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

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

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.

Rich and Jen

Rich and Jen were so great to work with- they we big fans and trusted me to do whatever I wanted which always makes for great photos. To be honest I wasn't too excited about shooting in Santa Fe Springs because I didn't think there were any cool wedding venues there- ignorance limited my excitement- terrible.
When I walked into the courtyard of the 100+ year old Clarke Estate I was super stoked to be there. The light was bouncing all over the place: off the walls, through the arches, into the hallways- awesome!!
Add these two factors together and you have the making of some great wedding photos.

Jen's lips:
Coolest columns- everything was smooth concrete- love it!
Hot momma- I told her to be serious... right at this moment the Bridesmaids were harassing her to make her laugh:)
Rich
Cool architecture at the estate
The secret remote camera- the half person standing on the far left of this image was me firing this camera that made this shot- I was solo!
These two are crazy in love!
And, don't forget the coolest: a huge bamboo forest! So fun to shoot!
Reception under the trees.
Can't wait to go back!

Hunter Shoot

I did this shoot a couple of months ago and never posted about it. I shot Hunter over a year ago when he was tiny. It's so great to watch kids grow up and record this progression for their parents.

It is usually difficult to get kids to not acknowledge me when I'm shooting them, which I like. Hunter was so good at ignoring me it actually made it difficult to get shots of him! He was always running away or just doing his own thing. You've got to be careful what you wish for I guess!

Dad had this idea of letting him cruise down this hill on his trike- Woops!


Hunter is such a cool, independent kid- I look forward to more shoots with him.

Gore's Office

I love this shot of Al Gore's office. It makes me feel better knowing that people with messy offices can be successful and productive... Can't wait to show Jeni! I also love the THREE, yes three, 30 inch Apple Cinema Displays!! This is just his personal computer- I guess he's got lots of info to acquire on a daily basis.... and the TV's playing behind him- talk about multitasking.

And talk about A.D.D.!!

You go Al!

Photo Credit: Steve Pyke for TIME

Love It!

I got an email yesterday in regards to the slideshow of the wedding we shot at the Hotel Del Coronado last weekend:

Finally had a chance to see the photos - wow. Just simply, wow.
You are indeed a gifted photographer and I could not be
happier that we were fortunate to have you capture the
very essence of a day that was truly wonderful in every way.

Michael, the Groom

He also sent over some comments from friends and family that couldn't make the trip to CA for the wedding (they're from Colorado)!

What a kind man to take the time to send praise- I love my job!!

San Diego

The Hotel Del is one of the coolest places to shoot I've been to. I shot a wedding there last year and met Emily Smiley, a coordinator, and have built a good relationship since then. She referred me this wedding which was so much fun.

It was the second marriage for both Michael and Sonia so they wanted to make the day special but not over-the-top. They wanted to make is personal and comfortable for their guests and their children- The succeeded in every way!

The ceremony was on the lawn- the ocean was behind me. The bridal party consisted of just their children- so cool!
Love the light in this hallway!
Sonia's daughter- look at those eyes!
The happy couple!:
Cool alter- I stuck my remote camera right up in the roof...

To get this shot of the kiss without being intrusive: