Today I received something VERY exciting from my UPS man....my brand-spankin-new MARK III!!!!
I can't wait to run out and use this beauty!

Photos to come...
can you believe this things can shoot off 10 frames per second?
That is crazy fast!!!
I have to say that our decision to change over to Canon this year was one of the best
decisions we've made.
I purchased the 30D at WPPI with a few new lenses, and have been PATIENTLY waiting for this
beauty to come along. Now I am fully equipped with all my necessary lenses and the best camera on the market!!!
Expensive switching over, YES...but I absolutely LOVE the functionality of it, and LOVE the LCD screen...
LOVE how fast it is...LOVE the color I get from it...need I say more?
The Mark III (I will refer to him as Mark, my new love!) is sweeeeet!

More to come....

This past Memorial Weekend, I was honored to work with the amazingly talented Joe Photo who is known in this industry as being the "rock star" of photography, and let me tell ya, he did not disappoint in living up to his name at this wedding!!! It was so much fun to work with him and this event was nothing less than beautiful. The wedding took place at The Huntington Hyatt. There were 700 guests entertained throughout the day, and unbelievable florals provided by Square Root Designs

Make sure to keep checking on Joe's blog for more images. I tried to choose my favorite image, but instead chose my favorite moment that really took my breathe away while I clicked the shutter. Joe and I took Amita to a very quite and private area at the hotel and had a really amazing shoot with her there.

There really were SO many more images I would like to share, as there were literally thousands of favorites that I had to choose from!

O.K...I thought i would let you know that yes, I am still alive and kickin', although I have been a total slacker with my blog! I have SO many exciting things coming up that I cannot wait to blog and share with you. I have an engagement shoot in Napa, Santa Monica, I shot a wedding with a rock star, and next week I am going to be a part of a very exclusive wedding show at The Balboa Bay Club called The Wedding Studio. If any of you are interested in getting passes from me, please contact me! Tickets are $35 pre-sale and $50 at the door, so let me know if you want on my VIP list!!! It's going to be crazy cool! Can anyone guess where Aron and I are in this picture? This one is easy, but stay tuned, and I will be throwing you some tougher ones! Happy Thursday!!!!

Last night was an AB-SOL-UTE blast!

Melissa and Mike got married at the Hacienda in Santa Ana.
They met on a missions trip through their church. They were traveling to Mexicali and Mike actually thought Melissa was a high school student!!!
The rest is history..
They couln't be more perfect for each other!

Shannon Lott was my second shooter for me and aside from her sharp eye and great personality, we always seem to have so much fun together and laugh together throughout the day...what else could I ask for???!!!

I also had the pleasure of working with Peter Merry from Merry Weddings and Jeff from Elysium Productions...we had a great night!

Melissa and Mike's love was evident from the minute I met them and saw their connection!
I am honored to show you a re-cap from their day....

Through my eyes...

The Ring:

Melissa applying the final touches...

Melissa was a gorgeous bride! She was so relaxed and ready for what was to come.
I love when my clients put all of their trust in me because it makes the portraits GENUINE & NATURAL...exactly what every photographer strives for in their career.

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When Mike and his groomsmen showed up, they were ready to roll!
Again, very relaxed...

Here are some of my favorites that I shot of just Mike and Melissa. Things were running a little late, and we literally only had 10 minutes to shoot their romantics. I am so happy with what we got!!!

Melissa's grandparents...I can only DREAM of having this picture of my own grandparents...they look SO mischievous!!!!

Details:

O.K...Now her is the best part of the evening: Peter Merry, of Merry Weddings, is THE MOST AWESOME wedding disc jockey... EVER!!!!!
Let me tell you why....
Not only have I worked with him in the past, but he makes every one of his clients' wedding receptions unique by personalizing things like the grand entrance with funny (no, HILARIOUS) digs to all of the bridal party, and then even manages to have fun with the bride and groom in such a way that Peter has the ENTIRE room rolling in laughter!
Check out the bride and groom cracking up before their grand entrance....

Then, the funniest part of the evening...

Not only does he play the most amazing songs for dancing, he manages to pull this off:
When it was time for the garter toss, he did something that I have NEVER seen an entertainer pull off...
He used one of Mike's saved voicemails that Melissa had left for him one night...be careful of what you say on someone's cell phone!!!
Well, Mike had saved it especially for the garter toss and let me tell you...it was HIL-AR-I-OUS!!!!!

Listen to the voice-over and then check out the funny shots I got while the voice-over was playing:
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THANKS goes out to PETER MERRY for making their reception exceptional!
You can see how happy Melissa is with his uncompromising work!

Then, to end the night perfectly, Melissa and Mike had the sparkler exit...
They are so happy!!!!

Just had a thought and wanted to see how many fellow photographers would be interested in a monthly group gathering to discuss industry topics, business, and ways to stay inspired in our little (BIG) world of photography. I know a lot of you who juggle a lot in your lives as well as try to have a successful business, and sometimes you just need to know that there are other people like you trying to wear all of the same hats at the same time...I know I struggle with that a lot!!! So if any of you are interested in getting some inspiration, I would be more than happy to host a monthly group for a night of insight and networking! I know that it has helped my business tremendously, so I thought I would see what kind of response I might get. I live in Claremont, so please let me know (leave me a comment or email me) if you are interested!!! Happy Wednesday!!! Julie