History Worth a Second Look

The Cosmopolitan Hotel in Old Town, San Diego, was rededicated July 10th 2010. I documented the event for the Frontier Army of the West, but other groups participated: The Buffalo Soldiers, The Apline Outlaws, and The Marine Color Guard. Old Town holds a significant place in San Diego history as the original site of the city. The hotel has been completely renovated and is now open to the public to enjoy along with the old historic adobe structure that sits adjacent to it. If you've never spent an afternoon wandering around Old Town or it's been awhile since you've gone, it is well worth a visit. You will learn a lot about the history of the city where I enjoy living. I love living in San Diego. All the photos from the event are on my website. Here is a link to the gallery. Now go forth and embrace your city!

The Universe Aligns for a Morning

Have you ever had one of those days when the universe seemed to align itself and everything just fell into place so beautifully it almost made you want to cry? Well, I had one of those days last Wednesday. I'm on spring break from my teaching job, so I decided to get up early and head out to Point Loma Lighthouse. I know that if I get there when the gate opens there are usually not so many people around and the light is great for photography.

As I pulled into the parking lot, I saw only a few cars. Good! All the more for me. I grabbed my camera and headed up the hill to the lighthouse. From the parking lot it looked fantastic! When I reached the lighthouse, it was perfectly quiet. I looked but saw no one, except a worker repairing the roof of the oil shed next to the lighthouse. "Good morning," I said. He smiled and said, "You picked the best day of the year so far to be here. There's no wind today which is very unusual." He was absolutely right. The wind has always been a problem when I've shot at the lighthouse in the past. There's only a short time that the flowers are in bloom and with the wind it makes it difficult to shoot. But today it seemed that all the little blooms were smiling at me saying, "Oh, please take my picture!" I happily obliged.

I walked all around the lighthouse finding all my favorite angles to shoot. Inside I climbed the narrow circular stairs and up the metal rungs to get a shot of the lens. I've never been able to do that in the past, because there are always so many people crowded up there trying to get a look at it. Then I set my focus downward on the stairs. I had to adjust my ISO with the dim light, but I was able to get a couple of nice shots. What bliss to be able to take my time instead of being crushed by so many tourists and waiting, waiting, waiting until I might have a clear view.

At the bottom of the stairs, I backed myself right into the center of the stair well in order to get a shot out the front door looking at the ocean. I could hear click, click, click, click, click above me and I thought to myself that some other lucky photographer had also picked the right day to come to the lighthouse. We talked for a few minutes and exchanged websites. Photographers are so willing to share and be helpful. I enjoy meeting them when I'm out. There is never an attitude of competition or not enough to go around. There is an ethic among photographers like I have never seen in any other field in which I've worked. A couple of days later the photographer sent me a photo of me that I had no idea he had taken. It's pretty cool. Thanks Marcos for sharing. I love the photo.

Ah, yes, the universe aligned for me last Wednesday and I had a fabulous time. I have some great shots on my website. You can check them out at elizabethheathphotography.com. Now go forth and do something fabulous that you love whether the universe is aligned for you or not!

Learning With Rock Stars!

As my plane lifted off the ground and we winged our way up the Southern California coastline, the words "jewel of the coast" came to mind. San Diego is so incredibly gorgeous and on this picture perfect day, I drank it all in until the plane headed inland. I was on my way to Vegas that day to attend the Photoshop World Conference at the Mandalay Bay Hotel. I was anticipating learning a lot, but I had no idea how much there would be for my brain to soak up!

It had been miserably hot in San Diego, so I was concerned that Vegas would be even hotter, but it turned out to be perfectly lovely as my mom would say. Vegas had changed hugely since I was last there and I could easily see why it is called a playground for adults. The hotels are huge! And they are decorated with themes like "Paris" and "New York, New York." At night the strip sparkles like the costumed dancers in the nightly shows. It's magical! And if you don't pay too much attention to those that have had a bit too much to drink who are acting like fools, it's not half bad.

But I was not there to play, I was there to learn along with 3,000 - 4,000 other photographers, designers, and printers. The lineup of instructors was like a who's who in the world of Photoshop and photography. They are rock stars in the photographer's eyes and it was incredibly exciting just to be in the same room with them.

Scott Kelby, who started the National Association of Photoshop Professionals (NAPP) almost twenty years ago is a great teacher and I took full advantage of his workshops. He focused on retouching portraits so I was able to pick up some great tips. I also learned some fantastic shortcuts and new to me tips from John Caponigro who happens to be from San Diego.

Since my goal as a photographer is to give my clients the best possible portraits, I was very happy to sit in as these "rock stars" shared how to do my job better and easier. For awhile now I've been learning on-line at the Kelby training site where so many of the instructors teach. One of my favorites is Joe McNally who, like Scott Kelby, is very funny and very good at sharing concepts in a way that I can understand. So when McNally asked for a volunteer who was wearing white to come up on stage and 'model' for a lighting demonstration, I shot my hand up in the air. And since I was sitting pretty close to the stage, he picked ME! I am sooo glad I decided to wear my white blouse that day.

It was great fun having McNally 'shoot' me. He joked with me, told the crowd that I had beautiful eyes, and in the process of working with him for a few minutes I actually learned quite a bit. Photography is not an exact science, and when McNally's photos didn't come out the way he anticipated, I felt very encouraged. If the big guns still have to try a second and a third time to get the result they want, then I won't feel so discouraged when my photography doesn't go exactly the way I want it to the first time.

I still can't believe that Joe McNally took my picture, well, quite a few pictures. If you follow NASCAR, it's like Jimmy Johnson inviting you to have a driving lesson in his race car. It's huge! A woman stopped me in the bathroom after the class and said, "It's too bad you didn't get to see the photos Joe took of you." The way he had me standing I couldn't see the giant screens. I asked her if they were really terrible. "No!" she said, "They were really good." Boy, I wish I had been able to see them and even more I wish I could have had copies of them. Can you imagine the bragging rights I'd have? I'm still excited thinking about it today.

Next time more about Photoshop World and my little challenge to myself at night on the Vegas strip.

Now go forth and try try again without getting discouraged.

Courtney Ties the Knot!

August 23, 2009

Courtney, my friend Diane's daughter, recently got married at the gorgeous Founder's Chapel at the University of San Diego. Diane asked if I would take photos of Courtney and her bridesmaids getting ready for the big day. Of course, I said yes!

The house, which was set high on a hill above the ocean in La Jolla, practically made me drool. It was just stunning. Big huge windows all around the house brought in perfect San Diego sunshine. From the back yard, the view of the ocean far below was just breathtaking. Sandy and Norm, the homeowners, had done a wonderful job of making the house perfect for the wedding preparations.

Sandy had fruit and muffins, along with quiche, coffee, and orange juice. I was encouraged to eat as much as I wanted, which usually doesn't happen on my photo shoots. But then Sandy is a fabulous hostess who wouldn't think of not inviting the photographer to put down her camera and join in. I restrained myself, but not entirely!

I had arrived at 7:30 a.m. sharp ready to snap candids of hair being curled, makeup being applied, and the general excitement and giddiness that goes along with such an event. I roamed from room to room scouting out moments that would remind Courtney of her special day. Everyone was so cooperative and allowed me to take photo after photo right down to the bride brushing her teeth with full makeup and veil.

Time seems to fly on mornings like this and before I knew it Courtney and her girls were in the limo headed to the wedding. I had a blast capturing the memories of that morning for Courtney and her mom. It was an absolute pleasure working with all the girls, even the flower girl, Amalie.

Check out her cute photo sitting at the piano in the photo gallery 'CH Event,' on my website http://www.elizabethheathphotography.com/.

Make it a joyful day!

Friday, August 21st

I typed the date in and couldn't believe that it's almost the end of August. This year has flown. The sky is filled with clouds on this cool day in San Diego. Rain and thunder storms are predicted, which makes this seasonably unusual. I love it, though, because I think change is good. So often we fight change in our lives only to look back and find that it opened up doors that we never expected or perhaps gave us opportunities that took us in a whole new direction.

This week I met with the Smuggers group of San Diego. Smugmug is the host for my website and they do a fantastic job. I started out displaying my photos from the DSLR Photography Club of San Diego, but eventually upgraded to a pro account. David Wolf of Wolfsnap Design, who was also at the meeting, did a great job designing my site and I enjoy the compliments I receive.

Sorry, I digressed there a bit. Anyway, I had the chance to hear a gifted photographer by the name of Dane Sanders who presented an amazing show of his work. His style is totally different than mine and he works in the big leagues of wedding and commercial photography. His clients are people like Lens Crafters and Ozzie Osborne! He's a local guy, which makes me realize what a gifted group of photographers actually call the San Diego area home.

Dane really inspired me to work hard and be open to the opportunities that present themselves. I think sometimes we as photographers can become very short sighted and we end up shooting ourselves in the foot. As I work on building my business, which is hard work for very little pay at this point, I am going to remember Dane and his story. His crazy photography style as a 21 year old kid crashing high end parties in New York to take photos of people he didn't know has developed over the years to the much in demand destination wedding photographer he is now.

You can check out Dane Sanders website and his new book, Fast Track Photographer at http://danesanders.com.

Make it a great day for change!

Escorting A Star!

August 19, 2009

There she was, the Grand Duchess, elegant, poised, and ready to greet her guests. The excitement in the air was palpable. The water was like glass and the gray of the morning fog hung in the air. Cameras were at the ready as T.V. crews and regular folks, like me, anticipated her every move. The Star of India was headed to dry dock for scraping, painting, and a bit of a face lift to keep her in tip top shape.

I was there among the crowd. I knew as soon as I read the email from the Maritime Museum that I had to be part of this special day, especially since it only happens once every three years or so. My two cameras were slung over my neck fitted with a wide angle 17 - 35mm, and my workhorse lens, 28 - 80mm L, that I use ninety percent of the time. I got some strange looks when people saw my circular polarizers on my lenses, but I had decided that I wanted deep, clear water shots, not the sheen I would have had without them. When I checked my shots, I was glad I had made that decision.

Seven o'clock sharp the call came to board. Both the California and the Pilot Boat were headed out to escort the lovely lady. I chose the Pilot Boat because of its quickness in circling and maneuvering, which would allow me to get some great photos. And I'd be able to get some photos of the California somewhere other than where she docks.

Bracing myself at the railing, I watched like a kid. Tug boats gently nudged The Star from her dock and brought her out into the San Diego Bay. I clicked away grabbing one camera then the other camera for a different view. Vertical, horizontal, wide angle, close up. I was giving my gear a workout.

As we moved down the Bay toward Coronado, it was an odd juxtaposition seeing military ships in the midst of tall ships. History standing or should I say floating side by side with modern vessels each respecting the other. Slowly and carefully the tugs led her down the Bay past the San Diego skyline, under the Coronado Bridge, and to her new home for the next two weeks.

Ever so gently the tugs turned her and eased her slowly and carefully into the dry dock. Hoards of workers in hard hats waited for her ready to begin their task of sprucing her up for her grand reentry Labor Day Weekend. She looked small once she was swallowed by the dry dock. Her masts peaked out of the top her flag still flying proudly. She'll be back, fresh and beautiful, ready to great her public once again, people just like me who are fascinated and moved by her greatness and history.

If you'd like to see more photos, I've posted a gallery on my website, www.elizabethheathphotography.com.

Another Saturday Night in Gorgeous San Diego

Welcome back! It's Saturday night and I'm loving living and working in San Diego. The cool air tonight is wonderful after the heat we've had here, but you can't beat being a photographer in this gorgeous setting heat or no heat. My studio is anywhere I want to go whether it's the beach, La Jolla Cove, Wind and Sea, Coronado, or Griffin Park steps from where I live. And why not? The morning and evening light is perfect and gives me the opportunity to take gorgeous photos.

An indoor studio is great if you can afford to have one, but since I can't at this point and I love being outdoors, it just make sense to use it to my advantage. My clients love it too. After all, they are in a place they enjoy being, so they feel more comfortable having their photos taken. When I'm at the Cove, for example, the crashing waves, the stunning blue sky, and the smell of the salty air is completely energizing. I work better in that kind of atmosphere and my clients have no problem smiling. A win win situation for all, I'd say.

I just got an email today from a photographer friend who has a studio in a beautiful spot along the coast of Oregon . She just closed it down and will be working outside exclusively now. With the economy being what it is, it just makes sense to use what is available. She and I are blessed to be able to work in such beautiful cities.

So I guess tonight I'm celebrating San Diego, my studio, and all that it has to offer a photographer who is willing to get out there and use it to its full advantage! So here's a challenge for you: go forth and shoot photos where you live and take full advantage of the gorgeous spots in your city. You might be surprised by what you find!

Good night and I'll see you here in a couple of days.

Elizabeth