Interior Photographer San Francisco » magazine

Photo Styling: A Harmonious Palette

David — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 19:58:27 +0000

Styling interiors is much like finishing a puzzle, putting in the last piece to create a whole. Here are some examples of styling elements that blend in, add life, give texture and feel natural.

For me the elements of scale, color and texture need to come together supporting the balance and harmony of the space.

Photo Styling: Sub-Zero

David — Tue, 04 May 2010 22:28:29 +0000

Photographing a home to feel inviting and natural in a fresh style is truly an art form. Recently I shot a project for Sub-Zero, who wanted an editorial look for their magazine.

Here from Sub-Zero are styling guidelines that are right on the money and a great help in prepping for a photo shoot.

Photography should look warm, lived in, fresh, approachable, natural, and inviting. It should not convey a contrived, dramatic, or perfect image. Propping should follow the same approach.

Overall Objectives:

Less is more. The composition can be simple and still luxurious.

The purpose of all our photography is to:
Inspire readers
Make the room feel inviting
Convey informationReveal how the kitchen functions
Explain the layout
Show the relationship of kitchen to adjoining areas

Props should:
Look realistic
Be logical
Reflect a level of accessible good taste
Use only natural flowers, and in moderation
Bigger is better and less is more is our desired look

Props should not:
Be moved from one shot to another
Use lighted candles in day shots
Be too messy, crowded, busy, hectic or overwhelming
Combine incompatible objects (e.g. onions and bananas)
Be cliché, such as the dish towel draped on edge of counter

Details should:
Show something not easily seen or not clear in an overall shot
Use scale effectively
Guide the eye to important features

Portraits on Location

David — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 17:34:52 +0000

Often as a part of telling the whole story or the story in itself, my portraiture work cares the same natural feeling as my interior photographs.

Shooting people on location for magazines, companies and corporations I create my portraits in situation and with the context of the environment. The subjects are captured with positive, open expressions, that are welcoming to the lens and viewer alike. I strive to maintain a similar lighting style as the rest of the photos from a given shoot. Art direction elements involve selecting the location of the portrait and helping with wardrobe selection, ultimately making it all look effortless.

Hotel Renew Honolulu

David — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 17:21:17 +0000

The hotel photography of this Waikiki boutique property wanted a clean departure from the traditional Hawaiian mindset. Situated a block off the beach, Hotel Renew is providing a modern oasis in the land of tiki torches. Less than a year after it was re branded as Hotel Renew the property ran at the top of Tripadvisor’s picks for Honolulu hotels.

Hotel Renew has an urban vibe of a W Hotel without the attitude. The smallish room plates from the seventies were kept but the room interiors were fully outfitted with precision mill work. The interior designer Jiun Ho’s elements are sophisticated and simple with a nod to the understated principals that might be found in a Kyoto Ryokan.

My hotel photography used this clean and understated approach with minimal photo styling. The collection of photographs below match the art direction style of Interior Design Magazine where these photos were submitted.

www.jiunho.com

www.hotelrenew.com

Interior Design Magazine

Trip Advisor

Art Direction: Advertising Photography

David — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 03:35:57 +0000

Advertising photography needs to be memorable with a quick connection made to the viewer. For my San Francisco clients when photographing for the best magazine ads, I give thought to the needs of proportion and placement. Will the ad photo need to be vertical or horizontal? Will the photo be a bleed, where will the type and logo go? Then thought is also given to how well the photo works in other channels like a website and postcards. Following are examples of ads that I have done for my Interior Design and Furniture manufacture firms.

Photoshop: Collage

David — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 03:08:08 +0000

Removal, replacement and scaling.

Photoshop: Distortions

David — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 03:00:07 +0000

Parallax and Warping

Jiun Ho in Western Interiors April ’09

David — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 18:00:38 +0000

Interior and furniture designer Jiun Ho hired me to photograph this San Francisco Victorian that he had given a major modern makeover. Jiun submitted my photos to Western Interiors & Design magazine which became featured in a ten page spread in the April/May 2009 issue.

Published: California Home & Design

David — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 03:06:54 +0000

This tree house of a home is atop a ridge in Belvedere with wonderful views. Diane Einstein enlivens a fifties period home with freshness. Having seen these photos, California Home & Design will be running the story this spring.

Published: Garden Design Sonoma Hills

David — Mon, 05 May 2008 22:04:06 +0000

In a ten-page spread “The Rock Collector” Wendy Owens wonderful Provincial inspired home and gardens are featured. Here is a selection of some of the thirty photos taken last June. It is always interesting to see which photographs are used and the magazine layout that comes from a great day of shooting.