THE YELLOW NECTARINE

for some people, food is just food. just a way to curb the pains of hunger when it arises. but for others, food is an experience - a complete sensory overload that tickles all the five senses and then lingers with a memory on the mind that can get you talking long after the meal is done.

as a photographer, the obvious bias would be to make something/someone look good, being attentive to sight. however, a project like this one with one of the newest food spots in town, the yellow nectarine really made me aware of how important it is to capture an image(s) that embraces as many of those five senses as possible. 

the following images, commissioned for advertising/marketing for TYN, were taken right from the kitchen before it was served to customers. no enhancements, no digital or prop trickery like most food magazines fool us with.

as always, it's about light. it's about composition. it's knowing what it takes to make something pop and really bring out the beauty of what your eye already sees. take your time and smell the pizza, taste the moist and rich flavors of the seared duck, revel in the colors of the bright nectarine salad and imagine the crisp crackling of the fryer as the chips are being cooked. appreciate the textures of each dish and hopefully these images will linger in your mind until you finally make the visit to the yellow nectarine and experience it for yourself. 

the yellow nectarine

owner: Mike Santos
head chef: Brent Taddeo
address: 100, 815 - 8 Ave SW, Calgary, AB
hours: M-W (11am - 12am) T-F (11am - 2am) Sat (9pm - 2am)
website: TYNlounge.com

de jesus. hungry. and out.

TO BE REAL OR NOT TO BE

photography is a service based business. don't trick yourself into thinking that having all the technical skills or the best equipment will make you a successful photographer. sure, it may help a lot in getting a fantastic high resolution image for your client, but getting extraordinary, memorable images requires being a relatable, personable person behind the camera. i believe this more than anything. having a good relationship with your client(s) is the single biggest factor in getting images that are not only beautiful, but authentic.

as humans, we have an ability to discern what is and what isn't genuine. this becomes so much more important in photography because sometimes what you see can be so deceiving. it becomes even more clear through the viewfinder if your subject is not feeling the moment, or is trying to fake their way through it. but building a comfort level with your client, talking them through what you are doing and allowing them to be part of the process rather than just your muse can go a long way in bringing their mind at ease and feeling comfortable in front of the lens.

i acknowledge that some people aren't photogenic, but it's only because they are conscious of when the camera is in front of them. my job as a photographer is to not only get images of you at your best, but it's to make you as comfortable as possible, so I can get images that are both authentic and genuine and look as natural as possible. we all have our own beauty, our own essence, and hiring a photographer that can find yours in all kinds of environments is more important than what kind of equipment he/she has or how proficient they may be at photoshop. you can't fake authenticity.

de Jesus out.

HAPPY JULY 4th

so it turns out i'm not good with sports predictions.  the heat lost, the canucks lost, g-mac tied for 14th and the only thing i got right was pretty much a sure thing (the jets).  i'm definitely happy that i got to enjoy the sports month of june, but unfortunately july is upon us which is basically a snoozefest for sports watching.  sure there is beisbol and cfl football, but all the sports channels still bombard us with "breaking news" about which hockey player signed where, what leafs defenseman just bought a new patio set from canadian tire, etc.  and now we have to go through the summer wondering about the nfl and the nba possibly not being around next season.

thank goodness it's summertime and i can go outside, play golf in the morning and enjoy a slurpee and/or beer on a patio by the afternoon/evening (maybe play another round).  totally numbs the depression of missing some things...

de jesus out. side.

THE BEST TIME TO BE A SPORTS FAN

it's the stanley cup finals, it's the NBA finals, it's golf/tennis season as a player and as a fan.  the only thing missing is the NFL season to make it the absolute best time of the year to be a sports fan.  i will surely get a lot of flack for it, but i am cheering for the canucks and i'm more than pleased that the heat are doing well so far. with so much going on in the sports world, it's been a nice reminder why sports is, has and always will be a passion of mine.

i've been working on some new projects, but i thought it would be nice to say hi and make sure you didn't forget me.  i will keep you updated, but between watching sports, working my 9 to 5 and being behind the camera, it's been hard to keep up with a regular blog posting.  i'll do better.  i promise.

heat in 6
canucks in 5
mcdowell top 10 finish in the U.S open
winnipeg.....jets.

de jesus out.

WEDDING SHOOT: KRISTIN and BLAINE

i was very fortunate this past april to be invited to kristin and blaine's wedding out in the mayan riviera for my very first destination wedding shoot.  without question, this was an opportunity I couldn't pass up and surrounded by many of their family and friends, i enjoyed a week of warm sun, laughs and a few cold drinks.  though i fully expected to enjoy a "working vacation", i didn't expect to get along with so many new faces as everyone who attended were an absolute blast to spend time with.  

the wedding day itself was beautiful and the scene of a beach wedding with a photogenic couple/wedding party really made the photography quite easy.  there were definitely some technical challenges throughout the day, but i think i managed to get through them while learning a few important lessons along the way, which i will share on future blogs.  in the meantime, to give you an idea as to how wonderful some of the images are, here is a small sample of the photos from my first wedding shoot in mexico. 

a big congratulations to kristin and blaine and also a heartfelt thank you for allowing me to share my time with your family and friends.  it was a great experience for me and i hope that i'm able to accurately capture how much fun the entire day was!

de jesus.  out.

KNOCK KNOCK

after a nearly 3 month break from the blogging world, i have returned. it's been a hectic few months in my life, but i'm glad to be back again to share a piece of my world with all of you.  though it is mid-april, we here in western canada are still experiencing a seemingly eternal winter that doesn't want to let up.  thankfully i have been fortunate to break up the last month with a couple of trips out to vegas and mexico, so i have had some sun and let me tell you...it's nice to get that reminder once in a while that the bright light in the sky that you see every day is supposed to be warm - and can even sometimes gives you a nice tan!

what better way to celebrate my return but to share some really important things that i've learned since my last post:

- social media is so ridiculously powerful it's scary.  between twitter, facebook, youtube, it's incredible what kind of buzz these sites can create on a global scale.  case in point: did you know who rebecca black was one month ago?  yeah, i didn't think so.  but she made friday really cool by being really uncool.

- the ipad2 is awesome.  i'd buy one for all of my family and friends if i could afford it.

- songs aren't really that catchy without the overuse of vowels.

- sometimes real talent hits it big and when it does, you know that there is justice in the world.  just ask mike richards and not the cast of jersey shore.

- thanks to my newest hobby, i have learned to harness my energy and release my inner manny pacquiao. there really is nothing better to do on a friday night after a frustrating week in the office.

- the line between perception and reality is a blurry one. nothing provides clarity better than experience.


i'm back.  de jesus. out.

HAPPY 50th BIRTHDAY WAYNE

alright, i can admit it is a bit weird that i'm making noise about someone's birthday who probably doesn't care about me...but oh well.  this is my childhood idol.  i lived in edmonton during the "dynasty years", when the oilers laid waste to the entire league and won cup after cup and fielded one of the best teams night after night.  coffey, kurri, messier, fuhr, lowe....and that's just to name a few.  i'll add gregg, semenko, moog, anderson, tikkanen, lumley and fogolin to the list just to pay them their due.  and as a child, these were my heroes...the athletes i looked up to and knew every statistic about the them and the team inside and out.  i remember my dad taking me downtown on jasper ave to celebrate the '85 cup parade because back then, that stuff mattered to me.

and the whole thing was led by the man who probably could have ran for prime minister and won during the 80's.  the Great One - so aptly named because he was simply that. after this many years, i can say with absolute certainty that wayne gretzky is the single reason why i enjoy sports to this day and the reason why i am still passionate about a struggling (yet hopeful) oilers franchise.

imagine my excitement then, when i went to santa monica this past december to watch the chevron world challenge hosted by tiger woods.  now i'm not so much of an idol worshipper anymore, but i knew that seeing tiger woods and getting to see my favorite golfer (graeme mcdowell) play in the same tournament would be a worthwhile bucket list item.  BUT...there was an absolute surprise for me when i found out that wayne gretzky was playing the wednesday pro-am.  WHAT?!?!?  i literally found this out while i was on the course and met up with a group of canadians who mentioned that the best hockey player to ever live was swinging the sticks on the course and signing autographs.

i ran to the next hole where he was supposed to be and BAM!  there he was in all his awesome swagger.  it was surreal, but it was almost too perfect.  here was my idol, playing golf and i get to take photos.  i cannot think of a more perfect combination of my interests all in one moment (well, unless kate beckinsale, acryclic paints, a blank canvas and a 6 pack of orange fanta were in one room all at once). 

so happy 50th birthday wayne.  thanks for being a positive role model and for being just plain awesome.  seeing tiger was cool....but talking to wayne gretzky and getting an autograph is something i will never forget. 

please take a minute and enjoy my facebook album of photos from santa monica, which includes some additional images of the great one...and some boring sunset whatever photos....ww.


de jesus. out.

PORTRAIT RESEARCH

so tonight i spent a few familiar hours researching the latest and greatest in the world of photography and i must say, though there is a LOT of great information that i think is worthwhile and should share with all of you, sometimes i come across something that is so hilarious and brilliant all at once that i just have to write about it now.  tonight i focused on portraits and wanted to understand the differences on what makes a pose work and what doesn't.  how do i angle the chin, how do i compose a photo with more than one subject to look a) dramatic, b) artsy, c) standard issue?

photo courtesy: awkwardfamilyphotos.com

enter awkwardfamilyphotos.  this hidden gem impressed me so much in its simplicity and humour that i couldn't resist the opportunity to share it with all of you.  after spending a solid hour on the site, you will definitely understand the "things you shouldn't do" when taking family portraits.

imagine as you sift through these frozen pieces of comedy - these photos were either paid for or at the very least shared with family and friends.

here's an example of a photo that i particularly enjoyed.  babies are so adorable and cute.  especially when it appears like they don't want to be in the photo.  i'd love to give you a sound effect to accent the impression on the little guy (or gal), but sadly i cannot at this time....it sounds like a lot of m's, r's and various vowels.  many of you know probably know the impression i would make for this, and for those that know...you are awesome.

de jesus. out.

THE TOP 10 of 2010

Here's a rundown of the top ten things I learned this past year (in no particular order):

10. red bull is delicious. being able to down 8 in one sitting is a bit concerning, but I've acquired a nice taste for the energy drink. thankfully, during the latter part of the year i came to my senses and have realized that like a lot of awesome things, it is unhealthy for me and i only enjoy one with the occasional vodka chaser.

9. i don't like half assing anything. this might be a good thing, but it's also a bad thing. when it comes to something i'm really passionate about, i dedicate so much time to it and study it and learn it like a man possessed. so why is that bad? i'm still not an expert at anything.....yet.

8. without bad luck, there would be no luck at all.

7. not having a PVR would be just ridiculous. being able to rewind, pause and fast forward my way through my tv experience is just so awesome. no more queen latifah promos, more tina fey and rewinding my way to see onrait and o'toole's comedic skits again and again is priceless. if only we could PVR our way through life...and if only I could be an up and coming architect married to kate beckinsale and on a random night i went to bed bath and beyond and met with christopher walken...

6. you can't take the simple joys in life for granted. i've been fortunate enough to see and do some great things this year, but i seem to remember the simpler moments a lot more. playing toy cars with a 4 year old for an evening brought me more joy than spending an evening in a fancy restaurant in a new city. talking with a close friend helped me reset myself better than spending money on myself for "retail therapy". golfing with buddies at a muni course here at home is way better than golfing by myself at a destination PGA course somewhere else.

5. speaking of retail therapy, i'm an apple whore. no doubt about it anymore. powerbook, imac, iphone4, appleTV, fuji and gala. there is no such thing as a bad apple. ipad, you are next.

4. i have replaced my love of carbs (white rice) for another form: noodles. pad thai noodles, vietnamese noodles, soup noodles...now if only i can replace these with a love for beans and legumes, i might be alright.

3. missing something can make you feel just as alive as enjoying it - it's just a different kind.

2. i'm tech-spoiled. having fast and readily available wi-fi means more to me than having breakfast. i like having information and all my digital "stuff" at my fingertips all the time, 24/7 wherever I am in the world (see 5). but i try to balance that "spoiled-ness" by willingly taking public transit to work. ugh - public transit...dennis dislikes this.

1. my photography has gotten better as the year wore on. it's definitely far from perfect, but i have learned a lot about technique, emotion and how to take more compelling images from my experiences in 2010. i guess practice doesn't make perfect, but it does help get you closer. Maybe You Like Closer?



de jesus 2010. out.

REVIEW: BLACKRAPID RS-5 CAMERASTRAP

photo courtesy: digit-photo.com

it is often overlooked, but wearing your camera is just as important as the quality of the camera itself.  if you are comfortable wearing your camera when it isn't in use, you will likely carry it around a lot more.  and if you carry your camera a lot more, it will be less likely that you will miss out on those great images that are seemingly everywhere.

i've been using this strap for about a year now and i have to say that it is by far one of the best accessories i own.  it's comfort and ease of use has made photoshoots less stressful and has allowed me to be more mobile as i carry my gear from location to location.  the key design element is the "shoot from the hip" function, where the photographer can essentially draw the camera from the standby position (hip) to ready position in an instant.  because the strap is supported along the torso like a messenger bag strap, the weight of the camera doesn't cause undue stress to the neck and i don't fear that i will end up like a hunched mr. burns after years of using the provided nikon neck strap.  in addition, the length of the strap is fully adjustable so the standby position itself can be tailored to suit a position that is the most comfortable for the photographer. 

check out the video to see what i'm talking about:
BLACKRAPID IN ACTION

the one concern i do have is that i feel the need to apply tension to the strap in the ready position just to make sure it doesn't slip off my shoulder.  minor issue, but workable.

the rs model that i own (rs-5) also contains a magnetically sealed pouch that is large enough to fit my iphone, some memory cards and essential cash and cards - all handy features when i'm just wandering around my city or a new city looking for photos.  obviously, if i do plan on carrying some additional lenses, a backpack will be necessary, but for me there are definitely times where i am less motivated to go on a personal shoot if i have to carry so much gear.  again, this is where convenience and comfort gives me no excuse as to why i shouldn't wander around with my camera.

i am in no way paid by blackrapid to review their product. i am just a photographer who can appreciate products that not only improve my work, but can make it easier and more enjoyable.  please check back here for future reviews on photography peripherals that i actually use and like/dislike.


 de jesus out.