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Take Better Photos - 1

Composition is everything in a photograph, (well that and contrast, story, color, exposure and a few other minor things). Ok so there is a few things that make up a good photograph but for this entry we are going to talk about composition... where do things sit in the image? what makes for an interesting composition. To understand what we find visually interesting (or what we will look at) we need to understand a bit about how our minds work. By design we like to identify, sort, classify and label things. We do it every waking minute and probably a fair amount during sleep. This is a very useful process to establish if something is dangerous for example. A down side of this function is that we humans tend to dismiss the known without much consideration. For example if you saw an apple every day and had never seen a pineapple, which would you look at longer if presented with both items? Because we are tuned to look for things that "stick out" or are different, we are quicker to dismiss those items that are symmetrical as being correct or safe. Items that are random, off-balance or asymmetrical cause us to look and think about them longer. This is the first challenge of a visual: how do I capture my viewer long enough that they realize there is something worth looking at? Most hobby photographers have a tendency to place the subject in the center of the frame (because that is where the auto focus spot is) but often times that is not the best place for the subject. If there is action or direction in the image (think of a boy running from left to right of your view) it is nearly always better to place the subject to the side of center. In our running example if the boy were placed on the left edge of the photo he has space to run into, if he is on the right we create tension because he is running into the edge quickly. That tension may be part of your story if he is being chased by something. If his pursuer is something harmful like a tiger this tension can be very stressful for the viewer, if it is something innocent like a bunny the tension adds comedy. In the following example you will note the couple is not placed in the center.

In this photo "Married on the midway" we used the leading line of the railing to lead the eye into the scene. The vertical lines of the carousel stop the eye from running out of the image with the railing. We achieve additional focus on the couple from the horse that is looking in their direction. The dark area on the right helps to pull the eye back into the scene. We visually wander down the boardwalk to see what is going on but the soft focus tells the mind "nothing here to see, move along".

That same image cropped with the couple in the center is still nice but would hold the viewers attention for less than half the time.

Hudson Turns 2

What do you get when you combine a hot summer day, ice cream truck, jump house, all your friends and a mom with lots of experience planning events... you get one awesome birthday party.

in the flavor of Bullwinkle: Hair today (or) this Orr that?

A few images from yesterdays session building the style portfolio for stylist Lisa Orr. We had some great models, all real people... some were moms, one marketing professional and others involved in the personal style professions. Special thanks to everyone who made it possible.

Catrina & Joe from SLO

OMG becky, could this couple be any cuter? A fun and playful couple, they were troupers as we marched off into the field and woods... anything for a great shot (just the kind of couples we like to work with).

Social at MoCA

March 21st - San Diego Museum of Contemporary Art was the location for the 3rd ChileCo Social of the year. This menu was my favorite to date (in addition to photographing all the great food I get to eat it as well... yum, yum) with wine pairings from Australia the lovingly prepared five course meal made the taste buds come alive. Here are a few of my favorite photos from the evening.

Special thanks to all the vendor partners that made it possible:

Floral - Embelishmint

Linens & Chairs - Concept Party Rentals

Music - DJ Shami Dee & Headphones Jones

WamPler Kids

Saturday night at the Hotel Del Coronado I was on site to capture the WamPler Kids annual auction and dinner. This was my first time with this group of passionate supporters. Their mission is to send physically and economically disadvantaged kids to summer camp, the founder Steve is the driving force behind the group. Having been born with a severe case of Cerebral Palsy, Steve had great experiences from camp. The rugged outdoors, sleeping under the stars, fishing and the time around the bonfire are all great memories that he hopes to be able to share with new generations of campers. One of the things he took from the the time in the wilderness was the sense he could do anything he set out to do.

This event was unlike many of the other non profit galas I support, first off everyone was in camp attire not black tie formals. The other thing I noticed was a well decorated but not expensive decorations, it really was evident that the goal was to raise money to support the kids not to have huge parties. Everyone had a great time and the closeness of the group was evident.

Check out their web site and offer support if you are moved by the cause

Look Great in Photos Tip #2

Fine tuning to look your best.

Last month we covered some basics (refresher if you missed it), this month we are going to fine tune the pose for the ladies.

This pose shows a common stance people default to when forced to have their photo taken... our model is facing the camera straight on with shoulders squared up to the camera, although she is a very fit person the camera adds 10-15 lbs.

With a slight turn of the body the overall mass is reduced dramatically. Additionally she has one leg forward and the knee is tucked in, this helps to bring out the curves of the figure.

The final step in the pose is to open up the arms slightly, this creates a space to see the waist and removes the additive effect the arms have when they are at the models side. If the you have something in your hands like a bouquet, raising it slightly will cause this effect naturally.

Special thanks to Jennine Estes - Relationship Guru for being a great model

Impress with a New Fabulous Location

This month's party planning tip is all about impressing your friends. What is a better way to do just that than by showing off your party or event at a fabulous, undiscovered, new spot in town...

I recently discovered a true polished gem, right in the heart of downtown San Diego. Se' San Diego is a sexy and sophisticated new venue that I am so excited to know about! Their Sales Manager, Rigel Bitterman (pronounce "Rigel" like "Nigel") took me on an exclusive tour of the property and, I have to tell you, it left me astounded. Every detail of every space has been lusciously adorned with something special to see and touch - YES touch!. The property's decor is comprised of many art instillations of varying sizes - some are up to two stories tall - will leave your head spinning. Every nook and cranny has something special to take in. Even the interior of the elevator is spectacular! (Just a little secret about the elevators, when you walk in, you can't figure out why it suddenly smells so calming, but it is because the wood they use is from vanilla plants. Can you believe that? Plus, the way in which they chose to use the wood is totally gorgeous! Just like everything at Se' San Diego.)

Every part of this venue screams, "Throw a party! I'm so fun and fabulous. How can you resist?" from the restaurant, to the pool deck, to the private suites, to yes how can I forget, even the event rooms! I am so in love with this sexy space that I can't wait to tell all my friends and clients.

Finally, I would be remiss to not mention the customer service. To sum it up, Rigel said that Se' San Diego's philosophy about service is "The answer is yes. What is the request?" Ah! I'm in love. Just what every event planner and party-goer wants to hear.

I invite you to check it out. Their opening festivities run March 27 through 30 and I am sure there will be a lot of fun for everyone! Go to www.sesandiego.com or call 619-515-3000 for more information. Say hello to Rigel for me!

Nina & Mark kissing in the park

I had the pleasure of working with a great couple today, we wandered around balboa park and Mark and Nina practiced the kissing they will be doing at the wedding... it is more work that you think to be great at kissing :)

Rick & the kids in the park

A few images from today, I had a great time with Rick and the kids.

Home & Garden Show

Everyone that knows me knows that I am (partly by business necessity) a night owl so todays 7:30am photo session was especially early. The 24th annual Spring Home and Garden Show is running now through March 1st at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. Here are a few of my favorites from todays session.

Midnight at Crystal Pier

Just back from a midnight Safari to Crystal Pier in Pacific Beach... Brown Lori * and I ran across the guy with the cool spiked hair, he was just finishing his set at as the drummer of a punk band (I don't really remember the name, something with "nutts" spelled with two t's, that part I remeber)

*at one time two of the photographers that shoot with me were both named Lori, to avoid confusion nicknames evolved based on hair color. They came to embrace the reference of Red Lori and Brown Lori.

Mindy & Chad at Windandsea

First time in a long time there were no other photo sessions going on at the beach, we had the entire place to ourselves. Mindy and Chad were able to play in the surf without fear of other people being in the scene. There was a closed sign on the stairs but we took that for the stairs being closed not the beach... Maybe we were wrong :)

Here are a few images from tonight's session.

All my friends know...

As the band War once said, "all my friends know the lowrider"... Valentines weekend I had the chance to meet several, in lieu of the traditional limo this stylish wedding couple payed tribute to some classic Chevrolet cars owned by family friends. The ceremony and reception were held at the Coronado Community Center. Thankfully the weather forecast was off by a day and we were rain free. A special thanks to officer Robert for being a good sport and impromptu model.

Does the internet = Karma

It seems that as technology moves forward and information about everything including things that were once private is now available with only a few key strokes. Some will say we are paying a high price for the loss of our privacy but on the other hand it is in some way instant internet Karma. Sure we have all had good and bad experiences with individuals and businesses. 

The old marketing logic was that a dissatisfied customer would tell ten other people. Now a dissatisfied customer can reach an untold number instantly (while they are the most angry). The same is true for happy clients. 

Recently Kate and I found a coupon for a nearby restaurant, the offer was good and it seemed like a place we would like, on our way to the location Kate pulled up the restaurant on Yelp.com (I was driving so it was safe surfing), we were shocked at the reviews and immediately changed our destination. Point is if you treat your clients with respect and approach things from a position of love and generosity the internet Karma will reward you with success. However, if your a mean bitter person internet Karma is going to move you quickly into your next professional life. What a great time to be alive and in business :)

I wish you all good internet Karma,

Sean

Party Planning Tips

Planning a party can be stressful, for many people. Here are some of the tricks that the experts use:

Enjoy Yourself-

Plan ahead well enough or hire the right professionals to make sure that you do not have to work at your own party. You will have a much better time if you are laughing and mingling versus working. Plus, it is YOU that everyone came to see, anyway! Plan ahead for this.

Let's Chat-

Remember to create seating areas that promote conversational flow for your guests. Make it easy for your guests to get to know one another simply because of where they are sitting. Lounge-style party rental furniture is great for this and it looks fabulous!

Looks Delicious-

When it comes to the food, presentation is key - even with the most basic fare. The experts create added visual interest at buffets and food stations by creating height. They do this by using a variety of box sizes that they insert on the table under the tablecloth or draping. This provides a different levels on which they can place their food trays. Also, they frequently stage the areas by adding in plant life and other non-traditional decor for a spark of interest. 

All's Well-

Avoid sharing detail with your guests about the plans that did not work out. For the appearance of success, do not share those dirty details. Only you know what went wrong. Everyone else thinks you planned a flawless party. Let's keep it that way.

Check back regularly for more tips and ideas!

-Kate Capshaw, Event Planner & Fundraiser

Look Great in Photos Tip #1

30 second diet plan

Most people when confronted by a camera resort to the same pose they have done for years (and it always looks bad). The trick to looking good is to first have an honest evaluation of your strong and weak attributes. Let's take a common one for this tip - love of carbs.

I, like many of you carry a bit extra due to my "over efficient" metabolism. Knowing this is your situation gives to the tools to look better in photographs. First thing is the outfit you choose, the human eye is drawn to flesh tones and bright objects. Since we notice things that are bright a large person will always look larger in light or white clothes, dark colors are slimming.

The other issue in exposed skin, if you carry a bit extra a sleeveless shirt can expose as much skin as is visible on the face (drawing the eye to the problem areas and away from the face). Now I am not advocating everyone dressing like Robert Smith from the Cure but clothing can have an impact on your look (especially if you know you are going to get photos taken). Another very easy way to reduce your camera size is to take advantage of the cameras lack of 3D perspective. Simply put, things that are closer to the lens appear larger so take a step back when in a group. Also, width can be shaved off with angle. As an example take a pencil (this represents your shoulders) hold the pencil at arms length point to the right, eraser to the left. Turn the pencil so the eraser is pointing at you. The pencil turns from a long object to a circle. The same is true with your body. If you stand in the middle of a group of three and place your arms around the two on either side, you are at your widest. You can cut nearly half your mass by turning to a 45 and tucking one shoulder behind the person next to you. "What about the person on the end" you ask... that is where you put the person that shows up late to the photo :)

Be sure to check back for more tips on looking great in photos or subscribe to the RSS feed and get them as soon as they post.

Del Mar

One of the fun things I get to do is photograph the city of Del Mar (for use in their marketing). Here are a few images from tonight's wanderings... the new 3 dog bakery was awesome.

Resolusean Photography and Events receives "Best of"

You like us... you really, really, like us :)

Recently we were awarded the "2009 Brides Choice" award from the wedding wire web site. Unlike other bridal websites the winners are chosen only from results from surveyed newlyweds (not by who spent the most in advertising). So to everyone that commented on the site, Kate and I send a special "Thank You"

ChileCo Social 02.09

The 2nd ChileCo Social of the year was a new twist in the culinary adventures we have grown to love. Chef Scotty took over the Catalina Offshore Seafood warehouse and turned it into Club Catalina, complete with house DJ "Shammy Dee" laid down a sublime mellow groove to complement the sustainable local dishes skillfully prepared by the ChileCo chefs. The next Social is March 22nd at the Museum of Contemporary Art downtown San Diego. If your interested in attending a Social, send an email to Pat at ChileCo (parmijo@chilecocatering.com) to get on the mailing list.

Chasing Sunset

On a whim I headed out in the rain to get a few shots of the sunset should the weather decide to break. With umbrella in tow I found my way to Coronado, I set up the tripod and waited. Here are a few from the session... worth the drive and the wet shoes :)

Two Prints Merit in State Print Competition

This week I had 2 prints receive merits in the Professional Photographers of California state print competition. I compete locally through out the year, state is the last step before Regional and National awards are given. The primary goal for print competition is to hone the numerous small details that separate a good image from a great image. 

Justanie Downtown

As you know there is a trend for the uber-famous to merge names for ease of reference in the tabloids... I don't think Justus and Stephanie have any scandalous behaviors that will land them into the Star or National Enquirer but they certainly have the look to be in hollywood.

Luxe in the studio

Here are a few early favorites from my session with Luxe, the hot new girl band from LA... 1000+ images so i am sure I will have many more favorites.