So we have decided to put together a blog, which is a bit daunting for a couple of reasons;
1.) I am NOT blog savy!
2.) This is going to be on me to keep up with! (As if I don’t already have enough on my plate)
But.. I am also kind of excited about it at the same time.
I am really hoping that this will become a very interactive blog, and not just me blabbing on and on!
I stopped teaching Photography at Art Center about a year and a half ago. I had been teaching there since 1988 and had gone through a couple of “burn-outs” but ultimately had to stop because business had picked up to the point where I was not able to devote the appropriate amount of time to the students and class.
I miss it.
I am hoping that this blog will fill that void and that we can have some lively discussions and sharing of information.
I am hoping you will bring a lot of questions!

So check it out, participate, give feedback, ENJOY!

-Dana

This Month we had a great time shooting for Saturn. The concept for the project, revolving around the 2008 Outlook, was developed by the folks over at Deutsch Advertising. We probably shouldn’t jump the gun and blab the whole thing, as Saturn would most likely want to be the ones to reveal their own campaign. But we were amazed at just how much “stuff’ we could fit in the back of an Outlook! Regardless we did a fun week of shooting with a LOT of props. We will share this one photo with you, but to see the rest of what we did you’ll have to wait and grab a 2008 Outlook Brochure from your local dealer when they become available.

So much of what we have done over the last decade of shooting has been location lifestyle, but the team at Deutsch keeps inviting us to do studio still life / product work, which has been a wonderfully refreshing change. I must admit that this is one of the things I love most about my work, always something different, always something new.

In December and January we completed a two-week shoot for United Healthcare. In working with their Ad Agency, Deutsch, they are doing an entire re-branding of the company. This has been very exciting for us as being the first to generate new imagery for the brand we are certainly making a mark on the overall “look” of their new photography. In a distinct departure from what has become the normal and expected fare of lifestyle imagery for the healthcare industry, Deutsch has taken UHC in a decidedly different direction of conceptual shots illustrating the benefits of their health plans. Using mostly still life with a few people here and there, Deutsch is pushing creativity and taking their client into new territories for that sector of the market. In the next few weeks we will be heading into rounds two and three of this photography. And in seeing the preliminary sketches for the upcoming visuals we are thrilled to be part of the project and can’t wait to start in on them! The folks at Deutsch and UHC have been great to work with and we are looking forward to producing a lot of great imagery together!

Check back in the coming weeks to see more of these fun images in our online Portfolio Galleries!

We have seen a trend over the past few years that only seems to be growing; the idea of medium-sized companies and large corporations establishing their own photo libraries. For years now stock photography has been a major force in corporate imaging. But there has been a slow and steady backlash as companies again see the value of having proprietary imagery that is not being used by a dozen other companies, also the fact that the cost of stock has grown to the point where, in many cases, it has become more affordable to shoot original photography than to use stock imagery. The beauty of which is that you get exactly what you want rather than something that is “close enough”. The other draw for companies to build their own internal libraries is that they no longer have to bother with the time and expense of re-licensing images as most companies are opting to purchase unlimited usage, right off the bat. We have been producing these types of libraries for corporations for more than 5 years and we only see the trend increasing. There are financial benefits as well. When a company goes down the path of creating an in-house library they tend to shoot the libraries in bulk, that is to say, they shoot 75 – 300 scenarios in one production, maybe doing on or two productions a year. This significantly brings down the cost per shot and even with unlimited usage built-in, it clearly beats the cost of stock for the same usage and certainly rivals the cost of stock for a 1 year license!! Yet another benefit (they just keep coming, don’t they?) is the inherent visual continuity that arises out of one photographer producing all of the imagery.

All of this bodes well for assignment photography, and those of us who shoot a broad spectrum of subject matter. I love this kind of work as it allows us to stretch creatively and allows us to continually do something new and different. Admittedly I also love building long-term relationships, and taking care of our clients! And working on big productions always makes me feel like I’ve just acquired a second family (in a good way!).

We are thrilled this month about the release of the feature-length DVD “14 Days in Great Britain”! This documentary film follows our journey across the U.K. in August of 2005 and is the second in what is to be an ongoing series of films chronicling people from around the world over the next decade. It features interviews with many of the hundreds of individuals that we were so fortunate to interact with during our 14 day journey. In addition it follows its creator David Gibbons on his mission to bring people together through the mediums of film and photography. Oh yes, the film also happens to contain quite a few portraits that I took while on the journey. I consider myself quite fortunate to be involved with such a project and look forward to future trips and meeting more amazing individuals from around the world that make up this complex and simple culture we call humanity.

Check out the trailer: Here

Want a copy? Get yours: Here

Boy! You never know what the next project will bring! We just finished a shoot for a pharmaceutical company who is branding one of their products with alligator imagery. We got a call and layout for a new ad that required a close head shot of an alligator, and in talking to the Art Director it was determined that everyone wanted to track down a good-looking stuffed alligator to do the shot. Well after a day of searching film & television prop houses and a variety of taxidermists, it became abundantly clear that there were no good-looking stuffed ones to be had. They all looked……. Stuffed!…Nothing even close to resembling a live alligator. We were able to convey to the Ad Agency that the only way to get a shot of an alligator that looked alive was to shoot a live alligator. So with a little convincing we got the approval to move forward and line up a live alligator for the shoot. What a blast! Our female alligator, who’s name was Handbag (no kidding!), showed up to the shoot in her truck with her two wranglers. We had to assist in getting her out of the truck. So we got our instructions on what and how to accomplish this, and off we went. The wranglers failed to mention that she might “go to the bathroom” as we were doing this….. That was not a blast!

Anyway, Handbag performed wonderfully. And thankfully the ad concept called for a band around the alligator’s mouth which would be added digitally in post. But this (to the wrangler’s delight) allowed us to keep the band, which they put on Handbag for transport, in place, which certainly reduced the risk of one of us being eaten! The shoot went well, we packed Handbag back into her truck, sent her on her way, cleaned the studio and then went home and took long and thorough showers!!!

We have been busy over the last few weeks printing up new portfolios! Keeping the books up to date can at times be a monumental task. And this summer we decided to do a complete revamp instead of just updating them. Last year we found a book maker whose work we really loved and ordered our first set. But doesn’t it figure that when we decided to make the big commitment and order two more sets this summer, she (the book maker) decided to have a baby and consequently closed up shop! Well, we are hoping for the best and going to have the extra sets made by her former assistant – fingers crossed!

Meantime we’ve been married to the computer and printers churning out the new pages. This digital world we live in makes so much available to us so much more instantaneously than we ever could have imagined even a few years ago! Although we have been printing our portfolios digitally for close to ten years now, the constant improvement in quality continues to astonish and thrill us! And although our local labs and service bureaus I am sure are not thrilled, the fact that 99% of what we need to do in the digital world has come in-house makes our life … well easier and harder all at the same time. The easier part is that so much is available here and now. The harder part is when anything or everything goes wrong with these wonderful machines that are supposed to only make our lives easier!

In becoming the mini-technical wizards that we must in order to accomplish all of this, I must say that one of the most important things that we have been able to get a handle on over the past few years… the thing that has made our digital life bearable and actually make sense once in a while, is color management. This was one of those things that seemed so daunting and unattainable that we just ignored it …. for too long! But with the help of Eric Magnusson from Left Dakota (Color Management Gurus, Geniuses, GODS!) we got ourselves on track and turning out wonderful prints! It has made such a difference that we can’t even imagine working in a digital world without color calibrators, ICC Profiles and the 20 different print menus we have to double-check (okay so we exaggerate a little). But it’s the little victories here and there that make it all worthwhile. Now…. if we can just make sure that printers, papers, inks, and computers don’t change in any way, shape, or form for the next 20 years, I think we’ll be set for a while!

The fun thing about photography is that there always seems to be a new toy to play with. And with me being a total gadget freak and tech-head, it can sometimes be a dangerous and pricey combination! Last summer the new toy was a “Lensbaby”. If you have not heard of them, they are a fun and relatively inexpensive gadget for selected 35mm SLR’s. They work in both the film and digital world. In fact I made use of it quite a bit in the UK during the 14 Days in Great Britain project. It is based on a pinhole camera where your image has a sharp spot in the center and has a vignette or blur around the edges. The cool thing about the Lensbaby is that you can move the sharp spot to virtually anywhere in the frame because the lens is actually flexible! It has a lot of applications but is ultimately just one more tool to experiment with. Given the fact that the bulk of our shooting these days is digital, we again made some major capital investments in digital equipment in the past few weeks, upgrading bodies, purchasing new specialty lenses, software, printers, computers…it never really ends. And it is both fun and frustrating as anyone who has ever touched a computer can attest to!

But we are once again (and I am sure for only a limited time) immersed in all of the latest and greatest toys and completely satisfied! That is until next weeks newest release that we won’t be able to live without.

btw, If you’d like to check out a Lensbaby for yourself, hop over to their website @www.lensbabes.com

As so many people do, during the holidays, I take a look back at the year that has blazed by like a rocket. Oh my GOD, what a year it has been!! So much has happened it feels like a blur. Many new friends have stepped into my life, and most old ones have stayed close and true. I have much to be thankful for in this season of reflection! And much to look forward to in the year to come. Photographically I feel I have discovered new inspiration and direction thanks to the support of those around me and to the opportunities provided to me, especially by my friend and manager David Gibbons! It has been an amazing year, and one I would not have imagined back in January 2005.

With a new book coming in early 2006 highlighting the “14 Days in Great Britain” project, the potential of another “14 Days” adventure in late 2006, a bit of traveling, and new friends and clients to spend time with, next year clearly holds its own surprises! I send out my warmest regards to all of the generous and wonderful people who I have had the amazing opportunity to work with over the past 12 months and wish all a Holiday Season and 2006 filled with Joy, Prosperity, and a sense of Peace. I hope to cross paths with many of you in the year to come and share some laughs and adventures!

Wishing You & Yours an Inspired Holiday! – Dana

I’m not even sure where to begin… Having just returned from the U.K., I am exhausted and beaten up, both physically and emotionally. My agent and friend David Gibbons has been working on this project called the “Face of Freedom” for five years. Last year he finally embarked on the first of a multi year odyssey with the production of “14 Days in America”. I won’t go into detail with regards to what it’s all about, but rather will let you explore it at www.14daysinamerica.com.

Well this year he headed off to Great Britain to continue the adventure, and invited me to come along for the experience. I had offered up my services in whatever capacity they could be used. I didn’t care whether I was taking photos or pushing a broom, I believed in what David was doing and after seeing a short clip from last years project just wanted to contribute and be a part of it.

My role changed several times before we even left Los Angeles and by the time we landed I didn’t know what to expect. I knew we were traveling fast and light so I brought the bare minimum of equipment, just enough to be prepared for whatever it was that I might end up doing.

“14 Days in Great Britain” was to be a whirlwind. Fourteen towns and cities in England, Scotland, Wales & Northern Ireland, in as many days. We started in Stornoway, which is in the Western Isles of Scotland, with a crew of 23. There were three film crews, one to film interviews, one to film David on the streets talking to the locals and inviting selected individuals to become a part of the project and its developing community, and one to film atmospheric footage of local landmarks and the surrounding area or “B-Roll” as we call it. There were three photographers. Richard Knapp would shoot studio portraits of each participant on a seamless background, as he did last year in America. Jon Meiners would be shooting the still equivalent of B-Roll, and I was to wander the streets and shoot portraits of a more environmental and documentary nature.

Our first day was a travel day, arriving in Glasgow and getting up to Stornoway. Something in the neighborhood of 26 hours of traveling. Our second day was filled with equipment checks, introductions (our crew was made up from professionals and students from various cities in both the U.S. and U.K.) and pre-production meetings. And then it was Monday….Day 1.

For the next fourteen days the schedule was much the same although the experience each day was very different. Get up around 6 a.m. eat breakfast, pack up the vans, go to the venue, which was often a town hall or museum, unpack all of the equipment and set up for the day. Shoot all day with maybe a 30 or 45 min break for lunch. Wrap around 6 or 7 p.m. Pack up the equipment, eat dinner, get on the road to the next town, arrive usually somewhere around midnight, unpack, fall into bed and start it all over again in a few hours.

The actual process of shooting the photographs was new for me and way outside my comfort zone. I hated it and loved it all at the same time. For 13 of the 14 days I had the same assistant, Greg Davies, a student from Plymouth who was great. We got our subjects simply by wandering the streets and asking people if they wouldn’t mind us taking their portrait for the project. Each morning we would set out, looking for our first “victim”, wondering if they would be a warm and welcoming local or if we might get our first “NO!” and out of the way immediately. I don’t know why, but approaching that first person each day felt so daunting. I am used to putting together photo shoots where I am in control and everyone on the project especially those being photographed are there because the want to be. This was very different. I was in control of nothing, and quite often felt like one of those people on the street trying to sell you something, that you so desperately want to avoid. Most of the people we approached were quite perplexed as to why we would want to photograph them and so finding a way to explain the project and keep them engaged was key. I quickly learned that I had to stop saying that I wanted to “shoot” them, but rather that I wanted to take a portrait of them! Greg and I were surprised both by how many people had no problem with being photographed, and also why others would have such an issue with it.

On the morning of Day 7 five of the crew opted to leave the production. It was a difficult and emotional morning, but for the 18 that remained we became a much more efficient crew. Emotions caught up with me around day 8. I think the weight and significance of what we were doing; along with a bit of sleep deprivation mixed in with having met and photographed literally hundreds of people in only a few days finally hit me. I had been moving through this project in a very “matter of fact” way. And on day 8 I was sitting at my computer downloading a batch of images I had just shot and reviewing material from earlier in the week and it just hit me. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to distill into words what exactly I felt, but looking at all of these faces, these people who had been so generous with us, all of these unique individuals who’s paths I was lucky enough to cross even if for just a few minutes, these people I would probably never see again…. Without being overly dramatic, it was a very profound moment, to come to the realization of what we were doing, what I was experiencing. Certainly nothing I’ve ever experienced before. I think it will take me some time and a bit of distance from the project to really get a clear picture of the whole thing. Regardless our trip ended in London on day 14 and the crew had its teary goodbyes with promises of staying in touch. It was a very hard trip. I learned a lot. Strangely this project about other people and places ended up being for me largely a journey of self-exploration.

If you would like to see some of the images we captured or learn more about the project, check out the web site at www.fourteendaysingreatbritain.com.

After doing almost exclusively location work so far this year, we finally got a chance to not only get back into the studio but also have a bit of fun! In June we shot a campaign for a security technology company who had a sense of humor!

The concepts came from Fritz Creative out of Santa Barbara, and Kathy Bryant, the Creative Director brought us in to execute them. There were three images we needed to produce with a few variations; A gypsy fortune-teller, a mad scientist, and a doubtful superhero.

The biggest challenge on this particular job was that we had to produce the job in two days. We found out final concepts on a Monday evening around 6:30 p.m. and we needed to cast, prop and wardrobe the shots for a Thursday morning shoot. Thank God for the internet! We spent most of Tuesday running the casting over the web. I felt so sorry for the stylist as she had to be out shopping for wardrobe and props for characters who weren’t even selected yet. Finally around 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday the client gave us final picks on the casting and poor Melissa (the stylist) and her assistant had half a day to wrap it all up and be ready for the next morning.

Once we had talent locked in and were confident we were going to have everything we needed for the shoot, we were able to head over to the studio and have a lot of laughs. Although our casting was fast and furious we got three great people who portrayed their characters perfectly as well as providing much comic relief for all of us behind the camera! Thankfully the shoot day was very calm and relaxed in contrast to everything leading up to it. We got to play with some lighting, camera angles, lots of fabric, and little dry ice to boot!

It was a wonderful change of pace and a chance to flex some photographic muscles that we hadn’t used recently. We have been shooting so much black and white and a fair amount of “color accurate” work lately that given the chance to play with some vivid and vibrant colors and work with some off-beat characters …we definitely took advantage!

Productivity Goes Up…. Bottom Line Goes Down.

As with almost everything in this world, the “digital revolution” has its pluses and minuses. Transitioning from film to digital definitely has its gives and takes…On the plus side; one tends to be a lot more productive on any given shoot. The immediacy of digital has provided a lot of benefits for most photographers. No more waiting for Polaroids, no more explaining to the client that the “real” shot is going to look the same yet different. No more loading film. No more film tests and color balancing. The trips to the lab, looking at snip tests, that nagging “what if” feeling before you actually see a properly exposed, properly developed, sharp image on film…. all gone. The ability to look at an images seconds after it is shot and say “That’s it. Let’s move on” seems.. well.. almost like cheating. But it gives you so many more options. If you see the final right in front of you and are able to say “that’s it”, then you can move on and do variations rather than worrying about “covering the shot” or go on to the next shot and get that many more done in a day. And being able to shoot a lot more frames on any given image with what can be perceived to be little or no cost ramifications is quite liberating.

But.. the problem is there are cost ramifications! Let’s start with the equipment. For fifteen years plus, my five cameras with their various lenses have covered 98% my needs. Up until about 4 years ago, my annual investment in camera hardware was …… ZERO. I had (and still have) top of the line equipment, that never needed replacing. Now? I need to put out tens of thousands of dollars every couple of years to stay ahead of the curve! Both in camera hardware and computing power. The film and lab may be gone, but now you or your assistant are in front of a computer for hours on end, editing, processing, ENHANCING, archiving, upgrading… it goes on. So those extra frames you can shoot now because your digital…. They’re not free! That’s just that much more time in front of the computer. Certainly we can just charge for this, but some clients still have it stuck in their head that because it’s digital, it’s cheaper. But it’s really not.

There are savings to be had. Clients no longer have to scan images. And you can get much more done in a day which can reduce production expenses. But depending on how you price yourself out, that could also eat into your fees! You can fix things in post production in five minutes that might take an hour to fix on set. Etc., etc.. All in all most of the savings are savings for the client. With all of the capital investment a photographer must make these days to stay current and the fact that generally speaking photo fees if anything have stayed flat or gone down, the challenge is to remain profitable in what sometimes feels like a dwindling market with more and more competition.

In the end though, I think you have to come back to one of the basic motivating factors for many of us getting into this profession in the first place; it’s always fun to have a new toy!

Whew! Well we are just winding down from a big PacifiCare campaign. And this production has again proven to me that surrounding yourself with the right people makes all the difference in the world! This particular shoot was 7 days, 6 locations and 62 set-ups. I’ve done shoots like this in the past where days go long and you spend much of your time trying to keep up with your own schedule. But it is great when a cast and crew come together like this one did. That’s not to say we all weren’t exhausted at the end of each day, because we were. But six out of the seven days we finished our shots ahead of schedule, and the seventh…. right on time. It seemed that everybody just found their grove. And everyone, down to Moe – who drove the motorhome – just did whatever needed to be done at the time, regardless of whether it was their “job” or not. Everyone seemed to have the same goal in mind; Get the client what they need – no fuss, no muss. Again, it doesn’t hurt that everyone at PacifiCare is so easy-going! But I have to say the crew made the difference! The best part of it all? It was fun! Even with computers crashing, and locations falling apart, and the occasional rain, we got our shots with a fair amount of laughter thrown in! So I’ve got to do it.. The shameless plugs…

Thanks to my assistants; John, Kelly, Maarten, and Ty. To Charnelle at Cloutier for bringing such great talent to the table, i.e. Patti & Lucy for Hair & Make-up, and Heidi & David on styling – you guys were great… as usual! Moe at Susie’s, Marti with Serves You Right (mmm mmm good!) And of course Roman the Dog! Thanks to PacifiCare who has got to be one of the best clients on the planet (and I’m not just saying that). And thanks to David and everyone at Lighthouse who take care of me and allow me to just take pictures!

There are so many others that were part of making this or any other production happen; models, scouts, locations, all kinds of support crew and companies. More often than not, all very generous. The point is to spend the time, energy and or money to get the right ones! I love collaborations! And having the right people on the team makes it all work and the end product that much better for it!

The world of travel and leisure has changed quite a bit over the past several years! And with it the way in which the industry promotes itself. Many have been operating on smaller, tighter budgets and have pulled back in advertising and promotion. But at the same time, as the public returns to traveling on a more frequent basis, they are demanding more information and expecting more from the very same companies that have been pulling back.

It has been a gradual change, but with travelers, both business and leisure, being as web savvy as they are, they virtually want to see their entire destination before they ever get there …. Virtually! So right when companies seem to have the smallest and oldest inventory in marketing materials and imagery is, of course, when they need it most. Many are and will be scrambling for fresh materials to retain and grow interest in their properties.

Another factor that comes into consideration is the fact that “shots of the rooms” no longer suffice! People don’t want to see just what they are going to SEE when they get to their destination; they want to see what they are going to DO! And with that enters the “lifestyle” aspect. Which is great, but lifestyle imagery dates itself much faster than static interiors. So to stay on top of things, companies can’t just “do a shoot” and sit back and relax, they’ve got to be constantly updating their library to stay current.

We were at the Four Seasons – Scottsdale in January and will be there again this month. This is a beautiful and luxurious resort. But it is one that is in constant transition. With the completion of a new ballroom and adding additional entertaining spaces both inside and out, and coming soon a new children’s center, they constantly have to produce new imagery to reflect the new amenities offered. And along with that, new imagery to reflect the lifestyle!

Shooting for the hospitality industry is great! We get to go to some amazing places and see some amazing things! The challenge is to tell each story in a new and different way for each client so that they can retain their own style and distinctiveness. We are looking forward to doing a lot more of that this year!

Shooting food is both easy and hard. Photographing it is the easy part. Not eating it is the hard part.

In January we completed a day of food photography for The Four Seasons – Scottsdale. I have had the opportunity to dine there on several occasions but even with that, as each dish came out to be photographed my taste buds tingled with unfulfilled anticipation!

For this particular shoot we only had a brief window of time in which we had to photograph quite a variety of dishes. We were moving rather quickly for a few reasons, one was that brief period of time available to us and the other is the fact that many dishes are only visually appealing for a few minutes at best. There was one desert that we shot which had a decorative ribbon of chocolate atop. The desert was placed in front of the camera, positioned, and we snapped one frame …. just one, and the ribbon collapsed from the sunlight’s heat. Thankfully on this occasion we got the shot in that one frame.

Generally when shooting food you usually get the luxury of a “stand-in” a plate of food that is for the most part, exactly like the one you are really going to photograph. This plate lets you futz with lighting and composition. Then when everything is just right a fresh “hero” plate is put together in the kitchen while everyone on camera is at-the-ready, so that when the hero is dropped into the exact same spot you can shoot several frames in rapid succession to get just the right image. Well for this Four Seasons shoot we did not have that luxury. Each plate that was set in front of the camera WAS the hero plate… no second chances!

And after each plate we shot the Chef generously offered to let us sample each one! Unfortunately, we weren’t able to really sample anything because as soon as we were done with one item, the next one was on its way and we had to reset the lighting and props for it.

I think at the end of the day I was finally able to get about a half teaspoon of what seemed like a delicious Crème Brulee, but I’m not positive.

We are gearing up for another shoot with PacifiCare this month. I have been shooting for PacifiCare since 1997 and there are a lot of things I love about working with this company. One is that there seems to be a prerequisite for being a PacifiCare employee; you’ve got to be an amazingly nice person. I have worked with over a dozen different people at PacifiCare and I honestly could not ask for nicer clients! Another thing I like about this company is the consistency of their branding. I can’t say for sure when they started the look they are currently using but it’s great to seem them stick with it and develop it. A look, which by the way, I love! If you are not familiar with it it’s pretty fresh and simple. Softly lit or naturally lit black and white environmental portraits. Whether it is their employees, their seniors, their ambassadors, or their members, they are all shot with the same feel in mind. Certainly some images have to get across a specific and distinct message, but beyond that it is just about that person and a moment of their life. PacifiCare has not second guessed their campaign or committee’d themselves into stayed and boring images. They are collaborative, relaxed and trusting of the professionals they enlist.

When you see a PacifiCare print ad or commercial you can tell it’s theirs before you see a bit of type or hear a note of music. I consider myself lucky to have been included in the creative team that generates this imagery and look forward to continuing to work with the great people who make up PacifiCare. To them I say “thank you” and here’s to making more pretty pictures!

In the last quarter of 2004, we produced a project for PacifiCare. Our objective was to create a variety, or small “library” of images to represent a specific sector of their market, which in this case was that of the “frail & elderly”. The type of folks you would find at an assisted care facility. This wasn’t to be images of bed-ridden seniors, but of ambulatory individuals who needed some assistance in their day-to-day care. Just a slice of life, or captured moment, in a day in the life of….

For the most part we have always shot medium format black & white film for PacifiCare. But this would be our second major project for them using digital. PacifiCare’s entire branding revolves around black & white photography and shooting it digitally is very satisfying. It cuts down a bit on some of the “stuff” you have to bring to a shoot, but ultimately you still have to be prepared for anything. So of course we would still plan on bringing a full complement of lights as well as appropriate equipment to work with available light.

In putting together the production we started by looking at some assisted care facilities across the west to shoot at, but started to see that the logistics and requirements of some of the locations were just too restrictive. We then started to consider casting models and shooting on a set or staged location. The process went back and forth for almost a year, as some of the creative team changed. Then, after doing an actual first round of casting models, the project reverted back to shooting “real seniors” in a “real location”. We ended up down in San Diego at a delightful assisted care facility. I’ve been in just enough of them to know that most of the time you’re not anxious to rush back. But this one was different. The residents were fun and engaged. The facility was cheerfully decorated. And the staff was warm and accommodating. We wound up at just the right place!

Well needless to say, with all of our hustle and bustle and equipment and crew, we were quite the attraction that day. The seniors who agreed to participate were thrilled to have a “day of beauty” with the hair & make-up and wardrobe stylists! But I think it was the “seniors” who gave us a run for our money! After we got past a lot of dry humor and a little bit of flirting, we were given some great subjects to work with who were like pros in front of the camera. I have shot everything from infants to high fashion models. But let me tell you, it’s the seniors that always make you feel good at the end of a long shoot. Whether they are “real people” or actors, they have always given 100% and then thank you after it’s all done! I’ve done a lot of senior campaigns and hope to do a lot more. Don’t get me wrong, I love the energy and excitement of a good fashion shoot! But there’s something to be said for calming effect of having people on the set who have “been there and done that”, and are now only interested in enjoying the moment!

As we in the studio wind down from a fast paced year full of excitement and many great changes, we reflect on all of the wonderful people we have had the opportunity to meet and work with this year. We have had a lot of fun creating a lot of new imagery for clients new and old. And have been taken aback by the eagerness of so many to transition to a digital world! It was surprising, even to us, that we only shot one film job this year!! Film will never go away for us, but we never imagined that everyone would climb onboard so fast! So over the holidays we’ll take time to recharge, enjoy family and friends, and get ready to gear up for what promises to be an even more exhilarating 2005. With new partnerships and new directions, we are excited to move forward and hope that we will be collaborating with many of you in the New Year! We wish you the best of the holiday season and a singular New Year!