Santa Barbara Wedding Photography

This day I was blessed with the funnest bride and groom (Tracy and Brian) who completely trusted my artistic freedom, the coolest second shooter (Jen Rau) who totally ROCKED, and we had perfect weather on the beach! Tracy and Brian planned their wedding in Santa Barbara - we started the bridal shoot at Fess Parker's Doubletree Resort, then onto the hilltop at Santa Barbara College, did the ceremony at Leadbetter Beech, and celebrated with a reception at Endless Summer. I've been excited about their wedding ever since we did the funnest e-session not too long ago. Here are a few of my favs (don't forget to click on any image to view it larger)








Click here for some more favorite pics, including some of Jen's!
Santa Barbara wedding photographer

80s t-shirt bonanza

God I'm a sucker for a good 80s pop culture tee! Especially one on sale, oh here's one now! I haven't seen You Can't Do That on television since I was a youngun and I don't think I want to, you know how things are just so perfect in your childhood then you look back when you're older and it turns out that 'Perfect Strangers' just wasn't that good?
Buy it from: 80s tees
Only US$9.99 on sale








So it seems that the Ghost Busters game rumours are true... not for Wii though. Ohhh the disappointment of being on the Wii team. Anyway, if you're going to be buying the game you'll need to be wearing this tee when you go into the shop. You'll get extra points.
Get yours at: OnePoster
For: US$38.59






Yes t-shirt, He-Man is the coolest. When I was young I thought Adam and She-ra we're getting it on, but then it turned out that they were related. Turns out He-man was gay anyways.
Get yours at: 80s Tees
For: US$20













Man I wish this tee wasn't in that dodgy free font, it would be most cool. Still, it's mostly cool.
Get yours at: Noisebot
For: US$17.95

Viva Las Vegas!

I was away this week because Lily and I went to the annual photography convention in Las Vegas, hosted by the Wedding & Portrait Photographers International (WPPI). This year there were over 10,000 photographers that attended and it was by far the biggest they've ever had. It was a week of learning, workshops, networking, shooting, seeing the latest equipment, and of course sitting at the blackjack table!

The highlight for me was meeting up with some great photographers from all over the country including Canada for a photo shoot on the strip! (a BIG thanks to Chris+Lynn Jaksa, Jason Groupp, & TJ for hosting this) We began the shoot in Aladin:

Here are a few of my favorite images:




Click here to check out this sizzling HOT slideshow!

This year I also entered the WPPI 16x20 print competition. There were over 2700 entries and only one grand prize winner per category. I ended up getting the Award of Excellence for one of three prints that I entered:

This is a shot I took from Mari's wedding last year in Long Beach - the beaches there aren't very "scenic" so I turned around and saw that recycling container made for an interesting background. This picture will be included in the 2007 Awards of Excellence Album! It's an honor to have my work in the same book as some of the best photographers in the world.

i want to be a hippo

Here's a cute one for the ladies, and it complies with my new love of light-yellow tees. Look at how happy that hippo is in his little hippo world, just lazing about in his yellow lake.

Get yours at: David and Goliath
With monetary amounts of: US$24

Wedding Photography Dove Canyon Country Club

A BIG congrats to Dr. and Mrs. Berlau!!! Kasia and Dan's elegant wedding took place at the Dove Canyon Country Club in Rancho Santa Margarita, CA. When I first walked into her room, the first thought that came into my mind was that Kasia has got to be one of the most elegant brides I have ever photographed! (click on image to view it larger)


She was so relaxed and well poised, it was just impossible to take any bad pictures.

As I was taking detail shots, I noticed this note: "In lieu of wedding favors, a gift has been made in your honor to Children International" which is a charity for children in poverty. That totally blew me away and it just shows what a classy and generous couple they are.

A few more of my favorite images:





Click here to view the slideshow!
Orange County wedding photography, Dove Canyon Country Club wedding photos, wedding pictures on the golf course, outdoor portraits

kill the prime minister of malaysia

Radioactive is a Malaysian outfit or store if you prefer. They have some super-fine tees, and one has an arse on it - it's by Coffee & Cigarettes (or Edward Mak if you prefer). Radioactive's goods range from 'cheap as' to 'fairly pricey', for example this fFurious tee (right) retails at MYR169.90 while the other is but MYR79.90.

Hehehee arse.

Buy it from: Radioactive

Cha-ching: MYR$79.90 (approx US$23)

el mercado childhood tees

This tee makes me go all squiggly inside. It reminds me of the good old days before the horrors of responsibility and the troubles of grown up life. Look at her little face, it's just so innocently happy. It could only be better if it were hypercolour... but that was a failed comeback if I've ever seen one.

Get the stuff from: El Mercado
With this much: US$32

80s tees real life review

When will I stop with the 80s tees? Never I tells you, never. This little beauty from 80s tees is from Junkfood so it's soft as soft can be, and as always, Junkfood tees wash well without shrinkage and are a great fit. I'm loving the huge distressed print (see, I'm down with the kids) and the tops choice of colours. This is a particular favourite because it's not just a MLP on a tee, someone's actually used their brain and designed it. Sizes are in 'Juniors' which we don't actually have where I'm from. I've thought about it and have decided that the phenomenon of 'Juniors' must mean that everyone in the world should be skinny like famous people.

STATS
Advantages: Soooo cute.
Disadvantages: Sizings
Buy it from: 80s tees
Get out your wallets: US$26
In stock: lady: Jr S-XL
Model models: Junior L

t-troop @ tokyomade

Bankrobbers, terrorists, presidents and dictators make up T-troop's fabulous Troobrick tee. I don't think I've ever called anything 'fabulous' in my life... not that this or other things aren't fabulous, I just thought it was a strange time for my to bring the word into my lexicon.
Anyway, according to my sources, T-troop is the Man in Tokyo with a huge Japanese fan-base. Fabulous.

Gets one at: Tokyo Made
With money: US$33

newbies at vintage vantage

My beloved Vintage Vantage has new tees! I'm not thrilled about some of them but I adore these two more. I'm loving "I'm pretty sure there is something written on your forehead", can't put my finger on the artist but it looks like Bananaphone of Threadless fame to me. I also love a good grammar tee, and here's one now.

Get 'em at: Vintage Vantage
For moolah to the value of: US$22.50

Here's another couple of older VV designs for your viewing pleasure. "Advertising Helps Me Decide" is my next purchase for sure, but I'm having a moral dilemma. I can get it cheaper from Palmercash or pay a little more to get it from the source. Given that it's VV's choice to provide their tees to an intermediary, surely it's ok to buy it from the latter. Though also given that VV probably pays artists (and I am assuming here) a set rate, they are also an intermediary. BUT they're the commissioning intermediary so they get baggsies. But for Jesus H Macey's sake it's only one buck and I'll pay it to keep my conscience clear. Discuss.

radioactive panda skyline robot tee

Imagine what it would be like to have a building in the shape of a giant robot? I'd buy an apartment in it's head and rent it out to people. I wouldn't want to live there myself because of all the press attention that the building would get. So great.

Buy it from: Radioactive Panda
Get out your wallets: US$15

new(ish) at tank theory

Get some carny into your washing basket with these new tees from the great kids at Tank Theory. I'm loving Steve Wilson & Asif Mian at the moment, but Tank Theory never fails to find great artists so I'm not surprised.

Get these babies from: Tank Theory

get your pong fix at thinkgeek

What's better than Pong? Well, Zelda on the Wii. But apart from that, nothing. So wouldn't you love to have it on your tee? I mean a full, moving, battery operated real one. On a tee. I'd love to have a device that allows me to go back in time and see what the makers of the original Pong would think of the technology that lets us mass produce these on t-shirts... but if I had such a device let's face it, I'd probably use it to spy on naked people.

Get it from: ThinkGeek
For: US$24.99

nifters at keith+lottie

Keith + Lottie (Australia) are one of my favourite real life stores, and now you people in the Interweb can access their wares. Ironic that the tee I'm writing about is from the US's The Quiet Life. I've seen a couple of bracer-tees in my travels, but this is certainly the bestest.

Use your digital money at: Keith + Lottie
You'll need this much: AU$59 which is some other amount in US$.

old and new at option-g

You may have seen some of the new Option-G tees doing the tee-circuit recently, and now they've become available directly from Option-G. I thought I'd use this opportunity to dust off one of their older designs that I absolutely love to little bits, 'Tree Wars'. The picture is green but I prefer the brown version... weird.

Get them at: Option-G
Get them for: US$25

me&yu has a fine new shop

Anything that makes me think of The Mighty Boosh makes me happy so I love the arse out of me&yu. Their crazy 80's electro designs make me so very happy.
I wanted to put more pics up, but check out the site for yourselves, it's great stuff.

Get several from: me&yu
With: £25.00 (tee) £45.00 (hoody)

Engagement Pictures Laguna Beach

Sometimes I risk my camera just to get into the action, and this day I totally fell in the rocks, banged up my knee, and got my camera soaked, but I got some great shots! Elizabeth and Todd wanted to try something sexy for their engagement pictures on the beach. I found the perfect spot at Woods Cove where the beach is always clean, the rocks make for some scenic backdrops, and there aren't usually a lot of people. Usually. Today was surprisingly warm and so for a pretty secluded area, there were more people than I've ever seen. But of course, that didn't stop us: (click on each image to view it larger)





The sunset is always gorgeous at Laguna Beach!

Orange County wedding photography, Laguna Beach engagement pictures, professional photographer in Laguna Beach, e-session, romantic portraits

roots26 geisha tee

I was contacted by Roots26 to have a look at their range. I nearly brushed over the site as one of those ones with random shapes, numbers, paint splatters and the occasional elk-horn, but it was quickly redeemed by this great tee. It's made from "Gildan Activewear Ultra Cotton 6.1 oz. 100% cotton preshrunk jersey Seamless double-needle collar Taped neck and shoulders" so you damn well better be impressed, Mister. Now all they have to do is get rid of that logo on the sleeve...

Get this thing from: Roots26
For some money: US$19.99

Santa Barbara Engagement Pictures

Tracy and Brian planned out a series of cool locations for their e-session, which made it a fun day of getting to know them and taking a scenic tour of Santa Barbara. It turned out to be an amazing photo shoot. They have the coolest boxer named Zeus - what a character! (click on image to view it big)
The shot below was inside the womens washroom at the train depot.
We went from Cabrillo Park, to the carousel, the tracks, the train depot, Santa Barbara College, Leadbetter Beach, the Spearmint Rhino (well, we didn't actually get in), that gigantic tree, the harbor, the wharf, and a few other places.



The beach was a perfect ending to this incredible day!
Santa Barbara engagement portraits, professional wedding photographer, engagement photos in Santa Barbara