UPDATED 1/28/2010: As Valentine's Day and proposals are around the corner, I'm putting theses slideshows up as a sticky again for a while for couples to see some of my favorite wedding slideshows.  If you want to see some recent non-wedding work, just scroll on down.... or you can just go straight down to the bottom and go to the next page so you can see morewedding stuff.

Cheers,

Michael

Fall is my favorite time of year.  The seasonal changes here in my neck of Los Angeles, while admittedly subtle, are definitely noticeable.  Even the air smells different; temperature and moisture levels fluctuate, and the damp air is now occasionally filled with the smokiness of the occasional late-season barbecue alternating with the distinct scent of cedar burning in nearby fireplaces later on in the evening. Some days are chilly, yet sometimes daytime temps still creep into the 90's.... but it always cools off at night.

By way of explanation as far as where I'm headed with this line of thought, a song lyric comes to mind: “Like seasons change, so do I.”   I know it's from a U2 song.... “New Years Day” from War?  Not sure.  Anyway, I'd like to think I'm continuing to evolve as a person and as a photographer.

So I was reflecting on this as I reviewed my work from the three weddings I have elected to feature on my new web site. It occurred to me that since I have all three of those featured weddings on my web site, why not put them in one blog post so that people can find them easily, and then look at the original posts if they would like to know more about that particular couple?
OK. Cool!
Well, the passage of some time has allowed me to look at the slideshows through a different lens, if you will. As such, I have re-edited 4 of the slideshows—kind of like the Director's cut. 

The first slideshow is from Kristy and Doug's wedding.... this slideshow has had only minor modifications--I just added some movement so it flows a little better. Their engagement pictures are here; single images from their wedding are here.

Katie and Tom's wedding was in January 09 at The Ritz Carlton in Marina Del Ray. The first post of single images from their wedding is here; the original slideshow is here.  Their engagement pictures are here.

The next two are *both* from Tiff and Phil's epic Rock Wedding at the Red Rock Resort in Las Vegas.  The first blog post with single images is here.  The second post containing the *two* original slideshows and details about their wedding is here. Briefly, the first slideshow covers the whole wedding; the second slideshow is from their Jam Session with nearly *everyone* rocking out.  Be warned: these rock.  Turn your speakers up or down depending on your taste.

The shows may take a while to load depending on your bandwidth. Trust me, it's worth the wait.

It also gives me the chance to talk a little about these weddings and my work. 
These three couples are VERY different. You noticed, huh?  Katie and Tom had a more traditional wedding; Kristy and Doug's was very relaxed and contemporary; and Tiff and Phil's Rock Wedding challenges most peoples perception of what a wedding is “supposed” to be altogether.
While there are some elements of my style that are unique and identifiable, the pictures I make are unique to the particular couples.  What I'm trying to say is that what all of these pictures have in common is that they are real and authentic, and true to the couples vision of their own wedding.
These folks didn't want cookie cutter pictures based on preconceived ideas of what their wedding pictures "should" look like; they hired me—in large part-- because I'm not a cookie cutter photographer.  I make photographs that reflect you and your fiance's "YOUnique-ness" and the story of your day.

Along similar lines, my choices for the music are to fit the couple and the spirit of their day as well.

If you are a bride (or groom, or couple) looking for a cool photographer that is easy to work with and my work resonates with you, head over to my contact page to click with me.

Enjoy the slideshows!

Michael

These pics are from a dography session I did with my good friend Lori and her fur kid Tigrerra, or Tiggy for short :)  Tiggy is still a puppy and she was a little shy at first, but all Lori had to do to bring her out of her shell was bring out a tennis ball....... an object of desire for many canines, big and small. I bet some dogs dream about tennis balls :)

It was raining outside, so we opted for an indoor session.

It's also appropriate to post this doggie session now because Tiggy's B-Day is Valentines Day. Really, I couldn't make that up!

Michael

Yummmmmmmm....... Tiggy loves her bone, too.

Scout is the Canine companion of Apryl and David.  Their new kitten, Pico, and their cat, Miette, make appearances also.

I may add a few more later :)

Michael

The view is incredible on a clear day.  Even when it's not, Scout and her human's often enjoy gazing out over Los Angeles.

Pico (above)

Miette and Scout say hello. They've known each other a long time :)

My friend Susan was kind enough to ask me to photograph some of her work at a recent Bridal Show.

You'll see her work is unique..... and yes, that is rock candy as legs on one of her flower purses (second picture) and in one of her tropical designs.

I'm not a traditional photographer; Susan is not a traditional florist--more like an artist whose medium is flowers. :)  You might not think that your florist is as an "important" vendor-- think again.  Your florist can tie your whole wedding together, incorporating your color sceme down to the whole vibe of your wedding...... Down to earth and mellow? Striking, elegant and modern? What do you want your bouquet to look, feel and smell like??  Hopefully, you get the idea...... It can be important, depending on your taste and priorities, so find a florist whose work you like!

Enjoy the pictures,

Michael

Notice the rhinestones on this bridal bouquet..... :)

......And the crystal and rose bud on the tassel featured on this bouquet.

This arrangement is hard to define except to say it's beautiful!

I almost always prefer flowers in color, but this one worked nicely in color and B + W.  I sharpened the image more to emphasize the vase and other textures.

I just adopted Calvin this week from the Sam Simon Foundation.  A great way to start the New Year :)

Calvin is off the hook Awesome!  Not only is he adorable, but he has an absolutely charming personality to match. Very sweet and very smart--poodles are known for their intelligence.*  He's so happy he never stops wagging. He is fully grown and weighs in at just 9.5 lbs. I'm sure his long fluffy tail accounts for a fair potion of that weight, too.

Bailey is my first fur child.  That's what I call my doggies: fur kids.  I <3 dogs. What can I say?  Bailey is having some issues adjusting and housebreaking is a little hit and miss thus far, but improving.

The other dogs belong to my sisters family.  Rowan, the black Lab mix, is about 15 months old.  Bodhi, the newest kid, is a Cream colored (English??) Golden Retriever with a beautiful coat and tons of kisses. VERY sweet dog! He's only about 8 months and is rapidly adapting to his pack.

I'm doing pet portraits now too, so if you would like your fur kid photographed give me a ring or shoot me an email for details!

Enjoy :)

Michael

*Note: poodles may be plotting to take over the world. Don't believe me? Check this out.

I swear the pics above and below were done his first night home and required very little input on my part.  Clearly he knows how to sucker his new Dad (and everyone else).

Bailey enjoying the wind in his furry ears at the off leash dog beach in Morro Bay.

It's hard to get a picture with you and your dog when you are the one making the picture(!), so one has to be creative.  This is me--my shadow anyway--and Bailey.

Bodhi dug a hole and lied down in it to chill out.

Rowan loves to play fetch.

Rowan, sill carrying some sand on his muzzle and head, relaxing after some hard play at the beach.

Rowan is very lean and muscular..... with his fur like it is above, it makes for some nice patterns too.

Bailey greets a Jack Russel Terrier.

So now that the wedding season is winding down I'm shooting different things.

Last weekend I shot a dinner party for Comadres.  (If you are a foodie and want to see all 30 or so pictures I posted for them, head over here.)

Prior to that I shot "Play with Your Food – How to Get Kids to Eat Their Vegetables." Pictures from that event will be in the December issue of KCRW's program guide.  

This weekend I shot a pie contest for KCRW. Yep, a pie contest.  What's not to like about pie?? You can read about the winning entries here on Chef & Good Food host Evan Kleiman's blog. Both events are part of a series of events put on by KCRW and Westfield, the parent company that owns the properties where the events are held. KCRW's Good Food page is here.  

Now, on to some pie! 

Love this woman's shirt :)

Judging pie is serious business.....

Or not.....

Tallying points making sure everything is correct.

Eager anticipation.....

This gentleman won (I think for an entry in the "Savory" category).  His friends were obviously happy for him too.

Evan awards another happy winner.

Harriet Ells of KCRW helps pass out awards and cool stuff to winners.

Cool ribbons like this were awarded to the lucky winners.