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Image from the Viceroy, Anguilla website

 

I had just finished presenting at Wedding 360 and I was more than ready for lunch. Waiting impatiently for my food at the St. Regis buffet table, I secretly prayed that I would not have to engage in any form of conversation. I saw someone approaching me. I clung tightly to my plate, looked down and hoped for an escape. When I realized I was being approached by Virgil Napier of Viceroy Anguilla, the idea of talking to someone suddenly didn't seem all that bad. The next thing I knew I was engaged in an interesting conversation. I put my plate down like it was no big deal-- food didn't even exist anymore. 

 

I was familiar with Viceroy of course, but was not that familiar with their new flagship location in the Caribbean. As Virgil described the luxurious Anguilla property I was swept away by visions of a beautiful resort on the edge of endless white sand beaches flowing into crystal clear turquoise water. Virgil encouraged me to take a look at the resort and even consider a visit. He spoke about potentially placing me on their preferred vendors list to shoot there in the future. 

 

Excited, I ran back to my computer to do my research! When I saw the resort my jaw just dropped. I was staring at a tropical paradise. Not only are the beaches gorgeous, but the breathtaking building is truly a work of art impeccably decorated by Kelly Wearstler. I was not surprised to learn that the resort was placed on the Conde Nast Traveller HOT LIST for 2010. I immediately emailed Virgil asking when I could come. 

 

Now, having just arrived in Anguilla yesterday, my exceptionally high expectations have already been exceeded.  Details to follow - I need a little pool time right now. 



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[April 26, 2010] Damion Hamilton said: Whoo Hoo!!! Eat it up girl!! Enjoy your pool time!! Sooo...sooo happy for you!
[April 26, 2010] CatherineHall said: how did you know that i have been stuffing my face? To much yummy food and cocktails!
[April 29, 2010] Angela said: Jessika and I were lonely without you guys and Virgil but managed to make the most of our two addiional days due to the flight cancellation. ;) However, we missed our goodbyes!! It all happened so fast! It was an amazing and delicious adventure all around and I'm so glad I got to meet you guys and share such a cool experience. xoxo -Angela
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CHS VENUE SPOTLIGHT:

The Julia Morgan Ballroom is hands down one of the most elegant and classy places in San Francisco. This majestic ballroom truly exudes authentic historic splendor. Exquisite decor and detail define the Julia Morgan ballroom as an incredible venue in the heart of San Francisco.


I know when I was looking for a location for my 1940s themed shoot, the Julia Morgan ballroom was the perfect place (stay tuned for the photographs!). Not only did the venue live up to all its splendor, but the experience of working closely with the wonderful Lynda Hylen & Kelly Norman was such a treat.  The exceptional service at the ballroom only further enhances the charm.

 

Please help me share this incredible venue with others by voting for the Julia Morgan Ballroom as the best wedding venue in this year's SFGate Best of the Bay list. 


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Photograph by Gene Higa


Lighting Journal entry # 2 - one year ago...

Every girl loves to shop. And as a total tech geek it doesn't get much better than this. I can't wait to get to work with the great equipment I've chosen, all from industry leaders in the world of lighting technology. Here's what I'm getting to launch my lighting learning:

 

Strobe - I was immediately drawn to Profoto because of their incredible reputation as a leader in the industry. Their products are consistent (with both color balance and burst power), durable and reliable. Most important for me: Profoto is known for shaping and creating absolutely gorgeous light.

 

Reflectors - My first exposure to California Sunbounce was at a Greg Gorman workshop in Mendocino - btw - his workshops are AWESOME. I have always admired Greg more than any other living photographer for his ability to manipulate and capture extraordinary light. At the workshop I saw that Greg really utilizes California Sunbounce to create his dramatic portraits. So, I decided to learn from the best and work with their products too. Plus, California Sunbounce offers tons of great options and is known for helping many leading photographers emphasize light to create the right effect in an image.

 

Lighting Supports - I choose these from Manfrotto for several reasons. Since I am constantly moving around quickly during shoots, I need stands that are reliable, durable, and easy to manipulate (I don't want to lose my awesome, brand new equipment because of tripping over a stand!). Since these Manfrotto supports are incredibly well designed I know that they will be practical and easy to use during shoots.

 

Photography Support - I have owned a Gitzo since age 16 and have never looked back or even considered anything else. I have always depended on their cutting edge products and finally decided it was time to upgrade from the durable tripod I purchased in college ten years ago (am I dating myself?).

 

Continuous Light - I noticed that many professionals are using Lite Panels for both video and still photography. I have heard a lot of impressive things about their products and am really excited to take work with this fairly new technology. The Lite Panels products very well made, light weight (very important for me) and eco-friendly making them a perfect piece of equipment. Plus, they are also cable free, reducing the number of possible things to trip over at a shoot!


All of these products are made by great brands and I'm very excited to get started working with all this high quality equipment.


Lighting Journey Blog series sponsored by: Profoto, California Sunbounce, Manfrotto and Gitzo

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[April 21, 2010] Joe Joyce said: Fun stuff! Don't forget to add a battery pack to your list if you don't have one already. ;) Are you going to use softbox(s) or some other type of diffusion?
[April 24, 2010] Gregory Martin said: go ahead and purchase a 24X36 soft box with a grid. Saved the day for me on numerous occasions. Totally digging the octa box look lately. Have not used one, but looks like a versatile piece of equipment for many photographers. The light panels are popping up all over hollywood. They are great for location work. Quick, easy, and manageable. Price is expensive if you plan on 2X or 4X the grids. Best part, they are not hot and some models have custom WB dials. have fun shopping Catherine, Greg Martin
[April 25, 2010] CatherineHall said: thanks so much for your comments greg, I am loving the medium chimera with grid (36x48") but also really enjoy working with the small. Thanks for the tips regarding the light panels, i look forward to sharing my experience!
Listed below are links to blogs that reference this entry: Lighting Journey Series | Shopping Time . TrackBack URL for this entry: http://www.catherinehall.net/darkroom/mt/mt-tb.cgi/236

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When I first met Alyssa and Brett I must say I was a bit taken aback.  Alyssa looked stunning like she had just stepped off the runway. Together Brett and Alyssa make an incredibly handsome and sexy couple. I was excited to work with them because In 2008, photographing the wedding of their good friends Keisha & Troy still stands out as one of my favorite weddings. Their guests were a lot of fun so I knew I was in for a treat. I was very excited for the engagement shoot and really enjoyed working with this wonderful couple.   


Enjoy the session slideshow.


Thank you Cay Lemon for coordinating the shoot. You are awesome! 


I am very excited for their wedding!  Stay tuned for an interesting post; all of their guests are wearing white!


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Listed below are links to blogs that reference this entry: Napa Wedding Photography | Alyssa and Brett Engagement Session . TrackBack URL for this entry: http://www.catherinehall.net/darkroom/mt/mt-tb.cgi/237


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So much of my passion and photographic style stems from my first encounter with Steve McCurry's imagery. Seeing his work for the first time, I experienced a calming realization that I had encountered my ultimate inspiration. This connection defined a place of belonging, revealing stylistic interests that were not being stimulated by my more traditional photography education.

 

Steve's work truly resonated with me. I felt a connection, an inexplicable understanding in a way I have never felt with any other artist. His worked allowed me to envision where I wanted to go and instilled confidence that pursuing a similarly inspired style was possible.

 

Motivated about photography and eager to find my true photographic passion, I set out for India on a six week trip of self-exploration with Steve's Portraits book in hand. I spent evenings pouring over his work. His inspiration stirred something within me, and my style began to develop out of this desire to create imagery that like his profoundly impacts people in many ways.

 

I returned from India determined to pursue photography and moved to New York jobless, friendless and penniless. I did the inevitable, something I had to do if only to say I tried, and pursued a position with Steve McCurry. Astonished, I landed an internship position that influenced my photographic journey in intangible ways.

 

Working with such a talented photographer was absolutely extraordinary experience that opened the way for the flourishing career I have today.  I learned to ask for the impossible and to follow your true sense of purpose. Steve was my teacher before we met and continues to be an invaluable inspiration and an extraordinary mentor to this day.

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Listed below are links to blogs that reference this entry: Steve McCurry | my mentor before we even met . TrackBack URL for this entry: http://www.catherinehall.net/darkroom/mt/mt-tb.cgi/235


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Lighting Journal entry #1 - Written one year ago today...


I guess it started a while ago when I realized that for most wedding photographers, myself included, "I exclusively work with natural light" translates into "I am afraid of strobe." For many years, I lived by this mantra understanding and celebrating pure, natural light. However, despite the ability to manipulate this light, I have to admit that my photography was ultimately being restricted by the oh so glorious Sun.


As an album judge for WPPI over the years, I watched the albums go through and  noticed a trend - flat light. As technology advances with higher ISOs and cheap digital cameras, people appear to be skipping over lighting theory. In reality, wedding photographers are probably the guiltiest of this in the photography genre.


While I have my reservations, I realized I had become quite comfortable and skilled working with natural light. I also understood that to be the best possible photographer for my clients and myself I needed take advantage of all the lighting tools available. This of course, included manipulation of artificial light and thus facing my apprehension head on. It was scary but also exciting.


After all, one of the greatest attributes of being an artist and a photographer is the ability to always be challenged and the never-ending opportunity to learn and grow. Last year, I choose to push myself out of my comfort zone of natural lighting and now I would like to share my journey into the world of enhanced lighting with a blog series, "Lighting Journey." I hope you enjoy the ride.

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[April 13, 2010] Joe Joyce said: Hi Catherine - Can't wait to read more. I know that you mention that it was being the best possible photographer for your clients but was it something specific that pushed from a natural to artificial light? Once you decided to enter a strobist type journey, what was your starting point? Looking forward to following along...great work!!
[April 14, 2010] Dominoe Imus said: We actually taught a workshop on this in November and it's true. Lighting is scary, really scary, but totally worth learning. This is a great idea, and I look forward to seeing you do this in the future.
[April 15, 2010] Sydney said: It is amazing how much lighting can enhance photography. I'm glad you deciding to explore lighting techniques. Can't wait to follow your story and learn some tips!
Listed below are links to blogs that reference this entry: Lighting Journey Series | The Challenge . TrackBack URL for this entry: http://www.catherinehall.net/darkroom/mt/mt-tb.cgi/234

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Dear Facebook Friends,


I have decided to streamline my connections on facebook. I value the relationship I have with each and every one of you but with the way that I am currently using facebook, I feel unable to give all of you my appropriately directed attention.

 

In order to remedy this situation, I have decided to de-friend many people from my personal account. Now before you gasp in disbelief, (I'm not a snob!) please know that my decision is based on improving our relationship on Facebook. In order to better manage my valuable relationships, I realize I need to distinguish between my personal account and my photography oriented Facebook Page. This way I can enhance your Facebook experience by providing relevant content.

 

My Approach:

 

In the next week I will be making the following improvements to my facebook approach:

 

  1. I will de-friend almost everyone other than family and close friends that I am in regular contact with. Everyone else will be re-directed to my facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/catherinehallstudios

 

  1. I will be sending an event invite on Facebook to my followers in order to remind you to switch over to my fan page. I don't want anyone to miss what has happened and end up de-friended with no explanation!

 

My Reasoning:

 

When I began with Facebook, it was to keep up with family and close friends. I would like to return to this on my personal account. This will avoid redundant updates and allow me to keep my photography page up to date.

 

I am doing this in order to be more available to you as a photographer. I want to provide you, my followers, with relevant news that is of interest to you. I won't bog you down with my personal updates and chitchat with old friends. I want to be attentive and do not want to miss important messages from my followers, or from my family or friends. By separating the two, I will be more effectively able to view and answer people.

 

I look forward to staying connected with you on my Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/catherinehallstudios. You can also keep posted by checking my Twitter account: @Catherine_Hall which I update regularly.

 

I hope this helps explain what is happening with my Facebook account. I am extremely grateful for your support and look forward to connecting with you on my Facebook page soon!

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[April 12, 2010] Monica Z said: Just yesterday I told my husband that I wanted to do this EXACT thing. Props!
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This photograph I took of Jason Cleary in West Virginia won an award in the World In Focus 2010 travel photography contest. Thank you to Photo District News (PDN) and National Geographic Traveler for putting on this annual contest.

I feel that this image really captures an essence of the lifestyle I experienced and documented on a photographic exploration into everyday life in Appalachia. This particular image displays the young Jason Cleary and his friends playing in a broken down car. During my time in Appalachia, I recognized the consistent theme that when things break down there, they are usually left as they are to meld into everyday life. This car had been broken down for almost forty years, left in place, and subsequently made into a playground for the kids of the area. I'm happy to share this glimpse into life in the small town of Bramwell, West Virginia with you. 

To see some more images and read all about my experience shooting in Appalachia, check out my full image story here: http://www.catherinehall.net/blog/editorial-commercial-work/an-unseen-glimpse-of-american.html
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Listed below are links to blogs that reference this entry: WORLD IN FOCUS 2010 | Travel Photography | Catherine Hall Wins Award . TrackBack URL for this entry: http://www.catherinehall.net/darkroom/mt/mt-tb.cgi/232


Check out the second round of my three interview series with Chris Marquardt on People Photography. In this video I share my thoughts on the power of photography to overcome language barriers and show some images from my shoot in Tasmania. Plus, I give some insightful tips such as determining the best approach to the model release. 

If you missed the first video check it out here.  I'll post the third interview with Chris soon!

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[April 5, 2010] Damion Hamilton said: Thus the reason I can listen to you speak all day. You are sooo real and I love how open in this interview you are. Your just you. Awesome stuff Cat!!. Thank you so much for sharing.
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Catherine Hall Studios has been nominated as one of the Bay Area's best local businesses on the San Francisco Chronicle and SFGate.com's BayList. We are excited to be included with all of the great businesses on the BayList. Plus, who doesn't love a little competition every once in a while?

Please take a minute to check out our profile and vote for Catherine Hall Studios :)

Thank you so much for all of your support! 
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Listed below are links to blogs that reference this entry: SF Wedding Photography | The BayList | Vote for CHS . TrackBack URL for this entry: http://www.catherinehall.net/darkroom/mt/mt-tb.cgi/231