Phone: (818) 378-7775
portrait
Quen is a Los Angeles based model and a new friend. She specializes in sports and fitness modeling, but after spending a couple of hours with her it became apparent to me that she’s quite comfortable in all types of scenarios. I really enjoyed our fitness and lifestyle themed shots and I’m looking forward to working with Quen again in the near future.
Location: Venice Beach, CA
A new collaboration with one of my favorite models and good friend, Karoline Gora, who is a Los Angeles based personal trainer and fitness model. You can find the previous set here. We had the perfect afternoon on the coast and I was able to infuse some Cali vibes into these promo pieces for active wear manufacturer: LA Society.
Location: Malibu, CA
Us creators have more free time now than ever before, which is why I set out to help local businesses. I posted a note on the Nextdoor app and offered my photography as a mindful collaboration, while following local safety guidelines and social distancing. When I didn’t get the response that I was hoping for I decided to look for an 'Open for Business' themed project on my own.
Coincidentally, this was around the same time I also promised my younger daughter a treat (a kind of a reward). When we stopped by our donut shop I was surprised to see that the bakery wasn’t nearly as busy as it used to be. They’ve taken all the proper measures to make people feel safe and comfortable, but most costumers still haven’t returned.
Song of S & S Donut and Bake Shop
They had to find a new way to reach their customers and they definitely needed some imagery to convey their message and to bring the customers back in. After a short conversation I was given the opportunity to create images for their emailers and various social media channels.
You can’t eat in but you can always safely pickup, either ordering ahead or placing one in the store.
Although I’m not a wedding photographer I jumped at the chance when the groom, who is one of my best friends, asked me to photograph his wedding. We began planning weeks before the coronavirus outbreak and had the whole ceremony and reception mapped out to the tiniest details.
At the beginning of March, California didn’t have a stay-at-home order in place yet but there was already a lot of fear in the country. Eventually, about half of the guests, including family members and the rabbi, had canceled their flights. Shortly after that the restaurant backed out and we were left with a gorgeous estate that was already payed for.
The couple worked long and hard to secure this location, but most importantly they didn’t want to postpone the ceremony indefinitely. After some consideration, we decided to go ahead with the shoot. Conducted from more than 6 feet away at all times, with no people around and no schedule to follow, the three of us were able to spend time together to create lasting memories. This is one shoot I won’t forget any time soon!
Despite the unique circumstance, it’s been an absolute honor and a privilege to have been able to record and celebrate this milestone of their journey.
© 2020 Attila Adam
Last week I stopped by Sony's Digital Media Production Center and I was, once again, blown away. Sony keeps getting it right. Not only they have managed to become a major player in the camera world, their customer service/care is also top notch. They help, educate, listen and respond to feedback (often in a form of an update) really well.
I’ve been wanting to get my hands on some new gear, so I checked out the Sony a7riv and Sony a9ii cameras and shot a few portraits. See below.
I had fun working with the provided models while I kept asking questions from the techs.
Later, I sat through a one-on-one Photo Mechanic presentation, which had been on my mind for a while.
Lastly, I checked out the motion picture set and saw the Sony Venice in action. I was offered to try it out but I had a different agenda. As someone who works on film and commercial sets, I had a few question about best practices in challenging situation and I wanted some ideas to ensure a high success rate of shooting. For example, my last shoot was on a very similar commercial set that was mostly indoors, low lit with tight spaces and a large crew. I was pushing my camera's limits, high ISO, and also had all sound and visual indicators off as well. Focusing was really problematic for me but after a bit of discussion I was offered a few options to try out on my next shoot. I cannot wait!
Whether you want to try out new cameras or have some questions, I highly recommend visiting this facility. The whole place has a friendly vibe and people are very patient and helpful. Have you payed them a visit yet? Let me know about your experience.
Karoline Gora is a Los Angeles based personal trainer and fitness model. She’s not only beautiful but also very personable and down-to-earth. I had an immediate connection with her and I believe it shows through my images taken at her recent cardio workout. Location: Vasquez Rocks, CA
Sofia is a Texas based fitness trainer who’s been training pretty much all over the world. I met up with her on a rainy Sunday morning at the original Gold’s Gym, aka The Mecca, where I shadowed her with my camera for a couple of hours. As a true pro, her workout was seamless with perfect form and she was kind and patient with me and an absolute joy to photograph. I cannot wait to work with her again. I also would like to extend my gratitude to Mike Ryan for letting us use this iconic gym! Location: Venice, CA
Ruben is a young athlete who is currently training for the upcoming season of American Ninja Warrior. I caught up with him at the beach, where he spends a good amount of his mornings working out. Location: Manhattan Beach, CA
By far one of the best photo events I have attended in the past few months was the Sony Be Alpha, Los Angeles meet. Hosted at the ROW in Downtown Los Angeles, it was large in scale, colorful in settings and with a wide variety of styles and genres. I loved seeing all the effort and attention to detail that went into the entire event and all the creativity that came out of it. I’ve never seen so many smiling faces and excited creatives in one place and the work that was later shared online was absolutely phenomenal.
As you may have guessed it, they had Sony cameras and lenses to loan, there were multiple sets to photograph (with various talent) and a selection of food and beverages to keep you fueled throughout the evening. The Be Alpha community event also included a couple of informative presentations, including the Alpha Female initiative.
Although it only lasted a few hours, I photographed so much that it felt like I was on a week-long photo shoot. I was excited to finally try out the Sony a7iii with a couple of fast lenses, first with a 50mm f1.4 and later a 24-70mm f2.8, and I love them. After importing my images to Lightroom, I was so impressed with their quality (mostly the dynamic range, sharp details in all areas and the color information in the shadows and blacks) that a couple of weeks later I purchased the Sony a7iii body.
This event truly inspired me to focus more on portraitures and to push my work creatively. Of course, much of the credit goes to the production team for setting up these elaborate sets and also to the acrobats, skaters, models and dancers and lastly to Sony for making it happen. Some of my best images came out of their Be Alpha events and these ideas had ignited my creativity. Here some of my favorite shots and would love to hear what you think of them!
I’m big fan of continuous education and even just the general advancement of one’s skills. I believe that learning new things and acquiring new skills should never stop, even when we’re done with school and we have our diplomas to wave in the air. In film school, my main focus was cinematography and I spent a semester on learning how to light a scene, create different setups and light patterns with a variety of lights, flags, screens, gels, etc. Early on, I learned how important it is to create a mood, or feel, that is appropriate for a scene and why lighting is an integral part of the cinematic language.
As I’m slowly transitioning to studio photography I felt it was time for a refresher, which is why I signed up for an advanced lighting workshop at FD Photo Studio in Downtown Los Angeles. I felt my biggest shortcoming was not having enough experience with strobes. I’m accustomed to using continuous light, when you can actually see what you’re creating, and strobes are a still more of trial-and-error for me… but I’m slowly adjusting.
At any rate, regardless of what you use you should know how to light for classical portraiture. There are several things to control and think about to create a flattering portrait, including: lighting ratio, lighting pattern, facial view, and angle of view. Below are my attempts of a singe light source shot, a few classical Hollywood 3-light setup (key, fill and rim) and some split pattern variations. I have much to learn and I can’t wait to compare these to the ones I’ll be creating months from now.
Fun shoot with Wimbledin, a young band that is set to release brand new material and an EP soon. I loved the band’s energy and collaborating with them was a breeze. Going into this project I was hoping for gloomy weather conditions (as it was forecast) but at least we had some soft light for the earlier part of our session. Not a bad compromise…
Classy styling with a touch of 50s by Melissa Chiaro-Eggerling. Location: Irvine, CA
Sony really pulls out all the stops when it puts on an event and this was no different. They had everything: Sony cameras and lenses to loan, models available to us to stage our own photo shoot and a selection of gourmet food and beverages throughout the evening.
The Be Alpha community event also included a beautiful and very informative presentation by the talented Cristina Mittermeier, a panel discussion about the Alpha Female initiative along with some surprise gifts and more photo opportunities. I felt like I was on a three-day photo adventure… in just a matter of a few hours! Haha! Once I checked out my gear, a Sony a7riii first with a 50mm f1.4 and later a 24-70mm f2.8, I was in heaven. Here are some of my favorite shots from the event.
Studio work with the beautiful Ashi. Location: FD Photo Studio, Los Angeles
I met Jared on a commercial shoot back in November and we immediately clicked. I love his positive energy and I hope it comes through my images here. Location: Echo Park, CA
Rainy season is here and we had to celebrate the first storm with a shoot. Model: the super rad and always-up-for-something-crazy Ms. Maggie Clancy. Location: Hollywood, CA
Nic Walton is mostly known for his athletic abilities, with backflip and parkour as his specialties, so I decided to show him in a different light
Read MoreEarly morning with Rebecca, taking advantage of that moody marine layer. Location: Venice, CA
Read MoreBeautiful shoot with Cait under the setting sun. Location: Santa Clarita, CA
Read MoreCaught the last 20 minutes with Kerian before closing time. Location: FD Photo Studio, Los Angeles.
Read MoreMet up with Nataki, a New York City native, for a quick shoot while visiting Los Angeles. Location: Santa Monica Pier
Read More
