I recieved the amazing news today that an image of mine from Miami is going to be published in Everywhere Magazine! It’s a great new travel magazine that allows its readers to submit their images to be published. I submitted a couple when I saw that they were looking for images from Miami and never dreamed that one would be chosen (out of thousands submitted). I’m still unsure WHICH one they chose but I think it’s the black and white one. Either way, I am really excited and I thought I’d share the news!
I took both images during my honeymoon cruise on Royal Caribbean’s Majesty of the Seas from our balcony as we left port. Our wedding was a destination wedding so we didn’t want to go too crazy but we wanted and NEEDED some alone time after over a week straight with the family! I highly reccomend this cruise to people looking for a quick getaway to paradise – it leaves from Miami and can either be a 3 or 5 day getaway! Great for just the girls or if you want to get some alone time with that special someone!
After the awesomeness that was the shoot at the Neon Graveyard, we headed out to Eldorado Canyon where the abondoned Techatticup Mine is located at. Currently the site is run as a tourist attraction. We were there with two model/brides Miki and Michelle. I was unable to shoot Miki but I spent some time with the fabulous Michelle and got some great images as sunset loomed. I want to say a very special thank you to David E Jackson, RLB Photography and Adam Koepke for helping me with the one light at sunset. Another HUGE thank you goes out to Tim & Jaime of Jackson Photography for their help setting up this shoot and for helping me de-cactus myself. Yes, I fell into a cactus and had a whole entire head of the thing stuck in my hand. Which bits are still in actually. I know you guys are really surprised! Ha ha!
I had to post the field of cacti that I fell in.
This image is the result of one-light shooting (a light on a stand bounced into an umbrella). This was taken in the pitch dark. Not the greatest pic but I thought it was still OK for posting 
WPPI offers classes before the big convention starts called Plus Classes that are essentially workshops with various photographers. This year’s classes were made up of 8 of the top photographers in the field, with 20 students per class, focusing for two days on their personal expertise in photography. I chose Mike Colón because I adore his work, he shoots Nikon (which is what I shoot) and I felt that I could learn a lot from him. I felt that our shooting styles were very much similar when it comes to shooting so I really felt that I could learn a lot from this amazing photographer.
The classes bascially were about the basics of photography and learning how to find and shoot natural light correctly. Each day we had a morning session of learning the craft and the afternoons were spent with models implementing what we learned during the day. The first day we had Jen & Adam as our models and the second day we had Krystal & Adam (same guy, different gals) as our models. I feel that I learned a lot from Mike – especially when it comes to determing light sources! I also learned how to pay attention more to what is in the background that could be potentially distracting when shooting. He also had his assistant/friend/sidekick Ray Santana along with him for the class and I also learned a lot from Ray.
I felt bad for both guys though who were mystified with my manners. When it comes to fighting 20 people for a shot, I’m the first to bow out. I got elbowed in the head a few times and someone hit me with their lens (some of these lenses aren’t light! ow!). Photography isn’t a contact sport in my world so I chose to go for the odd angles and try and get what I can. Both Ray & Mike by the second day were trying to not be great teachers but were also shoving me in for the good shots and looking out for me. They were both fantastic. I can’t say enough things about them. Anyone that gets a chance to take Mike’s workshop absolutely should!!
Below are some shots I got during the two-day class!
Ray Santana at work… with the new lens I want!
Some of the class and Mike shooting the models (Mike is in the green shirt):
I am working on my pricelist for next year and it really bothers me that I need to and have to raise my prices.
For this year, I am sacrificing making a profit for the experience shooting weddings. Although I have been taking pictures since I practically took my first steps, I have not done this professionally for long (1 year) so I needed to do what I could to book weddings. I am so grateful to all of my couples that have taken a leap of faith with me and booked me for this upcoming wedding season!! You will forever be stars in my universe!! However if I want to stay in business, I cannot operate for more than one season at these prices.
While working on my package set-ups for next year, I kept thinking back to my brides of this current season that would not be able to afford me next year. It really is bothering me. I started to brainstorm to come up with some ideas for something that I could do that could help out a bride in need so to speak. I finally came up with something but I would like everyone’s input on this because sometimes I’ll admit, my ideas aren’t the brightest or the most feasible.
My idea is this, for $500 I thinking of offering a package called “The Cinderella Story” (to go along with my fairy tale theme of course). The package will have online hosting of images and a per-event determined set hours of shooting. The part of the conditions of this package that worry me that people would be upset with is that I would only allow one of these packages to be booked per month during the “busy” wedding season. I would allow unlimited bookings from October through April as well as any on summer weekdays. The other part I was toying with was that I would require the Bride to write to me and tell me why she needs this package. Tell me their love story, tell me why she needs it… etc. Is that too much? Is this a good idea? Have a better one? Let me know!
The bottom line is that I’m looking forward to serving this area as a photographer for years to come and to do this I want to not run myself into the ground but I still don’t want to forget the people that got me to BE in business either!
Later on this afternoon/evening I will be posting photos from my workshop with Mike Colon and Ray Santana from WPPI!
I organized a shoot at the Neon Graveyard (aka The Boneyard) for some photogs (well really anyone that wanted to go) during WPPI. About 20 or so people showed up and we had one bride and groom (Natalie and Aaron) that had got married the night before, one model couple and a single model guy (Chris) show up for the fun! I had a great time shooting at a place I’ve wanted to shoot for a couple years now and it was great being able to incorporate a trash-the-dress session into it as well. Thanks so much to all of our models! you were great!!!!!
Thanks to everyone that came! Amy, Dave, Adam, Rob (big shot out to these three guys for helping me learn the one light magic!!), David, Chad, Kelly, Kelly, Cindy and Rachel for coming out to play. I think there were a few more people – if so holler! I am not sure I got everyone’s info Thanks to the models for playing with us as well! I will be sending everyone their images as soon as I finish this up. If you don’t hear from me let me know!
Justin hard at work…
I think this is one of my favorite shots from the day (below).
Next up – that day’s follow-up shoot at the El Dorado Ghost Town near Nelson, NV!
Here’s another quick post with some pics from my trip to Vegas for WPPI. I hope in the next couple days to have a few more up from my amazing class with Mike Colon and Ray Santana as well as the trip I organized to the Neon Graveyard as well as the trip to the Ghost Town later that evening. I met some awesome people during this trip – some definite lasting friendships have been made (I hope!). I also learned SO MUCH MORE than my sadly stolen D300 is worth. It still burns a smidge – I won’t lie! – but I know that the value of what I came away from this trip with is priceless. If the cost of the knowledge and friendships was the D300 so be it Who’s coming next year?!
Sooooo – on with the trip! My travel buddy Kelly and I left the Grand Canyon and headed back towards Vegas for the WPPI convention – along the way though we were hungry and could NOT pass up the chance to eat at the authentic (!) Roadkill Cafe!
I have to tell you all – the food was actually quite scrumptious and I would highly reccomend it! The sweet spot was that it was also on Route 66 (whee!) next to an old facade of a mining town (not 100% sure if it is authentic but I think it is?). So not only did we have a photo op with the awesomeness that the Roadkill Cafe was but there was some fun things to shoot next door as well. This Ohio gal can’t complain about the weather either – blue skies and it was a sunny 80°! This old car was my favorite thing next door.
Kelly took over the driving for a bit so I got to enjoy the rare luxury of being a passenger. I’ve never been to Arizona before so I was quite taken with the bizarre landscape to behold. I was especially fascinated with the random cows/steer that were fenced in along the highway. Every now and again there’d be a sign for cows and they’d be there along the side of the road – no farm, no sign of human intervention – just cows, munching on what appears to be tumbleweed. I had to take a picture of this bizarre thing… (at least to this girl who always sees her cows on farms!).
A bit further along and we decide to be tourists a bit longer and stop to take a picture of Lake Mead/Hoover Dam. The pictures are pretty unimpressive of the Hoover Dam, I guess for some reason or another they don’t really allow vistas of the side with the huge wall of the dam – just the lake side. So here’s a picture of the beautiful Lake Mead that butts up against the Hoover Dam (which trust me, is very unimpressive from this angle).
About an hour or so and a LOT of traffic later, we finally reached our destination and our new home for the week in Vegas – Paris!!!! I was SO stoked to see the Eiffel Tower up close! I had caught a glimpse of it during the landing of the plane but it was was more exciting to see up close and personal!
