HELLO! Today, I wanted to write about my very first commissioned photoshoot in November 2015. I met Jeff and Deneen through a mutual connection and when they got engaged, my name was mentioned to them. I informed them ahead of time that this would be my first photoshoot…because I think it was important for them to know…I think you understand why!

Yes this was, my first shoot…but mentally, I treated this project professionally as if I have been doing this for a long time. To begin, I researched possible locations within a 20-30 mile radius. Being that I didn’t grow up in the Bay area, I had to look even harder to find what I was looking for. I read small articles, visited social media platforms, and went on YouTube for advice on how to make a basic location look deceiving but still professional- looking.

In the end, Jeff and Deneen wanted the shoot to be simple and not too far from home. With that in mind, I went to Contra Loma Regional Park in Antioch, which was about 20 miles away. When I scouted the area a few days before, I took practice shots so when it was time to shoot, I had an idea of what camera settings to use. Lighting is very important, so I wanted to know where the sun would be at certain times of the day.

Overall, the shoot went quite well! It did, however, take about an hour and half from start to finish, which is a long time. But in my head, I knew the shot I was looking for, and didn’t want to stop until I captured it!

I was thinking of retouching my original edits, but decided not to do that because I wanted to show my pros and cons with them, and how practice in shooting and editing makes perfect- Let’s face it, I’m still very far from perfect too…BUT WHO CARES! It’s fun to do and it’s a beautiful art.

Thank you Jeff and Deneen for giving me the opportunity to work with you- One of these days I’ll have to photograph you and the new kids!

Peace and Love,