I’m going to keep this short and sweet.  As many of you already know, I’m a member of an organization called ‘Operation Love Reunited‘, which provides complimentary photography coverage for military families.

I recently had the privilege of spending time with the Walsh family as they said goodbye to a brother & son who is leaving to Afghanistan this month.  To respect the families’ wishes I will be leaving names out of this blog.

Because of their crazy schedule the Walsh family was only available evenings after sunset; a time when light becomes a bit of an issue

Enter our hero David LaNeve, owner of the ‘Orange County Photography Center‘ and Op-Love member.  Not only did he provide the space for this shoot as a gift to the Walsh’s, but he volunteered his own time as a 2nd photographer.  So David, a special thanks goes out to you for being so hospitable.

The photo’s show the pain, hope, and sorrow of having a family member depart for such a task.  This is especially apparent in the last few photo’s in which we have our soldier sitting in the studio chair with his parents saying what they will miss most about having him here at home.

Enjoy the photos, and send out your prayers to the Walsh family for a safe return from Afghanistan for their son & brother.

To say that the last month has been a bit of a struggle would be an understatement. Val and I were looking to move into a new place and received approval 1 day before said move needed to be completed. Thank God for good friends and close family who were able to help us out after receiving calls at 8pm asking for a hand

Shortly after our move my car was mistakenly towed from our new home. After paying $300 and 1/2 the day to get my car back, Val and I decided to start with a clean slate, ignore the tow, the money, and the frustration. “Let’s not let it ruin the rest of our day” Val said as we headed to church for Trunk or Treat. About 5 minutes after that comment traffic came to a stop on the freeway. Well….most of traffic came to a stop, except for the lady behind us who was going 55.

A quick trip to the hospital afterwards and Val and I were given a clean bill of health aside from some bumps, bruises, and whiplash.

Fast forward to 1 week ago when a pipe burst under our kitchen sink and I came downstairs to a flooded kitchen. Really? Are you kidding me?

I have had a calm throughout all of these events. My only explanation is that my faith has given me security when it feels like everything is falling apart. On top of that I have amazing clients who have been absolutely wonderful. Not only have I felt a calm through these events, but I’ve felt blessed. Thank God we drove my car that day, which no doubt took the impact much better than either of our other two vehicles would have. Thank God I discovered the broken pipe in our home sooner rather than later.

We have headaches that we still need to deal with as a result of this months events, but that’s life. These things will always pop up. Having the right frame of mind as you deal with them will help you get through.

As for now, I’m sitting at my laptop catching up on edits & album design for Laurel & Omar, Cynthia & Nick, and Jennie & Adam, among others.

Val and I came out to visit my Grandma to celebrate an early Thanksgiving with her and my side of the family. She’s buzzing around the table ’tisk tisk’ing’ at my laptop and editing equipment while she tries to set the table. Being very happy with the way her decorations came out she asked me to take her photo, despite not having my ‘big fancy camera’. Again, I’m content.

I don’t know about the rest of you guys, but I just don’t get the joy and satisfaction out of shopping/fashion like many of our female counterparts do.  Generally, wearing a V-neck with jeans and a pair of rainbow sandals is the norm for me (even in winter).  It’s easy, what I’m used to, and best of all it’s comfortable.  Shooting weddings and events is one of the times when I’m all dressed up with a tie and everything.

I started noticing a trend in weddings starting with one I was a part of a short while ago.  Recently the groom/groomsmen are opting for nice suits vs a tux.  It totally makes sense to me.  You can get a great group rate on purchasing a nice suit that you get to keep beyond the wedding day vs renting a tux for single use.  You can pick up your suit in advance, you don’t have to return it within 24 hours, and don’t have to sweat whether your best man is going to be too hung-over to return yours on time (just kidding  Trust me, the ladies love a man in a suit just as much as in a tux (see below).

One of the biggest problems a wedding/portrait photographer can face is shooting in locations where there just isn’t good light!  When scouting a location for engagement shoots, or for future weddings the lighting is the first thing I look for.  It’s only after I’ve found quality light that I’ll consider the background and composition.

Finding flattering light is so paramount that Bob Davis has gone as far as to shoot in front of a dumpster in an alley because that’s where the best light was!

When you can’t find naturally diffused light, you need to make your own.  Especially when shooting large groups/objects.  The Profoto Pro-B3 1200 Air-S lights allowed me to get some great shots recently at the Montage in Laguna for one of my favorite clients, The Shea Center.  I wanted to share both the photos and tips on using the profoto lights.  So enjoy this segment of ‘Ask Away’!

PS – Although I think my Toyota Avalon is a pretty sweet ride, no I don’t think it is worthy to be shown alongside the Lamborghini, but it was the only thing I had that was big enough to simulate a large group

What’s that, you say?  I’m reaching by comparing marriage to riding a Tandem bicycle? Read on!

Allison is a former roommate of my wife’s from her college years, so we go way back.  Her last name was ‘Kunkel’ which is just plain fun to say (trust me, try it a few times).  So when I’d pop into their place you’d hear something along the lines of, ‘Hi Kunkel’, and her response was always, ‘Sup, B?’.

Fast forward to her April wedding and we hear the story Allison’s father Dan, who told of Allison asking him to pray with her before going to bed as a little girl.  Dan would get beside her bed and pray for the man that she would someday marry, that he would have the qualities a husband should.  He prayed that her future groom would place Allison above all others, that he would respect, honor, and cherish her.  Dan proudly announced that Matt was the answer to that prayer.

Matt and Allison love being active together, and their wedding showcased that with a special item: a tandem bicycle:

We incorporated the bicycle into their ‘romantics’ right as the sun was setting.  ’Romantics’ are what I call the photos of the couple by themselves.

As we were taking the photos I remembered a time when my wife and I were riding a tandem on our honeymoon.  We were staying in San Francisco for a few days before heading up to wine country.  We decided to ride over the Golden Gate bridge into Sausalito for the day.  (Side note: When Val signed the rental agreement it was the first time she signed as ‘Valerie Carter’).

So we set out on our tandem and we were riding up a huge climb of switchbacks to get to the beginning of the golden gate bridge and I’m absolutely dying.  Sweating my butt off, muscles aching, breathing heavy, lungs on fire, the whole 9 yards.  It’s at this point I look back and see my lovely bride with her legs lifted up off of the pedals taking a breather…

So here’s where Matt & Allison’s tandem inspired me.  It’s a simple matter of how riding a tandem with your spouse relates to marriage.  As a husband and wife, you are a team.  Although you’re always working together it’s important that you identify each others’ strengths.  Allison, there will be times when you should sit in the front seat because you are more familiar with the territory.  Rest assured Matt will be supporting you by pedaling his heart out and giving you words of encouragement.  That’s the kind of guy he is, and that’s why your mom & dad were so darn happy on your wedding day .  Likewise there will be times Matt will sit in front, and it will be your turn to support him as he does you.  Matt when you need a little extra help, ask & encourage your wife to pedal a little harder.  Sometimes Allison, you may get tired and feel like you just can’t do anymore, lift your feet up and take a break, Matt can pedal on his own for a while, that’s what husbands do!

This simple analogy comes from someone who is only 2 1/2 years into his own marriage, but I feel that it’s as true for me as it is for an ‘old married couple’.  The key is communication.  Ask for help when needed, and pedal extra hard for your spouse when they feel like they just can’t go any further.

Wishing all the best to you both, your wedding was beautiful!  Of course I have to share a few more photos below