Photographer Renee D. Miranda is always ready to snap a picture of that interesting character at a parade or a mysterious location that calls out to be captured. But her favorite subject is people—the more interesting, the better.
“I like taking pictures of people who wear interesting clothes, have tattoos, or wear their hair in a different way,” Miranda explained.
Her website is full of characters she’s met at the Lompoc Flower Festival or the Santa Barbara Solstice parade. Usually, Miranda will spot someone she thinks would enjoy participating in a photo shoot. She approaches such potentials, hands out her card, and asks them to call her to set up a session. Then she instructs them to “go all out” and really show their personality.
“I don’t like to see them until I open my door,” she said. “I just love that, when I open my door and see them. It’s so cool.”
Miranda likes to take her subjects to places she described as having an edgy feel to them—think abandoned buildings, railroad tracks, or industrial warehouses. But she’s also known to simply take in events, such as the recent dog show in Lompoc.
Photography has been a big part of Miranda’s life. Growing up, she watched her grandfather’s family films and her parent’s photographic slideshows. That early exposure would later make the path to developing her own photography skills seem natural. Mostly self taught, Miranda started out with a Kodak Instamatic. She now explores her world with a Canon T1i Rebel. She’ll hang four of her people portraits at the Lompoc Photography Guild’s “Caffeinated and Captured” show through August.
Sherrie Chavez, president of the guild, said Miranda’s will be among 90 images on display from 22 artists featuring an eclectic mix of scenes.
“She has been with the guild for a period of two years, and in that time, she has become an amazing portrait artist,” Chavez said of Miranda.
For her part, Miranda said she’s received tremendous support from the guild, and especially from Chavez.
“The first field trip we went on with the guild, I was the only newbie, and everyone had these Nikons and Canons, and I had my point and shoot,” Miranda said. “Then they brought out their tripods, and I said ‘You brought tripods?’ I didn’t even want to bring out my camera, but everyone was so encouraging.”
The upcoming show will take up most of the wall space at South Side Coffee Company, so there will be a style for everyone, Chavez said.
“Come down, get caffeinated, see the work we’ve captured,” she said.
Chavez will also display many of her own pieces, primarily from her exploration of the Central Coast. She said she’s especially inspired by the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes; one of her pieces in the show is called Late Shadows.
“It’s the lines and the textures and the shadows of the place [that] intrigue me,” she said. “It’s awe-inspiring, walking around those dunes.”
Chavez was first attracted to the dunes when she saw the cover shot of Westways magazine, taken by Edward Westin, featuring a location in their sands.
“I said, ‘I know that place. I want to get there,’” Chavez said.
So she and a fellow photographer went about mapping the area and trying to identify the spot. They eventually found it.
The dunes don’t offer the only opportunity for a magical photograph. Sometimes, it’s the right person at the right time in the right place with the light hitting just so. Sometimes it’s the quiet after the storm, such as in Chavez’s photo Stranded in Santa Barbara. The shot features a boat that washed onto shore after tumultuous weather. With the light filtering through, there’s almost a sense of peace, although, Chavez admitted, she never learned the ultimate fate of the boat.
For her piece Traveler, she saw a lone man carrying a guitar at a train station. The scene captured her imagination and prompted her to capture the image.
Whether it’s the mystery and shadow of a place or the bold colorfulness of a person, “Caffeinated and Captured” has got it.
Arts Editor Shelly Cone has been known to capture caffeine, but she always releases it back into the wild. Contact her at scone@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Aug 5-12, 2010.
