The Riverside Citrus Industry
Growing up in Riverside, CA and spending some days off of school in the front office of a citrus packing house, I have a special relationship with the citrus industry, from a teenager hanging out at the Orange Blossom Festival to growing into a commercial photographer who often finds himself using citrus as a source of inspiration.
An almost forgotten still life test from a few years ago, citrus fruits often become a still life subject for me growing up in Riverside, CA, a city that launched the Southern California citrus industry.
Growing up in Riverside, CA, there was no missing the impact of the citrus industry on the culture of the city itself. If the annual Orange Blossom Festival wasn’t enough, you couldn’t miss the small orange groves that dotted most residential neighborhoods (before the real estate boom/bubble of the early 2000’s dug out the orange trees to make room for more houses).
I came across this image when attempting to catalog the approximately 32,478 images from one of several hard drives where I digitally hoard my work. After scrolling through years and years worth of product photography, commercial still life tests, family snapshots and mobile camera back-ups, I ran across this little studio test that I think I may have entirely designed around that weird hanging candle thing in the background.
I don’t love this image, but it does bring to mind memories of my childhood that was shaped in part by what was left of the citrus industry in Riverside. When I was a child, my mom worked in the front office of a citrus packing house, where I would occasionally get to peak through the door where oranges would rush around on conveyer belts and cascade into crates that would load onto trucks and head off to their final destination.
For the city of Riverside it is a history that is celebrated through art, events, and those of us that have memories of being directly impacted by the fruits of those two original naval orange treess Eliza Tibbetts planted in Riverside back in 1873.
For more on the history of the Riverside citrus industry, check these links:
History of the City of Riverside
Parent Naval Orange Tree in Riverside
A Cultural Tale of California’s Citrus Industry - YouTube
Hidden Histories Behind California’s Citrus Industry
What's in my Bag - My Everyday Photo Kit
My everyday photo kit. A small but powerful kit that is perfect for everyday carry and can net you some solid results on the fly.
I carry a bag every day, where ever I go. As a photographer, I like to always have the tools I need to get that quick candid moment, or snap that impromptu portrait wherever I am.
When I purchased the Fujifilm X100s, a lot changed for me as a photographer. One of those changes was my realization that most of the camera bags I own are not at all aesthetically pleasing to me. Way too much black or grey nylon and little to no personality. So I began the search for a new bag. I settled on swapping out my camera bags for two seperate Domke bags. The one shown above would be my everyday bag, and another larger bag for bigger jobs requiring more gear.
I have now settled on a small, but very powerful everyday photo kit:
Domke F-10 Medium Shoulder Bag in Rugged Wear finish
I adore this bag and this finish. The bag is solid, durable, exactly the right size for me, and looks great. In addition to this bag, I bought a larger messenger bag when the job requires more gear, so I have matching bags that look awesome, for what that's worth.
Fujifilm X100s
There is not a lot I can say here that I or others haven't already said. I love this camera and carry it every. single. day.
LumoPro LP180
This flash is everything. I recently bought 2 more, in addition to the this one AND the two LumoPro LP160s I have. These flashes are powerful, consistent, reliable, versatile, and inexpensive. Almost everything I shoot is with a LumoPro flash.
2x Pocket Wizard Plus III + Sync Cable
Carrying these in my kit offers me two sync options: Via optical slave triggered by the X100s' on camera flash, or with these radio triggers.
Inexpensive Two Sided Reflector
Purchased from amazon.com, silver on one side and white on the other, packs up just small enough to fit in the bag. An essential part of this kit.
Batteries and Memory Cards
In the bag is a small CaseLogic wallet for carrying memory cards and spare batteries.
Field Notes 48 Page Graph Paper Memo Book + FN Pen
I am completely and totally addicted to Field Notes and their products. I carry at least one notebook with me everywhere I go, and I have multiple books filled with lighting diagrams, notes, and concepts for future projects.
Odds and Ends
No kit would be complete without a pack of gum, business cards, Advil, tweezers, a pocket knife and a bongo tie.
Not Pictured
Although I don't carry it everywhere per se, I always have a light stand and umbrella nearby, generally in my car. You never know.
Examples
These are the kind of results this kit can get you
Shot with the Fuji, LP180 flash and reflector
Shot with the Fuji, LP180 flash and reflector
Shot with the Fuji, natural light.
Photo Studio Challenge - Round 1
As some readers of this blog may know, I am a full time staff photographer in a product studio for Nordstrom. I work with several other very talented photographers and stylists who all love their jobs. We decided collectively to start a bi-weekly photo challenge, we could be creative and share with each other some work outside of product photography. Every two weeks we will identify a theme, shoot an image or series of images, and then get together and share our images and process.
Our first round theme was "Street Photography" which we defined as a natural candid moment, shot without posing or any interference from the photographer. Here are the submissions:
Karen Utley - www.karenutley.com
Bonnie Warrington - www.bonniewarrington.com
Jenni Wilson - www.jenniwilson.com
Kimmy Ann Snow
Daniel T Jester
Joe & Meghan - Engagement Portrait
Joe and Meghan are a cute couple with a very specific sense of humor and style. We did engagement photos at Riverside's Fairmont Park and I wanted to make sure to bring a complementary style to their portraits. Just having both of them stand in the gazebo holding hands, facing straight on would have been a little cliche at this point in couples portraiture, but to apply a little of the Brenizer method and include a significant amount of the environment, plus exposing it such that we get some blown highlights around the outside of the gazebo's creates an atmosphere that is a little magical, more interesting and less cliche. The signature look of the Brenizer method is there, but very subtle.
Joe & Meghan | Engagement Session | Fairmont Park, Riverside CA
Intersect Dance Theatre
I was invited to sit in on rehearsal for Intersect Dance Theatre by Agatha Wright, who you might remember from a couple of posts ago. This group of dancers is magnificent and it was a pleasure to watch them rehearse.