Hello everyone, I started my photographic journey as a freshman at the San Joaquin Delta College in 1983. My first camera was a Canon A-1 single lens reflex camera. I've learned a lot from my numerous photography classes at Delta and continued shooting to this day. Although my equipment is much more professional and elaborate, I still love taking pictures of people of all ages in all sorts of different situations and events. Currently, most of my photoshoots are of weddings, portraits, and events. I am a member of NAPP (National Association of Photoshop Professionals) and although I edit and retouch photos, I aim for a more natural look versus the look of magazines where you lose all details of people's face or skin. I haven't performed a lot of color manipulation at this present time, but who knows, I may change my mind someday. In a way, I try not to make my images look photoshopped unless it is by design. If I use photoshop, it is to enhance the quality of the image rather than to hide any deficiencies in my photographic skills. There are exceptions especially when it is requested by a client.
For formal pictures, I try to take pictures that give it a studio-like quality. This requires that I bring a lot of equipment on my photoshoots. I've been told I take too much "stuff" with me whenever I go out and shoot. This is true as my philosophy is "it's better to be prepared just in case, because a somewhat average-looking picture can look amazing with just one extra tool". I do not have a make-up artist at my disposal, so all make-up must be done by the people I'm shooting or by someone they hire.
My next post will provide information regarding how I handle weddings, portraits, and other events. If you are interested in a photoshoot, please read the appropriate section for a better understanding of how I work so that we can avoid any unpleasant surprises.
