by Lizze Slocum
Walt Trepashko has been a photographer for 25 years – the last 17 of them in his family portrait studio on Lake and Mariposa right here in Altadena.
This native of New York City and Long Island got his early professional experience at the New York Daily News. He worked in Washington, D.C., with ABC television news for four years and then worked as a photographer in television production for seven years.
In 1994, he opened the doors of his Altadena studio. Walt and his freelance associates photograph weddings and special events as well as portrait work, including family portraits, of course. Walt especially enjoys photographing parents with their children (and he offers that as a tip for getting the little ones to smile for their pictures: get in the photos with your children).
Walt and his staff also shoot quinceañeras, bar mitzvahs and bat mitzvahs, as well as corporate events, and they do publicity photos. Copy and, especially, photo restoration work represents a large--and growing--segment of Walt’s business, and Photography by Walt also offers a large selection of frames and albums in all price ranges.
But it isn’t just professional, beautiful portraits and special-event photography that emerge from Photography by Walt. At Walt’s family portrait studio at the corner of Lake and Mariposa, you can get your passport photo taken, professionally lit, for the same price you’d pay if you went to the Auto Club or a drugstore or the packing and shipping store.
Whether you need an affordable 8 x 10 photo print or a passport photo, the major advantage to coming here, says Walt, is portrait lighting--lighting that flatters the face. In flash photography, the flash creates shine, shadows and wrinkles. Walt’s studio offers portrait lighting and the chance to get photos taken just as quickly and inexpensively as at those other places, but with better looking results.
What is the advantage of shooting in the studio? Again, it’s lighting, says Walt. “The definition of photography is painting with light – a combination of both natural and artificial light, used sparingly.” In this digital age, he says, photographers now make needed fixes using Adobe PhotoShop, but it doesn’t always look good.
He would much prefer to talk about the personal art of photography. When we asked Walt what some of his favorite parts of his job are, he mentioned travel. To say he is an avid traveler is an understatement–Walt can’t think of anywhere in the world that he hasn’t visited. When on the job, Walt divides his time between working in the studio and being outside on location. Favorite locations he has traveled to include England, Vietnam, and Tecate, Mexico. However, Walt and his photographers know Altadena and this vicinity well, and they’ve worked in myriad spots near here, such as Farnsworth Park. “We’re happy to travel to a location of your choice, suggest a location, or work both in the studio and on location,” says Walt.
Photography by Walt also offers specials at the studio, which change on a regular basis – click on Walt’s ad here in the Blog to see the current one. In March 2011, you can come in for a “mini sitting” (10 minutes or less) with as many as 12 sitters; you’ll receive one 4 x 6 print – for free! “I’d like people to come in just to know we’re here,” says the photographer.
Walt has photographed and done photo restoration work for people around the United States, but his heart is here in town, forming relationships that last. He loves the stories behind the photos that people bring into his studio for copies and restoration. He loves Altadenans’ respect and appreciation for their local heritage.
“Altadena is a wonderful community that I both live and work in … In general, why I love this business is that it allows me to meet people in the community. I’ve made many good friends who visit me on a regular basis. You don’t need to buy something to visit Photography by Walt. “
He frequently works at a discounted rate with a number of local and charitable organizations, including the Huntington Medical Research Institutes, the Altadena Chamber of Commerce, and the Altadena Arts Coalition. “It’s so nice being connected to the community,” says Walt.
Photography by Walt
www.photographybywalt.com
875 E. Mariposa St.
Altadena, CA 91001
626.797.7207
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Lizze Slocum is a professional mom and expert laundress and head of the gardening staff in her Pasadena back yard. She can’t really cook or clean very well, but she gets her hair touched up once a month. Her hobbies are writing and copy editing.
