Vantage Point Photography

Every year I try to send out a Holiday Card for Vantage Point Photography. Normally I use an image that I've taken earlier in the year.  This year I decided to shoot one specifically for the holiday card. I came up with this cookie idea and ended up searching all over town for Gingerbread Man cookies with no success. All of the cookies I found were too small, so I finally ended up making them myself. I wanted the cookies to be a cross between Gingy from Shrek and Mr. Bill from the old SNL episodes. Have a fabulous 2010!

The "Halloween Girls" is one of my all time favorite images taken several years ago. Vantage Point Photography was working on a calendar project for the City of San Jose Department of Housing to highlight all of the great Affordable Housing developments that were being built in San Jose at that time. I was trying to create an image for the month of October and a Halloween theme seemed appropriate.  Poco Way was the name of the Housing Development in San Jose that was chosen for the location. I had contacted the parents of the 3 girls to get permission and model releases to photograph them for the calendar project. I had decided to do an informal editorial portrait of the 3 girls in costume and decided to shoot it at twilight to approximate the look of when kids actually go out to "Trick or Treat". The day before the shoot I picked up the costumes and props but was trying to figure out how to light up the girls at the twilght evening time of day. While shopping I found a pumpkin light that would work perfectly to provide the lighting I needed. The girls were so excited to put on the costumes and you can tell from the photo that they are the best of friends. The emotion and friendship in their eyes is really what makes the photo! At the end of the shoot I told the girls that they could keep the costumes. You would have thought I had just given them a million dollars! They all ran home to show their families. Sometimes it's the simple things in life that are the most rewarding!

Timing is everything at Vantage Point Photography!! I was on my way back from a photo shoot in San Francisco as rain clouds were beginning to move in towards San Jose. I noticed that the cloud formations might allow for an amazing sunset. With time running out I raced to Paseo Senter, an affordable housing development that the City of San José Department of Housing and Charities Housing had developed. This project was designed by David Baker + Partners Architects and was awarded the 2009 residential architect Design Award "RADA" - Merit Award for Affordable Housing.

Just as I arrived at Paseo Senter the sun broke through the clouds and I knew that the sunset was going to be a dramatic one. The 2 images that you see here show the sky as it actually was, rainbow and all!  I had to move quickly to get as many views as I could since the color in the sky would only last for about 10 minutes. The images were retouched in Photoshop using HDR techniques to optimize the amazing sunset.

Glenborough LLC contracted Vantage Point Photography to create a variety of interior and exterior Architectural Photography images for Foundry Square I located at 400 Howard Street in San Francisco, CA. I was able to take many great photographs of this gorgeous property, but this image was one of my favorites. The building was designed by Studio Architectures and constructed by Webcore Builders. This building had many great design elements as well as a 40 foot Sculpture and a stunning glass facade. Photographing the building at twilight really made the property stand out with the unique reflections and transmitted light coming from the building.

This aerial photograph of the couple on the beach was taken in San José del Cabo, Mexico. I was photographing the luxury hotel, One and Only Palmilla, for a client of mine that needed marketing images showing interior, exterior and aerial photography. I had hired a private pilot to fly me over the property to get general aerials of the hotel and surrounding region. After downloading and viewing the images, I decided that a very low altitude aerial would highlight the beaches better. I had the hotel concierge set me up with a local ultralight pilot who flew tourists for all of hotels in the area. I was told to meet the pilot on a nearby beach. I arrived at the beach and looked for a building where the ultralight business would be. Nothing in sight! Before too long, I heard the buzz of an engine and soon an ultralight came flying over me as I frantically waved like I was a survivor stranded on a deserted island! After a few quick passes, the pilot came in for a landing right on the beach. The pilot was very helpful, especially with my limited Spanish and his limited English. We flew for about 30 minutes as I tried to photograph as many angles and views as possible. As the pilot was making a turn, I noticed this couple walking on a secluded beach. I quickly framed the image and only had enough time for one shot, as the pilot came out of his steep banked turn. The photographs of the hotel all came out great and definitely staying at a luxury hotel didn't hurt either. 

I was lucky on the timing with the wave and white water! The image below shows a sample from the aerial views of the One and Only Palmilla Hotel.

Yes, this is what the actual sunset looked like! No secret Photoshop work done on this image. I was hired to capture an image that highlighted downtown Oakland but also showed the cities proximity to downtown San Francisco. This image really came down to opportunity and preparedness. Sometimes you just get lucky! I was paying close attention to the weather pattern and everything came together when I needed it to. 100 mile visibility air quality with a very unusual almost surreal sky color at sunset, possibly caused by smoke from a fire, that seemed to only be there to paint the sky a fiery red. I tracked down a great vantage point from the Oakland Hills. The whole sunset lasted about 10 to 15 minutes and then it was gone.

Well I've updated my website, so I decided it was time to join the blog world. I will be posting current samples of my work as well as favorites from past photo assignments. Vantage Point Photography is based in the San Francisco Bay Area and provides Advertising, Commercial, Corporate, Architectural, and Aerial Photography for clients throughout California and beyond.