Another Lake Sunset

People walking, jogging and cycling. Families of ducks swimming around. Yup! Just another sunset at Lake Miramar.

Abuelita

Over the weekend we took a trip to Tijuana Mexico to see Veronica’s Grandmother for her 84th birthday party. Since it was a special day, I took the opportunity to have her pose for a quick photograph.

With such a caring and loving heart, she was surrounded on this day, not only by her family, but by so many other people that she cared for since they were children. When their lives were filled with fear and violence, she would provide shelter. When their lives were filled with darkness, she would bring them light. She was the hope for the children that needed it most.

And yet after all these years of sheltering and caring for others, she still continues. Feliz Cumpleaños Abuelita.

Geeky Geek info:
Camera and lens: Canon 5D MkIII, with 24-105 f/4L IS attached set at 24mm, 1/160 @ f/5.6, ISO 3200
Lighting: Canon 580EXII camera left inside medium softbox gelled with 1/4 CTO set at 1/32 power, triggered by Pocket Wizard PWIIs. Window light to the right acting as fill.

Bri

In the beginning of the day she was too shy to smile for me. By the end of the day she was holding my hand. That made me feel good!

Geekalicious Info:
Camera and lens: Canon 5D MkIII, with 70-200 f/2.8L IS attached set at 95mm, 1/80 @ f/2.8, ISO 100
Lighting: Canon 580EXII camera left with medium softbox set at 1/32 power, triggered by Pocket Wizard PWIIs. Sun behind her.

Mike at 80

His weathered face showing his experience, his steel blue eyes his wisdom. His muscles are still strong, his body still full of vigor. He shares 80 years of memories, 80 years of stories, 80 years of life.

Is he ever going to slow down? Nope! He’s too young for that!

Camera Geek Info:
Camera and lens: Canon 5D MkIII, with 70-200 f/2.8L IS attached set at 135mm, 1/160 @ f/5, ISO 100
Lighting: Bowens GM500 camera right just out of frame with 46” umbrella powered by Vagabond Mini Lithium set at approx. f/5, triggered by Pocket Wizard PWIIs. Sun camera left

Just One More Glimpse

I know its officially suppose to be fall. But I needed just one more glimpse of summer. Then again, we are in Southern California...

Camera geek info:
Camera: Canon 5D MkIII
Lens: 50mm f/1.4 , 1/2500 @ f/1.6, ISO 200

Stories

Somewhere in this world one story closes and another one begins. Considering how many people there are in the world, imagine how many stories there are out there. And all of them different. Isn't life wonderful! And to that I say congratulations Luna and Rex. May this story be the greatest and most beautiful of them all!

Swag

What kind of party do you give a girl that has everything for her 11th birthday? A Girly Girl Galas Fashion Shoot Party (girlygirlgalas.com/) complete with a limo, hair and makeup, boas, bubbles, and of course, photography! Now this girl's got it all! Awesome!!!

Camera geek info:
Camera: Canon 5D MkIII
Lens: 70-200 f/2.8L IS w/Singh Ray Vari-ND attached (used to drop exposure by about 2 stops) set at 70mm, 1/100 @ f/2.8, ISO 200
Lighting: Bowens GM500 camera left medium softbox powered by Vagabond Mini Lithium set at approx. f/5.6 and triggered by Pocket Wizard PWIIs

On The Balcony

In front of the sombre mountains,
a faint, lost ribbon of rainbow
And between us and it, the thunder;
And down below in the green wheat,
the labourers stand like dark stumps,
still in the green wheat.
You are near to me, and naked feet
In their sandals, and through the
scent of the balcony's naked timber
I distinguish the scent of your hair:
so now the limber
Lightning falls from heaven.
Adown the pale-green glacier river floats
A dark boat through the gloom—
and whither? The thunder roars
But still we have each other!
The naked lightnings in the heavens dither
And disappear—
what have we but each other?
The boat has gone.

D.H. Lawrence

A Circus Romance

What happens when a Ring Master finally finds the love of his life? An amazing romance and an equally amazing wedding filled with clowns, animals, fortune tellers, magicians, and even a pope!

Congratulations Nique and Lucky and thank you both for letting us become a part of your amazing day!!!

Camera geek info:
Camera: Canon 5D MkIII
Lens: 70-200 f/2.8L IS w/Singh Ray Vari-ND attached (used to drop exposure by about 2 stops) set at 90mm, 1/160 @ f/4, ISO 200
Lighting: Bowens GM500 camera left w/60" umbrella powered by Vagabond Mini Lithium set at approx. f/7.1 and triggered by Pocket Wizard PWIIs

2nd Grade

Another year older and another 1st day of school for the boys. Even though Liam is on his 1st day of 2nd grade, he looks like he should be in Kindergarten. Poor guy.

As for me... finally I get to catch up with work! But then again... I do miss them.

The doors are closing... Just one more time...

Leonor & Rene

It never fails. When I see two souls come together that are meant for each other, I see a sparkle, a glow, an aura, a magical connection that only they can make together.

But if aliens came down to our planet and asked me to describe what I see in one word I would say it’s... love!

Camera geek info:
Canon 5D MkIII with 24-105 f/4L IS set at 55mm, 1/40 @ f/4, ISO 400

Alana

Alana’s Debut is just around the corner and we had the opportunity to photograph her for the big day.

When photographing these images it made me look back at my own children and realized that, when they were born I never thought that they would grow so fast. But they do. Watching them grow is the greatest joy that a parent can ever have. And to have a photo that captures a moment in time, and to hold onto it forever is priceless.

Now I can’t wait to capture Alana’s Debut, and grab more priceless moments!

New Experiences

Ben and the rest of the team returned safe and sound last week from Japan filled with humbling new experiences. He, along with the rest of the team will be sharing their experiences with the other Dojos in the following weeks. In this photo he is sharing what he learned with the rest of the students at the Montebello Dojo.

Oh… and he also won both his matches. Woohoo!!!

Chevy

Every time I go to a car show I am always amazed at the amount of work that is done to these glistening, gleaming marvels of engineering. From the chrome of the grill to the tips of the tailpipes, everything is carefully thought out and nothing is overlooked.

That’s why I search for the details. Because in these details you can truly see the meticulous craftsmanship that goes into these incredible pieces of art.

Dodger Twins

This is Rosa. As if anybody hasn't noticed yet, she's a huge baseball fan, specifically the Dodgers. Her and her husband Jose are expecting twin Dodger fans soon. So gooo Angels!!! Hehe...

Cameraholic info: Shot with a Canon EOS 5D MkIII & 50mm f/1.4 @ 1/160, f/2, ISO 100. Lighting was a 580 EXII with a 1/4 CTO camera left @ 1/64 power triggered by Pocket Wizard PWIIs.

Bleachers

Aaahhh... Another beautiful weekend in Southern California. Finally had some time to breathe and went to the park with the kids. Much better than TV and video games! Hoping everyone has a wonderful week!

M&B

Hope everyone had a great time this Memorial Day weekend. With a weekend filled with celebration, the beach, games, and barbeque, I know I did! In between the lull of the the crowds at Mission Beach, I got a grab shot of my oldest son Bobby and his beautiful girlfriend Michelle. It’s always awesome when I get to see my kids!

Engagement Under an Eclipse

Whether it be a portrait or an engagement session I tell everyone each one is different and each one has its own adventures. That's what I told Dominique and Lucky before their Engagement Session. Their adventure included an eclipse! So much better than a studio!

Geekaholic camera info:
Canon 5D MkIII with 70-200 2.8L IS set at 1/160 @ f25, ISO 100
Lighting info: 1 580 EXII @ full power held by VAL camera left triggered by Pocket Wizard PWIIs.

Too Soon

He’s 5’5”, 150lbs +, and not even 12 yet… well he will be next month. My son’s growing too big, too old, and too soon! Not that he was ever really little, but why can’t they stay little! Next thing you know he’ll be off to college… then marriage… then… UGH!

V...

Had a chance last Sunday to breathe and take a break, so we went to a crowded Griffith Observatory. Why did we do this? I guess because we’re gluttons for punishment?!?

Anyway, while we were there I saw this doorway that I thought looked cool so I used it to capture my muse, my best friend, my love, and my life, Veronica.

Here’s the camera gibberish:
Canon EOS 5D MkIII with a Canon 50mm f1.4 set at f1.6, 1/1250 sec, ISO 100.

Brownie

This is Brownie. He’s a beautiful, friendly, and healthy 1 year old Brindle Boxer. 2 months ago this poor guy got a cast placed on his leg after breaking it from a freak accident with a metal gate. But finally, after all that time watching him hobble agonizingly from one place to another, the cast will be coming off this week. Yay!!!

He’s not my dog though. To be honest, our last pet was a Black Moor goldfish with the big puffy eyes that we affectionately called Freddie. He lived a pretty tough 4 years. And during those years, short of mouth-to-mouth, I had to resuscitate him a number of times from the brink of death for more reasons than I want to list here.

Sadly, after our last move, he became very sick. He stopped eating and began listing on his side. I tried in vain to revive him by hand feeding him and lifting him up when he started drooping. I even tried carrying him through the water so it could pass through his gills. But nothing worked and he eventually died.

So… we gave him the traditional salute and sent him through the shortcut to the sea via the porcelain doorway. Time for another goldfish!

... and for the camera geekdom:
Shot with a Canon EOS 5D MkIII with a Canon 50 f1.4 @ f1.4, Manual exposure 1/125 sec @ ISO 800.

Sweet 16

Getting ready to photograph Stephanie's Sweet 16 tomorrow. Whether its a wedding, quince, debut, or portraits, it's never the same and they each have their own adventure. Capturing these wonderful moments really makes me appreciate life even more. I never get tired of it!

Have I mentioned before that I love my job?

Now for the camera geekery:
Shot with a Canon EOS 5D MkIII with a 70 - 200 f2.8L IS and Singh Ray Vari-ND filter attached.
Settings: Manual exposure 1/60 sec, 200mm @ f2.8, ISO 100.
Lighting: 1 580EXII with 1/4 CTO gel set manually @ 1/8 power inside medium softbox and set just out of frame and to the left. Sun was slightly behind and to the right of Stephanie. Triggered with PWIIs.

E & N

What an incredible weekend! I had such an amazing time photographing Emily and Neseem’s big day.

This wedding had it all! From a beautiful wedding at the equally beautiful Holy Family Catholic Church, to an amazing ravealicious (is that a word?) reception held at the Royal Palace. The reception had everything from food and booze, to an eclectic variety of music. And they even had a belly dancer!

Did I mention the food and booze! Once you walked in, the food and booze was already on all the tables. And it was non-stop!

But during all the festivities I was lucky enough to be able to steal a few minutes of this beautiful couple’s time and took this photo. These two are awesome and so complement each other! May they live together in peace, love and happiness forever.

… and for all the camera geeks out there, here’s the info:
Shot with a Canon EOS 5D MkIII with a 24-105 4L IS.
Settings: Manual exposure 1/15 sec @ ISO 12800, f4 47mm.
Lighting: 1 580EXII with ¼ CTO gel set manually @ 1/128 power set behind couple and triggered with PWIIs.

Roses

Cameras, lenses, batteries, memory cards, lighting gear, me, Checked, double checked, and triple checked. Are we ready for a wedding tomorrow? Yes we are!!!

Stephanie

We had a Sweet 16 portrait session with the lovely Miss Stephanie over the weekend in Pasadena. After all the rain, it turned out to be a beautiful day! But since it was such a beautiful day there were plenty of people on the hiking trail with us. Did it faze her? Not one bit! She was awesome!!!

For anyone interested, here’s the camera geek info:
Shot with a Canon EOS 5D MkIII with a 70-200 f2.8L IS and a Singh Ray Vari-ND filter attached.

Settings: Exposure 1/160 @ ISO 640, f2.8 130mm. Singh Ray set @ approx. 3 stops (just enough to darken the background a bit).

Lighting: 1 580EXII with ¼ CTO gel set manually @ 1/8 power in a medium softbox just out of frame and to the right of camera and triggered with PWIIs.

Kakutogi Men

Sooo… I went for a test drive yesterday to try out my new camera gear at the dojo. While I was there, I asked Manuel (don’t know his last name) if I could take a quick shot of him. He was sweaty and tired after a two hour workout but was still nice enough to pose for me. This guy’s phenomenal! He’s in his mid 50’s and competes in quite a few marathons a year (including the LA Marathon)!

For all the non-martial artists out there, this headgear is called a Toshu Kakutogi Men. I grabbed this description of the Men from www.e-bogu.com:

TOSHU Kakutogi is translated as a Martial Arts that do not use weapons in their combat. Judo, Karate, Boxing, Sumo are some of the examples o TOSHU Kakutogi. In Japan the Jeitai (Self Defence Force) trains this techniques. This TOSHU Kakutogi Bogu is widely used in various Martial Arts that fights without weapons such as Kenpo.

For all the camera geeks out there, I used the new Canon EOS 5D Mark III with a 24-105 f4L attached. Exposure details were: 1/60 @ f4, 105mm, ISO 6400

Pier 1 1/2

Weathercasters always say how beautiful a sunny day is. But as for me, I love the rain!

Jenner

One of the images that I took going up the coast. This was in Jenner, CA. Seeing at how rugged these people are when it was extremely foggy, windy, and wet out there really made me realize how wimpy we are here in SoCal. Well... at least me.

Passion

Love is a smoke, made with the fume of sighs,
Being purged, a fire sparkling in lovers' eyes,
Being vexed, a sea nourished with loving tears.
What is it else? A madness most discreet,
A choking gall, and a preserving sweet.
~ Spoken by Romeo, Romeo and Juliet, Act I, Scene I, Lines 187-191

A New Beginning

“Love comes when manipulation stops; when you think more about the other person than about his or her reactions to you. When you dare to reveal yourself fully. When you dare to be vulnerable.”
Dr. Joyce Brothers

Congratulations on your engagement Emily & Neseem! And your beautiful new home!

Shannon

Here's an outtake from another fashion shoot with the lovely women of LovingEco. The location was in an incredible Ray Kappe designed home in Santa Monica. To say that this house is incredible is a huge understatement!

I also ran into another celebrity on this shoot, but this time I was able to meet and work with her too! It was the beautiful and talented actress, activist, and jewelry designer Shannon Elizabeth! She brought an assortment of her Spiritual Awakening jewelry to the shoot and was dressing the models with them.

Have I already mentioned that I love my job?

Flash of Beauty

Not too long ago I had the opportunity to do a fashion shoot for the lovely women of LovingEco at the Brentwood Country Mart with beautiful model Kayla.
I needed to photograph one of the shots from across the street and while the cars were zooming by I shot this outtake.

Oh! And I also saw Tracey Uulman! She was staring straight at me like I was paparazzi. Didn't help that I had all this big camera gear with me. Hehe...

Rockin!!!

Took a photo of my niece wearing a Rolling Stones t-shirt and some Chucks. Feels good to know that some things will never go away!

Lighting info: 1 580EX behind model w/red gel @ 1/64. 1 580EXII above camera in medium softbox @ 1/32. Both triggered with PWIIs. hallway light illuminating behind her head.