This might have been the most challenging shoot in my career so far.
A couple of weeks ago (sorry peeps, the new FT job has me busy) I got an incredible chance to shoot an event at the University Club in San Francisco. On the 4th floor of this unique space, BRAVO! was hosting a private preview event of upcoming shows that the San Francisco Opera was planning. Not only did they have the General Director of the Opera (David Gockley), they also had the Adler Fellows showcase a couple of songs as well. Couple this with some delicious finger food and drinks overlooking the Financial District and you can easily see why this was such a cool event to attend.
One of the great parts of this event is a couple of friends were in attendance. This made getting candids from others easier, as they saw me taking pictures of my friends and wanted to get in on the action. The lighting in the room was amazing for attendees but extremely difficult for me. How, you ask? The main subjects were backlit by a giant (10’x15’) window. It required me to get creative with my work on the fly, as my main flash wasn’t that powerful to properly expose the subjects in some instances. (Not complaining, but showing the importance of having a flash)
My other challenge was trying to capture the elegance and beauty of the event. The event was attended by people of all ages, but skewed towards the younger crowd by a large margin. It was great watching people converse, laugh, and meet new people in such a beautiful venue. By watching people (sorry if this sounds creepy), you can basically “predict” when good shots will be, with who, and almost when (depending on the conversation). I’m sure honing these skills will come in handy if I decide to shoot a wedding in the future (who knows).
I hope you enjoy these pictures and you can see the album over at the SF BRAVO! Facebook page. Attended the event and interested in buying prints/ high-resolution digital copies? Ping me at jamesjosephsterne at gmail dot com.
