Matt + Brooke {Super 8 Wedding Film}

Its interesting how things come back around. I really believe Super 8 is going to make a comeback thanks to a lot of artists who have been leading the way. I am so excited to begin to incorporate it into what I offer my clients. It has a timeless energy that is so full of emotion and romance.

Matt + Brooke had a perfectly beautiful wedding in San Clemente, CA. While the movie is loading view their wedding images featured on my blog. Enjoy!

Queensberry Featured Album {Josh + Michele, Firestone Winery}

Occasionally I like to post about the amazing albums that we make for our clients. Queensberry is a world class album company located in New Zealand. I have been offering their distinguished hand made albums for the past few years. Not all of my clients can afford such a luxury as the Queensberry album, but those who do are not disappointed. These custom designed books become priceless heirlooms that couples can share with generations to come.

Josh and Michele were married at the Mission and had their reception at Firestone Vineyard in Santa Ynez. It was a fabulous day, from start to finish. To view their images check out their featured wedding on my blog.










The 7 inch digital duplicate albums are great for parents. Josh + Michele were able to give these as Christmas presents.

Jason + Jessica {Engagement, Camarillo}

I love my job because it constantly exposes me to new places and new people. Photography is so much more about connecting with people than pushing a button on a metal box. A lot of the couples that book me do so through email and over the phone. Often times I meet them for the first time at their engagement session like I did with Jason and Jessica. I never know what to entirely expect, so I just cruise and flex.

Anna and I show up to their house in Camarillo which looks like a war zone due to intense remodeling. We were greeted at the fence by a short, fat and sharp fanged dog that looked like it could rip my head off if it could only jump 6 feet. I didnt take any chances and decided to call instead of step over the fence and approach the house. It turns out the dog was one of the sweetest most influential dogs I have ever met.

Like most dudes, Jason admitted right away that he didnt even understand the purpose of the engagement session. I loved his honesty and told him that I would sell him on the amazing purpose of it by the end of our time together. Jessica appeared out of her bedroom wearing what looks like a quincineras costume. Jason asks if she could wear one of her other dresses. She simply states that she doesnt want to and we are out the door just like that. What am I getting myself into?!

An awesome new friendship and a few beautiful images of Jason and Jessicas love story.

Jason has this thing for cars. Call it an obsession. Call it a disease even, but the dude has what looked like half a dozen muscle cars parked in and around his garage. He fixes them up and sells them as needed. The guy has skills! Jessica owns her own body art business called Henna Caravan. Both Jason and Jessica are amazing artists in their own crafts which makes it even more of an honor to have been chosen as their wedding photographer. I cant wait for next week!

Chris + Lindsey {Super 8 Wedding Film}

I knew I had to shoot Super 8 film at Lindseys wedding. She is so drama that she needed to be the star of her very own wedding music video! Chris is the complete opposite of her which is probably why they say that opposites attract. You can view all of their lovely wedding images here.

We chose a Brandi Carlile song {Closer To You} for this film because it is really upbeat and has great energy which I thought compliments my {music video} style shooting. I am so excited to offer this years wedding clients the option of having Super 8. It is only going to get better and better. Enjoy!

Matt + Tara + Olivia {Engagement, Santa Barbara}

Matt and Tara decided that they wanted to have Matts daughter Olivia along for their engagement session. She practically stole the show! However, I was able to get some great moments between Matt and Tara when my wife Anna was distracting/photographing Olivia. She was such the little super model! She even assisted directing Matt and Tara during the shoot. She told her dad, {You need to give her something!} After he didnt comply she handed him a crispy brown leaf as a token of his undying love for his soon-to-be bride.


We met up at their house in the foothills of Santa Barbara. Everywhere we looked there were incredibly beautiful backdrops! We walked down their driveway to a creek and then drove a couple of bends away to this gorgeous stone bridge from 1919. Then we spent a couple more minutes winding our way through the hills to a serene monastery overlooking the coastline. I couldnt believe how breathtaking the view was.


Olivia is an expert hula-hooper. She proudly demonstrated her skills! After I asked her to frame her face with the hoop she said that she was glad I got that shot because she was going to request it anyways.














It was apparent that Tara and Olivia already have an intimate bond. They are going to make an awesome new family!



Olivia was up for anything! Posing like a statue on a pillar and even taking a little photography lesson from Anna.


Well, it turns out that Olivia did steal the session. Cute kids are just so hard to resist!

Introducing Super 8 Films!!!

I am thrilled to announce that I will be offering Super 8 Cinema coverage for all of my 2008 weddings and beyond! Super 8 is like having a music video of your wedding day. I saw my first Super 8 film at Jose Villas office a little over a year ago. I fell in love immediately! I have always wanted to experiment with video but never felt justified to divide my affection for photography, until I met Super 8. I simply adore its dreamy quality and its emotionally saturated presentation. It is a bit like photography but with movement and music.

Jose offered to shoot a little Super 8 at our wedding and what he captured was just as amazing and priceless as our photography coverage by Jeff Newsom. We adore our still photographs, but we also are so in love with the Super 8 that Jose shot.Together they tell our story in two distinctly different forms which compliment and express our most amazing day in such a powerful way.

All that said, I have for the past year been working on developing Super 8 Cinema as a product that I can offer my couples. Jose actually gave me my first roll of film to test out my Super 8 camera. My assistant Simon and I traded off shooting it at Mike and Alisas wedding last summer. This is the result!

I have two more movies to showcase as Super 8 samples. I will spread them out over the next couple of weeks.

Jake + Courtney {Engagement, Texas}

How to shoot an Engagement Session

This was no average engagement session. This was all about the workshop. I was worried that having 30 students following my couple around would make them extra awkward, but Jake and Courtney were as comfy as can be.


I gave the students an example of how I typically operate during an engagement session. I talked about my primary aim. That more than anything it is the best opportunity to get to know my couple before their wedding. While we wander around looking for great spots for their pictures we talk about everything and anything. From how they met, to my wifes favorite television shows, to how I got started shooting weddings, to how awkward it can be to have your picture taken by me! I always work in the awkward talk so that we can clear the air and get over it.

I usually give limited instruction while I am shooting so that I can get the most natural action possible. I encourage couples to take what I say to the next level and personalize everything. It helps to be spontaneous to get natural reactions from each other, thus giving me real emotion and genuine personality. I also give a little disclaimer that not all ideas work out, but even trying something dorky causes movement and usually good laughter.




I love old rundown messy buildings! They make my top 10 list of favorite locations to shoot (I didnt know I had a top 10 list until now). Acutally, its safe to say that decaying brick buildings surrounded by heaps of rubble and overgrowth makes it into the Top 3! There is just something striking in the contrast of man vs. man-made. The brick is so dirty and rigid while the people are so soft and warm. It gives their love a place to shine!







I also love to use objects to separate the couple a bit so that they get a little breathing room every now and then. These cars were just begging for some attention!

This location was great because we got a few very different feeling backdrops within the same area. You can see the pallets and brick piles next to that door where we shot earlier. The alley is actually just around that corner from that tree.

Ive noticed that artists bring reoccurring themes to their work. Something I keep coming back to is the painting American Gothic. You will see me try it out with different couples and locations. It is fun to take a portrait of the couple that isnt all smiles and laughs. It really shows a different side of their character through a simple deadpan gaze.

Ingalls Photography Workshop {Texas}

Anna and I at the Houston space center. My wife loves playing the tourist!

What a fun week it has been! We are flying home from Texas today (written Sunday); glad to head home, but sad to leave so many new friendships. Eli and Mandy were amazing hosts! They have an espresso machine and made us vanilla lattes first thing in the morning and last thing at night. Thank you guys for introducing me to my new addiction!

Eli and Mandy are missionaries that we support all the way out in the heartland. It turns out that a large majority of their students are photo majors and have been actively following my work. We have been planning on visiting them for some time and news about my Texan fan base really pushed us over the edge. The next thing I know Eli has me lined up for a full-on 3 day photography workshop! I spoke to a couple hundred students on Thursday night at their weekly Chi Alpha meeting.

Friday night we had about 25 photo-majors come to the house for desert, vanilla lattes, and more about my story and dream. It was a great time for me to go into depth about how God led me into starting a photography business when all along I thought I was supposed to be in the ministry. I shared about how wrong I was to think I could only serve God by working for the church or out in the missions field. I have been given an amazing gift and also a responsibility to share Love with people all around me and now I have the exciting privilege of doing it through my photography.

We had a great time of questions and answers. It turns out that while Sam Houston State University has a great fine art photography program it lacks classes on more practical business application. I was so happy to share all that I have learned about starting, running and maintaining a successful business over the past five years. It was really refreshing for me to share my passion and have people who were eager to listen and so grateful to boot!


Saturday morning I gave a hands on demonstration of a typical Cameron Ingalls style engagement shoot. I shared the strategies and methods that I have developed to get unique full of life pictures of people before their big day. I emphasized the importance of relationship building and getting over the awkwardness of client vs. the photographer. We walked down the street with Jake and Courtney and let the cameras rip. I was confused why the students were leery to trespass in front of what looked like an abandoned brick building. Eli told me later it is because even though Texans don’t have fences they can legally shoot trespassers on site, no questions. Texas is truly the Lone Star State! Luckily enough, no one got shot but Jake and Courtney. ;) We broke for lunch and met back up so that I could demonstrate image editing using Adobe Lightroom.

I have never done a typical workshop like this so I just kept everything simple and shared what I know and love about photography. I had a great response from the students. Hopefully they went away challenged and excited to share the Love with people around them by simply using their gifts and talents to their fullest potential.

Here are a few that some of the students shared with me.

Evan Kahlich


James Corona


Chris Jackson


Samuel Isenhower
I will post Jake and Courtneys engagement session next. These guys did great considering they are not models and that they had almost 30 photographers following them around!