Carmel High School Water Polo TCAL League Championships

Kai Harper drives towards one of several goals against RLS in the TCAL League Championship. Canon 1Ds Mark III, Canon 300mm f/2.8 L IS

It’s been a whirlwind season the past two months since my eldest son Kenny has started playing water polo at Carmel High School.  It has given me the opportunity to photograph well over thirty some water polo games.  Although I don’t normally shoot sports, it has been a nice break from my normal portrait, wedding, and commercial photography work, as well as a chance to help keep spirit up on the team.  The season is winding down with the TCAL league championships this weekend at the beautiful Carmel High School Aquatic Center November 7, 2009.  Look for the eight foot long CHS WaterPolo canvas banner!

Unstoppable. Canon 1Ds Mark III, Canon 300mm f/2.8 IS; f/2.8 @ 1/400th sec, 3200 iso

CHS Goalie Jakub Kristl in action. Canon 1Ds Mark III, 300mm f/2.8 L IS

Players and parents wishing to view CHS Waterpolo photos can access the web galleries on my website, www.kendoophotography.com  Enter the Commercial & Events side of the website.  From the top menu, select Purchase Event Photos.  Select the event/waterpolo game you wish to view and follow the prompts.  If you wish to purchase prints, proceeds will go towards supporting CHS WaterPolo.  The direct link is: http://kendoophotography.instaproofs.com/    Go Padres!

Call (831) 626-1844 for any questions.  ken

Ken Doo Event Photography for University of California Merced – Family Day 2009

UC Merced 2008-2009 Chancellor's Honors List

Last weekend was Family Day at the University of California, Merced.  Ken Doo Photography in Carmel has been providing event photography for UC Merced since the campus opened five years ago.  Hundreds of students and family members usually attend these informative and entertaining events put on by the UC Merced Office of Student Life.  The Student Life Program Manager, Enrique Guzman, always receives kudos for his organization and planning these large social events.  Typically, event portraits are taken of students and their families using the campus as a backdrop.

UC Merced's environmentally friendly campus

Event portraits are printed on-location using the studio’s Kodak ML-500 printer, capable of printing 8×10 portraits on Kodak paper every thirteen seconds.  The photos are trimmed and placed in photo mount folders and picked up by attendees at the event.  Photo folders can be personalized with logos or text with embossed foil in a variety of colors.  A solid workflow is essential for successful event photography.  Some events, such as UC Merced’s Fmily Day, are casual.  Some events may be quite formal black-tie affairs such as one we recently provided photography services for at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Jump! UC Merced students enjoying Family Day

Family Day at UC Merced also serves as an important venue to educate and inform students and parents about programs and the direction that the newest UC campus is taking.  Additional event photos may be viewed in the UC Merced Online gallery at www.kendoophotography.com  On the website, select Commercial Photography & Events.  From the top menu, select Client Area.  Enter the password:  ucmerced

The crew: Danielle, Mariah, Tracy, and Ken with UC Merced Office of Student Life Program Manager, Enrique Guzman

For more information about event photography, contact me at (831) 626-1844

Ken Doo Photography in Carmel Expansion Adds New Showroom!

It has been a long time in coming, but the new showroom is nearing completion.  In September, a major reorganization (okay, so it really was a total clean-up and clear-out!) was started, and work finally began on my new showroom and finishing area for my boutique photography studio in Carmel, California.  The remodel added several hundred square feet of effective working space.

Showroom back view

New double french doors were installed allowing easy loading of studio equipment, particularly when photographing weddings, events, or commercial work on location.  Eco-friendly bamboo hardwood floors were put in, matching the rest of the studio area, including the dressing room and restroom area.  Ample track lighting was installed around the perimeter of the entire room.  A wall-mounted high contrast plasma television allows playing of the studio’s produced slideshows in high definition and wireless surround sound.  The showroom will be used to display fine portraiture and GraphiStudio Wedding Books, and maybe an occasional favorite current landscape.  Twenty feet of countertops and cabinets will be installed in the back for a finishing area for client portrait orders, portrait framing, and museum gallery wrapped canvas.

Showroom crossview

Also being considered is the ability to host shows for Artist’s that I do high resolution medium format digital photography copy work for or print their giclee fine art reproductions.  The plasma television is ideal to play an endless reel of the artist’s works set to music, while the track lighting showcases artwork on the ample wall space.  The showroom also has classroom potential for the next Capture Integration in Carmel (2nd Annual Pigs in a Blanket!) medium format digital photography workshop.  Just in time for the holidays!  Come by and visit!  ken 

Call (831) 626-1844 for more information.

www.kendoophotography.com

www.houseoflandscapes.com

Carmel High School Water Polo Photography

Canon 1DsMark III, 300mm f/2.8 L IS, iso 200, f/2.8 @ 1/1600 sec

Over the past several weeks I have been photographing waterpolo games with Carmel High School.  My son Kenny really enjoys playing on the team and the coaching staff is excellent.  It has really given me the opportunity to photograph something in a very different style than my usual approach to fine portraiture, commercial photography, or weddings and events!  Players and parents wishing to view photos can access the web galleries on my website, www.kendoophotography.com  Enter the Commercial & Events side of the website.  From the top menu, select Purchase Event Photos.  Select the event/waterpolo game you wish to view and follow the prompts.  If you wish to purchase prints, proceeds will go towards supporting CHS WaterPolo.  The direct link is: http://kendoophotography.instaproofs.com/    Go Padres!

CHS goalie Jakub Kristl blocks a shot at last night's game against RL Stevenson.

For custom posters, larger prints, bulk orders, or questions, call (831) 626-1844.  ken

Breathing Color to Release Glamour III Varnish

Breathing Color’s new Glamour III Satin finish is still in beta testing

Breathing Color will be releasing its new Glamour III varnish coating for canvas soon.  Fans of the original highly touted Glamour II varnish need not worry, as Glamour III is not intended as a replacement product.  Glamour III will be offered in three finishes: matte, satin, and glossy.  Interestingly enough, I have been told by Breathing Color that the glossy finish is supposed to have a higher gloss than the Glamour II gloss, which has more of a gentle gloss. 

Glamour III is intended to be applied directly from the container by roller or HVLP spray gun without dilution.  Glamour II requires dilution with water.  Glamour III is aimed at professional printers who do not coat canvasses often or those seeking to simplify the varnish coating process.

Breathing Color has asked me to help beta test the Glamour III satin finish.  As soon as the dust settles in the studio’s new showroom (more on this later!) I look forward to trying the new Glamour III satin on Breathing Color’s Chromata White canvas and their new Lyve Canvas as well.  Keep an eye out here for more details soon!

For more information on fine portraiture on museum gallery wrapped canvas or fine art giclee print reproduction for artists and photographers, you may contact me at my boutique studio in Carmel, CA at (831) 626-1844.  Photographic copy work for artists is done with medium format digital utilizing Phase One’s new P65+ digital back,  the world’s first full-frame medium format sensor with 60.5 megapixels!   kmd

*Update*  There is definitely something still in the works for Breathing color’s New Glamour III.  It remains in beta testing to make sure it meets quality expectations.   The current satin finish is still being tweaked, though one of the artists that did a test print liked what she saw at least preliminarily.  More to follow…

Waiting for Lily: A Maternity Portrait Session with Michelle & Joshua

One of the best things about being a professional photographer is the people you meet.  Whether photographing a wedding, event, fine portraiture, or commercial work, I tend to spend a lot of time with clients.  It’s not unusual for clients to become good friends as well.  I’ve worked with Michelle and Josh for several years now, and most recently had the honor of photographing their maternity portraits.   

Maternity portraiture at the beach in Carmel

Michelle and Josh came down all the way from the Sacramento area to Carmel for their first maternity portrait session.  Michelle wanted to do something different at the beach as well as a session in studio.  I chose to use my Phase 645AF and Phase One P65+ digital back for both sessions.  I used a small Quantum battery pack to provide off camera lighting at the beach.  The Q-Flash is lightweight and provides a mobile quality light on location.

Just another day in paradise…

Usually the best time for a maternity portrait session is about the 7th month of the third trimester.  Expectant moms are usually well-past morning sickness, are pretty mobile and not quite at the point where they are tired of being pregnant!  Michelle and Josh weren’t able to make it down earlier, with Lily expected on the way in only about three weeks!

Waiting for Lily

I really enjoy maternity portrait sessions.  Pregnancy is such a special time for couples, and nothing short of a beautiful miracle!  Some expectant mothers are naturally a bit self-conscious, but always gain confidence after seeing their beautifully retouched maternity portraits.  I think it is important to include dads in the maternity portrait session too!

B&W Maternity session; Phase 645AF and P65+

A Father's Love

This portrait session was also an ideal time for me to use three new “D series” medium format lenses with the P65+ digital back.  I used the Mamiya 75-150 on location at the beach in Carmel.  For the maternity session in my boutique studio in Carmel, I used the Mamiya 75-150mm, the Mamiya 150mm  f/2.8, and the Mamiya 120mm f/2.8.  I have found that the new D series lenses from Mamiya and Phase One are simply exceptional and perform exceedingly well with the Phase One P65+ digital back. 

Congratulations to Josh and Michelle!  I can’t wait to photograph Lily as a newborn baby!

For more information on Maternity portrait sessions, call (831) 626-1844.  ken

The Floppy Disk Returns!

No, this isn’t the 1.44 megabyte floppy disk of many years past, it’s better.  Much better. Previously I depended on Thermaltake’s hard drive docking station to easily view or move files from hard drives.  Such docking stations are inexpensive, costing about $40 from online retailers such as TigerDirect.  I still use the Thermaltake, but only as a portable solution.  These docking stations are easy to use and incorporate eSATA or USB 2.0 connections to your desktop.  But when moving large files, heat can be a concern.  Not to mention more cables and wires on the desktop.  Enter the Wiebetech solution.

Wiebetech's RTX100 hardened trayless hard drive reader

I wanted a cleaner desktop, and Wiebetech’s RTX100 is the perfect solution.  I was so pleased with the RTX100 that I wanted to share my findings here.  The RTX100H costs less than fifty dollars and it includes everything you need to easily install the hard drive reader into an empty front bay on your desktop.  Hard drives are hot-swappable, connecting through an available SATA connector on your motherboard.  The tray door can be locked if desired.  The inserted hard drive is kept cool by your systems internal fans. 

Simply insert a hard drive into the trayless RTX100

Nice clean profile

Wiebetech includes everything you need to install the RTX100.  Okay, so your “floppy-disk” now has a larger profile, but who can complain when your floppy disk is now 1 terabyte….  Wiebetech’s Anti-static cases are ideal for storing bare hard dives too.  Similar to old VHS video tape cases, the Wiebetech antistatic hard drive cases are easy to label and store on a bookshelf.  The Phase One P65+ medium format digital back creates large beautiful digital images (with huge files), and the RTX100 makes it easier to organize and access my work.  Perfect!  kmd

Investing in Yourself and Photography

I have found that our natural desire to be frugal can often be at odds obtaining the best return on our investment.  And sometimes that means inadvertently spending more money in the end for something, when we could have actually spent less overall by investing in ourselves and getting what we really wanted or needed in the first place.  For example, in buying a tripod for photography, there is an old adage that says, “There are three things to consider in purchasing a tripod:  1.  Lightweight;  2.  Stability; and  3.  Cost.   Pick two.”  And in trying to cover all bases, while being overly frugal, we initially avoid that expensive tripod (that we really want/need) and go for number two.  Or number three.  Fail.  Fail.  Fail.  And in the end, we end up buying that expensive tripod that we should have invested in the first place, and in retrospect regretting our initial frugal selections.   Investing in photography is no different. 

English art critic and author John Ruskin summed it up nicely.  “It’s unwise to pay too much, but it’s also unwise to pay too little.  When you pay too much you lose a little money; that is all.  When you pay too little, you sometimes lose everything, because the thing you bought was incapable of doing the thing it was bought to do.  The common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot; it can’t be done.  If you deal with the lowest bidder, it is well to add something for the risk you run.  And if you do that, you will have enough to pay for something better.”  — John Ruskin (1819-1900)

Congratulations! Deanna & Brian Jung wed in San Francisco

Congratulations, Deanna and Brian!

Congratulations to Deanna and Brian Jung who got married last weekend at St. Marks cathedral in San Francisco.  I had been working with Deanna and Brian for over a year now, having completed several engagement sessions both in my boutique studio in Carmel and on location at the beach and in San Francisco, to memorialize this very special time in their relationship—finally culminating on their wedding day!  The day started quite early with the bride getting ready at the beautiful Fairmont Hotel.

Getting ready at the Fairmont The Dress

 

The dress.

Three to get ready...

The wedding was held at the gorgeous St. Mark’s Church.  The ceremony was followed by a traditional Chinese tea ceremony.  Although St. Mark’s is a moderately sized church, it is a stunning venue marked with beautifully detailed high ceilings.  I brought along studio lighting for the family church portraits to provide the best quality light.  Wedding photos were also taken at various locations in San Francisco.  The reception was held at the Gold Mountain Restaurant, hosting a large banquet with over 250 guests!

At the start of the festivities...

 

First Dance. The dance floor was packed for the entire evening!

I set up a wireless radio-remote studio strobe on the dance floor to provide more dramatic lighting at the wedding reception.  It requires more work and understanding of light but the subtle effects can make substantial difference in any venue.  It’s like lighting at the movies!

"Thank you so much for making our special day possible. You were on time and made me wake up from a sleepless night with your funny jokes. You were on top of everything, and I was worry-free....thanks for going above and beyond." --Deanna & Brian Jung

You can see a few of Deanna and Brian’s un-retouched images from their engagement sessions, ceremony, and reception in their galleries.  Go to www.kendoophotography.com and enter the Portrait & Wedding side of the website.  From the top menu, select “Client Area.”  Enter the passwords for each respective gallery:  deannabrian1, deannabrian2, deannabrian3, deannabrian4, and deannabrian5.  Deanna and Brian will add more images after they have had the chance to view them!  I can’t wait to make a very special GraphiStudio Wedding book for Deanna and Brian!

To find out more about wedding photography services and the exclusive GraphiStudio Wedding Book, call (831) 626-1844.  ken

www.carmelphotographer.net

www.montereyphotographer.com

Artist Emy Ledbetter Releases Eleven New Giclee Prints – Studio Showing on August 22, 2009

Muses of Light. One of eleven new giclee offerings by artist Emy Ledbetter

Visionary artist Emy Ledbetter is releasing eleven new giclee prints this weekend.  The Carmel artist specializes in angel, goddess, native american, and ancient asian themes.  The eleven original canvas prints were photographed by me in my boutique studio in Carmel  using a Phase One P65+ medium format digital back, which produces absolutely stunning detail.  The P65+’s 60.5 megapixel full-frame medium format sensor produces beautiful 350 MB 16 bit TIFF files. 

Ancient Friend by Carmel artist Emy Ledbetter

Each print was carefully processed and adjusted with Emy in my studio.  Emy’s stunning prints were then printed on Breathing Color Chromata White canvas with archival pigmented inks and hand sealed varnish.  Emy is hosting an open house studio event this Saturday, August 22, 2009, from 12:00 Noon until 4:00 P.M. where she is introducing these eleven new giclee prints for viewing and purchase.  Emy’s studio is located between 3rd and 4th Street on Guadalupe in Carmel.  Emy’s website is www.ledbetterart.com  Call Emy’s studio at (831) 625-4175 for more information.

For more information on high resolution medium format digital photography copy-work and giclee art printing services on canvas and fine art papers, you may contact me at (831) 626-1844.    — Ken Doo Photography