photographer has the latest props and painted backdrops so that
you know going into the studio that the result will be the same from almost any studio across the
country.
The third is the stereotype picture: The child will be the cherub sitting on white
wicker furniture or on a faux marble pedestal. Young family will be wearing white and looking
placid, maybe strolling on
a beach. Older people will look like sweet grandparents, but show no personality.
Lost in all three of these is the subject's dignity and uniqueness. In twenty years these
photos will be dated and have little meaning. In my studio, the subject and I work to make timeless
portraits, that will
be vital and classic even as they are passed down to grandchildren and great grandchildren.
