Pajama PArty

March 27,2010

About a month ago, my good friend Beth who is a bartender, hit me up for a photoshoot to help promote their event that they had going on. They were hosting a Pajama Party over at Fleetwood and needed photos taken so they could make fliers and tell everyone about their party. It was fun just to see the girls in their sexy Pajamas, none-the-less to take pictures of them wearing it! Once the photoshoot was over, I handed over the pictures to Beth so that she could pass them along to the graphic artist. The flyer's design was created by Marisa Grace. I think she did an amazing job using the photos i had taken and editing them onto the flyer. What a great way to market/promote yourself or your business! I was excited to see how the final product came together and They also had a super fun Pajama Party a week later!

Photoshoot w.Dancers

So last week i was helping out my buddy with a photoshoot, he invited me out to take photos of these beautiful girls. I really didnt know what to expect other then the fact that he had told me there was a group of girls who needed photos for their dancing group. And not wanting to pass up the opportunity to expand my portfolio, i gladly agreed to help him out! We had decided to go to Balboa Park and walk around to see if we couldve found a cool location to shoot it. But by the time we got there, the park was filled with visitors and tourist. I really wasnt sure what was going on, because there werent any public activities happening. I assume summer time is coming and people just want to be outside. The one bad thing about going to Balboa Park is that there are lots and lots of people! People with cameras! So it was frustrating on our photoshoot because these ladies drew so much attention with their gorgeous outfits. People would either want to take pictures with them, or would ask if they could take a few of them. So we would have to wait for these tourist to snap their photos and be on their way. Other then that, the shoot was a fun experience.

Photoshoot w.Candice

Had and amazing photoshoot with Candice @ a car warehouse in Downtown! There were LOTS of cars to choose from, so I told Candice she could choose any car she wanted to. She selected one of her favorites, a 1967 Chevy Camero. Boy was it an amazing car to look at, as for the rest of the cars in the warehouse, we will do shoots with them another time! When deciding what outfit to wear for the shoot, we decided on her red,white and blue american bikini to go with our American Muscle themed car. We ended up getting alot of great shots! So stay tuned for more pictures to come!


Project "Life On The Streets" Launch!!

Have you ever imagined what it was like if you had to live on the streets? Asking complete strangers for loose change? Going hungry for a few days until you found food? Looking through trash bins for recyclables? Project "Life On The Streets" create by Terry Lim, a local San Diego photographer, investigates what and how it is exactly to be living on the streets.
This project seeks to create awareness that thousands of people across America, and even in the world are in these types of situations and to make their stories heard, one story at a time.

March 24, 2010

As I walk into the McDonalds restaurant located right across City College in downtown San Diego, I pass by a gentleman standing on the curb of the street as if he were waiting for the bus to come. As I am taking my order for my happy meal, I realize I have a coupon for a "buy one get one free happy meal" I think to myself, 'i dont really need 2 drinks' so i decide to give one to this man that is standing on the curb. As I pay for my food, the young girl at the counter asks if i wanted the toy? I kindly decline the toy because i had no use for it!?! She then said, that i could just give it to a kid on the street. I told her that would be kinda weird....like i was trying to kidnap kids or something. So I just told her to save it for the next kid who wants a happy meal. As i patiently wait for my 2 happy meals to arrive, I cant help but look at the man still standing on the curb. I think to myself, i hope he doesn't leave, because i really want to talk to him. My food finally arrives a few minutes later and i quickly grab my bag and drinks and go outside to meet this gentleman. I kindly ask him if he wanted my extra meal, he kindly accepted and then I asked him if i could ask him a few questions. He accepted my offer and we began to talk. This is, The story of Jimmy...
Jimmys story begins with a Vietnam Veteran who was unable to find work after moving to San Diego. It is sad because Jimmy has Cancer, he found this information out in 2006, and ever since then, has not been able to find work. So he spends his days on the street, with only 1 friend he talks with and not much assistance from the local shelter, Jimmy finds himself limping around with his cane. It is hard for him to walk to many places, especially the shelter because of his disease. So he finds himself mostly at parks or any one location where he doesnt have to walk around much due to his limited mobility. Its hard for people living on the streets because the shelter only provides 1 meal a day for people who are not enrolled at the shelter. 1 meal a day is not much nutrition and thus is why people living on the streets ask others for donations or food, they are simply trying to survive. Some of the major issues with people that have this kind of life style tend to need food, shelter, medicine, and water. Jimmy told me that, if he could have a home cooked meal, it would be Salmon, a loaf of bread, baked potato, salad, and some ice tea. I asked him, if someone gave you five dollars, what would you do with it and why. He responded, "save it for supper and buy a loaf of bread with some peanut butter". If living on the streets has taught him anything, it is to be most compassionate about fellow humans and to help others when in need.
I had chatted with Jimmy for about 45 minutes or so, and after our conversation, I kindly asked him if i could take a few photos of him. He accepted and amazingly knew a little about photography himself! I was amazed and showed him all the cool camera equipment i had. I snapped a couple headshots of Jimmy and kindly thanked him for his time! As i departed, I reached into my wallet and handed him a 5$ bill.
Its moments like these which make me feel like a better human being and create good karma for myself. Just to sit down and show someone a little compassion can go a long way, lets not be selfish and give a helping hand to those who are less fortunate and hopefully....just hopefully, the world would be a better place to live. Taking one small step can give someone priceless emotions and memories which can lasts a lifetime.
Thank You for reading the first installment of "Life On The Steets" be sure to check back regulary for new stories. And if you feel that you would like to contribute to a needy cause, please feel free to get in contact with me! Thank You for your time!

Save The Date(ing)

March 22,2010

Had an amazing photoshoot with the people over at http://www.savethedating.com/ It was an overcasted day which was perfect because the clouds acted like a big softbox from the suns harsh rays. I was thrilled to be photographing such a group of beautiful young professionals. Everyone was extremely nice and had amazing smiles! Their hospitality skills made my depressed/frustrating day turn around in a heart beat because we had some champagne and patron shots before the shoot began.
They have some awesome events put together to either network or find that significant other. I personally wouldn't mind joining and having fun/exciting times meeting new people at these events! And they network all over from New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and even my very own backyard, San Diego. So if you are single and looking for love, or just want to meet new people, check out their website.

Portrait of a Photographer

March 21, 2010

This is a photo from a recent photoshoot at Balboa Park that my friend John and I did. After we had finished our photoshoot, we decided to stick around after the sun had gone down to experiment with night photography. We took some "self" portraits of ourselves, because we are nerds!
Our setup was simple, using the camera and a 50mm f1.8 lens on a tripod, and using the flash's AF metering, we simply put the camera flash on a light stand which was remotely triggered by a wireless system. The flash shot through an umbrella just to my left to diffuse the lighting.
This is your basic off camera flash setup and works extremely well. This helps to create shadows and definition onto your subjects. The light is softer and spreads out more by using the umbrella. Exposing for the background properly and adjusting your flash output varies on what your camera settings are set at and the look that you are trying to achieve.
What a great way to end a wonderful day of shooting!

Welcome

After a long anticipation, ive finally gave into the bloggin craze!! Why? you might ask? because in todays social media network, ive come to discover that blogging can help promote your business and how it can be effectively be used as a marketing tool to help promote my photography business.