green street mortuary band

Green Street Mortuary Band
The Green Street Mortuary Band is a band that does regular gigs almost every weekend at the Green Street Mortuary. Led by Lisa Pollard, aka Sax Lady, leads the band through the streets of Chinatown for many years. What a group of dedicated artists! She and band members John Coppola have played with jazz luminaries like Duke Ellington, Red Holloway, Charles Barnet, Dizzy Gillespie, etc. As an artist I can really appreciate their commitment to their art. They have not sold out and became a playground director like someone I know. Their dedication to the craft really shows when the play for these funerals when they really get into it.

Here's a couple of images I did a few weeks ago. I'll try go back a couple of more times to get more in depth pictures. Maybe do a photo documentary of this band.

I wonder if they do dixieland style music...that's the way I want mine to be. Hope to photograph more of this band.

Clement Street Merchant

Clement Street Merchant, originally uploaded by Eric Mar for Supervisor.

one of my pictures I took of Eric Mar.

iu mien pan wang festival

Hi...it's me!

I forget every once in a while that I got this blog. I oughta just post a photo if nothing else.

Why does it take so long???

I guess after the wedding, there are other things to worry about.

Having to think about their wedding album design just puts them back into the wedding planning mode. There are other things more pressing than to deal with the wedding album order.

There's the new house, color of the curtains, visiting the in-laws, the baby, etc. It would be great if they just let me design their album for them...after all, why did they hire me for?

So...please...please, let me do what I do best. So many times I see the couples get into arguments about the photos. I have to step in and referee for them.

MKY_7310

MKY_7310, originally uploaded by Center for Asian American Media.

GGS

Hey!  I'm going to be the trustee for Dave Newman's portrait class at the Golden Gate School of Photography, June 23-25.  The school will be held at the Mills College campus in Oakland.  I was a student in that class probably eighteen or twenty years ago.  I learned a lot of things which I still use today.  It should be a great class and Dave has a lot to offer.  Even those little squeakers which I still have in my camera bag after all these years. 

There's still room in the class and you can still enroll.  Please join me!Here's the info:

Dave Newman, M.Photog.Cr.,CPP, API Sandy, Utah Beginning to Intermediate June 23-25, 2008Mills College, Oakland

About the Course
Mastering Portraiture
If you're looking to refine your posing and lighting techniques, this class is for you!

Dave is one of the most quoted photographers when it comes to Camera Room Design and Posing of the human form. His posing and lighting rules and guidelines have become watchwords of our industry of today. 

Each student will be armed with a triggering device, provided by the instructor, for individual hands-on capture of each set-up and posing design. Students will all work at their own level, be it basic or intermediate.
All topics are based on studio survival and success in professional portraiture. Subjects will include:

Passion of Lighting

Masterful Posing of the human form, from high school seniors to  groups

Essentials of Outdoor Lighting

Essentials of Camera Room lighting

Understanding Digital ExposureWorking with the Camera's Histogram

Jpeg and RAW advantages rediscovered

Hope to see you there!To enroll click here

Nancy and John's Wedding album

It has been over one and a half years since Nancy and John's wedding

They took a looooong time to decide on what they want for their album. Changes changes...waiting for them to get back to me while they decide. *whew* just glad it's off my hand. Control.

Because of the many changes and so many group shots, I'll just show some favorites.

Winery 1

Winery 1, originally uploaded by chrisfawkes.com.

Photography and Graphics for Eric Mar

Eric Mar is running for supervisor of district one. Chris Chow arranged for me to do Eric's portrait. Chris said it's for free. Gullible me said yes....hey...I support the brother. We need more A's in the board of sups.

I wonder...what if Chris had his family business Chow Associates do free work for Eric. I think he'll get into deep doody with his OL if he did. So...I did the photo shoot. It was in my living room. Simple softbox, reflector, twist flex background... not expecting nothing for it. But Eric told me to go ahead and bill the campaign committee for it.

A few days later they needed this flyer for the kick off campaign. It was a last minute thing too. So I tore ass and did the flyer. Only told to change thing everything. This went for five times. It involved five drafts! That's a lot of time for each one.

Here's me again....2007

Seng Phomphanh Photo

albums albums album el bums

Yes, it's been nothing but albums lately. I just delivered Nancy and John's album. Their wedding was over one and a half years ago. It's not my fault as to why it took so long to get this album to them. They took forever to get back to me concerning approving or suggesting the images and design for the album. sometimes as long as four months before I got a reply. John needs to be in control, but at the same time, he doesn't have a lot of time to tell me what he wants. Well...I'm glad it's off my hands and I got the final check for it. It's been hanging over me for some time. It is a relief to move on.