Skeletons Driving Tractors Albuquerque Halloween Photo Story

October 24, 2019 in Photo Story

Skeleton Farmers Unnerve Me

While attending a pop-up market at WESST, hidden way out back with no one around were these skeletons propped up to be made to look to be driving farm equipment. It was extremely creative and unnerving in a way to see skeletons on benign human objects like a tractor. I had my Sony a7R IV with me of course with the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 ART lens on to get these detailed shots focusing in on the skeletons and their respective rides. The werewolf in the top photo unnerved me the most. Who thinks to make a werewolf skeleton?? Well done to the team that created this Halloween display!

IT Clown as a Child

October 24, 2019 in Photo Story

This is IT

While at the Cottonwood Mall waiting for a pet costume contest, kids in costume started also ambling in for their own contest that would follow the pet one. One kid really stood out as he was in complete makeup to look like the killer clown from IT. He was standing right next to me and it was kind of unnerving, but also amazing as I surely never had this level of costume for Halloween as a kid! I asked if I could make a photo, and got permission to make these quick natural light portraits. Even with all the makeup, the Sony a7R IV’s amazing eye autofocus nailed the shot shooting at f/1.4 no less.

What was your favorite Halloween costume as a kid? Let me know in the comments below!

Pizza 9 Albuquerque Professional Food Photography for UberEats

October 16, 2019 in Food

First Pizza Photography then Pizza Eating

Back out visiting restaurants around Albuquerque, New Mexico for UberEats took me to local chain Pizza 9 for a professional food photography photoshoot using the natural light techniques required by the client. A good dark, contrasting table was available to shoot on by good window light as well. I setup my Sony a7R IV on my tripod with amazing new Sigma 50mm f/1.4 ART lens and proceeded to photograph pizza, calzones, and cheese crust bites! The food photo shoot was not the end of it for me, as I was allowed to take home the entire veggie pizza and cheese crust bites too! Thank you Pizza 9!

New Mexico Glassware Art Photography with Noah Starer

October 03, 2019 in Commercial

A big photography art challenge

Long-time photography client Noah Starer has made the transition from ceramic artist to glass artist in Santa Fe, New Mexico. It took me some time to figure out the technical aspects of photographing his ceramic work to his desired style outcome, but that time compared to how long it took me to figure out how to photograph this new series of glassware was well, incomparable. It took hours and lots of trial and error to get a shooting setup that minimized glare first, then reflections second. Most of the pieces were glossy and made of reflective glass, so you can imagine the challenge involved when you need to use off camera lighting to make them pop, and then stand in front of the piece of glass to actually photograph it. You can see the BTS shot of what I finally settled on as a shooting setup at the far bottom of this post.

Albuquerque Food Photography for Grubhub All Things Guac

September 12, 2019 in Food

If you like guac or just saying the word, then . . .

For my second food photography shoot for Grubhub, I visited All things Guac!! (two exclamation points are in the actual name). I have said this before, but despite having photographed dozens of New Mexican restaurants, even at this shoot, I am still photographing dishes I have never heard of before. That was true for most of the fifteen dishes this time in fact! One I had heard of before of course, cheese quesadillas, I got to take home!

Albuquerque Commercial Product Photography - kids sleeping bags for Morrison Outdoors

August 01, 2019 in Commercial

The technical challenge of product photography

I find product photography to be one of the biggest technical challenges in the photography work I do in the JCP Home Studio in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The latest product shoot was certainly a challenge, but one I really enjoyed as Tavis brought his newly designed very cold weather sleeping bags designed for kids. Check out Morrison Outdoors for how to buy these sleeping bags.

Albuquerque Summerfest 2019 Car Show Detail Photos

July 25, 2019 in Cars

Going for details with car show photography in Albuquerque

To my surprise the car show featured at Albuquerque Summerfest 2019 was much bigger than I expected. As with most car shows, get photos of entire cars is a challenge due to people walking all around the cars, so as is my usual custom, I focus on getting detail shots, this time with my trusty 50mm f/1.8 lens. In the lead photo I cleaned up the background removing a few people to leave a clean shot of the front of a powerful yellow 427 balanced by the double center white line passing through the bottom of the frame. I look for contrasting lines, with the double white and then the black stripe on the car.