Kevin Neilson Photography
Corporate and family photographer in the San Francisco Bay Area
A Team Called Trōv
Posted on February 6, 2019
People love their toys.
You know, cameras, lenses, and laptops.
Headphones, snowboards, and music equipment.
People also love the convenience that comes with 24/7 mobility.
In downtown Danville, there’s a small startup called Trōv with a big ambition.
They’re reinventing the way digital natives insure the toys they love.
Recently, I had an opportunity to meet the team at Trōv and photograph them.
I’m thrilled with the results and am delighted my client is too.
Please scroll or swipe, and enjoy!
Contact me for kids, teens, family, and corporate photography in the Bay Area.
Of Smiles and Steel
Posted on January 29, 2019
If you have a business partner, you’d better enjoy that person a lot.
As this dynamic duo clearly does.
Laughter is fine and well.
But selling homes often requires a Lady of Steel…
…or a light’s out smile…
…or a willingness to stop traffic, come what come may.
But more than anything, connecting with customers—in real estate or photography—requires candor…
…and sincerity.
And nothing is more candid and sincere than Mom when she drops by for a visit. My favorite kind of photobombing!
Contact me for kids, teens, family, and corporate photography in the Bay Area.
Mothership
Posted on January 15, 2019
I cannot speak dispassionately about Adobe.
I’ve enthused about them before.
I love their products.
I respect and admire their culture.
And I jibe with their people.
Happily, I was invited back to the mothership
And had an opportunity to photograph more spokespeople.
How awesome is that!?
Exactly.
Scroll or swipe down.
I hope you enjoy.
Contact me for corporate and family photography in the Bay Area.
Mya in the City
Posted on November 1, 2018
Not long ago, I had the honor of photographing the staff and executive team at Mya, an SF-based company that helps recruiters optimize their workflow through AI.
Their office is located on Maiden Lane, one of the most picturesque streets in the City. Combine that with the team’s commitment to shooting outdoors, and you have the makings of a great photographic day.
One of my favorite shots is this portrait of a CEO as a young man. The hubbub of City life goes on round him, while he hovers confidently in space. Red accents glow in the background. If I were to retake the photo, I’d drop 2/3 of a stop below ambient and fire an off-camera flash. Pesky shadows under his eyes bother me now.
This particular shot was a lot of fun to make. Primarily because I enjoyed walking the Lane with this executive. We shot the breeze about science, medicine, and the National Geographic. I had good fun just getting to know him. Best of all, I fired my flash.
I love this next photo. It took a while to get it just right. But it was worth the effort. Plus, I like things in threes. See the bokeh frame left? See the bindi, nose ring, and earring?
How did I get this harried professional to relax? You know, the usual—we talked about our wives and family life. Trust me, if you’d been there, you would have smiled, too. Oh, one last thing. Check out the crop. You’re looking at 2.39×1, which isn’t your standard 5×7. I’m a big fan of 2.39×1 and 16×9 because they offer a cinematic lens on the environment, of which the subject is a part.
See the soft green tree-clouds in the background? I did then, and I do still. I tell you, threes are the best! Plus, I like the curbsides, faint and disappearing.
Ditto. Except in this shot, the light had changed dramatically from the prior one, requiring me to stop down from f/1.8 to f/4.5. Background is too sharp for my liking, but it was a trade-off I was willing to make to get the shot.
Happily, the executive team was thrilled with the process and results. One of their senior leaders even chimed in here.
Contact me for creative Bay Area corporate and candid family photography.
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.
Then There Was Lightroom
Posted on September 27, 2018
My photography advanced with Lightroom in a big way. It taught me color theory, composition, and patience. Imagine my surprise when Adobe—the creators of Lightroom—contacted me for executive and staff photography. Surprise bordering on ecstasy. The photographic equivalent of returning to the mother ship. I gleefully boarded, then developed a new kind of String Theory…
…visited the psychedelic wall…
…and the ball wall…
…and made portraits outdoors…
…and went back indoors…
…then out…
…twice…
…and finally back in, again, always in search of new light and backgrounds, like this one…
…and this one.
I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to photograph at Adobe and meet the people who make Lightroom possible in the first place.
Looking for a Bay Area corporate or family photographer? Contact me.
Face The Light
Posted on September 18, 2018
I’m in the City at a coffee shop called Farley’s.
The place is thronging with guests.
And for good reason.
The vibe and coffee are great.
At a table next to me,
Four friends are talking and laughing.
Their banter is infectious.
I listen to them.
I watch them carefully.
Then I home in on one.
She brings great energy to the scene.
Plus, she’s graced by light streaming in from the window.
One of her friends leaves the table.
I shuffle over and plop down in the empty seat.
Hi, I say, warmly.
I want to photograph you.
What for, she asked.
Because I chase good light,
And it’s transfiguring your face right now, I add, lamely.
Her friends chuckle at my remark.
But she doesn’t chuckle back.
She just looks at me, friendly and puzzled.
Sure, she says, go for it.
I smile, she smiles.
Our eyes connect, briefly.
And the camera shutters of its own volition,
Preserving 1/125 of a second in digital immortality.
If you’re looking for a Bay Area corporate or family photographer, contact me.
