Bill Leyden's Blog

In an intimate theater near Hollywood, an actor rehearses her one-woman show as her director, Rod Menzies looks on.

It may be harder than it looks!

After a brief coaching, she delivers the performance.

Deedee was about that specific about where she wanted to take her senior picture.  I wanted it to be a good one,  so I suggested a park in Malibu.

It was 102 degrees in Malibu Creek State Park (nice sweater), but the Creek was still running.  We found the oak trees and and the creek and made some images.

I left the radio controller in the car and grabbed the Monte silver reflector to bring a touch of directional light from her right side.

I love it when images like this come right out of the camera.  Thank you, Monte!

When Prana asked to be photographed, I gently approached the idea of a location. I was hoping he would say, “I like the water,” which he did.

So we went down to the Santa Monica Pier at about dusk.

I thought of Monte’s rule, “when you’re outdoors, run for cover! [to find directional light].”

So I led him and my assistant under the pier, where the light at dusk metered at about F4.0 at ASA 1000, 1/60 sec.

I placed a radio-controlled bare-bulb flash to his right and a remote kicker behind him and took the shot.

Now that’s fun!

“Hey, Bill? Will you take a picture of me and a couple friends?” asked a craniosacral student who was saying her goodbyes after a four-day training intensive.

I am sure glad that I said “yes.”

I quickly scouted the building in Berkeley, CA and noticed that the cement wall just outside the exit door was a beautiful teal color with soft directional light coming from the street at sunset time.

One of the girls said, “Why don’t you just go out into the middle of the street where the light is better and brighter?”

I thought to myself, “Because I paid attention to the master, Monte Zucker!” But I said, “Don’t worry, it will be just fine right here!”

Using this beautiful directional natural light and a silver Monte reflector by Wescott, which was held by my friend, Mana, I was able to catch this singular image, which still is one of my all-time favorites.

(Image take 25 March 2006, originally shown on my official website.)

The Goddesses

There are no signs marking the turnoff on the Cabrillo Hwy for this unique location,  just a non-descript stand of mailboxes and a “T” in the road about a mile north of the Big Sur Post Office.  If you do manage to negotiate the turn,  you will proceed two miles down a one lane road to the small parking lot that is under a canopy of eucalyptus.  Be mindful of speeding locals and poison oak lining the road.

But once you arrive,  a short walk under the canopy and you arrive at this:

Is it worth it?  You be the judge.

Wolfs Robe

When your in Sedona, look up Wolfs Robe. A performer and educator, this “100% Shawnee” Native American gives a unique perspective to his rich cultural heritage.

Wolf’s lovely wife, Denise and I followed him out onto the red rocks in Sedona at sunset in March, 2009. The air was chill, so I gave him a blue fox pelt and lit him from behind and to the right with radio-controlled flash and “kicked” a second flash from directly behind him. I ‘dragged’ the shutter to allow the Sedona sunset to flow richly into the background.

When I first saw this image,  I was stunned at its beauty… It almost seems to call forth the memories of the spirits of the ancestors. This image is directly out of the camera, un-retouched.

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Wow!  I was lucky enough to be in the Mojave Desert on the day that recording artist Scott August was passing by on his way home from Sedona.  I took Scott on a little walk in the desert at about sundown and got this silhouette of his Kokopelli imitation.

Kokopelli as Scott August

Item first appeared in my Journal. (Original shoot date: Nov, 2008)

One of my favorite subjects, Lena I have photographed since she was a teenager. An adult now, she is a natural beauty and a gifted academic.

(Original shoot date:  21 Dec 2008)

Rachel

What an improvisational master!  I was delighted to have a chance to photograph her.  Here I have placed her just inside a large mahogany door with natural light.  To add to the mood I elected to use “split lighting.”