PUBLISHED WORK IN WESTERN CIV MAGAZINE

Work I shot of Greg "Pnut" Galinsky for WESTERN CIV Magazine published this last week. Galinsky and I met in The Lower Haight earlier this year. He brought me downstairs into his studio and gave me a through tour of his work, his background and his process. I was really amazed to see his brush and line work first hand as he cranked out a quick painting for the magazine. Meeting and photographing an artist or an individual in their space is one of my favorite experiences. The environment where people reside or inhabit tells so much about an individual, regardless of their pursuits in the arts or not. Being in the environment where a person explores their creative process reveals their craft in a new light previously hidden from the rest of their art. For a full read of the article please visit WESTERN CIV and enjoy Jason Black's interview.

STREET PHOTOGRAPHY | OCTOBER 2011

In between BART commutes I still find inspiration and loose myself in the streets. Producing and art directing photo shoots for a living has afforded me the opportunity to loosen my style of personal shooting when I make time to shoot. It's never been hard for me to pick up the camera after a long day or week and shoot for myself. I used to work with shooters who would struggle with finding the time to shoot for themselves and it really hindered their creativity at work. I find it's really important to keep creating no matter how hard work is at the daily grind. I just don't sleep as much at night. Hardly Strickly There
Spencer's Taxi
Illuminated Light
Visage of Katherine
Untitled Pink

STREET PHOTOGRAPHY EXPLORATION

I've been walking around with my Leica camera since I purchased it a few months ago. Having the option to shoot without lugging my heavy fixed lenses and camera body into a public place has changed my commutes. I've been dabbling in candid street photography and pairing part of the inspiration I find from the street with the inspiration I find in my creative pursuits, such as the work I found of RUEBEN B and posted on PHOTOTRANSMISSION. I've always been inspired by the human form and how we interact with our environment. Taking the facial expressions and identities away from the subjects they become more static and part of the scene yet remain a focus point. With a color field masking the expressions the eye is free to move around the scene and notice details without interpreting the actions of the subjects featured.

EDITORIAL IN WSTRNCV MAGAZINE

WSTRNCV Magazine published my photography in an editorial on David Watkins, a vintage collector who runs Goodbye Heart in Oakland. To read the editorial please visit WSTRNCV Magazine and to see more from Goodbye Heart visit their website Goodbyeheart.com

A special thanks to Jason Black for his written piece and for connecting me with WSTRNCV.

PRESS X, an interactive animated series

At the end of 2010 I had the pleasure to shoot with Lauren Rassel, a designer and artist from Detroit, Michigan. Rassel was in San Francisco for work and we had been trying to find a way to collaborate her designs with my animations for months. Her upcylced, handmade fashions have garnered quite a bit of attention from New York to San Francisco and I've always enjoyed her creative energy and vision.
Press X , an animated series by Brandon Joseph Baker
Over 8 months later I've finally had a chance to sit down and animate the images we shot that day.
Still of Rassel from Red Controls The Zebra Man
This series examines how the details and nuances of a moment can be lost in an instantaneous internet culture. Created to challenge user patience and perception, PRESS X is an interactive flash animation designed for desktop viewing. To see the series in its entirety please visit www.brandonjosephbaker.com/pressx

Designs, modeling and styling by Lauren Rassel. laurenrassel.com Art Direction, Photography and Animation by Brandon Joseph Baker.

NEWS : JUNE 2011

Lately a lot of great work has been keeping me from posting new blog content. In January I returned to Park City to photograph The Sundance Film Festival for The Sundance Institute. This is the 5th year I've photographed at The Festival and it continues to be my favorite time to shoot. It's almost like returning to summer camp as a kid. I return with a lot of the same faces, we catch up on the year past and delve straight into what's happening with The Festival. This year my most memorable photo shoot was with Kevin Clash, the creator and voice of Elmo. As always I look forward to next year and working with the filmmakers and Institute Staff. For more images from my Sundance experience check out my Flickr gallery.
Kevin Clash, creator of Elmo and subject of the documentary film Being Elmo. Paul Rudd and Elizabeth Banks on the press line for the premier of My Idiot Brother.
Immediately following Sundance, two days exactly, I took a Production Manager position in the Photo and Video Department for John McNeil Studio. I've found great pleasure being on a team creating advertisements in broadcast, web and print. The hours are long, I've never been one to shy away from a long week and I'm happy to get my wish with this studio. I'm very happy with my team and find daily inspiration from my lead creative directors. My favorite part of this position is the ever changing nature of projects I'm on, from producing video shoots in the desert and abandoned hangars, to sitting in on interviews with CEOs and CIOs in Silicon Valley to sourcing a classic 1965 Chevy Malibu for a photo shoot. With every creative ask comes a new challenge and thus a great reward delivering content at the wrap of every job.

Alexis Hutt, LOOK Models for WSTRNCV Magazine and Goodbye Heart Vintage. Most recently I shot with Goodbye Heart Vintage for WSTRNCV Magazine. This was my first time to shoot for myself since Sundance wrapped. I had the pleasure of working with Alexis Hutt of Look Models and Amanda and David from Goodbye Heart. I shot the Goodbye Heart Vintage collection in 2009 for their website update. The magazine publishes in June, check back here for more images or follow my Twitter feed @brndnjsphbker for updates.

MARIELE-IVY

I began this project in the spring of 2010 to showcase the work of San Francisco based jewelry designer Mariele-Ivy. From the beginning I wanted this ambitious project to have a very specific feel, a dream on film, and to showcase the beauty of Mariele-Ivy’s work. I was fortunate to work with some amazing people on this project who have been very patient as all the integral pieces took time to develop. This dreamscape stop-motion, inspired by the natural elements found in Mariele-Ivy’s jewelry comes to life through a hypnotic original score paired with the remote beauty of Northern California’s landscape.
+Art Direction, Imagery and Editing by Brandon Joseph Baker.
+Shot on location in Marin County, California and at Sandbox Studio San Francisco.
+Model Nasim Keihani, Styling by Courtney Cummins, Make Up by Lena Chavez
+Fashions from Archetype Boutique and The Perish Trust.
+Produced in collaboration with Revolver Studios.
+Original music composed and performed by Ben Grimes.
To purchase or see more of Mariele-Ivy's work please visit mariele-ivy.com

THE SUNDANCE INSTITUTE AND ROBERT REDFORD

Last year at The 2010 Sundance Film Festival I was covering an event called An Artist At The Table. A surprise speaker came to the podium without alerting any of the photographers there. I happened to be in the right place at the right time to snap some photos of Robert Redford. This was my first time in the 4 years of attending The Festival to photograph Redford. I was honored to see that The Institute is now using my photo on their home page and as Redford's official photo for his blog posts. ROBERT REDFORD BY BRANDON JOSEPH BAKER

MLB AND THE SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS

Before The Giants won The World Series, I photographed them for Major League Baseball during media day at AT&T Park. My friend Andy hooked me up with MLB's PR department (Thanks Andy!) and I photographed The Giants and The Rangers (the later not pictured due to personal bias for San Francisco) signing a banner to honor friends and family impacted by cancer. The MLB dedicated the first game to cancer research and the Stand Up To Cancer campaign. I shot stills of the players with a video crew doing interviews behind the right field fence. Standing in the presence of Brian Wilson, even before he sealed the win in the last game, was a little intimidating. He's has a very big personality and deserves the "Fear The Beard" rally cry. GO GIANTS! Stand Up To Cancer Campaign © MLB Photos/Brandon Joseph Baker Barry Zito, © MLB Photos/Brandon Joseph Baker Brian Wilson, © MLB Photos/Brandon Joseph Baker Buster Posey and Pablo Sandoval, © MLB Photos/Brandon Joseph Baker All photos © MLB Photos/Brandon Joseph Baker and are used by permission from Major League Baseball.

CCCYO HOLIDAY CAMPAIGN

A piece I shot a few weeks ago published around San Francisco today. This campaign piece is 4'x 6' and around the city until Novemeber, possibly longer. I'd like to give a big thank you to Matt Viglione and to Catholic Charities CYO for bringing me in on this and for all the good work they do for San Francisco.CCCYO Holiday Print Campaign

BLUE ANGELS or A CITY UNDER SIEGE

This last weekend during Fleet Week, like many of the residents in my neighborhood, I found a seat for the air show on a rooftop. Inspired by the shear noise and awesome power that comes from jet propulsion I grabbed my camera to document the show. This is how I saw the one hour of rumbling in the sky. Blue Angels Flight Patterns during Fleet Week

END OF SUMMER WRAP UP

The Summer of 2010 has been a busy time for me. There's a lot of new things on the horizon and I'm excited for the opportunities that fall has given hints to.

I’ve just finished a long job with Riverbed Technologies. I put together a series of executive headshots with a variety of backgrounds to accommodate their ever-changing needs. This job was a logistical challenge crewing up a team, balancing budgets, managing the content creation and post-production. The results are a series of multi-purposed images of the executive staff that will have a long life with this growing company. Riverbed Technologies Executives Last week I worked with Catholic Charities CYO on a new marketing campaign for the holiday season. I photographed in San Rafael at one of CCCYO’s family programs for a piece that will be printed 4’ by 6’ at 18 different locations around San Francisco, including on the sides of buses. I’m very excited about this project and saw the proof yesterday. I’ve always wanted to see my work zooming along the streets on the sides of buses and displayed large in a public forum. Check back here for a preview and locations once the campaign is launched in October. In the meantime visit their website to find out more about their Bay Area programs and services.
Morgan Carper 2011 Spring/Summer Digital Mailout I returned Thursday from New York and Brooklyn where I was shooting Morgan Carper’s Spring 2011 Lookbook. I finished laying out and designing the printed piece this morning. As I type it is at the presses. We haven’t released the images yet but check out her Fall 2010 collection. Morgan’s studio is in Dumbo and if you haven’t had a chance to visit this neighborhood in Brooklyn it’s worth checking out. It’s a community teaming with artists and young professionals revitalizing an old industrial warehouse area between two beautiful bridges. Plus it's only one F train stop off Manhattan. Be sure to visit Vinegar Hill House for dinner. This quaint restaurant is one of the best meals I’ve had in a long time and one of Morgan and her husband Chris’ favorite places to dine. Manhattan Bridge from Washington St, Brooklyn NY/ York Street Station F Line
I’ve been expanding my creative pursuits with a flash animation class at SFSU. I plan on delving into web design work and to incorporate broader motion options with my photography. I’m very excited and inspired to create a body of work that incorporates the moving vision I have for my still photographs. This week I am getting back into the stop-motion animation editing process I began with Mariele-Ivy and Revolver Studios. Check back here for more information in October.

SUMMER FOG FROM THE ROOF

I have been shooting some backgrounds to drop behind some head shots I did for a client. It's a strange phenomenon how when you've been watching for something or waiting for something you notice it more often. Like when you get a new pair of black sunglasses only to see the same sunglasses everywhere. None the less, I've been waiting for it to get warm enough to burn the fog off for the background shots but couldn't pass up an opportunity to don my winter coat, hike up the back stairs to the roof to shoot the fog engulfing San Francisco a couple of weeks ago.
<sub>looking south east, usually you can see the Transamerica Pyramid

looking north west, usually you can see the Golden Gate Bridge</sub>

MARIELE-IVY STOP-MOTION STILLS

Sunday I shot the final portion of a stop-motion I’ve been working on for Mariele-Ivy.com. I shot backgrounds for the shoot several weeks ago in Marin County and projected them behind and across my model, Nasim. The look and feel of the project was inspired by the works of Alejandro Jodorowsky and a desire to create a piece that had a hint of 60’s psychedelic rock infused with the Montana landscapes the jeweler, Mariele Williams grew up in. A special thanks goes to Courtney Cummins for styling, Lena Chavez for her make up work, Revolver Studios for their creative intuition, The Perish Trust for lending us the product, Archetype Boutique for the fashion, Sandbox Studio for the space to shoot and Nasim for her striking look (and patience). Please check back in a couple of weeks for the finished product.

BACKGROUNDS FOR A NEW STOP-MOTION

I shot backgrounds with Courtney Cummins and Nasim Keihani for Mariele Williams jewelry line in Marin. We're putting together a stop-motion in the studio this weekend.

A special thanks to Matt and Kent for granting us access to the space.