Last month we headed up to the top of some great rooftops around downtown San Francisco. Although the weather showed up in true Bay Area summertime fashion with thick fog and low clouds, you can't help but to appreciate the unique San Francisco Skyline.
Summer brings us warmer weather, barbeque's and visits to favorite cool down spots. This year Birdman got a head start on summer searching for water parks around The Bay Area for a pharmaceutical ad. We’re looking forward to a great season of fun in the sun!
Birdman headed to Northern California’s Wine Country to visit a spectacular medieval style castle. This 121,000 square foot authentic fortress with its half a dozen towers, great hall, chapel, four floor deep wine cellar, torture chamber and vast courtyard is tucked into the rolling hills just south of Calistoga. You feel a world away pulling up the winding drive and once inside centuries seem to fade away leaving visitors awestruck by its magnificence.
Completed in 2007 after 14 years of careful planning, construction, artesian craftsmanship and attention to detail, the castle has a very genuine look and feel. The moat, drawbridge, meurtrieres (slits in the castle wall originally used for shooting arrows at invaders), flying buttress, piazza and grand loggia all add to the overall realism created within the castle walls. The 171-acre site has a small lake with an island, 30-acre vineyard, wine testing lab, wooded paths, small village market and a medieval looking water tower providing plenty of variety for photo production.
Birdman has been back to visit some of it's favorite ranches over the past few months for clients looking for rolling green hills, vistas, barns and lone trees. These working ranches have all sorts of location options for photo shoots. The ranch owners are so welcoming and great to work with that we find ourselves at these locations more and more these days.
Birdman worked with photographer Dan Goldberg on a project for The Almond Board of California earlier this month. Garrett headed out to the bountiful Central Valley to photograph the blooming trees, take a look at his beautiful images.
Birdman spent some time at the beach this winter. Two projects for '09 summer print ads sent us to the waters edge , one for a children’s shoe company and the other a national department store. The weather along the California coast in December and January is often said to be the best all year. Early 2009 was no exception, the waves were crashing, sun was shinning and the clouds played along the coastal mountains. It has been a pleasure visiting our coastal counties from Marin to Santa Barbara with stops in San Francisco, San Louis Obispo and Monterey Counties. Central and Northern California truly offers extraordinary coastal beauty.
Winter in Northern California brings snow to the Sierra Nevada Mountains and rain to the land west out to the Pacific. And even though nature takes it's course year in and year out, it's always bizarre when evidence of new life carpets the land in the middle of winter. So it’s official, winter has arrived in California and the hills are alive with green!
In December Birdman traveled to The Gaviota Coast for a children’s shoe print ad produced by Lisa Wagenbach of Point Productions. This portion of the California coast is unique for numerous reasons. The beaches here face south, a beautiful set of railroad tracks follow the shoreline and the coastal mountains offer a backdrop unlike any other in the world. This turned out to be the perfect solution for or client's unique vision and was a lot of fun to scout! German photography team Nick and Chloe will be traveling to the US to shoot the project and we look forward to seeing the final ad this summer.
Birdman was busy this summer on a large scale project for a major computer manufacturing company. Producer Jennifer Bullock teamed up with Jim Hughes to shoot several locations around the Bay Area.
This scout led us to some amazing new modern office spaces here in San Francisco and across the bay in the Diablo Valley. Check out a sample of the latest Birdman Office Spaces.
The Beijing 2008 Olympic Games have been fascinating and Birdman has enjoyed watching the American Olympic Swimmers win medals, especially Michael Phelps. Photographer Rick Chapman had the honor of photographing the legendary swimmer last year as he was preparing for this year's games. In spirit of these Olympics we're showcasing some swimming pool locations we've found over the past few months.
In May we were asked at the last minute to find a swimming pool for an ESPN Magazine article featuring America's Olympic Medal winner Natalie Coughlin. Olympians are often on a tight schedule as they prepare for the games, we had less than 24 hours to find the creative team a location. King Pool in Berkeley, CA was happy to provide exclusive access to their facilities for the shoot.
Producer Jenny Bullock and photographer Jim Hughes sent us out in the June heat searching for swimming pools for an underwater shot for GSW Worldwide.
Sometimes... you just have to jump in!
Loni Weholt, Isle 8 Pictures, and photographer Erik Almas are collaborating on a project for California Tourism to showcase the best the state has to offer. Vineyard covered rolling hills basking in the Northern Californian sun would entice just about anyone to the Golden State. For this project Birdman had the pleasure of exploring the beautiful vineyards shrouding the landscapes of the Napa, Sonoma and Livermore Valley wine producing regions.
The verdict is in! Birdman Inc is guilty of finding several courtrooms open to photo shoots.
Recently a project with Stuart Schwartz for Applied Biosystems sent us in search of courtrooms around the Bay Area. Our investigation uncovered evidence in San Francisco, Santa Clara and Alameda Counties. We've discovered a range of courtroom styles from a 150-year-old classic to a modern moot (a mock court where law students argue hypothetical cases).
Lake Tahoe is a Northern California gem drawing visitors from all over to enjoy the beauty and adventure that surrounds the lake. Birdman has visited the Tahoe Area for several projects and a few snowboarding trips too.
Many of our searches lead us to the water ways in and around the Northern California Sierras. The rivers, small lakes and the main attraction, Lake Tahoe, are spectacular backdrops.
Beverly Lewis, Placer/Lake Tahoe Film Office, and Kathleen Dodge, El Dorado Film Office, are always a huge help when it comes to finding the right spot in, on or along a river or lake. With their help we've gained access to some amazing public and private land for productions.
An average family spends more than 1/3 of its time together in the kitchen and often the most important decisions for the family are made while gathered at the kitchen table. As the heart of the home, infused with family history, a kitchen develops its own distinct personality.
Birdman has been welcomed into some incredibly dynamic homes and our collection of kitchens has grown to nearly 1,000! Styles range from traditional country to modern and hi-tech, each offering distinctive backdrops for photo shoots. We’ve developed great friendships with homeowners who welcome production into their homes.
Lately several of our clients have asked for both nature and urban locations for the same project. Shooting in both of these scenarios can add significant travel time to a production schedule.
Urban parks in San Francisco offer amazing natural settings within city limits and can alleviate a great deal of travel time. Birdman has built great relationships with the folks at San Francisco Parks and Recreation, they understand and welcome photo productions.
These locations are all within San Francisco city limits, take a look.
Over the years Birdman has scouted nearly 1,000 homes throughout Northern California! (Mark just counted) We have organized them in our recently upgraded digital library, matching a selection of homes to your project layout has become quick and efficient.
Custom file pulls are a great way to save time and money for Advertising or Editorial projects. This service allows us to access our extensive database and deliver a targeted selection of locations.
San Francisco Bay Area homes range in character and architectural styles, check out our samples page. To gain access go to http://www.scoutcentral.com and use “demo” as the user name and password.
Northern Californian Roads traverse a host of landscapes and have become one of our most common location requests. Automotive Photographers often choose the Bay Area for the diversity in roads and weather conditions around San Francisco.
Location scouting can be a challenge when a project involves a range of locations to be shot on a tight schedule. Birdman welcomes such challenges, setting out to discover unique roads allows us to explore new places!
Napa Valley, San Francisco, The Pacific Coast, Monterey and Lake Tahoe among many other spots around Northern California offer roads with character unlike any other place! Here is a small selection of our favorites, enjoy the ride!
A recent project for a major software company led Birdman throughout the Bay Area in search of the Ad Industry's most sought after locations. Data Centers and Server Rooms are all the rage in many current marketing campaigns. Check it out!
Birdman was recently given full access to a timeless San Francisco bank. The marble lobby and traditional teller windows only begin to reveal this classic's diverse character. Open to photo shoots; the space offers traditional conference rooms, cubicles, roof access in the financial district and a vacant safe-deposit vault. To get information or see more images of this location give us a call at 415.543.3830.
