GOHAN SUSHI LOUNGE

opening a new restaurant is never easy.  there are a lot of things behind the scenes that need to be taken care of and then there are the things in the front of house that needs attention.  you have to worry about the menu, the equipment, the staff and making sure that the decor is in line with the basic theme of the restaurant.  often times it's not the food itself you have to worry about as much as making sure people know about the food.  that's where i can help.  

the good people at calgary's newest sushi restaurant GOHAN Sushi Lounge asked me to help with the photography of some of their exquisite and colorful menu items to help promote their opening to the local community.  the shoot was broken up into two parts: 1) photo work with a model and 2) photo work with the food itself.

i decided that using a jet black backdrop for the shoot would really help make the vibrant colors pop and to add some refined elegance to the images, i used a black glass table to help highlight the reflections of the dishes as well as the food.  so armed with a small softbox, continuous light strobes and my 105mm nikkor macro lens, i think i managed to capture some stunning images which hopefully not only delight your eyes, but perhaps your taste buds as well.

having spent a dinner there just recently, i can assure you that the food is delicious and worth your time to check out.  the staff are very passionate about their menu and want to make sure you leave with a desire to come back with your family and friends. i'm reminded that there is nothing better for a restaurant than customers feedback and word of mouth business to keep the kitchen busy.

  

GOHAN is already open to the public with a grand opening scheduled in the coming weeks.  and for those that have a knack for creating delicious food, GOHAN is holding a contest where you can submit a recipe to the restaurant and the winning roll will be featured on their menu for an entire month!  (time to work on my spam, over-easy egg and garlic fried rice roll...)

so what about the model shoot?  below is one of my edited images and then below that the final image which is currently being used by GOHAN for their social media advertisements as well as their front of house banner.  those with a keen eye will notice how the image was photoshopped to replace the patterned badge on vanessa's right shoulder with the logo of the restaurant.  in the coming weeks, i will share some of the other stunning japanese inspired images vanessa and i worked on in our shoot together.

de jesus. goto gohan. out.

WEDDING SHOOT: HAILEY and DEREK

i've known Hailey and Derek for a few years and was honored to be selected as their photographer for their wedding day.  they are a really fun couple with a great sense of humor and i knew this would be a can't miss event.  in a time where online dating, speed dating and other non-traditional ways of meeting people are becoming a social norm, it is still unique to think that these two met on twitter.  yes - twitter. Derek is very active in the social media world and as it turns out, he had posted something which caught Hailey's attention.  after following each other on twitter, it became apparent that they had more in common than just the social issues they were passionate about.  from that point, it didn't take very long for them to start dating which then built into a long lasting relationship and the marriage they are enjoying to this day. #winning indeed.

i always include an engagement shoot in my wedding packages because it is important for me to know how the couple interacts with each other as well as understand what cues i can use to make them feel comfortable around me.  it is essential to build a "photographer rapport" with my clients to build their trust and let them know that my goal is to not be intrusive while capturing both the formal poses but more importantly the genuine moments...the moments as if no one was watching.  those for me are my favorite images because that is where i believe true beauty lies.

so on an october afternoon we set out to capture images of Hailey and Derek hanging out in the city they love and spending a chill afternoon as they would normally do.  here is a sample of what we accomplished that autumn day:

to celebrate their one year wedding anniversary, i'd like to share with you some of the memorable images of their special day.  you might not notice it, but it was a cold february afternoon and respect to both bride and groom (and the bridal party) for being brave enough to take direction from me on a day when you could see your breath outside.  their positive and eager attitude was worth it as i believe we captured memories that looked effortless and will undoubtedly last a lifetime.

when all is said and done, all we have is our memories and whether they are good or bad, they are uniquely ours and help tell the story of what we've done and where we came from.  as a photographer, i'm thankful that i'm able to document these memories for wonderful people like Hailey and Derek and i'm humbled to be allowed in to share these moments with them as well.

congrats and best wishes on the little one coming soon!

de jesus. #blessed #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.

BOOBY WHO? BOOBY U!

i was very fortunate to be asked by some of the organizers of the rethink breast cancer  foundation to help with their annual fundraiser aptly titled the "boobyball".  this very worthwhile and fun event will be held in calgary on october 24, 2013 and tickets (still available) can be purchased through their website.  proceeds from the event go to support the rethink breast cancer movement, whose aim is to bring awareness and visibility to a new generation of breast cancer supporters while providing support and research funding specifically to the young women afflicted by this disease.

of course i was willing to lend a helping hand to the cause and instead of providing direct monetary support, i chose to donate my time and am proud to offer up my services as a professional photographer  as part of their silent auction.  if you do attend the event, you will see a host of donated prizes and services offered by local businesses and your job is to bid on the items you like and wait and see if you won once the bids close.  you can bid as many times as you like and previous bids are always visible so all you need to do is monitor the items you are bidding on and be sure you are the last name on the list when time is up!

below is the poster ad i have prepared for the event, which will be showcased alongside many other great businesses.  it truly is an honor to be asked to help out and my only hope is that i can generate a few hard earned dollars for the foundation.

booby ball poster ad
courtesy: me

last year's event was camp themed and was an absolute blast, complete with live music, food and drink and fun activities to keep the party going to last call. this year the the theme this year is booby U, a take on college life and everything associated with those impressionable years *cough cough*. unfortunately, i won't be able to attend this year because of scheduled (routine) surgery, but i'm asking you to dust off those letterman jackets or cheerleading skirts and come out to support this great cause!


de jesus "i like boobies" out.

WEDDING SHOOT: ALLISON and RYAN

i have been very fortunate to work with such amazing couples and families in my short career and i'm very grateful of the time they have shared with me, often times allowing me to see a side of them not many people even their closest friends get to see.  make no mistake about it, i'm the hired help - someone my clients chose because i'm able to capture genuine moments without need to fabricate the emotion.  i'm simply the person behind the camera - the real beauty of the images you see are because of the wonderful people i work with who open themselves up and allow me to see vulnerabilty, joy and happiness in its natural state, the way it would look when the cameras aren't around.

Allison and Ryan are a perfect example of what i'm talking about.  they chose to break tradition and made arrangements to see each other for the first time on their wedding day before the ceremony and chose their home as the place of their meeting.  i was fortunate enough to be the third person in the room when they first met and there is no way to explain in words the genuine excitement both Allison and Ryan felt when they first laid eyes on each other.  i was able to witness that uniquely private moment with the happy couple and i can honestly say it remains to be one of my favorite moments as a wedding photographer. thank you Allison and Ryan for allowing me to capture that moment and share my vision with you and your family and friends.



authenticity is about soul.  and soul is about finding the things in life that are real and pure.  authenticity and soul is what enables me to share great images with you and i hope you enjoy them.

de jesus. out.

MANNY VS THE MEDIA

it's been a week and i won't validate the atrocity boxing fans witnessed in last week's title fight between manny pacquiao and timothy bradley.  i was compelled to write and vent about it here, but i encourage you to do a google search on the fight results and it is clear that my opinion wouldn't be unique at all.

instead, i wanted to post the column i did write before the fight that talks about how the match itself was being overlooked in favor of the persona that manny pacquiao has developed in recent months.  whether it is a distraction now or in the future, only time will tell and i'm sure boxing fans will agree that using last saturday's match isn't a fair benchmark to know what this version of manny pacquiao is really like.

bonus: the good folks at mabuhay also encouraged me to contribute a photo for their monthly feature entitled "mabuh-eye".  big thanks to the editors for the opportunities they've given me the past few years.  and a big congrats to my good friend jeff cruz on his recent engagement.  who in the heck would want to have the pressure of photographing his wedding?

courtesy: mabuhaycalgary.ca

de jesus. still fuming. out.

THE FIGHT ISN'T IN THE RING

here's a link to my latest article at mabuhay calgary - a column talking about the mega fight that is on, off, and then on, and then off again.  the posturing is annoying, but what's more annoying is that instead of covering the event, i'm covering why it might not happen.  to read it straight from the website, click here.

courtesy: mabuhaycalgary.ca

these fighters, these promoters, this industry... many years looking cowardly.

de jesus. still waiting. and out.

WINDOW TO INFINITY

from concept to production, the development of a commercial project is one of my favorite types of projects i get to work on.  i am very lucky to know talented people who sometimes need my help in developing a part of their own creative work by enlisting my photo "expertise".  throughout my blog, you have seen examples of various projects other than weddings, and as much as I enjoy working on weddings, these creatives really challenge me to think outside the box and find ways to use the tools at my disposal to make something work that may have not been there at first.  today's blog features an exciting and challenging project that took a few weeks to develop: album artwork to match the personality and tastes of a very talented musician.

cam mcburney is an instrumental rock guitarist inspired by the greats like joe satriani and stevie ray vaughan.  even without lyrics, his music tells various stories and is in its own way a personal diary of his thoughts, opinions and experiences both good and better.  armed with a guitar, a computer and a unique understanding of songwriting assembly, cam has managed to self-produce albums that unfortunately not many people have heard of quite yet, but it is sort of like an undiscovered indy treasure that "people in the know" are very proud to be a part of.

cam approached me a few months ago while he was working on his third album and had a conceptual idea of what he was after for album artwork.  the third album, titled "window to infinity" was to feature the human eye in all of its detail.  the pupil, the iris, the eyelashes was to figure prominently on the artwork drawing direct parallels to the album's title.

in order to really get that close to the human eye and have access to the kind of detail we were looking for, it was clear that we had to attack this with a macro perspective.  so i enlisted the help of a beautiful model (kaila - who has the most intensely hypnotizing blue eyes) to help us out while i hooked up the elinchrom lighting gear and slapped on my nikkor 105mm f/2.8 micro lens to make it happen.  and after an hour of shooting and various lighting situations, we managed to get the following straight-out-of-camera images:

what did i tell you about her eyes?  amazing eh?

on its own, these images were pretty good and with a little bit of clean up type quick edits (i.e. saturation, exposure and crop) we could have probably thrown in some text and made it work.  but i thought it was missing a little something extra, something to really make this image really pop from a delicious steak to a savoury filet mignon.

so i tinkered a bit in photoshop...played with different tools, tried on different filters, changed hues and a combination of each.  but anything i was trying wasn't really doing it for me.  the sizzle wasn't there. so i left the computer for a while to think about it without staring at it.  and then it hit me.  it was so obvious, why didn't i see it at first?  kaila's eyes, so blue - like giant watery pools of ocean that flowed in some sort of continuous motion without end.....kinda like infinity.  WHAT??!?!

so i sat back at the computer and went at it.  my mission was to give the iris some detail to transform the image into a flowing pool of water, while still making it look like a photographed eye.  and so after several attempts using liquefy and a handful of treatments to choose from, this was the edited image that was selected:

and after a final round of touch up edits here is the completed product:

sometimes transforming an image into something completely different than what was straight out of camera (SOOC) is what is needed.  i'm not a photoshop expert, but there are times when photoshop achieves exactly what needs to be. you can have all the right gear, the right equipment, the right model...but the process from camera to final product is sometimes where the real creativity takes place.

check out the album cover but more importantly, check out and indulge in some of cam mcburney's music on itunes (here) - featuring his new album, "window to infinity".

it's all in the eyes...the true windows to the soul.
may your lenses feel clean.


de jesus "brown eyes" out.

CELEBRITY GOLFERS

in case you didn't get a chance to read my latest column on celebrity golfers on golfwrx, you can find the article here.

screenshot courtesy of golfwrx.com

again, big thanks to golfwrx for giving me the opportunity to write with them on all things golf.  as many of you know, i'm very passionate about the sport and this is definitely a big step in checking off one of my bucket list items.

de jesus. waiting for "spring to swing"...the sticks.

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.