My value is in my head, not in my bag…
I saw this video recently and just had to respond. There are many out there who believe it’s easy to be a professional and do what I do. I have had brides in the past who, in an effort to stretch their budgets, have gone with other photographers who are amateurs just getting started. Usually they come back to me and say they wish they would have spent the extra money.
In that same vein, we have the MWAC attack lady. She says you just need a DSLR and to put it in auto-mode to let the camera do the thinking for you. Once she learned this, she and her husband decided she would be a ‘professional’…. Just like that!
I’m absolutely not knocking someone getting interested in photography and working towards making a living from it. But I am against people who spread bad information. After 3 years of being in this business full-time, I still feel I have a lot to learn. In that 3 years I’ve spent thousands on workshops, books, seminars, shootouts, etc. On top of that I’ve spent tens of thousands on equipment…
Anyway, this is my response. What are your thoughts? Brides of mine, would you like me to shoot your weddings in ‘auto’ mode?
Saying ‘Farewell’ – An Operation Love Story
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.
A move, a car accident, and a house flood: How I Survived
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.
Don’t Forget About the Fella’s! – My Take on Suits at Weddings
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.
Trust me, the ladies love a man in a suit just as much as in a tux (see below).
That being said, take a look above. Notice the tie is the same width as the lapel. This gives a super clean/tidy look. Ties have gone from being fat, to skinny, and are now reaching a middle ground. You can’t go wrong with a classic grey or black suit TAILORED. I was in a wedding not too long ago and we purchased tailored suits and every time I slip that puppy on I feel like a million bucks. Keep in mind that there are different cuts of suits, try them all on and select which one works best for your body. My biggest suggestion is to make sure you buy something you can afford. Don’t go overboard and spend a ton of dough. Instead spend your money on a great tailor. I get compliments on my black suit all the time, and it was less than $500. Thanks for reading fella’s and be sure to let me know if this helped you out!
Ask Away: Profoto Lighting
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
Riding a tandem is like marriage – Allison & Matt
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
Inspiration
My wife and I made a trip down to San Diego a couple of weeks ago to support our good friend Jeremy in a triathlon he was a part of, the Rohto Ironman 70.3. This bad boy is made up of a 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike and 13.1-mile run.
Psh, and I’m proud of myself when I take the time to walk my dog around the block. These guys are nuts, gluttons for pain, but enjoying every minute of it. As we stood by the sidelines waiting to cheer on Jeremy (above) we talked about the drive it takes to go through/train/mentally prepare for something like this. After standing around and watching the athletes, I started to get a little inspired.
And then I saw something that put me over the edge. He was by far the tuffest dude I’d seen that day.
Check out this guy! I overcame my fear of introducing myself to strangers, and started a conversation with his mom (seen behind him with her hands on his shoulders). I asked the little guy if he had any idea how cool he was, ‘Kinda’ was his response. ‘Well man, you’re the coolest, tuffest guy out here’ I told him. With that said, he got a big smile and I grabbed a couple of shots of him and his family.
Welcome to the gun show. Rock on little man, rock on.
New fancy smancy website
Pixel That! Photography is officially legit, too legit to quit in fact. After weeks of work and countless hours, the new site has launched and is looking deeeelicious! 
Keep checking back for updated content. Also, now that the site is finished you can expect to see more blogs, more weddings, more engagements, more of all the good stuff. Thanks to everyone who helped and supported me, now let’s get this party started!
Passed through generations
I’m no antique connoisseur, I don’t have much interest in first editions or expensive collectibles. However at times, I can get lost in history. One of the things in my home that holds most value to me is this worn leather bible that belonged to my grandpa, my dad, and finally made its way to me. Thumbing through the pages it’s easy to see it has aged over the years; it given as a gift in 1938, the leather cover was carefully burned by my grandpa 10 years later in 1948. It has been through times that have seen war, segregation, atomic bombs, communism, and presidential assasinations.
It’s easy for my mind to wander as I hold it. Did it accompany my grandpa through his time with the navy? 
Looking through the notes written in it makes me wonder what experiences inspired him to seek solace in a verse or write a prayer. Did he ever imagine while reading it that his son would read the same passages, let alone his grandson? I may never know the answers, but I’m thankful to have it in my possession and hopefully, to one day pass it along…
Babysitting Skills…
After teaching sunday school, and helping Val’s sister move into a new apartment, we were off to babysit for some good family friends. I was ready for a fun evening with baby Brooke. With her little chub face, little chub wrists, and little chub bootie, how could this not be a blast? I had a vision of a little photo session, putting her down by 6, throw some pizza in there, and watch the Oscar’s.
That’s how the evening played out in my mind, but Brooke had different ideas.
