For publishers the age of the coffee table book, design book, resource guides & how to books reached the peak in 2008. As the recession took hold, the building boom tighten and the billions of dollars that had pulsed through the housing sector slowed so to did the lumber mills, paper mills and printing presses. The slowing of the recession then drained the cash flow of publishers and advertisers a like.

Next we find the disruptive technologies that have inflicted so many other industries start settling in the shelter publishing world. The emergence of social networking sites like Houz, Pinterest started building better mouse traps to serve vendors and readers. Traditional media could not even dream of the powers that these start-ups have, developing new forms of media. Imagine if all the photos in magazines and there online equivalent of posts have became clickable fields directing to products, providing ease of ordering and a direct relationship to the vendor. Add in the peer group effect these social media have to amplify and echo the message and at almost no delivery cost and the publishing world gets more shaky.

Next, come the scores and scores of design bloggers. Each of whom have relatively small CPM’s but when multiplied by the vast number of their counterparts become channels of real numbers. Instead of a few national magazines being the able to hold court, the new reality is the world gets filled with congregations of bloggers, pinners and likers. The old court finds it’s editorial voices drowning or diluted by the roar of these new congregations. We see how quickly this past business model can fall a part, in the past two years alone numerous examples of established titles have closed down.

Now we drop in on these new congregations. Over the past two years, more than 2,000 individuals have been signing up one by one to gather for two to three days. At design bloggers gatherings across America, in Salt Lake City, Los Angles, New York these solo bloggers are developing their craft, tighten their vision, and becoming attuned to their own voices. On the horizon will be advertising syndicates getting ready to partner with hundreds of these lone angents.

Returning to the traditional media, these publishers face at least three challenges. Loss of authority, lack of financing and an a obsolete business model. To compete the old guard needs to go deeper into content, develop tools of engagement delivering interactiveness to the viewer and to advertiser. Initiatives requiring expenditures for survival but it may not be enough to keep up with the volume of the new chorus. Stay tuned…

The details. Photographed over two partial days the home became the cover story in California Homes magazine. The photography also became used in the real estate promotion of the unit which sold for top price comparable to the buildings comps.

The details. Time of day is important, just as much as the camera position and the framing elements. I capture for my architect clients the photos that will tell the story in magazines, books and portfolios. I have been the photographer of seven books of home design and architecture. During the shoot I wear the hats of creative director and art director getting the photos that make great layouts. I counsel what the current photo styling trends are and assist in the styling during the shoot. It is a collaborative process.

I have been photographing for interior designers, architects, magazines and books for over twenty years. Using both natural light and strobe light I create the editorial style photos you see here. The Bay Area and San Francisco is where I grew up and where I shoot the most, I travel to Silicon Valley, Carmel, Napa, Los Angeles, Seattle and Hawaii regularly.

I wear many hats on a photo shoot, bringing a multi-disciplined approach to photographing your project while acting  as producer, art director, photographer and stylist when needed. My clients look to me to give vision to their story making it engaging and thoughtful.

I have been the sole photographer for five books of interior design among them, San Francisco Style, California Country Style by Chronicle Books. Hawaii a Sense of Place, Mutual Publishing. The New City Home, Patterns of Home by Taunton Press.

Among the many architectural photographers in the Bay Area, art directors and clients seek me out because of the valued added skills I bring to my shooting. The photos I create live on in portfolios, brochures, books, magazines and video productions.

I make my home in Mill Valley, CA with my wife Florence, Luca our 2 year old son and our dog Nougat.

Food and Wine Photography, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, May 21st

Scouting, Styling and Shooting for Magazines, Mill Valley, July 14th

August and September TBD

The fee for a one day workshops is $200 and for a two day workshops is $325. Light meals and treats are included in the workshop fees.

These workshops have a broad reach and are directed to industry pros and enthusiast a like. Care is given to tailor the content to the diversity of the participants assembled. Have a look at the testimonial posts to see what others have taken away from the workshops and the style of the given presentations. For registration and more detailed information email David directly: david@davidduncanlivingston.com. Workshops have a Paypal option that can be used to registar.

New workshop dates and locations are added frequently. If you have a group of 8 or more and want to sponsor a workshop please contact David for details.

Participants will learn how to story board an idea, how to block out photo compositions, how to look for the right light & how to work with the light. In preselected interior locations, David will mix short discussions and live demos showing how to craft interior vignettes. You will see how the careful placement of objects, thoughtful styling and framing can make a photo come alive.

The workshop is geared for visual taste makers; Interior Designers, Design & Style Bloggers and lovers of Paris’ rich aesthetic repertoire. The workshop will be given in English and will serve nonprofessional photographers of all levels from users of iPhone’s to DSLR’s.

Participants will be applying the new knowledge they gain while shooting in an 18th century stylish apartment to some of the famed dealers of the Paris “Flea Market”. Participants will learn how to think like an “editorial shooter” creating a flow of photos that tell a story. You will learn how your choice of lens, camera angle and camera height affect the final feeling of the photograph. In the workshop you will learn simple ways to light a shot without major expenditures for gear. There will be short discussions of Photoshop, Lightroom, meta tagging, usage and how this new content will serve your goals.

David has been coming to the “City of Light” for over a dozen years. During his visits he has developed a network of locations and venues entirely photogenic. His French born wife will accompany the group acting a as translator when needed. The workshop will be June 7th and 8th from 9:30am to 6:30pm with no host cafe lunches and dinners. The workshop fee is $450. To register contact David by email: david(at)davidduncanlivingston.com

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The details. Shot over a few months, these photos where taken in the days of film and Polaroid. Just straight shooting here no Photoshop adjustments. I was in each home for few hours working unassisted.Diane Saeks provided the great art direction as she created the spreads that she imagined would become this Chronicle Book.

Participants will share their own snapshots of projects, that will be used as case studies for the workshop. You will take away how to style and compose your project in the look of a shelter magazine spread. Participants will see during live camera/computer demos how the right placement of objects and furnishings along with the right choice of camera angle can make a room more appealing.

Specific topics to be covered:
The look, propping for living rooms and bedrooms
Adding life, ways of arranging the right florals and other elements
Proper art, the importance of good graphic and properly scaled art
Trends in photo styling, a breakdown by magazines
Bed styling, how to make the comfortable bed, messy style or tailored
Kitchen styling, with food, floral elements and table top items
Scouting a project, the dos and don’ts of how to take scouting shots
Before shots, what to do and when to do them
How to submit a project to magazines

Fee and Registration
The workshop will run from 10am to 4pm and will include a tasty lunch for a fee of $200. Email David for registration and location details, david@davidduncanlivingston.com

About
David has been the photographer of leading design books like California Country Style and San Francisco Style by Chronicle Books. David was awarded the photographer of the year for his work in Hawaii a Sense of Place which is in its fourth printing. Regularly David’s interior photography can be seen in regional and national shelter magazines. David has also worked with top showrooms, manufactures and retailers to define their style in ad and web campaigns. Firms like Restoration Hardware, Ironies and Kneedler-Fauchere are drawn to David’s ability to function as creative director and photographer.

Reviews

“We came away with such great information that will really help us, a great workshop. The food, company and discussion made it such a great way to learn.’

“You had such wonderful insights, and the points you made were all very clear and relevant to what is currently going on in the industry.”

“I came away with a better understanding of the intricacies of shooting a design project, how to submit projects to media publications, what types of shots editors “like” and more.”

“I walked away with some very precise knowledge about identifying a consistent theme for my project that can carry through to each room and vignette. What I learned will help me plan for future shoots and guide the styling of the spaces for composition, beauty and consistency.”