Sharing The Roijoy

I do enjoy shooting weddings at the City Hall in San Francisco. If you've visited you'll appreciate how beautiful a space it is inside. It also has a really relaxed feel to the whole environment. Even as you pass through security you'll sense none of the tension that's so prevalent at numerous security spaces around the US. No, you start smiling as you walk up the steps to the main entrance and you're still smiling when you leave the building afterward. And this whole ambience contributes to making this a great place for small weddings and a joy to shoot pictures in. There are some great spaces to hold the ceremonies too but my favorite is still at the top of the main staircase underneath the rotunda. In this photo at the culmination of the marriage ceremony, you can see that even the bronze bust is smiling as congratulations and hugs are traded. The other great thing for photography is that this place is a dream for natural lit photography. The architecture ...

The weather was idyllic and the sea and sand were the way you'd imagined them from some tropical dream you may have consoled yourself with at times. It was a morning shoot but the sun was rising quickly and the heat was very noticeable. The window frame is supported in place using stands and clamps and positioned out on the beach. The stylist got to work with our model and more creative touches were used to enrich the scene. All was non-eventful except for a strange moment when one of the production team had finished sweeping footprints from the sand. A guy was jogging along the beach. When he got to the set we had created, he stopped and looked about I suppose just to understand what he assumed we were up to. He continued to watch as the production guy went about obviously sweeping away footprints from the sand. As soon as the sand was all pristine and untouched looking again, the production guy stepped out of frame. At that same moment, jogger guy decided to continue hi...

Here are some of the images from a shoot I completed for Destiny Arts Center in Oakland, CA. Another fun day shooting some of the faculty, students, and parents. They have a great space there and the whole environment feels extremely safe and encouraging and promotes self expression. They run classes and programmed events throughout the year and you can also give to the community by volunteering your time and skills through their website.