JavaScript is disabled! Please enable JavaScript in your web browser!
Freestyle Academy        proudly presents
Music off

AleksandrAMasha Farber For my profile portrait, I portrayed a youth Russian theater director named Masha Farber. She is the founder of a theater studio called TheaterGames, and works with kids ages five to eighteen. The main thing that makes this program different from other youth studios, is the fact that Masha values the understanding of a theatrical piece, its characters and their incentives, and the deeper meaning of the piece which connects the students themselves, more than the final product - the performance. In my portrait, I utilized one of Masha's key traits - her unforgettable personality. Masha Farber's strengths lie in effectively communicating her ideas with her unique teaching style, and the portrait illustrates that trait.

It took quite a while for me to get a good shot of Masha Farber, because most of my other shots were either not good artistically, or were not a good representation of the character. In the other photos I had trouble communicating who Masha was, but I believe this shot was fairly successful.
/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Portraits/images/AleksandrA.jpgMasha Farber Click on image to read Magazine Article /galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Articles/images/AleksandrA.jpg/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Websites/images/AleksandrA.jpg"/~AleksandrA/profile.html1BN0h0fYgEwMasha FarberfAleksandrAppel

AlexanderHDavid Benzer The person in this photo is David Benzer, a cameraman for San Francisco Giants baseball team and the CEO of the David Benzer Cancer Foundation. He was born in San Francisco, and raised in Palo Alto and has been a Giants fan his entire life. Even though he has worked with almost every professional sports franchise in the Bay Area: the Giants, Athletics, 49ers, Warriors, and the Sharks, his primary work has been where his heart is: the San Francisco Giants. David Benzer was diagnosed with Stage IV throat, tongue, and lymph node cancer in 2010. Going through the treatment, the radiation, and the chemotherapy was the most difficult part because of the discomfort. David wanted to make the treatment more comfortable for other patients so he decided to have his foundation be dedicated to the redesigning of cancer clinic waiting rooms.

This shot of David was relatively easy to take because David has been interviewed, photographed, and filmed before so he knew how to position himself in a way that shows who he is. Honestly, I didn't have to change or edit too much of the original photo, but I did change the lighting on the left side of his face and the contrast of the overall photo. I also added a black vignette, which is a reduction of an image's brightness or saturation at the periphery compared to the image center.
/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Portraits/images/AlexanderH.jpgDavid Benzer Click on image to read Magazine Article /galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Articles/images/AlexanderH.jpg/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Websites/images/AlexanderH.jpg"/~AlexanderH/profile.htmlAlexanderHwAlexanderHammerschmidt

AlexanderKErik Ballard You'll notice an interesting character. His name is Erik Ballard, a 38-year-old bicyclist who's currently employed as a cabinet maker. In this moment captured in time, I focused his placement and figure as a person with a lot of depth and as someone who is constantly on the move. He is from southern California, growing up in Simi Valley. Erik is seen here not accompanied by anyone, but his bike and his backpack. These two items are things he is never seen without. In his youth and pre-adulthood he was constantly in conflict with abuse from others and a type of abuse of his own. Many people who are close to Erik are there for him unconditionally, however he's been subjected to severe loss and abuse; things that made Erik grow as a person. Despite the tragedy faced in his life, he has always stood out to everyone as hilarious, goofy and at many times the life of the party.

Working with this photo of Erik was a very interesting process. The most persistent conflict with getting this portrait just right, was getting a good color scheme to match his personality. Eventually black and white turned out to be the most visually appealing, as well as serving metaphorical significance to Erik's personality. The black and white represent the different shades of Eriks personality that make him interesting, yet the most dominant shades contrast the most. This relates to the extreme nature of Erik's emotions, being either very happy or deeply depressed. Working with curves, tints, shades, lighting, and vignettes worked very well to capture an almost surreal setting. Many of the effects was used to portray movement, which is something that is very important for Erik in order to be happy and to continue progressing through his life.
/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Portraits/images/AlexanderK.jpgErik Ballard Click on image to read Magazine Article /galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Articles/images/AlexanderK.jpg/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Websites/images/AlexanderK.jpg"/~AlexanderK/profile.htmlrByA6WClGRoInfluencefAlexanderKim

AlexanderPGabor Sarusi I profiled my water polo Coach Gabor Sarusi. He has been the Mountain View Spartans Varsity head coach for the past four years. He also coaches various age groups for West Valley Club water polo. Gabor grew up in Hungary and played water polo at the University of Southern California when he moved to the United States for college. Today, sports are becoming more competitive and thus, coaches spend more time with their players. Most coaches do not seize this opportunity to have a profound impact on their athlete's minds as a role models, but Gabor truly takes advantage. As a coach, Gabor goes beyond teaching the sport and really teaches the players on the team how to be better adults. Discipline, respect, punctuality, and prioritizing are just some of the traits he emphasizes.

In my profile portrait, I wanted to display Gabor's own discipline. I liked the expression I captured; it truly exposes his demeanor. Additionally, I raised the sharpness to add to this mood and a vignette to shift focus onto him. If I could retake this shot, I would have stepped in much closer to show more facial details. I wanted to get the Mountain View High School logo in the picture, this lead me to take a wider shot. I purposely framed the shot so the metal pole from the diving board would lead the eye straight to Gabor. I picked a expressive location to shoot the portrait: the pool deck. It clearly adds to Gabor being a coach.
/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Portraits/images/AlexanderP.jpgGabor Sarusi Click on image to read Magazine Article /galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Articles/images/AlexanderP.jpg/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Websites/images/AlexanderP.jpg"/~AlexanderP/profile.htmleKLHpMZlQeYCoaching Boys Into MenfAlexanderPaulsen

AnastasiaGYu Xin Yu Xin is an American Ballet Theater certified ballet teacher teaching classes in San Jose, California. He was raised in Shanghai, China, and was enrolled at the Beijing Dance Academy when he turned eleven. In 1991 he came to America to dance with the Northwest Ballet Company, eventually dancing in the Metropolitan Opera House with the ABT Company.

In my portrait I tried to portray him as a welcoming and experienced man. I wanted the red of the background to reflect his passion for dance and the love he has for teaching. A large struggle I had with the shot was lighting, since the background was very bright, but I fixed this problem by using a speedlight to illuminate my subject, and make him stand out more.
/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Portraits/images/AnastasiaG.jpgYu Xin Click on image to read Magazine Article /galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Articles/images/AnastasiaG.jpg/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Websites/images/AnastasiaG.jpg"/~AnastasiaG/profile.htmlAnastasiaGwAnastasiaGarachtchenko

AndieBDanielle Cohen This is Danielle Cohen. She is an incredibly multi-talented woman, juggling three kids, a part time job as a software engineer at Oracle Corporation, a passion for competitive sports and for charity work, and a position on the Campbell Union School District School Board. She has been on the Board since 2004, and with all her experience, she plays a key role in helping the district adjust to the drastic changes in funding and standardized testing that they are undergoing right now. She is intelligent, direct, and professional, and is friendly and warm with those she cares about. She is also full of wisdom, and always has words of advice to share with those who ask for it. Not only does Danielle know what she wants, but she is particularly adept at explaining her thoughts and ideas to others and helping them to understand her point of view.

This portrait is meant to reflect Danielle's professionalism and ability to express her ideas to others. The colors are very vibrant, and she mentioned in a interview how the color pink represents her personality because it can't be ignored, so her pink shirt speaks to that idea in a physical sense. I had to crop the photo slightly to place Danielle on the rule of thirds, and now she is looking into the more negative space as if she is deep in thought. The position of her hands suggests that she is trying to explain something. I had a difficult time getting photos that weren't blurry, because I wanted to try to capture Danielle's animated expression and movements, but some of the photos turned out blurred. I think this photo does a decent job of capturing a sense of movement while staying clear. I chose to shoot in this serene outdoor setting as a reminder of her friendly and open nature. Likewise, she's leaning back and relaxing in a lawn chair.
/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Portraits/images/AndieB.jpgDanielle Cohen Click on image to read Magazine Article /galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Articles/images/AndieB.jpg/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Websites/images/AndieB.jpg"/~AndieB/profile.htmlAndieBwAndieBurns

AndreCKevin Moos Kevin Moos is a father of four children, an executive at a leading technology and consulting company, and the president and manager of multiple teams within a local soccer club, MVLA. The club has doubled in size under Kevin and teams have won a number of state and national championships. His organizational and personable skills no doubt have much to do with the success of the club as well as the success of his company, Primitive Logic. Primitive Logic is a business consulting and technology firm and has won the best small business to work for in the Bay Area by the Silicon Valley Business Journal three times in the last six years.

For my portrait photo, I took it outside and struggled finding the right lighting. I had to rotate Kevin around a couple times and position him in different ways in order to get a good shot. After I took about thirty photos I had to decide which one I wanted to use. I really felt like this one was my strongest photo because I liked his smile and the blur of the background. He had a little too much shine on his face and I had to spend a while editing it out. After the editing was done, I think that I came out with a nice looking photo of Kevin.
/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Portraits/images/AndreC.jpgKevin Moos Click on image to read Magazine Article /galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Articles/images/AndreC.jpg/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Websites/images/AndreC.jpg"/~AndreC/profile.htmldsq4AlfP8PgFamily Man and Then SomefAndreConceicao

AnnaWUntitled No Artist Statement submitted /galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Portraits/images/AnnaW.jpgUntitled Click on image to read Magazine Article /galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Articles/images/AnnaW.jpg/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Websites/images/AnnaW.jpg"/~AnnaW/profile.htmlCqWfnF6ILEkNothing SubmittedfAnnaWang

AnnakaOMatt Hires My profile portrait is of Matt Hires. Matt is a singer-songwriter from Florida who recently made a mutual decision with F-Stop Music to end their recording contract after six years of collaboration. I chose to profile Matt because I thought it would be interesting to explore the benefits and challenges of navigating the music scene without a recording contract.

I chose to capture Matt while he was playing guitar because when Matt is performing his personality really shines through. I chose to shoot the photo with a long shutter speed in order to capture the blur of Matt's hand in motion as he played guitar. Matt is currently in a period of change in his life, and his blurred hand represents the constant movement he is feeling right now on tour. I also put on a cooling filter on the photo in order to convey the seriousness of Matt's new situation without a record label.
/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Portraits/images/AnnakaO.jpgMatt Hires Click on image to read Magazine Article /galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Articles/images/AnnakaO.jpg/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Websites/images/AnnakaO.jpg"/~AnnakaO/profile.htmlAnnakaOwAnnakaOlson

ArleneOElizabeth Kristian The young lady captured in the portrait is Elizabeth Kristian, who is currently a senior at Los Altos High School. She spends much of her time singing and acting as she is part of the Main Street Singers and Broken Box Theater company at Los Altos High School. Additionally, she has been a Girl Scout since she was in kindergarten, and is now a Girl Scout Ambassador. These different activities have instilled a myriad of valuable skills and qualities in her over the years, which she plans to use to educate others on different social issues that she would like to remedy, such as sexism, homophobia, and classism. Currently, she is using slam poetry to share her views on these issues with people, and she plans on using acting as a tool for change as well.

Luckily for me, Elizabeth was very cooperative during photoshoots, and modeling seemed to come to her naturally. Unluckily for me, I still had a bit of trouble while taking photos for my profile portrait. Lighting was my main challenge. I held the photoshoot outside, and I had to find the right balance of camera settings and natural light at the different camera angles and positions I tried shooting from.
/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Portraits/images/ArleneO.jpgElizabeth Kristian Click on image to read Magazine Article /galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Articles/images/ArleneO.jpg/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Websites/images/ArleneO.jpg"/~ArleneO/profile.htmlArleneOwArleneOriel

BlakeMLew Wolff Lew Wolff is the owner of the Oakland Athletics. Besides owning the Oakland A's, Wolff owns his own real estate company and a number of developments all over the world including Fairmounts and Four Seasons Hotels. On his off time, he enjoys to relax and read a good book, play basketball outside his home in Los Angeles, and watch sports. Wolff believes in making decisions on a time limit basis. He believes the cost of indecision is greater than the cost of making a decision. He doesn't mind taking risks and figures it's better to just gather information and just make the decision.

This shot of Wolff is actually a candid shot. I had him on the rule of thirds and snapped the picture. I chose it however, because I thought it showed his personality. The picture depicts him as determined but yet a certain sadness. As there is a lot of controversy around him and the team, I think this is portrayed in the portrait.
/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Portraits/images/BlakeM.jpgLew Wolff Click on image to read Magazine Article /galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Articles/images/BlakeM.jpg/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Websites/images/BlakeM.jpg"/~BlakeM/profile.html_97XQPugEYoMoving OutfBlakeMoran

BradleyWUntitled No Artist Statement submitted /galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Portraits/images/BradleyW.jpgUntitled Click on image to read Magazine Article /galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Articles/images/BradleyW.jpg/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Websites/images/BradleyW.jpg"/~BradleyW/profile.htmlwBradleyWilliams

CarterLDanny Dye The gentleman in my profile portrait is Charles Danny Dye, but goes by Danny Dye, Danny is my youth director and has been youth directing for 20 years he also has been teaching and coaching high school swimming at Palo Alto High School. Danny hated God growing up when he was going through hard times with his family but recovered his faith and decided to pursue religion and youth directing and has now been doing this for 20 years.

Talking to people and scheduling things was the easy part of this project, but there have been many times when I had forgotten equipment or tried to shoot not knowing the equipment was not working right. Working in a church during the service could've been easier but because of the elderly service members I was not allowed to use a tripod and it became difficult of take a good steady shot, but these challenges have helped me become a better photographer and film maker so I don't make the same mistakes in the future.
/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Portraits/images/CarterL.jpgDanny Dye Click on image to read Magazine Article /galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Articles/images/CarterL.jpg/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Websites/images/CarterL.jpg"/~CarterL/profile.html_xVCaePQtgUHappiness in a CanfCarterLee

CayleyHJames Gibbs The words humorous, generous, and charismatic only begin to describe James Gibbs. He is compassionate towards the people in his life and passionate about the causes he believes in. James is very involved in the community, one of the organizations he supports is AIDS/LifeCycle Ride to End Aids. During his first two years, he participated as a rider and raised over $28,000 each year for the cause. However, after injuring himself in 2013, he could no longer ride. He then created the character D'Bree A. Head (''debris ahead'') so he can cheer on riders from the side of the road. His work with AIDS/LifeCycle exemplifies many aspects of his character--loyal, dedicated, and hard-working.

Because I focused on James' work with AIDS/LifeCycle in my paper, I wanted to include an element of it in his portrait. I chose to include James' old bike with him in the portrait to indicate his work with the organization. While I was shooting photos, I struggled with lighting. I had difficulty finding a setting that was bright enough to shoot in, yet did not have extremely harsh light. I eventually decided to take the photos in front of a tree in James' backyard. However, because there was a lot going on in the background, it was difficult to make my subject stand out. I solved this problem in Camera Raw and Photoshop where I used curves to increase the contrast and distinguish James from the background.
/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Portraits/images/CayleyH.jpgJames Gibbs Click on image to read Magazine Article /galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Articles/images/CayleyH.jpg/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Websites/images/CayleyH.jpg"/~CayleyH/profile.htmlCayleyHwCayleyHo

ChristopherOAmy Joh Meet Amy Joh. She happens to be the star of my profile project this year at Freestyle, in which we had to accurately portray an interesting person who is involved in the community. Amy is an employee at a ministry by the name of Bayshore Christian Ministries. There, Amy is the Director of Partner Relations, overseeing many different operations, making sure all needs of the kids of East Palo Alto are being met. East Palo Alto is a severely under-resourced area, making strong family and community connections, and a great education difficult to come by. This is why Amy works hard every day, keeping the organization running well, so to provide hope for generations in East Palo Alto. In her spare time, you will often see Amy playing soccer, parenting to her two daughters Bethany and Kyra or in the fiction section of the library, enveloped in a good book.

In this shot, my goal was to express Amy's remarkable ability of retaining hope, even when the going gets rough. To do this shot however, I needed to apply a plethora of old and new techniques. Some of the old but necessary techniques I used included using a Canon DSLR camera, understanding lighting: ISO, aperture, etc. and using Adobe Photoshop to create an intriguing portrait. With the understanding of each of these techniques from last year, we continued to learn and enhance, allowing for more possibilities. With the Canon DSLR we learned how to use a speedlight, an accessory that helps eliminate unwanted shadows or brighten up a space. We also learned how to shoot in a camera format called RAW which results in a larger file size, but produces optimum photo clarity. Amy said something that really struck me... ''I believe that there is something beyond what we see.'' Amy's sense of optimism is what I tried capturing in my photo, and is why I posed her looking off into the sunlight, as if she is looking to something beyond what is easily visible. I struggled getting great lighting and furthermore, scheduling a date that Amy and I could work with, but in the end, I believe that my message was successfully portrayed.
/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Portraits/images/ChristopherO.jpgAmy Joh Click on image to read Magazine Article /galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Articles/images/ChristopherO.jpg/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Websites/images/ChristopherO.jpg"/~ChristopherO/profile.htmlChristopherOwChristopherOgaz

DanielPAditya Agarwal As you might guess from the photograph, Aditya Agarwal runs a small solar installation business in the Bay Area. Even though he holds a PhD in materials science, Aditya chooses to do this instead of working in an office. He finds working outdoors with his hands and being his own boss to be a refreshing experience, despite the fact that it might not be as lucrative as some jobs in Silicon Valley.

For me, this was a challenging shot technically. I was shooting outdoors and without lights, so my first attempts, which I took around midday, ended up full of overexposed areas and odd shadows. This particular photo I actually shot around sunset, during the ''golden hour'', so the lighting wasn't as much of an issue. What was an issue, however, were the solar panels themselves. It turns out that solar panels are fairly reflective and incur a large amount of chromatic aberration around their edges in digital photos. I had a really fun time in Photoshop trying to remove that. There was also the small issue of the background being extremely green and distracting from the subject. This was easily fixed by reducing the saturation of the affected area. Overall, I felt that the picture turned out fairly well despite all this, but there are definitely some things that I will do differently the next time.
/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Portraits/images/DanielP.jpgAditya Agarwal Click on image to read Magazine Article /galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Articles/images/DanielP.jpg/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Websites/images/DanielP.jpg"/~DanielP/profile.htmld6f5WMK8IXsEmbracing the RidefDanielPetti

DanielaCKylie Huch From the outside, Kylie Huch appears to be a normal teenage girl, living the life of a student at Los Altos High School (Well, except on a Friday, When she stands out unapologetically wearing one of her favorite animal onesies, but that's just the beginning of things that will surprise you about her.) What most people don't know is that she has singlehandedly overcome dyslexia and managed to follow all of her passions, accomplishing all the things she has set her mind to. From designing skateboards for Skateworks, creating a home and caring for her 13 chickens in her backyard, chartering a club at Los Altos, and managing to get good grades in all of her classes, Kylie is an inspiration to the future generation of students.

Capturing all of Kylie's assets in a photograph was going to be almost as hard as keeping up with her newest achievements, so I decided to portray her in the light that she portrays herself, normal sunlight. That's what is beautiful about Kylie, even with all the awesome things she is and has accomplished, Kylie remains humble, and keeps her eyes focused on what is next to come. For this reason I decided to use an earthy background: simple but pleasing that allows the viewer who look into it to appreciate her essence but really take in the meaning behind it.
/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Portraits/images/DanielaC.jpgKylie Huch Click on image to read Magazine Article /galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Articles/images/DanielaC.jpg/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Websites/images/DanielaC.jpg"/~DanielaC/profile.htmlsAEnjgAnjqsCatching WavesfDanielaChavez-Preciado

DavidLUntitled No Artist Statement submitted /galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Portraits/images/DavidL.jpgUntitled Click on image to read Magazine Article /galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Articles/images/DavidL.jpg/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Websites/images/DavidL.jpg"/~DavidL/profile.htmlwDavidLim

EleanorTMichael Fabozzi This is a portrait of Michael Fabozzi, a retired detective who worked with the NYPD for 22 years. His career focused on fraud and computer crimes, and he has always been interested in the ‘next new thing.' After leaving the NYPD, Michael did work in rapid DNA technology, security networking, and is now working with startups in the Silicon Valley to embrace his passion for computer work. Michael adapts to new situations quickly, making him very friendly and approachable. However, this does not affect his work in any way; he has dealt with some of the biggest identity thieves of all time and does not mess around while on the job. He is intelligent, hardworking, and optimistic about everything.

For this portrait, I wanted Michael to be in a small, comfortable environment so that he would look at ease. We shot in his basement office, a place where he works, watches TV, and plays with his dog, Paws. To make him appear powerful, I shot from a low angle looking up. Originally I asked him to stand, but it was difficult to get the right angle and he looked uncomfortable. When he sat down, the whole scene was set right because he was comfortable and at a good level. This goal kept my shots simple, but true to my subject. Being in a basement, lighting was tricky. I decided to shoot using a speedlight to brighten the overall photo and avoid grain. Since I shot in RAW, I was able sharpen colors, brighten highlights, and add a vignette to intensify the entire photo. The other issue I faced from being in the basement was a cluttered desk and background. I turned down the brightness of a Staples box next to his hands to keep from drawing attention away from the focus, Michael. I also had to edit out a ceiling rod that ran straight through his head, by using the band aid tool and clone stamp. This was a long and tedious process, but ultimately worth the time.
/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Portraits/images/EleanorT.jpgMichael Fabozzi Click on image to read Magazine Article /galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Articles/images/EleanorT.jpg/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Websites/images/EleanorT.jpg"/~EleanorT/profile.html_bdCFWypGA4A Detective's IdentityfEleanorThomas

ElisabethTAna Sofia Amieva Wang I photographed Ana Sofia in a field with trees, setting a natural scene since she really cares about nature and life of all types. I used the speedlight to increase the contrast of the photos, even though my profile portrait is in black and white, because Ana Sofia leads a very vibrant life and has a radiant personality. Also, I used relaxed poses to make her as comfortable as possible during the situation. I shot during the ''golden hour'', or the last hour of light before sunset, when the light is the most enchanting. /galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Portraits/images/ElisabethT.jpgAna Sofia Amieva Wang Click on image to read Magazine Article /galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Articles/images/ElisabethT.jpg/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Websites/images/ElisabethT.jpg"/~ElisabethT/profile.htmlElisabethTwElisabethTemme

ElizabethJMargaret Capriles The woman portrayed in this photo is Magaret Capriles, who ran for the 2014 term Mountain View City Council elections. In the past, she also ran for the 2012 elections as well as being an active member of the Environmental Planning Commission and other organizations. She hopes to further her work of ensuring her vision for Mountain View comes to life by being on the City Council.

She is posed in a warm manner in the image, to emphasize that she is a very approachable and caring person. For photo editing, I cut back the exposure, applied the usual vignette, desaturated the green leaves in the background, and did some color correction with photoshop RAW editing capabilities.
/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Portraits/images/ElizabethJ.jpgMargaret Capriles Click on image to read Magazine Article /galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Articles/images/ElizabethJ.jpg/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Websites/images/ElizabethJ.jpg"/~ElizabethJ/profile.htmlElizabethJwElizabethJiang

ElizabethLGrace Lee My profile star is Grace Lee, a housekeeper and babysitter. In China, she was a swim teacher with two young sons, so she sympathized with other working mothers. She immigrated to the United States in 1994. After housekeeping for an old woman, Grace found work as a babysitter to help working mothers. For Grace, constant hard work resulted in success, consistent with the ''American Dream'' she came to the United States to pursue. My visual metaphor for Grace was a fairy godmother who helps everyone around her. In the portrait, I wanted to emphasize Grace's motherly side. Grace is holding her arms out, as if to welcome the audience.

I struggled with the colors during this photo shoot. The location I chose was Grace's workplace, where there was a lot of warm light. Since I shot in Camera Raw, I applied filters in Raw as well as Photoshop to even out the colors.
/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Portraits/images/ElizabethL.jpgGrace Lee Click on image to read Magazine Article /galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Articles/images/ElizabethL.jpg/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Websites/images/ElizabethL.jpg"/~ElizabethL/profile.htmlElizabethLwElizabethLeung

EmilyPMaría Marroquín María Marroquín is the Executive Director of the Day Worker Center of Mountain View, a nonprofit organization that connects workers and employers and unites our community. María's position sounds elite, but she is anything but unapproachable or intimidating. María is recognized and widely known in Mountain View as a warm, compassionate, loving, hardworking person. Her care for the day workers and everyone else around her is evident in all her interactions with them.

In this photo, I photographed María in the front yard of the Day Worker Center. She is posed amongst trees, and I relied mostly on the natural light of the area. The photo shows Maria's warm personality by her vibrant smile and laid-back body language, and where she works is apparent because she is wearing the Day Worker Center t-shirt. She wears the same shirt as all the other Day Workers, which shows how she sees herself as equal to the workers. Because this shot was in the shade, the biggest problem with it was the lack of light, which I fixed in Photoshop by boosting the exposure. I also had to straighten the image by changing the angle of the photograph.
/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Portraits/images/EmilyP.jpgMaría Marroquín Click on image to read Magazine Article /galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Articles/images/EmilyP.jpg/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Websites/images/EmilyP.jpg"/~EmilyP/profile.htmlEmilyPwEmilyPorat

EmmaBTitanium Frame My profile star was Heather Piazza. Heather is a business owner located in Oakland, California. Her business is a framing shop and gallery. Heather is a minority, being a female business owner, and she is also located in dangerous city. She plays a large role in both the art community and the business world. She promotes artists in the shows she puts on and is also apart of the Oakland Art Murmur, which is an organization that pinpoints all the artists and galleries around Oakland. She also is a role model to women around the bay area because of her success in owning and operating a business in such a competitive city.

Overall, this project was a success. I did deal with a few minor difficulties. A lot of the photos that I took ended up being a little blurry, but luckily, the best ones came out completely in focus. The lighting was not the best, so I had to make sure the flash was angled just right, so it wasn't too dark, but also so that it was not directly facing my profile star. Figuring out the right pose was a little tricky at first, because Heather is fun yet powerful. I ended up choosing this photo because it showed her happy personality the best through her smile, and it also had a background that gives the viewer a good idea of her profession. I did not shoot in camera RAW, and that made it more difficult for me to edit the photo in Photoshop, but in the end I made sure it looked great.
/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Portraits/images/EmmaB.jpgTitanium Frame Click on image to read Magazine Article /galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Articles/images/EmmaB.jpg/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Websites/images/EmmaB.jpg"/~EmmaB/profile.htmldHeoqhzGmPQThe Titanium FramefEmmaBridgland

EthanLPaul Mlyniec My profile person is Paul Mlyniec. He works on three-dimensional digital design software, educational software, and head mounted display technology. This, however, all stems from his roots in art. Years before he was doing anything related to high-tech he was perfecting his own unique three-dimensional art. This art is created using twelve layers of Plexiglas along with special LED lighting. The actual artwork itself is formed on the computer using programs similar to Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop and then printed on to the Plexiglas.

I chose to photograph Paul outside because although a large portion of his time is spent inside staring at a computer screen (like many of us), there is more to him than just the techy creative side. The photo itself came out far better than any of my previous pictures had. There were still two distinct problems I had to fix in Photoshop. The first being part of a logo that was sticking out of his back on the sign directly behind him. The second, was a little Bay Alarm sticker on the window that visually distracted the viewer from the crucial point of the piece (Paul). Other than that the shot came out very nicely and I even got a little bit lucky that Paul's glasses didn't pick up too much glare from the sun.
/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Portraits/images/EthanL.jpgPaul Mlyniec Click on image to read Magazine Article /galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Articles/images/EthanL.jpg/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Websites/images/EthanL.jpg"/~EthanL/profile.htmlEthanLwEthanLeikach

GerardoGUntitled No Artist Statement submitted /galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Portraits/images/GerardoG.jpgUntitled Click on image to read Magazine Article /galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Articles/images/GerardoG.jpg/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Websites/images/GerardoG.jpg"/~GerardoG/profile.htmlM70yUxz6DjoA Mother to AllfGerardoGarcia

HibaARobert Seitelman Tapping into E-Sports: A Profile about Sean Langhi - My profile subject was Sean Langhi, a man who loves to both competitively play and even direct E-Sport tournaments. All throughout his life he's been an avid fan of video games, but only recently has he seen the potential they have as real, competitive sports. Sean's been playing Super Smash Brothers, a fighting game, at a competitive level for a long time. Because of which, he's gained quite the reputation in the Smash community. Due to his two recent tournaments, Smash@Google and Smash@Goolge 2.0, Sean's garnered massive praise for his vision in respect to not just Smash, but E-Sports as a whole. He adamantly believes that one day E-Sports will be regarded as real sports.

In order to achieve the perfect shot, countless photos were taken but I believe this photo best portrays who Sean is. At first I wanted to depict Sean as very approachable and passionate about what he does: playing games and directing tournaments. Nevertheless, I feel as though this portrait shows his more serious, dedicated side especially towards the fight for E-Sports as legitimate sports. Nevertheless, I did struggle quite a bit with this photo. In the original, the window directly behind Sean greatly detracted from the focus of the photo. In order to fix this, I used a plethora of tools in Photoshop as well as editing the photo in RAW, an uncompressed photography file.
/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Portraits/images/HibaA.jpgTapping into E-Sports Click on image to read Magazine Article /galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Articles/images/HibaA.jpg/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Websites/images/HibaA.jpg"/~HibaA/profile.htmlHibaAbsar

HunterCTapping into E-Sports Tapping into E-Sports: A Profile about Sean Langhi - My profile subject was Sean Langhi, a man who loves to both competitively play and even direct E-Sport tournaments. All throughout his life he's been an avid fan of video games, but only recently has he seen the potential they have as real, competitive sports. Sean's been playing Super Smash Brothers, a fighting game, at a competitive level for a long time. Because of which, he's gained quite the reputation in the Smash community. Due to his two recent tournaments, Smash@Google and Smash@Goolge 2.0, Sean's garnered massive praise for his vision in respect to not just Smash, but E-Sports as a whole. He adamantly believes that one day E-Sports will be regarded as real sports.

In order to achieve the perfect shot, countless photos were taken but I believe this photo best portrays who Sean is. At first I wanted to depict Sean as very approachable and passionate about what he does: playing games and directing tournaments. Nevertheless, I feel as though this portrait shows his more serious, dedicated side especially towards the fight for E-Sports as legitimate sports. Nevertheless, I did struggle quite a bit with this photo. In the original, the window directly behind Sean greatly detracted from the focus of the photo. In order to fix this, I used a plethora of tools in Photoshop as well as editing the photo in RAW, an uncompressed photography file.
/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Portraits/images/HunterC.jpgTapping into E-Sports Click on image to read Magazine Article /galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Articles/images/HunterC.jpg/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Websites/images/HunterC.jpg"/~HunterC/profile.htmlHunterCwHunterCoffman

IsabellaKMariah Callison Mariah Callison works as a resident chaplain at John Muir Hospital. In the past Mariah was an actresses, respiratory therapist, and youth minister. After graduating Pacific School of Religion in May 2014, Mariah joined a year-long residency where they help train ministers to be chaplains. The residency is part education, but a majority of her time was spent helping patients with care under supervision. She reports to an individual supervisor to talk about different situations she encounters. Every day she gets a list of patients and gets to knock on their door and offer her presence to talk about anything. Shes here to offer some emotional support.

In my portrait, I wanted to explore Mariah's faith. I displayed many different religious symbols behind Mariah in this portrait. These become a visual representation of Mariah's spiritual journey and acceptance of all beings. I used warm tones, such as yellow, and positioned her, with a shy smile, to give the feeling of welcomeness. I wanted her expression responsive and heartfelt. My desire was for the audience to feel that wherever they are, who ever they are, they are welcome.
/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Portraits/images/IsabellaK.jpgMariah Callison Click on image to read Magazine Article /galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Articles/images/IsabellaK.jpg/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Websites/images/IsabellaK.jpg"/~IsabellaK/profile.htmlm_c1NRV_CawFrom Actress to ChaplainfIsabellaKuhn

JamesAJason Strubing: A Thoughtful Owner Jason Strubing is the owner of Skateworks in Los Altos. He is a hardworking man who has started a re-vitalization of Los Altos. I shot this portrait of him as he is watching over his shop. It is very clear that his shop is his life, and he puts all of his time and effort into maintaining it. He closely watches over everything that goes on and is constantly finding ways to improve the shop. I placed him surrounded by boards because it shows that skateboarding is what makes him who he is. The fact that he is wearing skateboarding clothes shows more about how dedicated to the sport he is. Jason is a role model and an inspiration in Los Altos. /galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Portraits/images/JamesA.jpgJason Strubing: A Thoughtful Owner Click on image to read Magazine Article /galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Articles/images/JamesA.jpg/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Websites/images/JamesA.jpg"/~JamesA/profile.htmllZPu6cJ6W5UWaking Los AltosfJamesAnderson

JillianBUntitled No Artist Statement submitted /galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Portraits/images/JillianB.jpgUntitled Click on image to read Magazine Article /galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Articles/images/JillianB.jpg/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Websites/images/JillianB.jpg"/~JillianB/profile.htmlwJillianBurns

JodiDPerception Mark Roberts is an eye surgeon. I found out about him through my pastor at church. I asked my pastor because I knew that the church was full of extraordinary people. I had talked to a few of them and gotten to know them a little, but I wanted to know if there were others that I didn't know about. After pastor told me about a list of people, I chose Mark because of his background.

I used a speedlight for better quality. It helped prevent taking grainy photos. When we did the photoshoot, I told Mark to position his body away from the camera but to turn his head towards it. We took the photo in the back of the church. It had some plants there and I thought that the photo would turn out better than inside. The walls were still a pale yellow, so I angled the speedlight towards the plants to override the yellow tint on the picture.
/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Portraits/images/JodiD.jpgPerception Click on image to read Magazine Article /galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Articles/images/JodiD.jpg/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Websites/images/JodiD.jpg"/~JodiD/profile.htmlJodiDwJodiDeMassa

KevinVJeff Brusati Displayed in this picture is Jeff Brusati, a very tall, broad-shouldered Italian man who has a great big soft spot for the people and animals close to him. He keeps an unlit cigar resting in his mouth at intervals throughout the day in order to keep him relaxed while he takes on being the father of four (five if you'd like to include Skittles, the dog in this photo), a husband and a small business owner with a lot going on. In a changing world, he has kept his father's sporting goods business relatively unchanged and still prospering for the last 30 years.

My goal was to convey the at-ease, macho front Jeff provides, while drawing attention to Skittles, the little white dog whom one wouldn't expect to see so loved by him. Jeff is standing in his front yard, with his house in the background to show off a symbol of all that he has accomplished. He looks into the distance with a determined yet unafraid expression. His unlit cigar, which he always has with him, is proudly on display and adds a sense of ''I am not to be messed with.'' Skittles looks completely safe and even as proud and determined as Jeff, most likely mirroring Jeff's attitude. Skittles shows that Jeff's personality rubs off on others, and everyone around Jeff is part of his team. I shot it from down below for two reasons: one being that Jeff is nearly seven feet tall so people look up at him anyway, and he is figuratively somebody to look up to. An excellent role model for nearly all areas of life.
/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Portraits/images/KevinV.jpgJeff Brusati Click on image to read Magazine Article /galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Articles/images/KevinV.jpg/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Websites/images/KevinV.jpg"/~KevinV/profile.htmlKevinVwKevinVan Dyke

KiyoshiTUntitled No Artist Statement submitted /galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Portraits/images/KiyoshiT.jpgUntitled Click on image to read Magazine Article /galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Articles/images/KiyoshiT.jpg/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Websites/images/KiyoshiT.jpg"/~KiyoshiT/profile.htmlwKiyoshiTaylor

KyleKEvelyn Vigil The subject I chose for the Freestyle profile project is Evelyn Vigil. I met her through my church about three years ago, and knew she would be a good character for this project. Evelyn is the eldest of three in her family, and is a jail chaplain at the Main Jail in San Jose, California and has been working there for the past 15 years. In addition, she also works once every month with the Elmwood Correctional Facility in Milpitas, California. She estimates that she has helped ''probably thousands'' of inmates throughout her 15 years working in the Main Jail and at Elmwood.

This project produced many difficulties and struggles to get past. For this particular shot I used Adobe Photoshop to crop the image for the right compositional look, and I adjusted the lighting with a tool called ''Curves''. I also used Camera RAW to help the brightness of the shot, as it was rather dark around her face beforehand. While getting her to pose for the shot, I tried to make her laugh, because I knew that I wanted to get a shot of her genuinely smiling. Conveniently enough, right before I took this shot, she said a joke, and started to laugh, and I snapped the shot right when she finished laughing.
/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Portraits/images/KyleK.jpgEvelyn Vigil Click on image to read Magazine Article /galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Articles/images/KyleK.jpg/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Websites/images/KyleK.jpg"/~KyleK/profile.html7CS62bKJpzQBlessed Behind BarsfKyleKnochenhauer

LaurelONatalee Righetti My profile project was directed around my subject, Natalee Righetti. Natalee is twenty three years old and is currently finishing college, but that is not why I chose her to be my subject. Natalee became an author at the young age of twenty, writing about her life. Natalee is one of triplets, her brother Wesley and sister Nicolette, and daughter of Kandice and Dave Righetti. Natalee was also born with Cerebral Palsy which is a form of paralysis brought upon babies before, during, or after birth. Natalee is partially paralyzed on the left side of her body, mainly in her her arm and hand, which has caused a lot of struggles in her everyday routine. Although Natalee suffers from this disability, she shows immense strength by putting herself into sports, college, writing, and volunteerism, and that is what I focused the project around, her strength.

This photo definitely shows how I changed as a photographer. To get this shot, I set up two different photoshoots, one in her yard, and another on a baseball field. I was definitely more prepared for the baseball field photoshoot, but ended up not using any photos from it. This proved to me that the perfect photo may not be what I expect. With this project, I got a glimpse of what it takes to be a portrait photographer mainly on the bases of posing your subject. It was hard for me to direct her on how to pose or what poses would look good, but also shoving a camera in her face seemed uncomfortable for me. I did end up getting a shot that I think represents her very well. She has a bubbly personality, and faces obstacles straight on, both which I feel are represented in this photo.
/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Portraits/images/LaurelO.jpgNatalee Righetti Click on image to read Magazine Article /galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Articles/images/LaurelO.jpg/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Websites/images/LaurelO.jpg"/~LaurelO/profile.htmlr1AymafnZ4gincandenscencefLaurelO'Such

MaxwellEMike Sanders My profile star is Mike Sanders, who is Emergency Service Coordinator in the Santa Clara County, as well as a teacher for community members who wish to learn how to prepare themselves in case of disasters. The way Mike teaches his community members is through a program called CERT, which stands for the Community Emergency Response Team. The goal of the program is to educate its members with basic disaster response skills in case of hazards that may impact their area. Mike, who is also a retired fire captain, uses his skills and knowledge to teach anyone in the Los Altos Hills community who wishes to know how to prepare themselves. Something that's important to point out is Mike's personality, which was a major factor in why I wanted him to be my profile star. While he has a great ability to educate the CERT members, it is his personality that gets the members involved, talking, and returning to the next class. He constantly cracks jokes to keep his audience engaged, and he is always asking the members if they have any thoughts or opinions on what they are teaching. He is an extremely funny and nice guy, who is very down to earth, which is why I enjoyed having him as my profile star and what I tried to reflect through the profile shot.

For the profile shot, I tried to have the viewer instantly figure out the sort of person he is just by looking around. The Santa Clara County Fire District sign is very clear, which shows that he not only used to be a retired fire captain, but also someone who volunteers his time to help people. I also had the shot in a sort of face-to-face angle, rather than shooting below or above him to show his friendly and easy to talk to side. The shot itself shows him talking in a casual manner, which I felt showed off his nice guy personality, which may not be immediately apparent when you first meet him. I had some difficulty in finding the right picture, as he was moving around through a decent amount of them, so I had to find one that wasn't blurry. In the end, I'm quite happy with the shot and I think it reflects his character quite well.
/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Portraits/images/MaxwellE.jpgMike Sanders Click on image to read Magazine Article /galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Articles/images/MaxwellE.jpg/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Websites/images/MaxwellE.jpg"/~MaxwellE/profile.htmlMaxwellEwMaxwellEvans

MorganMMichael Schuh Michael Schuh is a mentor for multiple robotics programs in the Mountain View area, including FIRST LEGO League, Botball, and FIRST Robotics Competition. He works with kids from middle to high school as they build robots that compete locally and up to the international level. These programs give students the hands-on opportunity to solve problems, think creatively, work in groups, and take on leadership roles.

The portrait photoshoot took place at the Mountain View High School robotics lab. To help with the lighting, I used a speed light and a reflector. This allowed me more freedom to shoot around the lab and position Michael, while also creating more interesting highlights and shadows. I would not have been able to get this shot without the use of a speed light, because Michael is positioned below the robot, which would have obstructed the light. Finding a background that would not visually compete with Michael was also an issue, because the robotics lab is a very densely packed space. This shot is taken with the plainest area is the lab in the background– the large tool chest.
/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Portraits/images/MorganM.jpgMichael Schuh Click on image to read Magazine Article /galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Articles/images/MorganM.jpg/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Websites/images/MorganM.jpg"/~MorganM/profile.htmlMorganMwMorganMcLain-Smith

NiamhMHarry Clarke Harry Clarke moved from Belfast, Ireland to Belmont, California in 1973 with his wife during the Troubles. The Troubles was a conflict in Northern Ireland between the Protestants and Catholics that began in 1968 and lasted for 30 years. He and his wife Marie and their two children, moved here with the goals of making money and keeping his family safe. Once Harry realized the war wasn't ending anytime soon, he decided to keep moving on with his life. Harry began work as a basic bricklayer and once he started working, he never stopped. After several years, Harry decided to develop his own Masonry company. Much like bricklaying, Harry built his life from the ground up. He is now happily retired with several years of success behind him. Harry has now almost lived half of his life in America. He plans to live half of the year in his home in Belfast and the other half at his home in Redwood City.

After rearranging Harry's entire living room, I assembled a two-point lighting set-up and shot in RAW. The only struggle I encountered with this photoshoot was shadowing, but after repositioning the lights a few times it was finally perfect. Editing RAW for the first time was quite an excitement. I was able to change the yellow wall in the background to a green to give more of an Irish essence to the picture, and I could alter all the flaws in the picture.
/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Portraits/images/NiamhM.jpgHarry Clarke Click on image to read Magazine Article /galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Articles/images/NiamhM.jpg/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Websites/images/NiamhM.jpg"/~NiamhM/profile.htmlN80Ztm2MSjUFor the CraicfNiamhMcLoughlin

NicholasLJohn ''Jay'' Lamm John Lamm is a car enthusiast, uncle, stepfather, and entrepreneur. He is the founder of 24 Hours of LeMons, a race open to cars costing under $500. Through his personality and creativity, he has created a friendly and welcoming community within the existing community of car enthusiasts. Almost a parody to the usual aggressive, money driven sport that big-car racing has come to be, John and his races create a place where car lovers can meet and enjoy the hobby they love with like-minded individuals.

This shot was taken in my front yard, as a matter of fact, and after trying many poses with John's own car, we decided to try something with a lemon, and there happened to be a lemon tree out front. It was John's idea actually, and I suppose that's for the better because I feel that this shot captures his personality very well. I had to try many different angles in order to get the best background possible, and in retrospect if I could I would have tried to recreate it somewhere less cluttered, but I feel that this spur-of-the-moment shot is the best conveyance of John's spontaneous and humorous nature.
/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Portraits/images/NicholasL.jpgJohn ''Jay'' Lamm Click on image to read Magazine Article /galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Articles/images/NicholasL.jpg/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Websites/images/NicholasL.jpg"/~NicholasL/profile.htmlNicholasLwNicholasLamm

NicolasLLori J. Nock This is Lori J.Nock, a photography teacher at Mountain View High School. Nock is the crucial link between the creative process and conventional schooling. She plays the role of instructor, instilling the values of empathy and the critical analysis of emotion to those who take her class. Nock teaches not only how to create a good photograph, but how to convey a message using the form of expression that is photography.

Similarly, I tried to convey a particular personality with this very portrait. I chose to create a black and white image because Nock teaches film photography. Contrast is one way in which I really succeeded. A dark vignette, along with a gradient between light and dark were added in order to make this photograph more dramatic. She is holding her tool of choice, a black camera, in a space with a light background, which contrasts causing it to pop nicely. Using dodging and burning techniques alongside altering the value of reds, I was able to lighten up her face while still maintaining dramatic shadows. Another main success is that this piece of art speaks to many aspects of Ms. Nock's personality. The portrait portrays Nock with a kind and willing smile, one that you might expect from a teacher. You can see the lanyard which strategically states the school she is from, while the camera helps to describe her area of profession. Nock is an introvert, yet she teaches, which puts her on the spot everyday. The shift between light and dark almost frames Nock in a spotlight, representing this metaphor. Creating this portrait was not all so simple however. The lighting was incredibly difficult to deal with, for we were in a classroom with florescent lights. I ended up turning off all of the lights, and posing her in a stool with a small window to her side. This created intriguing dramatic shadows, and ultimately worked out, however, I struggled with this for a long time each shoot.
/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Portraits/images/NicolasL.jpgLori J. Nock Click on image to read Magazine Article /galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Articles/images/NicolasL.jpg/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Websites/images/NicolasL.jpg"/~NicolasL/profile.htmlNicolasLwNicolasLisi

NoraDVirginia Becker Virginia is an amazing woman who embodies the lioness, with her determination, empathy, and her selflessness. I really wanted to show the Virginia that I have come to know, she puts others far before herself, and refuses to have others think otherwise. This portrait shows who she is because of the determination and focus she has to achieve the perfect shot, which she knows isn't possible.

Her body position shows her defensive side with how she holds her camera up, like its a barrier between her and her subject keeping them from really truly knowing her. I found that once her camera was on and the lights were up, her personality totally changed, she was on the hunt with 100% focus on each person, it didn't matter how long it takes or how many photos that she has taken, she has the same level of focus and energy for a single subject at a given moment of time.
/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Portraits/images/NoraD.jpgVirginia Becker Click on image to read Magazine Article /galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Articles/images/NoraD.jpg/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Websites/images/NoraD.jpg"/~NoraD/profile.htmlNoraDwNoraDonovan

PatrickOAllison Hatasaki Allison Hatasaki is a radiant, passionate individual. Her personality and love are deeply rooted: her lively smile welcomes you to her amazing presence. Allison's drive resides in Young Life Ministries, a group whose mission is to assist high school students currently struggling with life or wanting someone to console them. Allison leads the South-Peninsula Young Life Club where she holds gatherings to welcome all high school students. At the club, she talks to a myriad of high schoolers, learning about their lives and interests. She even leads games built around the idea of being fun and wild. When club meetings come to a close, Allison attempts to make personal connections and to insert herself as a support system for all the kids who attend. Through the club, Allison is able to showcase her spirit of giving and love.

For the portrait I wanted to capture a precious moment of her enigmatic energy. Due to complications, I could not get photos of her with kids. Instead, I opted for one with another one of her passions: her dog. I asked Allison to hold her dog while she sat on the soft grass underneath a tree. I focused Allison in the center of the photo and used a speedlight to neutralize the shadows from the tree she was underneath. I then took the photo from above to make her seem small, showing her as a more approachable friend. When editing the photo, I saw the original with color too powerful and distracting, so I converted the photo to grayscale. This gave the photo a black and white effect to add emphasis and contrast to all the variations of black. Additionally, I cropped the photo, taking out unneeded objects, then followed by putting a vignette to draw the viewers' eyes toward Allison. I wanted the whole photo to explicitly focus on her warm smile that demonstrates who she is and what she lives for.
/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Portraits/images/PatrickO.jpgAllison Hatasaki Click on image to read Magazine Article /galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Articles/images/PatrickO.jpg/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Websites/images/PatrickO.jpg"/~PatrickO/profile.htmlPatrickOwPatrickOgaz

PaulPEnrique Santana I did my profile on Enrique Santana, a realism artist. In the profile shot I wanted to capture Santana's success as an artist. I decided to take the photo inside the Maya Polsky gallery in Chicago, where his art was being shown. I picked a spot by the window so that I could use the natural lighting to light his face. I had Santana cross his arms to represent his confidence in art and the success he has achieved in his career as an artist.

In Photoshop, I cropped the photo to put Enrique in offset to one side, following the rule of thirds, and to bring him closer to the viewer. I also added a vignette to shift the viewers focus closer to the center. I also purposely over-sharpened the image in post to give a painterly texture to the photo. The sharpening also fixed a lot of the blurriness of the original shot. As a finishing touch I added a cooling filter to the image to correct the white balance of the original shot.
/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Portraits/images/PaulP.jpgEnrique Santana Click on image to read Magazine Article /galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Articles/images/PaulP.jpg/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Websites/images/PaulP.jpg"/~PaulP/profile.htmlPXRvA73JBfAPainting the HorizonfPaulPierantozzi

RachelMDr. Debra Matityahu My portrait is a depiction of Dr. Debra Matityahu. Debra is an OB/GYN doctor, mother, and philanthropist. She founded a nonprofit organization in 2012 entitled, ''A Little 4 a Lot''. This organization aids women in Eldoret, Kenya who have suffered from obstetric fistulas. This program offers them surgery and then either education or vocational training to provide them with a new life after this devastation. Debra is a significant and contributing member to society by not only aiding these women physically in Kenya, but also educating the general public of Silicon Valley by giving talks and going to conferences to raise awareness for her organization and fistulas.

I decided to pose Debra in a conservative yet simultaneously friendly way. I wanted to capture her joy and natural beauty in my portrait, without her seeming overbearing. Additionally, I requested that she wear her lab coat for the portrait shoot so that it was obvious to the viewer that she was a doctor, but also convey to the audience that there's more to Debra than just a degree. When I tried some test shots inside, the speedlite on my camera was casting a yellow/orange tone on the photos which was not what I wanted. I was most successful when I shot her outside with ambient, natural light. Also, I found the red brick in the background to be a nice parallel to the rural roots of her nonprofit.
/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Portraits/images/RachelM.jpgDr. Debra Matityahu Click on image to read Magazine Article /galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Articles/images/RachelM.jpg/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Websites/images/RachelM.jpg"/~RachelM/profile.htmlRachelMwRachelMichaels

RicardoJMike Ecdao: Behind a badge My profile person is someone who has had a huge influence in my life. Mike Ecdao is currently a Sergeant at Mountain View Police Department. He's also in the gang suppression unit which means he deals with kids a lot and tries to get them on the right path. I was really fortunate to have had him around as I was growing up. Sergeant Ecdao and a couple of other officers kept me in check and helped me get my stuff together. How? Well a few years ago after realizing that in order to reduce gang involvement they'd need to keep youth off the streets. Sergeant Ecdao took it to another level and started many mentoring programs and summer programs to keep youth in danger off the streets. In these programs youth are fed with positive knowledge and lessons. Sadly Sergeant will be leaving us on December 22 and retiring, although he's leaving his projects will be passed on.

Taking the picture itself wasn't hard at all. I would say that I got the money shot because I hardly had to do any editing to it. All I did was bring up the brightness and color wash the orange handle of the gun that was drawing all the attention away from Ecdao. The hard part was actually getting the chance to take pictures. Since Ecdao is a Sergeant it was really hard to shoot pictures during the day specially with daylight savings it was getting dark early. When I finally got the chance to take the pictures I had to do them quick and didn't have enough time to take them because it was getting dark and Ecdao was running on no sleep. Over all I was pleased with my picture, my angle was just what i wanted it to show, him being a strong positive man and I truly do feel like thats the message my picture shows.
/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Portraits/images/RicardoJ.jpgMike Ecdao: Behind a badge Click on image to read Magazine Article /galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Articles/images/RicardoJ.jpg/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Websites/images/RicardoJ.jpg"/~RicardoJ/profile.htmlnhB798_SRmwMike EcdaofRicardoJuarez

RichaGRochelle Ford Rochelle Ford is a 78 year old metal sculptor! She started doing metal welding at age 58 when her brother, who is a goldsmith introduced her to the field of that art. Rochelle is very upbeat and down to earth. I had asked her how she gets inspiration to do her art, she said at any time of the day. ''I'd wake up in the middle of the night with an idea and I'll write it down and go back to sleep'' She has her works of art held in the Vernon Davis Gallery 85 in Santana Row. Her house itself is a gallery. Metal masterpieces on the outside of the house ranging from a story high to rings and earrings! She also shows how ''junk'' can be beautiful. Nothing is junk in her eyes! /galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Portraits/images/RichaG.jpgRochelle Ford Click on image to read Magazine Article /galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Articles/images/RichaG.jpg/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Websites/images/RichaG.jpg"/~RichaG/profile.html2c15MNXqRqIStarting 58 with a SparkfRichaGopal

RocioRRosa Laos A leader, innovator, and a mother of two, Rosa Laos is a restaurant consultant for the Latino community. I chose Rosa for my project because she has inspired many individuals in the Latino community who have struggle to achieve their dreams in this society we live in today. Rosa has consulted countless clients who needed her aid and guidance to maintain a healthy restaurant. Through the time I have spent with her I have learned that no matter how difficult the road may be, or how long the adventure may take, you will always reach the end of the path. With this idea in mind Rosa was able to achieve her dreams of supporting the Latino community by connecting with them through language and guidance as if they were like her children.

For my profile portrait I wanted to present Rosa in an intriguing way that will portray her sassy, yet sophisticated personality to my audience. At first most of the photos I took were not portrait worthy or they came out too grainy for my profile portrait. I retook about 50 shots of Rosa in different poses, and resulted to this photo you see here. I slightly changed the lighting of the portrait in Photoshop, and changed the background to black and white because I want my audience to only focus on her.
/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Portraits/images/RocioR.jpgRosa Laos Click on image to read Magazine Article /galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Articles/images/RocioR.jpg/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Websites/images/RocioR.jpg"/~RocioR/profile.htmlRocioRwRocioRobles

SabrinaJGraceful Strikes The woman in this picture is Emilia Niebylski, a graceful and kind woman yet strong and fierce when needed. She is a third degree black belt in the martial arts Wushu, she also teaches Cardio Kickboxing at the Wushu studio in Palo Alto.

The image involves a Wushu weapon, Straight Sword. This weapon was my visual metaphor and it became harder than I originally thought to involve in the project. If shot at the wrong angle the sword would either reflect or look to thin. Another struggle was the coloring in the photos, the wall of the studio was red and made it so most photos came out pink or with a red tint. In the end the photo came out exactly how I wanted.
/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Portraits/images/SabrinaJ.jpgGraceful Strikes Click on image to read Magazine Article /galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Articles/images/SabrinaJ.jpg/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Websites/images/SabrinaJ.jpg"/~SabrinaJ/profile.htmlwGRmPrNwX-sGraceful StrikesfSabrinaJohnson

SashaSDani Anufriev Dani Anufriev is a junior at Los Altos High School and she is a transgender witch. Her witchcraft helps her cope with the difficulties of life, such as discovering her identity and finding acceptance among her peers and parents. Dani is an artistic individual with a variety of interests including makeup, hair styling, acting, modeling, and painting. She's also outspoken about the rights of LGBTQ+ people.

The editing of the portrait is stylized to reflect Dani's distinct personality and her goth identity. I lowered the saturation and bumped up the dark tones to mirror the color pallette of Dani's clothes. The low saturation also hints at what Dani calls having a ''spooky mindset,'' or appreciating the beauty of darkness. I intensified the purple and magenta saturation to bring out Dani's colorful hair and show that there's a sparkly, bright side to her personality.
/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Portraits/images/SashaS.jpgDani Anufriev Click on image to read Magazine Article /galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Articles/images/SashaS.jpg/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Websites/images/SashaS.jpg"/~SashaS/profile.htmlyKEdEOIRDPUDanifSashaSobol

SofiaBJonathan Wolfson This is Jonathan Wolfson, the CEO of Solazyme. He is also the father of two young girls. His business and family worlds collide; running a business is much like raising a family. Communication, interpersonal skills and level-headed thinking are important traits for anyone in business; however, they are even more important for a father. I chose to profile Mr. Wolfson because he is an influential businessman but also balances his busy work life with his home life.

Out of over 100 photos, this is the final photo I chose. Capturing Mr. Wolfson was extremely difficult because he is so busy and when I could meet with him, he was often multitasking. Because he is constantly doing different things, I selected a more candid shot. In this, he is working on his computer and he looks relaxed, but also focused. I used the natural light in his office as my main source of light. However, it was slightly backlit and made the photo too cool. I adjusted the lighting in the RAW image editor and Photoshop, then added a warming filter. I believe that my final portrait really captures Mr. Wolfson as he truly is.
/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Portraits/images/SofiaB.jpgJonathan Wolfson Click on image to read Magazine Article /galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Articles/images/SofiaB.jpg/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Websites/images/SofiaB.jpg"/~SofiaB/profile.htmlSofiaBwSofiaBiros

StellaGDoug Bailey Pictured here is Doug Bailey, a retired teacher who now focuses his energy on running the MVLA School District's recycling program, participating in San Francisco Bay environmental initiatives, and playing an active role in the educational community through substitute teaching. He does all this while maintaining his beloved garden, proving that his love for growing fresh produce has never faltered. He spreads his enthusiasm for eco-awareness by reaching out to the community with unparalleled generosity, an act that builds his local influence. In the midst of the dot-com boom and the heart of technology-crazed Silicon Valley, the demand for community-based eco-citizens like Doug is greater than ever.

In shooting this portrait, I decided to use natural light because it was the golden hour and I found that the setting, Doug's front yard, had adequate lighting. I did struggle with some shadows because of plants overhead, so I played with the precise location and angle for the photograph, and I believe that turned out well! As for posing, I realized that the portrait would be more interesting if I didn't have the subject looking directly at the camera, and upon choosing my favorite shots I settled on this one because it reflected the optimistic nature that is so key to his personality. Shooting and editing in Camera Raw was definitely a new experience but I believe that the editing capabilities with the Raw software enhanced my photograph - bumping up contrast and playing with white balance and tint was easier than ever before, and the vignette brought out my subject to the audience's attention. I employed Photoshop strategies like the clone stamp tool and spot-healing brush to touch up the photograph and make Doug the main focus, and I am happy with the result.
/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Portraits/images/StellaG.jpgDoug Bailey Click on image to read Magazine Article /galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Articles/images/StellaG.jpg/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Websites/images/StellaG.jpg"/~StellaG/profile.htmlStellaGwStellaGe

ThomasHBart Smith Over the course of his lifetime, Bart has hiked over 25,000 miles throughout the United States as well as Europe, documenting each unique experience with his photography. While his photos do encompass the beautiful surrounding scenery, they also go above and beyond to really reach out to the viewer. Originally, Bart was hiking the National Scenic Trails, which give protection to a specific area or regions that encompass certain natural beauty or importance. Recently, however, Bart has begun to shift his focus more towards the National Historic Trails, which are trails that serve to protect the historical value of a trail or surrounding area. Some of the paths have been eroded and have somewhat tapered off, and it's Bart's job to reconnect the trail with its history through photographs as well as books. By publicizing the trails, he hopes to bring back some aspects of the world that the introduction of the so called ''Digital Age'' has rendered obsolete. He also aspires to inspire people to go out and see these trails for themselves, because he believes that people don't get out and see the world around them as much as they should.

This shot was taken in Old Town Santa Fe, New Mexico, which prompted many problems. The biggest of the problems was that I unknowingly only brought a Macro lens on my trip, instead of the normal lens. Macro lenses are intended for shots only a few inches away from the subject, however, because it was all I had with me, I had to make the best of it. The photo was obviously grainy, and it was a real challenge to fix that in Photoshop and in Camera Raw. Through many trials and tribulations, it was possible, and I am ultimately happy with the end result. The biggest success to me about this portrait is the posing. It accurately encapsulates Bart's passion for photography, along with his kind hearted personality.
/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Portraits/images/ThomasH.jpgBart Smith Click on image to read Magazine Article /galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Articles/images/ThomasH.jpg/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Websites/images/ThomasH.jpg"/~ThomasH/profile.htmlThomasHwThomasHoke

ThomasWTerminally Auspicious For the profile unit, I decided to do my topic on a friend going through a tough time. Cathy Shin is a junior marketer at a small biotech company named Intellicyt. It wasn't until she received news of her three year old son, Noah, having a rare form of cancer called neuroblastoma that she really began to feel the struggles of parenthood. Immediately going from a normal life to everyday hospital visits and tests would be daunting for most people. But Cathy is the kind of person to react to anything with a smile. It is now, nearly half a year later, that sees the Shin family in the final stages of stem cell therapy to hopefully rid Noah of his cancer once and for all. Despite the long and arduous months, Cathy continues to laugh with her friends as if nothing is wrong in the world.

Due to the nature of the issue, some rather difficult issues arose right away with my portrait. For starters, due to the stem cell, she had to stay inside the hospital at all times for the next five weeks. Having to meet deadlines, I was forced to shoot in very low light conditions. This made my portrait seem grainy and not completely crystal clear. However, for my magazine and film, I was able to get great material to use due to her poetry background. So despite not being able to get the best photos and footage, I was able to capture her in the way that I see her, a mom who faces an issue up front with a smile on her face.
/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Portraits/images/ThomasW.jpgTerminally Auspicious Click on image to read Magazine Article /galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Articles/images/ThomasW.jpg/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Websites/images/ThomasW.jpg"/~ThomasW/profile.htmlOd7zh7bsXp8Terminally AuspiciousfThomasWilson

Thuy-TienLBrad Guesman Brad Guesman is the guitarist and lead singer for an indie rock band called 37th Parallel, which he formed with three other friends (AJ Pelayo, Philip Chang, and Eric Dyer) in eighth grade at Blach Intermediate School. Brad started playing instruments at a very early stage in his life, beginning with the piano at just the mere age of five. After the band held a concert for some friends in Eric's backyard during the summer after eighth grade, Brad and his band began to take music more seriously, choosing to write their own original songs rather than playing covers. 37th Parallel has most notably played at BFD, an annual music festival held at the Shoreline Amphitheater, and won second place at the Santa Cruz Battle of the Bands competition hosted by Live 105. Brad and 37th Parallel has recently raised over twelve-thousand dollars on Kickstarter, a crowdfunding platform, to sponsor the production of their debut album, Escape. They are looking forward to releasing Escape early next year, so remember to like 37th Parallel on Facebook for further updates on the band and Escape!

For my profile portrait shot, I wanted to capture Brad in a way that immediately gave the audience the impression that he is a musician. I thought the best way to do so was to photograph him playing guitar. I posed him on an amplifier because I felt that the amplifier added to whole musician vibe I was going for. I chose to have him stare directly at the camera as opposed to a more candid shot because I wanted to also capture his determination in the picture. Though I also liked the color version of this picture (which is available for viewing in my magazine article about Brad), I ultimately chose to use the negative rendition because I thought it captured more of his raw emotion and character.
/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Portraits/images/Thuy-TienL.jpgBrad Guesman Click on image to read Magazine Article /galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Articles/images/Thuy-TienL.jpg/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Websites/images/Thuy-TienL.jpg"/~Thuy-TienL/profile.htmlKAdRh2djK6QStrumming the 37th ParallelfThuy-TienLe

YujieWUntitled No Artist Statement submitted /galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Portraits/images/YujieW.jpgUntitled Click on image to read Magazine Article /galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Articles/images/YujieW.jpg/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Websites/images/YujieW.jpg"/~YujieW/profile.htmlVPUbfDUf4wIThe Coach Mother - Alice LeefYujieWang

ZacharyDMichael Sadri Michael Sadri is a restaurant owner who attempts to blur the line between patrons and family. At Vaso Azzurro, the Italian restaurant he owns with his Iranian family, he fills people with conversation and heals them from the ups and downs they experience throughout the day. Whether you've been coming there for a day or for years, you will receive only warmth and love from Michael. He is a man who also wants to heal the relationship between the United States and Iran. He hopes to ease tension between these countries through an Elvis Presley Rock-U-Mentary. Apparently, the King of Rock'n Roll's influence has stretched far beyond the United States and he is revered in Iran. Michael hopes to show this cultural similarity and prove that these two countries aren't that different.

This shot was simple in many aspects but there were areas of difficulty. The posing wasn't hard since I had a solid concept of how I wanted the shot to look. I wanted to show Michael as the proud restaurant owner that he is. I strategically posed him with a glass of mineral water so it appears as if he's ready to spring up and refill someone's drink at any moment, giving the photo life. He is smiling a beaming smile, but one that is somewhat familiar. This makes it seem as though he is welcoming you into the photo as well as his restaurant. In terms of lighting, things were a little trickier. The image was shot close to the front of the restaurant, but it was still relatively dark and to get the right light balance I used a speedlite flash. I attached a velcro reflector to the top of the flash and then pointed the flash upward to make the light source larger and the light itself slightly more diffuse and soft. This allowed me to keep my ISO relatively low (200-400) while I was shooting and assured that Michael would be lit evenly. I also made sure to stand behind the pillar so that the flash wasn't shown in the mirror behind Michael. I knew that I wanted to convert the photo to black and white before I even took the shot because I wanted the classic look of an Italian shopkeeper proudly standing in front of his wares.
/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Portraits/images/ZacharyD.jpgMichael Sadri Click on image to read Magazine Article /galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Articles/images/ZacharyD.jpg/galleries/2014-2015/p5-Profile/Websites/images/ZacharyD.jpg"/~ZacharyD/profile.htmlESBWS59phfYFood for the SoulfZacharyDembner
X
Caption1
Caption2
filmCaption
Profile Portrait Article