Blog

Hi there!

My name is Elliott Bowles, and I have been working at Brandes Portraiture for a couple of years now. I have to say that working here has been one of the most rewarding jobs I have ever had. I’m only a senior in high school, but I have gained so much experience from working with Mark and April over the past few years!

My job includes working on the website, sending out eblast newsletters, and helping with tech support here at the studio in Calabasas. As I have a huge passion for all things digital, I couldn’t ask for a better job.

A few weeks ago, my family and I had a family portrait done. As part of that session, we took a couple of shots of me that I plan on using as senior photos for when I graduate. It was fun to be on the client side of things for once, and I had a fabulous experience!

So next time you see an update on the website or receive an eblast from the Brandes, you know a little more about where it came from. Have a wonderful summer everybody!
Elliott Bowles

Web / IT Guru

Claire’s mom Cathy  tells us that Claire and Windchimes had so much fun when we did their camera study last month.  I love knowing that.   I could tell by Claire’s carefree attitude that they were all really into the experience.  It may seem strange, but even Windchimes was a great model!

Everyone knows that April and I are over the moon to have a granddaughter. So you can imagine how much it means to us to have our own painting of our now multi-generational family.

This painting is in an entirely new style but we haven’t come up with an incredible name for these new images . That’s where you come in. We are looking for a name that expresses both independent spirit and connectedness. These portraits give the happy confidence of being all that you naturally are.

So we are having a little competition. Send us your name ideas on our Facebook Page or in this blog’s comments, and if we ultimately choose yours, we’ll give you a 15″ painting done in this great new style! Hurry. We need to decide by July 15th.

Here are just a few of the images from the Angels Luncheon a couple of weeks back. It was tough posting them all. This year was over the top. Way over….

> What a great day we all had when I did the camera studies for this painting of Kendall Gath with her parents Donny and Kath. I love how the images caught Donny’s fatherly pride in his daughter’s success. Although Kendall is just a little girl, it’s going to be fun to see her in the major competitions she’s already aiming for.

Kendall Gath

Late last year, we had an incredible opportunity to update David and Susan Macarios’ family portrait. I can’t believe how fast their kids have grown. When April and I met them to plan the session, they mentioned that they had an outdoor chess set, like you’d picture in Alice in Wonderland. The entire family loves the game. I can’t think of a better way to teach your kids how to play chess – in between dips in the pool! So, we created this painting that really captures the personality of the family and its individual members. We just completed everything. I can’t wait for them to see it next week!

Although you shouldn’t notice much of a difference, the blog has been improved and transferred to a new platform. Everything still works the same, but things should be smoother and easier to use. If you see any bugs or problems, be sure to leave a comment to let us know so we can fix it! Also, those of you who read the blog through a feedreader should update the feed to the new URL.

All of us at the studio are excited about the new brochure that will be delivered to us this week. My approach to portraiture is always evolving, and I thought it was time to show some of the newest paintings and photographic images. Most of the portraits were made since we opened the new studio/gallery in Calabasas almost exactly a year ago. You can download the digital version of the brochure below, or if you would prefer a physical copy give us a call at 805.367.8100.

Download Brochure (PDF)

I couldn’t wait to post our newest painting of 5 year old Chelsea Darrow making a flower bouquet in a field by our studio. I love that we captured something that really shows who Chelsea is and what she really loves to do.

I love when I get to create portraits for the same family many times over. We first met the Pompillo family when I was a wedding photographer 25 years ago! Last week, we had a fantastic afternoon at the beach with the entire family. It was so much fun and as the sun set that afternoon, I knew they would have beautiful portraits from another important time in their life: Their oldest grandson is about to head back east on a baseball scholarship at Villanova. He will be the first one to leave the area in all this time!