Rick's Desert Diner:
For those local to Sacramento, you either are surprised that we have this cute diner in town, or you've been there multiple times. Rick's desert diner is such a fun place to take pictures, mostly because of the vintage aesthetic. The only downside is that this is one of the places that everyone takes photos at so it's very difficult to get unique photos inside but It's not impossible!
My constant thought when on location is "How can I shoot this in a way that someone else hasn't," and I try to do this by finding different angles, leading lines, framing, etc. Thankfully Rick's is full of those, making it a little easier to get that shot you want. In the photo to the left, you can see that the light frames the model's head and how the table leads the eye to the model. I believe it's those factors that make this photo appealing.
Photo 2:
Speaking of shooting in ways others won't, I wanted to get an angle away from the usual spots inside the diner. I tried to use the clock on the wall to frame the subject, but I, unfortunately, could get the right angle to have her head in the clock ultimately. If I could redo this photo, I would choose an angle where the clock is fully around her head, and the objects on the walls are less distracting. I'm happy with the depth created by the wide-open aperture, though.
Photo 3:
This area was a couple blocks away from the diner. The noticeable landmark is See's Candy. There isn't really anything special about the area, but it has a retro vibe to it and a little courtyard that has plenty of shooting opportunities. In this photo, I liked the lighting in a nearby hallway and wanted to use that light to frame the model. What I like about J Street is that there are many different areas like this that you can utilize all along the street.