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Bookstore Flirtations /  by Mike Daclan

This was definitely one of the funner shoots I did. It started with the thought of a stolen glance in a book store. The idea was that she spotted someone she had eyes for and wanted to entice him into following her. Once he realized her plan it would’ve been too late as her trap was set and he was hers.  

She immediately took to this idea and ran with it all the way.  I love how concepts and ideas turn into looks and feels evoked in the photos. By putting her in the subject of power she was able to put forth some great looks and poses. In the end I think it came off a little more natural and slightly voyeuristic which adds a better element to the shots. 

There are a lot more concepts and ideas that I want to shoot so reag our and let’s create something fun together! 

Aolani & The Colorado Street Bridge /  by Mike Daclan

Yesterday I had a chance to shoot in a location I've been wanting to shoot at for a very long time.  I drive past it nearly weekly so once I found a model in Pasadena, I knew immediately where to book the shoot.  It's definitely a popular spot as there were three other photo sessions that were taking place over the course of the afternoon/evening.

Aolani joined me with her mom as a chaperone and we had a very fun time on this shoot.  Her would pop in every now and then to help adjust hair/makeup and swap stories with us while we walked to a different location.  She's been at this since she was 5 years old and with her 18th birthday coming up later this year, she's excited to do some more traveling for work and see the world!

We joked and laughed throughout the shoot and she very much felt like the little sister I never had.  By the time the shoot was wrapping up, we had already begun to plan our next shoot together later in the year.  The themes and ideas she had for that one were things I haven't done yet so I'm excited to try them out!  

Ami & The Disney Concert Hall /  by Mike Daclan

Super excited to be shooting with Ami again this weekend so I wanted to throw back to our first shoot together at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. 

She has a great energy about her which is super infectious! I’ll definitely be needing it as we have a super early shoot time tomorrow to try and avoid the triple digit weather. 

Hope you have a great weekend!

Keep Moving Forward & Don't Stop /  by Mike Daclan

So one of my most recent photo sessions I got a chance to work with my buddy Ernest.  From the moment I met him he's always been working hard at becoming an actor and not letting anything get in his way.  It's been his goal and purpose and I recently found out that he booked a major supporting role in an upcoming movie with Scott Eastwood and Orlando Bloom.

HUGE AND AWESOME NEWS!

I love seeing these kinds of stories.  What's even better is that I see more and more friends with these breakthrough successes.  They have been putting in the hours and their own blood, sweat, and tears relentlessly in pursuing what they love.  It gives me hope.  It makes me take a second look at my processes and what I need to be doing to get there. 

Even though it may not be something I say directly to my friends, I want them to know how much I look up to them and admire what they do.  It helps me to look at what I'm doing and to gather focus and purpose.  Figure out where I can improve and raise myself up to match what they're putting out.  When speaking about the output I don't mean the level of creativity that they're at (I have a long way to go for that!), but more in terms of volume and regimen.  The more I keep this up, the more I can raise the personal bar I'm setting for myself.  

Taking all this into stock I just have one request.  STAY ON ME.  Don't let me stop in this journey.  If you see it's been a while since I've posted something kick my ass into shape!  Tell me I'm breaking a promise that I set out here.  Tell me that no matter what, I need to keep moving forward, and don't stop.  EVER.

Cheers. 

/  by Mike Daclan

The other weekend I had the opportunity to shoot with my friends daughter for a senior portrait.  This was my first time shooting a senior portrait so I did come in to the shoot a bit nervous.  Luckily Taylor was easy to talk to and after some basic chit chat she really began to open up and take confidence in her poses and general attitude.  I think it really shows in how the first few pictures came out versus the ones at the end.  

As a dancer, she wanted to incorporate some of her moves into the shots and after throwing out a few ideas (and a little encouragement from her Mom & Friends!), we started getting really creative with the poses.  Again, with the confidence in place you can see how much she began to enjoy herself.  We moved to a few different locations using a few different outfits.  We really had a lot of fun knocking out some of these poses and despite the hot ground, she held it all in place like a champ while I snapped away.

Finally, Taylors little sister and best friend wanted to get involved in the shoot.  With some helpful guidance from her Mother (and my dear friend) Ryan, we were able to get in a few more fun looks.  My favorite from this set is a totally relaxed shot when she's leaning against a sign pole.  It was a totally candid moment but came out so well.  At the very end when we were getting ready to go I had her do a few more solo aerials for some nice action poses to round out the day.

The day turned out to be a very great experience for everyone involved.  Taylor and her Mom were super excited about the photos and loved them all.  I do have a few more ideas that I want to incorporate with her and her friend involving some long exposures around downtown Los Angeles and light painting.  Those will make for some great photos!

Cheers!

New Year...New Post! /  by Mike Daclan

I am so glad that the year is done.  2014 was not kind to me and I'm glad I survived it.  The new year holds a lot more promise however and I'm interested to see what develops.  I'm already starting off the year with a much better job than I had all last year.  This alone has put me in a much better place mentally and emotionally.

In terms of my photography, I'm trying to branch out a bit more into different styles.  I've started working with a few models which has been a great change of pace from the typical street and documentary styles that I'm usually shooting.  I met with one model named Rosie and together we did a very fun semi-boudoir and portrait session.  Being one who doesn't work big studio settings, I loved doing this in a nice room with a lot of natural light coming through the window.

She was very fun to work with and we were able to talk and joke around a lot which I think helped to ease both of us into the shoot.  I brought some donuts for us to snack on in between shots and to go over what we shot.  It turned out to be super helpful and we even included it in one of the photos!

I have a few more model shoots lined up already for the month of January to go along with the traditional street/documentary sessions.  One of my personal resolutions is to build up my site more and more so look forward to more changes and upgrades to slowly roll out and of course...more posts! 

Cheers and happy New Year!

Document The Night /  by Mike Daclan

Sometimes all you need is one night out with friends to reignite your love for photography.  With a buzz of activity around you it's great to capture the small moments that crystalize the mood of the night.  

There are those that say that taking a photograph removes you from the situation.  You're a documenter and not a participant.  This isn't always the case.  Looking back at the photos I can recall everything about the moment.  The sights, the smells, the mood and the memories.  

Capturing these moments is what I love and what I will continue to do for as long as possible.