The Photographer
Bob Bretell, the driving force behind 2nd St Photography is a San Diego based nationally acclaimed photographer noted by his strong straight forward composition and dramatic style, often accompanied with an element of whimsy. Bob is also a master of fine portraiture. His amiable laid back personality and collaborative nature have helped build enduring relationships with his many diverse clients. His work has been featured in national magazines ,trade journals, books, catalogs and brochures. He has also taught and conducted workshops at UCSD, Mira Costa and Palomar Colleges.

The Studio
The 600 square foot camera room is equipped with a large cove and 20 foot ceilings. Bob strives to keep his camera and computer equipment state of the art and although most of the shooting is done digitally he still relies on film when his clients request it. His gearbox includes Canon digital cameras, Contax / Phase One digital medium format and a Calumet 4x5 large format. The studio uses an assortment of White Lightning strobes, Mac G4 and G5 computers and Apple and Formac monitors.

The Clients
Ecke Ranch, Hewlet Packard, Cingular Wireless, Sunset Magazine, Eagle Creek, Dr. Bronners Soaps, Kents Bromeliads, Seacrest Village, First National Bank, Mammoth Equities, The City of Encinitas

Portraits
I have been taking portraits since I first opened my studio in 1987. That first year in business I was lucky enough to get a jump start by photographing high school kids for the yearbook. Back then I used a Hassleblad camera with Kodak VPS film and produced 5x5 inch proofs for the kids and their parents to preview once they returned to place their orders. 20 years later I am still photographing some of these kids Öwith families of their own! That blows me away! I still enjoy the energy of a portrait session whether it be in the studio or on location. Business portraits also keep me busy and are used in brochures and catalogs, business cards, websites and for display. Portrait sessions can take anywhere from 20 minutes to several hours, depending on the number of poses and clothing changes required. For indoor shooting I use a variety of canvas, paper and muslin backgrounds, for outdoor portraits I have a wide variety of locations to choose from such as the beach or park. Because 2nd St Photography is a full service digital studio we can generally preview the pictures right after the photos have been taken! This service is especially usefull to busy executives who appreciate the one stop shopping and quick turn around time without having to return later to make their selections. Another advantage with the advent of digital is the ability to convert any or all of the color captures to black and white. I personally love the look of a well composed and well lighted black and white print and have learned over the years how to get the same quality that I used to get with black and white film. That is very exciting! One more service I offer all of my portrait customers is very high quality digital retouching. I have learned the art of retouching from years of experience and know how valuable it is to any portrait. Basic retouching is included with all portrait sittings at no additional charge. We print on superior grade materials such as canvas, photo paper and fine art paper. Custom framing is all hand done by Tom Myers Custom Framiing of Encinitas. Tom is happy to give a 15% discount to all of my customers and he does beautiful work! I also offer high resolution Images on CD for all business portraits.

Product / Still Life
I have always loved still life painting, so capturing still life with a camera came very naturally to me. Like painting, creating a pleasing still life photograph requires a fundamental understanding of composition, light and texture. Choosing the right elements and putting them together is much the same as what a good cook does in the kitchen when preparing a recipe. In the case of product photography there is an additional element added to this recipe called the client. Behind every successful product shot is a good blend of all these ingredients. The assignments I like best involve a collaboration between the client, creative director and myself. As a photographer , the better I understand the product and the marketing message, the more effective I can be creating a successful image. I shoot a wide variety of products and give 100% of my energy and focus to each job regardless of the job size or budget. I try to incorporate my style to every job I begin with simple uncluttered design, bold composition and punchy color and contrast. These are my trademarks. On occasion I add a funny twist to the image just to make you smile and hopefully, make the image more unique and memorable. Subjects that I am most comfortable shooting include shoes, sports aparal and accessories, electronic and medical equipment, housewares, sports equipment, glassware and jewelry.

Food
Food photography is a personal passion. It is also one of the most difficult subjects to shoot well. A successful food photograph not only has to be technically crafted but has to trigger an emotional response with the viewer. I like to tell people that ìmy food photography will make you hungry even after you just ateî, and itís true! Most of the food shots that I create involve a small team of experts working together. A typical food shot involves a food preparer, a food stylist, a photo assistant and of course the photographer. Sometimes the person who prepares the food and the person who does the styling are the same. The food stylist plays a key roll and uses an assortment of tools and tricks to make the food appear irresistible. Because of the nature of food, especially cooked dishes and many desserts, timing is very critical. Sometmes the window of opportunity to get that perfect shot only lasts a few seconds. Another aspect of food as well as beveredge photography is the skillful use of light. As I mentioned earlier, a successful food image has to create an emotion, and light plays an important part of this process. It is not unusual for me to have up to ten lights on the set. I may use a warm main light to create a certain mood or a strong side light to simulate being next to a window. I like to use mini spotlights to accent texture and highlight certain areas. There are times when I photograph food outdoors such as in a garden setting. For this type of picture I use natural light as well as an assortmant of diffusers and reflectors to get just the right amount and the right quality of illumination. Some of the food I love to photograph most includes fresh fruit and vegetables, soups, fish, pasta, breads & pastry, gourmet salads, hot apple pie, pancakes and waffles and just about anything chocolate!

Flowers
Flower photography is something that I have been involved with for many years. I began shooting flowers professionally when I was asked by the Paul Ecke Ranch to help them with their upcoming spring catalog. That was 1998. Since then I have worked with many major plant and flower growers across the country, photographing everything from daisies to poinsettias. The plant and flower images I create professionally find there way into trade catalogs and magazines, retail displays and websites. My flower images also sell as stock photography with Alamy (alamy.com), a well known stock broker. I also enjoy shooting flowers as fine art and display my work at various galleries and shops in the San Diego area. Shooting fine art enables me to maintain my technical skills and enjoy the freedom of pushing the limits without the boundaries of working with a client. This in turn helps me stay fresh and inspired. Another way I stay inspired is by teaching. I conduct flower photography workshops through out the year that teach some of the techniques that I have learned over the last 10 years. I teach students how to work with natural light using diffusers, reflectors and other tools and tricks. My classes are geared for all levels with lots of time set aside for shooting and discussion. Check the events / workshops page for more info!