Senior. Portraits.
I had the pleasure of photographing this lovely young lady a couple of weeks ago. These are not her official senior portraits, but they are portraits…and she is a senior…so…. yeah. Anyways, it was a blast and I am happy to share some with you.
Favorites?
A Girl and a Guy
Last post for 2012.
I continue to try to improve my portrait skills, so here is one of a pretty girl and a handsome guy! (my wife and me 
).
I am testing out some new software and re-processed my self-portrait. I like it quite a bit better.
The Old Man and the Sea
I must point out that I originally wanted to call this “The Man and the Sea” but that did not quite have the flare or familiarity as throwing “old” into there too….Sorry dad !
Now Offering Portrait Sessions!
I am happy to offer the following portrait services in time for this holiday season!
- 90 minute session at a location of your choice*.
- You, family, friends, or pets are welcome!
- Package includes 3 edited photos. All other photos from session will be provided and these are yours to keep, too!
- You may request additional photos to be touched up for an additional charge.
- All photos will be provided digitally and in full resolution (on a disc). This keeps the fees lower and allows for more edited photos to be provided! You can print at the vendor of your choice and have as quickly as you like!
Package cost: $150
Visit the “Contact” page for contact details.
*Orange County, CA areas. Further distances will be considered, but may add to cost.
Portraits of a Zombie Killer
I recently had the pleasure of shooting some portraits for a good friend. It was a blast getting out and taking the photos below! We found an area with a barn and some farmland (rare) and took advantage setting, which was fun by itself.
Being the scary film buff that she is (read: Zombies), she was ecstatic when she found a pitch fork lying on the ground – she had to take some pictures with this weapon, er, tool! I was thinking ‘classic American farmer’ style picture – she was thinking ‘classic American girl zombie killer’ picture!
Princess Bella
Say hello to the next big Hollywood Starlet! I went through some of my portraits that I had not used yet and came across this one…why had I not posted this one yet?! It is adorable!
Pure Performance
This is a BMW M3 – say hello. Do not be offended if it does not say hello back, for it does not worry itself with such petty things. It is a wild, ravenous animal in the guise of sedan itching to be set loose. It has one thing on its mind – run, run very fast.
I was happy with the way this photo turned out. It really highlights all the lines in the car. I meant for it to be dark to show emphasis on all the details that make this car stand out from its lesser brethren.
Nature…. and Thor
I forced my brother to take some pics down at the beach yesterday because he has become quite the Thor as of late. He did it reluctantly and didn’t know I would be posting a pic either 
I just wanted him to have some cool shots of ”Back when I was in the best shape of my life” when he gets older. I am only posting the one for now so he doesn’t kill me! Besides that, it was a beautiful day at the beach and so I snapped a few other shots of the surroundings on our walk to the water. Good times!
A Star is born!
This picture and the one below are from a casual session I did with my niece and nephew over Mother’s Day weekend. I will be posting a set later, but in the meantime I wanted to share this beautiful little girl and her SUPER younger brother in the post below.
My niece in this picture loves to pose for the camera, dress up pretty and ham up activities. She would be perfect as a little actress. For now, I will be her paparazzi.
The 3 Amigos
Say hello to the Three Amigos! The little on in the middle, Sarah, thinks she runs the show, so I let her sit in the middle to make her happy. The one on the left, Skippy, is Sarah’s brother. He is a happy Teddy Bear and will do anything you ask him to because he loves you. The one on the right, Squiggie, is Skippy and Sarah’s cousin. He was visiting this Easter weekend and these three had a great time playing!
I had to snap this shot as a reminder of these little guys since Squiggie had to go home. It isn’t the clearest, I had to hurry because they don’t sit still long. Besides that, I love this picture because these guys are such good boys… and girl
Here’s to man’s best friend!
A Good Friend
Meet Mark. Mark is one of my best friends and I was excited to get the chance to make some portraits with him. Mark is really into body surfing; I think he goes to the water practically everyday – and he is really good too! He has even won a couple competitions! For this reason, I really wanted to shoot the photos by the ocean to capture him in his ‘natural habitat’.
These train tracks ran right next to the water and I had to incorporate them somehow. This shot came to mind because to me, in a way, it was a great representation of Mark. The rough train tracks are the pathway of so much force and fury, yet Mark is calmly and peacefully right in the middle. If you know him like I do, you would know this represents the daily journey to be at peace in the midst of adversity and chaos.
Here, Mark is surveying the ocean surf…contemplating if picture time is over and surfing time should begin!
It was a blast shooting my buddy. Even though I was focused on getting the good shots, we were having fun!
I love this shot. To me, it is such a real moment – just Mark, relaxed being himself.
Beautiful Static Motion
This is a beautiful piece of art located at the USA Olympic Headquarters in Colorado. It convincingly looks as if the dress is flowing in the wind, awesome.
The sculptor gets a ‘gold medal’ in my book!
(Yes, that was purposely cheesy)
Happy Sunday!
Good morning!… or afternoon/evening/night depending on where you are.
It always brings a smile to my face waking up to my little buddy, Skippy.
Have a great day!
A Portrait with a Hat
This is the follow-up color photo relating to my post below.
I love this photo for a few reasons. First, the setting this took place and how it came about. This picture was shot on my apartment patio in a quick fit of creativity as me and my wife were heading out to run errands. The green backdrop is a table-cloth that I had forgotten on the patio from the previous week. I saw it and realized it was an opportunity to ‘spice up’ the photo and threw it over the laundry compartment door. I think this came out looking so interesting for how quick and ‘by-chance’ it all came together.
The second reason, is the hat. I bought this hat for my wife about 2 or 3 years ago, thinking it was cute…she thought it was cute too! But, alas, living in Southern CA does not give too many opportunities to wear Eskimo hats…She finally got to wear it for a purpose and now I have a great lasting memory of it in case she never wears it again ! The third, but not last, reason I love this photo is obvious, it captures my beautiful wife in such a lovely light. It is a memory I will have for the rest of my life.
My Wife
I love my wife and I think she is beautiful. That is the point behind this post (she hasn’t seen this photo and she doesn’t know I am posting this… hehe).
I captured this photo of her the other day and I really liked how it came out; it was such an intimate moment caught in time. I have a color photo from the same session coming soon, stay tuned.
10 Year Anniversary Gift
I am kicking off 2012 with a few shots from a recent session I did with my brother and sister-in-law. I offered to take photos of them as a gift for their anniversary and the happily accepted. This was my first attempt at a “session” like this with a couple. I definitely learned a few things by making mistakes, but overall it was a great experience and I look forward to next time. I love these guys below!
Have a great 2012!
They are not afraid to let loose and just be silly – I felt this picture captured that silliness
Having Fun!
This time, it’s for real…
This last week I was honored when a good friend asked if I would photograph his family portrait. Of course I said YES, that was a no brainer. But, with that answer, this was no longer a fun hobby to take “meaningless” pictures…I had to deliver for a family’s memories! So, needless to say, nervousness set in. I was pretty calm until the day of the shoot – the importance of not screwing up really set in!
However, this family is one of the nicest you could ever meet and made me feel like one of them. The atmosphere was very casual, calm, and playful as you can see in the photos. The time of day in these shots was a little later than preferred, making the light a bit harsh, but I think they turned out good considering that fact. After the “official” family shots, we all kinda just hung out on the beach during that beautiful CA morning. This gave way to the kids playing and the other family members getting involved. I was able to capture a few candid shots of a family just enjoying each other. It was awesome.
I think the family thought I was doing them a favor, but in reality they were doing me a favor by helping me to really focus on delivering something worthwhile. And for that, I say “Thank You!” Below is a sample of some of the shots. Click for bigger versions.
Playing in the Rain
There was something magical about this sight to me. Maybe it was the fact that these children were playing carefree in the rain and this reminded me of a carefree time in my life. Or maybe it was the dramatic natural sunlight breaking through the forest canopy. It probably had a little bit to do with both of these reasons. Right when I swang my camera up to capture this photo, the young girl stared right at me, as if waiting for me all along. I had a pretty long zoom on my camera, so I wasn’t very close, which made all the more intriguing.
Wild Beauty
Over the summer I visited the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. I highly recommend visiting this place if you get the chance. Most animals are able to roam free in large open exhibits. Below are a few of the animals that caught my eye and lens.
Meet the Shoebill Stork. This is a LARGE bird and one of the only animals I have ever seen that actually looks emotional – as in angry. Very intimidating.
Fuzzy Heads
Caught this little guy hanging out.
These guys know who’s boss and have no problem relaxing in the sun.
B&W Fun
I received a new lens tonight and wanted to try it out! Below is a picture of a piece of wall art I have in my house and a self picture. I played with these and turned them into B&W and really liked the results! So, have a great day/night and here’s to having fun:
Skippy
When I have not had the chance to get out and shoot, my dogs always provide some practice for me! I snapped these the other day and wanted to share, mainly because I think my little “snowman” is so cute.
This is Skippy. He is half Shih Tzu and half Bichon Frise. He is about 3 years old and his favorite thing to do is cuddle. Apparently this breed is known as a “Teddy Bear”… this is spot on! Oh, his other favorite things to do are eat treats, beg for treats, beg for belly scratches, and beat up on his little sister, Sarah – AKA Princess Lillian (mini Chihuahua in my other posts). Don’t ask me where that name came from…it just happened one day.
Have a great day/night
