Our breaths in winter

After several days of torrential rain in Los Angeles I flew to New Jersey, which promptly got smacked with a blizzard. While it was bad enough to shut down all three airports in the New York City metro area, the snow didn't pile up as much in the country where my family lives. But that first night, as the wind howled and the snow kept coming, I was alone in the dark for more than an hour, creating images. Capturing the mood of a snowy night meant setting a timer and using myself as a subject for this first image.


There is always a light in the darkness.


Walking up and down the road for nearly an hour and a half, I only saw one car pass by.


Often, the best images are right in front of you. I captured this bit of serenity in my parents' driveway.


A few days later, I set out for the afternoon to drive the backroads and capture some images.




I suspect watching for children at play hasn't been an issue for some time in the village of Wallpack Center, up near the New Jersey/Pennsylvania border. The few houses that are there appear to have been abandoned for a while. I spent about an hour there, and saw one car drive through "town".



When the light gets good at the end of the day, it starts moving fast. I chased the sunset down the mountain, stopping at a few vantage points to capture that golden, end-of-day light.

Like everywhere else I went on this particular afternoon, historic Millbrook Village was empty.



Last light at an old horse farm in Blairstown.


Two night scenes to cap things off, the first the old Blairstown Diner, and a gas station next door. It was actually a busy evening, with cars zipping back and forth, but I was able to capture two relatively still moments.



More portraits are on the way! In another day or so, I'll be posting some images I shot of my friend Perla during an afternoon in chilly Manhattan.

As American as...

Ten years. For 10 years I'd been hearing about this tiny cafe at the small airport near my parents' house that serves up great apple pie. On my recent trip to NJ for the holidays, it was finally time to try a slice.
Jeanne Anderson has been running the Runway Cafe at Blairstown Airport since the mid-1980s, and making fresh pies ever since. The cafe dates back to around the 1940s.
Chased with a cup of hot coffee on a bitterly cold afternoon, the pie was fantastic. Sweet, juicy filling. Crumbly topping. Flaky, buttery crust. The blackboard behind the counter advertises "crummy apple pie." Indeed. The best crummy pie I've had.
In between talking about the history of the cafe and the weekend travelers it used to attract in the mid-20th century, and pulling out some aged, black-and-white photos, Jeanne was kind enough to pose for a few portraits. I worked quickly, shooting with a 50mm lens pretty wide open and, with the exception of the first image, a handheld, off-camera flash for a little fill light.
A delightfully simple little cafe. Fantastic apple pie. And a cheerful, masterful pie maker. Not a bad way to cap off my trip.




And a requisite close-up, courtesy of my Blackberry.

Ode to my family

It's 2011 and I'm back. Spent time with family in NJ for the holidays, and had a great time sitting fireside, walking cold country roads, photographing wintry landscapes, spending a fun afternoon in Manhattan, and of course, doing a bit of job hunting.
I've got plenty of photos on the way in the next few days, but for the moment here are just a few I didn't take.
One of the things I did while at my parents' house was take on the task of scanning a mountain of family photos dating back as early as the early 20th century. I made a small dent. But among the ones I did digitize, these three stood out: the first two of my grandmother and the third of my parents.

I never had the pleasure of knowing my grandmother Genevieve, who passed away four years before I was born, but I love the simple glamour of these two portraits. Particularly the first image. It's just a snapshot really, but it's a perfect example of making the ordinary extra-ordinary. It's something every photographer can strive for, and achieve.


Sometimes photographers get so wrapped up in trying to come up with some face-meltingly awesome new concept for a portrait that we forget there's a lot to be said for a simple tilt of the head and a smile.


I like this snapshot of my parents (taken by my photographer grandfather) from the mid-60s, mostly for its candid, relaxed nature. It makes me smile to look at it. I owe so much to my father and mother. Through the years they have continued to be thoroughly supportive and exemplary. In a world gone mad, they've been a light. Thanks, mom and dad!


2010 Retrospect — Part 2

Here we go. It was tough narrowing down some of my favorite images of the year. Every shoot brings something special. Everyone brings something good to the table. Here's a little bit of the goodness.

Wendy hired me to shoot some professional headshots, but this is hands down my favorite image from the session. It's candid, relaxed and smile-inducing.


I love the classic, vintage vibe of this image of Katie. Nice soft lighting; good expression. And despite the simple background and good lighting, it wasn't shot in a studio. It was shot in the decaying, weather-beaten shell of a house on the shores of the Salton Sea. The light was courtesy of a hole in the roof.


A more candid moment from a family session I did earlier this year. Proof that good portraits don't always require people look at the camera.

I met these two couples at a charity photoshoot in Malibu. I only had about 15 minutes with each of them, but it was enough time to create some warm, romantic images.



A chance moment after a baptism.


The next few images are from the wedding of my friends Teague and Jenni, last spring at an almond grove in Moorpark. It was a great day from start to finish. Simple, romantic and a fantastic celebration.





This pretty much sums up the reception.


I enlisted my friend Sarah to help me test out a new lens. It was also good practice in looking for easily missed good backdrops.


I had an absolutely fantastic engagement session with Jordan and Jess as we walked around Fort Tejon and the Tejon Ranch property north of Los Angeles. The hills are peppered with majestic old oak trees.



In September I traveled to Washington, D.C. to help my friend Christine shoot a wedding. There were lots of great moments to be captured, among them this chance moment between Emily and her flower girl, and Emily and Scott sharing a kiss in a veritable cathedral of greenery.



Sheridan, Jade and I had a fantastic time exploring Descanso Gardens near Pasadena and creating some awesome engagement images. We had a great time, and I'm looking forward to their vintage-themed wedding.


At yet another charity photoshoot, I met engaged couple Tim and Tara and had just a few moments to capture some images. This was one of my favorites.


I've been doing a lot of freelens shooting lately, and this is one of more favorable results, captured during a shoot with Perla in downtown Los Angeles. It didn't hurt to have plenty of light bouncing off mirrored office buildings.


I've shot engagements, weddings, families, newborns ... but this was the first time I was hired to photograph a group of roommates. We got plenty of great images, but I love the classic, "band photo" look of this one.


Blogged just a couple days ago, this is from a series of portraits I did for my stylist friend Josh. Using the mirror as a framing device, I wanted to capture and image that said "vision."


In addition to shooting photos of Josh, I also did some photos for the homepage of his new website. For this image of Chad, I went with more of a high-key lighting feel. A bit of a change from my normal style, but I like the results.


Capping off this blog of epic length are two images from a recent shoot I did for my friends' hair and makeup portfolios.



So that's it, 2010 in review. Thanks for reading! If nothing else, come back in 12 months for more greatness.

2010 Retrospect — Part 1

The year's almost over. Personally and professionally, 2010 was altogether challenging, rewarding, joyful, frustrating — it was another year of living life. I've done a fair amount of reflection over the past two months, but I'm more focused on looking ahead to what the future holds. That said, I wanted to share some of my favorite images from the past 12 months. I'm thankful for everything — every place, every face, every moment — I was able to see and photograph. Hopefully you enjoy some of these as much as I do. Today is a smattering of more photojournalistic images. Tomorrow, Part 2 will pull together some of my favorite images of people.

This first image in many ways encapsulates my approach to life these days: Chasing the light in the darkness.

I kicked off (yes, pun intended) getting to cover the Rose Bowl game between Oregon and Ohio for the newspaper I was with at the time. I'm not really a sports fan, but it's impossible not to feel the adrenaline pumping when you're walking the sidelines of a stadium packed full of cheering fans.



In the 5 1/2 years I spent with The Signal newspaper, the kind of stories I most enjoyed writing were those that cast a spotlight on ordinary people getting recognition. Read the story here of this Vietnam veteran who was awarded the Bronze Star more than 40 years after a battle in the Mekong Delta.

Over the past decade I've spent in California, I've always enjoyed driving through the vast expanses of desert. It's a harsh landscape, peppered with interesting landmarks. One of those is Salvation Mountain. For more than 30 years, Leonard Knight has lived without electricity or running water, east of the Salton Sea, constructing and painting a clay "mountain" adorned with flowers, rivers and Bible verses. This oasis of American folk art stands in stark contrast to the unforgiving terrain surrounding it.



A moment in time along the freeway west of Palm Springs.

Catalina Island sits just about 30 miles off the coast of San Pedro, California, but it feels a world away. It was good medicine to get away from everything for a day and wander the small harbor town of Avalon. At the top of a mountain overlooking the island is the Wrigley Memorial, in honor of William J. Wrigley who did much to develop the island.

In September, I traveled to Washington, D.C. to a help a friend photograph a wedding. It was my first time there in probably more than 15 years, and I fell in love. It's a grand, walkable city with architecture that reminds me of Europe. These were the views as I walked the National Mall one afternoon, ending up at the Washington Monument for a beautiful sunset.


It's been nearly a decade since L.A. County Sheriff's Deputy Hagop "Jake" Kuredjian was shot dead during a shootout, but he was close in memory to his brother on the anniversary of his death. Read the story here.

A few months ago, I dragged myself out of bed in the pre-dawn hours to capture some images of the community's early risers. The Way Station Coffee Shop has been a Santa Clarita Valley fixture for almost 40 years, and is a deliciously textbook example of a "greasy spoon."




That's it! Some of my favorite newsy images from 2010. Come back tomorrow for images of couples in love, bouncing babies, chic ladies and more.

the style council



Recently, I had the pleasure of being commissioned by my friend Josh, to capture some images for his new website. Josh is a very talented hair stylist, and it was great to create some environmental portraits for him.
I usually like to do a straightforward headshot in my sessions, but for this first image I used a freelens technique to focus squarely on his eyes. After all, being a stylist is all about vision.


Like any effective environmental portrait, I wanted to use some of the tools of the trade as details.



Shooting in the salon lent a nice, soft light, but I wanted to also mix things up a bit and shoot a portrait that had more of an edge. That was as easy as going in a hallway of Josh's building and using some directed, off-camera flash. Again, I made sure to keep a comb and pair of scissors in there to give some clues as to his profession.


Josh, thanks again for having me shoot you!

the light in things

A few weeks ago, after much talk and planning, I spent a long and awesome day shooting images for the portfolios of my friends Lola and Rebecca, who do makeup and hair, respectively. Both are great artists in their own right. Much thanks goes to Diana, Cheryl and Danielle for modeling. You ladies were naturals in front of the camera. Here's a few of my personal favorites from the day. I'll talk about some of the lighting on some images below.



About the image below: Like the previous image, this was shot while it was dark outside. I put a halogen worklight (a very versatile tool for about $10) outside my front door, casting some nice shadows on Diana and the wall. Warming the image up in Lightroom approximated the feel of late-day sunlight.


This next image is an example in second glances. It was a throw-away image, way too underexposed. But a little time spent on it, and it has a gritty, film feel that I love.




Again with the worklight, gaffer-taped to a stand outside the front door. Add to that fill light from a six-headed Target living room lamp, and freelensing for a tilt-shift effect.

More lamp lighting. Don't underestimate the tools at hand. I broke down a cardboard box to make some snoots, gaffer-taped them to the lamp heads to better direct light. And yes, more freelensing.

Last but not least, Rebecca was game to do a little modeling as well, after a long day of doing hair.

Probably one of my favorite images from the day.

Hair: Rebecca Lovy
Makeup: Paola Perdido
Models: Diana Hereld, Cheryl Collins, Danielle Broome

the sweet part of the city

A had a great "just because" portrait session recently with Perla, who beforehand I had only known through Facebook. It was great fun wandering downtown Los Angeles and working with light, lines and textures. There's so much great bounced light in a city if you just look for it. A perfect example is this first image, shot in St. Vincent Court.



Lately, I've been experimenting with freelensing. It's tricky, but when you nail it the image has a wonderful, lo-fi tilt-shift effect.




Like I said, bounced light is all over the place in cities; you simply need to look for it. Look at the great light illuminating Perla, courtesy of a massive mirrored skyscraper a couple blocks away.


There's also no shortage of great, grungy alleys peppering downtown L.A. They smell bad, but look great.


In the City

The air is crisp, the leaves are turning (at least in Southern California. I think most places that happened about a month ago) and Thanksgiving is fast approaching.
I wanted to let you know I'll be in the New York City metro area this week, and I'd love to get together with you for a fun, relaxed HigherVision Creative portrait session.
Get in touch with me as soon as possible (joshpremako @ gmail.com) and let's make it happen.

(About the photo: A several-second exposure taken on a mild summer 2009 evening in Berlin, near Potsdamer Platz.)

One for another

It was tough picking just one image from Sunday's shoot to post as a teaser. For several hours, I had a blast working on portfolio images for my friends Lola and Rebecca, who do makeup and hair, respectively. There's lots of great images to work on, but they're taking a backseat to a few other projects I'm working on. Expect more goodness soon.

Model: Danielle Broome
Makeup: Lola Perdido
Hair: Rebecca Lovy

good as gold

I had a great time capturing Jade and Sheridan's engagement images. They're a fun, laid-back couple and I can't wait to document their vintage-themed wedding next spring.








you and i.

Just one for the moment...I had a great time yesterday with Sheridan and Jade, shooting their engagement photos at Descanso Gardens and Pasadena City Hall. They're an awesome, relaxed couple, and I'm looking forward to documenting their wedding next spring.

Action needs an audience.

Having joined the ranks of the unemployed, now more than ever is the time to step up my photography game. I'm currently looking at a lot of possibilities in the journalism field, and also doing what I can to get my portfolio out here. I figured it was worth posting a portfolio that spotlights my photojournalistic work. So, here it is. (click image for larger view)

sunlight and shadows.

This post also could have been called, "Sarah, stop being so effortlessly photogenic." Having borrowed a Sigma 50mm 1.4 to test it out, and itching to shoot despite having cancelled (due to a triple-digit forecast) a hair and makeup portfolio shoot, I got Sarah to do some early-morning modeling for me. I like that I have downtown Newhall just a few blocks away and chock full of great, weathered backdrops.
When all was said and done, I liked the lens. Like any photog, I'd take the Canon 50mm 1.2 gladly, but I'd rather spend $300 and change on the Sigma vs. $1,200 on the Canon.
There's very little margin for error when shooting wide open at 1.4, but when the images are in focus they're absolutely engaging.
Enough talk. More pictures. (see captions below images for some technique discussion.)

Sometimes, great locations are right outside the back door. This was not the first time I'd shot in my backyard; in fact, about a year ago I did an entire session there with Sarah. But I didn't really notice this particular composition until the other day, taking note of the lines and how the sunlight and shadows fell. A well-placed gold reflector provided a little bit of fill light.

This is a location two blocks away from my house. I've wanted to shoot there for some time, and this isn't the exact image I have in my head but it'll do for now. Wide aperture, and existing light. That's all.

Even if you're still shooting with a point-and-shoot camera, a reflector is a game-changer. I placed Sarah in a bit of shade, with a bit of sunlight for backlighting, and plenty of fill light from a gold reflector. Much more natural than using flash for fill. I've gotten pretty good at holding a reflector while shooting, but this was one of those cases where I needed an assistant.

When you're shooting on location, always pay attention to your surroundings. This image was shot in a small alcove of greenery along a dirty alley lined by a rusty chain-link fence. The background was shady but backlit, and I used a gold reflector for some fill light. Shooting wide open keeps the background nice and soft.

Once again, an example of letting the sun provide the backlighting and using a reflector to provide fill light.

Having your model pose in direct light, even if it's through a diffuser, can get a bit squinty. That said, look at the light here. Nice and soft. Direct sunlight through a diffuser.

Sometimes the keepers are the ones you don't plan for. I hadn't quite posed the image yet, but while I was getting my settings right I captured Sarah looking perfectly casual. A wide aperture with existing light.

Shooting outside doesn't mean you can't get a studio look now and then. My version of Hollywood glamour came courtesy of a doorway on the shady side of the street, a super-wide aperture and off-camera flash fired from above. Bazinga.

The right image isn't always technically perfect. Her eyes aren't in focus, her hair is. It drove me nuts at first, but I could not get away from this image. That light bouncing off a nearby window lent such a warm emotion to the photo. That's what I value: an emotional image, even if it's not "perfect." Don't be afraid of mistakes and flaws. Learn to give them a second look.

Again, an image that's a touch out of focus in the wrong place (if anything's sharp and in focus, make it your subject's eyes) but the image as a whole is still engaging.

This and the next image are a case study in paying attention. As much as I've walked around downtown Newhall, I'd never before noticed this white metal grating that makes for an interesting yet unobtrusive backdrop. It was the shady side of the building, so a reflector in the right place provided some great fill.


If you buy a reflector, get a 3-in-1. Mine is a collapsible 36" with a gold side, that can be reversed to a silver side, or removed altogether so you have a nice big diffuser perfect for softening harsh direct light. In this case, I used the silver side, providing a nice, cool fill light.

Some photographers are hesitant to talk about technique. I have no problem with it, particularly since, to be honest, I have no super-complicated tricks up my sleeve. If you're serious about getting better at photography, the best way is to keep practicing. The more you do it, the more natural it becomes to look for the light (and ways to control it), look for interesting backgrounds and how to pose your subject. (I lucked out on this shoot, because Sarah basically can stand in front of a camera and know what I'm going to ask (or come up with something better) before I ask it.


dynamic symmetry

Last weekend I hitched a red-eye to Washington, D.C. for the first time in about 16 years. The mission was to help photograph what turned out to be a delightful outdoor wedding (despite the threat of rain). In reality, it was a mini-vacation, drinking in the sights, sounds and tastes of the Capitol city and spending time with friends old and new. Here, in no particular order, are some captured images from along the way...

I apparently picked the perfect time to visit Mt. Vernon. Few tourists were in sight and it was a quiet, sunny and warm afternoon as I ambled the grounds where George Washington once lived.
The streets of the district are as visually interesting by night as they are during the day.



Ben's Chili Bowl. A D.C. institution, and deliciously unhealthy.

The hallway of Hunted House, a hip vintage furnishings shop on 14th St.



My walk down the National Mall and back concluded with wonderful sunset vistas...


The Vietnam War Memorial is simple and contemplative.


The Smithsonian Institute castle, a visual delight of red stone, is almost easy to miss during a walk along the Mall.

The view from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial

The weather on Friday was perfect, with photogenic skies, warm sun and gentle breezes. And jazz in gardens, filling the air while tourists and D.C. natives alike traversed the length of the Mall.