4/26/08: The Luxurious Life @ Kelly's Mission Rock

Pier 14 in Sephia

Details usually get lost when auto-converting a digital photo from color to grayscale. This was processed in Lightroom with the Sephia preset and some fine-tune adjustments to maintain as much detail as possible.

Voted Best City Life Photo 2007 on CaliforniaPhotoForum!

Adobe Lightroom

I just obtained Adobe Lightroom. Pretty cool program to edit RAW images and skip Photoshop all together. I'll have to play with it some more and change up my workflow a bit. Check it out..

Original Photoshop Edit (Left), Lightroom Edit (Right)

Cindy + Jeff

This shoot was my second outing with off camera lighting, one flash on camera and one flash on a tripod fired wirelessly. Shooting and posing two people, instead of one, is much more difficult. The chemistry between the two needs to be there, and sometimes natural poses come out better than staged ones. It was also tricky to transition location from really bright (Palace of Fine Arts) to really dark (Fort Point). Atleast this adds variety to the pictures and somehow we all made it through a windy day. Anyways, the wedding takes place in about a month and I can't wait!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q. Why should we choose you as a photographer?
A. I offer high quality photography and professional customer service. Let me know what you need and I will execute to the best of my ability.

Q. Do you photoshop your images?
A. I adjust settings in camera to get things right before post processing on the computer. Afterwards, I use professional software to fine tune my images.

Q. How do I navigate your website?
A. I use a blog style format to add updates, with preview photos and text. Clicking the preview photos and text will take you to the full gallery where the rest of the photos can be found. If lost, you can always click on the main banner at the top of the page to go to my home page.

Q. How much do you charge?
A. Price will depend on the several factors. Email me with details and I will get back to you with a quote.

Q. Do I get the image files on a CD?
A. Yes, you get the high resolution files of the final edited images on a CD as a courtesy. For small projects, clients can always view and access the same high resolution files in a public or password protected online gallery.

Q. Do you sell prints?
A. Yes, you can buy different size prints online. Look for the "Buy this photo" button in galleries where prints are enabled.

Q. What kind of equipment do you use?
A. I use Canon equipment to ensure top notch quality! But these are just tools that allow me to do what I do.

Canon 40D Camera Body
Canon 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 Lens
Canon 17-55mm f/2.8 IS Lens
Canon 50mm f/1.4 Lens
Canon 85mm f/1.8 Lens
Canon 580exII Flash
Canon 430ex Flash
Canon SD870 IS Pocket Camera

Questions? Comments? Email Me!

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4/12/08: Kingdom @ Kelly's Mission Rock

4/12/08: Bunker @ Horizon

Hiking Mount Diablo

One shot from yesterday's hike with my 50mm f/1.4! I didn't have a macro lens, so I couldn't get super close.

Inside the Legion of Honor

Photoshoot with Michelle

This was my first time using off camera flash for portraits. I haven't read much on this technique and constantly messed around with the 2nd flash placement and power output, until I got the right lighting down. I also tried to direct some poses and Michelle did a good job working under some really windy conditions!

Looking to start/build your modeling portfolio?
Email me: chris@chrisfotos.com

1973 Toyota Celica

People usually take pictures of cars up close, with some slanted angle. This shot was from a far distance, with a prime lens stopped down for maximum sharpness. I included the abandoned ship/pier in the background instead of the bridge to the right (not shown). It emphasizes the classic-restoration look of the car more, I think. I plan to try this again, with off camera flash in a darker setting. Every car is different, so finding just the right background is key.

Rui's '73 Celica