November 10, 2008 Travel , Weddings

Katy and John were married last month at John's parents insanely amazing home in Palm Springs. I think I've come to realize that backyard weddings are my favorite to shoot... of course it has to be the right backyard. :) The wedding was coordinated by Red 25 Events. They did an awesome job.

Here are a few favorites from the day.

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10 Comments Add A Comment
[November 10, 2008] carrie@urbanbaby said:
gorgeous. these belong in grace ormonde.
[November 10, 2008] Jeremy Gilliam said:
You are consistently raising the bar for all of us. Your portraits glow, your details jump out, your action shots are alive, and you're a sexy beast. Well done, again.
[November 10, 2008] jessica claire said:
there is a ridiculous amount of awesomeness in this post!
[November 10, 2008] jenberry said:
how excited am i. you blogged photos. AND they are wicked and fabulously. you are inspirational. love the couple sitting on the high angle steps. you rule.
[November 10, 2008] Katy Kennedy said:
Michael - You are so awesome! I love, love, love the photos you have posted on the blog. We are so lucky to have worked with you. Can't wait to see the rest of the photos! - Katy
[November 11, 2008] Amy Lewis said:
What a beautiful couple...and a beautiful wedding!
[November 12, 2008] Lawrence @ Furious Photographers said:
Beautiful wedding! Awesome backyard indeed :D
[November 13, 2008] Jennifer said:
WOW! Seriously amazing work. What a fantastic couple. The details are so exquisitely captured-love it!
[November 18, 2008] Cathy and David Photographers said:
DUDE!!! Loving every single shot man but for some reason I really dig the detail shots in these. :)
[December 6, 2008] Tiffany Aicklen said:
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful
September 30, 2008 Weddings

Well, I'm home from Kenya and back in the saddle. I shot Daniel and Mina's wedding on Saturday and it was amazing. Their wedding covered three incredible venues... The Biltmore Hotel, First Congregational Church of LA and Cicada Restaurant in the awesome Oviatt Building.

I'm getting ready to head to Manhattan for a few weeks tomorrow but I thought I'd post a few images for them before they leave for their honeymoon in Thailand and Hong Kong on Friday.

Here are some of my favorites from the wedding!


Mina's beautiful dress and Christian Leboutin shoes. dm01.jpg

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dm08.jpg I found this AWESOME spot inside the Biltmore. I've shot there tons of times but never have seen this.

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dm15.jpg After the ceremony we headed back downtown and shot around Cicada. I love shooting down there.

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7 Comments Add A Comment
[October 1, 2008] Christine said:
Michael-thank you for all your hard work with Daniel and Mina's wedding. Thank you for capturing the day so beautifully!
[October 1, 2008] Jill Erb said:
Wow!! Actually, that deserves a double WOW. WOW WOW!! Your work is amazing. Daniel and Mina are beautiful people, both inside and out, and you captured their day beautifully! --Jill Erb Style & Grace
[October 1, 2008] Linda Truong said:
Michael, I love your work. You even make a dirty alley way look awesome! :D Showwww moreee!!
[October 1, 2008] Daniel said:
Michael, you so seriously rock! We were so honored to have you photograph our wedding. All of these pictures are just amazing, and we can't wait to see the rest. Yeah, that spot you found in the Biltmore was INSANELY AWESOME. I have no idea how you found it, but I'm so glad you did! Thanks again Michael!
[October 2, 2008] chipgillespie said:
Dude -- this wedding is amazing!! Mark Seliger (Rolling Stone) made a book called "In My Stairwell" that is photographs of celebrities in the raw bricked stairwell of the building his studio is in. It's really cool, and your stairwell photos reminded me of it. Google Mark Seliger and check it out.
[October 3, 2008] Maureen said:
Very nice!
[October 8, 2008] sandie said:
love the staircase! these are all amazing. you are so great at what you do!
September 11, 2008 Weddings

To say that Katia and David had an amazing wedding would be an understatement. From the incredible venue, Casa Del Mar, in Santa Monica, to the dream team of vendors including Carolyn Chen coordinating and Elysium Productions handling the videography, this wedding was a dream to shoot.


The day started out about as well as it could have. Its always nice to show up to Jimmy Choo's (the vintage collection) and a Reem Acra.

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[September 11, 2008] josh mccullock said:
whew! incredible stuff dude!
[September 15, 2008] Brian Khang said:
Great stuff Michael, Helen loves purple and I have a feeling our reception will look something like that.

Yari and Edgar were married last month in one the most insane Cathedrals I've ever seen, St. Vincent's, right next to USC. After the ceremony we went and shot around downtown and finished up at MOMA. They had an AMAZING wedding coordinated by the incomparable Karli Tanner of Simply Mumtaz Events.

Here are a few of my favorites from the day!

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This was my favorite part of the day... Edgar serenaded Yari with the help of the Mariachis.

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[August 25, 2008] *B* said:
Wow, the detail shots of the church is amazing!
[August 25, 2008] Veronica A Barajas said:
She's beautiful!! Great pictures at the church. We are the rest of the photos. I heard Kazandra was a knock out.
[August 25, 2008] MsBunn.com said:
That's a FABULOUS shot of the serenade!
[August 26, 2008] chipgillespie said:
Amazing wedding man! Beautiful church! It looks like you guys had a good time. I like the reflecting pond pics. What is the sculpture in a few of the shots that looks like a Cessna exploded??
[August 26, 2008] michael said:
@Chip... Hahahahaha. Like I said we finished shooting at MOMA... The Museum of Modern Art. So apparently that was art, haha.
[August 27, 2008] Edgar said:
WOW!!! That's what I have to say. The pictures are awsome. You were great my man. You captured every important moment. Thank you so much! - Edgar
[August 27, 2008] jeret said:
wow... very nice... great job boss
[August 28, 2008] Bob P. said:
Gorgeous!!
[August 29, 2008] Jeremy Gilliam said:
These photos just absolutely glow with awesomeness!
I'm back. "Busy" just can't describe the way things have been over the past few months. I think about blogging everyday but haven't found the time to do it until now. Even now there are other things I should probably be doing but whatever.

Last week I had a client make a HUGE print order and every single one of the prints they wanted in sepia. I was a little disappointed at first because sepia's not really my favorite thing. Here and there its okay but not every single picture. I worked and worked on those images... trying to find a sepia that I liked. Well, I finally did, and now I love it.

I know this is a departure for me and I'm sure I'm going to get some slack for doing this but I just thought it was fun and had a great feel to it.

Anyway, here they are. Wei and Herman we're married way back in May... I know, I'm soooooo behind. The wedding was at the Ritz Carlton in Laguna Niguel, one of my favorite places.wh01.jpg wh02.jpg wh03.jpg wh04.jpg wh05.jpg wh06.jpg wh07.jpg wh08.jpg wh09.jpg wh10.jpg wh11.jpg

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[August 19, 2008] Amanda Auer said:
You sure did it. They're amazing! Looking forward to the season slowing a bit for you, so that you can blog more eye candy!! :) BTW- Ritz = fave of mine, too.
[August 19, 2008] Bob P. said:
These are beautiful!
[August 19, 2008] Platinum Weddings by Kerrie said:
These are all so timeless and elegant!
[August 19, 2008] joyful weddings & events said:
Beautiful! I was going to say exactly what Kerrie said: timeless!
[August 20, 2008] Brian Khang said:
This is the first time I think someone blogged all sepia photos. Great job!
[August 20, 2008] jeret said:
Wow... These look awesome great job...
[August 22, 2008] Katherine said:
I don't usually like sepia, either, but these are absolutely lovely.
[August 23, 2008] Evelyn said:
Those are nice.
[September 16, 2008] Tina said:
Those pictures are beautiful.. the bridal gown is beautiful too.. I'm wondering where is the bridal grown made from?
[November 30, 2008] Rodolfo Arpia said:
Dude, your images look good in any tone ;-)

A few weeks ago I shot Cort and Ashley's beautiful wedding at the St. Regis. It was an amazing day with awesome vendors. It was designed and coordinated by one of my favorite people, Kerrie Underhill, of Platinum Weddings by Kerrie.

I picked a ton to share today. Here are a "few" of my favorites.


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Meet Benjamin. Apparently if you get a gigantic suite at the St. Regis you also get Benjamin. Benjamin informed Ashley that he was there to do whatever she needed. Whether that was getting scotch tape, pouring champagne, pressing clothes... whatever you might need. I need a Benjamin.


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Florals by: The Spiraled Stem


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Can't complain about finding a sweet red row boat on the beach!


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I love their reactions while making their way through the crowd in the grand entrance!


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Here's where I got carried away... All the amazing paper details were designed by Jocey Bella Invites.


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11 Comments Add A Comment
[August 4, 2008] jason groupp said:
Rockin' shots Man!!
[August 4, 2008] Platinum Weddings by Kerrie said:
Even more fabulous than I ever could have imagined! Thank you again for adding your amazing humor, smile, and easygoing nature to the day. We were so lucky to have you there capturing all the moments:)
[August 4, 2008] Ashley Allyn said:
Michael - we are thrilled with these photos! We can't thank you enough for capturing the day so beautifully, including all the little details. The pictures of Benjamin are priceless, and we really appreciate you risking your life to get those cactus shots! We're so excited to see the rest, too. Love, Ashley and Cort
[August 4, 2008] Akil Bennett said:
killer detail shots dude!
[August 4, 2008] Gloria N said:
Michael, I want a Benjamin too!! Wanna go half and share one, hahaha! No, really you did an awesome job! You totally rocked Ashley & Cort's DAY!
[August 5, 2008] Eric said:
Great shots... Yeah I'm keeping an on things over here!
[August 5, 2008] jeret said:
Awesome job my friend.. love the details
[August 7, 2008] DavidLee said:
these are flipping amazing man! I love the last one and the ones of them on the boat!! Stellar job bro!!
[August 8, 2008] Erin Youngren said:
that cake = stinkin' adorable actually everything about this wedding = stinkin' adorable!
[August 8, 2008] Evelyn said:
Those are great!
[August 22, 2008] Bernice said:
Ashley and Cort are dear friends of mine and I'm so glad you were there to capture the special day so beautifully. I'm so glad that with all the weddings you do you still get carried away and enjoy your job. These photographs are more beautiful than I can tell you. :)
This was a really special wedding for me. I've know Brooke most of her life. Our families have been the best of friends for what seems like forever and we've become this homogenized group affectionately known as "the fam". All that to say, Brooke's like a little sister to me.

Trever started dating Brooke about 5 years ago and from the day I met him I just knew he'd be a perfect addition to the family. We hit it off immediately and over the past several years he's become one of my closest friends. I was a groomsmen in the wedding so I didn't shoot the whole thing but they asked if I'd take them out for some portraits after the ceremony.

These two are almost impossible to take a bad picture of. I still have a ton of images to go through from this wedding but I wanted to put a few up for them to see on their honeymoon.

I love you guys!
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[July 24, 2008] Linhbergh said:
I love this set, it's absolutely cute. :)
[July 24, 2008] Amanda Auer said:
You have out done yourself again. I love these.
[July 24, 2008] Brandi said:
These are so lovely.. And wow they are one good looking couple!
[July 25, 2008] Helen (Dogeared) said:
They are a ridiculously good looking couple, it's true! These are beautiful photos of the happy couple and I hope they had a wonderful day to start their married life. All the best to them, for a long, happy and prosperous future together.
[July 26, 2008] zack said:
i love these two. and the wedding was wonderful as well. great job on the photo mike.
[July 27, 2008] Jenny Lee said:
So beautiful!! These pictures really capture their personality and love.
[July 28, 2008] Brittany Watkins said:
These pictures are so beautiful! Great job Michael!
[July 29, 2008] sarah k chen said:
michael, these are all so beautiful! congratulations to your dear friends!
[July 29, 2008] Tiffany Aicklen said:
Aahhhh! So beautiful! Great photos:)
[July 30, 2008] Jen said:
Wonderful portraits, Michael. Just lovely!
[July 30, 2008] Aaron said:
Hey the new blog looks great, the only thing is you can't text the text in the first blog entry at the top of the page because of the wood background. Images look great!!
[July 31, 2008] neal said:
Beautiful light! Those images are soo much fun. Nice work!
[August 18, 2008] cassandra said:
i am in love with these few photos ~ are there more that we can see somewhere? the bride's dress and bouquet are absolutely perfect and exactly what i've been looking for! any resources you could provide would be SO appreciated...
[October 30, 2008] Asther said:
She's definitely a beauty!
[January 27, 2010] Katy said:
Absolutely stunning images Michael!

Jill and Harry came from the UK to have their wedding at Jill's mom's beautiful home in Fullerton. It was coordinated by one of my favorite people to work with, Courtney Toney! The location was sweet, the flowers and details were awesome and the couple was amazing. This wedding was a dream to shoot. Anyone else having a rad backyard wedding give me a call! I loved it!

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jh19.JPG These are two of my favorite images from the entire day. It was just getting dark, and it was just about time to put the flash on when I noticed them. I had my 50 1.2 on and I shot these at ISO 3200 at f1.8 at an 80th of a second. I could have gotten a much cleaner file shooting with a flash but it wouldn't have the same feel. I just love these.

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[July 15, 2008] Lara @ Southern Weddings said:
This wedding is my favorite all week! AMAZING. I love love love this wedding! Killer images!
[July 16, 2008] carlie said:
those detail shots kick some serious bootay!! and his kicks are amazing!!!
[July 16, 2008] Anonymous said:
Oh my gosh...how incredible is that??? These may be some of your best ever! Mom :)
[July 16, 2008] joyful weddings & events said:
A.maz.ing. Love them! It was such a fantastic wedding to be a part of and I am so happy that we have your incredible pics!
[July 16, 2008] Matt said:
I would have to agree with mama Norwood... Some of your best work for sure. Sweet colors to work with and you nailed the detail shots. LOVE the ring shots!
[July 16, 2008] Natalie Williams said:
I love the details, such a great color combo! Your images never cease to amaze me!
[July 16, 2008] Amanda Auer said:
Wow, Michael. These are truly stunning! What a fun wedding to be a part of!!
[July 16, 2008] Jasmine* said:
Seriously beautiful, my friend!! So darn clean, sharp, and pretty!! :)
[July 30, 2008] Jen said:
Mike, you did so well capturing their personalities. The colors look amaaazing! Looks like such a fun couple...love the shots in front of the store!
[October 30, 2008] Asther said:
Yummy yummy details!

Last week I shot Thanh and Nguyen. They know ahead of time that we're not going to have a lot of time on the day of the wedding so we scheduled a couple of hours to make sure we had some great stuff of them alone so we can be a little more relaxed when the day comes. We went to Laguna Beach and had a great time and were blessed with incredible light. Here are a few favorites!

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[July 12, 2008] jeret said:
Very nice my friend...
[July 13, 2008] Jory Cordy said:
good idea getting them done early. i freaking love the one shot by that kitchen!
[July 14, 2008] Amanda Auer said:
Cuuuuute, Michael! I love it!
[July 30, 2008] Jen said:
amazing photos on the jetties! wonderful location! WOW! amazing DOF you get in some of these photos...i'm not sure how you're doing it...but I'd love to know.

A few weeks ago I shot Emily and Colby's wedding outside Tulsa.  I'll be posting more soon but I was working on the images today and wanted to share a couple.

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[July 8, 2008] jeret said:
wow man... I can't wait to see the rest
[July 10, 2008] Sara said:
Wow, these are amazing...she will be thrilled! --Sara in San Antonio
[July 11, 2008] Evelyn said:
Those are pretty.
[July 30, 2008] Jen said:
great looking couple. beautiful location you had there. love the 2 you showed here!
[October 30, 2008] Asther said:
Love the one with the lake as background. Soooo romantic!
[December 2, 2008] Jade Webb said:
You're work is absolutely beautiful. I can't stop looking at these images. amazing