BALBOA PARK WEDDING :: LEO + THALIA
I’ve been blessed to know the Baltierrez family for about 5 years not working with a lot of them, just not Leo 
Anyways Leo married his lovely bride Thalia this past weekend and I got to capture the memories of their special day alongside my second shooter Amanda from Be Mine Photography (site)
Here were some of my favorites . . .
Amanda got this great shot of Leo
Thalia
Leo + Thalia
I’ve done a few shoots with little Eli, he used to throw rocks at me during our sessions. He’s gotten so big!
Leo’s sisters, my Media All Stars crew, Vanessa, Leah and Betty
EASTLAKE COUNTRY CLUB WEDDING :: SERENA + JUSTIN
I worked with Serena 10 years ago at Jamba Juice. A lot has changed within that 10 years. During that time Serena met Justin and they have a beautiful baby daughter Sasha. I was blessed to shoot their wedding on Memorial Day Weekend as they added a new chapter to their love story. Serena couldn’t have chosen a better husband then Justin, he’s an amazing father (and a Chiefs fan!). Thanks again for allowing me to capture the memories of your special day!
I was assisted throughout the day by Lisa Ormsby (site)
To view all the photos from the wedding visit here
best guest book ever!
Such a fun wedding!
PARADISE POINT WEDDING :: LEA + JULIUS
A couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure of shooting the wedding of Lea and Julius with the Mission-Focused team (Brother Joe, Malia Dadez, and Cyndi Smith). Everything about this wedding was amazing, the location and weather rocked, and the people were all amazing. Lea and Julius were so much fun and it’s easy to see why they have so much love and support from their friends and family. Here are the photos from this amazing day, to see the full set please visit the Mission-Focused site.
some film shots
ADMIRAL BAKER CLUBHOUSE WEDDING :: LISA + LORSE
Last week some of our Mission-Focused team got together to shoot Lisa and Lorse’s wedding. This was definitely the largest photography team that I’ve ever worked with to shoot a wedding (Joe Ramirez site, Lisa Ronco site, Mark Shreves, Cyndy Smith and Michael Saucedo). We managed to stay out of eachother’s shots for the most part. The support from the family and friends of Lisa and Lorse was amazing to witness and was a testament to who they are individually and now as husband and wife. I was blessed to help document their love story . . .
THE INTERVIEW
I love meeting with potential clients to see if were the right fit when it comes to their wedding. It’s fun to hear their love story and see their personalities and already start to gameplan the look and feel of their photos, even if their wedding is a year away. Developing a connection is necessary, you want them to be completely comfortable and without reserve around you to truly capture them and their story. If they’re uncomfortable it will show, therefore the photographer must be almost like a member of the bridal party. During these meetings the bride usually will have the famous list of questions she yanked off theknot.com or another wedding resource site. I have yet to see how that list helped the couples make their decision because the bottom line is those lists only help disualify a photographer, not qualify. My list for brides is simple:
1. Do you like the photographs of the photographer?
2. Do you get along with the photographer?
3. Does the Photographers packages fit your budget?
That’s about it for my list, but here are the answers for the brides list of questions for Photographers:
1. Will I be the one taking photos at your wedding?
Yes! Unless I die.
2. How long have you been a wedding photographer?
Going on 7 years now, shoot on average 4-8 a year.
3. What styles do you specialize in?
Photojournalistic, candids, story-telling. I can capture the mood you want for your wedding, anywhere from fun to fashion, natural to edgy.
4. What type of camera will you use?
An IPhone if that gives me the best shot I use a Nikon D300 as my main and a D90 as a backup. I shoot with a film camera as well. I’ll be upgrading to a D800 when it is released. I also rent the highest quality lenses to make sure we’re shooting with the best.
5. Do you use an assistant?
All my packages but 1 feature a 2nd shooter who assists me throughout the day. What’s great about my 2nd shooters is that they are professional photograhers who run their own photography businesses and have experience being a lead shooter. My second shooters rock!
6. Do you have backup equipment?
Yes ma’am! And my second shooters are fully capable of taking over in case I get attacked by killer bees.
7. What types of photographs will be taken? (B/W, color, sepia etc.)
In our consultation we discuss what is important to you and shoot accordingly, anything from all black and white to all color.
8. Will you accept a shot list?
Sure, and we will do everything possible to get everyshot you’re looking for, we simply can’t give you a 100% guarantee in case circumstances arise that prevent us from being able to do so.
9. What attire will you and your second shooter wear?
We will be dressed in all black to help us blend in ninja style.
10. Can other people take photos while you are taking photos?
No, but we will give everyone a few minutes before we start to take some photos of their own. We’ll even help grandma out if she forgets how to work her camera. However once we start shooting we will kindly ask that we be the only ones shooting at that point.
11. How long after the event will the photos be ready?
We send out shots to get professionally edited by the team at Colorati, great thing about them is they have a quick turnaround time. You will usually receive some proofs to post on facebook about 2 weeks after your wedding with the complete high resolution photos arriving to you wrapped all up about 1 month after the event.
12. Can you provide me with a few references of couples that have used you as a photographer?
Of course, you can also check out my testimonial page here and my linkedin page with business references here. Or go onto my facebook here, a lot of my clients have become good friends and like to stop by my page and say hi.
Hope that helped out some, my parting shot is that if you love my images and you don’t have the urge to scissor kick me in the head after we meet then we will be a good fit and create some amazing shots.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA WEDDING :: KRISTIN + CURTIS
I’ve known Kristin since the 4th grade, in fact she had our little yearbook page for me to see. Our last names were close together therefore our photos were always side by side. Well she now has a new last name and her best friend / husband by her side. I was blessed to have the opportunity to capture their special day as those 2 friends made a promise in front of their families and friends to stay in love. Congrats!
Rensselaer Indiana Wedding :: Danielle + Matt’s Love Story
Danielle and Matt’s wedding was PERFECT! Every single member of their families were so AMAZINGLY kind and it’s easy to see why Danielle and Matt are such “good people.” I had the privilege of spending time with Matt and Danielle a couple of days before their wedding and got to meet all these great people. I’ve known Matt and Danielle now for over 3 years and truly cherish their friendship and am incredibly thankful for having the chance to capture their magical day.
To start off, the gals got ready at the church.
I never really know what to do with the shoes picture, however my fellow Mission-Focused photographer Malia Dadez (http://www.maliadadez.com) had this idea on one of her shoots, I was thankful for the idea.
I had a few moments with Danielle while the gals were still finishing up, we took some quick photographs and had some laughs
The guys arrived a little after
Matt’s sisters were so much fun, they both have young kids so I was able to relate and share some photographs of Hayden with them.
It soon became time for the wedding, just a little hot in there
I got to spend some time with Matt and Danielle while the family was cleaning up the church.
First Dance
Matt and Danielle, thanks again for letting me capture your story. Hope you guys can avoid the hurricane and have an amazing time in Antigua, I’ll see you guys when you get back, we’ll have to make a trip to the KC BBQ!
Sneak Peek II: Matt + Danielle
OK, OK, I’m sorry I teased you all. It’s called marketing for crying out loud. Here’s a few more to hold you all over, are you happy now?
On a personal note, you’ll notice I switched the format of this blog to allow for larger images. I also set up the images in a template type format but I will stick true to my promise to never put a watermark over the photos on this blog or my site, such a distraction! Also, what’s up with flickr’s new site, I switched back to photobucket, a lot easier to upload MY photos in the size I want them to be!
Sneak Peek: Danielle + Matt
Just a little tease from Danielle and Matt’s wedding this past Saturday in Rensselaer, Indiana. Much more from this love story to come . . .
Barone Wedding
Alicia, Hayden and I took a trip up to Long Beach for her cousin’s wedding. It’s been a while since I’ve attended a wedding as a guest, which means it was a great time to experiment with the camera instead of making sure every moment is captured. I shot a lot of in camera black and whites and didn’t use a flash the entire day. I wanted to focus on harsh contrasts and movement with the reception photos. Since this was a family wedding there will be a lot of photos in this post so enjoy . . . (I also leave captions on the bottom of images, not the top like a lot of people, deal with it)
Mimi, Alicia, and Hayden
My Little Hayden
Michael and Hayden
Hayden throwing sticks
Hayden and Papa
Pre-Ceremony Prayer
The Gals
Kristie
Katie
Sara
Sara and Michael
Communion
Joanna and Tim
Anya and Kristen
Alicia and her dad Mike
Kristen, Alicia and Joanna
My bride and me
Joanna and Tim
Hayden and Mimi
Kristen and Joey
Joey and Kristen
The Borgognas
First Dance
Mother Son Dance
Sara and Hayden
Alicia and Me
Cake Cutting
Michael and Sara
The Cut
The Madness of an Italian Wedding
It’s a Love Story
Today my cousin Michelle and her husband Daniel celebrated their 10 year wedding anniversary by renewing their vows. It was a hot day out in our hometown of Eastlake but that didn’t keep family and friends from having a great time celebrating their love story! Taking these photographs meant so much more then normal for me when I found out that they really didn’t have photographs from their wedding 10 years ago so these were basically going to be their wedding album. Thanks again for the opportunity to capture and show your story through these photographs.
Ciara and Robert
Ciara and Robert had a beautiful wedding on April 5, 2009 that I was lucky enough to capture and preserve the memories of. It was a sunny day down in Bonita, finally a wedding in my neck of the woods! The day involved us taking over a park, thank you kids, to capture the bride’s entourage. Anyways here are some of the favorites, to view more visit shootingbrides.com
Jen and Tim
I had a great time shooting the wedding of my good friend Jen and her husband Tim. I’ve never heard I will always love you performed at a wedding the way Jen did at this one and I don’t think it can ever be topped. . .
Jonny and Ashley
It was a joy to shoot Jonny and Ashley’s wedding in Lakeside yesterday, here were some of my favorite pics . . .
Erik and Leslie
Raul and I had the opportunity to capture Erik and Leslie’s wedding day memories on March 29, 2008. Below are some favorites, the rest can be seen at http://www.eriklesliewedding.weddingherald.com/
Simple Elegance
Raul and I had the pleasure to capture the memories for Pamela and Larry Stambaugh’s wedding this past Saturday. They had a theme of simple elegance and they simply wanted to share their urban lifestyle in downtown San Diego with their guests. This wedding had a unique personality about it and we we’re glad to be a part of this special day.
If you were a guest at this wedding and would like to be notified when the online gallery with all their photos is put online please leave a comment at the bottom of this post and I will send you an e-mail when the photos are released.
Otherwise here are a quick 30 that have caught my eye so far . . .
Rule #76 – No excuses, play like a champion
So I got to be a second shooter on Saturday for a wedding. I started the day off in coronado then went to balboa park to see the dead sea scrolls. I then got the call so I made my way down to spring valley to help shoot a wedding. Anyways it was a real busy day and I was exhausted at the end of it. I’ve been into a high contrast black and white craze of late so it will reflect in a lot of the photos, thats where the fun is in second shooting, you get to experience with some shots you normally wouldn’t take the risk of doing.
Anyways enjoy, and feel free to leave a comment as always.
Puerto Vallarta
My brother got married in puerto vallarta last sunday. Here are some photos of our vacation and the wedding. We had hot and humid weather, bug bites, and a crocodile who lives right outside the condo we were staying in. On the plus time I got to spend a week with my whole family, swam with dolphins, got to be in my brothers’s wedding which was at the coolest site ever, and have finally gone from no girls besides my mom in the family to 3 girls in the family! Oh Mexico . . .
Rochelle and Jesse Bastardo – April 21, 2007
Another wedding! We had a great time shooting this wedding for two very amazing people, here were my favorite shots!
Makeup Artist Giving Me the Bird
Colleen and Jeff (March 17, 2007)
Some early favorites:
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My Cousins Wedding
So my cousin got married this weekend so it has been the first wedding I have been to in a while that I’m not shooting, which my wife reminded me of the entire trip up to Riverside. Anyways I had to get a few shots off so here they are:
Gustafson Wedding
This was by far the funnest wedding I shot, the bride and groom we’re so much fun and it really showed in their photos.
