Cassy + Chad + Film = Epic

I started my photographic journey around two years ago when I picked up my first SLR and a copy of Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson (absolutely required required reading for anyone starting out with photography). After some time I was getting quite decent photos of my kiddos and people starting asking me to take pictures of their families. And so it grew. But I never really got the chance to work with people who were willing to give me a large chunk of time and be willing and able to pose for me (kids are great and all but you are very much limited to their whims). And in order for me to grow as a photographer and actually find my vision this is something I am going to have to do more often. My wife has some awesome friends from her high school days that were kind enough to help me out. Cassy and Chad are really cute people and make a beautiful couple. They grew up and live in Huntington Beach so I figured we'd keep it local and keep it real. Thanks! I have a lot to learn in regards to posing but I think I did a pretty decent job (though of course I see all the mistakes :))

Also, as of late I've been using more and more film and recently picked up a fantastic film camera (another one!!) so I wanted to try it out and see what it could do. This was my first all film shoot (I didn't even bring my digital camera). I did not yet have an external light meter (though I have bought one since) so I used the the built in spot meter and a good deal of guessing. My biggest mistake was loading a slower film at the end of the day (dork). Live and learn.

I was quite nervous as I've never done a shoot like this and I really wanted to make a good impression so I promptly locked my keys into my car, and had Chad drive me around (it's quite scary how easy it is for AAA to open a locked door). Good job Zalmy.

I'll be posting soon what it is I really like about film, but it seems like it's going to be in my bag for quite a while (and might even drive my digital equipment out for a bit).

Enjoy.

Some park somewhere around PCH

This family is AWESOME. Each kid has such a great and distinct personality (and the parents also rock).

Check back soon for some awesome posts/announcements.

Goodbye Steve Jobs

It's odd how I feel today. I'm obviously a big fan of Apple and of Steve but I've never given too much thought about why.

I'm actually sad. I'm not grief stricken or anything, just a bit sad. And even the skies seem to be weeping a bit.

Steve was a modern day Dagny Taggart. A giant among men. A great man. Apple will go on but only if it embodies the vision of it's founder. Of one man. Apple was able to accomplish what it did (fundamentally change every industry it entered), because it didn't let it's success lead it down the rabbit hole of board room decisions, corporate decrees, and stockholders outcries.

One man changed the music industry, the phone industry and to a large degree the computer industry. He led a crusade for simplicity, for beauty, and for above all function.

Of course I don't agree with everything he did, but if he cared about what others thought of him Apple would have been dead 15 years ago and we'd be living in a world of thousands of buttons, dials, wheels, widgets, of clutter and plastic.

So I raise my cup of tea and say goodbye to a man who proved that man can be great, as long as he has a vision and the conviction to follow it.

Goodbye Steve.

Zalmy Berkowitz Likes Nice People

There. I said it. I have come out of the closet. I like nice people. Why? Because they're nice. They make me happy. They make my heart sing. They make everything groovy.

I also like roasted almonds, polaroids, apple, cottage cheese and schug, kombucha, old cameras, beer (I really like beer, I think I'll have my clients start paying me in beer), sunsets, sunrises, blue skies, cloudy skies, rain and snow (dear fellow SoCalites; snow is a sort of frozen rain in which one might slide downhill quickly, or roll up balls of the stuff and chuck it at random strangers or past romances). I like saturated fat.

In my photographic journey I have come from being über (it's so much easier to find the "ü" character on an ipad) scared of the sun, to majorly in like with it. I have learned (learnt for my backwards driving, queen loving, cross-Atlantic (and Pacific) readers. Canadians don't count) to tame the sun, to make okay photos into spectacular works of art.

And I have come to enjoy shooting events. I like meeting people (especially nice ones, see above) working off the cuff, and looking cool with all my photographic gear (which doesn't actually look cool).

When Sophia's mom got in touch with me about shooting her daughters Bat Mitzvah her email just oozed with friendly funfulness and I knew I'd have an awesome time.

I did.

  

In Which We Played and Got Dirty

We ate. We painted. We painted some more. We got Dressed. We played. Then we played some more. And a bit more. And then we meditated for a few moments and played some more.

Playing is serious stuff.

Beverly Hills Backyard Shoot

This here wonderful family was referred by another wonderful family (never blogged for personal reasons, but let me tell you, that shoot rocked!). They are recent additions to our wonderful country from across the sea, where dragons live and queens are real. They also talk funny there. Cute but funny. Talking about cute, these kids were practically edible, well behaved and awesome personalities (the adults were okay too :)).

And here's the outcome (more outcome than income...):