John B. Mueller - Ventura, Santa Barbara & Los Angeles Wedding & Family Photography

Eastern Sierra Fall Color 2011

2011-10-04T12:14:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I had no weddings and no kids, thus my third completely open weekend all year. (I think I have 2 more coming up). Instead of picking my toenails around the house or watching TV, I booked a couple nights of camping up in the high Sierra Nevadas and thought I'd test my luck at capturing the Fall Color up there. So here's what I came up with, and I'll try to explain the dates and where I got them so you have an idea of what is happening right now:

Manzinar which had some wicked clouds behind itPull-off on 168 about a mile past Aspendell

Okay, all the following photos are from the Lake Sabrina basin, from the lake itself and then alongside HWY 168 within a half mile of the lake. These were all taken on Friday, Sept. 30th, but went back up there on the 2nd, and still has the same color

Lake Sabrina on Sept. 30th sunset

Standing on the Sabrina dam, looking south

Went on a hike Saturday, October 1st, from South Lake to Long lake. Took 2hrs to get there, and we're in decent shape. Took these photos along the way to show the fall color as well as the lakes along the way:

Long Lake

Long Lake

Sabrina Campground area alongside HWY 168 on Sunday, October 2nd

Along North Lake Road you might be able to get this view:

And you'll see the majority of the Aspens, as of Sat, Oct. 1st are pretty close to peak throughout the valley.

Ten minutes away up to North Lake, I captured these around noon on Saturday, Oct. 1st:

Camped at Twin Lakes in Mammoth, and despite being REAL windy, still some beautiful areas up there:

Lake George

View from the waterfall on top of Twin Lakes

Didn't have ANY clouds in the sky the morning I photographed the Owen's River looking at the Sierras from Chalk Bluff Road near Bishop.

And finally our new friend on our way back home Oct. 3rd along 395.

Also had to head to the Alabama Hills to capture this as well

Also had to drop by Convict Lake quickly since the clouds were nice and puffy and the water was clear:

If you have any questions about the locations or suggestions on where the best fall color is, feel free to contact me via email. I'm sure you can find it on here somewhere.Thanks!

Photo taken at the end of the trail at Long Lake

Party on the Dance Floor

2011-09-06T14:16:00.000-07:00

I realize a lot of the wedding photos I post are lovely staged photos, in beautiful light, perfectly timed, romantic and stoic. But just as important to the bride & groom are those crazy party photos showing the guests having a great time. Now sometimes (and by ‘sometimes’ I mean ‘often’) some guests go a little overboard and get carried away. Part of my job is to jump right there in the middle of it all and get those crazy shots. I’m 90% of the time using bounce flash on the ceiling and holding the camera way above my head, angled down to get these shots and need to predict when these moments occur. So it’s part luck and part ~~skill~~ intuition. Here are just a few of the many, many moments from my first 115 or so weddingsYes, Jon Voight crashes my weddingsLadies love Jon VoightSomeone drank too much before the ceremonySo as you can see, I like to keep my weddings fun. I don’t say classy; that’s up to the people attending. But one way or another, people end up having a lot of fun, and I love being there to capture it all.

Callie & Jeff

2011-06-08T14:32:00.000-07:00

The weekend before last when I had 39046734sf48 shoots, I was blessed to be able to meet Callie & Jeff. They were referred to me by Photographer Extraordinaire Lauren from Flickr. Never met the couple before their wedding day, which was at a remote park in the hills of Santa Barbara. Boy did I luck out. Both are gorgeous people (inside and out) and were so happy to share their day with their friends & family.

Their first look.. few moments alone prior to the ceremony

Good luck to them both. Many well wishes up in Alaska!!

Krystal & Luis - River Ridge, Oxnard, Ca

2011-05-12T12:51:00.000-07:00

As you can tell I haven't been updating my Blog very well this year. I've found it easier and I get more traffic posting on my Facebook Fan Page .

Anyway, I was asked to second shoot a wedding this past weekend, and it was fun to be able to just shoot candids and not have any real responsibility other than capturing the moment, cliche as that is.

So I was working for the DJ company proving photos of the ceremony which could be played on two large TVs at the reception to give the guests a near-real-time experience of the ceremony. So All of these photos are straight out of the camera, no Photoshopping at all. This was harder than it appeared since I couldn't crop, do curves, etc, etc. So what I shot is what they saw, in order. See if you can find the 'celebrity'

The flower girl wanted to be just like the bride

As you can tell, the bride loved doing this

With Pink Uplighting

And this is where my photos were played during the reception. Word has it that people really enjoyed my photos and by the end of the night the bride was sorry she didn’t hire me instead. I suppose that’s a nice pat on the back. She went with a larger studio who just threw a guy out to shoot the wedding. He appeared to be doing some creative shots, but it was his personality which was more of the cool guy/smoker/caveman type. He wore his sunglasses (it was overcast) during the ceremony & reception and walked right up to the bride/groom while getting married and didn’t crouch down or get out of the way or anything. Literally just stood up there and didn’t care if he was in people’s way. It was good to see this as I realized how distracting it really was.

Anyway, hello.

Best of 2011 (Destination Weddings)

2011-01-20T07:36:00.000-08:00

Well I sure do suck at blogging. That's the one thing I've realized. I photographed 28 weddings in 2010 and I think I blogged about 4 of them. That is HORRIBLE. So instead of going back and blogging them all (like I should), I'm just going to select a few of my favorite photos from weddings of 2010.

And with weddings in 2011 in Jamaica, Italy, San Francisco and maybe New Zealand, I'm sure I'll have a few more to share this year too.

First off, lets cover the Destination Weddings first.

Lake Como, Italy

Victoria, Canada

This is what happens when the bride is a photographer as well.

Brookfield, Wisconsin

Avalon, Catalina Island - California

Thank you all for your views, support, comments and sushi. Yes, I had 3 clients last year read their contract well enough to see I slipped a clause in there that specified they owed me sushi upon completion of their wedding. The others got their photos too, but I just like to test people's reading comprehension.

The Murphy Family - Ventura, Ca.

2010-12-06T12:40:00.000-08:00

If wedding season ends in late September, then the time between then and Christmas is certainly "family portrait" season. I've done close to 640,000 family sessions in the past 3 months, and my carpal-tunnel ridden right hand is certainly feelin it. But regardless, nothing is more of a blessing but to be able to provide a family with photos they'll be able to keep for a lifetime.

Thanks again Murphys for being such good sports!

The Likavec Family

2010-11-29T11:46:00.001-08:00

I've had the privilege to photograph the maternity, newborn & now family photos of this wonderful family. They really love the outdoors as do their kids, so I found a remote part of Ventura County to take them and let them just be themselves for a little while. Then we went to a park in Moorpark to get photos of the kids in their natural environment.

Catching Butterflies

and then to show who was the "balloon boss"...

Their son let the balloons go. And then started to cry. His 1yo sister, only hearing her brother cry, also started to cry.

So we had a picnic

And then headed to a local park, where I collected a (insert adjective for a LOT) of fallen leaves, and let them have fun:

I was waving at her to get her attention

I loved her dress and shoes

As you can see here, the difference between "boys" and women.

Thank you guys for having the most adorable family ever! Happy Holidays!

Katie & Cary

2010-11-16T09:17:00.000-08:00

Flickr once again helped this amazing couple find me. My assistant Geoff Bell and I met the couple on the top of a hill in Santa Barbara and experienced an amazing wedding and even better guests. We were also blessed with some amazing weather considering it was mid-November. Probably touched 75 out, slight breeze, clouds in the sky... really couldn't ask for anything more.

The Rings Please...

Cousins!

And the last shot of the evening, was her old group of friends sporting a fingerstache! As you can tell, a wonderful group of people who were all good sports celebrating the love that is Cary & Katie

Good luck guys and thanks for letting us share your day!

Vanessa & Kevin in Catalina

2010-11-04T10:42:00.000-07:00

I was asked a few months ago if I was available to photograph a wedding on the island of Catalina, off the coast of Los Angeles. I went out there with my buddy Doug van Kampen and met the most amazing Bride & Groom. She's from LA and he's from New Jersey, and they currently live in NYC, but they've always loved the island of Catalina and knew they'd get married there someday.

The wedding itself was only about 60 people, but that didn't stop them from renting out the iconic & historic Avalon Casino Theatre (the round building on the island). At the top of the casino is a ginormous circular room with a rotating chandelier, wooden floor, and a 365degree view of the harbor. Needless to say, the location is a photographers dream

The Casino the night before at sunset

And on top of the hill at sunrise.

The End... wait... no... The Beginning!

Congrats guys!

Best Western Plus Posada Royale - Simi Valley, Ca

2010-10-23T12:13:00.000-07:00

I was commissioned to photograph the outside and inside of a local hotel. Let me tell you, it isn’t as simple as it looks. I got there around twilight and tried to get the front of the hotel and then 4 different rooms, and then the pool. I’m going to have to come back on a sunny day to get the pool, but as you can tell, with the exception of the front of the hotel, getting even lighting and natural white balance inside the hotel rooms is hard.

Another cold weekend here in California. I’m pretty sure by December we’ll be in an official ice age.

Photo Contests

2010-10-20T15:37:00.000-07:00

I’m sure many of you like to enter photo contests. Many of these are online contests with very lucrative awards and prizes and perhaps a chance for fame. But do you really know what you’re getting into when you submit your photos to a photo contest?

Photo contests have been around for years. Every major magazine does them, many organizations, private companies, etc. Sometimes you can win a ribbon, other times cash or a prize or your photo published.

Here is what you can win in a current photo contest for The GAP. You enter cute photos of your kids in hopes of winning:

Four Grand Prize Winners will receive:
1.Professional Gap photo shoot starring your child
2.Your child's photo in babyGap and GapKids stores nationwide
3.$1,000 Gap GiftCard redeemable for a babyGap or GapKids wardrobe
First of all, you think they’re just going to photograph your kid and give you all the digital negatives? Or pay you? They’re basically using your kid for free promotion.

Second, if you actually read their “Terms & Conditions” you’d see (cut & paste):

As a condition to your use of the Service, you hereby grant SKYROCKIT a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide, perpetual, transferable, assignable, and sublicenseable (to any number of tiers) license to modify and make derivative works of, reproduce, publicly display, publicly perform, distribute, transmit, and otherwise use your User Content (and any modifications or derivative works thereof) in all contexts, formats and media, in connection with the Service and any other elements of the business of SKYROCKIT and its successor(s).

Basically, every single photo that people submit to this photo contest becomes property of the Gap and they can use, sell, distribute and re-sell those photos indefinitely. And then they say:

We reserve the right, at our sole discretion, to change, modify or otherwise alter these terms and conditions at any time

And you think other photo contests don’t do the same? Why hire models & photographers when all you have to do is give away a small prize and have people send you great photos for free? Photos of people, travel, pets, etc… you’re giving it to them, so they can sell and make money off you. I'm not saying EVERY contest but a lot of them. Read the fine print.

Thus, I don’t enter photo contests. Unless it’s print-only, and I know the terms.

(then again, I would love to make the cover or inside of Outdoor Photographer, hint hint)

2010-10-13T16:18:00.000-07:00

Those people that know me well know that I did stand-up and improv in Hollywood for a few years. I was never really that good, but I still have a huge silly streak and a passion for making people laugh. I appreciate a good sense of humor. And last Saturday, the bride Jennifer was asked by her now-husband to keep the wedding as formal as possible. As a police officer, he wanted a formal, classy wedding. Jennifer, with an awesomely tainted sense of humor, decided to accommodate this request by having a tuxedo painted on her big toes. The rest of the wedding was a blast too. Both of them were such good sports in so many ways. Their wedding party and their friends/family were also well-behaved yet spunky. It was a great mix, a beautiful location and I know they will have a long, beautiful life together!

Future cop in training! Book 'em Dano!

Yes, I asked them to take a photobooth photo pretending to hold up giant wedding rings. See, they are awesome!

I DON’T WANT MY PICTURE TAKEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Evidence for who started it!

Setting a new world record, 24 people can fit into a Photobooth.

One last dance…

40 person group hug

The grand exit

Weddings are suppose to be the best day of your life. So just have fun! Don’t worry about the formalities, worry about having fun. Jennifer & Jimmy understood this, and I hope their marriage continues to be fun every day of their lives.

Also wanted to say on a personal note that watching the Chilean miners being rescued today gave me a renewed sense of what it means to appreciate your friends/family. I hope none of you ever have to go through what they are, but instead are able to love each other the way they are moments after coming out of the capsule.

Melony & Tyler

2010-10-08T15:41:00.000-07:00

The Camarillo Ranch House brings back memories. I'll agree that it's probably the best wedding venue in all Ventura County. It has history, natural beauty, an amazing barn, 19th century house, great lighting... everything. I'd even considering getting married there if I didn't already.

Melony & Tyler were SO fun to work with. It was a great day in July and we had a blast just going around the grounds. They really had a wedding to remember. I hope the photos show at least 1/10th of how amazing it was.

I spy... a garter!

Please be my friend and get all you can eat carne asada tacos!!

Thank you so much Melanie & Tyler for letting me share in your very special day, and an amazing venue. See you guys at Chuys!

Maddie & Becky

2010-10-01T13:26:00.000-07:00

Madison is almost 13 years old. She's blossoming into a woman day by day and her mom wanted me to capture the both of them at a location that just had natural beauty. Oddly enough, this rural location is a few feet from one of the busiest intersections in the area, but the city has been nice enough to leave this location natural, which is paradise for photographers and clients alike

Seattle, Victoria and hosers

2010-09-16T09:33:00.000-07:00

I was flown to Victoria, Canada in August to photograph a wedding. Never been there, BUT I do have friends near Seattle, and after the brilliant wedding, I took the Victoria Clipper over to the island of America where my buddy Doug picked me up. We ate dinner at a restaurant specializing in hot wings, and the next morning set out for Mt. Rainier since the flowers were blooming.

black bear

He dropped me off that Sunday and I was picked up by the sister of the bride, Sarah, who was nice enough to show me around Victoria and I thanked her with an amazing sushi dinner afterwards. Can you say.. perfect long weekend?

Canadian playground

Arizona

2010-09-16T09:05:00.001-07:00

This past weekend was the first weekend ALL YEAR that I've had off. No company travel. No kids. No photoshoots. It was weird. I had no idea what to do. Now there was things I could be doing, but I figured the ambitious person I am, just throw my camera stuff in the car along with a sleeping bag, toiletries and an extra set of clothes, and after work... just start driving.

So I did. And from Thursday afternoon to Sunday afternoon I drove 1500 miles through California and Arizona. Never been to the Grand Canyon, so that was my first stop. No clouds in the sky, so I set my compass further north to Page, Az, home of some really amazing natural wonders.

So here they are. Enough talking, lets get to the good stuff:

Horseshoe Bend near Page, Az.

Antelope Canyon

Grand Canyon

Other parts of Arizona

wild elk

Route 66

So, all in all, it was a great trip. I slept in my car for 3 days. I brought turkey sandwiches. I roughed it. I did some personal reading. I just got out of Dodge for a bit and it felt great.

Now back to posting weddings. I know I'm like 30 weddings behind.

Draw in the Dark

2010-08-25T14:59:00.000-07:00

I had a photo recently discovered and purchased by a large publisher as the cover for a new book called Draw the Dark by Ilsa J. Bick. I got my copy in the mail two days ago after giving them permission to edit the photo for the cover. (below)

So thank you all for all your kind words, funny stories, sharing your life and emotions with me. I’ll continue to do the same.

There are things in Winter, Wisconsin, folks just don't talk about. That murder way back in '45 is one. The near suicide of a first grade teacher is another. And then there is 17 year old Christian Cage. Christian's parents disappeared when he was a little boy, and ever since he's drawn and painted obsessively, trying desperately to remember his mother. The problem is Christian doesn't just draw his own memories. He can draw the thoughts of those around him. Confronted with fears and nightmares they'd rather avoid, people have a bad habit of dying. So it's no surprise that Christian isn't exactly popular.

What no one expects is for Christian to meet Winter's last surviving Jew and uncover one more thing best forgotten - the day the Nazis came to town. Based on a little known fact of the United States' involvement in World War II, Draw the Dark is a YA dark fantasy about reclaiming the forgotten past and the redeeming power of love.

From the book review here:

litbites.blogspot.com/2010/05/draw-dark-by-ilsa-j-bick-co...

Original photo here:

River Walk

2010-06-23T14:44:00.001-07:00

River Walk
Originally uploaded by Extra Medium

Just a photo from my trip to San Antonio, Texas. Such a romantic city, if you have someone to spend it with

Engagement of Jennifer & Jimmy

2010-06-08T10:12:00.000-07:00

Jimmy is a cop. And that's a good thing, because when we got to the fields I normally use for "tall golden grass" engagement shots, we saw it was fenced and had a No Trespassing sign on it. "What should we do?" I asked him, to which he replied, "Well technically it has to be posted No Trespassing AND the owner has to ask you to leave. If no one comes, it's not illegal". Now that was shocking. So basically I could be out there taking photos on private property and a cop car could roll by and he could do nothing about it. I LIKE THAT! Now I do have a tendency to trespass in order to get photos because somewhere inside my tiny head I justify that what I'm doing is not harming anyone or anything, and benefiting the client or location by photodocumenting it.

I might try this approach when I'm in Washington DC next month, hop the White House fence and say to the Secret Service as they drag me away, "HEY, Barack didn't ask me to leave..."

Jennifer & Jimmy were such a fun couple to work with. Sometimes it's hard to get emotion out of one or the other (almost always the dude), but Jimmy was just as playful as she was, and I think that personality came out in their shots.

*NOTE to prospective couples, if you plan on working with me, then you better be "dippers"

Have I done this shot before in the exact same spot? Sure, plenty of times. But not for THIS couple, and that's all that matters to them.

I'm also trying to use less "Lightroom Special effects" and try to get my photos to look more natural. Once in a while, sure, put some stink on it. But otherwise, bright and beautiful, just like Jennifer & Jimmy. Thanks guys, look forward to your big day!!

2010-05-19T09:37:00.000-07:00

Last week, a client whose engagement, boudoir and wedding I’ve shot earlier this year asked me to take photos of her car as she’s in the process of having it sold. The photos she’s took so far haven’t got any bites, and considering the natural beauty of the car and need to not thing about things, I was more than willing to head out into the hills and try to be creative.

Now there was one incident where it looks like the cops were called on us (me) as I was out in the fields to get a good angle of her car driving by. As we drove past the farmhouse on the property, we saw some lady outside looking at us on a cordless phone. And then 5 minutes later after passing her place again, cops were showing up. I know I look like a terrorist, but seriously. Someone walking on your dirt warrants a call to 911? I’d love to hear that call.

So here are some more shots. Rig shots, as well as static shots in the city, on the twisties of Grimes Canyon Road. She’s going to use these for Craigslist first, and then Auto Trader, Recycler, Cars.com, etc.

The whole concept of incorporating the landscape so dramatically in the lighting is because of the personality of this car, I’d want the potential buyer to pre-visualize themselves in the sporty car, in this environment.

Aaaahhh yes.. I can totally see myself tooling around the twisties in this car….

Took about 10 minutes to remove the rig. This time I was more aware of what was in the air above the car, which made this a LOT easier to clone out than my previous.

Skate or Die!

2010-05-17T11:15:00.000-07:00

Those of us who grew up in California the 80s and part of the 90s know firsthand the roll that the skateboarding played in forming our society both commercially and culturally.

We all want to resist getting older. Age isn’t something we have any control over, however getting old we do. Okay, I’m 35. I can’t hide or change that. Seinfeld mentioned to “George” in one episode of his show about “throwing on the sweatpants and giving up on life” which I still think about to this day.

There is a day most of us come to where we just give up. Give up on what we look like, our goals & aspirations, our attire, health… just give up and fade away. SOME of us fight this rigorously by hanging out with younger people, being active in our society, trying new things, travel, etc. I for one love being active. And this weekend I was hired to photograph a skateboard demo at our local skate park. Very few people know that I was once a sponsored skater back in the ~~90s.. 2000s~~ 1980s. I could ride vert ramps, launch ramps, etc. I had game for a 14yo. So this weekend when the sponsored pro (15yo girl from Ventura )asked me, “YOU used to skate… I just don’t see that”. So my own ego defended myself and said, “You wait right here, I’ll go home and get my board” Common sense should have prevailed, but instead I strapped on my helmet and knee pads, and gave it a shot. Came back pretty quickly and I was even feeling confident enough to make a video of me skating, singing and filming to show that I am still a triple threat.

Age caught up to me shortly thereafter when I was attempting to ride the coping of the bowl and crashed down hard on my hip. Below is a photo from about an hour after, and it now looks much worse. My 5yo commented that my leg might fall off.

Sunday I didn’t do anything, except hobbled around like an old, bitter man.

Now the result of me pretending to be hard core came crashing down when I came.... crashing down on my hip after trying to pull off a pretty beginner move.

But I was still in good enough shape to photograph the rest of the demo and drive myself home for a nap.

Okay, now you know a little more about who is going to photograph your wedding. :)

Keeping Fit

2010-05-12T11:24:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine asked me to drop by this new gym near where I work to take some promotional photos of the place. It's a new exercise/fitness program called CrossFit. It's a combination of aerobic, fitness and socialization. The people there are really cool, and each location is independently owned and operated. Dan was nice enough to let me bring my big camera in there and snap away people getting sweaty.

If you're interested, there's probably a CrossFit near you. Look them up at: http://www.crossfit.com/

Owner/operator/coach Dan describes that evening's workout

And he demonstrates as well. You go at your own pace.

And then they hit the streets for a quick warmup before heading back inside for working with the weights, balls & other random heavy objects

Okay, now back to my BBQ tri tip sandwich and Coke.

Auto Rig Shots

2010-04-30T13:59:00.000-07:00

For at least a year now I’ve wanted to build an auto rig in order to do some motion shots with cars. Auto rigs are a little expensive, hard to use, and possibly dangerous to the car. But… other people have done it, so why not me?

So Getty Images has been nice to me and they’ve sold a few of my other random shots, which they dump money into my Paypal. So I used some of that money at B&H and bought a kit. Tried it out once, and then asked my manager at work if I could borrow his 2003 Chevy SSR truck/car/spaceship. He didn’t realize I was going to put suction cups on the paint itself, but after removing them I used swirl remover and it came right off. Simple.

The difficult part here is the post processing. Removing the auto rig from the shot itself. Needless to say you can take as many photos as you like, but then when you decide which one to touch up, you ONLY pick one. This shot took me close to an hour. Totally not perfect, and probably wouldn’t have it blown up to anything larger than 16x20, but at least it’s fun, it’s experience, and maybe someone with a REAL nice car will let me play with it.

Happy Weekend everyone.

Trash the Dress

2010-04-29T10:00:00.000-07:00

This is a reminder to myself. This is what a TTD is all about. I have at least 2 coming up this year. You interested?

see more

see more

see more

Food Share Charity Event

2010-04-26T11:13:00.000-07:00

My Saturday night didn't suck. I was asked to photograph a charity event sponsored by the Ventura Food bank, Food Share. It was a private event at a mansion in Malibu overlooking a vineyard. Gourmet food was prepared, and it was all the wine you wanted. I photographed it for 3 different magazines, which should be out next month. So I earned good money for 2 hours of photographing Director-level executives having wine & food at a mansion in the Malibu hills. Come on, feel pity for me.

The highlight of the evening was when the owner came down the driveway in his 2005 Porsche 911 Limited Edition only to be upset that he couldn't get it in his garage because his other Porsche was in the way. I have the same problem at my house.

View of the vineyard from their balcony

The owners, their vineyard, and a bottle of their 2008 Chardonnay.

The REAL boss of the house.

For more information on how you can contribute to Food Share or your local food bank, click here for more information.

Nooshi & Eric

2010-04-22T15:03:00.001-07:00

In 1994 I was looking for colleges. I applied to UCLA (dream), UC Santa Barbara (why not) and Fresno State (safety school). I got accepted immediately to UCSB and Fresno State, but UCLA took their time. One of the guys I played basketball with at the local park was a guy from my high school named Eric. He was a year ahead and already going to UCSB with 3 others from his high school class. He invited me up for a night to see if I liked it up there. I did. Waiting for UCLA, I decided if they didn’t want me, then I’d go with my #2. So he and I were roommates for one year, and then again from 2001-2004 while living in LA. So I know the guy pretty good. He’s a professional chef and just last year he met the woman of his dreams, Nooshi.

They asked me to be a guest, but I told him I could be a guest and also help take pictures. As you’ll see below, he and his wife have a great sense of humor. Now they met on eHarmony.com, and in tribute to all those goofy, “real-life couple” shots they have on there, they decided to create some of their own, and submit them to the website. Man, would that be the best photo credit ever. (then again, I think this was my 10th eharmony wedding)

And now the Real Happy photos:

The Four Amigos (roommates) from UCSB

Eric contemplating “marriage” moments before it started

And the making of...

Go Gauchos!!

California Wildflowers

2010-04-19T13:22:00.000-07:00

This year California has been blessed with a better than normal year of rain, followed by a series of warm weather which has resulted in one of the best wildflower blooms the state has seen in many years. Now being a manly-man, rugged and hardcore, I decided on 4 occasions to put on a man-skirt and head into the hills and fields in search of floral goodness. I don't know the first thing about flowers except for women like getting them as gifts, so searching out and photographing them are something new to me.

My photos were even featured in the popular SoCal Flower Finding Blog Desert USA

Feel free to comment on these if you have a suggestion or word on these. They're from all over the state and if you want to know where a particular one is from just let me know and I'll be happy to make it up.

The Flower Fields - Carlsbad, Ca

Carrizo Plain National Monument

Photo courtesy of Cameron and a 10-second shutter delay

Grapevine

Figueroa Mountain

Go ahead... make my day...

Shannon & Michael

2010-03-29T12:07:00.000-07:00

On Saturday I was invited to second shoot in a wedding down in San Diego with the very talented Nicole Angelo. She's helped me out with a couple weddings this year so this was the very least I could do. Plus, it was on the beach next to the famous Hotel Del Coronado so how could I say no to that? After the quick 4hr drive down there, we shot at their house, the beach and then back at their house. An intimate wedding of 50 or so people, and the location couldn't be better, and the weather was nice too. Here's some of the shots I got. Nicole will be updating her blog very soon as well.

I've always wanted a shot of a bride with shirtless athletes in the background

Not part of the wedding party

Thank you Nicole and Shannon & Mike for allowing me to share your special day with you. And thanks again for the awesome food and sangria!

Stephanie & Matt - Santa Barbara Engagement

2010-03-22T13:30:00.000-07:00

While waiting for this lovely couple in the park in Santa Barbara I was testing out my new flash trigger with my SB600. Now I needed an adapter to hold the flash to the light stand, so I bought a Zebra Flash holder. It was flashing, and that was great. I fired off some test shots. Carried it around to different spots and looked at it and it appeared that even though I switched the SB600 over to LOCK, so I assumed it would stay in place. But it looked like it was almost coming out. So, as an engineer, I wanted verification on this, so I tapped it, and it fell to the concrete and broke.

Seconds later as I’m holding my broken flash in my hand, the couple comes up hand-in-hand and asks, “Hey John, we’re ready to go!” My sarcastic greeting was, “Hi, I’m John your professional photographer. I just broke my own flash, so wait here while I go to Samy’s and spend $230 and get a new one so I can capture some happy moments.” Well, wasn’t the exact words, but they were totally cool with it, so went to Samy’s, bought a new SB600, and got back there and had a pretty good time.

And then went down to Hendry’s Beach, and frolicked at sunset. I love young, energetic, "try-anything" couples. Always get so much more spunk and fun shots. Then again, that'd make me old.

Asked them to do Zoolander faces

Their wedding is June 19, 2010 and I'll be there for that too.

Alanna & Bryan

2010-03-19T11:16:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of meeting and photographing Alanna & Bryan's engagment, boudoir & wedding all in the same month. It was a crazy month but we ended up with some amazing shots! Can't show them all, but here's a snippet. And yes, snippet is a word:

Caitlin's Senior Photos

2010-03-04T11:50:00.000-08:00

So I told someone at work that I was doing a senior photoshoot on Monday and told them how we were going to get some shots in a dress in the field, then hopefully this bright red barn, and then maybe something different down at the beach to show off her personality, etc. They gave me a weird look and asked, “That seems like a lot of work for an elderly woman just for a simple portrait?” After a semi-sarcastic laugh, I said it was for a high school senior. So that cleared that up. And I didn’t really know where to go or what to do, but she was the sister of someone whose family I photographed last year. AND, she’s graduating college, not high school, so she was a bit more mature and easy to work with, even though she’s not a real ‘dress’ kind of girl. So we changed up the outfits and the locations and.. well, got this.

She has personality, which was great to see and have come out without too much encouragement on my part. Sorry for all the extra photos, but I’m real happy with how these turned out.

Did I have her lay down in the middle of PCH at rush hour? Yes I did. She was up for anything I suggested, which I love.

Everyone likes behind the scenes shots. And that reflector is near impossible & deadly to put away

Man vs. Australia

2010-02-05T12:25:00.000-08:00

Danielle & Jeff & Cameron

2010-01-11T08:21:00.000-08:00

Danielle used to work with me, and then she moved on to better things, and then things got even better for her and her husband Jeff when they found out she was pregnant. No, "they" were not pregnant. I don't care what anyone says, the woman does all the work.

So we headed out to the hills of Simi Valley and spent an hour capturing them getting very excited about a new life they were creating

And just about 6 weeks ago, they gave birth to this little wonder, who came just before Christmas. And because of that...

Even Grandma had to be there to experience the joy that is life.

Alex

2010-01-07T11:52:00.000-08:00

I photographed Alex a few months ago when I setup my home studio and literally was looking for just someone local to drop by and stand still while I tested out lighting, poses, backdrops, etc. She did an awesome job and we worked really well together, so this time, with her car cleaned and blingged out, we spent a total of 55 minutes and knocked out close to 175 shots. Most with her car, but some just by herself. I had some ideas in my head, and... well, here are some of the results.

Recent Landscapes

2010-01-04T08:58:00.001-08:00

The past few weeks California has offered up some amazing sunsets. And since wedding season has kind of died down, it's given me some time to head down to the beach after work and capture some of them. I have some secret spots, as well as well-known spots and with the use of some filters, have seen some amazing things.

I haven't posted any of these yet, so feel free to suggest which ones you like by their number:

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Road to Bremen

2010-01-04T08:41:00.000-08:00

This weekend I was privileged to be able to shoot up-and-coming Alt Rock band Road to Bremen at an undisclosed location in the LA suburbs. With absolutely NO experience shooting bands, or knowing anything about music I did some research online and at record stores about just what makes good cover art for a band shot. So, here are some samples, out takes and champagne in your eyes.

You can check out their music at:

http://www.myspace.com/RoadToBremen

Sarah & Brian "Ross"

2009-10-20T11:05:00.001-07:00

Sarah & Brian chose the Malibou Lake Mountain Club as their wedding site and let me say it's an amazing place to begin a marriage. The lake, the green grass, the lights spiraling up into the trees, the historic club where the reception is hosted... all provide for magical moments. I was lucky enough to capture a few of them this past Friday evening.

Sarah & Brian started their marriage off in an amazing way, and I pray that the happiness they experienced that day will remain with them throughout their lives.

Thank you to Meredith at the Malibou Lake Mountain Club for helping put on an amazing wedding and experience for the bride & groom. I look forward to working and playing there again soon.

Melissa & John

2009-10-02T13:52:00.000-07:00

Melissa & John are a young suburban couple. They graduated from a rival high school, but I was still able to put aside my rivalry and photographed their sunset wedding in Channel Islands harbor.

Needless to say, they were a young, spunky bunch.
And I encouraged it

The bride & groom already on their honeymoon chilaxing on the beach.

Congrats to you guys! I hope you're still on the beach somewhere far away living a Corona commercial!

Molly is 9 days old

2009-09-18T10:28:00.001-07:00

One of my fellow Flickr contacts asked if I would be willing to photograph her niece's newborn baby girl, Molly. Gee, let me think.... .I'll be there in an hour!

I'll be honest, Molly was one of the most well behaved people I've ever met... at any age. She was like putty. Anything we did, she just stayed there. Didn't cry, didn't make a mess... well that's not true. She did squirt out some yellow stuff and ruined a blanket, but that's to be expected. It's unfortunate that today she's already 11 days old and probably too big already! Like kittens they need to stay this small!!

Sarah & Brian - a very beachy engagement

2009-09-03T16:29:00.000-07:00

Originally, the plan was to shoot their engagement photos at El Matador State Beach, but with the fog rolling in, we decided to try going up the coast a bit more until we hit Leo Carrillo State Beach. It was windy, but we made the best of it and with some subtle lighting first, and then an intense sunset assisted by the local fires, we got some pretty decent shots.

Here is a video that Gaea produced based on her video and my shots:

Variety wasn't the most important part. We just wanted to take advantage of this brilliant sunset. They were a fun couple who weren't afraid to get wet and dirty, and that always makes my life better. The video that was shot by the videographer I work with will have some snippets of me in the water with them. Got to get wet too.

Their wedding in in mid October at Malibou Lake, and will probably be one of the most beautiful weddings of the year. Looking forward to it, and nice weather!

Maternity of Natalie

2009-08-31T09:57:00.000-07:00

Natalie was a really good sport this past Friday morning. We met at 9:30am, and it was already hot. We had smoke from the fires in the sky which cast a red tone on all the photos. And it was hot and she was telling me just how she slept for hours after she got home. I feel bad I worked them so hard, but she loved the photos:

Natalie writes:

So we looked through the pictures and there some really, really awesome shots. I love the solo one of Giacomo and the one's of Roger tossing Giacomo up in the air. I actually really do like the one that we did of me looking in the sky. It just speaks deep to me, like I am dedicating the baby in my belly to God. The way the lighting was and the back ground, I think it turned out really nice.

Thank you again so much! We will definitely have to call you back for the Newborn pictures (and now I am motivated to have you take Giacomo 2 year old pictures for us too!)

Alex

2009-08-25T15:39:00.000-07:00

I recently picked up a few headshot gigs so I bought a 3 light setup for my ~~home~~ studio and looked around for someone, anyone to take some test shots for me. It could have been my brother in law, or the kid down the street, but instead I looked to Model Mayhem and found a local girl who said she'd be happy to spend a few minutes and allow me to experiment with my lights. I told her there was no need to have fancy makeup, clothes, etc... Just needed someone there to try out some techniques and get used to my 3 light setup.

here are some of the outtakes of my first session:

YES SHE HAD HER CLOTHES ON! It was a tube top and she wanted to look natural and "island-like"

In any case, I have a maternity, a newborn and 3 more headshot shoots all lined up, which will easily cover the costs of these lights. Plus, I take one of the strobes with me to weddings and events to add extra light, since they're slave strobes.

Yosemite & Mono Lake

2009-08-25T13:20:00.000-07:00

I left on a Friday up the eastern side of the Sierra Nevadas to photograph a wedding in Bridgeport. If you know where Bridgeport is, either you're a hick, or just well-traveled in California. So, I drove up 395 Friday after work, and found a sandy spot to camp out under the stars (below). Shot the sunset at Mono Lake, and then the sunrise the next morning after 90 minutes of sleep. I don't like sleeping alone in the wilderness. I do fear bears, cougars & chupacabra. So everything I heard I expected the worse. I'd kick my tent and growl like a bear to scare off the thwarting blood-sucking field mice and bugs. I do think a skunk went by the tent, but there's also a chance it was me; I had carnitas tacos at the Tioga Mobil gas station an hour or so earlier.

Shot the wedding, and then it rained all Sunday morning in Bridgeport. Got on the road around 2pm and got to Tioga Pass road. Should I? Is the weather good? Oh well, I had no real reason or ambition to head home, so I headed up the road, paid the $20 and went into Yosemite.

Didn't really take any shots right away, because this time I realized that getting a camp spot was more important. Got into Camp4 campeground 35 and shared it with 4 others. After sharing some hot dogs and Pringles, we all went to sleep.

At 5:15, everyone in the camp (probably about 200 people) were woken up by other campers yelling BEAR!!!!! Bear!! Get out of here bear!!

After the bear lumbered out of the campsite, I cleaned up and shot the sunrise at Cathedral Beach (see reflection).

Shot for a little while longer, and then started my 6 hour drive home. More fun to come.

Elana & Eric

2009-08-13T12:04:00.000-07:00

Ahhh, the beach in Southern California in the summer. Warm, loud, perfect sunsets.... uh, not always. Sometimes it's heavy fog and reminds me of the UK during... well, any time of year. But they were good sports and we did get to squeeze off a few shots before we all fell victim to hypothermia.

I'll be shooting their wedding in a couple of weeks!

Tania & Vince

2009-07-10T10:51:00.000-07:00

Once in a while a photographer gets blessed with shooting something that they know is just beyond beautiful. They know it when they're there, and they rush home to work on the photos right away. The wedding of Tania & Vince last weekend was one of those events for me. They spent a little more for nice venues, great florists, and really paid attention to the details, and it showed. I just hope they're as happy with the photos as I am. Here are just a few of the photos:

I'm exhausted just looking at them. But wow, what a night. An incredible night for all involved. I just pray they continue to keep this love through their marriage and their lives.

Tiffany

2009-06-23T09:58:00.000-07:00

Tiffany was the makeup artist we used to do a special boyfriend shoot for two girls whose boyfriends were being sent to Iraq to fight the war. She herself had modeled and we stayed in contact until the time presented itself to shoot.

Her concept was to use the scotched, burnt hills of Santa Barbara as a backdrop to showcase clothing she had created herself, and did all her own hair and makeup! Talk about a triple threat. Here are our creations:

I referred Tiffany to my buddy Jeff & Rosie who are getting marred in August, and will be doing the makeup for them as well. Pay it forward!

Eileen & Kelly

2009-06-23T09:29:00.000-07:00

Ojai is only a few minutes from where I live and where I grew up but honestly I've probably only been in the city itself maybe 3 times. And that's hard to believe considering the city's natural beauty. It's small and quaint, but makes you feel like a million miles away.

Eileen is one of my good Flickr contacts and she asked me to photograph her wedding several months ago, which I took as an honor. When another photographer asks you to shoot their wedding, they must have considerable appreciation of your work. So I did my very best using the tools and skills I have to capture the moments of their day... as I saw it:

Congrats you guys!! And how random is it that I was photographing a sunset in Ventura last month and randomly bumped into them.

The Maternity of Allison

2009-04-22T10:38:00.000-07:00

I was contacted by Allison's sister because she is getting married next year, and subsequently found out she was pregnant as well. So they wanted to get some maternity shots prior to the wedding, which was scheduled for February 2010.

She was a trooper, heading out in almost 90° weather in the high desert of California.

She is a real trooper for many reasons, but most of all it was nice to meet her and her fiance and sister and look forward to working with them all again very soon.

Cindy & Andrew are in Loooooooooooooooooove

2009-04-21T11:08:00.000-07:00

Cindy & Andrew were probably the hardest pair of people to get schedules coordinated in order to shoot. She's a student and he works some crazy hours in sales. We've tried a bunch of times to schedule their engagement shoot but have been always thwarted by a difference in schedules, inclimate weather, etc. Finally this past Sunday evening it all worked out.

We met in downtown Ventura at the Mission there. Snuck inside for a few shots and then raced to the beach at sunset.

Here are just a few.

The water was cold, the beach was cold, but they were up for ANYTHING I asked, and I think their photos reflect that giving, carefree spirit.

Their wedding is in June at the historic McCormick Ranch in Camarillo.

Stephanie & Isaac

2009-04-14T16:06:00.000-07:00

Of all the people to find me on Facebook, my second cousin Stephanie sends me a message a few months back re-introducing herself after like 15 years and says she's getting married in April. So they had me flown out to rural Wisconsin to very close to where I was born to visit family and photograph their big day. After meeting most of them during the rehearsal, we ended up with some very nice weather and ended up with some quintessential Wisconsin wedding photos!

She sang at her own wedding!

It was a modest, mid-west wedding....

Thank you again Stephanie & Isaac for having me come out to not only photograph your wedding but to re-meet all the extended family I knew I had and have lost touch with. I hope it will be sooner than 13 years before I'm able to come out again!

Madison

2009-04-13T00:46:00.001-07:00

She only stopped by for a short time.
This is all in about 5 minutes in our parking lot

.

The Jacinto Kids

2009-04-13T00:41:00.001-07:00

I'm not even sure where or how they found me, but I was asked to photograph three young kids the other week. They made the suggestion for a park and it worked out well. This is what we got there in our 45 min of fun

Vanesa & Eddie

2009-03-29T11:31:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure how Vanesa & Eddie found me, but I'm glad they did. And hopefully they're glad they did as well. I photographed their wedding at a large cathedral in Oxnard, Ca followed by the reception at the River Ridge Golf Club nearby.

It's hard not to post a LOT of photos from their wedding. The bride and groom made it real simple for me. They loved their photos and I can quote:

…We are so impressed that so many of these shots were framed so well and just captured great moments. I personally love the shot of us with an elderly woman's hand with her own wedding ring in the foreground. You did a great job of moving around and getting all the angles during the ceremony, even the balcony where the organist and soloist were - this is a good thing as I only spoke to those women by phone and never personally met them! You even got a pic of the random people who were hanging out in the back of the church to watch, including this older woman who I ALWAYS see in church with her mantilla veil, one of those strange characters who is a fixture at the church…There are so many great pics of our guests on the dance floor too. And of course we have beautiful pictures of the flowers, cake, dress, etc that I can send to our vendors who have all asked for pictures to see how everything turned out. Anyway, all this gushing is to say that we're thrilled…

The Pinhole Camera

2009-03-15T11:35:00.000-07:00

My 9yo has science fair coming up, so based on a subtle suggestion from me, decided to test the theory of photography by use of a home-made pinhole camera.

After doing some research at the library, a bookstore and online, we used this Youtube video on pinhole cameras using 35mm film. This was easy because 35mm film is cheaper and easier to develop than medium format, or general photographic paper. And I'm fresh out of chemicals to develop it myself, so this seemed fairly simple. Or so we thought.

We started out with some materials:

Most importantly, a box to hold the film, some dowels to hold the film, some thin wood strips to advance the film, a piece of aluminum from a soda can to make the pinhole into the box itself, and a lot of duct tape to make the box light-tight.

Making the camera was the fun part. Caiden did all the drilling, and cutting, while I was the tape-master and added some technical advice. We used a small drill bit to make the hole in the piece of aluminum, which seemed to be quite small. The directions said to make it .2mm which was just too small.

Piece of cake to make:

So with the film in there, the first prototype looked like we were going to get near professional results:

The resulting images I do not have, as the printed version of the ONE photo that was somewhat legible was only laughed at by my scanner. The first problem we incurred was just how much to advance the film. This was a roll of 36 exposures, and lets just say that we only took 7 shots. So obviously we were advancing the film way too much. So of those 7 shots, the only one that came out was of Dylan waiting by the ice cream man, and the only reason we know that's what it was is because we took them. Otherwise the photo looks like a very blurry version of a canvas of watercolors using WAY too much water and very little paint.

So the first fix we implemented was to make the box more light-tight, and to be more careful when rewinding the film and taking it out. This was something I personally did, and the second time we got the film developed, all we got were colors, but absolutely no legible photos.

Only having 4 more days until the Science Fair, we had to get something, else we'd fail as scientists. So we did a bit more research until it dawned on me... the name. "Pinhole". Was our hole too large, and thus making the focal length we had too close? Maybe we really should make the hole the size of a pin. Only a fraction of a millimeter?? Well, since we weren't using any lenses to correct the image, maybe we should.

Got another can and this time used a needle and a small tap to create the smallest hole ever. We made it, put in a new roll, sealed it up, and went out for a drive. Took about 14 photos. This time, got 3 results that proved his hypothesis!

These were processed at our local Longs drugs, but because we advanced the film weird, there was no delineation between the shots, and thus the computerized film reader couldn't decipher where the shots started and ended and thus... couldn't print them. Are you kidding me guy?? So drove out to Image Source in Ventura and asked them what they could do. They had a scanner & Noritsu printer they said could have them printed for about $6. That's fine (tax write-off). So gave it to them on a Thursday (science fair is monday) and crossed our fingers.

A phone call the next day and they said they came out!! Drove up there, paid the man, and we had proof of the theory of photography using a pinhole camera:

Now all we have to do is finish the project, attach the photos, film, materials, and write up the procedure and tomorrow night we'll see his results!

The tied one on

2009-03-03T13:31:00.000-08:00

I photographed Michelle & Jeff just a few months ago for their engagement down at the beach and already their wedding has come and gone. Here are some of the outtakes from the Wedgewood Resort in Oxnard, Ca.

The Littlest Boyd

2009-03-03T13:19:00.000-08:00

She had just turned 1.
She was cute as a button
But she did not like to have her photo taken

I think she got it from mom:

Mom & Aunt doing everything they can to get her to smile

Both Blonds

2009-03-03T13:12:00.000-08:00

I was asked by Mrs. Smith to photograph their kids again, since they had just turned 1 and 4 respectively. They were both so polite and when the 1yo discovered his new favorite thing, a sucker, he was in toddler paradise!

The Peyton Family

2009-01-19T13:09:00.000-08:00

I love working off referral business. The Peytons are next door neighbors of a family I shot last month who was nice enough to show off their work. They contacted me for the same thing and I suggested the rugged and beautiful El Matador State Beach between Ventura & Malibu. Here are a few of the outtakes

They were a very fun bunch. Those kids... plenty of energy!

Engagement of Michelle & Jeff

2008-12-08T08:32:00.000-08:00

So it was their idea to head down to El Matador State Beach to snap off some sunset shtos for their engagement. Even though I've lived in this area my whole life, I never made it down to El Matador.

So, when I got there, there was at least 9 other photographers shooting engagements, models, or just people in general. It was funny because we were up and down the beach, almost like an assembly line shooting shots. One would shoot, and then move and the next group would shoot in that spot.

Now the day was overcast and not that warm, so at first the shots had a soft light to them, nothing dramatic. But then... just before sunset, the sun peeked out beneath the clouds and filled the beach with warmth. Got some really amazing colors and used fill flash to fill in Michelle & Jeff. Also did a bunch of silhouettes since I'm finding those to be both dramatic and beautiful.

I have to give Michelle & Jeff credit. The water was cold and they were good sports about going right in there, getting wet and kissing all the way through.

Their wedding is next month and I have the honor of shooting it.

My personal shot after we were done of the sunset and one of the many natural arches

See you guys in January!

Weddings

2008-11-06T19:18:00.000-08:00

Okay, so as one of the first bloggers anywhere, I've been doing a pretty bad job of keeping this thing up to date.

Anyway, so since the last wedding update, I've shot.. I think 21 weddings. Now obviously, I have a LOT of stuff I'd want to share, but it's probably best to just post some of the better ones. And in 2009, I promise to blog about each wedding, event, etc. And for PETE'S SAKE let me know if you read this thing so I can keep updating it.

So, without much further ado, my weddings of 2008:

Dianna & Rudy - Mt. Charleston, Nv.

Amy & Michael - Bonnie Springs, Nv.

Cheryl & Brad - Oxnard, Ca

Anyway, I have a bunch more, this is only from the first 3 weddings of this year.

Germany

2008-10-07T15:09:00.000-07:00

Sorry for not posting more. I just got back from 2 weeks in Texas, followed by 2 weeks in Germany.

More details on my Flickr account.

New website!!

2008-06-05T21:43:00.001-07:00

Just a little FYI, I'm making a new website!

Woo hoo!

Wedding of Lisa & Johnny

2007-05-14T13:30:00.000-07:00

It was only a few weeks ago when Mike and I shot the engagement shots for Lisa & Johnny. Their wedding day came up very quick, and with my wife as their coordinator, had one HOOT of a good time this past weekend with them on their big day.

Westlake Village Hyatt

Friends of Israel Defense Forces gala

2007-05-14T13:23:00.000-07:00

Mike and I were invited to be the photographers for a charity fund raiser in downtown Los Angeles for the Friends of Israel Defense Forces. Red Carpet was out at the historic and incredible Los Angeles Theatre, and we snapped several hundred shots of all sorts of people dressed in 1920's attire

Wedding of Kasey & Ian

2007-05-14T13:19:00.000-07:00

The trip to Las Vegas was more of an adventure than the actual wedding itself. But that didn't prevent me from being the photographer for a very traditional Las Vegas wedding at the Sam's Place Casino and Hotel.

Engagement of Lisa & Johnny

2007-04-27T11:00:00.000-07:00

Lisa and Johnny are spunky. They're full of life and energy and are not traditional at all. Their personality really came out in the photos we took of them at their eventual wedding site in Westlake Village.

Look forward to their big day in just a few weeks!

Engagement of Kelsey & Steve

2007-04-27T10:57:00.000-07:00

Kelsey and Steve come from Santa Barbara. They're not that far removed from college and decided to use me as their wedding photographer. We chose a weekend to meet up in Santa Barbara to capture some shots of them in a more casual setting. We started at the beach and moved to a hill overlooking the ocean.

They have a great wedding location planned for Santa Barbara which will yield some incredible shots. Congrats to them!

Aubrey & Kenya

2007-04-27T10:50:00.000-07:00

A couple weekends ago I had the honor of shooting the wedding of Aubrey & Kenya. The venue was the beautiful Intercontentintal Hotel in Century City (LA), and Mike and I had 8 fun-filled hours covering their big day

The lighting was the most difficult thing we had to overcome, but overall we had a great time, and they are now happily married and enjoying their photos at home.

Engagement of Kelsey & Ian

2007-03-25T17:34:00.000-07:00

A couple that I'm shooting in Las Vegas in a couple months were in my area yesterday and asked if while they handed over the contract, if I could take a couple snaps of them at the park. Being nice, I decided to do it for free, since I think the results will help me get more business in the future.

My wife asked me to be back within the hour, so these (and the other 120 shots) were all done in about 45 minutes:

Got to love shooting with the AF-S Nikkor 300mm f/2.8D ED-IF II and my D200. What a great portrait lens! Check out that bokeh!

He used to model for Structure back in the day.

Good idea to go with the black & white?

Catalog shot anyone?

California Beauty

2007-03-12T12:40:00.000-07:00

The past week I've visited Santa Barbara and Ventura, which has about as much natural beauty as any photographer could dream of. I know that sunsets are over-done, but it's hard not to love the feeling you get when the sun goes down, the sky turns orange and the air is still.

This reminds me why I pay such high prices to live in Southern California. Yes, it is nice.

Wes & Amanda

2007-03-12T12:38:00.000-07:00

Wes & Amanda have only known each other for a little while. But from the photos I took of them, it looks like they've known each other for a while, and intend to know each other for a long time in the future.

It doesn't get any better than this.

Vanessa & Austin

2007-03-12T12:18:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I was happy to be able to shoot this lovely couple for their engagement. We shot it at the site they'll be married in July.

They'll have a great July wedding in a beautiful garden just outside Camarillo, Ca.

My Top 20 Favorite Photos

2007-03-02T21:50:00.000-08:00

I know a lot of the stuff I have here are more recent, so with this nifty little application I found, I thought I would present to you 20 of my favorite photos (well, that I took)

Retouched the famous ones

2007-03-02T13:09:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple photos that I've retouched from the Oscars afterparty I shot this past Sunday. Just to give you an idea of what is possible:

Keri Lynn Pratt (actress)

Daniel Cage (music)

I know I need to get more work with people. And the only way you get work is by having it. Any volunteers?

The Family of Three

2007-03-01T15:18:00.000-08:00

A couple months back I took a job to photograph a 7 week old baby at the home of the parents in Santa Monica. Babies don't talk back. They're just cute and do what they're told right?

What I did learn on this was that babies are in a world of their own. They don't control when they get hungry, or tired, or anything else. So they're usually either sleeping or crying. When they use their attention span to do something, it usually only lasts for a few minutes, then they get bored and want to do something else. So having mom & dad hold onto him and have this strang man with a black device that flashed a bright light a few times a minute, didn't make this lil lad happy. I think out of the 300 shots, and with a fair amount of post processing, this is my best shot from the session, and might be the last time I take on a client under... like 2.

Children Uniting Nations - 2007 Oscars After Party

2007-02-27T15:09:00.000-08:00

I was asked by Wikipedia / Wikinews to cover the red carpet for the after party for this annual Oscar after party. Arriving at 8pm, I was able to capture these fine folks entering the Henry Fonda Theatre in Hollywood, Ca.

Blu Cantrell

David Fostino (Married with Children)

Tyler Hilton

Mitchel Musso (Hanna Montana)

Hood Surgeon (recording artist & son of Dr. Dre)

Kay Panabaker

Well a lot of these people are "up and coming" which may be another way of saying "I did this one reality show, and I have a lot of interest from this gig I got a call back on Craigslist for..." 95% of the time, they're real friendly, and are just looking for exposure.

Well, here's my experience from the red carpets I've shot. You're doing the celeb a favor, because your job as a photographer (and whoever you represent) is to take good photos of them, which will hopefully be sold to a publication (US Weekly, People, Time, etc) which will in-turn boost their popularity. So like this past Sunday, even the bigger stars like DMX, Tiffany, Tommy Davidson, etc... you just ask them, "Over here please... one more.... great, thank you" And if you are nice to them, they will almost always look right at you and give ya what you want. Makes your job that much easier.

The lesser known "celebs" will go up and down the red carpet and ask, "Who is with Wire Image? Who is with Getty Images?" They want to know who the photogs representing the large stock agencies are, to make sure they get a good photo and appear on their website. And as for females, they'll almost always want you to shoot them top to bottom, as sometimes they're not only showing off their face but "who they're wearing" as well. Most of them will come over afterwards and make sure you get their name, and spell it for you too.

The last 3 events i've shot have had a lot of reality stars in it, and honestly, all they want is attention. They are very polite, but their whole goal in life is to get their name out there so hopefully thet get work via showing up at these events and looking pretty. Anyway, it's fun if nothing else. I got there late on Sunday and was literally 2 feet from Micky Rooney who didn't look a day over 110. (he turns 87 this year)

Here is the link to the article that Wikinews published, sourcing yours truely as their own professional photographer:

Professional Photographer John Mueller....

2007 Amgen Race of California

2007-02-27T14:53:00.000-08:00

This past weekend the Second annual Amgen Race of California went very close through my town. Making a short drive, I got a parking spot along the road the CHP closed off and set up my camera equipment. After 90 minutes of waiting with my Father in law, the cyclists finally came.

What I learned was to use a long lens for those distance shots, and then quickly zoom back out and try to capture them as they turn using your best panning technique. If nothing else, it was a good experience. But it was VERY cold in the shade.

Meet Stephanie & Carlos

2007-02-21T09:11:00.000-08:00

I had the chance to shoot engagement photos for Stephanie and Carlos this past weekend at the Olivas Adobe in Ventura, Ca. We then ventured to the local beach, where we battled sub-80 weather to get some really great beach shots.

They are a very friendly, very in-love couple who will be getting married in a few months here locally. I really look forward to shooting their wedding.

After 3 years, I'm back on Blogger

2007-02-16T09:20:00.000-08:00

My first blog was created back in 1999 with Blogger. Then I went to LiveJournal, but that went up in a heap of fire. So now I'm back here to blog the life and times as a photographer. Not a full time photographer, but a simple moonlighting photographer with a wide variety of interests.

My awesome wife created my website,

www.johnbmuellerphotography.com

which she keeps upto date with all my recent shoots. (She's also a great wedding planner if you need one)

Anyway, I'll start things off with a photo of the cake my wife made us all for Valentines Day. And we'll see where things go from there: