Bottles - I didn’t make it in time to fully capture this gem. The scientist had already started cleaning up. Fortunately, we were able to preserve the sense of immediacy and engagement that comes from shooting an active work area.

Edesa Bitbadal - Another amazing woman making her way in the political arena. In exploring various approaches, we discovered that a simple smile communicated her authority and authenticity effortlessly, while the background environment reinforced the sense of her dedication to service and to her community.

SRI Lab - This Lab Director was happy to assist in setting up a colorful lab shot. After many adjustments the shot finally clicked into place.

Dan Mount - I shot Dan in his office in San Francisco, California. Since then, I’ve photographed him and his staff of attorneys at his San Jose office.

Christopher de Charms - Omneuron, Menlo Park, CA - I was shooting a journalism shot for the Silicon Valley Biz Ink when Christopher asked me to take his portrait. This off-the-cuff shot lets us all know that even in the realms of MRI scans and serious medicine, joy and spontaneity are contagious.

Caspian Networks - Larry Roberts developed the concept of a computer-to-computer network that could communicate via data packets in 1960. Today we don’t even think about the gear that drives our time on the web. Making networking boards look good without using fancy tricks is a real challenge. I prefer the clean, understated contemplative look and feel of this image.

Monty - Monty was great to work with! We had an emergency when he fell down and broke his hand. Luckily, an Anybot engineer was standing by to manufacture another one on the spot. In this shot, Monty is loading the dishwasher. Something his mother and creator always wanted him to do.

Governor Brown - Then-Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown’s glance down at us seemed appropriate, given his position and his (now realized) aspiration to be Governor of California once again. With the Oakland City Center Rotunda as a background, I used mixed light sources for this shot.

Stuart Parkin - Stuart is an experimental physicist, IBM Fellow, and manager of the magneto-electronics group at the IBM Almaden Research Center in San Jose, California. He discovered how to make hard drives run up to 1000 times faster. Photographing Stuart in 2001 with another piece of equipment, a sputter gun, was creative and fun. Stuart’s sweater ties in nicely with the blue highlight of the machinery behind him and gives the impression that man and machine are related.

SRI Pill Manufacturing - The use of bright blue and the concentrated focus of both scientists reinforced the message of extreme care, precision, and quality control in the company’s manufacturing process.

Hotel Montgomery - San Jose, CA

Executive Portait - This executive was enjoying the clarity and sparkle of the glassware behind her. I added a touch of blue highlight to create a subtle mystery and to bring out the executive’s own luminosity. This is a good example of a slightly conceptualized contemplative portrait.

Andy Berlin - Intel - When I photographed Andy, he was leading the Biomedical and Life Sciences activities at Intel Corporation. In this environmental portrait, I had the sense that he was too worldly for a static image. Encouraging him to move and creating the "in-camera" swirl gave a more global immediacy, equal to his education and experience.

Pharmaceutical Manufacturing - Everyone had to suit up and show up for this photo shoot - even my camera.

IntraBiotics Pharmaceuticals, Inc. - I like the clean feel of this image. The “tone on tone” whites are separated out nicely, offering a clear backdrop for the glass in front. This IntraBiotics exec learned how to sleep in two-hour increments as he flew around the world on a corporate jet, giving lectures and sitting in meetings. It was important to capture the clarity and capability he projects every day in his business life.

Jeff Greenberg - We kept looking for an interesting background, and finally settled upon framed marble glass. With a little computer correction, I was able to create an excellent setting to photograph Jeff. The natural turn away from the camera was congruent with Jeff’s slightly introverted personality. It gave him some distance to drop into an authentic place for his portrait.

Colleen Cassity - Executive Director, Oracle Education Foundation. I photographed Colleen in her office, with the Oracle buildings out the window. The window glass created a nasty reflection, so in post-production I dropped Colleen’s image into a separate photograph of the campus. You can’t always get what you want onsite. But we managed to get what we needed.

Dakota in the Studio - The contrast of Dakota's face and hair on black was too much to resist.

iLog Executive - I shot this executive some time ago. I love how the background complements his skin tone while providing a perfect contrast for his dark shirt and hair. The effect highlights his vitality and projects self-assurance. As we played with seated and standing poses, we found that this one captured him and the company very naturally. His over-the-shoulder gaze, elbows resting on knees, suggests someone who is one step ahead of his competitors, and further reinforces the impression of his company’s agility and ingenuity.

Dr. Alborzio - Dr. Alborzio modernized her dental operations and wanted to capture the new look and feel. The environmental portrait was new to her.

Cogenra - I took this shot from the roof of an adjacent building. A climbing harness kept me from falling as I leaned over the edge of the building to expose the array. We waited until the sun was in just the right position, and then moved the array back and forth to get the proper reflection.

Hoge Fenton Jones and Appel - Photographing professionals with a cityscape in the background is fun! For this image I used a long lens to create the illusion that the cityscape was closer to my subjects. This technique strengthens the impression that the subjects are in touch with the world around them.

Environmental Lab - This SRI Lab Director was quick to put on her lab coat and pose with the other scientists in the background. Environmental shots like this convey a feeling of corporate transparency. With this in mind, the background becomes another important component of the portrait’s design, composition, and message.

CV Therapeutics - When I shot this photo, CV Therapeutics, Inc. was a biopharmaceutical company in Palo Alto, California, focused on the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. It has since emerged as a leader in cardiovascular medicine and was acquired by Gilead Sciences in 2009. This scientist, engaged in his work, was the perfect way to represent the company’s image.

Kathryn Spelman - Attorney at Law – Principal and civil litigator at Mount, Spelman & Fingerman. In this environmental portrait, I used lights in the background to create a “live office feel.”

Willy Brown - This animated public figure resisted taking direction for the photo shoot. When I offered a few suggestions, he narrowed his eyes and looked at me saying, “I would never do that; how about this.” Click. It was mucho fun from there….

Larry Stone - Larry used this photo for years as Santa Clara County Assessor. We had fun discussing his reputation for being the political butterfly of Santa Clara County. He took direction well, and as a politician, he knew how to create the golden smile.