2009-06-06 Stacy’s Surprise Birthday Party

Some professional photographers I have met don’t like to pick up the camera unless they are getting paid. I’m not sure if they feel this way because they take so many pictures that they want to do something else, or if they feel it’s not worth their time. I carry my camera most everywhere I go because I want to have the option. I hope to never get to the point in my photography where I feel photographing for fun and friends is not worth my time.

This weekend was a perfect opportunity for me to exercise my event photography. We were invited to a friend’s surprise birthday party in San Francisco at La Mar restaurant. The weather was fantastic and location was great. The back of the restaurant had a patio that looked out onto the San Francisco Bay (the restaurant is next to the ferry building, at Pier 1 1/2).

One challenge I had was managing the difference between the deep shadow in the covered portion of the patio and the full sun portion. I used a fill flash to illuminate shadows in full sun, and needed the flash to illuminate in the shadows. I took a few photos of Stacy and John together with the bay in the background. What I really wanted to do was to turn them around so they didn’t have to look at the afternoon sun while I was shooting, but I couldn’t manage the tight patio, capturing the bay in the background, and dealing with the sun.

There were many people in the crowded restaurant, but I managed to get around and photograph. I tried to take pictures of everyone at the party, but I might have missed some. A few people remarked that it was really great of John to hire a photographer for the event. I just smiled when I heard that. :)

We had a great time at the party wishing Stacy a happy birthday, and I had a great time photographing the event! The gallery of photographs from the event is available on my website
http://geofffaulknerphotography.smugmug.com/gallery/8470190_Kz2wF/1/556922350_Q6pHb

Geoff