I am Mandy Made!
Hi everyone! I really good buddy of mine, Mandy, has been selling these amazingly fun, handcrafted cards for a while now. She makes each set one card at a time, putting all her attention and energy into each and every card, wow! I recently took a few photos for her website and wanted to share them with you. The detail and overall vibe from her cards are so much more engaging than the store-bought cards. I encourage you to check out her site and hit her up if you have any needs. She does scrapbooks, weddings, special occasions, business events, or just if you need one or two cards. Mandy even did all the invites, announcements, and table cards for my wedding! I can’t recommend her highly enough.
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?
Accepting a Self-Portrait
Happy Birthday to me, happy birthday to me, happy…..you get the idea.
So I have never done a self-portrait before, so I figured why not on my birthday to kick off my last year in my 20s! Not doing a self-portrait previously had a lot to do with my adolescent concerns of not liking the way I looked. This is ironic because I regularly think about those I photograph and how each is truly beautiful in his or her own unique way (but especially my wife who is just plain hot! 
). This is a small step, but nonetheless a fitting one for me as I grow to accept myself more and more just the way I am.
Have a wonderful and safe New Year’s!
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!
Just another California morning
A typical morning here in Southern California where it is beach weather year-round. Beautiful.
Click for a larger image
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.
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.
A murder of Crows
No, crows were not murdered in the creation of this post… in case you don’t know, that is what a group of 2 or more crows is called – A “murder of crows.” Such a strange expression, but I relish the opportunity to use it for the same reason!
It’s a rare stormy day here in Southern CA and I happened to notice these three crows keeping watch on a empty construction site across the street. It seemed somehow perfect on such a gloomy day, like something from an Edgar Allan Poe poem. After I took the picture, I thought I would try my hand at using textures in Photoshop. I have never used textures before, but for some reason thought that the right texture would bring out the mood I was feeling when looking at this scene. For my first attempt, I was pleased.!
Enjoy the rest of your Sunday
It was worth it…
This last Friday it rained most of the day. As the rain stopped and the clouds began to clear, my wife and I decided to take the dogs out for a brief walk. Now I live on the 3rd floor of my building so when I went outside I was able to see that the ensuing sunset would probably be awesome (I could only see enough sky to be teased at what might be)! So, at that moment I decided that I had to see what the full sunset turned out looking like – I went back for my camera and car keys and decided to bolt up to a high ground I know to see if there was a view. I invited my wife and dogs, but they wanted to stay and pee on things (primarily the dogs, that is).
After I was at the spot for about 15 minutes, shooting pics, it hit me that on my dash out of the apartment I locked the door because I fully expected my wife to join me! Mind you it was pretty chilly this time of day and my wife, who needs a blanket when it is 75 outside, was in a T-Shirt and pajama pants with the dogs… and now locked outside. So after it finally hit me that my wife was locked out, probably freezing and without a phone, I [took a few more photos] bolted back home. When I arrived it had been about 30 minutes since I left and she was out on the sidewalk giving me a look that seemed to say “well, what do you have to say for yourself?” I just rolled the window down and said “SORRY”… Turns out she was very understanding and didn’t care. Whew!
I reached my spot and had a pretty nice view for such short notice. The sunset/sky/clouds were amazing. The natural grandeur of a “simple” sunset after a rain is breathtaking. I wish I could have spent a bit longer out there, but I was happy with what I was able to see and the few photos I shot.
Sign out where I was shooting
A Wonderful World. Post #1
Post numero uno, number one, primo post-a-lino, get-n-r-dun.
When I am seeing through my photography eyes, not my everyday have to get tasks done etc. eyes, I wake up. What I mean is I see beauty, light, colors, shapes, emotion. I realize that at all times we live in A Wonderful World. This blog is a dedication to that perspective – a celebration of all things beautiful.
Here are a few photos from a recent photo walk I went on. It was at Oneil Park in Orange County, CA. It was early in the morning and a heavy fog had rolled in and filled the canyon.
