Limited Edition Prints now available!

Posted by Snob on February 11, 2014
Posted in: Art, Limited, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , . Leave a comment

As of this year 2014, I transitioned all print work to Limited Edition fine art canvas prints only. After collecting a fairly sizable body of photography work over the years I was searching for a perfect medium to share some of my best. Most photo paper processes and services just weren’t cutting it, and I felt the true beauty I witnessed and emotion I felt when taking the shots was getting lost in the process. As such I have been very hesitant to make any of my work available at all until I can find a truly fitting medium for reproduction with a level of quality on par with the very high resolution and quality of the photos. After searching high and low, much experimentation (some expensive) and scrapping I am relieved to have finally found the perfect solution. I can now begin the task of revisiting all my work which was previously locked in a vault and almost forgotten.

Why only limited prints?
In a bid to strike a balance between my desire to share these shots with the world  without getting consumed by the process, I concluded limited editions were most ideal. Each shot is a capture of a beautiful moment in time, never to occur again and as such I find it more fitting that each print should share that element as well. It is my desire to find a few people with whom each shot resonates, share that shot with them, move forward with that satisfaction and fulfillment and continue what I love most about this whole journey – Photography. Each print is also a very high quality piece worthy of collecting and takes some effort to put together – something I cannot do indefinitely.

The feedback so far has been overwhelmingly positive and most collectors often place their order within minutes of seeing it in person. It is a truly humbling experience.

Thank you for your continued support and for sharing in my passions.

~Bryan

Photo shoot with Naomi

Posted by Snob on January 24, 2014
Posted in: Art, canon 5D mark III, Fashion, models, studio. Tagged: , , , , . Leave a comment

I said my new year’s resolution was to photograph and post about it at least once a week. I know I’m already a week behind, but I have good reason. With the little spare time I have to spend on my photography endeavors each week I simply did not have enough time left to write about it all last week. That was because I spent it all doing the actual photographing…lol.

I spent last Friday evening working on the next subject [Naomi] for my series on tattoos and body ink. She was a great sport and subject to work with. I’m on a bit of a time crunch with this series as I would like to have it ready for exhibit/display by late this spring or summer. The entire series will be available for a very limited print run. My main goal is to present the subject of body ink and tattoos to a mainstream audience in a fashion that highlights it’s artistic qualities and present a different take on my subjects as curators of fine art. Below are some behind the scenes shots of our photo shoot as well as a sample. Because this series will be made available in limited print production only, I am less inclined to publish any of the images on the web.

The main shots were taken with the Canon 5D Mark III and the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM. The behind the scenes shots were taken with the Canon 7D and the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM. Two Canon 430EX speedlite flashes were used for lighting.

Naomi sample

Naomi sample

Naomi posing
Making minor adjustments
Getting my final shots in
Always check shots and make adjustments on the spot
Courtney, MUA working her magic.
Courtney, MUA working her magic.

Test Product Shoot – Milagro Tequila

Posted by Snob on January 10, 2014
Posted in: Art, canon 5D mark III, Products. Tagged: , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

As part of my new year resolution, I plan on photographing something each week and post about it. I’m hoping this goal will motivate me to explore new photography subjects and techniques and grow as a photographer. So here we go!

Tonight I decided I wanted to come up with a magazine quality product shot of a bottle of one of our favorite liquors: Tequila. I don’t really drink hard liquor (anymore), so I tend to amass a sizable assortment of the stuff every time I throw a party. I have several bottles of Milagro in my stash and have always liked their design and presentation.

I shot with the Canon 5D Mark III and the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens. I cannot say enough about how versatile this lens is. For lighting I used two Canon 430EX speedlights in full manual mode. On one I had a Strobies softbox and the other a honeycomb and lavender blue gel. The bottle was placed on a piece of black plexiglass I had laying around my workshop. I posted a cell phone shot of my setup. It was a good and fun exercise to shoot a product shot using the bare essentials and with no editing. The JPEG compression does not reproduce the subtle colors well. Without further ado, here’s what I came up with.

9Q1A4097

Happy New Year 2014!!! – San Francisco Fireworks

Posted by Snob on January 2, 2014
Posted in: Architecture, Art, Cityscapes, Entertainment, Landscape, Time Lapse, Video. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

Happy New Year!!!

This year I decided to stop thinking about watching (photographing) the fireworks over the San Francisco Bay and actually get out and do it. One of my good friends and great photographer, Steve was only happy to come along and plan our New Year’s Eve photo excursion. We decided, since we were going to be out in the cold weather we may as well catch the sunset over the city. I had been wanting to revisit my last shoot from the Port of Oakland where I shot my last time lapse of the Bay Bridge lights. This time my focus was to obtain a really good high quality wide panorama  shot for large format print and reproduction. I did however capture a time lapse of the sunset and city lights as well. It’s hard not to, as it has become fairly easy for me with my 7D and 17-55mm f/2.8 lens. I’ve shot so many time lapses with that combo, it only takes a few minutes to setup.

Magic hour over the city only lasts for a few minutes, and I found it very challenging to capture a full panoramic set of the city with a long enough exposure at a narrow enough aperture (f/8 or smaller). This was due primarily to the amount of the disturbance on the water from boats, ferries and large cargo ships. While you might see a few minutes of calm, they are punctuated by wakes, shadows of moving vessels and light streaks. My frustrations were only compounded by the fact that I decided to use my EF 2x Extender III on the 70-200mm f/2.8. I chose the wrong time to experiment. Under anything other than perfect lighting conditions you will find it exceedingly difficult to use any lens with the 2X extender III. As a result, I missed easily half of my photo opportunities. Below are some panoramic shots I managed to salvage. The detail is pretty impressive – you can see inside offices and hallways in all those buildings you see. The full res compressed JPEG is just under 200MB and the master GIMP file is 1GB (1000MB).

Canon 5D Mark III + EF 2x Extender + EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II

Canon 5D Mark III + EF 2x Extender + EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II

Canon 5D Mark III + EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II

Canon 5D Mark III + EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II

We shot through the sunset till about 9pm then we packed up and headed out to treasure island to scout for a good angle on the action. I have never seen this many photographers and enthusiasts in one place. The whole island was crawling with people like me. Even in the seemingly remote bushes along back roads. We finally settled on the waterfront as the best vantage point. Fireworks are a challenge to shoot! This was my first time shooting fireworks and nothing could have prepared me for it. Below is a collection of some of the highlights. Overall I think it was a success. There are a few things I would’ve done differently now. Your feedback would be highly appreciated.

I was also able to capture a time lapse of the fireworks. The entire show lasted about 13minutes. It was a spectacular affair. If you missed it, the time lapse compilation below should help you enjoy the experience in a matter of seconds. My new years gift to you. I wish you a Happy and Prosperous New Year!

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24 Hours of LeMons – Arse-Freeze-Apalooza

Posted by Snob on December 12, 2013
Posted in: Art, Automotive. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

This past weekend I had the pleasure and honor of attending for the first time, a race at the Sonoma Raceway here in California. It was the final race of the year for the “24 Hours of LeMons” series Arse-Freeze-Apalooza. The entire experience rendered me speechless, in tears (from laughter), in disbelief but most of all humbled by the the raw passion, and determination to play hard by each and every person and team at the track that day. I’ve been told before that my passion for my hobbies can sometimes be too much… well, let’s just say this weekend I saw what the big leagues look like. If you are not familiar with this race please enjoy yourself looking through their website:
http://www.24hoursoflemons.com

Here is a Car and Driver writeup that will get you up to speed on the whole idea behind the 24 Hours of LeMons:
http://www.caranddriver.com/features/beaters-rule-the-24-hours-of-lemons-feature

Team: Fiero Libre!
I was there primarily to support my friends’ team: Fiero Libre. I was up and on the road before sunrise heading from Sacramento to the Sonoma Raceway. Nothing prepared me for what I saw upon arriving just after sunrise. The entire park was chock full with teams, busily propping up their $500 beaters for the day’s race in sub zero temperatures! There was cheer everywhere. Everyone was in a great mood, the kind of mood only present when you’re really doing the only thing you’d rather spend your precious life doing. Great camaraderie! I finally found the Fiero Libre Luchadores amidst all the chaos. Below is a photo chronicle of the day’s events. They had worked their way to the top of their class but experienced a set back just an hour and half from the end of the race. The original ignition coil on the Fiero finally gave up after decades of torture. With no spare in sight, the team concluded they’ll just have to let the race go this time – then they proceeded to crack open some cold beers with all the gusto of someone who just walked across the Sahara.

Team Fiero Libre at the 24 Hours of LeMons
Fiero Libre cockpit
Fiero Libre
Fiero Libre
Team Fiero Libre prepping for start
Fiero Libre cockpit
Fiero Libre cockpit
Fiero Libre at race start
Team Fiero Libre just after start of Race
Team Fiero Libre pushing hard in the morning
Team Fiero Libre at top of their class in the afternoon.
Bad ignition coil towards end of the race
Team Fiero Libre diagnosing the fault
Fiero Libre cockpit
Fiero Libre cockpit
Fiero Libre engine
Team Fiero Libre!!!

Gearing up for the Race!
There was so much creativeity and the attention to the madness and detail was impressive to say the least. My thoughts raced from “oooh that is ingenious” to “oh my god, I cannot believe he/she actually did that!”. Yes I said SHE! I spotted a lot of girls/ladies in the thick of it, and a few at the steering, just waiting to let it all rip to hell. Here are the highlights. Be sure to look closely at these cars and their teams. It’s pure entertainment.

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The Race!
Once started all you heard echo throughout the hills were the painful screams and cries from over 150 $500 beaters. Cars that were already left for dead but somehow missed the crusher. Cars that had become perfectly comfortable in the afterlife but were seemingly, unfairly yanked back into this world, forcefully resuscitated, revived by hook or crook and flogged till they awoke and screamed out of the gates as if they had just seen the devil himself. Running down the track, begging for death to come and take them out of their misery! Comical does not even begin to describe my entire day. I very quickly forgot my hands and feet were frozen numb and aching.

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Final laps and end of the race for some!
Towards the end for the race, while Team Fiero Libre tried to revive their trusty Fiero, I decided to walk around and see what everyone else was up to. Many other cars did not make it through the day and some where busy hustling through their final pit stop and driver change. Team Blowes’ level of pride and professionalism was particularly inspiring. These guys really took their sport serious. Enjoy the highlights below:

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Photo Shoot with Holly

Posted by Snob on November 17, 2013
Posted in: Art, Camera, Fashion, models, studio. Tagged: , , , , , , , . 2 Comments

Earlier this year I did a shot one of my favorite models, Charlie. She’s the one featured in my post titled Girl with the Phoenix Tattoo.

While I sought to try out and experiment with different styles on that shoot, as time progressed, it inspired me to begin exploring the subject of body ink. The culture [if any] behind it. I wanted to see things through the mind of my subject. My mulling finally led me to a theme/subject I felt I could pursue seriously, but more on that later. Suffices to say, I recently started my first official foray into this relatively new [for me] territory. My subject was a great model “Holly”.

She maintains an impressive array of body ink and artwork. She also made for a great subject to work with. She was very responsive, creative and clearly had experience in front of the lens. This would be the second in series I am hoping to release by next summer. The theme and subject of this series is to present the best body art I can find to a mainstream audience in a fashion that highlights the intricate art of their detailed tattoos.

For the photographer in you, I shot the entire session with my Canon 5D Mark III and my Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens. There is just no better lens for the job! This is why you see me sitting outside of my studio space so as to better frame my shot. Not all lenses are built equal and this lens warrants the extra accommodations. The whole shoot was handheld. I used two Canon 430EX speedlites in full manual mode with RF wireless triggers without E-TTL. This seems to have become my setup of choice – full and complete manual camera and flash lighting. It makes for very precise control. I used various Interfit Strobies flash filters and accessories. The photos you see in this post were taken with my Canon 7D with Canon 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM with the help of our hair and makeup artist Amber. The 7D still delivers in low ambient light as it was always known for. The wine was a Syrah from Australia.

I am yet to do my final cut edit of this shoot and as such do not have any finished shots for you to view at this time. I may also only make them available at the time of publishing/exhibit. However I thought I might share this shoot with you. I hope you enjoy this post no less and share your thoughts as feedback with me.

Canon 7D Mark II – 10 features I would like to see

Posted by Snob on October 29, 2013
Posted in: Reviews. Tagged: , , , , . Leave a comment

If there were ever a Canon 7D Mark II, here is my wish list and some explanations on why I would like to see these features.

  1. 24 Megapixel Sensor with usable shots at ISO-6400
    Canon has already shown this to be more than possible in the recently released 70D
  2. Next generation Hybrid AF Sensor
    The 70D sensor based AF system has proven that Canon has finally sorted this feature out. This is perhaps the single biggest reason I don’t do more video with my 7D. Manual focus tracking is just too much hassle, especially when switching lenses during a shoot or you subject keeps drifting in and out of the field of focus.
  3. Dual DIGIC 5 processors
    The 7D proves that this is indispensable when it comes to Pro bodies. It leads to everything from faster (near instant) start-up times, fast and deep burst modes, better metering, AF tracking, etc, etc.
  4. 19-21 all cross type AF system, evenly distributed across the frame
    The existing AF system in the 7D is bested only by that in the 1Dx. In real world settings, the 61 point AF system in the 5D Mark III is ridiculous and far from useful. It’s little more than a marketing gimmick (much like GPS) than a relevant feature. If anything selecting AF points on the 5D Mark III slows my productivity down, distracts me from my photo shoot and usually hit-or miss.
  5. Dedicated processor for AF
    Just like the current 7D, this is perhaps it’s single greatest strength. The AF system on the 7D is near invincible. It just works every time, on time and with almost no light at all, where the 5D Mark III will hunt half the time or just not acquire AF at all. This has been my single greatest frustration with the 5D Mark III. It has a fancy AF system, but it does NOT deliver as reliably and consistently as the 7D’s AF system. It also does not track as well as the 7D. I believe a big part of this is the shared single DIGIC 5 processor. No matter how much faster it may be than the DIGIC 4, it still must be multi-tasked with all other camera functions (metering, image processing, buffering, AF, OS, etc). This translates to some noticeable and sometimes serious lag. If you haven’t used a 7D or 1Dx, you most likely will not notice this. 🙂
  6. 10fps high speed burst mode
    8fps is the minimum for capturing any kind of action. The 7D proves this. The 5D Mark III’s 6fps is just too slow for action. I’ve found my self missing half the shots I would otherwise get with my 7D. Cannon has already proven that 14fps is possible, but that is overkill too, just like the 5D3’s AF system. I good solid balance would be 10fps with a much much deeper burst than the already impressive 29 RAW+JPEG or 125 JPEG only. With two DIGIC5 processors and a little more on-board memory they should be able to double that easily.
  7. NO GPS!
    I’ve been out shooting a lot of places and not once have I wished for GPS. From what I understand, this feature is also incompatible with the 7D’s rugged chassis, and the main reason the 6D is part plastic. NO! NO! NO! I need rugged more than I need GPS. I also don’t need the added drain on my batteries or the extra menus to scroll through. NO!
  8. WiFi Maybe
    I’ve been out shooting a lot of places and not once have I wished for WiFi. I almost always work with RAWs and have no interest or need to upload my shot on the spot via my phone or whatever else. I have a remote trigger for when I need to work hands free. If anyone needs WiFi there’s the already very capable 70D or 6D. The 7D Mark II should have a higher purpose. I would sooner see an improvement on core features that directly affect my photography. When I’m out in the wild and off the grid, I don’t need the added drain on my batteries or the extra menus to scroll through. NO!
  9. In camera HDR and faster with more than +/- 3 brackets
    I find myself using this feature 90% of the time with my 5D Mark III, rather than doing bracketing. It’s extremely convenient and allows me to proof my HDR shot and retake as needed.
  10. 60fps at 1080p Full HD, 120fps at 720p HD
    If the dual processors permit, let’s push it to 120fps at 1080p Full HD. While we’re at it, let’s even throw in some 4K video. Heck, if a tiny GoPro can shoot 4K, then why not a 7D Mark II?

Photo shoot with Hannah

Posted by Snob on October 12, 2013
Posted in: Fashion, models, studio. Tagged: , , , . Leave a comment

While taking a break during a fashion photo shoot this summer, one of the hair and makeup stylists caught my eyes. I thought she was very photogenic and most of all fairly unaware of it. I snagged a couple shots her so I could revisit her look when I had some downtime. You can see those shots in my previous post Behind the scenes – Fashion Shoot.

I finally got around to catching up with Hannah early Monday evening. While this was more of a test shoot – I almost always do a test shoot first before doing any photo projects – I did get quite a few great shots. Below some of the first shots to make it the final cut and editing. I will post more (with different outfits) as I finish final edits. Hair and Makeup was by none other than Hannah herself. The whole shoot was a breeze.

For this shoot I used the Canon 5D Mark III with the EF 70-200 f/2.8L IS II USM lens. I mostly employed two Canon 430EX speedlights manual mode synched via simple RF triggers. I shot handheld in manual mode at f/2.8, ISO-640 and 1/80s. AF was one shot. Image stabilization ON.

On a side note, I’m not sure I can go back to shooting E-TTL again. The 5D Mark-III has forced me to learn manual flash lighting and I have to say it’s a much better way to shoot.

Hannah
Hannah
Hannah
Hannah
Hannah
Hannah

Andy Allo live acoustic at Bitterzoet in Amsterdam

Posted by Snob on October 3, 2013
Posted in: Amsterdam, Art, Entertainment, Music. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

Earlier this year I had the opportunity to join my sister Andy Allo on her mini Euro tour. Below is her live acoustic performance of “Hooked” at Bitterzoet in Amsterdam, one of my favorite. I love the improvised take on the song. The venue was jam-packed shoulder to shoulder and stage to entrance. A great crowd for sure.

I was initially unsure about whether I would be able to capture anything worth watching. I had packed light for the trip and brought only my small travel tripod. The crowd and overloaded deck at the back of the room caused a lot of vibrations which were only amplified by the 200mm focal length needed to reach the stage. I must say for as steady as the shot looks, the entire camera and deck were in constant motion. Someone was always kicking the tripod. My only saving grace was the EF 70-200mm f/2.8 IS II lens. Once again this lens more than earned it’s lifetime place in my camera bag. What an amazing piece of precision machinery!

I shot with the 5D Mark III, Manual mode, Manual Focus, ISO-1600, f/2.8 and 1/50s (twice the 25fps for a crisp feel) and 1080p. This was my first time shooting 25fps (I usually shoot video at 30fps) and I must say 25fps feels more natural but the best part was that it took up much less memory. I was able to shoot the entire performance in roughly half the memory it would normally take. For the audio I used an AZDEN Shotgun Mic with built in boost/amp. I was about 50-60 feet from the stage and was able to pickup the performance surprisingly clearly. From where I was standing I could hardly hear the words. Here’s the video:

Brazilian Day Sacramento 2013

Posted by Snob on September 8, 2013
Posted in: Art, Entertainment, Fashion. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . 5 Comments

My trigger [shutter] finger had a serious itch when I woke up this morning. My buddy Pete of Denim Spot invited me down to to come enjoy Brazilian Day festivities. This worked out well as we needed to catch up on some business. I did not stick around for the entire day’s scheduled events, but I managed to capture some of the color. I’m always game, when people take the time to be creative and make any kind of art that is visually appealing. Unfortunately there would be no carnival/samba dancers this time, however I did meet some of the folks from the Brazilian Center who gave me the scoop on future performances. I’m looking forward to capturing those colors for sure. Most of what I captured was of the Mexican Folkloric Dance studio performance. I suppose it was more of a latin american cultural day. Still they put on a very visually appealing performance. Below are some of my favorite shots:

As for the technical details, I shot these with the Canon 5D Mark III using the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II. Because I was shooting over a very dynamic range I put the camera in AV mode. My Aperture was set to f/2.8 for maximum bokeh and subject isolation. My ISO was set to 400-800 to give me a fast enough shutter to stop the motion. AF was set to AI-SERVO to track the fast moving subjects. Selected my AF point based on how I wished to frame each shot. I also used partial or spot metering to help the camera ignore the over exposed spots not covered by tree shadows. This was further aided by the fact that I was tracking my moving subject and keeping my focus point on them at all times. I also used High speed shutter mode to take my shots in bursts of 2-4 shots. Even though the 5D Mark-III is fast enough for most cases, I found myself missing a few key shots because of the “fast-but-not-fast-enough” shutter speed. This is another area where my 7D has never had a problem.

Overall it made for a fun, casual Saturday out and about.

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