Rock This Moment | Photo Blog

Typically, wedding season does not begin until May, but the photography Gods smiled upon me when they gave me the opportunity to shoot a wedding at the beginning of February. Shooting a wedding is always a blast, but the first wedding of the year is always a little nerve-racking. This is because during the off-season most of us photographers are shooting personal work, family photos or other projects. However, it is easy to forget how fast-paced wedding photography really is when you have not been in the saddle for awhile. That was why when Temecula Wedding Photographers, Your Inner Song, hit me up to shoot a wedding in February, I was all-in. They were cool enough to let me tag along for this wedding featuring Justin and Jessica in Anaheim. Below are my photos. It’s go time!

The groomsmen for the wedding were really pretty cool. They were knocking back whiskey in the limo ride, and were ready to rock right out the gate.

These are some sharp dressed men, and we all know that every girl is crazy about a sharp dressed man. Thank you ZZ Top.

Unfortunately, I only had a brief few moments to get some shots of the ladies. This is because they probably lagged doing their hair, make-up and whatever else it is that girls do that requires 2 hours in the bathroom. However, I was still pretty happy with the photographs I was able to capture.

Below is a photograph of the father during the ceremony, and one of my favorite photographs in the entire set. Although it is cool to set up shots to make epic photographs, there is something even more captivating about genuine raw emotion that no other staged shot can compete with.

The wedding was movie themed, but all the movie names designating each table for guests were romantic films. I would have preferred Rambo themed movies, but I guess I will have to save that idea for my own wedding. Maybe I can just do a Rambo-themed wedding? Have the guests dress like Vietnamese soldiers, and I can wear a sleeve of bullets instead of the traditional tuxedo. I will speak to my lady about this one.

As you can probably tell from the photographs above, when the booze starts flowing and the bass starts kicking, s*** gets wild! Party on guys. Party on….

I was pretty happy with the ring shot even though I tend to struggle a bit using the macro lens on manual focus at 2.8. All in all, this Murrieta Wedding Photographer had a blast rocking in Anaheim, and left feeling good overall about the photos that were able to make the cut onto the Rock This Moment blog. The only thing that sucks about shooting with the dynamic duo at Your Inner Song is that when I see their photos of the wedding I am going to hate mine. Hopefully, they lag a bit sorting and editing them so I can enjoy mine for a few more weeks.

I have known Tenaya for years, and years and years, back when Meat Grinder and Kettlecadaver would battle it out in garages and at dirt parties in the hills of Temecula for local music supremacy (They really should have tried booking shows rather than playing dirt parties) … so naturally when I heard she was engaged and getting married next year I was pretty excited for her and her soon-to-be husband Chad. I never really met Chad in person until this engagement shoot, but I recognized him as a guy who goes to the same Gold’s Gym that I do. Chad is that type of guy who benches like 5,000 lbs and pretty much makes you hate your fat-self, but he couldn’t have been more awesome. Since I myself also will be tying the knot next year, I understand the stress and hassle it is to find a venue for the ceremony, reception, food, music and of course wedding photography.  Therefore, I contacted Tenaya and asked her if she wanted me to shoot her engagement photos as a way to reduce her photography costs. She agreed, and I was also able to pull Justin from YourInnerSong Photography away from his man cave for a couple hours to help out. We drank Pabst Blue Ribbon (PBRs) beforehand, knocked back PBRs during the shoot and pretty much rocked the entire time! It really was a blast having all of us hang out while shooting pictures, and I think that good energy came through in the photos.

As hard as it is to do with all the stress of wedding planning, I really believe that people should soak up and enjoy every moment of the wedding process they possibly can, especially during the engagement sessions. This is exactly what Tenaya and Chad did. They not only got dressed up for the shoot, but they brought a good attitude and champagne! This kept the whole atmosphere loose and more natural. Later that night, we even did some rad action night shots where Chad busted out the wife-beater. Those were captured on Justin’s camera so they will be coming soon!

There is nothing smoother than a cold beer on a hot Summer day, or the rear end of a babies’ butt, a wise man once said. Since I do not have children, I had no way of testing this theory, but felt strongly confident nothing was smoother than an ice cold beer on a hot Southern California day. This seemed impossible to dispute in my mind. As I was pondering this great and important question, a couple named Danielle and Tim, who trusted me to shoot their wedding, contacted me about also putting together a little family/baby shoot. Initially, I was a little hesitant because I pretty much consider myself strictly a wedding photographer, but since this was a couple I already worked with I felt comfortable doing the whole baby photography thing-a-ma-jigger. The images below are of Tim and Danielle’s new addition, Gabrielle Quinn! She is a lovely baby who kept it classy during the entire photo session!

One of the coolest parts about this shoot was that it was real simple. The parents were not interested in putting Gabrielle in a bucket or some laundry basket to make the photos appear “cool”. Instead, they wanted simple photos of her hanging out like she normally does everyday, while playing with Tigger and some of her other favorite toys. They were not interested in making this some crazy photo-shooting session, and I have to say I respect that.

I have to admit that this little baby photography session was actually pretty fun, and a nice break from the normal Murrieta wedding photography sessions I am used to dealing with. Another special part of the day that boosted my ego was seeing my wedding photos in Tim and Danielle’s living room. There is no better feeling than seeing someone appreciate and enjoy your art!

Also, after talking with Tim and Danielle, they assured me that a babies’ butt was indeed smoother than any ice cold beer on any Summer day. Knowledge is power people. Knowledge is power…

The man you see in the above photo is the king of Los Angeles. He has slept with celebrities, created motion pictures that have won Academy Awards and only wears t-shirts with wolves on them because he says that wolves are direct descendants of the Viking God of War Thor. His name is Aaron Paustian, a good friend of mine who was kind enough to be my guide during the Chinese New Year parade that happened on Saturday, January 28th in the Chinatown district of Los Angeles. Since this Murrieta wedding photographer spends most of his time shooting engagement sessions and weddings, this photo trip was a nice change of pace. Before I arrived in Los Angeles, I did not want to take photos of the parade, but rather some of the people who were watching the parade that I found interesting. Some of the subjects in these photographs were awesome people who were happy about getting photographed, some wanted to spray my eyes with pepper spray and others looked as though they were in the midst of solid drug benders, completely oblivious of where they were or that a goofy white guy was taking photos of them. Even though my boxer briefs kept riding up on me all day, the city, people and parade were fan-asian-tastic!

The above photo was of a guy sitting on the corner on one of the side streets of the parade. I walked up to him and said, “I work for a modeling agency that specifically works with older male Asian men, and I was wondering if I could get some head shots to show my boss in France.” Instantly, his eyes lit up like a kid on Christmas morning. Such an awesome guy. He also said the charges were eventually dropped by police..whatever that means?

The above picture is of my mother Delores…just kidding. What many people may forget in time is that the Chinese New Year parade was on a day in Los Angeles that seriously had to be like 85 degrees out. I was sweating, Aaron was sweating and this kind old lady was kicking it in the shade so she would not be sweating. She seemed so tired and exhausted that I felt bad for her. I asked her if I could get a portrait of her, and she did not even look at me. I figured that it was a cultural thing meaning “yes, take my photograph”.

This lady was pretty awesome. She had a red hat and bright scarf that made her pop out from the crowd. I asked her if I could get a photo of her and she instantly said yes. She took off her scarf and hat to show off the goods, and posed for me for like a good solid minute. She was such a good sport. If I were a single man….

This sex kitten was not as kind as the first subjects taking part in my photo experiment. Aaron told me it was stupid to ask people if I could photograph them because it gave the person the opportunity to say no. I disagreed, feeling that it was kind of rude just to snap photos of someone when they were not expecting it. Baby doll did not want her photo taken, and looked as though she was going to attack me when I aimed my camera at her. After quickly getting a couple shots of her, I ran into the port-a-potties in the background and hid until the coast was clear. Unfortunately, Aaron was in the bathroom before I went in, and let’s just say the vegan diet is …well….you probably know.

Looking at these photographs, you are probably thinking this is a sweet old lady. Don’t let the balloon and devilish grin fool you. Although I can say my time with her was brief, she was not interested in having her photograph taken. I tried to tell her I was working on a project for school. No. I told her I was doing a documentary for National Geographic. No. I told her that she looked just like a celebrity on Dancing with the Stars. No. After giving it my best persuasive shot, I took the creeper route, shooting the photos of her at a safe distance away.

On the fringes of the parade in Chinatown there was this massive and beautiful temple (photos can be seen further below). This man was hanging out in the front portion of the temple enjoying his day. When I asked him if I could get a photo, he instantly become bubbly and happy. It was like nobody talked to him in years. Although I could not understand a single word he said, his tone of voice and giggly exterior made it obvious he was having a good time. I believe he said “thank you” in Chinese when I was done getting some photos of him, but Aaron said it could have easily been “f*** you”. Excellent point.

In the photo framed on the right it looks as though this soft-spoken old man was looking at my camera. I don’t believe it. He only muttered some non-sense, or Chinese, or something, when I tried to talk to him, and did not even appear to notice my presence. That is okay with me because I still got some good shots of him. He did appear to be enjoying the parade as it passed by on my left, his right side.

The above photos are of some people I found interesting, but for some reason the judges felt they were not deserving of their own section. The man on the left was agitated I took his photos, and if he were a younger man, he could possibly of attacked me. The man in the middle was a store keeper who was more than willing to let me take his photos, and even though he was working that day, he still made time to pop out and catch some of the parade fun. Why wouldn’t he want his photo taken? He is a good looking man! The elderly gentleman on the right was also very generous in allowing me to take his photo. The light was right in his eye, but he still stood strong on his ground, refusing to move completely in the shade in fear of losing his prime spot for the parade.

The above photos are of a man who was telling me the hassles of registering as a sex offender every time he moved to a new area. Actually, those are photos of Aaron. He was shooting film that day, getting 36 shots for $3.99, making me question how he could afford photography as a hobby if he was not shooting digital. Well the answer is simple: Aaron quit drinking and has been sober for over two years! There are very few people with the balls to rock long hair, a mustache that would make Wyatt Earp envious and a wolf t-shirt. When I asked him about his mustache, he reached into his wallet and pulled out a fortune from a fortune cookie. All the fortune said was “mustache”. He said it was a life-changing moment. That is no joke either, had to be one of the funniest things I have ever seen or heard. Thanks for showing me Los Angeles Aaron!

Above are some closing details and photos of the parade. Personally, I hate parades. Always have and probably always will. I had a good time taking photos at the Chinese New Year parade, but I doubt I will be returning again in the future. However, I do intend on going back to Los Angeles very soon and shooting some more. The city is so beautiful with its culture and diversity, and anyone with a camera needs to go there. The project of shooting portraits of a handful of random people was a rad experience, but I really can’t wait until wedding season comes back around so I can begin capturing brides, grooms and drunk wedding parties rocking to Journey.

After putting in another sixteen hour day feeding homeless people whole grain bagels at the nearby shelter, my good friends at Your Inner Song Photography (YIS) were kind enough to let me tag along with them for a local wedding at a really cool venue called the Condor’s Nest Ranch. I have been trying to get more experience shooting weddings because I simply became bored shooting gorgeous half-naked women on the runways at fashion shows from Milan to NYC. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy lingerie models and artistic female nudes as much as the next person, but I was becoming exhausted hanging out and partying with celebrities until the early hours of the morning with people who may or may not have had names that rhymed with Tustin Jimberlake. Now that I have sold my yacht and gave almost all of my personal wealth to charities such as “Stop Rabies”, I have been dedicating my time to learning the artistry of wedding photography (FYI the devastating disease of rabies kills three Americans every year).

The wedding at the Condor’s Nest Ranch featured a couple named Dan & Lauren who basically looked like the all American couple. I would not be surprised if in the future Dan saves a elderly women from a burning building, Lauren discovers the cure for hiccups and together they have a child who becomes President of the United States. Seriously… Anyway, here are some of the photos I was able to capture with my Canon 5d Mark ii. Enjoy!

If you are sitting in your office chair wondering why there are no pictures of the bridesmaids and the ladies getting ready that would be because I did not shoot the chicks getting dolled up. DUH! Jessica from YIS was designated with the assignment of taking photos of the ladies getting dressed. Typically, bridesmaids and soon-to-be brides prefer girl photographers shooting in the dressing room because of the high probability of a nude breast making an appearance. Therefore, I instead decided to solely shoot the men of the groom (groomsmen) for the day.

Thank you for reading my blog post. I understand there is a lot of other stuff online you could be involved with like watching YouTube videos of Justin Bieber, or looking at photos of what your friends had for lunch on Facebook, so I appreciate your time!

And remember kids, Dreams Really DO Come True!