San Francisco Skyline Panorama by Adam Jacobs

I've been waiting for the perfect late Spring storm to get some really cool cloud formations above the city. After visiting the same spot a few times before but conditions never quite being right for the picture that I wanted to create, I tried again late last week.... I was in luck!  Epic, booming clouds were forming over San Francisco after sunset which provided the perfect opportunity to create a stitched panorama of the whole Bay, stretching all the way from Twin Peaks to the Golden Gate Bridge and encompassing everything in between including the Bay Bridge, new Salesforce Tower (the tallest skyscraper on the West Coast) and the TransAmerica building. This is a stitch of 12 photographs and I love the eerie colors that the sunset caused with the beautiful purple and yellow hues. 

With Summer now starting, the bay will spend a significant amount of time shrouded in fog in the early mornings and evenings so I was happy to get this before "Karl" (the local name that San Franciscans give to the fog) sets in for the next few months; I'm excited though to capture some photos of this unique weather phenomena.

In the meantime though, here is the resultant San Francisco cityscape panorama of the skyline. Please enquire if you would like to license or purchase this image. 

Changes To Our Privacy Policy - Keeping Your Data Safe by Adam Jacobs

Adam Jacobs Landscape Photography Antelope Canyon Photographer Fine Art

With the new GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) rules coming into effect on May 25th, the data laws are changing for the better. We want to reassure you that we treat your details carefully and your data with the utmost respect and security.  So we've updated our Privacy Policy to reflect how we collect, protect and handle your personal information. This means that we can continue to keep you updated on gallery openings, workshops, gear reviews, Adam's adventures and of course, continue to share beautiful photographs. Anyone who is currently on our mailing list will have received an email regarding these changes but if you have any questions at any time you can contact us at info@adamjacobsphotography.com.

 

 

 

I'm a Black Rapid Ambassador by Adam Jacobs

I'm delighted to announce that I've now a BlackRapid ambassador. I've used their camera straps for quite a while and even before my association with the company firmly believe that they are the best in the business.

When your’e out shooting long hours and carrying around heavy equipment, comfort is key and being able to take any kind of weight off your shoulders paramount. Feeling any additional strain on your back can cause problems in the long run and make life miserable as a photographer if they persist or worsen; you can check interesting tips on curing back aches at Livermore chiropractic.

The array of straps and other camera accessories that BlackRapid provides are therefore invaluable in taking strain of your back and shoulders, This will not only save you many a trip to the masseuse but also make every shoot more enjoyable whilst ensuring you can concentrate on creating the best images possible.

I'll be posting video reviews of some of their latest products in the months to come so keep an eye out. 

In the meantime, check out their site for the huge range of products available for all different types of shooter and below is a photo of me using their Double Breathe Strap to ensure my cameras were going nowhere whilst on a rooftop in San Diego last week. 

Adam Jacobs Photographer Black Rapid Ambassador California Fine Art Photography
Adam Jacobs Photography Black Rapid Ambassador Professional Photographer San Francisco Bay Area California

British Institute Of Professional Photography Award by Adam Jacobs

I was delighted to receive news that one of my portfolios had been nominated and subsequently won the 2017 Best Licentiate Award by The British Institute of Professional Photography (BIPP)

The BIPP Qualifications provide an internationally recognised benchmark in professional photography.  To successfully achieve a qualification, candidates submit a portfolio of images and accompanying supporting evidence to be assessed against exacting standards.  

Throughout the year, BIPP Assessors nominate portfolios that they feel are exceptional. These portfolios are then re-assessed for consideration for the annual Qualification Awards and presented every year at the Professional Photography Awards.  This year the awards lunch was held at the Ivy Restaurant in London and I was so honored for my work to be recognised by winning the Best Licentiate Award for 2017. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend the awards lunch as I was on a shoot for the Pac-12 in Las Vegas. Nevertheless, it looked like a great event and I'm looking forward to attending future BIPP events in the future. 

I also now get to put the letters LBIPP next to my name if I choose...very fancy! 

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Adam Jacobs British Institute Of Professional Photography Award

 

 

Pac 12 Mens Basketball Tournament by Adam Jacobs

It's always great going to Vegas to shoot and last week I was back there shooting the Pac-12 mens basketball tournament at T-Mobile Arena. 

My primary focus was to create a series of commemorative panoramas but I was also briefed to shoot brand-specific creative shots for the Pac-12 along with action shots from the floor. 

Photographing basketball is fast, frantic and great fun! Sitting on the court you really get to appreciate the skill, speed and athleticism that is needed to play such a high-energy sport. You also have to constantly be on your toes ready to move out the way in case a 6'+ player comes hurdling towards you at full speed!!! 

As it was a tournament shooting four basketball games back to back can be pretty grueling. However, when you love sport and  have the best seat in the house I really can't complain!!

Below are some of my favorite shots from the week...

On a side note, as March Madness concludes, it's great to see the University of Michigan, my school who I photographed for many years, make the Final Four...Go Blue!! 

Adam Jacobs Photography, Pac 12, Mens Basketball, Tournament, Las Vegas, T Mobile, Hoops, March Madness, Arena, Stadium, Arizona, USC 2
Adam Jacobs Photography, Pac 12, Mens Basketball, Tournament, Las Vegas, T Mobile, Hoops, March Madness, Arena, Stadium, Arizona, USC 1
Adam Jacobs Photography, Pac 12, Mens Basketball, Tournament, Las Vegas, T Mobile, Hoops, March Madness, Arena, Stadium, Arizona, USC 3
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Adam Jacobs Photography, Pac 12, Mens Basketball, Tournament, Las Vegas, T Mobile, Hoops, March Madness, Arena, Stadium, Arizona, USC 1

Adam Jacobs | Manfrotto Filter Videos and E-Book by Adam Jacobs

I've spent a lot of the past year working on a project with Manfrotto to create educational material to coincide with the launch of their new filter products and Xume system. This materials are focused on helping one better understand how to use filters to improve your photography. This has culminated in the launch of a landing page on Manfrotto.com containing videos, an e-book and shorter pamphlets. These are all designed to teach you how to better understand how using different filters can help create better images.

In both the videos and book, I cover the three main filter types (UV, Circular Polarizers and Neutral Density) and explore what each one does, their advantages and in what situations each comes in useful. Below are the three videos.

Also, click here to download the entire e-book for free. Enjoy! 


Click on the image above to view the landing page that I have created with Manfrotto which has a bunch of great material on learning to better use lens filters to improve your photography. 

Click on the image above to view the landing page that I have created with Manfrotto which has a bunch of great material on learning to better use lens filters to improve your photography. 

Friday Feeling by Adam Jacobs

It's the end of the week and we've all got smiles on our faces. This is a personal favorite portrait of mine from an assignment photographing the Dalai Lama, one of the jolliest men I've ever met. This was his right hand man (unfortunately I never got his name) but he was a larger than life personality. Although we could not speak the same language, we laughed and joked with each other as I snapped off a few frames. Shooting in black and white often draws the eye away from the distraction of color and really focuses us on the subject and expression - in this case unparelled joy! Have a good weekend everyone. 

Adam Jacobs Photography Black and White Portrait Smile Emotion

Exposure Isn't Everything by Adam Jacobs

Sometimes perfect exposure doesn't always mean getting the shot that you're after. For example, in this fine-art photograph I wanted to give this stretch of Manhattan Beach  an ethereal appearance and therefore chose to use my histograms to over-expose the image, defying normal convention. This produced a somewhat dreamy effect helped by the already hazy conditions.

I really like this effect as it helps to draw attention to composition and color as well as creating a very specific mood. I'm therefore working on a series of these shots with a similar effect from different beaches. I've included another one here with a similar effect achieved from a beach in Miami. 

Adam Jacobs Photography Fine Art Landscape Photo California Manhattan Beach For Sale
Miami Beach Adam Jacobs Photography Fine Art For Sale Photo

Tidal Pools by Adam Jacobs

I found these really unique tidal pools on the outskirts of La Jolla whilst on a trip to Southern California last week. I loved how the rock formations and pools of water gave the beach an almost lunar-esque appearance and it provided plenty to work with in terms of interesting foreground subject and composition. Given that it was the holidays, I was fortunate that the beach was relatively empty and although I didn't quite get the sunset and clouds I was hoping for, here are two of my favourites from a great location. I'll definitely be heading back here soon! 

La Jolla Tidal Pools Adam Jacobs Photography Landscapes For Sale Sunset
La Jolla Tidal Pools Adam Jacobs Photography Landscapes For Sale Sunset 2

Iphone X - Big Sur Black and White by Adam Jacobs

I've recently got an IPhoneX and have been really impressed with the quality of the camera. I therefore wanted to test it more thoroughly on a trip last week at one of my favourite locations, the Big Sur that is situated on the Pacific Coast Highway and is perhaps the most dramatic stretch of coastal road in the whole US. I shot all of the photographs direct from the phone using the in-built black and white filter and wanted to see how good the dynamic range was at capturing high contrast scenes. The selection you see below are therefore all completely unedited and native straight from the IphoneX. 

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