" I'm 'BIDERMAN' "

toooooooooo funny. a couple of days ago we were running around the house, being goofy as usual, and my son, joey, wanted to be a super hero. so, he insisted on wearing his halloween costume to complete his transformation! i just had to share with you a photo that we took of him that pretty much captures his persona...to the 'T'. check-out his stance! HE'S 3! boy has it down. what makes me laugh even more is how cockeyed his mask is. picture, also, him singing "itsy bitsy Bider" joey can't say SPIDER so he says BIDERman. i'm crying, he is sooooooooo funny.

Dana and Dave - dana point, california

dana and dave on-line proofing website
dana and dave on-line bridal album

often i am asked where do i come up with my inspiration...take a look around and it usually comes from living life and those that surround us.

dana and dave are such inspirations. i find myself inspired by many and discouraged by few. when karen and i first met dana we talked about everything that inspired her, her fiancee and what made their relationship unique. she was this blushing bride introducing herself as "hi, my name is dana and i am getting married in dana point, ca and the reception will be at the marriott...in the dana ballroom." how cute was she!

during our consultation meeting a few weeks later we discovered many unique things about the wedding day, the couple and about them individually. like dave's love for surfing. seeing how incredible it would be to have this apart of 'his story' both dana and dave seemed quite passionate about our idea of documenting dave surfing with his buddies on the morning of his wedding.



so, on the morning of their wedding, dave and a whole mess load of his buddies descended upon salt creek beach in the o.c. for some r and r. we didn't have much time but the time we had...boy was it nice to have sand in between our toes!

i saw a small creek running down from the cliffs that created a small oasis that i found simply breath taking. the following images reflect growing up in hawaii at a very impressionable age and my ode to the ol' surfing magazines of the 70's.


this all ties in a bit later...just you wait.

again, it is the many stories that we are told that color our photography. take the ring shot. dave and dana took a trip out to hawaii and planned many a day playing in the surf and sand. unbeknown to dana...dave had a question weighing heavy on his heart.


he stuffed his pocket with an antique pearl jewel case with dana's engagement ring and headed out snorkeling with his bride to be. diving down and gesturing that he found a treasure...dave popped the question! WOW! what a story!!

the wedding day was as perfect as any bride would have wished it to be.
having been surrounded by 14, yes 14 of their dearest friends in their bridal party made it even better and zanier.








i don't recall a more photo happy bridal party! as you can see...karen and i were more than happy to oblige.

the details of her whole day were endless, too many for the weak of heart but just the right amount for tireless photoFanatics like me and karen.









a parting thought. youth is to have curiosity, love is bringing them together.


dana and dave, thank you for taking us along for the ride.


wedding coordinator - jen peterson events
venue & accommodations - laguna cliffs resort and spa by marriott
entertainment - andy rossi vox dj's
makeup artist - tiffany ditty
photobooth - photoworks interactive

Erin and Gary - ventura, california

details, details, details!

erin and gary's on-line proofing website
erin and gary's bridal album

what i have noticed throughout my career is the attention to detail that a bride and groom share quietly to those who celebrate with them on their wedding day.



it is these stories that bring to life two peoples lives that mean the world to them and carry significant meaning to them and their family.

from a jeweled humming bird in a hand made bridal bouquet that was crafted by the brides mothers childhood bestfriend,


to an anchor pin honoring the bride and grooms family serving in the United States Navy,


to a red delicate butterfly hidden within the blooming alter and adorning the guests seating area,


to a pair of red foe croc skin boots that the brides brother wore that "fai-red" so nicely with his suit.


these simple, subtle but poignant accents highlighted the bride and grooms passion of life, love and laughter.


to date, erin's laugh has to be the most contagious laugh ever. you can't help but to smile when she laughs cause you know that it is the kind of laugh that comes from the heart and deep within her belly.



and, gary is right up there with her. the two of them compliment each other without question.






as a surprise,

i set up a portrait location for erin and gary to give back to them the "2mins." that i promise all our couples. (if you are our bride or groom, you know what this is. if not, you'll know after this story) anyway, i snuck the bride and groom away towards the end of the night so they could reconnect for 2 minutes. i set the camera up, just outside the picture window of the restaurant, and gave them a piece of their cake to share. the rest was purely what called for the moment... a kiss to say 'i love you' and a sigh to say 'we made it'. "sweet".

the end of the night came soooooooooo quickly and it didn't go without saying...we had a very nice and pleasant time with erin, gary, their family and all their friends.



salute.

My New Favorite "Little" Lens

sometimes the little things can make a really big impact. i try to keep away from being comfortable with my equipment to a point. i mean to say that i don't want to get too comfortable doing the same thing just because it is comfortable...been there, done that. a few times a year i go out with my buddies, ron and tim and try to photograph textures, angles, light, patterns, color...just about all the details that can easily be missed in our day to day lives. as my buddies and i would say..."it is like honing our eyes to see more than just what is in front of us." so, i took out my new favorite little lens, the 85mm 2.8 macro and let the the honing take shape. it is one thing to put your neck out and see what is around you but it is another to put yourself out there with your compadres in eyesight. this keeps you on your toes at the same time invites you to see through others point of view. if it wasn't for ron offering us to kick back while he went to go get the car and seeing tim taking a photograph of an old busted up piece of wood on back of a delivery bicycle, curious to see what i could come up with...i wouldn't have nosed around a flower bed to photograph my first butterfly. so, i can't wait until next time to nose around!

Quote of the Month

Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go.
- William Feather