ABC7 Television

A few weeks ago we were joined by ABC7 Television during a fashion shoot for Cynthia Design. Our model was Lauren Foulk and HMUA Jenelle Prieto, both of which are amazingly talented, and super fun to work with.

ABC7 Television

ABC7 Television was doing a piece on Greentoe (click link and use coupon GREEN25 to get $25 off), which allows you to save money on all kinds of consumer electronics, including photography equipment. It probably isn’t a surprise to many of you, that as a professional photographer, I have to invest significantly into equipment; any discount or savings I can get are always very appreciated. Because I have bought from Greentoe before, and had a great experience (while also saving a lot of money along the way), I was asked if I was willing to talk to ABC7 TV. The result you can see below:

Honestly, I buy my equipment at many different places, but frankly, Greentoe is just such an easy one-stop shopping destination. Simply look for an item on their site, compare regular prices, then make an offer. It’s like bidding on ebay, without the change of getting outbid, only getting items from authorized resellers, and without the hassle of having to wait until an auction ends. Sometimes your offers are accepted right away, but often Greentoe will get to work and ask resellers in their network to bid on, or accept your offer. Once that happens, it’s all straight forward from there. Your card will be charged, the item is shipped, and if you are unhappy, you can return it for at least 14 days.

Sounds too good to be true? Well, I can tell you that it has been working really well for me, and as Greentoe is expanding their product offerings, more and more items can be had for less than retail. Why would you want to pay full price, if you can get your item at a discount? Oh, did I mention that the price you pay includes shipping and taxes?

Seriously, I thought I should share this.

ABC7 Television
#alexmunozphotography #fashion #abc7 #greentoe

Certified Professional Photographer in Los Angeles

I finally received my official certificate for being a Certified Professional Photographer (CPP) in the mail today. Being a certified professional photographer in Los Angeles is quite the privilege, as there really are only just a few who have earned this certification so far. What is a CPP you may ask? Well, a CPP must demonstrate technical and practical knowledge in the field of professional photography. In other words, putting the camera in automatic and shooting away won’t qualify you for the CPP at all. Here’s why you would want to consider a CPP for you next photo session:

Because when things matter, you’ve only got one shot. And there’s no substitute for experience.

These days, photography is practiced by anyone with a smartphone, but it’s mastered by few. When it comes to those once-in-a-lifetime moments—when you’ve got one shot at getting it right—you better make sure the person behind the camera is a pro. A proven professional photographer that is.

There’s no greater proof than when the letters “CPP” follow a photographer’s name. They designate a Certified Professional Photographer, someone who is putting in the extra work to stay above the rest. It assures you of this photographer’s professional knowledge and experience, while also declaring that photographer as one who has achieved and maintains a higher standard.

See the Difference Certified Professional Photographers Make

Consistency. CPPs know how to achieve great results—every time. You get a strong collection of images that tell your story, not a few lucky snapshots, and you will work with someone who knows how to produce a quality image under any circumstances.

Technical Skills. CPPs are more than picture takers. They are students of art, lighting, posing, fashion and even interior design. They combine these elements to create images that fit your unique style and become works of art you will treasure for generations.

Unique Artistry. CPPs have the skills to create unique, customized works of art—not cookie-cutter pictures. They follow an artistic vision. It’s your story captured as a collection of art.

Professionalism. When you hire a CPP, you know you’re getting someone who is willing to go the extra mile to deliver the best possible images. They are business owners who thrive on customer service and satisfaction, and they continuously aim to produce products that exceed your—and their—best expectations. These images are keepsakes whose stories you’ll tell time and time again and treasure forever.

Just about anyone can take a good picture every now and then. But when life’s biggest moments are unfolding and there’s just one chance to capture that perfect memory, don’t risk it. Entrust your photography needs to a Certified Professional Photographer and see the difference for yourself.

Certified Professional Photographer in Los Angeles
#certifiedprofessionalphotographer #cpp #alexmunozvisualarts #LAphotography

Meet the fashion shoot girls

I recently had the opportunity to work with Marita and Lauren on a fashion shoot, featuring couture by ENGINEERED BY REMY.  We had multiple pieces to showcase, and access to Profoto equipment with Mola light modifiers, in addition to help by Janet and Kevin. We also had an amazing team of 4! Makeup Artists/Hair Stylists to work on the models. To make a long story short: we had a great time and ended up with some amazing images. In addition to the fashion images we also took some closeup portraits for the portfolios of the models. Am I teasing too much? You can see one of Marita’s images above.

Fashion Shoot

Now take a look at one of the images we created for Lauren:

By now you better want to see those fashion images Hang in there, as my next update will show you what we ended up with.

Have a great weekend!

Meet the fashion shoot girls
#fashionshoot #commercialphotography #LosAngeles

LA Professional Photography Permit

Did you know that any still or motion professional photography in the City of Los Angeles, and most publicly accessible parks and property in the LA County area, need a permit? Many photographers operating within the LA city boundaries do not have a permit when they are taking pictures, but why is that?

 

Not Professional

Most of them are simply not professionals. Meriam-Webster says that “a professional is participating for gain or livelihood in an activity or field of endeavor often engaged in by amateurs <a professional golfer>“. By definition then, if your photographer is not taking images for gain or livelihood, they are maybe a semi-pro at best. But this is not really about whether your photographer makes a living or not. This is about attitude, professionalism, and goals. Attitude means that a professional photographer should follow rules and regulations. These rules are in place for a reason (and not just for the city to make money): to protect other citizens, public property, and clients alike. Professionalism starts with knowing the rules and following them, but it also means that as a truly professional photographer, your photographer is fully insured for at least $1 Million (some counties require a minimum of $2 Million). One of the requirements to even get a permit is to be fully insured. If your photographer did not apply for a permit, or claims that they don’t need one, that can only mean two things:

1. Your Photographer is not insured, which puts you in danger. What happens if something happens during the photo session?


2. They do not consider themselves a professional photographer, and as a result, neither should you!

The Los Angeles Charter and Administrative Code clearly states in Section 22.350:

No person, as defined in Section 11.01 of the Los Angeles Municipal Code, shall use any property belonging to or under the control of the City of Los Angeles for the purpose of making any commercial motion picture, or still photograph, of, or including such property, without first having obtained a use permit to do so from the City Council, or whomever the Council by order, resolution or ordinance may delegate such authority.  No such use permit shall be issued until the permit applicant has paid the application fee and the use and service charge required in connection therewith, and until the permit applicant has furnished proof of insurance with coverage as required by the Director of the Office of Administrative and Research Services in a form approved by the City Attorney.

I have heard it before that some professionals try to argue themselves out of this by claiming that what they do is not considered commercial, and that only whenever they would do this for a client, let’s say an advertising agency for example, then this would be considered commercial. This argument, as much as any assumptions with it, is wrong.

If you pay your photographer, then this is a commercial transaction. You pay them to take images of you. But what if you don’t pay them? Well, if the photographer (or you) are using these images for financial gain (meaning to advertise and get paid work out of this), then the purpose of the photo session was of commercial nature.

So before you hire someone, make sure they have a permit for the location you are shooting at. Furthermore, if they do not, insist on one, and while you’re at it, make sure they are insured. As a certified professional photographer (CPP) I am fully insured, and only shoot on location, if a permit was obtained first (if one is required at that particular location). As you may have noticed, I have a permit to shoot at many places in the greater Los Angeles area. These include most beaches, many parks and other locations. Alternatively I shoot in my studio, on our downtown L.A. rooftop, or any other location that is worth exploring. Interested? Get in touch with me for details and to book a session.

LA Professional Photography Permit
#laphotography #photographypermit #certifiedprofessionalphotographer #insured

Beauty Photography in Los Angeles

You may not have seen much beauty photography in Los Angeles, and that may be because there really aren’t too many certified professional photographers in L.A. that are experienced at this. Unlike portrait photography and headshots, beauty images require a different light setup, different makeup, and very different processing when finishing the images.

 

Beauty Photography with Sarah

During our session at the Alex Munoz Visual Arts Studio Sarah and I tried several looks. One of the images we ended up with was her in four different outfits, but to me the most striking images are clearly our beauty shots. The people at the Photography bay seem to think the same, as one of our images got featured there as well. If you want beauty, glamour, or fashion images for your professional portfolio, make sure to head over to Alex Munoz commercial photography and get in touch with me. If you always wanted that special portrait or headshot that makes you stand out, send me a quick note to find out what I can do for you.

Beauty Photography in Los Angeles
#beauty #glamour #certifiedprofessionalphotographer #LAphotography #alexmunoz

Rooftop photography fashion session in Los Angeles

L.A. Rooftop Photography

Not so fast, before I get started with today’s post, I want to apologize for the site’s erratic behavior yesterday. As you may recall, I was planning on transitioning to a new design, and that switch happened yesterday. The site is now cleaner and easier to navigate, but most importantly loads 3-4 times faster, and looks great on mobile devices as well. There are still a few little things here and there that will hopefully get sorted out over the next couple of days. For now enjoy the faster speed and better looks.

 

Meet Yendi!

I recently had a chance to work with Yendi on a fashion project. One part of the shoot involved some beauty shots, but the majority was about shooting on the rooftop. One of the advantages of having a studio with rooftop access in Los Angeles is, well, the rooftop access We managed to shoot into the sunset which gave us not only a nice looking skyline, but also the amazing colors associated with the “golden hour”. If you always wanted to shoot on the rooftop to get some amazing and unique images, make sure to get in touch with me. Most photographers get never a chance to take images on any rooftop, especially not on a regular basis.

Make sure to come back soon as I will be posting some amazing images of my session with Sarah shortly, followed by a fashion shoot in Pasadena with Marita and Lauren with the support of an amazing local designer. If you like these kind of images, make sure to checkout my commercial photography website, where you will be able to see more images.

Rooftop

Rooftop

Rooftop

Beauty Shot

Rooftop

Rooftop

Rooftop photography fashion session in Los Angeles #fashion #rooftop #alexmunoz #losangeles #sunset #skyline