Meeting Chris Rabb

Author and speaker Chris Rabb."Be Prepared." There is definitely something to be said about that Boy Scouts' motto. A few months ago I was connected to Chris Rabb by a mutual friend. He needed some design work and photos. One afternoon out of the blue, I received an call from him that he would be in my area the day for a conference… could we get together to maybe do his portraits. I was a little surprised but I said, "Sure." After we coordinated a time I packed my camera bag and was on my way. We met, chatted a bit and walked around for about an hour. We stopped in a few spots and took photos. Chris ended up with a variety of images.

So, who is Chris Rabb? He is the author of the book, Invisible Capital: How Unseen Forces Shape Entrepreneurial Opportunity. I have it on my Kindle and highly recommend it for any entrepreneur. He is also a visiting researcher at Princeton University and a serial entrepreneur.

Check out more of his photos from our session.

The Jenkins Family

This is the perfect time of the year for family portraits! A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of spending a little time with the Jenkins family. It was the perfect afternoon for a photo session in the park. I find that shooting in the park or a casual location is good opportunity to get to know my client and a nice way to get everyone relaxed. Pelham Bay Park in the Bronx, NY was chosen for our location. We walked around to several different spots and chatted a bit. When we came across a good spot, we took a few photos.

If you're ready for your turn, contact me and let's get started... I'm sure we can find just the right location.

A Total Package

Client portrait and the book cover.

Occasionally a project comes along that needs more than photography. That’s when my extensive background as a graphic designer and art director comes in handy. Not only can I shoot your images, but I can make certain that the brochure or book cover they will be used for are done as well.

Recently I was able to provide such services to a client who came to me for photos for her new book cover. When I shot the photograph, I was able to visualize how it would look on the cover because the concept had already been discussed.

Samples of my design work can seen on this site at here.

Hamming it Up for the Camera

When I'm setting up for a shoot, I like to be ready when the "talent" is ready. I will often use a stand-in model so I can test my lighting technique. Sometimes, I even use myself—thanks to my tripod and wireless remote. But it really helps to have a friend who is a real ham for the camera. They will jump right in and I can fire off a few shots to test shots. Surprisingly, sometimes I end up with some nice images... and they end up with some nice profile pictures for their Facebook page. :)

Can't Let a Blizzard Stop Me

When I'm scheduled to do an outdoor photo shoot, I can't let a few flurries stop me... even if it's the build up to a blizzard. During the Christmas weekend, I was scheduled to do a photo shoot outdoors with Sakina. We were actually scheduled to shoot on Monday morning... doing some outdoor as well indoor portraits. Once we realized the there really was a snowstorm coming, we decided to get the outdoor shots done on Sunday morning. There was one problem, the snow had began to fall and the wind was whipping. So, we scratch the whole thing right? Wrong. When Mother Nature starts to throw you snowballs, don't run, throw them right back!

It was freezing out, but we got some really nice portraits despite the flurries and the wind. This couldn't have worked out better if we had planned it.

Sakina Spruell Cole is the founder of Cole Media Inc and has been a business journalist for more than a decade. She is also the creator and host of Keeping It Rich™ with Sakina, which can currently be seen on BET.com. Be sure to check out the episode on homeownership.