Celeb City!
Last night, I was able to attend the red carpet part of the annual California Hall of Fame Inductees event at the California Museum.
It was a little chaotic (especially with a bleeding finger and no bandaids or duct tape to be found), but lots of fun. I was very impressed by how the celebrities really took their time to interact with the crowd. Skateboard legend Tony Hawk signed skateboards and even did a little skateboarding on the tube they set up for local kids. Two-time soccer Olympian and open lesbian Brandi Chastain also signed soccer paraphernalia and talked with lots of fans.
The Shoot
I was there to shoot the event for regional LGBTQ+ paper Outword. As usual for my photo journalism events, I was using my Nikon D750s bodies with my Nikon Nikkor 70-200 f/2.8 and Tamron 24-70 f/2.8. No flash was needed with the ambient lighting on the carpet. As always, I learned a few things in the process, as this was my first red carpet, “step and repeat” event. Again, don’t leave home without duct tape!
I shot without flash with mostly 3200 ISO, f/3.5, about 1/250 and did basic processing including reduce noise reduction later.
A number of these editorial images are for sale in my Shutterstock portfolio. Besides Hawk and Chastain, my gallery here includes RuPaul Andre Charles and hubby Georges LeBar, Actor George Lopez, Governor Newsom and his wife Jennifer Siebel Newsom, Chef Wolfgang Puck, Socialite and Heiress Charlotte Schultz, Guy Johnson (Dr. Maya Angelou’s son) with family, and civil rights activist Dolores Huerta (2012 inductee).
More Info
If you are not familiar with this event, here is some more information from the press release:
Governor Gavin Newsom and First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom joined the California Museum to induct the 13th class of icons who embody the state’s spirit of innovation and achievement into the California Hall of Fame Tuesday evening in Sacramento.
“California is a state not just of dreamers, but of doers who pride themselves on being on the leading edge,” said Governor Newsom. “That entrepreneurial spirit and the incredible diversity, daring and perseverance of our beloved state is demonstrated in the lives and the journeys of those honored tonight.”
“These inductees exemplify the beautiful diversity of our state and we are honored to induct them into the California Hall of Fame,” said First Partner Siebel Newsom.
The inductees of the California Hall of Fame 13th class are: Writer, Poet, Performer and Teacher Dr. Maya Angelou; Actor, Model, Singer, Songwriter, Television Personality and Author RuPaul Charles; Athlete and Olympic Medalist Brandi Chastain; Astrophysicist Dr. France A. Córdova; Skateboarder, Entrepreneur and Philanthropist Tony Hawk; Author and Activist Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston; Civil Rights Leader Reverend James M. Lawson, Jr.; Actor and Comedian George Lopez; Chef, Restaurateur and Entrepreneur Wolfgang Puck; and Winemaker and Vintner Helen M. Turley.