August 24, 2015
Behind the Scenes at the Balloon Shoot

San Francisco

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A whole bunch of kids gathered at Crissy Field to help me create a new header photo for my social media profiles.

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Since those header images are so narrowly horizontal, I found it hard to get a crop from an existing image, and thought it best to create something from scratch that was already long conceptually.

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So, I invited the cutest kids I could find, added balloons, and lined them up in a long row in front of the Golden Gate Bridge.

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The one thing there was no way to plan around was the weather – there is simply no telling what Karl the Fog is going do on any given day in San Francisco. 

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I would’ve been happy with sunshine, fluffy clouds and a bright red Golden Gate Bridge, since it’s such a quintessential icon for the San Francisco Bay Area.

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But I was thrilled with the overcast weather because the colors popped like crazy, showing the clothes and balloons at their cheerful best.

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People often express disappointment if a scheduled photo shoot date is entirely overcast, with no glimpse of the sun in sight, when actually they should be really excited! This giant soft box in the sky is the most gorgeous light for portraits. It wraps itself around complexions making skin glow, and showing off all those gorgeous facial features.

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We made time to do individual portraits on the beach, and the kids stared, bemused, as their balloon strings tangled into one another in the wind. They were extremely patient, and let me get a variety of different shots.

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A few balloons escaped tiny grasps, and a few met with untimely ends when used to lean upon. But I still think we made quite a happy scene on the beach.

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With this, I’m officially launched in the San Francisco Bay Area! Perfect timing for planning your holiday portrait session. Be sure to book early to get the best selection on session times. And, whether or not you’re in SF, get on my mailing list and you’ll be updated on when I’m coming to your area.

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