Joyeux Anniversaire Yael!

We were invited by Nathalie and Daniel to attend Yael's first birthday at McKinley Park in Portero Hill last weekend. It was attended by family friends, other little ones and Mr. Cow. Yummy chocolate crepes were served as well as a delicious strawberry cake with the ceremonial single candle on top.

Though there were lots of festivities, our guest of honor Yael was more interested in watching the dogs play on the grass than anything else. That is until she got her first taste of birthday cake!

Like weddings, birthdays also have a list of must-have shots. This list would usually include blowing out the candles, eating cake and of course opening presents. However when the guest of honor is only 1 year old, getting a few shots of MESSY cake consumption suffices nicely. =)

It was a beautiful afternoon, memorable event and hopefully someday Yael will look at these pictures in disbelief.

Thank you Nathalie and Daniel for inviting us!

Happy Birthday #1 Sophie!

We had a great shoot this past weekend for Sophie who was celebrating her FIRST birthday! Sophie's parents Cynthia and Vincent made sure their daughter had a memorable day. There were about 50 people in attendance including parents and little ones. Kids ranged from a few months old to 8 years in age. The birthday theme was "Princess" so a face-painter/magician was on hand as well as an inflatable fun-castle!

The party was held outdoors at Los Gatos Creek park. Over the course of 5 hours, we were able to get over 100 choice shots that have been processed and uploaded to the gallery.

Initially, many of the kids were shy around the camera. However, after some interaction to break the ice, many warmed up to having their pictures taken. The style of pictures that really tells the story the best are candids of children just being children. If you stay out of their way, just let them have fun and have your camera ready, you're almost guaranteed some quality pictures that will forever preserve your memories.

Lastly, in capturing the story, don't just capture the kids, make sure you get some shots of their favorite toys, their belongings and their clothes. You'll add another perspective to your story.

A big thank you to Cynthia and Vincent for inviting us! We had a great time. Happy Birthday Sophie!

Only a Few Feet Away From the Perfect Picture

One of the things I've learned over the years about taking pictures is that a lot of times, the perfect (or more perfect) picture is only a few feet away. I have a tendency to start firing off shots as soon as I see a cool subject. But I've found that your first vantage point is rarely your best vantage point. If you are shooting a structure, a landscape or something relatively static, take your time before you start clicking away on the camera. Scope out the area, walk around a little and you may often find a much cooler shot.

As a simple example, on a recent hike near North Beach, I caught a glimpse of the famous Coit Tower. I started clicking away at the much overshot landmark of San Francisco. Here is a picture taken by my wife of me with my hand in the cookie jar. After a few shots that produced very ho-hum results, I stopped, walked around the area and looked for a more interesting perspective. I found a spot only a few steps away near the corner that provided a much more interesting vantage.

The next time you are out shooting, remember that the perfect picture might be a only a few feet away!

And We're Live!

After countless discussions, lots of hard work and a good deal of finger crossing, we have finally gone live! Well live 'beta' anyway but live nonetheless. It is still a work in progress but here it is: 555 homepage

In the process of working with a simple HTML site, I realized a similarity between current web design technology and digital photography technology. With the current popularity of CSS (cascading style sheets) much of the color, layout management comes after you have the content created. There is a ridiculous amount of control in the 'post' design process.

Today's digital photography technology is also giving photographers an unprecedented amount of post-shoot control. With RAW file formats and software like Adobe Lightroom or Photoshop, the list of photographic elements you cannot adjust is becoming shorter and shorter.