Ballerina

I have always been fascinated by the elegant power of a ballerina. Weather it's the cute little girls in their tutu's or the lead in Black Swan, there is poise and elegance at all levels. One day I felt compelled to make an attempt to capture the essence that makes a dancer. 

I approached several well known schools without much luck. Eventually I decided to put out a casting call for a model that knew ballet well. Alexandra responded and we set had several conversations about how the shoot should be. Originally I wanted to create both fine art and athletic images. I realized that this varied approach would require two distinct lighting set ups as well as different locations. We agreed on doing a test shoot leaning more towards fine art. Something that a ballet school would want to hang on their wall.  


 I strongly believe that an image needs to have substance beyond the subject. To that end, I felt we should shoot in a working studio. They were very gracious and without their help I would have had to scramble for a location.Once that was settled I contacted  Creative, a local ballet school who generously agreed to let us use their studio to shoot the images. 


The images that follow are my first in a series that I plan to pursue to fruition. I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed working with Alexandra. 

I look forward to creating more images that capture the essence of the dancer. If  you are a dancer or if you know a wonderful ballerina and would like to contribute to this project please contact Juan Prieto Photography.

Vintage Hollywood Portraits

Set Design for Images

After over 70 years those iconic images shot in 1940's Hollywood still fascinate us. Personally, I have always been drawn to this period in history. Women dressed like ladies, men dressed like men and a handshake was a contract. There was no ambiguity in that period. New and emerging technologies were a designer's paradise as slick buildings, cars, and wardrobe was introduced. It was a period of expressive opulence. The war brought everyone together into a cooperative spirt not seen since. 
I often shoot vintage images as a tribute to a time when life was more simple. It is of course next to impossible to reconstruct exactly how an image was shot back then. The technology has not survived the years. Spherical abarencies in the lens created that surrounding soft halo of light prevalent in those images. Many portraits were shot with 8 x10 cameras. Negatives were retouched with a soft pencil. A long way from today's digital media, Photoshop and post shoot workflow. 
Props were commonly used to create the illusion of depth on a flat photographic print sheet. Cut outs with interesting pattern variations were used with a light shining through to produce shadow and highlight patterns on the background. Since images were shot in black and white film, contrast was more important then color range. The image at the top of this blog is the exact layout of the set used for the series of photographs that follow.

I look forward to producing more vintage images. For a session or if you would like to know more contact Juan Prieto Photography.

Baby Perez

This cutie had way too much fun at this portrait session! When his Mother called out to him he would hop up and down laughing and giggling. Getting him to look at the camera was a different matter! I think it made for some atypical and endearing images. His playful character and outgoing personality come across in this series of images. 

The essence of what makes us individuals is apparent even in the very young. At Juan Prieto Photography, your unique individuality is encouraged. I strive to provide my clients timeless images that artistically document the precious moments of their lives. For an appointment or to find out more please contact the office. 

Rodan and Fields Ad

Sometimes everything just comes together without too much effort. This session was for an ad which ran on a local fashion publication. My model Robyn and I were going for a vintage look for the image.  I felt the location would be important to the overall feel of the shot.  We decided to shoot at a railroad museum for the bygone nostalgic feel that it conveyed. I knew we had the image after a few minuets shooting. At that point the pressure was off and we got really creative images. 

I really enjoy putting together conceptual images. The creative process tends to open ideas that I would not ordinarily entertain. I really feel this add reflects the idea behind the product in an endearing manner. I hope you feel the same. The following images did not make the cut but I felt are in character with the goals of this project.

The Pin Up Project

I recently received a request to submit a "Pin-Up" image to a juried show coming up next month. Being comfortable with vintage images I decided to give that genre a try. My research revealed that Alberto Vargas was pretty much the creator of the style. He was the son of a peruvian photographer. He used live models for his most famous World War II paintings. These paintings appeared on Esquire magazine and on many B-42 bombers during the war. They were also pinned up on the walls of the soldier's quarters.

Early on I realized that a digitally captured photograph on its own would not evoke the textural and visceral  feel that one of Varga's drawings had. I looked into many different rendering effects and realized that it is very difficult to make a photograph look like a graphic rendering. Eventually I settled on a method and the result is these images.

The way the skin was rendered in most of the illustrations called for lighting the model at 90 degrees from both sides to create an even but graduated skin tone. As with most illustrations, the image had to be softened to have surreal effect. The background on which the image was placed was another consideration as it had to "blend" with the overall feel of the pin up.

It was a great diversion for me to undertake this project. Being able to look at a rendered print image and capture that feel on digital film was quite a learning experience. I will be submitting two of these images to the juried event. Please take a look at them and let me know which one you feel best captured your interpretation of the "Pin-Up" girl.

Colette fashion magazine editorial session

I recently had the opportunity to meet a very passionate and driven lady who happens to be the editor of a new fashion publication called Colette. After a few conversations we set a date for a 4 hour editorial session in South Point park. This beautiful park is set against the ocean where South Beach comes to an end. Elena our model arrived the pervious day from Orlando where she is one of the stars in Cirque du Soleil. She was an amazing model who knows how to engage the camera. I usually have to spend quite a bit of time directing the talent but in her case we just shot and shot and shot. It was intuitive and a great collaboration. 

Despite strong winds, curious observers and the sun dropping faster then I wanted, we got great images. I had never shot so many wardrobe changes in one session. I think there were around 8 in total. In fashion editorial work there is usually one or two wardrobe changes at most but we really kicked it up to another level. It was like speed shooting! 

Robyn, my assistant in life and in the field was very helpful and despite a hectic session was there right by my side to lend a hand or offer a suggestion. 

As a photographer, being diverse helps me polish my skills and provides my clients with broader options. Aside from weddings and engagements I welcome the challenge to shoot studio fashion and editorial work. 

Nicole and Jorge

Picture perfect on wedding day!

Here's the secret - have more fun than everyone else! Be in the moment! Your wedding is the happiest day of your lives.  Think of your new life together, and how excited you are to marry this person. The way you gaze at each other will reveal this passion, and it will allow the photographer to capture those moments. It truly is all about you!

Weddings can be very stressful for the bride and groom. Here are some tips wedding couples can use to reduce the amount of stress they encounter during their wedding to look their best in the photographs.

•               Be up-front about your expectations: Inform the photographer and videographer well in advance the type of shots you want to be taken so that he or she can learn positioning and style. Don’t be afraid to tear out magazine photos or to request photographs of special heirlooms or wedding day accessories.

•               Pre-Wedding Photo shoot: Let’s face it; those "Magazine Bride” photos that you see are planned, practiced, and picked from hundreds of options. Planning a pre- wedding shoot will undoubtedly improve your pictures. This practice will give the photographer the chance to capture that special once in a lifetime moment for you. For more information on how a Pre-Wedding session can benefit you call your photographer.

•               Know about restrictions: Get consent from the ceremony location as to where photographs and video are allowed. Many churches, synagogues, mosques and chapels have specific areas that cannot be photographed or filmed, so make sure to check with them before the big day.

•               Consider a unique wedding-day gift: A great new idea for a groom’s gift is to capture the bride’s primping process, and show the groom what he missed. Documented by beautiful, tasteful pictures, the groom is allowed a peek into the bride’s final moments before she becomes his forever, which will definitely become a keepsake for the groom.

•               Plan a Make up Rehearsal: Your wedding day is not the right time to experiment with makeup and hairstyles. Be sure to plan a separate day to have a hair and makeup "dress rehearsal". Try a few styles and pick one that’s sophisticated and romantic, but lets you look like your beautiful and radiant self.

•               Know your Make-up: Being a blushing bride may take more than the simple mascara and lip gloss you’re used to. For your wedding day, add a bit more make-up so you appear as beautiful and glowing in your portraits as you are in real life. Consider a bit of blush around the cheeks or matte lipstick to “pop” in your pictures. But don’t go overboard; let your true beauty shine through on this joyous occasion.

•               Have your bridesmaids match: Double check your bridesmaids and try to get their makeup to match each other. Having a theme with hair and make up will make your wedding party look more unified and will really tie into the overall wedding look.

•               Find time for intimate shots: Let the photographer take shots of just you and your special someone. Try sneaking off to a remote location for a few minutes to capture a truly loving moment that will definitely highlight your wedding album.

Breathe, relax, and smile: The brides who take the best pictures are always the ones who smile the most, and look as though they don’t have a care in the world. While this day is to share with friends and loved ones, it’s really about the wedding couple. Enjoy your wedding: laugh, smile, and gaze at your new husband/wife. Forget about the cameras and flashes and have fun!

Danny and Monica

Why hire a professional photographer

Budget conscious couples often opt to have a family member or an amateur photographer document their wedding. With the abundance of good cameras on the market these days many are calling themselves photographers. Barnes and Nobel is full of “become a photographer” books. Most of the time these people have another job and don’t have the time to really learn to use their equipment and polish their skills. They play it safe and usually use their gear in automatic mode. The result is not much different then a point and shoot picture. Sure they got the picture but “deer in headlights” or “flash not flashing” is not what the couple had in mind for her wedding memories. In auto mode the camera decides everything for you. The camera does not know the bride and groom or what their vision for their wedding is. It just picks based on a generic algorithm. Anyone can take a picture. A professional creates a photograph.

Taken with my iPhone

In the hands of a professional photographer a point and shoot or even an iPhone camera can create amazing results. This is because the equipment is secondary to the skill and vision of the photographer. As a professional photographer I purchase the best equipment available. A typical lens in my gear bag runs $1,900.00. Your average consumer lens is about $250.00. The difference comes from the ability of the lens to deliver flawless images in poorly lit rooms or in harsh sunlight. Couple the technical ability of the photographer with that of the gear and you have memories that were perfectly captured for the rest of your life. No “oops” I did not get that shot! 

I realize that a wedding budget gets stretched from all directions. Keep in mind that after the wedding the flower arrangement goes bad, the food and cake gets eaten, the DJ goes home and the venue is rented by someone else. Aside from the rings all that remains is perhaps the dress (if it was not rented) and the photographic images of the day. Despite this, many couples choose to budget very little towards the one thing that can bring the day back to them to relive over and over.

Window light on wedding gown.

A professional wedding photographer should know how to tell a story through pictures. Capturing details that bring the flavor and feel of the event. You want the people who couldn’t make the wedding to be able to look at the photographs and to be able to get a mood and feel of how the whole day actually went. A professional wedding photographer knows how to capture every single moment of your wedding in all its glory. They can give your photographs a polished look, rather than a simple point and shoot effect. They can suggest some unique ways to photograph your wedding. For example they will assess the location and suggest good areas in which to take the photographs so that the scenery will enhance the images.

 A professional photographer will offer different ideas on how your final images can be presented in a way that is unique to you, so they don’t just become another set of photographs tucked away in a drawer. 

I would love to be the photographer you choose for your most precious day. You may reach me through my web site or at 305-457-3100.

Kelly and Kelsey

Weddings

I have persuade many different facets of Photography in the last few years. I have shot landscapes, nature, portraits and some commercial work. I have also shot a few weddings recently. I never expected what was involved. It's exciting, challenging, demanding and stressful. I love it!

I suspect my personality has a lot to do with why I have found such pleasure in Wedding photography. I like seeing the bride's face when I show her a preview in my camera's LCD screen. Its encouraging to her and to me as well. I like making the groom look cool with his best man by his side. Being there for such a personal moment and capturing once in a lifetime events is very personally gratifying to me.

I will be specializing in Weddings so check back often for  previews of some of my recent images.

Vintage Looks

Recently I had the opportunity to shoot a 1940's vintage look. That period has quite a bit of appeal to me.

Recent Portraits of my daughter

I finally got a chance to photograph my beautiful daughter. It took a long time getting her to come out to the studio.