"We are so excited to share with you a few spreads from Hoka’s first catalogue produced by Aspen Productions! 

Aspen Productions is a full service still and motion content production company with over 30 years of combined experience. We blend urban production work ethic with mountain production know-how, resulting in a combination that fills every possible job need. We’re known for our resourceful contacts, problem-solving skills and scrupulous attention to budget. We have offices in Aspen, Atlanta, New York, and San Francisco but our territory covers the entire country. Some of our recent productions have taken us as nearby as Utah and others as far away as Alaska and overseas to Thailand, Italy, and Sweden.

Our services range from acting as your local liaison to providing full production services. This includes but is not limited to line producing, location scouting and management, and “real people” casting on national commercials, print campaigns, music videos, and features.

Our jobs have had us snowmobiling the glorious peaks of Aspen in hot pursuit of a director’s storyboard, locking up the streets of New York City, arranging logistics from Hawaii to Sweden and weaving camera crews among the marshes of Thailand. Finding your perfect road or mountain vista is a cinch – making your production successful is our forte."

Jonathan Barkat grew up along the shore in Cape May at the southern tip of New Jersey. Many moments were spent watching as the light moved across the ocean, dunes, and wetlands as well as amusement piers, beach hotels, boardwalks, and seaside attractions. The atmosphere and mood of the area played a large part in shaping how he sees the world and continued as an influence as he turned the camera to the people around him. Though he started taking photographs in high school, he spent the first part of college focusing on painting and drawing before turning again to photography. This background, along with his love of evocative light, informs his work and approach to image making. 

Jonathan works with advertising, book publishing, and editorial clients, and has been recognised by Communication Arts, Photo District News, The Society of Publication Designers, and the International Photography Awards. He thoroughly enjoys the collaborative process and working with a wide range of clients to bring his visual voice to an assignment. In addition to commissioned work he spends as much time as possible shooting personal images. 

When not shooting or working out new productions with clients, he can often be found riding around his local mountain bike trails. And if you ever want to come along he’s pretty sure he knows where to find an extra bike.

Klaus Maria Einwanger is a commercial food photographer and table-top director with more than 30 years’ experience.

He grew up in Germany, surrounded by beautiful mountain landscapes, lakes and delicious Bavarian food. It was here that he made his first steps of his photographer career before heading out into the world. Klaus work focuses on natural beauty, clear colours and the incredible textures of food. In the studio, on location or in the great outdoors. Over the years, he had the opportunity to work with great creatives and big brands, chefs, publishing houses and restaurants, including here in New York. Now he’s arrived in New York City and can’t wait to see what the opportunities are. If you’d like to work with him, just get in touch.

Clients include AEG, Allianz Insurance, Bosch, Burger King, ERDINGER Weißbräu, Google Germany, Heineken US, Lidl, Marche International, Panasonic Europe, Siemens, Subway, Tramontina Brasil, Unilever, Weber Stephen, Zuma NYC.

Since its inception in 1991, Go Studios has established itself as one of the foremost rental studios in New York City and is known for its modern, clean look as well as its friendly staff and welcoming environment.

Whether clients are shooting fashion, celebrities, catalogues, still life, food or video, Go Studios will meet their professional photographic needs with four beautifully unique and versatile spaces - including the spectacular new penthouse studio, two convenient NYC locations in Chelsea and the Garment District offering daylight and skylight options, fully-equipped kitchens and all rental equipment and digital capture stations on-site.

Ellen McDermott, international award-winning photographer based in New York City, is best known for capturing the soul - the pure essence, of her subject matter.

Her commercial and advertising work spans from interiors, still life and portraiture. 

Ellen’s work can be viewed in multiple advertising campaigns, periodicals, books and catalogs.

Collaboration with clients enables Ellen to explore new possibilities in getting messaging across while achieving photographic excellence.

Cherry Li's keen eye for food photography is a natural pairing of her gourmandise with her dedication. Upon receiving her BFA in photography from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, she started travelling the world in search of authentic food stories. After years in France, Cherry now divides her time between China and California, both the homes of her childhood. 

Cherry's unique visual sensitivity and keen eye for detail has won her multiple professional awards and gained her clients such as Anchor New Zealand, Lady M, Tourism Authority of Thailand, Travel+Leisure, Condé Nast Traveller, GQ, Malaysia Airlines, Dragonair, Wall Street Journal, Theme, Wallpaper, The Cleaver Quarterly, Qatar Airways, British Airways and Australian Gourmet Traveller.

Based in Shanghai and Los Angeles, 5th Avenue Productions is a full-service production and post production company specialising in photo / video productions, celebrity endorsement consulting and international artist representation.

"Our team has over 20 years production experience and deep understanding for both western culture and the asian market. We offer efficient and cost-effective services for advertising, fashion, editorial and TV commercials.

Services include: photo / video production and post production, product shoots for e-commerce, celebrity endorsement consulting, artist representation, models casting, studio & gear rental, location scouting.

Our studio in Shanghai is open for shooting products and still life images for e-commerce. Our studio has capacity of producing a large volume of still life images weekly.

Some of our clients: Maserati, Aston Martin, L’oreal, Adidas, UPS, Disney, GSK, BASF, iQOO, Artengo, Kalenji, Nabaiji, UBS, Schindler, IBM, Abbott, Elle, Vogue, Look, GQ, Hyundai, Lux, Estee Lauder, Neutrogena and many more.

We also provide production services in Europe, USA and some major Asian areas such as Thailand, Taipei and Hong Kong."

Welcome to Showcase San Francisco, brought to you by Production Paradise. This issue features some of the leading photo and film production services and creatives working out of San Francisco. 

More creative professionals and facilities for photographic and film production are available in our San Francisco Photo and Film directories.

Brands and publications including Audi, Microsoft, JBL, Lexus, Samsung, Logitech, Verizon Wireless, Hyundai, Pacific Gas and Electric Company and  Luxury Card among others, have trusted these professionals with their latest advertising campaigns and editorial shoots.

Be sure to catch our recommended events:

• The Chronicles of San Francisco - exhibition by the artist JR, who set up a mobile studio in 22 locations around San Francisco, where he filmed and interviewed nearly 12 hundred people from across the city’s multifaceted communities. In the completed work, a digital mural scrolls across a seamless bank of screens, bringing together the faces and untold stories of the people we encounter every day. From 23rd March to 31st May at SFMOMA.

• SFFILM Festival  - the longest-running film festival in the Americas. From 8th to 21st April in Castro Theatre. 

Our cover image was shot by Adam Dillon.

Jim Erickson is a renowned commercial photographer working in the San Francisco Bay Area. For over 30 years he has created timeless imagery for hundreds of blue chip clients, shooting all around the world and in his own spectacular backyard. 

He is known for his ability to capture spontaneous and unexpectedly telling moments that connect with the viewer in a way that makes them want to 'be there'.

Recently, Jim has been shooting video projects on beautiful Dillon Beach, just north of San Francisco. Using a combination of the latest Canon 1DC and the Sony F55, 4K cameras, he is rapidly creating high quality video content for both Erickson Stock and his clients’ libraries inspired by the natural beauty all around.

After years of successful working relationships with a range of companies, from boutique to those with global presence, Leigh Beisch has mastered the art of developing content that communicates the story behind a brand so that customers can connect.

Leigh’s personal passion and focus on foods and ingredients that promote well being, both mentally and physically, have given her added insight into creating content that consumers who care about these things can relate to.

Her expertise in highlighting the quality and appetite appeal aspect of food products have elevated major food brands on national promotions and worldwide menu board shoots.

"I take each shot as a personal expression. This natural approach combined with my natural lighting delivers images that have reached out to audiences and evoke comments such as 'I just want to eat the photograph' (McDonald’s test customer)."