Dan Watkins

Editorial // Moksa

dantheman241 — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 14:25:00 +0000

Some dishes I photographed from the soon-to-be-open Moksa are running in the current issue of Improper Bostonian.
Chef Patricia Yeo’s dishes are always really pretty and they added a nice pop of color to a gray winter morning.
You can check out the written piece here.

Are you looking for a food photographer? Feel free to contact me to discuss booking a session.
All Content ©2012 Dan Watkins. May not be used without permission.

Commercial Shoot // SkyZone Trampoline Park

dantheman241 — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 20:44:34 +0000

Right before heading back home for the holidays I was contacted by the PR firm representing SkyZone Trampoline Park‘s newest location in Everett, MA. They were beginning to promote the newly opened space, and were eager to get some quality images of the facility. While I have shot at another SkyZone location in the past, the first shoot was much simpler: one setup to create a very particular portrait. This time, however, SkyZone required all sorts of photos – from interiors and staff portraits to action shots of flips, dodgeball and aerobics classes, among other things. Oh yeah – and a two day turnaround on the photos due to marketing deadlines!

Always one up for a challenge, I headed to Everett to shoot as much as we could in a four hour period. The shoot required bringing enough lighting into trampoline pits to stop motion but still blend well with the ambient light. It also required the flexibility of moving right from one setup to another – bouncing between completely different situations requiring different lighting and camera settings. (Pun intended.) As any photographer with sports or live music experience knows, a large part of shoots like this are just trying things again and again until you time things perfectly and get that one great shot. The people at SkyZone were super patient about doing things over and over until it worked.

Here are just a few of the many images we produced that evening. If you’re looking for something different to do sometime, check ‘em out!

Are you looking for a Boston photographer? Feel free to contact me to discuss booking a session.
All Photos ©2011 Dan Watkins. May not be used without permission.

Taqueria El Amigo

dantheman241 — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 18:10:44 +0000

I recently ventured out to Waltham to photograph tacos de cabeza at Taqueria El Amigo for Improper Bostonian.
(Funny how the first issue of a new year is always health and fitness themed, yet the second is always bar food!)

A different shot is running in the current issue, but I wanted to share a few outtakes here, including a portrait of Jorge, the owner.
Liz Bomze’s full review of the tender beef cheek tacos can be seen in the current issue of Improper. My take: delicous.

Are you looking for a food photographer? Feel free to contact me to discuss booking a session.
All Content ©2011 Dan Watkins. May not be used without permission.

Video // Tortilleria La Niña

dantheman241 — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 18:23:17 +0000

On a recent shoot at Tortilleria La Niña for Improper Bostonian Magazine, I decided to film some footage of the tortillas being produced in addition to making photos.
This video is a brief compilation of what I filmed. Photos from the shoot can be seen in the current issue of the magazine.

Music: ‘La Morena’ by Los Primos. http://theserenata.com

Are you looking for a food photographer? Feel free to contact me to discuss booking a session.
All Content ©2011 Dan Watkins. May not be used without permission.

Engagement Session // Erika & Chuck

dantheman241 — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 15:31:02 +0000

My brother and his fiancée came to Boston a few weekends ago and wanted to do an engagement session while they were in town. As if that weren’t already enough of a family affair, my wife and my sister also came along on the shoot to assist with lighting and directing/good-natured teasing. We started things off at the beach not knowing how windy it would be despite the gorgeous sun. I’m still finding sand that was kicked up by the wind in my bag, and the Lastolite Ezybox took off a couple times. After wrapping in Revere and blue-lining it back to the city, we decided to do a few more shots around the North End waterfront before grabbing some lunch and warming up with some coffee. Erika and Chuck will be getting married in New Hampshire this July.

Are you looking for a Boston portrait photographer? Feel free to contact me to discuss booking a session.
All Photos ©2011 Dan Watkins. May not be used without permission.

Chef Portraits // A Tavola

dantheman241 — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 15:13:05 +0000

One of the reasons I love being a photographer is the random experiences you find yourself in every week – working with situations, places or people you never would have ever predicted. Case in point: I never would have thought I’d find myself directing the placement of a pig’s head in order to keep its ears and snout from obscuring the subject of a portrait… yet that’s exactly what I found myself doing at 1:30 in the afternoon a few Fridays back.

Pictured above are Chef Vittorio Ettore and Chef Brendan Woods of A Tavola, which just opened last week in Winchester. I photographed these portraits, as well as a few dishes off the new menu, to accompany a piece in the current Improper Bostonian. The modern Italian restaurant has an emphasis on farm-to-table cooking, which is how these 45 pound swine came to take part in our shoot.

A couple alternate portraits, as well as a shot of my lighting setup can be seen below.

I kept things really simple – using just a radio-triggered speedlite set to about 1/8 power in a photek softlighter for some big, diffused light. Opting for off-camera flash instead of strobe kept the small set free of cords and unnecessary clutter, and also ensured there were no hot modeling lights around to start cooking the pigs. I’m sure that would have smelled pretty funky. I also found it pretty funny that the pig on Chef Vittorio’s shoulder provided a surprising amount of fill light on the shadow side of his face. Be resourceful – reflectors are everywhere!

Are you looking for a Boston portrait photographer? Feel free to contact me to discuss booking a session.
All Photos ©2011 Dan Watkins. May not be used without permission.

Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation

dantheman241 — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 14:42:42 +0000

Towards the end of the summer I was contacted by the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation regarding some portraits for their annual report. The subjects, Lucas and his brother Lee, currently use their experience living with HIV to speak firsthand on behalf of the foundation at events around the country. The foundation was eager to include the boys’ message and their portrait in the report, which came out yesterday. So I traveled out of the city one early September evening to meet the boys for a session together.

Lucas and Lee were super cool! After warming up to the camera by exploring a local park for a bit, we ended up shooting most of the session in their yard, where they were free to kick around some soccer balls, play on some swings and just generally goof off and tease each other as most brothers do. It reminded me of the fall afternoons I spent playing outside with my siblings when I was younger. The boys’ parents were also really sweet, even inviting me to stay for pizza night (though, regrettably, I had another appointment). Bonus points to Lucas for agreeing with me that Adam West is the best Batman (and even knowing who Adam West is). These kids were so much fun!

I was excited and honored to be able to use my skills and work with them for such a cause. Below are a few outtakes from the shoot. You can also check out the entire annual report here and learn more about Lucas and Lee here.

Are you looking for a Boston portrait photographer? Feel free to contact me to discuss booking a session.
All Photos ©2011 Dan Watkins. May not be used without permission.

Corporate Portraits // Richards Barry Joyce & Partners

dantheman241 — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 14:20:19 +0000

Last month I had the pleasure of working with commercial real estate firm Richards Barry Joyce & Partners to update portraits of the company’s employees.
In addition to shooting more traditional headshots, I also helped RBJ to create some portraits that, while still professional, had a more casual, relaxed and friendly vibe to them.

We were definitely busy, as creating two portraits of each employee meant producing about 80 final images over two days. Luckily the folks at RBJ were extremely easy-going and all their shoots went smoothly. The new portraits – a selection of which can be seen below – now appear on their website, as well as on various company materials.

Are you looking for a Boston portrait photographer? Feel free to contact me to discuss booking a session.
All Photos ©2011 Dan Watkins. May not be used without permission.

Artisan Bistro

dantheman241 — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 14:15:13 +0000

One of my recent shoots for Improper Bostonian magazine brought me to Artisan Bistro, a new restaurant at the Ritz-Carlton in Boston’s Theater District.
Much more than a bar, the bright, modern space offers some great looking bistro-inspired fare. Kyle Wright’s piece for the magazine can be read here.

Are you looking for a food or restaurant photographer? Feel free to contact me to discuss booking a session.
All Photos ©2011 Dan Watkins. May not be used without permission.

Promo Portraits & Video // Endless Wave

dantheman241 — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 13:21:34 +0000

In late August I did a studio shoot with the Boston shoegaze band Endless Wave, the photos from which are currently accompanying a story in the October issue of Performer Magazine. We tried some photos with instruments and some on-location options as well, but in the end keeping things simple and direct seemed to create the most successful images. We opted instead to create some moody group shots through stylized lighting that matched the feel of the band’s music. (Of course the fact that the piece would be running in October lent itself well to some dramatic light too.)

The band was photographed against a grey seamless with some blue acetate I picked up from an art supply store taped over the strobes. To balance out the blue light that would otherwise wash over everything, a third strobe on a low setting without any acetate was placed in front, to the right of the camera. This setup also allowed us to change the feel of the picture entirely just by moving the side lights. Rather than messing with a whole new lighting concept, we were able to just pull them further off to the side and try a new look – a big time saver.

A few weeks after the shoot I also met back up with the band at one of their practices to film a performance video. I’ve been wanting to experiment more with the video capabilities of my gear, and thought this would be a great chance to do so. Be sure to check out the video for their song ‘Blast Count’ below. Endless Wave will be playing a halloween show as Ride at Great Scott on the 28th.

Are you looking for a music or portrait photographer? Feel free to contact me to discuss booking a session.
All Photos ©2011 Dan Watkins. May not be used without permission.