Lightroom at Weddings

For the last few weddings we have been using Lightroom to create our slideshows... so fast and so easy it's ridiculous!

As soon as you plug in a memory card Lightroom kicks on and opens the import window. This allows you to view the images on the card before downloading. I 'uncheck all' then simply check the images I like to only download those- big time saver.

After going through a few cards we are ready to process the bunch by using Presets- previously created treatments to apply to images in an instant. This process of applying the Presets and correcting the images takes minimal time as the changes we make never actually get rendered- they are just little notes attached to the images.

Once the images are ready we simply choose the Slideshow window and push play. We put the couple's names in the corner and choose the background color (it could be an image too) prior to the wedding.

This beats any slideshow software out there for speed and the control of the photo effects/ corrections. The only downside: no Ken Burns Effect (the panning and zooming). I really don't miss it too much to be honest.

I'm a Lightroomer for life!!

Oregon Trip

Last week I took a quick trip up to Oregon to take a cruise with Poppy (Dad). I don't get to see him too much so I made a trip- in the middle of the crazy busy wedding season (you gotta just do it sometimes).

I flew into Medford (Southern Oregon) and rented a motorcycle (yep, that huge Harley below). I have always wanted to see what all the hub-bub is all about with Harley's... like Macs it's just the cool factor- both good lessons in Marketing.
So I got the bike, headed over to Dad's and we took off to the coast. He got to the coast in Crescent City, CA and continued south for some cool redwood ridin'- it was just amazing riding through the gigantic trees. The weather was perfect so we had a great time.

The next day we headed north to Brookings, OR for more cool riding. The California and Oregon coasts are some of the most spectacular on the planet! Talk about rubbernecking! I almost rode off the cliff numerous times just checking out the coast and trying to shoot while riding...
At the "Trees of Mystery"- total tourist shot.

Poppy and I at the top of the cool new gondola ride at the Trees of Mystery.This was in a bar/grill we ate at. Those are all bottle openers hanging over the bar- the local boys there say it's their earthquake early warning signal- "when they start clankin' we hit the deck!"
I can never get enough of the redwoods. Being a plant freak I just love walking around in a forest enjoying the variety of plants- everything is growing.
For this shot I tested out HDR in Photoshop. It automatically merges five bracketed images to come up with a High Dynamic Range image- pretty cool.
A beach in Brookings. This is where I realized that my big lens (70-200mm) had glass elements floating around inside it due to the vibrations of the Harley!!! It's in the shop as I write this.

Julie and Mike in NY

I know I say this all the time but Julie and Mike were total pro's during our shoot!! I can't wait for their wedding.

The shoot was fun, we started in Central Park then went across the street to shoot in front of the Brownstones- such a cool place to shoot. I could have continued well into the night... but Jeni, Bailey, and Caysen were getting a little bored.

Yes Bay and Cayse were right there- they were so good!! They just hung out like little angels.. at one point they were being a little too quite... they had gotten into the candy we got at FAO Schwartz ('The biggest and coolest toystore in the world!'- according to Bay and Cayse).

It was great meeting Julie and Mike in person- they booked over the phone. I shot Julie's friend's wedding so she was only going off of her recommendation and the website- love it!!

Central Park: (no, we didn't place the perfect leaves there...)
I told you they were good- especially Julie:
This scene gave me a kind of nostalgic feeling so I gave it the old fashioned treatment in Lightroom.

Over by the Brownstones:
See you guys at Surf and Sand on August 25th (the wedding)!!!

The Mauses in NY

What a long day! We were up at 4:30 this morning to get to the airport at 6 for New York and now, after a 5 hour flight and a few hours of driving, I'm sitting here in the lobby of the hotel at 12:30 EST checkin' emails and checkin' in with you all.

We are headed to Brimfield, Mass. first thing in the morning to attend the largest flea market in the country!!! We brought the kids so we will check it out for a bit them leave Mommy to search and scour for the next must-have item. She actually looking for furniture and ?? for the new studio. If you've been to the house you know what Jeni's after.

After a whole day there, we will be heading back to NY to explore the tourist traps of Manhattan and, of course, the Statue of Liverty (Caysen's pronounciation).

A few shots already:


That's Jeni and the kids boarding...

I got to hang out with my Boo Bear all day- love it! He asked me during the flight "Daddy, when are we going to shoot the bad guys with the bombs?"
He thought that all 'jets' were fighter jets!!!


They sure needed to burn some energy after sitting in a seat all day!! They were so good all day we got a little crazy!


I'll check back with updates on our finds...

Sara and Mazen at Ojai Spa

Sara and Mazen were just a joy to work with!! They are so fun to be around, so considerate, so in love, and so, so, so fun to shoot!!

Michelle Buckley at Details Details introduced them to my work and we hit it off right from the start. They are genuinely good people and great fun to be around.

Now, that in itself makes for a great day of shooting, but if you couple that with one of the coolest places I have ever shot (Ojai Valley Inn and Spa), some the my favorite vendors, including Julie from Elysium Productions , and superb weather, you end up with a nearly perfect day!! OH, and the decor was super unique and rich in warm colors- always good. Michelle had cusions, rugs, cool fabrics from Lebanon (the Groom, Mazen's Mother brought them), even hookas were going on the patio.... and yes, there were some amazing belly dancers, too!

See below, for some of my favorites of the day:












Want more? Check out the slideshow

My First Surf and Sand Gig!

This past Saturday I had the pleasure of covering the wedding of Tara and Dustin at Surf and Sand in Laguna. Tara is the sweetest girl- Dustin is a little crazier but also a joy to be around.

I have wanted to shoot at S&S with my buddy Sandy (catering manager there) ever since I attended an ABC dinner there over a year ago. The grounds are very picturesque- Mediteranian feeling with a little modern flair. Imagine terra-cotta pots containing olive trees next to a sleek green glass fountain.

Sandy didn't work our event, but I did get to meet her associate, Sarah Wilde, who was great to work with.

The weather was a little yucky but that made for great light for shooting so I was happy! We hung out with all the boys for a bit before getting over to the girls' room- all 10 of them!
This was right out a tiny little side balconyj- the guys thought I was an idiot for shooting here given that the other balcony had a 180 degree view of the ocean... hey, it's all about the light boys! They loved this shot when they saw it in the slideshow at the reception- then they were all friendly again...lol.
Tara had a crazy long vail... like 10 feet or so. I love the wooden shutters!
Tara is a total model- so pro!
Another shot against a wall.... I did get some shots of the girls with a view behind them but I like the symetry of this one.
St. John Vianney Chapel on Balboa Island was one of the toughest churches I have shot in... but we got some great shots!
Right next door to the chapel was the famous frozen banana shop- we had to get a shot there!
Then back to S&S:

Love this little garden- citrus trees, olive trees, and a cool (this is my only 'cool' in the whole post Mom!- trying to cut back) little fountain.
Aren't they so cute together?


First dance. You can thank Julie and Pete from Elysium for the neat (neat just doesn't sound as cool as 'cool') light and flare.
Yes I do use a tripod on occasion, this was right outside the reception- PCH.
We had a blast! Great wedding, great shots! Want more? click here.

A Happy Mom!

I love getting emails like this, they make me realize what a cool job I have- it is so rewarding to know that photography can affect so many people in such an amazingly positive way.

The photos of Eric and Rose are absolutely gorgeous! I can hardly view them without crying. I am having a hard time deciding which ones I like best.

Terri, Mother of the Groom.

Click here for the slideshow.