My last post ever....

I'm very sad to report that I will no longer be posting on this blog. I want to thank all of my faithful readers for spending many good times with me here in this little corner of the web. I'm moving on and leaving this season of my life behind me.

But fret not, Little Ones. I'm making way for a brand spankin' new one! Check it out!!

You...Outside....Now

If you step out right this minute, you'll see this...











That is unless. of course. you don't live right here and aren't reading this right now. It's like a crazy mind-trip.

Kim & Alex

I can't keep track of how many times a wedding day started off with rain but ended up being just a perfect day for the important stuff. This was one of those days. Kim and Alex stayed in great spirits, the sky was beautiful and the reception even continued outdoors. It was a wonderful time!


Starting the day off right.



Something borrowed: this beautiful gown!



Sequestered from the girls but making the best of it. Actually, it was the best place to be.



Many thanks to Mike Joplin and family. Their beautiful home made for a the perfect setting.



And look how radiant Kim was!



The flowers looked amazing. They were done by The Magic Flower and really added to the day.



Look at that beautiful, natural light. Yum!



Kim was one of my favorite brides because through the chaos of the morning, she was just as relaxed and calm as usual.



And Alex had me busting up with his goofy faces and great whit. This is the "whit" part, by the way! : )



Git down, girls!



See? The flowers WERE magic. And Ranch Catering and Events did an awesome job too.



The Lord hooked up perfect weather - again.



John Leeder had a power message as he so often does.



An extra burst of light for communion.



"Just Married"



Ooooow!



Ooooow...part 2!



Can you see the future from up there?



This sums up Kim and Alex. Right there.



Yep, it was a perfect setting and a perfect day...



Except for the 80% chance of scattered bubbles, which ruined everything! No, we had a great time and really appreciate being a part of it. Special thanks goes out to my shooter Julie and Tiny for all their help!

A New Dawn

"In my distress I called to the LORD,
and he answered me.
From the depths of the grave I called for help,
and you listened to my cry.

3 You hurled me into the deep,
into the very heart of the seas,
and the currents swirled about me;
all your waves and breakers
swept over me.

4 I said, 'I have been banished
from your sight;
yet I will look again
toward your holy temple.'

5 The engulfing waters threatened me,
the deep surrounded me;
seaweed was wrapped around my head.

6 To the roots of the mountains I sank down;
the earth beneath barred me in forever.
But you brought my life up from the pit,
O LORD my God.

7 "When my life was ebbing away,
I remembered you, LORD,
and my prayer rose to you,
to your holy temple.

8 "Those who cling to worthless idols
forfeit the grace that could be theirs.

9 But I, with a song of thanksgiving,
will sacrifice to you.
What I have vowed I will make good.
Salvation comes from the LORD."

(From Jonah 2)

-Our continuous and heartfelt prayers are with the victims of the 2007 firestorm.

Beauty Amidst Destruction

This is happening outside right now.
A local fire and the distant sun are coming together for this show.




Warning...
Don't take a photo like this and stare too long into the lens. I'm still having trouble seeing properly!

Edit: I've since learned how many people are affected by this fire. Our prayers are with them as they evacuate and await word on their belongings - as well as with the firefighters doing such a great service for us all.

Update: It's 4:00 am and San Diego is continuing to burn. It's far worse than I first realized when I shot the glow of the sun. Just so everyone knows, we're okay and housed for the time being, but evacuations are occurring at a pace faster than anything I can remember in my lifetime. If any of you need it, please let me know how we can help.

Here're images taken just moments ago - from the exact same spot...

E-mail Emergency

It has come to my attention that your e-mails to my Studio512 account are simply not being received. If you have had any trouble reaching me, please call or use my personal account: ebojo(at)hotmail(dot)com. I'm very sorry for any inconvenience and appreciate your patience while tech-support works out the problem.

Update: It seems a temporary solution has us up and running, but please feel free to use whatever means necessary. I'm keeping a close eye on this one. Thanks, guys!

Update: Apparently the ebojo account has also been having problems. It's all tied in and all a serious problem seeing that I rely on these domains as my primary means of communication. Youch!

Recent Randoms VII

ECPD Memorial

My photography grants me the honor of taking part in events that are of great importance in the lives of all kinds of wonderful people. Those events, however, are not always the most pleasant of experiences. I was commissioned by the El Cajon Police Department to capture images from the recent memorial. It celebrated the life and service of a fallen officer. Out of respect for the family, I will only post some discrete images here.

Katherine & Brian

I had the pleasure of shooting a beautiful wedding at the Bell Tower in Orange County over the weekend. Katherine and Brian come from a family of photographers so there it was especially a privilege to serve them all. Thankfully, I didn't seem to make them too nervous with my unusual shooting techniques. We had all had a great time, actually.


Although they decided not to see each other before the ceremony...they came close.


Katherine was radiant and full of life.


Brian was too. Just less...'spinny'.



A classic little hand-off sequence.


Just about to get a view...


The look.


The hand-off.


Full access always makes for better pictures.


See?


It's official!




Spiffy socks? A serious business.


Good times.


Here's a longer-lens version.


If we did do a first sighting...this woulda been the perfect spot.


I can't help but hear old-school romantic music on this one. Look at them go!


A private moment...


Before heading toward the reception.



Almost. We had to stop and make use of this cool-looking space. Besides, Katherine and Brian are all about canoodling when given the opportunity!


A romantic first dance...


...with a big finish.


Proud Pappa.


Gotta have a gittin' down picture in there, right?


It's finally fireplace season. A perfect ending to a perfect day.

I'd like to thank Anna Catalan and her team for doing a great job with the coordinating as well as my second, Zenia Anderson who also helped make the day go really well.

My Little 1-Year Old

Today, October 2nd, we celebrate the birth of this blog! Wow...I can't believe that much time has passed. It's been a lot of fun sharing my images and thoughts with you guys. Hopefully, year 2 will have more of each. Also, more comments. I understand I have a little fan-base of blog readers going on, which I'm honored about. If you see anything you remotely enjoy or think I could improve on, I'd love to hear from you. I promise not to embarrass you...very much. Either way, thank you all for joining me here on this little space on the web!





I also want to give a shout-out to my buddy, Lori, who shares her birthday with my blog. Happy B-day, Lori Jean!

ECPD

Sadly, the El Cajon Police Department recently lost a good man. These images and our prayers are in support of his wife and the entire family.

Show Me your Funnies!

That was the request recently posted by Anne Ruthmann on OSP. Here were some I dug up.











Regarding Photoshop work done on them: I can neither confirm nor deny.

Leah & Eric on the Move

A slideshow...

Bi'niss Card

Been overhauling stuff for the new branding. A huge shout-out to Ross Tanner for all his help and inspiration. Trying to keep it simple and after many drafts, here's what the front is gonna look like.




And I'm still trying to decide on the back...




























You're all welcome to vote or comment, of course. : )

Wanna Vote for Us?

Studio 512 is in the running for The Best Wedding Photographer in San Diego by Channel 10 News. If you have a moment to spare, we would love to have your vote (man, I hate sounding like a politician)! Just click on the link below and click "Vote" under Studio 512.

10 NEWS A-List

Thank you all for your undying support! : )

Rinaldo

Over the weekend, we shot a wedding in Sacramento that was every bit as enjoyable as I had imagined it would be. Despite a tight schedule and quite a rocky start, Jeneva and Paul were awesome and completely rolled with the punches. Deven (my shooter), Kellye, and myself had to roll with it too and ended up with a great day. Here are some of the many great moments of the event.

First, an important note about this couple. I often have my clients become friends and even have my friends become clients. When I was first starting off in this business, it was tricky to shoot family and friends, but I'm fortunate that these days they respect the work I do and have really helped take any potential... 'weirdness' out of it. In fact, it's a huge blessing to be included in this way. Jeneva is a dear friend of mine and I couldn't be more thrilled that I had the opportunity to serve her and Paul with my images.


Starting with the guys. Paul did a good job of feeling as relaxed as possible despite not being crazy about the camera. I don't like to be in front of it either!


Because of some unforeseen problems with getting all the right people to the church, we were thrilled when the limo pulled up with Jeneva.


She managed to stay relaxed and radiant


Elegant bling.


And have you seen more beautiful bride's maids?





Look at that gentle but dependable grip.


No words needed.


A beautiful message was delivered as the pastor calmed us all down and reminded us of the importance of including the Lord in the details of our lives.


The look of love.





"I'm married....whoo hoooo!"


"We're married....whoo hoo!"


These were honest-to-goodness smiles. Genuine and fun.





I'm really not a big fan of mariachis, but our guys did an awesome job!


They even managed to throw in some classical and pop sounds to it.


A little cuttin' of the rug before slowing things down for the first dance.


And then they made their way out.





They even made due without a 'real' garter and had a great time. Classic expressions on those guys!


Partay!


And I've just got to show off the groom's cake.


Love you guys!

Recent Randoms VI

Nope - the greens were not photoshopped to match. : )

Tagged

So there's a game going around where photographers tag each other. I've been hit - twice. Once by the uber talented and international Ross Tanner and once by the more local and very cool David Baxter of Ohana Photography. I'm now supposed to spill 8 facts about myself and tag 8 other photographers. Neither of those are easy to me as my life is a fairly simple and I know a ton of photographers I'd like to tag. I guess they're all supposed to have a blog so that eliminates a few amazing people, but there is no shortage left.

Let's start with the 8 facts:

1) I am not good at participating in 'chain' type e-mails or games, but enjoy reading them.

2) I am made largely of peanut butter.

3) I used to run around with my mom's vintage Kodak Duaflex camera and yell, "Mile!"

4) I sleep on the floor and work at night. By choice.

5) I bought a Mac to be able to use Final Cut Pro and eventually turned my PC into a paper weight.

6) I am fascinated by the debate between the theories of evolution and intelligent design.

7) I've taken a number of road trips including one that spanned 52 days and about 10k miles.

8) I almost died on a ski lift once.


That actually wasn't as hard as I thought. Making the photographer blog tag list will be harder. I'll exclude Ross and David to help narrow it down. I will include those that inspire me as an artist, as a business person, or as a human being. Agggghhh - where to begin!?

1) Mike Colón (Mike Colón Photographers)

2) Nate and Jaclyn Kaiser (The Image is Found)

3) Jay Reilly (Jay Reilly Photography)

4) Lori Tisdale (As Life Happens)

5) Marissa and Weston Boucher (Boucher Photography)

6) Jefferson Todd (Jefferson Todd Photography)

7) Mindy and Mike (Mindy Sonshine Photography)

8) Gary, Huy and Kym (f8 Studio)


There are many others who should be on the list, but sadly, I can only do 8. But what about all these great folks who don't do the blog thing....?

JR Geoffrion (Jean-René Geoffrion Photographer)

Janis Foley (Janis Foley Photography Inc)

Parker Pfister (Parker Pfister Photography)

Chana and Don (Photography by Chana and Don)

Julie Buchta-Davis (Julie Buchta-Davis Photography)

Deven Carter (Deven Carter)

DIYer

If I can do it myself, I like to at least give it a go. I decided to try to make my own frame for a panoramic photo I made of the "Ponte Realto" in Venice.



A few pieces of pine, a sander, glue & biscuits and we're in business. It took 2 types of paint and a matte sealer to get the finish right.


Kinda making this up as I go. I'm sure 'real' frame-makers are cringing at the thought.



Tiny helping me with some important steps. Man, is that glass clean or what?



Many man-hours later and voilà. Much more difficult than buying one made - but far more rewarding.

Special thanks to Steve, my father, and Tiny for helping me get this thing made.

Tech Jive

Technorati Profile

Chillin' with [b]ecker

So Kellye and I are here at the airport about to board. Were just enjoying Becker's blog and did a self-taken photo (and remote upload) in his honor. We'll be shooting a wedding in Sacramento in about 12 hours. See you then!

Amy & Patrick

Another fun, Godly, energetic couple. We had a great time driving all over the course and playing in the sun. We have Carole Glowacki, the banquet manager at Twin Oaks, to thank for a wonderful lunch too!

Amy is all smiles all the time. Love it!


Because they saw each other before the ceremony, we had time to do some fun shots.





Making the scene.


Check out his expression as she makes her way down the aisle.


Proud Papa.


Dad performed the ceremony so Mom did the actual giving away.





Amy was an actual blushing bride.


Great group.





Amy & Patrick were good enough to trust me to take some time with them in the 'ugliest' part of the golf course. These ended up being some of the best shots of the day.








But we had fun all over.


Thanks, guys!

Also, a special thanks to Julie, my shooter and Tyler, my cohort.

Lori Tisdale

My buddy, Lori (As Life Happens) and I go way back. That's why she's allowed to take embarrassing photos of me and JJ. This is us at the South Coast Winery recently. A big thanks to Lori for a great shoot and to Leah Bennett, the catering sales manager at the resort.


P.S. Holding a video camera has become a less common, but still extremely rewarding occurrence for me.

KDW @ VCHS

Tiny started her new job at Valley Center High this week. It's an exciting move into a new season. This is us preparing for the first day, which was Wednesday. Actually...it's her preparing and me taking pictures!


Before the walls got beautified.



Nice!



All the essentials.



Just how great is this year gonna be?

Chuck Hahn

Commissioned for a good time. I had a chance to shoot Chuck's 60th b-day.


Turns out, he's a master trumpet player.


It was a beautiful location; Maderas Golf Course.





The band, Java, did a great job.











Surrounded by good people.











And beautiful fiancés.


We partied through the night.

Thank you for including us in the festivities!

First Sighting

I want to take a minute to give a little insight into the first sighting. It's a little bit controversial - you might say - because it has been a tradition for a couple to not see each other until the beginning of the ceremony. Why, then, are more and more couples opting to see each other before the ceremony?


One of the main reasons is that the moment of seeing each other can be one filled with emotion that most would like to have beautifully captured.


A ceremony location with people standing all around hardly makes for ideal circumstances for pictures, nor for the couple to spend an intimate moment together.


Having shot so many weddings on video (with a wireless mic on the groom), I can tell you first hand that most couples want to say a few words to each other and catch up on their how their days have gone so far, how great each other look, how they have butterflies in their stomachs.


Once the officiant begins to speak, that is very difficult for them to do. In a first sighting, they can take all the time they need.


Before the ceremony, the couple, the families and the wedding party are fresh and excited about their portraits. They usually look more relaxed


Not only do the portraits look better, but since they're (mostly) finished before the ceremony, the couple has far more opportunity to spend with their guests at the reception (or cocktail hour), which is one of the most important parts of the day.


I don't think I've ever had a couple regret doing the first sighting. They are often very thankful that I encouraged them to do so.


It doesn't mean that it's the only way. Plenty of my couples chose to stick to the traditional way and it's fine.


I just figured I'd give some insight on how it has been in my experience - and that of many fellow photographers.


If you'd like to see more images of first sightings, I'm happy to share them with you. Just give me a holler.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Oh, and to answer your question; yes, the bride give-away is still a touching and dramatic moment.

A Starr Studded Wedding

What a joy it was to recently shoot Lisa & Tim Starr's wedding. Perfect weather, fun crowd, awesome Godly couple...an excellent day all around. The key, as we see here, is to just be natural and have fun together. In fact, I usually post more photos of details and activities throughout the day, but Lisa & Tim stole the show. That's why these are pretty much all just images of them.

Recent Randoms V

Sara Traver

Happy 30th, Sara - we love you!

70-200mm 2.8 IS

I'd like to introduce you to the newest member of the Studio 512 family.







What should I name her?

Automobili Lamborghini SpA

Back on April 2nd, just moments before leaving for Europe, I told you about my 'career' as a Lamborghini enthusiast. I also mentioned (while in Italy) that there would be a new post with an update. Well, the time has come to finally tell that part of the story. How can I make it short?




Let's just say it took a lot of asking around and a ton of faith. The Lambo factory has been in the middle of the Italian farmlands of Santa 'Agata Bolognese since the inception of the company in 1963. It's known world-wide by car fanatics, but even the Italians have some trouble telling you how to get there. Long story short, we got up at the crack of dawn in our hosts' house in Bologna and just sort of made our way to that general region. Once we got off the train at the nearest station (a few miles away) we looked for any bus - or even a taxi - in this little rural town. Nothing.

We began to walk...and walk. Finally we came upon a sweet old lady waiting at a bus stop. To summarize a long and convoluted conversation we discovered that her son washed cars at the factory and she would be able to help us find it. We followed her onto the bus and apparently created a little bit of a stir with the locals who were along on the ride. At long last, we arrived as the bus driver pointed the distant building I had seen so many times before - in print and video . Now it was in front us as if to say, "I'd knew you'd make it someday."




I was speechless as Kellye shot video and narrated. It was a moment I won't soon forget. Given the countless obstacles and unknowns, It was miraculous that we were there - let alone on time. We were scheduled for a tour of the factory at 10:30 am, which gave us about 15 minutes to walk around the museum before heading in.





Once the tour began, though, we learned that most of the folks attending were German speakers - and pulled up in Ferraris (if you look at this image, you can see them in the background).




Neither myself, Kellye, nor the other 4 English speakers could understand what was being said, but it wasn't any less enjoyable. As we entered the secure doors of the factory, I couldn't take it in fast enough. There was this absolutely beautiful and surprisingly clean and modern factory before us. The cars are still hand-built, of course, but they've had quite a few upgrades and advancements since they were purchased (just funded, really) by Audi. It was....breathtaking. There were no photos allowed but when I returned, I noticed that my shutter must have just accidentally released somehow. I had absolutely no idea how that could possibly have happened. Well, it's blurry and vague so I have Lamborghini's blessing to share it with you here.




From the hand-stitched seats to the testing dynometer the entire facility was every bit as impressive and awe-inspiring as I'd imagined it. Even Kellye was impressed by it all. She says that even the people working there have a built-in cool. It's true - they do. Despite that, they were all very nice and accommodating. In fact, one guy called me over to let me see some parts up close and gave me a small piece of what he was working on. I believe it's part of the transmission assembly.




During the tour, we got to talking with the other Americans. Once couple flew out from the states and the other couple were cousins and came from Germany where they're stationed. Before concluding, they asked our tour guide if we could possibly have a second tour in English. She agreed! And she showed us areas of the factory that we didn't see the first time around. It was...the best visit I could've hoped for (minus the no photos allowed). In the factory, we also got to see a completed Gallardo Superleggera months before it was even released to the public. Unbelievable. On our way out to the museum and welcoming area, we passed through a lot that had 50+ brand-spanking new Lamborghinis. Uhm....wow.




Jumping ahead, we found ourselves heading to Modena in a 5-passenger rental with the other Americans. They were gracious enough to shove Kellye and I in the last seat (singular) and drive us 26 miles to the Ferrari factory, which I'd secretly hoped we would see while tooling around Italy. When I learned how hard it was to navigate around there, I gave up that hope. Then this opportunity presented itself and we couldn't be more grateful to our American friends.




Unlike Lamborghini, Ferrari is like an amusement park with busloads of teenagers and world-travelers walking around with Ferrari paraphernalia. That is not an exaggeration. And rather than one lot with a few joined buildings, Ferrari is like a small city with roads, buildings, statues, and even flowers giving homage to the car maker.




Ironically, we discovered that the factory was off limits to anyone who doesn't own one of their cars, and the museum cost about $13 each to visit. Truthfully, I just wanted to get a glimpse of the factory, which we did, so Kell and I decided to take a breather, eat a sandwich, take in the scene, and find a bus or train back to Bologna where were staying (the others had their own places to go). While we were still eating, our American friends walked up to the table, dropped two tickets on our table and said, "Enjoy the museum on us and make sure to get a shot of that Enzo for me." We were floored and humbled by such a kind gesture. It rivaled the hospitality we'd experienced from the Italians.




We took our time and for the next hour enjoyed the large, bright, flashy museum. Again, it was interesting to see how it contrasted with Lamborghini. It was quite impressive and I'm blown away that we got to see so much in one day.




Getting back to Bologna proved to be another challenge but we really enjoyed ourselves. Having a chance to experience it all with Kellye made it that much better, but I think her new-found appreciation will really come in handy down the road - when I want to build my exotic car collection.

Recent Randoms IV

Leah & Eric

Beautiful couple at a beautiful location. Not to mention the most popular wedding date in history; 7-7-07. Thank you guys for such a wonderful day. Your comfort with the camera and ability to round up the right family members really helped us get a ton of stuff shot in a very short amount of time. Thanks for letting me be a part of your celebration!










































I want to thank my shooter, Julie, as well as catering manager Ed Kutch of the US Grant and Scott O'hara of Embellishmint who made the event run beautifully in every way.