The Blog

Sad Reminders. . .

As many of you know, because I feel like I say it all the time, but I've lost so many people in my life.  Today, I got a notification to "Connect with (person) on Linked in to see what their up to".  Although this was not a family member, it was someone I knew who recently passed away.  I guess the last thing people think of when dealing with all that goes along with losing a loved one is closing online accounts, but it's so unsettling to me.

I've also had that happen to me SEVERAL times with spam.  When something trolls your address book, on online connections and sends you fake emails from them.  I've received several emails from my sister who passed away 6 years ago.  

When I see the email come in, and see that it's from Marni Clemens, three things happen.  The first thing is this crazy, unrealistic, preposterous, impossible sense of hope goes through my entire body.  Again, it's not my rational brain thinking at that moment. . it's the emotional side of my brain, that in an micro instant thinks. . . what if she was actually still here and that her dying was just a dream? (I know. . kooky).    The second thing that happens is exceptional sadness.  It's like the universe is reminding me "Don't get too happy there, Michael!  Remember , your sister died".  Then, the third thing to happen is anger.  How DARE this non human digital box on the other end of the internet be so irresponsible as to send me something like this.  

I don't know that in this digital world that we are all tethered to, that this will ever stop happening.  But I really wish it would.

Buono | Lembo Wedding

San Francisco, September, Mark Hopkins Hotel . . . .what else do you need to say.

And, on top of that, two incredible wonderful people getting married.  

We hit it off a year ago when we shot their engagement session.  (I knew we'd be friends as I wore my L.A. Dodgers sneakers as we shot these Giants superfans outside of AT&T Park :) ).  

We started the wedding day in this gorgeous suite while Nicole was getting ready to meet Rob in Huntington Park,  where they used to hang out when they were dating.

Afterwards, we snuck into the gated area around the building next door to take some gorgeous photos on the lawn, then back to the hotel for the touching wedding and reception that turned into a full rave (along with glow sticks and everything).

Here is a taste of what memories were made. . . 


Agnew-Brackett Wedding

From their emails to dinner one evening to their wedding day, I got along with these two like 'three' peas in a pod.  As my first of two wedding giveaway winners, and with such a special wedding, I wanted to make sure I captured all the love and fun that was the wedding of Easton and Matthew.  Here are some of the results.  Congratulations guys!  I'm truly excited for you , your friends and your family.

Surprise!

I was asked to shoot a 50th Surprise party this past Sunday.  What a surprise it was.  Anouschka, the birthday girl, is from Holland, and her husband not only planned an elaborate party without her knowing, but went as far as to fly her mother and sister in from Holland to be there for the added surprise.  

Anouschka was first greeted by tons of kids along the route leading up to her house.  After the initial shock, her husband pulled up in front to 45 women (and me) on her front lawn for the big party surprise.  As if that wasn't enough, after Anouschka began to gain her composure, her mother and sister came out in apron's and Angelina Jolie masks to serve her a drink.  Anouschka's reaction was nothing short of fantastic from the car ride to seeing her mom and sister in person once they were revealed.

Here are a few from the day (with more to come in a few weeks)


Matzah

Ok, I promise not to turn into the crazy dog guy.  But she is new, and I am a photographer, so the combination is lethal (at least early on).

Here are a few of our new addition.  

She is 8 weeks old and weighs in at 15 lbs (21 with afro. . for all you fletch fans)

She is definitely melting hearts wherever she goes.

Meet "Matzah"


Buono | Lembo Sneak Peek

This past Saturday I had the honor of shooting the wedding of Nicole and Rob.  It was at the stunning Mark Hopkins Hotel in San Francisco, CA.  Perfect San Francisco day led to some wonderful photographs of the couple from their first look to the end of evening outside the grand hotel.  Congratulations Nicole and Rob and thanks for letting me be a part of your incredible day.


thirty five years . . .

Yesterday was THRITY FIVE YEARS since my father passed away.  Seems impossible that I've been alive long enough to have had something happen to me 35 years ago.  I remember the day so vividly that I was told he was going to die.  I was 9 and sitting on the old couch in our living room on Almayo Street in Los Angeles.  My mother and grandmother bookended my little sister and I.  My mother was the brave one to tell us this news.  "Daddy is very sick and he is going to die".  I immediately stood up and ran to the front screen door and began screaming out as if for my father to hear me where he was in the hospital.  My memory has always been really terrible. . I can barely remember what I had for lunch yesterday. . . truly.  But that one moment in time is so burned in my brain and my ears and my nose that I will never forget that moment thirty five years ago.

Blackhawk Automotive Museum

My father in law took our family to the Blackhawk Automotive Museum this Labor Day.  I could go on and on about this very unique museum, but truly there is only one thing to say:   "Wow".  . . .


Mr. and Mrs. Wackowski

Lindsay and Steve officially referred to their wedding as the "Wacko Wedding".  I know it was a play on their name, but this was anything but "Wacko".  This wedding was nothing short of magical.  Located at St. Mary's College in Moraga, California, Lindsay and Steve were married were the met.

After the beautiful church service, the reception took place in the gorgeous Redwood Grove.  This large grass area completely surrounded by , appropriately, Redwoods, made you feel transported to a secluded hideaway, and not just steps from a bustling college campus.   Without trying to blow my own horn, I had to reiterate something that Steve said to me when I was saying goodbye for the evening:

“Michael, when Lindsay and I were planning the wedding, she said she wanted you to photograph it. I didn’t really care THAT much who was our photographer, but Lindsay said it was really important to her. . . now I understand why.””

Thank you guys for trusting me with shooting your history.

Congratulations and many many wonderful years ahead!

 

Lewis | Carroll sneak peek

Saturday, I had the honor of shooting my 2nd wedding giveaway (yes, I know I was going to do one).  But Alan and Jim were certainly worth it.  The old adage that opposites attract is so true in this wonderful couple.  They are two peas in a pod, and at the same time, so different in personality.  One camera-shy, while the other relishes it,  one quiet and reserve, the other outgoing and making everyone laugh.   One tall, one (not as tall :) ).  This fun day took place in Pasadena , California which is a SPECTACULAR city.  The day culminated in a cocktail gathering at the incredible Pasadena Langham Hotel.

Here is one shot , that in my opinion, in it's simplicity, truly captures the two personalities.  

Congratulations Alan and Jim!


Star of the family . . .

I remember the very first time I ever met my (now) Father-in-Law.  My wife (then just a 'friend') and I both lived in Los Angeles, and we flew up to spend the weekend with her family.  We got picked up at the airport and met the whole family at a favorite family restaurant.  When I got to the table and was greeted by everyone.   A little while later, while trying to get to know the gang, a random couple approached the table .  They apologized for interrupting our dinner, but they just wanted to say hello and meet my father in law.  They said they've seen him in everything and are huge fans.  Wow!  I'm sitting with some celebrity and I didn't even know it.  

Turns out, my Father-in-Law is a FANTASTIC actor.  He's been doing community theater for years and years.  He is quite well known around the circuit up north where we live.  I've now seen him in MANY plays over the years, and I'm always shocked at my reaction.  I have to say, I've never been a HUGE lover of the theater.  I can somehow get LOST in a movie, but in the theater, when there are real people in front of me. . just over there. . .that I could reach out and touch. . . it has always taken me out of the medium.  I'm too aware that I'm sitting in a play watching people perform.  

That's how I KNOW just how good my Father-in-Law is.  When he comes out on stage, I get very nervous for him.  And I begin to watch and say to myself  "Ha. .I know him".  But after a while, I find that I'm not looking at my Father-in-Law, but the character he's playing.  That is a huge testament to his acting ability.  

I brought my gear this time so I could shoot some of the performance.  Having never shot anything like this, I have to say, it's quite challenging .  

Congratulations Kip on another great run!

 

Agnew-Brackett Sneak Peek

I had the honor of shooting the wedding of Easton and Matthew this past Saturday.  This was an intimate wedding at one of their parent's homes.  They were surrounded by so much love and support and fun and laughter.  This was one of the two free wedding shoots I gave away recently.  These guys were SO deserving of something nice, as they make everyone around them feel special (to the point that I think I threatened Matthew if he worried about me and how I was doing one more time that night :) )

Nearly every person attending the wedding came up to me to thank me for what I was doing, but I felt like I was the one that should have been thanking all of them.

I'm really excited that I met Easton and Matthew and I wish them the brightest future.

Here's just one small "sneak peek" of these two wonderful guys on their wedding day.


Wackowski Sneak Peek. . .

Well, Saturday I had the privilege of shooting Lindsay and Steve's wedding.  From the beautiful church to the gorgeous grove, this wedding was a magical event at St. Mary's College in Moraga.  Here is just a taste of what's to come. . . 

Congratulations Lindsay and Steve, and thank you for giving me the honor of capturing your very special day.

And the winner is. . .

Let me start by saying that this giveaway for a free wedding shoot for one LGBT couple has been an incredible experience for me so far.  Not only has every couple been so gracious and grateful for the possibility, but they have been so appreciative of the support of the larger LGBT community. Every couple has been so deserving of something nice for them.  Additionally, I've been totally overwhelmed by the outpouring by friends , family and complete strangers to the couples.  

The reason I made this go to the online poll, was that I was hoping to get to know the couples a little more through their friends and family and some of their backstories to help me make the final decision.  Well, I feel that I have.

champagne.jpg

So without further delay, I'd like to congratulate Easton and Matthew on being the couple selected for the shoot!  These two gentlemen had so much support from so many people, it was truly inspiring.  But most of all, they are trying to do this wedding with a lot of help from a lot of people to keep costs down because their ultimate goal is to have a family.  They are trying to save every penny to go towards the very expensive adoption process (which is more than most entire wedding costs).  Being a father myself, I know the joy my children bring to me and I can only hope that this couple will get to share that same experience.  

And yet, I was so moved by so many stories, and I couldn't decide on just ONE couple, that I've decided to give away TWO wedding shoots.   

So, the second couple that I am going to shoot has dealt with quite a lot of adversity.  Living in an area that does not support marriage equality, and having some of their friends and family struggle with the concept as well, they are flying to another city to be married.  So, I thought I could fly to another city too to shoot their wedding as well.

So congratulations to James and Kenneth for ALSO being selected.

To all the couples that didn't get chosen for this giveaway, thank you for sharing your stories with me.  I marvel at your love and commitment to each other and all the struggles you've faced.  I can only imagine how difficult it must be and hope that with each day, we work towards a time when there is no distinction on what kind of love marriage is defined by.

As much as I hope to give these couples something very special to remember their day by, I think I unexpectedly got more from everyone than I could ever give.

 

 

 

Lomography Petzval Art Lens

“The New Lomography Petzval Art Lens is a stunning reinvention of the legendary Petzval Lens, which was first conceived of in Vienna, Austria, in 1840.”
— http://microsites.lomography.com/petzval-lens/

As usual, anything nice I have is because my wife buys it for me :)  Enter, the Petzval Lomography Art Lens.   This is a FULLY manual lens.  Not only is it manual focus, but it comes with 10 different aperture plates (3 of which are 'fun' shaped [see star shot below]) that you drop into the lens to change your aperture size and depth of field. 

This lens also has a signature swirl  "bokeh" look (which you can see in the flower image I took below)

The lens itself is a beautiful piece or art.  When I have it mounted to my Canon DSLR, it turns quite a few heads.

When the fog lifts. . .

Shot something for a friend who needed something that said "San Francisco". . what better on a night where the fog lifts than The Golden Gate Bridge. . .  Started late afternoon and shot through sundown. . .

Help me choose. . .

Since posting the free LGBT Wedding Photography giveaway, I've received a lot of incredible entries.  One thing I'm learning is that I have NO idea how I'm supposed to pick one couple over another that is more "deserving" of winning.  Every single entry that I received is "worthy" of getting the free photography shoot for their wedding, but I simply HAD to narrow it down.  That's why I'm turning to you. . .

Please fill out your name and email (and optionally a little something about why your couple should win) and cast your vote for whom you think should win.

Below are the four couples (in no particular order) that I've narrowed it down to and their responses to the question "How did you know that your partner was 'the one' "   (I've changed names to maintain a little privacy)

Voting will end at 11:59pm on Thursday, July 24th, and the winner will be announced on Friday, July 25th.

The votes will be tallied and go "towards" the final decision, but the vote alone will not determine the outcome.  So share with all your friends to make a push for the couple of your choice.

Thank you everyone for your support for these incredible couples.

 

Couple 1:   Spouse 1 & Spouse 2

“There was never a moment when I knew he was “the one.” I don’t believe in “the one-“ I believe that a successful partnership requires hard work, and there’s no short-cut to partnered bliss. Over the last five years as we’ve gotten to know each other, we’ve learned that sincere communication is the most important part of our relationship. Spouse 1 is my best friend and I know I can be completely honest with him and get nothing but love and support- and the occasional kick in the butt when I need one. He’s “the one” because I trust him with every secret, every flaw, every imperfection that I hide from everyone else. He’s “the one” because our love and companionship have become the most important parts of our lives, quite without our expecting it. He’s “the one” because he is the person that changed my mind about marriage- we are getting married because we are building a life together, and the stability of a loving, respectful marriage is the cornerstone upon which we hope to build our family.”

Couple 2:  Spouse 3 & Spouse 4

“After being together for 14 years through thick and thin, we keep smiling and still get goose bumps when we get close to each other. We complete each other’s sentences and laugh constantly. There is nothing that we can’t do together. We’ve raised our pups, our chickens and various amounts of fish during our time together. We’ve also built a house, two decks, several ponds and a relationship that’s bullet proof.”

Couple 3:  Spouse 5 & Spouse 6

“There is no other more sincere, loving, happy, or humorous person than Spouse 5!! I knew within the first few months after we met in 2001! It’s been an amazing journey ever since!!”

Couple 4:  Spouse 7 & Spouse 8

“I am so very thankful to say I cannot give just one reason as to why I know that Spouse 7 is the one. Each day presents a new reason, or reaffirms a previous reason, as to why Spouse 7 is the one for me. And for that, I am extremely lucky.

Spouse 7 and I are both animal trainers by profession. We have both established careers working with exotic animals, allowing us to explore behavior and learn how to understand it. One of the first reasons I can recall that began to show me why Spouse 7 was the one, was the fact that his behavior was unique to me. Even more intriguing was the effect he had on my behavior. One of our first encounters with each other was in Hawaii at Spouse 7’s place of employment where he introduced me to one of his co-workers, Makani, a California sea lion. I was impressed by the relationship he showcased and the level of trust that existed between the two. As the years progressed, I continued to see this theme in everyone that crossed Spouse 7’s path, animal and human alike. He has been always open to anything someone offers and earns the trust of many people extremely quickly. Spouse 7’s heart is always open to new people, to new experiences, to new adventures; and this is one of the many qualities I love about him. To find someone that truly shares these qualities with me, that truly cares about the world and each individual that inhabits it, that has passion for life, is one of the reasons I know Spouse 7 is the one for me.

Spouse 7 was born and raised in Hawaii and I believed in my heart , from a very young age, that I would fall in love with someone from the islands. I was fortunate enough to have that belief become a reality. After being in each other’s company for several years in Hawaii, Spouse 7 and I lived apart for numerous years due to work, with him residing on O’ahu and myself in California. But despite being divided by the massive Pacific Ocean our connection never faltered. I can still remember the feeling of my heart racing each time I saw an email in my inbox from Spouse 7 and I am proud to say that still holds true today when he emails me from work to see how my day is going. The fact that my feelings have not changed, but have only strengthened in intensity, and that his behavior still effects me so and makes me smile with the largest grin, is yet another reason I know Spouse 7 is the one.

Spouse 7 continues to be a passion in my life. His aloha spirit and addictive personality remind me daily of my luck and fortune to have him in my existence and to be getting to pledge my devotion to him for the rest of my life.”

 

Thank you for helping me make this very difficult decision.

Michael

 

 

 (none of the information collected will be used for anything other than this vote)

NASA Zipcar shoot

I've had the pleasure of working with ZipCar to shoot stories for them for their online magazine.  The people have been so wonderful, and call me whenever they have a story centered in the Bay Area.  Melissa Pocek had the opportunity to speak with the two head managers of the social media at NASA, John Yembrick (featured in the photos), and Jason Townsend. 

 

When John arrived to meet me, he informed me that he only had 30 minutes. I knew I had to work fast. And since I was not allowed to go "inside" NASA, we did the shoot at the Visitor's Center.  It's an interesting place, but essentially a giant tent that was constructed in the parking lot outside of NASA that acts like a mini museum/learning center.

In typical fashion, I got there super early, which was really helpful in this case to figure out how to make this shoot interesting and try and do as much prep work as I could.  I always want to give my clients, especially ZipCar who calls me again and again, the best images possible.  I also like to get as many different looks as possible because you never know what will strike the editor and connects to the vision he or she may have had in their head.  

Well, the Visitor's Center had an open "theater" setup inside where they were just finishing an informational movie about space.  I was able to have the guy that ran that off of a laptop put up an image of the Milky Way to use as a backdrop for John.    A nice woman who worked at the Visitor Center was my stand in and ended up holding a light for me for the shot of John.  For the second shot, I really wanted to find a NASA logo since it's what the story is about, and it's so incredibly recognizable.   We saw the "meatball" , as John called it, over by the small gift shop.  I moved signs and baskets and other things that were in the way to get a clear shot.  But a man up against a white wall , even with the NASA logo on it, was still dull.  There was a giant globe hanging from the middle of the tent which had various surfaces projected on it.  The images could be rotated and changed.  A man was giving a tour of this and teaching people about various scientific things (I didn't have time to pay attention to the lecture).  I went completely across the room (tent), with a long lens, and was able to shoot between other displays, the lecture around the globe,  and people walking by, while getting some of that globe as my foreground element , all with John still 50 yards away from me.  

I ran back and forth giving John some direction since he couldn't hear me (or barely even see me through all the obstacles). I placed my softbox ,conveniently hidden by the giant globe, over by John to get some light on him in the dark corner of the tent which I triggered with my radio transceiver on my camera.  I saw him several times looking at his watch, which is not stressful at all for me.  I knew I didn't have much longer, so I was counting on my idea working because I knew that he would not have stuck around for another setup.

I know what you're saying. . . "Photography is so glamorous"!  

Ok, so it might not be glamorous. . . but I LOVE it. :)

Here are some of the results. . . .

Alley and J.B.

I have the pleasure of getting to shoot the wedding of Alley and J.B. later year.  We got to know each other a little better when we went out to shoot their engagement session.  We went to their close friend's beautiful home overlooking Lafayette, California.  Acres of picturesque beauty.  Between the incredible surroundings and the gorgeous couple, it all made my job easy.  These two were high school sweethearts and are so fun. We had a great time documenting their love for each other.  I can't wait to shoot their beautiful wedding!