Feb 122013
 
Cory Doctorow at The Booksmith in San Francisco Homeland tour

I had the honor of shooting Cory Doctorow giving a talk at The Booksmith in San Francisco upon the release of his new YA novel Homeland. I’ve had the fortune to meet and shoot Cory before, and he’s always inspiring and energizing. Not to go to far off topic from my photography, but his talk about the coming war on general purpose computing is some of the most illuminating information I’ve ever heard about the deep consequences of content owners who are willing to go to any length to protect their copyright.

Cory Doctorow at The Booksmith in San Francisco Homeland tour

Cory Doctorow at The Booksmith in San Francisco Homeland tour

Cory Doctorow at The Booksmith in San Francisco Homeland tour

Cory Doctorow at The Booksmith in San Francisco Homeland tour

Cory Doctorow at The Booksmith in San Francisco Homeland tour

Cory Doctorow at The Booksmith in San Francisco Homeland tour

All photos © Alex Schoenfeldt 2013. Creative Commons 3.0 Non-commercial attribution only.
Alex Schoenfeldt Photography
Also, find Alex Schoenfeldt Photography on Facebook.

Dec 302012
 

2012 was an amazing year, thanks to all of you. With the weddings already on the books, the new Street View thing, some corporate events I’ve got lined up, 2013 is looking like it’s going to be awesome.

I’m not sure what you celebrate, but whatever it is I hope your celebrations have been fantastic.

I’m going to leave you with a holiday photo, the tree in San Francisco City Hall. A giant evergreen covered in origami paper cranes (they symbolize peace) made by local children.

San Francisco City Hall Holiday Tree covered in origami paper cranes.

San Francisco City Hall Holiday Tree covered in origami paper cranes.

Photo © Alex Schoenfeldt 2012. All rights reserved.
Alex Schoenfeldt Photography

 Posted by at 2:29 am
Dec 052012
 

I’ve got exciting news! I am now a “Google Trusted Photographer” or a Google Street View photographer!

What does that mean? First, I will explain in my own words, then I will post a brochure and video or two.

So, you know what Google Street View is right? You are looking at a map on Google, and you can plop yourself down on the map and look around at a panorama. Maybe you’ve even seen the street view car driving around.

Well, if you own a consumer facing business, you can now get street view type panoramas that go inside your store, restaurant, salon, bar etc… So someone sitting at home on their computer can street view inside your business, looking around a big panorama, getting a look at your decor, ambiance, products.

But how can you do this? That is where the “Google Trusted Photographers” (like me) come in. I now have the equipment and training to get the required panoramas. Not only can I shoot them properly, I can shoot them in a way that they will integrate with Google Street View AND I can upload them to Google myself. That’s right, Google has given me the key to their street view program. And it isn’t only for the panoramas. I can put up photos of merchandise, decor, menus, food, all the things you want your clients to see.

I’m going to quote from the brochure:

WHY BUSINESS PHOTOS?
A virtual tour of your business
It’s an opportunity to showcase your business to customers around the world. Our Street View technology will bring your business to life with a high-quality, 360-degree, interactive tour. The virtual tour will be visible on Google Search results, Google Maps, and Google+ Local, to give customers a better sense of the layout, decor and ambience of your business. Easily embed on your own business website and social media to attract even more potential customers.

and

TRUSTED PHOTOGRAPHERS
Google trained and certified

1. All Trusted Photographers are trained and certified to ensure high-quality results for your business.
2. Photographers strive to create a custom experience; highlighting the unique aspects of your business.
3. Photographers take care of all the work so you don’t have to; final photos are uploaded directly to Google.

and

GOOGLE STREET VIEW TECHNOLOGY
A new experience for customers
1. High-quality, 360-degree, panoramic tours help showcase the best features of your business.
2. Have potential customers visit your business directly from Street View.
3. All of your images go through Google blurring and privacy standards to give you peace of mind.
4. Featuring the familiar Google Street View navigation, allowing your customers to easily explore.

HOW CAN THIS HELP MY BUSINESS?
Attract new customers online
1. Enhance your business listing. Images appear on Google Search results, Google+ Local, and Google Maps.
2. Engage with customers who can now explore, walk-through, and truly experience your business.
3. Business Photos is a perfect addition to all businesses; including restaurants, retail shops, gyms, salons, and more!
4. Seasonal shoots are a great way to keep your business up-to-date and show your customers what’s new

So, if you or anyone you know in the San Francisco Bay Area (San Francisco, Berkeley, Oakland, San Jose, Marin, The East Bay, The Peninsula etc…) has a store, a cafe, a yoga studio, a hair salon, a restaurant, or any type of business where the public comes in and walks around, please call me at (415) 669-4895, or email me at [email protected].

Ok, the brochure (It’s formatted for print, so take it for what you will.)

And some videos.

This first one is an advertisement for the service.
Google Business Photography Advertisement

The next one is an example of how it works.

Virtual Walk-through Video 1 – Restaurant

And one more advertisement video.

Toy Joy marketing video

Nov 282012
 
Kelly Clarkson live in concert corte madera, ca

Microsoft is opening a series of retail stores. I got hired to do three days of photography around the opening of their new store in Corte Madera. It all culminated in a free concert by pop star Kelly Clarkson.

I am not in the target audience for her music, but I will tell you that Kelly Clarkson is an incredibly nice person. Warm and kind and genuine and generous.

Kelly Clarkson live in concert corte madera, ca

Kelly Clarkson live in concert corte madera, ca

Kelly Clarkson live in concert corte madera, ca

Kelly Clarkson live in concert corte madera, ca

Kelly Clarkson live in concert corte madera, ca

Kelly Clarkson live in concert corte madera, ca

Kelly Clarkson live in concert corte madera, ca

Kelly Clarkson live in concert corte madera, ca

Kelly Clarkson live in concert corte madera, ca

Kelly Clarkson live in concert corte madera, ca

Kelly Clarkson live in concert corte madera, ca

Kelly Clarkson live in concert corte madera, ca

Kelly Clarkson live in concert corte madera, ca

All photos © Alex Schoenfeldt 2012. All rights reserved.
Alex Schoenfeldt Photography, San Francisco Bay Area Event Photography

Sep 242012
 
Infant child in sepia photo

Would you like to give a gift, but you don’t know what to give? Photography gift certificates are now available. There are so many reasons that a photography gift certificate is the perfect gift. So many people have way too many things. Why give another thing that they don’t need and will just clutter their life. The gift of photography is something that will create a work of art that they can treasure, and think of you fondly for years.

I have a client who gives portrait photography gift certificates to all of her pregnant friends. I mean, really, do they need another onesie? Next time you are going to a baby shower think about giving a photography gift certificate instead. They can use it while they are still pregnant for a shot like this.

Pregnant Indian woman on beach

This photo, which she will treasure for a lifetime, was a gift.

or you can wait until the baby is born and get a shot like this:

Portrait of a child

Ok, she isn’t a baby anymore…

or this

Infant child in sepia photo

Now this is a baby

or this, which was given to the family as a gift from a business associate who wanted to show his gratitude for the woman’s hard work on a project.

Family portrait in black and white.

This was a gift from someone who was glad they were a client.

There are endless reasons to give a gift, and a photography gift certificate for every reason. I have a few nice packages.

$300 for a portrait session. This can be an individual, a family, for a baby or a pregnant woman. It can be professional shots for business, or beauty shots (popular for dating.) They will get a certificate for a two hour session that comes with all of the photos online, photo retouching on two of their favorite pictures, and either two 8×10 prints or one 11×14 print.

Have a loved one who is getting married? Do they already have a toaster and a blender? Gift certificates to pay for wedding photography (or any other special event) are available. Pay for a portion of the event, or blow their mind and pay for the whole thing!

The possibilities are endless, and I’m happy to work with you to get the right fit. Feel free to email me at [email protected] or call (888) 316-2539

All photos © Alex Schoenfeldt 2012. All rights reserved
San Francisco Bay Area Photography