shutter to think

In the vineyards for The Bay Citizen / New York Times

Last week I found myself back in the vineyards for an assignment about vineyard workers. I had forgotten how beautiful it is up there and how i miss working in this area, particularly doing stories around the migrant population and winemaking.

I was up real early to beat the approaching rain storm that would have cancelled any work that morning. Luckily it was only sprinkling and the storm gave me a an hour and half before it began to dump big drops of rain.

To read the column, click here:

Napa takes Care of Migrant Workers

US immigration policy has become so complicated and upside down that politicians just can't figure out a more efficient system to allow migrants from Central America and Mexico work legally in the U.S. Although there is a work visa, H2A, the red tape and paper work make it very daunting and nearly impossible for any company to provide visas for their workers.

Many migrant workers would tell you simply that they would much rather work legally, although most from the Napa Valley pay income tax, and have a safer journey from Mexico then the dangerous crossing that they have been doing for decades. Many Americans complain that they take away jobs from citizens, but many of those same people refuse to work these jobs the migrants do. It is a complicated and emotional issue for both sides, but the Napa Valley has figured out a way to make it work for them and the multi-million dollar wine industry.

archive: assemblyline of things to do

My head often feels like this line of servers heading out to serve the first course of dinner. Each server is a thing to do, some project, some updating, some email, the constant hours i spend in front of this computer trying to make things happen. I'm currently in the process of updating my travel gallery, trying to select images that say, "I want to be there". Only, at the moment, there are so many places that I'd rather be then in the "dojo" (its our office that my boyfriend built) catching up. I haven't even decorated or really unpack all the boxes! (help!!). I'm finally getting around to uploading my stock images, yay, and collecting model releases, as well as marketing both of my businesses, all the things I neglect when I'm busy shooting assignments or traveling. or, playing with my dog. Yes, he approaches my desk with only one thing in mind, a treat. And thats my reminder, that is time for dinner....

This photograph was taken at the Napa Valley Auction, which raises over a million dollars each year for non-profit organizations in the valley. I miss photographing this event. Its quick, its fun, there's things happening all around, auctioneers that wear cowboy hats, and most importantly, there's food.

archive: a dip in the bucket

Many people don't know this but I would love a 1961 2-door convertible Ford Falcon. Thats right. Specifically. One that runs well, and not a pimped out hot rod. The color would be blue. or white, but definitely not red. My first car was almost a mid-1970s bmw. it was orange. we saw it on Mission Blvd in Fremont, but my mother thought that the diesel gas it took was too impractical and worried that this cute little car would leave me stranded, out of gas, somewhere. So she bought me a 1983 mint green Honda Civic. For $100. It was the closest thing to a vintage automobile that i could get. and that was in 1993. damn. It didn't last long, after I blew the head gasket. ah well. I also have a thing for vintage motorcycles, but thats a story for another time.

Here's a portrait of a short, surreal moment. As I looked down into the viewfinder (hasselblad), I felt like I was taken back in time. It reminded me of my family pictures - my mother's side. The stoic, for the record, kind of portraiture. This is a quinceneara I photographed in Napa. Originally I was suppose to photograph a family that I had met prior but I couldn't find them. So this family let me photograph them.

and from the sidelines, they watched:

Destination: Napa for the New York Times

A travel assignment that I photographed for the New York Times features the newer 2-block radius of downtown Napa. And my favorite wine, Ceja Vineyards, was on the list to be photographed. I went to their salsa night, on Saturdays, to photograph dancing and drinking. Ariel Ceja, not pictured, teaches salsa just after happy hour, but afterward, the place erupts with incredible salsa dancing, since its the only place in Napa that offers any kind of dancing. Click here to view slideshow: Napa's 'Dead End' Comes Alive

a walk in the park

Why do subjects get cut?

I was disappointed to find that that two subjects i photographed for a new york times assignment a few months ago were cut from a story on foreclosed assisted living homes. Their stories were touching and I was touched to be a part of their story, to photograph a bit of their lives. But sometimes, depending on the shape and where the story goes, subjects do get cut. here on my blog i have an opportunity to share these pictures, even though they didn't make it to the newspaper. the first few images were taken of an elderly couple who had to move from the assisted living home, the following last images, because it foreclosed. The owner of the business struggled to keep it open for his clients, but the bank defeated his efforts and he was unfortunately no longer able to keep it functioning.

Here's the related story: When Foreclosure Threatens Elder-Care Homes

adorableness

My best friend's little girl. Love her adorableness in her uncertainty.

missy in the rain

it rained. all day. and what i wanted to shoot using my stobes to produce some stock work turned out actually to be entirely something different so after warming up in an abandoned train depot in the Napa Valley, we embarked, heading towards the tracks and then eventually to the old-new mill. Its not a challenge for me to switch gears, but it was difficult to feel out what i wanted to photograph on the spot but eventually with all the thanks to missy we managed to figure out something fun!

foggy vineyard

The trellises in this vineyard look like crosses to me, particularly because of the dense foggy morning on Howell Mountain, in Angwin, Ca.

 

spring stock shoot

here's a recent shoot i did for spring time stock at Lake Hennessey -

Destination: Napa Valley for the SF Chronicle

Recent assignment for the SF Chronicle brought me to a beautiful property under the Palisades in Calistoga, Ca. Here's a clip and a couple outtakes.

hassie pixs

i'm updating my archive....actually completely redoing but its making me look at images that i overlooked. such as these from an old hasselblad. i stumbled across a quinceanera, not surprising on a saturday morning in Napa, but the family let me photographed them, including the mariachi. I would love to photograph weddings with this camera.

 

fall weddings

fall is such a beautiful time for a wedding! the light becomes softer earlier and the colors of the foliage begin to change...

sonoma -

 

Yountville - 

 

 

 

night harvest

I photographed night harvest for wine grapes last night at Ceja Vineyards, one of the first Mexican-American wineries in the country. Harvest happens very quickly...and with little light, it made photographing harvest a little challenging. I wanted to shoot with available light to get the feel of what its like to work in the dark or with unnatural lighting.

 

 

  

My $40 dollar lesson

Sometimes its a hard knock life for freelance photographers: an over-saturated market with photographers, small budgets, less publication space, selective audiences, etc. etc. etc. Since I've been laid off from my newspaper job, I've done fairly well in trying to grasp the business and maintain some work to get me by. I've learned to diversify my photography by breaking into stock and lifestyle photography and weddings, with all the while still shooting photojournalism. And with a little help from friends, I photograph their family portraits. Here are three scenarios that i take as one to grow on in my first official year in the freelance business.

1) I recently had a commercial job that i got via a friend (thank you alli) who called me up to see if i was available. I took the job, no contract, all negotiations over the phone, i sent an estimate for approval, i mean, it was a situation that was pretty much set in stone verbally.  I sent in the final estimate, I shot the job, and mailed the images and invoice. My contract was the invoice which had our terms that we negotiated over the phone and that was that. Granted, it was friend who hired me, but still, it was bigger then editorial paid job.

2) For the past several months I had been waiting on payment from a client for two editorial jobs. I still await one more payment. The contract terms was vague. I gave the agency the benefit of the doubt that I would be paid on time. However, what I failed to do, was question their payment timeline. That even though they have a contract, I still need to work with each client with my contract needs, and that includes being paid within a reasonable time frame.

3) Over the summer, I received a phone call from a local wedding photographer who wanted to know if i would be interested in being a contract shooter for their business...on their terms. I was fine with the shooting rate, though less then I would normally charge, and our agreements for shooting and editing fees were made in person during our initial meeting and over the phone. However things got complicated when I sent my invoice in and they were certain i had agreed to a rate via email. Now, this job was significantly less, not only was its less in terms of rates, but the difference in payment between us was $40. Now, I made no such agreement, but this was a very small job that ironically I should put all verbal agreements into the contract prior to working on a job with them. I regret that I didn't do that. But I take it as a $40 dollar lesson, that no matter how small or big a job is, their terms or mine, a contract is everything; it guarantees specific agreements and payments.  (Or at least it should).