Donut Joke
I love donuts and I love jokes, why not combine the two? It was as fun to make the set elements for this video as it was designing it.
And of course I had lots of donuts leftover. No wonder I love shooting donuts!
I created the initial design in Adobe Illustrator, then tile-printed it at 100% ( it was over 5 feet long!) with tabloid sheets of paper. I then used the large print as a template to cut the fabric and lay everything out in the right spot.
Bean-To-Bar Chocolate
I don’t normally think about how a chocolate bar is made, that is, until I met 9th & Larkin. They make their chocolate from single origin cacao beans, which is why their chocolate has distinctive flavors depending on the region the beans are grown (similar to single origin coffee). I worked with them to create a video which gives an overview of all the steps involved in creating this artisanal (and delicious) chocolate.
DaVinci Resolve
I’m learning to use the video software DaVinci Resolve 17. I’ve used the software in the past, but now I want to broaden my skills. I needed some video footage to use in the program, so I captured scenes from North Beach and Chinatown here in San Francisco. I’m much more proficient with Final Cut Pro, so this video was more about getting up to speed on all the controls than doing anything fancy.
Visual and Tactile
I wanted to create an abstract set of photos that were an exploration of visual and tactile. I played with fabric, painted wood, metal and acrylic. Some cuts I wanted to have perfect edges and others have imperfect edges. The images would be real with very minimal retouching. In this world of perfect 3D, we forget how beautiful the real thing can be.
Boom Chicka Pop
I love creating custom sets for a product. For this set I added a little motion and a soundtrack to go with the Boom Chicka Pop microwave popcorn. I’ve also added a behind-the-scenes photo of the set.
Oatly Oat Milk
I was inspired by the playful cut-out shapes on the Oatly package art. I referenced shapes and elements from the packaging to create a playful scene with literal cut-outs! I’ve included a behind the scenes photo to show what the set looks like. It was a lot of fun.
Pickleball
I’ve only known about Pickleball for about a year, but it’s been around since the late '60s. Today, Pickleball, a hybrid of tennis, badminton, and ping-pong, is the fastest-growing sport in America.
For this new portfolio image, I wanted to reflect on its heritage with a playful color scheme. I created two swirls out of paper to convey the movement of the ball as it’s volleyed back and forth. The composition and lighting also aim to create a youthful, energetic and joyful impression.
Sport images often show an ideal athlete, striking for peak performance and results. My intention here was to share the vibrant energy and humor which make Pickleball such a popular and addictive sport.
Sparkling Water
Sparkling water is incredibly popular, with many offerings from small local companies and multinational brands. It is fun to explore the different visual styles and interesting flavor combinations. This is a shot I did recently using the Target brand, Good and Gather.
Colorful Shoes
I was excited to photograph these vibrant and cheerful New Balance shoes. I knew the image should reflect their playful energy. I used planes of color inspired by the shoes to create the composition. Initially, I had white behind the yellow and orange, but I ultimately swapped it for a bright blue paper which helped everything pop.
Vodafone Neo
I worked with the design team at Fuseproject to capture images for the launch of the Vodafone Neo, a smartwatch for kids.
Even with COVID-19 limitations, we were still able to collaborate in real time with my remote setup. We kept the crew to just me and one assistant. We both had masks on all day and followed safety protocols. The client joined via Zoom, which is my choice for remote working. One important feature of Zoom vs. similar software is that with Zoom you can turn off auto exposure, which can be a problem in a dark studio. My setup has become more elaborate the longer we are in this pandemic. Figuring out how to constantly improve things has been fun.
Coway Purifier
Air purifiers have become an important part of our lives. I worked with the team at Fuesproject to capture images of the new purifier they designed with Coway. The purpose of the shoot was not only to show off how stylish it is, but the controls, phone charging, and that it comes in two colors. We created a 3 wall set in my studio to photograph the product.
Remote Shooting with Memo Furniture
Even with the restrictions of the pandemic I found a way to work with Memo Furniture, which is located in Seattle, Washington. They shipped the product to my studio while the client joined remotely in real-time. The art director was able to view my capture session as it was happening via the capture software that I use (Capture One). This is a better method than using a screen sharing software, because it allows the client to view all the shots, rate and enlarge the detail of a photo without interrupting my workflow. We communicated view Zoom when needed, but the client preferred to communicate via text and calling. We were able to fine tune the details and collaborate easily. I imagine this could appeal to clients even after the restrictions ease.
The final client shots were all on white. I had some fun exploring color backgrounds for these.
Forme Life
Before sheltering in place, I worked with Forme Life to create photos of their new AI-powered mirror fitness system. We built a living room set in my studio so we could capture two angles of the mirror. The set required four walls and lots of flooring. We had one day to create the set and one day to shoot. You can read more about the mirror and Forme Life in an article on CNN.
I wish I had one of these in my home right about now!
Wired Magazine
It’s great to start off the new year with 8 pages in the January issue of Wired Magazine. The feature was about snow gear and things to keep you cozy in the winter. I really enjoyed collaborating with the talented Wired team on set. Once we get a basic idea of the photo arrangement the designer on set uses a jpeg to make a quick mockup of the layout. If they need more room for a large block of text, the block can be modified on the fly or we can move the props around on set. It’s a back and forth process that works out really well in the end.
Read the full article over at wired.com.
Ticktock
A new addition to my portfolio. For this project the idea was to create a fun still image along with creating a short stop-motion for social media. The motion was to show not only the front but the back of the clock which is also well designed.
The clock was made by TAIT Design Co. They are a cool design studio out of Detroit Michigan. Their clocks are 100% made in the USA, something not easy to do these days.
Sightglass Coffee
Local coffee roaster, Sightglass Coffee, recently redesigned their packaging. I worked with them to create some photos that would show off this new design.
Kala Eyewear
Here’s some work I did for Bay Area made Kala Eyewear. It’s great working with a client that likes to try new things. I was inspired by the lenses of these glasses to create a pattern based off their shape and size. While I was creating the elements I realized that it was reminding me of the cover for the Pet Shop Boys album, Very. The process might look deceptively simple, but it was all built with cut paper and true shadows rather than digitally composited.
In the next photo I was looking to create an abstract face wearing a hat. I liked the contrast of textures with the clean, smooth, white circle. Both concepts add a little playful personality to the frame designs.
Donut Emoji
Donuts are fun to eat and photograph. How I photograph them is always changing, unlike my favorite flavor...glazed.
One series I did involved carrying around 8 foot square photos of donuts mounted onto foam core. I’d place them in surprising locations and take photos of the giant donut posters in their new habitats. There was an appealing contrast of the gritty environments and the large clean colorful donut photos. I really enjoyed doing this but it’s not easy dragging that giant foam core around!
My latest idea is to shrink down the size of the print to fit in my bag. This allows me to be more spontaneous. I decided to make donut emojis for the prints. By placing these small images in new locations the donut emojis take on a anthropomorphic quality.
My donut series work can be seen on instagram @12happydonuts. Be sure to follow for some sweet fun!
Wired
Wired magazine saw the paper cutout photographs I had done for a personal project and asked me to work with them on their June issue. Along with the team at Wired and stylist Grace Suh, we transformed the pages of the Gear Lab section of the magazine. It was a great opportunity to collaborate with a dedicated group of people willing to put the effort into the details. You can read the article online here.
Studio 54
Kala Eyewear designs and hand makes glasses in the San Francisco Bay Area. One of their newest products is a frame inspired by Studio 54. The client needed an image to be used on a large vertical format poster at an upcoming trade show. The only stipulation they gave was to include a disco ball in the shot, which was used to make the patterns on the background. The glasses are positioned in a way to make then feel as if they are dancing the night away.