Bill Blakey Photography- Southern California Wedding Photography

IT'S ALIVE!!!!!

2009-03-21T22:40:00.001-07:00

That's right, the NEW BLOG IS UP!!!!! CHECK IT OUT HERE!!!!

Packing Up, Moving Out....

2009-03-21T11:15:00.001-07:00

That's right, dear blog readers. Moving day is upon us! Yes, this is the big "project" that I have been working on.

Sometime later today, I will be unveiling the link to my NEW BLOG!!!!!

I am very excited to share it with you! Check back later today!

Foto Friday #10- Get Carded

2009-03-06T19:36:00.000-08:00

FOTO FRIDAY #10- Get Carded For the past few weeks, I have been laboring on many projects. Life has been full (and thoroughly enjoyable) and thus the past couple weeks of the Foto Friday blog series have been neglected.

The project that I would like to share with you today is the new business cards that I have! I am super excited about them! My friends Peter and Jessica Ross of P and 2M Design did them and I couldn't be more pleased! I love the way that they are simple and I love the texture and feel of the card in my hand. Basically, I would say that they are classy. And fun, perhaps?

There are more things that I working on for photography and am excited about and I will be sharing them with you soon!

Have a great weekend!

Tyler's Birthday

2009-02-28T11:42:00.000-08:00

I have a nephew. His name is Tyler. Tyler Turned Three last weekend! Cory and I swooped down to South County for some Birthday festivities and it was really fun!

My brother Ben, who had staked out a spot near the Spinach Artichoke dip, was in attendance.

As was my mom.

Tyler, wondering where the presents are....

We got Tyler these really cool foam swords that we found in the $1 bin at Target!!!

I think he kind of liked them....

There was much swordfighting for the rest of the party.

Uncle Ben lost a hand during the battle...

Mental note for the next time we give swords as gifts- bring sheaths to go with them.

He also received a Rhino. There was much rejoicing over the Rhino and many Rhino faces made by all.

I love this picture. Happy Birthday Tyler!!!

Nick and Christie

2009-02-25T23:53:00.000-08:00

Blogging has sparse as of late! There are many reasons, some of which have to do with big things upcoming for Bill Blakey Photography that I will be making you aware of soon. But for now, let's get back to the things that hopefully make this blog a place worth visiting- the photographs.

This weekend, we went out with Nick and Christie to their engagement session! They are tying the knot in Idaho in May. We had a great time with you guys! I have known Nick for a while and have really enjoyed him as a person and his outlook on life and so it was really fun to get to know Christie a bit as well and getting to spend time with them as a couple.

Thanks again, Nick and Christie!

The Homecoming of Emma Blakey!

2009-02-08T23:58:00.000-08:00

I'm an Uncle. Again! Yesterday morning, my older brother's wife Christa had their second child, Emma Jane Blakey! We got to hang with them and meet her and she is really cool. She is so little and so awesome, like a bundle of cool. It was really fun to be able to photograph her at just over a day old at my brothers house! Bob and Christa, it was great to hang with you guys and to meet Emma!

The Photo above warrants some explanation. Tyler (the original cuteness himself) when he got to the hospital, quickly noticed that while Mom and Dad and Emma had all gotten really cool wristbands, he had not received his. He mentioned that to the nurse and a few moments later he was presented with his own Big Brother wristband! Here are Bobby and Tyler sporting their wristbands...

Foto Friday...errrr Saturday #9- Be Inspired

2009-01-31T20:45:00.000-08:00

Once again, my apologies for my tardiness in the Foto Friday post!

I started to write this post but then decided to change it up a bit, so here it is.

The above image was taken out in Palm Springs where Cory and I took our vacation in December. There was a golf course at the hotel where we were staying (I'm pretty sure that ALL hotels in Palm Springs have golf courses attached. I think the Motel 6 is next to the miniature golf course). We took a late afternoon stroll alongside the course and strolled out to take a few photos when there was nobody coming and it was really quite enjoyable.

I was perusing back through these images while thinking of this post (I just got my camera back from the shop yesterday so I haven't had anything fresh to post) and it made me think of golf. Golf has been a big part of my life, even from the time when I was six and was kicked off the golf-course for making divots in the green with my five iron. Golfing has been a Blakey family tradition (at least for the boys) for many years and as I was editing this image (just for fun) I was thinking of my dad.

My folks were out for dinner this evening (Wood Ranch es muy bueno) and I guess that's why I thought of him. But I think I also thought of him because in the area of golf I have been continually inspired by my Dad. My dad is, as members of the football team in college would say, "Just a guy," but if you've been with him for 18 holes, you'd know he's anything but "just a guy" at golf.

When my dad steps up to the tee, he has to radio air traffic control because when he hits a drive, the ball literally takes off. Many a time in recent years have I stepped up to the tee and felt like I absolutely crushed one, only to see my dad, with a nice, smooth, swing outdrive me by a good 30 yards. Playing a round of golf with my dad is usually downright inspirational.

I can remember many times as a younger lad watching my dad on the practice range and trying to swing like him. While I never was quite able to swing exactly like him, I think it really helped me develop a rhythm to my swing and improved my game.

Photography is very similar to golf in this respect. Seeing the work of the other photographers who are more experienced or in some cases- more talented than you, can really help your photography to improve. Seeing great photographs, studying them, and in some ways trying to emulate them is one of the best ways to develop your "eye" as a photographer. Some say that it is wrong to try to "copy" other photographers work, but I say that it is actually kind of impossible to do so. You may try and try to swing like another photographer, but you'll never quite be able to duplicate their swing. However, in the process of trying to swing like them, you'll develop your own swing.

THIS WEEK'S TIP- BE INSPIRED. I have photographers whose work inspires me and whose handle on the business of photography I aspire to. Someday I might share the list, but I don't think that's the point of this evening's post. The point is to encourage you to find other photographers whose work you really enjoy and be inspired by them.

Thanks for those of you who have written in with other questions to be answered by future Foto Fridays. I'm looking forward to tackling them soon!

Foto Friday #8- The need to Succeed

2009-01-23T13:30:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Friday. I am excited today as I am leaving in a little over an hour to spend a weekend up on the mountain at a Winter Camp with the Junior High Students I work with at my church. I am really hoping that this weekend will be a weekend of change and growth for the students and that we will have a great time.

But on to FOTO FRIDAY! This weeks tip is related to questions that I have received from a few different photographers, and it relates to weddings (I love weddings.)

Weddings are awesome things to photograph. Everyone is looking their best, the details have been planned for month and people are, well, happy. I never get tired of photographing weddings because every one is unique and the interactions between each couple and their family and friends are genuine and special.

However, Weddings are also intense to photograph. There are no-reshoots. Moments only happen once and you can't always control them like you could on a produced shoot.

So, from one photographer who is continually honing his craft to others, here's todays tip- BE SUCCESSFUL AT YOUR WEDDINGS!!!

Just remember your S's (pronounced essssessss) to photograph a wedding successfully.

#1- Settings. There's just no way around it. If you haven't mastered your camera and made it your slave to do your will, weddings will be very difficult. You can't recreate a moment because you were shooting in Aperture mode and didn't get your light reading correctly (Kristin- jk, some are pros at shooting in Aperture mode). When you have your time with the Bride and Groom, you can't be wasting it while they are away from their guests for you to putz around with your settings.

This takes practice. I recommend that any photographers wanting to get into weddings volunteer to second shoot for an established photographer to practice. Nothing like snapping 1500 frames in one day to help your speed and use of your camera improve. Keep shooting.

#2- Scheduling. Weddings run on a schedule, and often run behind it. Giving yourself time to be creative so neither you or the couple or the bridal party are feeling rushed will go a long way to helping you grab the awesome shots you want to get. Work with the Bride and the wedding planner before the wedding to make sure that you have enough time to get great photos. I usually like 45 minutes at least with just the bride and groom and additional time for Bridal party photos/family photos. Try to build in some cushion if you are planning photos beforehand as people (even the guys) tend to be late.

#3- Scouting, of a few different kinds.

First- the location. You need to find areas around your venue that have got great light and pleasing backgrounds to shoot. For the photos in this post, the wedding was held in Pasadena and so I arrived about a half an hour before we started shooting to be able to walk around the neighberhood and we ended up finding some pretty cool places to shoot within a block from the church when the area around the church wasn't the most pleasing to work with. I think we got some great shots!

Second-the people. As a photographer, you must be a student of your couple and their family. Learn to anticipate moments, and you'll be there to capture them. Pay attention to what is happening even around the couple and it will help you to anticipate what will happen next. With the cake cutting, for example, see where the couple is choosing to stand and get yourself in postion at the right angle to take the photos. Anticipate interaction between the couple and be ready for it.

Third- the shots you want to get. Have ideas. Not necessarily of specific poses you want them to use (although it is handy to have a few of those in the bag for each wedding to work from). But scout the interactions you want to photograph, the emotions you want to capture and the feel you want your photography to convey.

That's it for this Foto Friday. I've got to run! Have a great weekend and I'll return e-mails on Monday! Bill

The Seggmans

2009-01-20T16:23:00.000-08:00

I am very excited to share this family session with all of you! Over the past year or two we have been blessed to get closer to a really cool family that we have fast become friends with. We rent a house from them and they are wonderful people. A week and a half ago we got to hang with them for some family pictures.

We met up at Dos Lagos and you could tell that some of the Seggman family were a bit apprehensive at the thought of "family pictures." Not to worry, we got them having fun and relaxed and I am pretty excited about the photographs we ended up with! Probably the thing that I was most excited about, however, was the whole family telling me afterwards- that actually was fun!

One of my favorite jumping pictures. Ever.

They're classy...

And rockstars...

The parental units- John and Stephanie...

They're a family that doesn't mess around....

The whole family doing the "levitator." Check out Jordan on the far left. Nailed it!

Let's just say that the older brothers are pretty protective of their younger sister.

Thanks again Seggmans! Let's hang out again soon! Oh, and if the plethora of pictures above were not enough, check out a slideshow I made of their session below!

Welcome!

2009-01-18T00:02:00.000-08:00

WELCOME!!! You've found Bill Blakey Photography and we're glad you're here. Bill Blakey Photography specializes in shooting weddings and senior portraits all over Southern California and is available for travel (especially if you're planning a destination wedding in Hawaii!).

We'd love to get together with you and discuss your wedding or senior portrait experience, so please always feel free to e-mail us at info@billblakey.com.

Look forward to talking with you soon!

Bill Blakey Photography. Classy. Fun.

P.S. The website is currently getting a bit of a revamp, but feel free to visit it by using the link below during update process.

www.billblakey.com

Robert + Jolinda

2009-01-17T11:51:00.000-08:00

A week ago today, Cory and I met up with Rob and Jolinda for an engagement session near the Santa Monica pier. Rob's a great friend of mine from the college days and it was great to see him again and meet his Fiance Jolinda.

Rob and Jolinda flew out from there home city of Tyler, Texas. Jolinda thought they were coming out to meet some of Rob's friends and have fun. Rob knew otherwise. The day before our engagement session, Rob took Jolinda to Malibu and popped the question. She said yes! Rob also had to tell us the funny story that apparently Pierce Brosnan was the first one to congratulate them on the beach.

We had such a great time hanging out with you guys! Excited for your wedding!

Enjoy the photos!

Tags: Southern California Wedding, Southern California Engagement Photography, Los Angeles Engagement Photography, Santa Monica Engagement Photography, Orange County Wedding, Orange County Wedding Photography, Orange County Engagement Photography

Foto Friday #7- Great Photographs, For Rent

2009-01-16T14:49:00.000-08:00

Yes. This Foto Friday post is actually posted on Friday. I apologize for the bitter disappointment that many of you must felt when you visited last Friday.

A great photograph is kind of like a stew. All the ingredients have to cook just right or else it's just soup.

One of the main ingredients to a great photograph is the choice and use of lens. Given the situation, the lighting, the background and the effect and feel of the photo that you are trying to achieve, the right lens can make all the difference.

One of the ways a new photographer can take their photos to the next level is to use great lenses. Now, while these lenses don't always have to be expensive (see my blog post about a few that aren't here), it's no question that the more expensive lenses are better than the cheaper ones. That poses a problem for new photographers, because the lenses are a substantial investment.

THIS WEEK's TIP- RENT Lenses. That's right, rent. Of course, work to purchase your own lenses and have a base of a few choice ones that you can work off of so you aren't always having to deal with renting, but renting lenses is a great option to add the feel of a certain lens to your repertoire for a shoot.

For those of you located in SoCal, a great option is Samy's Camera. Just this past weekend, I rented the Canon 85mm 1.2L lens for a couple of shoots I did this past weekend. It's a lens that would cost me nearly $1900 to purchase and I rented it for the weekend for $40! While I would love to have it, someday, for now, renting it is a good option.

Another option that I have not personally used but hear great things about is the website BorrowLenses.com. You can reserve lenses and they are shipped out to you and you ship them back. A little bit more expensive than Samy's, but if you factor that in to your costs, you can definitely make it work.

I'll leave you for now with one of my photos from the engagement session of Rob + Jolinda this past weekend. Shot with the 85 1.2. Look forward to the full post coming soon, real soon.

Have a great Friday!!!

Foto Friday #6- Give your images some luvin...

2009-01-09T19:59:00.000-08:00

Well, I posted it pretty close to Friday...
I am hoping all of you are enjoying a blessed and joyous New Year and I thought that I would take this evening as an opportunity to get this year's installments of Foto Friday up and running.
THIS WEEK'S TIP: GIVE YOUR IMAGES SOME LUVIN...
And to do that, I mean using post processing to give your image a little something extra. Sure, you've worked hard, you've taken some great shots, shot wide open, had fun, mastered manual mode on your camera, and you've come away with a pretty good image. Now what?

Take that image, that image that you've carefully cultivated like a good tan, and give it some more luvin. Photoshop luvin.

Photographers have misconceptions a' plenty regarding photoshop, here are just a few.
PHOTOSHOP FALSENESS #1- Photoshop can take a bad photo and make it good- after all, it's photo magic. FALSE. While seasoned photoshop users may be able to take a bad image and make it palatable to the viewer, it will forever remain a slight improvement on a poor photograph. You can't take photographs that are of poor quality, not properly exposed or composed and expect to push the magic photoshop button and, presto- a "put it on the fridge" quality image results.
Photoshop, or post-processing in general should only be used to take good photographs and to give them that something extra, that pop, that cherry on top of a Neopolitan milk shake. Don't expect photoshop to give you good photos, expect it to take your already good photos and make them better.

PHOTOSHOP FALSENESS #2- Photoshop is hard. It's not. Really. Many may think photoshop is too difficult for them or that it is too complex in a similar way that many people think accounting to be too complex or difficult.
Yeah, I'm a nerd. But serious lee, Accounting is difficult to most people only for the reason that they haven't had a context for interacting with it before. The math used in accounting is incredibly easy. Addition, subtraction, multiplication, perhaps even some division, but not long division. If you were to study accounting, once you grasped some of the fundamental concepts (i.e. debits on the left, credits on the right) you would actually be able to do quite a lot with accounting.
It's the same with photoshop. Once you understand some basic concepts (layers, layer opacity) there is actually quite a lot you can do with it. Of course, becoming a photoshop master will take effort, but you don't have to become a photoshop guru to use it effectively.

PHOTOSHOP FALSENESS #3- to get great looks from my photos, I need to have all of the latest and most expensive programs- such as Adobe Lightroom, Apple's Aperture and CS4 of Adobe Photoshop as well as all of the latest sets of actions for photoshop. (For those of you unaware, Actions are buttons photoshop buttons that you can either purchase or make yourself that shrink what can be a long series of photoshop steps into pressing a single button).
The truth is, you can use a very simple version of photoshop (photoshop elements) to be able to do basic enhancements to your photos and to take them from good to great. Programs like Lightroom and the use of Actions can greatly reduce the amount of time used to process your images, but more on that later.

SO WHAT'S THE TIP?????
Whether you have CS4 or Photoshop Elements, you will be using layers. Photoshop is all about the layers, baby. Once you understand how to use layers effectively, you can go very far by adding layers to your image that will make it pop. If you don't know how to create a new layer, it is as simple as right-clicking on the background layer in your layer palette on the right and selecting "make background copy." Once you have done that, you're in the ballgame.

Once you have a copy, simply adjust the layer style of the copy layer. "Soft light" and "Overlay" are two of my favorites. Upon switching the layer style, you may find it a bit too extreme, a bit too "photoshopped." Don't worry, simply adjust the opacity of the copy layer downward to your liking (I typically adjust downward to the range of 30% opacity). And then your done. Below are a few edits from a family shoot I did a few weeks ago. Meet Madison Burns.

This first image is SOTC (straight out of the camera). Not too bad. But let's make it better.

Watch it pop.

Put it on the Fridge.

Anthropologie. Just a little different and it gives the image a different feel...

Simply having this basic knowledge of how to use layers effectively can greatly help in moving your photos from being good to photos that are great. I'll be posting more photoshop tips in the future, including how to use some sweet actions effectively, but even if you already use actions, take some time to learn and play around with layers yourself.
I think you'll like what you see.

Chloe

2008-12-24T01:30:00.000-08:00

Just a quick sneak peak of one of Cory and I's favorites of a newborn/family shoot we did last week. Enjoy!!! Lisa, if you are reading this, can't wait to show you the rest!

Merry Christmas Eve!!!!!

Foto Friday #5- Take a Vacation

2008-12-19T20:16:00.000-08:00

I'M ON VACATION!!!

That's right, vacation. I know some of you were doubting the chances of Foto Friday's continuing regularity this week. Fear not, dear readers.

This week's tip- take a vacation. Cory and I are currently vacationing in Palm Springs for the next few days in the Westin Villas and we are loving it! I included the photo above from our last vacation that some of you may have voted to choose our adventures in the past. Cory and I loved that vacation and we did sooooo much and this vacation will be a little different. We have a sweet villa for the next few days, and no plans. Whatsoever. Oh wait, what time is it? Dinnertime. We're planning to eat dinner. That's what we have planned.

How in the world does this tip relate to photography? Here is the deal, don't let photography consume your life. In this blogosphere it is easy to look at photographer's blogs with their numerous photo shoots and busy travel schedule and to view that life as glamorous and desirable. However, knowing many professional photographers, the life is....busy, and not always glamorous as it seems. It is easy to let photography define and consume your life, to have your camera attached to the hip.

I'll keep this week's tip short. Don't let photography define your life. In this day and age, many photographers are doing photography part time (as probably are many of you), and it is easy to allow it to become a full time-preoccupation. Photography captures life, but that doesn't mean you have to miss out on yours.

I am so happy to have the next few days to just relax with the woman I love and to get to all the plans we don't have. Oh wait, we're going to dinner...

A Very Burns Christmas

2008-12-16T21:14:00.000-08:00

Friends. Christmas time is always a time that I feel that I am drawn into a deeper appreciation of the blessings that God has given me. This Christmas, I am particularly thankful for friends. When I graduated from College and jumped into life in the O.C./Corona, there was one family and one man in particular that befriended me in a way that I have appreciated so very much. In my freshman year of "life" (post-college), I was so thankful for this family that I felt at home with and who took an interest in me and my life and my relationship with the Lord.

The Burns Family has been a constant source of joy and encouragement over the past 3 and a half years for Cory and I. Scott officiated our wedding, we have had so many great times at the extending of their hospitality. Scott continues to be someone who I greatly respect and always come away from conversation feeling encouraged and feeling as though I have been challenged to think deeper and love more fully.

It is a great joy to me to be able to bless this family in a small way compared to the blessing that they have been to the Blakeys over the years. We were able to make a quick run to a local spot for some photos this past Saturday morning to update last year's photos. We weren't sure how it was going to work out with rain forecasted, but we were there, the weather was good and I think we got some great photos!

Thank you again Burns family for how you have tremendously blessed the Blakeys! Merry Christmas!

Their kids are fun loving AND well-behaved. Basically you could say they're classy and fun...

Scott's Face in the background = Priceless. Cory and I chuckled. That's right, chuckled.

The Madison.

Scott and Chloe.

This year's edition of The Kale.

Running always makes for a fun picture.

The Avery. Wasn't she in the winter Gap Kids catalog?

Freshly caught. Gotta love fresh.

Umbrellas. Just in Case.

Chloe's first close ups. She's a cutie.

Can't get enough Avery.

Thanks again!

TAGS: Corona Family Portrait, Orange County Family Portrait, Inland Empire Family Portrait, Family Christmas Portrait, Lifestyle Portrait.

Foto Friday #4- Shoot Wide Open

2008-12-12T12:01:00.000-08:00

Foto Friday here again. This week- let's get technical, technical.
Today, we are talking all about Aperture and how it can give you a distinctive style to your photographs, particularly of people.
I have had many people ask me how I get my photographs to look so sharp and crisp. My secret- shooting wide open. I have already blogged about some of my favorite choices in lenses. The reason I love these lenses is that they allow me to go so far down the aperture scale. Aperture is the size of the opening in the lens that lets light onto the sensor of the camera or the film. When you adjust the size of the opening, you also adjust the depth of field, or how broad the area of your picture will be in focus.
So when I say "shoot wide open," I mean that I am going to the lowest aperture number that my lens allows (2.0 or 1.4, there are lenses out there that allow 1.2) and using that setting to take the photographs. This allows me to to really accentuate and draw the viewer in to one aspect of the picture. With people, I almost always focus on the eyes. When I e-mailed a photographer friend of mine before I did my first ever engagement session, I asked him if he had any tips. He said, "focus on the eyes" and it couldn't have been more true. What focusing on the eyes does is really draw the viewer into the photograph to where the eyes are sharp (or if you are standing a bit further away- the face) and the rest of the photograph is smooth and creamy.
There are other factors in determining depth of field (such as as how far away you are from your subject and how far the background is from them), but for this week, try going as low as your lens allows on the aperture.
Is there a drawback to shooting wide open? Yes. When you shoot wide open, it makes the area of your frame that is in focus very very small. If you are not careful, it is easy to think that you are getting sharp, in-focus pictures only to get them on your computer and realize that your subjects eyebrows are very much in focus. Be veeeery careful and select a focus point that you can put directly on their eyes to ensure that they are in focus.
However, I view the results as worth the risk. Going low on the aperture will take your photographs from being on the same level as the rest of today's photographic mileau to being photographs that stand out. Until next friday, stay classy and fun. B

A Blakey Thanksgiving

2008-12-12T09:01:00.000-08:00

Finally, getting around to posting some pictures from way back at Thanksgiving! This year we dined with the Blakey family in Montecito. We ate a fabulous dinner at the wonderful Montecito Country Club and it was great to see a bunch of the family and have some time to relax.

Enjoy some photos!
Don't worry, photo Friday still to come...

The whole gang.

Four Generations of Blakey

Uncle Scott and Aunt Sheri

Took a few of my brother Ben, after all, he is a senior....

My Grandpa himself. Dr. Ernest Blakey.

The Tyler

Foto Friday #3- Have Fun

2008-12-05T12:21:00.000-08:00

Straight off the bat, I must say I have been enjoying Foto Friday. I look forward to posting these and hopefully they are helpful, or at least mildly amusing. Thanks for those of you that have sent in topics that you would like addressed in future Foto Friday posts, I'll be getting to yours in the coming weeks.

THIS WEEK'S TIP- HAVE FUN. While this may seem so common sense that perhaps some of you are rolling your eyes and moving the mouse toward the X on your google reader, hold your proverbial horses. There are many different types of photographers out there- some most enjoy taking landscapes and beautiful scenery, others enjoy taking product shots, me?- I like people. In photographing people- whether senior portraits or engagements or families or weddings, I cannot over-emphasize how important having fun is.

The concept of fun and photography goes way back for me. When I was a kid, I didn't view photos as fun. My experience with it was primarily when a photographer was telling me to tilt my head this many degrees and angle my body that many degrees. I'm playing with G.I. Joes and you're busting out geometry on me? Bless my parents for their patience with me during those days. If you peruse back through the Blakey photo album from earlier in my childhood, the pictures that don't include me making a goofy face are few and far between.

Why did I make goofy faces? It was my way to make the process of having my picture taken fun. And the fun has stayed with me...

But here's the deal- I believe fun to be so important to my photography that I've included it in my slogan- Classy and Fun. Why is it important- the photographs you take of people will be absolutely superior if the people that you are photographing are enjoying themselves. Like so many things in life, it's a concept that's easy to agree with but not always implemented. As an up and coming photographer, you may think the MOST important thing is your equipment or knowing your camera settings or marketing and branding yourself (if you're in business). I would contend that all those things are important but if you have all the technical knowledge but your subjects are uncomfortable and feeling awkward, your images aren't going to be very striking.

The most important thing for me these days at the outset of a photoshoot is to get the people having fun. Having fun relaxes them, having fun makes their expressions genuine, having fun makes them have fun.

So when you're photographing people, find the way to get them to have fun. It may be having them make goofy faces (works for me), or taking a picture of them jumping, or playing tag with a child, or telling a guy to whisper a joke into his fiance's ear. If you are going to be shooting a wedding, think about setting up an engagement session with the couple where they can get to know you and have fun in front of your camera, that way when the wedding day comes, you won't be an added point of stress, but rather a portion of their day that they will look forward to and enjoy and remember fondly as they look back at the pictures.

This week's tip- get out there and have some fun with your people. It will make your photographs better.

Until next week, stay Classy and FUN!!!

Christmas is coming....

2008-12-02T13:04:00.000-08:00

Finally, December 2nd and it is the first time since this summer that I have genuinely felt cold. I am so excited for this holiday season for so many reasons- time to hang out with Cory, time off from school and writing papers, time to think more deeply. Time to take photographs for fun.

Cory and I will be putting up Christmas lights and getting a tree so you can be sure that photos will follow... Sorry this post is random and somewhat short, but I needed a reason to post this cool image I captured of my nephew Tyler on Thanksgiving Day. Actually, I didn't really need a reason to post it, he's just that cute...

Foto Friday #2- It's All About the Glass

2008-11-28T07:00:00.000-08:00

First off- Happy Thanksgiving! I'll be posting photos from the Blakey Thanksgiving here shortly but I wanted to maintain true to form and post another Foto Friday today! This Friday I want to talk about the glass- that's right, the lenses.

FACT: Your lenses are probably the most important part of your photography equipment. I have heard it said by other photographers that Camera bodies may come and go, but the lenses you keep, and I would have to agree. The right lens is really everything for getting the right look and feel to a shot.

MYTH #1- I can skimp on lenses by purchasing an off-brand lens (i.e. sigma/tamron) that has the same technical specs. Some might enjoy these other lenses, but I think there is a reason that the best photographers out there are using the same brand of lenses as their cameras. They are simply better. I started out with a Tamron lens and noticed a SIGNIFICANT increase in quality, color, sharpness and overall "pop" to my photographs once I purchased my first canon. Since then, I haven't looked back and probably never will. The only lens that I have heard recommended above the "brand name" lenses is the 50mm Sigma 2.8 macro- I hear it's killer for ring shots.

MYTH #2- To be able to get great images, I have to spend a buku of dollars on lenses. While the best lenses will cost you a pretty penny, you don't have to have them to create images that are, shall we say, Classy and Fun. Don't let yourself be focused on the lenses that you don't have, master the lenses that you do have and save up for upgrades.

Canon has some FANTASTIC lenses that you won't have to borrow against your house for that I would like to recommend.
50mm 1.8- $90- you can tell this is a cheap lens by holding it in your hand but it was my first Canon lens and it takes really sharp, clean pictures! Anyone just starting out on the Canon system should DEFINITELY purchase this lens!
50mm 1.4- $350- If you have the dough, I would upgrade to this lens. It is much sturdier and being able to go down to 1.4 on the Aperture make it a fantastic portrait lens! I love it!
35mm 2.0- $200- this lens is my newest purchase and I absolutely could not be more thrilled with this lens. The pictures are sharp, color is awesome and I love the angle without distortion on the sides of the image! If you look back to the engagement session that I previously posted- 80% of the images were taken with this lens and they came out not too shabby. I think it is a great lens where you want to be in close but still be able to get the interaction between a couple.
I also own the 24-70 L Series 2.8 which is also a great lens that costs just a tad more than the others. It is very useful at weddings when you want to be able to grab a variety of shots/angles without changing lenses very often.
For weddings, I ALWAYS rent the 70-200 L Series 2.8 IS lens. It is a must have for during the ceremony and at receptions where you want a front row seat on the action without snuggling up next to mom and dad. I love the DOF on that lens and it is a must have for low-light situations. I rent it from Samy's Camera and it really isn't that expensive.

My Wish List (hey, Christmas is coming...)
70-200mm IS 2.8L 85mm 1.2L 35mm 1.4L

Today's tip boils down to this- MASTER YOUR LENSES- know how to make the best use of them in certain situations and be creative. Don't always be caught up in the equipment that you don't have, learn to be a great photographer with the equipment that you do have in the mean time.

Until next Friday, stay Classy and Fun....

Bill

Brian + Becca

2008-11-25T01:35:00.000-08:00

I'm not gonna lie, I've been looking forward to posting this. The only thing that could have made this engagement session more enjoyable is if my wife Cory had been able to come along. Brian and Becca were such fun to hang out with but I am pretty sure they not-so-secretly enjoyed the opportunity to hang out with each other...

Brian and Becca are getting married this coming April at the Valencia Hyatt and I am super stoked to have a front row and back row and not-in-a-row seat for the festivities!

Brian and Becca, thanks again for the wonderful day!
BLOG READERS! I've done a few different things in this post, let me know if you enjoy the album-spread esque pictures! I had a lot of fun editing this session (the new Coldplay EP helped out as well).

TAGS: Engagement Photography, Santa Clarita Wedding Photography, Santa Clarita Wedding Photography, Santa Clarita Engagement Photography, Los Angeles Wedding Photography, Los Angeles Engagment Photography, Engagement Portraits, Orange County Wedding Photography, The Master's College

Foto Friday #1- It's the Photographer, Not the Camera

2008-11-21T15:09:00.000-08:00

Aren't you glad it's FRIDAY? While Fridays have always been an enjoyable day for me, since I have started working for my church, they have become even more enjoyable. Why, you may ask? Because they are my day off. And I for the most part get to hang out with my lovely wife on these days!!! Tonight we are going to Disneyland and it is the first day of Christmas time there. Yeah, we are pretty excited.

All that to say, I wanted to be able to share my excitement for Fridays will all of you. Lately I have been getting a lot of requests from up and coming Photographers who would like me to help them take their photography game to the next level. While I can't help out everyone individually, I thought that Foto Friday might be a good way to share photography tips that have helped me become a better photographer.

You may not know this but I have NEVER taken a photography course and have learned 100% of what I have learned from fellow photographers, 1 book and the internet. So now I am giving back.

FOTO FRIDAY TIP #1- It's the photographer, not the camera.

When I say that, I must instantly qualify that statement by saying that if I was given the chance to have a point and shoot camera vs the Canon Mark III 1ds- I would choose the latter every day of the week and twice on Sundays.
But here's what I am getting at with this post- the more decisions that you take away from your camera and make yourself, the more creative and higher quality your photographs will be. Many people buy a fancy SLR (single lens reflex- or detachable lens) camera and put it on fully automatic mode and assume that they will get amazing photographs simply because they have an expensive camera. Not true. A photographer who really knows how to use a Canon Rebel XT will get pictures that are far superior to a novice photographer who puts the $7000 canon camera on auto and snaps away.
So what does this mean- Photography takes some effort! It is like many other things in life where you will get out of it what you put into it. So, two things to take away from this post-

#1- Manual Mode- I shoot 95% of the photographs I take in manual mode because that is where I have the most control over the settings for my shot. If you don't know what you are doing, manual mode will yield you stinky pictures (yes, they may actually smell) but if you do- oh so good. Manual mode is incredibly intimidating at first with trying to understand shutter speed, aper-what? and ISO? However, there is a book that incredibly helped me to understand the nuts and bolts of photography in general. You can get it for about $17.11 on Amazon. Understanding Exposure. The author uses pictures to demonstrate everything and reading this book will definitely not make you feel like a photo nerd. Not that there's anything wrong with being a photo nerd... Read this book and practice! Get comfortable with manual mode, because your photographs will be better when you do!
#2- Know how to adjust the settings on your camera. Plain and simple, you may have to crack open that manual to learn how to adjust the aperture, shutter speed, ISO and a few other things on there. Obsessive reading of the manual may just make you a photo nerd, however. Read the first book to teach you about how to do photography and use the manual to help you apply that to your camera.

Well there it is, the first Foto FRIDAY! I will be endeavoring over this next year to be posting a helpful photography hint EVERY Friday so bookmark me on your google reader or check back on Fridays!

And if you have a photography question that you are dying to get answered- email me! I would love to be able to be inspired by you for a future Foto Friday post!
bill@billblakey.com

There's no retreat in this staff....

2008-11-17T23:31:00.000-08:00

I love these people. Every year in the Fall our student ministry discipleship staff head down to Encinitas for a weekend for some good new-fashioned staff training and staff bonding. This year was phenomenal. I felt there was such a unity amongst the staff and a good time had by all. We sang, ate, learned from God's word, and stayed up way too late playing mafia.

My partner in crime Ken Flower and I had the privilege of talking with our staff about discipleship and meaningful relationship and I am very much looking forward to continuing this year in ministry alongside these brothers and sisters at my church!

I didn't get to take many photos due to the overload of awesomeness I was experiencing, but I did have the opportunity to roll down with a few of the guys to document their early morning surf sesh (I had to head back up and finish preparing to lead a discussion).

I love how these guys always pray before embarking out on a session.

Oh, and here's James and Molly.

UPDATE: Family Sessions!
If you are interested in having me take your family photos for general Christmas card awesomeness this year, let me know! I still have a few spots available to get your photos before Christmas!

Tags: Corona Family Christmas Portrait, San Clemente Family Christmas Portrait, Lifestyle Portrait, Aliso Viejo Family Christmas Portrait, Irvine Family Christmas Portrait, Mission Viejo Family Christmas Portrait, Newport Beach Family Christmas Portait, Fullerton Family Christmas Portrait, Yorba Linda Family Christmas Portrait.

Whitney + Jeremy

2008-11-08T13:56:00.000-08:00

Last weekend I had the pleasure of photographing Whitney and Jeremy's Wedding! It was such a blessing to be around these two. You could tell that they absolutely loved each other and were so happy for all of the family and friends that came to their wedding!
The wedding was held at Compass Bible Church in Aliso Viejo and it was so fun to get to be with all the wonderful folks at CBC again!

Thanks again Whitney and Jeremy! Keep enjoying your honeymoon extravaganza! Tags: San Clemente Wedding Photography, Aliso Viejo Wedding Photography, Orange County Wedding Photography, Compass Bible Church

Just One from last night

2008-11-02T03:49:00.000-08:00

You've got to love when you are able to capture an image like this straight out of the Camera (SOTC).

It's What a Pumpkin's All About...

2008-11-01T00:12:00.000-07:00

That's right, it is that time of the year again. PUMPKIN CARVING CONTEST TIME! Last weekend Cory and I carved pumpkins with the college group from our church and by now, the entries are in.
You can check out Cory and I's pumpkins (as well as many others) on my office buddy and Virgina Tech Fan extraordinaire Ken Flower's blog- www.kenandbeth.wordpress.com

There are many great pumpkins on there, so I understand if you don't vote for mine. But if you do, I won't be dissapointed.

Oh, and in regards to the subject matter of my pumpkin, some of you may mock me for my love for In-n-Out. As Ken Flower said, "don't confuse obsession with passion."

Have a great weekend everyone! I am shooting TWO weddings this weekend and Cory is working so it is a busy weekend for the Blakeys! We're both looking forward to some restful time together on the back end!

Big Things are here...

2008-10-30T12:09:00.000-07:00

I have found that whenever I announce a hint of some news that I will reveal in the future, inevitably many of my reader's first thought is that Cory and I are having a baby. Sorry to disappoint, yet again.

The "Big Thing" that I would like to announce today is that earlier this week I finally launched my photography website! I have been chipping away at formulating and uploading content for the past couple of months and I have to say I am pretty excited about it being completed. The snazzy website design was provided by www.bludomain.com and the photographs were provided by yours truly. The images of me and Cory were taken by my good buddy Joshua Cook http://www.joshuacookphotography.com/
I will be continuing to update content and the site and hope you all enjoy! Check it out and leave me a comment on what you think!

Heidi- Senior 2009!

2008-10-29T00:43:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday afternoon, Cory and I got to hang with Heidi and her mom Julie for some senior portraits. Let me just say, this session was off the chain. We had great light, great locations, and most importantly- Heidi ROCKED the session. Heidi was a natural in front of the camera and the whole time was a blast! I am pretty sure that Heidi ate her Senior Portrait Wheaties that morning. We shot out in Redlands (Heidi goes to Redlands East Valley) and I have to say I am loving me some Redlands photo shoots, not gunna lie. Heidi is my friend on Facebook as well so you can be sure that I'll be posting tagging her in these pictures soon!

What can I say- relaxed.

Heidi plays guitar and wanted it incorporated in the photographs (musical instruments= oh yeah for photos). We were treated to an impromptu concert right there in the old train station, unplugged.

We had to wait in line to shoot at these stairs at the U of R, but I think that they were worth the wait!

Heidi and Julie, thanks so much for spending the afternoon with us! You guys were such a joy to work with and we'll be talking with you more soon!

Redlands East Valley High School Senior Portraits

Watch the Flowers Grow

2008-10-01T00:24:00.000-07:00

What a weekend it has been! So exciting! Early sunday morning I got a call from my good friend Ken Flower telling me that Beth was in labor. The long awaited Flower firstborn was on her way! I told Cory and neither of us could get back to sleep after that.

During the second service at our church on Sunday, I got a text from Ken stating that June Bailey Flower had arrived! Cory and I were so excited to go to the hospital and meet her and to see Ken and Beth! She is such a beautiful daughter for Ken and Beth, even at just three hours old!

It was such and surreal experience to see my good friends from college, whom I knew before they were dating each other, now enjoying the birth of their first child. You could tell that they were exuberant with excitement and Cory and I are so excited for them!

Oh, and I brought my camera along, there were some other photographers there as well. Newborn photos. Check.

Without any further adieu- June Flower.

Ken's brother Tyler was there as well with his daughter who had only been born a few weeks earlier. Her name is Jane and it was cool to get to meet her and see Tyler and Stephanie again!

This next photograph I couldn't decide if I liked it better in black and white or color. Please let me know what you think in the comments below!

First Family Photo! Congrats Ken and Beth! We are so excited for June and we're excited to watch the Flowers grow!

Sigg Water Bottles and Being Eco-Redemptive

2008-09-29T19:06:00.000-07:00

Yes. I know that it has been quite a while since I have posted. I started seminary about a month ago, moved into a new place, and had two weeks where I was sick with "the sore throat that wouldn't go away" (until it went away). Life has been good and Cory and I are continuing to settle in to the new and improved Blakey casa (it is actually a casa, and not an apartmentasa).

In wanting to get back to blogging, I wanted to share something I have been thinking about for a bit. My pastor on Sunday reminded me that I had been thinking about it this past Sunday when he was telling us about the messages that he would be giving throughout the fall and he mentioned that he would be preaching on Christians and the environment, how to take care of what God has given us by being Eco-Redemptive.

In the past when I have thought about the environment, I think that I have been part of the pendulum swing. I believe that many people have looked at the wastefulness of many Americans and have violently swung in the direction of wanting to do all that they can to protect the environment. These people chain themselves to trees or live in them. One client that I worked for while an auditor was a "green" company and allowed no waste in the building. I couldn't find a trash can anywhere in the building and constantly had to leave the restroom feeling like I had just sneezed on my hands.

All throughout Jr. High and High School in Texas I remember us being placed upon water restrictions from the local aquifer. Thinking that water restrictions mean what they do in CA (ummmm, stop wasting water or there won't be any more and there won't be any crops and everyone will have to move to Arizona), I asked my Science Teacher if there was a danger of the Aquifer running out of water. He informed me that they actually hadn't been able to find the bottom of the Aquifer and that every resident in San Antonio could turn on their faucets full blast and we would all be long dead before it ran out. Turns out the Aquifer fed some springs that would run dry when the Aquifer would get below a certain level. Also turns out that these springs are home to endangered salamanders. That's right, salamanders. And so, I remember everyone's yards being constantly brown and having to think about how many showers I took to protect salamanders. And while I don't think that is a worthless goal, I also think that some citizens could take it upon themselves to relocate said salamanders to springs that wouldn't dry up....

Oh, if you haven't been up to CSU Humboldt in the aftermath of Earth Day, it is a sight to see.

I think that up until now I have viewed extreme environmentalism as somewhat bizarre and a little too over-the top. In reaction to that, I think that I have been lulled into a little apathy concerning the environment and my role.

So here is where I am at now (and I am still in process). I don't believe that preserving the environment should be given the ultimate place that many give it (I don't believe God intends this earth to make it for the long haul). That being said, I do believe that it is my privilege to be responsible as a good steward of what God has given me. How is this going to affect my life? Sigg water bottles and Brita water filters. I have been noticing over the past year that Cory and I have been using a lot of bottled water which, while it can be recycled still wastes space and has cost money that is getting more scarce these days. Our solution and one small way to help the environment- get a Sigg.

These things are sweet. I am somewhat embarassed by how I got turned on to these water bottles (A friend left it in my car, I used it a bit and ended up misplacing it- I bought him another one), but I am glad that I was. Cory's family gave me one for my birthday and I have loved it! It feels great, has a great lid, keeps the water cold and doesn't give the water the gnasty taste that I have found other clear water bottles do.

So, if you are looking for a way to be more responsible with the environment without having to give up two days chained to a tree, ditch plastic water bottles and get a Sigg.

Matt and Rachel

2008-09-10T21:49:00.000-07:00

To break the silence, this post is long overdue. It was almost a couple of weeks ago that I got together with the man who photographed my wedding, and my friend, Matt Floreen and his wife Rachel for a photoshoot. Matt and Rachel got hitched less than a year ago and probably in less than a year are going to be heading to Malawi as missionaries. They needed a photo for their prayer card and I was honored that they chose me! Photographing another photographer is always an honor and always a challenge. Matt and Rachel were definitely classy and fun throughout the session. We had a lot of fun and came away with some cool images. Not all of them say "prayer card" to me, but what can I say, I thought it would be fun to capture their relationship as well!

Sam and Nate: Seniors 2009

2008-08-29T17:14:00.000-07:00

Let me introduce you to two rad dudes. My cousin Sam and my bro-in law Nate are both graduating from high school this upcoming year and I had the privilege of taking their senior portraits last weekend. It was really fun to hang out with both of these guys. They are studs and I am stoked to know them (and be related to them).

Sam and Uncle Scott had location scouting duties for this shoot and boy did the pick a winner. Can you say abandoned train station? We went at a perfect time of day.

Sam wants to go to college and study music to be a worship leader at a church which is pretty rad. Yes, rad. So we took a few shots of him with the guitar.

And last but not least, a classic senior picture.

The next morning was Nate. Nate and my sister-in-law Becky and I headed last Saturday morning to downtown Riverside and found some cool spots to shoot. We had a blast quoting Napolean Dynamite and seeing the many face of Nate. My lips hurt real bad...

Thanks again guys!

The Hof's

2008-08-24T18:46:00.000-07:00

Here is a more complete post about the Hof's wedding back in July at the Garden Cottage at the Green in San Clemente.
Steven and Lisa, thank you so much for inviting me into your special day and for making feel like a part of the family!
Enjoy the pictures!

Soundtrack (pairs well with life)

2008-08-22T13:22:00.000-07:00

Days like today are nice. In some ways. Not in the "I am having tons of crazy fun with my wife" kind of way (because she is saving lives today). But more in the "I am getting a ton of stuff done and actually having fun doing it" kind of way.

The church that I work at is very kind and generous to give us staff Fridays off (seeing as how Sunday is somewhat of a working day for us). Hence, Fridays (or Saturdays depending on when Cory is working) have officially been dubbed as "Bust it OUT" days. Times for me to get things done. Whether it be things for photography, things around the house or soon to be studying for seminary graduate school classes I am taking (I start next Thursday). For example, today is partially a photography "Bust it OUT" day (I have got some HUGE things coming up soon that I am pretty psyched about!).

Now, to many of us, a day to bust it out probably doesn't sound like a lot of fun. And sometimes, I would have to agree. Cranking out your to do list at a whirling dervish pace sound like the perfect plan for a day off? By itself, not hardly. However, I am firm believer that you can make most of the things of life enjoyable if you have a good attitude and put to your mind to it. Let's just say that in using this back in college, I was able to even make doing accounting homework slightly enjoyable. Go figure.

Here's what I've found that helps me sometimes. Pair it with a sountrack. If you are doing accounting, make the accounting mix. If you are trying to get a lot of things done at work, make the "Bust it OUT" mix. If you are at the dentist, well.....maybe you can't have a soundtrack for everything.

I've found that listening to just the right mix of music helps me to enjoy tasks that aren't always enjoyable. In college, some mocked that I spent the first 30 minutes of my paper-writing time making a sweet mix. However, I believe that 30 minutes to be well spent. It helped me relax while writing (which in turn made my writing better) and helped make the process more enjoyable.

Now, I understand that we can't always make the tasks we do enjoyable and "fun" shouldn't be the guiding principle that determines what we will or won't do. Running suicides in basketball practice wasn't ever fun, but I am sure glad that I did it. But when you can, make a soundtrack for your day. It just might help you enjoy it that much more and give you more cause to be thankful to the Lord for the life and schedule He has given you.

In light of all of this, I thought I would share one of Cory and I's soundtracks for The Great Blakey Vacation. Driving=not always fun. Driving with your wife by your side and a sweet soundtrack filling the car=sweet!

1. Life in Technicolor- Coldplay.
(I am digging the new Coldplay album and I think this first instrumental track was a brilliant way to start it off).
2. Never know- Jack Johnson.
(What would a drive up the California coast be without Jack along for the ride?)
3. Fallen from the sky- Glen Hansard.
4. Almost Like Being in Love- Frank Sinatra.
(Sinatra=timeless)
5. Love you Madly- Cake
(not your typical song by Cake)
6. Fix You- Coldplay.
(Something about the instrumental part in the middle of this song ALWAYS gives me a boost of energy)
7. Mr. Pitiful- Matt Costa
8. The District Sleeps Alone Tonight- The Postal Service
(WHEN will these guys come out with another album?)
9. Mas Que Nada- Black Eyed Peas
10. Modern Nature- Sondre Lerche
11. Your Heart is an Empty Room- Death Cab for Cutie.
12. Nothing from Nothing- Billy Preston
13. Viva la Vida- Coldplay
(still not quite sure what the lyrics mean, but love the energy of the song)
14. Banana Pancakes- Jack Johnson
15. Gloomy (iTunes exclusive)- Matt Costa
16. You can't resist her- Weezer
(I always grab air drums during the ending instrumental part- a workout in itself. I am trying to get Cory to pick up the air guitar part. So far she's reluctant...)
17. Why Does it Always Rain on Me- Travis
18. Snails- The Format
19. Falling in Love At a Coffee Shop- Landon Pigg
Life pairs well with a soundtrack (what's yours?).

Our final day of vacation and larger photos!

2008-08-15T10:20:00.000-07:00

After a great dinner and Ice Cream with our good friends the Rehrer's and the blogless MacClennan's Cory and I drove back into San Fran for our final day of vacation. By an overwhelming majority, our activity for the morning had been chosen as riding a crazy go kart all over San Francisco. Ride we did. (Truth be told, we had already purchased our tickets for the Go Car before we put up the poll. I had faith that my readers would choose wisely). Below are some photos from our final day.

Oh yes, got to love San Fran.

We stayed in the uber-swanky Union Square...

...At the Westin St. Francis Hotel. Besides from the fact that the hotel didn't have a pool, Cory and I were pretty sure that this was possibly the coolest hotel we had ever stayed in. We had a corner room overlooking Union Square and had windows that could open so we could get a better view and hear the sounds of the city below. Cory and I love staying at the Westin and so if any of you blog readers are secretly high-up in the Westin Organization, hook us up! We'll be glad to test out any room you would like us to.

After a crazy relaxing evening and some watching of the Olympics, Cory and I awoke the next morning and headed up the block to Sears Fine Food (name dropped by Josh Cook as the best breakfast place in San Fran). It was cool. We walked right in and were instantly sat at one of two window tables looking out at the street in the whole place. Service was great and the food was delish. It didn't dissapoint. As we were eating, we saw the line steadily begin to form until it was out the door.

Before our Go Car adventure, we loaded up on some Joe at the Starbucks in the Sir Francis Drake hotel down the block. We wanted to be sure that our energy level matched the 50cc's of unfettered adrenaline our Go Car was going to be pumping out.

And off we went! Let me just say that this experience was officially off the chain. You may think that driving the hilly and numerous one-way streets of downtown San Francisco is intense in your car, think again. It was such a rush to literally be right in the middle of traffic in our little Go Car. The looks we got were phenomenal, we got to see parts of the city that I had never seen before and let me just say that this thing is pretty easy to park.

I let Cory drive for a while.

We cruised by the Golden Gate....

Found a cool door....

And even went down Lombard Street. Above you can see the entrance and you can get somewhat of an idea how how steep the street must be. Unfortunately, due to the fact that we had to keep both hands firmly on the brakes so as to not careen down the turns out of control, we weren't able to get pictures that showed the full scale of our descent. Here is what we did get...

Overall we had a great time on our Go Car adventure. The next time we go, we are definitely renting them for a whole day and going all over the place.

We returned our Go Car near Ghiradelli Square and then headed down to the wharf for some Clam Chowder from the Fisherman's Grotto. It was really good. So good in fact that it disappeared before we had the chance to photograph it. After that, we decided that it would be a good idea to hop on a cable car back. Unfortunately, if you want to "hop" on a cable car, you don't do it at the main station. After waiting for an hour in line and listening to some fella play (and poorly I might add) cover songs on an out of tune electrical guitar and then being shoved into a cable car, I decided that the Cable Car was prolly the worst idea of the whole trip. If you are ever in San Fran, know the Cable Cars are overrated. My advice? Get a Go Car.

Our San Francisco Morning! PLEASE VOTE!

2008-08-11T16:13:00.001-07:00

Cory and I will have a morning in San Francisco tomorrow. Please. Vote. We want to know what you would like to see us do, but let me just say that I am voting for the go-kart.

A little bit of Day 3!

2008-08-11T15:55:00.000-07:00

Cory and I woke up to a somewhat cloudy Monterey morning and decided to head down to the somewhat touristy but still enjoyable Cannery Row for some breakfast.

Few things are better than crepes in the morning...

I had the nutella + banana, Cory had the nutella + strawberry.

We then drove up towards San Fran and stopped at the world's coolest Taco Bell for some tacos in Pacific, CA. Say what you want to about Taco Bell, but I think that this location says everything. Check out the view below from the back deck of the Taco Bell.

Our main reason for heading to San Fran yesterday was to meet up with Josh Cook for him to take some rocking awesome pictures of Cory and I. He is moving soon to Boulder, Colorado and so we wanted to get together with him before he takes off next week. He does amazing work and if any of you know anyone in Boulder who needs some awesome photographs taken, check him out. Because he is moving and has a lot of work to do in the near future, he probably won't be able to get to our images for a little bit, but he was ok with me posting a few of them here on the blog! Thanks again Josh!

We will be posting tomorrow's poll in a few minutes!

Day 2...a bit late

2008-08-11T13:58:00.000-07:00

So...we had a little trouble obtaining internet for portions of our journey yesterday to post up pictures from Day 2. Day 2 consisted of our driving from Santa Barbara up to Monterey. We put out a poll a bit late regarding what we should do on the way up. The poll was officially "tied" due to an error that made the poll close early- sorry for those of you who were unable to vote! However, we did receive a couple of tie-breaking votes for Solvang as well as for the Apple Farm in the comment section of that post so that is what we did! Our poll for tomorrow should be up soon and will go until 7:30 am tomorrow morning. We will start off with some pictures from Solvang. We were trying to find something Danish.

Not a lot of Danish spelling bee champs I'm guessing....

We walked around for a bit trying to find something Danish...and then it hit us. What could be more Danish than an actual Danish?

We got the blueberry. Gotta love antioxidants.

Me trying to figure out what went wrong with our poll from my "old" iPhone.

Cory realized that if she wanted to transfer to Solvang, apparently there would be places for her to work as a Nurse.

Gotta love the signs in Solvang.

Oh yeah, this was the sign that greeted us on our way out of Solvang and we had to stop. How can you not stop to feed Ostriches?

Apparently Ostriches don't know to chew with their mouths closed. Maybe it's also because Ostriches don't really chew....

Cory was overflowing with excitement when the Ostrich came to eat from her pail.

So, I have come to the conclusion that I have NO idea how Ernst was ever able to climb and ride Clementine in Swiss Family Robinson. Serious lee, of all the animals you chould choose to ride, an ostrich? No wonder he didn't get the girl...

Next was the Apple Farm. Old World San Luis Obispo charm.

Cory, perusing the menu.

Me, stoked to find that the cornbread with honey butter was delish!

The club sandwhich. A classic. I devoured it.

There were a few spots up the coast that we stopped to take pictures. It was pretty chilly.

That's us. With the Bixby Bridge. I have to say that the fact that the bridge was constructed in 1932 was both pretty impressive and somewhat disconcerting.

We'll be posting some more pictures from yesterday as well as a new poll for tomorrow soon! Thanks for checking in!

Just one from yesterday...

2008-08-10T11:48:00.000-07:00

More to come... Cory and I are taking the day and driving up to San Fran where we will be meeting up with my buddy Josh Cook and he is going to take some awesome pictures of us! BE SURE TO CHECK BACK THIS EVENING as there will be a NEW POLL for what Bill and Cory should do on Monday as well as pictures from yesterday!

DAY 2- Help us out!

2008-08-09T11:04:00.001-07:00

Cory and I are headed up the coast today to spend the evening in Monterey! So many choices of what to do on our way up! Of course we will be taking awesome pictures on the way up, but we would like your help as far as what else to do. Be sure to check out the results of yesterday's poll in the post below. Also, please note that voting closes at 2:30 PM!!!! VOTE QUICK!!!!

What should Bill and Cory do on the way up to Monterey today? ( polls)

Day 1

2008-08-09T10:25:00.001-07:00

Day 1. It was spectaculous! Cory and I had a blast! We first drove from Corona to Santa Clarita and ate at the original Stonefire Grill. Can't really top that as the first meal of the vacation. BBQ chopped salad with tri-tip and a half basket of breadsticks. Yummo!

Not only did we get to go to Stonefire. We got a Rockstar spot. Can you spot our Honda in this picture?

WE ASKED. YOU VOTED. WE DONE DID. That's right we went to the world famous Santa Barbara Zoo and hung out with some cool animals and tried to do our best impersonations of them. WE WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE in the comment box below! The loser (between Cory and I) will have to buy dinner tonight!

Penguins.

Cory. As a penguin (notice the feet).

To be more true to the original picture, Cory asked my cousins Megan and Jillian to jump in on the picture with her.

The king of the jungle. Can't imitate that.

Meerkat (I think this one was on Meerkat manor on the Discovery Channel last season)

Cousin Megan as the Meerkat.

Just a cool picture.

Just can't seem to get away from weddings in the summertime! Some folks were getting hitched at the zoo so I grabbed a few reception details....

We then went to the Montecito Country Club for dinner. While it wasn't the Club's best at bat in the timeliness of the food category, the food was delicious and we had a great time hanging out with Aunt Maggie, Megan and Jillian, Grandpa Blakey himself and Uncle Ken.

BE SURE TO VOTE FOR OUR DAY 2 ACTIVITIES IN THE POST ABOVE!

The Great Blakey Vacation has begun!

2008-08-07T23:50:00.000-07:00

Many of you may have received an invite via Facebook today inviting you to The Great Blakey Vacation. It has begun. That's right, the Mrs. and I are taking our first solo vacation since the honeymoon. And we're headed up the coast. We will be taking off from Corona tomorrow morning and over the next few days we will make our way all the way to San Francisco! If this is your first time on my blog, welcome! While you can't really come along but Cory and I on our trip, we want you to be involved! We will be blogging frequently throughout the trip and almost daily we will ask for your input on what we should do that day! For instance, tomorrow afternoon we have a few hours to spare, in Santa Barbara. We want your input. PLEASE VOTE using the poll below to help us decide and check back as we will be posting pictures from what we do each day. The Great Blakey Vacation. We hope you enjoy. We definitely will.

What should Bill and Cory do for a few spare hours this afternoon in Santa Barbara? ( polls)

The trickle of photos...

2008-08-02T17:12:00.000-07:00

..keeps on coming! Here are few more from Steven and Lisa's wedding a couple weeks ago!

It was a great day!

The Bride looked Stunning...

...she was totally relaxed and fun....

The groom looked pretty dapper himself...

Oh, and did I mention that they are madly in love with each other?

We got some great shots....

The kids were oh so adorable...

And the food was delicious! I LOVE Weddings.

The Daltons Part Deux

2008-08-01T18:02:00.001-07:00

Here are a few more of the images as I have put the finishing touches to the Dalton Wedding! We had such a blast and I am very excited about these!

Starbucks water. It's the best.

Above is a shot of yours truly in action captured by the man, the myth, the legend, Shay Thomason. I was so incredibly stoked to have Shay along for the ride on this one, he snagged some incredible images and was so much fun to hang with while we shot.

As I mentioned above, we had a crew to shoot this wedding and it was really fun to hang out and shoot with them. I really do believe that having a second (or third and fourth in this case) photographer included in your package that you purchase with me is a tremendous enhancement to your photo package. I like to bring along folks that share my love of fun and who have a great eye themselves. Here are a few that my friends took.

Photo by Shay Thomason.

Photo by Melissa Burns.

Let's start a revolution...

2008-07-21T19:10:00.000-07:00

That's right folks, I have seen the "light." Cory and I have been thinking and talking and we made our decision. A couple of weeks ago, we bought a Mac, er, let me clarify that, we bought a Mac daddy. Wow. That's all that I can say. 10 Minutes out of the box, I was happy. It starts up fast. It shuts down fast. It access the internet with blazing speed and edits photos at a pace that makes you want to shout "RAPIDO" in your best hispanic accent. Oh, and did I mention that it's fast? The backlit keyboard feels like it has snuggled up to may hands like an old glove that I had lost and now is found again. Cory and I decided that if we wanted to deliver a pro level of service to our clients, that we needed pro equipment and the ability to post process and give my images a nice digital massage before giving them to my clients. Bill Blakey Photography is stepping up.

I got the 23" Apple Cinema Display. Let me tell you, moving from my laptop screen to this monitor is like going from a playground jungle gym to Disneyland, from a charred hamburger to a filet mignon, from a shower in a bucket to the Amazon Rain Forest Shower, like staying at the Colonial Motel in Long Beach to the Ritz in Half Moon Bay. Oh yeah, it's like that.

This baby takes the Olympia Report Deluxe Electric (Report-as in gunshot) down to Chinatown.

I am very thankful that I was able to get the 15 inch Mac Book Pro and let me just say, I like Apple. It seems as if every product that they have come out with in the last few years has been stellar. Quality company. Quality products. I'm in. I hope to be showing you guys some great things here in the future. Stay tuned...

A couple from the wedding yesterday

2008-07-19T14:46:00.000-07:00

One of the flower girls named Molly. A-dorable.

Congrats again Lisa and Steven! We had such a fun time at your wedding and hope you guys are having a marvelous drive up the coast!

Alright, Cory and I are off to see Batman! I'll let you know how it is!

Oh yeah, big things are coming...

2008-07-14T23:10:00.001-07:00

2 Posts -1 Week- that's crazy!

2008-07-14T13:57:00.001-07:00

That's right folks, two, count 'em two posts this week (so far) and the week isn't over stuff. There are some cool things that I am up to right now since the busyness of camp season has calmed down for me. And I will be sharing them with you soon!

Weekends are a bit different for me since my wife has been working. What does she do, you might ask? Well, she is a RN at the uber-fabulous Loma Linda University Children's Hospital! She has been working there for almost six months in the Intermediate ICU for pediatrics. I was able to go visit her work with her a couple of weeks ago and it is pretty sweet! The kids there seem really cool and she really enjoys getting to help kids and families during some tough times.

But since she has been working, her schedule has been a little all over the place due to the fact that she is the low woman on the proverbial totem pole over there. So last weekend, I had a Saturday all alone because she was working. It turned out to be an ok day though due to the fact I got to meet up with my brothers at In-n-Out and then I headed down to North San Diego county.

I went down to North County due to the fact I needed to get my guitar fixed. I am leading worship in the main service this coming weekend at Northpoint Church and needed to get the pickup on my guitar fixed for that. I bought my Taylor acoustic guitar at probably the coolest guitar store I know of- Buffalo Brother's Guitars.

That's right, when you are driving down El Camino in Carlsbad, look for the big chicken on the roof.

For those of you who don't know acoustic guitars that well, there are two big dogs in the industry. Taylor and Martin. Most guitar stores that you go to will have a few Martins and a few Taylors on the wall, and then a lot of other brands that are less expensive and not quite as good in my opinion. I remember the first time that I walked into Buffalo Brothers and was blown away by the fact that they have a Taylor guitar wall as well as a Martin guitar wall. Pretty impressive stuff.

I was also pretty impressed with the way the repair technician James handled my service. (If you are ever needing to get an acoustic guitar repaired, call up Buffalo Brothers and ask for James). My pickup (the part that converts the natural sound inside the guitar into an electrical form so that you can plug the guitar in and play it over amplified speakers) wasn't working and I went into the day thinking that I would have to be making another trip down to North San Diego the next weekend to pick up the guitar after it was done getting serviced. However, after I began to speak to James and tell him my problem, he started looking at it right away.

He disappeared in the back for a few minutes and then 10 minutes later returned, told me that a he had replaced my power supply (which was the problem), that I was good to go and that it was a warranty repair so I didn't have to pay a dime! There is just something about good service that makes me happy. I'll definitely be going back to Buffalo Brothers in the future.

That's also the level of service that I'm striving to offer at Bill Blakey Photography. One of the many things I like my photography and business is that I really want to give each of my clients a personal interaction and service to make sure that they are satisfied with the photographs and experience that they receive!

And what would be a trip to North San Diego county without some pictures of flowers and Strawberry fields!

Have a great Monday everyone!

The Dalton's

2008-07-12T17:26:00.000-07:00

Rewind to four years ago. That was in my senior year of college when I became good friends with a guy on my wing named Travis. Fast forward to two weeks ago. Travis got married.

You may remember these two from their engagement session.

Wow! That is all I can say about the wedding. It was so cool to see Travis and Katy separate before the wedding and the excitement that they had and then to see the joy they had at seeing each other was awesome! (I think they kind of like each other). The got married at the Church of the Recessional at Forest Lawn in Glendale and I have to say that the chapel and the grounds were beautiful.

I brought a proverbial "team" of photographers with me to this wedding (perhaps more on that later) and we had a blast. We were blessed with some great light and I am SO excited about these pictures!

Mr. and Mrs. Dalton- thanks again! Enjoy your additional reception trip and I'll look forward to talking with you guys soon!

Katy, looking excited to get married.

The World Famous Red Shoes. And I do mean world famous.

The guys took getting ready pretty seriously.

I really liked this one of Katy and her dad.

The men.

The Ladies.

Picture of one flower girl practically carrying the other down the aisle- Priceless.

I have been told that the Daltons enjoy black and white kissing pictures.

Travis and Katy first met in Pakistan and those themes totally were brought into the wedding. It was so cool!

The toast. It was really cool to see how much Katy meant to her sister.

Just one of the bride and groom for now!

Have a great Saturday evening!

Resolved

2008-07-06T17:56:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago...I feel like most of my blog posts start with that line. I'm going to work on that. Anywho, a few weeks ago Cory and I went to this year's Resolved Conference in Hot Springs, er... Palm Springs. Wow, was it hot. It was a great thing that we were inside for pretty much all day every day because it was crazy outside.

Cory and Beth excited to get in on the action. Everyone wants to get in on a Bill Blakey photo... Vinoj, looking stately as usual... Scott fantasizing on what hold he would put his opponent in to get the triangle... Every morning we went to the Coffee Bean for breakfast and devos. The line was WAY shorter than Starbucks and Coffee Bean was serving the Ice Blended Mocha. Easy choice. Finley looking stately as well...

Garrett sporting the shades... Ken, Beth and the Baby enjoying breakfast... Waiting for a session to get started... Ken, enamored with the technology. He may be getting his own soon.... C.J. Mahaney, he brought it. Twice.

It was cool to hang out as well with John Spring... Here is Jenni chirping some of her pictures to Vinoj... Yeah, there were lots of lights.... The stage area was pretty sweet...

Vinoj and Jenni John Piper. The evening sessions were scheduled at 6pm and 8pm so that didn't leave us much time to chow down. Scott was nice enough to go grab some food each night and we would rush outside and scarf in between sessions. Melissa and Jenni talking photography...

Cory and Melissa John Piper. The crowd I had to shoot through to get the shot of John Piper. Randy Alcorn. Rick Holland.

Steve Lawson. John MacArthur. Ryan Adams. C.J. and John, chatting it up between sessions... As were C.J. and John.

Cory and I had a great time at this year's conference and have been thinking about a lot of things a result. Even though the weather was incredibly hot, we had a blast at the conference and were super glad that we were able to go. It was a great time to be refreshed and challenged spiritually.

Oh yeah, we have fun at wedding part deux

2008-06-21T11:17:00.000-07:00

Last night I was a dinner at my church and saw my friend Peter Ross. He chided me for not updating my blog all week (even though he doesn't even have a blog). So, I decided to upload some more pictures from Ric and Esther's wedding that I second shot for about a month ago! Enjoy!

Yes, for all of you who were wondering "WHAT IS THAT" won thanks to Siona's vote as well as mine...

Breaking the Silence

2008-06-14T08:47:00.001-07:00

First of all, I must apologize for the silence. I think that many of you are comparing the amount of time since my last post to the amount of time that the chess champion Bobby Fisher spent in seclusion before he emerged and challenged and beat the Russians. I sincerely apologize for leaving you all hanging about the "big news." Keep reading.

Yesterday was a good day. For many reasons. Last night Cory and I drove to LAX to pick up our good friends Jay and Janelle who got MARRIED last weekend! (See the picture above, aren't they smashing together?). They spent their honeymoon in Banff, Alberta Canada and had a rockin time! We picked them up from the airport and went straight to In-n-Out. Now that's what I am talking about. It was so fun to hang out with them and to hear a lot about their honeymoon and to get to see their excitement about being married together!

Yesterday was also good because it was Cory's last day of work for the week and it kicks off a four-day weekend for us! We'll be spending the first three days at the Resolved Conference out in Palm Springs (yeeouch it's gonna be hot!) and then day four we are headed to Disneyland!

Yesterday was a good day in another sense because yesterday afternoon me and accounting parted ways. For good. A little over two weeks ago, Northpoint Church (where Cory and I have been attending for the past three years) offered me a position as the Junior High Ministry director on the Student Ministry Staff! And I accepted. As such, Friday was my last day with Capital Pacific Homes. The transition was bittersweet for me because on the one hand, I am excited to no longer be doing accounting, but on the other hand, I really enjoyed working for the company and alongside the people that I worked with.

It was a little over two years ago that my good friends Scott Burns and Ken Flower and I sat down and were talking about my future and giftedness and what we thought the Lord wanted to do in my life and after that I decided that I if somehow God worked it out for me to do ministry full-time someday, that I would be really excited about that. But two years ago wasn't the right time and I was happy to stay in the accounting world. God thoroughly blessed a little over a year ago to take me out of the public accounting world (high stress, consistently super long hours, LOTS of time spent in the car) to allow me to work for a cool company here in Corona (cool people to work with, close to home, better pay). And now I am super excited that God has blessed yet again!

My first day with the church will be this coming wednesday and I am so excited (and I just can't hide it). I'll be jumping right into the fray as our JH summer camp is two weeks away!

Well, I gotta go get ready for our trip to Palm Springs (I think we are staying at the "Heat Wave" resort)!

Have a great weekend!

Oh yeah, we have fun at weddings...

2008-05-24T15:44:00.001-07:00

I am at home today getting a bunch of things done and finishing up some photos to get out the door but I just though I would put up a few that I shot at Ric and Esther's off the chain wedding last weekend!

These are of my good buddy Siona Savini rockin the J Crew lick with a mc-twist of goofy face. We did these with the entirety of the awesome bridal party and it was so fun! My goal was to put up a contest blog voting for who had the best goofy face but I was having a really hard time deciding which face to use of Siona's. And so I NEED YOUR HELP!!!

PLEASE VOTE and let me know which one is your favorite by leaving a comment below!

"Surprised"

"Rampage"

"Deliberating"

"WHAT IS THAT?"

Also, BIG NEWS coming up here in the Blakey casa that I will be SURE to let you know about soon (this is not to string you on for a long period of time in intense suspense) but so that the authorities can be notified of the situation first. The cat is soon to be out of the bag...

Christie Allen-Senior

2008-05-15T21:24:00.000-07:00

Meet Christie Allen. Christie is a senior this year at Corona High School (my wife's Alma Matter). Christie's mom Carrie called me prior to my knee surgery inquiring about senior pictures and this was a good first shoot to jump back into after having knee surgery. Christie had originally had some senior pictures taken in a studio nearby but just didn't like the way that they turned out. I was excited that they were interested in something a little bit more my style of photography. Classy and Fun. Last Saturday, we went out to Newport Beach and spent some time getting to know the Allen's and getting some great shots!

The light was tasty.

When we were discussing the location for the shoot, Carrie asked me if there was a way to incorporate both the urban and the beach setting. Yes there was!

Let me also just say that I was instantly respectful of Christie due to the fact that she came ready for a foot picture-with the Rainbow Sandals!

You could tell that Christie is a person that loves life.

And she was able to bust out the "game time" face as well!

The jumping picture. Classic.

Christie is currently playing varsity volleyball for the Panthers and next year is going to be playing for Sonoma State University up in the bay area which I hear has a gorgeous campus. They are going to train her to be a setter. Cory had the great idea for the picture above!

Don't be surprised if you are ever on a photo shoot with me and I get excited when I see an empty parking lot.

Did I mention that I LOVE shooting at the beach? It was such a great day and so relaxed! Carrie and Christie-thanks so much for coming out! We had a great time and are excited for you guys to see the rest of the pictures!

If there are any of my blog readers who know upcoming seniors at Corona High School or Santiago High school or Centennial, I am starting a Senior rep program for next year that may interest them. If anyone is interested, shoot me an e-mail at billblakey@gmail.com.

Lisa and Steven

2008-05-12T23:44:00.000-07:00

A few weeks back (before I went under the knife) we had the opportunity to do an engagement shoot at Disneyland for Lisa and Steven. Lisa and Steven go to Compass Bible Church and found my blog through my brother Bobby's blog and my Sister in Law Christa's blog. We met up at the Magic Kingdom and braved the crowds and were actually able to find some nooks and crannies that weren't too crowded and got some great shots! Lisa and Steven were so laid back and it was really fun for Cory and I to be able to hang out with them and get to know them better. They are getting married in July at the Garden Cottage at the Green in San Clemente and we can't wait!

Besides the fact that we were at Disneyland, I knew it was going to be fun when this was literally the first image out of the gate.

Lisa had brought the shoes. We had to show them off.

Bet you haven't seen the spot above at Disneyland.

Partially inspired by the Jaynelle album cover.

Lisa and Steven, thanks again for coming out for some great time shooting and I am looking forward to the wedding in July!

Shawn and Laura

2008-05-02T17:32:00.000-07:00

I'm Back!

Thank you so much for all of you that have been praying for me as I continue to recover from surgery. I really appreciate it and every day I feel a bit better and can do a bit more. I do have to say it was a bit more intense than I thought it would be!

Well, I went into this week of recovery (which I thought would be more like a week of vacation) with high hopes that I would blog every day, wake up at a decent time every day, run three miles a day, and as you can probably tell they haven't quite materialized the way I originally planned (especially running three miles).

So I thought I would make it up to my blog readers (especially those of you who have been checking my blog in hopes of seeing wedding photos) with a super-long sneak peak of Shawn and Laura's Wedding! These two got hitched at Northpoint Church on Friday, April 11th and it was the place to be!

The church was decorated tastefully and looked awesome. I love the attention drawn to the cross!

Laura picked out a lovely wedding gown.

At the start of the event, there were many things telling me we were in for a great day, not the least of which that the entire Bridal Party was shewn with Rainbow Sandals. I'm sorry, but Rainbow Sandals are hands-down the most comfortable footwear that there is. Crocs, take a back seat where you belong. Laura made a great choice!

The boquets were beautiful.

I was very privliedged to have my good friend and the man who photographed my wedding Matt Floreen to come along to shoot this wedding with me. I always think that having two photographers at a wedding is a good idea. Not only can we be in two places at once, but we can also get two different angles of the same occurence. Here Matt caught me in action during the "first look" between the happy couple. My angle of the scene is the picture below.

A few of the lovely bride....

The groom cleaned up pretty nice himself!

I really liked this shot of Shawn waiting for Laura at the first look.

A few of the couple pre-marriage...

Shawn and Laura wanted some of them on the playground before the ceremony such as this one.

The rainbows. My feet were jealous all day.

Again, Matt getting a totally different perspective in the image above than I got in the image below.

Laura and her ladies.

Shawn and the men.

Laura and her maid of honor.

Laura and her two sisters.

Laura with Bridesmaid and high-school small group leader extraordinaire Maddie Hodge. Maddie cracks me up and I picked this one as one of my favorites from the "goofy ones" of Laura with each of her girls.

We took some pictures before the ceremony which is sooooo nice to be able to do, but then it was time for the main event. Something that was so special to me at my wedding was to be able to be prayed for by the men standing with me just before the event and I was stoked to see Shawn's men eager to do the same for him before the wedding. Cool moment to be in the room.

Shawn, eagerly awaiting Laura walking down the aisle.

Laura with her father walking her down.

The ceremony was truly a festival of conviviality.

Shawn showed no hesitation when he was given the chance to kiss his bride!

Cory and I really liked the feel of this image of the newly pronounced Mr. and Mrs. Zickefoose!

After the ceremony, Matt and I grabbed Shawn and Laura for a few short moments while we took a few more photos of the two of them. The light outside was ROCKIN just after the ceremony and we couldn't pass it up! Just a note to my future couples to try to think of the schedule of the day with lighting for the pictures in mind. The absolute primo time of the day is anywhere from 1.5hours before sunset to right afterwards! I was stoked we got to catch some during this time for Shawn and Laura!

I really liked the feel of this series!

The reception took place in the backyard of Shawn's parents here in Corona. The weather was beautiful, the music was tasty and the lights were out!

A few details with the last moments of light we had left.

I loved the candles they had all around!

Don't let the good looks of this cake deceive you, it tasted even better!

After everyone got situated and beveraged (which I was might thankful for-shooting weddings is thirsty work!)

Above you can see DJ putting the final touches to his toast!

There was a round of toasts where the love and respect that Shawn and Laura's friends have for them came out in a way that was really awesome to be able to witness. I love seeing relationships well-lived.

Here Here...

And then after a delicious dinner catered by the Mac Shack as my good friend Jay refers to it; it was time to dance! Shawn and Laura started it off by cutting the proverbial rug! They had some awesome moves!

The dances were a fun time for Matt and I to play with some off-camera flash. I liked this one of Shawn dancing with his mom.

After the parent dances, then everybody was getting down.

After that it was time to cut the cake and head off to the honeymoon!

Corona, CA. Shawn and Laura, thank you so much for allowing me to be part of a great day! The time was thoroughly enjoyable and it was so awesome to see the culmination of what God has been working in your lives and the start of something awesome in your life together!

Enjoy marriage! You won't want to go back!

Under the knife

2008-04-24T21:25:00.000-07:00

That's right. Tomorrow morning I am having reconstructive knee surgery. I tore my Anterior Cruciate some months back playing basketball and tomorrow I am having surgery to reconstruct the ligament that was torn in my knee. After that I will be off of work for at least a week. Part of me is really excited about having the time but I know it will not be like sitting on a beach and having someone bring you little fruity drinks with umbrellas in them, but maybe I could get Cory to get some mini umbrellas.... I have many things on my "to do" list for this next week. Here are a few Finishing up editing a wedding and an engagement session Reading Doing some business things Possibly watching Season Six of 24 Studying to teach a lesson to high school and junior highers Busting out the N64 (I know, I'm totally up to date on the latest gaming system) and seeing if I still have any Dr. Mario skills... Other generally cool things that you can do with one leg locked at full extension (I'll let you know what those are once I figure them out). Hopefully You'll be seeing more blogs this week! Bill

He's graduating

2008-04-20T23:20:00.000-07:00

Basically, I have been taking so many photos lately that tomorrow I will probably be purchasing an external hard drive to hold them all so I am not constantly burning DVD's from my laptop to free up room!

I have quite a few things in the works right now, editing a wedding that I shot last weekend that I am pretty stoked today, just got back tonight from a rad engagement session at the one, the only Disneyland! I will be working on those and hopefully we should see a blog about those soon!

But for now- Stephen and I went out a while back to Newport Beach to shoot a senior portrait session. We got there later than we had hoped and I was a little worried that the lighting wouldn't be the best but we found some great spots and made it work! Stephen is graduating from Cal State Fullerton this next month and his mother wanted some pictures of him because he never had them done in high school. Aren't moms great!

Stephen and I had a blast and I think we got some really great images!

Enjoy!

A nice, relaxed portrait.

Stephen did a pretty good job of busting out the model looks. His future has some covers in it...

This was my first time photographing someone with the cap and gown. We took pictures of the tassle on both sides, just to be sure....

Stephen is like me, VERY serious.

I really liked the feel of this image. It said "superman" to me..

Newport Beach, CA. Thanks again Stephen! I am glad that your mom wanted some pictures of you because I think we got 'em!

It's official-I enjoy "senior" sessions. For all of you blog-stalkers out there, I am taking appointments now for senior sessions for over the summer! If any of you are interested in being a representative at your school (if you live in Corona) let me know and we can work something out!

Boulder City Day 2

2008-04-12T01:04:00.000-07:00

Finally, some from Cory and I's second day in Boulder City celebrating Ojii's birthday!

Enjoy!

Chris was a little bit jealous about Cory's innate ability to do the triangle face. This is his attempt.

Just can't get enough goofy faces.

Everyone was joining in on the goofy face action.

Everyone wanted their picture taken with Linda.

Cory and I had a great time in Nevada! We won't show pictures from the ride home. It pretty much would have all been pictures of the traffic in front of us!

Day 2

2008-04-07T22:15:00.000-07:00

Day 2. I beat myself at chess. (Which is hard to do...)

Boulder City Day 1

2008-04-05T00:48:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, it was Cory's grandfather's (Ojii) birthday. Head to Boulder City in Nevada we did.

Saturday afternoon consisted of the "younger generation" taking some time on the boat.

At the dock their were swarms of carp! Some were 3.5 feet long. I was glad no one was pushed in because I am pretty sure a carp can strip your flesh in seconds.

Here is everyone glad that they weren't eaten alive by the carp.

Pretty nice for a Saturday in Nevada.

Being on the boat was really relaxing.

Cory won the goofy face contest hands-down with the patented "triangle face."

After we got off the boat, we headed back to the house where Uncle Rob and crew had whipped up a fabulous Spaghetti dinner for us to celebrate the birthday! It was delish!

Then Ojii came out for the celebration. He received two gifts of particular note. The "Ojii is a chick magnet" shirt and a book filled with letters and pictures from friends and family expressing how much Ojii means to them.

That is all of us. As you can tell we are very intense and serious bunch!

More to come on day 2 later.

2008-04-04T22:29:00.000-07:00

This week will be glorious. For many reasons. First off- God is great! That alone is reason enough to have a great week. Second off, I get to be with my wonderful bride a bit this weekend and it's her birthday on Sunday! (More on that later). This week will also be glorious because this week Cory and I are house sitting. Actually, we are more like palace-sitting. Some good friends of ours are out of the country for 10 days and asked us to take care of their dogs and house-sit for them. Cory and I have been very pleased so far even though we haven't had a whole lot of time to stay here. I have decided I am going to try and e-mail them a picture every day of their house/pets while they are away and so I thought that I would share those on the blog here as well!

I think their dogs miss them...

Let me know what you think about the new picture format with the logo!

The Why

2008-04-03T12:38:00.000-07:00

First off- it is my good friend Scott Burn's brithday today! He is turning the ripe age of _____. Feel free to check out his blog and show him some love! I had a talk yesterday with a friend at work about an experience with a photographer that I would like to share with you to help me express the way I approach things in my photography business. My friend and his wife had their first child back in January and wanted to have photos to commemorate their first baby's first year. So they found a professional photographer whose work they liked and talked to him. He gave them a deal where he would do 5 or so sessions throughout the first year for a session fee of $300. Now, if you are in California talking to a pro photographer, that sounds like an outrageous deal.

However, as my friend is finding out, that $300 got him nothing. Zip. Zero. Nada. Nil. In all actuality, the $300 he paid only gave him the opportunity to spend more money. The $300 was for the session fee and then prints were additional fee. My friend and his wife were only allowed to look at the proofs of the pictures on location at the photographer's studio (about 35 minutes away). Additionally, the photographer said that he would only hold photos that they liked from each session if they agreed to purchase them in some form or another (either directly through prints or indirectly through including those photos in an album at the end).

Here's the kicker, the price that the photographer gave them for any print 5 x 7 or smaller- $100. Ouch. Kind of hurts to look at that desk portrait of your kid when you know that you paid a Benjamin for it. I can't imagine what an 8 x 10 would cost, much less the final album at the end! The truly sad thing about is that my friend didn't learn of the print prices until after he paid the session fee and the photographer wouldn't allow him to take any kind of pricing information home.

I am really saddened because my friend thought he was getting a photographer who would take care of the process and now is finding out that, although he loves the pictures, he feels like the photographer is doing things after the fact that are shady and wants to fire the photographer.

Experiences like this have shaped the way I do my photography and how I charge. I can remember as a high school senior getting pictures taken with many of my friends and really liking how they came back in a fancy proof book only to learn that the money my mom had paid up front didn't even allow us to keep that proof book. As a result, I think my mom shilled out some hefty funds for 1 8 x 10 that may be in a frame at my parents house and some wallets that I think we sent out to the grandparents. Yuck.

It is because of this that I have decided that I would like to include the CD of all of the full-resolution, digitally-massaged images from the session to the client. As a client, that's what I would want. What happens if my precious print gets ripped? Or after a year of looking at this pose on the wall, I decide I want a breath of fresh air and want to mix it up with a new one? With other photographers-it's "pay me more money" or "sorry, you're out of luck." If those questions face my clients, I would like them to be able to take out the cd I've given them and get some prints made where they like and when they like. Honestly, I don't mean to bash on the price of the photograph that my friend was quoted. I do believe that there are photographs that are worth $100 for a 5 x 7. However, if you are that good of a photographer, why don't you tell that upfront to your clients? Why do you feel like you have to hide it? I don't understand.

I do offer prints and a lot of my packages include a print credit at my professional lab online. But I want to make that easy for my clients. My clients are given an online, password-protected gallery that they can use to proof the images (they don't have to travel 35 minutes to a studio and get an appointment) and they can easily forward the link and the password for that gallery to any family and friends that they would like to see them (I let you take the price sheet home). Anyone who wants can order right there from the site and pay with a credit card. The prints are shipped directly to them. The lab I use gives prints that are a bit better quality than Costco and so the prints are a bit more expensive but not quite $100 for a 5 x 7.

I realize that in any given portrait session or wedding, we are going to get multiple quality images and I would like the folks I photograph for to be able to enjoy all of those images. That's why I give the cd.

When I charge clients for photography, I charge for my time. I am not trying to nickel and dime then for prints. I'll charge a bit more of a session fee, but that is for the time to take and edit the photos to be able to give you a wide variety of them,edited, rather than just one for the wall.

Speaking of Scott Burns, he said that one of the things he liked best about the photos he had taken of his family was that he loved how he had a screensaver of all the photos on his computer and he really enjoyed looking at his beloved family whenever he came back to his computer.

Just thought I would share this as the way I think through things. Let me know what you think by leaving a comment!

Some pictures, not of us

2008-04-01T22:50:00.000-07:00

Here are a few that I took two weekends ago when Cory and I hung out in Newport. Cory and I forgot to bring our point and shoot camera and we haven't quite perfected the "self-portrait" with my honkin 5D Canon camera. As such, just a few scenic shots. Cory and I did have a great time being away. Cory started her job as a nurse a little over a month ago and has been learning a lot but transitioning to an intense job is...intense (kind of like camping). We have both definitely realized how precious our time together is. I feel like we are taking advantage of every opportunity we have to be together because it doesn't happen as easily as it used to! I am hoping to post again tonight, but I just want to say that life is good right now! And it isn't based on my circumstances! I am just really enjoying knowing the Lord and am so blessed by the people he has put around me!

This is what I call a Saturday

2008-03-22T13:27:00.000-07:00

Today has been a great day so far! Cory and I slept in and have taken the morning at a relaxing pace! I just purchased a new photo program this past week called Adobe Lightroom which I believe will drastically decrease my post processing time for events in the future and provide me and my clients with fresher, crisper images in less time! I am still learning it which is why it is taking me a bit wtih a couple of sessions that I am doing right now.

I have to say though, editing photos while watching March madness is the way to go. I think that there is a reason why they call this the manly month of March. I LOVE watching college basketball. The players play with heart every time and there is nothing better than the 64 best teams in the country duking it out (no pun intended) for the top spot in an all-out, cinderella filled, win or go home fashion. This truly is what Tivo was created for.

Who do you guys think is going to cut down the net this year?

Cory and I are headed to the beach in a bit and we are grabbing a night away today and we are really excited! Stay tuned for more pictures soon!

B & C

Shawn and Laura

2008-03-16T13:53:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday Cory and I were able to shoot an engagement session for Shawn and Laura at the Beach in Orange County! Shawn and Laura are getting married on April 11th and I am so excited to be shooting their wedding.

Shawn and Laura were so natural in front of the camera and you could tell they were very natural with each other! You can tell that Laura adores Shawn and you can tell that Shawn lights up when he is around Laura. I am stoked that they are getting married!

We had fun walking around getting some really great shots! For engagement sessions my desire is to make the couple feel relaxed for their portraits and to have fun. I think that the best pictures capture natural emotion and that a truly great picture can never be completely posed. Cory and I had a great time with Shawn and Laura and I think the pictures show it!

I officially LOVE shooting at the beach. This was my first engagment session there. The colors are amazing and it just felt so cool to be there! I will definitely be going back.

Dana Point, CA (er, Laguna Niguel). Shawn and Laura, thanks for spending the afternoon with us and we are so excited for April 11th!

B & C

Jay and Janelle

2008-03-12T22:11:00.000-07:00

If you have seen this blog before or were a follower of the ever so sporadic posts on Better Together then you know that these two are no strangers to our blog. Jay and Janelle (known by most for the celebrity couple name Jaynelle).

These two were obvious. Thinking back over the past two years it is awesome to see the Lord grooming two people to share their lives together. It was really cool to see their relationship start, as a friendship in the college group. They both are really cool people, both dig Jesus and America's pastime. Getting to know you progressed to the DTR (defining the relationship) and the SIDOR (pronounced "Sydar"-statement of interest but denial of relationship) that everyone and their mother knew was going to be short lived.

These two were meant to be JH's together (Jay and Janelle Hobbs). Cory and I have been so blessed by these two and have really enjoyed getting to be better friends with them. Jay and Janelle's "official" relationship began the day Cory and I officially got married. We have hung out with them through the cheese and the cheese wheel. Life has been great for the Blakey's and Hobbs.

So the day that Jay and I sat down at Starbucks and he let me in on the "secret" that he was going to propose to Janelle, I had seen it long coming and knew that it fit. He would have been crazy not to.

Last Saturday, Cory and I had the priviledge to shoot an engagement session for Jay and Janelle in an urban setting. We took some photos, snuck into some buildings, saw two different wedding events in progress and ended up the night at the Cheesecake Factory where I think I am still full from.

Cory and I are both in the wedding, so we won't be "officially" shooting this one, but we are so excited for June!

The future JH's together.

Oh yeah, the hounds of fun were released...

Goin' to the chapel...

Literally the only moment of the day Janelle was able to pull off her "serious" face.

The JH EP Album cover.

A Kissing Picture. We got a few of those.

Jay and Janelle- thanks again so much for spending the afternoon with us! We are honored to stand in your wedding and to put our "true dat" to something that we obviously see the Lord working together for His glory!

Can't wait to come to the Hobbs for dinner!

B & C

Travis and Katy

2008-03-10T23:43:00.001-07:00

First of all, let me say that life is sweet right now! Cory and I had a great night together and are loving life! God is so good even in the midst of busyness.

Hopefully there are some of you checking this blog in anticipation right now and I am stoked about that! I am fresh off of three really fun engagment sessions that I am gearing up to blog soon!

First off- Travis and Katy. It was a couple months ago when i received a phone call from Travis. He's engaged! Travis and I are good friends from college days and I knew that whoever the Lord had for would have to be an awesome woman.

It was really fun to get to know Travis and Katy together and enjoy dinner at Buca di Bepo and some fun times in Pasadena. We heard the story of how they met and to see in what a cool way the Lord brought them together. Dad spoke. Travis listened. God worked. Katy caved. We're going to the chapel!

Travis and Katy are getting married June 28 at Forest Lawn and I am so excited for the wedding!

Enjoy the images below!

Molly's Senior Urban Session

2008-03-04T18:59:00.000-08:00

This past Saturday morning, it was a dreary and overcast morning. Armed with Starbucks, Cory and I headed out to Riverside with Molly and her sister Abby. We had such a great time! Molly and Abby were troopers and I think we got some really fun pictures!

The light (although it was cloudy) was great! It was like we had huge softbox overhead!

No, we didn't bring a wind machine.

I love how you can find fun backgrounds almost anywhere. This was in front of a fire station.

Molly was definitely up for the jumping picture (she is actually airborne, even though her feet are out of focus).

Molly, Abby and Carolee- thanks so much for allowing us to take your senior portraits!

The Carlsons!!!

2008-03-04T18:11:00.000-08:00

WHOA!!! What a week! Cory started her career as a pediatric nurse at Loma Linda University Hospital this week so there has been quite a bit of adjusting at stately Blakey manor this week! We have been adjusting to getting up EARLY and trying to get to bed a bit earlier! Thus it has taken me a while to finish editing some sessions!

We met up with the Carlsons a week and half ago at a sweet park in Placentia with Nate, Jessica, Isaiah and Matthew. We were also joined by Sundae and Baggie (short for Baguera).

It was some great weather and we really enjoyed getting to hang out with the Carlsons again! Enjoy the photos!

The Carlsons are such a fun family!

Placentia, CA. Nate and Jessica, thanks again for the fun morning!

Coollege Retreat

2008-02-21T00:18:00.000-08:00

That's right. This past weekend Cory and I ventured up to the Crestline area for some good old fashioned college winter retreat.

We stayed in a really cool cabin that a family in the church (the Pate's) let us use! Who knew John Pate was friends with Jay Leno?

We had to move some things around to get the large TV in the living room for some serious Wii action! Jay thought that the counter in the kitchen would be a good spot for the smaller TV. It wasn't.

Had some good talks with the man, the myth, the legend Ken Flower while we were up there.

It wouldn't have been possible without Scott Burns organizing the posse and getting us up there. And for shoveling the snow to make room for a parking spot.

Driving up the mountain it was apparent just how much smog we breathe in every day. But up in the mountains-blue skies!

We only had one parking spot right at the cabin so Ken and Beth's jeep was the shuttle so that we could get around and go to the village. Nice to have a Jeep in the mountains.

Our speaker was Steve Balentine, head pastor of San Gabriel Union Church. He refreshed us with the gospel and was really gracious to spend the time with us and bring his family.

They enjoyed the Wii as well. Jonathan came pretty close to beating me at Wii baseball but I don't think he counted on the fact that I had been taking Wii 'roids. Oh, I have to go, Congress is calling...

We had some time to take some photos of Grace before the camp ended.

College camp was a great time to be refreshed and I actually felt refreshed rather than tired after coming back from the camp! Thanks Burns and Vinoj and the Balentines for putting it all together! And Staci for cooking some mean grub!

B & C

Some of the fam

2008-02-11T18:42:00.000-08:00

While in San Antonio this weekend, we went downtown and walked around were able to get some fun shots.

Tyler and the Ladies.

Tyler wasn't so sure about me getting the individual portrait of him. He gave me the number of his agent.

Here is one of Bobby, Christa and Tyler. Vertical.

Here is the horizontal shot in the same location. Which do you guys like better?

Tyler. What a little dude.