Mike and Jacque - LIVE! - Sneak Peek!

November 14. CBS Studios. Mike and Jacque tie the knot in style.

Lights, Cameras aaaaaannnnndddd Action! Cliche, I know, but it was just like that.

They made headlines yesterday and we got to be the paparazzi! Ok, we were the photographers, but we felt like paparazzi. These two did it up like no other and their ceremony was beautiful. The weather was cool, lights bright and cameras were certainly rolling. You felt like you were on a set shooting stills for a movie production. It was surreal and a one-of-a-kind setting.

Here is a sneak peek of what I captured. My wife has some posted on her blog, too. You can check them out here and see how amazing the wedding truly was. Enjoy!

The guys wore jet black Nike sneakers... awesome!

Complete with a red carpet, too. Make sure you have your invite ready!

Jody and Boddy - I Do! - Sneek Peek!

Ever had such an awesome time working that it didn't feel like work at all? We got to shoot Jody and Bobby's wedding this past Saturday and it was beautiful, fun and didn't feel like work. Why? Well, Kymberli posted a great blog describing how she saw the day. How did I see it? Let's see... the families and friends were so cool with us that we felt like family. The entire day was relaxed, super hot (even hotter for the guys in those tuxes) and FUN!

Before I go further I want to thank Bobby and Jody for allowing us to photograph their joyous occasion. You both have a gift to make everyone smile and have a great time, even us vendors. You made us feel like family. We were blessed to be able to document the day for you. A big thank you to our friend Scott who recommended us to them. You are a class act and a lot of fun. Great speech, too!

Here are just a few of the shining moments from Saturday.








This guy was just too cute!

Cynthia & Jamie - Giddy-up Sneak Peek!

A country wedding at Knott's Berry Farm is a great way to spend a Saturday evening. Especially when you have a couple so in love like Cynthia and Jamie.

We have a lot more awesome images to come, but here is a short two-step to get your mind spinning.

Jake and Kori Tie the Knot - Sneak Peek!

Family. New York State. Countryside. Gorgeous Couple. Wedding. Great Times!

That covers last week in a nutshell. Kymberli and I had the wonderful opportunity of heading back to NY to shoot my sister's wedding and what a great time we had. Here's a sneak peek of some of the wedding fun!

Sneak Peek - Trip to Western NY

We are in western NY to shoot my sister's wedding and had the opportunity to get out and drive the country side. I got a few fun shots that I'll share, but for now here's a sneak peek. We also had the opportunity to photograph my brother, Ben, and his wife, Emily. We wanted to have some fun with these photos and they had some fun with us! They are awesome and so much fun. Enjoy this little snippet of our trip. More to come!

Mike & Jackie E-Session at CBS Studios

What do you get when you combine a backlot, one hot couple and the freedom to roam and shoot at will? Exactly! You get webbed foot shooting an engagement session for Mike and Jackie at CBS Studios. Wow, you are good!

Normally I would post a sneak peek and keep everyone guessing, but I can't with these two. Meeting these two was so much fun! Mike got us onto the CBS lot for the session and we had the entire street to roam and shoot. They happened to be shooting the Comedy Central Roast of Joan Rivers on Sunday, so security was tight... just not on our street. They allowed us to be photographers and create some fun, lasting memories for Mike and Jackie. Now Jackie is super cute and from the second you meet her you can't stop smiling. That's because she couldn't either! Every time I wanted her to be serious she cracked up. Too funny! You could tell that these two were in love and very comfortable just being themselves.

Here are a few of my favorites on the day. This first one just makes me smile.



I think this was the only time Mike was serious during the session. He was a crack up and kept making goofy faces at Jackie. She held her own and pulled off some great looks!



And so it begins!



I was able to get them to kiss the sunshine from a bench in Central Park.





This is another one of my favorites. I figured Mike couldn't have all the fun making jokes, so I had one of my own. Mike and Jackie have known each other for many (many) years and I couldn't resist having some fun with Mike. Take a bit of time to pop the question there big guy?



On a serious note, Mike and Jackie, I want to thank you both for allowing us to do your e-session and your wedding. You are both wonderful people and we are pumped for your wedding day. I know it's going to be one for the ages and we get to capture it all. Stellar!

Jody and Bobby Engagement Session - Sneako-Peeko!

Picture this (no pun intended): Succulent chocolate caressing your tongue. Hearing the roar of the ocean. Candlelit dinner for two. Yeah, that pretty much describes how today's e-session went with Jody and Bobby. Here's a sneak peak of the hot couple soon-to-be-wed. These two were awesome and knew how to work a camera!

The "W" Family Session Sneak Peek!

Friday evening. Sun going down. Gorgeous family. Rad shots. Need I say more? Here's a sneak peek!

Scouting for Mule Deer in the Angeles National Forest

Sunday morning was one of the days I long for. It was a day that I have been trying to fit in for the past few weeks. I had been trying to go scouting in the Angeles National Forest for mule deer. The archery hunting season doesn't start until September for me, but I wanted to get a head start to see where the deer were traveling. When I was younger I would scout with my dad and my brother for whitetail deer in western NY. It was totally different as we could go out pretty much whenever we wanted because we lived close to our hunting grounds. Out here in SoCal, well, it takes a bit more planning. I just want to sat thank you to my dad who shared his wealth of hunting and outdoor knowledge with us. We wouldn't be the hunters we are today without the practice, guidance and experience. Thanks, Dad.

My day consisted of me getting out of bed by 2:30 AM, pouring a cup of coffee and hitting the road by 3am. Usually it takes me about 2 hours to get to the area I hunt. Unfortunately for me (only on this day) there was no traffic. I was able to cruise along the steep and winding mountain roads at a whopping 20 m.p.h. When I arrived at the road where I start scouting it was 4:20 AM. Sunrise wasn't for another hour and ten minutes. That was a VERY long hour to wait in the truck.

Once the sun rose I made my way to where I had seen deer before. With the windows down, I slowly drove the 6 mile route. Just being out there was a treat. I just LOVE being out in the forest. It's a natural high being surrounded by trees, clean air and traveling a dirt road.

As I neared the first area I was hoping to see deer, I slowed to a crawl and kept my eyes peeled. Sure enough I saw what I was looking for. Ears. Yes, I said ears. In the distance, amongst the weeds and scrub I saw four satelite dishes aimed right at me.



My first thought was that these are yearlings. To my surprise they were fawns and still had their spots. Awesome! Just then another thought entered my mind; Where is their mother? I scanned the scrub and could not find her telltale eyes and ears. I started creeping along in the truck and suddenly there she was. She sprung to her feet just off the road, right in front of the truck. She had placed herself about fifty yards away from her little ones. Smart mom she is! The amazing thing to me was that she was unafraid of the truck. I was able to get this photo from about ten yards. They are a bit grainy, seeing as it was early in the morning, but I dig the effect.



Here she is as she strolled near her fawns to let them know it was time to follow her into the forest.



I let them be and drove about 100 yards and couldn't believe my eyes. There was a guy camping under the stars, still asleep in his sleeping bag with his pit bull/boxer mix standing guard. They were right down the road from the deer and had no idea the beauty I just experienced.

I drove another 2 miles or so and encountered another small group of young deer. These were yearlings and a small buck. Very small and very curious. When I stopped the truck and got the camera out, he decided to walk towards me and check me out. I certainly need to invest in some low-light glass to capture these guys better, but you get the idea. It was also a hot day. 6:00 AM and it was already 83 degrees. Too hot for that early in the morning. I like 50-60 degrees that early.




I was feeling more than blessed. I decided to drive the backside of the mountain to see if any deer were bedded down where it was 10 degrees cooler, but no luck. I turned around and drove back and encountered the buck and his friends again. This time they had picked up another deer, a fawn, that I must have missed earlier. He was so cute and covered in spots.

After another hour of scouting I had seen enough and was feeling pretty hot and tired. I ate my packed lunch for breakfast, drank a liter of water and drove back from whence I came. I made my way around a corner and caught a glimpse of movement. Another doe was peering at me through the trees and she wasn't in any hurry to bolt. I captured a few shots of her, slowly drove down the road and she walked away and snapped a few more shots. She was beautiful and extremely calm.



Was I productive? Yes. I found some well used trails, saw where the deer were moving and had a safe trip. That is a successful scouting trip in my book. Now it's time to spend more time at the range. Can't wait for the deer season out here and back in NY. It's going to be a good year in the woods. I can feel it.