ENGAGEMENT SHOOT: ANNA and MARTIN

i've known Anna and Martin for many years so this was supposed to be a fun shoot.  this was supposed to be an easy shoot, because i understand their sense of humor and know what i could do to make them smile and laugh.  this was supposed to be a relaxed shoot because of our established comfort with each other, ensuring that genuine emotion would come through.  this was supposed to be all that...and i'm glad to say it was.

with all of my clients, it is important to have an engagement shoot to build a relationship with them, to understand what style of communication they prefer and develop a plan for cues to make the wedding day shoot a breeze.  i need to know what kinds of things will make them smile, be loving and be silly.  they have to know what i mean when i ask them them to "relax the hand, give me blue steel" or  "tell her a secret". so even though Anna and Martin are friends i know very well, they are a couple i have to treat as clients just the same.

being a friend doesn't hurt though.  they were comfortable with me from the very start and i believe their comfort came through the final images.  it didn't take very much for us to get into a groove and capture some really fun "fly-on-the-wall" type moments while also putting them into a few posed images that are captivating and beautiful in its simplicity. 

we spent the afternoon wandering around downtown and wanted to blend in important elements which i felt was key to the theme of the shoot.  using the diverse backdrops our city has to offer, i tried to create a soft theme which celebrated the past, present and future.  in looking to the past, we worked in front of a historic sandstone building that used to serve as a school many decades ago.  

being in the present led us to the infamous stephen ave walk, where we enjoyed some candid moments dancing around and having good ol' fashioned fun on the streets in front of complete strangers.  Anna and Martin really let loose here and indulged me into some fantastic candid moments that really captured what i love about working with couples who are in absolute adoration of each other. these are the type of genuine moments you can't manufacture.

we covered off the tour by touching on the future.  using the latest public art installation in downtown calgary called the "chinook arch", we basically utilized the scuplture as a giant softbox and managed to get a combination of fun and artistic images that helped me explore my rooted interest in utilizing architecture and art installations as backdrops for the image.  the movement of lines of the sculpture helped frame Anna and Martin as the focal point yet provided enough dynamic interest for the viewer to dance around the images playfully until they found the lovely couple in a sweet embrace.

earning trust with your clients is the one of the most important things you can do as a photographer.  it enables you to focus on your creativity because the client has already bought in to your philosophy and style and believes that you have the eye that matches well with their expectations.  they will "stop, collaborate and listen" to whatever situation they are being put in because they trust that you will be rewarding them with the best images possible.

i'm looking forward to spending time with these two very special people on their wedding day this summer.  if this engagement shoot was any indication, the wedding day shoot will be just as fun and relaxed and should be full of really amazing moments that i will be fortunate enough to capture.

de jesus. summer's here. out.

PUERTAS

who thought my fascination with doors would come to good use one day? recently, our city hosted the calgary international flamenco festival which featured talented artists from around the world.  in its 4th year, the festival awoke our senses to the beautiful culture that is flamenco.  everything from the dramatic melodies of the guitar to the haunting notes of the singers which complemented so neatly with the rhythm of the flamenco dance itself - these series of shows provided a glimpse of a day in the life in southern spain.

one of the key organizers and featured performers of the festival is Fiona Malena, someone i have admired and respected professionally and fortunate to call a friend for many (many) years.  when she asked me to help with her upcoming show, "Puertas" she brought out in me a new dimension of enthusiasm in my work that i didn't think was possible.  being a portrait photographer by profession, my work isn't featured much past my clients and their family and friends to enjoy and share.  i have been able to collaborate with clients for the occasional poster advertisement, but this was a unique opportunity to share a few images of my hobby photography as a backdrop to an actual show.

la puerta principal

the purpose of "Puertas" was to bring in different cultural influences into a flamenco concert, allow the audience to experience the differences (but more importantly the similarities) of how music/dance from different regions interplay with each other.  Fiona's vision of the show was to have people feel how connected the art of flamenco is in spite of its differences.

for an unseasoned audience like myself, i particularly wouldn't know when one culture was being featured apart from each other.  perhaps the breaks in the music and style may have helped, but the appreciation of the transition from one theme to another may have been lost on the casual observer, especially if it wasn't explicitly mentioned.  Fiona believed that utilizing imagery could complement both her dancing and the music and would also provide just the right amount of atmosphere to let the audience immerse themselves in the story being told, while allowing our base senses to provide its own narrative.

la puerta judia

in the planning stages, Fiona and i met for dinner and discussed the show.  there were visions of grandeur that involved laser beams, pyrotechnics and little people on unicycles balancing on a camel's back, but Fiona shot my ideas down...thinking that it might be juuuust a bit over the top (she probably regretted asking me to help out at this point).  but as we continued with her vision for the show, she asked if i would be able to share some of my photography, a portfolio of work she has sampled on those ever important social media sites like facebook and instagram (photographers - don't ever discount the importance of these sites...more on that on a future post).  i of course was more than happy to share my work for her show and with a common understanding of expectations, i sifted through my photos to see if i can align with what she needed for her ambitious and thoroughly captivating plans.

the goal was simple - the show would be divided into cultural sections: latin, arabic, jewish and indian. the overall theme was in the name "Puertas" which is spanish for "doors".  "Puertas" is a story focused on four doors or four portals to the cultures mentioned above.  music would be composed and the dance choreographed with that in mind and the imagery would complement each section as a dramatic backdrop to the performers.  and my job was to simply provide the four doors...

la puerta arabe

so i went through my photography, challenged to provide architectural door images i have taken throughout the world while keeping in mind that i haven't been to places like israel or india.  but as most travelers know, influences are everywhere no matter where you are and much like the food of a country, the influences and diversity from neighboring or even faraway cultures still manage to find its way in foreign lands.  you just have to open your eyes to it.

la puerta latin

luckily enough, i did find compelling images from my travels that suited each section which had enough interest to be a backdrop for featured performers but not overly busy to take away from them either.  after the sign of approval from Fiona, we went ahead with the images shown here.

la puerta india

i attended "Puertas" here in calgary and was simply amazed at the concert as a whole.  Fiona and her ensemble were flawless, carrying with them a sensibility of their culture that was expressed in such a beautiful and immersive form.  there were several moments throughout the performance where i did close my eyes and breathed in the vocals, the dancing guitar and the steady cadence of hand clapping and percussion.  i listened for the light clicking of her shoes as she commanded the stage, broken by the timely joyous praise of "ole!" from people in the audience.  even when i opened my eyes again, the beautifully crafted costumes, the passion for song and the breathtaking images of doors in the background pulled me away from home for at least that moment and brought me to a faraway place and it is that feeling of transport that i can say that it was a total success.

courtesy: fiona malena

on a personal note, i've never seen my photos displayed at that size and resolution so it was a proud moment for me to see the images in the first place but to see them beautifully incorporated into the show  was a really great experience. the feedback to the show and the images were very positive and i would like to thank Fiona for allowing me to be a small part of such a unique and inspiring opportunity.  i hope that i can to continue to share my work with people and collaborate with passionate artists like Fiona and find new and exciting ways to explore my own creativity.

here is a sample of the show, (notice the huge amazing images in the background!) but more importantly features an interview with the talented Fiona Malena herself:

de jesus. ole and out.

BEAUTIFUL INTERIORS - TYN LOUNGE

unfortunately, i cannot claim to have designed the beautiful interior of one of our city's newest restaurants -  TYN lounge.  but fortunately, i do know who did and was given a wonderful opportunity to photograph his work at the restaurant. Desmond Desmarais, lead designer at labu design, wonderfully crafted the clean interior design to match the modern and energetic feel of the space and menu. for more on desmond's work, please visit his website here.

below are some of the images i took for labu design and TYN:

just to refresh your memory, here are the images of some of the delicious menu items at TYN that i took a few months back in a previous post.

please enjoy the photos, but more importantly please enjoy the restaurant and check out the food, ambiance and staff of one of the more exciting dining experiences in our city.

de jesus. out.