Epiphany!
I have never been a big fan of shooting portraits in a studio, and last night it finally hit me why. At our monthly OC Photo Club meeting, we had a themed photo shoot in a studio. I was working with a group of photographers on lighting setups and ratios, when it hit me. Studios are the perfect environment to create a perfect photo. You have complete control of light, and last night we had beautiful models, talented hair and makeup staff, and compelling wardrobes and sets. Basically everything you need to create a perfect image. Yet every image I took wasnt perfect and that, for some reason bothers me. But when I take away the desire to create a perfect image, I love photography. At the end of the night, as we were tearing down equipment and people were packing up their gear, I grabbed Jamie, one of the models and took her outside. It was 9:30 at night and in the parking lot of an industrial complex where the studio is located, I placed Jamie in front of a wall, in an area that was lit by an ugly security spot light. I knew it would be a grainy image because of the low light, and the color of light sucked but I knew it would look great in black and white. This, in my eyes, is a perfect image. One that is void of perfection, yet completely soulful and moody.
Wedding at Tivoli Too in Laguna Beach
My friend Kimberly referred me to her sister Jennie back in October and I was very excited to get to photograph Jennie and Josh’s wedding yesterday, May 5th. The complete event was at Tivoli Too in Laguna Beach and it was a perfect day. To be honest, I was getting a little nervous the couple of days leading up to the wedding. Being friends on Facebook with Kimberly, the Maid of Honor, I witnessed 2 days of pre wedding celebration photos, most of which were pictures of various shot glasses and cocktails. And having a wedding on Cinco de Mayo, I knew it was going to be a party. Eeveryone was great, and everyone had a wonderful time, including Debra and I.
Debra Says…… (About an Engagement Session)
We met Fabiola and Rich near their Orange County home for their engagement photo session. What a cool, fun couple! Confession time. I love these engagement photo shoots. It is an interesting phase in a couples lives. They are no longer dating, but not married. Let’s face it, weddings may start out to be about the couple, but they end up being about everyone else. Usually there are social and religious customs that dictate a wedding.(which is special and sacred) As much fun as wedding planning can be, it is a bit stressful too. The engagement photo session is just about the couple. Capturing them in this in-between time is beautiful to me. It is a chance to see them, as few people get to see them, and to record those moments forever. Fabi and Rich chose a couple of different spots for their session, including the Montage in Laguna Beach. They were relaxed in spite of the chilly wind. They were laughing and smiling and just, adorable. Chris likes to get to know the couple more during these sessions, and they get to know him. That is important, since at your wedding, your photographer will stick to you all day, it should be someone you feel comfortable with. I am lucky to get to witness these moments. Thank you Fabi and Rich, see you at your wedding! xo Debra
STS Simon and Jude Wedding and Tustin Ranch Golf Club Reception
I guess networking really does work. Last week I photographed my sons mothers brothers wife’s sisters wedding. Sorry, I know there should be some commas in there somewhere. They had loving and supportive friends and family with them, and they narrowed down the bridal party to only include 12 flower girls. (give or take) When you are 1 of 7 sisters, there are lots of kids in attendance. Everyone in this family pitched in to help make it a wonderful day. Special thanks to my wonderful crew and their photo contribution, and to Mitch for picking up meatball subs for us, and to Debra for driving back to the church when I left my tripod behind. Jolene and Jessica at Tustin Ranch Golf Club assembled a wonderful reception, escorted us around for a great photo session with Ronnie and Teresa, and treated all the vendors with 1st class style. Teresa and Ronnie had a church ceremony, but TRGC is a great location for both ceremonies and reception. Check them out if you are getting married and looking for a nice country club setting.
Light It Up!
I don’t typically blog the family pictures from weddings. I know that’s stupid, because they are very important. And this is not a very good one. We were under serious time constraints at the venue when they decided to get a group shot of everyone in attendance. The bride and groom should have been at least near the front but I let everyone gobble them up so we could knock this out and move on. The only reason for this post is because Debra took the behind the scene image and I thought it would be an opportunity to share how I handle a group shot. Churches often have mixed lighting. We had a combination yesterday of a large skylight directly overhead, and spotlights. If I would have shot without assistance of my own lights seen in Debra’s image, There would have been a combination of people in shadows, and people that were lit by the other light sources in the church. What I like to do, is set up a couple of flashes on either side shot thru a small umbrella. Its not fancy, its not creative, but it gives you a nice consistent image that I am sure the couple and their friends and family will enjoy.
Family Session
Here is a little collection of images from this afternoons family shoot.
Laguna Beach Engagement Photo Session
Debra and I met up with Robert and Lindsey yesterday for a photo shoot. On our way down to the beach, Robert asked if I had checked the surf report, which of course I hadn’t. The extent of my preparations included making sure I put the camera in the car. If I had checked, I would have seen that there were big waves this day. The good news is, unlike their photographer, they stayed relatively dry. It was still a great day spent with a fun couple, and we even started out with a couple pictures near their home with Otto, a 14 month old Shepherd mix. (Thank you Debra)
Wedding at St. Johns Lutheran in Orange
Sandwiched between a gloomy Friday and a Rainy Sunday was a beautiful Saturday full of sunshine and happiness as Evan and Heather got married. St Johns Lutheran Church of Orange was the site of their ceremony. Flowers were provided by Kelley at Lavenders Flowers. Mitch Rossi and Debra Ekas were on 2nd and 3rd camera and their contributions helped make a wonderful collection.
Wedding On a Budget
Yes, weddings can be expensive. The venue, the dress, rings, photography, it all adds up, right? Well, there are ways to save money, and still have a wonderful wedding. Yesterday, on a Thursday, Rick and Karla got married. Yes, on a Thursday. It was a small event with maybe 20 guests, very intimate. They were married at Hotel Laguna, a venue where I have photographed a number of weddings. But this was my first time there on a weekday. It was great! Not as many guests as there are on a weekend, and we literally had the beach to ourselves. It was a 4:30 ceremony, followed by some photos, a best mans toast, dinner and some cake. And everyone got home no later than a bad day in traffic. I dont know what they spent for the whole wedding, but they did save a few $$ on their photography.
Portrait Shoot in Pasadena
I met up with Jennifer for her portrait session in South Pasadena on Friday. Here are a few of her images.
