Rediscovering Joy in the Work and Redefining Success

I’ve made pictures of people for many years and still get a thrill from it. There comes a time in any creative’s journey when they look back to evaluate the successes or failures that stand out. Of both there are many but the ones that stand out get blurred into an endless stream of moments shared together with perfect strangers. If I’m not careful, it all gets distilled into work, I’m hoping to redefine the joy in the work.

“What keeps the creative spark alive and what keeps us pushing?”

The answer isn’t all that clear sometimes.

I photograph portraits for people who are working towards an upward trajectory in their own life, and I take my role in that very seriously. People are getting promoted, seeking new opportunities or chasing their dreams. Studio Portraits of business people, artists, actors, models, authors, dancers is my way of providing for my family but its also a major hobby. I get so excited to help a friend with their images.

Recently, I’ve looked back to film for a familiar challenge. I have written about my love / hate relationship with shooting film. Over the years I used film cameras that were gifts and I enjoyed using them tremendously until there were malfunctions and heartache over failed results. At that point the decision was to not play around with film unless I invested myself into it and focused. Without the right tools, you are left playing or wishing your idea will come together but I was done playing and wanted results I could be proud to share.

I picked up a Mamiya RB67 from my favorite photography store in Sacramento, Photosource. Jose helped me decide on the older version of the Mamiya, the classic studio photographer’s choice when film cameras dominated the fashion and portrait world. Personally, I love the size and cumbersome nature of this system. I wanted better quality than my fun Yashica Mat 124 and a different, slower experience as compared to my trusty Canon R5. What I love about the Canon R5 system for my work is the ability to capture faces in a variety of locations and in studio with exceptional accuracy. Everything about the R5 is designed to allow the user to walk away from a shoot with more winning shots than ever before. This same approach is why I ultimately decided to make an investment in the best portrait camera available to help realize my vision with a more successful track record. Below is a comparison of these two very different camera systems. They are both just hunks of plastic, metal and glass made decades apart but the real specifics are basically the same.

Maymiya RB67 vs: Canon R5

Next came the lighting, in the last few years I’ve really focused on a table top approach to business portraits that bring something else to the world of corporate portraits. Do all clients love it, no, but you can’t win them all. What I have enjoyed in the tabletop studio approach is the ability to light them in a unique way. Although I normally don’t like to do the same shoot style twice, I have started to hone in on an approach that works well with most people. I needed some light for these film portraits to work and I didn’t want to rely on my normal strobe lighting. Aputure makes some incredible lighting I first saw on a commercial shoot. The lighting tech for the production assured me that all still photographers geek out on these lights when they first see them on set. They are powerful, reliable and maybe the best feature is that its a Bowens mount so I could use all my favorite lighting modifiers. Now I saw the potential to make film portraits in my studio in a similar way to my digital approach, things were beginning to look doable.

“Ideas are great but unless we act or make steps towards them they just linger as ideas.”

A bit of practice with all of these elements has produced some wins but the biggest one of all was the fact that it was happening at all. I’m glad the process of making a picture on this new system is tricky and slow, this approach is not for clients, this approach is for me and my joy.

The first really strong image from this approach was my son and Aunt, then my wife. I was thrilled with these rolls and it helped me realize the potential. I’ve known Brian Johnson for a while now and first learned of his work on instagram, he was photographing people in the street on film and it sparked this love of the craft in me. Shooting just to shoot and as a way to meet and interact with people in the community. Since then he’s started making clothes and has progressed into making clothes for the Opera. Brian Johnson ( @ambitiousjohn ) came to the studio with some of his latest designs and we played with different looks.

The below image is special to me in a lot of ways, one being that it even exists. Without a lot of thinking about, researching, tinkering, and follow through on an idea this image wouldn’t be a reality. I was the client again and it felt great to see the idea come together in the way I intended. Both of us have done considerable work to get to this point of being able to share this image. Along side his steady love of film photography, his skills with designing clothes have grown. This print is his signature and I was thrilled to see it carried through on the pants, jacket, hat and bag.

For me its the culmination of a love for working the craft and working the process in order to see the vision through.

Brian Johnson, Photographer and clothing designer in Sacramento. 2024 Portrait made on Ilford XP2 with a Mamiya RB67 at Kevin Fiscus Photography Studio.

You can see more of my work and follow this film portrait journey on this website and my Instagram: @fiscusphoto

Personal Branding - Lifestyle - Corporate Portraits - Do's and Don'ts

Personal branding, lifestyle, and corporate portraits often have a similar canned or stagnant look because the approach is all wrong. If you’re reading this and shopping for a photographer to create the next visual representation of your career, ask yourself: “Is this photographer interested in my personality and how that personality fits into the next five years of my unique career?” It seems simple but your new career images used to further your business or professional goals shouldn’t look like senior portraits, they shouldn’t look like your wedding or engagement photos either but so often I see this mistake.

When you’re looking to level up your professional image it’s important to make that investment with a photographer that specializes in creating these kinds of images. I didn’t hire a food photographer to photograph my destination wedding and I won’t be hiring a sports photographer to photograph my newborn.

“Who’s seeing the photos and what do the photos say?”

Ask yourself “where are these images going to be seen?” Are you posting this fresh new look on LinkedIn, or are you needing something for a print article in an industry magazine? Are you speaking at a conference or corporate event where your portrait will be projected to a group of your peers? Please don’t make the mistake of sending in the selfie from your backyard, I’ve seen this too many times at large events. Your professional image says a lot about you, whether it’s a great photo or not.

Personal / Professional Branding Portrait Do’s:

  • Ask yourself: who will see the photos? New clients, hiring managers, internal staff, outside sales?

  • What do you want to visually say to those people when they see your new portraits? Warm and inviting, strong seasoned leader, or somewhere in between? No wrong answers here, your adjective prompts should give the photographer a starting point for crafting your look.

  • Invest in wardrobe: If you haven’t been in the office for a while and don’t have any new professional clothing, consider a couple new options. It’s been proven to boost your self confidence with a new wardrobe. You know how good you feel when your wardrobe is on point. What better time than now to level up your wardrobe and if you need help your photographer should be able to point you in the right direction.

  • Use your best colors: I love black, blue, light grey and anything you say is your color. Some people look great in jewel tones, or earth tones, but other people like bright colors for statements pieces. All these are great options but not all are the best for everyone.

  • Consider a professional make up artist. Your Photographer should know a few options.

  • Invest the time: Don’t smoosh a portrait session in on your lunch break, or after work. The problem with these options is that you are not in the moment or worse, you have a rough day at work and now you need to perform.

  • Work the process: This shouldn’t be offered as a mini session or a quick shoot. If you are signing up for a mini session you’re not signing up for any complexity to your look and likely that same image has been produced before you, and will be produced after you, for many other people.

  • The process takes time. Your photographer should be taking the time to get to know you, this helps to relax you but also it should empower you through dialogue centered around your career trajectory. If you feel inspired while you’re being photographed you’ll likely see that feeling in your portraits. If you’re feeling awkward and giggling about the process, you’re going to look silly.

Personal / Professional Branding Portrait Don’ts:

  • Don’t hire a plumber to take you career or personal / professional branding photos. Hire a photographer working with other businesses to level up their look.

  • Don’t leave it to the last minute. This isn’t a passport photo - communicating your brand and who you are in a set of images requires a crafted approach.

  • Don’t assume your photographer knows anything about your goals. You need to discuss your hopes and dreams and see if they can be conveyed into your corporate portraits in a meaningful way. If they don’t ask about these, find someone who does.

  • Don’t bring a friend. People who bring a friend have overlooked one very important DO from the list above. That is to focus your energy into this process. If you’re having a conversation with your photographer during the process and constantly looking over at your buddy or goofing off making jokes, you are taking yourself out of the moment and wasting everyone’s time. You don’t bring a friend to the dentist so don’t bring a friend to your professional portrait session.

  • Don’t be afraid to say exactly what you want to do with these photos. If you secretly want some of these images for dating apps and don’t tell the photographer there will be a weird moment in the shoot where they think these looks are too spicy for the office. Just tell them ‘I want some portraits for the office but I also want a few looks for dating apps’ so we can have a clear direction.

  • Don’t forget to shop around for a photographer that matches the looks you want. The photographer should have a website or portfolio that clearly defines their speciality or demonstrate a range of capabilities.

Sean made it clear that he didn’t want a traditional looking corporate photo and wanted to lean in on his use of color in his wardrobe. This session was to produce a unique image to use on editorial articles and event speaker opportunities.

A note on the subtleties of body language and light and how they can dramatically change what your professional image says to your dream clients. Brighter light and a softer expression on the left communicate a different energy than the moodier lighting and closed arms on the right. Portraits speak for themselves so we aim to speak directly and clearly to your audience.

John needed a few looks for use in internal communications as well as external client facing communications. The one on the left speaks to the internal team as an approachable friendly professional. The image on the right depicts a stronger seasoned leader which will be used for outward facing communications to other companies, or times when authority is more the desired message.

Patty is a therapist and wanted to create a warm inviting portrait series to speak of that warmth to anyone who was searching for a therapist. If you’ve read this far you know your face can say a lot and we can say whatever you want with the right approach and energy.

Her images are meant to convey a good listener and safe presence, like your best friend who is also well equipped to lead you through a tough time. These images will be used on her website as well as directories.

House Real Estate based in Sacramento is a leader in their field and wanted a new kind of image for agents instead of the normal light bright environmental portraits that we all know and love for Real Estate agents. This series was part of a campaign to introduce themselves without the distractions of the beautiful homes they sell, and instead was an editorial portrait to introduce the team in a new way. The images were published in a series of print advertisements throughout the communities they serve. They were also used on Billboards, and social media campaigns.

Interested in starting the conversation about your next set of professional images or learning more about my process? I’m happy to help guide you. Remember it all comes back to this question:

“Who’s seeing the photos and what do the photos say? ”

You can see more of my work on my website and get a feel for who I am by following along on Instagram.

Sacramento Metro Chamber 128th Annual Dinner and Business Awards - Photo Studio by Kevin Fiscus Photography

We were thrilled to capture business professionals and award recipients in an editorial way that hasn’t been done before. We weren’t looking for cheesy smiles, we wanted drama and personality. Capitalizing on the black tie gala, we endeavored to give everyone a show and images worthy of a glossy fashion magazine.

For this event I hand-painted three new backdrops to give a luxurious look to the portraits. A sage green color was used in three different historic hues and applied with various water-based techniques to create depth and texture. We created a set that had gravity, an elevated look to offer something beyond the traditional event photography you see at corporate events.

All three finished backdrops.

We packed 90% of our Midtown Sacramento Portrait studio, brought it to the Hyatt, and set up just past registration. Within a few hours we photographed over 60 groups, couples, and solos. A highlight for me was working with total strangers in a setting not constrained by corporate creative concept. This was a chance to let loose a bit.

Kevin Fiscus and assistant Ryan Ouzts on set at the 128th Sacramento Metro Chamber Awards Dinner

Kevin Fiscus and assistant Ryan Ouzts on set.

A big thank you to everyone who played along with our idea and hopefully walked away with a cool image of themselves. Thank you to the participants who trusted us to make images that were unique. We hope we captured your humanity and personality.

A huge thank you to Susan Harris Brazelton at the Sacramento Metro Chamber for believing in this vision and trusting my team to deliver. 

If you see your image and like it, right click to save it and use however you wish. Drop a note in the Contact page to keep the conversation going or follow along on my Instagram for more highlights from this night.

3Fold Communications 18 Year Anniversary Party + Portraits by Kevin Fiscus Photography

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We set up the studio for portraits during the 18 year anniversary party for 3fold Communications.

This is a night off for these executives and a night to creatively explore for me. Most of my work is for a driven purpose or initiative with strict guidelines and parameters so it’s fun to cut loose a bit with these professionals. In an effort to get some fun off-script images, we ditched the idea to offer “business” headshots to our guests. We’d rather offer something they didn’t expect.

I’ve started challenging the idea that your business portrait needs to be boring or stuffy in any way. I built out a small booth setting and built some unconventional light for a business or corporate headshot. This lighting is focused on creating a new editorial look for many of these faces. Your professional image can and should be tailored to your personality and position.

3fold Communications brought a ton of amazing people through the doors all night, the booth was running back to back. There was amazing food being passed around from Canon and the drinks were flowing as well. Clutch really knows how to throw a party.

Here’s to building communities and celebrating 18 years in business.

I’m honored and thrilled to occupy the studio space with such an amazing company. Find me upstairs at 3fold or contact me through the website to inquire about studio sessions.

Find more work on my Instagram here: @fiscusphoto

Natural Light Studio Portraits in Sacramento

Announcing a new offering for the studio. We’ve been honing artificial lighting for years and have enjoyed the creative flexibility to quickly switch looks with lighting. This new space offers another approach which I’m excited to continue honing and crafting into meaningful portraits for friends, family, and clients. Thank you for your trust to tell your story authentically and through this new studio space, we’ll have more room to create your dream shots. Last year we were thrilled to be working with actors, models, artists, musicians and business people. I approach each shoot the same and ask myself how can we make the best possible pictures to push your dreams forward.

The Kevin Fiscus Portrait Studio has moved to the heart midtown Sacramento.

Below is s quick test shoot with Tina Marie who assists with me on larger shoots. She always brings the style so I had to grab a few shots before she left.

Baby Pics!!

Big shout out to Jenna for bringing my Nephew Miles into the studio today. I loved using this space finally. The light is so bright and soft, I can’t wait to see what else looks great in this light. Got a youngster that you want to document?

Industrial Photography in Sacramento by Kevin Fiscus

Industrial Photography in Sacramento by Kevin Fiscus

Things are happening all around, at different times and can be dangerous if you’re not paying attention. When I get to a facility like this I’m always trying to focus on the actions and procedures that make the most impact. What is it this facility does to create the products? I’m always interested in the process from raw product to how it’s loaded and sent out.

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Non Essential Photographer - Renfree Field - Sacramento

Sacramento is under a Shelter in Place order from the City and State. We are at the beginning of a new normal for most Americans. Most of my work is people based and has been put on hold for now. In an effort to process this strange feeling I leaned on the creative process to help focus energy away from things that are out of my control. I’ve been following the guidelines laid out by the Governor and Sacramento’s Mayor. My wife and I are staying home and away from people.

I had the idea to use the interval timer on the camera for a different take on this feeling of aimlessness. I’ve been pacing around my house a lot and staring out of different windows. I wondered what it would look like if I wandered around aimlessly through an empty baseball field.

This image is made by setting the camera on a tri-pod and setting the camera to fire once every three seconds for about four minutes. I then processed all the shots to black and white in Lightroom and finally stitched them together in Photoshop. Not all shots were included because there was a ton of overlapping images. So when I was choosing which shots to use in the final I was careful not to include any that were distracting.

It felt great to work on a new idea, not for a client, and not really for any other purpose but to create something.

Renfree Field

Product Photography Sacramento - Lemon on Blue Background

I've been meaning to photograph this perfectly textured lemon from the backyard and with the city wide covid-19 quarantine, the time is now. 

I just shot this in the studio this morning to play with some new ideas for lighting small objects. 

Most of my work is face to face portraits but I’m here in the studio looking forward to utilizing this mandatory at home time to focus on some new tricks in the studio.

Product Photography Sacramento - Kevin Fiscus Photography 2020

Product Photography Sacramento - Kevin Fiscus Photography 2020

For the photo tech geeks: This shot is using four Interfit S1 Monolights but just using their modeling lights. This is a 3.5 second exposure and f29 for maximum development of that lemon texture.

Sacramento Medical Photography - UC Davis Med Center Pathology - Kevin Fiscus Photography

Portrait Pictures from inside the Pathology department at UC Davis Med Center.

In these uncertain times I take comfort in knowing there are professionals dedicated to helping others through this Pandemic. These are a few images made in the Pathology department in UC Davis Medical Center last year for an assignment profiling the new Director of Pathology.

Raiders Final Game in Oakland

A farewell to the Oakland Raiders as this was their last game in the Oakland Coliseum. Here are a few snapshots from my Fujifilm x100t. I edited them in Lightroom with a black and white preset. The day couldn’t have been better for a football game but we didn’t pick up the win in the end. There were a lot of emotions in the air yesterday regarding the teams move to Las Vegas and one thing remains clear, the Raider Fans are some of the best in the world. I’ve had the distinct pleasure to come to this stadium for the last five years with Kara and it was great to finally sit next to her in the stands instead of waving at her on the field.

Sacramento Barber Portraits Photographed by Kevin Fiscus

Because I never go into Barber shops (I’m bald-ish and cut my own remaining hair) this is a portrait showcase of the Barbers in Sacramento. The series is all shot on one disposable camera and presented in the order they were photographed.

Creativity+ challenged some Sacramento Photographers to create a project with a disposable camera, I immediately started thinking about what to highlight and I always came back to portraits.

Most of my work consists of portraits of people in their workplace and I needed a good angle or subject to fill an entire roll of film. I’ve had this idea recently of doing portraits in places that I tend not to go, it was either barber shops or tattoo parlor. I’m a bit jealous of all the cool hairstyles people get nowadays, I don’t have the good hair so I don’t spend time in barbershops and this was the perfect opportunity to portray a slice of the working barbers in Midtown. They’re all photographed in between haircuts in their shops in Downtown and Midtown Sacramento.

The idea is loosely based off a couple other projects I did with portraits of Strangers and other Mom and Pop business portraits I did in 2009 during the recession.

This set of portraits was done on the spot with Barbers in their workplace over the course of three days. The challenge was to create a cohesive look within the constrains of the camera’s technical limitations. I tried to stay very similar with the look of each portrait while celebrating the unique differences of each space.

Santa Cruz Post Cards

The first rolls of film I ever shot were of my friends bodyboarding in Del Mar and the La Jolla reefs. I had a blast this weekend being a tourist in Santa Cruz. I've never been to this part of Santa Cruz before and was so pumped to see these two different waves working right out front of where we were staying.