Working as a Lighting Tech for a celebrity shoot

(Star Magazine Oct 2011)

I got the chance to work for a photo shoot as a lighting technician for a celebrity photographer. We were shooting Jennifer Gimenez of the Celebrity Rehab reality show. Jennifer was a very down-to-earth lady and a joy to work with. Everybody at the shoot was amazingly talented. I like surrounding myself with creative and friendly people.  The photo shoot was in a private mansion in Bel Air, CA. It took us almost 6 hours to finish her shoot. We shot her outside to utilize the amazing view and pool. It was a beautiful and hot day.  I decided to use the sun as highlights, hit her face with  a strobe using a soft light modifier and a large reflector underneath to light up her body. It was like 11am so we were shooting at F/14 to F/16.

Slowly getting into HDSLR Video

I own a Canon 7D so I decided to take advantage of it's video capability. Ever since I was a kid, my siblings and I would borrow my Dad's video camera and shoot music videos all day long. So now, I decided as my first video project, I will do a video of my nephew, Niko. Click on the link to show the finish video.
Niko- One Spring Day

A Beauty Make Up Shoot

Melissa and Sarah are 2 young creative individuals I met in Model Mayhem. Melissa is a 19 year old MUA and has been doing make up for 1.5 years now. Sarah, her cousin, does hairstyling ever since she was a teenager. I've been fortunate enough to work with both of these girls...since they come as a package LOL.... for quite a while now. Just like me, all of us are in it for the love and passion of our art.



One day in a shoot, a model FLAKED on us and we just did an impromptu meeting on what we are going to shoot next. I asked them if they wanted to showcase there skills and just do something fun FOR THEM. I gave them all the creative responsibility since it is considered to be there shoot. I told them to plan what make up and hair concepts they are going to do and get there own models. They asked there close friends to do it..The shoot took quiet awhile since it's more on creative makeup.

Photography wise, I decided to use a lighting setup which I usually do when it comes to detail close up make up beauty shoots. A beauty dish keylight  4 ft above the model and a silver reflector that would serve as a fill under the eye sockets, nose, and neck. I also put a light at the back to separate the model from the background.

I later on added a strip light to light up the model's hair...see pic below.

And here are the finished edited images... click on link

Make Up/Hair Photo Shoot

If you have questions or any violent reactions please feel free to leave it here... thank you.

Phil