CASSIE.DEREK.CARLIE.PORTRAIT.

like i tell any of my prospective clients, the photographer-client relationship is the foundation for creating priceless images that truly reflect the heart of any given moment in your story. stepping in front of the lens can be intimidating to say the least. so, if you trust me because we relate, on whatever level, i know that you, as the client, will be much more likely to be yourself and not be so worried with the whole "big-fancy-camera" thing.

that said, this portrait session was a blast! i have had the chance to hang this past week with my bride and her fam. since the three siblings aren't all together in the same place very often, we decided to take advantage of it and pull together a photo session.

here is what we came up with... (and make sure to check back later today for the slide show at the bottom)










and the slide show... (by the way, the last image in the show comes courtesy of the demsher family and linda johnson photography)

A RED CARPET CHRISTMAS PARTY

we were all there for the same reason that night. though some wanted to see santa, others wanted to play dress up, and a few just had to shake out some moves on the dance floor, we were all there for the same reason; to enjoy the moments we have been blessed with in the present.

the ucla medical center, and its people, hold a special part of my heart and that of my family. ucla is where our courtney nicole received an abundance of love during her fight with leukemia. and though this year's party was marked with a few less patrons, like courtney, to dance, play dress up, or take turns with santa, the staff and volunteers at ucla made sure that those who are still with us were celebrated.

with a hollywood theme, any children affected by the various forms of blood cancers treated at the ucla medical center, were invited to attend the party with their family. they entered on a red carpet, and were cheered on by their many fans, while being splashed with the sporadic flash of the paparazzi (played by none other than my beautiful bride and yours truly).

on a semi-related note, apple's gallery feature accompanying any .mac account is the coolest thing since sliced bread, and you can check out the complete series of images captured from the evening on my web gallery.

MERRY CHRISTMAS: VOLUME II

here's volume II... merry christmas from northern california

MERRY CHRISTMAS: VOLUME I

merry christmas, from the desert. check back later for volume ii...

A WEEKEND AWAY

a few days up at june mountain was good for my head... and i don't even think i realized it until now. of course, i enjoyed the time spent with friends, teaching carlie how to snowboard (she totally rocks... despite the bumps and bruises), and just taking some time to be outside in the wonder of God's great creation.

the sporadic extended weekend was refreshing, and i highly recommend it.

i tend to be one to keep a running tab or to-do list, of what i should have already done, said, been, etc... and, this weekend away was a good way to flush my system of all those "shoulds." however i do want to respect the importance of the "shoulds." so here is a quick catch-up and some random notes...

*** doing some serious thinking about how to increase the value to each one of my clients and blog-readers
*** i was able to volunteer at the christmas party for the kid's blood-cancer ward at ucla medical center... kids know how to party. (check back later for images from the event)
*** my associate relationship with the one-and-only dane sanders is placing my business on a trajectory that i could not have imagined on my own
*** carlie started a blog
*** if you are a photog, i highly recommend you check out dane's special invitation into a full bodied plan to jumpstart your biz by becoming a fast track photographer
*** carlie and i are eager and excited for the holidays next week, and will be spending the weekend in palm desert and the week in northern california

carlie shredding heel-side

KHARA.JAKE.ENGAGEMENT.

we hit it off at one of my favorite spots, the gypsy den, a quaint bohemian cafe ironically juxtaposed just a few blocks from the shopping mecca known as south coast plaza. and we just had a little chat. he traced her words with his gaze, and she returned a look in adoration. with a passionate whirlwind of a story, it is no wonder that i was drawn in by khara & jake.

he likes soccer, she likes soccer. and mom set them up. they met just recently, but love wastes no time with these two, and if you didn't know their time-line, you would assume they were high school sweethearts. we ended our time at the gypsy den, spinning one idea after another, stoked for our next meeting.

khara & jake came prepared for our engagement session on friday, and we had a great time just hanging out down at the balboa penninsula. we learned a lot about jake & khara, and i can't wait for their wedding next march!

thank you so much for inviting me into the preface of what i believe to be an epic story. here are some of my favorites... and make sure to check out the link to khara & jake's slide show below.






CLICK HERE FOR THE COMPLETE SLIDE SHOW

SARAH & SHIN: WEDDING

i sub-consciously tapped the steering wheel, singing the lyrics to a mason jennings song, without recognizing the sound of my own voice, as i drove up pch. i was excited! giddy to learn, under a stretch of crystal blue sky along the ventura-santa barbara coastline.

with the events of this previous saturday, this post gives me double the pleasure in bringing good news. first, i was given the opportunity to play a part in the wedding of two friends, shooting alongside two seasoned photogs, dane sanders and chris humphreys. and second, i am proud to announce my new fast track associate relationship with dane. thank you dane, for offering a hand up to a newer photog, aspiring to go pro. i can't wait to see what 2008 has in store. if shin & sarah's wedding was just a taste, i know it will be great! and, chris, thank you for answering my seemingly endless onslaught of questions. and ron (dane's amazing videographer) thanks for just sharing in a good time.

here are a few moments i caught, in the middle of sarah & shin's story. the day danced to the beat of their excitement, and i feel blessed to have shared in that.






i loved how proud both sets of mom and dad were.


something sacred in the middle of their story.


i don't know if i can say it enough, but again, thank you. dane and chris hard at work...

MY WIFE DANCED WITH ELLEN

"you have to rub my feet when i get home..."

"okay, but did you get some cool stuff?"

"... oh, just some girly stuff, ya know... like some make-up and a purse, but you are going to rub my feet right? we were standing all day."

yesterday, not only did carlie sit in the audience at the ellen show but she also danced with ellen, and came home wearing the shirt to prove it. my aunt brenda, who was kind enough along with my uncle rod, to open up their home for our wedding back in july, picked carlie up early in the day. both carlie and brenda made the drive up to la for the taping of ellen's first day titled her "12 days of give-aways." so, there was some excitement, of course, surrounding who the guests might be, would they get to meet ellen, yadda-yadda-yadda... but the real anticipation was to see what ellen had stuffed their stockings with.

to be honest, i was expecting carlie to come home with some make-up and maybe a cashmere sweater, so when she said "make-up and a purse," my interest was averted.

but, when carlie stepped back in our apartment, after almost a full-day of being apart... christmas came early. as i sat on one side of the living room, she slid over box after box of goodies that ellen had sent her home with: an oral-b electric toothbrush, the complete box set of seinfeld on dvd, pirates of the carribean 3, all the harry potter dvd's, a nintendo wii (complete w/ some hannah montanna video game ;)... and then carlie paused...

i already felt like i was 10 years old again, on christmas morning, and i could see that carlie was just as excited to share with me...

then she pulled out the big-guns (as if a $150 toothbrush were a mere "stocking stuffer") and slid a box across the floor that made the geek in me squeal... it was vers, which is basically a hand-crafted wood-panel stereo for your iPod... sweet! but of course, that wasn't enough, so carlie pulled out a brand new 16 gig iTouch to compliment our new sweet-ass home stereo system. pretty much every visit we have made to our local shopping mall over the past few months, i have made it a point to sneak into the apple store and soak in the technological and creative genius, exhibited in the newest iPod technology, the iTouch. so again, the geek in me squealing in delight.


thank you carlie. thank you ellen. and babe, next year, when i go with uncle rod, i hope ellen pulls out a bunch of make-up and maybe a purse or some shoes, so i can surprise you as good as you got me. and in case you were wondering, yes, carlie did get her foot-rub.