August 17, 2009

Before and After for the Pala Bridal show

I’ve spent the last few days in a fury of preparing prints, scheduling rental equipment, and general craziness getting ready for the upcoming Pala Casino Bridal expo on Sunday. As I was selecting prints, I came across an image from a wedding I did a few years back here in San Diego for Cameryn & John (above left). It had a great view of the foothills around the Ramona area, but the sky was completely blown out. I thought that it would be a great image if I could do something about the sky.

That’s when I remembered that I had a super intense glowing sunset shot from the same wedding (above right), and if I could get that great image I needed.

So into Photoshop I went. Now, it’s important to know how light works, how it falls off and gets reflected and refracted in the real world. And in this photo I was dealing with a strong directional light from the right, as well as a mountain in the background that fell off due to the strong light as well as some atmospheric haze.
What I did to compensate for that is created a white gradient come up from the mountain and fading into the sky and desaturated the sky so it was not too powerful.

The resulting picture looks very natural, and retains the character of that beautiful afternoon we took those photos. I will also be blowing up this picture to 20″x40″, mounting it on Masonite, and using it in the back of my booth over all the other photos.

If you are up in the Fallbrook area on Sunday, come see me at the Pala Casino at the Bridal show. I am in booth 60 near the Fashion Show. Come say “Hi” and see the above print.

Posted in Wedding Photography
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August 11, 2009

Yes… I have moved back to San Diego

DSCF2252

As I had mentioned in my last post, I have moved back to San Diego for good.
I still have to come back for some photoshoots and a weddings I have booked, so I will have a chance to hang out with some of you Austin-ites again.

I just wanted to share a few things

  • Why I moved and why it was so sudden
  • My journey out to San Diego
  • My future here in San Diego as a wedding and portrait photographer

~There are a couple reasons for leaving Austin. I had a chance to take stock in my life, where I wanted it to go, and where I was. The truth is, I was spending my time trying to make money so I could visit back to San Diego more than I was. I was also using a consulting job I had and the economy as an excuse to not move back.
But what I was really hiding to myself was the strong desire to be close to my dear friends, and be able to surf every afternoon I wanted.

And when my divorce to Heather became final on July 15th, there was one less thing keeping me from moving back. From the beginning, I think we were really just trying to fit a round peg in a square hole. It’s very unfortunate and sad. I wasn’t happy trying to fit that mold. Through it, I’ve found a profound respect for honesty with oneself.

And with that honesty, I saw that if I didn’t move back I would only hurt myself more. And that I would constantly be living a life ruled by my circumstances and excuses. So I took back my life two days before I was supposed to leave on vacation. The next day, I started getting things lined up to move out.

~With Austin in the rear view mirror, I set out to climb a mountain. It was a metaphor and an actual physical challenge. A new beginning in life seems like a spiritual and emotional mountain to ascend.
Sierra Blanca is the highest mountain in Southern New Mexico, as well as the Southern U.S. I had first learned about it back in ’98 or ’99. But then it was only the backdrop to the Spencer Performing Arts Center in Ruidoso, NM. It was designed by Antoine Predock, who, as a Architecture  student at the time, I had a major crush on. One year on a photo trip through the Southwest, I made sure to include Ruidoso on my itinerary to see the building up close.

Since then I have had an unquenchable desire to climb a mountain. And Sierra Blanca was a good one to start with. 12,000ft, easy trail for most of the way up the 2,500 foot elevation change, a little scrambling before the summit, but nothing technical. So that was the one
I tried on my last trip to San Diego over Christmas, but the mountain was covered in 24″ of fresh powder which denied an attempt at the summit.
But on my way out this last time, I had beautiful conditions. And I did it!

It was the most physically challenging thing I’d ever done in my life. The altitude punished my lungs and consequently my oxygen deprived legs. Even the slightest uphill slopes would have my sucking air. There was a smaller peak to the North of Sierra Blanca called Lookout Peak, and as I rested at the top, and saw my goal in the distance, I knew nothing was going to stop me from achieving what I wanted to that day. The ascent up the saddle was the worst thing I had put my body through, but an hour later as I scrambled over those last few boulders and I walked out 12,000 feet over New Mexico, it was the greatest feeling of accomplishment in my life.

~Taking the metaphor of the mountain to my new beginning here in San Diego, it is very much like looking out at that big peak, knowing that this is something I will do. It will be very tough, starting a business in this economy is a tough prospect. But I know that I am a gifted person, I know that I can provide an amazing service, and I have a tremendous amount of faith that my work will spread and the business will grow. My goal is to become recognized as one of the top 10 wedding photographers in San Diego.

It will be tough, but I am already hot on the path, I have an appointment to be voted into the Professional Photographers of San Diego County which is the local PPA affiliate, and seek out possibly becoming a board member, I am lining myself up for the big bridal shows, and looking for any and every opportunity to promote myself and my photography. My days, inbetween hunting for a real job, has been market research and putting together product offerings. I’ve never been more motivated to make this work.

~Things have been a bit of a whirl wind the past couple weeks.  And, I had a photographer friend from England ask how I continue to photograph people being so expressly happy on their wedding day, while I go through my divorce and a big upheaval in my own life.
It’s quite easy for me actually. I’ve been photographing and surfing since before I was 14 years old. I’m happiest in life when I’m doing one of those two things.
And knowing that we all are not perfect, that we all have some form of crap to deal with in our lives, documenting an occasion when everyone takes a break from that stuff in life, to honor and celebrate two people’s love for one another is just the tops for me. I couldn’t be happier.

…Well maybe if the wedding took place on surfboards.

Posted in Personal
2 Comments
July 31, 2009

A Welcome Back to San Diego Wedding – Erin & Mike’s Beach Wedding

Swami's Beach Wedding

Wow… It has really been a very eventful couple of weeks.

  • My divorce to Heather became finalized on July 15th, which was to be our 2 year anniversary.
  • My week long trip to San Diego for my birthday became a moving trip in the Nth hour.
  • And on my drive out, I climbed the 12,000 ft Sierra Blanca in New Mexico which turned out to be the most physically challenging thing I have ever done.

And upon arrival, my dear friend, Marne, had arranged for me to photograph two of the most warm spirited and incredible people, as they came together as man and wife during a very intimate ceremony at Swami’s Beach in Encinitas.

Erin and Mike are two of the coolest people I have met. Both incredibly warm souls that wanted most to share their union with their closest friends and family before they moved back to Europe. Their ceremony was led by their yoga instructor, Tim from the Ashtanga Yoga Center in Carlsbad, who spoke about Ashtanga as having eight limbs to master, but in his own philosophy, marriage was like a ninth limb, in that it was above and beyond all that was needed or desired to be achieved during our time on this planet.
The thirty or so witnesses gathered in a semi circle facing the beach, listening to Tim’s delivery in deep thought, and then to Erin and Mike share their vows to each other, with emotion and happiness.

One of my favorite moments of the entire day was after the ceremony, as Erin and Mike walked towards the point alone, I snuck up behind them and popped a couple shots off. It was then that I noticed a tandem surfing couple take off on a wave, and as the man lifted his partner, the significance of man and woman as partners came to life in a visual metaphor right in front of me. The male surfer held his partner at chest height just as she swept her body up into a swan dive position. I grabbed the shot, while the newlyweds in front of me looked on. It was one of those gifts from the higher powers. I’ve included a photo above, if you look at the inset, you can make out the dark figures riding the wave with the woman’s arms and legs pointing up to the line on the horizon.

At the reception Erin and Mike were reunited with everyone to enjoy Peruvian and South American food and wine at Casa Q’ero in Leucadia. The night lasted until 11pm when they cut their vegan carrot cake.

Mike and Erin, thank you for allowing me to share such a beautiful time with you, your family and your friends. Congratulations and I wish you only happiness, strength and flexibility in your journey of the Ninth Limb, aka Marriage.

And a big thanks to Patrick and April at Casa Q’ero for making sure I was fed and hydrated, and to the rest of the staff also, for tolerating me and my camera in the kitchen.

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July 1, 2009

Hot Summer Nights!

Win a Free Engagement Session and 8×10

July and August are heating up! And what better time is there to show off your passion for your fiance with an engagement portrait session on a steamy summer evening.

Well, I’m excited to announce that I will be holding a drawing for four lucky couples to score a free engagement session with yours truly and an 8×10 print.
Two random entries will be chosen on July 10th and another two on August 10th. The sessions will need to be scheduled before the end of each month. And after the session you will select your 8×10 and I will have it printed and delivered to you.

If you are interested in entering please fill out the contact form with “Hot Summer Nights” in the Subject field and good luck!!!

*Oh… and this is for Austin area couples only.

**The drawing will take place at 11:59PM on July 10th, All entrants, except the winners, will be automatically rolled over to the August 10th drawing.

Posted in Engagement Photography
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June 30, 2009

Woo Hoo! I got 2nd Place at the Austin PPA

My Bridal Portrait won 2nd place at the Austin PPA

Wedding Bridal Portrait at Krause Springs

I joined the Austin PPA (Professional Photographers Association) two months ago. I figured in order to get my name out there as a legitimate wedding photographer in Austin, I needed to belong in the professional organizations, network with other photographers, and continue my learning process with the guest speakers they have every month.

Last night was my first foray into the print competition though. It turned out to be a very competitive night. There were about 12 entries and after seeing each one I was really thinking I’d be lucky to place.

ppa-print-competition

As it turned out, I took the Red Ribbon! I just nudged out a maternity shot with very pretty lighting, and my photo BFF Maria Bernal nailed First Place with an exquisite fashion portrait.

I actually owe Maria some credit on this photo. She offered a little critique that really pushed this portrait from good to great.

And thank you to Seasha McKay for being a sport and climbing up on this stump, and basically doing all the crazy things asked of you, including swimming in a dress that had to weigh sixty pounds wet.

Posted in Studio News
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June 21, 2009

Wedding Client Print Club

Austin Wedding Photography Client - Fine Art Print Club

I’m really excited to unveil the “Print of the Year Club” for all my wedding clients.

If you have known me for anytime, you know I have a huge passion for Fine Art and Landscape photography. Well, each year every one of my wedding clients  will receive a FREE 10×15 print (5×15 or 8.5×15 in the case of panoramas), matted and signed by me. This is merely a constant “Thank You” for choosing me to document your wedding.The best part is, the clients get to vote for the winner! I will post 5 pictures and everyone will vote for which print gets to be the print of the year!

The first one will begin this November, and the prints will be sent out to arrive in December, so please make sure I have your latest address. All past wedding clients are eligible (even those first ones that I shot for $600), and all future clients are automatically enrolled too.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact me.

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May 19, 2009

The Wee Ones

me-swimmingI thought I’d post a few more of my favorites from this weekend camping trip. The one to the left was taken by Nana Akins while I was swimming over to the other side to get a few shots of Seasha going off the rope swing.
Mind you, this was after I had drowned my iPhone the day before!

The other photos below are of Laura and Seasha’s wee ones. The little ones were playing in the mud puddles right after a big lightning storm passed through. And I was lubed up enough with beer to go and play and photograph them.

Enjoy!
krause-springs-camp-trip-1

krause-springs-camp-trip-2

krause-springs-camp-trip-3

krause-springs-camp-trip-4

Posted in Portrait Photography
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May 19, 2009

A Weird, Watery Weekend!

I’m not even sure I can present a story that fully illustrates the crazy roller coaster of a weekend I had, so I’ll keep it to a simple narrative.

Friday:

I was very excited to start heading out to Krause Springs, where myself and some fellow photographers from an online photo group were going to get together and do a TTD (Trash The Dress) session with a couple models for portfolio type work, and just to have fun and meet each other.

On my way out for a pre-trip errand, I noticed that I missed a call. I check the voice mail, and chills begin running down my spine. The voice on the message said, ” Hello William, This is Grace Ormonde… Give me a call back. I’d like to talk to you.”

It was all I could do to keep the car on the road! For those that don’t know, Grace Ormonde is the woman behind Grace Ormonde’s Wedding Style, a high-style wedding magazine. I had submitted a wedding I had photographed a few months to just get a gauge for where my photography matched up to everyone else that was submitting. And she just called me… I had to collect myself for a few minutes, and then made the call back.

We talked for at least twenty minutes about the funny post I wrote about my odds of getting published with her, how much she loved my fine art portrait work, and that she wants to see my next submission.
*Note: Some of the work below may be part of that next submission

After I got off the phone, I had to call my photo BFF here in town Maria Bernal and I made her guess who I just talked to… She wasn’t very good at that game, I had to tell her. I could barely walk my knees were so weak! I also called my Mom, and I posted to my Flickr group of wedding photographers.

And I was still excited about camping and the TTD session!

I am the first one out to Krause Springs since it’s just a short 40 minutes from Austin, and Laura Burlton and her family were coming from Houston. The others weren’t coming until Saturday. I set up my own camp, and then began a recon mission and found some amazing places to photograph.
Laura and her family arrived, and I went to meet her and Alex her husband and two little girls. We got their camp all set up and then ran down to jump in the swimming hole to cool off.

And then…

I jumped into the swimming hole with my keys and my iPhone still in my pockets!!!

I did not realize this for 10 minutes!At which point I could only hope that it would dry out and work again.

After speaking to Grace Ormonde, there was not much that could have dampened my high, but drowning a phone that I had paid $400 for came really close.

Saturday:

After a great nights sleep in my tent, I woke up with the sun. Laura had slipped off and came back with some coffee to share. Our model Seasha (who Laura and myself both know separately) arrived shortly after with her wee ones, and one more photographer from the group, Nana Aikins, showed up, and we went off to shoot.

We photographed for about an hour (photos below) and it began to rain. I hadn’t put my rain fly on the tent the night before, and when I got back I had a soaked sleeping back and a puddle on the downhill side of my tent.

The four of us gathered under a metal cover and drank beer as a lightning storm began to pass through (no one said it was smart). We polished off 4 beers each, while the kids played in the mud puddles, and then decided it was time for a BBQ lunch at Opie’s Barbecue in Spicewood. It rained while we ate delicious brisket and sausage and chicken.

Then it was time for another round of photos in a different dress. We had another model lined up, as well as a couple other photographer friends that had planned to come out, but the rain ruled them out. Our afternoon session was a lot of fun.

Nana had to leave a little early, and when we wrapped up photographing Seasha invited us over to her house where she found us places to sleep, I threw together a big stockpot of chicken soup and we all sat around, chatted, looked at some of the photos, and enjoyed everyones company until we all fell asleep.

Sunday:

Sunday was a lazy day. We all had to leave, but we delayed that as long as we could. After a delicious egg and sausage scramble that Seasha whipped up, we all went down to her parents pool, and watched the kids swim and play. Slowly, we all got ready and headed off to our separate lives once again.

I had a great time, with some great people.
I took part in a kick butt TTD session.
I lost my phone, but not before Grace Ormonde called me.
This weekend may have been my strangest/weirdest/funnest ever!

Enjoy the photos.

Bridal, Trash The Dress (TTD) Krause Springs, Austin TX

Bridal, Trash The Dress (TTD) Krause Springs, Austin TX

Bridal, Trash The Dress (TTD) Krause Springs, Austin TX

Bridal, Trash The Dress (TTD) Krause Springs, Austin TX

Posted in Wedding Photography
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May 6, 2009

Rain, A Blessing For Weddings

Jacq & Chris - Courtesy of Table 4 Photography

The last time it rained while I was at a wedding, I was in a little town called San Juanico in Baja California on a surf trip. San Juanico is just a dusty, and dirty fishing village about 800 miles south of San Diego, and is renowned for it’s very long right hand point break. The break is called Scorpion Bay and has attracted a small American ex-pat community. On this particular trip I was honored to be invited to attend the wedding reception for one of the surfer ex-pats and a local girl roughly half his age.

The day of the reception was hot and lazy, just like all the other days in San Juanico, but the breeze off the ocean helped – so did beer. I made my way from the camp, down the lunar dust dirt road, right along the point where you can look over the 50 or so concrete block houses and corrugated roofs that made up the town. They all seemed to be held together with mortar, wire and will. On the right was the bay which was usually teeming with whales or dolphins and surf, today there was neither, so no one was missing anything as a result of the wedding.

I was greeted with smiles, open arms, and a Tecate at the home of the bride’s parents. Everyone was pitching in, preparing for the new couple to arrive. I kept asking in my broken Spanish if I could help with something.
“Necisitas ayuda?” I would ask various people.
“No, no. Sienta te, toma una cervesa. Relaja” They would all say.

So I spoke with some of the other surfers, learned a little bit about the town and history. Tried to talk with the family occasionally and took the advice. I relaxed, drank beer and ate carne asada.

The evening came and the bride and groom made their entrance. This was a poor town, but they went all out with the dress, and I think there were a few broken hearts that day, she was beautiful! The band struck up and people started to party and offer felicidades. It was still hot and people sweated while they danced and moved around under the tent even as the sun made it’s way past the glowing Mexican Pacific.

Then, just as the couple started their first dance, and without any sign of warning, the heavens opened up and dumped buckets of rain right on top of the town!

We all looked at each other for a short astonished moment, then our collective gaze turned back to the bride and groom still mid-dance. They seemed so much more vibrant and alive and in love with each other than before, if that was even possible.

The band began playing louder and more powerfully. The beer and tequila began flowing more freely. Dozens of guests, from the young pretty nińas, to the old leather skinned abuelos began dancing and shouting and hollering. Members of the brides extended family ran into the house and came back out with large glass jars and lifted them into the sky to collect the rain which had then turned into a deluge.

It took some investigation by all of us surfers to understand why the rain had made everyone so loco and happy and excited. We finally got word that San Juanico was in the middle of a three year long drought! And the marriage has now become a blessing to not only the families, but now the entire community. The people collecting rain in jars planned to pass the water down to future generations!

I thought of that couple from San Juanico this weekend as I stood at Chris Elders’s side during his wedding. Standing in line with his brother-in-law Chris and Derrick, the other groomsmen, I could see outside the church that it had begun to rain heavily. In that moment I knew that the rain was a powerful binding force, that was beyond my understanding, but it was clear that it would hold a great symbolism for both couples forever.

I looked back over to Chris and his beautiful new wife, Jacqueline, at the altar, and couldn’t help but think about the stories that probably still circulate in that little town about the wedding that ended the drought.

And then I thought that we would talk about Jacqueline and Chris’ wedding day too.  We would all have our own touching moments and stories. And, while the rain did not end a drought it was most certainly a blessing upon both families.

P.S. I would like to give Jason and Andrew of Table 4 Photography props for doing such an amazing job. The photo of Jacq and Chris above was taken by them.

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April 9, 2009

My Bestfriend is Getting Married

Chris Elders and William Bay“Back in the day” as they say, is when I met Chris Elders. We met each other while working in a live/work loft on 12th and J Street in San Diego. He and his sister Tanya were running Ignite My Site, a small web development firm in the front and living in the back at the time.

When I moved into one of the open units, and we became neighbors, a strong friendship began to form. He introduced me to the magic of “House” music, and Landmark Education. And I like to think that I helped him strengthen his eye with his hobby and passion of photography.

We have always been on similar wavelengths.
We have  the same entreprenurial and adventurous spirit.
We have been down like paths; military families, we’ve both lived in Japan, Tiger Cruises to Hawaii, San Diego roots.
We have even met each other, before we met each other – a casual “Hi” on a roof party one Street Scene, years before we actually met.
And we made our exit from San Diego at the same time. He went off to live a life in New York, and I went off to Thailand after the tsunami.

While our paths diverged in the physical sense, we have always been there for each other. I remember midnight calls from him while I was in Thailand. And we have always been a chat message or a Skype call away from each other.

I would tell a great story here, but most of the stories would have legal implications for both of us if I shared it publicly. I can say that Chris is one of the most trustworthy and honorable people in this universe, and I always knew that he had my back no matter what was going on.

When Heather and I got married, he was my first choice to have there. Since we had Moen (who has now passed on) be the best dog, we decided to have Chris perform our ceremony.

And now it’s his turn to make the commitment.

He has met the love of his life; Jacqueline Nguyen.
And I couldn’t be more happier for him. (As I write this I’m actually welling up with joy and tears). We’ve both experienced each other’s ups and downs with relationships. And while I’m going through my divorce with Heather, I’m so excited that he has found the one person he wants by his side.

I’m also very excited that he has chosen me to be one of his Groomsmen. It will be my first time as a Groomsman, and it’s been a while since I’ve been to a wedding where I wasn’t the photographer (I even shot some at my own wedding). It might be a little strange not having a camera in hand.
I did help them find Jason and Andrew at Table 4 and I know they are going to do an awesome job.

Jacqueline and Chris, Much Aloha – I’ll see you guys in a month!

To read more about them, here is their story.

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