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Questions To Ask When Choosing a Photographer, Top San Francisco Corporate Headshot and Event Photographer

When considering a new photographer for any project, you should be focussed on more than just the look and feel of their images. Obviously, the end product is important and is often what attracts new clients however, the process should be equally weighted.

That’s why I…

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San Francisco Holiday Mini Photo Shoot at Carmel Blue November 18 2016 and November 19 2016

Holiday Mini Photo Shoot at Carmel Blue November 18 2016 and November 19 2016 I’ll be photographing at Carmel Blue this Holiday Season and would love to see you there. Below is all the info for the two day event. _____________________________ Holiday Mini Photo Shoot at Carmel Blue November 18 2016 and November 19 2016 Sessions are 15 minutes long Friday Nov 18th, between 10:00 AM-3:00 PM…

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#San Francisco Holiday Mini Photo Shoot at Carmel Blue

Mother's Day Mini Shoot at Natural Resources May 8, 2016 12-4pm

Join Liz Caruana Photography for a Mother's Day mini photo session at Natural Resources and have some fun in front of the camera with your baby and kids.

Photo sessions include 10 min with Liz Caruana and a link to an online gallery with images from the session for $25 (Only one family per sitting). All the best images from session are available for digital download for $299. Individual images are $49 each.

Choose a time below, then check out and you will be sent a confirmation email once your reservation purchase is complete. Appointments are booking quickly!!

Please arrive 15 minutes prior to your session to check in and prepare yourself and your child/children. The photo sessions are for Mom's and children only with a maximum of 4 people per photograph (Only one family per sitting). There are no refunds if you are not able to attend.

#san francisco family and portrait photographer

Mommy & Me Mini Shoot at Nooworks April 26, 2016

Moms always seem to be taking all the family photos but are rarely in them. Join Liz Caruana Photography for a Mommy and Me mini photo session at Nooworks and have some fun in front of the camera with your Momma!

Photo sessions include 15 min with Liz Caruana and 2 high resolution digital images ready to print for $79.00. All the best images from session are available for digital download for $299. Individual images are $49 each.

Choose a time and a package by clicking add to cart below. Then check out and you will be taken to your shopping cart and will be sent a confirmation email once your reservation purchase is complete. (There is only one sitting per time slot. Once it is purchased it will no longer be available.) Appointments are booking quickly!!

Please arrive 15 minutes prior to your session to check in and prepare yourself and your children. The photo sessions are for Mom's and children only with a maximum of 4 people per photograph. Once you have reserved a slot, you will receive a confirmation email. There are no refunds if you are not able to attend.

#san francisco family and portrait photographer

Mommy & Me Mini Shoot at Nooworks April 26, 2016

#san francisco family and portrait photographer

Dirty Ghosts: Band Photography - from a top San Francisco Lifestyle Fashion and Sports Fitness Fashion Photographer

Every once and a while I get to shoot a subject that is really exciting and very cool - like the time I shot Dirty Ghosts, a super rad Canadian band that lives and plays in San Francisco. Though these days my focus is photography - you may not know I also play drums, and used to play in a bunch of bands back home in Toronto before I relocated here to San Francisco. So you can imagine I was pretty excited to spend some time helping Dirty Ghosts get the shots they needed to support the release of their second album.

Band photography can be pretty tough. As it was for this shoot, it's usually high concept. Plus you have the added challenge of three (or more!) people in the photo who all need to look good at the same time. It's a difficult thing to make a group look good (read: cool) naturally, and we knew we wanted to skip all those old "standards," like shooting by the railroad tracks, standing in front of an abandoned building, or using a fish eye lens.

Allyson Baker, guitarist, singer, and songwriter for the band, was very inspired by a Devo photo and wanted the lead photo to be in black and white. She was also drawn to the fact that my primary work is as a fashion photographer, and wanted the final output to have a real editorial feel, so we looked at loads of fashion photos. For a shoot like this wardrobe is very important - no showing up in your favorite concert t-shirt, boys.

In the end we decided to use multi-level block painted white, with everyone dressed in black and white, and it worked really well. The result was exactly what Allyson and the band were looking for. The shoot was also super fun, which meant that the whole band was really into each shot.

If you like this post please consider following my blog as well as my google+ page.

If would like to book a band or musician or lifestyle fashion photography photo shoot with me, contact me today.

#band photography #headshots #music photography

How Long Does a Headshot Take? - from a top san francisco corporate headshot photographer

Often when I start working with a new corporate headshot client their first question is, "How long will all this take?" My first answer, which I'm well aware is not exactly what they're looking for is, "It depends." Because it really does! Whether we're shooting on location or against a background, wardrobe, hair and make up choices -- all these things can alter the timeline for headshots.

While most clients are focused on the end product -- their shiny new headshot -- every photo actually has three stages: prep, shoot, and post.

PREP Prep for a shoot is mainly consultation. The location, the look and feel of the image, clothing, hair and make up, and budget are all things we'll discuss in detail in preparation for your shoot. Consultation can take a long long time because you may not know exactly what you want. We'll spend time sending inspiration images back and forth until a mood is reached and then we aim to shoot something in that realm. Of course, we never copy a photograph exactly: there's no creativity in that, and it's just plain old plagiarism!

SHOOT Once all the prep work is complete, it's time for our shoot! The shoot is executing our ideas from prep with a few alternatives. We'll also be choosing the final images while on set, so we can be sure I leave with exactly the shots you wanted to get out of the shoot. Depending on number of final images desired, the actual shoot can take anywhere from 20 minutes to several hours.

The shoot starts with me setting up all the lights, getting them exactly how they should be, doing test shots, and then doing more test shots. Once you arrive, more tweaking needs to be done because you may be a different height than the assistant who is standing in, or wearing a different outfit that looks different on camera. Once we're set and I start shooting, you're being carefully watched by the assistant behind the camera or at the monitor station to make sure everything is perfect that no hair is out of place, the collar and buttons are all perfect and that you don't get too hot (read: shiny) under the lights.

POST Though arguably the least glamorous part of the process, a considerable amount of time is spent in post production importing images, cataloging, keywording, color correcting, and then doing actual work on the individual photos. There is no such thing as batch when it comes to a portrait!

I look at each photo individually and assess what needs to be done to make it look it’s best. I then process the photo and send it out for your approval before providing you with the final -- fantastic! -- images.

If you like this post please consider following my blog as well as my google+ page.

If would like to book a San Francisco Corporate Headshot photoshoot with me, contact me today.

#headshots #corporate photography #top san francisco corporate headshot photographer #top san francisco corporate photographer

The Case Against Stock Photography for your company: GUEST POST - from a top san francisco corporate headshot photographer

Stock photos permeate our web experience today. Websites, PDF downloads, and all those marketing one-pagers are filled to the brim with the classic business man, woman on a conference call, and generic product shots. And while there's no question they have a role to play, when it's time to tell your story, don't settle for someone else's photos.

Consider this the next time you're thinking about zooming over to iStock instead of ringing a local photographer:

Stock photos don't showcase your product. Generic by nature, you'll be relying on the viewer to fill in real details with their imagination.

Stock photography can't capture the exact emotion you're looking to convey. A photo will always illicit an emotional response from viewers - but with your own photography, you're in control of that feeling.

Stock photo sites come with limits on size and usage. This is especially important for any marketing or sales materials - and is something you can stipulate up front when you work directly with a photographer.

Using stock photography means searching and sifting through hundreds or thousands of options. Not only is this time consuming and potentially frustrating, when you work with a photographer you end up with photos you would not have thought of, often with fantastic results.

Ultimately it comes down to control. Stock photos have their place, but you cede ownership of vital creative parts of the process to keyword searches of vast, generic collections of photos. Opting for a photographer for your next project means you can focus on the message and the emotion you want to convey, and you control the outcome.

This is a guest post by my editor, Nikkole Couture, a corporate communications pro who works for Nasdaq. You’ll also find this posted on her LinkedIn and Medium pages.

#product shoots #product photography #corporate photography #top san francisco corporate photographer

Chloe Veltman of KQED - from a top san francisco corporate headshot photographer

People who joke about the death of radio probably haven't met Chloe Veltmen, a Senior Arts Editor at KQED, where she is helping to develop the major public media organization's cross-patform arts coverage. She also happens to be one of the most wonderful people I've had the chance to shoot, with a huge heart of gold and who was a true pleasure to photograph.

Like many of my clients, Chloe was really nervous at first but quickly warmed up as we went through the preparation for her shoot. When discussing the shoot in advance, she asked to be photographed in a natural setting, as it reflected her personality. I love suggestions like this and really ran with it, choosing a spot in front of a lake in Golden Gate Park for our location so she would have natural light on her from all sides.

We also spent a lot of time talking about wardrobe and makeup. Again, Chloe wanted to keep this very low key, just as the setting, and originally did not want to be wearing any makeup or have anything special done to her hair. Here we had to strike a compromise, as "the natural look" does not always look so natural on camera. Instead, we used a little powder to keep shine down and some lip balm -- these are usually the bare minimum to look good on camera. Some clients want to rush through these panning steps, but finding the perfect location and the perfect outfit for that setting are incredibly important and can have a huge impact on the photos we take.

In the end our compromise worked! The results were stunning, with Chloe looking natural, confident, and amazing. She's able to use photos from our shoot on LinkedIn, her own site, and for promo everywhere.

If you like this post please consider following my blog as well as my google+ page.

If would like to book a San Francisco Corporate Headshot photo shoot with me, contact me today.

#headshots #corporate photography #top san francisco corporate headshot photographer #top san francisco corporate photographer

Corporate Conference Photography On Location with Verizon Ventures - from a top san francisco corporate event photographer

While a lot of being a photographer is time spent in the studio or editing photos, once and a while I get to hit the road! I love going to conferences to shoot because of the energy and constantly changing settings. One minute I'll be in a panel discussion snapping shots of amazing speakers, and the next I'm out on the conference floor capturing photos of hundreds of delegates.

But every conference is different. It could be a panel, could be single presenters, or it could be a summit -- and there are so many ways to cover it. And often it will come down to the setting. Most often these types of events are held in hotel meeting rooms, so I’m usually capturing the energy of the participants in a fairly neutral setting. Occasionally conferences are off the beaten path — more of a retreat, often at a stunning resort — and there my challenge is to capture both the amazing setting and the passion of the folks who participate.

Cameras may have come a long way these days, but your average conference may not have lighting that's ideal for photography, and simply a presenter standing in front an illuminated screen doesn't really the capture the sprit and the energy of their presentation. The best photos in these settings come from rooms that are bright, with white table cloths. And should you have the chance to present at a conference please take it from me: use darker slides rather than white backgrounds and you will be much happier with the photos!

When shooting conferences I am very unobtrusive and often will use a camera silencer so attendees won't even hear the click of the shutter as I capture the experience of the conference. I cover every angle - wide, tight, medium, individuals, and groups - to make sure I can capture all the important and unique moments from the event.

If you like this post please consider following my blog as well as my google+ page.

If would like to book a San Francisco Corporate Headshot photo shoot with me, contact me today.

#conference photography #corporate photography #top san francisco corporate photographer

Tip of the Week: Be More Than Prepared for a Corporate Headshot Shoot - from a top san francisco corporate headshot photographer

The deposit check was in, the assistants booked, and the shots were planned. But the client still hadn't asked for final numbers and seemed pretty content to just “wing it” the next day at our shoot.

Some photographers here in San Francisco might find this a bit nail-biting — but for me, I see it as a great opportunity to really WOW the client. Simply by being more than prepared.

A super relaxed approach is fine — but the details, the planning, they still need to be there so everyone can be relaxed on the day. To make sure I was more than ready for this shoot, I prepped a full treatment that included, shot list, call sheet, example photos, full detailed estimate and terms and conditions.

I made sure to include examples of poses and lighting for reference, a shot list, and even a rough timing for the number of photos I knew the client was looking to come out with. This meant I could arrive on the day of the shoot and know exactly how long it would take, but still give the client the level of flexibility I knew they needed to get the best photos done.

Being more than prepared also means being specific. And that means talking to your client. What’s the final use of the photos? Will you need more horizontal than vertical layouts? Will these be running in a carousel on your homepage or blown up to hang in the office? It’s super important to understand the use and the audience with you prepare a detailed treatment.

Bottom line: always aim to wow the heck out of your client so they know that you know what you’re doing. Above all, you want to inspire confidence in them that you’ve got all your bases covered and you can do what they need.

If you like this post please consider following my blog as well as my google+ page.

If would like to book a San Francisco Corporate Headshot photo shoot with me, contact me today.

#top san francisco corporate headshot photographer #photography #corporate photography

Robert Brunner of ammunition - from a top san francisco corporate headshot photographer

I feel incredibly lucky and proud to be a photographer, especially when it enables me to work with amazing people like Robert Brunner, founder and partner at Ammunition. I was excited to work with him on a shoot for SOMA Magazine, and we were both thrilled with the photos that resulted.

We caught up the weekend before the shoot to chat about locations and ideas for the photos. On our call, he mentioned had a room that had lots of windows and was all white. Since his products -- like Dr Dre Beats Headphones -- are all bright, fun colours, I thought this would be perfect to make the shots really pop. To add to the contrast, I also asked Robert, who is blonde, to wear all white. We did shots around the office but really focused on that white room, and those were the photos that really popped.

I like to shoot using opposite colors on the color wheel as a focus. For example, orange and blue really stand out, and make a huge visual impact, when used together. Using white as our backdrop in this case made the yummy-as-candy colours of the products we were shooting really come to life.

For someone with such a packed schedule, Robert was super nice and really accommodating to let me have so much time to shoot with him. In the end, he was really proud of what we created together and was excited to start showcasing the photos.

If you like this post please consider following my blog as well as my google+ page.

If would like to book a San Francisco Corporate Headshot photo shoot with me, contact me today.

#product photography #corporate photography #product shoots #top san francisco corporate photographer

Getting the Most out of Product Shoots - from a top San Francisco Lifestyle Fashion and Sports Fitness Fashion Photographer

When you think a product shoot, you probably imagine a glamorous studio setting, lighting set just so, and a photographer like me climbing around carefully placed items to get the angle just so. And while it's usually low on glamour, the rest is certainly true (especially the climbing around!). But before we get there, a lot of steps need to fall into place to make sure the photos that result exceed your expectations.

To do that, I rely on a set pre-production process that makes sure we'll be ready for the actual shoot:

First, we kick off with a conference call. I provide an overview of the process as a whole, but the main focus of our discussion is what you're looking for and what you need to get out of the shoot.

Then as follow up to our call, I provide you with a Treatment for the project. A full treatment includes: example photos for lighting, posing, and setting; cost estimate; full shot list; and estimate Call Sheet with a full breakdown of timing for the entire day.

Next, we have another call to go over the treatment together and make sure you're comfortable with everything.

After that, things on my end kick into full gear, making phone calls and arranging everything from models to make up to transportation in preparation for our shoot.

The day before we shoot, you'll come by with any props, products, or clothing needed. This varies a bit by shoot - when doing fashion shoots, for example, clients like to hang up and arrange all the clothing to be photographed. For product shoots, we'll often do a bit of placement in preparation.

Then the big day! With all our preparation already done, the focus of the shoot is on getting the right photos and running according to our plans. We'll also take time on the day of the shoot to select the best images, making sure we have everything that's needed (before we pack up!)

After the shoot, with images selected and expectations clear, I turn around the post production work in a timely fashion so you're not left waiting weeks for the photos. During this and the entire process, my focus is entirely on making sure I know what your expectations are - so I can exceed them.

If you like this post please consider following my blog as well as my google+ page.

If would like to book a lookbook or lifestyle fashion photography photo shoot with me, contact me today.

#product shoots #product photography #top san francisco corporate photographer

Why Your Employees Need Better Headshots: GUEST Post - from a top san francisco corporate headshot photographer

What’s the difference between a decent LinkedIn profile and a great one? Since it’s LinkedIn measuring it I’m willing to bet it’s actually related to some algorithm around how many recommendations you’ve got multiplied by your use of optimized keywords, but until I can prove otherwise I’m going to say it comes down to the quality of the photo you use in your profile.

I’ve only used two photos in the eight years I’ve been on LinkedIn and both were only barely passable as anything resembling “professional”. With my library consisting of a tightly cropped band photo and a post-salon selfie, I’ll be the first to tell you that a good headshot is something I’ve needed for a long time. While I’ll probably wait for the next time my friend Liz is in town, this is something you can fix for your employees right away.

Think about it like this:

LinkedIn is the new business card. Most companies still provide their employees with printed business cards, and usually at considerable expense. It’s considered a must-do for employee morale, and helps workers feels like they belong. But in a world where you’re more likely to share your LinkedIn profile than you are to hand out a business card, a good headshot becomes absolutely critical. Providing an opportunity for your team to get a great headshots will have the same positive impact on morale as shelling out for another 5000 business cards.

Your employees are your brand. They’re your greatest ambassadors, and helping them present your company and its culture to the world in a consistent way goes further than a fleet of the most talented marketers ever could. Investing in a shoot for your employees to get their headshots done helps consistency to the face of your brand in the marketplace.

Start with an idea of your budget and any overriding themes or looks you want to have and your photographer will take it from there, providing a complete estimate for time and cost, ideas for bringing your brand to life, and tips for your employees to get the most of out the shoot.

While many companies today have decided to simply leave headshots up to the individual employee, I personally believe this is a missed opportunity to improve morale and build a brand that we see some forward thinking companies, particularly in Technology, really starting to embrace.

This is a guest post by my editor, Nikkole Couture, a corporate communications pro who works for Nasdaq. You’ll also find this posted on her LinkedIn and Medium pages.

If you like this post please consider following my blog as well as my google+ page.

If would like to book a San Francisco Corporate Headshot photo shoot with me, contact me today.

#top san francisco corporate headshot photographer #corporate photography #headshots

Choosing The Best Corporate Headshot Backgrounds - from a top san francisco corporate headshot photographer

Well, let's face it, dear Readers: none of us is getting any younger! As much as we all might like it to be so -- it's just not happening! So let's just stop using white backgrounds! They are harsh and unflattering, and are probably the most aggressive lighting you can choose for a photo. When we have a photo of ourselves, we want it to be the best possible version of ourselves. But by choosing a white background, you're opting for one of the toughest settings for even the youngest and most attractive among us to look good. Seriously, only babies look good with a white background!

Light gray is the new black! These days I'm recommending all my clients at least consider a light gray background instead of the harsh old standard white. Light gray is softer and far more flattering, as well as looking more dimensional. On its own it serves as a much less hard and unforgiving background than white. There are no limits on using light gray as a background either, since the subject still stands out from the background. This means that if desired the subject could even be cut out from the background and placed in another (though I don't recommend this treatment - instead, I typically prefer to shoot on location. Like Hawaii! Hint, hint!).

Early in the planning process, after we determine the location for the shoot, we'll talk in detail about backgrounds. I do recommend mixing it up a bit during the shoot -- a couple different backgrounds, maybe a couple different wardrobe choices -- to keep the energy and interest level up in your photos. But when thinking about background colors be wary of opting for white -- unless you happen to be a bright red pair of headphones, it's unlikely this setting is going to be flattering! Instead, I'll recommend light gray, as this will mean less harsh lighting and I know you'll be much happier with the headshots we take!

If you like this post please consider following my blog as well as my google+ page.

If would like to book a San Francisco Corporate Headshot photoshoot with me, contact me today.

#headshots #top san francisco corporate headshot photographer #top san francisco corporate photographer #corporate photography

Alexia Tsotsis of TechCrunch - from a top san francisco corporate headshot photographer

I'll be honest, when I first started shooting corporate headshots, I wasn't sure I'd actually enjoy it! I have friends and family who work for companies of all sizes, but let's face it -- I started my own business for a reason! I was worried when I started doing corporate photography that it would be, well, boring.

Fortunately, living and working as a photographer in San Francisco means that the companies I do corporate shoots for are anything but boring! From Anki Drive to the designer of Beats headphones, I've been pleasantly surprised and frankly amazed at the depth of creativity in this city. So you can imagine my excitement at the chance to do a shoot with Alexia Tsotsis, co-editor of Tech Crunch, the weblog dedicated to, in their words: "obsessively profiling and reviewing new Internet products and companies."

My first impression of Alexia was that she was young to be at the helm of such a widely-read and respected publication, but she was so warm and open, and completely invested in making sure we got the shots we needed, that I soon understood just how she came to be where she was.

Our shoot was for a piece in SOMA magazine, and Alexia was really open to being photographed for as long as we needed to make sure we got enough photos for the article. This was just after Tech Crunch's annual Crunchies Awards (and they had just been mentioned on the show Silicon Valley) so Alexia was very excited to chat about this! Finding something my client is really excited about helps me keep them more at ease during our shoot, and that definitely helped us get the fantastic photos we did with Alexia.

If you like this post please consider following my blog as well as my google+ page.

If would like to book a San Francisco Corporate Headshot photoshoot with me, contact me today.

#corporate photography #top san francisco corporate headshot photographer #top san francisco corporate photographer #headshots

Corporate Conference Photography: GE VENTURES - from a top san francisco corporate event photographer

One of my favourite parts of my job is getting out to shoot on location. And I especially love when on location shoots stretch over a few days across a conference type event, because I can really capture the flow of emotions and experiences everyone attending shared.

This past winter I had the chance to shoot for GE VENTURES all-hands conference in Phoenix with their employees from all over the country. It was hot on the heels of a brutal winter storm, though, so unfortunately the three day event had to be compressed into just two jam-packed days.

Day One featured keynotes, and breakout sessions at the Waldorf Astoria during the day, followed by Hummer rides through the desert that night with a cook out and line dancing! The country and western theme of the evening fit the setting and gave everyone the chance to let their hair down.

Day Two was filled to the brim with meetings, with an awards ceremony in the evening for GE VENTURES in a gorgeous 1920s themed room. The decorations throughout were amazing - Katie Bertelsen did an incredible job showing off her event planning skills. Throughout I was there, quietly snapping away in the background, creating a photographic record of the event.

It was exciting to be a part of this event, even if only in the background. I got to feel the excitement of the employees who attended as they connected with one another and interacted with the program that had been put together for them. For me as the photographer, the best part is being able to capture all those special moments and provide everyone who attended with the memories for those exciting two days.

If you like this post please consider following my blog as well as my google+ page.

If would like to book a San Francisco Corporate Headshot photoshoot with me, contact me today.

#conference photography #corporate photography #top san francisco corporate photographer

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