e&b photography

2009-04-01T23:05:00.001-07:00

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Tyching a scratch

2009-03-01T21:48:00.000-08:00

So "it" got me. I have officially fallen for creating assorted "tych" creations. This is an assemblage of images that tend to have a common theme. By placing the images together in some fashion it lends the photos a cinematic theme. The other thing it seems to do, to me, is give strength to a single image that as a stand alone image lacks strength. In this last sentence lies the problem...I fear that my ability to create single strong images may be compromised. I'm not super stressed about this but it does make me wonder. I guess only time will tell and the good thing is I have still been managing to create both types of images. Tych type collages are fun and give a creative boost but be wary of the trap that is "the tych".

Christian

Teaching an old dog new tricks

2009-02-05T22:56:00.000-08:00

A favorite past time of mine is skateboarding. I can recall pouring over assorted magazines like Thrasher, and Transworld. Drooling over trick sequences, not only for their photo value but also their trick value as well. With the D700 in hand I ventured to my local skatepark in Berkeley, CA. I had double duty in mind. Dust off the old plank and look for a photo subject. I happened across a nice young local who had some skills and was willing to let me try my hand at sequential shots. Results came out ok but I learned that strobes could be useful. Thanks to Chris' kung-fu we were able to assemble a pretty sweet one which is three figures and one background. Hope you like looking at them as much as I liked doing them.

Stay up,

Christian

Studio time

2009-01-28T13:22:00.000-08:00

In an on going effort to better our skills in the studio Chris and I picked up some tech looking sneakers to shoot. We decided to try our kung-fu at the black seamless and assorted lighting set ups. We started with alien bee and diffuser umbrella but this translated to too much light on the seamless, and that looks bunk. The next set up proved to be a much better scenario. Once again the sb600 speedlight was the killer. We set this up with a snoot and backed the speedlight way down and set the camera to a tighter aperture and fast shutter and got some pretty cool results. Reflection was achieved with a technique brought to my attention by fellow shooter Andrew Lewis Campbell. Place a piece of glass under the subject and booya, reflection. Once the tech shoes were done we moved on to some other stuff...just for fun. Cuz if you don't have fun, give it up.

See ya,

Christian

Gettin "rolled" on the tracks

2009-01-20T20:49:00.000-08:00

BBBBURRNTTT!!

"You on the tracks come over here now!" After waiting for like an hour to shoot at a location that was mostly about the tracks, this happens. The this I speak of is a Union Pacific patrol person calling Chris, the model, and me over to his vehicle to let us know its illegal to be on the tracks....ugh. I swear I have been at this spot tons of times and never run into a problem. But of course the one time we are juiced to be there for a shoot, the bottom falls out. On the lighter side Chris and I were able to wrangle a new person out and had a pretty sweet shoot. Kamariah was nice enough to pit in when our other model had to bail due to illness. Always nice to meet new folks and shoot was great...you know accept for the tracks thing.

C'est la vie,

Christian

Getting out there

2009-01-06T20:11:00.000-08:00

BBUZZZZZZ!!

Whoa....that's the sound of my alarm trying to wake me up at a extra early time. Normally I'm up at a pretty early marker, what with 3 kids and all. But in order to catch some of the a.m. mist/fog that has been hanging around in the Oakland/Berkeley hills these days requires a little earlier. With a bit of a calm in the storm that has been business lately Chris and I have switched into landscape mode, and in my opinion misty scapes are some of the best. You know cuz its all spooky and eerie. Or what ever you want to call it.....bottom line cool and I always need a reason to take a hike.

Take er' ez

Christian

This is our assistant Bob.

I could not not shoot this pup, he was awesome.

Inspiration

2008-12-29T15:37:00.001-08:00

Inspiration can happen at the most odd times and places. Recently Chris and I were at our local Long's drugstore checking out the magazine aisle as we always do. I picked up a running magazine that had a sweet cover shot. I said to Chris "Ugh, this shot is so cool. We could totally bust this out." Which brings us to the inspiration part of this blog. A week later we found ourselves at Joaquin Miller park putting together some running based shots to test our skills in this area. The shoot was very difficult, because not only did we run but we shot too. Three hours later Chris and I were sitting at his computer with sore legs but pretty cool results. Take a peek and see what you think.

Thanks for watching,

Christian

On your marks. Get set...

2008-12-04T20:13:00.000-08:00

Make a living,

This Oakland based photography team is out of the gates and running fast for the line. What that basically means is the past two months have been the busiest months thus far for e&b. Senior portrait sessions, holiday family photos, child portrait shoots, meetings for the next Spring/Summer wedding season, and last but not least an editorial shoot. This translates to multiple gigs in any given week for like 5 weeks straight. We want it. We got it. This is definitely the direction Chris and I want the business to go in and its very gratifying seeing it go that way.

"He shoots he scorrresssss!!!!!"

Christian

On the first day of Christmas

2008-11-28T22:07:00.000-08:00

So everyone knows how that rhyme goes,

Which us brings us to the current shoot. Growing up in my small town of Moraga there were few really "great" things that I can recall, location wise. But one thing that really stood out in my mind was a small pear orchard located in the cuts of Moraga. As I was driving through said cuts giving my one year old a nap in the car I passed this orchard and it hit me. This was the location for the next e&b shoot. Oona Wally and Maryam Katouli were our models and they both did a tear up job. The jist of the shoot was fall and we tried our hand at a model/fashion vibe. My camera went wonky, which was a real drag but Chris came through firing with the 50mm and we achieved some results.

"And a partridge in a pear tree"

Christian

Promoagogo

2008-11-15T20:48:00.000-08:00

Is that even a word?

Who cares cuz when the spirit hits I always go with it. Once again the holidays are upon us and along with that time of year goes a print promo for the lucky folks who book a session with Chris and myself. As always time slots begin to book up so first come first serve, and like last year we will run the promo long to cover those who don't feel the push until the beginning of the new year. This year the promo includes a print package that consists of 1 8x10 2 5x7 and 4 4x6. As always the cd of the high quality images, and online proofing gallery are a gimmie. So when the need strikes to get together some awesome family or kid shots don't hesitate to let us help you achieve great results.

Gotta love it,

Christian

A site for sore eyes

2008-11-10T21:22:00.000-08:00

Ok its up there,

If you haven't been paying attention on the previous post there was mention of a new website. The new website is officially up and running and is super bomber! It has the ability to display images in a larger format as well as give us the flexibility of isolated areas showcasing specific genres. The objective of the new site, relative to the old one, is to try and increase overall wow factor/eye candy. Chris and I feel pretty confident that the new site has amped it up x10. Feedback in this area, if you have a chance, would be much appreciated.

Thanks,

Christian

Get a life

2008-10-28T13:50:00.000-07:00

Chris and I are beginning to delve into another area with the business. The area in question is "lifestyle" photography. I only have recently recognized this as an area to explore, and am excited to try and pit our photo kung-fu against it. The portfolio for this genre is rapidly expanding. Here on the blog is a small taste, but be aware when Chris and I launch the new web site there will be a whole section designated to the lifestyle area. That launch will be over the course of the next week or so. Its gonna be so dope!!

Christian

Rock solid

2008-10-24T19:50:00.000-07:00

Chalk up homie,
The team is always looking for fresh concepts to wrap our photographic skills around, and recently it hit me like a stone...heheh. My kids love to go to a local destination called "Indian Rock". This is a hunk of stone up in the Berkeley hills where folks come from all over to do some mild to pretty intense bouldering. Chris and I gathered the tykes and went to our local outdoor gear fitting shop, REI, and made our way up to the rock. A fun and kinda outdoor equipment shoot ensued. The weather was a lovely fall day, we got some cool shots, and the kids did some mild bouldering. This is what I love about my life...Everybody stay cool.

Christian

Beginning anew

2008-10-05T20:25:00.000-07:00

Exhale...
So a new life is beginning for one of the members of e&b photography. I Christian have left my current job of 11 years to try and lend a full time hand to child rearing and also give a lot more time and energy to the photography. This is a very new direction for me personally, and I am hoping the business will move forward in a positive direction. I have been official with my new life after returning from a much needed vacation with my folks and my wife and kids. The whole team stayed up north near the small town of Anchor Bay, in Mendocino county.A large plot of land has a number of cottages that can be rented, its a super nice place to go and chill out...and I have been going since I was 7. The photos to follow are a sampling of the 400 odd shots I took while there, luckily my dad rolled with the power book and I brought a hard drive, these types of photo ops don't come everyday. Anywho, please enjoy and wish me luck.
see ya soon,
Christian

Happy Birthday!

2008-09-12T22:12:00.000-07:00

So here we are.

A year later e&b photography has grown with leaps and bounds. Thinking back to the initial post gets me all misty. The birth of my son and the birth of our website all coming together at one time causes for reflection. My 1 year old son is on the brink of walking, talking, and performing quantum physics...just kidding. And like my son, e&b is preparing after two years to experience the world at large. By this we mean completely new areas for the photo team to explore. Experience has been gained and confidence has been built. For those who have watched the blog, thanks for being with us. As e&b photography moves forward into the future we look forward to doing what we have always done with a little bit more knowledge.

Phoooff *blows out the candles*,

Christian

Droppin' bombs in Antioch

2008-08-11T21:44:00.001-07:00

KABLAMM! Like in the aforementioned blog the car shoots just keep coming! This time Chris and I found ourselves at the Antioch Historical Society shooting a local classic car group called the Bay Bombs. I came across this group before the car-shooting erupted into what it is now. My objective was to hook another car shoot for e&b. My initial email to Janet was received and responded to but it took awhile to get our ducks in line. This past weekend was a culmination of a two month communique ending in an epic 8 car free for all! Talk about a work out. Both Chris and I ended the three hour shoot feeling like we'd run ourselves ragged at the gym. Between crouching and standing, flipping and rolling to get the coolest angles, we were tapped. The results equal, in our opinion some of our best work yet. A two person photography team? Booya!

Huge props to the Bay Bombs crew have to be given. These guys showed up in force with some of the coolest cars we could ever hope to shoot. Janet, our liason, even booked a pinup model. Thanks, Janet! It was like we had our own private car show. Look for the Bay Bombs at car shows throughout the Summer to view these cars for yourself. It would be worth the trip.

Where theres smoke theres fire,

Christian

TSX shoot, and a fond farewell

2008-08-08T20:27:00.000-07:00

Hi de ho,

Check it out! The car shoots keep on commin. This shoot was recently done thanks to a super nice person by the name of Ramon. The contact was done old school style, meaning I scribbled some greeting asking to shoot the car, please, with a business card and BAMO! Ramon was very thankful and flattered about the request and Chris and I set up the session at a great location. And that brings us to the fond farewell part. The location in question is 4th and Clay in Berkeley. At this intersection is a empty lot right next to a rather large building, and on the side of that building is some super tight street art. After Chris and I remembered we wanted to shoot a car there we went to check the location and see what kind of art was on the wall. We were stressed to find the beginnings of a cyclone fence, the car was able to get on to the lot but it looks like one of our favorite shooting spots is going to meet its demise as development spills into the area. Sniff, sniff good by graffiti wall we will always remember you fondly...

Stay cool,
Christian

Got scooters?

2008-07-05T22:11:00.000-07:00

Yea hey,

New info commin at ya. Chris and I have landed another super cool gig. This time we are shooting scooters for a up and coming scooter company called "fly scooters". Chris had the luck of running into one of the head honchos of this new company while playing flag football. Leon was looking for some photographers to help with a new ad campaign and understood Chris and I were a photo team and the rest is history. We have shot two of the current line up on location and are putting together ad's that will run in scooter publications. The work might also be used for point of purchase signs in shops! This is a great opportunity and we thank the fly scooter team for the chance. Please keep an eye peeled for the work out in the scooter world, and let us know what you think...

Thanks for watchin'
Christian

New show at The Rock!

2008-05-25T22:33:00.000-07:00

Heads up,

Chris and I just got done hanging a fresh new kid show at Rockridge Kids in Oakland. It is our second show at Rockridge Kids and in our opinion it is a much brigher and more fun show. Like with our prior show we will be running a print promo. If you are feeling inclined please stop into the shop and check out the show!

Book a 1-2 hour session with us for $300 and you'll get a free print package that consists of 1 8x10, 2 5x7's, and 4 4x6's. Booya!

Way to keep your head up,

Christian

Breast Cancer Promotion

2008-05-01T17:08:00.000-07:00

Hey Folks,

Whoa, check out all those blog posts coming at you! I just wanted to make it known about a little promo that Christian and I are involved in later on this month. A friend of ours is throwing a local craft fair and she invited us to set up a photo booth for some cool kid portraiture. Unfortunately, Christian and I can't attend due to preexisting arrangements but the great thing is that all of the artists at the event will be donating at least 10% to the Avon Breast Cancer Walk. While we can't attend ourselves we will have a small display for our photography services. For all sessions we book we'll donate 10% of the proceeds.

Check out our little card.

For whom the bell tolls

2008-04-30T19:02:00.000-07:00

Hi de ho,

Chris and I have cut the ribbon on wedding shoots. A couple from Chicago were coming to San Francisco to be wed at city hall in the city by the bay. They found our site and we made arrangements to meet at city hall and shoot the short ceremony, then after the legality of it all we would go tripping around the city to do some location shots. This deviates from the standard format but seemed like fun. The day was long and the locations gave us some challenges, but the experience was well worth it. Looking forward to more of these events, and challenges.

Stay well,

Christian

Stock shooting

2008-04-29T21:50:00.000-07:00

Howdy,

More breaking news. The team has been hired to do some on going work for a local distributer,West coast Distribution. The idea is these shots will be used to represent goods on a web site for folks to order from. A side note, my family gets product from these guys and its top quality stuff. One might think shooting stock is easy but to be honest it a bit of a challenge. Well if it was super "cake" I guess it would be less fun.

See ya again soon,

Christian

Automorama

2008-04-29T21:19:00.000-07:00

Gentleman, start your engines!

Holy moly, Chris and I have switched gears with the photography and began to shoot cars. The process goes like this...either one of us is out and we see a dope ride, a card is placed on the vehicle asking the owner to contact us, please, and arrange a time to shoot the car in exchange for a cd with the images. So far we have had two shoots and more are scheduled. Super cool. Personally I'm super into cars and this is kinda a dream come true. Its a great way to expand the portfolio too.

Thanks for stopping by,

Christian

New show

2008-03-16T22:48:00.000-07:00

Hellooooo,

For those who follow the blog (hehe), we just wanted to let you know that Chris and I currently have a show hung at Sahaira salon in the Rockridge district. It's a small show showcasing a variety of our San Francisco Bay Area urban shots. We're pretty proud of the show and if anyone has an opportunity to check it out it would be worth your while. We have two shows pending one at Rockridge Kids showcasing kid shots and the other at Pretty Penny in May (subject matter to be determined). The latter will have an opening complete with all of the brooha that comes with an opening. More information regarding this show will be provided soon. Thanks for keeping an eye on our blog. (hehe).

Love ya,

Christian

Lois and Floyd

2008-02-24T20:26:00.000-08:00

It's been awhile and I'm excited to do a new post. Recently some friends of mine allowed me to shoot their twins. These fraternal twins, a boy and a girl, both did a great job of posing considering they are only six months old. My favorite part about this experience was adding another chapter to the e&b chronicles. The family seemed to like the collection of shots and I enjoyed the experience immensely. Thanks to Lesley, David, Floyd, and Lois. The shots that follow are a sample of the shoot. Please enjoy. Until next time!

Christian