San Diego Shots

So what do you do when a client calls up and they need specific pictures shot in a specific way in a very short time and for way less than your usual rate?

Well if you are a poor photographer who is trying to buy a house, you frickin' take the gig, that's what you do!

I have a long history with this particular client and I would like to continue to do business with them for much more time so sometimes you just gotta bend the rules. Even if it hurts ... alot.

One of the hardest parts about the whole thing was scouting the locations for each of the shots. Talk about the pain at the pump! Driving back and forth trying to find the best view really took a toll on the old odometer. On a positive note, I now have a mental file cabinet of some great places to shoot from! Mine ... ALL MINE!

The other hard part was that some of the shots required were to be of the same thing both daytime and nightime, and that required me not to move the camera, sometimes for hours at a time. That if course meant that I had to stay with the equipment.

This had to be the hardest landmark to shoot. I just could not find the right angle. Pretty much everywhere you shot this from either looked to small or too far away or too wide. Believe me when I tell you that planning this shot kept me up at night.

I would like to thank the undisclosed location from which I took this photograph from for not having me arrested for shooting from this spot at 4:30 in the morning until sunrise. And if anybody gives me any flak for taking this shot, please refer to the title of this frickin' blog!

Shooting the Del was fun, lugging my heavy equipment including tripod and spotlight across the sand and up to a lifeguard tower. This was made even more fun by the fact that it was windy and a little chilly and I had left a nice warm jacket in my car which was close enough to see and yet far enough away to be inaccessible.

Big shout out to Todd the lifeguard in Coronado for letting me shoot from his tower. Keep an eye out for the Green Flash bro!

By the way, the nerve of these people actually getting married on the beach! Can't they see I got a picture to take!

Frick!

Qualcomm was a shot that was added into the shoot list kinda last minute. Visually its vanilla, or I guess a better term would be pizza: Its plain, but its still good.

I remembered the jacked on this one. What I forgot was that when a tourist sees a guy with a camera and a tripod they have to take the picture from the same exact spot you are. Never mind that they have the rest of the entire beack in La Jolla to take the same picture.

I played with this one a little bit and used my spotlight to paint the rocks with light a little bit to give them texture.

If you ever want to be worried about scummy looking teenagers who curse entirely too much and dread haired skaters and meth heads missing a few teeth but strangely with enough money to get massive tattoos skulking about you while you take a picture, then i'll see you here at the OB Pier!

Alas, one of the few shots that was actually sans tourists. The Old Point Loma Lighthouse at any other time of day would be covered in that lovely marine layer. This is one of those places I think that looks way better in the fall.

Well after quite a few sleepless nights huddled next to my gear like a homeless photographer off of Imperial Ave downtown, I think I am going to get a good nights sleep tonight. Hope you enjoyed the shots and I look forward to your feedback!

Mixing business with pleasure...

AKA- Karaoke with Friends, Photogs and Clients.

It has been a stressful last few weeks at the old RMR Photo homestead, so to burn off a little steam I called up a few friends and some client/friends and my old photographer buddy Sandy Huffaker and we all headed to a local Mexican restaurant that had karaoke!

Let me start off by saying that I have no shame and that I will sing pretty much whatever you put in front of me.

A good time was had by all! We sang a little "Hit me with your best shot" and had some "Afternoon Delight" as well as visited Neil Diamond's "America" and had some fun with James Brown's "Sex Machine".

You might recognize this couple from my last post-

Greg and Catherine sang a great rendition of Afternoon Delight!

Then Sandy had his way with Neil Diamond. Poor Neil must be turning in his grave! Oh... he's not dead? Damn. He is old as dirt! But big PROPS to Sandy on a courageous effort! Next time we'll rock out some Black Sabbath or ABBA, I don't know...

FYI Sandy, you owe me big time for NOT posting the OTHER photos of you on stage. But fear not, I will be selling the shots on Corbis for stock.

Then the girls all got together for some Girls Just Wanna Have Fun! And boy did they! Boy, a couple of Shirley Temples and they were DONE!

After a couple of virgin Dacquiris I headed up on stage and performed my version of Sex Machine. I tried to do Old James some justice but was hampered by a busted knee and just being plain old and out of shape. I even tried to do the splits, afterwhich the paramedics told me I looked great doing until I actually started splitting... No really.

So here's a photo of yours truly under the house lights. Is it me or does everybody look better under these lights? TRUST ME. This is better for me. You should see how bad I look WITHOUT the lights!

As I had imagined, we closed that mother DOWN! So until next time...

Here is a short slide show of a great engagement shoot. Greg and Catherine were awesome and very playful during their shoot and we got many great pictures during the shoot. Enjoy!