I was picking up an order for dinner for the wife and I last weekend at a new Chilies Restaurant and spotted this waitress walking by me, then she turned and smiled and in my head I heard click, click, click!

I have been looking for a couple of young people to model for me for my portfolio with wedding gowns. I had her come over to me so I could give her my card and I asked her if she has ever modeled before. She said no, but people ask her all the time. Really??? After a few calls back and forth,  Amanda finally got time off and stopped by today for a quick 5 minute shoot. I told her, just wear something simple I just want to see how you look through my lens and shoot off some images. Well, 5 minutes & 20 poses and we found a few and here they are.

Tell me what you think. This young 21 year old women has never posed or modeled before and was really comfortable and natural in front of the lens.

Of course I retouched her photos in photoshop, but not that much. 

Shot with a single strobe with a softbox umbrella located just to the left of my camera only. Canon 5D, 60th @f5.6  200 iso

My First Digital SLR $20,000.00 Purchased in 1997

My 2nd camera $2200.00

My 3rd camera $2100.00

My 4th camera $1795.00

My 5th camera $3200.00

Right now the most expensive 35mm digital slr camera’s with the only full frame chip/sensor is Canon with their models 5D and the 1D S Mark 2 camera that boasts 16.8 megapixals retail for body only $8600.00.

I can’t wait to see what they come up with next out of Japan. These pro cameras I use are amazing they compare to a Porshe automobile as how they feel and handle in my hands when Im shooting. And myself like so many others only shoot with the best.

I just picked up another new Canon SLR, the 30D and the camera looks like and acts just like my 5D cameras without of course the full frame sensor and the big price tag. I put it through some tests shooting at 1600 iso hand held and the images are great. They’re not as superb as the 5D model but for less than half the price I am stoked with Canon and there new generation of digital slr cameras and lenses. I purchased the 30D to be used as another back up camera , but now I’m thinking about having a lens on it as well when I am shooting. Heck,  I have 10 lenses and I can just grab a camera and shoot at any moment with four cameras.

If you can’t afford a Canon 5D then I would seriously say purchase the 30D it’s got alot going for it and you can get one now at a great price!

Its so sad when the bridal party is just going through the motions and not enjoying themselves. This group here, well they were a little on the wild side, you should have seen them when they finally got some drinks in them, then they opened up even more and had some real fun.

Just kidding everyone, all of my couples and groupings are like this. I would’nt have it any other way!!!

I said

“BRING THEM ON”!

I love kids. They’re not affraid of being themselves.

Oh…and I know some adults that act like this too!

Lets face it. On your wedding day you’ll be nervous, tense and excited all at the same time, why not just enjoy the day, relax and lets have some fun. Think about this day as if it was the first day of a long earned vacation.

I think the reason for my success in this business is my personality. That’s probably the main reason most pro’s get hired besides there work looking good. I find that when I meet with my clients its a time to see if we all just “Click” with each other, so to speak. I want to make sure they understand that I have a Type “A” personality and that’s what creates the looks and reactions they see in my photos.

I shoot as fast as I talk, and I try to capture time in a moment and not let it linger. This makes for real smiles with real emotion. You just can’t recreate a true moment in a posed photo, everyone can tell its fake and posed.

Each one of my weddings is different, even if I’ve been to the same location a hundred times, its the first time with them. Its a challenge I love, and I give all of my heart in each and every shot I take.

You would think at 50 years old your life is just whatever it is and thats it, nothing more, but not with this wonderful couple. He’s a sixth grade teacher and she’s a school nurse. Hmm…I wonder how they met?

Today, age really doesn’t mean what it used to, and with love being a factor, well anyone can fall in love and get married at any age and at anytime.

This was a Christian ceremony and was performed by this absolutely amazing pastor from Lodi who was from South Africa. Just hearing him speak the word out of the bible and watching all those who attended listening on his every word, I thought we were going to have some folks come to the Lord! He was amazing and so were the vows given by the newlyweds. The ceremony being outdoors with a cool breeze of 82 degrees was a delight for a July wedding and it all went off perfectly. Here are some photos from Saturday with Keetha and Dave. Congrats you two and thank you again for having me as your official photographer!

I don’t always get the chance to thank all of you who come

by and leave me comments on my blog, so here it goes

THANK YOU!!!!

Randy