Actually this image was made after the large group shots. We knocked out the smaller group shots by the wharf and then moved to these boulders for the large group shot. We still had some time and so I asked for a volunteer. Little Em here climbed down and stood here for me while I snapped away.

Thanks so much to the Widman clan, it was a blast.

But as good as 2009 was 2010 holds even more promise. I’ve got several inquiries and a couple of consultations to set up for weddings this year, and a birthday party needing a photobooth on the schedule.

Speaking of photobooths, we brought in 2010 with an impromptu photobooth at Peter and Jana’s Roller Skating Capes and Bling NYE party.

All the images are up on Facebook, but Facebook wrecks images so I wanted to post a few here.

This is the opener, the guest of honor Ryan

What I love about the photobooth is it lets everyone get into the act. All night whole families came over and got what amounts to mini family portrait shoot. I would do 3 -4 shots of each group. One “normal” and then coach them to be a little more – uh not-so-stick-up-your-butt like. Which isn’t all that hard in this case considering the context (hello, capes AND bling) and who the party goers where.

Case in point, check out these sets:

Another thing I love about the photobooth is I have absolute control over the light. Place the subject, pose and compose. Super rad.

The more willing people are to get a little wacky the better the images – which is why this would be great at a wedding or a party with an open bar. Or in this case a party with my friends who are all just a little off anyway.

For you technique geeks I set up two SB 600s 8ft up on stands, with diffusers on the heads fired through shoot through umbrellas. They are at about a 45 degree angle to the backdrop. Triggered by an SB 800 on camera (hint:set it to — so it won’t ad to the exposure). They are at full power (didn’t complain a bit and I didn’t have a single misfire, you will want to give em a brake every 2 – 3 shots but you will need to talk and compose people anyway so it works out). I shot at 1/40 at 5.6 with a 17mm lens, hand held. The backdrop is a 10x seamless gaffer taped to the wall on one side and clamped to a light stand on the other.

The only thing is they had neglected to get an appointment with one of the many local tattoo shops. But my buddy Mac has a shop just up the road so I dropped in and explained their predicament. He has done one of my tats and his work is amazing. Mac is such a good guy that he opened up his shop on his day off just to tattoo their rings.

This series of images are among the most popular in my portfolio for obvious reasons.

Here the newlyweds wait for Mac to set up. I love the image of Brenna giving a reassuring touch to Allan’s arm.

Brenna is the first to go under the needle as an anxious Allan watches.

Next it’s Allan’s turn.

Many thanks to Mac at The Gilded Lilly in Felton for accomodating us and allowing me to photograph the session. After all, no wedding album would be complete with out a ring shot.

However, that project is effectively over. The Oh So Wise Santa Cruz city leaders who consider themselves good little liberals have enacted laws that have all but driven away the performers away. The intent, as stated, of the laws is to make the down town safer and more hospitable. They claim that the “street people” intimidate folks and harass them thereby driving away business. Really the law is aimed at the homeless who also scrape by a living begging for money/food/pot.

The laws make it illegal for anyone to camp in the city limits. The good folks of Santa Cruz don’t want to build any shelters because no one wants one in their neighborhood, so it is just easier to criminalize poverty. Another law forbids anyone from staying for more than one hour with in a few feet of any tree, bench, building, statue etc. This is the one that catches the performers. There are little ladies in yellow and blue jackets with “Hospitality” across the back of the jacket whose job it is to enforce the law. They drive off these malicious and evil doers who have the audacity to bring their art to the people. The fact that their tags label them as “Hospitality” is a Orwellian accident hasn’t escaped me. I witnessed one of these little ladies ask a man to leave because he was sitting on a window seat in front of a store. Of course the man was clearly a trouble maker. He claimed he was only waiting for his wife to finish her shopping inside but we all know he was really just a wolf in sheep’s clothing waiting to pounce on an unsuspecting shopper.

Any way, my rant, like my project is over.

Hope you enjoy the images as much as I enjoyed capturing them. There are plenty more where these came from.

This woman was among a group of Krishna’s going about doing what they do – you know, annoying people. I was about to pass them on when she began to dance. Mesmerizing isn’t the right word. There was a transcendence to how she moved that for most of her dance I forgot I had my camera. Lucky for me I snapped out of it and got some amazing images of which this is one.

This is Jose Garza. One day he’ll be headlining a punk show, just wait and see.

Curtis is on a crusade to remind the rest of America of our failure to rebuild New Orleans and to raise money for his home town.

Of course no collection of Santa Cruz photography is complete with out The Great Morgani.

Lyrical I is a street/beat/jam poet. A lot of people think they are poets, but this guy has a gift.

But then, this year I got an email from Brit’s boyfriend telling me how he doesn’t have any money but he wants to gift a senior portrait shoot to his girlfriend. Oh and one more thing, she hates to have her picture taken.

Wow, ok great sign me up! Who wouldn’t jump at a chance to do a particular kind of shoot that they despise of a person who hates being photographed for almost no money.

But I’m a big softy so I booked the shoot.

We met just before the shoot and talked about how the shoot would work and what Brit was looking for blah blah blah.

So I did my standard thing. First we got the safe-lets-make-grandma-happy just like every other photographers work kind of shots. So of course Brit was uncomfortable and I was bored and the images looked, well, great by most standards but I hated them. They weren’t my style and that was just not acceptable.

So we switched wardrobes (well Brit did) and locations. I explained to Brit that now that we have the standard stuff done with we can play around and what ever we get is bonus. Right away she relaxed a bit. Then her boyfriend showed up and sparks flew.

This first shot is my go-to portrait/headshot set up. One speed light, hand held, working with the Sun, hard light.

Then we got her love interest involved ala American Gothic:

Same set up as the first image only going wide angle up close (something else I love).

I have no problem using props. I love to use old cameras to shoot with and if I can’t get ‘em working again they make great props.

So yeah, I learned two things.

First, don’t make assumptions about inquiries. Of all the horror stories other photographers tell about low budget shoots that are always a PITA it has yet to happen to me. Every time I choose to help someone out photography wise I’ve always been rewarded in the image department. It don’t pay the rent but it does feed the soul.

Second, just because other people manage to turn a certain kind of shoot into boring ass cliche images doesn’t mean I have to. Which means I’m not only open but stoked to shoot senior portraits.

Uh, more appropriate images to come…

Technical: two sb 600’s on stands camera left and right at 45 degree angles, one sb 800 on a stand pointed at the group, one sb 800 on camera as the master flash. all fired at about 1/4 power, ambient dropped 2 stops.

One day when the little boy, who had grown to a man ran away from Rome in his Swiss Guard uniform and lived on the donations of passers by as a busker playing his accordion on the street.

Shot in the middle of the day, sun high and to the left of G.M. filled with two strobes, one on camera and another hand held at about 1/2 power.

The Great Morgani is available to perform in any number of unique and odd costumes for your birthday, corporate and civic event and even weddings.