Paparazzi-Style Photography: What Do You Think?

I've been thinking about offering something completely bizarre: paparazzi-style photography. I know I didn't come up with this idea (who originated it?), but I'd like some feedback on this from both photographers and the public - especially if you're in the St. Louis area. I'm personally unsure of how it would be received, and it's somewhat of a departure from my normal style since I don't typically shoot celebrities.

Here's what I envision, from a customer's perspective:

1. We plan out a schedule for the day, or a chunk of the day.
   
2. I trail you (with an assistant or two) and we take photos of you, both in plain sight and hidden - you're the celebrity, remember?
   
3. You get several proofs in the mail with different tabloid-style layouts, concepts, and headlines along with a DVD of the photos that make up the proofs.
   
4. You select a layout (or two, or three) and place an order with me. You can use these pages as announcements or invitations.
   

I think this could be great for maternity announcements ("Laura's Baby Bump?"), baby announcements ("Exclusive! Tim and Jen's Love Child!"), Sweet 16 invitations ("Sixteen and Out of Control!"), Bat Mitzvah or Bar Mitzvah invitations ("Alex, All Grown Up"), engagement announcements ("Sara's Getting Hitched!"), and many others. There's going to have to be a lot of creative thinking all around.

Am I crazy? Would anyone sign up, or is this just too weird for St. Louis? Is anybody interested in giving it a try?

What Goes Into Your Meal

One of my specialties - and joys - is food photography. For those who don't know me or my story, I do food photography in St. Louis regularly for Sauce Magazine and for my wife's inspiring (and often hilarious) cupcake blog. I've also written a little about food photography techniques and tips for Digital Photography School.

While food itself is a huge component of my work, I love capturing the personalities involved in the preparation and serving of the meals we eat, from farmers to bussers. These people work hard for many hours in brutal conditions trying to satisfy everybody. Their hard work goes into every sip we take and every bite that we savor. Food photography has made me appreciate this fact even more.

Below are some of my favorite photos of food and of the people working to make it end up on your plate.

Please send my compliments to the chef.

How Do You Photograph a Valai Kaappu?

I asked some of my peers and bloggers that question when I was contacted about photographing a Hindu ceremony called a valai kaappu in mid-July. What I found out about valai kaappu photography is that:

1. Very few people I know have photographed this type of event,
2. Google doesn't help very much if you misspell transliterated words, and
3. Lugging around two heavy cameras makes the July heat just that much more miserable. Photographers: What do you do to stay calm, cool, and collected when you're shooting in weather like the harsh St. Louis summer?

In a valai kaappu ceremony, the family gathers around a table, makes offerings, and prays for the health and well-being of all involved parties. After the religious component is over, the expectant mother is showered with blessings and bangles by all of the elders in the family.

It was challenging to shoot this event not only because of the heat but also due to my personal desire to not block the view of those watching. I had essentially three sides to shoot from and I let the fourth remain open for guests. I also couldn't stand directly above the ceremony or again I would be a distraction - or worse, fall into the middle of the ceremonial table!

Here are some of my personal favorites from the shoot.

Congratulations to Raj and Gauri, and thanks for making me a part of this special day!

Are You Looking for Photos?

While my site, St. Louis photographer J. Pollack Photography, features galleries of St. Louis engagement photography, St. Louis wedding photography, St. Louis maternity photography, St. Louis baby, children, and family photography, and St. Louis commercial and editorial photography, I haven't had a great vehicle to share my latest work with current clients, prospective clients, and peers. Keeping a web site up-to-date takes more time than I have free hours in the day, and it also doesn't let me express anything about an individual shot or share why I like it or how it came to be.

My aim with this blog is to share current work and projects, discuss techniques that I use, talk shop, field questions, and learn from the dialog that will take place.

Thanks for visiting, and hopefully if you're looking for photos, you'll find a lot to enjoy.