Well, as you can see, we had a lot of fun at the Sacramento Executive Airport this weekend.  There were wonderful models, great cloudy skies and beautiful planes.  What more could I ask for?  This model, above, was obviously a highly experienced model who added a lot of excitement to the “shoot”.  She was easy to work with and a very nice gal.

This model was also a photographer, so he had real advantages both in posing and getting some shots in himself.  I love this photo, for some reason.  Maybe it’s his look, the skies or the wonderful blue color of the plane.  I’m not sure, but he sure made a difference to the feel of the photo.

Amadeo was just a joy to work with.  He had wonderful big, brown, sleepy eyes and dimples in his cheeks and his chin.  To top it off, he had a super personality.  I think I could have worked with him the entire time.

The whole photo shoot was great opportunity to network with models and other local photographers.  We also had some opportunities to try some fun lighting gadgets…which I’ve got to add to my gear (don’t tell my husband, or he won’t let me go to these shoots anymore.)

A few more shots from my portfolio workshop.  Preston Castle is kind of a spooky place and I would not want to spend any time there alone, but there are many beautiful spots, also.

The above photo was taken in a little garden area in the back of the castle that was quite unexpected, considering the dilapidated state of the castle.  It really did remind me of a fairy tale and Naomi’s outfit is perfect for this setting.  She is a wonderful model and a dress designer.

Inside the castle was not such a pretty picture, although it made for pretty pictures.  The only light available in this hallway was a big bank of large windows on either side of the hallway.  This is the main hallway on the first floor.  It goes from the front door of the castle through to the back where the infirmary was located.  The windows were incredibly dirty making for the most marvelous diffused lighting that a photographer could ever hope for.  The model in this shot is Namantha and her skin tones and large eyes were beautiful with this light.

There was a lone male model available during the workshop.  His name is Ricardo and he was wonderful to work with. I wish there had been a few more male models so that we could have done more couples shots.  But, here he is looking very GQ.

Ricardo was in great demand, so I was happy to catch him and Namantha wandering around the castle without a passel of photographers hounding them.  I grabbed them for a shot I had in mind in the upstairs hallway, which was much brighter than the hallway downstairs.  Another photographer tagged along with me and so we were able to set up a bunch of shots without being bothered by the demands of the more vociferous photographers.  I had in mind a kind of high school, young love with lots of edge shot.  Here’s what I got.  Okay, so I’m still learning, but I like the shot.

They were also able to pull this one off, which is quite different from the one above.  This is more of an engagement type of photo.  By the way, after we were done with this shot, Ricardo turned to Namantha and said, “Hi.  I’m Ricardo.  I don’t think I’ve met you.”  Heh.

We also had a makeup artist helping the models get ready.  Her name is Sabrina Britschri and she has a business called “Envy” in Elk Grove, CA.  She was wonderful and did a beautiful job.

Next installment will be all about the pin up models, who were SO MUCH FUN!

Enjoy.

…this time in Sacramento…actually it was just outside Elk Grove, but who’s counting?  (I love mixed metaphors).

I attended this session on Saturday with 40 eager, talented, friendly, portfolio building photographers and about 14 models, a family of 4, an engaged couple, two fashion designers, a hair-stylist and makeup artist, two modeling coaches and, of course, Mark (who is a very talented photographer and teacher.)  It was held on a large old farm that had lots of charm, barns, farm implements, old cars, etc.  The “Trash the Dress” session was held at Rancho Seco lake at the old Rancho Seco Nuclear facility.

The photo above is an old Chevy Pickup truck that was in one of the barns.  I saw the light on this and I fell in love with it.  Of course, the other photographers fell in love with the truck and the light, also.  So…I only got to photograph the young man you see below in this particular location.  Luckily there were lots of other locations to choose from.  This teenager was looking to boost his acting portfolio and he was a very sweet young man.

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The handsome young man you see below was as nice as he is handsome.  He was also a true gentleman and a delight to work with.  He told me that he was a singer and an actor.  I asked him what kind of photos he was looking for and he gave me a wonderful smile, and I began snapping away as he said, “They tell me I have enough photos of me smiling, so I need a few serious ones.”  So, I took a few serious ones, but honestly, I didn’t find any bad photos.  The camera obviously loves him.

I had so much fun and met so many wonderful photographers and lovely, and handsome young people wanting to beef up their portfolios.  I would highly recommend Mark Behren’s Portfolio Workshop…it’s hard work, but well worth the effort.  I haven’t had much time to go through my more than 700 photos of this event, but I’ll put up some of my best shots as the week goes on.