Kevin Neilson Photography
Corporate and family photographer in the San Francisco Bay Area
Young Lady. Bug.
Posted on February 11, 2019
Alum Rock Park.
Eastern foothills of San Jose.
Blue sky, sparse trees, yellow leaves.
A successful family shoot was in the books.
As I was putting my gear away, Young Lady squealed happily.
She showed me Bug, delighted by the creepy crawly.
I was, too: the red focal point made a good scene.
Not to mention its play with the red scarf.
At f/1.8 my 85mm came to life,
Clicking like an insect.
I like the result.
Cheers.
Contact me for kids, teens, family, and corporate photography in the Bay Area.
Fall in the West
Posted on January 23, 2019
I love my job.
I’m often outdoors,
And I get to meet new people.
Like this family from Redwood City.
We met at McClellan Ranch in Cupertino for a family session.
It’s quickly becoming one of my favorite locations.
Like me, Mom is a Chico State grad.
Go Wildcats!
Baby’s eyes are distant-mountain blue.
Stunning, just look at them.
Mom has a magic touch.
But Dad does, too.
Happy kiddo!
We wandered from one setting to the next.
Someone’s curiosity was piqued.
Before long, we found a fence.
Everyone knows photographers love fences.
They make great neighbors.
We found a clearing at the ranch.
And Family sat down and made googly eyes at each other.
Baby was indescribably happy, as a result.
As the sun was setting, Family was game for one more shot.
More than game, what a beautiful setting!
We said goodbye.
Family drove away.
I went home.
A week later, it happened,
As it always does when a shoot is over.
An image in the collection stands out.
It becomes the icon by which the entire collection is known.
I love this image something fierce.
Everything about it.
And I hope you do, too.
Contact me for kids, teens, family, and corporate photography in the Bay Area.
Cloud Atlas
Posted on December 20, 2018
Look.
Delicately fluted clouds
Spangled over Pescadero marsh
Just a stone’s throw from the coast.
The ocean may have been angry that day, my friends.
But the scudding clouds were something beautiful to behold.
Details:
31 mm | f/5.0 | 1/2500 | ISO 200
In other words, fast.
I made the image in a sliver of a second,
Which shows you just how cool the clouds were yesterday.
I hope you enjoy.
Contact me for corporate and family—and landscape (!)—photography in the Bay Area.
Woke
Posted on December 16, 2018
When I arrived, Baby was sound asleep.
But when my shutter began to click, she woke.
She took one look at my ugly mug and drew the right conclusion, fast.
Fortunately, Dad has a way with Baby.
And she began to calm down.
Dad is great.
But Dad plus Mom is even better.
Baby began to rock to sleep.
Before long, Baby achieved a state of perfect bliss.
Awake or asleep, that’s one beautiful kiddo.
Oh, and Mom was delighted with the results.
Which makes me very happy.
Contact me for family or corporate photography in the Bay Area.
The Outsider
Posted on October 15, 2018
That’s Gavin.
And his shirt and his glasses.
Together, they form an image of a fine young greaser.
If you know something about Gavin, you know he doesn’t smile for me.
And that’s exactly as it should be.
He’s got a point of view.
He resists much; obeys little.
Good for him.
Cleverly, I asked Gavin to smile,
Knowing precisely what I would get:
A radiant non-smile of magnificent proportions.
Perfect for a steely-eyed visage and a tough kid aesthetic.
So good on dad for hacking childhood behavior and making the shot work.
A few days later, Gavin hacked me back, proper.
We were scouting light at Stevens Creek County Park.
Dad, he said, posting up in dry yellow grass.
You can take a picture of me for a scoop of ice cream, he said.
One or two?
Two, he said.
No, one.
OK.
Smile or no smile? I asked.
He laughed.
No smile, he said.
Deal.
I got the shot; Gavin got his scoop.
So good on us.
Contact me for creative Bay Area corporate and candid family photography.
1103: Origin Story
Posted on October 11, 2018
I didn’t go to grad school to earn an advanced degree for nothing.
There’s an entire philosophy behind 1103 Photography.
1’s and 0’s are a nod to the Silicon Valley
And its fascination with data.
An 0 in the shape of a lens,
Which has great iconographic properties.
Plus, let’s face it—nought is cool.
Just ask mathematician Robert Kaplan.
“If you look at zero, you see nothing;
But look through it and you will see the world.”
A fine sentiment, that.
A 3 because everything excellent and rare comes in 3’s.
And 1103 was my home address as a kid.
1103 Milky Way.
No kidding.
Totally astral.
1103 Photography is a homecoming for me.
Lastly, I’m not a big fan of personality.
I’m allergic to personal branding.
Kevin Neilson photography just sounds silly to me.
1103 Photography, on the other hand, is an all-seeing eye without an ego.
At least that’s my sincere intention.
Fingers crossed.
Contact me for Bay Area corporate or family photography.
At Play in a Cupertino Creek
Posted on October 8, 2018
Several weeks ago, I ran a promotion on Facebook: Share my update for a chance to win a free family photo session. Some of you did just that. Thank you. Those who didn’t, I forgive you. Good news—we had a raffle winner! Gail Imamura. Some of you may even know her. She grew up in Cupertino and went to Monta Vista High School. Recently we met at McClellan Ranch in the morning, and I got to hang out with Gail and her kids. They’re a joy and a wonder. Her boy liked me right away. Her girl, not so much.
But eventually she warmed up to me.
The trick of course is to do what kids love most: play. We had a footrace….
…and hunted for rocks and threw them across the creek…
…and celebrated Feats of Strength…
…and played peek-a-boo…
…and even flexed our wildlife biology skills with a crawdad claw.
All told, we had a blast, and by “we,” I definitely mean me. Gail, it was great seeing you and playing with your kids! Thank you.
For Bay Area corporate or family photography, please contact me.
