Sunday, November 1, 2009

Overture Films

I recently had the opportunity to sit down with a few people in the photo department at Overture Films and show them my portfolio. I am so grateful I had the opportunity to have this appointment with them. I was able to get in there based on an amazing referral. Once referred the AD replied back to my contact saying, "Wow...she actually has talent!" I thought that was pretty funny!

The office was buzzing! Everyone on task getting ready for the opening of a new movie that was coming out that Friday so just to be able to meet with them that day was pretty special.

It was the quickest trip I have ever taken! I was in LA on a Monday afternoon, met with them Tuesday afternoon and then flew out the same night just so I could be on a job the next morning!

Wanted to share the hand-made 'Thank You' cards I made for them. I wanted to do something a little extra nice since they took time from their hectic, crazy schedule!





Thanks for reading!

Danielle Hall

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Concept 4: Jack Kerouac's Story

Friday July, 24th, 2009

Jack Kerouac Story! We really wanted to try something different. We liked that there was San Francisco history to it and so we searched for images of Jack that seemed to be the most reoccurring and interesting to the story we wanted to tell about a man who was uniquely unstructured and free spirited...but how far did we want to take his story and what would the parents think!?!

Wardrobe was VERY specific and so were the looks of the boys we needed to cast. Many thanks to those who allowed us to photograph in their space and a special thanks to Carey Olson over at Ford Models for helping us out with the casting!

Well, here you go! Be sure to check out the inspiration images at the bottom, too!

Brick Wall and Notebook:
“sketching the street with words”

Father Morissette quoted Mr. Ginsberg, “In his exquisite honesty, Jack Kerouac had the guts to live his ideas.”

Stage:
---"The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn, like fabulous yellow Roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars and in the middle you see the blue centerlight pop and everybody goes 'Awww,'" (about ‘On the Road”)

Jack Kerouac and Neal Cassady:
Neal Cassady, considered "the real genius behind the Beat movement in literature" appeared as a main character in many books including Jack Kerouacs 'On The Road'. He was a major influence on Jacks writing style which became known as Spontaneous Prose.


Typewriter:
"In April 1951 Kerouac threaded a huge roll of paper into his typewriter and wrote the single 175,000-word paragraph that became On The Road. The more than 100-foot scroll was written in three weeks but was not published for seven years."

Jack Portrait:
“I am the king of beats, but I’m not a beatnik”

Born: March 12, 1922
Lowell, Massachusetts
Died: October 21, 1969
St. Petersburg, Florida

The Inspiration:
http://www.notablebiographies.com/Jo-Ki/Kerouac-Jack.html
http://www.beatmuseum.org/cassady/nealcassady.html

Thanks for reading,
Danielle Hall

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Concept 3: Marc Jacobs Inspired

Thursday July 2, 2009


Where do I even begin...5 five year olds. Two outfit changes each. Colorful hair extensions. Songs like: 'Under the Sea' and 'Whistle While You Work' blasting in the background.

Jumping! Twirling! Dancing! Yelling! SO much fun!

I can't even begin to tell you how much fun I had on this one! The idea for this concept came from a Marc Jacobs ad Ebony had shown me. Simple and fun. I rented a ring flash, Emmy Woollard assisted, Ebony OF COURSE pulled great clothes, Rebeca did hair and make-up, JE Model Management for the great kids, and thank you Bob Hsiang for letting us use your studio.

Here are a few shots extra shots from that day. Too FUN!








Please comment, send an email, facebook, twitter me! Would love to know your thoughts.

Check out www.daniellehall.net to find out which images made it to my website!

Thanks for reading!

Danielle Hall

Friday, August 7, 2009

Concept 2: Mystic Camp Out

Sunday, July 21rst...yup, Fathers Day!


The camp out concept was definitely a test of our strength and endurance. We had a generator to run the fog machine, we had portable lighting and at one point I had three assistants. (Thank you Raymond for coming all the way out from San Jose! Ching-Wei Jiang for coming out from the East Bay and helping out when you were still not feeling well. And thank you Eugene for always having my back!)


I really have to thank Vicky Woollard for showing me this location. It really had everything I was looking for and all within a few feet from the next spot to shoot. Partner in crime, Ebony Haight made the tent and pulled the clothes, Cheryl Dailey did hair and make-up, and the girls were from JE Model Management.

Here are a few more behind the scene shots. This was a: pop-up tent for changing, hair and make-up done under an umbrella, moms running dog interference, "No, this is not a yard sale.", moving with the sun, "You want the fog thinner?" kind of day. =o)


There are so many great images from this day that I could make a separate book just for this concept!


Please comment and follow my blog, send an email, facebook and/or twitter me! Would love to know your thoughts.

Check out www.daniellehall.net to find out which images made it to my website!

Thanks for reading!

Danielle Hall

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Concept 1: Baroque Baby

And so we begin... Friday June 12, 2009


Baroque Baby was the first concept we shot. We named it this because we were inspired by these 2 toddler sized baroque chairs Ebony remembered seeing at this great antique store called Interior Visions on Polk Street.

LOTS to do! We needed the chairs, a floor, a fabric background, and 4 babies! We needed the clothes, a space to shoot, an assistant and... a chandelier?

Lets start with the chairs...husband and wife team and owners of Interior Visions had decided a long time ago that they were not going to rent their furniture to photographers anymore. Too many bad experiences where furniture was returned ruined.

I listened to their stories and concerns about renting. It was just amazing to me how people can be so careless or don't want to take responsibility.

I began to outwardly empathise with their situation and then told them about the 6 concepts and that this particular concept was inspired by these chairs. I don't really know what made them change their mind...but they did! (and I am so appreciative.)

The Chair

Babies! What can I not say about Shannon Malloy at JE Model Management! She has been amazing throughout this whole process and I have had the opportunity to work with some really great kids from the agency. All 4 babies in this series are from JE. Introductions to come!

Then. There was. The chandelier. I had gone to several stores and looked on prop rental websites in a search for a simple but elegant chandelier. Ebony was doing the same. I finally walked in another antique place called Marques. Talked to the owner, Ubi, about the concept and he allowed me to photograph the chandelier in his store to photoshop it in the image later. Great guy! Super nice to talk to!

For the rest: the floor is from Home Depot, the fabric background from Sal Beressi Fabrics Co., Ebony pulled all the clothes, and my assistant for the day was Vicky Woollard (thanks so much for your help woman!)

Now for some pictures!!! Meet the babies:

Abbey

Jasiel

Katherine

Johnathan

Here are a few behind the scenes of us shooting the group shot. It was rather hilarious. Abbey wanted to crawl, Katherine wanted to sit in the chair, Johnathan wanted down and Jasiel just had a grand old time where ever we put her!


Final group shots:

Hilarious!

Here are a few more shots I thought were pretty fun. Including this one of Abbey who really does look like a life size baby doll!


Please comment, send an email, facebook, twitter me! Would love to know your thoughts.

Check out www.daniellehall.net to find out which images made it to my website!

Thanks for reading!

Danielle Hall