Photography of a Diner

Finished image

Primary Source Image - (Click on the images to make them larger.)

I was recently commissioned to shoot this restored diner for use in their ads and on their website. They requested a sunset shot which meant that the sunlight on the diner would also light up the hotel immediately behind it, causing them to blend together in a photograph. This caused a major visual problem that could only be solved during post-production. The job had to be done quickly as it was to have it's grand opening in 10 days and the trees were about to lose their leaves. After 5 days of rain we had our chance.

Two images were blended together with additional Photoshop work to create the final image. The primary image was a shot of the building at sunset as requested. The other image was taken about a half hour later after dark to record the lights inside the diner.

Some of the additional Photoshop work was darkening down the hotel, repaving the parking lot, removing the telephone pole and wires, removing the truck, the post on the right side and the light pole on the right which was forming a tangent with the edge of the diner. Anything that was not part of the main subject was removed or subdued in order to simplify the image as much as possible and to direct the viewer's attention to the diner.

Great photos are usually not taken; they're made. 

I'm usually more subtle in my color palette but the building is pretty unconventional looking and I decided to play it up and give it a bit of a painterly quality. It's always fun transforming the ordinary into something extraordinary.

See more examples of my work as a Philadelphia architectural photographer.

See more examples of my work as a Photoshop expert. 

Photography for an Interior Designer

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This is a sampling from 15 interiors that I photographed the other day for Dana Neeld of Staging Spaces, an exceptionally talented interior designer in the Philadelphia region. We were tight for time, so I shot with minimal lighting, averaging about 15 minutes to set up the equipment and shoot each view. I prefer this approach because the photos "feel more real" to me.

The images don't come out of the camera looking anything like this. Cameras don't render scenes the way we perceive them. Extensive post-production is required to make the most of the data captured by the camera and create an image that has depth and looks real. Up to a dozen, images are combined to create each image. The post-production time averaged about 45 minutes for each image.

I show these to illustrate that excellent interior images are possible without going in with a crew and doing extensive lighting.

These images, especially when combined with her "before" photos are invaluable for her marketing as they show potential clients what she brings to the table. Since we buy with our eyes, photographs are by far the most effective way to demonstrate what she does.

Remember, if you're providing a service, you're selling trust. You can't show a buyer in advance what you're going to deliver, but you can show what you've done for others. Perception is everything, so you can't afford to use images that are less than the best.  

Great images aren't an expense, they're an investment.

See more examples of my Philadelphia architectural photography.

The Perception of Quality

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This image was created last week for a client that manufactures high-end skincare products. It's for a business to business ad that offers a special promotion price for this group of products to the dermatologists, plastic surgeons and medical spas that sell them. 

This marks the 50th time that they've called on me to do their photography. I photographed, enhanced, retouched and delivered this and two other images less than 4 hours after their delivery to the studio. 

Recent project

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Scene as it appeared.

This image of a diner was just created for an ad. It had to be shot before renovation was started. The new owner booked me the night he purchased it. He needed me to create an image as soon as possible in order to make a publication's ad deadline. My aim is to always create images that are attractive - images that attract new customers. Great images won't keep a customer coming back if the food isn't good, but they can definitely attract new customers who will try it out.

The restaurant fills the bottom of both buildings. In addition to the enhancing and the removal of the bike, a sign was added over the entrance of the building on the left and neon added inside to better tie both buildings together.

Group photo for an ad.

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This was created for an ad for a foundation with ties to lacrosse that raises awareness and funds for cancer research. We were granted brief access to a radiology room in a hospital. The mood was to be that of a team of people united in the quest to beat cancer.

The lighting was set up, the people arranged and images taken during a period of about 15 minutes. When working with a group of people who aren't models it's imperative to work quickly so no one gets impatient and annoyed. In cases like this I rely on experience and intuition to know how and where to set the lights and arrange my subjects. The last five minutes were spent shooting about 30 images.

It's also very important to control the mood and thinking of all of the members of the group so that their attention and mood is "focused" in the way that is appropriate for the intended message. I do this by getting the group in the proper frame of mind and instructing them what I want them to think. Their thoughts project outward naturally through their body language and the camera is capable of capturing this.

A low camera angle and a very wide angle lens was chosen to make the group look more heroic and make the image more visually interesting. Three lights were used in addition to the ambient lighting.

Transforming the ordinary

Too often, companies think that what they have to photograph is too ordinary and not worth shooting. With the right viewpoint and the right light, nothing is ordinary - everything is extraordinary.

 This image was created for a business to business ad for a manufacturer and distributer of party supplies. 

Great photos can transform the ordinary into the extraordinary.  They capture attention, convey quality, build trust and create desire. And they're memorable. 

Don't think for a second that you'll save money by doing it yourself or hiring whoever is the cheapest.  If the images are part of your efforts to gain new customers it's false economy to go cheap. Shoot cheap and you'll look like a third rate operation. Don't believe me? Buy a balloon; photograph it; compare. If your image falls short, then anything else you shoot would fall short of how it could look too.

Perception is everything. Cheap photos won't attract new customers. The money you'll save that day pales in comparison with the income you'll lose by failing to attract new customers. Great photos aren't an expense, they're an investment.