The Quackenbush Photo Perspective

Cain F Nub Event at Taylor's Cigar Lounge

2010-06-27T21:29:00.000-07:00

I am finally back to blog! I had the fortune of being able to shoot the Cain F Nub Event at Taylor's Cigar Lounge in Long Beach on June 18. Usually with any event there are a lot of candid shots and not much mingling for me as the photographer. With any Taylor's event it is just the opposite. It was a blast! I met a lot of wonderful people, including Cain owner Sam Leccia. Not only is he the owner, but he is a superb and artistic cigar roller. This guy is no joke! He was a very cool cat to talk to and he also rolled some of THE coolest cigars ever. Here is a link to the gallery of images and below that are some of my favorites from the night. At the end of the night Sam gave me a hand-rolled and it was honestly one of the best cigars I have ever smoked. I actually was amazed at how good it was. Can't wait for my next one... in about 5 minutes! Enjoy the gallery!

Cain F Nub Event Photo Gallery

O.C. Fair Photo Contest - 2 Entries Accepted!

2010-06-19T23:10:00.001-07:00

Each year I enter my photos into the O.C. Fair photography contest and pray the judges like my work. I am super excited this year because this marks the third year in a row I have photos accepted into the fair! This year is special for other reasons, too. I truly love both photos that were accepted and I am excited that Kymberli also got two of HER photos in this year, too! What an incredible year. I am always humbled when my photos are accepted, but also extremely excited.

Here are my two entries that were accepted.

Good luck to all who got photos in and good luck to my wife. I'll be honest, I'd love to see a ribbon on my photo, but just having it hang along side other great photographers makes me feel pretty good, too.

2nd Annual Long Beach Grand Smoke

2010-06-13T22:39:00.000-07:00

Lights. Matches. Cigars and whole-lotta-smoke! Last Saturday was the 2nd Annual Long Beach Grand Smoke and it was off the chain. There were at least 100 more people there this year than last and it was packed! It was held at the El Dorado Country Club in Long Beach. Here are some of the photos from the event so you can create your own story of how the night went. A big thank you to Albert Espinoza of Taylor's Cigar Lounge for getting me involved both years. He's a class act and I highly recommend his shop.

For those of you who had your photo taken and you would like to buy prints, here is the link to the gallery:

Grand Smoke Gallery

Mike and Jacque - LIVE! - Sneak Peek!

2009-11-15T21:45:00.000-08:00

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!

2009-09-28T00:43:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-08-16T19:17:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-08-10T12:01:00.000-07:00

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

2009-08-07T21:54:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-28T22:12:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-07-25T22:43:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-07-25T14:43:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-20T23:35:00.000-07:00

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.

Jim and the Fam Sizzling in Front of the Camera!

2009-07-20T22:34:00.000-07:00

Blogging is a great way to keep in touch with people and share your ideas, work and adventures. Jim and I met through blogging. We shared ideas, no talk of work (unless you count photo editing) and our adventures were always photo related or family related. We had been meaning to grab a cup of coffee about a million times and we were always just missing each other. We finally got a chance to meet in person when my wife offered up a Mother's Day session for a deserving mom. Jim nominated his wife and she was one of many who was given a portrait session in her honor. Jim, I want to thank you and your family for allowing us to photograph you all. You have a wonderful family and it was our pleasure to shoot you guys!

After setting up a time and place we FINALLY got to meet! I have to say that I was pretty sure I knew how Jim would be in person; kind, caring, a jokester, funny, and best of all you could tell he loves his family. I had only 'met' the rest of his family through his blog and it was super cool to meet them in person. His wife is about the nicest person you'll ever meet. Seeing her and Jim joke with each other was great. It reminds me of Kymberli and I. Their son and daughter were so much fun to be around. They not only took direction well, but were very respectful and always had smiles on.

Normally, I would have posted a sneak peek, but life sometimes has a way of forcing a detour. Mine was around working on photos for about a few days. It was killing me because I knew we had some sweet shots and I wanted to edit them! I finally got to them last night and here are a few of the classics.

My personal favorite - we talked about how this could be the cover image for a reality show. Yep, that about sums it up!

"B" Maternity Session - Sneak Peek!

2009-07-12T22:07:00.000-07:00

What a fantastic couple we had the pleasure of photographing today! The "B" husband and wife team are expecting their first child very soon and are uber-excited. Here's a sneak peak to rock your world. Prepare yourself and stand back from the screen - the beauty can be intense!

"L" Family Session - Sneak Peek!

2009-07-12T21:39:00.000-07:00

Had a great session yesterday with the "L" family. Super nice, outgoing family and had a great time getting to know them. Here's just a sneak peek for your viewing pleasure!!

SoCal Cigar Alliance 1st Annual Long Beach Smoke

2009-06-28T23:54:00.001-07:00

Saturday night was hot, beautiful and smokin. Or you could say it was beautifully smokin hot! I was asked to shoot the SoCal Cigar Alliance event held at the El Dorado Park Golf Course by Albert Espinoza at Taylor's Cigar Lounge. The event was a cigar lovers dream. They had beautiful ladies, a fantastic raffle, a silent auction with some of the best items I have ever seen and cigars galore! They served a wonderful dinner, had a rad band that kept things hopping and did I mention cigars? Of course, being the photographer I didn't have a chance to smoke one, but walking around I was able to savor some of the essence of tobacco and it was smooth.

The night started out super hot, but once that sun went down there was a cool breeze and event goers let loose. I had so much fun walking around shooting the tables, the shop owners (thank you all!) and the best of all the huge group shot out by the golf course. It's fun shooting a group of people, but shooting a group off 100+ cigar lovers as they smoke - yeah, cool just doesn't cut it. It was just plain fun!

Here are a few of the images I shot last night. For all of you that attended and want to see your photos, please see the shop owners and politely ask to see them.

Enjoy the festivities!

Last, but not least... shooting the group shot was a blast! Such a fun group and oh so much smoke!

Joelle - Sneak Peek!

2009-06-15T00:31:00.000-07:00

Kymberli, Riley and I had the pleasure of meeting Joelle today. She has a natural presence in front of the camera. Not only was she polite and smiling the entire time, but in case you missed it she's also beautiful! We captured some amazing moments with her and these are but a few of the stunners.

Please, step back, put on the sunglasses and prepare yourself for hotness.

Brandon - Sneak Peek!

2009-06-15T00:22:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that it has been almost a month since I last blogged. It's been a busy time of year and it took a session with Brandon to finally get me to get to typing. In case you haven't seen Brandon, my wife introduced him to us here. Today was my first time actually meeting him, but he is totally cool. Down to Earth, laid back and up for anything. He's one of the few models I see that takes direction, works it and sends the camera looking for a cigarette.

We had an awesome time shooting. Here are just a few of the images from today. Make sure to brace yourself because if you can't handle sizzling you had better leave the room.

Does Skripture speak to you?

2009-05-18T01:21:00.000-07:00

Does it catch you with a hook? Well, this Skripture does. Today I had a photo session with actor/lyrical artist/model Skripture, a.k.a. Mike Foy. Who is this cat, you ask? You've probably seen him and heard him and enjoyed his work. Ever see The Shield on FX? Stamped it. Heroes on NBC? Stamped that one, too. How about the show Prison Break? Stamped that like a slap to the face! His music has even graced an episode of The Shield. He's got an album coming out soon called, "Legendary" and I am sure it'll be great. I was fortunate enough to listen to a sample today and it was smooth as silk. Loved it! Between the TV shows and movies he has coming out, I was psyched that he had time a photo op.

Today we collaborated to create some images that would benefit us both. We wanted to create something unique and knew it would be tough. On many of the television shows he's the 'bad guy'. Truth be told, Mike is a down to earth guy from back east who knows what I mean when I tell him that many of the California 'lakes' are really ponds, but we understand. He's laid back and super cool. Before the end of the session we had already discussed one or two more sessions with a different vibe. I am looking forward to them.

Mike, thank you for allowing me to shoot you today. I hope you had a great time and that you and all of you webbed foot followers enjoy the session. We certainly did.

Roncovacoco - Get your listen on!

2009-05-10T06:12:00.000-07:00

Ever hang out with a band that you just KNOW is going to be fun to chill with? Roncovacoco IS that band. They are so much more than just a band though. They have this cool family vibe where they can be totally cool with each other, poke fun, be serious and still smile... all at 8am on a Friday morning! I want to say Thank You to the members of Roncovacoco for inviting us to be a part of your journey.

Kymberli and I got to shoot a session with them in downtown LA and it was a blast! Roncovacoco is in studio recording a new CD and we shot some photos for the CD itself. I've listened to some of their tunes they have out and I cannot wait for the CD release. It's gonna blow up!

You really do get super comfortable with these guys. I think every single member (nine were there and they were missing two) offered to help me with my gear at least a half dozen times. You guys are too cool and helpful. I so appreciated it! Best of all, they moved with precision. If one of us asked them to move around and get into a different positio

n... they did it with grace and we had a stellar session, but enough of my rambling... on to the sneak peek!

Kymberli's rad images are up on her blog... talk about talent!

My favorite shot of the day...

Maternity Session with Bobbi and Che

2009-04-28T00:47:00.000-07:00

We had the pleasure of photographing a wonderful couple last weekend. Bobbi and Che are expecting their first child and she is going to be rockin' in the looks department. Look out world, say hello to Ella!

These two had us meet them where they exchanged their wedding vows and it was spectacular. The view was amazing, the weather was perfect and these two just made the camera blush. They are very much in love, as I am sure the photos will show.

Ella, you have some great soon-to-be parents and we are blessed to be able to call them friends.

22nd Annual Seal Beach Car Show, Pin-up Photoshoot

2009-04-26T00:04:00.000-07:00

Hearing a hot rod getting revved is a great sound. Seeing the remarkable paint job on said car while it is being revved is an added bonus. What's can be better than that? How about a beautiful pin-up model standing next to your car getting everyone's engines going without having to touch a key.

Today was the 22nd Annual Seal Beach Car Show in Seal Beach, CA. I had the fortune of being asked to shoot some photos for Taylor's Tobacco House in Long Beach. The high-end cigar lounge owner, Albert Espinoza, asked me if I was interested in shooting some photos for him. We had spoken before, and I get all of my cigars through him, so I figured I had better not pass on this opportunity. The best part was he brought in pin-up model Diana Yanuaria especially for this event. I knew Albert would not disappoint.

When I arrived today, we all got to chatting like we were old friends and it just felt good. We joked and laughed and Albert introduced me to some of his friends, and of course Diana. Let me tell you a bit about both of them from my perspective. Albert (great name, huh?) is a dedicated businessman and cigar lover. He knows what he wants, works hard to get it, but still has time to enjoy life. He works hard and is also a laid-back guy. Diana is the sweetest girl you'll ever meet. Not only is she a beautiful woman, but she was all smiles and was very cordial with everyone. After about ten minutes of chatting we geared up and hit the pavement.

Our goal was to get some photos of Diana with some of the car owners throughout the show. With 500 cars there, we had a good chance of finding a few. In 2 hours we took photos of her with 25+ cars. Not even a dent (pun intended), but it was a blast. As we shot, many of the owners came up to us asking if we would shoot a photo of her by their car. Our answer was always the same - You bet! One of the best parts were the families that came up and asked her to pose with them. It was great to see that they weren't afraid and also how open Diana was. She was never standoffish and always made everyone smile.

We ended up having to stop shooting because it was getting late, but I'll bet that if we walked around some more we could have photographed Diana with 100 more cars. What a great day. I want to say thank you to Albert and Diana for being great to work with and asking me to do the photos. I had a great time and look forward to working with you both again.

What's that? Enough talk? I couldn't agree more. Wear your sunscreen and prepare for the sizzling hotness...

Texas Wildlife and the Beauty of a Rainstorm

2009-04-21T21:04:00.000-07:00

A few weeks back I was in Houston, Texas for work and as always, I had my gear with me. I ventured out to a place called Bear Creek Park. The thunderstorms kept me in my car for most of the drive, but it was still beautiful. I was truly fascinated by God's hand on the world. Some of the tree formations were incredible. Some looked like a tight knit group and others a beautiful oasis amongst the dead and dying vegetation. I even got a shot of a water snake (not a cottonmouth) as he sunned himself in between showers. Big sucker, too. He had to top out around 5 feet and I was not about to test out his striking distance.

Instead of going into all of my thoughts, I want you to enjoy the beauty of nature and create your own. Please share if something comes to mind (Kymberli will probably say - "Yuck, a snake!" and I will love her for it). I hope you enjoy.

I specifically left our logo off of this one because I felt it hindered it's beauty.

This grackle was giving me some attitude. I never thought a grackle could be so cool, but this guy had spunk.

Lone Elk Park - St. Louis, Missouri

2009-04-11T20:01:00.000-07:00

As I left the World Bird Sanctuary, I saw a sign for Lone Elk Park. The best part is that they neighbor each other, so I took a right instead of a left and drove in.

All around the park are signs that warn of wild bison and elk. The signs mainly explain how to not be an idiot. Stay in your car, do not approach the cute cuddly animals, lest you want a mudhole stomped into your chest.

I drove the one way road slowly, as no one was behind me, and spotted a herd of elk on a nearby hill. There were nearly a dozen and they were all taking a nice nap. I stopped the car and decided that I might not be able to get out of the car, but i could maneuver the car to get a better shot. That's exactly what I did. I was able to get quite a few photos of these majestic animals.

Just as I passed the napping elk was a large gate and another sign for bison. The sign said that if I dared to drive my car in I was at risk of being rammed by a large bison. They have been known to charge vehicles. Here's the stupidity in the sign. By the time you can get close enough to read it you are up at the gate. It's a one way! There is no turning around. The sign should say: "If you ventured to this point, well, you better be able to drive fast in case one of these spring loaded muscles with horns comes after you." Yep, that's how I would word it. Anyway, I got in and saw a small dip in the earth. I figured I would find a couple bison in the wallows or in the shade. Nope. There was a small herd. There were a few in the small ravine, but the rest were on a grassy knoll. The scary part, you ask? The grassy knoll was right next to the road and these bison were only 30-100 yards away. Oh, it gets better. I am in a rental car on a VERY steep grade of a hill. I had to punch it to get it t go. Needless to say, I stopped twice for brief moments to capture these guys feeding and resting. Then I had the good sense to keep it moving!

The rest of the park was forest and paved road. They take great care of it and it was peaceful. Speaking of peaceful, I have one more image from "Emmy" in my last post. I found this budding leaf on a small sapling along the path. The sunlight hit it perfectly and I must have watched it for 2+ minutes before tkaing the photo. It was just God's reminder of how beautiful the little things are. The things that he placed here to help make oxygen, clean the air, give us shade and so on. I felt that this was his way of saying to not take things for granted and to really, truly stop and enjoy everything around us. Enjoy being alive. Don't sweat the small stuff.

Soon I will post the photos from Texas and we have some wonderful sessions in the next month. Be ready for some eye popping imagery!

World Bird Sanctuary - St. Louis, Missouri

2009-04-11T19:02:00.000-07:00

It feels like I have fallen off the end of the blogging world. I have finally come around to getting some of my photos posted. Three weeks ago I was in Texas and need to post those images, but today I want to post a few from this past week. Last week I was in St. Louis, Missouri for a couple days and then Kansas City for a couple. In St. Louis I was able to make it out to three 'nature' areas; Emmenegger Park, the World Bird Sanctuary and Lone Elk Park.

"Emmy," as Emmenegger is commonly known in St. Louis, is a small park that has some nice paved trails, a beautiful forest and beautiful wildlife. I mainly wanted to get out and enjoy the 30 degree temps. Note the sarcasm there? Yeah, I wasn't too psyched to be walking in those temperatures, but I wanted to get out and shoot some photos. I was able to capture this photo of a white-throated sparrow (someone please correct me if I am wrong) checking me out.

After my brisk walk I drove over to my true destination of the World Bird Sanctuary. Being a true bird lover, I knew this was going to be fun. They have a wonderful facility and the brids are fantastically beautiful. They were also very vocal. As I walked near the great horned owl's cage, he flew to the ground and started hooting and eyeballing me. It was intense. The bald eagle would schreech at each other, the vultures and me as I got too close. I had never heard that before and it was amazing to hear and to watch. The parrots were not liking me at all. They gave me some serious attitude when I even got near their cage. I would recommend stopping by this facility to any bird lover. They rescue, take care of and rehabilitate birds and give them a permanent home there. I volunteer at an animal shelter, but if I lived in St. Louis you can believe I'd be here volunteering, too.

I have three photos to share. The first is one of the peregrine falcons that was getting some sun. He was very ambitious and really wanted to fly. The second is a beautiful red-tailed hawk who happened to be sitting right next to the falcon. Last, but not least, is the amazing symbol of the U.S.A. - the great bald eagle. This guy was super animated. He was plaing in a pool of water and then getting some sun. Make sure to check that one out. It'll be up on the wall very soon.

I felt bad for all of the birds there. Why? Well, I felt bad because for whatever reason they were there, they could not return to the wild and hunt and be as birds are. Yes, they are given the best of care, and I am thankful to the staff who tends to the birds, but I also feel a sense of emptiness for them as they have to remain in a cage for the rest of their lives. May God bless the staff of the WBS, the volunteers and the many birds who reside there.
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Still to come... Photos from Lone Elk Park, Texas and then Kansas City, MO.

Sneak Peek! - Adriana & Victor - Trash The Dress Session!

2009-03-22T10:06:00.000-07:00

A big thank you to Adriana and Victor for letting their hair down and having some fun at the beach yesterday. You guys were rockin the sand bar!

Here is just a mere sampling of the images we captured yesterday. More to come!

My wife posted some awesome shots on her blog, too!

Cutest little girl.

2009-03-09T01:37:00.000-07:00

Today, Riley was doing some 'tummy'time' and started sucking feverishly sucking on her hand. It was so cute I had to snap a photo of it. She just stared at me and kept busy. What a beautiful little girl we have. I am truly blessed.

El Dorado Bird Safari - Part Three

2009-02-23T20:46:00.000-08:00

After making my way through hundreds of photos, I have finished editing the ones I like the best. I know that my fellow birders out there will appreciate these. My dad will love them and I love them! Please, enjoy.

El Dorado Bird Safari - Part Two

2009-02-16T22:37:00.000-08:00

I got to sit down for an hour tonight and edit a few more of the photos from when my dad was out here. I am amazed at how I can go a mile down the road and see so many wonderful birds, observe them and photograph them. Makes me want to get that 500mm Sigma. It also gets me excited to head back to Mammoth with Kymberli and Riley this year.

I hope you all enjoy these as much as I do. Ok, I am a bit nutty when it comes to birds. I wish I could explain it, but I am truly fascinated by God's creations and they make me feel happy.

The El Dorado Bird Safari

2009-02-14T06:55:00.000-08:00

Here it is the middle of February and I am finally getting around to this lengthy post. Life, as you may have guessed, has been VERY busy. I love it, but having a child does take much restructuring. My wife has been awesome at home. She's taking care of Riley during the day and much of the night. I help out, but I certainly don't feel like I do nearly as much as my wife. Happy Valentine's Day, babe!

Near the end of January, my dad flew out here to California to see his first grandchild and spend some time with us. It was great to have him get to meet Riley and see Kymberli and I. While we spent much time with the two ladies, my dad and I took some time to head down the street to El Dorado Park East. My dad has been really studying up and practicing with his camera and we wanted to get some bird shots. We both love birds and are fascinated with the shape, color and their natural beauty.

On and off for three days we ventured to the park and encountered some wonderful birds. Red-tailed hawks, red-shouldered hawks, great blue herons fighting for dominance, great egrets, snowy egrets, and many others. We focused on the big birds because we love birds-of-prey.

We had our own little safari. We would spot and stalk the birds. We drove around the park multiple times to find a bird we wanted to shoot. My dad even spotted two nesting red-shouldered hawks and they were fascinating! They were so territorial that one of the times we were observing them, a red-tailed hawk swooped in and they attacked. They defended their territory and they are fast! That red-tail took off as fast as it could.

The birds were very skittish at times. We'd walk right up on some and others would see us coming and get just out of range. We pulled up on an Sharp-Shinned Hawk and Dad had to get it's photo from inside the car. It was such a cool looking bird.

Needless to say, we had a wonderful time. I got to spend some time with my dad just enjoying nature. I was brought up on adventures in the woods and this was a nice treat for me. The park and nature center are my 'home away from home' as I like to call it. Being a country boy, the city life can make me crazy sometimes. This is where I can unwind and see the beauty of nature and photograph it.

Dad, thank you for making the trip out here. I had a great time shooting with you. I cannot wait to do it again after we've both had time to try new camera settings and scope out our back yards.

Oh, on a side note. I think this is cool and funny at the same time. My dad bought the National Wildlife Federation book "The Field Guide to Birds of North America" by Edward S. Brinkley when he got back to NY. What's the funny part? I ordered mine and it came yesterday!! Now we can compare our photos from across the country and can flip to a specific page at any time. That gets me even more excited!

Here are some of my favorite bird shots (and a squirrel) from the time my dad was here. Enjoy.

Beautiful, Squirrely, Bundle of Joy

2009-02-01T12:52:00.000-08:00

My wife will be the first to say that I am always calling Riley a squirrely little girl. She is always squirming and I have to laugh at how fussy she is sometimes. Alas, the laughter last a mere breath as it soon turns to frustration.

As you can see by the date of my last blog I have been very busy. Not only me, but my wonderful wife. She has been taking care of Riley all day while I am at work. I'll be the first to admit, I have it easier than she does. I am so thankful for her and what she is doing. Unlike my wife who can be very soft spoken with others, I tell it like it is and speak my mind. I know things are tough as a new parent and blah, blah, blah... I am not asking for your sympathy. I am just sharing my thoughts. I really don't mind kind words from everyone, but it's the people who have never had kids who keep telling me "it's ok, Al, things are always hard at the beginning" or the "I know what you are going through" or the best yet, "are you getting any sleep?" I am a patient man, but those who don't have kids - you have no idea. So please keep your brilliant epiphany to yourself. It's not the hard work that makes it tough. It's the frustration, the unknowing, the incessant crying and for what reason you do not know. Those are what make you crazy. Yet, it is all worth it. I would never trade anything for being a dad. I love it.

Riley is the blessing of all blessings. I know that every parent has gone through tough times and that it's hard. This is my blog and I can write what I want. *smile* So with that, I want you to know that I love my wife and I love my daughter and no matter what frustration lies ahead, I am open to it. The unknown has always frightened me, but I have God on my side and that matters.

I have been snapping photos when I can - in between feedings, diaper changes, sleeping - so there are only a few I am about to post. I have been video taping a lot, too. I want to catch as many of these small memories that I can. She's already 3 weeks old today. Crazy.

Here are some of my little Riley over the past week. I love her with all of my heart.

Meet my daughter, Riley Grace Quackenbush

2009-01-14T17:46:00.000-08:00

January 11, 2009 will be the day that changed my life forever. That Sunday, at 7:35pm, my beautiful wife gave birth to our precious little girl, Riley Grace. She was 7 lbs 1 oz, 21 inches long and she is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. She already has me wrapped around her fingers.

For those who didn't know, my wife was overdue by a week, she was 41 weeks, and had to be induced this past Sunday. She was induced at 9:03am and it wasn't until 2pm that she felt her first contraction. Thank goodness for my in-laws being there and our wonderful nurse, Evelyn. They provided some much needed support for my wife. My wife was in active labor for five and a half hours. Some might say that's nothing, but my wife has a very low tolerance for pain. The worst part of the day was when her epidural pulled out a bit and the pain came back. She was fortunate enough to get another epidural which was a godsend. The doctor didn't even have a chance to deliver the baby! They asked Kymberli to start pushing, to get her "ready", so when the doctor came in she'd be ready to go. Well, as luck would have it, Kymberli started pushing at 7:17pm and at 7:35pm Riley was born! They were all in such a rush that they forgot to tell my wife what the baby's sex was. Crazy!! I softly muttered 'It's a girl!' twice, but I kept waiting for the nurses to exclaim "It's a girl!" before I said it too loud. Too bad that never happened. After what seemed like an eternity they finally handed her to my wife and said it was a girl.

I thought I would get super emotional at first, but I was wrong. I just stared in wondrous amazement at my wife, our baby on her chest and those ever searching eyes. I have to say that I am now in love with two beautiful girls, my wife and my daughter. You cannot explain to anyone in words the feeling you get when you see your child for the first time. I wished her Happy Birthday and was taking pictures as soon as she came out. I took about 165 photos in less than an hour because I HAD to document the day. I will post a bunch after I finish getting my thoughts poured out.

When I got to hold her for the first time I was in awe. Just plain awe. She was so light and tiny. She just looked at me with those beautiful blue/gray eyes. I couldn't stop looking at her. I made sure to get her back to mommy so she could have her skin-to-skin. She is going to make me say words like 'precious', 'adorable', and 'pretty.' I am going to love saying those words every chance I get. I can't wait for my family in NY to meet Riley. That's one of the things I truly missed on Sunday. Being able to share the day with them there. I miss you guys!

It wasn't until I got a quick message from my friend Jason that I choked up. I know he and his daughter are super close and he loves her more than anything. We bust each others chops and goof around, but his words were very true and heartfelt and it really hit me like a ton of bricks. I was sitting in the hospital room reviewing my Facebook messages on my Blackberry when his popped up. Here's what he wrote...

"Mr. Quackenbush... can I just call you Savage? This is Jason on Amy's Facebook, and I just wanted to say congratualtions on the birth of your daughter, and I wanted to pass on some words of encouragement I have read since having a princess too. From Father to Daughter, "Because he's her first love. Her first Hero. The first man in her life." Awesome words and an honor to be all of this. Congratualtions Daddy!"

Wow, right? Kymberli will tell you that as I read those words I got choked up, had to pause and then my eyes were burning like mad from lack of sleep and the tears. Jason, I really appreciate hearing that and I want to thank you for sharing those words.

Kymberli was fortunate to get a private room and I was lucky enough to be able to stay in her room for two nights. I want to thank my boss, Tim, for being understanding and allowing me to take a few days off to spend some time with them. I hadn't planned on taking time off, but how could I not? God blessed me with a wonderful family, an amazing wife, a fantastic profession, and now a precious gift of a daughter. I am a VERY lucky man and I know it.

We got home yesterday and it was so nice to be home. I'll admit, I have been nervous since day one. Making sure she sleeps right, getting the feedings on schedule and making sure mommy gets enough sleep so she can heal up. Want to know the one thing that really doesn't bother me that does to many people? Changing diapers. I don't mind it one bit. I told Kymberli a few months ago that I thought I'd be gagging (terrible gag reflex) each time I had to change a diaper. I guess it's my way of bonding with Riley. Mommy can breastfeed and I can change diapers. Even trade, right?

Last night was spectacular for me. Grandpa Don and Grandma Roma brought dinner over from the Milk Barn. Spaghetti, garlic bread, salad and pizza. All were fantastic! We had Riley in her swing as we ate and it was so nice to relax and eat with family. After they left, mommy was tired, so I offered to stay up with the baby and get her up when I got tired. I knew Kymberli needed the time to heal, so I stayed up until 6:30am. Yeah, I know... "Get your sleep now!" they all say. Well, I had that bundle of joy in my arms most of the night. I just couldn't put her down. I know there will me many long nights, but I already know it'll be worth it. Life is full of challenges and raising my daughter will be a welcome one. My wife and I know this is a team effort and that there will be frustration, laughter, bumps & bruises, and most of all a reward unlike any other; seeing her learn and grow.

I watch Kymberli interact with Riley and it just warms me up all over. She's already a great mom and a wonderful wife. We are each others biggest fans and support team. I love you, Kymberli. I love you, Riley.

Here are my favorite photos from days 1-3 of Riley Grace's life. Always puts a smile on my face.

Seeing each other for the first time.

Weighing in.

Mommy and Riley sharing a moment.

The first time I got to hold her. There will never be a feeling like this that I can explain to anyone.

Grandma Roma and Riley in the spotlight.

Grandpa Don and Grandma Roma with Riley.

Riley arriving home in the car seat. Isn't she adorable?

Mommy changing a diaper.

Riley does this hilarious thing with her feet. When she's in the swing, she lifts her right leg up and holds it there while the swing is in motion. She does it every time! It's hilarious to watch!

Mommy holding Riley as she drifts off to sleep.

Thank you all for your kind words, words of encouragement and prayers. We are now proud parents and we look forward to everything life now has in store for the Quackenbush family. We love you all!

Coyote Sighting in Los Alamitos - 10:30am

2008-12-28T13:43:00.001-08:00

Everyone who knows me well knows that I am an avid outdoorsman, nature photographer and lover of animals. I encounter animals all of the time in the forest or at El Dorado Park. Today was my first experience with a southern Californian coyote.

Kymberli and I got up this morning intent on going to the park to walk and get some exercise. I drove down the street and Kymberli exclaimed, "Aw, a dog is in the street down there by itself." I look and without hesitation we both blurt out, "That looks like a coyote!" It was down near the Los Alamitos Animal Hospital and it was 10:30 in the morning. Bright sunshine and it was using the sidewalk. I drove right up near it and started hollering at it. It gave me one look and was not at all worried about me. It kept walking ahead.

I quicly turned the car around and got my phone out. Kymberli called the Los Al Police and they said they couldn't do anything because the animals live there. I understand that they do, but they could be a bit more helpful. I feel they could have asked for more information or sent someone to check it out. People keep bitching and complaining at the City Council meetings and in the papers about coyotes attacking their pets, killing cats and small dogs and not being able to do anything about it. Well, they should do something! Anyway, we follow it down the road. I drive right next to it and all the while (And I am sure the Baxters will appreciate this) I am cursing myself out for not bringing my camera. This would be THE prime op. for a coyote photo and it's a block from our apartment! So, I whipped out the phone and got this quick shot. It's nothing spectacular, but you can see the coyote. He was well fed, healthy and not at all afraid of humans.

I drove down the road to tell a young couple, who had their little boy walking on the sidewalk, that there was a coyote right up the street. They looked, pointed and asked me if that was him. I said yes and they turned right around and high tailed it to their vehicle. I cannot blame them! With a baby on the way, I would be VERY cautious. After I made a U-turn, the dog dissappeared. I went bacvk to our apt. to see if our cat was ok. She was and we waited for a few minutes to see if the coyote would reappear. He did not, but I am still cautious. I know I will be carrying my pepper spray anytime we go on a walk and I recommend others do, too.

We both a little rattled about seeing the animal. I have seen them in the wild and had them come very close when i was in the forest, but to have one in your neighborhood and unafraid... that is frightening. Be on your guard Los Alamitos.

S.tarbucks O.n S.aturday (SOS)

2008-12-13T09:07:00.000-08:00

I am laughing inside at just how picky people are and how crazy our society can be. It's no wonder we are having financial difficulty when someone can't just get a cup of coffee anymore without being super, no Uber-specific.

I came back from walking dogs at the animal shelter this morning and made my usual stop into Starbucks. When I get there I counted 7 people ahead of me. 5 minutes later we weren't moving and people started grumbling. So, I opened my ears a bit more and found the hold up. A woman was ordering gift cards... not coffee, at 8:30 am on a Saturday. Now, usually that won't matter to me, but she was ordering each one separately and she ordered around 10! She didn't even order a coffee or anything. Who shows up to a coffee place at the peak time everyone wants a hot, tasty beverage and orders their gift cards? By the time she was done, the line was 12 people deep. She rushed out the door as to not make eye contact with anyone. Crazy!

Oh, and it gets better. I usually get the same thing - a coffee! I know, it's an AMAZING concept, but I get a grande coffee with room from cream and sugar. That's it. This is where the rest of the fin begins. The guy behind me orders a medium foam, double cup latte, at exactly 130 degrees. WHAAAATT?? Do you mean to tell me your tongue knows exactly what 130 degrees is and you HAVE to have that? HAHAHA! Ok, I'm done. Nope, I lied. It gets better.

The guy behind him asks what the bold coffee is for the day. The barista does NOT stutter when he says the regular coffee today is the Chrsitmas Blend. Good stuff. The customer wants to know what the bold is. The barista tells him that they brew one regular and one decaf and that the regular is the C.B. He pauses and askes for the funniest thing. I am still smiling over it. He asks for a 50/50 - half Christmas Blend, half decaf with a splash of hot water. Are you kidding me? You JUST asked what the bold coffee was and now you was a 50/50 with a splash? Please, God, am I on candid camera? I know you MUST be messing with me. LMAO!

I try to look at the humor in everyday life and today made me laugh. So, now I am home. Happy to have a regular coffee and a breakfast sandwich. I am happy that my wife and baby are doing great and momma is sleeping soundly in the bedroom. I wish I could take some of the burden from carrying the baby from my wife, but it's just not going to happen. I need to be supportive and loving and I just want to take care of her. God, thanks for helping me see the humor in life and seeing what is really important. It's not the 130 degree latte, or my coffee... it's people. It's my wife and soon-to-be-born baby, family and friends. Keep them close, talk to them and most of all... listen. You'll be surprised at what they don't actually say that you can hear loud and clear. Have a wonderful weekend everyone and I hope you get the exact coffee you want.

Richard, Monica and family slideshow!

2008-12-11T23:28:00.000-08:00

This was a wonderful session on s many levels. First, the family is wonderful and very polite. Second, they are a beautiful family - just look at them! Third, this was our very last portrait session of 2009 and now we are waiting for the arrival of Baby Riley so we can take even more pictures!

I am very happy to be able to share this slideshow. We have grown so much as a business and as a couple. Kymberli and I are always trying to improve our styles, our workflow and our business sense. If you check out our first blogs to now, you will see a big improvement... and we aren't finished.

Thank you Richard and Monica, for allowing us to photograph you and your family. Tux, there's a special treat for you for being such a good dog. We hope you all enjoy this slideshow of some of my images from the day. You can check out Kymberli's slideshow here. She captured some of her BEST images of the year with this session. Great job, babe!

Are You Ready For Some Football?

2008-12-09T18:55:00.000-08:00

A couple weeks ago, Kymberli and I got to do a session with the ever-so-cool and uber-athletic Chavez family. They were all so cool and even though the boys weren't 'really into' the session... I think they secretly enjoyed being in the spotlight. How can they not? Mom and Dad were great and just look at how beautiful Mom is and how handsome Dad is!

A big thank you goes out to the Chavez family for being patient, walking on soggy ground and just plain having fun while letting us photography you. We really enjoyed it!

Here is a brief slideshow for you all to enjoy.

Sneak Peek - Richard, Monica and family make seven!

2008-12-07T17:32:00.000-08:00

Today, we had the great fortune of photographing Richard and Monica along with their family. This includes Tux, their Boston Terrier, who was so cute. I mean, look at this mug!

Their family is absolutely beautiful. It was great seeing their family dynamic. The kids could be themselves and Monica and Richard could do their thing. Thank you all for allowing us the opportunity to photograph your wonderful family. It was such a great way to end the day. Kymberli posted some of her sneak peek on her blog, too! Check them out here!

Here is the entire family...

And here is my favorite image from the session. I just love how everything melted together and how sweet they were to each other. Gorgeous!

More to come later!!

Cindy & Shelly - The Images Revealed!

2008-11-30T17:12:00.000-08:00

Back in October, Kymberli and I were given the opportunity to photograph the wedding of Cindy & Shelly. The entire family greeted us with warmth and kindness. There were many children and the photo ops were endless. Thank you Cindy and Shelly for allowing us to capture the day for you. We wish you a lifetime of happiness!

Kymberli posted her images from the day on her blog. She has a wonderful eye and a great way with people. You can see the truth behind that in her images. The kids just love her!

I hope you enjoy these as much as we did while witnessing the day. The love these two share for one another is something every couple should strive for. On with the show...

Sharing and giving thanks, what a concept!

2008-11-28T19:30:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving always brings back good memories for me. Back in NY, every year my family would get together and have a big meal and get to spend some quality time together. There was always the fruit salad (which I loved), the oysters for my dad and the 15 pies for me. Ok, but I had to try each and every one! It was a rule. I'll admit, I miss those big dinners with my family and look forward to one in the next few years. My family here in SoCal is wonderful, too. Everyone gets together at Aunt Donna's and we all bring something to share. Last year, Kymberli and I opted to share our time with a local church in Seal Beach and help serve Thanksgiving meals to those who didn't have families, were homeless or just needed a good warm meal. It was one of the warmest days of my life. It wasn't that I felt good about being a servant or anything like that. It was that God had put me in a place to share a unique moment with my wife and we had both agreed to do it without hesitation. It was the fact that I got to share some time talking with people there and finding out why they were there. It is easy to explkain how it went, but difficult to truly grasp how wonderful the day was.

This year, Kymberli and I did not go to the church. I didn't want Kymberli risking getting sick or being on her feet too long. Riley will be here soon and I am sympathetic that she has a baby in her belly and the extra strain taxes her body. It was still a very positive day. We were able to spend the day with our family (her side) and it was great. Lots of baby talk, great food and much laughter. We took some time to photograph Kymberli's cousins (mine too now) in the backyard. Jayson and Ali have a wonderful family and they have been great to us. As future parents, we have had many questions and they have been more than helpful. We are so appreciative that they are willing to share. Even 3-yr old Jackson was willing to share his meal with Kymberli. He's a character and extremely intelligent for his age. Look out pre-school!

I just want to say thank you to my family here, my family in NY and my wonderful wife for all the memories of Thanksgiving. I am thankful to God for blessing me with so many wonderful gifts in life. Without my faith and family, I would surely be in a different place.

Here are two of my favorite shots from yesterday. Thank you guys for allowing us to photograph your family. It was a treat!

Pet Photos With Santa

2008-11-22T16:34:00.001-08:00

Sunday, Nov. 23 - Tomorrow for you calendar challenged is the 2008 PAWS for a Cause at the Seal Beach Animal Care Center. Kymberli and I will be taking pictures of people's pets with Santa. We are going to be donating half of our proceeds to the shelter because this is something we believe in and we see so many animals that need our help. It's our way of saying thanks to the shelter for doing so much for our unwanted, lost and neglected pets.

The festivities begin at 10am and go until 2pm. If you or anyone you know would like a photo or two of you and your pet with Santa, then come on down! This will be the first time we have ever done anything like this, but we really want to help the shelter. Bring your cat, dog, African grey, or even Timmy the lizard if that's what you have. We'll take the picture for you! Just remember this is going to help the shelter out. It's a fundraiser and one that we hope is great! There will be vendors, baked goods and you can even have your pet dip its paw in some paint and put it on the board. It'll be festive! Come one, come all!

What a beautiful family!

2008-11-10T01:26:00.000-08:00

We had a second shoot set up for today down at the beach with A, R, & Baby C. When we got down there I thought my wife might blow away. The winds were constantly gusting incredibly hard and the air was chilly. When the family showed up for their close-up we were afraid for sand blowing and not being comfortable. Fortunately for us, A and R were SUPER flexible and had no problem moving back to Central Park. There we'd be out of the wind a bit more and we could relax and get some fun shots. Did we ever! This is one beautiful family.

Thank you both, and you too baby C, for allowing us to photograph your family. Thank you for being flexible and being so cool about today. You guys were great! We really enjoyed meeting you and getting to know you better. Thanks for the heads up on the baby books, too. I am certainly going to pick one up!

Here are a few of my favorites from today. How cute are they!

Makin' Babies - Gauvry Style

2008-11-10T00:00:00.000-08:00

My title has a hidden meaning... and no, I am not talking about 'making' babies. Paul and Wendy already did a great job there. I am talking about the fact that they have a little girl on the way and the Gauvry's have a style all their own. My wife posted a few photos of their maternity session today and it was so cool. She also gives a brief history of how we know them, but here's my side.

When I moved out here to SoCal three years ago, my wife threw me a party to welcome me to California and she invited all her friends. Wendy, Kymberli's co-worker at the time, was one of them and she introduced me to what I think was called a Washington Apple shot. Tasty little things. That was how I met Wendy. I then met Wendy's husband, Paul, and we've all been friends ever since. We certainly don't get to spend as much time hanging out like we'd like to, but when we do we make it count. Paul is one of THE most unique artist's I know. The man has a talent that most would make any sacrifice for. He's got mad skills as a graffitti artist and can freehand and airbrush some of the most amazing stuff you have ever seen. I can't wait to do a vintage car shoot with him.

Today we had the privilege of photographing the expectant couple in Huntington Beach's Central Park. I love it there. Spacious, lots of dogs and beautiful scenery. We had a lot of fun with our shots and even got to poke some fun at me for setting them up in the oddest shot ever. Sorry guys, next time we'll bring duck food.

Here are some of my favorites on the day. My wife got some of the best shots I have seen today. You'll have to check out her blog. I know pregnant women seem to have a hard time believing they are beautiful, but I think you'll see how beautiful Wendy is from these photos. Thank you both for allowing us to take your photos. Your daughter is going to have an amazing life and play dates will definitely be in our future! You can always see the amazing amount of love the two of you have for each other. Can't wait to meet Ginger Lauren!

What I Enjoy About Traveling

2008-10-26T12:57:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things to do throughout my entire life has been to view wildlife and enjoy nature. When I was young, my parents showed me a side of nature that was incredible. Thank you both for taking that time. My mom would take us on long walks through the woods and name plants and animals. My dad would take us to the woods and we'd get our camo on and we'd spot animals from far away and get right up close to them. We would spot and stalk. At that time, of course, I did not have a camera on me. It wasn't until later in life that I got a camera and documented what I saw. I always remembered what they taught me - enjoy it, soak it up, and most of all. . . respect it.

Last week I was sent to Tennessee for work. I have to say that Tennessee is one of my favorite states to visit. The weather, the smell of nature, the sight of greenery and best of all - the animals and nature. I love it all! This time, and the last, I went to Cades Cove. It is a nature lovers paradise. There is an 11-mile loop that you can drive around at 2o m.p.h. and stop and take photos. You can hike it or bike it, but I love to drive it. 7 months ago I got some great photos of some bears. This time is was of a big 9-point buck. He was my muse.

My day was interesting. I got to the park at 6:30a.m. There was a line of 12 cars ahead of me. Within an hour there were 30 cars behind me. The loop opens at sun-up and we had to wait patiently. Once it opened, I drove the loop once and got some sunrise pics, but that wasn't enough for me. Oh, one other thing my dad taught me when it comes to nature was to trust my gut. My gut was telling me the animals were just moving around and I'd have more to see. I made the drive again and I was not disappointed. I saw lots of deer, a nice 6-point buck and he rose and began feeding and his does meandered nearby. I got about 3 miles in and the line stopped. I figured there was a bear ahead and I'd get some cool shots again. I waited for 15 minutes, but the line didn't move. There were about 50 cars ahead of me. So, I did what any photographer would do, well, maybe some of us photographers. I parked the vehicle, grabbed my gear and hustled ahead on foot. I had to quickly walk about an eighth of a mile and there he was. No, not a bear. A very large, beautiful 9-point whitetail deer. He was watching myself and two other photographers and then made his way through a hedgerow. I quickly got to the other side and set up. Once he appeared, I was ready. Click-click-click-click-click. I was shooting quickly and my jaw must have hit the ground. I stood about 20 yards from him and he looked right at me. I cannot begin to tell you the amazement, happiness and wonder that went through my mind. I can only tell you that I have never been so close to a large buck like that. I moved along with him as he made his way across the field. I even got ahead of him a few times.

Oh, and one thing my dad also taught me, which I almost got in trouble with, was to anticipate where they will be and be ready. Well, my dad taught me too well. If you remember back in April when I first encountered the big bear, I was right on his trail as he walked towards me. I did it again with the buck. I stood near his trail and watched him edge closer, and closer, and closer. That was when I knew that he was in rut, I was in his way and I needed to move aside. He even waited in some trees until I had moved before he continued on. Absolutely amazing. Dad, thanks for showing me so much insight into the minds of animals and how to anticipate. Otherwise, I might be bear food or a pin-cushion!

Here are some of the photographs I captured on that wonderful day. This is my favorite slideshow to date. Please enjoy.

Michelle and Gabriel Wedding Slideshow

2008-10-16T20:39:00.000-07:00

I had posted a few images a couple weeks back to give you glimpse into the wonderful day when Gabriel married Michelle. It was a gorgeous setting with excellent weather, beautiful people and two in particular who are very much in love. After seeing this you'll wish you had been there.

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Baby Kenzo

2008-10-16T19:38:00.001-07:00

Babies are beautiful and I cannot wait to meet our own. A couple of weeks ago (Yes, I am slacking a bit), Kymberli and I had the good fortune of being invited to do a photo session with Baby Kenzo. I am sure he was wondering what we were doing with those odd looking contraptions. I want to say thank you to Kenzo's parents. We really enjoyed our time with you and we hope you love the photos. Your baby is precious. I apologize for not sharing these images sooner!

Please, sit back and enjoy the latest slideshow... starring Baby Kenzo.

Vote YES on Prop 2!

2008-10-15T22:18:00.001-07:00

Have you ever sat down for a wonderful meal and said 'Grace'? I mean truly thanked God for what he has provided for you and your family? The next time you do that or just sit down to a nice plate of scrambled eggs or a juicy steak... think about where it came from. REALLY came from and how it was brought to your dinner table.

Most of you know where I stand on certain issues facing the world and I am not afraid to believe what I want to believe, nor am I afraid to take a stand. My wife and I constantly talk about how cruel people can be to animals and what we can do to help. It seems like an overwhelming task. Sure, we volunteer at our animal shelter as much as we can and when we aren't with the animals we are putting a newsletter together for the Seal Beach Animal Care Center or helping with a fundraiser. Don't think I am asking for a pat on the back. Far from it. Like my good friend Abbey would say, I don't want any 'Thank yous' or f-yous.' I just want people to wake up and realize that we all need to do our part to help out in this world. It may or may not be what Kymberli and I do and I am, of course, totally ok with that. Just take a few minutes to watch this video.

I am quoting my wife here. She states in her blog, 'Please, please, please watch this video and then vote YES on Prop 2. PLEASE WATCH IT so that you are informed. Not watching it because you don't want to be disturbed is not fair to those who cannot choose for themselves. Turning your head to something you are uncomfortable with DOES NOT MAKE IT GO AWAY. Please be informed and please know what is happening to some farm animals. It's not right and it breaks my heart and boils my blood. May God Bless the animals that have suffered and the animals that are currently suffering. May California voters support this so that every creature has a right to humane treatment.'

That says it. Our elections are right around the corner and this is one of the big ones for California. It's scary knowing what I know now and I aim to fight the cruel treatment of these animals. Please Vote YES on Prop 2 on election day. Check out the website for more information.

Brian and Jenna Make It Official!

2008-10-11T21:57:00.000-07:00

I love a good party. I love an even better party when it includes a wedding and two wonderful people. That's what Brian and Jenna are and Friday they tied the knot in memorable style. It was a day like no other.

First, I must thank Brian and Jenna for asking us to shoot their wedding. It was our pleasure and we hope you like the images we captured for you. We had a great time watching it all unfold!

In case you don't remember the newlyweds, we shot their engagement session at Angels Stadium earlier this year. We got to know them and understand the love they share for one another. After our session, we couldn't wait for their wedding!

The Olsons were married at Aliso Creek Golf Course in Laguna Beach, CA. It was our first time there and it was an adventure. Were had some time before the ceremony to get some shots of the wedding party and family in, but there was a catch. We couldn't be on the golf course and the other areas were blocked by ongoing construction. Now here is where I want to share what I did and give other photographers some advice. If you need something. . . ask. Simple, right? It really is. We were told that we couldn't be on the course during the day. People are there to play golf and we didn't need to be in their way. Here's where the asking comes in. I asked the coordinator and then the golf pro if we could shoot on the first tee, in the box. He said no problem! Simple as that. He allowed us to shoot until each foursome needed to tee off and that was how we got our first group shots. Thank God for Doni, the golf pro and Jeannie, the coordinator for working with us because the sun was quickly disappearing.

Once we finished with the group shots it was time to begin the ceremony. The guests were seated, the bridal party took their positions and the bride made her way down the aisle. She looked beautiful and it was apparent on Brian's face as he watched intently as she approached. After her father gave her away to Brian, they took their positions and that was when the sun decided he had had enough. The Aliso Creek staff came out with flashlights to help and it was a good thing they did. The reading was read aloud, the vows spoken and then the pronouncement of husband and wife. Cheers erupted and then we all made our way back to the reception.

Kymberli and I were able to use the outdoor lights and flash to our advantage as we captured the newly married couple. They were beaming and it was fitting that the moon was shining the duration of the wedding and the photos.

Once inside we captured the rest of the night. There were smiles, laughter and little children playfully running and dancing all night. I am sure they slept very well! It was wonderful.

Brian and Jenna, thank you again. Your reward will be a long, happy life together. Kymberli has some beautiful shots on her blog and here is but a small taste of the images from your amazing day. . .

We hope you all enjoyed the evening. We certainly did.

The Jenny and Jay Show

2008-10-06T00:44:00.000-07:00

All of you get front row tickets to the Jenny and Jay Show. They were such an awesome couple. Now, I am a bit biased because Jenny is my wife's cousin (cousin-in-law?) and her fiance, Jay, is such a cool guy. There were two things I really wanted to make sure popped in the photos - Jenny's smile and Jay's ink. They made an appearance and so did some wonderful emotion, some fun and incredible sincerity. Let me take this opportunity to say thank you to you both. It was a pleasure to be able to photograph you today.

We were fortunate enough to be able to shoot in San Juan Capistrano. It's a popular location for photogs and today was no exception. We must have counted 3 or 4 photographers with models and couples. Kymberli and I were feeling pretty good when Jenny pointed out that one of the photographer couples was following behind us and snapping 'their' couples in the same exact spot we were just at. I guess we must know what we are doing, right? Here is a link to Kymberli's spectacular gallery.

Long story short, they kicked ass in the photos. They were fun. They are in love and they wanted vintage. I think they get what they asked for.

Without further adieu, with limited commercial interruption, I give you the Jenny and Jay Show...

One of my favorites on the day...

The San Gabriel River and Bike Riding

2008-09-29T23:14:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite thing to do is ride my bike. I love getting out and seeing the world from the seat of my bike. Tonight I took a ride along the San Gabriel River to get some much needed exercise and to relax. I just love taking along our little point and shoot camera and grabbing some shots. Tonight I only stopped a few times, but those times were worth it. Maybe not to everyone else, but to me.

I got to see flocks of cormorants, pelican and even a few sea lions swimming. It was very cool. Perfect weather and it is truly beautiful. I can ride from my house to the beach and back in less than an hour. How great is that? I used to have to dig out of 4 feet of snow just to make it to my car!

Anyway, here are three of my favorite shots from tonight. I love how I can see the water, airplanes, nature and just enjoy peace and quiet a few miles from my busy life.

2008 Wag 'n Walk for the Seal Beach Animal Care Center

2008-09-29T22:54:00.000-07:00

Wow, it's been almost a month since I last blogged! I have been involved in a big fundraiser, the Wag 'n Walk, for the Seal Beach Animal Care Center. We put about 3-4 months of planning and brainstorming in effect to get this rolling. Kymberli and I have only been involved in it for two years, but man it is SO worth it.

Last year we raised $15,000+ for the shelter. It was fantastic. This year we want to bury that number and go much higher. I wanted us to break the $20,000 mark. You may wonder how we get there. Let me tell you.

First, we go for our sponsors. This year we had PetSmart and Dogswell as our big sponsors. Then we get donations for our silent auction and raffle and get vendors to reserve a space on the day of the event. We had a great fundraising team this year. We all put in a lot of time and effort and we were able to collect more than 50 raffle items, 9 silent auction items and we had a HUGE super opportunity drawing for an LCD TV, a $500 gift certificate to one of our local malls, a weekend getaway at Tahiti Village in Vegas and a $200 gift certificate to a local restaurant. These were some great prizes!!

The day started off soggy. The morning fog was lingering and the ground was saturated with ocean mist and dampness. In 10 minutes my sneakers were soaked, but I soon forgot about it as there was so much to do. Our team got right to work and it went about as smoothly as it can. It was great!

Long story short, we had a beautiful day. There we over 30 vendors (a big increase from last year), many more people showed to participate in our contests, raffles and auction. We saw all different breeds of dog and best of all, our adoptable animal dog show was a bit hit. Our dogs are so amazing. It's bittersweet sometimes. You fall in love with some of these animals and when they get adopted it's sad for you but so awesome for the dog or cat.

Drumroll please... at the time of this blog we have raised $22,699!!! That's more than $7,000 more than last year and we are still counting! Congrats to the shelter for getting some much needed funds to care for the animals and for our wonderful, dedicated team of volunteers who put this event on. It had it's stressful moments, but I don't think it would be as great as it is without them. We all handled it well (ok, maybe I got testy from time to time) and made this year the best yet!

Here are some of the 'snapshots' I snagged in between selling raffle tickets. It'll give you a little taste of everything that was going on. Enjoy!

Mammoth - Third Round of Images

2008-09-02T23:11:00.000-07:00

You all read my story from the other day, or at least I hope you did. Here are the images from Bodie and Yosemite.

This is one of my favorite shots from Bodie.

The wooden planks had so much character.

The town was huge. This is only a small section of it.

This gives a bit of perspective on how intense the view was.

When we left Mammoth, we encountered some Tule Elk. I was in awe as the two herds merged into one as they ran off. The bulls were 700 lbs. and bugling. It was so cool to hear!!

Mammoth - Second Round of Images

2008-09-02T22:42:00.000-07:00

I love vacations. This one was particularly special to me because it will be one of the last ones Kymberli and I take as a family of two. I am sure Baby Q will love our future vacations, as will I, but I really wanted Kymberli and I to go and have fun. Take as many photos as we wanted and get to do things we normally don't get to do.

I'll be showcasing many photos, but I need to give some details on the trip. We did a lot and we experienced a lot. Kymberli talks about the best coffee shop we went to. This place was great. We sat outside to listen to the band and everyone was drinking beer or wine. We must have stuck out like a sore thumb because we were actually drinking coffee! It was truly a sight. When I say beer, I mean that every outside had a 12 pack on their table and when another person showed up, they also had a 12 pack. I couldn't believe it. There were dogs everywhere, too. Big, little, colorful, plain and they had so much energy. I think THEY were the ones drinking the coffee!

The Hot Creek Fish Hatchery and Hot Springs were pretty cool. <-- Gotta love my goofiness, right? Color. Vastness. Absolut Beauty.

We went to view Devils Postpile and it was fantastic. I had read some about how it was formed, but it actually see it and see the size of the columns of basalt was incredible. I have to admit that after experiencing an earthquake a few weeks ago and then standing in front of the rockpile made me a bit nervous.

We also made a trek into Bodie. Ever hear of it? No? Well, Bodie is a ghost town. It's an old settlement where a little gold was discovered (ok, a lot) and it turned into a little city of sorts. They had over 10,000 people living there in its heyday. Pretty cool stuff.

Anyway, here are some of my favorite photos and memories from our trip. It was an incredible three days of fun with my wife.

One of the things that had us cracking up on the trip was this billboard... you can see why.

The rainbow trout were hungry!

This guy was big and very cute.

Devils Postpile

This Jay was squawking up a storm. I kept telling him I wasn't feeding him, but he wouldn't take no for an answer.

These guys were spotted by my wife in Yosemite. We got within 30 feet of them.

There you go. Round three will be coming tomorrow. I didn't want to bog down anyone's internet connection tonight. I hope you enjoy them If you do, please leave me a comment. If you have constructive criticism, please leave that as well. I can always use some improvement and would love to hear what you all have to say.

A Mammoth of a Vacation

2008-08-30T20:18:00.000-07:00

Greetings my faithful blog readers! I am writing to you from the Mammoth Lakes in California. We needed a vacation and this was the spot we picked. We got here yesterday and couldn't wait to get some photos. After a much-needed nap we began our adventure. What a B-E-A-utiful place. I love how open everything is and how green it is. Kymberli took me to Convict Lake because it was a place she remembered well. What a wonderful blob of paint for my camera-canvas. I took a few shots and really soaked it in. Here is my favorite one.

I am processing today's images right now and will either post another group of images tonight or tomorrow night. We found this cool coffee shop, Looney Bean, where they have bands that play outside and every brings their own alcoholic beverage. I was shocked and felt odd because we were drinking coffee (she had decaf) and everyone else had wine or beer. Too. Funny. I am going to try and capture of photo of it tonight.

Have a safe, great holiday weekend everyone.

Baby Q - Round #2 Ultrasound Photos

2008-08-27T12:31:00.001-07:00

I am already so in love with my kid. He or she is going to be so cute. We had our big ultrasound check-up today and Kymberli and Baby Q passed with flying colors. Whew! and Yeay! all at the same time. We were both saying, "Wow!" and "Soooo cute" the entire time. Watching the baby on the TV was such a wonderful experience. I am still mellowed out by seeing the baby moving and everything. Here are some shots of Baby Q from today. Now, everyone knows, or should know by now, that we do NOT want to know the sex of the baby. From what the Dr. told us you can't make anything out in these photos, but JUST IN CASE you can see a 'little' something or a 'little nothing', DO NOT email us or call us telling us what it is. We still want to be surprised and have gone to great lengths to keep it a secret. There are far too few GOOD surprises in life and we want this to be one of them.

This one is SO adorable.

Michelle and Gabriel Get Married!

2008-08-25T20:12:00.000-07:00

Kymberli and I have some great friends. We really do. Michelle and Gabriel were kind enough to allow us to take their maternity photos about six months ago. What a fun session that was. I was telling Kymberli that when you look at Gabriel you can see just how much he really loves Michelle. It's in his eyes. Thank you both for allowing us to photograph the maternity shots. Even more so, thank you for allowing us to photograph your amazing wedding!

Yesterday, with their 4 and a half month old in tow, they tied the knot! It was one of the nicest weddings I have ever been to. The best part... we were the photographers and were able to document the day. Kymberli posted a blog yesterday with some SUPERB photos! Check them out here! The colors were amazing and the day was so great. Living in Southern California has so many advantages.

They both have such wonderful families. I was talking with both sides before and after the wedding and learned so much about Michelle and Gabriel and about their lives. I am not sure if I have ever seen happier families. You two are very fortunate.

These are some of my favorites of their wonderful wedding. Congratulations to you both!

The centerpieces were beautiful!

Stylin' in the shades!

Gabriel sees Michelle for the first time on their wedding day.

One of my absolute favorites from the entire day.

I am a sucker for cute kids posing.

I loved the father/daughter dance and how they laughed and cried together.

I'll have more throughout the week! I hope you all enjoy them as much as we did taking them!

More Quinceañera Photos

2008-08-12T22:39:00.000-07:00

I just love life and what it has to offer, the people you meet and the opportunities you get. I posted some photos in a slide show two weeks ago, but I wanted to post some of my favorites from the Quinceañera we shot. We had a great time, the family was wonderful and I think they are going to be very happy with their images.

I love how happy everyone was during the day. It really shows on the photos. that's one thing you can't edit in or out. Happiness.

Here are a few of my favs...

I hope you enjoy viewing them as much as I did taking them.

Seal Beach Animal Care Center’s 13th Annual Wag ‘n’ Walk

2008-08-10T18:45:00.000-07:00

Many of you know that my wife and I volunteer at the Seal Beach Animal Care Center to help walk dogs, fund raise and do whatever else we can to help the animals there. They are a no-kill shelter and the people there treat the animals like family. One of the best things we have ever done, besides volunteering there, is to help out with the Wag 'n' Walk. Last year there we just a handful of us doing the work. Phone calls, emails, graphic design work, photography, and I could go on. We need sponsors and donations and I am humbly asking for your help. The money donated goes to the direct care of these animals. If you would like to donate an item for the raffle or the silent auction, that would help, too!! Just let me know and we can figure out the specifics. I know we will be donating a portrait session for the silent auction because I want to see these animals with the best care possible.

The date for the Seal Beach Animal Care Center’s 13th Annual Wag ‘n’ Walk fundraiser is set for Saturday September 27, 2008. Last year’s walk-a-thon was a tremendous success, and we are aiming for even higher goals this year so that we can continue to provide excellent care for the hundreds of animals who come into our care each year. We are pleased to announce Justin Rudd and Rosie from Haute Dogs will be this year’s Grand Marshals!

The Fundraising Team is recruiting corporate sponsors for Wag ‘n’ Walk 2008 between now and September 15. Sponsorship contributions will receive significant visibility through recognition on the event website, in print advertising and numerous displays, and at the event. Additional details are enclosed so you may see all of the opportunities available for your company. To confirm your sponsorship, please email or fax your commitment, point of contact, and contact information to:

Email: fundraising@sbacc.org

Fax: (562) 594-0003

You may also contact me directly should you require additional information. If you are unable to sponsor but would like to make a donation, please mail your gift or check payable to SBACC to:

Wag “n” Walk 2008
ATTN: Liz Anderson
Seal Beach Animal Care Center
1700 Adolfo Lopez Drive
Seal Beach, CA 90740

The Seal Beach Animal Care Center is a California non-profit 501-C3 Corporation #33-0192138. All donations made to the Care Center are tax deductible, with the largest share going directly toward the medical care of our animals.

Thank you for your consideration of this worthy cause, and I look forward to hearing from any of you soon. Have a great week and let's protect our animal friends!

Published in Country Weekly Magazine!

2008-08-08T17:49:00.000-07:00

One of my photos made it into a national magazine. That sentence really doesn’t show you the sense of excitement I am feeling right now or the goosebumps I have on my skin. Let me try again… Wow, Awesome, and OMG this is soooo cool!!!

A few weeks back, Kymberli and I were given an opportunity* to photograph our friends Christian and Jessica Simmons. Christian and Miss Jessica are a great couple and great musicians and are in the band Christian Simmons and Broken Arrow. They were very gracious to us the first time we did a photo session, which was last year AND it was our first session together. Kymberli and I have learned so much since then and when they asked us to work our magic, well, we did just that. We shot some amazing photos of them and they we so much fun to shoot with.

Christian has a unique voice, look and is a great all around guy who is determined to make it in the country music industry. I think his wait might be nearing an end. Christian is featured in the “Upcoming Artists” section of Country Weekly magazine next week! The best part for me is that MY photo is running with the story! In case you didn’t hear that… MY PHOTO IS IN COUNTRY WEEKLY! It was one of our favorites and theirs and hopefully America will love it, too. Here’s a sneak peek into what you’ll see in the magazine on Monday. (I am having a hard time containing myself).

It hits newsstands on August 11, 2008 and is on the shelves for 2 weeks, but get your copy now before they are all gone. I can’t wait to look back and say “We knew Christian back when…” Congratulations, Christian. It takes a lot of hard work and cuttin’ teeth, but I know you are on the right path. It is always a pleasure working with you both. We can’t wait for the next big photo session!

_____________________________________________________________________

*Food for thought:
Opportunity is a word that I love to think about. Around every corner is an opportunity, but will you be the one to grab it and go with it? I have been a photographer for over 15 years. Without my wife’s encouragement and sense of the times, I wouldn’t be where I am today. It was she that knew we had something and wanted to grab that opportunity. Thank you, Kymberli, for being patient and having foresight. For listening and understanding that a partnership, like a marriage, takes compromise and perseverance. Without that I would just be taking snapshots.

Welcome to the Quinceañera!

2008-08-03T14:44:00.000-07:00

We had the great fortune of being able to shoot a Quinceañera yesterday and what a spectacular event. It was our first and we hope it is not our last! We were welcomed in like family and I have to say thank you to Brian, Silvia, Gerardo and Melissa for being wonderful hosts. Not only did they choose us to be the photographers, but they treated us to a fabulous dinner and they allowed us to be free when it came to photographing the entire day. Kymberli and I both got some fantastic shots. She posted some great ones on her blog.

Not only was it our first Quinceañera, but we were also given strict instructions by the father at the church. "No flash, no walking around and I will tell you if you are in the way." The spot I had to choose was with the light from the windows coming directly at me, so I improvised.

Then we got to head to Rancho Capistrano. What a beautiful place for the dinner and party. Great place for photographs, too. The backdrop was beautiful and the gorgeous family made our job easy!

Here's a sneak peak at what I captured yesterday. So much fun...

El Dorado Nature Center, Long Beach

2008-07-28T22:24:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things to do with my wife is to walk around the El Dorado Nature Center trails. When I first came out to California a couple years ago, I was super homesick. It got so bad that I contemplated moving back. It was rough on both of us. I was born and raised in the country with lots of green and wildlife all around. You don't get that so much here. She brought me to the nature center to try and help ease my mind and make life more enjoyable. She's good! It really helped and now it's one of my favorite places to go. I can get 'lost' in there. It's really a wonderful place to see animals, be away from traffic and relax.

We walked the nature center trails on Sunday morning. Some of the trails were closed because of two pairs of Coopers Hawks that were nesting. I really wanted to get some photos of them, but getting dive bombed by a predatory bird... ahhh, no. It was very hot and I felt so bad for Kymberli. Being 4 months pregnant, walking in the heat and dealing with an overzealous nature-loving husband can take its toll. Yet, she was pretty patient. We both got some great shots and I am sure she'll post some in the next few days. Here are some of mine. Of course there is a story with each, but I'll tell them quickly.

This rabbit stayed put for quite some time (3 minutes or so) and was super alert.

I have to say that I love this image. Incredibly sharp and I love Great Blue Herons. They are just so strong looking and they remind me of home.

A young couple stopped me and told me I HAD to take a picture of this beehive. This photo doesn't even do it justice. It was about 3 feet tall and there were hundreds of bees. they were keeping to themselves, too. I think bees are cool looking and an amazing creature, but we just don't get along. I was going to sneak in a bit closer and decided I didn't want to get stung.

El Dorado Park East, Long Beach

2008-07-26T10:32:00.000-07:00

Nature is one of my best friends. I love being around nature. There is something about being away from people & traffic and just opening your mind to what God has to show you that makes you smile. I also have the good fortune of having good friends, too. My friend, Garth, graciously allowed me to borrow his 300mm f/2.8 for this weekend so I could test it out and do a bit of nature shooting. I have been in the market for a good piece of glass for a while, but spending $5,000 on a lens isn't really an option. Priority #1 is Baby Q and Momma Q.

I got home last night and had the opportunity to head right over to El Dorado and see what I could see. It's great when you have good equipment and can reach out and touch something. Here are some of my shots from last night. Some have been cropped, but not too much. Sharpening and a 20% color pop makes them stand out. Let me know what you think. Any constructive criticism is greatly appreciated. They were all shot on shutter priority and completely manual focus. No AF because it doesn't compute with my camera. I have much to learn, but I don't think I did too bad with it.

El Dorado Park West, Long Beach

2008-07-20T15:10:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I picked up my gear and drove a mile from my house to El Dorado Park West. This is a place that any birder would love - provided they don't mind seeing ducks, geese, herons, crows and the occasional pigeon. I like going there because it's close and free. The pond is in desperate need of cleaning, but people feed the ducks so much that it's pretty polluted. I saw one poor goose with swollen feet. No idea what it was from, but I felt bad for the poor guy.

Took a walk around and saw some great birds and animals. Here are a few of the shots from last evening.

This swan was tearing up grass in defiance of where I was standing. being the ballsy guy I am, I crept a bit closer until he threw his head up and hissed. Yep, time to move on, Quacky. I went around him and got low to the ground and got this shot. He was all about relaxing and I was in his space.

Collage for Brian and Jenna

2008-07-19T12:33:00.000-07:00

Brian and Jenna Engagement Session at Angels Stadium

2008-07-15T00:06:00.000-07:00

Today was one of those days when you just luck out. We hit every red light light on the way to our photo session and I just kept smiling and saying "Thank you, God, for these red lights." You see, we couldn't let our attitude go bad because we had a photo session with Brian and Jenna to celebrate their engagement. AND, it just happened to be at Angels Stadium in Anaheim.

First, let me say thank you to Brian and Jenna for allowing us to take their photos. We had a blast with you two. We saw from the minute we met you guys that you were in love and were going to have fun with this shoot. Thanks to Cassie at Angels Stadium for guiding us around and helping us hit the best places.

This was a first for Kymberli and I and I have to say I was in a state of fascination for a bit when we got to set foot on the field with NO ONE around. Quiet, smell of the grass and the shutter snapping away. It was great. Between the on field antics, the bullpen, the rocks, the press box - we were all over and loved it! Brian and Jenna were great sports and we can't wait to photograph their wedding, too!!

Here are four of my favorites from today. There is one that has two color settings. I played around with the shot of Brian in the bullpen. It was such a cool shot and I have to say that I like the black and white with the color. It pops! We hope you two enjoy these as much as we did taking them!

Irvine Ranch Conservancy - Santiago Wildfire Photo Walk

2008-07-13T18:40:00.000-07:00

Nature is an amazing thing. Today we got to go on a photo walk with the Long Beach Photo Club down to the Irvine Ranch Conservancy to see the remnants and regrowth of the terrible Santiago Wildfire. I did not know what to expect and will admit I was hesitant when we arrived. Mainly because some photographers can be stuffy and not be social. Not the case today!! I went right up and introduced my wife and I to a few people and then the others came up to us. We had a total of 9 people there, including our guide Kelly.

Kelly was a fantastic guide. She allowed us to take pictures at our own pace, gave us the history, showed us plants and animals and was super, super mellow. Thank you, Kelly!! Thanks to Cat for setting this whole trip up, too. Great job all around!

I told Kymberli that I would pray to have the clouds stay out all day so it wouldn't get too hot and God was listening. It stayed cloudy 98% of the time and there was a nice breeze blowing. We had to hike up to some peaks, but it was well worth it. We got to see a mule deer buck across the peak, a beautiful landscape view of The Sinks and some crazy burn areas. Nasty ants, a beehive in a tree and a potato bug that has a mean bite.

One of the best parts was that I love snakes. I think they are an awesome creature. I mentioned to one of the guy that I hoped to see a rattler sticking his head out somewhere for a photo-op. Not 3 minutes later I hear Kymberli say(who was up ahead with most of the group), "Honey there's a snake over here!" She said it so calmly and she was right. It was a very large garter snake. i have seen big ones, but he was 4 feet long. Incredible!! Of all the people to find the snake, she did. And she nearly stepped on him!! She had been taking a photo of a prickly-pear cactus when she looked down and there he was.

Take a look at the fun we had today!

The mother hummingbird kept an eye on us as we approached.

Out of all I saw, this may have been the coolest. One of the guys, Jim, pointed this out. It is a cactus that was scorched and cracked open. Yet, if you look at it, there are new shoots popping out all over where it continues to grow. Amazing, huh?

This was cool, too. I had to get close to this beehive, because everyone who knows me knows I hate bees. I think they are awesome, but I have been stung too many times to like them. :)

I cannot wait to go do this again!

Angeles National Forest

2008-07-12T15:43:00.001-07:00

My buddy, Steve, and I went to the Angeles National Forest last weekend to do some scouting. We drove up not so bright and early (4am) and got to the mountains around 6am. We ran late and got there as the sun was coming up, but I was able to get some good photos. We saw lots of wildlife. Pygmy rabbits, mule deer, blue birds, quail and he even saw a bobcat. i didn't get to see it because I was driving and it was on his side of the truck. Bummer! I can't wait to go again, but the drive kills me. It's a long, long day going up there, but I do love the photo ops.

If there is one thing any of my friends will tell you I hate... it's litterbugs. Whether it be cigarette butts, a can, a paper wrapper... it all ticks me off when someone is either lazy or has blatant disregard for the environment. Well, some idiot decided to leave his mark in the forest by leaving this can.

I wanted to put it in the truck and bring it back to get it out of the woods, but Steve mentioned that spiders like to make nests in there. I figured my wife would not like creepy crawlies in her truck, so i smashed the can down and left it near a tree. It seriously pained me to leave it there. Next time I go I will bring a garbage bag to put stuff in and leave it in the back of the truck.

Independence Day Celebration

2008-07-05T21:54:00.000-07:00

A big thanks to our troops who brave everything to give protect our freedom. Thank you.

Yesterday, Kymberli and I got to go to the Los Alamitos Joint Forces Training Base by our house to check out the 4th of July festivities. We went to check it out, see the fireworks and relax. We took our cameras, but mainly walked around and talked.

We decided to view the fireworks from her truck and we had great look at them. Here are 4 of my favorite photos from yesterday. The only thing missing is the big noise following each one! I do have to say that I get giddy when I hear how many people leave their alarms on in their cars when the fireworks set them off so often. I was laughing constantly like a little kid.

Hope you enjoy the photos. Tomorrow I'll be heading to the Angelels National Forest and I hope to get a few more landscape shots.

Country Rockin' Downtown Fullerton

2008-06-29T17:35:00.000-07:00

We made it back to downtown Fullerton yesterday for a photo session with our friends Christian and Jessica Simmons. A big thank you to you both for allowing us to do this photo session with you. It was great! Some of you may already know C & J, but for those who don't...

I met Christian and Miss Jessica though my wife when I came out to California. They were playing often at my favorite country bar, Cowboy Country, and my wife made sure to introduce us. She had been friends with them for a while and I had heard their music, but I hadn't been introduced. Since then we had only done one photo shoot with them, seen a few shows, followed their touring and chatted a few times about going to Jamboree In The Hills with them. It would be a dream to get to go with them. They get to 'perform alongside Brad Paisley, Reba, Brooks & Dunn Trace Adkins, Sugarland, Neal McCoy, Gary Allan, Loretta Lynn, Jason Aldean and many more!' What a thrill it would be to hit the road in the tour bus, get up close and personal with the other artists and get to see Christian and Jess entertain 30-40,000 country music fans!

Yesterdays shoot was in downtown Fullerton. I love the look of the town and there are so many fun places to shoot. We had our spots picked out once we did some recon. The weather was a tad warm, but we managed. L.A. and Nashville know they have found something great and before you know it you'll be singing these tunes in your cube at work when they come on iTunes. Here are some of my favorite shots of the two up and coming country stars.

We really got some great shots yesterday. I hope they love them and they can use them for everything they need. I really want to know what they think and what you all think. Do you like them? Do you hate them? Do you think we could have done something better? I really want to know. Enjoy and have a great week!!

Adorable Portraits

2008-06-27T00:43:00.000-07:00

Over the past few weeks, I have been having issues with my white balance. Kymberli saw that my photos were coming out very orange and so did I. I hated it. I figured it had to be my WB setting and sure enough, it was! I spoke with a co-worker, Garth, and he and I discussed our settings and options and finally we discovered that we both saw the same hues. Turns out that our WB settings were on Auto and I didn't think twice about it. I think our discussions paid off!!

These are some of the portraits from our session tonight. Shot in the evening, WB on sunlight and shot with a 50mm f/1.8. It sure helps when you have such a cute subject, but I did have to know my settings a bit more intimately today. It finally started coming together and now I am not so frustrated. You be the judges and see for yourselves.

I can't wait for our next session!

Mommy + Daddy = BABY Q!!

2008-06-18T21:20:00.000-07:00

Long story short... my wife is pregnant! Whoo-hoo! We are 11 weeks and 5 days today. Here is a first look at what is to be a beautiful child.

We will keep everyone updated! We are both very excited. Our kid is in for a surprise. Every single moment is probably going to be documented by one of us taking a picture or video taping. I can't tell you how happy/scared/curious I am about having a baby. Our lives will change, yes, but it is also the most incredible blessing we have ever received. God is wonderful!

We started a blog that we are writing to the baby about everything we think of. It's bound to have some great stuff!

http://openletterstobabyq.blogspot.com/

O.C. Fair - Here I Come... AGAIN!

2008-06-12T23:11:00.000-07:00

Can I tell you guys how excited I am again this year? Not only did I get a photo in the O.C. Fair competition, but so did my wife!! I knew her photo totally rocked. I loved it from the first moment she showed it to me. Check out her blog to see it...Wifey's Blog. It's a cool shot of her cousin tuning his guitar. Hand held in low light... awesome.

Last year I was fortunate enough to get one of my photos in the fair and someone bought it! It was very cool. First one ever. This year I have another one in the fair. This one is in a different category though. This year I entered this photo of Kody Fisher over at the El Dorado Skate Park. Now, he knew that he wasn't supposed to be riding his bike and ripping tricks, but he saw my camera and pulled a few moves that I was able to get. I love this shot and so does Kymberli. My only wish is that I had used a fill flash to highlight his eyes, but I did not and I am just happy to be in the fair! Here is my shot called "Kody Fisher Flyin' High".

And here's the one with the Urban Acid action added... I dig the color effect...

So, if you get to the fair, go check it out! Check out my wife's though because that is the prize winner!!

Let Me Tell You About Cute Kids

2008-06-02T15:07:00.001-07:00

Once again, my wife and I had the pleasure of photographing a wonderful family. The Ryans have amazing smiles and wonderful personalities. Thank you for allowing us to photograph you and your family, Geri.

We had a fast and furious shoot in the backyard of Geri's house. We were going to take it slow and methodical to make sure we got everything perfect, but we had to adjust our schedule a bit because the kids wanted to play. Kymberli was once again so great with the kids. She always asks them how old they are or if they are having fun. They always respond to her. Well, they sometimes respond to me too, but it's usually "Waaaaa!!!" It must be the scary goatee. She got the kids to do some fun stuff and thank goodness for an understanding family. We did have time to pose them for a few shots and I think we have some keepers. The Ryans and our adoring fans (ok, I snuck that in for the 7 people who read our blogs) will have to be the judge of that.

Here are a couple from the day that I just love.

Francis Wedding Spectacular

2008-06-01T23:47:00.000-07:00

We got to shoot the Francis wedding this weekend and what fun it was. The bride is the sister of my wife's former co-worker and she got us set up as the "picture-takers".

There are LOTS of images of the entire day. I wanted to post just a few to give everyone a taste of the entertaining group we had the pleasure of working with. Thanks to the Cindy and Terry for allowing us the opportunity of photographing your day.

Sea World Is Awesome

2008-05-28T00:03:00.000-07:00

We went to Sea World last Saturday and I think we picked a perfect day. It was chilly, but a great day to be out and enjoying fresh air and beautiful sights. Everything was great, but I think the Clydesdale's and the dalmatian touched me the most. I kept thinking back to the Budweiser commercials and they made me tear up, especially when the dalmatian walked over to us and stared or just made sure little kids didn't get too close to the big horses. It was just a wonderful thing to experience.

We took some fun photos and got to experience the first night of 'Shamu Rocks', and got some cool photos, but we really wanted to just enjoy the show. Without further ado...

Enjoy the show...

Raccoon Mountain near Chattanooga, TN

2008-05-22T23:22:00.000-07:00

After I finished up in Knoxville I had to drive south to Chattanooga, TN. It wasn't a bad drive and the 1.5 hrs. went by pretty quick. I knew that Chattanooga had a lot to offer in the way of photo ops, but I wasn't sure which one I would pick. Little did I know that my choice would pretty much be made for me.

Rain. Thunderstorms. More rain. Yepper, I wasn't going to be shooting any animals in Chattanooga. I also knew that this was not going to stop me from exploring and getting some shots. So I did some research, asked the locals and got my answer. I always recommend picking up the brochures in the hotel lobby because they are packed with fun stuff to do. Yes, they can be touristy, but that's what they are there for, right? My solution? Have some balls and ask the people working there. I think I freaked out the lady at the front desk, but she was cool. It was late at night (11pm) when I got back from my training class. I asked her where the cool stuff was to shoot. She pointed out everything in the brochures. So I changed tactics. I asked about what SHE likes to see and do in the area. Then I found out she and her daughter were amateur photographers. She said they liked to shoot B&W and mainly architecture stuff. So I asked her again, but I changed it up. I asked her where a cool place would be to shoot, even in the rain, where I might get a chance to see some wildlife and not run into a million tourists. She got out a map and pointed to Raccoon Mountain. She told me about the caves there and I was sold.

When I got up the next morning the weather was horrible. Sheets of rain and I just wanted to sleep. Eat and sleep. But I knew I would be kicking myself if I didn't make it out to the caves. I took the 15 minute drive (so close) and bought my tour ticket. Fortunately, there were only 6 people in line. 4 kids and their parents. They spotted my cameras and we got to chatting about shooting in dark areas and such. It was good. I felt like I talked over them at first, so I toned down my 'photo-speak' and they seemed to get my lingo. They had recently bought a D80 and wanted some advice. Like I said, I hope I helped.

As we were entering the cave, the guide looks at me and tells me that they don't allow tripods, but I must have looked sad or something because he said he'd make an exception for me. I was shocked, but super psyched.

The tour was 45 minutes of walking and talking about the caves. Cool stuff. I guess it used to be called the Crystal Caves, but there were so many "Crystal Caves" around the US that the owner wanted something new. Our guide gave a great tour and talked about everything they offer. They have explorations where you can go cave diving or spelunking, as the Greeks called it. The cave divers told me that only people that are trying to impress others say spelunking. They have you crawl into a tight cave and then back out to see if you can pass the claustrophobia test. Um yeah... I would fail. I can't do tight space like that. Freaks me the hell out. When I was a kid I got stuck in a snow tunnel for a few minutes and it scared the crap out of me. Ever since I have HATED tight spaces like that. Along the tour I took some photos. Mostly with a 50mm 1.8 hand held. I didn't use the tripod much because there wasn't much room and there wasn't much time.

Here are three of my favs. Can you see the monster in the first shot?

Cades Cove, TN

2008-05-15T06:34:00.000-07:00

I was reading in American Photo last month and saw the article about some of the top places to visit and photograph. Cades Cove, TN was one of those spots. It just so happened that my work needed me to fly to Tennessee for a week to facilitate some training. It got better when they changed it from Nashville to Knoxville. It made it much closer to get to. It was about an hour drive.

I drove from my hotel at 4:30 am on Monday morning to hit the Cades Cove Loop (which is 11 miles) at sunrise and get some great shots. I prayed for protection before I left and for a great day. My navigation system had different thoughts. I got the loop entered in and it decided to take me down a dead end road to where I could hike to the loop, but it couldn't find the loop itself. I drove back down the 2 mile winding road and went back to the highway. I drove a half mile and found a visitors center, but of course they were closed that early. So I tried some back roads. I figured the navigation could get me back to my hotel if I got lost. So I took a side road and got these shots as the sun was coming up. I had driven around for a couple hours, but I got one good shot.

Well, the road I was on would take me to part of the loop, but the road was closed. I laughed and told myself that no navigation was going to keep me from nature shots. I backtracked and went beyond the visitors center by a mile and wouldn't you know it - there was the entrance to Cades Cove. Hooray!

I came the start of the loop and this was what I saw...

It was absolutely beautiful and I knew my wife would have loved to have seen this. There were lots of fences throughout the park and I knew she would have snapped some great shots of them. I wanted to see animals and that is what I set out to do.

I first encountered a tom turkey gobbling like crazy. Everyone else drove past me, but I got out and waited and he was magnificent. I clucked a few times (I can do a mock hen turkey call with just my voice) and he gobbled right back. Here is one of the shots.

I drove on and saw a group of photographers capturing shots of a herd of whitetail deer. I stopped and got out and they disappeared. I must have had stunk or something. The deer came close and were quite animated. They tussled about and even crossed the fence right in front of one of the other photographers.

My goal in going to Cades Cove was to encounter a bear. I had heard that there are 1,500 black bear in the park and they usually come out in the morning and late evening. I had missed the sunrise, but I figured I had a chance. My hopes were soon to be as I drove over a small hill. I saw a group of people stopped on the road and sure enough there was a bear. Not just any bear though. It was Smokey the Bear! Ok, just kidding. This was a big boar that had to weigh 180-200 lbs. (At least that's how I saw it. He was large and was toppling saplings and eating the leaves. He was about 300 yards away and I took a few shots, but he was too far away. I watched him cross the road and I just waited. a minute later he emerged from behind two large trees... and headed right for my car. Closer. Closer. CLOSER! He got to about 100 yards and I realized I was on his trail. Crap! I took these shots of him as he turned. I then got in my car and waited for him to turn and go another way.

I kept encountering photographers and wildlife. Over a hill I noticed no one and saw two coyotes heading right for a herd of deer. The lead dog howled as they approached, but as you can see, the deer were alert and ready.

I saw more deer and saw them playing and eating so I stopped and got these shots. They were so cool! I have seen multitudes of deer in my life, but this area had so many different types of landscapes that you could get a variety of interesting shots.

The next parts of my adventure will be, by far, some of the best experiences of my life. I drove on and stopped to listen to some turkeys. A mountain bike went by, said hi and asked what I was taking photos of. I told him I was listening to the turkeys. He rode on over the hill. Suddenly, he came flying back towards me with HUGE eyes. "There's a big black bear coming right over that hill." That was all I needed to hear. I jumped in the car and drove 50 yards and there she was. She spotted me and kept coming. She was right along the left hand side of the road and walking towards me. I slowly opened the door and took a few pictures. I didn't want her to get too close, and I was a bit nervous so my shots suffered. Her hair bristled up and i knew she was nervous, too. I got back in the car and waited. She went over a small hill and then came back towards me. She stopped and stared at me. I opened the door and took some more shots and just then a friggin squirrel jumped by her and scared her. She jumped and huffed and about crapped my pants. You had never seen a guy my size move so damn fast! She moved to MY side of the road and came within 10 feet of my car. Here is one of the close ups. She was beautiful!

Wow, right? So cool. It gets better! I saw this pileated woodpecker, swallow, and rabbit as I drove on. Such a cool adventure and I was loving life.

Here is the best part of the animal encounters. I drove a bit more and got behind a guy who was stopped in the middle of the road. I had to stop and wait for him to move. You are supposed to pull off, but I figured he was seeing something cool. So i waited patiently. He pulled over and so did I. I asked him what he saw and he told me there was a sow and her cub right by us, about 150 yards away. Well, he and his wife (they were in their 70's) went ahead of me and spotted them. Then they lost sight of them. I quickly found them walking right towards the road where we were. So did grandma!! She turned on the afterburners and ran right by me as I was back peddling. Mama bear came right to the road and crossed about 75 yards away. I'll post photos of her tomorrow. The cub was nowhere to be seen. I hadn't seen it yet and we all just waited. i saw three cars coming and they weren't slowing down and just then I saw the top of his little head poking out. I quickly walked towards the car (so not to spook mama and get torn to shreds) and yelled for him to stop. I even threw up my hands! He stopped JUST as the little one high-tailed it for the other side of the road. He was TINY!! No bigger than a young Pug! Here is one of the shots I got.

He made it across and right up a tree. mama came over to him and grunted and he climbed down and followed her into the forest. Just then a herd of deer came by and walked right in between all of the cars. I'll post shots of that, too.

Needless to say, I had a wonderful morning. I was there for 4 hours and could have spent 10! I will definitely try to get back there sometime soon. It was a spectacular area and wonderfully preserved. I hope you can all get a chance to go there sometime. It is worth the drive.

Stagecoach Country Music Festival 2008

2008-05-05T22:14:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was a fantastic mosaic of country from all over. The Stagecoach Country Music Festival is held at the Empire Polo Grounds in Indio, CA. It's the same place where Coachella is held every year. It is in the middle of the dessert. There will be a few photos from the three days we were there, but for the most past I am just going to comment on how much fun I had and what bands/artists were good, bad or ugly.

Kymberli and I went last year and in a word it was - HOT! One of the days last year hit around 108 degrees and we were hurting. We spent about $100 on just water alone because they weren't allowing people to bring in their own. Thank goodness they changed that rule for this year.

Last year we camped out and it sucked. Most of the campers were 20-25 and they were up drinking and partying until 4:30am. Ok, I guess I am getting old because I wanted to sleep. When 6am came around it got super hot in our tent. Fat Guy + Enclosed Material = Bad News! Anyway, this year we opted for a hotel room. It cost us 10x as much, but it was so worth it. A/C, clean room, a bed and peace and quiet.

We decided the first day to walk because the hotel desk said it was less than a mile. In cowboy boots and 90 degrees it feels like 10 miles. We made it there and went right for the beer tent. We needed a cool refreshing beverage for the long walk to the Palamino Stage, which was on the opposite side of the grounds. We walked over to see Shooter Jennings and then got to see one of my favorite country bands, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. My dad introduced me to these guys 20 years ago. I never realized what an impact he and this band would have on me. I knew all but one of the songs they played. Kymberli got some shots and I am posting one here. These guys were awesome. They got the crowd into it, played plenty of great songs and thanked everyone countless times. "Mr. Bojangles" is a song that they covered many years ago and it is awesome. Brought back some great memories of my dad, brother and I when we used to work the farm in Geneva, NY.

There were some great bands throughout the day. We listened to some of John Fogarty and then decided to head back. The Eagles were the headliner, but come on people - they are not country. So many people showed up right before the Eagles performed. Now my dad would kick me for not staying and listening, as the Eagles are one of his (if not THE) favorite bands of all time. I just did not want to hear them at a country music festival. As we left, there was a line of cars about a mile and a half long waiting to get into the parking area. It was insane. People kept asking us if they had gone on yet. Crazy. We walked back to the hotel and it was the worst decision we made all weekend. We walked back and got some serious blisters from our boots. Unfortunately, Kymberli got the worst of it. I lucked out with one blister and sore feet. She had quite a few and they looked painful. We vowed to grab a taxi for the rest of the weekend.

Day 2 was great. The short of it was that we got to party and the weather was awesome. High eighties and the crowd was huge. I really, REALLY wanted to see the Kentucky Headhunters and they were one of THE best live shows I have seen. Again, my dad introduced them to me years ago, but they seemed to be better than before! They came out and riled everyone up. They played hit after hit and played the crowd. The best part was when Fred Young, the drummer, went into a drum solo. Not only was it the most powerful solo I have ever seen live, but he played the last 2 or 3 minutes with his bare hands!! BARE! He crushed the cymbals over and over with his knuckles. Totally Awesome! The rest of the show was great. I truly enjoyed being a part of their performance.

We stayed there for Cross Canadian Ragweed and they drew a big crowd. They sounded great, but I have to say that I haven't listened to much of their music. It had a cool sound, but I will need to listen more to see if I like it.

The main reason we parked our behinds at the Palamino Stage was to see Dwight Yoakam. I think Dwight's music is incredible and the crowd he drew was enormous. Hundreds of people showed up. I would venture a guess at over a thousand. We had a choice to see him or Dierks Bentley and we voted for Dwight because we have seen Dierks a couple times and had never seen Dwight live. I am so glad we stayed. Dwight was by far one of the best performances at the festival. He got all of the women swooning with his swaying and hip shaking. He played so many great songs, gave props to Rick Nelson and Buck Owen and still didn't play all of his hits. Here's a couple shots from the show.

After Dwight was over we ambled over to the Mane Stage to see the last bit of The Judds and then Rascal Flatts. Naomi and Wynona were great together and they got pretty emotional. Heck, they hadn't performed together since 2000 or something. Great show. Rascal Flatts was great, too. They opened up strong and kept hollering out to the people in the back. the only part that really disappointed me was when Jay did his James Brown bit and guys, it's old. Get some new material. For those of use who have seen you the past 2 years - we want something fresh! Hopefully next year. I had a hard time keeping my eyes open, so we headed out about halfway through their set. We had made sure to wear comfy footwear, but still didn't want to walk back. We walked to where the cabs were, but wouldn't you know it the 4 that were there wouldn't take us because they were waiting for others. We called for a cab and they didn't show, so we walked back!! It was easier than the day before, but not fun. We were so tired, but we made it.

Sunday was great. We knew we could sleep in and head over about 4 hours later than Saturday because we only wanted to be at the Mane Stage to see the big acts. We got up and hit the breakfast buffet at the hotel and let me tell you, it was dee-lish-ous! We ate and went back to the room for a nap! It was a great morning. When we did get around, we got a cab to the event. The bad news was that the cops wouldn't let the cabs all the way through, so we still had to walk. Payback for eating so much food! Even though it was a hike, the weather was great yet again. high eighties - again! We were loving it. We went in and went right for the beer tent. The main reason was I forgot to put sunscreen on my face. We did want to find a nice area to sit and enjoy some tasty beverages, too. We lucked out when after only a half hour, 2 people got up from a picnic table and left. We grabbed the seats for the remainder of the evening.

Can I just say that Trace Adkins had the best opener? He came out singing, "I got my game on..." and the crowd went nuts. He put on a show and sang incredibly. I know some of the speakers weren't working well (they kept fluttering in and out), but his voice permeated the entire grounds. People at CMT said they heard him all the way over on the opposite side. Here is the crowd when looking out from the beer tent during Trace's performance.

The rest of the night was great. We met a wonderful woman and her husband who came out just for Sunday. We spent most of the night getting to know them, chatting and enjoying the music. They were a pleasure to talk to and were so much fun! I hope we get to see them next year! We all enjoyed Carrie Underwood's performance, too. She belted out some songs that had everyone singing. The woman has come a long way since American Idol. We saw some crazies and interesting people the entire weekend. I could go on and on, but I have blabbed long enough. Next year we'll try to get our cameras in to take some nicer photos. For all that went, we hope you had a great time! We certainly did!!

To add insult to injury, when Kymberli looked at our map of the walking distance from our hotel to the venue it was 1.5 miles. One way! We had it all wrong. Next year it's all about the flip flops and cab rides.

D-Town Fullerton - Take 2

2008-04-29T22:48:00.000-07:00

Here are some more of my favorites from the Sunday session with Roxy and Jasmine. The more I look at these photos the more I realize that I do need to take some more time and pose sometimes. Not so much pose for every shot, but take the time to help the model get into a flattering position. Some of the photos I am going through just show me that I rushed when I should have guided.

With that said, I still had a blast with these two. Open to anything and fun, fun, fun.

One Hot Photoshoot In Downtown Fullerton

2008-04-29T00:00:00.000-07:00

Sunday. Hot. Blazing hot. What could make it hotter? How about a photo session with Roxy and Jasmine! That's what. We had to reschedule a few times, but this time we locked it in. Both of these girls love to let loose, rock the glamour look and made the camera blush. Kymberli and I had so much fun with this shoot and we hope the two girls did, too!!

I have lots to choose from, but so far here are my favorites. Most are straight out of the camera, buuuuttttttt... I did have to play around with some of them. You'll see which ones. When you hear the story of the 'Redemption Dress' you'll know why I edited the photos the way I did.

Any thoughts?

The Beauty of Hawai'i

2008-04-24T22:14:00.000-07:00

Here it is, as promised. A collection of my recent photographs on the island of Kaua'i. I will have a few from Oah'u in the next few days, but I have to say I had more fun wandering around Kaua'i.

As I type this blog, I am sitting here coughing and wheezing with what I believe is bad bronchitis. I had it for a couple weeks and it seemed to go away, but when I got to Honolulu the 'smog' as they call it kicked up and so did my sickness. The volcanoes are very active right now and the gases can make you sick. Or, in my case, it makes the sick that much sicker. I spent most of today in bed sleeping because I just didn't have the energy to deal with traffic. I am just so thankful to have had 3 good days on Kaua'i!!

I hope you all enjoy these as much as I enjoyed taking them.

Aloha Everyone

2008-04-23T04:05:00.001-07:00

So work sent me on assignment and I am writing this from Kaua'i, Hawai'i! I have many photos to go through (1200+) that I have taken over the past couple days. I will post a bunch of them tomorrow when I have a better internet connection in Honolulu. Thanks to everyone for your comments on my photos. I love hearing what you think, good or bad. I figure it can only make me better.

I went out and took some shots on the beach last night with my Sigma 10-20mm wide angle. 2am and got some fun shots. There was a meteor shower last night, too. I caught one in one of my images.

Ok, I am off to bed now. I'll post some tomorrow!!

Photowalk With The Wife In Long Beach

2008-04-13T21:07:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was hot around here. 98 degrees (not the band) and most of the day was spent enjoying the A/C and shade. By afternoon, around 3, we decided to go to Long Beach and take some photos. You know, just walk around and see what we see. We got there at perfect shooting light and saw some cool stuff. Here are a few images of what I saw through my looking glass.

And one of my favorites from our walk around a baseball field...

Losing 140,000+ calories

2008-04-06T09:12:00.000-07:00

About 3 months ago, my wife and I found ourselves complaining because we were so full from dinner. Now, I am talking FULL to the point where our stomachs hurt, we were tired & grumpy and our clothes refused to fit. Let's face it, we needed to lose some weight.

We talked for a few minutes and decided to do Weight Watchers. I thought in my head, "Yeah right, I'll do it because YOU want to do it, but I doubt it'll work well." Ok, so I am a skeptic on some things. I love my wife dearly, but I was unsure about showing my weaknesses in front of others.

So we joined WW and it was great. We went to every meeting, learned better ways to cook and we still got to eat anything we wanted. The great thing is it's not a diet. It truly is a lifestyle change. One of the great things was everyone there is in the same boat. We were all overweight and needed help.

Want to know what my average Sunday lunch was? A double cheeseburger from Paul's (awesome burger joint by us), large fries, deep-fried zucchini sticks with ranch dressing shared with the wife and a peanut butter cup shake. Hmmm, lemme think... why did you feel like crap again, Al? Yeah, I was bad. I wasn't a very good influence either.

One of the worst things about being overweight was my back hurting and being out of breath. We walk dogs every Saturday and I would literally walk 100 feet and start complaining about how bad my back hurt. It really did hurt bad, but I was a whiner, too. (Just ask my wife). The dogs could feel how grumpy I was and I knew I needed to do something about it. Plus, I would walk the 13 or 14 steps up to our apt. door and I was out of breath. It was obvious that I was not only out of shape, but that my health was being affected.

We started going to WW meetings, hitting the gym 4-5 times a week and the lbs. started coming off. Slow and true. If you have been following my wife's blog you will know that she is looking so sexy from her loss. 19.2 lbs so far! That is an awesome feat. She really, really looks good. ;)

I started out at 254.5 lbs. The most I have ever weighed. My goal was to lose 30 lbs and see where I went after that. It was tough at times, but easy when you feel how amazing it really does feel. We ate better, too. I crave veggies now. I need to buy stock in Subway and Baja Fresh. Good stuff!!

The results so far, you ask? I have lost 6+ inches on my waist going from a 42 to less than a 36. I have no pants below that so I don't really know where it is. I have lost a total of 40+ lbs, too!!! I fluctuate a bit, but I am right around 214 lbs. My wife has never seen me this thin!! I am so excited and I feel fantastic! I fit into smaller clothes, I can exercise for long periods of time, I am not out of breath and I cut my standing heart rate in half. IN HALF!

Here are the before and after pictures. 254.5 to 214 in 3 months. Weight Watchers works, but I couldn't have done it without the support of my wife, too. Thanks babe!!

I am shooting for under 200 lbs. right now. Just to clean up, get healthy and be able to do things I haven't done before. Maybe run a 5K, bike to the mountains or just get my 6-pack back!

Out With The Old, In With The New and Improved!

2008-03-31T23:04:00.000-07:00

Some of you may or may not have noticed a small change to our website and to our photos. Our logo has changed!

We loved our old logo, but it was our first one and to get us up and going. We discussed it and went through many revisions and the final logo made it's debut yesterday. In case you haven't seen it, here it is!

We had our 'cute' logo for a while, but we wanted something more professional and something more robust that could withstand the test of time. We are hoping it will do just that. One of the benefits to having a graphic designer in the family is that I get to design our logo, marketing material and have fun. I loved making this logo. It still says 'teamwork' and 'ducks', but it also says 'professional' and 'elegant'.

We hope you like it and will always recognize it wherever you see it.

Have a great week everyone.

Wedding Shots For In Good Company

2008-03-30T14:39:00.000-07:00

Saturday was a busy day and so worth every second. We hooked up with Jason Rhees of In Good Company to shoot the details of a wedding he was doing all of the planning for. He was great on the phone and awesome in person. He had his crew working well together and the details were pretty incredible. It was at Park Privé in Costa Mesa. You would have a hard time believing this place was in an office park, but it was so cool! Outside terrace, beautiful grounds and this was the first wedding being held there. Jason, thank you for having us shoot the event. It was great working with you and we look forward to doing it again!

We spent some time shooting as they set up and meandered around scoping out the place. The sun finally came out and was beautiful. Kymberli and I worked so well together. We both have our strengths in shooting and it really showed. You'll see that in my photos and hers that are on her blog.

The bride and groom already had their niece set as the photographer, so we just did our own thing. I will say as a note to aspiring photographers - don't shoot the formal shots directly in the sun. It makes the people squint and complain and makes for harsh contrast. Plus, you need to make them happy. If they are squinting and grouchy, move around. Unfortunately we didn't get any say in where they were positioned, but even the groom asked her if they could move towards the shade and she said no because this was better light. Inexperience can hurt photos and he was right. They should have moved to some shade. She could have adjusted the settings to balance the tones and get a much more pleasing look.

Here are a couple from yesterday. I will post more tomorrow. And yes, my wife got me back on the 'frame' wagon. I used to do it with all of my photos. Now I am back doing it because it makes the photos 'POP'. Thanks, Babe.

The Peace And Quiet Of A Mile Away

2008-03-28T01:21:00.000-07:00

The title of this post is kinda weird, huh? Yeah, well, a mile from our apt. is one of my favorite places to get away from the LA lifestyle. The El Dorado Nature Center has a few trail you can walk that are amazing. Full of wildlife, ponds and nice people. I shot out there last weekend for a couple hours and truly enjoyed life.

I am thankful I got to see so many wonderful things and got to soak in the beauty of what God has given us. So many times I take it for granted. I was blessed with seeing lizards, flowers, soft-shelled turtles, and birds (of course). The most amazing was an osprey that was fishing. I got some photos from across the pond (too far away for clean shots), but it was beautiful. He was so graceful as he plunged into the pond and came up with a huge... nothing! He missed the fish, but got a bath!

Here are a handful of images from my personal adventure walk. I just might have to do it again this weekend.

And here is a fun shot. Taken with my new Sigma 10-20mm. This is virtually in my backyard!

I love Southern California and the beauty it has.

Animal Abuse? Call 211

2008-03-28T01:01:00.000-07:00

Kymberli and I were driving home tonight and heard that LA County has adopted a new hotline in dealing with people abusing their animals.

If you see or hear someone abusing their animals you can dial 211 from your phone and you'll be connected to someone you can report the abuse to.

I have not tried it, but heard it with my own ears. If anyone knows the full story i would love to hear it. I hate animal abuse and if I do see it I WILL call.

This May Be One Of The Best Posts Of The Year

2008-03-28T00:44:00.000-07:00

I want you to stop and think for a minute. Do you have a dog or cat? Do you love them? Now imagine they are living on the street without you in a poorer country and just want your love, but can't find it?

Kirsten Lewis is a photographer from the States who moved to Mexico and found a calling most would turn away from. My wife found her blog the other day and insisted I check it out. I was reluctant (I can be very stubborn), but I did. This woman is doing amazing things. To make a long story short, Kirsten moved to Mexico and needed a spark to get her back into loving photography. She found it in charity. She started the ANNUAL EYES OPEN PROJECT (found on her blog) where she will donate the proceeds from the sales of the photos on her site to one of the three charities listed. You all know my wife and I have a love for cats and dogs and that we volunteer every Saturday at the Seal Beach Animal Care Center in Seal Beach, CA. Her blog post hit home and now I am sharing it all with you. The entire story can be found on her blog, but here is a quick review and 2 images from her site (posted with permission © Kirsten Lewis).

"WHAT IS IT? A Donation Image Trade Fundraiser

WHEN? From March 23rd to April 18th 2008

HOW CAN I HELP? Make a donation and get the word out. Send a link to this post to all your friends and family.

FELLOW BLOGGERS before publishing your next post consider making mention of this fundraiser with a link. I would be indebted to you forever and will also send you an original 5X7 of your choice from below.

SIGN THE CARD: After you make a donation please be sure to make a comment on any of the posts this week. They will all be featuring the organizations above. Please leave your name, where you are from and anything else you might like to say. It will be included in the card when the donation is made in April.

THE DONATIONS: I will present the donations in April. I will be videotaping the actual donation and then posting it on the blog so you can ALL SEE what you helped to do.

THIS WEEK: Keep checking back to learn more about these amazing organizations.

HOW DOES IT WORK? I have chosen 26 original images are limited edition and taken this year at the Refugio, Centre de Acopio and around Paso Ancho. I have made it real easy for ANYONE to make a donation starting at just $10. Just choose the image(s) that you like, decide what size donation you would like to make and purchase the image. Your purchase will be mailed right to your house! The size of the actual images or the amount of different images you choose will determine how large of a contribution you would like to make. You could also purchase images for friends and family and send the photos to them instead!"

Tell me this isn't awesome!!! I am going to donate some money to try and help as much as I can. Kirsten, this is an awesome thing you are doing. Keep us updated as to how things are going!

A Day At The Beach

2008-03-26T02:00:00.000-07:00

"Um, honey. Come check it out. Quackenbush finally blogged again!"

Yes, it has been a few days, but I am back. I was experiencing internet overload and needed to watch a few movies, exercise and work on some photos. So glad I did!

We had a shoot with one of my wife's good friends and her daughter last week. Christy and Alexis were awesome and Alexis is a pro in front of the camera. She was not afraid to get in the shot or even ask if we could do a few shots that she wanted. You go girl! (Wow, did I just type that?) Thank you to the both of you for allowing us to photograph you!!!

It was windy and really sunny, but I wanted to share 2 photos I liked and our experience so that it might help others out.

First off, the shoot was at 11am. Yes, bad light because it is contrasty, but sometimes you have to make it work. Everything went well until I realized I did not have my flash. It's not that I was surprised. I purposely did not bring it because of the light. Ooops! Check out this first photo. I thought I had a great shot in the flowers, but what I needed was a fill flash for her eyes. *Note to self - always bring your gear. No matter what.

This next shot is one of my favorites on the day. Alexis was chill, all smiles and the colors of the balloons were fantastic. My wife had the great idea to stop and get the balloons for the session. Great idea, babe!!

We burned through two hours very quickly and had lots of fun. The weather got pretty cool and we kept talking about how great it will be when it gets warmer. I just have to say how thankful I am to live in SoCal. 85 degrees in March? Yes please, may I have another?

Tomorrow I will have photos of the El Dorado Nature Center. There was an Osprey who was fishing, a soft-shelled turtle checking me out and I got to use my 10-20mm Sigma Wide angle for the first time. Awesome lens!!

Have a great night, morning, whatever it is where you are.

Internet Overload

2008-03-21T01:44:00.000-07:00

"How come that Quacky hasn't posted a blog in almost a week?" No worries, I am alive and there is a good reason. Burn out.

I am constantly in front of a computer. 8-9 hours at work, then i come home and 2 more or so hours. Then, if I have the time, I can blog my own stuff. It's been a long week and I needed to regroup. I have some photos to post of last weekends shoot with Christy and Alexis, but I decided to edit them all and then post the ones I liked before doing 2-3 posts.

So, please be patient. I will be posting more this weekend. Happy Friday!

Will You Take Me Home?

2008-03-17T00:31:00.000-07:00

There is a time in a persons life when you have to stand up for what you believe in and not fear what others think of you or what may happen to you.

Ever since last July, my wife and I have been volunteering at the Seal Beach Animal Care Center. We walk the dogs on Saturday mornings, but most of all we sit with them in their runs or in the play yards and pet them, talk to them and play with them. We try to show each and every one of them love. So, when we heard about the Carson Animal Shelter mistreating its animals we had to get more information. That information was not easy to hear and worst of all it sucks when you see it first-hand. You can read all about it here.

First, let me say this, the SBACC people are amazing and the dogs and cats there are treated incredibly well. They are clean, have clean and warm beds, blankets, food, water, are shown love constantly and get a yard to run around in. They are walked at least twice a day and for long walks, too. Up and down the street, the grass, and all over.

The Carson Shelter dogs are in a sad state. I am deeply saddened and feel such pain for these animals. The part that makes me angry is that the people running the shelter do not care for animals. You can see it just by going into the shelter.

We took part in a protest at the shelter yesterday and I am glad we did. I know it is only a small part, but it's a step in the right directions. A wise man mentioned to me today that be it baby steps or adult steps, as long as they are in the right direction they are good steps. Thanks, Jim. This protest was to spread the awareness to the public about the deplorable conditions, the killing of animals without waiting to see if owners claim them, the mistreatment inside and the blatant disregard for life. It sickens me. It saddens me and it makes me so full of anger that the protest was a must for us. Here is a photo taken by Ryan Olshan (Not pictured) of the group of us.

Photo © Ryan Olshan

We got to the shelter a little early and took a walk through to see what it was like. The runs (cages) were full of feces and 90% of them did not have a blanket for the dogs to sleep on. Now, I am usually warm and can handle being chilly, but yesterday was cold with the wind and these animals were huddled in corners just to stay warm. Some did not have water and dogs need water. It's common sense, but obviously the shelter doesn't require common sense when it hires people or gets volunteers.

Oh yeah, volunteers. That's another thing. When we were walking around we saw a volunteer walking a puppy around by the runs. It didn't want to walk anymore so what does she do? She starts to drag it. I could feel the blood run to my face as it reddened and I stopped and turned to look at her. She was right near the puppy's run, but that is no excuse. Mistreatment, plain and simple. Can't handle the way a puppy walks? GTF outta the volunteer business. The more I write the angrier I get, but I am going to get it all out there. As a volunteer, I know that there are days dogs will try your patience and days you don't want to be there. It doesn't give you the right to be a complete brute and drag a puppy. How would you like it if someone was babysitting your child or grandchild and didn't like what they were doing and decided to drag them by their arms or legs? You'd be pissed, huh? Bet you can see it now, but then again, I saw you do it so I am guessing you don't understand.

I am sickened by what I saw. Not only that, one of the pit bulls had been neutered and the glue came undone. Yes, glue. Not staples or stitches, they use glue. And the only explanation they could give was "It happens". Yep, it happened because you are cutting costs and doing what you want to do to get home quicker to your families. You don't care what the animal is feeling. Oh yeah people, animals can FEEL, did you not KNOW that? So they had to take the pit bull back to the vet and have it redone. I hope they use staples or stitches this time to make sure he doesn't have to go through it AGAIN!

The protest was small, but I hope effective enough to make people aware of the situation. And there is GOOD NEWS! Cathy (one of the protest organizers and animal rescuer) was able to rescue a beautiful, loving dog! It was such a good feeling to see that. She dedicates her life and soul to making the world a better place by doing whatever she can to help the plight of these dogs. Tell me this dog isn't happy now?

I love how happy the dog was. Mike walked him to his truck and he was running with a hop in his step. He even got up on his truck to look in the back. He KNEW he was going for a ride and going to a great place. Thanks to Cathy, Ryan and Mike for getting this dog set free!

If you feel strongly about this and want to help, please contact Cathy or Ryan. You can find their info on the LADACC blog or contact me. I will help forward your info. I aim to get involved more with this because I am still in shock at the conditions and Cathy made a good point of saying that this is 'clean compared to what it normally is' and that I believe. I would be willing to bet money that they only cleaned it up because they knew we were coming. Here is Cathy's Blog.

My wife said it best. She said in her blog, 'Cathy and Ryan, if you are reading this, I am positive that halos are awaiting you in Heaven. I feel that I have a big heart for animals, but you two take the cake. God Bless both of you in your fight with this and we will be supporting you.' Babe, you are so right. Cathy and Ryan, keep it up and feel free to ask us if you need anything. We will help as much as we possibly can.

God, please bless the animals at the Carson Shelter and all of our shelters in the world. Please watch out for the animals. Keep them warm, safe and for the ones that do not make it, we know they are with you by your side in Heaven.

Squawking, The Endless Squawking

2008-03-15T01:14:00.000-07:00

Birds. Yes, I know. I am obsessed with birds. I have tried to deny it, but I have a problem. I love birds. I am fascinated with flight and with the many different species of birds on this earth. Kymberli will tell you how much I drive her nuts by pointing out different birds and naming what they are. It's kinda nerdy, but I love it. Secretly I think she does, too. ;)

Today was no different. Where I work there is constant squawking daily. I knew that one of the birds was a pair of mockingbirds. I have seen the pair daily and they get pretty close as they do their fly-bys. I have said to myself that I should post myself outside my office and get some photos of them. So today I did. This is definitely my favorite photo of the day. I just love how close I was able to get and how vocal the bird was.

The main chatter comes from a group of yellow chevroned parakeets (I had to look that up). These birds are beautiful, but Nuh-hois-eeeey! Wow, they make a racket that you can hear down the street. I wandered near the tree they were in and looked hard to find them. They are camouflaged so well that it took me 5 full minutes to actually see one in the leaves. Then they flew to the open trees with very few leaves. That's when I got some fun shots.

These birds remind me of lovebirds. They are constantly necking. First one would nuzzle the other, then they'd kiss and then one would bite the other and then the squawking continued. It was hilarious. I wanted to get in closer, but they were wary of me. So here are some of the shots. I am happy to have met a new species of bird today. I wonder what it will be tomorrow!

Ok. So I love birds.

Colossal Blunder Thursday

2008-03-13T07:53:00.000-07:00

This blog is not as chipper or happy as my past ones. It is to serve as a red flag, a warning and guidance to all of you up and coming photographers, as well as, the feet-planted-firm photographers.

I went on my business trip 2 Sundays ago and took some nice photos. Then, when I came back home I went to our local park and spend a good deal of time capturing photos of the wildlife. I edited them, posted them, soaked up the smiles and congrats from my wife, but I failed to do the ultimate thing. I did not back them up.

I preach to everyone telling them to back them up. Even my wife will tell you that I constantly tell her "You never know what can happen, so back up your stuff right away".

Well, I lost about 13 GB of photos yesterday. I honestly don't know exactly how it happened, but I have a good idea. I was trying to clean up my computer and I must have dragged one of the folders into my Trash without really focusing on what I was doing. Wednesday was not a good day for multi-tasking. I then emptied my Trash and last night when I went to find the photos the ENTIRE folder was gone. 3 searches came up with nothing.

Needless to say, today I am in a VERY bad mood. It is no ones fault, but my own and I am upset because I am the boy scout who is always prepared. Yesterday I was not. Fortunately I might be able to recover a few files and there were no paid clients photos in there. I back those up right away. No, it was my own personal photos that I failed to back up and it's upsetting.

So young and old - back up your photos right away. [b]ecker (a fellow photog) always, always talks about backin up and I always agree with him, but you still have to do it. Back it up on DVD, twice, then back it up on an external HD and then put them in separate places. Not in your home, but have another location set up in case your home is vandalized, burns down (God forbid) or any catastrophe happens.

This is my vent for today. I am off to work to try to recover what I can and get over being so angry with myself. I don't want anyone's pity, just make sure you back up your stuff. This should serve as an example to all of you out there. This Pupil now understands the value of backups.

A&K with G&C at CPK in HB

2008-03-13T00:24:00.000-07:00

I felt like abbreviating everything in the headline tonight. Just because that's the mood I am in.

Last night was a great night. Kymberli and I got to meet Gabriel and Carlie Ryan at California Pizza Kitchen in Huntington Beach and we had a great time. You two are so much fun and so full of life!! Thank you for taking the time out to meet up with us.

We discussed so much and I have to say that we are blessed to have friends like this in the photography community. One of the subjects we talked about was the fact that when I went to college (many moons ago) you didn't get the openness of photographers. If you asked a photographer how he/she shot a certain session they got defensive and were very reluctant to help you. I even got sucked into that mentality for a long time and it sucked. For me and for others. Thank goodness that we have outgrown THAT!

We had a great meal, talked shop, had quite a few laughs and had such a wonderful time.

Actually, time kinda flew right by and before we knew it dinner was over. We are definitely going to have to do this again sometime. It was interesting because I felt like we were really getting into conversation, but the place started to fill up and we all had to get home for our beauty sleep (there is not enough sleep to help this chrome dome).

Here is one of the photos that my wife took. She did a great job using my camera. Thanks, babe!

Here are a few pointers I would like to give to all of my fellow photographers out there.

1. Don't always bring your huge backpack with a ton of your photo gear to dinner. It makes for a fifth wheel under the table. Bring a point and shoot and ENJOY the moment.

2. Always, always check the ISO on the camera before putting the flash on and messing with the dials.

3. Be yourself in the photo. I was being all serious and Gabriel and Carlie were just being themselves. I look like a tightwad in the photo. Had I been more relaxed and going with the flow I think the photo would have been even more fun!

Here's the photo of the three of us.

An Adventure In The Park

2008-03-10T00:23:00.000-07:00

Today it was so nice here in SoCal that I just needed to get outside and soak up the sunshine. I decided to hit Old Faithful (El Dorado Park) for some bird shots. It was so nice that I walked around and shot about 175 photos, but really just enjoyed being out there and loved being in the sun.

The park was filled with Great Egrets today. They were getting lots of tasty treats from the stream and they were cautious of me, but not as much as usual. Here are some of my shots from today. The only editing I did was some sharpening and cropping.

I really need to make it over there more often.

Tiggers Like to Bounce!

2008-03-07T09:02:00.000-08:00

They certainly like to play! Boy are they beautiful. I realize I am a little late in getting my last photos up of the Tigers at the Big Cat Rescue in Tampa, FL, but here they are. I went through them and wish I could go back as I sit here at the Tampa Airport.

Just look at how much they enjoy each others company, but also the incredible size of the male vs. the female. One thing to understand is that the male was bred by a guy to be big. I think the guy is an idiot for doing that sort of thing, but nonetheless the big cat is here.

My lens set up was not ideal for this situation. I would do it differently for the next time so that I could eliminate the fence lines, but you get the idea. One of my favorites is when the male yawns. His gaping mouth could engulf the females in one bite. Absolutely incredible.

Doc Connors? Is that you?

2008-03-05T12:01:00.000-08:00

I got to my newest hotel today and it is awesome. Not much to look at on the outside, but beautiful on the inside. Gorgeous. These guys are getting an amazing location for an A/C seminar. Beside that, I was greeted by many of the locals when I arrived. They came out in numbers just to say hi, well... they were in the sun and as I parked I put them in the shade.

These brown anoles were everywhere and I think they are awesome. When I was a kid living in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, I used to try and catch these guys and man they are fast!

Here are a few shots I got of them, just for the fun of it.

Big Cat Rescue in Tampa, FL

2008-03-04T12:08:00.000-08:00

Hello My Loyal Readers!! All 10 of you. LOL. I am writing from Tampa, FL as I am on a business trip. The great thing about going away on business is that I get to see more of the country and photograph different areas. The bad thing is that I have to be away from my wife for a week. :( I miss you, babydoll!!

This morning I decided to go to The Big Cat Rescue. What a fantastic organization. They rescue big cats from all over. Some of the cats rescued were kept as pets and some are from circuses where the cats just didn't 'perform' anymore. Our tour guide, Mike, made a great point when he said, 'This isn't a zoo. We don't have our animals perform, so some may be out and some may not. We'll see.'

When we got to our area to meet for the tour, this beautiful peacock was there. He was making a racket and some of the people said he was saying "Help me, help me." It really did sound like that.

Here are some of the other images I took of the South American Cougar, the Bobcats and some fo the beautiful Tigers. Just look at their eyes!

The best images of the Tiger couple will come later tonight or tomorrow. They were amazing. The male is 800 lbs. and the female less than half that, but when they played it was great. They were having so much fun.

Will you 'walk the world' with Jayson Rowley?

2008-03-02T21:40:00.000-08:00

I challenge you to listen to my cousin-in-law's music and not let it hit you. It is simple and very to the point, but so friggin cool!

Kymberli and I went down to the Viento y Agua Coffee House on 4th St. in Long Beach to see him last Thursday night. Small place, tons of character and I loved it. Actually there is even more room for the character to blossom and that is very cool. There weren't too many people there and I was bummed because the music was so cool. He has 2 songs that aren't on his new 'walk the world' album yet, but I was so into them. He plays the guitar well, sings well, but the best part was the slide guitar. I am envious of anyone who can do that, but he was making it look way too easy. Rock on, Jayson!!

I am only posting this one photo because my wife got some seriously tight images from that night. Mine is just showing his action on the instrument. Check it out and check out his website.

Not So Random Images

2008-02-26T18:36:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday, my better half and I went to Pasadena for the Pro Photo Show. We looked around, asked some questions and bought some CF Cards (great deal on them at Samys.com and a huge rebate, too).

When we left it was raining and she was driving, so I busted out the D300 and started playing around. Here are a few of my shots from the truck. I love the graffiti and "Most Reliable Network" billboard. It cracks me up when I think about it.