Pool Party Extravaganza!

I’m writing to you here from San Francisco, enjoying a mid-summer trip visiting friends & fitting in some work alongside – each time I see this place I grow to like it more and more. (Once I post the engagement session shot yesterday, you’ll understand why)

Now to the party at hand. 4th of July Weekend!

San Diego played host to some of the hottest pool parties I’ve ever attended this past weekend, and not just ‘weather-wise’. To be honest, it’s not too tough of a job to make these parties look good, the only thing I need to keep in mind is to get the right shot at the right time.

Of course, you’re going to have those drunken randoms trying to pose with the dancers & the solo chick who came by herself that wants 15 shots of the same pose – but hey, it’s all about enriching the guest experience. Let ‘em have their fun! (Will build more on this on an upcoming post)

Over the weekend, I covered the main parties in town held at the Andaz Hotel, Sé Hotel, and Hard Rock Hotel Intervention. While the majority of the photographers at these events are either focused on 1) Getting the bare minimum number of photos to make that dollar 2) Getting a quick album in so they can get their ‘drink on’ 3) Hollering at girls willing to pose for photos who’ve already gotten their ‘drink on’ – I like to take a different approach & tell the story of the day. After all, I’m in it to win it, and the difference between ‘ordinary’ and ‘extraordinary’ is that little bit of ‘extra’. (10 points if you can site that quote)

Anyways, on to the photos!

1. Sé Hotel Party

One of the secret reasons why I love this venue is the design of the bathrooms. The doors to the stalls are 6 inch thick slabs of mosaic tile that are flush with the walls, so they’re somewhat like a secret entrance. (If you’ve ever played golden-eye, it’s just like the extra level “Temple” & it’s hidden doorways.)

2. Hard Rock Intervention

This place gets intense. Like REALLY intense. If you want the craziest partyers in San Diego, you’ll find them here. While I mostly hold the photobooth for this event, occasionally I will shoot crowd shots for different publications if the timing is right & it works in well with other events I’m shooting day-of. (And this just happened to be the case!) Stopped by for a few quick shots before all the mayhem really got going…to give you an idea of what has been in store in the past – a favorite among several clients is to take a 9 liter bottle of Vueve and give the crowd a “champagne shower“. Can produce some amazing photos, but I’m not especially eager to put my camera at risk for the sake of the photo. Been there, done that.

3. Andaz Hotel

My favorite venue to shoot. Like in real estate – it’s all about the 3 L’s. Lighting, lighting, lighting. I love the different setups they have at this venue, especially with the pool & cabanas on the eastern end of the venue. And magic hour? You can just forget about it. Amazing light casts over the rooftop come sunset. (And not to be bias, but I feel it just has my type of crowd here)