Studio EMP Blog (formerly Eckman Maus Photography)

Please Visit Our New Blog

2009-01-22T11:17:00.000-08:00

We finally graduated from the basic Blogger blog to a custom WordPress blog- check it out HERE.

New Recommendation

2009-01-07T13:25:00.000-08:00

I got a new recommendation on Linkdin today and thougtht I'd share:

Top qualities: Great Results, Personable, High Integrity
“I hired Joel to photograph my May 2007 wedding. He was the best photographer I could have asked for. Punctual, simple, and to the point. He knew exactly what I wanted and proceeded to deliver beautiful results that were loved by all of my family and friends. If I still lived in Southern California, I would continue to hire him for other important photographic moments.”

Gennea got married at Shutters in Santa Monica- great wedding, great people- thanks Gennea!

Caroline and Matt

2009-01-03T11:53:00.001-08:00

Caroline and Matt got married at the Greek Orthodox church in Costa Mesa and had their reception at the Island Hotel in Newport. What a great day of shooting for sure- they were both great to be around.
This was my first wedding with Laurie Davies, wedding consultant extraordinaire. she was a pleasure to work with even though I stressed out her assistant a little not wanting to stop shooting at Back Bay. After shooting a bit she said we should start heading to the hotel. We were driving in front of the limo and after seeing the most spectacular setting ever they came around a corner to find me with my hands in a prayer position in front of my face begging to get a few more shots.... we got killer shots and made it to the hotel about two minutes late... dang I'm good!

I love Greek ceremonies!

In the parking lot of the church- I love the cropping qualities of a long lens!
Back Bay:

So fun!!!

Keri and Will, Palos Verdes

2008-12-18T11:47:00.001-08:00

Ok, still catching up with past weddings!! I should be caught in by next summer:)

Keri and Will got married at Will's parents' home in Palos Verdes- what a great place nestled in the woods with plenty of space for mature trees, horse trails and freedom.

The bad ass boys:
Keri and her mom are too cute!
We had a great time shooting with the horsies, Keri's pro huh?

Great decor!
Again, Keri's modeling skills coming out:
What a great view right out their back door:
Great shot, Stef!
And another:
And the group photo of nearly all the guests right after the ceremony, I was hanging upside down in a tree:) How peaceful at dusk is this place...
If I got married again (renewed my vows of course) I would definately want In-n-Out there... and I think Jeni might be into it too! Or maybe the taqueria truck!!Love these, they're so good!

First dance amidst the decor:
Here's to you! (notice the balanced light on the toaster and the toastee;) from off-camera strobes)Party animals!!

12th Place- WPJA

2008-12-10T11:29:00.001-08:00

I got the results from the latest contest at WPJA. I haven't submitted photos in long time- just too busy- but I obviously should more often!

Now, you may be thinking that 12th place is not such a big deal but this contest has thousands of amazing photographers from all over the world.

I have gotten as good as first in the past but I'm psyched to get in the top 20 any day!!

This is cool for John and Megan, the Bride and Groom too- they are totally into photography and were so great to work with.

I remember when I was shooting these one of the Dad's told me of his concern that I was shooting straight into the sun. I told him I was a pro and not to worry about it... jokingly of course- we all had a good laugh!!

See larger image HERE.
PS: no photoshop done here at all...

Heather and Mike at Strawberry Farms Golf Course

2008-12-05T01:47:00.000-08:00

Heather and Mike have been friends of mine for a long time- they're both partially in the wedding biz and I met them very early in my career- I think they were still in High School!! Dang I'm old!

They had an amazing wedding at Strawberry Farms Golf Course in Irvine- such a rad place to shoot. It all came together that day to make for such a great time for me and great images for them! The venue is killer to shoot, Heather and Michel are so cool and laid-back, the weather was perfect, I had my good friend, Mario there to second shoot... In addition to that Michelle from The Jones Victorian Estate was there to run the show perfectly!

Yes, Heather had these crazy-cool blue shoes on!
Add to the great day these parasols... even better!

The baby Chucks- so cool!

Gotta love the barn at Strawberry Farms!

These next two were actually taken during the reception- after dinner (this was 08/08/08). Heather is such a fan of photo that she seriously had been on the gallery of every shoot I have done in the past. I was actually a little scared knowing that she had seen all the great shots from lots of great weddings. I hoped that she didn't expect to get all the shots she saw from all the other weddings... After we got these shots at sunset I was relieved cause they're awesome! Heather and Michel said to grab them when the sun got nice and low (Mike knows about light, he's a videographer and cameraman!) so I did and woohoo!! Golden!

They had one of the coolest First Dances I've ever seen- a retrospective of pop music- and they killed it!

Love shooting at Strawberry Farms:Check more of their images on the slideshow HERE.

New Nikon

2008-12-02T17:15:00.000-08:00

Nikon unveiled a new rig today:

Looks like it's up against Canon's 1Ds Mark III. It's $8000 and 25 megapixels! It may be on my list if I start doing more commercial work but it's crazy overkill for weddings! I have 4x7 foot prints in the studio that are super sharp from my little 12.5 megapixel rig!

Canon's got some catching up to do now:)

See more info HERE

Megan and David at USC

2008-11-20T16:14:00.001-08:00

Megan and David both warned me that David didn't like taking photos and that he would be hard to shoot. They warned me in our first meeting, on the phone when they scheduled their eng. shoot, and when we got to USC to start shooting.
He was awesome and so was Megan. He took a little coaxing start to relax and have fun with it all, but when he got comfortable he did a fantastic job- see for yourself:

USC is such a cool place to shoot, I wish I lived closer:).

This shot was fun, my reflector was about 50 feet out to the right in full sun shooting the light all the way over to this dark hallway.
A little off-camera flash to create a little drama...

So fun, they brought their jerseys to horse around a little. David's crazy, I mentioned something about them going in the fountains that were near us on campus- 80% jokingly- and he was excited to say he was in that fountain not long ago celebrating after a game. They are HUGE USC fans! Stefanie, our associate photographer, was mad that she didn't get to go to the shoot because she is a HUGE fan too!

David was playing for keeps, he did not let Megan win- he was all game.
Hut, hut, hut....
I can't wait to shoot these two at their wedding next May. We got great images here, at the 'practice run' so the wedding images will be even better! They chose the St. Regis in Laguna and will be well taken care of by Jeannie and the girls at Details Details.
Can't wait!

Featured Wedding

2008-11-18T19:17:00.000-08:00

Brenda's Blog is a valuable tool if you are looking for ideas, resources, vendors, etc. for your wedding. Brenda found a posts on my blog and on Mint Julep's of a wedding we did together in August. Well, she loved the images and the event design and had to share with her readers. Thanks for the props Brenda!

Caysen's 6!!

2008-11-18T19:13:00.000-08:00

I can't even believe my little guy is already six years old! He reads like an eight year old, rides his bike with the best of them and plays soccer like a champ too, but I can't even wrap my head around this whole '6' thing!!

He lucked out because his end-of-the-year soccer party was on his birthday (this past Sunday) so he essentially had two parties. Actually the party at home was pretty mellow:)
Here he is with his chuckeecheesey cake.And the trophy ceremony.Yes, that's Jeni, she was the asst. coach, we trade every year, I got to coach Bay's team this year...
And at home with his sis and cousins:Opening an awesome piece of artwork from his cousin- love the homemade gifts!!Yes, David loves Fox because he's a 'motocrosser' and draws the logo all the time.If you know Cayse and noticed his hair is shorter- he got it cut off the day before. If you didn't know he used to have hair that just came straight down all the way around- over his eyes a little. Wanted to try spiking it like a 3rd grader at school:)

I love you, bud, happy birthday!

A Night in Fullerton- Art Walk

2008-11-14T18:11:00.001-08:00

I participated in Night in Fullerton back in 2003 when I had works on display at the Village Art Center- now my neighbor. This year my own studio was on the tour- how cool! There was an OK turnout as the tour has been in spring in the past- some people were a little thrown off the change...

It was great watching visitors looking over my work and it was great to get so many new people into the studio- many didn't even know we were here! I also had to keep reminding people that we have been in business in Fullerton for nearly nine years now- we're not a brand new studio, we'

These are a few of the favorites:

Here's how we set it up, my brother Jeremy (saving me again) installed this cable the night before the show and I found these cool silver binder clips and that was that- I told Jeni everything would be fine as she was stressing about my last-minute-as-usual character flaw.
We had a nice steady stream of guests- so much fun!

Thanks so much to all who supported me/us, we had a great time. And thanks to the Fullerton Museum Center for doing a great job of putting it all together! Can't wait for next year!

I've been locked up!

2008-11-12T15:20:00.000-08:00

The OCMDA Locked me up today! It was rough- we had to hang out at a cool Rock'n'roll restaurant/bar in Downtown Fullerton called The Slidebar. I busted out but still have to raise money to pay fines to get them off my tail!

Please help Jerry's kids by donating a little or a lot- we've got 30 days before they post a warrant!

Visit my personal homepage on the MDA's site by clicking HERE.

Thanks so much for helping such a great cause!!

the Kooks at House of Blues

2008-10-28T16:18:00.000-07:00

Nathan, my neighbor asked yesterday if I could shoot The Kooks last night- what a killer show! The guitarist, Hugh, uses his guitars so we got full access- cool guys for sure. I also wasn't too familiar with their music before the show- I am now:)

Luke, the lead singer, is a great performer, they were rockin' it! The place was packed but I got to sit right in front of the stage for a few songs then went up to the VIP area upstairs. On the way upstairs I swooped right next to the stage, just behind the black curtain- rad vantage point!

Now, you may be thinking "what does this have to do with weddings or portraits". Well, first, this was a fun shoot- a little different than a wedding of course. This work is certainly great training to be a better wedding shooter in that the lighting changed by the second- super tough to get good shots. Also, no flash was allowed- I always welcome more experience in shooting in super low light, like some receptions... Lastly, it was a total blast (did I say that already?)!

Here I was just off stage, the fans were looking right at me!!

Nathan said not to bring a long lens... glad I didn't listen to him:)

From the second floor balcony with the long lens again:

I shot a bunch here, the stobe lights were going so I was trying to get shots when they w

All in all it was great fun: cool music, great company, very exciting. Check them out on iTunes

Accepted to Greener Photography

2008-10-28T12:52:00.000-07:00

I submitted an application to Greener Photography after learning of its existance on the Digital Wedding Forum. I was super excited to join a group whose mission it is would bring new ideas to photographers that would help us as a whole be a little (or a lot) gentler to Mother Earth:)

From their site:

Greener Photography was founded by Thea Dodds and Dawn Tacker in 2008. Thea & Dawn met on-line at the Digital Wedding Forum in 2006 upon recognizing their common interest in environmental issues. They immediately began sharing ideas, suppliers, and forum threads on the DWF asking how to green their photography business. In one discussion on the DWF Thea pitched the idea of starting an organization of eco-minded photographers. Dawn ran with it, the scope of the project grew, and Greener Photography was born.

So, for all you photographers out there, check it out, join up (you've got to already be actively working to reduse your footprint), and donate some cash to help this get huge!!

Old Boston Photos

2008-10-23T14:30:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to test out the Picassa to Blogger posting method- trying to find an easy way to show larger images on the blog!

I just grabbed these shots from my archives. I made these in Boston about seven years ago with the good ol' Hasselblad on 22o (6cm square) film. Man, I love the look of these.

We used to have these prints up at the house and everytime I look at them I am reminded of my neice Rachel. You see, we were in Boston to support Rachel in her last of 5 or 6 open heart surgeries at the Boston Childrens Hospital. We (Jeni, my wife) were with her and my Brother and sister-in-law in the pre-op room getting ready to go in. Rachel, having been through this so many times in the past, was crying "NO, NO, I don't want another surgery!" ...The worst thing I've experience in all my life. Needless to say, Jeni and I weren't really helping her stress- what with all our sobbing and stuff- so Jer (my brother) kicked us out.

I had to go outside and collect my thoughts. Took the camera of course. It was raining out but I went walking for a couple of hours.
I think I love these images most because everything kinda came together to really express how I was feeling.

This first shot was in a school yard- the kids were all inside due to the rain- just as Rachel was confined to the hospital room. She couldn't go outside to play either.

This shows what she went through all that pain for- She's living in a whole new life. She's 13 now and plays on the Volleyball team, loves riding dirtbikes, and loves playing in the ocean and surfing with Daddy.

I think this tells more about me. When I have tough things to deal with emotionally I like to be alone for awhile- a long while sometimes. I felt alone.

Again, I like the desolate feel of this one too. It's cold and gloomy and feels like the city has been abandoned.

It's very strange that these images popped up on my screen today because we were just talking about this day last night at dinner- Jer was over and so was Rachel. She was complaining about wearing her medical bracelet because it's not cool. I told her to wear it proudly- that she's tougher and has been through more in her life than 95% of the rest of us.
Love you Rache!

Nicole and Ben

2008-10-22T23:36:00.001-07:00

Nicole and Ben got married on a beautiful day in So Cal. They chose the Ritz Carlton in Laguna Niguel- beautiful views that day- and most. They also chose Mint Julep to do the coordinating and help with the design- AMAZING! Square Root did the flowers and design- INCREDIBLE! We had a great day shooting and had plenty to photograph!

Not sure what these shoes cost but I heard Mom mention that they were more than the dress= lots! I shot these things all over the place.. and I do not have a foot fetish!! Girls, they're Christian Louboutin in case you're wondering:) Sorry Dad!
Sweet and beautiful!

Shoes again:)

Ben was great too- sharp in that uni!
Square Root kills me!
Their first meeting!!

There were lots of cute kids- I couldn't keep my camera off these two!

Cool, huh, a portable studio to the rescue in low light and to create this drama.
Love the symetry here. The table was so crazy with water and a glass top... amazing!The head table I was talking about:

YUM

$25K + Guitar

2008-10-17T14:16:00.001-07:00

I had the amazing opportunity to shoot Mike Campbell's guitar this morning in the studio. If you're too young, Mike plays with Tom Petty in the Heartbreakers. My neighbor and all around good guy, Nathan Fawley distributes the best guitars you can buy: Duesenberg. Mike uses Duesies and decided to give this one, that is just like the one he played during the Superbowl 42 halftime show, up for auction after he and the whole band signed it. They also signed a notice of authenticity to go along with it. The guitar will be auctioned off during the Breeder's Cup next week- the proceeds going to the Susan G. Komen Foundation. It is expected to bring in a huge amount of money- if it gets high enough there will be an additional secret gift for the highest bidder!!!

I was a little freaked out even touching this thing and having it in the studio- it's irreplaceable!

So cool!!!

UPDATE: Due to the fact that most of the bidders had lost huge amounts of money in the stock market the bidding was a little flat. The guitar sold for $25K, an impressive amount of money going straight to the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

Kristin & Jonathan-Engagement Shoot

2008-10-03T15:05:00.000-07:00

Kristin and Jonathan are two of the nicest people. I had such a blast at this shoot and can't wait till the wedding in January.
We went for a little hike at Chino Hills Regional Park

You could just tell these two are so in love.
Jonathan's awesome idea to bring the bike and the skateboard
I had such a great time at this shoot. Kristin and Jonathan you two did a fantastic job :)

The Herren Boys in the Studio

2008-10-01T11:55:00.000-07:00

Jackson & Carson were super fun to shoot... high energy and lots of smiles

Carson aka "Cubby" so cute :)
Jackson is the older brother and loved the camera
These boys needed a little fresh air so we continued the shoot outside

This is what we meant by "HIGH ENERGY"Cubby loves to play the guitar but he was being a little shy in front of the camera. We were blasting "We Will Rock You" by Queen and dancing around trying to get him pumped up but only one thing worked. He would let Joel take a picture of him if he got to take a picture of Joel playing the guitar.

Cubby's best shot...

Rockin' out in his ABCD shirt. Showing Joel how it's done.

Last Night at the Mission Inn

2008-09-29T14:36:00.000-07:00

The Mission Inn is just amazing! I wish I could've shot for a few more days:) I asked Sri and Keith if they'd be OK missing their reception- Sri said "YES!" 'course that's just crazytalk but it would've been so fun to shoot a couple more hours!

I met Sri while shooting a wedding at Salt Creek Grill a few years ago- she loved my stuff and started referring me. Now she's working at the Montage-I am always totally honored to shoot for people in the biz and who get super excited about my work.

The used-to-be-silver- shoes. Sri and Keith are total rebels- so fun!
Definitely at the top of the list as one of my most attractive bridal parties!

The Mission Inn is so cool to shoot- did I say that already??
Love this, June and Sri are adorable:)
Bad A** Boys. Keith is in an 80's cover band called Boys of Summer they rocked the reception!

Right before the ceremony:

I took a gamble by running up here to get this shot and I think it was well worth it!! Love the facade here.
Super dark chapel so I used studio light off to the right of this shoot- nice light, huh?

Another shot with off-camera flash... and the fisheye which I don't bust out too often.

Who says you can't shoot in full sun?
This location was Sri's only request- so stinking cool!
A little later I went back to get this in perfect light- love this time of day no matter where I am.

I have wanted to shoot at the Mission Inn in Riverside for the last five years or so. Did it match up to my expectations, way surpassed.

What a great day- Stefanie was my 2nd, Sri and Keith were gorgeous and so fun to shoot, and the venue was spectacular- I love my job:)

Check the slideshow HERE, enter 'keithsri'.

Empora Floral

2008-09-15T17:16:00.000-07:00

I met Marisa, owner of Empora Floral Artistry, a couple of days ago- she brought me by an arrangement for the studio. She started her business not long ago and is right up the street from me. I thought I'd do her a favor and take some photos of the arrangement she so generously shared so I did just that!

I love shooting still life like this, very different from wedding shooting because you can take all the time you want!!

If you are a florist or have any other product you need photos of, please give us a call!!

9/11- 102 Minutes

2008-09-12T10:57:00.000-07:00

I thought about September 11 all day yesterday then sat down for a little TV last night and watched 102 Minutes on the History Channel- wow.
I totally remember my day on 09/11/01 (I heard about the first crash on the radio then saw the second crash on a little minimart TV when I stopped for gas) and remember having that feeling of emptiness in my stomach but I never really got a feel for how it was to actually be there.

102 Minutes was made from random people's video and audio recordings. This made for a very real feeling for how it must've been on the crappiest day in American History.

Viewer discretion is advised but it's not gruesome, just very dramatic- I cried a few times watching it... like had-to-catch-my-breath cried.

Have a good day, be thankful for your life and don't worry about the little things- family and the human race is all that's truly important.

peace

Kelly & Roberto

2008-09-11T19:10:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! This is Stefanie aka “the do-it-all-er” and now the blogger. This is my very first blog entry so enjoy.
This was one of those shoots that felt like everything was going right. The church was awesome, the light was perfect, Kelly and Roberto were so cute and sooooooo in love.
Check it out!!

The church:

Kelly and the girls were so much fun...Roberto and the boys: You can’t help but smile when you’re around these two:
Kelly and Roberto are from New York so they needed some help with all the planning. Michelle Buckley with Mint Julep did the coordinating. She always comes up with the coolest set-ups.

Annie and Bill at the Jones Estate

2008-09-05T17:08:00.000-07:00

Red checks and bright colors worked well for the summer BBQ theme of Annie and Bill's wedding at the Jones Estate in Orange. They were both a joy to work with as was the staff at the Jones!! Annie was so into photos she just wanted to keep shooting and shooting... love it!!

Have a look at a few images

Love veils with a white trim like this or with lace for photos...
In the palm tree farm:

Flower Allie did the killer flowers!
First dance- love the arms};-),

Home backed organic pies are just the ticket for a real BBQ!! Contact the Jones for more info.

We went out for a few more shots when the sun was nice and low...

cool friends!

Check their slideshow HERE.

Family Portrait Month Coming Up!

2008-08-15T13:30:00.000-07:00

I often think how lucky I am to be doing something I love so much as a career. I also think very often about how I can use my craft to benefit the lives of others.

I belong to a number of great trade organizations and it seems that as a group, photographers are extremely giving. One of these organizations is Professional Photographers of America (PPA). They are instrumental in making a better life and business for their members and also enabling us to help and give to others.

They are so dedicated, in fact, that they have created PPA Charities to help us help others even more.

We have participated in Family Portrait Month in the past and are super excited to do it again!

Family Portrait Month is a national promotion during October, allowing professional photographers and families to raise money together for children in need of smiles.

In 2005, PPA Charities Trustees invited Operation Smile to become its Charitable Partner. As such, Operation Smile, a highly respected worldwide organization, became the recipient of all contributions (made by PPA-member studios throughout the country) during PPA Charities’ annual Family Portrait MonthIf you haven't heard of Operation Smile.

Operation Smile Mission from their homepage:

Throughout the world, Operation Smile volunteers repair childhood facial deformities while building public and private partnerships that advocate for sustainable healthcare systems for children and families. Together, we create smiles, change lives, heal humanity.
Please call the studio soon (will get very busy in October- 714-992-5400) to participate in this amazing program. We will not donate the suggested $25 per session- we're going to double that and give $50 per session directly to PPA Charities for Operation Smile.

In years past I learned that each operation costs $241 (could've changed) so that means for every five shoots we do one child will receive this much needed procedure!!

Most Americans think that this is a cosmetic operation but in other countries some kids are not able to go to school because of this condition.

Thanks PPA and Operation Smile- lovin' you guys!

Featured on The Knot

2008-08-14T13:48:00.001-07:00

I was approached for images of gay weddings a couple months ago by The Knot. They started a new site for gay weddings exclusively: www.gayweddingsbytheknot.com.

Sebastian and Gentry had a super nice wedding at the Muckenthaler Mansion and Cultural Center here in Fullerton. Collette's Catering did a fantastic job once again and The Urban Gardener in Newport Coast did the flowers- so cool!

Check out the article HERE.

Chicago!

2008-08-02T13:20:00.000-07:00

Tracy and Jason were one of the most fun couples I've ever shot. They were so into photo, they were so not afraid to goof around and they were super creative.

One of Tracy's Bridesmaids was a sister to one of my past clients- she saw the slideshow at the reception and told Tracy she had to hire me! ...even if they had to take me to Chicago. I was a little hesitant at first because I had to miss the 4th of July with my family (we can see a huge show at Fullerton College right from our front yard:) but I was so excited to shoot in Chicago I just gave my babies a little more love to make up for it...

I was so glad I went- what an awesome place to shoot!!

The church the day before: Exploring downtown the night before- scouting shoot locations:

The Wedding Day!!:
Tracy was sooo fun to shoot!
Amazing old church in River Forest

After the church we drove into the city for a few shots...
SUCH a cool bridge!

Then off to the forest preserve out by the reception...

Amazing room at European Crystal Banquets with full draping and uplighting- loved the painted ceilings!

Another satisfied customer:)

Check out more photos on their SLIDESHOW!

Sammy Sue!!

2008-07-18T14:39:00.000-07:00

I have been wanting to shoot little Samantha for a long time- you'd think I wouldn't have to wait too long considering she's my niece:) I have taken many shots of her since she was born but I really wanted to shoot her in the studio:
Created a custom Lightroom Preset just for this shoot. I love the high-contrast-but-still-kinda-vintage look. What do you think?

My favorite for last, this one's getting printed big for the studio!!
Thanks for the shoot Sammy-Sue. Just as I thought, super cute!!

Shooting Sammy for these great shots is just come full circle: her big brother was one of my first subjects when he was a baby- I got a first place in the first annual 'Zone One Student Exhibition' with a shot of him during my last semester at Orange Coast College- but I shot him with film and printed it in the darkroom!

Cade: in-studio

2008-07-15T16:37:00.000-07:00

Cade was one of the toughest kids I've shot- he is so full of energy he just charged around oblivious to the fact that we were in the middle of a shoot!! How disrespectful! :)

He actually reminded me of myself and my brothers when we were little- yes, three boys, 4.5 years apart total.

Now keep in mind that this was our first real child shoot at the studio. It is so much different than shooting at someone's house! With studio lights the distance of the subject (Cade in this case) from the lights is crucial so when he's moving and walking and scooting and rolling to-and-fro, it's so hard to get the right exposure! On the flipside, it's so cool to be able to control the lights and make them do what you want.

I was running and jumping; on my feet, then knees, then feet again.... a bootcamp workout!

Now, all this said; It was totally worth all the work! This guy had some of the funniest expressions and him ignoring me made it easy to get his real personality to show through.
Is there anything better than a child's open-mouth laugh??

The couch in the next few was a prop Jeni found- love shooting over the back of it!!

That's the chair I'm sitting in right now:)
Billy Idol at one year old:
I created a new Lightroom Preset while working on this image- l think I'll be using it a lot in the future.

Cade: Thanks buddy- you broke me and the studio in right!!

Greg and Tonya- Vineyard Sunset

2008-07-04T21:08:00.000-07:00

I'm sitting in a hotel room in Chicago resting up for my wedding tomorrow. I scoped out the area: the mom's house, the church, downtown for some portraits, and the reception site... it's gonna be a good day:0

Thought I'd catch up on the last few weddings:

A year or two ago I shot a wedding at the Falkner Winery in Temecula- the owners loved my shots and put a link to my slideshow on their site... that's how Tonya and Greg found me. I'm so glad they did because they are two very cool, very fun, and just great to work with!

Did I say stylish too??? ...With her Choo shoe's and his Zegna suit.
Getting ready is one of my favorite times of the day. The girl's room was buzzing with flower-in-the-hair issues, champagne corks flyin' and lots of laughter!

love this- full, high sun.. who'd of thought??

Gotta love the D3 (my Nikon), just dial up the ISO and you can shoot in the darkest stairway in the vineyard.

Had to turn and run up this hill during the ceremony- good thing I got a little training at Nikki and Matt's wedding the week prior!!:)

Don't you just love them!?

Now, are you seeing the killer sun I was referring to?
Sniper through the vines.
More of that sun!
Sun went down, and booted up the lights!
Looks like the sun's still out, huh? That's just my handy dandy flash:)

So much laughter that night! It may have been the result of the 'drinking gloves'. Yes, drinking gloves! The wedding party went to University of Wisconsin and were big die hard Badger fans... the drinking gloves are from their favorite dive bar called "the KK" (Kollege Klub). I guess whenever you are serious about something and you really don't want to let go, you wear gloves- like when I'm mountain biking or riding the motorcycle.

Drinking gloves, really? So funny!!
I love being able to shoot the D3 with no flash- love these natural moments without the obtrusive flash.

I was falling asleep driving to this wedding after traveling home from Cabo the night before but I got as fired up as I always do and adrenaline kept me going 100% all day... 'till I had to drive an hour home...

Check the slideshow: www.empslideshows.com, enter 'gregtonya'.

Nikki and Matt, the Ritz Carlton Laguna

2008-06-25T06:45:00.001-07:00

Nikki and Matt really did it right with the help of Jill Watson. They spared no expense in the decor or their attire which is easy, but they also had very cool and unique ideas to make the day really stand out.

This is the morning of 5K they organized complete with t-shirts, aluminum bottles, and a banner all with their custom 'Race to the Alter' logo!I had no idea they'd take it so seriously!!! These guys are fast!
The superheroes did well but couldn't keep up with Matt and his guys:)
After running (and skateboarding) part of the run, they we kind enough to have a room for us (myself and Alex, Elysium Productions) to rest, get cleaned up and get ready for a great lunch and then the wedding.

She couldn't decide on which shoes to wear!!

Their first meeting on the big day!

Aerial view- only by EMP:)

What a great, long (8am to Midnight!) day! Then it was back to the studio to download and backup and get ready for our 6am flight to Mexico!

SLIDESHOW

Bianca and Eric in Cabo

2008-06-24T18:02:00.000-07:00

Cabo has been a blast- Bianca and Eric have taken the best care of us with the amazing all-inclusive hotel for five days, the transfers to the hotel and our first ever first class flight.
The wedding was amazing, a little hot, but amazing. The super blue skies, the crazy yellow hotel, the emerald green ocean- a photographer’s paradise!
Bianca looked amazing- her open-mouthed laugh was contagious- we were all laughing as I got easy, awesome shots!

SLIDESHOW

We're In!!

2008-06-11T16:28:00.000-07:00

Yes, we moved in last week- still getting things squared away. I love what Jeni created here, I'm just waiting on some big prints so people know it's a photo studio!

This is the reception area:
Lots of little girly things for sale...

Jeni got this super cool line of frames to carry:

Cute cards...
More old frames:)
And other odds and ends!

Yep, more old frames-
We also have the Mindy Weiss Bridal Shower collection:
The shooting area with a few props to shoot on:

Like it? Let me know what you think- leave a comment!

We are open every day but Monday and Sunday so swing by to check it out!!

I'll get a few more shots up once we have some prints on the walls:)

Studio Update- We're Finally Movin' In!

2008-05-30T16:42:00.001-07:00

Yeah, I know, I've been the slacker blogger lately- now you can see why!

We got the keys to start work on our new space at the start of February- after about a year of the owner's renovations to the building itself. So, for the past four months, my amazing brother Jeremy (designer/builder) has been working tirelessly to create this masterpiece. He did all the work except for the electrical. Jeni did almost all the painting (walls and floors) and had the vision of the final look and feel of the space- love her!! I did all the cleanup:) and did some of the planning with the city and others involved. I would've loved to be down there every day working too but Stef and I have had to keep the biz going back at the office.

A shot I made last night outside looking in.Jeni and Jeremy finished the floors last night- so cool!
The front area.
The shooting area:

The production room:
The consultation area:
The front again:

We are so excited to be moving in on Monday! ...or maybe Sunday- my birthday- what a great present!!!

Thanks, Jer, for all your hard work, killer ideas, advice, and most importantly for keeping Jeni and I from having too many boxing matches.

We always laugh because when Jeremy did our kitchen at home we read in a Fine Homebuilding mag about the top ten things to do- or don't do during remodeling. The first point was to never, ever hire family to work for you... We had a great time (most of the time:) and I know that no one else could've done what he has- at any price!

Thanks, Jeni, for all your sweat (and tears at times:) you have put in to making all this happen. Actually, if it wasn't for you we wouldn't even have the place. I admire your work ethic, your artistic vision, and your ability to do way more than one thing at a time.

Jeni saw this dilapidated old building over a year ago and wouldn't let it go until we were in (that's how we got our house too!!). She is such a champ- she would come home day after day with paint all over her, hair in a bun, take care of the kids and get ready to do it all again the next day. Staining the floor was the craziest, she was on her hands and knees for days and days, first cleaning and grinding the concrete then cleaning again and staining, then rubbing stain off to get that worn look, then once more to put the final sealer on.

I am the luckiest man alive! Our 10 yr anniversary is next weekend and I couldn't be more proud of her and more in love with her:) love you.

Also, thanks to all our past clients and wedding biz friends for spreading the word about how much you enjoy us and our work- referrals are 95% of our business so we couldn't have done it without you!

Feel free to come on by for a visit after next Wednesday, the 7th. I will have the store hours and location on the website!

The Dresser- Our Neighbor

2008-05-21T10:08:00.000-07:00

The Dresser is a great bridal shop with tons of cool dresses right next door to our new studio. I recently made some photos to show the finished product. Marianne has been selling wedding dresses in Downtown Fullerton for nearly 20 years- Congrats on the new space!!

Here is a shot of the front of the building circa early 1900's I think- It used to be a a carriage (as in horse and carriage) sales showroom.

This is how it looked before she started work. Before this there were a ton of nasty old bikes and junk out front- it was a pawn shop.
Our space is around back on the left of the image below.Love the brick, and the ceiling tiles are original!

Wanna see more: www.thedresseronline.com

Wedding Wire

2008-05-15T16:57:00.000-07:00

Wedding Wire is a great site to get real feedback from past clients about wedding vendors. It's recently been added to MarthaStewart.com website too!

Leave a review for me:

Review Eckman Maus Photography- Studio EMP at WeddingWire

Kristi and Ryan

2008-05-09T10:30:00.000-07:00

Kristi is a best friend and step-sis to Jen, one of my favorite past brides! They are all so damn beautiful! I love working with this group!!
They got ready at Surf and Sand and Sandy Shirgaokar, their event manager and friend of mine, was gracious enough to let us take a few shots there.
Nice shot, Stef!

love the light here:
And at Tivoli Terrace-

They do know how to party!
Check out their slideshow HERE.

Rabbitt Triplets

2008-05-09T10:06:00.000-07:00

Rabbits are known for having lots of babies and these Rabbitts are no exception:) They have two wonderful children and thought they'd try for a third... not three more! Someone got a little mixed up here;)

Beautiful Mommy:Beautiful kids. Their little boy was on Caysen's (my son) soccer team that I coached last fall.

And here they are!
Couch potatoes already.

Nice work Daddy! Great way to get the blue for the boys and the pink for the girl! This design continues all the way around the room.
The end.

Lindsay and Brett

2008-04-28T16:16:00.001-07:00

Lindsay and Brett were great fun to work with. They got married in an Armenian church which was just beautiful. It was my first Armenian ceremony- what a cool experience! I couldn't wait to get home to tell Caysen (my son) that they wore crowns during the ceremony!!:) He loved it!

Gorgeous!:
The church:

Great couple to shoot- so easy to make look amazing!Brett was a bit of a goofball at times- we got along just fine!!
The reception was at the Newport Beach Marriott- the staff there was very respectful and treated us like guests- love it. They did however warn me (three times) that the Bride didn't like the garage doors here- I asked her and she left it up to me- I thought the lines were great and love what we got!

They actually booked Stefanie to shoot their wedding- I never booked so I came along to help out!

Studio Update

2008-04-24T09:20:00.001-07:00

Well, we are getting very close to moving in now- I can't believe how terrible I am at estimating the time it takes for construction!!

It's very hard because my brother is doing all the work (he's a designer/builder) and he's got to do everything the coolest way possible... very time consuming, but definately worth the wait!

This is a shot from the front door:Mixing the old with the new is our main theme:
Cool old lights Jeni found (she so rocks!).
More old with new (yes, Jeni got this cool stamped metal too!).
The front again:)

Busy Weekend Continued: Sandy and Scott Engagement

2008-04-21T15:26:00.000-07:00

Sandy is just the cutest and Scott is super cool- we had a great time shooting in Downtown Fullerton after getting booted from a cool, old, factory by the railroad tracks- they almost locked us in!

I assisted Stefanie on this one and she killed it! These are almost all her shots.Love her shot through a the railing with the dark maroon wall behind.
They also went on a little walk without me through the woods and found a cool red barn:
More from downtown:

My only shot:

Love it! Stef is awesome! .... oh, and Sandy and Scott were great too!:)

Wedding Life Open House!

2008-04-21T14:59:00.000-07:00

Wedding Life Orange County is the place to find the best information to help plan your wedding and the best wedding vendors in the OC.
We are proud to be one of the first vendors to be approved to join! I even got a photo on the home page of the site (above on the left:).

If you'd like to see what it's all about, they're having an open house on Wednesday, April 30^th from 6-9:
6 Morgan Ste130
Irvine, CA 92618

I'll see you there after 7 or 8!

Offbeat Bride

2008-04-10T21:32:00.000-07:00

I found this very cool site on Facebook and really dug the funky ideas. Want something different at your wedding? Check it out: http://offbeatbride.com/.

Wedding Mapper

2008-04-08T21:44:00.000-07:00

Well, just ask my wife, Jeni about how much of a map freak I am and she'll tell you about the box of maps I have of places I will more than likely never visit again!
This is different, this is very cool and super useful!
www.weddingmapper.com is a free service to create a map with points of interest for your guests. I made a sample one just to show you how cool it is:
http://www.weddingmapper.com/fullerton/ca/visit/0jqi6e
You can also customize the url with your names, add photos, etc. and there are so many other useful tools too.Of course it Google Maps- my favorite!

Busy Weekend- Stefanie and Travis

2008-04-08T16:49:00.000-07:00

Another engagement shoot- this one was of Stefanie and Travis at Shutters on the Beach in Santa Monica. They are planning an amazing smaller wedding with family and close friend at Shutters next month.

I know I say it all the time, but these two were so great to work with- we had a blast! (I guess I just love my job:) Their coordinator, Terri Doria had to pry my camera from my hands because I wouldn't stop!!:)Love the wavy fences- remind me of the East Coast.

Cool vent for a big building next to the beach.
We found this awesome brick building with a fire escape- I don't get to shoot many of these so I was stoked!
We all had a great time- Terri was relieved because she found me online and we never met until the shoot. She said "I was a little worried because you never know what you'll find on the internet but you are great!"

Looking forward to this wedding as well!

Busy Weekend- Maggie and Raymond

2008-04-08T14:52:00.000-07:00

Three Engagement shoots, two soccer games (I have been elected to coach both teams now), and a wedding this weekend... and I still didn't get Monday off!

Maggie and Raymond are getting married in a couple of months at the Hyatt in Huntington Beach. We did their engagement shoot mostly at the UCI campus- they are alumni and thought it be a good spot. The campus was great fun to shoot- lots of man-made and natural settings.Love her laugh!!

Just off the campus next to a nature preserve- my arm and head were stretched through the sharp barbed wire fence:)
Can't wait for the wedding guys!!

Sebastian and Gentry

2008-04-04T09:36:00.001-07:00

Sebastian and Gentry had their commitment ceremony at the always fun to shoot Muckenthaler in Fullerton- Love this place!

This was my first ever commitment ceremony and I had a blast. These two and their friends had so much fun; the decor was amazing thanks to Urban Gardner in Newport Coast and Colette's Catering from right here in Fullerton; and the sun was on our side for spectacular light!
Great ceremony!
Being a 'plant guy' I loved the centerpieces: they were all living plants in cool urns!
So many cool textures at 'The Muck'.
Like I said: They had a blast!
I like the effect I got with the rings. I shot this on top of a glass display case in the gallery using the brightly colored mosaics in the background for the cool blurry color.

Studio Progress- March

2008-04-02T10:14:00.000-07:00

Well, I sure am ready to be done with all this construction stress! It's actually going very smoothly I just don't realize how long everything takes and how many pieces there are in this crazy puzzle! The front is all done now, we may add some text in paint to tie in 'eckman maus photography' somehow.

The inside is going well too. We're on to the trim and built-ins (one piece is a 12' tall by 12' wide bookshelf/display case- crazy!) then we can paint it and start installing the fun stuff: computers, theater, stereo system:)

Jeremy, my amazing brother is doing most of the design and all the work on it.. and Jeni's been painting walls, trim, ceiling, etc. and scraping some of the old pieces that need cleaning/ refinishing. They are both kickin' some butt! Yes, I'm staying clean for the most part... someone's got to keep the biz goin'!

If you in the area feel free to swing by, we're just West and a little South of the intersection of Harbor and Commonwealth- right in the SOCO district in Downtown Fullerton.

Las Vegas (and a P&S photo tip)

2008-03-31T20:41:00.000-07:00

As some of you may know, one of the largest photo conventions in the world happened last week (or so) in Las Vegas. I went for a few days: I hit a couple parties to see long lost friends, checked out a few seminars (Jared Bauman with Bronson was the best), volunteered a few hours in the Special Kids Photography booth (a non-profit that trains and educates photographers about kids with special needs- awesome group!), and of course checked out all the coolest, latest, and most expensive gear at the tradeshow.

I always start feeling pretty poopy after a few days of not seeing the sun and breathing poorly filtered second-hand casino smoke so this year I brought my bike to check out the riding- it's been a few years since I rode on the convention trip.

The closest riding to "the strip" is at a little town called Blue Diamond- very fun stuff!

A few shots: (please bear with me as these are from my point and shoot again:)
Looking back at Blue Diamond after a quick climb.
And the goofy tourist shot of me- there's actually a little sign just out of the frame that says "Kodak Photo Op." like at D-Land. Just kidding:) Off in the distance to the right is Red Rock Canyon- never been? GO- it's so amazing!
The terrain changed quite a bit- this hard-packed red clay was a welcome sight after riding lots of sandy, rocky trails.
People think of the desert as some barren wasteland like Mars- but it is so beautiful- especially in the Spring.

So, here's a big tip:
I realized at one point that landscape photos in the daytime were always over exposed with my point-and-shoot camera so I used the exposure compensation to under expose every shot by 1 full stop- makes for so much richer colors! If you're not familiar with this on yours have a look at the manual... find out how to set this in the menu, set it to '-1.0' and you'll be all set. Don't forget to set it back when you're done with the landscapes!!

Mountain Biking

2008-03-28T14:31:00.000-07:00

I've been riding mountain bikes for over 15 years now (never broken a bone, I'd like to add:) . My excitement for riding comes and goes over the years but I have been super excited about riding for the last few months. This is due partly to the fact that I got a new- SWEET - bike and also to the fact I found some killer new trails (to me) not far from home!

This new area is in the Eastern part of Chino Hills State Park. I've ridden every trail in the Western half for the last 10 years or so but rarely got into the other half- Such fun stuff!

I have been taking my point-and-shoot every now and then- I'm so used to the quality of my real cameras that I end up using the poor quality to add to the feel of the image.

This is on East Fence Line Trail in December- now the plants are over 6' tall and it's pretty much not ridable. I can't wait for it to open up again- there's lots of this type of riding then it drops pretty good for some cool downhill and up again for a killer climb!Powerlines in the early morning fog-
This was sunrise- about seven shots stitched together in Photoshop.

So cool to see horses hanging out right by the trail!

Take a minute to critique- Thanks!

Laura and Scott- Engagement La Jolla

2008-03-27T17:02:00.001-07:00

We had great fun at this shoot- Laura and Scott were wonderful. They were a little reserved and uncomfortable at first but they realized they were allowed to have fun right away!

We shot from La Jolla Cove to the seal hangout and everywhere in between! The light was amazing- perfect timing!
The stairs to the lifegaurd station- I just moved the 'Do Not Enter' sign a little and we were all set!

Gotta love the flare in the Cypress trees:
The wildflowers were in full bloom- love the yellow contrasting the blue sky.
And with the handy dandy D3 (Nikon) we were able to continue shooting after the sun was down when the light is so nice!

Mike and Courtney- So Fun!

2008-03-10T11:49:00.000-07:00

Saturday, believe it or not, was my first wedding of the year- I went into it totally psyched to do some damage (make killer images:) and was stoked to work with the coolest couple and the coolest decor!

The wedding was at the Jones Estate in Orange and the florist was Flower Allie- always cool to shoot. I had a blast looking for great light in new (to me) locations and we made some great stuff as a result!

Check the slideshow: www.emausphoto.com/slideshows, choose Mike and Courtney.

Sabastian and Gentry: Pre-Ceremony Session

2008-03-06T13:41:00.000-08:00

I did a shoot last week with Sebastian and Gentry- they were so cool! We'll be shooting their commitment ceremony later this month and it's sounding like the party of the year!

We had fun at the shoot- we did it where they're having their big celebration: The Muckenthaler in Fullerton.

They said they loved the images and were very excited to get prints... just wait 'till the ceremony guys!

Babies, Babies, Babies: Jack

2008-02-23T08:54:00.001-08:00

Jack was a little early- he was less than five pounds! I shot Jack's parents' wedding a few years ago- they are great people and we're proud to have them as family friends.

Jack seemed so small and fragile. I couldn't help to think about when the nurses toss them around and seem to be so rough with them right after the come out- Ryan (Dad) said he was freaking out- I can imagine: I freaked out with my babies and they were both over eight pounds!

Babies, Babies, Babies: Luc

2008-02-23T08:48:00.000-08:00

I can't believe all the babies coming these last couple of weeks!

Luc is a cute little guy- I met his sister and parents at a wedding last fall and have been mountain biking with Daddy ever since. I loved shooting for/with them again!

These were taken the day after he arrived in the hospital.

Tonya and Greg Engagement at Balboa Park

2008-02-05T23:08:00.000-08:00

I absolutely love shooting at Balboa Park in San Diego- the architecture, the history, the cool plants, the walkways, the bridge, and the amazing light bouncing around the buildings and slicing through the trees!

I normally shoot about 300 or so images but we were having so much fun I made 750 exposures!

Tonya and Greg did an amazing job too- they instantly relaxed and acted naturally- love it!

Check it:

Through a railing:

I shot about 50 images in this spot- loved the simple yet textured background and the light was incredible:

On the bridge:

All done! We were walking to our cars and I just couldn't stop shooting!:
Can't wait for the wedding at a vineyard in Temecula!

Finally in the Building!

2008-01-28T10:21:00.000-08:00

We were finally allowed to begin working on the new studio- we were supposed to be in by July!! Yes July '07!!
The building is over 100 years old so there were many setbacks with the city and with unforeseen problems with the structure- there were major issues with everything!

We had the concrete floors cut to make a cool diamond pattern that will be stained on Saturday. We got our sign ordered Saturday as well. See artists rendering below:
The "PHOTO" part was an idea we had to paint on the building- may be changing.

The security system is in, the electrician has been lined up, and the framing should finally start this week!

Keep you posted on the progress.

Skiing!!

2008-01-23T21:09:00.000-08:00

I have been waiting to take the kids skiing since Bailey was born six-and-a-half years ago and finally got to go a little earlier this month.

Gone are the days of getting your stuff together and hitting the slopes now that there are two kids to take care of. In the time it took to get their gear, get their skis rented and over to the school I could've gotten to the top of the mountain and and been down a few runs!

We did get them in a class to let the pros start them out right. We dropped them off, watched for a few (reminded me when we used to spy on them in preschool), then we went off to get a few runs in. Jeni learned to ski in Colorado, where she's from originally, so she can go down anything but takes her time. I, on the other hand was so stoked to be in the snow after a few years off, just wanted to get some serious speed and some big air... woo hoo!!

So after about three runs (it was a Saturday so the lines were terrible- won't do that again!) it was time to watch the kids and see how they were doing. Bailey was on the bunny hill after taking her first chairlift and Caysen was taking a break after a rigid training session:)

We then picked them up and took them both on the lift for a few more runs after having lunch to refuel. They both did great with they're 'pizza' stance. I can't wait for them to get better so we can all ski together!

Terrible way to end a nice day of skiing: driving down the mountain (we went to Snow Summit) in stop-and-go traffic!!!

Yes, I did make the whole family stop to get a good shot of the frozen part of the lake at sunset:

Gabby and Yosio in Zamora, Mexico

2008-01-18T10:05:00.000-08:00

This was my third wedding in Mexico in 2007... and it was still a totally new and exciting time for me. As any who know me understand , new and different is what makes me sing! (not literally, no one wants that!)

The town of Zamora itself is very cool, a lot of history and many friendly people- they kept asking us (myself and my good friend Mario) where we were from... like we stood out like a sore thumb!!

There were many things that made Gabby and Yosio's wedding day special to me.

First was the amazing church (see below). It was a mini version of a huge cathedral that is still under construction: Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Also, Gabby and the girls got ready at a house her father is building across the street from Abuelita's (Grandma's) that hadn't been painted so the walls were a great neutral grey. Another cool thing was that the church was right downtown amongst the historic old buildings and hustle and bustle so there were unlimited photo ops!

I just realized that of the few shots here, about half show Gabby's awesome vail! so cool!

Getting ready. See what I mean about the walls... and the vail?
Such cool light going on, this was a stairway that lead to the roof.
In front of the church:
Inside:
Out front again, I loved the texture of the old doors and the brick.

The band's tourbus! So RAD!

First Dance- the DJ had quite a setup!!
The reception was crazy. Mexicans are very hospitable: when you meet, they shake your hand... then offer a shot of tequila!!!
Want to see more shots: click HERE for a slideshow. Leave a comment if you have questions about anything. The first few shots are from the days leading up to the wedding...

Zamora, Mexico

2008-01-02T15:23:00.000-08:00

Well the crazy holidays have passed... and it's back to work. It was great taking some time off to just enjoy family but I am excited to get back into photo:)

Just before Christmas I (my good friend Mario went along too) had a wedding in Zamora, Mex, about 2.5 hours South East of Guadalajara. The couple lives in The States but their families are from small towns near Zamora. Gabby and Yosio heard about me from guests at a wedding we shot in Guadalajara last January.

I will post again when the wedding images have been edited but here are a few I made while exploring this very cool place in the days leading up to the wedding.

Check out more HERE- enter 'zamora'

The people we met were super nice and both Gabby and Yosio's families treated us like family!

My New D3 Has Arrived!

2007-12-06T10:37:00.000-08:00

Just got it! I gave the UPS guy a kiss when he said he had a package from Calumet!

I've had it in my hands for about 10 minutes and am already super impressed!

dual memory card slots for simultaneously writing to two cards at once- the worries of corrupt cards is a thing of the past!
I just took a shot at 6400 ISO in a dark hallway, zoomed in on the big 3" LCD display and could see no noise!! This opens up whole new worlds and new opportunities to make images never thought possible. Shooting by the light of a full moon is possible!!
Nikon stoked us by upgrading the battery from the D2x while keeping it possible to share the old with the new in either camera.
Live View is super cool for the over-the-head shots.
All the controls are in the same place as the D2x so there is no learning curve!

The camera looks a lot like the D2x but it is a little beefier to hold and the shutter has a cooler, cleaner sound.

Christmas came early this year!!!! ... wait, that's a 'tool' for work, it doesn't count as a gift... right Jeni???

I will post some images after I take it for a test drive!

Caysen's Five

2007-11-27T20:39:00.000-08:00

Yes, I have been a blog slacker lately. We have had such a busy Fall I had to give up blogging for a bit... but I'm back!!

Last week Caysen (my son) turned 5- we decided not to do big parties every year... just every few. So this year we had a few of his school friends over- along with family of course- to celebrate with us. It's crazy how when they're in school it's so hard not to invite his whole class!

Jeni had the whole thing planned like it was in a magazine of course... that's just how she rolls:) It does make for lots of fun and for good photos too! The kids started with a little visit from the Lizard Wizard who showed them some creapy crawlies and taught them a little about each creature- it was so cool I found myself intently listening!

They then went to the backyard to paint some flower pots to later plant their little plant in (this was the favor I learned later).

A few details:

Cayse with an

Caysen's cousin- a little distracted during the show:)

Nasty Bailey!

Cayse was so cool: he asked everyone to help him open their gifts with him- I love my little guy!

Halloween!! 2007

2007-11-05T16:10:00.000-08:00

Halloween hasn't been this much fun since I was a kid running around the neighborhood like a crazy person!! Bay and Cayse are getting so big... and so much fun!! Check out some shots:

Pre Halloween:
Bay was totally grossed out!! ...then I took a bite of it!!:)
Caysen's parade at school:
Bay was a princess at school...

And an ape at night- a freaked out ape at that! She acts like she's never seen a camera before...
A neighbors:
All in all we, sorry, THEY got lots of candy and had a grand ol' time. Next year I'm going to get a crazy scary mask and jump out of the bushes at them. Last year they would've totally freaked out but this year they were OK with it.

Help to San Diego

2007-10-24T16:59:00.000-07:00

We got an email yesterday from an old friend about helping the fire victims in San Diego. Lyndsay was planning on driving down this morning with supplies to donate to one of the church shelters: The Rock.
We got the word out via email to families we know through the kids as well as a lot of my friends and business contacts.
We ended up filling the Volvo with stuff we got and stuff other's donated. We also raised $300!
Lyndsay emailed this afternoon:

First I want to say a heartfelt thank you to all of you for your overwhelming generosity! You guys did an amazing job! This morning we packed my father-in-laws 14 foot trailer with items you donated! We spent $2000 on blankets, pillows, toiletries, food, crayons, and coloring books, paper goods, and lots of water. Richie & Selina Garcia, my mom, and I hopped into the truck and traveled down to San Diego to The Rock church. They were so thankful for our generosity. They have become a distribution center for smaller shelters, and were preparing to receive elderly evacuees this afternoon. I gave the church my contact info and they said they would call if they needed anything else!

The fire you see in the pictures were burning on the side of the 5 fwy. Pretty intense.

Thank you all!

So cool!! check out her photos: HERE.

To help local victims go to the Red Cross.

All my best to anyone affected by this catastrophe!! I can't imagine what it must feel like to have to flee your home!!

Need help, please don't hesitate to call us!- 714-448-3173.

The perfect setting

2007-10-17T15:06:00.000-07:00

A week ago Saturday I shot one of my most favorite weddings ever! It was at the Bride's Parents' house in South Pasadena- a couple blocks from the Ritz. The house was built in 1912 so, of course, I loved it. The cool thing was that so much of it was original- As I walked up and into the house I had this very comfortable feeling come over me- it's like you're in a Leave it to Beaver episode- a time when things were simpler and easier- at least they seemed it!

Virginia and Brian and their great families made the day even better- they were great to shoot and were very respectful and hospitable.

The day was also fabulous because the decor was beautiful which always makes a wedding day more fun to shoot!! The design and coordination was done by Joie de Vivre in Glendale. Jennifer was great to work with- another plus!

More vendors:
El Portal Restaurant did the catering- yummy hand made tortillas for the the carnitas!
Rental Co: Town & Country, Van Nuys
Florist: Tommy Farmer, Pasadena

All in all a fun day to experience and an even more fun day to shoot!!

SLIDESHOW- click on Brian and Virginia (there are some shots of the rehearsal dinner too).

Love- in the first person

2007-10-17T14:08:00.000-07:00

I think I have posted about Media Storm in the past- well, I just watched their latest show: Love- In the First Person.
This story is just a small slice of the lives of two college kids falling in love and experiences big changes in their lives- pregnancy, marriage, moving across country, starting a new job... all in about a year- crazy!
Great photography, cool story- very moving at times.
Check out the show HERE.

Jean and Robert's wedding

2007-10-12T09:25:00.000-07:00

As always the Hyatt in Huntington was great fun to shoot... especially with cool people as my subjects! Rob and Jean are long time pros now, after doing two engagement shoots! (not a reshoot!!)
It was also a pleasure working with Carrie Goff and her crew!

Through the crack in the door... the hinge side!:
Sweet!
I love Jean's laugh!!!!
Aerial view on their exit- my first attempt:
Rob is hilarious!!

Down at the beach:
Amazing set up by Jean and Carrie!! Lighting makes all the difference!
Check out more images HERE!

My Lightroom Preset in the Paper!

2007-10-12T09:19:00.000-07:00

I just got an email from my brother, the journalist/photojournalist in Portland:

check the photo on the Oregonian front page..

http://www.oregonlive.com/

if it's gone when you read this.. check here.

http://blog.oregonlive.com/breakingnews/2007/10/a_ghost_bike_a.html

they're using my photo and I used one of your presets in lightroom (old b/w) .

sad circumstances though.

--Jonathan

What a terrible story... but it's awesome that Jonathan is there to bring the topic of bicycle safety to so many people. Check out his site for more bike related news: www.bikeportland.org

I sent him my LR presets when I got him setup with it- he is now a thankful convert!!

Nice work, Jon.

Bailey's Team

2007-10-09T14:11:00.000-07:00

I have missed a few of Bailey's games due to weddings on Saturdays and the fact that her games are usually later than Caysen's... I do go to every practice to show my support.
Last week we did some photos so families could have some cooler shots as compared to the assembly line images that the league offers.

Check out more photos HERE.

Caysen's Soccer!

2007-10-09T12:17:00.000-07:00

I have had such an awesome time this season helping coach my son's team. They are so fun! ...I often get them too riled up!!! But I love to make them laugh and scream!

They had a game last Saturday and Jeni (my wife) got a few shots since I'm kinda busy running up and down the field coralling the kids in to go in the right direction.

A little pre-game warm up:
Cayse on his way to a goal!!
Gimme 10 Bud!
Another one!!
After the game:
I was so proud of my guy this weekend: He had score a few goals during the game and has about 10 under his belt for the season. During the game he got a break-away with a little guy on his team- Justin- who had never scored a goal. I yelled to Cayse to pass it to him and without hesitation he did just that. Justin scored and had the hugest smile on his face. Caysen was so proud and so was I. I love that guy!!

Another San Fran Engagement Shoot

2007-10-09T11:34:00.000-07:00

While in SF for Nikki and Matt, I also did another engagement shoot with Cathy and Daniel- so cool. We shot at the Palace of Fine Arts. If you haven't been there it is sooo cool!- Huge columns... I mean HUGE columns all over the place. There were photo shoots happening around every corner, a couple wedding shoots, some ameteur portraits, and some school projects.

The columns made for a great backgound, have a look:

San Fran with Nikki and Matt

2007-10-05T14:39:00.000-07:00

I know, I know I have been a terrible blogger lately- it is so hard to find time these days! If you want to see how busy we've been have a look at the gallery site HERE.

I wanted to share a couple engagement shoots I has last weekend in San Francisco. Nikki and Matt are getting married in Laguna the Ritz Carlton next June because their families are all down here. They live in Alameda near Oakland and love their new town so they wanted to shoot up there... "Cool!" I said and this is what we got:

This is a forest where they jog all the time- soooo cool!!
Matt's idea to use the frame-
And accross the road in a little field-
Then over the Bay Bridge to San Fran:
A cool building we spotted while driving-

We had a blast- can't wait for the wedding! They were the coolest too- they followed me to drop off my rental car to shoot me over to the airport... I got there just in time... then we didn't board for a half hour or so- of course!

Thanks guys- cool trip!

Stef and Isaiah- First shoot in the studio!

2007-09-18T20:31:00.001-07:00

Stefanie, my number one photographer and editor extraordinaire is getting married in November to Isaiah at the Turnip Rose. We decided to do her engagement shoot at the studio- still under construction of course- but has very cool light and textures.

This is where our front door will be...Amazing that this will a super swanky studio in a couple months!
I am standing in what will be a hip new Korean seafood restaurant while they are in a doorway that leads to the studio- it will be blocked off, of course.
This is in the front space which will be The Dresser- awesome north light! My shooting area will have this brick on two walls- sooo cool!!
More from the restaurant looking into our space- what a disaster!
This shoot was great for Stefanie to get a taste for how it feels to be on the other side of the camera- she was surprised at how hard it is!! She may be gentler on her next shoot:) She did great! Oh, and Isaiah was OK too-

Jean & Rob's Engagement Session at the Fair

2007-09-18T16:11:00.000-07:00

What a fun shoot this was!!

We went a little before the sun went down so there was really cool light. I love it when the lights of the fair balance with a nice blue sky at twilight...

This was Jean and Rob's second (they wanted two- not a re-shoot!) engagement shoot- their first was in Downtown Fullerton, so they will be total pros at their wedding!! ...coming up quick at the end of the month.

I love these food stands for backgrounds- all the color and craziness:
So much Fun!

I said I would suffer through one ride knowing that I would feel queezy for the rest of the night... they picked a good one!
This ferris wheel is where Rob proposed!!! How cool!
Can't wait for their wedding at the Huntington Hyatt!!

Walter and Kara at Arroyo Trabucco

2007-09-04T12:05:00.000-07:00

What a busy Labor Day weekend for me: I shot a wedding with a friend, Mario, all day Saturday, then an awesome wedding on Sunday- Kara and Walter- and a commercial shoot at 7am on Monday for Consumer Reports Magazine.

Kara's wedding was a little warm but the beautiful venue, Arroyo Trabucco Golf Course, made-up for the heat! Everything fell into place perfectly: Right before the portraits a thin cloud covered the sun to soften it just a little, did I say the location was cool (?), then, after the ceremony the sun came out again just before it set so we got some killer low sunshine- what else could you ask for?? Great subjects? Yep, got that too!

Walter and Kara are friends with other wedding clients of mine- Jean and Rob- who are getting married at the end of the month. It was great seeing them at the wedding and seeing Rob with his digital SLR- shooting away with the other 20 or so photographer guests- I love it! Jean says it's going to be tough for me to impress her with her wedding photos after seeing how great the images were from Walter and Kara's (I played my slideshow on my new 30 inch Apple HD Display)!! Little does she know that every next wedding is better than the last wedding- It just happens that way as I am always after the next cool shot!!

Thanks for the good light God!Another cool aerial shot:And, the camera-in-the-bushes shot:This was under the pergola- so cool with vines all over it. The grounds were great- especially to a plant freak like me!What troopers! All these lovely people jumped the horse fence to get to this trail... even the bride!See their slideshow HERE.

I met some cool vendors for the first time too:
Michelle is right next door in Placentia- www.makeupbymichelle.com
Joe (videographer) was so easy to work with- Today's the Day Weddings
Alyson at Arroyo Trabuco was too nice! Arroyo Trabuco Golf

2007-08-26T11:06:00.001-07:00

Last night was a great wedding for me too- down at Surf and Sand in Laguna with a great couple- Mike and Julie got a lot of practice during their engagement shoot in Central Park in May.

My good buddy Mario from Vero Image helped myself and a new assistant, Jeni (no, not my wife) to get some killer images at one of my favorite venues ever.

Jeni did great at thinking for herself- I like to let assistants and second shooters be free and use their own brains to express themselves with their own style instead of shooting like me which wouldn't be true. By the looks of her images, we will be seeing a lot more of her in the future- she was great to be around.

I also got to work with a great coordinator for the first time. Maria Lindsay and her assistant were totally on-top of everything and still easy to work with.

Mario got some extra-credit while I was shooting the boys:

At the bell-hop's desk, yes, that's a phone on the left- we'll Photoshop that out during the edit...Such a beautiful day and the perfect time to be on the beach! ...except for the waters rolling right up to the hotel and all around us! It was high tide.
Check out more images HERE.

Pejman and Diana at Coyote Hills

2007-08-26T10:36:00.000-07:00

Stef and Brandon score again!!

I spoke with Stefanie last night at midnight as we were both driving home from our respective weddings. She told me I would be very proud of the wedding she just shot... I was!! She and Brandon totally exceeded my expectations once again!!

They got some amazing images of the good looking couple Pejman and Diana- looks like they did a great job too!

The wedding just just the other side of the hill from my house at Coyote Hills Golf Course- such a beautiful venue. I have been waiting seven years to shoot there!

Check out the slideshow HERE!

Just In Time- Nikon's New D3

2007-08-24T08:07:00.000-07:00

Just as I was about to buy a Canon for the first time to get the benefits of a full frame (same size as a 35mm piece of film) sensor, Nikon announced yesterday that theirs will be shipping in November! With many cool features that Canon doesn't posess, I am, once again, glad I waited!

For all you techies out there: The D3 introduces the latest advancement in Nikon sensor technology with its full frame FX format CMOS imaging sensor. This new sensor technology promises reduced noise levels and higher quality images in low-light situations with an ISO range from 200 to 6400 (expandable to an equivalent of 25,600 or down to 100). It also features the EXPEED image processing system, which allows the D3 to process massive amounts of information. The EXPEED system features 14-bit A/D conversion with 16-bit image processing. The D3 is expected to ship in November 2007.

More D3 features include:
• First ever Nikon DSLR with a full frame sensor (FX format)
• 12.1 megapixel full-frame sensor
• ISO 200 - 6400 (with boost up to ISO 25,600)
• 14-bit A/D conversion, 12 channel readout
• Nikon EXPEED image processor (Capture NX processing and NR algorithms, lower power)
• Super fast operation (power-up 12 ms, shutter lag 41 ms, black-out 74 ms)
• New Multi-CAM3500FX autofocus sensor (51-point, 15 cross-type, more vertical coverage)
• Scene Recognition System (uses AE sensor, AF sensor)
• 10/11 frames per second continuous in DX-crop mode (AF / no-AF)
• Dual Compact Flash card slots (overflow, back-up, RAW on 1 / JPEG on 2, copy)
• 3" LCD monitor
• Live View with either phase detect (mirror up/down) or contrast detect autofocus
• Virtual horizon indicates if camera is level (like an aircraft cockpit display)
• Buttons sealed against moisture

I called Calumet to pre-order as soon as I heard the news so I will be one of the first to enjoy this new rig!!

Nikon has once again restored my faith in their company and it's products. I still wish service would catch up with R&D to make me a truly satisfied Nikon owner.

More info: click here.