12.31.2008

Soulfege - Band Portrait

Soulfege (pronounced 'sOl-fezh) describes themselves as an Afropolitan fusion band, blending sounds of Hip Hop, Reggae, Funk & West African Highlife. They have an awesome, up-tempo, unique sound (which you can listen to on their website).

This shoot took place on the rooftop of an apartment in North Hollywood (with only minor complaints from one of the top floor residents!). Many thanks to my friend and fellow photographer, Derek Liu, who helped out with the lighting, which came out stunningly.





12.29.2008

Taly and David - Engagement Photos

It was great getting to know Taly and David a little better during their engagement session. We walked down Abbot Kinney, a cool street in Venice lined with uniquely colored and textured storefronts. Taly and David didn't want cheesy posed photos of themselves, so we created some great candid images where you can really see the connection between them. (You'll notice that they're not looking into the camera in any of these!)

Taly and David are also into photography and wanted to incorporate interesting angles and effects into the photos, which was a lot of fun. I edited these in a vintage style, which went with the tone of the photos and also complemented the cool, layed back personalities of this couple. I think it also really gives these photos a great finishing touch!
























I love the way this shoot came out! Best of wishes to the wonderful couple. Wedding photos are soon to come!

12.28.2008

Nana's Portrait

This is my grandma, Nana. We had fun doing this shoot before going out to see Wicked (which I highly recommend, it was fantastic!) to celebrate her 80th birthday. (She is very young for her age!) This was on the patio of my apartment, I love the way the diffused sun light gives her face a glow and lights up the Boganvelia in the background.






12.14.2008

Jenn's Headshots

These are a few of my favorites from Jenn's latest shoot (you may recognize her from the headshots page of my site!). These were taken in beautiful Santa Monica, not too far from the beach.



12.12.2008

Nkechi's Vogue Shoot

Nkechi had a pool party for her 21st birthday, and while everyone was getting there, we had a mini fashion shoot and the pictures came out beautifully! I love this first set, the natural lighting was just gorgeous and Nkechi looked radiant!


I also snuck in a few great candid shots and a fun shot of the girls...

9.22.2008

An Evening of Independence - A Koffeehouse Benefit Event

This fantastic concert put on by Koffeehouse hosted nine artists that performed in support of the Guitar Center Music Foundation and MS Friends at the Ford Ampitheater in East Hollywood.

My inspration to check out the show was a friend from high school who performed at the event. Kina Grannis is an incredibly talented singer/songwriter, who recently won the Doritos Crash the Superbowl Contest. Her song Message From Your Heart (which so so good!) was played at half time at the superbowl, and she is now recording an album with Interscope Records. To hear more about her, visit her website and definitely check out her youtube blog, which is really fun and creative, and updated with a new song every week!

These are a few shots of Kina from the patio area of the Ford Ampitheatre, where the concert openers performed. This was such a nice summer venue with a beautiful view, you'd never know we were in LA!


Kina's voice resonated through the ampitheater; even walking up the steps to the theatre her harmonic voice and guitar melodies filled the air. To see a moving picture of Kina (with sound!) check her out on youtube.


Another of my favorites from the evening, Keaton Simons is a soulful singer/songwriter with an awesome voice and great stage presence. Listen to his music here.


A Fine Frenzy (Alison Sudo) put on a fabulous set with really unique, energetic, harmonic piano and vocal arrangements. See and hear more here.


Matt Scannell is the lead singer and guitarist of Vertical Horizon, well know for "Everything You Want." He performed a solo version of this song, where he started the guitar chorus and jokingly asked the audience to imagine that it continued while he sang the following verses.


Trevor Hall is awesome! His sound is so unique, and pairs up phenomenally with his steel drummer. His performance got the crowd up on their feet dancing and singing along. You really need to listen for yourself! Seriously!


Tyrone Wells is a native Los Angeles artist with a great voice and beautiful songwriting. His set was great and included the story of his backup career: performing live for marriage proposals. It started when a young man contacted Tyrone requesting that he play "their song" while he proposed to his girlfriend. Tyrone got so caught up in the sentiment of the proposal that he almost forgot to "pop out" and start singing. It was, however, a success, and Tyrone has made two more proposal appearances since! Listen and you, too, will likely consider this joyous service.


The surprise finale was an exciting and uplifting rendition of "I get by with a little help from my friends." All the artists let loose, singing, dancing, hugging, swinging guitars (well, one guitar), and jumping. What a great way to end a wonderful evening!


To see more photos from the night, go here.

9.17.2008

Jason's Headshots

Jason is an up and coming comedic actor, based in Hollywood. He was great to work with, and I foresee great success for him both as an actor and writer. His photo shoot took place along Main Street in Santa Monica. The unique building fronts and hidden alcoves served as wonderful backgrounds, and the open shade made for beautiful natural light.

Keep an eye out for this face!

9.01.2008

LA's Big Apple Party - A Christa Hastie Event

This was a wonderful Hollywood event hosted by event planner Christa Hastie. Many great event vendors sponsored the mixer, and many representatives attended the event as well. The big apple theme was beautifully integrated into the decor with hundreds of apples places throughout the three-floor Roosevelt Hotel penthouse suite. Just in the entryway of the suite was a beautiful ice sculpture apple fountain, created by Aqua Reign. The event hosted two bars, lovely catering in addition to a beautiful dessert spread, two harpists, and a fantastic magician (Lou Serrano).