A Second Set of Hands

I first met Leah in a Peet's coffee shop in Santa Rosa.

She was a college student who wanted to supplement her income with freelance modeling. We were meeting to discuss an upcoming workshop where I needed a fresh face for a couple portrait sessions. 

I ordered an Americano. Leah didn't want anything to drink. I think she was nervous. But the meeting went well and she got the gig. That was March 28, 2012.

Today, Leah is an important part of Story Photography. She is my second set of hands. Because of her efforts, I was able to pull off the San Francisco Street Shooting Workshop in May. She worked five months on that event.

I just landed a big corporate assignment because I could demonstrate the ability to handle the business side of the project. Having Leah on staff is what cinched the job.

When I'm on the road, she takes care of the Nimble Store, feeds Dibs the studio cat (who loves her BTW), and answers emails about ongoing jobs. When we're out scouting locations, Leah makes sure she's dressed for photography. She's my stand-in model, ready at a moment's notice.

Leah is popular with workshop participants. Watching those interactions is what gave me confidence to hire her as my photographer's assistant. She now shoots with an Olympus PEN and was responsible for the "behind the scenes" photos at the SF workshop.

It's amazing the difference a part-time helper can make for a small business. I'm sure someday Leah will run her own gig. But until then,

I'm going to keep her as busy as possible.

-Derrick

 

 

Packing and repacking

My first attempt for a carry-on bag weighed 21 pounds.

Nimble indeed.

I figured that the bag was just too big, allowing me too much space to put stuff. Yes, it's going to be a long flight–from San Francisco to London–but I'm going to have to trust some items to my checked luggage. So I unpacked the bag, dug around in the closet for something smaller, and tried again.

My second attempt went much better. I paired down my camera kit, stashed the hard drives and extra batteries in my checked suitcase, and decided that some items just weren't required for this trip. This time the scale landed on 13 pounds. I could live with that.

For me, every trip is a trip of a lifetime. Wonderful things happen just as easily in San Antonio Texas as they do in Dublin Ireland. And regardless of where I am, I want to be able to capture any memorable moments that come my way.

But I have to keep in mind that I have a dislocated shoulder on the mend, many miles of exploring ahead, and I don't want to be so tired that I get lazy when it's time to be an artist.

So I'm going to limit myself to two Micro 4/3 camera bodies, four light lenses, a flash, and a handful of accessories. If I can't do it with this kit, then I'm not the photographer that I think I am.

Because I am working, I do have to bring my laptop. Otherwise, I could go with just the iPad mini. But I'll tell you one thing, when I hit the streets of Glascow Scotland, there won't be the MacBook Pro in my bag.

I'll take what I need to get the job done. I am a professional. But when I'm on my time...

I'm the nimble photographer.

-Derrick

Do Talk to Strangers

I know it's not what our mamas taught us.

But they probably wouldn't want us out on the streets anyway.

The thing I've learned about urban photography is that if you interact, you get more action. Wallflowers are for junior high dances. Shyness is for landscape work. If you want to shoot in the city, you better pack your personality too.

Say you're both waiting to cross the street. "That's a good looking building over there, wouldn't you say?" If you get anything more than a grunt, you can add, "And I like your jacket too. Do you mind if I get a quick portrait?"

It's not that hard. But it takes energy. Some days I have it, others I just hang out.

My biggest ally is curiosity. "What are you taking a picture of?

"I'm photographing that building. But now I'm thinking that a portrait of you would be great too. Got a minute?"

About 1 out of 5 will say no. The other 4 will be interesting shots.

When I ask, I look them in the eyes and smile. And I hold my camera tightly.

Just in case my mama was right.

-Derrick

Do It Again

The San Francisco photography workshop is over.

I have a laptop full of images and a head full of great moments.

Saturday night is a perfect example of our shared experience. We walked down Market St. to the Embarcadero and set up shop at Pier 14. Our goal was to photograph the new Bay Bridge, Ferry Building, Coit Tower, and the San Francisco skyline that lit up as the sun settled in the West. 

While waiting for the light, we shared tips and talked about the day that included shoots at Union Square, Yerba Buena, and the Trader Vic alley off Post Street. I didn't get back to my room that night until around 10:00 pm -- dog tired and just as happy.

Everyone contributed. Rene taught us how to talk to strangers, Mike helped us navigate the menu system on our OM-Ds, Michael borrowed my 45mm f/1.8 and pushed his shooting boundaries, Lex got his groove going, Vicki found a whole new way to look at things, Enrich discovered his gift for B&W iPhone photography, Gary made great contributions during our group discussions, Ed had his best workshop shoot ever, and Paul brought incredible focus to capturing great images on the street.

Leah mentioned to me as we were walking back from the shoot how much she liked working with this group. I agreed.

I'm always grateful to the folks who help me craft a new workshop. I couldn't have had a better team in San Francisco this week. 

And thanks to them,

I'm going to do it again next year.

-Derrick

 

 

On the Streets

I spent all day Friday scouting locations for the SF Street Shooting Workshop.

As far as work days go, this is about as good as it gets. I'm carrying my Olympus E-M10 and iPad mini in the Walking Man Shoulder bag. I began by exploring up and down Sutter St. because our hotel, the Cartwright, is located there off of Powell. 

I then worked my way down to Market St. heading toward the Ferry Building. We going to hang out at Pier 14 for our night shoot. We'll have a great view of the Bay Bridge lighting up at dusk, the clock tower above the Ferry building, the activity on the Embarcadero, and of course all the people there.

Every couple of hours or so, I'd duck in to a coffee shop for some refreshment and to check online activity.

Then back to work on the streets.

I love this job.

-Derrick