San Francisco Wedding Photography Blog | SASHA » Personal

Inspiration | Black and White (B&W) Wedding Photography

admin — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 20:11:45 +0000

Perhaps because I live in the fog of San Francisco, I get really excited by rich, vibrant colors in my photographs. Naturally, one of the most frequently asked questions I get from my clients is: “Do you shoot only in color? What about black and white wedding photos? Do you do those?” Since I’m escaping the fog to shoot a wedding in LA this weekend, I thought I’d flip the script with a quick post about how I approach black and white wedding photography. The answer is, of course, yes. I love black and white photography and you can certainly see examples of B&W photos on this very blog. Today’s high end digital cameras shoot everything in color, and black and white conversion happens in my digital darkroom. Not all photographs are conducive to black and white…usually, if something has rich color to begin with, why get rid of it? However, I’ve found that candidates for black and white photos have a certain “timelessness” to them, even abstractness in some cases. Generally, photographs with strong contrast (pronounced highlights and shadows) are perfect for black and white. Black and white also offers the ability to use different filters, that screen for certain colors, such as red, yellow, green or blue, and achieve a very dramatic effect. Ever see those National Geographic photos with dramatic, almost black skies? That’s a red filter in front of the lens. Fortunately for us digital photographers, this kind of effect can be applied seamlessly and precisely in the digital darkroom. Check out the “fish” photo from Alla and Pavel’s engagement session, and see if you can guess the technique! So, the bottom line is, in my work, converting photographs to Black and White just for the heck of it doesn’t cut it. Whether it’s wedding photography, an engagement shoot, or a portrait, black and white images need to be purposeful in order to achieve a striking, timeless look.

Thinking Different – A 30-Camera Shoot

admin — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 21:25:48 +0000

Recently I had the pleasure of being flown out to NYC to create a promotional film for the non-profit Praxis Youth Leadership Orchestra. Praxis aims to dramatically improve the skills of advanced, talented young musicians by training them alongside seasoned music professionals. The nearly 1:1 student-to-teacher ratio and the invaluable coaching the students receive were truly a wonder to witness. I brought my cameras along for the ride, and set up 30 Flip cameras to record Praxis’s inaugural performance in the Italian Academy at Columbia University in New York City. I constantly challenge myself to bring a unique perspective to my films, and this clip perhaps takes us to uncharted video territory. The idea was to capture a moving portrait of each musician. The full promo film is coming soon! Thank you, Praxis!

Have a Safe Holiday Season!

admin — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 23:11:04 +0000

Just a quick public service announcement from Sasha Photography. It’s cold. It’s rainy. It’s the Holidays. There will be drinking and carousing. Just remember, stay warm, stay dry, and most importantly, stay safe. Happy Holidays everyone!!!

Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) in San Francisco

admin — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 20:43:09 +0000

The Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) parade in the Mission is one of my favorite San Francisco events. This City really comes alive between August and October, and this is a beautiful and intimate way to celebrate those who have passed, as well as to come down from the manic energy of October, baseball, and Halloween. The range of costumes at the parade is quite striking, and Garfield Park is aglow with hundreds of altars and candles. This year I decided to do something different, and set up a little photobooth to capture the essence of the evening.

Check out the ALL PHOTOS from the Dia de los Muertos Parade.

Burning Man 2010 Photos

admin — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 21:25:12 +0000

My favorite time of year has officially started…September and October in the SF Bay Area usually kick off with a creative recharge on the playa in Black Rock City. This year I wanted to make sure to always have my camera with me at Burning Man, so I swaddled it in saran wrap and reinforced with scotch tape (thanks, Andy McElroy) to protect from the dust, and never changed lenses. Here are a few of my favorites from my time in the desert this year.

You can see the full gallery here: http://sashaphotography.com/burning-man-2010.

Also, check out my Burning Man 2009 photos.

The luckiest hedgehog.

General of the Gold City at sunset.

Up up and away - Burners get a lift from some giant balloons on the playa.

The Man himself, at dusk.

Beautiful lady with umbrella in outer playa.

Daytime beats at the brand new DISTRIKT soundcamp.

The bone tree.

The peak moment.

Beautiful ink.

Love.

Anna & Nathan Wedding Film: Inception-Style Trailer

admin — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 08:48:38 +0000

After there was Anna + Nathan, The Film, there was the trailer. This will be much more fun to watch if you’ve already seen the film! OK, fine, so I jumped on the bandwagon and re-cut my film as an Inception-style trailer. It was too much fun to resist. Nothing like a little dramatic music, fun editing and quotes taken completely out of context to lure us to the movie theater, huh?