Valley Carpenter Bee

A bit of a departure from my past few posts...

Lucky in Love :: Part II

Exactly one month after the wedding and I think I can finally say that I've wrapped up the editing on these wedding photos.  Here are a few of my favorites from the second half of editing:

Weeding through roughly 800 pictures, and editing just under 400 was definitely a process.  I have spent more hours at the computer than I care to admit, and I even fell asleep a couple of times.  Not nodding off...like full on sleeping at my dining room table in front of the laptop for several hours.  But, I learned SO SO much in the process, and I'm now working on a post full of tips for shooting a wedding or editing massive amounts of photos.

Maybe I'll give myself a day or two off first, though :)

Brian and Christine, thank you so much for letting us be a part of your big day!

Telephoto Lens for iPhone

I do not own an iPhone, but was browsing on Pinterest, saw this, and thought I'd share for those of you who do.  Looks super cool and is relatively cheap ($100).  This site looks like it's worth checking out in general, too, if you own an iPhone and like photography.  Enjoy!

iPhonepgraphy

Mormon Rocks

I drove by these rocks a million times when I commuted up and down the Cajon Pass, but never stopped to check them out until just the other day.  It's right off the freeway, too.  No hiking out into the middle of nowhere required.  Just exit the freeway, pull off the road, and you're there.  This photo doesn't have anything in it to give perspective, so I included a close up shot taken earlier too.  The top photo is an HDR and was taken just as the sun was setting, which explains the orangish tone on the rocks.  The're called Mormon Rocks after the Mormon settlers who travelled through the Cajon Pass in covered wagons in 1851.  The rock formation was caused by the San Andreas fault.  If you want to check them out the're at the intersection of the 15 freeway and Hwy 138.

March Brag Post - Jasmine H.

I think that all photographers have some lulls, or ruts... times when we're just feeling uninspired so we give the camera a rest and don't shoot for a while... waiting patiently for inspiration to strike us.  But I honestly think that my March Student of the Month, Jasmine H., does not experience that at all.  In fact I think that ideas for photographs must bombard Jasmine wherever she goes.  Like everything and everyone around her has the potential to be inspiring.  I swear she's got a constant back-log of amazing photo ideas... really unique imaginative stuff.  If only there were more time!  She's also started developing a signature style, which I love!  And, as if turning out consistently awesome work isn't enough, Jasmine has also been an inspiration to those around her, including myself.  She's recently been recruiting new photo students simply by showing her work to her friends, so that's always nice :)  Jasmine, we've only got a couple weeks left this year--can't wait to see what you'll do with it!

Desert Diptych

I'm currently teaching my nature photography unit... but I'm doing so within the confines of a mostly-concrete high school campus--always a bit frustrating.  So, I took a little walk the other day to scope out nearby locations with more natural subject matter, and was so excited to find an abundance just outside the back gate. I snapped a few photos, two of which appear here.  Today, I demonstrated how to put together a diptych using those photos and figured I might as well post it too.  These  photos both utilize Manny Librodo's Sharpening Technique, and if the directions on this link don't make sense just ask... I'd be happy to explain.  Also, if you haven't seen Manny Librodo's work it's worth checking out.

Lucky In Love :: Brian & Christine :: Married St. Patrick's Day 2012

Dustin and I had the pleasure of shooting Brian and Christine's wedding on St. Patrick's Day.  I would assume that when planning a wedding in Southern California weather isn't usually a factor--it's always sunny in California, right?  Not this day.  But, everybody says that it's good luck if it rains on your wedding day, and if that's the case Brian and Christine have a whole lot of luck going in to their marriage, because it POURED rain on their big day!  As if rain wasn't enough there were also high wind warnings.  Dustin and I drove carefully down the Cajon pass with our hazzards on most of the way.  The rainy day obviously removed any hope of natural lighting portraits of the wedding party, and on top of that the clouds kept any hope of sunlight through the stained glass windows away, making the already dark church even darker.  But, all obstacles aside, we had a wonderful day capturing moments with this fun family.  They totally rolled with all of mother nature's punches and didn't seem to let it get to them.  Below are my favorites from the pre-ceremony & ceremony.  The formals, reception pics, and a few more portraits will be in the next post--I just couldn't wait any longer to share these!  FYI: these photos are a mix of mine and Dustin's.

Groom & Best Man

Patiently waiting...

 

Watching his bride come down the aisle.

This one may be my favorite of the day... I absolutely love it!